D-Day

Today is D-day at our house....or A-day (Arrival day) - however you want to put it. My parents arrive any time now for a week of Christmas fun. And, I think I'm all done.... except for the cream cheese I forgot to buy at the store when I was there (twice) this morning! Ahhhh! The baking is done, presents are wrapped, turkey is bought, house is clean. Really, is there any better feeling? Of course, Art still has to do his Christmas shopping - "What would Christmas be without shopping on Christmas Eve?" (this is his standard response).

All in all, I am looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing with my family for a few days....and baking and cooking and wiping and setting and washing and cleaning and testing and clearing and prepping and playing.... You know, the stuff Christmas is made of! Hope you all enjoy your time with family and friends, and have a very merry, hopefully not scary, Christmas!

Date Day

As some of you may know, we LOVE tradition. And (another) one of our traditions is that every year, we farm out The Girls for a day (usually to Auntie Frieda), and take a Saturday in December to start AND (hopefully) finish our shopping. We go for dinner after the task, and just enjoy a day together....alone. Well, we headed out on Saturday for our date. We took the truck, since we wanted to leave the van for Frieda. We had some EXTREMELY cold weather on the weekend, and when we got home, this was the temperature.....

So excited to be going out for a whole day....!


We like to leave in the morning, right after we`ve all had breakfast and gotten ready. At 10:43 am, our freedom started.....

When we left in the morning, here`s the temperature....

For dinner, we went to our favorite steak house, for our company Christmas party

(yup, just the 2 of us!)

Here`s my handsome man.....starving and waiting for dinner...

When we got home, at 10:10 pm....after 12 hrs. of freedom!

And here`s how tired Art was by the end!

We did complete our mission, and got all of our Christmas shopping done.

Thanks again, Auntie Frieda!

Sugar Cookies

Every year, The Girls beg me to make sugar cookies for Christmas. And every year, I do....but I try and bribe someone to come and help me, since it's such a big job. This year was no exception. Our friend Rhonda called Friday morning asking if I wanted to go to the mall, and instead, she ended up coming over to help with this process. We doubled the recipe, and probably made and decorated well over 100 sugar cookies. The funny part is that I thought Ellie Mae would be in there like a dirty shirt, but she sat at the table the whole time, coloring, while we made the cookies...and by the time we decorated them, she was ready for a nap!

We have definitely enjoyed eating the fruits of our labor.... And now, I`m (finally) done my baking!

No Somebody

Art: "Ellie Mae, go and get into your pajamas please"
Ellie Mae: "It's dark...."
Art: "Who is upstairs? They'll turn on the light for you."
Ellie Mae: "No somebody."
Art: "Ellie Mae. Who is upstairs?"
Ellie "NO Somebody!"
Art: "Nobody is upstairs?"
Ellie Mae: "NO-SOMEBODY!"
Art: "Ellie Mae, is there anybody upstairs?"
Ellie Mae: "No somebody."
Art: "Ok. I'll come and turn on the light..."

Little Helpers

Yesterday, while the big girls were at school, I decided to tackle some more Christmas baking. Of course, I had 2 special little helpers...

Molly and Elizabeth very quickly donned their aprons, and helped me make shortbread, nanaimo bars and rocky road fudge. Hurray for aprons, Christmas, and baking!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

CHRISTMAS! This year, I was asked to be apart of a Christmas Home Tour for the alliance church. It was a great excuse to get Art to finish up the last of the trim work, painting and last final details of our renovations.... and now, it's DONE! Well, almost...just a few more mouldings to paint, and a floor to fix up where we took out walls in the laundry room....

The home tour was on Saturday, so on Friday night, everyone who's house was in the tour got to go and see each other's homes, which was fun. Of course, on Friday, we had the first blizzard of the year - we probably got close to a foot of snow, which helped add to the festive feel of the day. It was a lot of fun to get all my decorating done, and show off all of Art's hard work. I set up my table (which I, of course, forgot to take a picture of!), turned on all the lights and music, and got some baking done while people meandered through the house. Here are some updated pictures...

My laundry room cabinets and bench and coat hooks
the back hallway leading to the laundry room

One of the trees

Our front closet-turned dog house

As promised....MY TABLE! The picture doesn't do it justice. You'll just have to come for coffee and see it for yourself

Surprise!

Friday night, we hosted a surprise birthday party for a friend of ours. She was SO surprised - had not the slightest clue.... We had about 20 people here for night of laughing and eating!

One of the things I love most about hosting things at our house is how excited the girls get. I think they have as much fun as me preparing everything, setting up all the small, final details of the evening....lighting candles, setting up music, setting up the tables. They were the self appointed greeters....they opened the doors and let everyone in.

