Merry Christmas!

Interesting website to check out. It the Merry Christmas button campaign.
http://www.wmamc.com/

Our family is looking forward to spending time together and with family. We hope you do too and let's remember those who've lost loved ones either by death, sickness or separation.

We thank God for sending his son Jesus. He has changed the world and He can change our hearts.

Peace.

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days where you are completely worn out, everyone else in your family is too, nerves are raw, feelings ready to spill, and you just want to run away or hide in your bed under the covers? You feel like you have to be the steady one all the time, the one who settles arguments, keeping the peace, (including with your spouse!) but feel ready to just scream at the top of your lungs and let it all out? Some days I get sick of holding all my emotions in, biting my tongue (which I don't always do, regrettably) and being the responsible one. I just wanna have fun! It's hard to have fun though when deep down you know what you have to do. I hate my conscience! Mine is really strict with me and that's why I seem like such a rigid, no-nonsense person. Guilt is a miserable feeling too. I feel that alot. Fairly close to the conscience I suppose. Headaches are right up there with nasty "feelings" too. I seem to be having them alot more lately. Am I complaining? No, because I can still function fine. Just taking notice of the fact that I have them and thankful they are not migraines. I have a lot to be thankful for and I am really. I'm looking at my beautiful poinsettia sitting beside me and am thankful for my job. I see the ice melting outside my patio door and am thankful for my new kitchen. I hear my kids and am thankful for their health and sound minds which I have a part in shaping. So, I better go scream into my pillow (as Katrina shared with me that she does when frustrated) and get on with my life today.

Blessings to you.

Little by Little

Here's "during" and "almost done" photos of our mudroom. I told the girls they could have some say in the colour we painted it so they quickly decided on blue. I like it. It's bright and very easy to look at. Crisp and clean. Kevin is learning the dos and don'ts of tiling. We put a heating pad under part of the floor and are now wishing we had done the whole thing. Oh well...it's called budgeting. Kevin put a closet organizer in the closet on Wednesday night so now everyone can hang up their coats. It sure is nice to walk out to the van in the confines of the garage.

Little by little we are getting done.

Poinsettia Festival

Here is just a taste of some of the interesting ways to dress up a poinsettia. Notice the names on the cards. Kevin in our innovative namer. The sunset picture I took around 4:30. It had been snowing lightly all day, sometimes with the sun shining, sometimes cloudy, but at 4:30 the sun shot out from behind the clouds and shone golden in through the side of the greenhouse. The camera didn't really do it justice to what it was really like but still pretty.

I wish I could show you how pretty the candlelight night we had last night was. It's really hard to film that. Everything is serene and soft with a touch of sparkle. We are holding it again tonight, Saturday night, so you can still come out. It was amazing... a couple we talked to came all the way from Orangeville to see our "Poinsettias by Candlelight"!

more house

This picture is not the latest but I haven't taken any since. There have been some changes but the picture with all of us was our first breakfast eating in our new kitchen! We are all enjoying it very much. We love the roominess and counterspace. Kev and I are still working on finishing up some other stuff and have a friend who volunteered to come help install baseboard. That's happening this week. It's definitely livable but there's still stuff to do. Yesterday I was able to park in the garage for the first time! That was so wonderful as it was raining and I had to head over to the school. The bikes are in too....no more wet butts in the morning! Hopefully our eavestrough will get done this week and our builder will come back soon and finish the door frames in the hallway so we can get the flooring put down. Hmmm...maybe I should call and remind him....

Stinky water!

Well, we are on our way to Christmas. Every year I am surprised at how early the stores get christmas product out and yet here I am on the verge of christmas here at work. My brain seems to be a little slow in thinking about this, I do no like the round robin of the retail business. I know it should be a challenge and maybe someday it will be, but my heart doesn't seem to be in it lately. Now that the kids are older, it almost seems busier. I'm working more too, which I didn't when they were little so was able to get stuff done at home. I'm not trying to whine, I just find it frustrating when I can't keep up with the housework the way I want to. Then extra stuff like this happens....I went downstairs to tuck Samantha in a couple of nights ago and stepped on a wet spot on her carpet. Started to investigate and realized that the old fridge I was defrosting had leaked onto the floor and under the wall, into her bedroom and soaked probably a fifth of her carpet and underlay. It was a mess. The box I had put in the fridge to catch the water had holes in it (stupid me for not catching this!) so the water had just kept dripping out. So I ran for some towels and got that under control. Sam and I started clearing out her room and moving her bed so we could yank the carpet up. I put a fan and the dehumidifier in her room, tucked her in, and hoped for the best. Well, it's Friday now and yesterday, the basement stunk! But this morning the carpet and underlay are almost dry so I will Febreeze them tonight and then tomorrow morning Sam and I will tackle her room. It's needed cleaning for some time but I didn't plan on cleaning it this way! Oh well, it could've been worse...it was just a pain in the "patoot".
Our renovations are coming along slowly but tonight the kids will be able to come in the garage door and use the mudroom! Just in time as it is raining and muddy today.

I will post more pictures when I get a chance. Soon we will have a faster computer at home so I will be able to it there and not at work on my break.

Camping

We went camping with our great friends and their kids in September. We had a great time and beautiful weather. Here are a few pictures.

