Ah yes, let's get sick before Christmas

Well we have all had colds between the 4 of us for at least a month. Quinn has been over it for about 2 weeks, I am at the tale end, Mark is in the middle.....Neil on the other hand who should have been over it last week, thought you know getting severe pneumonia would be WAY more fun for Christmas.
I told him on Friday not to come home until he saw a Dr. he sounded horrible and his chest was SO sore! So he called me after and says that he has severe pneumonia, his right lung is (according to the Dr) obliterated, completely full of liquid, and his left is well on it's way. So he is on some very strong antibiotics (1000mg a day) and cough medicine with codeine. Of course I question why they didn't admit him, but hey what do i know.
And being a man he thought he should go to work, so he went this morning, and suprise suprise was sent home and back in bed by 11:30. Where he promptly slept for 3 hours! He seems to be a better tonight, it's been 48 hours on the meds now.
Here's hoping Christmas is a healthy one!

My annual bookmarks

I make bookmarks for my girls in my bookclub.....well this is my second year doing it, and they all just love getting them. So I had a blast making them up yesterday, quite easy but doing 13 of them took some time. Definatley will make more soon. Here are a few and how they work, I did take a photo of all the different ones but I guess I didn't download it yet from the camera.

Ah the gingerbread house tradition

Well I honestly tried to start out this year with our tradition to go well, to have the perfect gingerbread house.....Neil and I have been doing this for probably 12 years now. And really the houses are quite pathetic every year.
See I was really concentrating, to try and do the windows and icicles so nicely.....

But then something tweaked....and things got crazier.....

and crazier hahhahaha!!!

And I thought hey, if the gingerbread house can't be perfect....let's make Quinn into a gingerbread boy!

He found this quite amusing!!! So yes the house did get done, and we had lots of laughs as you can see.

Wooo no longer out numbered!

Dukie still has not returned, so we have now considered him gone....whether that means someone took him or he's gone to kitty heaven.....he is gone.

So we have Angus, who we got 2 weeks ago. He is about 4 months old we think. Very affectionate and loves to snuggle on your shoulder.

And Daisy who we got on Sunday, she is about 5 or 6 weeks old, although the SPCA is adamant she is 8 weeks. Daisy is very feisty and rules the roost....that's my GIRL!

The first day and night was tough, lots of hissing and growling from Daisy at Angus, and the couch, the scratching post...you know anything. But by yesterday she and Angus were playing and chasing each other, and having fun. So it was a quick transition.

Vegas....turned DIsneyland??

Yes, it's true. Vegas has turned into Disneyland. Neil and I were planning on Vegas for our 10th Wedding Anniversary this Valentine's Day, but my little Quinn had other plans. He's very much his Mama, and has hit the stage of not wanting to be away from us. Which is fine with me, I figure they may not want to be around us forever, and hey, they are only young once right?

So yesterday Neil and I booked flights, hotel, and park hopper passes for Disneyland for our 1oth wedding anniversary.....what a way to celebrate with our boys and in "The Happiest Place on Earth"?? So we leave Feb 11th and fly back Feb 18th.

Much to our excitement the kids know, we couldn't hold it in hahahaha! So they are making a list of the characters they want to meet, things they may see there. And we are going to start watching some classic Disney movies....

The countdown begins!!!

Dukie (our kitty) is gone....

He was let outside (he is an outdoor cat) yesterday when Neil got home from work, I went to call him in about an hour later and he was nowhere to be found. We kept going out and calling him every hour. Bed time was really hard on Quinn, lots of tears. He must of had a dream last night that I had found him and let him in, because this morning he woke up looking for him. Anyways, after some door knocking and more searching, he was not found. He was a very friendly cat so I am hoping someone "borrowed" him......I am still praying he returns to us, but it's looking more and more like he's gone.

So we had planned on getting another playmate for Dukie anyways....so we went and picked up a little guy today at the SPCA and I named him Angus.

34 days until Christmas....and our yard is done

I have some fierce competition across the street so I had to step things up this year. I am not even remotely as close to him.....but boxing day is soon, and I will stock up!
Here is our house...

I have added small Christmas balls to the front door so it's still pretty during the day time!

The nativity scene is my newest addition this year! Thanks to Save On Foods for having them this year!

A borrowed idea from my competition....upside down tomato cages, decorated with lights and garland (The garland was my idea....that he borrowed from me!)

This is the yard this year.....I am hoping to convince Neil to decorate the rather large fir tree next year, but time will tell LOL.

I will add photos of the neighbors house....for some reason this site is having issues and won't let me add more photos!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!!

48 days until CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Yup I am excited I just LOVE Christmas and everything about it! And today it made my day even better when it started snowing!!!

So Mark and I took a drive up to Crystal Mountain (local ski hill), it's only about a 10 minute drive. We had to go play!!!

