Girl in the village

New muffins

2012-01-31T12:59:00.000-08:00

I love trying new recipes...especially if they're actually good. :)
My kids love muffins for breakfast. It's usually their #1 choice on a weekday. I end up making a batch a week if not more but their favourite of course is chocolate chip. Now, I throw a bunch of healthy stuff in there and they don't even know it! But I get a little tired of making the same old recipe time after time.
Enter new recipes. This one is lemon coconut.

see all the lovely toasted coconut...yummy!

This one is blueberry cream. Not unusual except you use sour cream instead of milk or other liquid. Makes for a biscuit like dough and an exceptionally moist and flavourful muffin.

Gotta love

2012-01-28T22:12:00.001-08:00

a great evening out with friends. 3 hour dinner with good food, great conversation and so much laughing. Good for the soul...and my laugh lines. :)

My other favourite thing

2012-01-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

Snow!! We have had snow. That stayed. For 5 days. That, people, is a miracle!
This makes my heart very happy.
And by snow I mean everything is white. There's over a foot on all the roof tops and fence lines. And our street doesn't get plowed.

And there's enough to make a giant snowman and a snow fort, and those have lasted 5 days too! Glorious!

The kids did have school Monday but not yesterday so, of course, we went sledding!
Owen stopping for a little refreshment:

The view from the top of the hill was stunning.

And the trees. The trees get me every time.

Now the wind is blowing and it is very frigid! Not as cold as some places but -12 is unusually cold for our usually balmy coast. Not that I'm complaining, as long as I don't have to be out in it for too long. Brr! Finally winter's come. Now I am complete.

These are a few of my favourite things...

2012-01-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ok well, only two, but still. Red berries and frost. What is it about those two things that are so beautiful? Especially when it's both together. One of my quirks I guess.
Anyhow, I was out for a walk this morning and had the wherewithal to bring my camera and wear lots of warm clothes because it was COLD!
Here are a few snaps of my scenery. And had it not been minus whatever it was I would have stayed out longer and had more pictures to show you but these will just have to do.
Our creek...and the red berries.

A little playing with contrast

The frost

another because it's so purty.

The blueberry fields in fall and winter are particularly pretty. I love their reddish tint.

I think this would make a fun puzzle.

And then I went home because my nose and ears were nearing frostbite.

Soup

2012-01-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

I received a new cookbook - For the Love of Soup - for my birthday and have decided that I should try a new soup each week this winter. I've tried 3 and they've all been really good. French Onion - which I've made before but this recipe rocks. Cream of Cauliflower - also good and creamy without being heavy.
Last night was the latest: Tortellini Vegetable = very yummy.

Super quick and easy. Loads of flavour. I paired it with tuna pitas (cuz the man needs his protein) and had the rest for lunch today.

Yummy in my Tummy

2012-01-06T13:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I made these:

And today I had them for lunch. And I'd like to have them for dinner too!
My Omi used to make these when I was young and they were one of my most favourite things that she made. Along with Napoleon Torte. Now she never did have a recipe (that I was aware of) and she made hers look like pockets, with the pinched part up instead of underneath. But the idea is the same and the only change I made was that I added peas. For several reasons.
1. I like peas
2. That's what she did
3. You don't mess with the Omi
4. When in doubt always refer to #3.
I steamed some broccoli, made cheese sauce and called it dinner. B really liked them and the boys thought they were a bit like presents and wondered how I got the meat inside. Ethan informed me that they weren't his favourite but he thought they were kinda cool. It was a lovely rib-sticking, comforting, winter kind of meal.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Take out ordered,
kids tucked in,
a little chocolate and a movie.
A perfect evening.
Welcome 2012!

Christmas #2

2011-12-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Boxing Day was spent with a quick trip to get groceries, then a tidy and quick clean of the house as my family was coming the following day.
I had borrowed a couple folding tables from a friend so that we could have more than 6 out of 20 people sitting at a table.
Each table had it's own theme. Not because I'm that creative but because I don't have that many matching things! LOL!

There was a lot of food. And it was good. :)
There were a lot of desserts. And they were good too. :)
I have no pictures of the food. We were far too hungry!
But here's chocolate mousse (forgot to take a picture before it was devoured)

Raspberry cream cheese fluffy yummy thing that my sister made.

Jello from the MGCC website - kid friendly and yummy. It was a hit!

The yearly rum balls. More yum.

There was much more but I didn't take pictures. Quite frankly just thinking about it all right now might make me slightly nauseous. So tasty but rather indulgent which is just as it should be.

Christmas

2011-12-28T20:41:00.001-08:00

How is it possible that Christmas comes and goes so quickly each year? I didn't take a lot of picture this year...hardly any in fact. And I think I'm OK with it. I wanted to watch my kids and interact with family face to face, not behind a lens.
This pictures has nothing really to do with Christmas, but I love a good frost and it feels more Christmasy than the stormy, icky weather we did have.

We had our family gift opening Christmas eve and it was really nice. I love Christmas eve. It's always so quiet and reverent. So we had music playing and the boys opened their gifts, and even though B and I decided we weren't going to do presents for each other this year, there were things under the tree for me. Like a calendar, spa gift card and a beautiful watch. I felt spoiled! Especially as there was supposed to be nothing!
I had made pizza crust in the morning so all that was left was to top them and put them in the oven. Not a very Christmasy meal but one that everyone enjoys.
Ethan wanted to write a letter to Santa and this is what he wrote without any prompts from me:

Hopefully you can read it if you enlarge it. It's quite funny. There's no pulling the wool over this boy's eyes I tell you. A lawyer in the making.
One of their favourite gifts. Camo and night vision. Too funny.

The next morning we were woken up just after 7, which is rather reasonable for Christmas morning. I put on the coffee and got the cinnamon buns rolled and rising (yay for timers on bread machines!) and the boys opened their stockings and gifts from Santy Claus. After eating we got ready to head to B's parent's place where there we opened gifts with them and ate delicious food all day long. We did venture out for a windy walk which was invigorating and made it possible to come back to eat even more and drink the fantastic coffees that our BIL was whipping up. A fantastic day from start to finish.

'Tis Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T11:20:00.001-08:00

Oh how I wish this is what it looked like out my window!

We decided to switch up traditions this year. I grew up opening presents Christmas Eve and stockings Christmas morning. So that is what we'll try this year. The boys are beside themselves.
May you all have a Joyous Christmas filled with the true meaning of Christmas.

Wrapping and cookies

2011-12-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

Monday was finishing up the cookies day. I give a few cookies to some of our neighbours that don't do Christmas baking.
But first...the sprinkles. And sprinkle they did. Or pour.

The sprinkle masters

I found some really cute boxes to give them out in this year. I was rather pleased with how they turned out!
First I iced some peppermint cookies

Made almond bark

Assembled them

and even had some left over for movie night.

Then I wrapped a few gifts too. I love this paper. There's nothing prettier than a well wrapped gift!

Cat of Many Faces

2011-12-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

I have always loved animals, cat's in particular. They crack me up. And whoever said that animals can't express themselves then they haven't paid much attention.
I have always loved dressing up my cats...much to their distress. :)
As a little girl I would bundle up my kitties in bunting bags and bonnets (that way their back feet don't work and they can't get away) and put them in my doll carriage and take them for walks. They loved it. A lot.
I've grown up a little since then and now resort only to pretty bows. Which Nala, over the last few years has somewhat come to accept. She's still slightly traumatized and rarely holds still when I pull out the camera but the other night I caught these lovelies.
Shock and horror:

Embarrassment:

Glazed submission:

Ticked off:

Resignation to her life of abuse:

Field Trip

2011-12-18T14:01:00.001-08:00

Last week Ethan's class went on a field trip. It was by far the best field trip I've been on! His teacher does an entire section on Pioneers and had the kids dress up, answer roll call with 'present Mam', wear a dunce cap should they require it and start the day with 'God save the Queen' and a scripture reading. Just like they did back then. The kids had a blast and learned SO much about their heritage and the vastly different way of life that people had 100 years ago or so.

It culminated with a trip to Bur.naby Vill.age Mus.eum. For those of you who've never been it's an outdoor museum set up to replicate life in the 1920(ish) time frame. It was made even more beautiful by being decorated for Christmas the way they would have back then. No LED lights!
A 100 year old house. Tiny, sparse and beautiful!

A look at a log cabin - think The Ing.alls

The Carousel - this was my favourite horse.

One room school house - including very stern teacher with stick.

El.worth

love the old-fashioned decor

Check out this gorgeous buffet. This is my favourite piece in the whole place.