A sad day for Katrina's tooth

After

Before

We had quite a sickening experience happen to Katrina on Sunday but it has turned out ok for now. She and her siblings were goofing off and sliding across our new kitchen floor on cushions and banged her face on the floor. I was outside at the time or would've put a stop to it if I'd have
known because they were supposed to be working on homework. I came in the back steps to the basement and heard some crying but Kevin headed up to see what was wrong. Then Sam comes down and says "Mom, you need to come upstairs. Don't freak out because Katrina's already freaking out!" So I head upstairs picturing blood and a cut lip or bloody nose. Oh no! It's much worse than that. As you can see by the picture, Katrina's tooth was broken. I really wanted to freak out, but managed to stay relatively calm, even though I wanted to cry and throw up at the same time! After things settled down, I got on the phone and left a message at the Dentist's office. Amazingly, the receptionist called around 7 pm and said that their second appointment had cancelled and to bring her in the next morning! I was praising God when I got off the phone. It was just too good to be a coincidence. Katrina had actually found the other half of her tooth, still all in one piece, so the next day we headed off to the dentist with the piece of tooth in a container. The good news is, because of how and where it broke, the dentist was able to glue it back on, the bad news is, she will possibly always have issues with this tooth and has to be extremely careful when biting into food, playing and down the road might have to have a root canal. Doesn't seem to have damaged any nerves but we are to keep an eye on it. Katrina has had an amazing attitude through it all, I was totally impressed and told her so.
So it has all worked out.
Hope you have a good week!

This is what we've been doing for the last month!

This is a picture of the kids picking pumpkins. We also grew gourds & little baby pumpkins.
We planted about an acre altogether but with the hot,dry summer weren't sure what we'd get.
When we started picking, we were amazed at the amount of fruit on the vines. So every evening and on weekends, we've been picking and cleaning and sorting gourds and pumpkins. I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it all. On my day off, I started cleaning and sorting and ended up working at it for 3.5 hours and wasn't even done! The kids did what they could but they lose interest pretty quick so a lot of it falls on me. I was getting a little frustrated because I also had painting and regular stuff to do around the house. It's better now and when we start counting the money, it makes it worth it. This year we decided to half it and split the one half 3 ways and the other half will go towards our pool fund. It's good for the kids to learn to work for their money. That's one of the other reasons we do this...to teach them about work, saving and spending. You don't get something for nothing.
So if you need some pumpkins, we have a few left.

This is my dining room painted Mayflower Red. It's the colour Kev and I chose and we are loving it! It's very warm and because the room is so big, it makes it cozier. We have a floor now and I have a little bit more painting to do. My fride is in place and clean now, the stove is clean and our countertop will be ready on Tuesday! I started cleaning out the dust in the cupboards last night and will continue that tonight so I can start placing stuff back in. I'm very excited and am sure I will rearrange things a couple of times. I think by next weekend, I'll be in our new kitchen!

First day of school 2007. Don't they look totally thrilled? They were all ready and out the lane, probably waiting 10 minutes for the bus. It is tradition that I walk out with them on the first day, after that Kevin always walks them out because he's heading to work then anyway. It started this way when Sam started kindergarten and I had 2 little ones at home, so Kevin would take her out in the morning and I would meet her after school. We can't see the road bacause of the bush so it makes me feel better knowing someone saw them onto the bus. Now after school, they just come in by themselves. I try and watch if I'm home. I find that after school, they just want to veg. Suppertime or bedtime seems to be the "chatty" time. All is going well so far and they seem to be ok with their teachers and classmates. Not much homework yet but that will come.

Summer...now just a memory.

Here are a few photos from summer, activities we did. Of course, not all our memories are recorded...just a sweet few.

Getting there.....

Well, we are getting somewhere now! I have odds and ends of painting to do, the trim will be on soon and Kevin plans to have the cupboards done tonight. Tomorrow I'm planning on getting flooring, a bit more paint and the tiles for the mudroom. My guess is in a couple of weeks I'll be moving back upstairs. Before we move back into the kitchen/ diningroom, I will have to clean and vacuum everywhere. We decided to leave the laundry room for now, it's not necessity to have it done. I can still do my wash.
I love the colours I picked out for the walls and look forward to washing dishes while watching the sunset out my patio door. We have a long way to go with the outdoor cleanup but that will be something to work at over the next few years. We did a lot over the last 10 years making changes, so maybe we'll work the next 10 making more.
My sister Karen and niece Kalli were here last week with the little boy they babysit. They hadn't been here since we started so it was quite a surprise for them. It was a quick visit because Owen had to be back for his afternoon nap. He was blowing bubbles with Katrina and he thought Josiah's trucks and tractors were pretty cool.
Well, I need to go help the guys load truck. Even though it's holiday Monday, the truck still has to take plants to Toronto. After that I need to go home and find lunch pails and thermoses, etc, for lunches tomorrow. I can't believe school is here already. I always have mixed feelings about this day. I love having them around but it will be easier to clean and get the organizing done in the house. It always scares me a little that we entrust our kids to total strangers for 8 hours every day. The teacher sees them more than we do! I am not willing to homeschool though so I must accept this decision we have made but attempt to get involved with the staff and be a teacher's "helper".
My goodness, I really need to go now. I wrote more than I meant to.

