Our Journey Together

Merry Memories

2012-01-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

Overall we had a very good Christmas. It was quiet and relaxing.
Brandon playing with his hot wheels road he got.

Anson was pretty excited about getting two new DS games.

Cameron it always happy when he gets Lego.

The centerpiece that Anson made at school.

The ornament that Cameron received from his teacher.

Brandon coloring a picture to send to his Grandma Peters.

The Nativity that Cameron set up. Doug's Grandpa made the wooden figurines, and Cameron built the barn using his own blocks.

It's our yearly tradition to make a gingerbread house. Anson was a little bored of it this year, so lets see how many more years we'll be doing this.

My perfectionist husband had to do it just right, but the boys did some of it just right imperfectly too.

The Christmas Tree

2012-01-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

The finished product. At first it had ribbon, but then that got messed up so I redecorated it.

Doug was helping from the sidelines.

I let the boys go at it. It was a joy to watch them having fun, and they got along which is always a blessing.

Our Summer Vacation

2011-08-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

This summer one of my dreams came true. We were able to travel to Ontario and stay for an extended period of time. While we were there we got to see all of our family members from there except my one niece. We also did fun stuff, like go to Niagara Falls and on the way we stopped at the Mall of America where the main attraction were Lego land and the amusement park.
Enjoying the spectacular falls. My Mom was able to come with us. She has lived in Ontario for 24 years and this was her first time to the falls.

Lego land with some pretty amazing creations.During the last week of our time out there, we helped my Mom pack up all her stuff onto a 52 foot trailer. At that point she had not found a different house yet. It was neat to see how God was working in her life during that time. I also believe that it was God's timing that we were out there to help.

While I was out there enjoying my time with my family, I was hoping that we could move out there to be closer to them. Then I came to the realization that God has us in Saskatchewan for the time being. I do find contentment in that. Although sometimes I still get lonely for my family.

Spring has Sprung

2011-05-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed being outside lately now that the weather is finally nice. Easter was a little later this year, so we were able to have our egg hunt out in the backyard. This year I wrote little messages on the eggs with marker like, "He is Risen"
Brandon showing off his find.

Uncle Rhys came and played with the boys one evening so Doug and I could go on a date. We had a great time. I think that was our first date since our Mexico trip, so it was much needed.

Boys will be boys. They can't just ride in the cars, they have to crash them.

I can not get a normal picture of Cameron, he always has to act silly. Oh well, it is part of his fun personality.

Birthday Boy.

2011-04-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

I had to work on the day of Brandon's birthday, but I was able to to got out for lunch with him, Grandma, and Auntie Janelle. After supper we went and played at a playground. The first one we went to had to many puddles so we went to the one at CPES. It was also not the driest but better than the first one. It was also kind of cool that day, but Brandon still had fun. We celebrated Brandon's birthday on the weekend with two parties.

This picture is blurry, but I had to post it because Calliegh and Brandon get along great, but they also fight like brother and sister. Brandon was frustrated that Calliegh helped him blow out the candles. Maybe I should remind him how many times he has done that to his brothers.

Anson hanging out with Libby during the gift opening. Anson was bored because there wasn't anyone his age to play with. I had to remind him repeatedly that it was Brandon's day. (And no, Anson doesn't smile for pictures...I hope that it's just a stage)

Opening a gift from his friends that go to the same sitter as him.

Gift from Liam.

I had some organized games and activities for the kids, but they also just played nicely with the toys. It didn't get crazy until right before the parents came.

This year was the first year that we had a family party as well as a friend party. I'm not sure it was a good idea to do them both on the same day, because I was tired by the end of the day. Also we had the three families of the party kids join us after the party for supper, but by that time the kids were wild and the noise was overwhelming. It still was nothing compared to family gatherings on my side, but I felt bad for the guests who aren't use to that level of activity and noise.

Brandon cuddling with Cruze. Usually Cruze gets pretty tight squeezes. I'm not sure why he still goes near Brandon.

It is hard to believe that Brandon is four already. He still very much likes to cuddle with me. But I can tell that he is growing up because now he cares if he wins or loses at a game.

Mexico Part two - The Food.

2011-02-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

I just love Mexican food. Maybe because I grew up eating Mexican and Mennonite food. The first time I had a burger was when we were moving from Mexico to Texas. We stopped at a McDonald's, I could not finish my burger. I thought it was disgusting.

At our resort there were four different restaurants. For breakfast there was a buffet and an area where you could get them to make you bacon, eggs, omelets, or pancakes. For lunch we usually ate a the beach hut. We could get burger and fries, but there was also fried fish, re fried beans and more. For supper we could go to a restaurant and order from a menu, or some nights they had themed meals. One night we ate out on the beach. Another night was Mexican night. The variety of food they served was amazing.
This picture was taken the night we ate out on the beach.

Guests staying at our resort received a coupon to go to a fancy restaurant for one meal. Above is the dessert we got there.

The pork I ordered at the restaurant was delicious. On top was a peanut sauce that tasted kind of like peanut butter. It was interesting, but good.

We ate outside. It was a beautiful evening...very romantic.

The restaurant.

I would definitely go all inclusive again. It was so nice not to have to think about meals planning.

The food at the botanical gardens we went to. It was awesome. Served with fresh tortillas of course.

One evening we took an hour long boat ride to this island for dinner and a show. The show was good, although the storyline was confusing, and the food was once again delicious.

Eating on the beach without a care in the world. What a great way to spend time together for our tenth anniversary.

Mexico Part 1 - The View

2011-02-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

Doug and I had our 10Th anniversary in June. To celebrate we took a trip to Mexico. We decided to go in the winter because we have nice weather here in June.

Anyway we had an awesome time! We hung out at the beach, and went on some excursions. It was so wonderful to slow down and spend time together without any responsibilities.

As soon as we got back from our trip we were back at the rat race of life. Today I got an unexpected day off work because two of the boys are sick, so I finally get to sit down and post about our trip. There is so much I want to share, so it will come in parts.

The following are some pictures of the spectacular scenery in Puerta Vallarta. Every day was 25-30 degrees Celsius and sunny. I could get used to that kind of weather in January.
One evening our resort hosted an awesome supper out on the beach and this was the view from our table of the ocean.

This is the view of our resort from a boat.

Another evening view of the ocean from our beach.

My first time ever seeing palm trees.

Almost daily, Doug and I took a walk on the beach. It was so beautiful. I don't think that I could ever get sick of the ocean view.

This was the view from our balcony. We were on the sixth floor. We couldn't have picked a better room.

Another view from our balcony of the ocean and our resort swimming pool.

I would go back in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact I think that spending January and February there would be awesome, unfortunately not realistic.

Our Christmas

2011-01-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Our house Christmas morning. I love the frost on the tree.

The boys love adventures in Odyssey, so they were pretty excited to get some new Cd's. Unfortunately they had a hard time falling asleep the first few nights because they wanted to hear all of the stories. I love the sunrise that we had Christmas morning. You can see a glimpse of it in the window.

Brandon got a little keyboard for Christmas which he loved until it broke on boxing day. Why aren't kids toys built to last longer? We plan on returning it and getting him something else.

Anson got a Rider clock for his room. We plan on re-doing his room into a Rider room in the near future...hopefully.

Cameron loving his new Flames jersey. When he wears it, he always says,"My chest is on fire." He is such a character.

A Snooze with Cruze

2011-01-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Cruze loves to cuddle with whoever is on the couch. On this particular day Doug was having a nap, Brandon joined him and so did Cruze.

A Few Odds and Ends

2010-11-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Bible school that Doug and I attended had their annual alumni weekend. It was great to see friends, and get spiritually uplifted. We also had fun at the hillbilly Christmas theme night. The following hillbillies are Anson and Cameron, along with friend Jordan and Grandma (who also went to the same Bible school)
In the busyness of work and trying to run a home, I realized that my little blog isn't high up on the priority list and therefore I have yet to blog anything about Cameron's 7Th birthday, which was almost a month ago. We had a couple of friends over after school to celebrate and we also did the regular family supper. He was pleased with the DQ shirt he received from Uncle Rhys and Auntie Janelle. Cameron is a great encourager and hugger. The other day he mentioned how glad he was to have Doug and myself as his parents so that we could teach him about God. Also often at meals times Cameron will thank me for the meal and say that it is great. Some of his favourite things right now are Lego and transformers.

