still around and not sure how

We are crazy busy and not sure how we are functioning.
The house is coming along smoothly. I am ahead of schedule and loving my house. I still have to decorate and that is going to be the fun part.
Okaly had his first Volleyball games today and the Sabers won all 3 games.
Aspen had her first Jazz class today and loved it. She is good at Jazz and hopefully she will stick with it. Next week she will start Gymnastics, I hope she can keep with this this time, she is really good at tumbling and turning.
Avery had Hip Hop, Tap, and Ballet tonight. I dropped her off to pick her up later. I returned 2 hours later to find her out front of the dance hall waiting for me. My heart broke to see the look on her face as she watched me pull up. She got in the vehicle and started crying. I asked her why she wasn't in at dance. She had made the choice that she didn't want to do Tap and Ballet. We had a little talk in the car, and at that point I felt like the worst mom in the world. Our little talk and cuddle in the car was great and I spent my time with her wondering if all the running we are doing is really that fun. We figured out her wants. All she wants to do is Hip Hop and Gymnastics. We can handle this. Tuesday will be Hip Hop and right after school on Wednesday's we have Gymnastics. So doable and loving it!
I am on the count down for Thursday night, I am going to the musical "Cat's" can't wait, front row seats! It is going to be awesome! I am going with Keri Waters, Shawna Ofstie, Carol Rempel, and Krysta Miller. Krysta got the tickets and Chantell was going to go but lucky for me she is going to Las Vegas for the weekend, and that's where I come in and I am okay with that.
Life is crazy and every once in a while we need a set back into reality. Stop and breathe! I need to remind myself to do this more often.
Have a great night.

Tod pitched in

Tonight Tod pulled up his sleeves and got down with the dogs and painted trim. We got the majority of the kitchen done and the table moved back in and the light above the table lowered and it looks great. We are ready to entertain!!
It has been a long day, and I am very tired. I was up until 11:00pm last night, up at 6:00am for my morning run and off to work for the day. The time is showing 5 min's to 10:00pm and I am ready to go snuggle my guy that helped me get done what was on my agenda tonight. Is there a hidden meaning to his madness probably, bu that's okay I'll take any help I can get.
We definitely know that Fall has hit and the trees are getting naked and the air is very crisp. Happy Fall to you all!!

Even Nature is ready for Hockey season

Oh what a beautiful Sunday morning. When you get a call from the in laws to look out your window and there is a tiny whits tail in the yard you run for the camera. By the time I got the camera and came back to the window she had found her way into the hockey rink and was doing a few warm up laps. She posed rather nice for me and then ever so cautiously walked out the door of the rink and into Waters' yard and over to the Lions Park back home. We have seen her around the yard a lot in the last 2 weeks but this is the closest she has come to the houses. I was very cool and the kids think she would be a perfect addition to our Family Hockey Team.

Tod was on the go in Kimberly, BC for a guys golf weekend. They drove down on Thursday night, and arrived home early today do to rain. It was the consensus to not golf in the pouring rain so the made the trek home earlier during the day instead of arriving at midnight tonight. Avery really missed him and counted down the sleeps till dad got home.

Yesterday I went to West Edmonton Mall with Keri and 8 other girls for some shopping, food and a movie. Keri got her tattoo and it is actually very cute, in the perfect spot and suites her very well. While she was getting that done we started our shopping. I was very successful in the shoe department, I got 3 pairs and of course Aspen was trying them on asking when she could wear them. I am think that Tod probably only owes me 70-75 shoes from our bet 6 years ago. Let's just say he lost a bet and the prize was 100 pairs of shoes for me, and he would have gotten new golf clubs but I won and am still working on sealing the deal. I also got Oakly some jeans and Aspen a very warm hoodies from Aeropostale, so cute. I didn't know that we had this store in Canada, I love this store and am so excited to have it. It might just get me too the mall more than every 4 years. It just opened in July.YAY! I can get my perfume at the store and not on line.

All in all we had a very good weekend and are almost ready for the work week. :)

IN LOVE WITH MY HOUSE, ALL OVER AGAIN

I am in LOVE with my house again. The painting is coming along and I think I can be finished this project by October. I have pictures and they really don't do it justice, but it looks amazing. I still get to decorate and that will be fun.Shawna came and helped me for the day, and the kids were great. With out her I would still be in the kitchen on the top of the fridge trying to reach all the hard spots. I love having good FRIENDS.

