this week

at home....


well, holiday time is up. Kris started his new job on Monday. it went well. if you factor in that he has training stuff to do! it will be that story for awhile too. although they did put him to start on a project this week. only another engineer would find those details interesting. to me...well...i just have to smile and nod. as long as he's happy, then i'm happy! honestly we've both been quite tired this week so a lot of talking has not happened anyway. i'm sure we'll catch up on the weekend. yes. the whole weekend. he will have two days off in a row. it will be like....a mini holiday! (if you are just tuning in...he just finished a job where he was lucky to get one day off per week...so we missed him a lot.)

and to celebrate his first day returning home from work....


do you think it looks like him?!


Kiara and i made GIANT chocolate chip cookies. sorry no photo.

then Aidan and i made some cranberry oat cereal bars. (would you believe they were both Marth Stewart recipes? fact!)

truthfully....these are not my taste. but both of the kids love them. so it works.

it has three of their favourite ingredients. cranberries. cheerios. marshmallows. and really how can you lose with marshmallows?! isn't it cool how the melted marshmallow looks?

and just some evidence that spring really is trying to arrive at our house. maybe they will even bloom this week?

it is rainy. and some snow has fallen. today. tomorrow is supposed to be better. and by the weekend we should be back outdoors.

yesterday (and the day before!)

we walked to the park. together. holding hands. mostly.

they are adorable. mostly.

love this action shot!

and this one too.

so just a taste of what our summer will look like. too bad i didn't get a photo of me. the sun and fresh air are good for me too.

now if we can just get this sun to stay for longer than four days.....

i'm also on a mission these days. an exciting mission. i'm working on a mini-album class for my favourite scrapbook store. yay! and some challenges. i'm up to it! and i can't wait to share either. for now they have some new classes posted. they fill up quickly. there have been some classes that filled up right after they have been announced. okay. and that fact along has me sweating from pressure! some talented ladies.....they also have some projects displayed that are really inspiring right now.

i also was checking out angies blog today. it was a heavy post. but also a really cool word picture. she shares about her daughters learning to deal with the loss of their baby sister. and the help that her daughters have been to deal with her own grief. it's worth a look.

well...off to the chilly basement to start some creative stuff with Aidan. wonder what he'll teach me today?!

what

have we been doing?





i cannot believe that our holiday time is at it's end. and there is still snow on the ground. yuck!



and today has been so nice that we were all able to be outside in short sleeves and feel comfortable. yay! let's keep this weather coming.







one day we took the kids to the Telus World Of Science.

it was educational. for all of us.






yes. trust us to take a photo of our kids behind something like this!

the body exhibit was not as bad as i thought it would be. (not to be confused with the upcoming visiting exhibit the Human Body....i think we'll save that one for when the kids understand what is underneath our skin a little better....like when they are forty!?!) as it was the kids enjoyed sliding down the big tongue. i was surprised that there wasn't a diagram of the location of the taste buds. and i'm sure everyone has wondered that same thing.







we also checked out the forensic exhibit.

here is the good cop.

and the bad cop.

then we went to the discovery zone. we couldn't drag the kids away from this area....

...action shot!

ahhhh......

our happy little water babies....

and is this not sweet? some days i need reminders that she is trying to do what we tell her.

and we hadn't gone to ikea for a long time.

if you have ever seen Kris and i at the store. this is pretty much what we look like to. just larger. and not so cute.

not a great quality photo....but don't you love that smile?!

and that is it for today. i hear the kids getting ready for our next adventure. it involves slides, towels and water. and will hopefully end with tired kids and a good long night sleep for four of us! no wait, we're meeting friends...so eight of us!

digital

scrapbooking...

SIStv is offering a 10 day online digital scrapbooking class. it starts May 5. it costs $20. and it incudes a TON of goodies. (hey i used sis and ton in the same paragraph and capitalized both words....how often can you do that AND get away with it?! haha)

go here to read more.

they also have a couple of webisodes to view some digital scrapbooking. yes. that is for FREE. i've watched them and they are good. especially for those who have never done it before. look here. (episodes 62, 61 and 63...read the titles too!) note: all of the other videos are really good too....and totally funny to watch.