About a week ago we welcomed a 4 month old puppy into our home. Cruze is fun to have around. Brandon is quite possessive of him saying, "That is MY Cruze!"

Also a little side note: Starting January I'm starting a new work arrangement. Which will be a week on, a week off. I'll be working full time the week I'm on. That might be a little overwhelming, but the week off is going to be awesome! I need more time at home and more time with the boys...(and hubby of course).

Birthday Then and Now

2010-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the picture of my 20Th birthday. Doug and Lindsay did a great job with the soccer ball cake.
Here I am 12 years later. Now I have a son to help me blow out the candles and anther one to make bunny ears.

Finally my own Rough Rider shirt. I will wear it proudly.

A lot has happened since my 20Th birthday and I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a thing.

Kid's Carnival

2010-09-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Our church put on a kids carnival as part of an outreach to the community. We had nice weather and a great turn out.
Brandon with Daisy the clown (Amanda)

The boys got to go for a ride on a horse. It was the first time for all of them. Brandon is picking his nose while riding. I'm not sure I could multi-task like that.

Eight is Great.

2010-09-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Anson had a birthday this weekend. We had a party with family and a friend party for him. This year only a couple of friends came which was nice.

Doug and his friend Bryan took the boys out for a quad ride.

Grandma made a soccer cake for the family party. For my 19Th birthday (I think) Doug made me a soccer cake. I'll have to try and find the picture so I can share it.

Anson is a great kid. He works hard, but knows how to have fun and is a joy to have around. I love him very much.

Callaway Park

2010-09-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

In August we took our first ever family vacation. We had gone on trips before but it was always to visit extended family.

The start of our vacation we did stay at my sister's house and then they came along to Callaway Park. We had a great time together. The next morning when we had gone our own ways, Brandon asked where his cousins were I told him that they had gone home to which he replied. "Oh....I want them."

The boys loved going on the rides, and even went on the biggest rollar coaster there, and it was cheaper than going to the fair that comes to town once a year.

Anyway our vacation was great. More to come....

That time of year again

2010-09-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

This summer went by so quickly, it is hard to believe that the boys are back at school. This summer when I was working Anson and Cameron went to a kids program that was at the school. So we basically had the same routine as when they are in school which was kind of nice. I was able to have some time off work and we took a family trip (I'll get to posting on that yet) and I was able to have time with them at home.

Anson's first day of grade three. He seemed less nervous then he usually is on his first day. Maybe because he knows all the kids in his class.

Cameron's first day of grade two. He is my little social butterfly and just loves going to school.

Have you been to Hawaii?

2010-08-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed and encouraged at our Bible School class reunion. The guys had a lot of fun golfing and us ladies really enjoyed relaxing while soaking our feet. The kids had a blast doing a treasure hunt. Together as a group we had a Hawaiian theme night. We were also able to sit by a camp fire and have a time of praise and prayer.

The group that was in attendance for the Hawaiian party.

Doug's birthday was the next day so we had cake for dessert.

The youngest two at the party.

A new fashionable way to wear a lei.

Brandon looking pleased with his purple lei. Though I must admit that he didn't keep it on very long.

I Survived Two Nights in a Tent.

2010-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went camping at our local regional park with Doug's family. I'm never crazy about sleeping in a tent, maybe because my first experience in a tent was terrible. This time was different though. I was a little cold the first night, but the beauty of camping so close to home is you can go home and grab extra things if you need.
Other than sleeping in a tent, I love camping. I love sitting by a camp fire and going for hikes. The boys really enjoy camping as well.

We were able to go on a house boat tour, and go on a fishing boat. The river is so beautiful and the temperature was perfect for boating.

Cameron loves going a the zip line. Anson on the other hand is too scared to go down.

Anyway we had a great weekend with family.

Quick Trip

2010-07-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took another trip to Manitoba. This time it was for a Kroeker camp out. We were only there for a day and a half, but it was well worth the trip.
I love how Doug's single cousins spend time with the boys.

We have a picture of the first Kroeker camp out that I went to where Doug had his cousin Rylan on his shoulders... so I thought it was kind of neat that now Rylan had Brandon on his shoulders. Where does time go?

We had a good time of fellowship. Everyone gets along wonderfully and when we get together with them we always have a time of praise to God.

A visit with Nana and Papa.

2010-05-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the boys and I along with a friend of mine got into our Explorer and traveled 10 hours to visit some family and friends in Manitoba. The boys travelled amazingly well (with the help of a portable DVD player and a couple new movies). Our time there was a blessing. It was especially nice to be able to see Nana and Papa (Doug's grandparents). Nana is the most creative person I have ever met and she is also a great planner. The first morning there she had the boys prepare a birthday breakfast for Papa.

The boys had a blast putting together the smiling face toast.

Before and after pics of our bathroom.

2010-04-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

We are almost finished renovating our bathroom. We just need to do some crown molding on the linen closet and some casings and baseboards, oh and the doors could use a paint job as well as some other touch up paint.
Remember the old vanity?

Ta-DA. I love all the drawer space we now have, and the mirror I got at sears for $40.

The old, cheap linen closet.

The new one (sorry the picture is kind of dark) And again I just love all the storage space.

The old moldy tub, with the drafty window and the ugly shower doors.

Nice new tub, no more window and a shower curtain with a curvy curtain rod.

Even though we aren't quite done, I love the results.

A Reason To Celebrate!

2010-04-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love the Easter season. I enjoy doing the fun stuff like Easter egg hunts with the boys, but most of all I love that it reminds of the greatest sacrifice ever made. I'm so thankful that Jesus paid for my sins on the cross. I'm glad that on the third day he rose again and has an active part in my life today.

My relationship with Jesus began when I was 13 years old. Many seeds had been planted before that point, but it was then that I realized that I needed forgiveness for my sins. I'm so thankful for that decision, it is the most important one I have ever made.

On Easter Sunday Anson accepted that forgiveness for his own life. All the things we were hearing at the different Church services we attended and the things we were talking about at home really made him think and come to the conclusion that it was something he needed to do. My heart is filled with joy and praise to God over that decision he made.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2010-04-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Friends of ours just recently returned from their trip to Disney World and brought home a treat for the boys. According to Cameron it had the best flavour ever.

My Soccer Stars

2010-02-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning Anson and Cameron had a soccer tournament. It was so nice to have them on the same team this year. Their team was undefeated until the last game when they lost to the other town team in the dying minutes. Anson was the goalie when they scored their only goal, he was pretty disappointed. After the game one of our friends went up to Anson and Cameron and said some encouraging words to them. I'm so thankful for godly friends who take an interest in our boys lives.

Two Cuties.

2010-02-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

In January my friend had twins girls. When they were almost a month old we went to visit them. Anson and Cameron for the most part just wanted to play with their older brothers, yet they did get a chance to hold one of them. Anson was disappointed that I didn't get a picture of him with one of them.

I'm not sure who Cameron is holding here. They look so much alike.

Surf's Up!

2010-02-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

No, we didn't go on vacation somewhere tropical and go surfing. That would have been nice, but my little northern boy loves to watch Backyardigans and thinks that when we go sledding down a hill with a crazy carpet that we are in fact going surfing. Maybe one day he'll have a chance to do the real thing but for now this satisfies him.

Anson loves to go fast and would try crazy things if I let him. The day that we went sledding there were two boys about 12 years old on the same hill and they were doing some stunts which made me want to keep my boys the age they are now so I can keep an eye on them and protect them.

Cameron lays on the breaks as he goes down the hill and it takes him forever to get back up the hill, but he still has fun.

The most amazing (and only) fort on the block. Doug helped the boys make a pretty cool fort in the front yard. Cameron especially loves to play in it whereas Anson would rather play hockey on the driveway. The boys just had a week off of school and I was so thankful for the mild weather we had, they played outside quite a bit.

Cameron showing off his funky green teeth that he got from the grocery store free bucket. He wanted to wear them all the time, I'm not sure why, they looked uncomfortable to me.

