Monday's Mumblings

• I didn't do laundry last week.  You know what that means?  It means that today, I have loads, and loads, and loads, and loads to do... I think I'm presently on load #6, and I have 2 more to do...of just clothes.  That's no sheets or towels or anything else.  I feel like all I've done is sit on the couch and fold The Girls clothes
• Yesterday my baby turned 4.  So, in lieu of church, I made a special birthday breakfast of Seattle Dutch Babies, and we did a quick jaunt to Costco....and may have to sell one of our Girls to pay for it!  Why is it there was only 6 things on my list and it cost over $500?!
• I got a new Crock Pot.  My old one had a crack through it.... :-(  My new one came with a baby Crock Pot for dips.  The best part?  It was $10 off...at Costco
• I love Costco
• I made brownies today.  And buns.  I cannot wait for dinner!
• I also bought spring jackets for my Girls (you guessed it...at Costco!).  They are dying to wear them, but I simply can't allow it because it -25C and snowing like mad outside
• I hate -25C...especially when the windchill makes it feel like -35C.  Why do I live here?!
• The worse part of doing laundry is putting it away.  But, I've gotten smart....I no longer put the laundry away.  The Girls do.  I love my little slaves...
• One of my dear friends just had a baby.  We are taking dinner to them tonight (hence the brownies and buns!)....I am looking forward to getting my "baby fix", but somehow, I must get rid of Hannah and Art, because they feel like they must hold baby too.  Any ideas?!

Have a good day, y'all....and a great week!  Hopefully, I'll dig out of this mountain of laundry soon!

The World.....

.....according to Ellie Mae. 

Ellie Mae had our camera during the scavenger hunt, and she took 179 pictures.  So, here is the world according to her.  Well, not all the pictures, but a few of the good ones!

 There are probably 20 of this little box...different angles, views...

 ...and many of her shoes

 And probably another 20 of the view from her seat

MCDONALDS!

Well, this was the last post of many of our great Family Day Picture Scavenger Hunt Extravaganza

Pictures from the Picture Scavenger Hunt

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our "Family Day Picture Scavenger Hunt Extravaganza"....I like to add the word 'extravaganza on to the end of everything....it makes it seem so much more exciting!

 One of the items on the list....a sister

 Another item....a camera

 "The List".....taken by Ellie Mae

 Yet another item....a biplane (which, by the way, the Girls didn't know what that was.  Ha!  They learnt something today!

 I took this picture for my friend, who grew up in Biggar, SK...where this fire truck was from

 Juvenile, I know, but Art pointed this out to me, and I couldn't resist...

 They had a car, half of which had been restored, and the other half had not, to give you a really clear idea of what that looked like

 The Girls got to sit in a plane.....

 ....and in a helicopter

And this was my very favorite car!

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Do you ever have a day where you think to yourself, "Truly, I hit it out of the park today.  I am.... the.  best.  mother.  EVER!"  Not to sound too arrogant, but I had one of those days yesterday.  It doesn't happen too often here, rather, rarely, but it really was a perfect day.

It was a holiday, Family Day, and it started out that I thought Art was going to be working, so I would do school with the Girls.  Well, he changed his mind, and so we started tossing around ideas of what to do.  I had been thinking in the back of my mind that it would be fun to go on a drive, but then Art pointed out that it's not super fun for kids to sit in a van for hours on end with no destination in mind, just aimlessly driving around.  So, I thought that we should do a picture scavenger hunt.  Monday morning, we decided to go with  it.  While Art & I were making the list of things that they would have to take pictures of, he thought that it would be nice to have a bit of a destination, where we could take a break from being in the van.  Seeings how it is the middle of winter here, (although it was a beautiful balmy -5C), I remembered hearing about the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin.  So, part of the scavenger hunt items were things that the Girls wouldn't be able to see just anywhere, like a classic car, a biplane, an old barn - oh wait, this is Alberta!  Those are everywhere.  Art also added in a few fun conversation items for later, the last one being, "Something you think it cool", as well, some things to get them started, like "a toothbrush".  We told them that whoever got everything on the list would get a prize.

