How was your Christmas?

How was everyone's Christmas?? What did you do? We had a good Christmas, busy and fun. The kids got spoiled rotten but that's the way it should be right?






And of course my sister in law is out which is always fun!! She has always been the BEST helper around here lately! I hate that I have to give her back to stoopid Vancouver soon.

But now Christmas is officially OVER. In fact I even took down my trees and put them away (apparently my tree wasn't really that great anyway right Mark?). My freezer and fridge are full of food and other festive "gear"--all ready for New Years. Does anyone have any great plans for New Years? We are mostly just going to sit around drinking drinks and eating food. But I get to do it with my girlz (all of them this year) so I think it'll be fun. Isn't it great to have a group of friend where sitting around looking at each other and talking stupid is considered a really good time?

Creepy Santa.

The idea of a man dress up in the Santa costume and parading around has always frightened me a bit. Last week at the kids skating lessons "Santa" magically appeared on the ice to skate with them. (As a side note--his pants? WAY to short). Most the kids under 5 were actually frightened of Skater Santa.

Then I was reminded of the time when I was much younger (you can take your guess as to my age from the picture) and shopping with my cousin. "Santa" sitting on his throne called us to come up and take a picture. Should have known he was creepy yelling at us but we thought 'fun' and went. So we sit down on his lap and he grabs the teddybear that is supposed to be a prop and says "we'll need to use this too" and places it on his crotchal area. Somehow we didn't run away, we stayed and let Santa's little elves take the picture first (b/c everyone wants a picture of Santa accousting you). Now you can see where Santa decided to put his hands for the photo-op. Yep. A little butt action, which turned out to be not enough b/c when we went to leave he decided that would be a good time to pat the butts of his new little friends as we walked away. Creepy Santa. CREEP-Y Santa.

So that's the story of me, my cousin and Santa from the mall.

Slow in Bloggerland.

Things have been pretty quiet in bloggerland. I thought perhaps after a month and a half I could throw in a new entry.
So in no particular order, here are some of the new things in my world (not too exciting I'll warn you).

1. Got a new computer. Didn't go with the portable model. Went with the keep it on the desk but it has more capacity model. Maybe find myself a used portable model at some point? Ebay maybe? Anyway, I can take silly pictures of myself on it and I do. Like this one where I am doing all my favorite things: drinking coffee, talking on the phone and playing with my computer.

2. Put up my Christmas tree(s). Yep, plural. See there is MY tree, which looks pretty much the same every year and that's how I like it. Of course with a daughter in school I am bound to get those oh so precious handmade ornaments. Those don't go on my tree--ever. The hubby calls me the Tree Nazi but still, despite the ridicule, no handmade ornaments on my tree.

So I got this one for the kids to put their ornaments on. I think that's a decent compromise.

3. My daughter lost her first tooth.

4. My bro-in-law got engaged & has announced he and his Mexican bride will be living in none other than K-town!!

Seriously, I think that might be it. Let the comments begin--unless of course everyone gave up on me. Which I could understand.

The Second Party.

Well I made it through the busy week. And there seems to be another one coming. So I am thinking this is the way of it now?

Sunday was my son's fourth birthday (where did the time go???). He wanted a race car birthday so I accomodated. Here are a couple pictures of his party! The first is the kid table. This year I needed to add a whole second table to make it big enough!













The second is the checkered flag I made my own little self (with garbage bags and dollar store table clothes) and put up on the ceiling. I think it turned out pretty darn cute if I may say so myself. The odds that good that next year he'll have to pick a dirtbike birthday and the year after a Nascar birthday and so on with any sport that has a checkered flag. And when we run out he'll have a "Chess" or "Checkers" birthday.

A busy week ahead.

EEk. The week looks so busy this week.

Monday - Pumpkin carving in the Kindergarten classroom. Seems that if you donate the pumpkin you also come and CARVE the pumpkin. Then run home, pick up the other two kids and back into two for Glo-Tox's birthday feast a la Jammer.

Tuesday - HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Quite frankly, I'm just not that into Halloween. However, with three small kids it seems as though you simply MUST go back into town and collect candy from strangers (okay, not exactly STRANGERS but you get the general point).

Wednesday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! My baby turns TWO!!! So we'll start the day by dropping the Kindergarten girl at school, then coffee-ing at Jammers, then head home to decorate for a party!!!!!! Mental note: gotta make lasangna at some point before this. Oh, and a cake.