As I mentioned the boys just had a week off of school and I greatly enjoyed having them home. On one such morning as I was peacefully having my coffee while the boys played quietly and I was thinking how nice it was that everyone was so relaxed and we didn't have to rush to get ready for school. So I commented about how much I was loving the pace of our week together. I mentioned that I should quit my job and home school the boys so that we could always have it, but Cameron quickly informed me that it was OK if I quit my job, but he was still going to school.

Now we are back to the busy pace of life and I'm feeling like I need to go on a spiritual retreat.

Daddy's New Truck.

2010-02-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

This past week, Doug bought himself a truck. We were actually going to buy one awhile ago but then the transmission went on the van. It will be so nice to have a second vehicle and not feel like we are just taxing each other and the kids around all day. It will be nice to have it for other reasons too.

Brandon waiting to go to the dump. He probably would be happy to sit in there all day.

Anson and Cameron felt so proud to be Daddy's little helpers. Doug is so good at including the boys in his work projects.

Thoughts About Working.

2010-02-07T09:08:00.001-08:00

Most of my married life I have worked outside of the home. Doug and I both worked full time when we were first married. I worked at the DQ and most of my shifts were the same as Doug's so were got to spend a lot of time together. I worked up until three before Anson was born and then I got to go on maternity leave for a year. A month after my maternity leave was done, Cameron was born so I didn't go back to work. When Cameron was 6 months old I went back to work evenings and weekends at the DQ. It was great because we never had to get a sitter and Doug was able to bond with his two little munchkins. The only down side was that Doug and I didn't get to spend too much time together that way. I stayed working part time until two weeks before Brandon was born and I got to go on another year of payed maternity leave. A month after Brandon's first birthday I went back to work at a boat rental/restaurant. I gave up two summers/fall working there. After that stint I was sick and tired of working evenings and weekends so I started applying for jobs at different banks. I figured that if I would be working outside of the home that it might as well be something that I would enjoy and not have to work anymore evenings and weekends. I got a job at a bank back in September. For the most part the job is going well except that I'm working way more than I want to. I started to get really stressed and frustrated. I started to think about what I wanted to spend more time doing, and it included things like; doing crafts with Brandon, volunteering at the boys school/and going to school functions, being available to help friends/family in need, being able to keep a cleaner more organized house and having the time to plan and cook nutritious meals for the family. After assessing what I really wanted to be doing, I wondered if work would still fit into the picture. For those of you who know me really well know I get restless quite easily, and if I don't get out of the house I get discouraged and unmotivated, so I feel like I still need something, I'm just hoping to cut back my hours at the bank to 7hrs a week and then spend more time doing the things that are really important.

Lots of Snow

2010-01-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Up until today we didn't have very much snow, but today we got dumped on. As a matter of fact most people are snowed in. There were only about 40 people in church today. I'm so thankful for a 4x4 in weather like this.

This is how we found our new to us Ford explorer this morning. It'll will be nice to have the garage done and be able to park inside. Doug is working hard to make that happen.

My Biggest Blessings!

2010-01-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Something that is not easy but needs to be done

2010-01-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that January is almost over and haven't started any of my goals that I had for 2010. I think that I should start my New year's resolutions in March, after year end is done for the church and after I file my tax return.

The one that seems to come up every year is to lose weight. I need to lose weight for my health's sake. I feel fine now, but if I continue to over eat and not exercise, I'll pay for it later on in life. Besides God has given me this body, I need to honour Him with it.

I'm great at starting things, but not so good at continuing them, but I'm hoping that my weight loss ticker will be a good tool for me to stick with it this year. Here's hoping.

Sweet Dreams

2010-01-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Lately Brandon likes to grab a few books and flip through them before he falls asleep. Tonight when I went to check on him I found he had fallen asleep "reading" Clifford (one of his favourites).

Our Christmas was Merry.

2009-12-28T06:10:00.000-08:00

Time flies when you are busy. I felt a little unprepared for Christmas this year. In mid September I started my training as a CSR at the bank. I worked full time for six weeks and came to the conclusion that if having a full time career and being a Mom is having "it all", then I don't want "it all". Right after my training Doug went for major knee surgery. In the midst of working, feeling like a single parent at times, I was suppose to try and get ready for Christmas. Well 9 days before Christmas, Doug had a follow up appointment for his knee in the city and I was able to start and finish my shopping. We only had a small budget this year, so we weren't able to do a lot. The day after we got back from the city we found out that the transmission on our van needs to be replaced. Fixing that along with other things that need repairs on that van would cost just as much as replacing the van so needless to say we are unexpectedly shopping for a different family vehicle. We have gone through a difficult past few months, but can see that God is showing us things in us that aren't very pretty, things that that need to be changed. I'm so glad that God loves us too much to leave us the way we are. Also in the past few months we have been so blessed by family, friends and the Church family. I'm so overwhelmed by people's goodness and God's goodness to us. I feel so undeserving of it, but am very grateful for it.

Christmas did come whether I felt ready or not. We were able to celebrate at home with the boys first thing in the morning. I thought that the boys were at an age where the excitement would make them wake up super early, but surprisingly the slept until quarter to eight. We read Matthew's account on the birth of Jesus and then we opened the few gifts. The boys went Christmas shopping with the school again this year. They get to go to the Salvation Army thrift store and buy anything for $5 and under for a quarter. It was neat to see what the boys picked out for each other and for us, and they were so excited to give those gifts. From Cameron I received a brand new home interiors candle in a jar. Not my favourite scent, but special none the lest. From Anson I got a pepper shaker of a Chinese looking cat.. He thought it was neat looking and so do I.

After our family time we headed over to Doug's parents. Doug's Mom is on crutches so his sister and I did a lot of the meal preparations. It wasn't actually that much work. I'm not one who desires to be in the kitchen all of Christmas day. I would rather keep the meals simpler and spend more time hanging out as a family. And thankfully that was the case this year. At Doug's parents house we usually read Luke's account on the birth of Jesus and then everyone gets to pick a favourite carol and we sing the first verse, then we open gifts. The boys always seems to enjoy themselves even if they don't have any cousins to play with. Maybe if they did, they would bug poor uncle Rhys so much.

Anson and Cameron showing off some of their loot. Cameron was thrilled to get a Calgary flames shirt. Doug is not a a flames fan at all, Cameron choose that team because his friend with the same name as him cheers for them. We'll see how long he stays a fan.

Brandon is crazy about trains (and balls). He loves his new train set and even goes to bed with the trains.

It was a very special Christmas. I love spending it with my boys. But most of all I'm so thankful for Jesus - the greatest gift ever given. I don't know how I would deal with life's circumstances without him.

Update on Doug

2009-12-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's been almost four weeks since Doug's knee surgery and things are still pretty crazy around here. Doug is doing really well, but the surgery was a bigger deal then both of us thought and therefore we had some pretty unrealistic expectations. I figured that in six weeks he would be back to normal and working full time. But it actually takes about six months to recover and he will have to slowly ease his way back to work. In the mean time he spends quite a bit of time doing his exercises and going to physio. Doug has been very faithful and diligent in doing the required exercises and not spending all his time on the couch in front of the TV. I'm so proud of him.
Here is a picture of Doug's knee when he had the 25 stables (sorry maybe I should have warned you first before showing you this picture).

Just in case you are wondering what Doug does for a living I have included some pictures of his (and his Dad's) masterpieces.

Much nicer then the knee picture, eh?

Are you drooling yet? I know I am, maybe one day I'll get Kroeker cabinets.

We're Proud of you Anson!

2009-11-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Good job Anson, on getting student of the month. May you always strive to be the person that God created you to be, and stick up for what is right even if it isn't cool.

The Lastest Fashion

2009-11-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

I think that Brandon must get his fashion inspiration from Puss in Boots.

Cameron is 6!

2009-11-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

Cameron turned 6 in October. We celebrated with a supper with family and then a friend party a different day. Cameron only wanted to invite 3 friends and it was a lot of fun having a smaller group.

Cameron is a joy to have around. He has a very tender heart, he is good a sharing, he is very good at building things with Lego, and putting things together. But he is a relentless tease which he comes by honestly.