Ellie Mae was quite concerned that she didn't have a camera, so on penalty of death, we told her that she could very carefully borrow ours (and careful she was, surprisingly for a 3 yr. old!!), we loaded up the Girls with their lists and pens and cameras, some snacks, and headed out for the adventure.  Let me tell you, adventure it was!  One of my favorite quotes of the day that we heard probably 20 times was when someone would call out that they saw something on the list, they would all get their cameras ready and take pictures, and Ellie Mae would say, "I got it!  What number is it on the list?!".  She was so ultra confident that she could keep up with her sisters.  At one point, Molly was playing, and I asked Ellie Mae if she wanted to play for a bit, and her response..."I want to win the prize!!"....that's my girl!! 

Anyhow, we ended up at the museum (which happened to be free because it was Family Day and we didn't even know that until we got there!), which was a total surprise to the Girls, and it was very cool to walk around.  There were many old cars and planes and farm equipment, and I couldn't help but think that my Grandpa would've loved that place....maybe he's even visited there, I don't know.  For me, the most interesting thing in the whole museum was ready about Stanley Reynolds, who was a mechanic and had the highest grossing car sales lot in Alberta for more than 10 years I think through the '50's and '60's ("...cars cost less in Wetaskiwin..."), was in the Canadian Forces, was a pilot, started the airport, started a business of crop spraying and became known around the country for his love of avionics, classic cars, farming equipment and native collectibles.  He would fly over rural areas and if he saw something that interested him, he'd land and ask to buy what he saw.  He had an extensive private collection and in the '70's wanted to open up his collection for others to enjoy.  That's originally how the museum started.  Then, the government, for lack of a better term, 'took it over' (in a good way), and he donated/lent much of what is on display today.  Really, a remarkable story....his whole intent for collecting what not for monetary gain, but rather, to be able to share with people how this province has changed, and to show where we've come from.  I must say, I was quite inspired by his story.

Anyhow, enough of my rambling....although at one point during the museum trip, I thought to myself, "Oh my.  I've become that...  I've become that Mom who excitedly reads signs at museums and wants to show her kids, and for them to 'get it'.....Ahhh!"

After the museum, we continued our drive to Ponoka for the prize....happy meals at McDonalds.  Nothing but the best for our Girls....!  After that, we headed home using secondary highways and country roads.  It was a fun, great, tiring, fantastic, family day.  When we got home, the Girls asked, "Can we do that again?!"....and that's how you know it's been a good day by all.

My New Love

I bought a little present for Art the other day, since he is a lover of dark chocolate (and me...).  He opened it up and encouraged me to try a bit.  Now let me preface this by telling you that I don't really care for dark chocolate....normally.  But this?  This was....bliss.  Perfection.  Chocolate goodness.... Need I say more?

 And now?  I cannot stop eating it.  It's all gone.  And I am contemplating the idea of encouraging Art to go to town tonight, for.....something.  Oh, and while he's there, perhaps he could pick me up one of these beauties.... I wonder if that'll work. Mmm.... Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt.  I am a lover.

Our New Home

We took Art`s sister to the RV show the other day to peruse the aisles and see what kind of new homes we could find.  Well, I think I`ve found it...our new home.  It`s 42 ft. of luxury on wheels, and the best part is you can get it with a quad bunk room in the back.  So, in theory, we could shove the Girls into bed in the evening in their own room and enjoy the rest of the night.  Here`s a few pictures of our new home...

 I think that there were 4 slides, making the inside very roomy....I could even imagine spending 6 month to a year living in this bad boy, travelling around the country, seeing the sights, meeting people....what a great homeschooling experience that would be!

Isn`t it amazing!  Too bad we don`t have a whole bunch of cash to buy our new home....!  Maybe one day...

Valentine's Day Scrooge

I feel a little hypocritical even saying, "Happy Valentine's Day!", because we are not much on celebrating this day.  Art secretly thinks that it was a day created by card companies to make money, and he elbowed me last week when a TV show we were watching agreed with him on that same idea.  His thought on the whole thing is, "Why do I need a certain day to tell my loved ones that they are loved, rather, just show them every day." 

