Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Word for the year

A scrapbooker whom I really admire is Ali Edwards. She is very inspiring to me. She promotes the idea of coming up with a word for the year. I think I like this idea. Her word this year is "nurturing." I am considering "patience" but also like the idea of "appreciation." Since it is New Year's Eve these kinds of things are on my mind. I think both words represent many of the things I have been thinking about for the coming year. Hmm... something to think about for the last hours of 2008.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Thinking about resolutions


As 2009 draws closer I have been thinking about resolutions. Like most people I rarely keep my resolutions...

Side note - I cut my thumb badly yesterday on the new mandolin I got for Christmas and it hurts like hell every time I hit the space bar.


This year I would like to keep my resolutions. I think I just want to work on bettering myself and the life I am leading. I don't think I will make resolutions like "lose 10 (ok 30) pounds" or "scrapbook something every week," although those are things I would really like to do. I think instead I will go for more general yet achievable resolutions. I want to make better use of my time everyday. I want to improve my relationships with people. I want to be more patient with my eldest daughter. I think I want to be more "real", I'm not totally sure what I mean by that but it's just a feeling I have. My health and scrapbooking also need to be part of my 2009 plan. I think that if I work on the time issue other things will fall into place. I think writing about things here will also be helpful. Only time will tell.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Merry Christmas

Yep, my amazing husband got me an Expression for Christmas. Then we went to Michael's on Boxing Day and got 8 new cartridges - they were on sale for $39.99 each (that's like three for the price of one!) It was awesome - I am going to start playing this week. I even got some vinyl to do some word art on the walls.

Monday, December 15, 2008

OK, I admit it. I want...

a Cricut Expression for Christmas. There, I said it out loud.

brrrrr....

-30 in Houston today - but I still miss it. The weather network says we might be in for a white Christmas which would be great - it was always a guarantee in Houston.

It's a busy week. Christmas concerts, cards to send, cookies to bake and shopping to finish. Arden and I made pickled carrots and garlic yesterday. I hope they turn out ok.

Friday, December 12, 2008

SNOW!

It's snowing!!!! I miss Houston.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Grandma

Worried about Grandma tonight. She moved to her new room in the new addition to the lodge. It is beautiful over there but understandably she is scared and confused. It must be so scary to not know where you are. She was worried about not finding her room. I told her that the nurses will help but she was still very afraid. I am going to go see her again in the morning. I also want to make some scrapbook pages to hand in the case outside her door. Hopefully she doesn't have too rough of a night.

Monday, December 08, 2008

thinking...

Not happy with the start I got on my Disney album on Saturday. It just doesn't feel right. I think I am going to take the two layouts I did apart and start over. I think I am not going to use a formula and just use the papers and embellishments on each page. The formula just isn't working for me.

Talked to Bill tonight. He has broken up with Jaime. It is too bad but can't say I'm surprised. That's another of his kids (5 altogether) who he won't be living with. I think he just needs to be single and hopefully avoid getting another woman pregnant.

I'm looking forward to shopping with Heather on Wednesday and Aaron on Thursday. We actually don't have that much more Christmas shopping to do. I figured out how to use my mom's leftover Airmiles today so I used them to get a few more gift cards. I just have one thing to get for Aaron and we have to get the gifts for the girls. I need a few stocking stuffers but those are never hard to get, except for Aaron's dad.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Scrappin' tomorrow

Going to spend the day scrapbooking tomorrow. I love doing that. Hopefully Lily will cooperate as much as she did last month. I want to make a word book using my cricut but I think I need the Design Studio program. I can still do it and cut the ends out by hand which wouldn't be too hard. My goal tomorrow is to get the first four days of my December daily album done and to get started on my Disney album, hopefully 5 layouts. Once I actually get started on the album it will go faster, I just can't decide on a formula but tomorrow I am just going to go for it and not worry if it is similar to my New York album. That simple, clean line formula is my style.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Christmas cards

I took some great pictures of the girls in front of the fireplace yesterday. I am hoping that one of them will work for a photo Christmas card this year.

Wow - just had a weird feeling when I said "the girls." I am still not used to the idea that we have two children. Even though Lily is challenging me as a parent, mostly with her sleeping patterns, I am so overwhelmed with the feeling that I am so blessed. I just had really resolved myself to the fact that we were only going to have one child and now I look at Lily and then at Arden, and I know that there is a higher power looking out for us. Part of me hopes that Mom had some say in the matter. I need her to know how much I love her and how sorry I am for the way I treated her at times - that guilt pops up whenever Arden and I butt heads. She is so much like me and I don't want her and I to struggle the way my mom and I did at times. I guess it helps me to understand how much my mom loved me - I just wanted to be independent to badly, just like Arden.