Tod is gone for the weekend. Before he left, he surprised me at school with a beautiful vase of flowers. I was the envy of the staff room. :0 My husband rocks, and he loves me. YUP! He does. Aren't they gorgeous?

Tomorrow I am going with Keri to get her Tattoo, after that we are going shopping, dinner and a movie. We have a few friends meeting with us and all in all we will have a great time just hanging out. On Sunday morning we will be going to Spruce Grove for Oakly's Football game. The girls are hoping the playground is open, it looks awesome.

My first full week of work was very tiring . I am still trying to shake this cold that I caught a week ago. I come home exhausted and love to climb in to my bed at night and crash. . .

LIFE

I can't believe how fast life can change when you least expect it. Going to work on Friday I had walked in the doors and was called to the office to be asked if full time was okay. How do you say NO! to that offer. I will start full time on Monday, yikes!:0 Excited and nervous all at the same time. I do not have a set schedule for the afternoon as of yet. The morning will be with the Earl Entry Program, which I love those little guys. I will be floating for the afternoons until Thursday, and then I will get a schedule for the afternoons.
Well I am still in the process of painting the main floor of the house. I have the front entrance and bathroom done, and the first coat of paint on in the living room. Some of the trim has been painted black and with out the help of Grama Pharis(painting the trim), Shawna(watching the kids), Keri(for helping to paint the doors) I would still be trying to do everything by myself. It is so nice to have help. THANK YOU!!
Oakly had a football game on Friday night and they won 40-14, it was tied at one time 14-14. It was a blow out and a cold night, the first of many I am sure.
I got a crazy cold on Wednesday and by Friday I was feeling miserable. Tod caught the cold and is feeling miserable and admitting it. Hope he feels better soon.
Tomorrow we are all off to work and school full time. How fast your life change in a moment.
"Life should be savoured, love should be forever, and gifts should be from the heart."
-Sophia Loren
Hope you have a great week! :)

painting with Megan

Miss Megan, (kids music -french teacher) my friend, came over to help me paint my house. We got the front entrance 2 coats done and it needs another but it looks great. thanks Megs for all your help it was fun and nice to have help. My living room that has seen better days of cleanliness.

On Monday most of the cool people of the staff wore purple and it just so happened that I had my camera. (Brian Stern, Tracey Zadderey, Raylene Jubinville, and me) I am so short.

Good Night :)

started to paint

Well i have taken the plung and started the crazy job of painting the entier main floor of the house. I have 4 colors and am excited to get it done. The mess in the mean time is going to drive me crazy and I am not sure how I will handle it. Lots of work to do!!

It will make you cry and love your babies so much more

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PLAN TO BE GREAT MUMS,THOSE OF YOU, WHO ARE GREAT MUMS,THOSE WHO HAVE GREAT MUMS AND THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD GREAT MUMS...
Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of shag carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mum to Mother...
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mummy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mum knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mum's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mum would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mum.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
My mom forwarded this to me and said that she cried, well so did I.
Today Oakly had another game and they lost for the first time this year. It was pretty close 14-8. The offense had 8 fumbles and the defense team pulled off a good game. Maybe next game they can get on the same game plan.
We filled up the hot tub last night and we have a date as a family for a hot tub night, should be fun, it is chilly out.
We have school pic's tomorrow so we all have to pick out our mother approved good clothes and make sure they are clean and ironed. Hopefully we can see Okaly's eyes in these pic's, and we all have our good smiles on. :)