A butter churning demo which the kids groaned at as they'll be doing it come January. :)

Don't know what these are but I like them. Like giant old school Christmas lights - my fav.

Oh the boughs! With ribbon! I'm going to decorate my whole house next year like that.

Well, maybe not the horse shoes.

Creepy mannequins concluded the tour. Ick!

A very fun way to spend the day with 40+ kids. Thankfully I was only in charge of 5!

Decorated

2011-12-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

The things people will decorate!
I saw this last week on my way across the boarder and had to snap a picture.
I am so thankful this week is nearly done...you have no idea!

So Proud

2011-12-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

We had a last minute toonie drive at school for an extremely needy family (not from our school but a friend of one of our students). I talked with the boys Monday morning and explained why this was going on at school and was all set to give them my toonies from my wallet. Ethan suddenly pipes up that he's going to give him the five dollar bill that is in his piggy bank (from some extensive yard work the boys did one Saturday), next thing I know Owen's dashing for his and doing the same thing.
They do not come into possession of any great amount of money except Christmas and birthdays and that goes straight into their bank accounts. So for them to even have a bill of any kind in their piggy banks is pretty rare and that they felt led to give up this treasure for someone who would potentially get nothing for Christmas this year was pretty great to see. Makes a mama proud.

So Busy

2011-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we're on the last few days of school before Christmas break. I think we're all going to need a vacation! Last week was crazy busy! At the end of the school year last year another mom and I thought we'd step up and be in charge of the 'teacher appreciation' this year. I thought we'd be doing something at the end of the year, but oh no! We have about 8 things going throughout the year. Which is really OK, just a bit of a learning curve right now, if we do it again next year, we'll be able to do it with our eyes closed!
Anyhow, last Thursday we did an Italian themed lunch, which turned out beautifully and the teachers were SO thankful so it was worth all the work but made for an extra busy week. The day before (I am going somewhere with all this, so hang on) 4 of us moms got together to assemble 6 lasagnas and 3 batches of chocolate mousse. Now here is where the story begins. Oh. My. I've never made mousse before and while it is not difficult, it requires certain steps and exactness. But is it ever worth the effort!
I do believe the world shifted ever so slightly on it's axis when I had a sample of our work. Deeelish! Well, I asked for a copy of the recipe and seeing as my birthday was the following day I decided that it was precisely what I should make myself for dessert. :)

Are you drooling yet? It has just a splash of Irish cream in it which gives it a wee bit of a kick, in case it wasn't delectable enough on it's own.
It was a hit and I do believe I may have to recreate it for my family's Christmas. On top of all that the boys spoiled me with a couple of sweaters, new slippers (desperately needed!), a cookbook holder and the new Michael Buble Christmas CD which is totally fantastic!
Pretty!

We didn't have time to go out for dinner until Friday, which started off with coffee with a friend, serving hot lunch at school, taking Ethan to a swimming party, collecting Owen from a play date and then driving out to the Olive Garden with the boys. It was a lovely night and much needed after a hectic week that was not yet over.
Saturday morning we had to be in 2 places at once - B's union's Santa breakfast and Ethan's football wrap up and award party. So we once again split up, each with one boy and then headed to B's parents for my b-day dinner with them, which was seafood lasagna, salad and chocolate cake for dessert. Gotta love birthdays that go on for days!
This week I've spent a morning in Owen's class helping out, a morning in Ethan's doing crafts and watching the class Christmas concert. Tomorrow I'm not leaving my house. For the whole day. Well, at least until I have to pick up children.
This feels like it was rather scattered. I'm going to go now. The end.

Tinsel

2011-12-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

I received an early birthday present this week. Hair tinsel!
I'm not really a fan of the feathers in the hair but I can't resist a bit of sparkle especially over the holidays.
Sorry for the blurry pictures. It was hard to get my arm the right angle, the lighting right, etc. Then I got Ethan to try to capture it but that wasn't working either. You'll have to see me in person to get the full effect but I must say I LOVE it! And have had quite a few compliments on it already. :)
Thanks Bets!!

How many shots does it take to get it right? Apparently more than I took!

Experiment

2011-12-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ethan came downstairs the other day and said he'd like to do an experiment. He wanted to serve Owen blue milk.
Owen saw it, tasted it and decided it would be best with cereal. Doesn't that look appetizing??

Out and about

2011-12-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

It was just too nice of a day to spend inside today. We had the kids program in church this morning and had nothing else on the agenda today so we decided to go explore.
We picked a new trail up on the mountain because we new there was a waterfall somewhere in it.
Well, we found it!

And B and Owen explored it! That kid has no fear. I couldn't look as they made their way back. He will take years off my life.

There was a really cool 'dripping' wall. The greenery was so damp that it dripped in tiny waterfalls. If you look close you can see them but it's hard to tell, so you'll just have to believe me.

I love these 'marshmallow' berries. They look so wintry!

The happy wanderer.

What is it with boys and sticks?

Shortly after this we met some friends that were hiking in the trails with their kids as well. We hadn't realized that we'd come up right under their house so we all hiked up and were invited to coffee and a visit while the kids played. A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Bake Day

2011-11-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

For the past several years my mom, sister and I spend a day baking up a storm and filling our freezers with Christmas cookies. This year we did several double batches of dough the day before so that we could start rolling, cutting and baking right away. I wish we would have counted how many we made. It was really quite a pile.
We made the usual peppermint cookies, sugar cookies,jam jams and peanut butter balls.

I know there are 157 of these. Wow.

Now they are all safely tucked away to await the freezer and later to be hauled out and iced.

It was a good day.

Decorating

2011-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

It's time to decorate! As much as I love Christmas time and having the house decorated I don't so much enjoy the actual process. If I could snap my fingers and have it done, I totally would. That being said...I do have fun looking for new things to decorate with. I took a little trip to the Swedish place yesterday and found a couple things that would do. When I saw these twiggy balls with a hint of sparkle I knew they were just the thing! It may need a little tweaking yet but it's good for a start! And the ornaments really are red. Not tomato orange. You'll just have to trust me on that.

And I fell in love with these ornaments. They have a bit of sparkle in the silver that you can't see but it's there.

You can kinda see on this one.

So Typical

2011-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Night Away

2011-11-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the privilege of staying the night in Van.cou.ver. We attended B's work Christmas party and got to stay in this swanky hotel. I've always wanted to stay here but it's definitely never in the budget so when the invitation arrived I convinced him that we should go. :)
We had arranged for the boys to have a sleepover with their cousins but both Ethan and one of their cousins were sick on Friday so B's dear mom came to our place instead. I baked her a chocolate loaf. :)
We made our way (in the forever nasty traffic, but pretty views) to the hotel with time to relax, change and head down for cocktails before dinner.

I was forbidden to bring my camera into the dinner so unfortunately I can't share with you the delicious, succulent food and fantastic dessert tables complete with giant chocolate fountain that I could have happily just stuck my face under. :)
I also cannot share with you the random and strange conversations that one has when one doesn't know the people one is with. Including one man telling B that he would be quite happy to have me when/if B is ever done with me. Ugh. People are so stupid when they drink! Anyhow, we did sit with another couple who we have sat with before and the wife is lovely and sweet and we get along quite well so at least that part was fun!
It was so lovely to wake up to quiet and not an alarm or a little finger poking at me, although they have such sweet little faces, I don't really mind too much. The sun was trying to shine through the strange clouds and gave off such a filtered light it felt like looking at another world.

Our room was very pretty and had view of part of the harbour, and some of the downtown area.

These were the hugest pillows I've ever seen! And while the bed was very comfy, I don't think anything will ever compare to the Hi.lton in Whi.stle.r where we stayed one year. I still dream about that bed.

A few of us got to take home the center pieces that a couple of the ladies made.

We opted out of the insanely over priced brunch in the hotel restaurant and took a walk in the brisk morning air to find some food.
On our way back we noticed how low the snow line was. And that we were at the same spot that we had gone to during the Olympics. And it was very near the whole camera incident...but we won't talk about that.
These pictures don't do justice to the views but they sure look wintry!

Then it was time to go home and relieve Nana of her nursing.
These were the table favours that we brought home for the boys, which were all handmade by the same gals that did the centerpieces. What a crazy amount of work that must have been seeing as there were about 130 people there!

So it was a quick and enjoyable getaway complete with a couple stops at St.arb.ucks to make it even nicer! Now it feels like the Christmas season can begin. I may just do some decorating this week!