you also remember me saying how much i have spent on digital scrapbooking? compared to paper scrapbooking? if i didn't like getting my hands dirty i'd have gone totally digi a long time ago. for now i'll stick to being a hybrid. kind of cool titles, eh? makes me feel like i'm trendy. like one of those cars that runs without gasoline. nice comparison. or a robot. hmmm....i really do need to get out more often.

already doing digi-scrapping? go here.

want some free digi stuff? go here or here. or browse the web...there are lots out there.

i started here for free fonts:

2 Peas
FontGarden

Abstract Fonts

so even if you are just wanting to make a boring letter look more interesting....try a new font. for free!

decide if you like it.

save your money for later when you will need it!

and while you're at it. you also need to check SIS and 2Peas galleries. there are some digi pages and projects that are going to make you gasp. at first glance they totally just look like they were done on paper.

check out nellierose. she is one of my favourites at SIS. she also has some awesome links for digi.

i could go on. but i won't. there are a lot of places to look. and i'm long winded to begin with. as i come across more amazing things, i promise i'll share!

and news on the home front....

i work a couple of days this week. wahoo! i think that now makes 5 days this year?! crazy.

we now own two cars that are dependable and safe for our children to ride in. Kris starts work at a new job on Monday. and he needs a vehicle this time. we've done well. since 2004 he has been able to ride his bike. that is a cheap transportation bill. he signed the deal on probably the worst weather day in Alberta too. it worked well for us...as the dealership had just him for a customer!

so i get to take the new car to work tomorrow. lucky me.

i wish i had the thought to take a photo of the old rustic cavalier before we said good-bye. there are plenty of them around. maybe i'll just find one like ours and pretend. that's legal isn't it?! with my luck i'll end up taking photos of one that had been stolen or used in big drug deals. if you hear of any arrests involving teal cavaliers....at least you will know what i got caught doing. all for a scrapbook page! "historical documentation, officer.....honestly...."

the dealership took it as part of a trade-in. apparently it was bad enough to have become a popular topic that day. seriously, it needed help. so glad that we don't have to worry about that part now. and soooo glad that i don't have to drive to the other side of the city in it. really, i'm not sure if i'd make it!

the car has been interesting the past few years. it didn't like to run well in extreme temperatures. more of a coastal car (before the vandalized window).

one day Kris and Cam planned to drive out to John's acreage (45 km out of the city) and help with the house building. they barely drove 20 km and the car refused to do more than 50km/hr. so they drove back home. that day it was scorching. just before home, they stopped at the local convenience store and bought huge slurpees. and i think that was the day John gave up depending on them for anything! and isn't it convenient that both Kris and Cam have dependable vehicles just as John is done. hmmmm....

our family time continues to be enjoyable. we hung out at a pool with waterslides and "river". then took the kids to a chinese buffet. they slept in the next day, but were obviously exhausted. good timing to visit Costco. today we took them to an indoor playground. and we'll try to fit stuff in during the rest of the week too. galaxyland and the science centre are at the top of the list. hopefully by next week they will be ready for a full day at home! and maybe the snow will be gone? we can only hope.

family time

we are not great planners. we do try. but we fail a lot.

and then this last minute time off for Kristian. we REALLY wanted to get away. but everywhere we wanted to go (minus Mexico and other guaranteed hot spots) had either rain or snow and cold weather. just what we want. two active kids in a hotel room. it seemed like a good idea to stick around here. with the snow. yay. it is tough to plan a holiday when you have zero time to prepare. and we are not big on planning. and it still stumped us.

i had alternate plans for the weekend. of course all to do with scrapbooking. but we decided to have it as family time. i did take some time to go to another "outgrown it" sale. amazing deals! i need to sort out Kiaras clothes (again!) and see what else she will need. i found some of the cutest clothes. none cost more than $5. most were at $2 per item. i even got an entire bag of socks for $1. (i have begun to detest socks....either losing them or having itty bitty holes grow into gigantic slots.) i also found a Pixter for Aidan at what i thought was a decent price. and so far he loves it. she also had a doll house. i am wishing i had bought it too. since we have the space for any large toy! ahem! and while i was away the kids were working on driving Daddy crazy. they nearly succeeded.

can you believe that these darlings would have that kind of power?



here is a scene i discovered the other day. hmmmm....