Thursday - Clean up b'daying and then back into town for the first SKATING lesson. This is now to be a twice weekly trek to K-town for skating.

Friday - Again, to Kindergarten, then coffee. Then home to make some sort of snack and wait for my FOUR kids to come home on the bus. We get to have Glo-Tox's kiddies here!!!! WHOOPPEE. Mental note, call the bus driver to see if he can fit another three kiddies on the bus.

Saturday - Day of rest? Surely not. Clean, yes, CLEAN because...

Sunday - my one and only beautiful, bestest-ever son turns FOUR!!!!!! So we'll be having another party, another cake, & more decorations!!!

So basically it's a busy week and I need to clean out the soccer-mom van and get prepared for drive-drive-driving!!!

Oh fine.

Well here's an update. But remember you asked for it. And if you didn't ask for it then you are still checking back and reading about it so either way you deserve to be bored by my tales.

A couple things that have happened...
1. Thanksgiving came and went and I ate copious amounts of food at my Mom's. Most especially her lemon mirange pie, which Ross, you may remember from the wedding as being darn good lemon pie. Also hung out with my cousin/friend Ray-Ray and of course Glo-Tox, MyNiz and Co. all of which are great people.
2. Pumpkin Deliveries - If you want one of my home-grown pumpkins please visit Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Unity or the K-town Redi-Mart. Now go. Buy one.
3. Japanese Experience - Not just you Dean/Dane though I am THRILLED to have found your blog. And I also have your address from the blog so I can send you odd and sundry things. Anyway, the OTHER Japanese experience was yesterday when some friendly Japanese blokes came by to check out the farm. And eat lasagna. Not made by me.

There that's it for now. I'm living a dull life right now.

Pumpkin in Pants.

In a moment of extreme boredom (or maybe it's just pure oddness?), I decided to see what the pumpkin butt looked like in my grey cords...

Not so bad, not so bad.

My Week.

So I got this great keychain in the mail yesterday! I thought people might enjoy disecting it for its obvious issue--some people like to disect things and pick them apart. I'm not naming names but it does rhyme with Filma. (If you have already been privy to Ross's blog then you don't get to pipe in until those not in the loop get to see it and laugh. HOW did this get by the Australian authorities? You can pick these up at your Australian souvenir shop. Funny.

And in bad news...That's right folks. Blogger isn't getting all mixed up and interjecting pictures from other posts. The last yellow mug cracked, broke and spilled coffee all over my lap. R.I.P last yellow mug. Not funny.

Pumpkin Picking 2006

So over the last weekend we picked our pumpkins (is that a huge sigh of relief I hear from you Mark? Does your back still hurt and you are oh so glad you weren't here to help?). Anyway, we picked our 3 acres of pumpkins. I shall post pictures of just how many pumpkins we actually have at a later date (that will be my "farm" posting for you Ross). I don't have the final pictures yet. But just to tide you over here are the oddities we found...

This is the yellow pumpkin!! 5 of these were found in the middle of the patch. Not sure how that happened. But I was so thrilled to see a YELLOW pumpkin. They now decorate my house.


And this folks, this is the buttocks pumpkin. Do I have to explain why it's the buttocks pumpkin? I think not.

So I had a day.

Yes here's my day yesterday...

Bad things that happened
- up from 11 until 4 a.m. with nervous, puking daughter
- up for the morning at 7 a.m., realizing this is now to be a ritual
- TAKE BABY GIRL TO KINDERGARTEN AND LEAVE HER THERE ALLLLLLLLLL DAY!!!!!
- almost get in an accident because MY VAN BRAKES AREN'T WORKING!!!!!!
- terrible headache from bawling (please re-read the kindergarten thing a few times b/c it rather overtook my day)

Good things that happened to me
- had coffee with Jammer, Glo-Tox and one tag-along who we'll call Hide-Stretcher or maybe Paper-Maker
- Jammer's infant child crawled towards me and although SHE missed it, I got to see it

You can decide if good or bad prevailed in my head (read that Kindergarten thing again).

Jammer, see you tomorrow for coffee and we can weigh in on your good days/bad days.

The Replacement!

Check out my super-duper, fan-tabulous, better than better new mug!! My sister (in-law) delivered it to me yesterday to replace my smashie-yellow mug!! Isn't it great???? Doesn't it make you want to drink coffee??? Thanks Angie! I love it and I love you!