Monday, December 01, 2008

December daily

Today I started to decorate the house for the holidays. It made me feel very festive. I took photos for my December daily album. I am hoping to get the tree up this week as well.


Sunday, November 30, 2008

Tis the season

That's right, only a couple of hours until December. WOW! I know I say it all the time but time seems to be moving so quickly. I just spent the past 2 hours setting up the advent calendar and wrapping the gifts for Arden and Aaron. We decided that Lily would join the advent calendar next year. That will mean 6 gifts for each of us instead of 8, which might be a little easier. Our advent calendar is more like a month long stocking but it is fun. I still need one more thing for Aaron but I will pick something up tomorrow. I hung the wreath on the door tonight as well. I am hoping to get the tree up this week too - it is more fun to have it up right at the beginning of the month so we can enjoy the tree. I love staring at it with all the cool ornaments we have collected over the years. We got a new tree this year that is 9 feet tall and I think it will be quite spectacular.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Arden is 8!

It seems so hard to believe, especially with the arrival of Lily, but Arden is 8! I think she had a great day today and really liked her gifts - some pajamas, the Guiness book of World Records, and a rolling tote for scrapbooking. There was a mini melt-down at the end of the day but that happens when she gets tired. We even did a little Christmas shopping tonight at Moonlight Madness. It kind of got me in the Christmas spirit. On Sunday I have to pull out the Advent Calendar - December 1st is Monday.

Tomorrow we are off to High School Musical, the Ice Tour. It is for Arden's birthday "un-party". We are taking Emma and Jolena. I hope that Arden is a good hostess as she sometimes struggles when she has to share her friendship and it will also be a long day. We are going to the Olive Garden for "linner" after the show. Aaron is being a good sport, but secretly I am looking forward to the ice show. It reminds me of when my parents took me to Ice Capades every year as a kid. I loved it!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Another state?

Aaron says Puerto Rico counts so make that 10!

Mother to an almost 8 year old

It is "two more sleeps" until Arden turns 8. It is so hard to believe she is there already. Sometimes I look at her and she seems like a teenager - it is scary. Then I look at Lily and she is so young, it is hard to imagine her in the same place as Arden.

Arden and I are going to put the iron-ons on her goodie bags for her birthday party.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Two things

First, I took off the cool paper background off my blog. It seems to have slowed down my blog and I noticed the same thing on my friend's blog. If there isn't an improvement in the speed then I might try it again.

I have been thinking about two things over the past couple of days, a Bucket List and how many states I have visited so far. I think the second comes from us deciding to go back to Idaho this summer and the first comes from reading other blogs and loving the movie. I think I will start by listing the states I have visited...

Washington
Oregon
California
Hawaii
Nevada
Idaho
Utah
New York
Florida


I have also been to the airports in Chicago, Illinois (twice), but I'm not sure that really counts.

I have been to every Canadian province but I haven't been to any of the three territories and my visit to Nova Scotia was just to the airport in Halifax and to the end of the ferry ride from PEI - but it was twice and I did set foot outside and I even have a photo.

BC
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
PEI
Newfoundland
Nova Scotia - sort of



I think I will start my Bucket List in a post all its own so I can add to it and tick things off. Is it crazy to add a few things I have already accomplished?

Grey Cup Sunday

Having a Grey Cup party today. I made chili and some yummy nibblies for the afternoon. Lily has cooperated by sleeping in her swing for the past 2 hours. It is a beautiful day today so hopefully the kids will want to play outside for a bit. It made me miss living in Houston a bit when I checked the weather network and saw that it is snowing there today. Still such mixed feelings about leaving.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Fun shopping day

Bev and I went to Abbotsford today to pick up our Christmas tree at Costco. Had to check out Linens and Things. Bought some more towels for our bedroom en suite and some more matching items for the girls' bathroom. Everything was about 20-25% off right now. The deals will get better as they move toward their closing at the end of January but the supply will definitely be decimated. We also went to Home Sense. They had some cool stuff that I still might go back to get. I would like a small Christmas tree to go outside our front door. The tree I got at Costco is really nice. 9 feet, and pre-lit. I also got 3 absolutely gorgeous pointsettieas. They were only $20 each and they are beautiful. It makes the living room look quite festive.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

oohh, found a new blog thing to try

Decided to follow the link on a friend's blog for cool backgrounds. Very cool. Decided to change up my template as well.
Heading to Chiliwack tomorrow to do some shopping. I need to get all the stuff for the Grey Cup party and I want to get some items for Arden's birthday. I have these cute draw string back packs to use for the "goodie" bags. I am hoping I might find some iron ons for them. I might go to Abbotsford on Friday to get the Christmas tree so I can go the Michaels then, I know they have some cool iron ons. Apaprently Linen and Things is going out of business so I might check there for some good deals as well.

