So what's new?

The famous question ... what's new?  Probably a lot since my last post was in NOVEMBER.  What can I say?  Only what I said on that post ... life is busy, and I'd rather be enjoying it than blogging it.  But, with that said, I DO enjoy writing, so I'm not ready to give up on the blog either.

Let me see .... Christmas was great, as usual.  Lots of food, gifts, and time with family.

My work was CRAZY busy in November and December, which was fabulous and fun, but also exhausting.  I told my friend Ashley that come February,  I'd be bored again since they are naturally slower months for photography .. and true enough, I did and am saying that.


I cant say I was bored in January though.  We took a really nice family trip to California again, and we just rested at home the other weeks.

Disneyland!

Characters at Universal Studios

Transformers Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood

Dustin has kept going on the renovations .... the boys (studio) bathroom is now completely redone and new.  And we've figured out how to improve the entrance from the garage.  It involves moving the basement stairwell.  Pretty sure our sanity is officially gone out the window when Dustin and I both shrugged at that thought and said, well, then that's what we'll do.

Before

After

Our kitchen is in shambles right now.  My husband sweetheart handyman champion hero and knight in shining armour has made a temporary kitchen for me, complete with a washtub and running water for the few weeks we'll need to have this chaos in the kitchen.  Life is surprisingly "do-able" still with this temporary kitchen. 
The goal is for our new kitchen to be installed and working by March 31.  My birthday, and also Easter this year.  The plan was for us to host Easter for my side of the family, but my mom is happily on stand-by if we dont make it in time for that.

Kitchen photos to come when it's all done ;)

I've gone Iphone

I dont think I really need to say more - except to give my amazing hunny some recognition.
I've been asking for an iphone for months now... totally not really expecting to get one b/c the cell phone I had was totally good enough, albeit slow, incompatible with my computer, and randomly shut off on a whim, but good enough.
Well, "as a token of his love for me" (his words even!!) Dustin surprised me with an iphone one random day.  When I asked what the occasion was, he said "Happy Thursday!"

I cant wait for next Thursday! ;)

Road Trip!!

I have to admit, it was an incredibly looooong day going to Saskatchewan with Dustin to drop off some material for a house the company he works for built. 5 hours there, and then 5 hours back, and of course, in one day.
At first we thought we'd take the boys with, but then had the brain wave to ask my parents if they would take them for a sleepover the night before and the day we were traveling. They were more than happy to spend some time with their grandsons, which made the day traveling much more enjoyable for us, as well as my boys. They were super happy to hear they got to go to Oma and Opa's instead of sitting in the truck all day! (thanks again Mom and Dad!)

Driving, driving, driving

So Dustin and I left at 6:30am (yes, I was up that early! Mark it on your calendars, it doesn't happen often!) and got to Carlyle, SK just after 12:30pm. We took the #2 hwy, which I'd never been down before, and saw some really cute little towns along the way.
I had come along with the expectation of helping to unload the material (and keep my sweet hubby company) but wasn't needed when the home owner and some of his friends helped unload instead.
After dropping off the material, we went to grab some lunch. Now, Dustin is a big fan of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", a tv show that goes around and finds the best food at sometimes the least likely places. So we set out to find a diner style place to eat.
The first we went into was called '8Words', and it served soup and sandwiches. It was beautifully modern and trendy looking and seemed very nice. Not what we were really looking for though, so we walked across the stress to a Canadian/Chinese restaurant. It looked straight out of the 70's once we got inside. Perfect!
We sat down and the "waitress" (she was in sweatpants, and looked like she just crawled out of bed. I assume she was the waitress at least) came and took our drink order (pepsi's). She returned and threw the staws on the table (no exaggeration, she threw them) and plunked down our cans. Then Dustin told her he'd have the buffet, and I asked for a Cheeseburger. She gargled out a reply as she marched away that left us staring at each other wondering what in the world did she think I ordered ??.
Dustin double checked next time she walked by that it was just a single order for the burger and we got the same gargled response. At this point, we were just about dying laughing.
The buffet was not good (sorry, but I can't think of anything kind to say here, so I'll leave it at that) but we were lucky my burger was MASSIVE and we ended up sharing that and the HUGE pile of fries it came with (after avoiding the cultery the waitress threw onto the table too!) and it was actually a very good burger.
Dustin noticed the ketchup bottle and asked what the expiration date said. It was sometime in 2009! Now, I'm sure they just refilled the bottle over and over again because the ketchup tasted totally fine- but they should have washed the label off too. It was peeling and had grease spots where the paper was missing, and little black dots all over it that suggested mould.
I begged Dustin to take a picture of it, but he didn't.
Good thing is we walked away full, and laughing at how this place would never be on the "DDD" show!

On the way home, we stopped in Souris MB. What a cool little town! It had some amazing architecture in the old homes and museums that I absolutely fell in love with!

Peacocks walking around town in Souris

A butterfly museum. Lots of the houses looked like this too!

