Saturday, September 20, 2008

c'est fini

Ever since we moved here I just haven't felt right. And with that feeling comes a huge lack of motivation to do anything. I've always wondered about this whole blogging thing. Who am I? that I should be so interesting or unique that people would want to read about my life? No one really. It did make me feel good to think that people might stop by to read it now and then.

Anyway, I just feel that this is one more thing that I feel like I should be doing and not really wanting to. So until things feel better around here and personally, I will stop writing. And really, it's not like I have been writing lately anyway. I really liked what Cody said about leaving his...(roughly) we busy ourselves with so much. We should be trying to simplify it. And this blog is just something that isn't necessary right now.

So this is it.

I wish you all the best. I will continue reading the many blogs of friends and family out there.
Keep in touch!

Cheers!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

31

Today Steve-o turns the big 31. I was thinking about this yesterday. 31 - seems so old. 30 was a huge number to hit, and now it's over. It's like you're officially an adult. We were talking the other day and with Matthias going into Beavers, we looked at each other and said, "we're officially parents." Like we weren't before? It takes being involved in something, parent meetings and fundraisers to be a parent?

Anyway, I'll go way off topic here.


Happy Birthday Cowboy! Hope you have a good sleep and a quiet nite!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quotable Monday

"I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. " Walt Whitman

Sunday, September 14, 2008

dreaming

Last night Steve was scheduled to get off at 5. He got home shortly after 11:30 pm. It was a long night.

And rarely a person to remember her dreams. Last night I dreamt I moved to Australia and married Gerard Butler. Hmmm...wonder if that means anything? ;o)

Friday, September 12, 2008

myths

The other day we were watching Mythbusters. And they were tackling some widely known myths about germs. You know that 5 second rule when food falls on the floor? Totally false. No matter where the food falls, and actually anything OVER 2 seconds (they timed them from 2-6 seconds) there were germs. So unless you want to eat it, don't tell you're kids it's "germ free".

And ever heard that a dogs tongue is cleaner than a humans? Totally true. Kind of makes you wonder. So next time a dog comes and kisses your kid and you freak...remember the dogs kisses are technically cleaner (more germ free) than your own!

And one of the other tests they ran was where germs are found most in a house. Believe it or not, the toilet seat, was one of the cleanest areas. Go figure.

Just a little something to think about.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

a good walk will make you feel better

If only doctors could prescribe stuff like that.

It's been a little stressful around our house lately. Came to a little bit of a warzone this morning. So when "darling husband" took the girls out to Callah's swim lesson, I cleaned furiously hoping to burn off some steam. When that didn't work, the warm sunshine outside beckoned, so I grabbed Gus and off we went.

It was nice. It was warm. It was refreshing.

I returned feeling much better.

"Darling Husband" and I talked and all is now right with the world...at least for the time being. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

how to conceive a boy...

...according to the Chinese calendar, we're not off to a good start. If we conceive this month, chances are it'll be a girl. So what else can we do for fun...

Eat like a boy. Okay. A "boy producing" menu should be packed with plenty of salty foods, red meats, eggs, peas, raisins, zucchini, mushrooms, beans, sweet corn, bread, and fish. This diet also recommends you avoid acidic foods in quest of a more alkaline (less acidic) environment for the boy-bearing sperm to thrive.

What else?

a recent study suggests that maintaining higher levels of glucose—which means sustaining a high intake of food throughout the day—will increase your chances of having a little boy. Consume a wide range of nutrients such as pottasium, calcium and vitamins C, E, and B12.

Another popular school of thought says that certain sexual positions can improve your odds of having a boy. But I don't really feel like getting into this one. If you'd like to find out more go here.

if you're hoping for a boy you should try to abstain from sex for several days before ovulation and then have intercourse as close to ovulation as possible. This increases the likelihood that the boy sperm (the faster swimmers) will beat out the girl sperm to the egg, and not have to survive too long while waiting around for the egg to show up. ( I knew this one!)

if you're trying for a boy, ask your mate to wear boxers for a while. (done and done.)

Based on his research, Dr. Shettles says that you're more likely to conceive a boy if your man drinks a strong cup of caffeinated coffee just before intercourse. (Got this one covered too!)

Some people claim that if a woman takes a dose of cough syrup a couple of hours before intercourse, she's more likely to have a boy. Supporters of this theory say that the medicine works by thinning the cervical mucous (just as it thins respiratory mucous when you have a cough), making conditions more favorable for sperm, especially those fast Y swimmers. The key ingredient that makes this work is guaifenesin, so if you're going that route, look for a product that contains it. (I had no idea)

*taken from Babyzone

Ooooh I just found this site. Might be interesting! Any other pointers?

UPDATE: Okay skip that. It costs $40! What else can we find...

Are you serious???? Okay after charting how old I was when I conceived the first 3, only Keziah is "right". So I feel better. Now to practice. ;o)

it's a girl!

I think....

Introducing the newest member to our family a 2002 Cavalier. It has a sunroof - I'm totally excited to use it! It's standard so that'll take some getting used to again (I stalled it 2x getting gas yesterday!). But you can't argue with 41 mpg on the highway. So in a round-a-bout way...thank you province of Alberta for horribly failing our Landy and making us buy a newer vehicle.

Btw in case you were wondering...this is what Landy looks like.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

electric boobs

Awhile back I saw this movie and it was pretty good. A sucker for a good chick flick I'd have to say it's definately see-able. But one of the things that stood out the most was when they were in the bar singing Bennie and the Jets by Elton John. We all have those songs that we love singing along too, even if we don't know the words, or we think we do, but we're so far off the actual meaning. Well Jane and Kevin are in this bar, belting their hearts out to Bennie and the Jets and Jane sings "she's got electric boobs and ...." and they all have a good laugh. (the words are actually "she's got electric boots and mohair shoes...") So the other day, this song comes on the radio and I'm singing away in my kitchen..."She's got electric boobs...!!"

sigh.

Good times, good times.

Monday, September 01, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

feeling good ramblings

The last 4 days Steve, the kids and I have been on a "stay-at-home" holiday. The original plan was to go camping, but since Steve and I couldn't bear the thought of all the prep work, we decided to just stay home and do stuff every day that's different. I would take one meal "off" a day and we'd eat out (or in). And we'd just relax and enjoy each other before school starts.

So Monday was basically a write off, 'cos Steve sleeps most of the day. The kids and I watched movies and took Gus for a walk to the park.

Tuesday we went into Edmonton. Spent a hideous amount of time at Princess Auto (note to self...next time Steve goes by himself!), ate out for lunch, hit London Drugs, drove back home, got a babysitter, dropped the kids off and then Steve and I went back into Edmonton for a date night. We hit the much anticipated Fatburger (and wasn't disappointed!) and Death Race (note to self...Cineplex DOES NOT do cheap Tuesdays!).

Wednesday we painted our tree fort/swingset. Now that was ALOT of fun with 3 kids dying to help! The kids got to pick their colours (sorta). Matthias picked a baby blue and Callah a brick red. I picked a nice rich, chocolate brown for the dog house and toy box (and sadly my carpenter training is not visibly evident on either one). It was a very busy day.

And today Steve had court, so the kids and I ran some errands and then we went swimming. We'd never been to the pool here before, but were pleasantly surprised. There's a nice sized, separate toddler pool on one side and a good larger, main pool on the other with a slide and diving board. When we arrived there were very few people there, and 30 minutes later, they all left leaving just 2 other people and us in the whole swimming area! It was awesome! We finished off with slurpees, lasagna and donuts! What a great day!