See Me Craft!

This is mostly funny for those who know me well:

See I'm crafting. I craft.

For those of you not in the know but kinda care a bit or maybe just want to be part of the joke...I--and my trusty side-kick in the photo--hate crafts. Hate 'em. Hate glue. Hate construction paper. Hate sequins. Hate all things craft.

Still, there we are crafting away.

Ode to Angie

I just got off the tele with my little sister (in law) and now I am so excited to see her next weekend!!! Everyone should be so lucky as to love their sister (in law) as much as I do!!!!

WHY?

Why does everything bad happen to your FAVORITE thing? Like my yellow mug. There are four colors in the set, I like to give them out depending on the color of clothing the drinker is wearing (but that's just useless info). I usually use the yellow mug (b/c I am sure to color-coordinate with yellow). One afternoon I found myself with enough company to utilize all four of the colors (which doesn't often happen, usually I am drinking-with-three-girlz, but this day we had friend!). Anywho, after running the dish washer I am putting the mugs away and GUESS which one I drop and break??!! Of COURSE it was the yellow one. Not the pink, not the green, not the blue. The YELLOW ONE! WHY do these things happen?

And I can't get another mug like this either, by the way, b/c they don't HAVE them anymore.

I want my yellow mug back. R.I.P

What I DO enjoy...

Here are a few of things I DO like--


1. I love the VapoRub. I dunno WHO invented it but THANK YOU!!! You know how on My Big Fat Greek Wedding that one guy loves Windex? Well that's me and the Vapo. Once the pharmacist called my attention to the fact they make cream now instead of salve, well I told him. And another time a pharmacist insisted that the generic brand was just as good when there was no actual Vicks on the shelf. Well that went horribly wrong. Next time I go to another pharmacy. It must be Vicks.


2. Now brace yourselves all those who knew me when...last year I was allllll about the Jergens Natural Glow--which is still an outstanding product. But THIS year I have found this. I lub it. Lub it I tells ya...





3. Wilma, this is where 'Wish' comes in, this is where I understand WHY you have to get yourself the killer shoes even if it might be a tad out of your budget. I love this sweater with an undying passion--I neeeeeeeeeed this sweater.

What bugs you?

The oddest little things bother me. They can stick in my mind and fester there for days weeks, months--let's face it, years. Like at this pita place I went to where I ordered my greek salad pita (love that greek salad). The worker-chickie cuts the pita in her pita-pit-trained-way. But she makes an incision that is a little to large. So she picks it up and is about to throw it out when I stop her with "what are you doing???". She explains her little surgical error and says she can't use the pita now. I say I'm fine with a pita that is cut opened a little far, why waste it? "Oh no," she exclaims, with a HORRIFIED look on her face, "I can't use THAT". And throws it out. (Here's hoping she doesn't actually become a surgeon, first we don't need extra cut marks, second if she does make them, what happens to the patient in the wake of her 'error'?? Out they go.)

Now it bugged me. I mean seriously you didn't put peanut sauce on it and I am deathly allergic to nuts. You cut it a little far, that's all. We've all done it, no big deal. You should SEE what I've done to the common pita. JUST USE THE PITA. And instead of garbaging it, would it kill them to have some sort of bag there to repack the horrifyingly-over-cut pita's and give them to someone who is hungry?? I am quite sure the homeless guy outside the mall doors doesn't much care that you overcut his pita. Get it together people.

Anyway, this happend about a month ago and I am still obsessing over it. There are lists of things that irk me like this. Many I can't bloggie about b/c some of my loyal readers might get hurt feelings (Jammer, are you with me here?).

The point is that things bug me. And continue to bug me. Which some of you psychology-minded people (Carlene) might try to persuade me is hurtful psychologically, but I would urge you go get to know my family and you'll see it's in my genetic material and to change it would mean seriously altering my chromosonal make up.

Anyway, what bugs you?

My Zoo Adventure

So we made an improptu zoo trip on Sunday. And while standing and watching some wild dogs fight it out over some slabs of meat (which was good entertainment) I had quite a little adventure. All of a sudden out of NO WHERE I felt a thunk on my head. Then I look at my arm and sliding down my arm and landing dead on my shoe was a little bird.

Now perhaps you don't understand why this is such an awful thing to have happen...

