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.

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.

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.

SNOW!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

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!

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.

Look out Mickey!

Disneyland time is finally here. It will be nice for all three of us to actually be together for 10 days. This summer has been crazy. Mommy is definitely ready for some Arden-Daddy time. I don't know how single parents do it. Will post some pics when we get back.

Oh, by the way, Hilary Duff concert was great. Arden was really surprised and seemed to enjoy the concert. I almost cried at one point during the concert because Arden was singing and looked like she was having so much fun. I am such a sappy Mom.

Feelin' pretty

I got the BEST haircut and colour today!!! I was nervous because it is the first time with a Houston stylist but she was awesome! My hair looks so good someone should be takin' me out! But alas, there is nowhere cool to go here! HUMPH... Oh well, I still look great!

Start of summer?

Well, of course I just had to get sick to kick off the summer. I didn't think I would get sick since I didn't work much in the last two weeks but of course Aaron got sick so I did too. It's going on day 5 and I still feel really run down. Might have to bite the bullet and actually go to the doctor - UGH!

I got the job!

I am so excited. It is part time, first semester but it is Lit 12, Writing 12, and Socials 10 - all courses I love to teach. It will be nice to have the extra cash as well, LOL

Bedroom almost done!

Yesterday we:

installed baseboards

installed rods in Aaron's closet

installed closet organizer in my closet

replaced outlet and switch covers

ordered KING SIZED mattress!

We actually may be sleeping in the room before the end of the month!

Job opportunity

I applied for a job at Houston Secondary. It is only for first sememster and is only 3 of 4 classes but it is continuing. The best part is that it is teaching Literature 12, Writing 12, and Social Studies 10 - all subjects I love to teach. Hopefully my friend TC will let me rape and pillage her Lit. resources - LOL

Hillary Duff, here we come

Yep, I did talk myself into it. Got the concert tickets and plane tickets this morning. Used my Air Miles for the flights so the trip is just costing us the airport fees and taxes and the concert tickets. I am going to surprise Arden with the concert. I will let her think we are just going to see Aaron in Edmonton. It feels so good to be at a point in our lives where we can do this kind of thing for our daughter.

Another trip?

OK, so I know I am already jamming so much into this summer but this evening, while watching family channel with Arden, a promo came on for a Hillary Duff concert tour. Now don't laugh, I'm not the fan, but Arden is. This wouldn't be tempting except she is in Edmonton on August 1st and Aaron is already going to be there supervising the Nationals. I started looking into it and I could use my Air Miles to get us there and we could stay with Aaron because the other supervisor is a woman so they will each have their own room. The other thing that makes this so tempting is that we could be together on August 2nd, which is our 10th Anniversary and my 39th (really!) birthday. I was thinking we could surprise Aaron too but if we want to stay in his hotel I think we may have to tell him. It might mean that Arden and I have to go to Vernon to see my dad right at the beginning of July but that wouldn't be so bad. Hmmmmm.... sounds like I have talked myself into it.

Goal accomplished!

Yep, actually got the ceiling painted and two coats of primer on the walls. We even installed the ceiling light fixtures - they look awesome. I am off to put on the first coat of paint - Cherry Cobbler! It is such a cool colour. We may even be in our bedroom before September - LOL!!! I want it done before July so I can work on my craft room while Aaron is away!

Great to see our friends

Our weekend in Hope was awesome. It was so great to see everyone and be a part of the graduation festivities. It made me realize how much I really missed them all this year. The dresses at Prom were beautiful. There wasn't one dress where I thought "What was she thinking?" Rachel C's, Rachel T's, and Evelyn's were my favourites mostly because they were so transforming from their regular clothing. Sherina and Danielle really stood out as well, but, as I said, I thought they were all so beautiful.

Not flooding here significantly, yet. I still think it won't flood. They have been so proactive that all of their preparations and work are actually holding back the water. The two big diggers down by the river hauling out the debris before it gets to the bridge are quite impressive.