A Great Visit

2009-11-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we said good-bye to my Mom after having her here for a week. We had a great visit and it was so nice to spend time with her, but I couldn't stop her from cleaning my house. I guess that is a Mom thing. The boys enjoyed having their Grandma around as well. It had been a year and a half since they last saw her. It was nice to have her come here to us. When we go to Ontario there are always a lot of people around and I don't think that they get to know her well that way.

Today Brandon has been asking where Grandma is. I hope that it isn't another year and a half before they see her again. But we will take what we can get.

Ten Years and Ten Pounds

2009-10-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago when Doug and I were ten pounds lighter (or maybe even 15 lbs for me), he proposed to me. It was so fun to visit the location of the proposal, only this time instead of rain we had snow.

Since that time we have grown in size of course, but mostly in our love for each other. I'm so thankful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful husband and with three wonderful boys.

It's Birthday Month

2009-09-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

The weather outside has been unseasonable warm, and on one of such day Doug, and I were able to go golfing with some friends. It was a lot of fun.

After golfing we had a BBQ out on the river. There were three September birthdays in the group so we had some cake.

Anson also celebrated his 7Th birthday this month. The football from Micah was his favourite gift.

I had an awesome birthday this year. I was extremely blessed by the thoughtfulness of my family and friends.

A Beautiful Day!

2009-09-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today the weather outside was perfect. We enjoyed it by going out for lunch by the river, going for a walk to a playground, and then having a picnic supper at the park and tossing a football around. It was just so great to be able to have a relaxing, fun day with my four favourite guys. I'm so blessed!

Tomorrow I start my new job at the Royal Bank. I have a casual position as a client service representative. I have to train full time for six weeks, and then after that it will only be a couple shifts a week. I'm looking forward to the six weeks being done. But Brandon will be in good hands so that truly is peace of mind. Anyway if I come to mind, I would really appreciate your prayers.

It's the best! Like always.

2009-09-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that it's back to school already. Where did the summer go? The boys were pretty excited about going back. Cameron especially. When the boys and I were packing up their supplies and labeling them Cameron repeatedly told me that he loves school. And when I asked him how school went on the first day he mentioned that it is the best like always. It sure makes it easier to send them knowing that they enjoy it.
Anson is always a little more nervious on the first day because he feels like he should know everything already.

Cameron - The social butterfly, couldn't be more excited about school and this year he gets to go every day.

Still Under Construction

2009-08-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

This summer the garage has been our project. Doug worked long and hard to get the old one tore down and as I'm typing, there is hammering going on to get the new one put up. It has taken a lot of time and effort but in the end it will all be worth it.

Cameron used to have a shirt the read, "Be patient with me I'm still under construction" (something like that anyway). I think that totally applies to my life right now. God is working to get rid of the old and build something new and better. It is not easy but in the end it will be worth it. I'm just so thankful that God cares enough about me to work in my life.

Summer 2009

2009-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Auntie Janelle with her nephews on the days of her wedding. The boys really enjoyed having their cousin Noah around for a week.

I didn't notice when I uploaded this picture that it was missing Dad and Mom. Maybe I'll have to post a picture of the whole family some other time.

Here are some more pictures of my time in Ontario. The highlights of my trip were definitely the times spendt with family.

Me and 5 of my sisters went for a pedicure and manicure. It was a lot of fun spending time together relaxing, talking and laughing. The bonus was that we found a place that had a special on and it was only $35 for the manicure and pedicure together.

My Mom and all of us girls were also able to go out for supper at an awesome restaurant that serves Mexican and Mennonite food. The food was super and so was the fellowship.

I was able to meet my niece Lyli-Anne for the first time. She is a very content baby and my sister is a great new Mommy. She definitely is a natural.

My love language is quality time and after this trip I felt very loved. Also after this trip I just long so much to live closer to my family. But I know that this is where God wants me to be right now and I have to learn to be content with that.

I have this new hope and dream that me and the boys will be able to visit my family every other summer for a month or two. I think that it would be great for my boys to be able to get to know their grandma and cousins better.

The Last Wedding

2009-07-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

I have been back for nearly a week now after spending eight exhausted days in Ontario. A lot of my time was spent helping bridezilla...I mean my sister get things ready for the wedding. I was also able to go to work with my Mom for a day and help her out. She definitely works hard for her money. I am so proud to have her as my Mom. She went to work every day the week before the wedding and was still able to get the food prepared for the reception to feed 350 people.

The wedding was beautiful. Both Lisa and Dave have a love for Jesus, and a desire to have others come to know and love our Saviour and that even showed on their wedding day.

It was a tiring week, but a good one. I missed my four boys like crazy. but had a great time visiting with my family. I cherish the time that I do get to spend with them.

The New Mr. & Mrs.

2009-06-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Rhys and Janelle had a beautiful outdoor wedding. The weather was gorgeous for it.

My cute little niece was one of the flower girls. Rhys's sister was the other one.

9 Years!

2009-06-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Doug and I celebrated our 9Th anniversary. It was a busy, but wonderful day.

The nine years have gone by quickly and I can honestly say that I love Doug more today than I did on our wedding day.

Two Weddings and a Funeral

2009-06-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

June is wedding month for our family. Doug and I each have the last of our single siblings, getting married this month. Janelle's wedding will be pretty relaxing for us for the most part. Doug is an usher and I have to look after the punch table for in between ceremony and reception. Oh ya and we have to try to keep an eye on Brandon during the out door ceremony. Did I mention that it was going to be relaxing? Well let me change that to busy but still enjoyable. As for my sister's wedding, things will be great for me since I am flying out by myself. No boys to keep track of. My dress for the wedding is at the seamstress right now. I chose to do the dress with the v-neck, but I'm getting sleeves put on, since that is a requirement at the church she is getting married in. Now I just need to get some sandals for the weddings and decide whether or not to get a pedicure done. $40, is it worth it???

Don't worry, we don't have a funeral to go to in June, but I do feel that I death has occurred in my life. A death of a dream that is. I have had a certain dream/desire ever since I was a little girl and just recently I have come to realize that it wasn't in God's plan for my life. I did pray for God's will to be done in my life regarding that dream and that I would be OK with whatever the outcome was. Turns out that the outcome was different than I had hoped and of course that makes me sad, but I have to trust that God knows best. He can see the big picture, and besides sometimes life is not all about me.

Brandon has really been testing our patience lately. Ever since his ear infection he wants to sleep in bed with us and he can't seem to fall asleep without me laying beside him. Although he seems to go to sleep OK when I'm not around, so maybe he'll break that habit when I'm in Ontario. Brandon also is very ready to be potty trained. Anytime he has a wet diaper he takes it off. Hopefully we'll have our new toilet in soon so I can begin the task of potty training.

The other two boys only have a month of school left. Which includes activity day, swimming, and children's festival field trip for Cameron. Overall I think that the school year went quite well. Anytime I would ask Cameron how school was he would tell me that it was the best like always.
They both never complained about having to go to school and would always seem to look forward to it.

The bathroom renovations are slowly getting done. It turned out to be quite a big job. But the end is in sight. All we have left to do is plumbing for the sink and toilet and finishing up the vanity and linen closet. Hopefully I'll get to post pictures of the new bathroom soon.

I also starting work at the restaurant/boat rental store again. So far things are going pretty good. I don't mind the work. Last year I really didn't like the waitressing part, but this year I'm more comfortable doing it and actual enjoy it. I only work on evenings and weekends so Doug watches the boys when I'm gone. Which is a great bonding time for them all. I also see my job as a great ministry opportunity. I have already been able to share about my faith with one of the high school girls that I work with.

It it also anniversary month for Doug and I. On the 10Th we celebrate 9 years of marriage. The 9 years have gone by quickly and pretty much uneventful. We have moved once (from a two bedroom apartment to the house we now own), Doug has gone from working part time at the family business to full time, and I have worked on and off at the DQ and now this restaurant. Oh ya, the biggest change for us has been that we are now parents of three boys. When we were first married I read a stat about how much time the average married couple spent together talking and it was only a few minutes a day. Back then I just couldn't believe that would ever happen to us because we were spending two or more hours a day together. Well 9 years later I believed that it has happened. In between our jobs, rushing the boys off to soccer and meetings we only get a few precious minutes a day together to talk. Especially since Brandon joins us in our bed every night. I really think that we need to start a regular date night once a month.