I survived

I survived my first day back to work, although I am tired right now I still have a busy after school and evening coming up. We walked to school this morning and Oakly actually walked with us not in front of us, he still needs me. I came home at lunch, the end of my work day, out of the house, and got right in to the house work. I cleaned the carpet in the trailer and now that it is drying I will just have to give it a good vacuum roll it up and we are ready to go for May Long weekend 2009. Seems like it will be a for-ever time away, but if we think positive winter will be short and we will be back in to the camping mode in no time at all.
I will start prepping the main floor of the house this weekend for a much needed face lift, my goal is to have it painted by next weekend. It will be 6 years in October and we haven't touched the walls it is time!:0
Oakly has football pic's on Sunday and a game so we are going to be doing some Leduc and maybe Edmonton shopping on this day. Aspen has sprouted so much she has 2 pairs of pants that fit her in the length, the waist is okay, it could be a challenge. As for Oakly I am not even wanting to attempt to try to find him jeans. He has himself convinced that he will shorts unless it its -15. I'll let you know how that works for him. I give him until the end of September and the jeans will be pulled out. It just gets way to cold here for that.
Mom and Dad you will read this either before, after or on the day so Happy Anniversary!! :) We love you and miss you. Hope that you are both feeling much better. Are you new grandparents yet?

Camping on the Longweekend

Photobucket Album

Behind by a day

Well yesterday was the first day of school and I was not prepared to send the kids off to come home to an empty house. I told Keri that I would probably have a few tears. They have come and now I am over it because I got my call back this morning while I was at school dropping the kids off. YAY! I am back at it tomorrow. The goal for painting the house will have to wait for the afternoons when I am off.

I am very unsure of my parenting skills for a 12year old and a child that is in Junior High. Not sure I am ready for it. I looked at Oakly yesterday and wondered where did he go this summer. I have found a young pre-teen that has grown up so much. He still has his moments of young child syndrome that hits bu ton the most part he is a very good young pre-teen. I love the fact that we can talk and joke and he is treating his sisters way better. Slow down Oakly I don't want to lose you yet and all though I have a few more years with you they will go by so quickly and then just like the wind you will be moving on and not under my feet any more. I love you for the young man you are turning into and wish for you the world.

Okaly is not the only one that has changed this summer, Aspen and Avery have done a lot of growing as well. Aspen is so tall and has the same size of feet as me. I am going to try to us this to my advantage if I can just come up with a good game plan to explain it to Tod. Why we have to have this many shoes, if we are sharing it has to be worth it and saving us money. Tod are you getting all this it is worth it. ;)LOL! Aspen is being very responsible in her new room in the basement. She keeps it clean and loves to just hang out down there.

Avery is growing up and taking on the roll of the big 6 year old. Yesterday she had her first tooth filling awake, last time she had to get put under. She did great, the freezing in her mouth and jaw made her lip and nose look funny. We all had a good laugh about the funny faces she was making. She has a great class at school and although she said she didn't want to go today she was run walking all the way. She is the peace maker in the family and like to play with Okaly and Aspen and nows how to play them against each other as well. It is sad for me to see her independence coming on so strong, as a mom I need to know that my kids still need me and are not so independent. It makes me feel like I am an asset. I love that they are all individuals and they keep me on the top of my game, and sometimes it is a guessing game, it is still nice to be here with them.

Our game plan for transportation to school is walking or riding bike's. It will be a challenge on those days that I feel rushed. I hope to keep it up and persevere.:)

Campin for long weekend

We had a great long weekend. Tod broke my axle on my rhino the first day we were out so no 4 wheel drive for me, but I managed to get in all the mud a few times. Tod's quad was over heating at the most unexpected times and near the end of our trip to Mount Baldy Keri's rhino started to over heat, all in all we like to keep our trips exciting and never a dull moment is to be had. We quaded in the 4 seasons; rain, snow, wind, and sun. We made it to the top of Mount Baldy, in a little snow storm, and a whole lot of cold. Our Sunday was cold and rainy. When the clouds lifted off the mountain tops we had snow covered tops. Brr! Late that afternoon, early evening the fog started rolling in. It was very thick and cold, we couldn't see over to the next camp. Before the fog settled at our camp fire, we had an Elk walk through she had a tracking collar on her that looked like a lead rope. It was very cool. We had a blast with all our friends. The kids were great and made there own little play camp to go and escape from the adults and we had no fights or arguments. At night the girls would have a PJ party in our trailer and the boys would go to the Water`s trailer to have a few games of Wii. A few times during the day and early night would break out the playing cards for a game of Skip-Bo, Swap, or Poker. Thank you for coming out with us, Waters' & Mitchell's, it's always funner to go with other families.