And I agree with him.  In part.  But I must tell you, I feel a little bit like a Valentine's Day Scrooge.  I feel like if I don't tell people that I love them on this 'sacred love day', then they'll think I don't care.  But I do.  I just would rather tell them when I want to tell them, not because our culture tells me that I must.  Call me rebellious....that's okay.  I'm just telling y'all what I think.  I will be the Valentine's Day Scrooge.  And I tell you all tomorrow that I love you.  Just because it's not Valentine's Day.  And I will go and buy all the yummy candy and chocolate 50% off, so that I can buy double the amount.  Because that's how I roll.

Birthday Bliss

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Birthday Bliss!  I pulled this recipe from Trisha Yearwood's recipe book, "Oklahoma Cooking from a Georgia Kitchen", and let me tell you, it was pretty fantastic.  It may actually be the best chocolate cake I've ever made.  I think it replaced the chocolate cake with raspberry filling and chocolate butter cream frosting which was the reining champion.  I made it for Art's birthday.... I must admit, I didn't think that I would love it because I don't love coconut, but there's also chopped pecans in the frosting, and that helped downplay the coconut.  It was definitely a hit in our home!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today is Art's birthday. He's getting older. And wiser. And more fantastic. And more studly....but I'll save that for another day (or not!). And he's getting harder to buy presents for. I can't buy the man tools, since he owns every tool known to man. I can't buy him clothes, 'cuz that's not too fun for a man. So, as I pondered what to buy him, I came up with this idea. It is not practical. At all. But that's not what birthday presents are for.... but it's cool (we thought). And it surprised him.

I did have to take him shopping to pick it out, because it's kinda a personal gift. So, we sat. In the store. Together.  Looking at spurs, while our children found the whips and pretend horses and ran around the store, whinnying like ponies, saying, "Hya! Hya! Giddy-up!". Anyhow, here's what we came away with....

Yup, a pair of spurs.  Like I said, not a practical gift at all, since we don't have horses (yet).... but they looked so great with his boots....

 and they even made the "clangggg, jingle, clanggg" sound when he walks...

And the girls thought that they were "awesome!" and "cool!".  So I decided they are what I like to call a "prophetic gift"....hopefully we'll one day have some horses and a ranch to go with the spurs.  Meanwhile, he can wear them when we go to rodeo's and be wannabe ranchers....

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Southern Fried Chicken

The other day, I was craving fried chicken, which I have never attempted to make before.  So, I got out one of my trusty sources for southern cooking, gathered up my courage (and oil), and made some yummy food.  I started off with buttermilk biscuits....

 Cooked up some fried chicken...

 as well as cream gravy, salad and asparagus.  Loaded everything up with some more butter, and voila!

 Yumminess incarnate!

And let me tell you, the leftover fried chicken the next day for lunch was just as good, if not better!  I won't be waiting another 12 years to make this again!

I've Got Nothing...

So, I've got nothing.  Nothing to write.  Nothing much going on here.....nothing! 

I did hear some fun news the other day, though.  I don't know if any of you watch the tv show American Pickers...it is definitely a favorite in our home.  The Girls love it...I love it.  Watching it gives me the itch to go to garage sales and auctions again!  Anyhow, we saw a commercial the other day for a new series coming this spring called Canadian Pickers.  We are looking forward to watching the great finds that are found in our neck of the woods.... In the summer, when we are garage sale-ing, I am always so excited to drive up to a place that looks like this....


















...because you never know what you might find!  Oh, how I wish for Spring...!

How Did I Get Here?

I've not got much of anything to say today.  Or lately, really.  I've been spending some time looking through old pictures, and it always makes me think, "How did I get here?"  Or more importantly, "How did I get from there to here?"

Here's an old picture I found of me, Hannah & Abby...

 The Girls were probably 1 and 3.  And life seemed busy then....try doubling that amount of kids, and adding homeschooling....and running a business....and trying to stay sane!  I can't believe how big these little ladies have gotten, and what a joy it is to watch them grow up.  Mature.  Get big.  It's kinda crazy. 

We used to not be able to have a conversation without constant interrupting from a little person, or having to stop to correct someone, or chase after them.  Now, they put on all their clothes (by themselves!) and head outside for hours at a time!  And it's then when I think, "How did I get here from there?"