Salvage Giveaway!

I'm a crafty person by nature, in a good way.  I can be all Martha Stewart crafty when the mood strikes (and just for the record that's pre-prison crafty, the kind that involves glue, and glitter and ribbon, not red and black pens, calculators and white out)  I'm the sort of gal who spends hours upon hours knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, designing and creating.  I love seeing the end result and sharing that with someone else, it brings me great joy.  I may not be the best at what I do, but I take pride in it and love every second.

I also spend countless hours with my girls creating, making and sharing.  I want them to learn as I have the gift of giving a handmade gift.  I also want to teach them the value of receiving something made with love.  It's a full circle sort of thing.

Nothing is more exciting to me than visiting a wool shop, or checking out an antique store, and without a word of a lie the annual Christmas craft fair is in my planner, on my Crackberry and written in red on my kitchen calendar to make certain I don't miss it.  I'm all sorts of anal cool like that.

Anyways, I have this cousin Stephanie, who's crafty herself, Martha's got nothing on her.  I can remember being a kid, and watching her create and craft beautiful Christmas wreaths and the most adorable dolls from mops (clean not dirty ones), I still have my mop doll.  She, like many of us crafters has creative mood swings and changes from craft to craft, project to project.  Adjusting her style to suite her lifestyle, which is what she's once again done.

She's gone into the salvage business, searching the earth and every garage sale on the continent for one man's trash to turn into another man's treasure.  She's repurposes, creates, cleans and rebuilds the vintage into the beautiful and it's amazing!   I have yet to visit her shop, but she's created a blog and seeing all her treasures is a pretty sweet deal! 

That's what you could win! I love it! (ps, I totally snagged this shot from her blog)

If that weren't cool enough, she's also hosting a giveaway a week for the month!  I know!  If you weren't already thinking awesome thoughts about her you are now!  Anyways, all you have to do is go over and leave her a comment, there's no kick back here to me, I just wanted to share something cool, both the creator and the prize.  And hey, why not share a little linking love, everybody loves a good link or 2, right?

So why not go over and browse through her pages and then come back and tell me (just because I'm needy like that and feel slightly neglected by the lack of comments ahem) about your favorite picture, your greatest treasure or if you are a closet crafter?

ps, I'll have her link on the side bar should you ever want to go take a gander at her site again.

Pride Comes at 13.1 Miles

UPDATE: They finished and the results are as follows (this 1/2 marathon was 13.1 miles, not KM people, MILES!)
Dad - 3 hours 35 minutes and 11 seconds, finished 8876 overall and 2777 in the mens category
Mom - 3 hours 35 minutes and 11 seconds, finished 8877 overall and 6100 in the women's category

Great Job Guys!

I'm going to be late for church this morning.  At least, as it stands right now, I'm going to be late.  It's 9 am, and I'm supposed to be getting dressed, feeding my kids and heading out the door.  Instead, I'm sitting in my recliner, still in my PJ's, glued to my computer.

I'm not stuck here because I'm still trying to design and get ready to release something new and fantastic (although I am and it's pretty much causing my brain to catch fire).  It's not because Facebook offers huge amounts of entertainment (haha), or because blogging is that distracting. 

WATCH THEM HERE!

This morning I'm sitting in front of my computer watching a video, one that's a live feed from Denver Colorado.  And I'm watching it with tears in my eyes, all because of my parents.  Partly because my Mom is an emotional soul and passed along the loosely tied tear ducts, but mostly because what they are doing today is so great!

Today they are doing the Rock 'n' Roll Denver 1/2 marathon!  Of all the things I thought I would tell you about either of my parents, I never even imagined I would be telling you that they are participating in a marathon of any sort, 1/2, 1/4 or upside down.  And yet, here today, they are!

Months ago now, in fact I think it's close to a year ago, my Mom stumbled upon a website called Transformation.com.  The events that took place from there are amazing and some of the most life changing she's ever experienced, that we've ever seen in her.  Her Transformation story, while not complete is one that is moving and one that I'm going to let her share with you in a guest post that is soon to come.

One of the things that Bill Philips the organizer and founder of Transformation.com does every year is organize a marathon to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.  This marathon holds so much for so many, the chance to help someone else, another step in their journey, an opprotunity to have a little extra exercise and, for people like my parents - a chance to acheive a dream they didn't even know they had.

An accident a few years ago has left my Mom with a back injury that haunts her days, that makes doing some of the simpliest things excruciating, that has taken so much from her.  My Dad has a bad leg, in fact to say he has a bad leg is an understatement.  He has a knee that is trashed, destroyed and in desperate need of replacement.  Over the years his drive to work hard and get 'er done, has caused him to be less than kind to his body and that body is starting to speak up.  Some nights he can't sleep, inspite of the pain medicine, because the hurt is so deep.