One of the fun things we did was take pictures of all the guests holding a picture frame, and had them sign and write a note to the birthday girl....who turns 70 in a few days. I will post the pictures once I put them on my computer. I know, I've said that before, but I will.

After the party (which was done and cleaned up by 10:30 pm....I think the earliest ending party we've ever had!), we just hung out and relaxed...for the weekend. So, my house is all decorated and ready for Christmas, and I now only have to do my baking and shopping.... but there's always tomorrow!

What the %$#&*%#

OK. So I have deleted many comments in a foreign language which I am sure is another form of spamming.....is nothing sacred?!! Why is somone commenting, with links, in Russian? A least I think it was Russian....I am pretty sure one of the links said viagra.....

Full

Yesterday, were eating lunch, just chatting away, and all of a sudden, Abby pipes up,

"I am F (pause) U (insert loooooooooooong pause).....ll. I am full!"

I must admit. I held my breath there for a second, not knowing what would come out of her little mouth. Art and I burst out in laughter, and she thought that we were laughing because she spelt it wrong. So she corrected herself.... "I am F (pause) U (pause) ELL. Full!" That made us laugh even more. Ah, sweet innocence!

An Interesting Lunch Guest

Today is Sunday. And (almost) every Sunday, we go to Wendy's after church for lunch. All our people know that's where we go, and even the employees of Wendy's know us now - if we go through the drive through, they ask us why....

Anyhow, today, like all other Sunday's, we headed off for lunch. I found a table and sat down with the girls, and we chatted while Art got food. While we were sitting there, I noticed a little girl with what looked to be her Grandma, who were sitting with a whole gaggle of older ladies. Suddenly, the lady came over with her grandaughter, who was actually her great-grandaughter, and said that the little girl wanted to come over and say hello. So, the little girl introduced herself and proceded to make herself comfortable in the last remaining chair at our table. She sat there, looking at the girls, and them looking alternately between her and me. Her great-grandmother came back with a napkin for her to cough into, since the little girl has had a "nasty cough" for about a month and a half.

Art came to the table with all our food, and again, the great-grandmother came over, I was assuming, to take the little girl back with her to her table. But no. She told Art that there was an extra chair at her table, and he could go and get it. He looked at me, and I at him.....bizarre.

So, we ate. In silence. While our intertesting lunch guest sat and watched us....until it was time for us to leave. And then, the great-grandmother took her back.

All Work and No Play

Another Saturday has arrived, and with it, comes my anticipation at working on our house. We are trying to finish up all of those never ending finishing touches....trim work, the last of the painting.... You know - the fun stuff! I am trying to do all that I can to take the load off Art, but unfortunately, there's not much that I can do. So, I sit, and (not-so) patiently wait for him to tick things off the list. Baaahhhh! We all know that patience isn't one of my strong suites...

I will take down my fall decorations this weekend, to prepare for the Christmas decorations. I can't wait! Trimming the tree, listening to Charlie Brown Christmas, perhaps even making some apple cider. Now if only we had some snow!

Our New Favorite Thing

Really, a picture is worth a thousand words....but here is our new favorite thing. It's Art's latest and newest tool - for clearing the driveway, of course! But when we're not clearing the driveway, we can use it for other things. If it's parked outside, the girls spend hours 'riding' it. And, I must admit, I've had a good amount of fun with it!

A Gift

This weekend, my fantastic husband gave me an amazing gift. Let me start off by telling you the background...

For the last 6 or 7 years, my kitchen table has been a half of a ping pong table placed (not screwed) on top of my regular table. Last year, around this time, Art (finally) succumbed and said he would build me a table. So, I searched the internet to find some legs for the table, and he was going to make the top, put it all together, and finish it. Then, my Christmas present was....the table. My birthday came around, and guess what I got for my birthday. You guessed it.....a table. Our anniversary....a table. At some point in the summer, Art put the top together, and we distressed it (by pulling it by a chain behind the truck down our gravel driveway). I told Art that he could not use the table as another Christmas present for me!

So this weekend, Art and I were in the shop working on the trim for the house (yup, it's finally getting done!). We got done way sooner than we thought, so I suggested that Art work on the table. He worked...and worked....and worked. And now, it's done. HOORAY!! I know that although he enjoyed working on it (somewhat), this was totally for me. He gave of his time and expertise for me. And it was such a gift. I appreciate the selflessness of Art giving of his whole weekend to get this done. I will post a picture when I find my battery charger for my camera, but let me tell you, friends, it looks fairly fantastic. And I love it with my whole heart!