Painting

We are painting like crazy....I'm gonna need a super massage when this is all done. We are loving the colours we picked but have run into a few snags. That always happens in renos, doesn't it? I will post some pictures when I get time.
Next week I need to take the kids shopping for the rest of their school supplies. I can't believe summer holidays are almost over! I'm sad and feeling a little guilty that we didn't do more together as a family. We did have a great day at Bingeman's Big Splash and also at the Children's Museum in London. We are hoping to camp for a weekend in September so that will be fun.

Till my next blog....

Horses and Houses

Here's my sweet daughter who's growing up so fast. She loves horses like her mom did (does). She has horses pasted all over her room. Her border is horses, her closet curtain and bed cover have horses on them, not to mention all the posters and paintings all over the walls. I'm so glad we've been able to work out riding lessons for her and she is loving it...a very confident horse gal. A lot of people are afraid of horses but when I was young I learned that you can't be afraid of them or let them know you are scared because they can sense it and use it to their advantage. You have to be confident and show them whose boss! Then they can be so much fun! When I was around 13,(I'd been taking lessons for about a year) the horse I was riding acted up and threw me off. My wrist was hurting and I was scared but my teacher made me get back on and discipline that horse and I'm glad she did or I never would've rode again. It ends up that my wrist was broken but I was still able to get on that horse. After a couple of years of lessons, I got my own horse, Crisco. He was a beautiful chesnut brown. He was probably too young for an inexperienced rider like me but he was a great horse after I showed him I was in charge. I rode him until I got married and then he was sold because at that point I had lost interest...moving on to other things. Now I wish I could've kept him somehow but there was really no place to keep him here and we couldn't afford him. I guess my horse gene has been passed on down to Samantha now. She's actually going with Ken and Ginny on a weekend trail ride. She was pretty excited when we told her. I can't wait to hear all about it.

Here is a sneak peak at our new siding. We like it and hope to have our kitchen done soon. Ian tells me I can start painting on Tuesday so I plan to purchase the paint soon. Debating on colours...think we have it narrowed down. Then all the cupboards have to be assembled and installed (which we are doing) and the flooring layed (which we are doing). Our contractor is doing the trim for us because Kevin hates doing trim so it will never get done and it doesn't look like a job for me either. Our new front window was installed today so we are just waiting for our front door and the two garage doors. Then we have all the outside mess to start at...but that's a whole new ballgame! That doesn't affect our living though, and can be done over several years. So there you have it....

hockey

Here's a picture of Kev playing hockey in Ohio in July. He's number 7. His team won and got the trophy for the first time in 3 years. It was a bunch of guys who love hockey and growing/selling plants playing to raise money for "America in Bloom". The president even talked about Tim Horton and the Timbit hockey program! (You can see the sign in the background)

Hot and Sticky!

Whew! It's been a hot and sticky week. I worry about all the farmers, construction workers, greenhouse people, etc. that have to work in it. Yesterday I called my mom and she said her and my Dad were going to go bale straw. My dad's 73 and I was just a little concerned. I think after experiencing Cliff's funeral last week, it has made me more aware of what a loss would mean to me personally. At least I'm married and my dad's walked me down the aisle. My heart aches for Val who's dad is gone now. Let's not forget that family in our lives and prayers.
We have been keeping fairly cool in our downstairs "apartment". I've been creative with meals, keeping it fairly simple. Today and tomorrow, Katrina and Josiah are at my parents were they can run and play, keeping cool under the big maple trees. My mom's grass is actually still green and alive! My sister also has a pool where they will can go in the afternoon. We have
wonderful neighbours/family members who let us come over to their pool anytime. Thanks! We appreciate it alot. I know this much, our kids are going to appreciate having a pool again when we get one next year!
Speaking of appreciating, the other night I told the kids it was time to wash the dishes and we'd do it outside, some could dry and one could wash, Samantha said to me " emptying the dishwasher doesn't seem like such a bad job after all." I giggled because the kids complain when it's their turn and then I agreed with her because emptying the dishwasher wasn't always my favourite job either but it beats washing dishes in a shower on a table in a wash basin!

I'll try and post some more pictures as things happen.

The Ugly and Beautiful

Here is my house at the moment. Isn't it lovely? We are now living in a basement apartment except for our bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. I miss the windows and the light I have normally during the day.

This week has been a rollercoaster. From my house being ripped apart, moving downstairs, an armed and dangerous man loose in the area to Cliff Gingerich passing away ( a well known member and sweet guy) . It was a sweet and uplifting moment when we had this amazing sunset last night. We have hope in Christ Jesus. Thank goodness for the security we have in Him.

Here's the view looking in our front door into the kitchen dining room. It's gonna be nice but it's quite a mess right now.

Ohio

Today I'm in Ohio at the OFA showcase which is a huge tradeshow for the greenhouse industry. Kev and I are learning lots of new things as well as hearing confirmation concerning ideas we've talked about. I always enjoy this and get pumped but then I get home and find it hard to make these ideas happen. The biggest reason for me is that I am raising a family and am not willing to be a workaholic. I feel my time will come when they are older but want to be careful that I don't do too much now. I want to be available when my kids need me. I enjoy being home and being a mom. I have lots of years to work. I feel like I'm on a yo-yo sometimes...work, family, work, family. I love both but how do I balance without burning myself out? As the kids are getting older, I am enjoying more freedom at home and at work. A full nights sleep does wonders! I am able to hand over more responsibility to my kids freeing me up to work a little more.