The Glorious Weekend

2011-11-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it really been a week? Everyday life comes back so quickly doesn't it?
As expected shopping was a blast and much was accomplished. All but one birthday and one Christmas gift have been bought! I love having a handle on gifts this early. Then I can spend December baking, wrapping and belting out Christmas carols. :)
And as Murphy would have it, when one is not looking for, or needing to buy things for oneself, multitudes will jump off the rack and look fantastic when you try them on. It was a sweater and shoes kinda weekend. What can I say!

I don't usually do a lot of navy but I fell in love as soon as I put it on.

So cozy. I've worn them every day this week. And seeing as my old winter boots are cracked and let water in, I was especially thankful for these seeing as it snowed last night!

And these. Well, what can I say. They are most certainly not winter shoes but the cute factor won in the end. And the price. Sometimes you just have to have a cute pair of shoes. Am I hearing amen from the crowd?!
Unfortunately when I left B wasn't feeling too well and now it seems Ethan has it. Ugh. So he's home today hopefully to be better by tomorrow as he has a playoff game and we have B's Christmas party to attend. Only time will tell.

Bliss

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

As you read this I will be making my merry way south of the boarder for our annual shopaholic weekend. Oh rapture! Oh glorious delights! I'll tell you all about it when I get back. That is if we decide to come back. Muhaha....
Happy long weekend!

Chilly

2011-11-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

It was so cold a few nights ago that we actually had ice! The boys could spend hours hunting for it. Owen found himself a good chunk. He wanted to keep it inside so he could save it. I had to convince him that it would NOT be a good idea. :)

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-11-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

I have this delightful little recipe from my sister. I believe I've shared it on here before. It's so quick and adaptable and basically foolproof. This time I used a butter pecan cake mix, vanilla pudding and threw in some shredded coconut. Why have I not thought of this concoction before? It is so good! I can tell because between lunches and after school snacks and, well, just snacks it's nearly gone already. Yum!

Problems

2011-11-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

So I'm having problems commenting on some blogs but not others. Weird. Something to do with my google account. So if you think I'm ignoring you, I'm not. Or maybe you don't really care. Or maybe you're feeling relief at not having to listen to my blather. I can't really tell. In any case. When I've solved the issue I'll be back to commenting. In the mean time I thought I'd just post my comments on my blog and you can figure out if it belongs to something you posted. Won't that be fun?! Kidding.

Walking

2011-11-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

This has been the scenery of my walks lately. It may not seem beautiful in the traditional sense of the word but when I'm in the middle of this park I can easily imagine that I'm walking around a loch in the Scottish moores. Sigh.

And wouldn't you love to live here with the loch at your doorstep? Oh wait. We're in Canada and this is pretty much a duck pond. But I can pretend, can't I? It makes for much more enjoyable walking.

Back to the start

Window

2011-11-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times I stop to sneak a peek at this tree. It's colour is absolutely stunning! And for some reason it is the brightest, reddest tree on our street. When the sun is shining it literally spills reddish orange light into our house. So, so pretty. This is when I fall in love with fall.

How does this happen?

2011-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

I ask you. And it didn't even come near a pumpkin.

Dinners

2011-11-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had some really yummy food this weekend. I just had to share.
First off Teriyaki chicken, roasted nugget potatoes and Caesar salad.

Kind of summery but so tasty. Especially if you marinate the chicken for most of the day.
And then...seafood lasagna.

I discovered this recipe several years ago and don't make it often as it's quite rich but it is so yummy each and every time I make it. The sauce is made from scratch - chicken broth and white sauce based - and then tiny shrimp and crab meat instead of the ground beef and tomato sauce standard. It is really tasty and well worth the effort. And it makes for great leftovers. Another plus in my books.

Wrap up

2011-11-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we did all the Halloween-ish stuff there was to be done. I watched the costume parade at school. Got a picture of each of my boys and then left because it takes SO long, but at least I was there...right? Then we came home to ready for the big candy gathering fest. It's so funny to watch the change each year they get older. Their cousins come and we all go together which is so fun! The first year or two, it's rather a hard concept to understand. You have to parade from house to house, say trick-or-treat, open your bag for complete strangers to plop candy into it, say thank you and repeat at least 20 more times. Weird. This year, not so much! We could hardly slow them down!

Action shot

My hastily cut pumpkins. A butterfly and crying in case you can't tell. :)

The candy crew

All in all a good night. We had no injuries this year (last year there were a few scrapes and bangs) and us adults happily sipped coffee and baileys to keep warm while the children ran circles around us. :)

It's Halloween

2011-10-31T11:02:00.001-07:00

We had a really busy weekend. I have a lot of pictures to get through! Owen's last soccer practice. Ethan's second last football game. And then of course all the pumpkiny stuff that comes with this time of year.
Like carving

If you know the boys at all, you'll be able to guess which one belongs to which child. As well as which parent was doing the carving. :)

Yup. That's right.

And making cookies for school.

And making pumpkin cookies for me to eat, er, I mean for the family.

The sugarfest has started already. Class parties for both the boys and then trick-or-treating tonight. And being the responsible parents that we are, we will sacrifice our own eating habits to make sure that they don't have too many candies left over for tomorrow. I'm quite sure it's in my job description.

Guilty

2011-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Owen's very first Kindergarten field trip to the Apple Barn. I signed up to help. Then Ethan woke up sick. So I didn't go. He told me he would be very sad if I couldn't come. My tiny boy went on a giant school bus for the very first time all by himself. And I don't have any pictures. I always have pictures. His mama failed him. Waaahhhh!

So Sweet

2011-10-20T16:20:00.001-07:00

Last night, B was upstairs getting the boys ready for bed. I had a phone call that I needed to take and for some reason Ethan got it in his head that he was going to put Owen to bed. Owen agreed. So Ethan proceeded to read him 2 stories, pray with him (a fairly lengthy one at that, according to B) and tuck him in. And wouldn't you know it, Owen went straight to sleep! They sure do surprise you sometimes. I just thought it was all terribly sweet. One of those things you want to remember when your day isn't quite so sweet.

A few little things

2011-10-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Is sometimes all it takes to make your day. I went shopping with a friend yesterday and though no big purchases were made we both found some fantastic earrings on sale and a couple other little things that had us grinning and happy. I love that it's the small things that can make you smile the most.

My Favourite Place

2011-10-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

I love this spot. It has the perfect light, view, blanket, pillow, book and a place for a cup of something. And no clock. Although I do set the timer if I need to go anywhere. I could be lost here for hours. Bliss!

A First Time for Everything

2011-10-16T20:52:00.001-07:00

Two big firsts happened this past week.
Ethan mowed the lawn. He had been asking for a while and while we knew that he could do it, we questioned letting an 8 year old be in charge of a gas powered machine. Eeek! As we thought he would, he did a great job and was desperate to do it again before the grass was even long enough to warrant it! B and our neighbour stressed to him that this was a HUGE privilege and that most boys wouldn't be allowed to do it. He fell hook, line and sinker and wants to do it all the time. Fine by me! One less chore to do.

Next...and this may or may not be a big deal to you but it was in our house! The boys were allowed to go to sleep in the same bed. We had tried this (with much hesitation) a couple times in the summer but it ended very quickly with them separated and in their own beds. Last night was different. Owen promised they'd go to sleep without a peep. And sure enough they did!

Aren't they so angelic when they sleep?

Thanksgiving Monday

2011-10-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Monday was lunch with my side of the family. We nearly had a change of venue when my sister called and said their power was out due to a tree on the power lines. It came back on earlier than expected and so all went back to normal.
Here's the pretty table all ready for the food

And then there's the food! Yum! I don't think any of us had any supper we were so full! Sadly I was not pleased with my dessert outcome/selection this year. I tried a new cheesecake recipe and was disappointed. Sigh. Oh well. I think I'll stick to my regulars from now on.

I'll make turkey soup tonight for dinner and then I think B will be turkeyed out for a while. We still have over 2 months until Christmas. I know you were all anxious to hear that. :)

Success!!

2011-10-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is a day to mark down in the history books people. I have officially cooked my first turkey. And I didn't burn it and we didn't get salmonella! That's a plus in my books.
When B's mom cancelled Thanksgiving dinner because her dad was in the hospital, her hubby needs tending due to a broken foot, and she fell ill. L and I talked it over and thought we could still get together anyhow as it felt wrong to not to anything. We both had the same thought and figured we might just be grown up enough to handle 'the dinner'. We split up the dishes and work nicely and it wasn't really that scary at all! See...real food, made by us!

The potatoes are in that pot, in case you're wondering.
Yummy stuffing...

A pretty table...