Abigail Grace

Yesterday was Abby's 7th birthday. We had plans to go swimming as a family, but since we have 2 daughters sick, we ended up staying in. Abby wanted cinnamon buns for breakfast, and when given her choice of where to go for dinner, so wanted home made pizza. We had Auntie Frieda come over the the afternoon and evening (everyone else was scared to enter this 'unclean' household!), and just hung out. Art took the girls on a quad ride, and we worked in the shop while they played....it was a great day.

Abby is growing into a very sensitive, creative little lady. She loves to dance, color, do school, play with her friends and sisters and swim. She is very sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord, and is often the first one to pray for people who aren't feeling well. She is VERY slow at doing most things, and is always getting dirty - if it's playing outside or eating dinner. She's my little chipmunk, and we love her lots. Happy Birthday, Abby!

Where does it go?!

I am not sure where my time goes these days....it just goes! I still feel like I'm playing catch up from being away. Hopefully this week I can get back into some kind of a routine!

I was talking with a girlfriend the other day, and we were talking about when our kids were all preschoolers. It seemed like a couple of times a week, I would have someone here for coffee, or be out a friends for a visit. Now, I cannot remember the last time that happened during the day. Where does my time go?! I suppose it gets eaten up by housework, homeschooling, cooking, keeping up with the business.....blah, blah, blah! It seems like we don't often have "pajama days".....and I want to have more of them.

So, executive decision.....today will be a pajama day. That doesn't really help with the visiting of friends (although it was supposed to happen today, but one of the ladies has a fever of 101). We will do school, hang out, and just laze around. It shall be good.

My Thanksgiving

A few weeks ago, I got a call from my parents. My Grandpa, who had fallen and had hip surgery, wasn't expected to make it through the night. They headed over to the hospital, and I made plans to fly out early the next morning to be there. My grandpa was 88 yrs. old, and had Alzheimer's. Well, he made it through the next night, and the next, but a week later, he died.

I was so glad I was able to be out in Kelowna with my family when this was all taking place. Art was amazing in encouraging me to go, and holding down the fort here.

This past Thanksgiving weekend, after I had been home for a few days, we headed back to Kelowna to celebrate my Grandpa's life together. All of my cousins except for one were there, and together, there were 50 of us. We had a great weekend visiting and catching up with each other, as well as talking about the impact that Grandpa had on all of us. It was quite impressive, really, as we all shared similar memories of this man. We was a man who didn't really have many, if any, friends, but he invested greatly into the lives of his family members. My grandparents had been married for 66 yrs.

On Saturday, my parents hosted turkey dinner for the family (I believe the final count was 51), and we continued to give thanks. It was loud and crazy and busy and fun....and bittersweet. I only hope that we don't have to wait for another funeral to get together again! Many of my cousins I haven't seen for many years, and it was so nice just to pick up where we've left off, and catch up. Unfortunately, most of my cousins kids weren't there (can you imagine how many of us would there be if that was the case?!), but we got to just hang out....and eat!

I am going to miss my Grandpa, and his quiet, gentle ways. His smirk, and quickwitted-ness (if you were listening for it), as well as his love for his family and the Lord. However, he's hanging out with Jesus right now.....and for that, I am thankful.

Oh, the Life...

My dad arrived here late Friday afternoon for the weekend, before him and Art headed off early this morning for a short, 2 day golfing trip. The plan was to get to work on the playhouse, and have it all framed by the end of the weekend....

Here's what happened:
Friday night: "We should go to town to get everything we need for the playhouse, so we can get on it tomorrow..." They leave at 6:30 ish, and arrive home around 8:30 pm.

Saturday, noon: "We need to go to town to get a couple more things..." They leave around 1, get home around 2:30

Saturday, 3 pm: "We need to go to the city to pick up some windows" They arrive home by 6, just in time to eat dinner, and then work outside until dark (for about 2 hrs.).

Sunday morning: "We forgot lag bolts! I'll go to town (Dad) while you guys are at church". We get home around 2 ish, then the boys must have a nap from their strenuous weekend, and then they worked on the swings for about 2 1/2 hrs.

Don't ever let men tell you they don't like to shop.....! As long as it's what they want to shop for, they love it. And it's a good thing they left for a mini-vacation.....it was quite a busy, packed weekend.... Needless to say, the playhouse is NOT framed! (but the floor is on, and the swing set is put up, with no swings....)