Today, they took the back pain and the knee pain and put it aside.  In fact it's kind of like they flipped those hurts the bird.  My mom has been training for months to do this, because she had to.  Because she wanted to, because somebody's little kid needs her to.  My Dad has been training, when he's not working right along side her, because she asked him to, because he loves her and because he wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

The pride that I have for the both of them is HUGE!  It's intense and it's all consuming!  My parents are doing a 1/2 marathon today ya'll, and that is pretty freakin' awesome!  I have so much to say, but I don't think I can face saying without sobbing, it's that emotional.  Not being there today, to hug them as they cross the line is hard, heartbreaking even. 

This transformation thing has given me a new Mom, it's given her perspective, insight and brought into her life new and old friends who, until they arrived she had no idea would be so important to her.  They are the voices that encourage when her family can't, they have been the ears that have listened when she's had a broken heart and they've allowed her, a woman with more love in her pinkie than the Dahli Lama has in his whole body to love them back.

Anyways, there's more to share and it will come but for now I'm going to say "Chow!" this blogging is cutting into my watching time and I need to go.

But check out the link above to watch them, and please, if I never ask you to comment again (which I will because I'm needy like that) leave them a comment.  Encourage, congratulation, say Hi, tell me your shoe size for all I care, but tell my Mom - Jackie and my Dad - Darwin, how awesome you think they are!

Congratulations Papa and Grammy (Bummy), Mom and Dad - we are so very proud of you today and each one that follows!

A house full of Turkeys

When I married Corey, I gained so much more than just a husband (although I have to say that's the best part of what I gained).  Along with him came a whole new family, to put it technically - The In-Laws.  One day I had only 1 younger brother, a mom and a dad, the next I had 3 other brothers (one of whom is older and facing the barrel of 30 this year!), a father-in law, a mother in-law and an almost father in-law (they were married a month after we were).  Not to mention all the aunts, uncles and cousins who call Corey family. 

As it is with most people, it took time to adjust to my new family.  To learn how I fit into their mix and for them to learn where they fit into mine.  I could make it all sugary and sweet and say it's been a leisurely walk through Candyland (Bethy's new favourite board game) but that would be a lie. 

It's not easy adjusting to new people, I was used to the way my family did things, our traditions and rules, the do's and don'ts of family gatherings and so forth.  Corey, was used to the same from his family.  And his family is a large one, with parents that have been divorced and re-married/attached and so that juggling act took a while to figure out. 

It wasn't all cavities and root canals either, but the past 5 years have seen their share of tense moments, laughter and conversation.  We've had babies arrive, more marriages and life changes, and through it all we've been trying to find the mix.  It's  not totally perfect but I think we're almost there.

We've all  learned, maybe the hard way, that when you acquire a new family member there are adjustments to be made.  Sacrifices for some, compromise for others and if everyone puts for a decent amount of effort, a good time can be had by all. 

I can say without a shadow of doubt, this past weekend saw the rewards of those compromises.  We had Corey's Mom, Step-Dad John, brothers Travis, Wyatt, and Scott, Sister in Law Chelsea, and nieces Hayley and Chloe join us for Thanksgiving.  We've been planning this weekend since July and the anticipation had certain family members bouncing off the walls by Thursday night, right Cor?

As is my M.O. I worried my way through to the weekend.  I baked and I cooked: normally I'm not a horn tooter, but today I'm totally tooting (and not because of the brussel sprouts), we had nanaimo bars, cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing, buns, cookies, cranberry sauce, stuffing, potatoes extrodonaire and gravy all from scratch, and I did that! (we also had brussel sprouts, turkey and carrots but I can't exactly claim "scratch" on stuff that someone else grew), ok I'm done.

Once the weekend arrived, we had a wonderful time, full of visits and laughter, endless amounts of laughter. 

As time wears on we're all settling into being a family.  We've learned how to make it work and we no longer just survive a family weekend (not that it was ever that bad, but I think if each of us were being honest, we'd all admit there are times we were all just biding time) but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to everyone who came (and to my mom for making a stellar pumpkin cheesecake dessert), we love you all and can't wait to do it again!

Anyone for pizza and a movie?

When Corey was gone, the girls and I had to find a routine.  Corey's a fantastic dad and husband and he's a huge part of our day to day life.  He really is the center of his girls' world and I kind of like him too.