Coloring Pages

2009-05-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

1.
2.

A month from today I fly out to my sister's wedding. I'm very excited, yet I know that it is going to come quickly. Especially since Janelle's wedding is a week before I leave and we have family coming out for that. I also started work again for the summer. I'm working at the same place as last summer.

Anyway back to my sister's wedding. At the reception table they are going to have colouring pages for the kids (and adults) to coloring while you wait to eat. They wanted a picture of a boy and girl sitting on a park bench with a rainbow behind them. I volunteered to look for a picture since she is busy wrapping up teaching another school year, planning a wedding and hanging out with her fiance. And besides she doesn't have the Internet at home.

I had a picture in my mind of what I thought she wanted and figured that it wouldn't be too hard to find. Well it turns out that it was harder than I expected. But I did find some cute pictures. Which one do you like best? (You can vote on the side bar).

Decorating Advice From Christine!

2009-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

As most of you already know, we have been busy doing renovations to our house. Before we got started I had asked for advice from a professional decorator-who has a blog answering questions related to decorating. When she didn't answer my questions we just went ahead and did what we thought was best. Anyway about a month ago she emailed me wanting to know if I still had questions. I was surprised that she even remembered that I wrote in. I didn't reply to the email because we had already gone ahead and did the renovations. Anyway I was shocked this morning when I noticed that she answered my questions on her blog. She gave a lot of great advice that I wish we would have gotten before we started. But there was also some advice she gave that we can still do and that had to do with our dining set.

Also this morning I read a great post about how many children a person should have. In the Christian world you get so many different opinions on that topic. I thought that the article addressed the subject wonderfully.

Student Of The Month

2009-04-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Cameron received the student of the month in his class for the month of April.

His teacher commented on the certificate that Cameron tries his best, is ready to participate and always follows directions.

I would also like to add that Cameron has a great imagination, is very clever, he loves to teach others things he knows about or things he knows how to do and he is a joy to be around.

Our Bathroom

2009-04-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Doug and I (OK, I'll admit that Doug did most of the work) worked really hard on Friday evening and Saturday morning to get our bathroom looking like this:

AFTER
BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

I realize that the before pictures look better that the after....at least I hope they do. But we did work really hard gutting the bathroom. It was a big job to tear everything out and patch some holes. Doug also had to remove the drywall around the tub because of some mold issues. Ah yes, the joy of owning an older home.

The rest of this week we'll spend doing some drywall mudding, painting, and plumbing. Then will come the fun part of putting in the new vanity, linen closet, toilet, tub and flooring.

I'm so thankful that we have a second bathroom in the basement and I am also very thankful that I have a handy husband who can do most of the work himself.

Hoppy Birthday Brandon!!

2009-04-13T20:08:00.001-07:00

Brandon turned 2 on Saturday. We had fun celebrating with family and friends. He enjoyed opening his gifts and was pretty good at it too.

Brandon ate his cupcake carefully. He hates getting his hands dirty. He takes after his Grandpa Kroeker.

There were many bunnies who came to the party. Anson being one of them.

Mr. Mischief

2009-04-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

Brandon definitely keeps me on my toes. When he has been out of sight for more than a few minutes I know that he is getting into something. Some of his favourite things to do are: unroll the whole roll of toilet paper into the toilet, open DVD cases and use the DVDs as Frisbees, push a chair against the cupboard and help himself to some treats, and on and on the list goes. I know that when he is doing these things he isn't trying to be bad, he is just so busy. I think that I need to find a creative solution to gear all that energy into doing something positive.
Today he once again opened the drawers to his change table and climbed on top, nothing new. I saw him up there and figured that since we didn't have any baby wipes for him to rip up, he wouldn't have anything to get into. Besides once he gets up there he can't get down by himself so I figured I would just be getting a Brandon break.

I did get a bit of a break from him, but as you can see he still found something to get into. There is nothing like diaper cream all over the face. Reminds me of the time Anson did that right before family pictures.

First Missing Tooth

2009-04-06T18:36:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in a previous post that Anson had a loose tooth. Well with a little help it finally came out. All he had to do was take a pair of pliers and yank really hard and it came out....

....actually we just used some dental floss. The tooth was pretty loose already, so it just took a little yank.

A New Dress

2009-03-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that I get to be part of my sister's wedding in June. That also means that I get a new dress. My sister chose the colours that we have to wear, but we get to pick the style. Yesterday I bought this pattern, what do you think? Which dress do you like best?

Another Engagement!

2009-03-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about the engagement of my sister Lisa to Dave (third Dave in our Mennonite family). She is the last one of my sisters to get married. The wedding is to take place some time this summer, maybe even the same month as Doug's sisters wedding. I love weddings and love going to see my family in Ontario, so it is going to be a great summer. I am looking forward to it!

The Joy of Boys

2009-03-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this great post of a Mom describing her life with four sons. I can totally relate to her. I only have three sons, but feel extremely blessed that God has chosen me to be their Mom. I have the perfect family. Thank you God!!!

My Boys

2009-03-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy around here lately. It seems like if all three boys aren't sick at the same time then at least one of them is. Brandon was sick for almost two weeks and his sleeping routine got all out of whack. I got so tired (literally) of him sleeping in our bed, so I moved a twin bed into his room. I ended up going in there the first couple of nights and sleeping with him for part of the night, but now Brandon is feeling better and last night he slept in his big boy bed all night by himself. YAY!!!

There is this kids clothing store in town that put all their kids clothes on sale for 50% -75%. Grandma treated the boys with new outfits for each of them. They look pretty handsome if I have to say so myself.

Anson at six and half years old has his first loose tooth. We'll see how long it is before it comes out.

Cameron when left unsupervised at a church meeting decided to give himself a haircut. I don't know if you can tell by looking at the picture.

Brandon loves to get the screwdriver and "fix" things like his Daddy. It is amazing how his brain works.

The boys continue to bring me joy everyday, I just think that they are growing up way too fast.

The Good, The Bad, and The Not So Ugly.

2009-02-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Good - We ordered three stools from Sears for our counter, and they arrived two weeks early.

The Bad - I ordered bar stools, instead of counter stools, and they were just about as high as the counter and because we had them custom ordered we could not return them.

The Not So Ugly - My handy husband was able to cut the legs off to fit our counter and I absolutely love them. As you can see from the picture of Cameron's pizza party that we are already enjoying them.

I've Been Tagged

2009-01-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by Jamie. The idea is to find your 5Th picture folder and post the 5Th picture.

Here is the picture that came up for me. It is of Brandon with his great grandpa (papa) Kroeker. It just so happens that he is named after him (and his Grandpa). Another cool thing is that he also looks like him, just a little younger. He has the same blue eyes and his mouth shape is the same, although you can't tell in this picture.

OK so it is now my turn to tag 5 people. Which is going to be hard because some of you were already tagged by Jamie.

1. Ladonna
2. Shanilie
3. Nancy
4. Laura
5. Susanna & Amanda (consider yourselves double tagged)

The New Flooring

2009-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

Doug is almost finished putting in our new flooring, he only has a bit to do in the closet in the entry way. Anyway I'm really loving the new flooring. No more patched together, brittle linoleum.

As you can tell not much is new with me, to be posting about flooring.

Getting Started

2009-01-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Things are getting back to a normal routine around here, almost too normal. It is so easy to just keep doing what I have been doing but I really want to change a few things in my life this year like, getting fit and organized, etc. (my New Year resolutions). I am determined to stick to my New Year resolutions. I know that I can't do it with will power alone, I've been there, done that and failed time and again. What will make the difference this time is that I committed them to God and acknowledge that I can't do it without Him.

A way in which I want to get my house organized is by using the method that Emilie Barnes describes in her book, More Hours in my Day. The basic concept is that you organize your house one room at a time, 15 minutes a day. Today I finished the boys room. The next room up will be the master bedroom.

I also want to get my daily routine more structure. I am working on a schedule for myself, and a menu plan. I have yet to find a good time to have my devotions.

Anyway I am really excited and looking forward to each day that God gives me this year.