Weekend goal: to get the ceiling and 2 coats of primer done in the bedroom!

Off to Hope

Arden and I are heading down to Hope this afternoon for Grad. I am really looking forward to seeing all my students. I really missed being a "regular" teacher this year. It will also be great for Arden to see Emma and to catch up with all my friends.

ALOHA!!

WE'RE GOING TO HAWAII FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! I just booked the trip seconds ago! 12 nights, 13 days of Hawaiian bliss!

More yard photos

Lovin' my yard right now!

I have been working like crazy to get the yard looking great. Once the plants grow in I think it will look awesome. I especially love my solar lights that I got for Mother's Day.

Su...nny Days...chasing the...clouds away

It is so beautiful here today. I actually sat outside at lunch and ate on the deck. Yesterday, Aaron's mom and I went to Smithers and I bought new patio furniture. I got such a good deal!!! They had mispriced the set that I wanted at Zellers - by $100!!!!! I got a table, 6 chairs, 2 foot stools, a small side table, an umbrella and a lazy susan for the table, all for $399! They were exactly what I wanted. I even bought some plants for the front garden. I haven't put them in the ground yet because it has still been quite chilly at night but I think I might risk it this evening. The yard is looking really great so it is nice to be out there.

Will spring ever really arrive?

Took a trip out to the local nursery today and now I am just itching to plant something. They had the most beautiful bedding plants but I think it is still too cold at night to plant anything. The poor plants will just go into shock once they get out of the greenhouse. I also need to get the cat "problem" under control before I plant anything. Unfortunately, about 3 local cats are using my front flower beds as a litter box. It is just disgusting. Today I cleaned it all out and put wood skewers and cayene pepper all over the garden. Hopefully this will work.

I am totally loving my new computer. I have printed my photos and saved them on the computer. I printed out a great picture of Arden and my mother-in-law for her for mother's day. It turned out great.

Bedroom still is not done - Urggggghhhhhh!!!!! It is making me mental that I am the only one working on it. DH seems totally disinterested except when it comes to telling me that the new drywall still doesn't look right. If he had gotten someone to do it like I said in the first place, we wouldn't be in this predicament. As soon as the in-laws are gone I will be finishing the room, and I don't care what he says - as long as it is finally DONE!

New Computer Fun!

Oooohhh, I am loving this new computer. It can do so many cool things. Last night I even completed my first ever digital scrapbook page! WOW! I could get addicted to that! It might be something for me to do on the road or at school on days when the regular teacher leaves a test or "busy work" for the kids and not much for me to do. I could get addicted to this. I only used freebies from various scrapbooking sites. I don't think I could get into purchasing items for digital pages. I guess the good part is that you can use the same embellishment over and over - a totally renewable scrapbooking supply! I think I still really like the hands on feel of traditional scrapboking, but it is fun to try new stuff. It might be neat to actually create some pages while on vacation or I could see them making great gifts - add a frame and voila!

Random Musings

I like a good drink at the end of the day, especially a cold cider or a Long Island Iced Tea.

Pink is pretty.

I'm a procrastinator and lazier than people might think.

I want my scrap room to be finished.

I really want my bedroom to be finished.

Chocolate is yummy.

I wish I could motivate myself to really lose weight.

I love it when I can do something better than my husband.

Today my new computer arrived. A MacBook Pro. I am so excited I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. I have read the manual but I am at school right now so I haven't got to play with it yet. I am most excited about getting my photos off my camera and printed out. I want to print off the one of Arden and Pearl to give to mom for Mother's Day.





It is the spring formal dance at the school today and my whole class is absent except for 2 - 2 who want to go to the dance. It makes for a pretty boring afternoon - especially when there is a new computer at home to play with - Did I mention my new computer? AHHHHH....I'm so excited!!!!

SMILE :)

I feel cheerful when...

A student in my class right now is working on a worksheet where she has to give the definition of a word by using it in a sentence.