So, knowing that he wasn't going to be around for awhile, I needed to buckle down and figure these things out.  So I did what I'm very best at.  I sat down with a pen and paper, and wrote and nice long list.  I listed things I needed to get done, things I wanted to get done and miscellaneous (which was Bethany's insistence that we "make someping"). 

Listing gives me purpose, it gives me direction and checking things off of my list makes me feel as though I'm getting somewhere.  It was also something to do with the girls that filled a few minutes, because believe you me, there were minutes that desperately needed filling. 

One of the things I put on the list, actually as a last minute addition (I love writing down something I'm going to do soon, because then I can scratch it off quickly) was to have a pizza and movie night with the kids.

When we were little, on Sunday evenings my parents would make nachos and we'd put sleeping bags in our living room and we'd sit and watch The Wonderful World of Disney together as a family.  Those memories for me are some of the sweetest.  It was time together as a family that was simple.  It didn't cost a lot, it wasn't busy or complicated, it was us and it just was.

Since Disney is no longer on, on Sunday evenings (or if it is I'm missing it) and since I can't eat Nachos because you have to make them with corn chips- we decided to compromise.  We'd make our homemade pizza, because it rocks and then we'd set up blankets, put on a movie and hang out and be together. 

It took a little time, and a little bit of pineapple and cheese snitching but we managed to get 'er done.  It was great!  The girls were over joyed at the idea of spending time, eating something like pizza in the living room hanging out with me.

Sometimes it's so easy for me to get busy and not spend a ton of undivided time with the girls.  I love to play and craft with them, but often we're interrupted, or I need to do something at the same time.  This time I purposely hung out, I didn't do dishes, I didn't fold clothes and I didn't check my email.  It surprised me to find that I needed it almost more than they did. 

We had 2 of those, one each weekend and made a decision.  Pizza and movie nights were too cool to keep to ourselves, we needed to make them an official Sunday night event so that Daddy could be included too.

Last weekend Cor joined us for his first pizza and movie night (which was lunch due to a scheduling issue) and the girls were so excited.  It took us at least 10 minutes to get them to settle down to start the show because they were both so anxious to show their Daddy how it all "works". 

With this weekend being Thanksgiving, I started thinking of all the things I'm thankful for.  It's something I've been trying to do on a more regular basis anyways these days.  It's amazing how remembering what you have to be grateful for makes the things you tend to grumble about seem less important. 

Anyways, of all of the things I'm thankful for - my husband, my beautiful daughters, my family, our work, a God who pretty much rocks and the list goes on, these new memories are pretty high on the list.  And I'm really thankful for one night a week that includes cheesy gooey goodness.

So, if you haven't answered the question on 45 other blogs today, what are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

"G"25

There's a man in my life I have great admiration for.  He's not this man or this man, he's a man, who I haven't always been kind to, who has caused me grief from time to time and who's played a key role in my life.  We've shared memories and a few "moments", heck we even share genetics.

Had you not guessed it by now, I'm talking about my brother.  You know, that guy I mention from time to time who's a few years younger than I.  I'd tell you his name but then I'd have to kill you, well, not really but he's got this thing with his privacy and not wanting is information on the internet.  And since I'm too old to be antagonistic to him, I'll respect his wishes.  (Sometimes I even think he might have the right idea.  I seriously wonder, how much safer would I be if I didn't blog and wasn't a member of Facebook?  As much as I feel I'm in control, am I really?...another day)

However, his 25th birthday is today and I couldn't, I just couldn't let this day go by with out a post.  So, for the purpose of this post well call him "G" (this has no significance other than the fact that it's not his name and every time I think about referring to him as "Little G" it makes me giggle.  That and because if I tried doing what I did when we were young adolescents and call him Squirt he may never talk to me again.).

To top that off, I'm a very visual person.  I love photos and pictures because they hold countless memories and make a reader feel connected to the person in question.  The problem with that is he wants privacy, I can't post photos of us as kids, it might give it away (or expose some of my less than desirable style choices throughout the years).  So, I did what any good sister would do...

Meet "Little G"

I know this was risky, seeing as to how this is a very accurate depiction of him, but I've decided to chance it, for your sake of course.  Also, I'll have you know this took me the better part of an hour, which is why I am not in graphic design.

Anyways, the years since I've moved away from home have seen the relationship between "G" and I grow distant.  Having jobs, getting married, having children and life have all got in the way.  It's not something that's unusual for siblings, especially those of the opposite sex, but it is something that from time to time has made me sad - I miss my brother.

This past year though, has given us more opportunities to see each other.  Our fantastic weekend in Sooke was the real beginning for us to get to know each other again, and that's really what it's like, starting over.  More than that even, it's been the chance to not only watch him grow relationships with Bethany and Audrey but also for me to see who he's become.