And like I said I'm really glad we did this c'os already, looking ahead, school starts up Tuesday. Matthias has soccer Mon and Wed. Callah has dance Tuesdays and swimming Thursdays (in the morning...I LOVE that!!) and then we signed up for the library story time (have to check the date of that one). So it looks like it's going to be a busy fall.

On another note...
I went for a jog today and I did alot of thinking. As my feet were hitting the pavement and my head was throbbing with every heart beat I had the feeling that I was actually on a holiday. That I didn't actually live here. It was weird. I keep hearing it takes a good year to settle down and think of this place as home. So let's see...3 months down, 9 to go.

And then I thought of how in this line of work you move often and not always where you want to go. There's a move coming up that plans to beneficial for us and not really anybody else. So how do you be happy about it, when others are not? A woman from Red Deer would like to know if I'd like to start a Spouses support group. I'd love to be in one, but do I have what it takes to start one up?

So all in all, in case you were wondering how I'm doing. I'm doing much better, which may go to ask if I was really depressed in the first place or just on a bad day run? Whatever it was, I'm thinking (and praying) it's over. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Sincerely hope you're having a good week and we'll chat again soon.

Cheers!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

Quotable Monday

Some of you may have read this one lately...

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, the wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. " John Ruskin

Saturday, August 23, 2008

foo bar

For the past few weeks, well let's just say months and be totally honest here, I've been in a total funk. I think I mentioned it before, I have little to no motivation. Maybe this is too much information, but I want to stress my point. We'd like to get pregnant, but even sex seems like too much work nowadays. I don't want to cook anything. I definately don't want to bake. I wait until my house is disgusting before I clean (this coming from someone who used to vacuum 2x a week, and do other chores EVERY DAY). Some mornings I would give anything to just lay in bed. I'm even too lazy to write anything on here, even a little quote one day a week! It's pathetic!

Ugh.

I'm sure it has to do with moving. Being shipped somewhere I really didn't want to go. I'm so happy Steve is enjoying himself. He loves the new job! Even when he's in the middle of crazy stupid scenerios, he's lovin' it totally! So I'm really happy for him.

So what do I do? How do I get myself out of this stupor and back into living? I've been reading on friend's blogs about their various hobbies and stuff. I want a hobby. But how do you "find" a hobby? I used to draw, but if it's possible, I think I outgrew that. I used to knit. But how do you do something when you don't feel like doing anything? It all goes back to the same thing....

I need my butt kicked. That's all I can really come up with. I need a swift kick to the butt.

Sigh.

I should just stop before I loose the few readers I have.

Monday, August 18, 2008

what?

what day is it today?

I feel like saying something, but don't really feel like saying anything.

So

I guess that's it.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

come and gone

So the big Reid Reunion/ Grandma's 80th b-day bash is come and gone. Our company has also left and tomorrow we head out for this guys wedding. Hard to believe he's actually getting married in 2 days.

This past week has been a blur and I'm sure the rest of August will fly by too. I'm going to be gone for a few weeks, I'm sure you won't really mind.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!! I know we will!

Friday, August 01, 2008

the other half

In a few hours Steve's Dad's side of the family will invade our house. Some only staying (hopefully) for a few hours, others staying for the week. The fridge has been stocked with beer. Just one of the many reasons why I'm not looking forward to the next few days. With Steve's family, you have the complete opposites. One side is super fundamentalist, won't drink, won't listen to music, won't watch TV. The other... let's say are more "free" in their thinking. Pot smoke will fill the air and different drinks will be drunk. Either way, it's almost always entertaining. Usually not a dull moment.

I just pray it all goes well. Let's keep the good visiting vibe going!!

Then next Friday we head back to Sk for my younger bro's wedding. I'm so excited. We just booked a return flight for Steve (it's cheaper and 9 hours faster than the bus!) so the kids and I are staying there for the week. I can't wait to get my feet on familiar soil again. I'll probably be like those people who get off a long boat ride. I'll be rolling around, kissing the soil.

Anyway, should go finish making beds and cleaning bathrooms. Later!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

multitasking

This morning I was sitting on "the throne" and painted my toe-nails at the same time!

*hopefully I'll come out of this writer's block soon

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

saving the best for last

When we were living in a hotel for 10 days we got to eat out as much as we could. Basically that's all that we could do. Honestly it sucked. Even I got sick of "burger fries" every day and was in desperate need of a change. Every once in awhile we'd go into the "big" city and eat at a nicer restaurant. A few times we'd hit Montana's (which is a personal favourite - I LOVE their Big Sky Burger!). If you've been there you'll know that ontop of every table is a sheet of brown newsprint that the servers write their names on and then you can doodle while you wait for your food. It's a great way to kill the time. Last time we were there tho' Keziah used it for a different reason. She sat at the end of a booth in a highchair, and she'd take a bite of whatever she was eating and then put the rest under this brown paper, as if she was saving it for later. Here's a pic of her storing her food. We sure got a kick out of it. And true to her form, after she had a little break, she went back for her little stash and started snacking.

wordless wednesday

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Funny Female Joke

Alright, seriously, if you're a male, you might want to stop reading now.

I got this in my e-mail today, thought it was pretty funny. It's called The Washcloth.

I was due for an appointment with the gynecologist later in the week. Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for that morning at 9:30 am. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have anytime to spare. As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in that area to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment. I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, 'My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?'

I didn't respond.

After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal ... some shopping, cleaning, cooking. After school when my 6-year-old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, 'Mommy, where's my washcloth?' I told her to get another one from the cupboard. She replied, 'No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it.'

Never going back to that doctor. Ever.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

continuation of the crazy weekend

Looking back now, yes, driving 10 hours to look at a glacier was a bit much. But it was just one of those things that I had to know (exactly how long was it from Wetaskiwin to the glacier??).

Anyway, Saturday Wetaskiwin hosted an air show featuring the snowbirds. Of course, we decided to go. It was like 35 degrees outside and there was little to no shade on site. Needless to say we left after only a couple hours, totally missing the snowbirds. The kids were nearly dead and we had had enough. What we saw tho' was really good and the announcer was a comedic genius.

Then today I headed into Edmonton to meet some fellow spouses and hear their stories thus far. We caught Mamma Mia, which I thought was really good. Meryl Streep was brilliant, Pierce Brosnan was hot as always (does that mean I'm old when I think Pierce Brosnan is better looking than the younger up and coming actors?). I will say tho'...I am very disappointed in Colin Firth. Shame on you sir. You'll have to see it and let me know if you agree.

Anyway here are a couple of pics. Enjoy!
Bridal Veil Falls

A Prairie Lily...I could pick these now right??

Our first view of the mountains, 2.5 hrs from our house, just outside of Rocky Mtn. House.

All of us ontop of the Athabasca Glacier

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Congrats!

Hats off to Laurena and Charles on the birth of their new baby girl - Amy Marie!! So happy for you guys!!

Friday, July 25, 2008

long day

Finally home after a long day in the car. It all started yesterday....


Steve and the kids wanted to camp out, and there's no way we can fit all 5 of us in any of the tents we have so we decided to camp out in the back yard. Steve and the 2 oldest anyway, Kez and I got to sleep in our own comfy beds! And keeping to the camp-out theme we thought we'd do something "touristy" tomorrow (which is today). We gave the kids the option of going to the beach, or heading to the mountains. Since they've never been to the mountains we got 2 huge enthusiastic responses of "MOUNTAINS!!". It was decided. Around 8:30 (after Steve and I spend some "couple" time watching Penelope - which I highly recommend! James McAvoy is my new hottie!) the 3 of them headed out to the tent. Around 8:50 Callah came in complaining she had a belly ache and wanted to sleep in her own bed. So around 8:55 I went out to the tent to fetch her pillow and I found the 2 boys fast asleep and snoring. So much for excitement!