I hate birds. I fear them more than almost anything. I am 100% crazily afraid of birds. And then my Dad made me watch that that Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" with him and it confirmed my worst fears...they really and truly are out to get me. I have now known for awhile (since the movie) that they are organzing themselves, laying low, waiting for the time when I am totally unexpectant of an ambush. And I feel as though the 'Thud, slide, plop' of the little bird was their warning not to get to comfortable around them. They actually sacrificed one of their own so that I would have confirmation of the plans they have for me. They're coming...

HOLY CRAP HE WON A BIN!!!!

Lookie see the bin that my hubby won today!!!!! He also won a shirt,a hat and a travel mug but somehow they pale a wee bit in comparison.

A Tale of a Fridge

My confession...I hate cleaning the fridge. I don't mind cleaning all the other things in the house. In fact, I keep a pretty good house, my vacuum goes daily, I scrub my floors, change my sheets, even clean the bathroom every other day. But the fridge? Well that seems like SUCH a big job--so to avoid doing it I usually just make sure it's packed full of stuff so I can't see how gross it is getting in there. Lately that hasn't been working, the bottom line is that it had gotten plenty gross in there. Then the olive juice spilled all over the back of it. And I swore. Yep, I did. I swore.

But did I clean it? Well I did where I could easily access it. I meant to pull the whole thing apart, really I did. And once I even invited my mom out just so that she would receive the blessing of cleaning my fridge for me, you know servanthood, isn't that supposed to make you feel good about yourself? But she didn't do it, I guess no blessings upon her.

So my sister came for a sleep over and I commented on my gross fridge and that I needed to clean it. Which I often comment on to people, but really, I was still waiting for my mom to come clean it. Anywho, my sister came over and agreed it had gotten a little out of hand. And bless her heart--SHE CLEANED MY FRIDGE!!! And it was not pleasant. But she bleached and scrubbed and got out all the necessary equipment one needs (toothbrushes, Mr.Clean Erasers, knives, several clothes, paper towel, scrub-brushes, even a tool or two) and she got that fridge looking spanky clean. So thanks Sister! I will try hard not to let it get that gross again (of course you know that's just lip-service, you may as well just continue to do it yourself. OR you could ask mom to make sure it stays clean and thus get her that blessing she missed out on).

Anyway, thanks!!!

Balderdash with Flib-Jam & G-Za

This is a posting that is cut and pasted directly from my good friend's bloggie. I think I have her permission, well I just emailed her and said I was doing it anyway and she hasn't said 'no'. So without further ado, the cut & paste post...



Last week in between goings on at the paddling pool and both cabins. A new term was introduced to us by Mr. G-Za:

"Titer Levels"

It was on a half ripped up brochure he was looking at and needless to say the term intrigued us and amused us greatly! We have had such great fun searching for the meaning of the term by casually throwing it into bits of conversation that I think we should all partake in a friendly game of Balderdash. So tell me, what does 'titer levels' mean to you? After all the fun and frivolity I will dutifully reveal the true meaning of the term! Or not. As I am sure it won't be nearly as fun.

Done and Done.

Well swimming lessons are done and all have passed to the next level!!!!! Whew! I am so glad to not be running into town every thirty seconds. We can be a once-a-day kind of family now and swim for the love of it!

To celebrate we deicided to load the kids into the mini-van and head to K-town (again) to see the annual Jamboree Days Car Show. Usually this means nice cars lining the street often even DRIVING around. Nope, not this year. This year I think we were there were about 7 cars. Literally. We drove all the way in to see 7 cars. Not at all a waste of time. No that made me happy. Well really the idea of walking the streets seeing cars wasn't making me happy either. But hey, I WENT and that's more town involvement than I have had in the whole four years of living here.

So to celebrate that we were home and done seeing the 7 cars we drank some slushie drink. Now anyone who knows about the slushie drink back me up here--that's a good time in a glass. Anyone wanting an introduction please come on over on a nice hot day and I'll be glad to introduce you.

Now once again another boring and not so informative blog. And just so that Ross isn't bored looking at my blog I'll throw in a little farming, here's some bins...

I Gotz Nuthun'

Okay, so sue me, I let the Canada Day Blog sit there for a few days. Seriously, calm down. Here's a new one. But I got nothing to write about. Here's my life right now...