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that another year is gone. We all had a great Christmas here celebrating with family and friends, we truly are very blessed. I look forward to what the new year is going to bring and I love how it is kind of like a fresh start. Once again I have some resolutions/goals for things I want to accomplish in 2009. Things like; get into shape, memorize scripture, have a daily prayer time, start a menu plan, live on a budget, be more consistent with my boys' chores, organize my house, etc. I plan on touching base here on a regular bases, not only as an accountability for me, but also as an aid to inspire others in those areas.

Christmas Time Fun

2008-12-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas holidays have arrived for the boys, and for me too in a way. No more running to and fro. Today Anson asked to play PlayStation, which is not unusual because he could play video games and computer games all day if he was allowed. What was unusual was that Cameron also wanted to play, he could care less about video games. Anyway I thought that it was kind of cute when Brandon took an extra controller and joined them in ATV off road fiery.
It is nice to have the boys home all day long, but with it being -30 and not being able to send them outside to play the day does get kind of long. I need to think of some creative things to keep them occupied during their break from school. Any suggestions?

This year we didn't have a Sunday School Christmas program at Church. Instead we went to two different apartments for seniors and did some caroling for them. It was a lot of fun and a blessing to the seniors.

Cameron loves to help out whenever possible. I had a lot of fun making cut out cookies with him. I also thought that it would be fun to decorate a gingerbread house with the boys. I think that Anson and Cameron had a lot of fun, but Brandon just whined the whole time, and the roof didn't want to stay put, so it was quite frustrating for me, but that could be because I'm not the most patient person.

The Christmas season is a lot of fun, especially when you have children, they just add to the excitement.

I'm 20 months Old.

2008-12-16T11:51:00.001-08:00

-I'm 20 months old.
-I'm 32.5" tall.
-I weigh 24 lbs and 11 0z.
-My favourite things to do are go through my Mom's cupboards, throw things into the bathtub, and touch the beads on the Christmas tree.
-I can say about a dozen words like; bye-bye, night-night, ball, Mom. I can also speak in sentences but nobody understands what I'm saying.
-When I don't get my way, I throw myself down, kick my feet and scream. Unfortunately this doesn't help me get what I want.
-Most of the time I am a good little brother except when I bite my big brothers and pull their hair.
-I like to tease my friend Calleigh when she comes over to play by getting the baby (doll) before she can. I don't know why she likes it so much anyway, it doesn't seem that fun to me.
-My favourite person is my Mommy. I cling to her when we go somewhere, so she doesn't dare leave me.
-I get a lot of compliments on my beautiful blue eyes.
-I'm Brandon and I'm cute and adorable and I know it!

Exciting News.

2008-12-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

I'm excited about the upcoming marriage of Doug's sister, Janelle to Rhys. They got engaged on the 25th of November and will be getting married on June 13th.

Also just a couple days ago I got some shocking news that my sister, Lisa has a boyfriend. I totally didn't see that coming, but am excited for her none the less.

What do you think?

2008-12-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

On Monday I am going to get my hair cut. So I need your opinion. Please vote on the side bar. Thanks.

What we have been up to.

2008-12-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Just about every spare minute that Doug has had lately have been spent working on our renovations. Here is a glimpse of some of his hard work. (Putting the pictures on here mixed them up, so the after pictures are first).

AFTER
Doug refinished the oak, put on new cabinet doors and hardware on the doors, new counter top, etc. Left to do is the flooring and a back splash.

BEFORE

AFTER

We made space for a dishwasher (my first ever!) and added a bank of drawers.

BEFORE

AFTER

We took out the half wall by the table and are turning the closet into a pantry with pullouts (need to put on the doors yet). We also dry walled and painted the oak beam.

BEFORE

I'm really excited about how things are turning out. I'll post more pictures once we have the flooring in and do some decorating.

Words to Live by.

2008-11-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

Cameron's words of wisdom, "All dogs are boys and all cats are girls. Cats are just girl dogs."
Also, "Poppies help you remember everything!"

Anson's prayer, "Thank you God for giving us this world to live in. If we didn't have this world then we would have to walk around in space, so I thank you for this world. Amen."

Basement Camping

2008-11-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

For his birthday from Grandpa and Grandma, Cameron received a Rider tent. Since it is a long time (forever for a five year old) until camping season, Doug said that he would go camping with them in the basement. He is such a great dad!

Doug rented a movie for the evening. He hooked up our portable DVD player to a TV in the basement so they could watch it down there. Brandon was pretty excited about it and thought that he would join them.

Comfy inside the tent. I don't know what Brandon was more excited about, the tent or the gummy worms. Anson showing with his finger that the Riders are number one.

Brandon did go to bed after a few minutes and the my other three boys settled down for the evening with popcorn and the movie. Doug stayed down there with them until they were asleep and then came up for a bit. He did join them again for the night.

I enjoyed a quiet evening to myself watching Supernanny.

Cameron is 4....I mean 5!

2008-10-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Cameron's birthday was a lot of fun this year. We had two parties, one with family and one with friends. Pictured above is Anson bringing Cameron his cake, I remembered to put five candles on at this party.

Here Cameron is opening one of his presents and preaching to everyone that you have to open the card first.

Playing games....the kids all did great, it was a very enjoyable party and time went by quickly. Doug thought that I was crazy planning a two and a half hour party with that age group (2 to 5 year old). I think that it helped to have the party in our church basement and the kids had room to run around.

Eating the cupcakes.....when I brought out the cupcakes with the candles, Cameron informed me that I had only put four candles on instead of 5. Oops, time sure does go by quickly.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY CAMERON. I LOVE YOU!

The Rider Game

2008-10-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took Anson and Cameron to their first Rider game. Brandon got to have his first sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma's house. (He did awesome for them. He slept 12 hours without waking up)The day before the game we drove by the stadium and met this really interesting, Christian man who lives near it. He takes care of 90 parking spots in the neighborhood on game day and the money he makes from it he uses to build houses in Guatemala. The picture above is us parked in one of 'his' spots (someones front yard) on game day. This is the picture Doug took of the stadium the day before the game. We sat way up in the nose bleed section, but surprisingly enough the view of the game was still pretty good.
Getting ready to go in. The boys were pretty excited by the whole experience.

Overall the experience was great, even though is was a bit cold and windy. It was a very memorable weekend for all. Oh ya, the Riders won....that was the icing on the cake.

Need Decorating Advice

2008-10-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

OK so we are in the middle of doing a bunch of renovations to our house, so these are kind of the before pictures. I would really appreciate input from other people on how to make our home a welcoming, and cozy place. I like casual, traditional design. Anyway some specific questions I have are; what do I hang on the walls of a long, narrow hallway?...hang stuff on one, or both walls?
We have our computer desk in the living room, what would make that area more appealing? Also what do I put on the wall beside the window? Window treatment?(For the two windows in the living room, and the one above the sink)
Also how would you rearrange the furniture in the living room, it is long and narrow and open to the kitchen. I want to get rid of the entertainment stand and either get a smaller corner one or just get a piano. I also wanted to buy slipcovers for the couch and love seat, but apparently that is a no-no, custom made is the way to go. For more info visit designwithchristine.com
We have already refaced our cabinets and put on new white doors, next we are going to replace the counter top and put in new flooring. I'm excited that things are getting done, but like my husband I look forward to our home being a sanctuary, not a project. Any advice on how to make that happen would be greatly appreciated. I'll post after pictures when I'm done.

Still Searching

2008-10-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still searching for a job. I had an interview with an accountant last week who was looking for someone to help her. Out of all the jobs that I applied for this is the one that I would have loved to get, it was totally something that I would enjoy doing. During the interview she mentioned that she thought that she would need a full time person and today she called to let me know that someone else got the job, but that she would keep my resume on file. I was disappointed, but yet at the same time I'm thinking that maybe this was not God's timing yet. It's hard to trust God sometimes and to be patient.

Not only am I searching for a job, but I feel like I am searching to find who God created me to be, which is scary and exciting at the same time. So for now I think that I'll focus on getting my life in order so that when the right job does come along, I'll be ready.

We're Moving...