Kiara has been working on trying to get into her crib and get her soother or any other item that she desires.

funny girl!

such sweet children....could never intend to drive their parents crazy.....

our fun family time took us to hang out on an 18 hole mini-golf course. and just a word of caution. 12 holes is a good number for parents of a toddler and preschooler....

we strive to confuse our children. Aidan has recently learned to hit a puck with a hockey stick.

and then we give him something that looks like a hockey stick....and a ball.

and then there is the natural. she loved the golf club and the ball. don't even think of touching them. they are hers.

Aidan started to get the hang of it all.

even Kiara did try to hit the ball with the club.

those golf clubs are still tricky.

and some of those holes were also tricky. almost borderline on the torture for Aidan. he worked so hard to hit the ball in the first place. and then it would roll back to where it had started.

Kiara didn't let that get to her too much. she would just chase after the balls, pick them up and then hand them over. or drop them into the hole. took care of that problem! and created a new one....

but after awhile she grew tired of helping catch our balls. she noticed that we put them back where she took them anyway.

i think this was hole number 12.

if you have ever played a round of any golf you will recognize this face. we have all worn it at least once.

at this point all we could do was laugh and be reminded of "Happy Gilmore". which did not help Aidan by this point.

this was one of those holes where the ball was uncooperative with the golfer. i think Aidan hit it at least a dozen times. the group behind us commented that they were impressed with his desire to complete the shots. and we doubt Aidan heard their cheers for him. it was completely a "Happy Gilmore" scene...minus the swearing!

both kids were really thirsty after golfing. go figure!

thankfully Kiara had her sippy cup filled with water. but Aidan had none. i stopped by one of the fast food kiosks for a small cup of water for him. they were going to charge me 25 cents. what?! not when i can get a bottle of water from a Costco machine for 50 cents! so off we went to Starbucks. they give out water to pooches....surely a 3 year old is not inferior to them. i had Aidan ask, and the girl was totally enthralled with this boy. we had to laugh that he not only got a cup, they offered ice, and he got a top with a straw. for free. and a smile. best 25 cents i have ever saved. go to Starbucks.

we then took the kids to the pet store. those kids can giggle at puppies (who can't), kittens, reptiles, fish, birds and hamsters. maybe they were tired by this point?

when we got home both kids fell asleep almost as soon as their little heads hit their pillows. adorable.

and this morning they slept in.

and we are hoping to repeat this. well rested parents are happy parents. i think the kids are starting to catch on?!

i'm dreaming

of photography lessons....



i've been noticing some amazing photography lately. some people have an eye for detail and it shows. and then some of those people actually know how to get the most out of their camera. and it shows. and then there are the people who know what a good photo actually looks like.


and then there is me.


i try.


digital cameras have saved me. like the day i snapped nearly 300 photos of Kiara....just to make sure i got ONE good shot! can you imagine me explaining to Kristian why i just used ten rolls of 35mm film and spent a couple hundred on developing costs. and if you knew me well...you'd also wonder how i could explain it to myself. because we know that i would never have taken that many photos in the first place if that were the case!! yes, i would have bought just one roll and crossed my fingers that i got lucky. besides, what would i do with 299 bad photos?! more than likely there would probably be some kind of support group for me. scary thought.


so now i can snap off a million photos in a few minutes. and the only cost is my time. (seeing as the camera has been paid for!)


and then came adobe photoshop elements. oh yeah.


i can take photos that actually show the face. there is no blur. eyes are open. smiling. nothing busy in the background.


and then i can play around with them in photoshop.

at this point i should mention that i do not have a fancy shmancy camera. it is just a point and shoot. 5.1 megapixels. this is working for now. one day we'd love to have one of those heavy cameras that need their own suitcase....haha. seriously there is a lot of stuff that can be done with a simple point and shoot.

like this. and i caution you. i am FAR from an expert. just a gal who likes to play and see what happens. sometimes i develop the masterpiece. and other times i trash it. to keep my self-confidence at a high level i also don't like to keep track. it would be sad.


so here is a shot straight out of the camera. (yes after i turned the image on my computer!)



like i said. all the basics to me are there. there is a little blur in the hands. but other than that, not too bad.

and here is the same photo after some photoshop alterations. i used a "recipe" i got from pioneer womans' photography website. and a trick of my own..."adjust color to skin tone", works magic in some photos if they include people.(still working through Scott Kelby's book....but saw this recipe first and am playing around with it right now...until Scott tells me otherwise....man i am such a follower....) the jacket is a little scratchy. but since it is denim i like it.