Get Up. Get dressed. Do hair & make-up (and yes, those are necessary even given the place I am headed too mkay? We Dixie Chicks have a reputation to uphold). Get kids fed, sunscreened and ready. Go to pool & have lessons. Have lunch either at home or at Jammers. Take short rest. Get back in van. Go back to pool. Come home. Have supper. Then either crash or go to the pool again.

That's not exactly exciting now is it? Given my little mundane routine can you not see why I haven't thrown a new blog on the bar-bee lately??? I mean you people read these things ready for some sort of adventure. Some sort of funnery. You want action. And when I gotz nuthin' I feel low.

The True North Strong and Free.

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian readers! Which, apart from the Auzzie's (whom we are luring here one at a time) is pretty much everyone I think...

What do you like about living in Canada? Well I am pretty darn happy that we have food to eat and affordable housing to live in. I am pretty darn glad that we aren't under the oppression of Dictatorship. I love the diversity of Canada and how everyone (in theory anyway) is accepted and acceptable. I like the education system for the mostpart. I like the healthcare, also for the mostpart.

And on a slightly lighter note, we have Timmy Ho's....ahhh, do I love that coffee!!!!! Now if only I could convince them that we in Saskatchewan want some coffee sleeves.



Also, you'll all be happy to know they changed the Springwater sign--which means my blood pressure is down and I am sleeping peacefully at night. It now reads:

How many kidneys do you have?
4. One left, one right and two kid-knees.

Not funny really but at least it makes sense. It bugs me when that sign doesn't make sense. I know I should listen to the sound advice of Carlene and not worry about it but I just can't. It irritates me. If you are gonna make a riddle-board at least have it make some bloody sense. Is that asking so much????

Now I need coffee. Wish someone was around to drink it with me. If you are drinking coffee while reading this let me know. It's kinda the same. Okay, I just went and got the coffee while the picture was loading (dial up, sucks). I just made the BEST cup of coffee.

The Long-Awaited, Highly Anticipated FARMER POST!

Okay Ross, you asked for it!! I am going to try really hard to sound all farmer-like and blog you some Saskatchewan farmer info (and yes, Angie, I hear you giggling!). Here we go with all the things new at the farm...
Number One--we bought new cows. They are black baldies--does anyone need a definition? Because I actually know what that means. Here they are...

And this is how close they are to my house, see my house? See where the cows are? That's close, (again Angie I hear the giggles).


Number Two--we bought a forklift at an auction. It has a cab and no rust--which I hear is real find when getting a forklift at an auction. Here it is in action, stacking bags of lentils (I think lentils, but it could be Japanese barley).

Number Three--here is the truck coming to pick up the load of lentils. I think they are headed to Germany. Please note the forklift in action. (Soon I will also post a picture of the container truck coming to pick up the Japanese Barley, it just has to actually GET HERE, I think it was booked for Tuesday the 27th)

Number Four--Just in case people don't think Saskatchewan is beautiful, here is our backyard...

How was that Ross? Okay, not really informative. I am not really that into farming that's all, sorry. I tried, that was me trying pretty hard, I even threw in pictures--OF COWS. Angie, back me up, that was a good try for me wasn't it???? Jammer, weren't you impressed? I threw in the words "black baldies" and I knew what it MEANT?!!!!! Without your support I am going to be back to bra shopping stories (please note the pun...bra/support...kinda funny? No? Sorry Ross). I'll keep trying.

Riddle me this, Batman!

Okay, needin' a little help with the ole Springwater sign again...here is today's posted joke...I do not get it AT ALL!!! (As an aside, according to the 2001 census, Springwater had a population of 20 people. Also, in 1931 it was hit by a very large meteorite. But I digress and back to the riddle...)

Why did the river go on a diet?
It gained a few pounds.


Now stay tuned Ross, I have a totally farm-related posting coming your way. Just gotta go out and take a picture to put with it! See I go that extra mile to keep my readers loyal. I don't, let's say, put a post up and leave it for like 6 months while people check and re-check and re-check to see if a new moment has been created...some people do that you know. Not me. I listen to my readers and I blog accordingly. So check back on the morrow (or the next day) and I will have a Saskatchewan-farm-centred posting just for you!!!!! Really don't leave me, it's not always bra-shopping stories around here...or at least it doesn't hafta be!

Oh Happy Day!