I think as we all grow up, especially those of us who are the oldest in the sibling chain of command, we set out expectations of who our siblings are going to be.  Not that we think endlessly about the careers they will choose or the lives they will lead, but more we think about who they'll be in general and the role they will play in our lives.  I'm not sure if it was a conscious thought process for me, but as adulthood approached for both of us I quickly realized it wasn't going to be what I thought.

I envisioned us being close, I thought that age and separate bathrooms would see us growing closer together, bridging the gap in our relationship that sibling rivalry had created and becoming more than blood relatives but friends.  It didn't quite go like that, we didn't fight so much any more but we hardly talked.  Not because of anger or a problem but because we'd become two different people, living different lives.

Somewhere in my mind, over this time I've created the person I believed "G" to be.  I had made up my mind that while I knew he was old enough to live on his own, buy a vehicle and kiss a girl (to which I still say BLECH! Even when it is a nice girl that we like, Blech! Hi "GF" (again privacy thing but I figure ya'll can figure out girlfriend = GF), he was still a young man, a teenager inside.  Someone who I was smarter than, who couldn't possibly possess the life skills that I did and someone that still needed his big sister to watch over him - even if I couldn't.

What I've come to discover is something quite the opposite.  The person I sat across the living room with the other day didn't posses any of the qualities a teenager would, somewhere between 19 and this unbelievable 25 years old "G" has managed to not only mature into a man but a smart at that.  What's more, I had nothing to do with it.

I know, right!  I had nothing to do with it.  I haven't been around for 6ish years and look what's happened.  Maybe that says something, about God's power and wisdom (not about me, yo).

"G" has become someone I'm so proud of, not just the whole, "He's my brother and it's heavy" thing, but because of the man he's choosing to be.  As I spend more time talking with him I'm finding that he's smart, about things I'm not.  He understands worlds in a way that I couldn't possibly (I'd like to think I'm still a little sheltered) and he's brave.  I know that sounds kind of like he's not afraid to pick up a sword and fight a dragon, and while I think he'd probably get a kick out of that, it isn't what I mean.  He's not afraid to try anything, or if he is he's stellar at keeping it hidden, he'll take on challenges that make me cringe, he'll eat just about anything if the price is right (or the dare is big enough) and he has no problem putting on what I deem a flimsy mask and let dudes shoot paintballs at him.  (I hear that it's ok because you get to shoot people back, but anything that causes welts that also result in nasty bruises is unappealing to me)  He accepts people who the world turns away and loves those who sometimes are outcasts.  I'm ashamed to say that quite often he gives people, the ones that I'd automatically write off based on reputation or appearance a chance, and some how manages to find the gold that's in them.  It's one of those things I'd say is one of his true gifts. 

One of his other gifts? He's a really good uncle, a great one even.  The first time "G" met Bethany he was squeamish.  I handed her over to him and the look on his face pretty much said, "If this kid pukes on me I'm gonna toss her and run", then he looked in her face.  I have a picture of that moment, it's one of my favourites.  Then Audrey came along, he'd had time to get to know Bethany and had started to see glimpses of what his relationship with her could be but still it was light years away.  The first time he met AJ was something very similar to Bethany, this time however he refused to hold her.  It was the chink in his armour, he was afraid he'd hurt her.  Someone took her and plunked her in his arms leaving him no choice and again, the "fear of poo" appear, then he looked at her.  I have that moment in picture form too, it's my next favourite.  The girls are far away from those teeny infants now and the relationship he has with them has grown just as much.  From the very first moment "G" told Bethany that he'd take her to her first day of school, it's a promise she talks of every once in awhile and one that I know Audrey will look forward to, too.  These past few months, Bethany's become one of his "girls", and while Audrey's still a little skittish she too is coming around to Uncle "G".  They light up when he comes in a room, they chatter about him when he leaves and as far as they are concerned he's one of the coolest people they know.  Next to Papa that is. 

The cool thing is, I think in his eyes, they might just be the coolest little people he knows.  And if they aren't he's gonna hear about it from his still older sister.  He's not completely without his faults now, he still sucks at phoning me back and when he does getting more than one word answers is like a miracle, but I deal with it.  At least I'm getting to see him once in awhile, now.  That and today's his birthday so I'll keep the airing of dirty laundry to a minimum.

Today, this guy, this man that I love so much turns 25.  He's 1/4 of a century and it kind of blows my mind.  Not in the same way that watching our girls grow up has, but more in a way that feels surreal.  How did we get here?  My first memory is the day he came home from the hospital, sitting in the middle of the night, in the shadow of the stairs watching someone rock him to sleep,  I knew then I'd always love and protect him.  But how is in that 25 years have passed since that moment? 