We had hoped to see the 'Longest Suspension Bridge' in Canada, but unfortunatley, it had been taken down when the flood waters were so high in spring. Too bad, it would have been good to walk along it to scrape the dog poo off my shoe that I stepped in along the trail to the bridge. (lol - for real!)

I rotated this picture on my computer, but it wont upload right on here. You get the point though right? This was before I got back into the truck. I was making sure I'd scuffed my feet on the pavement enough! lol!

We got home from this little road trip around 8pm (this includes getting the boys from my parents') with having put on 940kms to the truck.
It was a fun (albiet boring at times) date for Dustin and me - I'm really glad I went along!

This is what my kids got to do while we were away. MUCH more fun than sitting the back of the truck!

I completely agree

A friend of mine had this on her Facebook - and I couldnt agree more.

_____________________________________
A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:

'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.

So the doctor said: 'Ok and what do you want me to do?'

She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.

The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!

'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.'

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.

He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.

The crime is the same!

If you agree, please SHARE. Together we can help save precious lives!

"Love says I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person. Abortion says I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself..."

Jesus sacrificed Himself for the good of sinners! That's perfect love!

Hillsong United - Hosanna - With Subtitles/Lyrics

What's the song you catch yourself humming or out-right singing during the day? I know it changes, but right now, this is the one I'm constantly listening to or humming. Brad was singing along in the car yesterday, he told me he really like the guitar and hoped to play it one day. I love that my kids love songs that praise God!

I just love a good deal!

I ordered my photo Christmas cards today - for free! I love it! I get such a high from finding deals like this! I ordered them from an online company (shutterfly), and because I was making a new account with them, I got 50 free 4x6s! Well, lucky me - I made my own Christmas cards in a program on my computer, and uploaded them as regular 4x6s. So I paid a few bucks shipping (literally, $3.99!) and I've got my cards coming nice and early to be ready for Christmas. Sure feels good!

A hard thought...

Do you favour one of your children? (if you have kids, and more than one I mean) A friend asked me that the other day and I'm mulling it over still. It's a little hard for me to say it, but I think I do. And as I'm guessing it is with most moms who will admit to it - I favour the baby in the family.
Brad just seems so mature to me, and his quick wit and humour are so far beyond his 8 years of age that I have to remind myself at times when he's acting "immature" that he is only 8.
Zach, on the other hand, acts his age ALL the time it seems, and I have to remind myself that he's only 6 when I'm expecting more of him.
The favouritism comes in when they're arguing about stuff. I know I take Zach's side far too often because he's the 'baby' ... I am slowly learning that he KNOWS that I do that, and will milk it for all it's worth- and I'm seeing more often how unfair that is to Brad. Slowly but surely I am wising up to it.
I wonder if I'm at all justified in saying that I favour Brad at times too because he's the older child. Like he gets to do more stuff that his younger brother, watch different shows, etc. Maybe not.

Although I may favour one child at times, I can honestly say that I love them equally. I couldn't breathe if I were to lose one of them. It's in that statement that I know I'm doing the best I can as their mom, (albeit I'm so far from perfect I will no doubt be paying for therapy for them at some point!) and that I can sleep at night.
Hopefully that shines through to them more than anything else: I love them and I'm trying.

Suitcases

Today is the hardest part of going on vacation. Well, the second hardest for sure. It's the day where I have to pack up, fit it all into suitcases, and hope I remembered everything. The actual hardest day is the first day home when we're out of groceries and clean clothes!

I'm not complaining though, not by any means!! A full week of not cooking, cleaning or doing laundry?! I'll pack enough for months if it means I can get out of that!

The boys are beyond excited - bringing me every Disney related trinket they own and asking if they can bring it with. I think they understand that we can't bring everything we own, but the Disney stuff is an exception. So I've got all their pins, hats, and badges in the suitcase. Their stuffed Mickeys, Plutos and Donalds wedged between pjs and socks.
Normally I'd have some of their stuff in a carry on, but with the security as strict as it is now, and the zero carry-on rule, we're settling for video games and the tvs on the plane to entertain them.

Dustin has faithfully been checking the FL forecast all week, so we've got an idea of what the season has been doing lately... he wakes me every morning with a beaming smile that it's 15 degrees in Florida today - while it's -35 here! Wow, can't wait to get out of the cold!

Anyway, I'm killing time writing this - procrastination is not normally a gift of mine, but I'm dragging my heels today with everything... guess I need to get a move on.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, whatever it brings. I'll be posting pics and more in a week or so!

Perspective

I know I'm not the best at this, but it's something I am trying to do more often. This all came up when I was complaining about the cold, because winter is just something I have to survive every year. I hate it. Plain and simple. There is no joy to me in having sub-zero temperatures, white junk on the ground, a layer of ice on the roads, and wearing 15 layers of clothes to avoid frostbite (not to keep warm, just avoid frostbite). The only good thing about winter is Dustin's work slows down enough that he feels he can take holidays - and we're finally getting to the point where we can afford to fly somewhere warm as a family to have a break from the cold some years. Nothing else is good about winter. I'm not into snowmobiling, skating, or any outdoor activities. It's literally a "stay inside as much as I can" season.......
See! Here I go again with the complaining!