Another New Project

I posted last about the 'wall ripping out' going on in our house....and now, I write about the 'wall going up' in our yard.... For quite some time, Art has been wanting to build the Girls a tree fort/playhouse. Well, he picked up the posts on the weekend, and had a friend (thanks, Darcy!) come and help him dig the post holes and get started on the whole project....he even wrote Art up a material list. Yes, my husband is a woodworker, but he is not a (play)house builder! We spent a good chunk of the weekend outside, getting started. My poor husband.....on Sunday, there were 7 (mostly little) women watching him work, and adding our comments, while he was the only one actually doing anything! Anyhow, on with the story....
Last night, we were putting away laundry, getting caught up on some tidying up. We had mentioned to the Girls that we were going to use our "bottle money" to pay for the playhouse. They argued that the money in the bottle was our "fun money", but we told them that this would be fun. Then, Hannah asked how much this playhouse was going to cost. We told her what we thought, and she immediately seemed a little bit off. A little while later, Art got the bottle to dump the $$ out of to separate and count. I counted the bills, and him and the Girls did the change (suckers!). A little later, after all had been counted, we found an extra $5 bill on top of the pile of bills. It turns out, our sweet Hannah had gone into her piggy bank, and taken her last $5 to contribute to "the Fund". Her and I were talking later, and I asked her what was wrong, as her big beautiful eyes were quite watery....she (of course) said "Nothing." I asked her why she looked like she was going to cry, and she fell into my arms, crying away. Her answer, when pushed a little bit as to why she was crying, was, "Why does the playhouse have to cost so much? Why is wood so expensive?"

When Abby saw Hannah crying, she ran over to Hannah, put her hand on Hannah's arm, and was very concerned as to why she was so sad.....

I felt very blessed and I witnessed this little interchange between them. I pray that we are teaching these little ladies to be sensitive to the needs of those around them.

Later, as Art and I were talking about what had transpired that evening, Art asked if I thought we should have told the Girls how much this playhouse was going to cost. I said "Yes!" I hope that by involving them in some of the details of our lives, they will have a greater appreciation for the things they do have. We shall see.... However, at the end of the day, I do love those little ladies!

The end is in sight.....

....until we decide to tackle another project! As most of you know, we've spent the last 2 years renovating the main floor of our house. So, we are almost done - the only thing left to do is the trim work (which really, let's be honest....will that ever get done?!), which cannot be done until the doors are replaced. On Saturday, Art spent a good part of the day taking out the old doors, and putting in the new ones (minus handles, of course....I'm still looking, and trying to find some that I love). While he was doing that, he started thinking about our laundry/mud room down the back hall and entrance to our garage. He decided that he was going to pull out the wall when you first walk in the door to make that space a bit bigger, and more suitable for our family. So, as I sit here, on my butt, these are some of the things I hear: the sawz-all, going nuts, cutting into the wall; a bit of grunting, as Art gets the headers out; perhaps an expletive?! He stepped on a nail, while wearing his oh so safe, and I'm sure Alberta Health and Safety approved CROCS (and pajamas....but that's for another day); the crowbar, with it's high pitched noise that it makes as you pull wood apart; and now, finally, the vacuum, because my man rocks! He makes a mess, and (usually) cleans it up!!

I've forgotten how much mess and dust drywall makes.....ahh, the mayhem.....here we go again!!

The Quiet

Today was the first day that Hannah AND Abby went to school at scope, the program here that we love. The Girls are in school for 2 days a week, and home for 3. It's a really great compromise between homeschooling full time and school full time. Hannah was in the program last year, and now Abby has joined her. I dropped them off in plenty of time, and helped them get set up, and then I started the process to leave. I said my goodbye's, along with hugs and kisses, and as I walked away, I took a look back at Abby. She was sitting in her desk, her eyes big and a tad bit watery....she gave me a little wave and said goodbye.

Now, I am at home, and the 2 little girls are playing outside. I have much to do, but I keep procrastinating..... it's quiet here, and I'm not quite used to it. Only 2 girls for lunch today. I thought I would love it, but, truth be told, I love my Girls, and miss them on the days they are gone. I should be weeding my garden, or get caught up on my books..... but maybe, this afternoon, I will read a book, and count down the minutes until I get to go and pick up my little ladies...

This is the life

Today, as I took a quick gander on the facebook, inevitably, there were many comments about kids going back to school. I have come to believe that I am morally opposed to school starting before the long weekend, so, except for the 2 days the girls go to school, WE ARE NOT STARTING SCHOOL THIS WEEK! It is a beautiful day outside, about 28 degrees, and it just seems wrong to be inside doing school when we have winter for 8 months out of the year. As I type this, the Girls are outside, all wearing life jackets, playing in the sprinkler. Crazy, I know. It looks very funny, and I am sure that they are sweating their butts off, but whatever....they are playing some imaginary game, and I like it! It's one of the things I love about homeschooling. We planning a fun week of picnics, going to the river, and enjoying the last few days of summer.