Anyway, that's my rambling for today. I am heading over to the arena to see Kev play hockey with a group of "plant" guys. He was excited but nervous so I better go see how he's doing.

Lorraine

Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've blogged! We have been so busy with work, house and other stuff that I just haven't had time, but here I am. Tomorrow Kevin and I are heading to Burlington to Ikea to check out their cupboards and kitchen stuff. I know it seems like a long way to go for cupboards but we've heard they are very reasonable and have neat storage ideas. I have the catalogue and have gone online and we've been there before. It's a neat store.

Saturday was Katrina's birthday party which went well and Sunday was my husband's parents 40th Anniversary celebration. This Saturday is Samantha's 12th birthday but Kev and I are leaving for a greenhouse conference until Wednesday so the kids are staying with Grandmas and Grandpas, dividing their time between the two. Sam decided she would postpone her birthday party until August because High School Musical 2 is coming out. She and her friends are crazy about this movie. I remember that stage although I think I was a year or two older....

My house picture is not real recent as I haven't taken any pictures lately.

Well, here are some pics for you to check out. I need to get to work. Have a great weekend!

Renovations continued....

These are pictures from the front and from the backyard. Look at that sky! What a rich blue colour! They are working at the roof today probably because the weatherman is calling for rain tomorrow. I hope we get some! It is sooooo dry. I've been watering my plants once in a while and our fruit trees, just letting the hose drip all night at the base of them.
Today I'm working and it is extremely hot. Like the sauna at a pool, except I can't really leave. THere is a bit of a breeze in the store so I step in there once in awhile. Right now my head is pounding so I thought I'd sit for a minute and download these pictures. It's pretty cool how the building is coming along. Next step will be ripping out the insides. I hope it cools down a little bit before we do that.
Gotta go.
Chow!

Should be....

I should be working on my banking, hanging out laundry, vacuuming, all that fun stuff but instead, I was cruising around in Facebook. I think this computer blogging, etc. is great for getting to know about people but do we really get to know them personally? We need to be careful we don't become so connected to our computer moniters that we forget what's going on out in the blood and flesh world. I could waste, yes waste, so much time googling...some of it is wonderful knowledge but some, not so necessary. Kevin is great for retaining useless facts.(those were his words not mine!) The kids love that they can ask him almost anything and he seems to know at least a little bit about it. My memory is like a sieve and I'm sure I seem rather "fluffy"(another word for airhead"ish") to some people. I just can't retain information! It's rather frustrating. Then there's my amazing mother-in -law who still remembers her Grandma's phone number from when she was a child living at home! That can backfire though, having too much in your head. She has said she wishes that she could forget some unimportant stuff to make room for the new. Out with the old, in with the new!
Our addition is coming along lovely. The trusses are up and they are working on the last wall this morning. There are a few minor issues, holding things up but they will hopefully be resolved shortly. Kev and I need to go cupboard shopping. We've been so busy that we're not sure what cabinets we want! I can't believe how relaxed I am about this whole process. 10 years ago, I would have been so stressed. Things don't bother me the way they used to and I don't worry so much. I've begun to learn to give that worry to God and let him take care of it. I don't need extra stress in my life by worrying all the time about everything. My mom was and is a worryer and I am determined I will not be. Of course, I still worry a little, that's only natural.
Lay your cares and concerns before the Lord and pray about them. Then give them to Him. It's good.

Well, that's my blog for the day. I really do need to get to work. I'll try and post some new pictures sometime soon.

Lorraine

Overwelmed

Today I'm feeling just a little overwelmed. Yesterday our builders came and we have garage walls and almost a floor in the addition. Today they are putting on the floor and the front porch floor plus a wall or two on the addition. Tonight is Samantha's openhouse for her enrichment class, tomorrow I work and then girl's club is at night. Saturday I have a shower to attend in the afternoon and then Kevin and I are going to see Cats at the Grand Bend playhouse. Because all this building is happening, I actually need to start packing up stuff, moving stuff around and prepare for a big mess in just a week or two. I'm excited but just not sure how I'm going to get it all done. Maybe I should stop typing and get to work! :)
Last night Kevin and I were moving more plants so the porch could get built today. I was feeling very sad because we had two little wrens trying to find the birdhouses we had to move. They had nests inside. I'm not sure they ever found them and I'm sure by now the eggs are cold or the babies are dead. The parents would come right up and sit on our deck posts outside the front window and sing their hearts out. It was so beautiful. I know I can't help it that we had to move the nests but I will miss them. Why did they have to choose this year to make a nest!?!

Lorraine

Macaroni

Just a quick blog while I wait for my macaroni to cook. I'm at my in-laws using their stove because our gas isn't hooked up right now. Now that is a challenge when it comes to cooking meals and we have a gas stove! I've been using the crockpot off and on and the microwave, oven in the trailor and my in-laws which is just a jump, skip and a hop away.

Today the cement guys were here pouring the floors in our basement addition and garage. It's very exciting! In a couple of nights, we are going to drive our van into the "garage" and park it to see how the mudroom is going to fit. I'm excited about that too. No more coming in the front door with backpacks, homework, hockey stuff, shoes, winter boots, snowsuits and music stuff strewn all over the living room and entryway! We are so fortunate to be able to do this.....we are very blessed to be in the situation we are in.