The years went fast and felt slow, the fights were monumental (dude hit me in the back with a pot - I may have deserved it but I'll never let him live it down), the laughter erased most of them and the memories, today, overwhelm.

Happy Birthday "G"!  I am truly proud of the man you've become, of the integrity that you show and the Uncle you are to my girls.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I believe God has great things planned for you, truly great and magnanimous things, and I know you're well on your way to finding them. I love you as much now as I did that very first moment, and respect you twice as much.  I hope with all my heart you enjoy your day!

It's the good kind of annual*

Ok, so I spent an hour writing this post yesterday and it was set to go live this morning.  Then the vast and wide Internet decided to chew it up and spit it out, forgetting to including the words.  Let's try this again...

First off, we have a winner over at OFS Reviews!  Go check it out and see if it's you.  And stay tuned, there are more contests and reviews on the horizon.

August always proves to be the busiest month of our summer.  It seems that we take awhile to get our summer plans rolling and before we know it, we are trying to cram everything we need and want to get done into one month.  It may not sounds efficient or well organized, and it's not, but it's what seems to happen, every year.  This year, of course was no different.

Of all the things that we do and plan for August, the highlight by far for all 4 of us is our Annual trip to Sooke, with my parents and brother.  My Mom books the condo at the Sooke Harbour and Marina almost a year in advance and as soon as it's booked it's on our calenders, in my day planner and of course on my Crackberry.  We then have the better part of a year to save, plan, dream, countdown the sleeps (and I'm not talking about the kids) and anticipate.  

Grammy and the girls "reading" cookbooks

It's so beautiful there, with the ocean at our finger tips, the unique and often quirky town of Sooke and Victoria only a stone's throw away.  It is also a chance to chill out and relax with some of our favourite people.  I know that I work with my Mom and Dad, and we see them on a fairly regular basis, but some days it feels as though I hardly have a relationship with them, particularly my Dad.  It seems between the hustle and bustle of two kids in an office setting and the whole needing to be productive for work thing, we hardly talk about more than plywood and windows, building permits and potty breaks (we take about 40 breaks a day, I'm almost tempted to say that's not an exaggeration).  And that's just us girls, Corey's work schedule such as it is, means that he almost never sees my parents.  Don't even get me started on the fact that my brother is leading his own life and is busy with a wonderful girlfriend (whom we love) and friends (whom we also love), leaving little to no time for a sister and some nieces (whom I know he loves).  But put us all together and bonds are formed, memories are made and relationships are once again renewed.

Papa and Grammy's Rosebud and Sweetpea

This year, was excellent.  The 4 of us headed out on Thursday night after Corey got off work.  Due to the time of day and the length of time it takes to drive to Sooke from the ferries, we decided to stay the night in Richmond.  It was that or get up at 4am for the ferry, and I do NOT willingly wake at 4am for anything, not even the prospect of a great holiday.  We spent the first half of Friday driving, riding ferries, searching for Starbucks and visiting a HUGE Walmart, I was in awe.

Corey showing off his inner monkey and also a "white guy" (We were walking down by the harbour in Victoria amidst dozens of people, when Corey announces "Hey Look a White guy!"  I was totally taken aback and tried to explain to him that was politically incorrect and that there were tons of white people.  He said, "No, seriously it's the white guy"  Then I saw the statue mime...oh, duh!)

It would take me hours, if not days to regale you with all the tales of our trip.  And since, I want you to be as interested as we are/were I'll recap.  Corey spent the weekend and then had to return to work for a few days, while the kids and I stayed in Sooke.  By the time we all returned (Corey came back for the second weekend) it was 10 days away, and it was nice.  We had such a great time, but it was funny, I was ready to come home.  Not that I wanted the fun to end, but I like the routine of our house, the kids were missing their toys and it was time to settle back in.

Driving the boat

Our days were spent hanging out and reading, watching the boats and seals in the harbour, going on small adventures in Sooke and to Victoria and just generally enjoying each other.  The boys also spent a great deal of their time out fishing and then vac sealing the fish - I spent that time complaining explaining to them that fish stinks, the scales get everywhere and seriously guys, that fish stinks!  My Dad and my brother and my Corey-Bear loved it, every second of it, so I only mildly complained and then chose to relocate for an hour while they finished - blech.

You can see the bruise under her nose here, and it was already 3 days old by this point and faded.

Aside from Audrey falling (she tripped over her own feet, landed smack on her face, split her lip and left a really horrible U shaped bruise under her nose that showed up with in 30 seconds of her falling) and smacking up her little face on the first evening, and then both kids landing themselves yucky head colds later in the week it was a great trip.

