On Our Way!

Tonight, it will have been a week ago that we rose at 2 o'clock in the morning to get ready to leave for the Dominican. I must say...I love the whole experience of travelling...the anticipation while driving to the airport, having a Tim Horton's coffee at 4 o'clock in the morning, boarding the plane, taking off...all of it! Chris probably doesn't share my view, since he's usually knocked out from all the Ativan and Gravol he ingests, but I've grown to love it.

The flight there seemed to fly by...pardon the pun. The movies weren't very interesting, but the lady who kept passing out made things a little less boring. The greatest part was landing, just as the sun was about to set, and seeing the big grass roofs of the airport.

Once we got our luggage and finally found the bus we were supposed to be on, we were on our way! We were pleased to discover as we checked in that Gary and Sonya were only a few doors down from our hotel room. We had booked separately online a month earlier, so we weren't sure where our rooms would be.

After we dropped our stuff off and enjoyed the yummy Ron Punch they had given us when we arrived, we did a little exploring of our resort and the beach. It was dark by now, so the rest would have to wait until the next day!

New Beginnings!

When I first started this blog, not quite a year ago, I had great visions of how witty and poignant I would be while sharing stories of my life and lessons learned along the way. Unfortunately, life got in the way.
First, it was simple stuff....like how do you find time to work full-time, keep the house clean, drive the kids here and there and still have some time to do something good for yourself?
In the last few weeks, we've also been dealing with some changes to our family. My cousin's daughter no longer lives with us, long story short.
Our vacation couldn't have come at a better time. We were originally going to leave a week earlier, but God's timing was perfect, as it always is.
The two years that Heidi lived with us were definitely the biggest growing years of my life. Now that we're home, refreshed from vacation, my life is like a new beginning, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead in the coming years!

A Blogger's Candy Store

Well, here I am...finally! It's hard to get yourself back in to the whole blogging thing once you've stopped for so long. The past month has been a total whirlwind of activity, in fact, had I been a bit more energetic, it would have been what I describe as "a blogger's candy store". I had my pick of so many great things to blog about...so many parties and gatherings, that I'm feeling kind of remorseful that I didn't share it all with you guys. So, here's just a small taste of my life this past month...our first family ski trip, Christmas concerts, carolling with the fam, and even a toga party for our friend's 40th birthday!

December2006

More Fun in the Snow!

Last night, my parents made a surprise visit on my dad's snowmobile. Kenton had been asking for a ride for quite some time, in fact, it was on his Christmas list! A few of the neighbours heard dad roaring up the street, so we all took a turn going for a spin. It was so much fun and brought back great memories from my childhood. Thanks dad!


 

Snowy Birthday!

Today was a nice, quiet, relaxing day. Two of the kids were at friends' and Chris was at work, which left Kenton and I to enjoy the snow together. Kenton had fun with the neighbour kids building a snow man and sledding, and I enjoyed the snow from the inside with my nice warm fire going.







I put up my tree on Friday night, so now it feels like the Christmas season can get started!
My birthday is today, but we celebrated it the other night, along with Christopher's. Here are some of my fave gifts...a cookie jar I've been eyeing for awhile down in Bellingham and a beautiful mosaic glass plate from Home Sense.
 

Happy 13th Birthday Christopher!

Okay, I've been super busy and a little lazy, so I've been a bad blogger this last week or so. But tonight I have a great occasion to blog about...yesterday Christopher turned 13 years old! I can't believe how fast the years have gone by. I officially have a teenager now! Christopher is everything a mom could wish for in a son. We are so proud of Christopher and the young man he is becoming!











Tonight, we had some family over for cake and coffee to celebrate. There was ice cream cake and some great gifts...a few Calvin and Hobbes books, a hoodie and some snowboard equipment. Hope you had a great 13th birthday Christopher! We love you very much! 

