Sunday, November 30, 2008

A Hunting We Will Go

I think my total favorite tradition of Christmas is our annual Christmas tree hunt! It always proves to be a fun adventure, and it's just a great day spend together with family. Cam and Tracy were along this year. We headed up some forestry roads with our winter tires on. We haven't had much snow in town yet this year, but in the hills there was a bit more. We searched and searched for a tree in the forest with no success, so we went back to the vehicles and got our fire going and loaded up on hot dogs, hot chocolate and s'mores.


The kids found a perfect sledding spot so stayed there a little,
while the adults searched around some more for the perfect tree.


The fog was thick and was coming and going throughout the afternoon. We didn't come away empty handed (like last year where we ended up buying I think our first tree ever!)


Tracy is such a tree hugger!


Ditto was so exhausted he was almost asleep before we got the van started. It might be because he dragged our tree at least 500 meters out of the bush for us :) You might have to check out my girl's blog for video footage!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Happy 40th Carrie

It's that time of life... everyone is starting to turn 40 in my world! I love to plan a good party and this was no exception! What a fabulous group of women that gathered to celebrate an amazing woman. I think I should make friends with everyone who was there so they can come to my 40th. We took part in all the things that Carrie loves- music (primarily ABBA), crafting, food, hot tubbing, and just being together



The birthday girl and "ABBA" after their
Super Trooper
/ Dancing Queen set
These GIRLS ROCK!
Who needs to drink to have fun, all you need are a few wigs and some fake eyelashes!
Here's me trying out the ABBA costuming! LOVE those pants! Yes the top is to be worn without a grey sweater underneath!


Using all the hotel amenities! (at 3 am)
I feel about the same as having just done a night shift,
except with more great memories!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving Again?

For my American readers, here's a great little idea I picked up from somewhere and meant to post earlier, but forgot. It's something we've been doing for a few years, I wish I had started sooner, because it's so cute to look back and see what the kids wrote. Every Thanksgiving we write down what we're thankful for on a leaf and put it on the fall tree that sits on display during the season...



And my hubby gets Thursday/Friday off since he works for a US
company! Yippee! 2 days of dates while the kids are at school.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Is God a Mammal?

So in response to the probing questions of so many readers.... I think I said something like this, " God is bigger than any classification system that man has developed. He is the one who created all the things on the earth and we are the ones trying to figure them out, but He knows each thing intimately, inside and out. Jesus was a mammal and made Himself just like us for awhile so He could really know what it was like to be one of us and to help us become all that we were created to be. But God isn't confined to a body, He is a Spirit, He is pure and can be everywhere at one time, so it wouldn't work for Him to be in a body. He's way too big! He's more like the wind in the trees, you can see Him moving and what He does, but you can't actually see His face. You can feel Him and sometimes even hear Him inside you, breathing life and ideas and comfort to you. But He can also be everywhere at one time, His mind must be really GIGANTIC to fit all of that information in it, and His heart so BIG that everyone He loves is inside at the same time. And He knows what we're all doing, and thinking and feeling all the time. That would be much bigger than a mammal.

I think the answer was sufficient at the time for my boy, but it still makes you wonder.... and ponder... how amazing and full HE IS! How above and beyond what our small minds can conceive.... how intricately designed our world and bodies are that they all fit together and work together....
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made"

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Fishies


With the office all done, we figured Daddy needed some company in there. We cleaned out his old fish tank that's been empty for awhile. Today, with a quick trip to WalMart the kids chose 2 gouramis, and 2 clown loaches. The names are still being discussed, but I still vote for Les Schwab. We're waiting for Daddy to come home to his surprise!

Friday, November 14, 2008

My Quilt

My mom bought me these fabrics for my birthday last year, or maybe even the year before, and they have sat and sat and sat, been looked at many times. I love them! They are waiting to turn themselves into a quilt for the living room couch. I have signed out every quilt book in the entire library system twice because I haven't been sure about loving the original pattern I bought them for. It'll be kind of hard to fit the colors to just any pattern, so I think I have decided to just go for it! Did I tell you I love them? I need one more rich brown shade, but all I need is time :) I''ll keep you posted.