Monday, November 17, 2008

I love routine

I am starting to feel like my life is running on a bit of a routine again, thank God! I am trying to tidy the house a little bit every day so that it never gets out of control. Lily is starting to take naps at regular times each day which is a big help. Today I have put away laundry, sorted through Lily's clothes and tidied the kitchen. I am hoping to make shortbread today and do a bit of scrapbooking. I want to get my Disney album done before Christmas but I also need to make the 6x6 pages for Aaron's mom's album. One step at a time.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

shhhh....

Lily has slept through the night for 3 nights in a row. 8:30pm til 6am. Mommy is feeling so much more human thanks to those consecutive hours of sleep!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rain, rain, go away...

Now I remember one thing I did not miss when we were living up north. The rain and overall grayness of the days just gets to me after a while.
We went to Aunty Judi's for lunch today. It was nice. Wendy and Myles were there along with Jen, Kim, Jake and Danielle. Uncle John's brother Tom was there too. It was crowded and loud but nice to visit.

Saturday, November 08, 2008










Decided to add some photos from today's success.

Great day bragging

Had a great day today. Went scrapbooking at SC in a friend's kindergarten classroom - didn't really like the miniature chairs and tables but man did I get some serious scrapping done. I got my December daily album all assembled and numbered. It looks so cool - I love it!!! It is an Ali Edwards project, she is one of my favourite "celebrity" scrapbookers. I also got my "BELIEVE" word album done. I think it is really cool and it is nice to have something made to celebrate Lily.
Tonight Arden and Aaron are off to the Bruins game so I am hoping to get photos sorted for our Disneyland album. I want to use a formula but I am not sure on the layout yet. I would love to get it done as quickly as I got our New York album done.
Lily was a great kid today so that made all of the scrapbooking possible - it was a great day!

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

A new President

What a historic day for the U.S.. I do not know enough about the candidates to comment on their platforms but I do feel a bit excited that they have elected their first African American President. It feels like a step forward. Congratulations President Elect Obama.

Monday, November 03, 2008

The puppet theatre is DONE!!!

Yipee!! It feels so good to get that monkey off my back. I think it turned out really great but it is really big. Hopefully the students will have fun doing puppet shows behind it.
I have now given myself permission to start organizing my scrapbook room. I started today and actually emptied about 3 boxes which felt good too. I want to try to get more done each day rather than just sitting around waiting for Lily's next feeding.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Wedding dress

Well, after 11 years I have decided to sell my wedding dress. I love it so much but it is just silly to keep lugging it around and storing it. Arden and Lily will probably never want to wear it as they will want their own tastes to be reflected in their dress. I paid $1200 for the dress when it was new and I am asking $600 for it on Craigslist. Hopefully I will get some interest. If not I will just keep posting it. There might be more interest after Christmas (a popular time for engagements) or even in the spring. We'll just have to wait and see.
Lily is having a cranky day today. She just won't go down for her nap. I want to get that puppet theatre made today but of course I can't get her to cooperate. Off to soothe her now.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Twas the night before Hallowe'en...

Got the house all cleaned today which always feels good. One thing about wood flooring, especially the darker stain, is that every bit of dust shows. I should probably Swiffer every day to make the job a lot easier. Aaron was a big help by vacuuming and cleaning the foyer.
Gayle and Robyn are coming tomorrow night so the spare room and bathroom are all ready for them. They will be the first to use the new shower.
Arden is all ready for Hallowe'en. She is going to be a cute bee. At school they have eliminated the whole costume thing and made it orange and black day so she is ready for that as well.
Got some things semi-organized to scrapbook on Saturday. I think I will follow Ali Edwards and do a December daily album.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

no puppet theatre yet

Got stuff into the garage and partially set up for the garage sale. It was a bad night and day for Lily and I am not functioning very well. I feel like a zombie. I really need to get at least 6 hours of sleep in a row.
Gayle and Robyn are coming for an overnight on Friday night - Hallowe'en. Robyn is going to be working at Hemlock and so she is going to check it out. I wonder if she will still take the job once she sees what it is like up there? We will have to get the house cleaned and get the spare bedroom set up for them.