really, this is where i could stop. and usually do for regular photos.

but why stop when there is more to add....like this!

then a little burn on the edges. this is my new thing. still working on this one too.

and this has been fun. add text. move the text. play with the settings.

and here i added some brushes. photoshops' version of stamps....in "roxanne-speak". (which is a language most people would benefit from knowing....and would help me out a ton....)

in case you have forgotten how cheap i can be...these brushes were downloaded for free. i have paid for some, but i don't pass up a free deal either. honestly...pay for a digital camera--but i think the majority of us have these now anyway. download some free photo-editing programs to test out, or buy adobe. download free fonts, brushes, overlays, etc.

here is the comparison of the photo straight out of the camera and the one that has been photoshopped.

right now i am trying to put together photos for Kiara's final month baby album layout (see...you are starting to understand "roxanne-speak"..not that hard....really). and it should be fun because they are summer photos. but for some reason i can't get my mind to relax and just enjoy cropping. i'm worried that the problem is that i have read too much about things to do with photoshop that i'm being too perfectionistic about it all. ugh! i have also chosen the paper before i developed the photos. and one of them is a transparency overlay with the coolest frames....and i need to crop them to fit. yeah, that is part of it. but i think i need to lighten up on the photoshopping....just want to start putting the page together.

because then i get to do her first birthday page.

and then i need to go through the digital photo album and actually develop some of the photos from the last 9 months.

hmmmm.....maybe the problem is that i'm thinking too far ahead?

i think i need to lighten up and just take this one step at a time. story of my life!!

anyways, you can download a free trial version of adobe photoshop elements here. i hope that i have inspired you to play around and do funky things to your digital photos. Nitty Gritty Jody also mentioned a free site on her blog the other day. it looks like fun too.

okay no excuses. go have some fun.

and i'll take it easy and just enjoy putting this one page together. and not think about my to do list.

and to add as a post-script....Kris and I actually love reading Scott Kelby's book. sure we are learning stuff...but he is totally funny. i think you might even enjoy his humour if you were allergic to photography. no exaggeration. Sherri, i can't believe you forgot to tell me how funny he is!

and the deadline is up for ordering sausages or perogies. i know i should have told you earlier. that is what happens when you are lazy. i am trying to learn. this is an instance when telepathy would have been very useful. plus it would allow me to continue to be lazy, right?

sausage or perogies

anyone?!

Aidan's playschool is selling Mundare (Stawnichy's Meat Processing) Sausage and Perogies.

the sausage is the Mundare Ukrainian Home-Made Style Sausage. $7 per ring or 3 for $20

the potato and cheddar perogies come in a 2 dozen package and sell for $9 or 3 for $25.

yes i am taking orders!

and i need to know in the next couple days.

and yes i have been keeping it a secret!?

i have to say that perogies and sausages have not been high on the priority list these days.

really....if it can't be scrapbooked....then it is not worth the time, right?! haha

yeah, somehow i think the last laugh will be on me.....

but seriously....aren't you just craving sausages and perogies right now?!

okay...i'm outa here.

love

this!

is this not totally cool?!

check out her other designs at Lisa Leonard Designs. and some more on her blog.

and tell me that they are not fabulous. it really is hard to pick a favourite. but i'm working on it.

i really am not much of a jewelry person. i think i used to be. before Kiara started to pull my earings off my ears. well, maybe longer than that! i once found an awesome ring at a store in Banff. it had my birthstone and was a trendy setting. do i wear it? i wish. but for some reason don't. (and before you ask....yes i do know where it is!)

and yet here i gaze at all her creations and i want. i know it will look better on me than in my box. but will i actually wear it?

why is this i wonder?

at our mom's group we have made jewelry for a few sessions. the first piece i made was a set of earings. completely a copy from my friend Kathy's. well...just a different color pearl! too funny. then i made a bracelet. not great work. this year i made a necklace to go with the earings. and i have been complimented on the set. of course the bracelet does not get worn with them. i keep intending to call Ingrid and arrange to fix my bracelet. maybe with summer approaching i'll make the time.

so i do wear jewelry from time to time. love to!

and i always wear my wedding band and engagement diamond.

but i just love several of those neckaces. maybe i can make up my mind. it would be a great anniversary gift for me wouldn't it. ahem! Kristian....