Anyway back to today. So my idea was to hit the Columbia Icefields. I remember going there years ago and thought it was really cool how they date the glacier. So you can see how much it's melted in the last 100+ yrs. On the map it looked like it would take us 3 hrs at the most. Smooth sailing.

Obviously I was wrong.

We didn't take into account the 3 bear sightings ( and the hourdes of tourists standing in the road taking pictures of said bears), the construction and the super cautious drivers who go around corners doing 40 km/hr in a 90 km/hr zone. That being said we reached the Icefields roughly 5 hours after leaving Wetaskiwin. After a chilly (poor Keziah was really freezing...but I think she really enjoyed it!) hike up the rockface we carefully walked a few feet up the glacier, took some cool photos, walked around the little trail, back the hill down to our van, got back in and headed back home. That took us about an hour. So we stopped here and there along the way back for a few little hikes and pictures. Had supper at Rocky Mtn. House around 8 pm and finally arrived back in Wetaskiwin around 9:45 pm.

So nearly 12 hours on the road for a few short hours of breathtaking beauty. Was it worth it? I definately say so (altho' my bottom may argue). And I will post pictures, but I'm dreadfully tired right now, so they will more likely come tomorrow.

That's it for now, have a good nite!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

reason No. 1

Not that I'm counting, but if I were...

Last night Steve and I, my brother Kris and his fiance Laura all went to check out the new Batman flick, The Dark Knight. When we arrived we could hear the previews start, so I asked the ticket lady how many seats were left. She said they'd sold about 201 so far and so there were about 13 left. I looked back at our little group and asked "do we still want to do it?" knowing we'd probably have to split up or take the front row. The manager of the theatre was nearby and heard our dilemma.

"If you want, you can take the chairs from the foyer (nicely padded leather chairs) and put them where the wheelchair seats are."

I could've kissed the man! Clearly the best seats in the house! The movie was awesome, the seats were awesome, the popcorn was awesome. It was an awesome all around night.

So reason No. 1 why I love it here....the manager at the local cinema 4 is totally awesome!

Friday, July 18, 2008

my 15 days overdue baby girl

That's right, 4 years ago I was waddling along waiting for this baby to come out! It wasn't until early evening when I finally had contractions. We ran to the hospital and 4 hours later, out popped Callah Deanne Reid. Weighing 8 lbs, 1 oz. She was so tiny! She's been our little princess ever since!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY GIRL!!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Quotable Monday

From the bleak void that was today....

"What better way is there to live a life than to be known by and be obedient to the God of the cosmos?" - Randall Friesen

I'll strive to that.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

ha ha!

So yeah, on our anniversary we bought ourselves a digital camera. It's a Canon powershot A590 1S. Best Buy was having a deal at the time, with any camera purchase you could get an Epson stylus CX7400 All-in-one printer for only $9.99. We thought that was pretty cool. One of the highlights was that it's also a scanner. So for your viewing pleasure...

Our wedding! Notice the hair on Steve...something you don't see much of anymore! :)

one of those nights

When we moved here I felt hideously ugly and disgustingly huge, especially after 2 weeks of fast food and hotel living. So I decided to start up my Learn To Run program again. Some of you may remember when I took the program for the first time last May of '07. (We have a digital camera now so I might just take that picture of myself yet!) It's been a long, very tiring, process once again. And today after completing my 30 minutes of 3 + 1's, I looked like the devil himself. My face, I don't think, has ever been redder. But I felt good! I was pretty impressed! Then of course, 10 minutes later I thought to myself...why do I do this??? And I slowly melted onto the floor.

New Topic
For some reason my internet has been acting up. I sent out an e-mail help plea to some friends from back home and I guess there was a windows update that doesn't configure with some firewall software. What???? Can someone explain this to me and how do I fix it without letting the world log onto my computer? Steve usually does all this stuff but he's a bit busy right now, so this is my new undertaking. That and figuring out how to set up our new printer. I'm sure I'll be posting for help on that one soon too.

New Topic
My in-laws were here for a few days as previously mentioned and my MIL mentioned that she doesn't listen to the news 'cos it's all hopeless. Steve brought up this story about this guy who killed a bunch of people and then himself recently. No idea what he's talking about. I don't listen to the news either. But then she went on to semi quote some scripture from Phil 4:8. and that's why she doesn't listen to the news. And as Christians we should only fill our minds with hopeful things. That got me thinking way back to my small group and I'm pretty sure we discussed something similiar way back when about thinking about the negative of the world, but not dwelling on it. Am I right? Anyone remember what we were talking about? Steve countered that isn't that what a Christian should do? See all the evil of the world AND still have and see hope.

New Topic
And finally ('cos my eyes are actually involuntarily shutting down) I was reading Dixie's blog and she's talking about loss and how to get on with life afterward. I think about this every day and sometimes twice. I picture myself just falling to me knees and wailing. Or is it keening. Or maybe I'll just be silent. Completely dumbstruck and numb. I know we could all die at any time. You could die crossing the street to the grocery store. But when suicidal snipers wait outside your workplace, your clock could be ticking a little faster. I just pray and hope that it's not.

So anyway, this is just one of those nights, where I got alot going on inside my head. I could just lay there in bed, letting it all go wild and leave me sleepless or I could vent some of it, which is what I did, not necessarily making any of it clearer, but just put it out there so that I'm not alone in my thoughts anymore.

And with that said

g'nite

Friday, July 11, 2008

all is quiet once again

Now that wasn't so bad. :)

The in-laws were only here for a day, a little odd, in my opinion, but I'm not going to complain. They arrived Wednesday. We went into Edmonton Thursday, hit the usual (IKEA, Old Spaghetti Factory) and the not so usual ( almost 2 hours in Lammle's Western Wear...boo hiss). Missed the tornado warning out for this area. All in all a pretty good day. And they left just after noon today. Short and sweet.

Now why can't all visits be like that?

The van got cleared to license in Alberta. Yeah. Estimated cost was over $1300. Total cost close to $400. I love my husband!

Now if only I could figure out what I did to my back... and never do it again! Ouch! I haven't been in this much pain since I had Keziah 16 months ago!

Tonite we're just going to relax and enjoy the quiet...and have a few more muscle relaxants!

Monday, July 07, 2008

Quotable Monday

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Ghandi

Not sure if I mentioned that one before, but it's something I'm becoming more and more aware of as time goes by. Sometimes I look at Keziah and am shocked by how tall she is and how much she's grown. Where has the time gone?

Friday, July 04, 2008

crappy night

I can't remember if I mentioned this already. In my continuing struggle on whether or not to have a 4th baby I was told the other day that I shouldn't. And I should have my tubes tied. I was hurt and taken aback. And whether or not it's true, I'm a bad parent, it got me thinking about the whole thing again and maybe I shouldn't. Maybe 3 is all we can handle and even 3 is too many.

This same person told me that my husband is a terrible, negligent father. I'm very hurt by this person's opinions.

And so this is how I'm dealing with this. Staying up extremely late until my brain will no longer function and I will basically pass out once my head hits the pillow.