What else am I doing to prepare for Christmas? Well I decided to make my own advent calendar this year. So instead of the kids getting chocolate every day, I can choose what sorts of things they can get. So I bought some WWJD eraser's, a Christmas ornament....then i will write down that we can make cookies one day....anyways fun stuff to remember family and Jesus!

Change...

I have to say as much as I do NOT like change, I think Obama is going to make a great President, not only for the USA but for other countries as well. I think it's about time that race got put aside, that women's rights got put forward, and that it's all about people! Not specific people but people in general! I tell ya, if Obama had not won, I would have taken him for Prime Minister, as would alot of Canadians!

Onto other things....my friend in PA and her husband have installed an outdoor woodburner to heat their home. Apparently the savings are amazing! So this is my job today, to research this...I am sure it's a popular option in Canada, cause you know the world does think we live in igloos.

We are all missing Neil, but he had a great first day at his new job, learnt alot of things. I think he's overwhelmed but I am sure he will figure things out. Now if the MoT can figure out the highway!!!!

Could be a long few months....

Well not sure if word has gotten around that the major highway between Westbank (where we live) and Penticton (where Neil works) has been closed for a week now. There is no sign of it reopening anytime soon either. There is a large fissure in the mountain and they are concerned of a huge rock slide, so they are trying to bring it down by machine.
So my parents have so graciously offered for Neil to stay with them while he has to work, and then he will come home on his days off. He works Tuesday-Saturday.......I miss him already! It's going to be a long winter if what they say is true and it takes months to reopen!
Praying that they can at least get single lane open!!

La Bella Nocce

Neil and I attended a fundraiser for Quinn's school. It was a black tie dinner and dance and live auction. It was such a fabulous evening. My parents spent the night and watched the boys so Neil and I got a night at a local hotel! We had never been away from the boys and neither of us slept LOL. He suprised me with a family ring!!!! I will post pictures of it when it's made, I have a loner ring right now until i call the jeweller with the stone order I want.

Onto some photos!

Here is Neil and I at the hotel before going, I had my hair straightened and coloured before hand.

I also stitched something and had it framed for the auction, it went for $60 so I was quite happy with that!

Here is Neil and I at the actual event. There were 2 ladies who painted the entire gym to make it look like you were on a street in Italy! It was awesome!!!

Oh and I was bidding on a few things, and I ended up being the winning bidder on this nativity scene wall hanging. It's sitting to the left of the photo here of the boys

The quiet times...

Mark got this fabulous puzzle for his birthday! It's a Melissa & Doug puzzle, love their products, but especially their puzzles. Mark is just so interested in dinosaurs right now, so my sister found a great floor puzzle by them, and oh my he just loves it!
Quinn is getting this puzzle from my sister for his birthday, again it's M&D but it's the human body! He's going to love it!!

I'll add some photos of Quinn too, it was quite chilly out there this morning so I didn't get too many photos of him, and he didn't last too long out there either LOL He was up playing at his play house with our cat Duke, trying to stay out of the wind. Duke climbed up a tree and Quinn "rescued" him so he decided it was time to come in after that!

I am going to head back to my book, as the boys are playing so nicely together! I am currently reading Book 5 in the Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury! LOVE these books!!!!!

Loving God this morning...

I mean I love God everyday. But I was so proud to be the Mom of Quinn and Mark this morning as they chose to turn off the TV and put on the new CD I bought.

It's such a fabulous CD and the kids are loving it too! It's been nice to watch them grow more and more to love Jesus! It's been really cool to watch Quinn teach Mark all about God, and here them talk bible stories!

Very happy now, that I came back to the church before we had children. This is the only way I would want to raise them!

It's our time to VOTE!

Yet again, we are headed to the polls! I swear we were just voting for our PM. Anyways, I think we are heading for another minority government. But I guess time will tell....although the polls are showing it that way right now.
Busy day for me today, I have to go up and vote! Then across the bridge to pick up a cross stitch i am having framed, pick up Neil's drill, go to Loaves and Fishes to pick up some books for a women's study I am starting this month.
It is chilly here today too, so I would rather just curl up with a blanket! Snow in the mountains too!
Have a great day!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

We are having out turkey dinner today. Yummmy! It's just the 4 of us though so thankfully I won't have to cook the bird all day long. I hope to make it to mass today, but Quinn and I seem to have caught Neil's cold.
Some things I am thankful for

~my family and their health
~our home
~my husband (yup he's family but I am doubly thankful for him)
~my wonderful friends
~God and his guidance!

What are you thankful for?

A Christmas gift all ready

We draw names on my Mom's side of the family at Christmas time. It's nice this way, I find. I still buy for my sister and parents, but with all the cousins and Aunts and Uncles...drawing names is easier.