i've noticed that a lot of scrapbookers also make their own jewelry. isn't that an interesting combination? i found jewelry making quite stressful.

hmmm....

lots to ponder.

i was also just reading Donna Downey's blog. she has some stuff left over from her Inspired event. and one of them is a necklace that says "inspired"...and it looks very similar to the designs at Lisa Leonard Designs. hmmmm.....is it that small of a world?

so....now i have more to ponder.....this one might actually have a real answer!

and speaking of pondering....and answers.....

hey Roslyn and Paula....good luck with your studying and your exams....almost done! wahoo!!

can it really be

Sunday ?


a long week for our family. a very long week. in like a lion and out like a lamb. oh wait that phrase belongs to the month of March! not anymore.



Friday was Kristians last day of work with the "super-secret-company". he worked A LOT of hours and we missed him very much. and apparently he missed us. tantrums and all! Aidan is still in shock that Daddy has been staying home with us all day and we keep telling him that tomorrow will be the same. at this point you are saying....but Roxy....that is only three days.... and my response? exactly. crazy, huh? he has a couple of weeks before he starts work with a different company. so we are on holiday mode. love it because it will be a year before he gets to take advantage of his holiday time. so this is it for awhile. we are looking at the bright side as much as we can. we will be together for 95% of evenings and weekends. who knew that would be a bonus?! feels like a holiday just given that change.



HALLELUJAH! (i think this song says it enough times....and these 4 guys are all Norwegian....Kurt Nilsen won the World Idol a few years ago)




yesterday the sun was out and there was no icy wind. yup it seemed miraculous to me too. a fun day for everyone. the "outgrown it" sales have started again. and i came out very well on this second round. not so much for Aidan. but Kiara will be one well dressed young lady. even in her "sand box" clothes! while i was away they had a visit from uncle Cam and cousin Kai. then Aidan and i took off for a birthday party while Kiara napped and Daddy got some peace. Connor turned 4 and there was some pirate booty to be had. can you believe i forgot to take my camera? yeah. at least i remembered the gift! and my son. haha. so no photos of the little pirates. so have you guessed the party theme yet? what a great day it was. we spent a long time outside. a record for 2008. soooooooo glad Kristian built the sandbox and play area. aside from some rocks finding new homes in the grass, it has afforded us with some peace while the kids hang out together. then a walk to pick up pizza. the stroller was handy to carry the pizza, since the kids both decided to walk. even Kiara walked several blocks. (it was also a lucky day for Aidan and i to have pizza for both meals!)




and today has had sun and cloud. but a wind came out of nowhere. not great. the "boys" have gone to help uncle John work on his house. they are putting the siding on. Aidan was thrilled to be a part of the action. and i think Kris was happy to have some company on the drive. the house has really taken a great deal of John's time the past 10 months-- built it himself, with help from his dad and friends. i'll have to post, or link to photos. that is when it pays to be a carpenter and know what you are doing. it shows. cool to have control over how some of the details are put together. and us "girls"? we're holding down the home place. Kiara had another great nap. while i got to do some scrapbooking and watch a movie. undisturbed. the next part of our plan is to take a walk and get some more sunshine. and of course continue our bonding. does she ever like to giggle! every day her language skills improve. kind of crazy. seems like a new word each day. and it has been fun for her to play on her own. like right now while i type. sometimes she and Aidan have differences of how their play should go...and who should get what toy...typical kid stuff. love the company of each other ...mostly. she does love to play with his race track. but doesn't know how to play without pulling it apart. i still remember Aidan destroying other kids stuff at this age. we are amazed at his tolerance level for her. except for his race track. and his lego.




okay and that is just a summary of the last 3 days of our lives. there is still so much that is not being said. scary to think!

yeah. it has been an adventure.

we are working on the plans for the next few weeks. i can not wait. i was teasing Kristian that it will just be more scrapbooking time for me.



and tomorrow is my weekly dose of Jon and Kate plus 8. i just read that they have a book coming out soon.


this is from the amazon site. have no idea if i'm allowed to do this. but i didn't see a copyright. and i figured the photo is not going to hinder sales!

i was bummed because i missed their appearance on Oprah a few months ago. so i wait for the re-run.

they do talk about the challenge of their life. but it is cool to see their acceptance of this crazy life too. hats off to them!

well....off to end the day. still...has it only been three days?