Story time with Papa

And I think, looking back if I were to pin point my favourite part of the trip I would have to say it's a toss between taking the kids to the Undersea Gardens (Bethany was in love with the Diver and was more than impressed that Daddy and Uncle Scott are secret divers too) and the time spent with  my brother.  Like I said, I hardly see him and when I do it always feels brief.  This past trip gave me a chance to see the man he's become, and contrary to what I may have said when we were teenagers he's grown into a really great, almost 25 year old man.  He's someone I not only love because I have to, but because I want to, he's also someone I respect greatly and I'm so glad he's in our lives.  More over, I proud of who he's become - also his choice in girlfriend is superior :)

That pretty much sums it up, a great week with a great family and some wonderful memories.  Now, the photos are in great abundance and since I'm pretty sure you don't want to spend an hour looking at them I'm going to spread them out over the next few weeks.  Just be warned :)

Happy Friday everyone!  What was the highlight of your summer?

*Because we all love annual family vacations, annual PAP Smears not so much

When best friends come a calling

Tuesday brought a day I've been super excited for.  My good ol' buddy Cindy and her new baby girl Elanie came for a visit.  Cindy, being a much braver woman than I, drove from Kamloops to Chilliwack, with Elanie alone!  Gasp!!!

 I love this photo of Bethany "watching over" Elanie, and hope as they grow that's exactly what she does.

Now that may not seem too bad, except Elanie is just over 2 months old and that's a very long way to take a baby without a passanger to do the "work" while you drive.  But she braved the day and arrived here, tired but happy.  I was over joyed.  We were able to see Elanie on Canada Day but it was so brief I didn't get a chance to hold and cuddle her.  Something that I've only been waiting to do since the day Cindy called to say they were pregnant.

Most of the friends I have now are friends from my adult life.  I've met them since I've been potty trained and we've developed adult friendships.  That's not so much the case with Cindy.  Not that our friendship isn't adult, but it's grown to that.  We've grown up together, we played barbies and dressed up our brothers in play clothes, we talked about boys and our periods (what else to 13 year old girls talk about) we drempt of prince charming and the day that we'd each be a mother.

She moved away when we were in middle school, but faxes and snail mail kept our friendship kickin'.  Actually that's not totally true, God kept it going.  Anyways, somewhere in the back of my mind I always thought we'd one day be living side by side raising our kids together.  I know I'm an adult and I know that life doesn't always work that neat and tidy, but I can dream right?

AJ was in love and just wanted to be near her and love her. 

All those years ago we talked of having daughter who would be the best of friends like we are.  And while, I don't know how their friendship and their bond will grow over time I do know that this visit my girls were IN LOVE with Elanie.  Bethany cooed and blew kisses, tried to "play" with her and Audrey was taken.  She'd watch her and get close, she wanted to cuddle, and was infatuated.  I think though, the sweetest moment came for me when Elanie sneezed.  Audrey disappeared and few moments later returned, carrying a tissue for  her.  It was compassion and sweet and awwww.

Once my kiddos were in bed Cindy and I got to sit down for some good, long over due girl talk.  It was medicine to my soul. 

Thanks for braving the drive Cindy, it was sooo good to see you!  And it won't be so long next time :)


PS.  Don't forget the GIVEAWAY at our review blog!  Seriously, I can't have a contest run that doesn't have any entries!  Go, take a look, enter, you'll love this stuff

Apparently bikes are for riding

This past two weeks we were able to see Corey's Mom and John twice.  They were on their way to a holiday on some of the beautiful islands off the BC Coast, and were able to stop over here for two sleep overs.  Did I mention, that this holiday consisted of camping and biking?  That's right, they left their truck here and rode their tandum bicycle all over and then back here.  I don't know how many kms that is but pretty much it's too many for me.  Just from the ferries to here was 130 kms and that makes me want to cry.  They arrived, happy, exhausted and burnt to a crisp.

Anyways, the girls were thrilled that they were hear, especially Bethany.  They soaked up time with Grandma and Grandpa, playing, reading stories and going outside.  It's really neat watching their relationships grow, seeing how they'll interact and watching the joy on not only our kids faces but John and Jackie's too.

Because of how much they wanted to do and how many people they needed to see they were only here a short time and the kids were not impressed.  After they drove away last week, Bethany kept telling me, "It's not FAAAIIIR that they have to go home.  Why can't they stay here?"  It's hard to explain to a little girl that not everyone can live in her room and play with her every second of every day, even if they want to.