And a full plate

and aside from the albino gravy (I forgot to brown the butter and I don't have gravy browner) everything looked as good as it tasted! Or is it tasted as good as it looked? Either way we were rather pleased with ourselves and the menfolk declared it good as well.
Apparently I was so delighted with our dinner that I forgot to take a picture of the dessert. Oh well, that was pretty good too. Although there was no pumpkin pie to be served in this household. I won't do it. And I'm not sorry. It's against my principles. Would you eat zucchini pie? Squash pie? No you would not. Case in point.
Happy Thanksgiving! It's much better without the pie. You should try it. :)

Sunflowers

2011-10-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

For the past few years I've forgotten to plant sunflowers.
This year I didn't.

They weren't the tallest or biggest ones I've ever seen but they sure are pretty!

Carrot Nubs and Beans

2011-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Every year it seems that, in the garden anyway, some things work and some things don't. My carrots were not that successful apparently. And I even thinned this year. Do you know how hard it is to thin? Pluck innocent, growing little babies from their cozy homes just to give their siblings more room? And all I got? Nubs people.
Tasty nubs though...

But my beans! Aren't they purdy? I haven't heard the most promising reports on eating them and quite frankly I'm not a big fan of beans. But they're so pretty! I did not know that beans came in these colours. And now I will dry them so I can plant more next year so that I can not eat them again. :)

Party #2

2011-09-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

I know you thought we had celebrated Ethan's b-day. And we had. Just not with the family yet! Sunday we had the clan over for appys and cake and Ethan was happy. The end.

Plus also, we got new bar stool chairs as our other ones were coming apart. The boys sit there all the time, like really all. Every breakfast, lunch when they're home and they'd eat dinner there too if I'd let them. We got easy to wipe leather. Now that's thinking!

The things they learn

2011-09-20T12:10:00.001-07:00

Owen comes home yesterday and I asked what he did in school. He said 'We learned not to pick our nose! See, I don't even do it anymore!'
I tell you, you really do learn all you need to know in Kindergarten.

Dessert

2011-09-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Because I love it and want to share it with you.
After a particularly trying day (I don't recall which one or why it was so) I felt the need for chocolate (okay, that probably happens most days but this time it was a necessity). So I whipped up some fudgy chocolate sauce (you'll never use Quick again once you taste this) and decided that it needed a bit of a kick so I added some creme de menthe to it. And I think YUM pretty much sums it up. :)

Then yesterday I tried a cookie recipe for Pumpkin Oatmeal spice cookies that I got off the Skinnytaste website. Oh. my. I cannot even believe how good they are. I'm not into predicting the future but I'm pretty sure I'll be making a lot more of these!

Another first

2011-09-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Owen lost his first teeth last weekend. He came tearing out to the living room Sunday morning with a tooth in his hand. Five minutes later, the next one was out too. Busy weekend for the tooth fairy. Nothing like a nice set of bloody gums for church! Yum.

8 Year Old

2011-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another wow. My darling baby snookums is 8!!
He's not so little. And not always very darling but then what 8 year old boy is? We'll keep him anyway. :)
He had a great birthday last weekend.
He started off with a football win (and some good solid tackles)

and then had a bowling party (again) which is easy and the kids all have a blast.
He wanted a football theme and that was an easy one to whip up. Gotta love when it's easy.

His dinner request was pizza from the pizza store. Another easy that I'm happy to go along with. Unfortunately just before it was to arrive Ethan got stung by a wasp. On his lip. And that pretty much ruined the day for him. Poor kid. I have seriously never seen a lip that size. I put all the baking soda and ice on it that he'd let me, which did help, just not until the next morning.

First days

2011-09-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially now have a third grader and a kindergartner. Wow. How fast this has gone!
Ethan didn't get his best bud in class with him but I think he's gotten over it. And I think he has a great teacher again this year - hooray!
Owen is finishing up his 3rd full day today and he was ready I tell you! On Tuesday when we dropped Ethan off in the morning and he had only an afternoon session (thank you painful gradual entry) he was SO sad and I didn't know what was bothering him. He finally came out and said 'I just really want to go to school now'. Wow. I have polar opposites.
Anyhow, Owen's teacher is fabulous (don't you kind of have to be if you're teaching Kindergarten??) and he's already made a bunch of friends. As worried as I may have been for him being in all day K, I see that he is just fine. He's ready. And I had the day to myself yesterday. Weird. But in a very, very good way. :)

The Wedding!!

2011-09-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

I need to post this quickly or I'll have people up in arms! Kidding.:)
My beautiful niece got married last weekend. They had a beautiful wedding and Owen was a very serious ring bearer. Although he has informed me that he won't participate in any more ring bearer duties (his quota has been filled) and that he just did this because he wanted to be nice. Where does he come up with this stuff?
Anyhow, he had pictures taken

marched very purposefully up the isle

stood solemnly with the pretty ladies

and did his duties with utmost seriousness. Seriously.
Then she came down. Stunning.

there was serious ring bearing

then 2 became one

and then they got dirty. the end.

Well, not quite, but the duties were over and the celebrating began in earnest.
There was the reception with amazing personal touches - they did SO much work!

There was the cutting of the cake...
(I absolutely love this picture! I took it with my ISO just when they flicked on the lights.)

...with a sword

some eating of the cake

I'm so glad they didn't do the smash the cake in your face bit. I just really don't get that. I took how long getting my hair and make up perfect and I'm wearing a really expensive dress and you're gonna do what??? No thanks.
some more smooching

and a picture with the sword.

I thought this would be a really neat feature to start having at weddings. Something to attract boys of all ages.
Well, that pretty much sums it up. It was really a perfect day, beautiful couple, beautiful setting, beautiful decor. Sigh. The end.

Food, Flowers and a Book

2011-09-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I plucked some veggies from my garden. That is possibly the largest bean I've ever seen and those are the tinies carrots! Me thinks they need to stay underground a bit longer.

I love pasta salad. The other night while I was whipping up dinner I realized that I didn't have a little packet which I usually use to make the dressing with. So I improvised. A little home made dressing and garden herbs made for a light and yummy dish!

These are chocolate chip zucchini muffins made with zucchini from my SIL's garden. They go great with a cup of coffee. :)

This little beauty is home made applesauce in a crepe with a good dollop of whipped cream. The perfect last day before school breakfast. It was like eating apple pie!

Here's the flower. I just can't get enough of the colour of these Mar.tha Wash.ingtons. So pretty.

And last but not least. Drum roll please....I've printed the first year of my blog! What a great treasure! I'll keep doing them until I'm up to date. It's not a cheap venture though but I worth investing in I believe. Thanks for lighting the spark Rachel.
Okay, that gets me caught up before I post about The Wedding!!

Entertainment

2011-09-02T14:32:00.001-07:00

This is how they've spent the day today. I have no idea what possessed them to haul this out but they did and they're having fun. No one is getting hurt, nothing is being destroyed, they are not fighting and they're getting fresh air. All my criteria met! So I'm gonna let them.

I'm in Love

2011-08-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

With these...

I just can't decide which colour I like better. I think I'm leaning towards the creamy ones. What do you think? I guess it would help if I could decide what I'm wearing with them (for a wedding). And don't tell me both because I plan on staying married. Thank you Za.pp.os for getting them to my hot little hands in 24 hours. For free. Gotta love it.

Homemade Hot Tub

2011-08-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

It is such a treat to have a pool to go to when it gets hot. The boys LOVE going to their Nana's for a swim. Owen tends to get cold quicker and somehow these 2 convinced Auntie L to make a hot tub for them.

Which made them warm enough to enjoy an ice cream cone.

Not that they would have said no even if they were cold. :)

Football Tourney

2011-08-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Ethan's team played in 2 tournaments and they did great! They won the first one and came in third in the second. Pretty impressive I thought. Ethan loved playing, and didn't hesitate taking on some of the big kids on the other teams.
That's my boy!

Readying for battle.

The ensuing chaos.

For being so small, it amazed me how much they 'got' the different plays. It's kept fairly simple but when they did what they were supposed to do, they were virtually unstoppable! So fun to watch.
Owen came with us to watch the second one which was alternately cute and slightly painful. :)

Not wanting to be left out...

Over

2011-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

We left :(

He slept.

Waterfall

2011-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

The next day we decided to go for a little hike. We had to drive to the park and then a 15 minute walk brought us through amazing sights and a spectacular waterfall!

The picture queens

There's a little cave under the falls that you can apparently climb into which would have been so cool but the water was just too violent this day.

Then it was back to the cabin for more relaxing (I know, rough life, huh?) and a last float out on the dock.
I have no idea what this picture is about.