I feel cheerful when I think about my bedroom actually being finished by the end of the month! The drywall is repaired and just needs a bit of sanding. Then I will be painting. We picked up the paint in Prince George this weekend. The colour is called Cherry Cobbler. Aaron ordered our bedroom furniture yesterday. YIPEE!!!!! Our bedding is in the picture above. I love!!! it.

I think I get even more cheerful when I remember that once the bedroom is done I get to work on my craft room!

I feel cheerful!!!!

Friday again!

This is starting to become a weekly blog. At least I am a little more regular again.

Scrapbooking was great last Saturday. I got 12 pages done. I have been working on my inspiration binder all week. I cut layouts out of magazines that I like and then I don't have to keep the whole magazine. I organized them into categories but it is working out great. I am feeling really inspired to scrapbook, I just wish my room was done. The hole I work in right now is just too cramped. We have been waiting for the drywaller but he still hasn't come over. It is literally a couple of hours work but he is just so busy.

I tried to go to a friend's blog but she has changed it to invitation only. I will have to contact her to see if I can be invited. I know she is going through a rough time right now so hopefully everything is ok.

Spring is starting to arrive in the north! I am just itching to plant something but it still gets down below zero at night so any plants would just die. The lawn is starting to look great though!

Focus on Friday

Ahhhhh..... Friday! You just gotta love it. Worked today at the high school which was fun. I love working in WM's classes.

Tomorrow I am going scrapbooking all day for National Scrapbook Day. I am looking forward to it. I am starting to make some new friends which is great. I am going to try to get 10 layouts done tomorrow. I might not get the titles done because I am not dragging all of my die cutters with me. I might take my Quickutz with me with a few fonts so that I can get some done.

Well, the class is getting a bit disruptive so I best be off.

Lululemon!

This is my new Lululemon pink gym bag. I am going to use it for work or maybe to lug around scrapbooking stuff. Either way I LOVE IT!

Spring Break Hilights!

Science World - especially the History of Chocolate exhibit.

Robson Street - SHOPPING and Lululemon! (I love my new pink gym bag!)

Visiting our friends in Hope, not to mention dinner at Kimchi!

AHHHHHH, spring!

Seeing Bridge to Terabithia with Arden and her Grandma.

Seeing Cats in Nanaimo. It was really well done and Arden and Isabelle were mesmerized. Arden is already memorizing the songs!

Back from Spring Break

Just back from our two week spring break. It was so nice to have the break and head down to the coast. I felt the need to see things growing! I saw tulips and daffodils as well as cherry blossoms. Even if my allergies were driving me crazy, it really was beautiful.

Arden and I did lots of shopping. She has grown so much that she was in desperate need of clothes. The Children's Place is my favourite place to shop for Arden's clothes. They have trendy stuff that is not outrageously priced and is of good quality. What more could a mom ask for?!

On the second week of our break we got to spend 3 nights and 4 days in Vancouver. Aaron was at a Principals' conference so we got to stay at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. It is right next to the art gallery. Arden called it a castle! These few days truly proved that you get what you pay for. The service was amazing! It was nice to be in the city for a few days. We ate good food and shopped on Robson. We went to Science World and I took Arden to her favourite place, Chinatown.

After the two weeks away it was good to come home to our own beds. All of the snow is gone here now. (there is still some in the mountains and in the "bush") Today is an absolutely glorious, sunny day! I love the weather here. Anything is better than all the rain down south!

Wednesday musings

Just read a friend's blog and freaked out a bit. It seems that snowboard accidents are the trend in Hope these days. Another student was severely injured and is still recovering and now my friend's daughter hit a tree on the weekend. It is very scary. My friend is also going through a divorce and it seems like it may be a little ugly. I feel for her and hope that in the end she comes out stronger but it must be very difficult.

We are a couple of days away from spring break!!!! Yipee!!!! Even though I am not working full time, I am looking forward to the break. I am also looking forward to doing some shopping! Arden and I went through her closet yesterday and must have put 1/2 her shirts into the "too small box". She has grown so much, all of the sleeves were half way to her elbow. We will hit The Children's Place in Nanaimo while we are there.