thank you

Kim!

check this out....

i got my goodies last night. it was more stuff than i had thought! wow.
it was cute because the kids had fun looking through the box with me this morning. lots of "wow mommy's" and "look at this" phrases. it's nice to have a cheering section.


yesterday was a fun day. Kiara started her day about an hour earlier than normal and was pretty tired by 9:30am. so off she went for a very early nap. Aidan was in playschool. i had about an hour and half to myself. wow.

after playschool i took them to the mall for lunch and toddler time at the amusement park. the cool part was that i bumped into some friends and their kids. we ate lunch together and then later hung out on all the kiddie rides. how perfect. this would have been impossible if Kiara had not napped when she did.

we had so much fun. and i was amazed at how well both of them behaved. we even stayed on a little longer to go on a couple of extra rides.

it was the first time we went on the balloon ride. and it was also the first (and maybe only time) that the kids sat really still. Aidan even sat right next to me. arm around me. holding on for dear life. and if you know me well at all you would also know that i absolutely have "trouble" with heights. odd to have this fear...when i LOVE flying. now you know a totally odd and random fact about me. all this to say that later, Aidan was telling me that he was scared of being up so high. but he felt better sitting next to me because he knew i was not afraid. go figure that one out.

on our way out i bought some ice cream treats and told Aidan that it was because he was a great listener, behaved well and helped to make it a fun afternoon. the look on his face made the day worth every penny. i also told him that we would give Kiara a nap, and eat our ice cream without her while we watched tv. before you feel sorry for little Kiara not getting her treat....she has done very well in the treat department these days. very well. indeed.

ever since Aidan could repeat words with understanding, i have had him thank me for the fun things we share together and tell me that he had fun. yesterday i was not thinking of this. then completely out of the blue he says. "Mommy thank you for taking me on the rides. and thank you for letting me meet new friends. i had so much fun today." now doesn't that melt your heart? Kiara soaked up every word. and she repeated, "tank ou mama. i ha fun." yeah. cloud nine for this mother.


i also took the kids to the store with me last night. thankfully i had the good sense to get their pj's on before we left the house. it was a late night for them. they were so good. well, Kiara was good thanks to "auntie heffer"?! in fact, if Kiara had her way she would have stayed with the girls and let me go home without her. the only thing that got Aidan to walk out the door was the fact that he would get to see Daddy when we got home. the Thursday night girls had not been "blessed" by meeting my little sweethearts before...so it was fun to show them off. and i was so relieved to see that they were showing their best behavior. and....no trouble getting them off to bed as well. talk about ending the day well. (and i also bet that there were dreams of auntie heffer and auntie rozin....their newest best friends.)




don't you love cooperation?

love those two cuties...

any mother knows that there are those days when you just wonder how you will survive.

and then i have days like yesterday. and i know exactly how lucky i am.

and having these photos to remind me of these fabulous memories is the icing.

that is partly why i love to scrapbook. i love to brag about these special times. i don't want to forget. and i want these two sweeties to share in the memories. the days pass too quickly and so much gets forgotten.

and i know that there will be too many more days where i will wonder how i will ever make it to bedtime....but i also know that there will be even more days that are amazing with memories too good to be allowed forgotten. that is a true blessing.

tell me

how a mother can not love a face like this?!




Kiara has been having fun with her potato head family. and she discovered that the glasses could also go on her face. she looked so cute. but for some reason they get taken off as soon as the camera comes out. bummer! one day i'll be faster than her...

Aidan is a different story. he knows that photos like this make great news. i love the finger on the chin as added emphasis.

we brought out the race track that had been in hiding. we are our own little toy store. lol! some days it seems that way. the benefit is that lots of toys get "forgotten" and when we bring them out it is just like they are brand new. except for the fact that the kids know it is fun and how to use them to the best. and great for mama too.

Aidan got this one for his birthday last fall. it has been a huge favourite.

i should add that i get most of the toys at second hand sales. he got a huge box of rescue heroes...his favourite...for $25. incredible. he has a million pieces of lego that get put to good use when he is in building mode. he has no idea what a complete set looks like either. but he has a lot of options. at this stage....toy parts seem to grow legs and run away. can be frustrating with the brand new stuff. but with the used toys that come cheap or not complete....a huge stress relief for me trying to keep track of them all. cause i don't. odd where some toys find themselves.

speaking of growing legs. i was looking for something the other day and found a lot of other things. some i had been looking for but hadn't found...and others i never knew i was missing. it is the one time when i'm thankful for a little house. less places where stuff could end up. there has to be a silver lining somewhere.....right? yeah, i'll remind myself of that next time i do laundry and am putting clothes away. "be thankful for teeny closets". okay, i'll keep trying.