Gotta run...my noodles are cooked! The macaroni, that is!

Flowers, flowers, flowers!

Janelle is the new HRA poster girl! She's doing a great job as you can see in the pictures. She' s also holding the kittens that she took home for Travis.

The greenhouses are full of colour and we had a great, very busy long weekend. We're all worn out and ready to slow down a little. I have today off so I need to catch up on housework and hopefully weed and plant my garden!

Ballerina

Our little ballerina!

This is Katrina in her ballet dress after her recital. She's holding the chocolate rose Daddy got her. I was so annoyed when halfway to the hall, I remembered the flower that was in the fridge at home that I'd done up to give to Katrina after her recital. Daddy went to buy her a flower, but they were all out. So he bought the chocolate which, of course, thrilled my sweet tooth girl. Her class did a great job and were very cute.

More Renos

Here's how the cement was poured for the foundation of our new addition at the back of the house. It was quite the rig! Now we are the proud owners of a cement foundation....

Here is the beginning of our addition....the hole. It is such a mess in the backyard and I miss our deck but things are progressing fast! This was Monday of this week and by yesterday (Friday) our wall were poured and the forms taken off. It's much easier to picture what it's going to look like.

It worked out so great because the walls can cure for the weekend and then the backhoe will likely come next week to backfill and then I guess our builder, David, can start anytime after that. It has made May even more hectic but it is exciting to see things happening.

This weekend the kids are at my parents having fun with Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins. Kevin will likely go get them on Sunday afternoon and for supper we are eating at his parents with his siblings then possibly go to the drive-in to see Shrek 3. Depends on the weather. Kev and I were able to go out for supper in Bayfield last night. We worked until 7 pm, cleaned up and headed for the Black Dog. We sat outside on their patio, got kinda cool but it was a beautiful night....to nice to be inside. Today I am on a quick break as I write this and then work tomorrow and Monday. It is truly a long weekend for us. We are thankful for the weather because we depend on this weekend for alot of our business. As my mom said "It's your harvest time."

Gotta go harvest.

Mother's day and more

It's been awhile since I've blogged and even though I'm tired, I need to write a little.
Today was Mother's day....a day to remember, be remembered and appreciated. We went to church but skipped Sunday School in order to have brunch at home. Sam (she's becoming a great little cook) and I made pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs and chopped up apples fried with butter and brown sugar. That's really good on pancakes. Then I took the kids over to "Nini and Petey's" (you know who you are!) for the afternoon. Thanks! They had fun playing games and baseball.
Kevin and I then headed to work for the afternoon. Chris and Sandra and kids came later and we BBQ'd and gave mom her gift. It was a gift certificate to get her nails done before they go away on holidays. She really liked it as she'd been thinking about it for awhile. Chris came over and helped Kevin move cement blocks and scrap wood from where our deck and patio were. It looks so wierd. I'm gonna miss our deck and pool terribly this summer but I must think to the end result of our project! We are adding a piece to the house! I'm very excited about having a bigger kitchen and dining room. Our area is so small now even for the five of us. We are also adding a garage that will have a mudroom in it where we can come in and leave coats and backpacks, and other things. The new part will have a basement under it. We're not sure what we'll use it for yet but figured we might as well have that extra space. Then we'll build a nice big deck out back somewhere, and eventually a pool and hot tub. That is the plan. We'll see how it all goes this summer and fall. Hopefully we'll be in it by Christmas, with it all done. I'll try and post pictures along the way.

Here is the cake I decorated for Josiah's birthday. He thought it was A-ok. He was actually speechless for a minute when he first saw it and I thought he didn't like it, so I asked "do you like it?" and he answered "yes, I think I will faint if I see it again!"

Today was my birthday. I got lots of e-cards, happy birthdays and even a couple of presents! I got a wonderfully scented candle from Mom and Dad Steckle, Samantha gave me the craft she made at girl's club and Kevin cleaned up the recroom and the kitchen! That was a treat to come home to! I sometimes forget it's my birthday because I'm busy planning Josiah's, but that's ok, because he's just a kid. Birthdays are much more exciting for him. His party is tomorrow after school for 3.5 hours. I think I can handle that. Sam's really great at helping so it will be good to have her here. I worked all morning making his cake. I wasn't going to fuss but he asked for a Knight's cake so I found a pattern for a fairly easy castle and that's what I made. Thank goodness that Bruce, my stove repairman came yesterday, so I was able to bake the cakes at home last night. I will try and post a picture soon. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. Sam decorated with streamers and balloons after school today while I took Katrina to ballet, then we rushed off to girl's club which went pretty good until the last half. Some girls don't give a hoot about crafts, so they quick get it done and run around. It doesn't bother me too much but I am a little afraid of someone getting hurt on the cement floor. Hopefully no one would sue us but you never know. Over half the girls are from the community which is great, if we can figure out how to grab hold of that and use it to our advantage. Two more meetings this year and then we are done until late September.
I could write so much more but I need to get my little body to bed. The morning comes very quickly it seems.