I am also looking forward to doing a little scrapbook shopping. We are going to Treasure Mart and Clipper Street and of course Michael's. I don't really need anything, I'm just in supply shopping withdrawl! LOL I do want to get a couple of new Cricut cartridges and maybe a new sizzlets font. We'll see.

what we have

what we want

Spring Break?!

Well, if it was a 'normal' year, today would be the first day of spring break. This is only noteworthy because we woke up to more snow this morning. Nothing really significant, but snow none-the-less. Lucky for us, the school district has decided to join spring break with Easter so that we can have 2 weeks off, so our spring break isn't for another two weeks. Hopefully the weather will perk up by then.

Crosgreys were supposed to visit this week but the heavens were working against us. Between sketchy weather and the slides up the Fraser Canyon, we decided it was best they not come. I had a good hour plus phone conversation with Theresa yesterday, which was really nice. We are going to have dinner with them when we are through Hope over Easter.

I had a really blah weekend. I think I have a bit of the blues lately. I'm not really sure why. I think it is partly due to feeling unimortant - at home, and with no 'real' job. In my old life I was important, especially in my job, so it helped me to feel good about myself. That part is missing now. I think I also need some romance. Perhaps I will need to instigate that myself. hmmm...

Feelin' the scrappin' bug

I am starting to feel like scrapbooking again. I really want to get our New York album done before spring break - which gives me just over two weeks. I am almost done the layouts and then I just have to go back and add embellishments and journaling. I used the same layout/formula for each page so it made it pretty quick. I used black cardstock with white, grey and red accents. I think it is turning out great.

I am going to my first all day crop in Houston. It is a Creative Memories crop so it might be interesting. I don't think the hostess has seen much other scrapbooking so I might shock her but I will try to keep it low key. The only CM stuff I really use now are my corner rounder and my small cutter. Sometimes I break out my circle or oval cutters, but it's pretty rare.

A couple of staff members here at the high school want to see my Cricut so I think I will bring it in tomorrow for a bit of a demo. Cricut just came out with a bunch of school related cartridges that would be really awesome for bulletin boards and really great for elementary teachers. I think I will visit Treasure Mart over spring break when we are in Vancouver for the Principals' conference. I am hoping they will have some of these new cartridges because their prices are amazing - almost half of other retailers.

I just wish we could get our bedroom done so I could have an actual scrapbooking room. The cave of a room I am in now is so uninspiring.

Sledding at School

One thing I love about the North is the variety of activities compared to down south. Today I TOD'd a PE class and we went sledding. It is a beautiful day and with the 6 inches of new snow we got on the weekend, the sledding was awesome. Of course, one thing that never changes is the whining of students. It's amazing how grade 9 girl whining can put an end to a fun class of sledding.

We were surprised by the snow all day Saturday. I had just told Aaron on Friday that we should move the barbecue from the carport to the deck and then it snowed all day. Good thing we didn't move it. It is so bright here all the time and with the time change this weekend (a few weeks earlier than normal) it is light for even longer each day. It was almost 8pm before it was truly dark last night. Apparently, in the summer, it stays light until 11pm. I'm looking forward to that. I always seem to get so much more done when it is light out. The winter darkness just makes me want to hibernate.

I am going to my first all day scrapbooking 'event' in Houston on March 31st. I am really looking forward to it. It is put on by a Creative Memories person but hopefully she won't mind my non-CM style. I am going to buy the Disney album from her though, because they are really nice. I want to use it for Arden's autograph book.

I booked our Disneyland trip today. I can now officially be excited. I can hardly wait to see it all through Arden's eyes. She is going to love every minute of it. I even booked a Disney Princess Dinner for us. We are staying at a Residence Inn which is like a small appartment so it will be really comfortable. The next trip to book is Hawaii at Christmas. I am hoping Aaron won't change his mind because of the cost (about $7000) for the three of us for 10 days. I think it is so much more enjoyable to spend our money on trips and experiences rather than on 'stuff'. We always seem to have such a good time on trips and I have to admit, I love organizing a holiday for us!