Photo Op At the Park

About a month ago, I took the kids to a nearby park to get some pics for a photo project I'm doing for the basement, now that it's pretty much done. I especially needed extra pics of Christopher and Heidi. I think most of these turned out really great, and I got just what I needed!

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

Lunch with the Larnders!

On Saturday afternoon, my best gal and her husband were in Abbotsford for a quick visit. Chris and I were very honoured that Gary and Sonya made time to meet us at Earl's for lunch. It was a great time to catch up with dear friends! Us girls forgot to take a picture of our meal, but I did remember to take a quick pic of our delish dessert. Afterwards, we went to play a quick round of mini golf at Castle Fun Park, where Gary won by a landslide. A great afternoon was had by all!




 

Trick or Treatin' Time!

Every Hallowe'en is pretty much the same in our house. I start by taking pictures of the kids, this year they didn't turn out though. Our first stop is to go up to my parents' and the kids try to trick them, if possible, and grab their stash my mom has prepared for them. Then it's off to Uncle Scott and Auntie Krystie's to grab some more free candy. When we get home, all the dads in the neighbourhood take the kids out while the moms stay at home and hand out candy. This year was a bit different because Christopher went around with his friends. I'm not sure how many more years he'll be going since it was an effort for him to just put on a crazy wig. I insisted that if people were going through the effort to buy him candy, he had to put out some sort of effort too!



This picture is at my parents'. I thought it turned out cool because my dad was posing and making funny faces behind the kids, and just when I snapped the picture he stood up. The effect makes it look like there is a ghost in between the kids!


The first thing the kids did when they got home from school was really check out what was in their bags. They insist that I not put all their candy together...they want their own bag to look through every day. Once we get near the bottom of the bags in a week or two, I'll put everything together. Kenton obviously is delighted to find one of his favourites in this picture!

 

Pumpkin Carving Time!

The kids just finished carving their pumpkins. This year they did everything themselves...cleaned out the yucky parts and all the carving. This included handling a sharp knife. They did a great job! Now we're all busy munching on the yummy seeds I just roasted, and looking at the snow falling! Crazy!





 

Pumpkin Patch!

Yesterday we went on our annual excursion to the pumpkin patch. It was the perfect day to go...beautifully sunny and warm! Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone in the Fraser Valley, and beyond, thought so too. It was so crowded and we had to wait for over half an hour in line to pay for our pumpkins! But we all had fun anyways!

Kenton loves his animals!

Heidi and her pumpkin....



Christopher on the hayride....


Christmas Card worthy perhaps?

 

Happy 60th Birthday Jim!

Last night, Chris and I hosted our first big shin-dig! It was a surprise birthday party for my father-in-law's 60th birthday. We got him good! He didn't suspect a thing! The food was really incredible. My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook and party organizer. The two of us worked all day at preparing for the big moment. It was well worth the effort!





Now that I know I can host a party...and a good party....I'll be on the lookout for any upcoming special events! 

I Am Thankful!!

I am thankful....

for the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.

for the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

for the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because that means she is at home, not on the streets.

for the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.

for the mess to clean after a party because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

for the mountains of laundry that I have because it means that I have clothes to wear.

for my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means that I have a home.

for all the complaining I hear about the government because it means that we have freedom of speech.

for the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means that I am able to walk and have transportation.

for the many emails (and blogs) I read because it means that I am loved!

Just wanted to share this popular poem with everyone and wish you all a very Happy, Blessed Thanksgiving!
 

Dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's!

Last night, my grandparents invited all the married grandchildren over for dinner. Grandma made the works...turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and even home made chicken noodle soup! It was absolutely delicious! It was so great to get together and remember funny stories from when we were little and to see all of us with children of our own now.

Grandpa and Grandma with all of their great-grandchildren.....

Thank you so much grandpa and grandma, for all the special things you do for us!

 

Card Night!

On the last Saturday of every month, Chris's family gets together to play Rummoli and Sequence. We eat, drink and be merry! Even the kids get in on the action! We took a break during the summer, so we started up again this weekend. Fun times were had by all!