Openhouse

Well, we've made it through day 1 of our annual openhouse. The weather was not particulary cooperative in the morning but by noon the sun came out and it got busier. Sunday is usually the busier day anyway. Kevin's aunt and uncles usually come and visit, eating donuts and drinking coffee. It's nice they can come and meet up with one another. Kevin's friend from college, Steve, sometimes comes.
Janelle is doing great on cash and catching onto things fast. We worked out a few bugs today but all in all, it went very good. Even last night I was feeling ready, confident that there wasn't anything major I'd missed. I am very tired tonight. Anyway, a good nights sleep should cure that! I'll be fresh as a daisy for tomorrow!
Hopefully, I can blog some more next week.

Sunday

Yesterday our kids were invited to Martin's for the afternoon. They came home around 5:30 and with some cue to each other, began begging for a sleepover here. To make a long story short, the 4 girls are sleeping in our tent in the bush and the boys made a tent in Josiah's room. They are going to spend the morning, which I'm sure will be long enough for the boys since they were up at 6:00am! Haven't heard anything from the bush yet, but apparently they took provisions, including TP. I have to head to work this morning, so the two big girls are babysitting. It's neat how D'Arcy and Sheri's kids are so close in age to ours and the same gender! Laiken and Sam are two weeks apart, Katrina and Aerin are about 1.5 months and Josiah and Jaden are 2 months apart. They all seem to get along great....the boys are getting better as they get older. Yesterday they played soccer, baseball, roamed around back in our bush, played in Josiah's room, without one fight!
It was so beautiful yesterday! Kevin and I were able to begin some outside work for a new project we're starting. I'll write about that next time.

Here's to sunshine and a cool breeze!

Picture

Here is the picture I promised.

Tuesdays

I love my Tuesdays. I start my day getting lunches and kids ready, then I have to drive Samantha and Katrina over to the school so Samantha can catch the bus to her gifted class in Clinton. As I head back, I have time to think, pray or just enjoy the beauty of the morning.When we started this in the fall of 2004, I almost dreaded it, but now it has become an enjoyable part of my routine. It has been so cool all the animals that we've seen. Our list includes fox, deer, red tailed hawk, and wild turkeys. So far I have yet to catch any of this on film. I try to remember my camera but it seems the day we see something, I've forgotten it. A couple of weeks ago, there was a beautiful mist hanging over the "valley". As we crossed the Goshen, it came into sight. I will try and post that picture sometime. I haven't taken the time to figure that out. Anyway, as I was saying, I enjoy Tuesdays because they are my one day that I plan to be home doing laundry, cleaning, catching up on my banking, work outside or whatever I need to do. I did miss Heart to Heart for the first week or two but am glad that I made the decision not to got this session. I need this one day to be at home. I don't know how people work full time with kids. They must be more organized than me!
Today Bri cut my hair. I love getting my hair cut especially when it turns out beautiful as always. (I had to say that because she told me she reads my blog! Just kidding Bri! I enjoy our "times" together and I really do like how you've been cutting my hair!)
Kevin and I are dicussing reno plans. They are pretty major. I do not enjoy making big money decisions so this has been a bit stressful for me even though I am excited about the outcome. Looks like this summer it will begin to happen if all goes well. We're planning to add a room onto the back of the house to enlarge our eating area which in turn will enlarge the kitchen and livingroom also. Maybe even add a garage! That will be so sweet. Room for hockey bags, snowboots, and hopefully our van! Actually, both of us agree that if we have a garage it will not be full of stuff, it will be for our vehicle. But I think the hockey stuff might fit too. We've already had a plan drawn up, an estimate done and priced cupboards and kitchen stuff. A few more questions to have answered and we will make our final decision.
Anita and I went for a walk tonight. It was so nice out and I didn't even collapse when I got home! Thanks Anita for motivating me to do this. I enjoy it and will hopefully get in better shape as the spring goes on.
This is a good website for checking out movie reviews. www.pluggedinonline.com
I use it all the time, especially to check out kids movies. It's very detailed and helpful.
Well, that's my blog for tonight. Nothing deep. Just life.

My Space, My Kids

I'm reading the book MySpace,MyKids right now due to the fact that I have an almost teenager in the house. I need to understand how all this works so that I can make informed decisions and protect my kids. Jason Illian, who wrote the book, really stresses privacy and teaching your kids/teens how not to leave a trail that will lead to them. This is a really good read for any of you who want to understand the Internet a little better and how to use it positively. The author writes "You are the parent, and you have been empowered by God to raise your children. Don't leave this tremendous responsibility up to the media, the culture, teachers, or the next-door neighbor. Be actively involved in your teens' lives, and when you are faced with a difficult situation, remember to be patient, honest and firm with your kids. Above all, remember that your job is not to make your kids happy-it is to make them holy."
This is such an important reminder to me. I loose sight of what my job is as a parent sometimes and need a gentle nudge back in the right direction. I do feel I have failed in many areas, some too late to change. There are days when I wish I could turn back the clock. I have definitely learned alot since then and would do a few things different. I don't think they are life altering changes....it's more the eating of the veggies, discipline issues,etc. Also showing the kids that Mommy's not perfect. Far from it. I am vulnerable and weak. But at the same time, I would be more confident and make decisions. But here I am. Imperfections and all.
Anyway, read the book. It will be in the church library as soon as I am done with it.

g2g(got to go)
L8ter.
gn (good night)
Just a bit of cyber language. You would not believe all of it!