Aidan and Kiara made animal puppets today. or should i say Aidan and i made animal puppets? I would have added a photo for Kiara, but it wasn't her work. and really not worth the network space!

Aidan loves to see that his work gets put on the blog too. and i figure there are a few people out there who appreciate quality work from a three year old.

this is a puppy. i cut out the nose and one ear for him before he had a fit. oops! and here i thought that was something he wanted me to do. so if the nose and one ear look a little "off", well, that is because it is mommy's work.

and check this out. Aidan thought the lead singer was him. hmmm....

a friend of Angie's has been updating their blog. she posted some really neat maternity pictures from last week. i wish that photographer lived closer to us. check them out. they are worth the time.

tomorrow i get to pick up my winnings from a random blog draw. wahoo!! i cannot wait.

and i've also got a copy of Scott Kelby's book on help for adobe photoshop elements. there may be some fun stuff i'll share with you. i've done a few things that i picked up here and there...and have been impressed. but this book....oh wow.


there never seems to be enough time. there is so much that gets scheduled in a day. but it seems wrong to schedule creative time. doesn't it? maybe it's just me. as long as everyone eats and sleeps and smells good....i guess that is a good sign? hmmm....

prayers

for Angie and Todd and their girls.

Bring The Rain

i hadn't heard this song by Mercy Me before.....

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you, oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

So I pray

Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

wow.

Angie had shared a story of the rain in Ireland on her blog. you have to read her entire entry. she had commented on how green it is in Ireland. one of the locals they met made the statement that it takes a lot of rain to make it this green. she shares the relevance of that situation with the song by Mercy Me and the present days of her life.

Angie has her c-section today. a tough day for her and her family. i've never met them, but feel like they are family to me. please keep them in your prayers right now.

***edit***

Audrey Caroline was born and the family were blessed to spend just over 2 hours with her. this was miraculous. but it is still sad. definitely they will continue to need lots of prayer in the coming days.

thought for

the day...

there is A LOT of snow out there. i think about 4 inches. and i did not take a picture. i really would rather forget. but i think i have finished scrapping all of my christmas pictures. i figured i may as well do those layouts since it looked like christmas. spring is coming...right??

Kristian just groaned when he looked outside. there was enough of the stuff to have to shovel the sidewalk. he was in need of one more chore to do today.

Kiara really didn't know or care about the snow. normal 18 month old thinking pattern.

Aidan was surprised at the major change that happened overnight. he dealt with it very well. he got excited about the prospects of making an igloo. i guess someone needed to think optimistically.

and then,

i came across an etsy shop named barrel of monkeys. and i had to share.

i still remember collecting buttons when i was a kid. that was a dangerous collection. i wonder what happened to them?

check out this cool item:

it made me laugh.

Wonder Woman, The Hulk, Six Million Dollar Man, Dukes of Hazard.....

and then the 80's....

A-Team, Knight Rider, MacGyver....

and the re-runs of these shows....yeah...not as good as they used to be when we watched it the first time. but they are a lot funnier now!

we just don't have shows like this anymore. still wondering if that is good or bad.

oh what

a day!

we're getting so tired of this weather. the sun makes it look so nice out. and then you feel the icy wind. ugh!

today the kids were able to play outside for about half an hour before they got fed up with feeling cold. you can just see how the sandbox beckons them. and how torn they are in wanting to have fun in it.

not long after the kids were in bed, i see that it is snowing. great. they will be thrilled.

yesterday was a fun swimming day. and indoor playground day. well a morning really. after 1pm Kiara is wiped out and everyone knows it. but it was a great morning. we need more mornings like that we decided.

today was a shopping day. superstore and costco. same afternoon. apparently that is what happens when you delay shopping. and of course i still managed to forget something....even with a list. really...to be brave (or stupid) enough to tackle two stores with two little kids, in the same afternoon....and not lose my mind...really should be considered successful. the three of us all agree that we hate shopping carts. and can you believe not a single person was around the costco bakery to give my darlings a yummy cookie? i was feeling soft, so i bought an entire box of the skor variety. they are my absolute favourite. next to Joanne's. she has the best cookies on the planet. i have some of her recipes. good. but not the same.