And fishing. We can't forget about the fishing.

'The Cabin'

2011-08-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

I do believe that as much as the boys love camping, they love spending the weekend with their cousins at my aunt and uncle's cabin even more. This is the third summer that we've gone and it was no exception! This year, because we were coming straight from a week of camping, my sister and family were at camp all week, and my brother and family were working up until the moment they left, my parents took care of all the food. I felt totally spoiled all weekend! My dad loves his food (especially meat - which makes all the boys happy) and so we had an abundance for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kids all love waffles and crepes so we had 2 waffle makers going one morning and the hugest stack of waffles you've ever seen! We were the first of the kids to arrive so we quickly set up and went straight out on the dock.

The would be Ethan 'water skiing' behind Owen in the paddle boat. Hmmm...

After an hour or so of splashing we came in for dinner and the rest of the crew started to arrive.
The following morning turned into a work project. The dock that was attached to the shore was in need of replacing. My uncle had gathered supplies and had planned to work on it over the summer but where there are strong and able men, it was nearly done in a day.

Even us girls (or princesses as the men referred to us) got roped into helping. The total nerve. We decided that it was time for the child labour force. Don't tell the authorities.

The funny part is that Owen LOVED it. He put on a pair of gloves and he was unstoppable.

Then it was time for a Popsicle break. Phew! Of course this happened to be the hottest day of the weekend.

The end of Vernon

2011-08-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our last day there was HOT. We spent a lot of the day by the lake. We brought a picnic down and swam and splashed.

Owen is a reptile and needs to warm himself in the sun but Ethan will stay in the freezing water until he turns blue. Crazy kid.

If you could smooth out the rocks into sand you could almost imagine you are somewhere tropical...until you step into the water and freeze your digits off. It sure is a pretty place though. I never tire of the scenery.

In the afternoon we made our way back to our site.
Love the colours in these pictures.

On the way to and from the campground there are a few stunning properties. This one's my favourite. I want to live here. Although heaven help you if you lose your basketball!!

We had a coupon for Co.ld St.one that we wanted to use so we headed out to do just that! It was so stinking hot out that we opted to eat inside. Owen chose cotton candy ice cream (gag)

and Ethan had some chocolate oreo concoction (of course)

and mine was coffee caramel fudge. Delish!

That evening we had another wicked wind storm which also brought the most beautiful sunset with it!

And that wraps up another week of our camping adventures. Only this time we didn't head for home but for another destination for the weekend.

More Vernon

2011-08-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

We had such a pretty view from our site...actually I think you get a good view from most of the sites. They're set up very nicely, even if they're a little sparse in foliage. We had some really wild weather this week too. Crazy windy. We really had to batten down the hatches. It was nice for the sail boats though!

The boys were creative in hauling water up the hill.

Had some deep conversations - actually I have no idea what they were talking about but I like that they were there chatting.

One day we headed over to a different beach and on the way back stopped at a fruit stand to buy local cherries and apricots. Yum! We would have liked to buy some peaches too but they we imported from the US. Seriously??? You're a fruit stand in the Okanagan and you're importing fruit? I don't get that.

The boys - especially Ethan - take to water like fish.
Owen likes to see how much he can get away with. Thankfully Ethan was happy enough to play along.

Lovely lazy days.

Vernon

2011-08-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

After doing many loads of laundry, tossing it all back in our bags and restocking the coolers, we headed off once more. This time it was off to our very own desert - in hopes of finding a warm and dry climate. It was hot when we arrived and a wee shock to the system after trying to keep warm the previous week. First we set up camp. This is what we call 'clean' camping - gravel instead of dirt - it makes a big difference in keeping the trailer clean!

The boys set to work playing.

And the marmots came to say hello. The boys were also determined to catch one these and bring it home as a pet. The were foiled at every attempt. I just can't imagine why! :)

And where there is a lake, there must be fish!

During one of their sessions Owen had caught and released his fish and about 5 minutes later he informed us that he'd caught another one...with his bare hands! Sure enough, when he turned around he was holding it! Apparently it showed him (Owen) his tail and so Owen picked it up. Honestly, only this kid could do something like this. He is at one with nature. LOL!

Ethan is getting really good at casting and really enjoyed it when he and his Daddy fished together for hours. The did catch some beauties!

Owen's attention span is not that long yet and he'll often go off to climb rocks or look for snakes...or anything else he can come up with.

We interrupt regular programming...

2011-08-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

for food!
I made my first, very own batch of jam the other day. When we were at my aunt and uncle's cabin last weekend she sent us all home with goody bags of jam...and even a little packet to make our own! So I did.
I had a vat of blueberries to deal with so I made blueberry lemon freezer jam. And it was easy as pie. And tasted pretty good if I do say so myself!

Rachel gave me a lovely dinner idea the other day. Cobb salad. I had never had it before, let alone tasted it and it was certainly a hit! Lots of protein in it to satisfy the man of the house too. Yum! I'll be making that again.

Last night and day

2011-08-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

After all that walking and prawn mutilating we noticed the wind had really picked up!
We could hear the waves crashing from our site and couldn't resist one more visit to the ocean.
These are, by far, my most favourite pix of the trip. I took 82. I'll try to narrow it down. :)
Apparently this is the only way blogger will post this one.

Sorry, that was a lot! It's the best I could do.
The next morning it was packing up and saying goodbye for one more year. With a quick (and I do mean quick) stop at the outlets we set off for home.

Day 4

2011-08-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

There were the cutest little rabbits living throughout the campsite. The boys thought they'd like to catch one and take it home for a pet. I told them: good luck with that!

It was a rather cool day so we thought it would be perfect for a hike. There is a trail that runs from the bridge to the campsite that is just under a mile but we decided to walk the beach on the way there. Who knew that such a short trek could take all afternoon!
Doesn't really look all that far.

We stopped on the rocks, watched the boats go by, threw rocks, climbed others

Owen was really serious about climbing. What you can't see here is just how high the rocks really were!

yikes!

We found more shelters and teeter totters. Which I happily stayed off this year. :)

Perched on all kinds of rocks like a pair of birds.

And finally made it.

Once we got back, which was much quicker due to taking the trail instead of the beach, we hopped in the car to get some seafood. There's a little shack down the road (too far to walk) that sells the best prawns. Ever. They boil them and you buy as much as you want and can eat them straight out of the bag. I'm not a huge lover of seafood but these really are amazing. The only bad part is that they come with heads and legs. And B bought the giant ones. I refuse to decapitate my food before I eat it so B kindly did it for me. :) The boys thought the heads were great, promptly stabbed them onto skewers and roasted them over the fire. Ah...boys, don't you just love them? It was especially exciting when one of the eyes popped out. Gag.

Day 3 Day trip

2011-08-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. We're home from our second week and I haven't finished this first! This could take a while...
We had heard about Fort Casey and thought it might be worth checking out.

There apparently was not combat that ever occurred here but they left a few guns and whatnot that gave you the idea of how it used to be.

Owen liked all the hidey holes

We explored the top

And noted the signage

And peeked in every nook and cranny.

The ferry docking was fun to watch. The terminal is right next to the camp ground which is SO barren and unappealing, I'm sure glad we looked! We won't be camping there. Ever.

We drove by the pretty lighthouse but didn't go in. It was just too cold and windy! We were frozen after an hour or so. So it was back to the site to warm up...if that was even possible.

The second day

2011-07-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Now this is more like it! Sun!!
The mornings always start a little cool when you are by the ocean, but that's OK with me. I'm usually the first one up and I either get some time to read or go have a shower before the rush and the day begins. But once that sun was shining it was time to head to the beach - for real!!

We picked a camp site a little nearer the ocean this time which meant we could easily walk to the shore and we could even see it between the trees. And I could hear the waves at night. One of the best sounds ever.
Where there is sand, boys much dig

and build things

and play more

And me? I got to read, on my pretty towel, watch my children play with their daddy, take pictures, pass out snacks and read some more. Bliss!

Oh, and stop the fighting, throwing sand/rocks, make sure snacks and drinks were EVEN!!, wrestle sunscreen onto their skin, etc. Sheesh! Isn't this supposed to be a holiday!?! Let's just not talk about that part okay? :)
Found some dainty little blossoms under the foliage at our sight:

See what I mean? Mess!!

The day we arrived

2011-07-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, our first week of camping is now finished. We headed South of the border once again for one of our favourite spots. Dec.ept.ion Pass!

The clouds were promising rain when we drove in so we set up our (hillbilly) camp quickly,

played some wacky form of Owen ball,

and then headed to see if the sights had changed.