I'm not really sure what this person is thinking, or hopes to prove by saying these things but I really wish that they would just shut up.

Monday, June 30, 2008

grrrr

There aren't alot of shopping choices here in Wetaskiwin. There's a Sobeys but it's in a questionable neighbourhood (which is kind of funny), there's a Safeway (which is a bit on the pricey side) and there's an Extra Foods (which is seriously lacking in the product availability dept). So I'm at Extra Foods pretty early this morning buying my groceries, hoping to grab the deals while they're still on stock. I'm looking over the Lean Ground Beef when this little china man comes and snatches up all 8 or 9 of the club packs. My mouth drops open. Hello?? I'm standing right here!

Sheesh.

So now I have to wait till they get more in stock...probably Thursday or something.

Grrr....

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Thoughts on a hot Sunday afternoon

This morning we went to a church that we've been to a couple of times already. The community there is awesome. Fellowship there is great. Kids programming is very good. But the pastor...well this morning I was trying to think of something that I'd rather be doing. I thought of being enclosed in a coffin full of leeches. I thought of the traditional "digging my eyes out with a spoon". There were a number of things I'd rather be doing at the moment when he was giving his sermon on 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5. I tried to focus and pay attention and then my mind would wander to my cool Canada Day toe nail paint job (striped red and white!) or wonder what the kids were doing downstairs or where was Keziah? Dare I say, luckily he's retiring in July. I pray that whoever God calls to that church will be a bit more excitable. I'm sure the pastor who's there now is a good guy and nice person to "hang with", but just not my cup of tea.

So in a round about way...I want to know when looking for a church what do you look for? Do you look for community and programming? Do you look for a good message? Do you look for younger people your own age? And if you don't find all of these in a church what then? Do you go start one of your own?? ha ha...TOTALLY kidding!

So this morning, feeling a little homesick, I went looking and only missed the preaching awesomeness of Randall more. Sigh. One day soon.

My sister is coming today for a weeks visit. This starts a month of visits and then it's our turn to hit other peoples homes. I'm completely excited. This will give us something to do. In talking with other spouses in the same situation, they seem to be doing well. Making friends and getting out. I didn't think it would be so difficult. I thought it would be easier. So I'll take visitors. Anyone who wants to come. We'll go out and do things. Hit the hot spots and maybe go exploring. I'm even excited for the possible in-law visit next week (never thought I'd say that in a million years).

And tomorrow is our 7 year anniversary. 7 years. Wow. From a newbie perspective that's pretty impressive. 3 of those years have been spent pregnant and nursing resulting in 3 adorable kids. We've moved 5 times and had over 9 jobs (combined). It's been fun and I wouldn't want to change any part of it for the world.

Well actually...there was that one time...


Friday, June 27, 2008

sometimes I wonder...

what's going thru Keziah's head as she turns around in circles until she falls over, singing some sort of song that only she can understand.

so cool

This morning I drove past this elderly gentleman who was wearing a purple long sleeve plaid shirt tucked nicely into his bright red polyester track pants. He finished off the ensemble with a straw cowboy hat and sunglasses.

And I smiled and thought "how cute."

I hope when I get older and dress "all cool like" that someone will say that about me.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Quotable Monday

I found a little book that I started writing in back in 1996. There's oodles of nameless quotes that I got from somewhere. Here are just a few.

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

"Even a mosquito doesn't get a slap on the back until it starts to work."

"You are only what you are when no one is looking."

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

Sunday, June 22, 2008

seriously

why can't life be more like it is in the movies (obvious reasons aside)? Why can't the happy couple remain happy? Why can't the kids always listen and be lovable?

Saturday, June 21, 2008

funky

I woke up this morning feeling kinda sad and lonely. That got me thinking about home and friends I miss back in PA. And it's not that I went out every day and did something with someone, but at least the option was there. Here I know 2 couples and you can only spend so much time with the same 2 people before you start getting sick of each other.

So this morning, even tho' the sun is shining, I feel a little down in the dumps.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

boxes

As I sit here and think about the handful of boxes scattered all over my house, I procrastinate a little longer, not really wanting to unpack them anymore. I'm sick of boxes. On the one hand, it would be great and awesome to have everything unpacked. Even the playroom downstairs, now that Steve unpacked all his weights, is looking great and there's so much space. I know the house will look way more better and inviting, if only I could get rid of a few more boxes.

Sigh.

But I just don't want to do it.

Yesterday when I was cutting the grass. I got bit by 3 little evil ants. So today I went to the Co-op and bought ant killer. 4 cans of ant killer. They...will....die!!! Altho' have you ever seen that movie Ant Bully? As I sprinkle the powder over their little ant holes, a small tear escapes my eye, and then I step on any surviving escapees with my shoe.

The kids are napping, soon they will wake up and I'll have to remove my behind from the imprint of the computer chair, and we'll have to find something to do to occupy our time until supper. Steve works the late shift today so he won't be home till after 8. I hate this shift. It seems to suck the day away...very...very...slowly. It's not that there isn't stuff to do, but I'm just sick of doing it.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

I'm baaaaacccccckkkkkkkk.....

Just like that creepy voice in that movie...what was it?

Anyway, so we're up and running apparently. Funny thing since the stupid Telus setup guide wouldn't acknowledge my username or password. I guess you don't need those things or it's just my lucky night! The house is livable. Right now the kids are sleeping. I'll have pictures up hopefully soon. The move went well. Only 2 things were broken (that we know of so far) and we're still missing our dolly...which the movers have yet to return. There was mold and a small water leak in our basement the morning we moved in (not happy) but the house inspector said it's an easy fix (after ripping apart the wall) and we're moving on. The trampoline is set up (an open invite to all you adventurous Moms out there!) and the Pepsi is in the fridge. We don't have a bed for visitors yet (and unfortunately I wouldn't recommend the Best Western here...things you learn when you live in a hotel for 11 days!) but we do have air beds and lots of floor space!

Steve is doing well with the new job. He's already in a truck of his own. A little nerve wracking for me, but he's still not technically "alone" altho' out there, they never really are. There was this story the other week of a cleaver wielding father chasing his son. Good times, good times. Please continue to pray for him.

And in other depressing news, I just read about a member who just recently cheated on his wife with another member. He's been on the job for less than a year. What a schmuck.

HAPPY THOUGHTS!
June is apparently county fair time here in central Alberta. We hit the Camrose Jaywalkers Festival last week, Wetaskiwin's Pioneer Days today and coming up is a huge rodeo in Ponoka that is supposed to have a really cool parade! The kids all got their faces painted. Matt got spiderman, Callah was a butterfly and Kez got whiskers. So it's been a long day and my eyes are burning.

G'nite.

It feels good to be back. :)

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

and off we go...

as I write this I'm sitting on the floor of my basement with the keypad on my lap. Not the most comfortable way to go. And so it begins. Tomorrow the packers come so this will be it for awhile. If I can I'll try to drop a line from somewhere mid-week. If not I'll be writing from our new home sweet home in Wetaskiwin - City in Motion!!

See ya!

Wordless Wednesday




Thanks for the memories!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

feels like Christmas

This day is taking forever to end.