2008-10-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

...well at least that is the rumour that is going around town. I heard of it first from Jamie, she had been at a Mom's group and was asked by two of the moms if it was true that we were moving. Apparently they had heard it from a very reliable source. When Jamie told me about this I just kind of laughed a shrugged it off. But then a few days later one of the mom's of a boy who is in Anson's class, called and invited Anson and Cameron over to play one last time before we moved. I was at work when this happened, but Doug got to the bottom of it and found out that Anson had announced to his class that we were moving to Regina. Anson told us that he was only joking, but he didn't mention that to the class.
So I just want to set the record straight and let everyone know that we are not moving. I have another job interview tomorrow, and we are in the middle of doing renovations to our house so we will be sticking around for a while.

Wild Hair Day & Pulling Out My Hair Day.

2008-09-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

This morning while I was helping Anson get his wild hair ready for wild hair day at school, Brandon quickly climbed onto the table, (which is not much of a surprise because that happens daily) unfortunately I have not learned my lesson of cleaning off the table right a way, and Brandon dumped most of the raspberry jelly (which never did set properly) and rubbed it all over the table and himself and while he was at it, he helped himself to Cameron's leftover toast.
So proud of his sticky mess. Talk about wanting to pull out my hair.
Anson's wild hair. Not much you can do with short hair, but he liked it all spickey. I actually thinks he looks kind of cool.

The Big 3-0

2008-09-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have officially joined the 30s club and so far so good. On Sunday I went to a birthday party thinking that it was for a friend of ours, little did I know that it was actually for both of us. He also was fooled into believing that it was only for me. Anyway we both ended up being surprised. We had a great time with a lot of our mutual friends. Jamie and Doug did a great job planning the party, I feel very blessed to have both of them in my life. If you want to read more about the event you can go to Jamie's post at blessings-upon-us.blogspot.com. (Jamie I hope you don't mind me copying the picture).

On my actually birthday I just did normal things around the house with the exception of going out for lunch with my husband and in-laws and then later getting to go out on a date with my husband. And then today we just kept right on celebrating at the in-laws for supper. Doug really wanted to recreate my 20th birthday party today (that was a year after we met), but the wind didn't allow it. It was a cool idea anyway and I still had fun. I truly feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Anson's 6th Birthday

2008-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Anson's birthday with a party of 13 boys. We had not planned to have that many, but he had taken the liberty to invite a few extras. At least he told us about it, apparently when his uncle was a boy, he had a few extra boys come home on the bus with him to his birthday party without his Mom knowing about.
Opening up his gifts. I was so glad that Doug came home from work early to help with the party. I don't know what I would have done without him. Anson had a lot of fun at his party. Next year he will only be allowed to invite seven boys.
After all the boys went home. Grandpa, Grandma and Auntie Janelle brought over supper and we kept partying.
For his birthday Anson received a Bible from Grandpa and Grandma.
He also gets to go to a Rider game in October. I must say that he is a blessed boy, and I'm blessed to have him as my son. He is very percious to me.

A Great Day

2008-09-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Doug and I left the boys with some family and friends, and took off to hang out with some of our wonderful friends. The guys did 18 holes of golf and us ladies got to do some shopping, (mostly window shopping) and mini golf. At the end of the day we all met together for supper at this really nice restaurant. We had a super great time and are thankful for the good friends in our lives.

Update

2008-09-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

First off I just want to thank all of those who left a comment or talked to me personally about the job issue. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that a part time day job would be the better option. Also after praying about it I came to that same conclusion and it was amazing the peace I felt about it afterwards.
I am now in the process of seeking what is out there and I have applied at a couple of places. On Friday I had my first interview and many years and I was quiet nervous about it, so I did research on the Internet about how to have a successful interview and took notes and everything. When Doug got home from work I introduced myself and shook his hand to practise. He thought that I was going a little overboard, that was even before I told him that I was going shopping for a new outfit for the interview. Anyway I did find a nice out fit. It only cost twice as much as what Doug guessed (usually I don't pay regular price for clothes, but I had half an hour to find the perfect outfit). Anyway I went to look over my notes and found that Doug had written in huge letters over my notes that read: JUST BE YOURSELF!!! With all that being said I think that the interview was a success but the job is not totally suitable for this stage in my life so I'll keep looking. I am excited about what is yet to come. I would love to have a fulfilling job, that challenges me, yet at the same time that allows me to keep my family priority.

Back to School

2008-08-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well it is that time of year again, but this year I have two boys heading off to school. It is sad really how quickly time flies by. Anyway can you tell who is a little more excited to be going to school? Cameron had been whereing his backpack for three days before school started. Anson loves going to school and was looking forward to going back.
It was pretty exciting and special that Grandma got to come with us on the first day of school.
Cameron was pretty proud that he go to choose his own locker. Of course he chose a top one (the one right above his head)
Cameron was excited about the whole thing. This is where I left him. I hardly got his attention long enough to say good bye. Later on when I peeked in on him they were all sitting around in a circle and he didn't even have a clue that I was there. It sure makes it easier on Mom to 'let go' when they so excited about something.
Anson has a little harder time with change. He was close to tears. I think mainly because things are so different from last year. He is down a different hall, and because he is in a grade one/two split he hardly has any of the same kids in his class. And not to mention he gets to sit in a individual desk this year. Anyway I'm thinking that once he gets comfortable he'll once again love to go the school.

I know that I'm really excited about this school year. I was talking with the vice principal of the school this summer and she mentioned that they picked Anson for this class because he is so keen on learning and that he would do well learning some of what the grade twos are learning. Also with Cameron enthusiasm, I think that this is going to be a great school year.

It's been awhile

2008-08-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

This summer has been crazy busy, I have hardly had time to think about my blog, let a lone update it.
This is the first Sunday I have had off in August and we made the most of it. We went for a boat ride this afternoon and then took the boys mini golfing. Then we headed over to my in-laws where our church congregation had an evening service around a camp fire. It was a great way to spend what seems like the last Sunday of the summer. I say that because the boys start school on Wednesday, and that makes it feel like summer is over.
Part of the reason that life has been so busy lately is because I went back to work. When I first started my job I mentioned to my employer that I only wanted to work two Saturdays, one Sunday and the odd evening a month. Well I have been working every Saturday and Sunday and two evenings a week. It is too much, I have no desire to work that much. Anyway if I don't get a backbone soon and tell my employer to cut back my hours, my husband it going to make the call for me. I'm actually thinking about finding a part time day job. I'm not completely crazy about that idea either, because I would have to find someone to watch Brandon, and he cries a lot when I leave him anywhere other then with Grandma, also I would like to be available to go to school functions, and be involved with that as much as possible. But after working evenings and weekends for three years, I'm ready to be done with that too. Especially with the boys going to school during the day, I feel like by heading to work in the evening I hardly get to spend any time with them.

OK, now it's your turn to tell me what you think. I would appreciate any one's input on whether I should find a part time day job or stay working evenings and weekends. I would love to just stay at home full time but that doesn't seem to be an option.

A Natural

2008-07-26T18:27:00.001-07:00

Brandon really seems to have an ear for music. More so than his older brothers did at that age. This is him "playing" the piano at Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Swimming Lessons

2008-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Cameron working on his starfish float. Now he just needs to learn to do it without any help.
Cameron blowing bubbles under water. He has improved a lot since his first lessons a few years ago. Last year after his teacher asked him to do something, Cameron responding by saying, "Don't ever tell me that again." He still has problems listening but is getting more comfortable in the water.
Anson bravely jumping off the diving board. He was a real fish in the water this year and did really well in his lessons. Anson usually works hard at what he does.

Busy Boy

2008-06-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Brandon is a very content, happy baby (Yes, he is still my baby), but he is very busy. The other day he went into his room and was gone for a while and so I went to check on him. He had opened the middle drawer to the change table, climbed in and after emptying a few things couldn't figure out how to get down. Also lately one of his favourite things to do is to go into the garbage under the sink and help himself to a snack. He has found toast and yesterday he was trying to eat yogurt out of an empty yogurt container. He definitely keeps me on my toes.

We're Back!