And by the way, none of you are supporting me in my fight to clothe my son! So what you're saying is drop it, I shouldn't care about his feet or body getting cold?! It's not a battle worth fighting? Well, OK.... he'll be happy about that. He dresses like this outside too you know!! I'm sure he's hot blooded because he has always been immune to temperatures, will dive right in to any cold body of water.

Scarf

I whipped this scarf up-- twice --Thursday night. It was a little wide the first time and I ran out of yarn. It was knitting group so I did have lots of undivided time to spend- well I guess the time does get divided between talking and eating and knitting. Our wonderful, amazing, gourmet cook hostess always makes us a wonderful meal first and then we get down to business in her cozy living room. I stole the pattern from Randi's and I think it looks totally different because it's just different yarn, still like it, but I might have to add some tassles to the ends, but that would mean buying another ball.... so we'll see.

Fall

I wish someone besides me would tell my boy that it's getting to be late fall and maybe it would be a good time to start wearing a coat, or pants, or socks, well actually here he is wearing socks. It has been dipping below zero at night!


Kevin is Grooming....

... an upcoming volleyball player that is. He would love if one of the kids loved his sport as much as he does. Today we watched the grade 5 team play the grade 6 girls team.





Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Renos....


I know it's not very exciting, but I am so glad to have this job done! Some of you wanted to see photos. So here we go:

BEFORE- kind of didn't really take any before photos, but do notice the lovely ceiling with hole in it from Erin jumping on her bed ages ago, and the baby bluish purple. A calming work environment wouldn't you say?


DURING:
Erin fooling around teaching the dog to jump up on people, Kevin thinking hard. Nice garden in the background.


AFTER: Kevin's new work space!! We might even need art now!


My area, where I sit and blog....


It will never be this clean again!

Monday, November 10, 2008

The Baseboards are Going on!

After weeks of hard labor... OK I worked on it this last week A LOT and Kevin did most of it before that... we're almost done. You know how it feels good when you get a project done- well this is a BIG one checked off our list.

This big black beast has been in my way A LOT and bringing out anger in me that I haven't seen before and scares me a little (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had to find him driving around in the van this morning through the neighborhood), but here he is enjoying the new carpet. Do you like the perspective/depth of field? Still I need to learn how to do that on my camera properly.



I like this guy a lot more, but he only gets one photo!
"Jefferson House" walls and "Antique Linen" trim

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Just Under 10

Every fall, well actually much more often than that, spring, summer etc. we complain about how out of shape we are and that we really should be doing something about it. I have had a gym membership, taken up walking with friends (who then move to India), gone swimming, decided to sign up for a mini triathlon, joined an indoor soccer team, gotten new recipes that are healthy and low fat, and the list goes on. I have had some success in varying degrees, but just have to tell you, it's always been an uphill battle. And my weight hasn't changed much. Kevin decided he should lift weights or throw the children around, or mow the lawn daily. Well this week, he has put forth our latest running challenge. Our neighborhood is sort of unique in that it's 3 blocks in each direction and then orchards, so has definite boundaries. Well off he went with GPS in hand to measure the perimeter.... 1.4 km. A nice easy evening stroll, or a fast jog! And the challenge is the fast jog. So off he goes EVERY night this week, and he's taken a minute off his time already!

Tonight was my first attempt at it. He gave me a half a block head start, and Ditto and I were off!! My left knee hurt, my right calf cramped, my breathing was OK. Two blocks went past. My right knee hurt, a car came I had to call the dog back and carried on... Kevin passed me on the last corner on the stretch heading for home, Ditto took off leaving me in the dust (we couldn't find the leash so took a black dog in the black night with a flashlight). I limped into the finish with a time just under 10 minutes! I won't tell you his time- he can keep his own blog! It's not long, it only feels that way. Hey it's better than nothing! My girl has a strengthening training, sit-ups and planks and push-ups plan laid out for me, but I have been sorely negligent! I did 2 days, and then I dropped out! But summer is calling- bikinis! It's 8 months away!!

I was kidding about the bikinis in case that got your heart rate up! Anyone else up for the challenge? Keep asking me how it's going, I work well under guilt!

It's Gone!

Hear me shouting Hallelujah!!-- all the Halloween candy is gone!