Raspberries

Well, it's now raspberry season again....already! I went out yesterday to pick for the first time. Man do I love it....reaching through the thorny branches, in search of the biggest, best berry. The thorns and thistles (since I haven't pruned my bushes) scraping at every piece of flesh they can find. The grasshoppers looking at me, with their beady, big eyes, and then jumping/flying towards me to scare me off 'their' territory. The bees and wasps, buzzing around, again, trying to stake their claim. And don't forget the spiders, crawling all over the bushes. And yet, I persevere.....in the RAIN.....just hoping to get enough berries to serve with dessert (angel food cake). Yes, the fun of raspberry season!

A New Revelation

Yesterday, we were at Home Depot with Art, and thought I'd pop into the garden department to check and see if they had their plants on sale yet. They did, so I picked up a few more perennials (yup, I'm addicted!). I picked up a(nother) hydrangea, as well as a couple of cone flowers and more creeping phlox. After the girls went to bed, I asked Art if he wanted to come and dig a couple of holes for me and hang out. As we were planting my last few plants, I had a revelation! I LOVE my perennial flower gardens. I do NOT love my garden garden. I spend hours in my flower gardens. I do NOT spend hours in my garden garden (and it shows!). And so, I realized.....I don't really like garden gardening....just flower gardening. Apparently, something in my mind doesn't want to be practical...Perhaps next year, I will stop making my husband crazy and make the garden half the size so it's practical AND gets weeded. Imagine that!

Summer Bliss!

Okay. So here's a quick little update as to what we've been up to. We had the family reunion, which was fairly fantastic! I was fun to catch up and visit with my dad's side of the family, some of whom I hadn't seen for 7 yrs. (that's when we only had 1 daughter...the way in which I gauge my life!). We played LOTS of bocce ball, ate LOTS of good fun, and had LOTS of good fun. I loved it! Thanks to everyone who came, and for all the help with getting food on the table!

After the family reunion, my parents took Hannah and Abby (along with 2 of my sister's kids) to Kelowna for the week. My sister stayed here for an extra 4 days, and we had an amazing time just hanging out and visiting. It's not often we get to talk and connect, since there are usually 9 kids around, but with just 3 kids here (1 of hers, 2 of mine), it was nice and quiet and relaxing....although I must say, I felt a little bit bad for Braden, who is 14....he was stuck here with 2 toddlers. Let's just say, he mowed the lawn....a lot! Trenna left on Thursday, and then on Saturday, we headed down to Calgary to meet up with my parents and pick up the girls. We had a little stop in Airdrie for a quick visit with one of my cousins (her husband has a shop, and he wanted to show it to Art), and then we checked into the Sheraton (thanks, Aunt Rhonda, for your family & friends discount!!) and waited for the girls to arrive. I must say, I missed them lots! At one point during the week, I called my parents to say hello to the girls, and I hear Hannah say, "I don't want to talk to my mom....then I'll get homesick again!". It was so great to see them running towards me and to hug them again. It's the first time that we've been apart for so long. They had a lot of fun at 'cousins camp', though, and are looking forward to it next time (too bad, mom and dad....now you have to do this every year!!). I must say, as a mother, there is something to be had for having all my little chicks together...it makes my heart happy! In Calgary, we spent the evening at the pool in the hotel. The older 3 are getting braver! Hannah & Molly loved the slides, and Abby actually would jump in the deep end of the pool (with a life jacket) repeatedly....yay!! The next day, we headed over to the Calgary Zoo for the day, which we all loved. It was perfect weather, and was great to walk around and see the animals. Here are a few pictures:

Let me explain this picture.....we had adjoining rooms, and so after we put the girls to bed in our room, we headed to my parents room and hopped into their bed to watch a movie. This picture looks a little odd, but I promise you people, nothing to see here!

What is a day with Nana and Grandpa without ice cream?!

All in all, it has been a great few weeks! Now that we are home, we've been relaxing and hanging out, having bbq's, and floating down the river. It is summer BLISS!

A Quick Update

So sorry to have been slacking in my blogging.....after the kitten incident, we left to go camping (first time as a family) for 5 days. Then, we came home just in time to unpack, do some laundry, and host our annual Canada Day Party. Now, I am getting ready for a family reunion which we are hosting this weekend. My parents come in tomorrow, my sister on Thursday, and the rest of the gang (I think there's only 35 or so) comes Friday. So, I don't have any pictures up (yet), but I will try and do that next week, after the chaos calms down! Good times, good times!

Another One Bites the Dust!

Yesterday, we have a bit of an 'incident'. And I dare say, a few of my children may be traumatized from it...