It was great to see them and we're looking forward to their trip back in October!

ps. Don't forget the GIVEAWAY!!!!

Our new Neigh-bour

We have a new neighbour.  If you've ever been to our place you know that this time of year we are surrounded by corn fields, aside from the landlords across the street we have no other neighbours.  There are other people who live on our road but they are way down, privacy is in abundance.  It means that when I get distracted by my children and totally forget to finish getting dressed, thus walking around with pants and a bra nobody can see we're haning out nobody can see in the windows.  It also means when we've got the tunes blaring and we're singing and dancing along, I don't need to be concerned that we're waking or annoying anyone.  It's great. 

It's one of the things we love about living here.  Being that we're out in the cow country there are those lovely Chilliwack odors that can make the air heavy sometimes and out here in the farmlands, with fields directly behind us those odors can be slightly, magnified.  So privacy and quiet (aside from those farmers who are on drugs and think that 3am is the time to take down the corn!) are our smell survival bonus'.

Back to the neighbour, he kind of caught us off guard.  He doesn't live in a traditional house and in fact over the past few weeks has moved into the empty lot directly beside our driveway.  It's not totally bad, because of where he is, he can't see into our window (bonus for me!) but he's a restless sort and all his rustling around has been known to scare the bejeepers out of me at 11:00 at night.  He loves carrots and adores my children, over all we're kinda glad he's here.

In case you hadn't guess yet, our new neighbour is a horse*.  He's the landlords horse and for whatever reason they keep moving him from his usual place on their farm over to the lot.  He's 27 and apparently that's old in horse years - I happen to resent the fact that anyone imply that 27 is old but hey, he's a horse.  He used to do chariot races and take little kids on horse rides but he's retired now, he's old and sweet and my girls LOVE him.

He's usually in the lot for 2 weeks or so at a time and then back in the farm for a few days.  On the days he's here the kids love to go see him before we go out for the day.  Each girl carrying a carrot as a food offering, watching him munch and slobber the carrot all over the ground.  It makes their day.  Beth loves him but is slightly afraid to touch him, his sheer size is to her, intimidating.  Audrey on the other hand thinks he's awesome and wants to touch him and pet him and I'm pretty sure if horses licked faces she'd be down with that.  I might puke, but she'd be all, "Ohhhh, he loves me"

He's a sweet ol' fella and if we had to get a neighbour this year we're glad it was him.  The girls would love to have a horse, I always secretly wanted one and this way we get the best of both worlds - we get to feed and visit a horse, and they get to deal with the poop.  And since it seems these days I spend at least 3 hours in a day wiping bums, I'm down with that deal.

*We are sure this horse has a name, unfortunately we have yet to connect with the landlords to get that name.  Before he moved in, Kathy was telling me all about him but never mentioned a name....they've since been gone or we've been busy and thus, to us he's just Horse.  Sometimes I think it's almost easier and have even contemplated being just Girl, for simplicity.

The moments are so sweet

I love this photo, I love the color, I love the angle and I love the moment.  It was on our adventure day to Whistler, the day had gone well, but if you've ever driven there from Chilliwack and back in one day you'll know that it was long!  The kids had been good, and considering the length of time we'd spent in the car had slept very little.  They were tired, slightly whiney and we were headed home.  Corey glanced over at the park on the ocean and then at me, we didn't have to say anything the decision was easy, we'd stop.  What was another half an hour on a long day to give our little water bugs a chance to throw a few rocks into the sea.  (They also happened to see a seal when we stopped which was the highlight of the day for all of us).

When we are away from home for the day I pack an arsenal of things.  I always have snacks and drinks, back up drinks, first aid kits and more drinks.  I have changes of clothes, jackets, sunscreen, hats, a camera and of course drinks (our kids could probably drink Okanagan lake dry in a day).  And I usually pack pjs for them.  We've learned that it's easier to put them in their gear and let them fall asleep at bedtime or close to it in the van rather than fight them to stay awake.  They don't always pass out, but more often than not they do - making bedtime a breeze, transfer, tuck and relax. 

This trip was no different, they were geared for sleep so at the last minute we added shoes for our stop.  As Corey walked away, one girl on each side, my heart got a little bigger and a little softer.  That picture sums them up.  When Daddy's around he's flanked by his ladies, they're his helpers, he's their playmate and together they're my family.

Maybe I sound like a broken record sometimes, but Corey really is a great Dad.  These guys are so fortunate to have a Dad who loves to do things with them, who hates to miss moments with them and who loves them so much.  He is to them, what my Dad is to me.  Not that their relationships are the same as mine is with my Dad, but the love is.  It's so neat to see how they can have such different relationships with him and yet be so much the same.