It's Wednesday!

I have been working a tonne lately. I'm starting to feel like a full time staff member at my new HSS home. Being a TOC definitely has its perks and perrils. I like not having any prep work and that my marking is limited to some short assignments or quizes in class. The tough part is the students who like to take advantage and not really having a class to call my own. Most of the students have been great and my 14 years of experience has come in very handy. I now truly appreciate how lucky I was to get a job right out of university and not have to TOC then. I think it would have been a lot tougher. I am on my fifth day straight of working and I have one more day this week and then I am taking Friday off. Aaron is going to have to start doing some stuff around the house as I can't keep up with everything there too.

The sun is shining again today and the snow is almost all gone from the roads. What a dirty mess it leaves behind. You can really see how much sand and gravel they put on the roads in the winter. There are some pretty serious pot holes as well.

weekend review

Had a pretty good weekend. The weather was beautiful and we had good results in the mixed bonspeil despite not curling especially well. We ended up 2nd in the 'B' event even though we only won one game. We had a great time however. Lots of laughing.

Arden lost another tooth last night. The tooth fairy has visited twice in the past 5 days. That kid is going to be rich off this pixie! She looks so cute with one tooth mising from the top and two from the bottom. She loves to stick a straw through the hole to drink her juice.

I'm working a lot this week. Monday - Thursday. At least that means I'll make scale. I'm not going to work Friday so I will have a bit of a break. I told Aaron that he is going to have to start doing some stuff around the house because I can't keep up when I am working 4 days a week. So much for my three day a week plan. He needs to at least do the dishes once in a while. I hinted at that last night and hoped he would do the dishes but it didn't happen. I don't think he got the message of me slamming the cutlery into the drying rack as he was going to be last night. Working so much also makes the mornings quite stressful as Arden is not known for her morning speed and I hate arriving at school at the last minute. If I get a full time job here next year we will have to look into other arrangements for the morning because I will need to be here before 8:15am.

The snow is rapidly melting and the sun is shining pretty much every day. I definitely don't miss the rain in Hope.

I'm back!

Well, life really has really been happening since way back in June when I last updated. I actually forgot about my blog for a while.

We moved to Houston, BC in August and are loving our new home in the North! It has been an exceptionally cold and snowy winter so we are getting a good taste of life up here. Aaron's new job is awesome and Arden is doing great at school. I have been working as a TOC quite a bit which is different for me but I must admit I do like the no marking or prepping part of the job.

I had hoped to scrapbook a lot more once we moved up here but we are still using what will eventually be my scrap room as a bedroom right now. Hopefully by the end of April that problem will be rectified! I have scrapbooked most of our New York trip and I think I will work on my Scottland trip next. I seem to be more productive with projects like this that have a clear end.

Arden lost her second tooth last night while biting into her hambuger at A&W. It's a good thing she didn't swallow it. This tooth was a little less traumatic than the first one so hopefully the rest will follow suit.

We are curling in the mixed bonspeil this weekend. I doubt we will have the same success we had in the ladies' and men's bonspeils. Aaron's team came 1st in the C and my team came 1st in the A. I'm sure we will have just as much fun. I made jello shots in the shape of orange slices so that should get the festivities started.

It feels good to be back and I am going to try to keep this up again, even if it's just as a record of life's happenings.

Change is a commin' - maybe.

Off to Smithers this weekend. Yep, Aaron has an interview on Monday at 10:30am. There are two positions, a Vice-Principal and a Principal, both at elementary schools. My stomach is in knots. There are so many what ifs... It is wierd how you wish for change for so long but then when it happens you are scared to death - be careful what you wish for seems to fit today.

The last week!