Less than 24 hours and my husband will be home.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Quotable Monday

I've been scraping little shavings off my ration of light
And I've formed it into a ball, and each time I pack a bit more onto it
I make a bowl of my hands and I scoop it from its secret cache
Under a loose board in the floor
And I blow across it and I send it to you
Against those moments when
The darkness blows under your door. -Bruce Cockburn

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Last Sunday

It's 1:32 pm. I'm drinking a rum and coke and I'm crying all over my egg and cheese sandwich. I'm not having a good day. I couldn't sleep last night (hence the useless post about our honeymoon journal) and since waking up this morning I've felt queesy and slightly nauseous. This morning was my last Gateway church service. Over the past 5 years or so it's become home. I've made some good friends that I hope to continue friendship with, had deep conversations and enjoyed lots of hearty hugs. Nothing was said this morning about my departure, which is fine, I tend to lean on the quiet side anyway, but incase anyone wonders...I WILL miss you guys. You'll be a very hard church to "get over". Thank you for the tears and the laughter. The joy of watching your children grow into strong and beautiful men and women. I will continue to pray for them as I will you.

If anyone is ever in the Edmonton area, PLEASE look us up, we'd love to catch up and see what changes are a happenin'!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and God bless.

midnight storytelling

My "dying wish" for last Thursday's small group was a music "special" if you will. We were each supposed to pick a song we liked at the moment, play it and explain why. There was a little bit of everything there from Leonard Cohen to Jane Sibery, Bruce Cockburn to Salvador, India Arie to Emmy Rossum. All cool songs and all meaningful in their own ways. I really enjoyed it. Now I can leave happy (at least where that is concerned).

I was really bored tonite. So I was looking up some old pictures of when Steve and I first got married. Times like these I wish I had a scanner, so you could see just how much hair he actually had! And I came across our honeymoon journal. Of course I'm not going to share alot from it, but re-reading it brought quite a few smiles to my face. Perhaps that's why I'm awake still now at 12:47... I'm just missing him. Or perhaps it's from that nap I had this afternoon. I said it once, I'll say it again, naps are evil.

So here's a little (or not so little) excerpt. To set the scene we went to a 4 wheel drive park in Kananaskiis for a week long honeymoon. We found our "camp spot" when the Landy got stuck in some mud by a little stream. On this particular day we decided to climb a "small hill".

MO 07 09 01 "...and a hiking we went. It started strong for both of us (on the road) then we reached the bottom of the hill and started to walk/climb. It was steeper than we thought, but we went on or I went on...somebody had to stop every ten steps or so, not mentioning any names so I'll just spell it L..I..S..A...Yeah, I just about went down to carry her. So on and on and on we went. My blisters were hurting from my new shoes and b'cos he's such a wuss he whined and complained the whole way up! About 1/2 way he stopped and dropped the pack to get some water. So I decided to take some nature shots of these beautiful prairie lilies. After a short break we continued up this time on a winding, uphill climb thru trees. At this point I felt like I was going to throw up, but I kept on going. When we finally did reach the top, Steve was sweating REALLY heavy. On and on we went til I heard her say "Are we going up more!?!" I said, "Honey we are so close, were not going to walk all this way not to go all the way, come on, you can do it, I know you can!!" You would think with that encouragement one would start running up the rest of the way, but no, not today. Dragging every step like she was wearing cement shoes, lucky it was only 10 steps more so she could rest again. While she was laying on the ground, reaching for air with her hand and throwing it towards her mouth, I decide to take some "nature shots'. Luckily I brought all the film cause I don't think she will be even rolling over soon....Steve is such a jerk! silly pictures more like it...oh! a leaf (snap picture)...a bird in a tree (snap)...clouds! (snap) now that was a real find...you don't see clouds like that everyday! while nature boy was taking pictures I was getting restless and wanted to keep moving so finally he put away his camera and his "prize" shots and we were able to move again."

Hopefully you figured out that we kept switching perspectives as we were writing! We eventually made it down the hill and as we were driving back to our "campsite" we somehow missed spotting this huge 3 ft high rock on the "road" and drove over it. Doing so, Landy reared, the steering wheel spun out slamming Steve's fingers in the process and alot of blood and screaming followed.

All in all it was a great trip!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

and they're off

Sadly no Canadian content this time around, but there's enough energy and emotion in the building to bring tears to my eyes. Or maybe I'm just in an overly emotional state anyway.

Go Pittsburgh!!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

p.s.

my latest favourite movie of all time is P.S. I Love You. One of the songs in the film is, well actually there are a few, by The Pogues. When I was young I went thru this heavy celtic phase and remember listening to lots of their music, but I don't remember this song. Or maybe it's b'cos I wasn't married and in love then. But whatever. Here are the lyrics to one of my new favourite songs.

I love you till the end - The Pogues
I just want to see you
When youre all alone
I just want to catch you if I can
I just want to be there
When the morning light explodes
On your face it radiates
I cant escape
I love you till the end

I just want to tell you nothing
You dont want to hear
All I want is for you to say
Why dont you just take me
Where Ive never been before
I know you want to hear me
Catch my breath
I love you till the end

I just want to be there
When were caught in the rain
I just want to see you laugh not cry
I just want to feel you
When the night puts on its cloak
Im lost for words dont tell me
All I can say
I love you till the end

to have or not to have....4?

I've been thinking lately about having a 4th child. The timing is right, age wise, but not so good life wise. Steve and I have always said that we'd like 4 children and having the 3 now, it does feel like we're not quite complete. Having said that tho', I am questioning it a little. A few days ago someone told me that I shouldn't even consider having a 4th child until I can control the 3 I've got. My mouth kinda dropped open. "Are you serious?" was all I could muster up to say. I couldn't believe it. Who would say that to another person? I mean sure, I'm sure at times we've all thought that about other people, but to actually say it? You'd have to be stupid or crazy or both. So with that in the back of mind, I've been wondering if we should have a 4th, or just stick with the 3 we got?

Talking to a friend this morning, who has 4, she said young kids are bad to start with. But when they get older, it makes it all worthwhile. Of course her kids are young, so maybe she's just wishful thinking. I know some of you readers out there have 4 older kids. Does it get better? Is 4 really the magic number?

I have no idea. And honestly it should be the last thing on my mind these days. Like I don't have enough to think about already. But I am. There was a slim, like 3% chance that I thought I was, and I'm not, and there was a bit of disappointment in there that still lingers. So maybe that just means that I am ready and unconsciously I already know the answer to this question of whether or not we should have 4.

oh well. Lunch calls and I have to go tell 2 of my 3 uncontrolled kids to stop screaming in the back yard before someone calls 911.

man...

I wish I could sleep right now!

Stupid nap!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

wordless wednesday

no, this isn't Keziah, or any of my kids, but it could very well be. Just this past weekend Keziah was eating dog food out of their dish.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

i love it...

when my husband phones me at 6:43 am to tell me he had an uneventful night.

Really. That's a good thing.

I've also come to the realization that I love food. All food. Good food, bad food. Just food in general. The month of May has been hazardous to my waistline, to put it mildly. And true, I can't use the excuse that we've hardly been home, 'cos there are nutritious choices out there to eat from. You don't always have to have that double cheeseburger with the cinna-melt for lunch followed by the DQ chicken strip basket for supper. If Jared can do SUBWAY 7 days a week, so can you! But I will try to get away with that excuse and I will add onto it with the lack-of-workout reasoning...why start? And really why? Why start a program for a week when I'll be moving in 10 days to a temporary location, and then moving again 7 days after than to another temp location and moving again in another 8 days to our final destination. So really, when I'm the sole caregiver of 3 young kids and I'll be moving to 4 different locations in the next 3 weeks, I think the "why start?" excuse is a pretty good one.