Anyway, the perspective I'm talking about in my title is this;
"Man- it's ridiculously cold out!!" - Be thankful we have a warm house!

How many other areas of my life could I apply this to? Probably all if I tried. Here's a few more I came up with when I started thinking about it more.

"I hate getting into a cold car!" - Be thankful you have a car (that's mine to use whenever I want since we also have a truck!)

"My boys treat my living room like a gymnasium!" - Be grateful for healthy, active boys.

"My house seems so untidy with all the Christmas stuff out" - there's a whole bunch of needless stuff to be thankful for.

"My closet is too small and is overflowing" - that means I have a lot of clothes ... be thankful.

Are you getting the idea here? I complain about so much stuff, missing the chance to be thankful and feel blessed all the time. And yet, the blessings continue to flow in my life every day.
Even with my neck being soooo terribly sore last week, (granted I was in miserable pain), I don't think I ever really thought about how lucky I am that I could just call my chiropractor and have it fixed up without a real thought about what it would cost. We have good coverage through Dustin's work... another thing I take for granted now.

The Christmas season makes me think of these things a lot more easily, but it should be something we think of all year round. I live in a prosperous country, with decent healthcare (nothing's perfect!), I have an adoring hubby - who has a great job (nothing's perfect!), two beautiful healthy kids - with access to a good education. We live comfortably in a beautiful house, our fridge is full, and our pantry is overflowing. We have good neighbours and friends close by, and we have the freedom to attend church anywhere we want and worship our God freely.

Why am I still complaining?!

When I'm overwhelmed

Ever feel like sometimes you're getting more than your share of the 'downs' in life? That's how I've felt the last few months. Between kids getting sick, dealing with some stress issues myself, and now my neck/shoulders being COMPLETEY screwed up, it just seems like too much.
Add the Christmas season's business and wow - I am overwhelmed.

I know the Word says that God will never give me more than I can handle, so I'm trying my best to take this as a compliment that He thinks I'll be cool with all this - or at least hang in there, but sometimes it's just plain hard. What keeps me going on days when it's just hard? The thought that when I am overwhelmed, God is not. God is never surprised. It's a pretty cool thought actually. So even when I feel like I'm being kicked when I'm already down, God knew it would happen and He knew I would be ok - after all, I'm not doing it alone right? He's always there to provide strength and support.

Anyway, this is just something that I've really been trying to remind myself lately. Maybe it'll help someone who reads this too. God is not surprised - and when you feel overwhelmed, He doesn't. Just think about it.

I blame Charlie

We found a new home for Barbie yesterday. I know, I know, we have a terrible track record with pets. I'll even fill in the blanks for those of you saying "how many has it been already?!" Since we've been married, Dustin and I have owned 4 dogs and 1 cat. One of the dogs only stayed with us for the total of 6 days before we had suspicions of it aggravating Bradley's asthma, but it still was not easy to give it back.
Why did we find new homes? I've always thought we've just had bad luck with pets. Barbie was great until almost a month ago. Then she started with stomach issues that have resulted in some funky stains on our carpet - and vet advice and medication wasn't helping. It was a stress trigger for me, and living paranoid that she would "explode" on the rug (and it happened!) was making me ill. Luckily, someone took her who does not have young kids, and was willing to deal with finding what works for her.

So here we are, dog-less again, and I think "Man, we have the worst luck". And what in the world has made me want to try again and again to have a dog?? What is it in me that thinks having an animal in the house will somehow make my life more enjoyable?!

I blame Charlie. Yep, good old Charlie. He's the reason I want a dog for my boys so badly. Think Lassie- but an old Golden Lab mix. I loved that dog and he wasn't even mine. Charlie was the dog Dustin's family had when we started dating. He smelt to the high heavens of dirt and "farm", he barked like crazy at coyotes all night (we heard him 1/4 mile away!), but he was the sweetest, most gentle big dog I've ever met, with a human like personality.

I love the pictures I have of Charlie meeting baby Bradley for the first time. I pushed the mosquito net back on the stroller and Charlie peered inside... his tail wagged a little harder when he saw Bradley.


When Bradley was learning to walk, I remember Charlie walking slowly along side him on the driveway, as though he could prevent Bradley's little knees from hitting the gravel if he fell. He never touched Bradley though; a quiet respect of the balancing act.
Charlie loved truck rides, but only if he got to sit in the cab with you, in the middle, and you put your arm around him. It was the funniest sight to see my father-in-law, or Dustin drive up to the house as though on a date with the dog.
Charlie is definitely the reason I want a dog, for me, and for my boys. Charlie died when Bradley was about 2 years old and there hasn't been another one like him, in any of our families since.

Will we try again? No idea... I can't say I want to. But who knows, maybe we'll move to the country some day and a big outdoor dog will work and we'll find our 'Charlie'.
In the meantime, I am content to let my kids cuddle Oma and Opa's, and Gramma and Grampa's dogs and get their fill of "puppy love" that way.