Feeling excited, happy and nervous today. It is the last week of classes and I can't stop smiling - love this feeling! I am getting caught up on my marking so things are starting to come together. I am feeling nervous because Smithers called to check on Aaron's references this morning. His VP told them "you have to meet this guy." The next step will hopefully be an interview. I have wanted to move for a long time - I am so ready for change, but then reality starts to set in. It feels so safe here. What if he gets the job? My mind has been racing all morning. When would we move? Would we buy or rent? What about stuff I have planned for the fall - CSLC in New Brunswick, CKC in Bellevue, BCSLC in Mission? Will the district give us a leave or will we have to quit out right? What about Grandma? What about other family? We would be so far away. I know I am putting the cart before the horse, but that is where my mind is today.

What a fun Friday

We just had our last barbecue of the year. It was a great success. I love this activity that we do. It gets everyone outside, we had our school's R&B band playing and it was generally a great lunch. I love all of these things that signal the end of the year - it just all feels good. Next Wednesday is our annual BYOB - the last B stands for banana. Everyone who brings their own banana gets a free banana split. Those who forget their bananas can buy one for a dollar. Dairy Queen generously donates the dishes and all of the sauces. It is a really great way to spend lunch.

Tomorrow is my scrapbooking day with my friends. We call ourselves The Fraser River Scrappers. It is really fun. I am hoping to get my nieces' graduation scrapbooks finished tomorrow.

Aaron got a call from the Bulkley Valley school district yesterday. He applied for two vice-principal positions in their district, one in Smithers and one in Houston. I hope he at least gets an interview. It would really boost his confidence and give him some much needed interview experience. I am not sure how I will feel if he gets the job. Smithers is about the same size as Hope and Houston is about half the size. Very different climate however - a lot more snow! It would mean that I would probably only have to TOC which would be nice. It will be a tough decision should we have to make it.

Tonight is our FCTA golf and dinner. It is usually a good time. Aaron and I came 2nd or 3rd last year but neither of us have golfed this year so I am not sure how we will do. It is always a fun night - as long as it doesn't rain for the golf part.

2 weeks and counting

Thats right! Only two weeks left of classes, then final exams, then SUMMER!!!!! This means I only see each of my classes 4 or 5 more times. This is such a good feeling. You really have to be a teacher or work in a school to appreciate this feeling.

Went down to Rona and Home Depot yesterday and got the cabinets for my scrap room! I am so excited. Now I just have to put them all together. I didn't get the counter top yet because I want to be sure of the measurements. I also had to special order the two lower drawer cabinets for the desk area and they will take about 2 weeks. Hopefully I can get all this done before I go to Scotland on July 10th.

This weekend was grad. I went to the commencements on Saturday and it was nice despite the fact that some people in this town need a serious lesson in etiquette. Formal ceremony are not words in their vocabulary... obviously. Arden, however, was exceptionally well behaved. I was very proud of her for sitting through the whole two hour ceremony.

Better get some marking done before I lose the euphoria of the end of the year.

20 years!

Today is 20 years since I graduated from high school, 42 years since my mom and dad got married, and 15 years since I graduated with my BA. I always like May 30th. It just sounds like a good day!

We only have about 5 of each class left until the end of the school year. Can I get an "Oh Yeah!" - "Oh Yeah!" Don't get me wrong, I love my job but the end of the year is just the best thing ever! Everything starts to wind down. I have less marking and I get things done around my house.

I finished painting my scrapbook room last night and then got the underlay down for the flooring. I am hoping to lay the floor tonight while Aaron is umpiring. Saturday is grad so I won't be able to do anything then but on Sunday I want to head down to Home Depot and maybe Ikea to look for the cabinetry. I know exactly what I want so hopefully it won't be too hard. Installing it might be interesting but hopefully I can enlist the help of Dave. It will be so nice to get the room done so I can use it again. I have been itching to scrapbook more but with all my supplies in boxes in the family room and spare bedroom, it makes it a little difficult. With my luck, I will just get the room the way I want it and Aaron will get one of the admin. jobs he has applied for. LOL I am going to use orange gerber daisies as accents in the room. I think it will look so cool against the blue.