So I am one to shop in advance, think in advance. I adore my Grandma, but will admit she's a bit hard to shop for. So as you can imagine this is who i got for Christmas this year. So I decided to stitch her something, and when I realized she didn't have a nativity scene....well it was an easy choice to make!

So this is Nativity Snowglobe by Bent Creek, all framed and ready now! My Dad is taking it down to her today for Christmas.

Brrrr risk of frost tonight!

Well my original plan today was to make chicken pot pies, apple pies, and corn chowder for the freezer. But now with the risk of frost looming in the air, plans have changed! I neeed to get the vegetable garden picked, cleaned out, top dressing added and turned over, then the fall rye planted. Then of course my darling husband wants me to dig the irrigation lines, ya know if I have time hahahahaha!
It's going to be a busy one for me! Hope yours is good too!

I know I don't have alot of blog followers...

But today there will be alot of women following me, and me following them. It's the CIBC Run for the Cure today! This is my second year participating in the run, although I walk....but it's a great cause I feel. I was upset with myself on the amount I raised compared to last year, but every bit counts!
Hopefully we stay dry today! The wind is blowing so I am bundling up!
Had a great date night out with my hubby last night, we went to Ric's Grill for dinner, he had Filet Mignon, and I had a half rack of lamb....we never ever splurge like this on dinners out so it was a nice treat. After that we went for coffee and dessert at The Cactus Club, where we had their dessert trio, which they burnt....so they had to make it a second time....and we didn't even get charged for it!
All in all a great evening! Although Neil has woken up with a nasty head cold this morning!
Have a blessed day!

Stinky!!!

Today I am figuring out how on earth to get the smell of shrimp out of my house! Neil and the boys insisted on having shrimp on their pizza last night so I cooked some up for them (I don't eat it). This morning the house STILL smells of shrimp! Not the nicest thing to wake up to let me tell ya! So I will be cleaning and burning candles I think today.
It's supposed to be a high of 24C today too, so maybe opening up the windows is a good idea as well!
Mark needs to work on the letter "Aa" today, so we will maybe do some finger painting to help along with that too.

Oh right the machines...

Not much to say here really, it took the worker guys 10 hours to finish their part of the yard, and now we need to still lay the irrigation lines and plant the grass, hopefully this week. But I think it looks way better than before! Don't you?

Boys will want to peek here today...

We have a bobcat and mini excavator coming in today to rip up the cement slabs in the backyard today and level out the yard so it's more 2 tiered. Hopefully it's only a 3 day job as it's coming with a hefty pricetag. But we really want nice grass next year. So if we can get the grass planted before snow falls then it cam germinate all winter, you get such beautiful lush grass this way.
And now that the bears I think are done in the yard, it's time to get it nice looking. We are still concerned about pine beetle taking out the 4 pine trees we have but I guess we'll see what happens...Ahhh and here they are! Be ready for pictures today!

Crafty things

I made some cards awhile ago but finally got a camera again....ummm Neil dropped my other one and broke it......soooo yes new camera, cards...right. Here we go...

Yes I know, it's just hitting fall but isn't he a cute snowman???

This was a new stampset from /www.stampinup.com and I just had to use it!! SO cute

Hmmm what else did I put together, oh yes a bella card...love da bella's!!! http://www.stampingbella.com/

Brrrr. fall is here!

I love fall, okay I love having 4 seasons! But this morning, I was not ready to be this chilly. After taking the boys to school in capris and flip flops, I came home and crawled back under the covers to warm up. I ended up changing into my warm pants, socks and a sweater. Fall is definatley upon us and Mother Nature is letting us know.
Mark and I are going to go in the back and rake up leaves and pine needles this afternoon and burn them I think if the wind slows down anyways. Our beautiful maple tree is changing colours right now too and it's just beautiful!
And to think that it's snowing up on the coquihalla connector! Brrrr.....

Was it supposed to be like this?

As a young girl, I always envisioned marrying my prince charming....I mean really who doesn't think that way. And I knew I would have daughters, I had to in order for me to have the tea parties, the doll playing, the frilly dresses.

Well it's funny isn't how things happen, I did get my prince charming, and I got 2 wonderful boys as well! Who have offered to have tea parties, but then a rather large monster truck comes for tea and crushes the cups like it would cars. Ah yes, God has a great sense of humor...one sense of humor that I am grateful for.

So we decide to get a cat, of course I needed a girl!! Sophie was wonderful, but Sophie ran away...silly kitty.

Sooo we went back to the SPCA and this time letting Quinn choose a kitty. My only requirement was that she had to be a SHE. Quinn had already thought up the name Daisy, and we were set! Off we go, well Quinn found the sweetest little orange fluffball, we had to have HER! The SPCA man came in and informed us that....yup you guessed it! She was infact a HE! So we came home with Duke (no Quinn has never watched the Dukes of Hazzard, I did find it funny that we had the names Daisy Duke though).

Thus....The Tales of an Outnumbered Mom!