Nope! Still as beautiful as ever...even in the grey.

Ethan clambered up the rocks and Owen contemplated life.

Then it was on to supper and the whole point of camping: fire and S'mores.

I thought I'd try out the new giant marshmallows they have this year. Don't get them. They are obnoxious. They are too much marshmallow for s'mores and they just turn into a giant sticky mess. Ah well, lesson learned.

A little preview

2011-07-23T21:55:00.001-07:00

...of what is to come.

Random Post

2011-07-16T19:24:00.001-07:00

First off, the lettuce in my garden has gone completely mental! If anyone is in the vicinity of my house and feel the need for some fresh greens, please (and I mean really) please come help yourself - even if we're not home. There's a lot.

Second, I have some sporting pictures. My little soccer superstar:

He scored 2 goals his first practice. They don't play with a goalie but we won't mention that.
Then there's my defensive end. He rocks.

His coach asked if he could keep him when we go on holidays. The other teams aren't gonna know what hit them. :)
VBS wrapped up on Friday. They both had a really good time. Ethan told me he wished it was 3 weeks instead of only 1. Wow! I hadn't expected that. I do believe they'll go back next year.

Last but not least. I forgot to tell you we have a daughter.

He looks like a Strawberry Shortcake doll!
That's it for now. Have a good weekend y'all!

Owen

2011-07-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

I think I missed a week! I'm not even sure what we did. It was just nice not to do much of anything! The boys played from morning 'til night, I think I read 2 books, we went on a picnic with friends one day. I did bring my camera but was so busy chatting I forgot to take any pictures. Really, I can't think of anything else.
Here are a few pictures of Owen being...well, Owen!
It's true what they say about children and boxes. This is Owen's crane that he made.

Here is a picture that he drew. This is me dancing on lily pads. I have purple nail polish on my fingers and toes. This totally cracks me up.

My up and coming soccer star! Soccer starts tomorrow and I have to wash his uniform because it's already dirty. He's been practicing his goalie skills and pronounced that he's almost as good as Luo.ngo. Except without the multiple personalities.

The boys are in VBS this week. This is the first time either of them have gone. South A.bby is one of the few ones that offer to kids just going into kindergarten. I didn't ever put Ethan in one as there just didn't seem any point to him going off and Owen being left at home. It would feel too much like school. I hope they have fun! I always enjoyed going as a kid.

Perfection

2011-06-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the best day. We have been long in need of a day that was without plans.
We didn't go to church as there was no Sunday school for the kids and while Ethan would have been OK, Owen is still a little on the painful side when required to sit still and be quiet for a long time. B hadn't been feeling well the day before so we let him sleep and the boys and I went for a bike ride. Yes, you read that right, I rode a bike. I haven't done that in a long time. Even though I have a bike that was bought with the intent of all of us going together. I'm not sure what possessed me that morning but despite my previous notion of biking being 'not fun' I'm glad I did it. We took our 4k loop (and walked our bikes up the insanely steep parts) and had a great time! The sun was shining, the boys were happy and listened well when we were on the road. It was just plain fun. Except my bum bones hurt. Which is one major complaint I have with biking. That and helmet head.
After we got back the boys continued with riding around our place and I sat with a warm beverage on the front deck with a good book. It really just doesn't get better than that! The rest of the day was spent relaxing, more reading, making cookies and a yummy dinner on the barbie to end the day.

The only negative was that around 4 I called the boys in, had one look at Ethan and new that something was wrong. He looked wrecked! He had a fever and ended up not going to school yesterday and he's home again today. Poor kid. Not a great way to end the school year. Hopefully he'll be well enough to go tomorrow for their ice cream sundae party.

The Things I Put Up With

2011-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

The picture will not rotate so you'll just have to crane your necks.
Happy Friday!

A first time for everything

2011-06-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

I did something I've never done before. Made Shut.terf.ly book. It was very easy and very fun! I had pampers points (that are good for next to nothing) that I've had for years and just realized that I could get a free book. I had wanted to do something special with all our disney pictures. Of course going onto the site and adding all my pictures resulted in a 50+ page book. Well, that wouldn't do and I couldn't squeeze all my pictures into anything less than 35 pages so I forgo the freebee and ordered it anyway. I'm really glad I did. It turned out beautifully (minus a couple spelling mistakes, and I even proof read!) and since I rarely order prints I figured it was worth the money.

Father's Day

2011-06-22T19:32:00.001-07:00

I'm a little slow with my posts this week. Had a few things going on.
Here's B's Father's Day gift. I had bought it back in January when I spied it and thought it a good idea. That sure was smart of me. :)

It was a nice day that involved relaxing and good food. Two of B's requirements.

Saturday baking

2011-06-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day tomorrow.
Focaccia bread

Peach Upside down cake.

I've never made this before so I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Gifties

2011-06-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

The teacher gifts are ready.
I think they turned out rather nicely.
What do you do for teacher gifts?

Gardening and my Dahlias

2011-06-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I love dahlias. Love them. A lot.
At our old house I probably had 10 or 12 plants of delightful colours and variety. Last year I planted my first 2 plants at this house. One came back, and one didn't. (I know you're supposed to dig them up and all that but I'm far too lazy for that nonsense, plus I never did at my old house and they were all fine. If the plants are to wussy to make it through our mild winters, well, then so be it. But that's just my take on it :)
This year, I bought 2 more. I am absolutely in love with the colour of them. I don't even know what to call it. Faded coral red? In any case, I think it's purdy.
I like how they look against the white fence

A little piece of perfection right here. You can enlarge it to see all the amazing detail.

This one's sneaking a peek at the neighbours...the grass is always greener...actually, it's probably true in this case.

They make the perfect cut flower. Another reason I like them so much.

I don't recall the name of these but I like their perfect pointy petals. They almost look fake.

These are a member of the mum family. Again, it's the colour that got me. They are a lovely compliment to my new dahlias and they just had to come home with me.

And last but not least: my vegetable and herb garden. Tomatoes, beans, lettuce, carrots, mint, rosemary, parsley, cilantro and basil. Yum!

The Bedding

2011-06-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ethan's:

Such a great boy duvet.

Ours:

Just a little dressier than our old one.

Busy weekend

2011-06-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

While this weekend wasn't as full as some we've had, we accomplished a few things!
Owen had a birthday party to go to Saturday and while he was partying with his home boys Ethan and I went to Costco and along with the usual goodies, found these little treasures. Oh my yum. They are good both with or without the alcohol. And especially yummy all mixed together.

And while we were finding our treasures, B was out finding this treasure:

Our old BBQ was just done. We had replaced the innards a couple times and now there were giant flames shooting out from where they shouldn't and well, it was just time to let it go. Plus, this one's just so pretty!
This morning the entire preschool Sunday school class was presented with their own Bibles in church. Owen was so cute and serious up there. Even with his shirt buttoned wrong. Oops! How did I miss that this morning!

After a relaxing afternoon at home (that is after lunch and assembling the previously mentioned BBQ) we had a lovely steak dinner on the new barbie and finished it off with this:

A good ending to a good weekend.

It must be love

2011-06-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

B's coffee drip left me this:

Lilacs and lovelies

2011-06-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

I made my way to the Swedish empire last week. I had been gathering a small list in my mind and after seeing Rachel's bedding finds, the decision was made. I did get some new bedding for our bed and Ethan's - he needed something lighter for summer. He's hot-blooded. And our was just looking...worn and just a little bit sad. Plus also, I was tired of it. Is that enough justification?
Anyhow, I found a few little treasures in my travels. I had been eyeing this bowl (or whatever you call it) for quite a long time, like maybe a year. It originally came in shiny silver and I nearly bought it a couple times but when I saw it in this creamy shade I just couldn't leave it at the store. And the twiggy things. Well, I couldn't bring it home and not have anything to put in it. That would just be wrong. So there it is in all it's happy glory!

And as if that wasn't enough, I came across these!

I love how they look a little like calla lilies from the top.
I think these will make perfect teacher gifts, filled up with little goodies and maybe a Tim's card. Or lilacs:
Owen's carpool offered to let me cut some lilacs off her tree. I couldn't resist. There's nothing quite like the scent of fresh lilacs when you enter your home. And how fantastic is that little vase/pitcher! (I kept one for me too!)

All that just to get a shelf for Owen's room. No wonder B doesn't want me to leave the house. :)

Blackmail material

2011-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm SO keeping these for their weddings one day. They were dressing up as King Julian (from Madagascar for those of you that don't have small children). I was laughing so hard! What a pair of nuts! (Pun intended)
The coconuts came from this little box of deliciousness.