The Girls were outside, playing, and the neighbor boy asked if he could come over to play. I said, "Yes!", and over he came....along with his horse dog, Mikey. Mikey is a bullmastif, and probably weighs 200 lbs. He came trotting over, and got a look at Snowball, one of the new kittens. Well, he allegedly went running towards it, grabbed it in his mouth, threw it up in the air, and caught it again. It was about that time when I heard the Girls screaming, "Mikey! Put it down! Put it down, Mikey! MIKEY!" I went outside, thinking that he had a bone of Moses', but no. It was the kitten. By the time I got outside, the kids had gotten him away from the cat, and I walked over and took a look..... Not much to look at.... It was dead. I sent the girls inside, one of them to get Art, and asked the boys to get their grandpa (that's the owner of the dog/house). He came over right away, took a look, and shot out a couple of unrepeatable expletifs. Thankfully, Art came out then, and I left them, and went inside to see how the Girls were doing. They were sobbing on the couch, three of them, while Ellie Mae just walked around, chattering away. It was Abby's kitten (of course!). After they calmed down a bit, I took them outside to talk to our neighbor, who apologized profusely. They all forgave him, which I was very proud of them for.

One thing that I really appreciated about 'the incident', was that right away, our neighbor offered to shoot the dog. Not that I wanted him to, but it was nice to know that he took this seriously! He is currently looking for another kitten for Abby, and actually came over today to see how the Girls were doing. After this all happened, I thought, "Isn't it funny what circumstances the Lord uses to help us build a relationship with our neighbors?" For the almost 9 yrs. we've lived here, we've not been able to form any sort of relationship with them, but over the past few months, slowly, we've been able to cultivate some sort of relationship. Praise the Lord for that!

Any now you have it....the saga continues in our quest to keep a kitten alive...

First Trip of the Summer

This weekend was HOT. Really HOT! We were going to work on the yard all day, but instead, some friends convinced us to be slackers and head out to the river. Man, were we sure glad that we went - the water was low, but so refreshing. We enjoyed a picnic lunch there, played in the water, and got a good sunburn. Ahhh, the joys of summer!

Impressive!

The other day, I received a package in the mail. Under strict instructions, I did not open it until Art was ready, with the camera. Here is what followed....

My friend, Rhonda, who is in Ireland for 6 months, sent me this little ditty. I was fully impressed! Not only do I absolutely LOVE the dress (it has a kinda vintage housewife kinda feel), it fits like a glove. AND it makes me look like I have a waist. AND it's from Ireland. I wore it out last night, and felt like a million bucks! Thanks, friend!

Home

Well, Art made it home on Monday afternoon. We were all very glad to see him....VERY glad! As we've talked more about his trip, I am so glad that he had the opportunity to go. Now that he is home, it seems like things are crazier than ever....trying to get caught up on work, sneaking in time with the girls, baseball... at that good stuff!

Speaking of baseball, I think the Girls are I are (finally) going to be able to make it to see the "Demon Slayers" play on Thursday. We are looking forward to getting back into the routine of watching them play. It's good fun for everyone.

And, lastly, here's an example of how great I was this week: Last summer, you may remember that we did a bunch of landscaping. So, now that my plants have started to come up (finally!!), I've noticed that some plant that did not return....so sad! I lost my honeysuckle, sea thrift, some thyme, 4 of my spirea bushes, as well as some other plants. So, while Art was gone, I loaded up the Girls, along with the receipt and the original pails of the plants that didn't come back (btw, Art LOVED having to keep all of the containers of the plants that we bought, in his shed!...), and the remains, took them to Home Depot, and, Voila! I made $178...well, kinda 'made'. Home Depot has a year 'warranty' on their plants. If they die, you can bring in the receipt and original container, and they'll refund your money. And that's what I did. And now, I get to go and buy more plants! Yippee!

Celebrate!

As we were talking tonight about if we were going to be attending church in the morning, Abby asked, "Can we stay home and celebrate Jesus at home tomorrow?"

I asked, "How do you want to celebrate Jesus at home?"

Abby replied, "I dunno....maybe we could celebrate Him like we do other times....".

"That is a great idea!" I said.

So, tomorrow, we will not attend church. Instead, we will stay home and 'celebrate Jesus'. Perhaps we'll move the living room furniture to the walls, crank up some Jason Upton, dance to our hearts content, and worship that way. Perhaps we'll celebrate Jesus by going for a walk and reveling in his creations. Perhaps we'll be kind and loving towards each other. All I know is, I will celebrate!

All's Quiet on the Western Front

It's been 5 days since Art left. Before he left, I was envisioning quiet evenings, more relaxing days, getting the bed to myself, getting caught up on some things around the house, getting caught up on my books....so far, none of that has happened. Since Art left, we have been running, running, running. Don't get me wrong - it's been great....but busy! We've gotten together with lots of friends, had some girl nights, ran errands, had physio (Hannah's shoulder)...all the stuff we normally do (and more!). It's funny. I must say I was a little bit worried about how the week would go. I know the girls are older, but there still are 4 of them! But they've been (for the most part), great. I was telling Hannah and Abby today how much I have appreciated their help. They've played with their sisters, helped around the house, obeyed.... It's been good! And, we've only actually been home for dinner by ourselves a couple of times...the other days, we've had friends have mercy on us by either meeting us for dinner, coming over, or having us over for dinner. I have felt very taken care of by a few women who also have just checked in with me, everyday, making sure everything is going all right. And so far, All's Quiet on the Western Front!