i had a cool scrapbooking night last night. and it continued on to today with Aidan. he produced his own page. complete with story.

most times after i finish a page i'll ask him what he thinks. he is great for my ego. he always says something cute and complimentary. so far he has not offered constructive criticism. not sure if he even knows it is an option! we'll let time and age introduce that to him.

i realized today that i also sometimes talk about the page too. and then i take a photo of it.

today was different. he got out his "supplies" and made one of his own pages. i wish now that i had taken pictures of him in this process.

when he was finished he explained what it was about. and he listened while i shared about my page.

then he had me take a picture of his work.

a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e

of course i had to post his work along with my own. you can view it on my projects blog.

have you ever checked out this blog?

they have a monthly contest to do an entire layout using one little word as the inspiration. it also has to be used somewhere in the title. i love to look at the pages submitted. i have not entered this contest yet. but i intend to. sometime.

but they also have tips and techniques that they share. the most recent one has Lynn demonstrating how she puts a page together.

Donna Downey has done this a few times and recorded it on video. her video journals always make me giggle.

i love to see watch people put pages together. especially if they can do it in 10 minutes. lol! yes, the power of cameras...

and in closing for today.

i'm working on Kiara's 12 month page for her baby album. and looking through photos.

remembering those days when the grass was green, the sky was blue and shorts were too warm....

dreaming....

great kids

there have been a few mornings where Aidan has made breakfast for us. it is usually toast. with jam. and he does it on his own. and you can tell. we just think it is great that he has the capability to think of others and their needs. at this age!

Kiara is trying her best to be great. in her own way. mostly it is remembering not to throw things. for now, we will take what we can get!

my friend, Gloria, also has great kids. she babysat for me when i first went back to work after Aidan was born. and she still takes care of our kids. a lot. and i love it when her kids come here. how lucky were we to find them! she has two kids, and they have been great role models for Aidan and Kiara. in a lot of ways they are like brothers and sisters to each other.

a few years ago her son, Christopher was a patient at the Stollery Children's Hospital for several days. it was a scary time. thankfully he recovered and is now healthy. he was nearly 3 years old at the time. it made a huge impression on his big sister, Kelley who was 4 years old. a few months later she had heard about the hospital needing to raise money. and she wanted to help. so at 4 1/2 years old she made a TON of cards, pictures and even wrapping paper. and she helped to raise a couple of thousand dollars for the hospital. (can't recall the exact amount!)

isn't that amazing?!

(not to mention how much work this also was for Gloria!)

Christopher heard about RCMP officer Christopher Worden who was killed in October. he saw the picture of his newborn baby girl, Alexis. he was so concerned about Alexis not having a Daddy, and he wanted to do something to help her. he remembered what Kelley had done and asked if he could do the same thing to help the baby. and so they did. he raised $1320 towards the trust fund. He was also 4 1/2 at the time.

and my kids have been witnesses and recipients of these huge hearts. not that they are raising money for us! lol! but what great role models for my children.

Kelley and Christopher have been nominated for an award from the government of Alberta. it's called the Great Kids Award.

check out last years' recipients. amazing!

it is so easy to forget what kids can be capable of. Gloria could have easily discouraged them from the work. it was a lot of work for her as well. but what a great experience for her kids.

if they are doing this kind of stuff at 4 years of age....what will they do at 8 years....16 years....

great kids.

definitely.

and here are my great kids. i'm sure they are thinking and planning about the great things they can do with their future.

definitely need to make sure i'm listening when they tell me that they want to help someone else.
and then i'll call Gloria. i will need advice from her experiences!




on a sadder note. i have been following this blog for awhile. i have the link on this page (bring the rain) i have never met angela. her husband is a member of a band called Selah. she has twin daughters and also a third daughter....who reminds me of Kiara. i am amazed at her willingness to share her present struggles on a blog site. she is pregnant right now with their fourth daugher and scheduled to give birth by c-section on Monday. the baby is not expected to live. they and others have been praying for a miracle. at the same time they are realistic and also preparing for the worst. keep her and her family in your prayers. if you want to read about it, go here.


bring the rain.