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.