And you know what really sucks? Is that I'm PMS-ing. So not only am I an emotional basket-case to my 3 young children, but I'm also freaking out about my husband not being home, I'm tearing my kitchen apart looking for the smallest scrap of chocolate ANYTHING to devour, and I feel bloated and completely HUGE. Not a good combo. Plus I'm making lists of lists of things to do before we leave like phoning to cancel this and cancel that and leaving forwarding address' to a place that we don't have possession of yet and going thru crap loads of stuff that we don't need to take with us and eating as much food as possible so we don't waste anything.

Can you imagine what I'd be like if I actually had to pack our stuff up myself?

HA!

sigh...alright, I really should go phone and cancel something else. It's been good talking to you.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

something rank and pretty crocus'

Last night the Mom's Committee went to Amy's for supper. I've only ever been once before, over 6 years ago and was majorly disappointed, so never went back. However last night was very good. The triple chocolate and vanilla cheesecake was too die for. I nearly swallowed mine whole before I discovered that everyone else was savouring theirs. Foolish me. Just goes to show you can take the girl out of the country, but can't take the country out of the girl. I won't even tell you how I ate my steak.

Now I don't know whether it was the cheesecake, the steak or the asparagus (I'll blame the asparagus...if all else fails, blame the asparagus) but when I got home something wickedly rank from my bottom was coming. I hated to sleep with myself. It was gross.

Moving on...

A few people have told me about movers and what all they do and don't take. Apparently they will take everything (even your garbage..unless you tell them not too) but chemicals, including cleaning supplies and paint. I'm not really sure how we wound up with 7 half empty cans of mosquito spray, but this morning when we went for a walk out at the Lil Red, I gladly finished off one of those cans. Not that we really needed it, it was beautiful out there, but it has to be used up. And I guess I'll need the cleaning supplies to clean the house once everything is gone. You do that right? I have no idea. Speaking of which does anyone want to watch my kids Friday May 30 for a couple of hours? Or help clean?

So yeah, anyway, the walk this morning. It was beautiful. I'm really going to miss it out there. Wetaskiwin has this By the Lake Park. Looks like a man made lake with a dirt path around it. It's where all the locals go to "get away". It's nice and all, but compared to Lil' Red, it looks like a rabbit trail through some brush. Of course the mountains are only a few hours away, so I really shouldn't complain. But still.
So we went on this walk and Matthias is wearing his army cargo pants, plain shirt and old baseball cap. I'm wearing some quick dry pants and an old t-shirt. Keziah has some nicely stained play clothes on and then there's Callah. She's got a hot pink dress on, covered with a white princess sweater and a good pair of jeans on underneath. She's wearing her sunflower sunglasses and is carrying, in her hand, her little backpack purse filled with books, a comb and a magic wand. How she slipped past me into the van I have no idea. Where she came from, or how she got to be so girly...again I have no idea.

Oh well, there's always hope for the big bellied Keziah who loved the walk this morning. I kept her in the stroller until we had the van insight and then I let her out. She turned her face into the breeze, little tufts of hair blowing in the wind, and smiled. Then she pointed and grunted at the bird in the sky. Walked over to the right and pointed at the grass. Walked over to the left and pointed at the tree. Walked over again to the right and pointed at the crocus (which are in full bloom and just gorgeous!), then to the left, and again the right, and so on and so on. Until she picked up something white (which naively I thought was a rock, only to find out it was actually some really old poop) and tried to eat it. Back into the stroller she went.

We finished off the morning with slurpees, cinnamon buns and cheese. Really, what could be better?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Don't Song

if you haven't already heard this, you gotta check it out. Especially all the men out there...

http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/886/The-Dont-Song

SOLD!!

...to the highest bidder! ha ha...

Yes our house is officially sold! I'm super excited, was a little worried there for a bit. It's amazing how God worked and we're so thankful!

The moving company phoned this morning, they're coming next week to "check out" our stuff (sounds a little fishy!).

Now we just have to tie off the loose ends in Wetaskiwin and we have ourselves a house!!

Things are finally moving. On the one hand I'm glad and excited and on the other sad. Still haven't really thought about leaving. As the days wind down tho' I'm sure the tears will come.

But for now, the sun is shining and the park is calling! Yay!!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Wordless ....


Callah dressed up as a penguin at the West Ed Mall. Isn't she cute?

quick things from the road

...Bawlf, Alberta. Is it just me or does that name just make you wanna laugh?

...FYI - there's a sale on wild boar meat near Wilkie, Sk.

...A&W in Unity does not qualify in the "fast food" department.

...Ever wonder what waiting 30 minutes in a McDonalds feels like? Don't! It's terrible!

And really that's all I got for spur of the moment. I knew I should've been taking notes, but alas, I didn't. Now I'm hungry, so I'm going to go eat whatever isn't moldy in my fridge. Yum!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

oh man...

...I'm exhausted, my nose is running on one side and completely plugged on the other. But I wanted to make it known that I now sleep with a man who wears red. Ha ha... (lame joke, but like I said, I'm exhausted and hopped up on sinus meds). We have approx. 36 hours here before we header west in search of the perfect house for way too much money. Altho' there are the finer things to look forward to as well. Like IKEA and The Olive Garden and West Edmonton Mall. Did I mention IKEA? And Cheesecake Cafe.

So I'll leave you with visions of that.

Have a great week (end)!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

shout out to Carissa

A good friend of mine, Carissa, just had a baby girl this morning. I couldn't be more happier or excited if I had had the baby myself. You see this is her 4th child...the previous 3 being boys. I seriously can't stop beaming for her!

Congrats Duane and Carissa!! I can't wait to see little Denaya!

Monday, April 21, 2008

a little sigh

Last night at around 5 pm, I took a little sigh of relief that the day was done. I had managed (with the help of Dixie) to make my house look presentable (even with the kids spilling juice numerous times throughout the day) enough for the open house. I had participated in the Mom's Morning Out clothing sale (and found some cool deals!). And I had been able to enjoy an afternoon out learning how to make soap and homemade lotion. Now I could sit back, relax and enjoy a quite evening talking with friends.

But now it's Monday and I'll tell you what I should be doing. I should be busy making cookies and squares for our meet and greet on the 30th. I should be doing laundry and getting stuff ready to head down to Regina. I should be making something for the potluck at Mom's tomorrow.

Ahhh well. It's miserable outside. I'm going to enjoy the misery and muffle for a bit and then I'll get to work with all the work that I should be doing.

But first....I need to check my Scrabble games on Facebook!!

Quotable Monday

Seeing as to how Earth Day is tomorrow, here are a couple of environmental quotes.

"Concrete is heavy, iron is hard - but the grass will prevail." Edward Abbey

"Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect." Elizabeth Goudge

"Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees." Karle Wilson

"Take care of the land, and it will take care of you. Take what you need from the land, but need what you take." Aboriginal Law

"In wilderness is the preservation of the world." Henry David Thoreau

Friday, April 18, 2008

random thoughts

I killed my first mosquito last night. 1 down, few million more to go. I think my odds are good! :)

I hate thin toilet paper (that's all I'll go with on that thought...)

We have an open house on Sunday. I'm completely wiggin'. How "clean" should my house be? Do I have to remove all "loose" articles on shelves, dressers, desks? I mean seriously. I have 3 kids, that's not even possible right now.

If you could eat any candy from your childhood...what would you eat? Did you ever try those suckers that had dead insects in them? I remember they were all the rage when I was in ...grade 8 maybe? So that's like...hmmm...17 years ago or something. Cool.