So, tonight, this is my dilemma: do I catch up on everything that I wanted to do this weekend? Or sit on my butt and eat bonbons..... Somehow, I think that the sitting is going to win out this time!

So long, Farewell...

It's been a little while....I know that we've been busy, but I'm just not sure with what. We had the Farmer Days in Stony Plain this weekend - always good fun! We started the day off with the parade, then had a picnic at the park, and then to the rodeo. I would post pictures, but Art has the camera, and he left for Whistler today. He is gone for a week, and is attending a leadership Summit there. I am looking forward to him having a restful/stimulating/relaxing/connecting time away. At least I say that today.....I may not be saying that on Sunday, when he's still not home! :-)

Seriously, though, it's been a long time since I actually missed my husband. Since we do most things together (eat/sleep/work/play), we don't often have the opportunity to really miss each other. And as much as we love spending time together, and do most things together, there's something really nice about being apart, and then coming together again. You know? I really am excited to hear how his week goes, and seeing what God has for Art during this time away. I am excited to hear how he connects with others, and with the Lord, what divine appointments God has for him, and just for him to have some 'alone' time. Of course, I will be more than ready for him to come home on Monday......!!

After we dropped Art off at the airport this morning, I looked in my rear view mirror, and saw that Abby was under a blanket. I asked her to take her blanket off her head, and she just sobbed. She so desperately didn't want Art to leave. We talked a bit about it, and then we took a couple of moments to pray for him, for safety, and that he would come back to us better than before. After that, I asked the Girls what we should do while Art was away. I listed off a couple of things we definitely need to do: clean up the basement, work in the garden, etc., and then Molly says promptly, "Let's have a party!!" That's my girl! :-) Always up for a party!

It's a great day to be alive...

I know the sun's still shining when I close my eyes....

Except for the fact that I cannot let my little people outside, because our neighbor just sprayed our yard to kill the dandelions and thistle (thank you!), so now, I watch them, standing at the window, longingly looking outside. I think they think it'll kill them to not be outside on a beautiful day like today. It won't kill them, but it may just kill me.....

One Proud Mama

I had a home visit with Hannah's teacher this morning. She got me caught up on the results of the testing that Hannah has gone through over the last few weeks. I was so proud of her, and the results of the testing I have to brag about a little bit. In her reading, Hannah scored a grade equivalent of 5.4 (that's grade 5, month 4) with her vocabulary, and her reading comprehension is 8.2. Yup, it's true. She's a smart little cookie! And here's the cool part.....wait for it.....I taught it to her. All. By. Myself. So that makes me One Proud Mama!

A New Addition

Spring fever has hit me, and so I decided today that we needed a new addition to our family. I looked in the paper, and sure enough, there was what I was looking for....an ad that read, "Free Kittens!" As some of you may have heard, we haven't had so much luck in the kitten department, but, there are safety in numbers, so we decided for 2 boy kittens. I called first thing this morning, and the lady was at work, so she asked me to call back in the evening, and we could surely come and pick up a couple of kitties. So, I called back tonight after dinner, and asked if there were 2 boys. Her response was, "Honey, we've got 10 kittens here, so come on over..."

We piled into the van, and headed out about 10 minutes, until we found The Place. The Girls were excited, I was kinda excited.... We get out of the van and are greeted by a very nice lady with about 4 kittens in her arms. We oohed and aahhed over the kittens, and she says, "These ones are too young, but come on in..."

We walk up to the front door, and there are cats EVERYWHERE. A couple of The Girls start to get a little freaked out, because they've never seen SO MANY cats in one place. I promise you, there were at least 12 cats in front, and probably 8 kittens running around. She asks us to watch our step - she doesn't want us to step on the cats. I remark, "Wow! This is a lot of cats!", and she says, "Oh, these are just wild ones.... come on in...."

In the front door we step. Immediately, I am greeted by the wonderful, umm, smell.... of cats. Everywhere. You know that ammonia like smell of cat pee? My eyes start to water, and I start breathing through my nose... The kind cat lady says to The Girls, "Come on in and sit on the floor... take a look at the kittens and see which one you like."