Shopping

Today after school, I picked up the girls and we headed to Goderich for ballet and an evening of shopping. Samantha needed basically everything for summer, nothing much fit from last year. We found a whole lot of stuff for Katrina in the boxes I keep when stuff is given to us or Samantha grows out of it. Katrina was so exited about it all last night when she was trying on stuff but tonight she just couldn't hide her disappointment when Samantha got all new stuff. I told Katrina she could choose a couple things but I know how hard it is with all the choice that's out there. She has really good taste too!We did great at Walmart but by the time we got to Zeller's, Katrina was getting tired and started to fully realize what was going on and began to cry. How do you explain to an 8 year old the value of a dollar and that she can't always have everything she wants? I've never been indulgent,probably more the opposite!She was very upset that she"only got 3 things and Sammy got 2 Million!" Maybe I should take them shopping separately so they don't know what the other is getting. I kept my cool but I was at a loss for any ideas of what to do.
I don't want Samantha to feel guilty about what she is getting because she needs these clothes. She was getting upset at the end of our shopping trip because I was trying to get her to understand what Katrina was feeling by turning the situation around. She understood then but I'm not sure it helped. Anyway.....

Time for bed. Hopefully things will look better tomorrow.

The lovely smells of the country

Ya gotta love it when you open the door on a beautiful spring morning, laundry basket in hand with lovely scented clothes all washed and ready to hang out.You take a deep breath to inhale the warmth of the earth and damp grass only to fill your nostrils with the putrid smell of pig manure. Yep, that's living in the country.
Oh well, it could be smog and fog, right?
Today is a day of mixed feelings for me. Busyness, discouragement, dissatisfaction,
frustration.....I have these days once in awhile. My life seems so dull and ho hum which is ok sometimes.
I'll get through this day and tomorrow will be ok. I have to trust and have faith in God and draw close to him. I have slipped away like rolling down a grassy hill. It's fun until you stop and then you are dizzy, the world is spinning and your direction isn't clear. So you lay still for a few minutes, closing your eyes, listening to the sounds until your head stops spinning. Open your eyes, watch the clouds drift by and take a moment to be silent with your creator. This is what I need to do.
I wonder if our hill is dry yet......

Here's to an aromatic day!

Spring!

Spring is finally here! I will miss the cozy days I spent at home with the kids at home on snow days but it will be good to be able to send them outside to play. I could live without the mud though!
I am back to work 3-4 days a week. I'm busy cleaning up outside and inside. There's always a mess left from the winter snow and this winter from the corn and oat pellet dust that blackened everything! The spring rains have been very helpful to wash it away but there's still a tonne of work to do so I better get back to it. I was reading Sandra's blog, enjoying her updates from Vegas.

Later.

unblogger

My blogs are few and far between. It seems when I finally get a chance to sit down and write, I have nothing to say. I thought this would be a good way to journal but I'm finding it is not. I will still occasionally write but I apologize that I am not a regular.
Now I need to go work on some of my scrapbooks. I'm trying to finish up all the ones I've started before I forget the details. I am working on our "first year" and my memory needs some prodding.
Catch ya later!

Lorraine

parenting

Oh the joys of parenthood! We need to support each other as we go through all the stages and I'm so thankful for my family and friends who do just that! Kev and I both have awesome parents who offer advice when we ask but don't push it on us...they are always there for us. I hope that I can be that great of a parent in the not so distant future! The teen years are quickly approaching and frankly, I'm scared. I see areas I think I've failed in and it's too late to fix them but hope that they won't make a huge difference to the big picture. I know that I just have to trust the Lord and pray for His protection over our kids once they start flying out of the nest. It's a whole lot easier to say than do, but what else can we do? They were God's gift to us and they are His kids too.

Lorraine

It's been awhile!

Well, Kev's parents arrived home from Florida yesterday at noon. I regret that we had to put them to work right away sticking cuttings. Our great staff came in Saturday AM to help Kev and I or we would have been there all day! So mom and dad helped stick for an hour or so and then we finished up around 1:00.
We've gotten alot of snow in the past few days. Kev informed me that the snowblower broke today when he was using it today. Hopefully it can be fixed quickly and with little expense.We need that thing around here. At least now his dad is home so it will take some of the pressure off.
Went to Waterloo for a baby shower today. Glad we went as there were many who couldn't but arrived home a little later than I had hoped. It was 8:15 and the girls hadn't had supper and they were ready for bed but we managed to get a bite of food into them and off to bed by 9:00.
I'm heading there too.
Lorraine