I love ice cream cake. I think I could survive on that alone.

My husband just told me he lost over 20 lbs. I hate him right now. (not like the ice cream cake is helping!!)

I started taking this Greens +. It turns my orange juice green. But tastes pretty decent. I better live a long happy life now. :)

Alright, now I'm off to battle insanely huge line-ups at the local Walmart to buy totes to store all my "stuff". Wish me luck!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

spring

Alright, take a deep breathe....do you smell that? Can you feel it?

I think spring is finally here!!

My feet have been freed (flip flops are out!) and I'm getting a load of wash ready to hang out on the line!

Yes, it feels good!!

(and I'll try not to think about the forecast for this weekend!)

Monday, April 14, 2008

Quotable Monday

well now it's officially Monday....

"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." - E.E.Cummings

Sunday, April 13, 2008

can't sleep

I can't sleep tonite. Too much on my brain. I was just laying in bed, eyes wide open, thinking. Not a good place to be, or at least concerning what I was thinking about.

Now tho' I think I'm almost at that point where I've completely exhausted myself and my eyelids are soon going to need help staying open.

Today Matthias licked me playing baseball...final score: Matt 10, Lisa 6. He's got a strong arm. But that wasn't the only licking going on. It seems Keziah has a thing for pine cones. Those are going to hurt coming out. ;)

I wish I could just skip ahead to June and this whole headache would all...be...over...

Saturday, April 12, 2008

phoeey

So we're back to square one. After having 5 people look at the house yesterday, the final 3 didn't show up. So we went over this offer. They offered 8,000 less than we were asking. I phoned for some advice and the only person I could get ahold of was my uncle. He told me to counter offer and say this and that. And my real estate agent said we should say this and that. So we did and the counter offer wasn't acted upon. It was over.

So now we're back to square one. The FOR SALE sign is on the lawn, so hopefully we'll get some more calls and some more viewings.

I'm kicking myself in the head. This could've all been over....

Friday, April 11, 2008

house selling 101

Okay, it's not like I really have any good advice to give. As if. I couldn't even decide how to sell it on my own without numerous advice and suggestions from friends and family. The thing is, it's now 10:18 am and 2 people were supposed to come look at the house already and so far no one has showed up. This is starting to tick me off. We don't have a lock box, for whatever reason I thought it would be better without, so now I'm stuck here...waiting for people to show up. Then when/if they do, I'm to go outside and play...in the rain. We didn't count on that happening either. I don't know...I'm starting to think this 10k commission isn't what it's all cracked up to be...or rather, starting to think they're really not that worth it!

update - 10:54 am. 1 down 6 more to go.

update 2 - 12:35 pm. 3 down, 3 or 4 more to go. Did I mention there's already an offer from people who haven't even seen it yet?

update 3 - 5:37 pm. 5 down, 1 more to go (for sure). And then there's the Alberta offer to go over.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Quotable Monday

This isn't really a quote persay- but a poem that I heard almost 10 years ago on a small hippy island in BC. Read by a woman I really admire, surrounded by God's beauty. Needless to say, it really stuck and I've loved it ever since!


The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for
love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own
sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals or
have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your
own,
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy
fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without
cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is
true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true
to yourself;
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not
betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithless
and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
even when it's not pretty, every day,
and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours
and mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes"!

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or
how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night
of grief and
despair, weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came
to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center
of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with
whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in
the empty moments.

-- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Is it Monday....again?

You remember that movie Groundhog Day, when Bill Murray's character woke up and every morning was groundhog day. He lived the same day over and over and over again? Well I'm starting to feel like that (well actually right now I feel like I've just taken speed...I just finished biking and my heart rate is racing and I feel all gittery). I wake up and every day is a Monday. I spill cereal, the kids knock over this, there's a crappy song on the radio, we're late for this, we're late for that, we just can't seem to get going in the morning. And I have to admit it's getting kinda annoying.

Or maybe it's just me.

Wordless Wednesday

first time eating the cone!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Big Wild

I was leafing thru the latest MEC catalogue when I came across this ad.

Canada is home to one of the world's largest great forests. Sadly, the protected area fits under this period. (and then it shows the '.' somewhere over Alberta on a map of Canada.) Less than 10% of Canada's wilderness is protected. If that doesn't sit right with you, add your voice at thebigwild.org

Check it out.

Wordless Wednesday


the GCY posse (past and present)....we'll miss you guys!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Quotable Tuesday

I know I'm a day late....

"Anger is the fluid that love bleeds when you cut it." C.S.Lewis

Friday, March 21, 2008

poop

Last night we were eating supper when Keziah started turning 3 different shades of red. She was obviously trying to force something out of her bottom. Then this horrible stink errupted from her pants and we thought for sure she had done her deed. So I went to go change her while Amy, my sister, ran a bath. It turns out that her bottom was clean. So what do we do? Wait until she eventually poops or just bath her, hoping for the best? We chose the latter and bathed her. Callah jumped in too.

Not 2 minutes later Callah calls out..."Keziah's pooping!!!"

We run to the bathroom, but it's too late. And we're not talking little rabbit turds either. These were full fledged Oh Henry sized bars.

Amy says, "now what do I do?"

"scoop 'em out." I say and leave the bathroom. She drains the tub and scoops 'em out (thanks to Kleenex anti-viral tissues!), cleans the kidlets off, re-loads the tub and gets the kidlets back in.

And that's our latest poop story.

oh I nearly forgot the best part. As Amy's cleaning out the tub she notices something bright green. She looks a little closer (but not too close) and realizes it's a little happy face sticker! What goes in must come out!

coming

My husband is coming! My husband is coming!

And I get to sleep with him for 2 whole nights!

Wanna see me do my happy dance? :)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

silencing the hounds

(not that any of you are hounds...just wanted to make that clear)

Alright, seriously, I'm NOT pregnant.

I was just working on some stuff about completely changing the blog and re-naming it and stuff but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Sometimes being depressive and lonely can do that to a person.

So that's it. Aside from changing provinces, houses, churches, careers, schools and cities, there's really nothing new or exciting (like being pregnant) in my life.

Don't worry...you'd probably hear me scream, from wherever you are, if I were!

Friday, March 07, 2008

change

change is a-comin'....in more ways than one.

Stay tuned...

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

blessed

Last night a friend came over with the gift of a massage, chocolate and free babysitting. Seriously who could ask for more? She brought a meal to feed the kids and then kicked me out to enjoy my evening. I drooled. I fell asleep. I ate cheesecake. The only down side was having to go to a cold van in between outings. Then I came home and was in bed by 9:30 wonderfully nestled in my warm covers with Vicks completely covering my head and chest. Ahhh...

So thank you. That was awesome.

Of course waking up this morning to Callah screaming at Matthias and Keziah with a face full of crusty boogies was less than enjoyable, but I'll always have the memories of last night. :)

Saturday, March 01, 2008

sarcasm

So we're moving to the wide open spaces of Alberta. Excuse me while I (sarcastically) jump for joy. My (sarcastic) enthusiasm is overflowing. Yeah (heavy sarcasm) for us.

Now the real fun begins of cleaning house (and keeping it clean) and painting and mudding kids room and other fun stuff that people do to prep houses for sale.

Again...yeah (heavy sarcasm) for us.

And in other news, while it's not the hideous flu bug (knock on wood) my kids once again have colds. Sniffles and coughs, which in Matthias' (and I'm learning in Keziah's) case also means occasional vomiting.

Again (say it with me this time...)....yeah for us.