Monday, October 27, 2008

One down

Finally got the the thank you cards done!! Yipee!! They will go to the post office tomorrow to be mailed. It feels good to get one of my two big chores done. Now on to the puppet theatre.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Good weekend

We had a great weekend in Kelowna. The weather was really nice and the hotel was great - even had the hot breakfast bar that included waffles!
Arden and I did some shopping on Friday. We went to Memories and More in Westbank and Lululemon. We got Courtney and Taylor hoodies for Christmas and I got a pair of crop pants for myself. We also got Aaron's Christmas present.
On the way home we went through Vernon and visited Gayle and Gary. We also went to see Dad. He was probably the same but it was still shocking to see the state he is in. It is so hard to know whether he recognizes us or if he even understands. I'm grateful my mom didn't have to care for him in this state - it would have been so unfair. It still makes me so sad.
Going to try to get my act together this week - the puppet theatre and thank you cards WILL GET DONE!!
Arden decorated her pumpkin for the contest at school. She made it look like a clown. She did an amazing job using curling ribbon for the hair and painting on a face - it is very cool!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

obviously tired

OK, so I must be tired because I already wrote about the Kelowna stuff in an earlier post. Goodnight!

Weekend pick-me-up

Heading off to Kelowna tomorrow. Aaron is attending the PITA conference so Arden, Lily and I will do some shopping. I am hoping to get some of my Christmas shopping done. Planning to get Courtney and Taylor, and maybe Arden, Lululemon hoodies and Arden wants to get Aaron a DS with the poker game.
Hoping that I will get better sleep tonight. Lily just went to bed so I am heading there too to maximize my sleep time. Night, night.

on being tired

Not getting much quality sleep lately. Lily is such a different baby from Arden and it is starting to take its toll on me. Last night I got 3 hours, up for 2, 2 hours sleep, up for 1, 3 hours sleep. It has really messed up the day and I feel like such a slug. I have so much to do but don't feel like doing any of it. I need to try harder to get her into a routine. She is 10 weeks old today. Right now she is smiling at me like she knows what she is doing - ha, ha, Lily.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

3am

Well, it's 3:15am and I have been up since 1:45am. Lily just doesn't want to settle back down. I want to go back to bed so badly. This is the part of having another baby that I knew was going to be the most difficult, especially because I need my sleep.
I installed a programmable thermostat on the weekend but I'm not sure if it is working properly. According to the temperature display, our house has not dropped below 19 degrees but it feels colder in here right now. The good this is that our basement is not super cold. It actually feels like the heat comes out of the vents and warms the rooms. That is a big difference from Houston where our basement was down right arctic.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

weekend ponderings

Had a good weekend. Got the garage organized and we can actually park both vehicles in there now - very cool! The family room is starting to come together. Most of the books are on the shelf and I am planning to work on the toy/play area this week.
We are heading to Kelowna this week as Aaron is going to the PITA conference. We are going to visit Gayle and hopefully see Dad too. Arden, Lily and I will do some Christmas shopping while Aaron is at the conference. I want to go to Lululemon to get Courtney, Taylor and Arden sweatshirts for Christmas and Arden and I want to get Aaron a Nintendo DS for Christmas with the poker game. Hopefully we can hit a couple of scrapbooking stores too. There is a really great one in Westbank.
Still haven't got the thank you cards or the puppet theatre done - I hate being a procrastinator.

Friday, October 17, 2008

TGIF

- didn't really do much today
- assembled the bookshelf for the family room
- I think the basement is actually finished - YIPEE!!
- plan to clean out the garage of all the basement stuff this weekend - hopefully we will actually be able to park a vehicle in there by the end of the weekend
- Lily recovered from her shots on Wednesday - she had a fever and was really drowsy that afternoon and night
- I need to get the thank you cards done for all of Lily's gifts
- I HAVE to get the puppet theatre finished!!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Stupid!

So last night I come home from a scouting meeting and as I am closing the back of the Trailblazer I don't get my face out of the way fast enough and I gash the bridge of my nose. It bled like a son of a gun and hurt like hell! I probably needed stitches but with Arden in bed and Lily needing to be fed that wasn't going to happen. I managed to pinch it hard enough to put the skin back and to stop the bleeding. I have a terrible headache today and I look like an idiot! I'll have to add this one to my clutzy stupid acts list!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My girls


One year later

Well, guess I haven't kept up with this much lately. Seems like on-line journaling goes the same way as regular journaling for me - I seem to lose interest quickly.

Update:
- we moved back to Hope on July 5th, 2008
- we had a new daughter, Lily, born August 13, 2008
- Arden is in grade 3
- Aaron is teaching grade 6 at CE Barry
- I am on maternity leave
- we went to Hawaii for Christmas 2007
- we have a brand new house - that includes a craft room for me!!!

I think I will try to keep up with this again and maybe print it out as a journal. Since I am home it shouldn't be too hard - I hope. I think I will try to go the route of one of my friends and use more of a list format to keep it simple. Only time will tell.