Now turn off your computers and go to Co.stco right now and buy some. They are very yummy!

A force to be reckoned with...

2011-06-06T09:01:00.001-07:00

Big step

2011-06-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

My son is starting football next week. I'm proud and scared. And really hoping that he will learn to focus on tackling in football practice and not so much on his little brother.
I can't promise that if he is flattened out on the field that I won't race to his side in hysterics. But I'm pretty sure that it will probably be some other mama cuz it will be my son doing the flattening. Lord help me. I'm not sure which will be worse.

Exploring

2011-06-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went on a little trek. We explored a new part of our Discovery Trail that connects our city. It was a very pretty walk.

The boys tried to catch a frog

We came across a pond

We spent a long time poking around there. It's a very pretty place. I love that they've kept so much of the original vegetation. If I go for a walk I like to see trees and flowers, not houses and traffic. We'll definitely go again.

Field Trip

2011-06-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I had 2 field trips to attend. One with each boy. I didn't take any at Ethan's but I did with Owen.
We went to a farm.
The farmer told the kids about farming

Owen milked a cow

Owen fed a cow

And they all had ice cream!

Including the dog. :)
It was a great day...I'm so glad I got to be the one to go with him.

Stocked up

2011-05-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grou.pon:

Thank you farm market:

It's the little things that are the most satisfying I find.

My Pretties

2011-05-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

I usually have some flowers planted by Mother's Day but with being gone the week before and the weather being so nasty (for about 6 months UGH!) I just waited.
Owen came with me to our favourite nursery and helped me pick out a few things. I always come home with pinks, purples and corals. It's not that I don't like other colours, it's just that I can't NOT pick these colours. I've tried to stray but I just can't make myself.
Anyhow, I'm quite happy with my selections:

I also came home with a house plant. Not something I usually do.
Once this hibiscus made it onto our cart I could not put it back. I've always been drawn to them. I don't know whether it was the visits to Hawaii at a young age and a teen, or just the promise of a tropical paradise when you look at them. I just had to have it.

They make me smile.

Day 6

2011-05-21T16:48:00.001-07:00

Our final day. Really, I didn't think we'd actually use all of our 5 day passes. I was figuring 3 or 4. As much as we were a little weary from all the walking I was really glad we made the most of our time there. Friday morning we did a couple rides (the lines were definitely longer!), finally watched the Star Wars show which was great but the boys did not want to partake,

and went to do our shopping.

We had told them that we were NOT buying anything until the last day which certainly cut down on the whining and begging. We simply wrote the item on their list and then they got to decide from all those things. It worked out pretty well. This was the only day we left the park in the middle of the day. We went back to the hotel, deposited our things and had a dip in the pool. We caught our shuttle back to Disney intent on eating dinner, seeing Aladdin and watching the fireworks. Well, we miscalculated slightly and when we arrived had to go directly to the show and forgo dinner for the time being. (Thank goodness for well packed snacks!) Of course being Disney, no detail was missed.

The set was outstanding, the production was fantastic and the Genie was absolutely hilarious.
On our way back into the park we accosted a photographer and asked for a family picture. I'm glad we did...there are so few.

We went early (as we were informed to do) and parked ourselves in a spot with a good view. We happened to be beside a family from the island and spent some time chatting with them. The fireworks were lovely as well. A very nice way to end a really great trip. Poor Owen was all tuckered out and fell asleep in B's lap waiting for our shuttle and then in my arms the whole way home.
Then sadly, the next morning we ate, B took the boys to the pool while I packed in peace and then we made our way back home.
It was time. We were done with eating out and done with shuttles. Our vehicle felt so new and smooth on the drive home. We did need to find one more dinner and when we tracked down a Su.bwa.y the boys started bawling. They didn't want to eat out anymore either. Owen actually said he wanted to go home so he could go to bed! That's a first!
Well, that's about it! It was one of the funnest weeks I've ever had. I'd do it again tomorrow, shuttles, bawling and all. :)
The end

Day 5

2011-05-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Back to California Adventure again. First stop - Soaring over Cali - again. Still loved it. :)
There was no line at the Grizzly river but I didn't feel like getting drenched so early in the morning so B and the boys went on twice. I enjoyed taking picutres and staying dry...for now.
I was so amazed at the detail and thought put into each section. Disney does not do anything half way.

I watched for my family to make their way down the rapids and laughed as they got wet. Don't worry, I got it back later in the day.

The Green Army Man was so good!

Bug's Life bumper cars.

trying on the gear

And finally getting to see the World of Colour! What a fantastic show! I didn't take any pictures because I figured someone will have it posted on You.Tube. Seeing as there were about a hundred phones recording. What a funny society we've become.
Anyhow it was certainly a great way to end the day.

Day 4

2011-05-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry...you'll still be hearing more about Disney. I want to write it down before I forget too much about it.
Today was the day we met characters. The lines had been too long on Sunday but we didn't want to miss out on meeting them and getting autographs. Do you remember doing that as a kid? I do.
Pluto was our first one.

Then it was on to It's a small world...which we renamed It's a long world. But you know, you've just got to do it!

Some silly faces to pass the time.

We hadn't made it to Toontown yet. The boys broke out of jail

Ethan blew up a house

and they just had fun in general with all the cartoony stuff there. This was our second 90 degree day and we had to have an ice cream early. It was HOT. After meeting Mickey

and tracking down Goofy (he was a slippery one!)

we decided to make our way to another area. I was allowed to stop by the Princess Palace and take a picture before moving on to anther area we hadn't been to yet.

Critter Country. While Ethan was too cool for this area, Owen wasn't and wanted his picture with these guys too!

As it was nearing supper time we made our way to Downtown Disney, peeked in a couple shops and found a restaurant that could get us in and out in time to catch our shuttle. We were ready for the pool again!
Of course there is always time for a few more pictures.

Re-reading it sounds like with didn't do much but there were a lot of rides we went on. Namely the Matterhorn, Thunder Ranch Railroad (a huge favourite) and I think Autopia (again). I just didn't want to make this post any longer than it already is!

Beach Day

2011-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

I had decided before we left that one day I wanted to head out to the beach. You can't go to Cali and not spend some time at a beach!
And after hearing about one of my loved restaurants being on a pier I just knew that we had to make the effort to go there.
B arranged the car the day before and after picking it up in the morning we set off to places unknown. Thank goodness for our GPS!
Ruby's!

The boys ran out to the water, which was fairly chilly. Now, I blame what happened next on my lack of foresight. I should totally know better by now.

They played around the water, running away from it.

Then Owen fell. Right into the water. He was soaked. Next thing I know, Ethan got it from a rogue wave. Now he was soaked too. We had envisioned playing in the sand for a bit, brushing off and heading to Ruby's for lunch. Now? Not so much. And I hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes or anything because we were told the water was too cold, they'd never go in. Well, 'they' do not know boys. Or that accidents will happen! B was ready to just call it quits, but I was so close! I know, it's just a restaurant and there was one closer to our hotel but I had just really wanted to go there, you know?
So, we drove the 25 min back to our hotel and the boys changed and we drove all the way back to Huntington beach and steered clear of the water and made our way along the pier.
We did manage to make it to Ruby's. It was just so pretty!

The miles and miles of sand and surf, more palm trees,
and smog. Ok, so that part wasn't pretty but I'll take it!

Owen looking at the oil rigs

Ethan slurping down every last drop of our turtle milkshake. Yum!!

These guys were amazing to watch!

A flag that B wanted to hang in our house.

In case you can't read it all it says: The beatings will continue until morale improves. After that particular day, I may have hung it up myself! You know the definitive day on family vacation that you swear up and down that you will never take your kids on another trip because they are ungrateful, whiny and generally a pain in the butt? Well, that day was it. I know I didn't mention much about it because I choose to remember the overall goodness of our vacation and try not to dwell on the negative. The more people you talk to the more 'normal' this is I believe. At least after this it was much more enjoyable!
Then we made our way to the street market for a little shopping and back to the sand to watch the sun set, watch the boys chase the birds and try to dig to china. What is it about sand that requires all that intense digging??

All's well that ends well.

California Adventure: Day One

2011-05-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Day two of our adventure we went to the other side. It had a totally different feel to it. Our first stop was Soaring over California. LOVED IT!

Ethan on the Golden Zephyr

We did the Symphony Swings and Jumpin' Jellyfish (lame) and made our way to Paradise Pier. We did ToyStory Mania - one of our favourites - and the mickey wheel, which was very high!