I hear Art quietly say, "Girls, do not take off your shoes." But they do - after all, we are Canadians, who are, above all else, polite. So they all take off their shoes and pile onto the floor....the old carpet, cat pee everywhere carpet, and start playing with the kittens. She keeps bringing kitten after kitten to the girls, encouraging them to see which ones they like....ones that are gentle, yet a little frisky, and frankly, being fantastic. As I survey the house from the doorway (no, I DID NOT take me shoes off), I can count probably 25+ cats....everywhere. In the kitchen, on a scratching post, on the couch, the mud room....everywhere. The kind cat lady tells us about the 13+ kittens that they have, and how all their cats climb into bed with them.... (really?! I can see one, maybe....but 30?!) One of the girls comments on the one that she likes, and the kind cat lady says, "Oh no, honey. That kitten is mine." Which is fine, but inside, I am thinking, "Really?! You need ANOTHER cat?!"

The girls finally decide on 2 boy cats, and we get very clear instructions on how to carry the cats outside, and to take really, really good care of them, and we are on our way. We walk outside, where again, I am astounded by the amount of felines there are, and the kind cat lady says, "Be careful where you walk!! You don't want to step on any kitties!"

We carefully make our way through the throng of cats, to the van, where I can finally start breathing through my nose again, when I realize that the only thing I can smell is the pleasant aroma of cat pee. So, I take of my hoodie, open the sunroof, and tell Art, "Hurry home....I stink!!"

We get home, introduce the kittens to Moses (the dog), and Aaron (the last remaining cat we have), then I strictly instruct the girls to get into the house, take all their clothes off in the laundry room, and hop into the shower (which I myself do as well). Now, the girls are all clean and tucked in, we've talked about the generosity of the kind cat lady, who gave us 2 kittens FOR FREE, and how if they EVER have that many cats when they are adults, I will NEVER come and visit them... (Hannah said that she would maybe have that many cats, but they would all live outside, and she would build each and every one of them a cat house...) Bedtimes prayers have been said, asking that God would help the kitties not to be scared, and that they would live for a long time (I think these are kittens #9 & 10), and not be coyote food.... I still can't get the smell out of my head, so I will go and light a strong candle and hope that will take away the smell.

So there you have it....our new additions. Oh - I almost forgot, the kind cat lady had named all of the kittens, so we ended up getting one with the name Spot (because that's what Molly wanted to name her cat, and it had that name), and Yang, the twin (I do think they wanted us to keep that name as well, but alas, it is now called Snowball).

Another year

Another year has passed....this past week, we celebrated both mine and Molly's birthdays. For my birthday, Art gave me the gift of a day. A day to do whatever I wanted, without any responsibilites....it was fantastic! I helped him get the girls ready first thing, and then he was out of the house by 8:30. I thought it was going to be a quiet morning, but it was a busy, busy, phone ringing, trying to get out of the house kinda morning. I headed off to meet 'The Ladies' (whom I love!) for prayer, after stopping by Starbuck's for a special strawberries and cream yumminess incarnate drink (my new favorite treat) and some raspberry lemon loaf. I NEVER do that, so it was a fun little treat. After prayer, off I went to the mall with my friends Suzanne and Natalie for an afternoon of shopping...went to Mac and got a new look, got some new duds at American Eagle... all that good stuff. Then, home for WokBox (one of my favorites!), and birthday cake. Get this: Art made me a cake. Himself. And it was marble. And it had 2 layers. And it was iced. And it was very, very yummy. First. Time. Ever....impressive, eh? Then, I headed out for a little while to a conference our church was hosting, but I snuck out early because I was SO TIRED! All in all, it was a very grand day.

Then, on Saturday, we celebrated Molly's 4th birthday. Originally, we were going to have a weiner roast outside with a couple of families, but it turns out (of course!) that there is a fire ban, so we had to have a b-b-q instead. Not as fun, but still good. It was a little bit crazy, because we only had 4 families here, but there were 14 kids here. It was loud, and crazy, and very, very fun. Molly was very excited to have her friends here, and excited to be turning 4, so it was all good!!

Anyhow, that's what we've been up to for the last week.... It's all good! I will (hopefully) post some pictures soon...

My Friend

Here is my friend....we've been friends since the first Sunday we arrived here. I love her a lot.... we spend lots of time together as families, both have 4 kids (between our 2 families we had a baby every year for 8 years!), both live in the country....2 members of our family share a birthday with 2 memebers of her family....the list goes on. I have appreciated her friendship over the years. I am excited to see how God continues to work in her life. Here are 2 pictures of her from Easter. We usually end up sitting and chatting, and laughing.... She may hurt me for putting on this picture, but I laughed a lot at it, so here it is....

Updates

Miss Hannah
Abby

Miss Molly (who turns 4 on Saturday!)

and baby girl, Ellie Mae

Man, I love those little ladies!

Here are some updated pictures of The Girls...