I hear stories about peoples' children who actually have to throw away candy out of their Halloween bucket, or pillow case as the "case" may be, the following year because there is still some in there; I don't know who these people are and what they have done with their children to create such amazing non-sugar craving creatures, but I admire them in some weird way. I am not one of them, I also was not one of those children. I think that maybe these people let their kids go out for multiple hours and collect treats from many, many, many houses. I think that maybe they stay out way past 8:30 when all the neighbors are unloading what they have leftover on the few remaining smart kids, who have convinced their parents of just one more street, or the parents have let them run loose with the curfew of home before 9. They are still traversing the neighborhood with the remains of their costumes hanging off them in some form, so you can't really tell what they dressed up as in the first place getting the huge load!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Chestnuts Exploding on an Open Fire..

or shall I say in my oven... I got some advice on "roasting" our newly picking chestnuts from the lady at the nut farm, but when we started hearing exploding sounds, we figured maybe that wasn't the safest method. And it adds cleaning my oven to the list.


With a much happier ending.. my dear, completely craft challenged friend was over today (she has many other very redeeming qualities, like rich faith). She's back in college full time at age 40! She needed a little help with a teaching assignment, so we made a mug cozy! She has to teach it to a roomful of seniors. I contemplated assembly line production as a cute little Christmas gift, but changed my mind. I'm allowed to, right?

Here's my silly dog laying in front of the work light suntanning... it's hot there!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Mommy, Is God like a Mammal or what is He?

That was the science question of the day yesterday, trying to find out where God fits in the classification of things. Well He sure ain't a reptile, or an amphibian, so mammalia would really be the class that made the most sense. I won't tell you what I answered, but I thought I'd ask you what you thought? Remember phlyum, genus, species?

Monday, November 3, 2008

Random Thoughts about Do-It-Yourselfing

Here's me texturing the ceiling! I like texture!
Yes I cut my head out on purpose. I'm looking a little yucky! :) and speckled...

You know that TV show "This is Daniel Cook"? I was thinking about that as I was texturing. "Here is Daniel Cook texturing a ceiling"..... My kids were a bit old when that show came out, but we've seen a few episodes. I like to see all the different things that Daniel gets to do and make a TV show about, what a great job! That kid has done it all!! What on earth is that boy going to do when he grows up?! He has done it all and nothing will be interesting, and he'll say "Done it". Maybe he won't, maybe he'll always be passionate about learning new things, I hope so. But it's exactly one reason why I didn't take me kids snowmobiling at age 6. I've seen it with my own eyes. There are kids that have done it all at an early age and by the time they get to be 15, they are looking for the next big thrill and it takes something a lot bigger to make the thrill than it will with my boy (at least that's my hope). I do think it might be part of why teens are looking for something more... they have it all.. they've tried it all... what more is there? Well let me tell you.... There is something more that can satisfy!

Anyways, I was thinking about some of my regular blog readers as I was texturing, you know because I was thinking about this post. I have a friend who doesn't think she can paint her own kitchen. NO - YOU CAN DO IT! Yes you can, it's not hard!! And another Mom I know has done some of her own plumbing, several times. It's amazing what you can learn on the internet! I learned how to change the toilet seal- that's under the toilet! Just an aside- that is a great way to get your toilet REALLY clean, just put the whole thing in the shower upside down. My other great do-it-yourself-er has a really great DAD who helps a lot. I'd like to have him around!! And I have another friend who would probably love to texture anything but maybe can't because her bossy body won't quite let her do it! If you lived a little closer, I promise I would come do it for you! And so I am thankful for all of our sweet differences, it's what makes us unique.

I guess I've always been a take charge kind of person, get it done girl! So I'm hoping this is all done before the carpet guy comes on Monday. Yes we are paying someone to lay the carpet, I can't quite kneel yet (Sorry God, my knee just isn't cooperating) and Kevin just doesn't want to. He's such a good man, he knows his limits. And he took the kids to Tim's for donuts so I could get this done tonight!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Trick or Treat

A little evening downpour around 5:30 made us wonder about the evening, but it cleared off and was actually quite warm. Erin went off with her 2 friends as a team of primary colored crayons. Erin made the whole costume herself and the hats and necklaces for all the girls- Fabulous job!! She didn't have her face painted blue yet, didn't get a shot of that.

Jacob insisted on being Lego man, his favorite thing in the world,
so we improvised and created his costume.

He had 2 faces :)