Had myself yet another birthday yesterday. Celebrated by becoming a Dixie Chick. We even had a band motto...but somehow today it doesn't seem as appropriate as it was yesterday...

Bad Mood

I think bad moods are going around. First Glo-Tox, then KittyCat, I am sure my Jammer's mood is also foul over there at Debbie Downer Daycare. (Incidentally, those are some keep-the-names-confidential-in-cyber-space-names, not my friends REAL names, rather makes them sound like I made them up, no? ), now me. I am in a crappin' bad mood. My house--which is a disaster that I can't keep up with--isn't done (someone please come and finish my house), my bank account is empty (someone please come and fill up my bank account), and, and AND--these can NOT be MY HANDS!!!!!! These are the hands of an middle-aged person, THESE ARE NOT MY HANDS!!!!! This is a small obsession I take up at this time of the year with my darn birthday right around the next corner.

And to top it all off I have to go and register my baby for SCHOOL today. And she is HAPPY about it (traitor that she is). She could hardly SLEEP she was so excited. And my SON wants to go to a girls house while I register her.

So basically, if you are in a good mood, please don't respond. Or fake annoyance and have a small temper tantrum.

Couldn't even find a picture to add to this entry. So we'll leave it plain. So that the bad mood sticks out. So that you all understand I am in a bad mood.

And no one sing that freakin' birthday song to me either.

Summer Time!

Well it must be summer. It seems to be hot. I mean really hot. I know I am supposed to love that but quite frankly I look best in jeans and a tank top. I like to leave shorts to 'the others' (whomever they maybe, you know the ones who looks smokin' in their short shorts--darn that remake of "Duke's of Hazard", did we not have enough of short shorts when the 'Daisy Duke' was first revealed? Do we really need to do that again??? But I digress...).

So my question is does anyone have their 'summer song' (&/or album) already??? Or am I the only one with a summer song (&/or album)?

Take it or leave it?

Well gang here's were I go a little interactive on your butts. I decided to go blonde again. There has been talk about whether or not it was a good change. So let us play a little game of "Take it or Leave it". Where I give you a list of 5 things and you tell me whether you are pro- (take it) or against (leave it). Not to hard now is it?

A. Glenna in blonde hair.
B. American Idol (can not BELIEVE Chris was voted out!!!!)
C. Built in bras in shirts (I don't care about gender, if your playing your playing, vote).
D. Poutine
E. Straw cowboy hats

Top 5/Low 5

Well we are home now!! We had a great time on our trip. Everywhere we went we were treated so well. So thanks to all who housed us, fed us and made us GO BANANAS three times. Hee-hee.

Here are the Top 5 things about the vacation...now I know my husband is gonna get home, read this and come up with better stuff. So I reserve the right to re-blog later...

1. Meeting my two sweet first-cousins-once-removed-in-law. Those are two GORGEOUS little girls let me tell you and they have parents who are doing a super job. I can't wait to see more of them as they grow up!!!!
2. Seeing my kids having SOOOOOOOOOOO much fun with Auntie and Uncle!!!
3. Food - I have met my salad match. I had the BEST mango salad on this trip made by my little sister! She outdid me, I must confess in the salad department. I need the recipe by the way. And then the calamari and the greek salad were incredible too! And the Easter dinner we got treated to...really the food on this trip was great. Well except for Low point #4.
4. Experiencing the mountains again. We are tiny.
5. My new belt.

Here are the Low 5, you know the things that rather sucked...again I reserve the right to re-blog.

1. Having to leave...for real the second time.
2. How tragically dirty my winter white pants got on the way home. It was really awful. By the way, someone tell me if it is time to put away the winter white cords and pull out the summer white pants. (Someone who is in the know about these things please, Mark, you have no idea--don't answer).
3. Lugging around the luggage for 3 children and 2 adults for 10 days. Mr. Herniated Post-surgery couldn't lift anything over 25 pounds. So the luggage was out for him.
4. The "chicken parmesan" sandwich that SOMEONE microwaved and ate from a truck stop. Even though SOMEONE's wife told him it would make him ill. It made him ill. Nasty, nasty little sandwich that one.
5. The headache-flu. Man it's a bad one.


AND, AND, AND...let me also take the time to say that although his birth is a high point on my list the last week, the fact that I wasn't there was a low point. So let me officially welcome my NEWEST cousin once removed into our world. He is a beautiful baby boy and his Mama (my cousin) is sooo proud of him. I can't wait to meet you little man!!!!!