The kids have been driving me crazy with their cell phones lately! They are texting each other during class and phones are ringing during class time. The saddest part is that most of the calls are coming from parents. What is wrong with these people? I have posted signs outside my class room that say "Cell Phone Free Zone" "Use it, and you WILL lose it!" Not that it seems to be making much of a difference.

3 weeks and counting

That's right folks! Only 3 weeks of classes left and then school is done for another year! Can I get an "Oh Yeah!!!!" Not that I don't love my job, I really do, but there is something so exciting and exhillerating about the end of the school year. After the May long weekend things just seem to move so fast and the light at the end of the tunnel gets really bright!

Tomorrow night, my leadership girls and I are hosting a "Girls' Night Sleepover" - hopefully. Ticket sales haven't gone as well as we had hoped. If we don't sell 25 tickets by the end of lunch today, we are going to postpone the event until next year. We don't want to waste the time of our community members, especially on a Friday night. The sad part is, we have all these great events and activities planned - it will be such a fun night!

Arden has her first sport's day tomorrow, as long as it doesn't rain. I was able to get the morning off so I will get to play Mommy. Look out scrapbookers, this momma is going to take a tonne of photos!

Got some marking done in the last few days so things are starting to look up!

Is fear a factor for you?

We did our annual Fear Factor event this week at school. It was AWESOME!!!!!! We began with 10 contestants - a boy and a girl from each grade - and gradually they were eliminated. The first day was bobbing for bananas in mud with worms in it. The second day involved spinning a wheel with ingredients that then were mixed into a "shake" - head cheese, worms, oysters, jalapeno peppers, etc - the third day was singing in front of the school and today, the final, was a relay. Part of the relay was a slip-n-slide covered with cut up fish, vinegar, oil, ketchup, dog food, beans, etc. It was really!!! gross, but of course the kids loved it. The grade 10 girls won the event. We gave an iPod Nano as the prize so it was totally worth it. It was a great week weather-wise so we were able to do everything outside. Clean up was a bit long, and disgusting today but everyone had a blast. It was a great, and positive way to end the week.

I'm looking forward to painting my craft room this weekend and hopefully putting in the floor next week. It is a four day long weekend so maybe I will actually get some marking done as well.

A sad day.

Today I feel nothing but sadness. It has been a year since my mom died. I was already feeling very blue and then I found out that two of my students lost their mother to cancer last night. Crying...that's all I feel like doing. They are such amazing kids and a great family. My students are very private and I didn't even know that their mom was sick. I lost my father when I was a teenager so I understand how important parents are. One of the kids is graduating this year - and now her mom won't get to see that happen - overwhelming sadness...

Wanted: my voice back

I woke up this morning with no voice. I didn't really feel that bad but now I am starting to feel a little flu-like. Tomorrow is sccrapbooking day with the girls so I don't want to be sick. I really want to get Courtney and Taylor's grad scrapbooks done tomorrow so I can start working on my own scrapbooking again.

Bill didn't show up last night to finish the dry wall in my scrap room. I don't want to get pissy with him because he is doing me a big favour but I wish he would have just called. I tried calling him but he had his phone set to message - I think he was avoiding my call. I really wanted to paint my room this weekend and next week so that I could maybe do the floors and get the cabinets over the May long weekend.

Sunday is Mother's Day. It has been almost a year since Mom died. I really miss her. When good stuff happens - like Arden swimming - I feel like I don't have anyone to call to brag to. This is when I miss her the most. I feel sad.

I need motivation!

Well, it's Wednesday and I am still as overwhelmed as last week. Time to get off my keester and do something about it. My goal for the day is to get one assignment marked for my grade 11's. I think that once I get one thing done I will get the wheels in motion and hopefully be able to keep them going.