The view was pretty

I went on California Screamin' as a single rider and it was so quick to get on! Love, love that ride. So fun.
We saw these guys - can't wait until the new race track is built next year.

And then the torment started. We happily marched on to the Bug's life area and walked right down to the show that was starting, forgetting everything we were told about it. The boys were so opposite to how we thought they'd be. Owen was into everything and went with the flow and Ethan didn't want to try anything! We was SO upset by the 3D aspect and the 'sneeze' and the poke in the back that he was bawling by the end. Owen on the other hand was jumping in the isle trying to catch the bug in his face and shreaked with glee when he was sneezed on: 'I even felt it Mom, did you feel it?' So funny.
We then made our way out of that area and went to the Tower of Terror. OH. MY. That was quite the ride.

I wish those people hadn't had their hands in the air so that I could have seen the looks on my children's faces. Ethan was so mad at us for making him do that and Owen kept saying 'I flied up!!'. I'm not sure I'd do that one again myself.
We figured that was enough torture for one day and had some icecream to sooth our souls. :)
I couldn't believe how blue the sky was when I turned to look behind me.

Then I noticed that it was a painted building. :)

We did the Grizzly River somewhere in there too but I didn't take pictures and we rounded out the day by letting the kids play at the Brother Bear climbing park. How they had energy to run and climb and swing after walking all day is beyond me!

They loved these mini zip lines and went on them over and over again. I was really impressed with their lack of complaining with all the walking we did. We made sure to take breaks and always had water and snacks on hand to munch while we stood in line or just find a bench to sit for a few minutes.
Another successful day at the park. Our shuttle stopped at the Garden Walk which had a pretty good selection of restaurants that we tried. It happened to be our anniversary this day and thought we'd try Bubba Gump's seeing as B is such a seafood lover. That was the extent of our celebration but I think being at Disney for the day was a pretty good way to spend our anniversary anyhow!
Back at the hotel a dip in the pool and hot tub did wonders for weary legs and it made us all sleep soundly! The next day we had something a little different planned.

Disney! Day One

2011-05-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

In looking back over my pictures there's so many more that I wished I'd have taken but I also didn't want to remember Disney from behind a lens, so I'll just have to make due with what I've got.
Our hotel had a lovely hot breakfast each morning (which is a big reason why we chose it) and they had great muffins and apples that we pilfered for our snack and lunches (I'd also brought granola bars and things from home so that we weren't spending a fortune on food). We'd get ready in the mornings, go downstairs to eat and hop on our shuttle - it was a very stress-free way to go.

With delightful cooperation from my children we took our first picture in front of flowering mickey. Can't you see that they are so excited!?

'Tis true

First stop: The Tiki Room. You are all rolling your eyes, I know but it is one of the few vague memories that I had of going as a child so it was on my list of 'must do's. Owen thought the flowers were hilarious with they're wagging tongues and would sing the tiki song to himself on the way back to our hotel. Too cute.

We climbed through Tarzan's tree house (I love the soundtrack to this movie btw) and the boys had fun being Tarzan, swinging from ropes and banging on instruments.

The jungle cruise was fun too, our guide was very funny. B and I laughed so hard when he yelled for everyone to get down because someone was 'shooting' and both boys nearly dropped right to the bottom of the boat
Lovely scene of lions eating their zebra dinner.

We even did the carousel. We had told the boys prior to going that we were going to try all the rides and if they didn't like something they wouldn't have to go on again. We wanted to experience everything Disney had to offer!

Ethan and I were the only one to go on the teacups. We've got stomachs of steel. :)

Love the lanterns

The Whale! (This one's for Uncle A)

Here's the Finding Nemo sub. That was one of the few long lines we encountered. We couldn't have picked a better time to go. The lines were minimal and the weather was hot. I think the boys actually believe (still) that we went way under the water. I don't plan on ruining that illusion for them. :)

This was, hands down, the boys favourite ride. We went on several times. B remembers going on it when he was little, and I can totally understand the pull of being able to drive your own car, by yourself and they even handed out a license!
Autopia:

Owen's behind the wheel and B is pressing the pedal. What a team. I can tell you that the 'no bumping' rule did not apply to them, apparently.
Their first but not only Micky Mouse ice cream treat.

The perfect way to end our first day. Owen fell asleep in the shuttle for the first few days. It really wore them out. Even B and I were asleep by 9:30/10:00 the first couple nights out of sheer exhaustion. Love it.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-05-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to start. We had so much fun. I guess if y'all don't find it too boring I'll go through it all.
To the beginning it is then!
We left last Saturday morning at 7 am sharp. We made a stop for coffee and muffins for breakfast (the last Timmy's for a week!) and then made like Pollywog and headed for the Mexican border (can anyone name that book?). No really, just the regular border. And there was a line. At 7:20 AM on a Sat. Good thing we left early.
We drove down to Seattle, left our car at a lot and took our first (of many) shuttle to the airport. Where we checked in, waited, and waited some more, and ate lunch and waited a little more.
The boys waiting for our shuttle

The boys working off the trip expenses.
Just kidding. They asked to pull the suitcases and both B and I happily let them.

I was so excited to see we were going to ride right on a Disney plane!

And then I clued in that it was here far too early and it was probably for special Disney vacations. I'm sure not everyone on our flight was going to Disneyland. Oh well, it was still neat to see.
First ride on an airplane for both boys and I hadn't flown in 10 years! My armpits didn't even get sweaty the whole time! Sorry, TMI, but I thought I'd be more nervous than I was. Turns out, I don't mind planes and I think my travel bug (that has lain dormant all these years out of necessity) just kicked it up a notch. Much to B's chagrin.

The lady sitting beside me was a small plane pilot so she told me all the areas that we were flying over. This was a volcano that I can't remember the name of but it was fun to see the world from this view.

Our flight was early - gotta love that - and we arrived in balmy, palm tree laden California. Oh the bliss! Dry and warm. What more could we have asked for?!

And then there was the shuttle from hell. What was supposed to be a 20 min ride turned into about an hour. Turns out the dude driving usually services LAX and had NO clue where our hotel was. I mean as in NO CLUE! Even with his GPS we did U-Turn after U-turn. Ugh. Thankfully one of us slept!

We did eventually get to our hotel and the lovely people there (really the staff was phenomenal) offered to take us by their own shuttle to pick up some water/snacks etc and to any restaurant we'd like. We politely declined because the thought of getting into another vehicle at this point was just too much to bear. We ended up walking to the pub/restaurant next door and enjoyed the warm air and much needed food. Then it was back to the hotel to settle in and get ready for the next morning and Disneyland!!

We're Back!

2011-05-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely fantastic time!
Disneyland was even more amazing than I had pictured. I will post pictures soon, after I finish the laundry and get ready for a normal week (ugh...I SO still want to be on holidays!).
And a Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing mamas out there!

Getting Ready

2011-04-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

My mom kept my hat from when I went a LONG time ago!

More Easter

2011-04-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

Easter was spent at each family for a day. Saturday we coloured eggs

and then gathered at my sister's place. She always decorates so prettily.

We did a great big hunt for the kids and then had a fire. The kids thought it would be fun to roast their peeps.

For some reason it didn't turn out so well. ha ha They just burned and died. But I think the kids enjoyed that as much as the eating.
Dead peep.

Owen managed to toast one and popped it right into his mouth.

Coconut cake. Yum.

Sunday we went to B's side and had Easter hamburgers. I love this tradition. :)
And then the Canucks lost. Grrr... tonight is going to be VERY stressful! I'm not even sure I can watch.

Good Friday

2011-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day that it actually felt like spring. The boys played outside all day and I put laundry out to dry in the sun. Glorious!

We did a pre-Easter egg hunt for the boys but instead of candy, they discovered this:

YAY!!

A Sunday Afternoon

2011-04-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

The day promised to be sunny so after church and lunch we went off to make the most of it.

I have driven by this trail many a time and wondered where it went. There's something enticing about a bridge and a glimpse of trail heading into the woods. When you are with children, it's never just a hike or walk. It's an adventure, where trees must be climbed and new trails forged.

A very strange looking tree skeleton.

And a creek that must be explored.

I on the other hand, explored the vegetation

We made it to the top - I figured this was where we'd end up but had never been through it. That sky sure is pretty, if you could get rid of the power lines. Which made us zap each other and made our skin vibrate! Yikes! I don't think I'll walk that part of it any time soon...it can't be good for you!

There was a tunnel that lead right under the street - very thrilling.

And a marsh - which attracts boys like magnets.

Then it was time to head back down where we encountered some monkeys and took them home.

Nothing like a day of fresh air after all the rain we've had!