Excitement in the van.

We needed a little excitement on the way home due to the cries and moans of "I miss Uncle and Auntie" and "This show is more fun with Auntie" and "Un-cle", you see? So we got our excitement in the form of not one, not two, not even three but FIVE black bears outside of Jasper. It was incredible really. The first two were these, a mother and a cub.


The cub was ADORABLE! He put on quite a show by jumping into the creek and climbing a tree. You can sure see why people get in trouble around bears! They look so cuddly.

Then a few minutes later we saw another one on the side of the road. And awhile after that there was one RIGHT outside the van (if you look close you can see the black on the side of the picture, that is the passenger side mirror). I could have actually reached out and TOUCHED this guy at first. And none of them were at ALL frightened by us, which is kinda sad b/c they should have a healthy fear, no?

Going, Going, GONE!

So we decided to take a little trip to see my dearest little sister and her hubby in BC! And apparently from there we are headed to Oregon (or OOOOO-Oak-la-hom-ah) to visit a cattle feed farm. Doesn't that just sound like a facinating adventure???

The BC part will be great. And I just KNOW that I am gonna have the BEST coffee twice daily from some sort of great mug. The kind of mug you can put your whole hand into the handle, not a teamug where you have to have your pinky finger sticking way up! But I digress...

So I am now in the cleaning and packing adventure. IS it just me or does everyone change the sheets and clean the house so that you come home to tidy????

And we'll stop in Jasper on the way through and I get to have the BEST Greek salad and calamari!!!! Mmmmmmm.....

Okay, better get back atter.

Kid Room -- Volume Three

And finally, the butterfly/flower room of my eldest!

Pretend there are blinds on the windows, mkay? And there are actually a whole bunch of butteflies flying from the roof of her bed too. That's not so much in the picture...

Kid Rooms - Volume Two

This is the boy room (obviously) done in red/white/grey (obviously).


The pictures on the wall are black and white shots of my dad's rig when he used to work construction.

Kids Rooms - Volume One

So I am almost done with the kids rooms. They still need things like closet doors and appropriate window coverings. There have been many people asking me to send pictures but this seems a whole lot easier! So without further ado, here is kid room number one...


Obviously, a Tinkerbell/Star theme room done in mauve, green and white.

Now THAT'S Snow!

Just in case anyone is reading my little sisters blog and she mentions the snowfall and all just wanted clarify that THIS is snow...does anyone see the road I am supposedly driving on???


Here is what it looked like the next day. A little easier to drive through as we can see, generally, where we are supposed to drive.

Though this is what it looked like later when we turned...

Me & Brad & David

Work continues here on the range. We are so close to finished yet not quite there. So to push things along The Husband decided I should work the Brad nailer. Now this is not exactly a power-tool so don't get all excited thinking "Holy Cow who would give that girl a powertool". No this is an AIR TOOL. Which, I proved, when put into the wrong hands is equally dangerous.

Now it isn't entirely my fault. I did notice that the side of the nailer says to wear protective eyewear and to read the owners manual. So I did get my really great J-Lo shades which took awhile b/c they are a little passe and so not in the forefront of the pile. And in all the time it took me to find them I ran out of time to read the manual and got the David instructions which amounted to "put this here like that and then pull this trigger, go ahead and start I'm going to cut boards". Anywho, when he told me to "GENTLY and CAREFULLY" put the gun on the door frame he was trying to create and "ACCURATELY" pull the trigger I should have KNOWN something was dangerous. But how could I, did I read the instructions??? NO! So I tried, really I did but when I pulled the trigger and heard "OUCH" I knew something had gone wrong.

Yep, shot him in the finger. We spent the next few minutes trying to figure out if it was stuck IN his hands (b/c a family friend proved you could get those nails into you and not realize it right away). We even tried to use a magnet to do so. Finally I found the nail 20 feet away. So it didn't stick anyway. But the end result was that Brad & I shot David.

& The 2 shall become 1

Well we have officially knocked down the divider between old and new house. We now live in ONE house--with the LONGEST hallway you ever did see!!!! I can't believe how silly-long it looks! I am gonna LOVE it when we are settled and in! We are now on the final stages and I see the light at the end of the hallway!

AND we will have more than enough room to house whatever company wants to come and stay (Wade/Jo/Sophia, that would be you in August).