However we had a fun day yesterday playing with other sick kids and watching the fireworks, which to me are almost as exciting as chocolate. So hope you and yours are healthy and stay that way.

Cheers!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

why?

why won't Keziah sleep thru the night? I know she can. So then why? Do I have to take her into the basement and just let her cry it out? Do I have to continue to wake up during the night to feed her? why?

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

boo-ahhh

(I just wanted to say that...)

In my continuing funk of doing nothing, when indeed I should be quite busy prepping the house to sale (and look I managed to waste another "nap time" on the computer) I thought I'd take this moment to briefly replay some experiences from the past week.

To put it cleanly and simply...the conjugal visit went well with Steve. I'll just leave it at that.

Then my parents, kids, dogs and I went out to my aunt's farm near Yorkton. The weather was incredibly frigid, but that didn't stop us from getting some fresh air and exercise!
And then of course there was the porcupine ordeal. On afternoon we noticed the dogs barking like crazy so we went out to investigate and sure enough, there was a porcupine cornered in an old shed. So my Dad and I carried over an old wooden box and blocked the door, thinking the dogs couldn't get in. We had no idea dogs could be so stupid or stubborn. The next morning we could hear the dogs barking again and then noticed one of them running thru the snow brushing his face against the ground. "Dad, I bet you that stupid dog got into the porcupine again". Sure enough 2 of the 3 dogs got quilled. Kino (my parent's stupid dog) got maybe 5 quills in his snout. Gus (my stupid dog) got the brunt of it...a good 20 or so in her snout and mouth. It took 3 of us (2 to hold down her body and one to hold her head and pull them out) to get those quills out. It looked like someone had been seriously attacked there was so much blood on the ground! Not only was she quilled, but her paw was bleeding as well 'cos she had clawed a hole in the corner of the old wood shed to get to the porcupine! So then my Dad and I went out there again and put another wood crate against one wall and a steel grate propped up against the other. Needless to say the dogs didn't go near there again.

The remainder of the week we spent back in Regina. The weather turned nice and we were able to go outside and actually enjoy being outside. The kids and I went to a great park (if you're ever in the area it's called the Rick Hansen Park on McCarthy Blvd. It's great in the summer, has water fountains and everything). We were there for maybe 30 minutes when I'm pushing the kids on the swing and Callah asks to "go crazy" (where I push her with a bit of a twist and the swing goes a little "crazy"). So I did. She laughed, I laughed we were all having a great time. Then all of a sudden she lets go of the swing, her legs fly up and wrap around the chains and she "sweeps" the ice and snow with her face twice. She immediately drops and starts screaming. Blood is coming out of her nose and mouth. She's scratched up a line on her face from her chin to her forehead. I almost laughed. It was really amazing. Needless to say we packed up and headed back to my parents.
The rest of the week went off without a hitch and we had a really great weekend. Steve was able to come home for a weekend and "babysit" the kids so I could get out to our church Ladies Retreat. All in all a good time, good food (I gained like 3 lbs...booh urns!!) and great company.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Once again I feel like I should be saying something, I've been doing lots this past week, but I just feel at a loss of words. Maybe it's the fact that Steve has been in PA all weekend and I only saw him about 8 hours all weekend. It's amazing how gut wrenching it is saying goodbye...still.

sigh

So maybe I'll re-attack this later and actually tell some stories of porcupines and giant mice named Chuck E.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

poop

I remember hearing these frightful stories about babies that used to poop their weight (I wish in gold) and babies that would fill legs of their sleepers and I just couldn't believe it. That's alot of poop! Well leave it to Keziah to make a believer of me! For the last 2 nights now she's woken up crying. I've felt around in her bed, feel something wet and upon further investigation- have found a legfull of poop! Gross!!! No kidding. Would I joke about a sleeper leg full of poop? I don't think so!

So I am now a believer in (most) poop stories.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Mayerthorpe

I've been thinking about this alot lately and last night at a prayer meeting one of the ladies brought the movie up and suggested praying for the families. Of course we totally agreed and it got me thinking that you never know when a good-bye could be your last. Those 4 guys kissed their wives good-bye just like any other day and had no idea they'd never see them again.

My point is simply to never take loved ones for granted. You never know when they will be taken from you.

Monday, February 11, 2008

uphill

After a devastating (at least in my world) day yesterday I called my Mom, in tears, and asked her to come stay with me. Of course, 10 minutes later, after getting some fresh air, I phoned her back and said she really didn't have to. She's got her own life and surprisingly (or maybe not) it's not that simple to move and shuffle around. So we agreed to play it by ear and if my kidlets weren't feeling better by noon today, then she'd plan on coming. Otherwise she'd stay.

It was a rough nite on the couch with Callah but around 2:30 am she started sitting on the toilet (instead of face in) and I was hopeful things were going to turn around. By 8 am she was her normal hungry self "Mom, I'm hungry." and trying to restrict her hunger is like fighting off a pack of rabbie infested wolves. But she took it slow and everything is staying down, so that's a bonus.

I washed all their bedding, Lysol'ed almost everything else, cleaned the bathroom, scrubbed the floors, opened the doors to let some fresh air circulate and hopefully that'll keep us healthy for a few weeks more anyway.

I don't know anyone who hasn't been affected by the flu/cold bug yet this season. So take care out there (and yes, those commercials mean more to me than they did before) and please remember to wash your hands.

Friday, February 08, 2008

life isn't smelling so sweet

After an awesome time out for supper and bowling with some friends last night I was totally stoked to come home and find out that Matthias hadn't puked - ending a 6 night puking streak. I was able to have a quick conversation with the hubby, not as good as I would have liked, but found out that he passed a major exam and so that was good. Went to bed relatively early and conked right out.

3:34 am rolls around to the sound of Keziah gagging. I walk over to her bed, feel around and am grossed out by wetness. She'd been throwing up. So I changed her bed and brought her out to the living room. Gave her a bottle and as I'm burping her over my shoulder, her mouth opens and everything that just went in, came back out all over the kitchen floor. So I peeled off my soggy pajamas and mopped the floor, leaving her to play with her soother in the living room. Coo-ing away. Finally get things cleaned up and we're back to bed...4:37 am.

9-ish Callah pokes her head in my room and says she's hungry. So I get up to get them breakfast. Go check on some laundry from Kez's episode, come back upstairs and hear Matthias throwing up in the bathroom. That's pretty much what he's been doing ever since. And man, it wreaks!

And so between Keziah throwing up her stomache contents (which she's done 3 more times) and Matthias heaving up his (which he's done...well let's just say ALOT) the smell isn't that rosy in here anymore.

I should almost put up a "WARNING: FOUL SMELL" sign or something.

Sigh. Oh well, luckily there are lots of good bowling memories to help get me thru this. :)

Thursday, February 07, 2008

happy thoughts

I realize alot of what I've been saying lately is generally unhappy and...well for lack of a better word "lost" and I know that. I'm realizing that. I was telling a friend this morning that I can feel myself slipping a bit in my relationship with God and I don't like that. I need to figure out how to get back, how to get myself moving in the right direction again.

On the flip side tho' I am just really tired. I'm second guessing everything that we've done up to this point. The future and all that holds. All the things I've been doing to help speed up this whole process.

So for now, I apologize for being a stick in the mud.

I'll try to be more peppy next time. ;)

oh yeah, and for the record, I'm really not a big drunk or anything. The amount of alcohol I put in my coke wouldn't make a fly woozy. Just wanted to let ya'll know.