Bethany loves to help her Dad, she's on his heels if he's outside working.  She wants to get her "goof-driver" and work under the hood of a car with him, she's content to pick up rocks or dump bucket upon bucket of water all over the driveway just be near him.  If she's not getting her way with me, she'll almost always burst into tears and say the very same thing, "I miss my DAAAAAAD!  I want my Daddy to come home!!!"   Now this is partially because she's convinced that he'd give her whatever it is she's so desiring at the moment, because of course I'm a horrible mother, but part of it is that he's her comfort and she misses him when he's away.

Then there's Audrey, that little girl's world revolves around her Daddy.  He is literally who she asks for every.single.morning.  From her crib you'll hear, "Mama?  MAMA!" and when I walk in it's all, "Da -eee? Dada? Da-eee?!!"  If he's working she'll usually nod and carry on her morning, if not though he first thought is to ambush him in bed.  More than once a day you'll hear her on the phone "Hi Da? Gooo. Ok Bye!"  If the floor creeks, if the washing machine stops or if a fly sneezes she'll say, "Da-ee? Home?"  And when he finally does come home, she races to the door and stands there pounding on it until either he opens it or I do.  When Corey's home she's stuck to him like glue, she'll wait around while he showers, follow him from room to room, she's content to be where he is.  Always.

These girlies love their Dad, he plays different than I do, he lets them try things, he loves to go outside, he's awesome to them.  And the neat thing is, their Daddy loves them back.  I get a kiss when he gets home and then he's off to find the kid who didn't come to the door.  He scoops them up and hugs them with as much enthusiasm as they do and he's happy.

I'm so glad that Corey's that dad who wants his kids around.  I'm so glad that he wants daddy dates with them, that he wants to know their habits and their favourites, that he wants to build a solid bond with each of them, that he can love this parenting gig as much as I do.

But mostly I'm glad that he's my partner in this, and that we can capture those moments, because they really are so sweet.

Home Day

With as busy as life can get, sometimes I forget how good it feels to have a home day.  Our weekends are so often crammed to the brim with "fun" and errands we barely breath, and Monday morning we feel as though we've been on a treadmill for 2 days straight - it doesn't end up being very relaxing.

This past Sunday, however we put our feet down, or rather our tushies.  We decided to have ourselves a home day (because with church starting earlier for the summer months, we can't manage to get our act together and get out the door in time), Corey and Bethany spent 2 plus hours cleaning his truck.  Audrey had a super long nap, I cleaned my house, and did laundry and just was content to be here.

After a lunch of homemade ice cream and strawberries, and some noodles after the fact we headed outside to play in the kid's pools.  It's hot here, high 20's low 30's and while that's hot for anybody, it's unusual for us.  It's also a very different heat than we had grow accustom to in the interior and it's muggy, blech.  But Sunday's heat came with a beautiful breeze, and who doesn't like to be outside, playing in the shade, relaxing.

All the fun in the sun and the pool tired us out and it was definately a lazy afternoon kind of day.  We came in, puttered around a bit, threw two grass covered little girls in the tub and hung out.  The kids, who'd already thought they'd hit the lottery just about came unglued when I asked them if they'd like Little Caesar's Pizza (instead of home made, I was NOT turning on the oven) to have as a picnic in the living room to watch a movie.  Are you kidding, Mom?  Are you sick, on drugs, out of your mind?  You're gonna let us eat pizza, in the living room AND watch a movie?!! 

Around here while I may let them have a snack and sometimes their breakfast toast in the living room, lunch and dinner are at the table.  We also have a rule the kids don't get to have the TV on after dinner.  That's quite often the only time they see their dad and the last thing they need to be doing is killing brain cells with the boob tube.  But we were all tired yesterday and one of the great things about being the Mom is you can break the rules and nobody puts you in time out. 

The evening went wonderfully, Corey and the kids loved their pizza, I snuck in a bath, because watching them eat pizza is more than I can stand, too hard not to eat at least the gooey cheese on top.  I love my baths, complete with book and bubbles.  They're like my battery re-charge.

Our home day was perfect, they fell asleep almost as soon as we finished praying and Corey and I collapsed on the couch tired, but content.  It's always nice to be reminded that the best memories come in the moments we're together, not in the dollars spent or the distance travelled.

B was so tired after playing that while she was waiting for her Daddy to fill the tub she passed out on the kitchen floor.  I was hanging clothes on the line and could hear Corey calling and calling her.  I came out to find her (she hides every so often when she's in a "I'm never getting clean again" mood) and found this....too cute!

What's your favourite thing to do on a home day?