I am looking forward to tomorrow - and not just because it's Thursday! My brother is coming to do the last step in drywalling my scrapbook room. That means I might actually be able to paint this weekend! YEAH! Saturday is scrapbook day with the girls and Sunday is Mother's Day but I figure I can probably do the drywall primer on Saturday night if all goes well. I was reading on my friend's blog that she just got the shelves I want from Ikea so I might have to pop by her house and check them out. I would really like to have the room done before school gets out - it may be wishful thinking.

The wedding this past weekend was very interesting - to say the least. First time I have ever heard the pastor say "the wife, as the weaker partner in the marriage..." Yep, I couldn't believe it either. He also read a passage from Corinthian that talks about the man being subservient to God and the woman being subservient to man. I have been to weddings at churches that believe this before but usually they tame it down for a wedding with a mixed audience - not in this case. You could actually see the groom's side of the church stiffen when the pastor was speaking. I told Aaron we have a different Bible at our house - LOL. He had actually gotten stuck on subservient and hadn't heard the weaker part. I know there are groups that believe this but it is just shocking to actually hear it out loud.

The wedding was on Whidbey Island in Washington. It was in Oak Harbour. I would really like to go back to Whidbey. It looks like there are lots of neat places to visit. I even managed to find a scrapbook store that was having an amazing sale for National Scrapbook Day. I even won a prize in their prize draw - that was cool!

Well, best be off to actually get that marking done - I am such a procrastinator!

It's Thursday!

I love Thursdays! It is a beautiful day today and it is starting to feel more like spring/summer every day. We have already cut the lawn twice and I am hoping to tackle the gardens today.

Arden has been taking private swimming lessons for a couple of weeks and she is doing AMAZING! She was so excited when she came home yesterday because she swam the whole length of the pool wearing a life jacket and then swam 10m without the life jacket! I really would like her to feel confident swimming in the lake this summer.

We are off to a wedding in Oak Harbour this weekend. It should be interesting. It is Aaron Silvis, the son of one of Aaron's umpire buddies, Bill, who is getting married. It is a Western themed wedding so we are not too sure what to expect. I love going to weddings but after having been in New York for a week I would really like to be staying home this weekend.

I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. Mostly work related. The sad part is I sit at home at night and watch stupid television instead of getting some marking or planning done. I just keep digging my own holes and then complain about getting out of them. Being a procrastinator really sucks sometimes.

Our dates for going to Great Britain are confirmed. We leave on July the 10th. We didn't get the tour we wanted but it is pretty close. We will be going to Scotland first - Glasgow, Isle of Skye, and Edinburgh, and then down to London. I am disappointed that we won't be going to Stratford or Oxford but that is because there are only 4 kids and me so we have to join another group. It will still be a great experience.

I am going to try really hard to check off some things on my "to do" list in the next couple of days. Maybe then I can feel "whelmed" - LOL

We're back!

New York was AMAZING!!!! We had such a good time. There was so much to see, I can't wait to go back one day. The weather was awesome - I even got a sun burn when we went to the Statue of Liberty island.

While we were there we; visited Rockefeller Centre and went to "The Top of the Rock", Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, World Trade Centre site, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, saw Trump Tower, Park Avenue, Times Square, Broadway, Macy's, Saks, rode the Subway, saw Rent - 10th anniversary of its Broadway opening, and we went to two Yankees games. Not once did I feel afraid or uncomfortable.

The whole trip was awesome. We had some great meals as well. My favourite was the lunch we had at a café in Little Italy. We ate at delis - there are a lot of them - I had an amazing bagel with Nova (Nova Scotia salmon). We also ate hot dogs from a street vendor.

We didn't do a lot of shopping other than for souvenirs which was fine with me. I was more into the experiences. I did buy a couple of purses off the street - designer knock-offs and some great jewelery from a designer named Laila Rowe.

Aaron got lots of Yankees gear. He was in heaven!

I am getting my film developed tonight so I can't wait to see the photos. I mostly took photos without either of us in them. The buildings were so amazing I just couldn't stop taking pictures. I can't wait to scrapbook them!