Therapy

As I've said before, baking is one of my forms of therapy .  Preferably something bread-like, with yeast.  My family LOVES it when I need some therapy.

 

Another form of therapy for me is to decorate.  To mess around with a space, using what I have around the house to make it fresh and new and fun. 

 

The other night, we headed over to have a visit with some good friends' of ours.  They just moved into a house in the summer, and so now that all the "major" work is done, the fun begins...the fun of decorating!  Art helped put up a shelf in their dining room, and my friend asked me to give her a hand putting some things together on the shelf.  She's been scouring the back roads and garbage dumps for old windows, and has come up with a pile of them, so that's what we used...

 

Here's the end result... and I think it looks pretty good!

 

It was great to visit...and have some therapy.  Thanks, friends!

 

 

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

This week has been cold.  Really, really cold.  And we've had snow.  Lots and lots of snow.  But, truth be told, it really is beautiful.  Even if it means that my husband spends 3 hours plowing our driveway, plus a few of our neighbors.  We get treated to beautiful sunsets.  And it looks clean.  And fresh.  And cold!

 

 

The snow has definitely put me in the mood for Christmas, and my house is now put back together, after being pulled apart.  My Christmas trees are up.  My nativity scene displayed.  And tomorrow?  Christmas shopping.  With no children.  Just my man and me.  And maybe Sunday too...(thanks, Auntie Frieda!)

 

It's supposed to get above zero tomorrow, so hopefully, some of the 40 cms. of snow that we got over the last week will start to melt.  And make a slushy, dirty mess.  But I won't complain...because it'll feel like Spring after the -25C that we had earlier this week!

 

Snuggle In

We got over a foot of snow yesterday around these parts.  Seems like winter is here to stay.  I hardly feel ready, yet I know that Old Man Winter won't wait for me.

 

Today after church, we all changed back into pajamas and piled on the couch to snuggle in.  Ellie Mae cuddled with me for about 2.9 minutes, after which she abandoned me to play checkers with her older sister.  Abby still sits with me, under the same blanket, plugging away at a book she needs to get through for school.  Hannah and Art lay opposite me...and I hear slow, methodical breathing from the man of our house, while Hannah occasionally whispers about things she's found on kijiji that we "must" buy.

 

These are the days that I want to be permanently etched in my memory.  The days of all my people around me.  The days of falling asleep on the couch while little girls quietly giggle, and older girls still wanting to be around their parents, not yet consumed with friendships and wanting to "get out" on a Sunday afternoon.  And I know that these days are fleeting.  And they are passing all too quickly...

 

So today on this Sunday, this day of rest that God has given us, I'm snuggling in with my family.  With my napping husband and giggling girls.... and I hope you get to do the same!

Farmfair, and All That Fun Stuff!

This past week was Farmfair, over at Northlands.  Every year, we try and get out there at least one day, and this year was no exception.  My Mom was in town, so she joined us, and we headed out to watch the Heritage Ranch Rodeo on Tuesday night, with our cute cowgirls...

 

 

On Friday, my Dad made it up from Red Deer, where he was at a different Ag Show to watch the Girls compete in the Canadian Dummy Roping Championship.  Last year was the first year Abby and Molly competed, and they really enjoyed it, so they were anxious to enter again this year...

 

Molly practiced really hard this year, and really upped her game and came in 3rd in her age category, winning a really sweet halter.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any other pictures of the Girls roping except this one, because my hands were shaking so bad, I was SO nervous for them!  Good thing it was Art over there, watching them, and not me - I would've made them even more nervous!

 

 

 

 

Abby practiced really hard this year too, and warmed up really well, but when it came time to rope, she got only the left horn, every single time, and wasn't able to fish the rope over.  She was super disappointed with herself, but we were so proud of her still.... She tied for 7th this year, and she's already talking about coming back next year to do better.

 

All in all, there were about 77 kids which competed, and it really was a great event!

 

Molly got her picture taken in the winners circle, and I don't think anything could've wiped that smile off her face!

 

After the competition, we walked around Farmfair for a bit, with Abby proudly wearing her contestant badge...

 

 

We were super proud of the girls, and all the practice and hard work they put into this competition.  Ellie Mae is talking about competing next year as well, so we'll see if that happens...

 

Friday was also my Dad's birthday, so after the big competition, we headed out for dinner together.  I didn't get a picture of the birthday boy though (oops!), but it was fun to celebrate together with my folks.  After dinner, we headed home to enjoy some coconut cream pie (one of my Dad's favorite's) that Abby and my Mom had made.  It was a great day of celebrating all around.