Writing for the sake of writing

I've been reading others blogs and realized that I have not blogged for a couple of weeks. I really don't have anything thrilling to say so I'll just type away and see what comes.
Kev's parents are in Florida right now for 2.5 weeks and Kev and I are relieved that the weather has not and doesn't look like it will be stormy. That is a load off of Kevin because it's very stressful for him when he's running the place by himself and worrying about the hydro going off and lots of other problems that could happen. Two years ago it was beautiful and mild until his mom and dad left, then it snowed and never stopped. Kev literally had to blow snow everyday! The kids had storm days and it was so bad that some of our employees couldn't come in cuz roads were closed. Ryan Lloyd was our loyal employee bucking snowdrifts all the way down the Bronson and then bunking down at Gingerich's when he got stuck on the way home. One day we had thousands of little cuttings come that had to be stuck, so we put the kids to work because it was a snow day.(Fed-Ex made it through!) It was the 5 of us and Ryan, but we got done. It was an interesting winter. I got a lot of cupboards cleaned out!
Tonight is a little gusty but not terrible. We are cozy and warm in our tincan. After Kev showers we're going to watch Star Wars Episode 4. Eating is going a little slow for Katrina because I made something she doesn't care for, so she is sitting at the table while I type. She has not complained though, she knows better. One night she learned the hard way and had to go to bed hungry. I felt so mean but I was so tired of the complaining. I'm sure you moms can understand.
I made a photo albumof our trip to Florida on line. I was working like mad because the site said I would get free shipping if I sent the order in within 3 days. I finally got it done, got it all tallyed up and it says,"Free shipping in the US only". Argh! Oh well, it made me get it done! Now we await its arrival. I think I can post the address on here and you can check it out. I'll have to see.
Superbowl Sunday's coming up. This is when all the men wish even more that they had a super size big screen TV. Our little old 19" just doesn't cut it.
My girls are so into High School musical right now. They've played the songs so many times that I keep having them pop into my head and it's driving me crazy! It's a musical about high school kids, popular versus unpopular, musical versus jocks, etc. It's kinda corny but at least its clean and has a positive message. Disney put this out last year.
I must go now and be with my wonderful family! I hope you appreciate your family and can spend some quality time with you loved ones soon. They are a gift to us.

Lorraine

Sorry

Sorry to those of you who have read my blog and wanted to comment but couldn't. A friend informed me that unless you are a blogger yourself, you cannot comment. I'm going to try and change that.
FYI- If you're at home cleaning or whatever and need something to listen to and have highspeed internet, this is a great site. www.oneplace.com It is from Focus on the Family and you can listen to past radio programs. Today I listened to Dr.James Dobson talk about the strong-willed child. It was perfect timing because I have some of those. There are lots of other topics you can listen to, as well. Good stuff.

Lorraine

friends

Jan.21
Today we got an invitation away for lunch and an afternoon which included tobogganing
on a hill in the middle of Clinton. We had yummy pizza and caesar salad with the Siebert Family on Rattenbury St.W. They have a lovely, big,old brick home with lots of original wood, and probably some original stuff they could live without. Katrina, Izzy, Obi, and Josiah played out in the snow making a fort while Samantha entertained Lyric with a game in the house. Josiah was teaching Obi to play chess after they left the table.
After lunch and great conversations about cadavers holidays and games, we got bundled up and headed over to the hill by the arena. It was a hoot and we had fun watching the kids go down. Katrina and Izzy seemed to get along great, holding hands on the way over and tobogganing together almost every- time. They almost ran straight into a tree just about giving us moms a heart attack while the dads cracked up! It was pretty funny. Samantha's friend Rachel, from school, was there and also a friend of Josiah's, Tim. They had fun with them too. We headed back around 4:50 with a very tired Lyric who was ready for a snack and her warm bed. Hopefully she stayed awake until after supper. Thanks Mel, Joel, Izzy, Obi, and Lyric for a great afternoon!

We're back from the sunny south!

We arrived home, a little reluctantly, on Saturday night around 10:40 with everyone sleeping, except for Kevin, as we pulled up to the front door. It was good to be home in our beds but so sad to leave the warm weather and beautiful sun. Sunday AM we woke up to a little snow on the ground and today it is snowing like crazy. At least I got all the ice off our van this morning! I scraped, threw hot water on and scraped some more. It worked!
We had an amazing holiday! The weather was better than we had hoped for this time of year, travelling went very well, and the kids were great and we were all able to relax and enjoy our time together.....even Kevin. He is not as used to being with the kids all the time as I am, so I wasn't completely sure how he would be 24/7. We stayed in a nice cottage with separate sleeping places, kitchen, livingroom and deck. There was nice heated pool that was so warm, no one hesitated to get in. I slept reasonably well, considering I was not in my own bed but I did bring my own special pillow because I do have neck problems sometimes if I'm not careful.
We went to Disney 5 days and spent 5 days sightseeing or relaxing. We drove over to Cocoa beach on the east coast so the kids could see the ocean. We were fortunate enough to see dolphins playing out in the waves!The kids made a sandcastle and collected lots of shells. We even saw a dead jellyfish lying on the sand. Sam was so grossed out! That's my Sammy. She hates bugs, mice, rodents, anything dead, etc.
God looked after us on the trip. Little things I saw along the way that pointed to Him. Before we left, I was feeling guilty about spending all this money on our family just for a vacation. There seemed to be so many other places we could use it. But I feel like the Lord has approved it as the right thing to do because of all the little things that were next to amazing. We've made wonderful memories with the kids, Kev and I were so relaxed and had fun joking and teasing with the kids and they were able to enlarge their view of the world. It's a whole lot bigger now!
I love when our family has fun together. It is so important in building trust and relationships with each other. So often it seems to get crowded out in the daily routines but it is something I am trying to change.
Kevin said one of his favourite memories will be watching the kids experience Disney World, rollercoasters, seeing dolphins, Florida and so much more for the first time. Ditto!

Hope you and your family can make or has made warm memories.

Lorraine