2008-06-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we arrived home from Ontario. We had a wonderful time visiting, swimming, visiting some more, and of course attending my sister's wedding. I'm so glad that the boys were able to get to know their cousins a bit better and their grandma also.
Now it is time to get back to a normal routine, which is going to be different for the summer. Anson only has two more days of school left, and I am going back to work for the summer. I am working at the Regional Park at a store selling fishing gear and ice cream and such. The odd time I will work at their restaurant which is in a different location. It is not my dream job, but it works well because I will only be working when Doug can watch the boys.
I am excited for the summer even though it will be a busy one.

This and That

2008-05-25T19:29:00.001-07:00

On May long weekend we went to the city for our friends Lindsay and Rob's wedding. It was a very nice wedding. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if we wouldn't have had Brandon with us. Oh well, I'm so happy for them and was glad to be able to share their special day with them.

In less than two weeks I fly to Ontario for my youngest sister's wedding. I'm looking forward to it and am extremely excited that the whole family is going to be together. My Mom, all eight sisters, 7 bothers-in-law (counting the groom), and the 27 grandchildren. Anyway it is going to be a blast. I'm sure that the boys will enjoy playing with their cousins. They don't have any cousins close by, which really is too bad.

This week has been a crazy one. On the weekend some of us were starting to get sick and then by Monday all five of us were sick with a respiratory cold. So there has been a ton of coughing going on, and I haven't had a voice for the last three days. This is the first time that it has ever happened to me and it is very annoying to me and to people who have to try and listen to me. At least it has really made me appreciate the fact that normally I can talk, it is a lot easier raising the boys with a voice, now I can only glare at them when they are misbehaving.

So Very Blessed

2008-05-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

These four guys are the reason that I am so very blessed. They made me feel so special on Mothers day. It is a joy and an honour to be their Mom, and I'm also lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive husband.
Brandon is already 13 months old. Shortly after his first birthday, he decided it was time to walk and now doesn't even crawl anymore. He is also now consistently sleeping through the night. It is so nice to get a good night sleep. It was my goal to nurse Brandon for a year, but things seem to be going so well, I don't know when I'll stop.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2008-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Those of you with children will agree with me that kids come up with the cutest sayings sometimes. I often laugh at the things they come up with and think that I will remember, but I soon forget. Anyway so before I forget I just wanted to share some with you;

Cameron asked to have his jacket zipped up and said "I'll be mighty grateful, Daddy if you zip up my jacket." (Keep in mind he is four)

Today Cameron hit Anson. I told Cameron to say sorry.

Cameron "I'm sorry"
Anson "You have to say my name too"
Cameron "I'm sorry, Anson"
Anson "That's OK"

Life would be so boring without children.

After...

2008-04-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

I got my new hairdo yesterday and so far I like it. I'll have to play around with it, and learn how to style it. The shorter the hairdresser cut my hair, the curlier it got, so now I have to straighten it. I also had it coloured. Anson was sad that we no longer have the same hair colour. I thought that was sweet.
I also wanted to say thank you to all those who made suggestions. In the end I picked a style based on my husbands opinion.

Before

2008-04-20T20:20:00.001-07:00

Well it is time for a new look. I have an appointment on Tuesday for a new do. Any suggestions are welcome.

Snow much fun?

2008-04-20T20:12:00.003-07:00

After some really nice days here lately, I was disappointed to wake up Saturday morning with snow on the ground. Cameron on the other hand was super excited. So Doug went out with him to build a snowman. Oddly even though we have long winters, this was the first snowman we made. I'm so blessed to have children, they teach you to have joy in everything.

My Little Boy

2008-04-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since Brandon's birthday it has felt like he is less of a baby and more of a little boy...sad really. But he is such a cute little boy. Brandon has graduated from his infant carseat to a bigger one. He seems to enjoy being able to see more out of the window. It is fun to watch him take in everything he is seeing.

Brandon's first Birthday

2008-04-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Brandon enjoying his gift from Grandpa and Grandma.
Eating his birthday cake. Yum! Yum!

Mini Getaway

2008-03-24T13:58:00.001-07:00

Brandon's first time swimming. These pictures were taken the first day we went swimming. Brandon enjoyed it a lot more the next day.

We were able to get away this weekend to the city. We wanted to go because it is Anson's spring break at school, so we wanted to do something fun, but we also needed do some shopping. So it was both business and pleasure.

For the most part we had a great weekend. It was really good to just get a way from the daily stresses of life. On Friday we rented a hotel with a swimming pool, and did some swimming in the afternoon. Then for supper we went to Doug's Aunt and Uncle's house. We were joined by another Aunt and Uncle and some cousins. We had a great time of fellowship there. After supper we all went over to their church for a huge Easter egg (more like chocolate) hunt. The boys had a blast and we'll be eating chocolate until next Easter. On Saturday we did some more swimming and shopping, the boys did really well but we definitely didn't get as much done as we had hoped. For supper that day we went over to some friends house. By this time the boys were starting to have some behavioral problems. I know that they were tired but we still expected a little more from them. On Sunday we joined Doug's relatives for a great Easter service at their church, and then for lunch. At this point our two oldest boys are still having some behavioral problems and Doug and I are running out of patience. It was time to go home. It was good to get away, but even better to come back home.

Daily Life

2008-03-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Brandon's favourite thing to do is empty out two of my cupboards. He then climbs in and gets stuck and whines for me to come and get him. He has also gotten out a hot dog bun and started eating it. He is very busy.
Anson and Cameron have some time outside everyday and Brandon watches them from the door, wishing he could go out too.

Life Lately

2008-03-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Brandon is 11 months old already. Today was a really good day with him. He napped really well and didn't whine. But I must say that the past month has not been so great. He has been cranky! I blame it on teething, but unfortunately he doesn't have any teeth as a result yet. Brandon is a very busy boy. He loves to go through my cupboards, as you can see in the picture above he helped himself to some Cheerios (he doesn't even like Cheerios anymore). He stands by himself for a few seconds and has tried to take a step, so I don't think that it be long before he is walking. (Both Anson and Cameron were walking by this age) Brandon no longer eats baby foods, he likes to eat what we are eating, his favourite food seems to be pasta, and of course he loves bananas. I can't believe that in one short month we'll be celebrating his first birthday.
Granny G (Doug's grandma) came for a visit last week. The last time she was here Cameron was a baby. It was great to see her again.
Sick day - This is how Anson spent his day. Unfortunately he had to miss school because he was sick. It was hard for me to see that Anson was not feeling well, and I wish so badly that there was more I could do for him to help him feel better. I just hope that tomorrow he is himself again and that no one else gets the bug that he has.
On Sunday our church had their annual sleigh and chili social. The weather was gorgeous, and we all had a lot of fun. I feel very blessed by our church family.

Soccer Tournament

2008-03-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Anson has been playing soccer most Thursday nights for the past few months. Today his team played in a soccer tournament. They came in last place, but he still had fun and we had fun watching. The picture is Anson playing in net, but he actually played out more. He did really well trying to playing his position.

So Very Exciting!

2008-02-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day for me. I checked my email and noticed that west jet had sent one to notify me of a seat sale they have. It was a 30% off sale, which is not that great but I thought I would check it out anyway with my sisters wedding coming up in June. When I got to their website I noticed that they had a different sale...a one day anniversary sale. Anyway to make a long story short, I was able to get tickets for $39!!! Now all my boys are going too, instead of just me. I totally think of this as a God thing. God is Good!

Heaven bound

2008-02-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

I have a question. Do you think that people know if they are going to die soon?...Can they feel it? I always thought that my dad knew, because things were so different the month before he past away.
The reason that I ask is because Anson spent some time at a friend's house a couple of weeks ago and when the Mom dropped him off, she mentioned that Anson had told her that he was going to die soon. When we asked him about it, he didn't want to talk about it. Then today at school one of Anson's classmates told him that the race car driver Dale Ernhart was died. Anson is a huge Nascar fan so he found this quite upsetting and talked about it lots after he got home from school. Tonight after we were done praying we were talking about dying and heaven and he mentioned that he was going to miss me when he goes to heaven. I don't even want to think about one of my boys dying, but the truth is that we are all going to die one day (unless Jesus comes and gets us before than). I'm so glad that Anson has asked Jesus into his heart and that his eternity will be spent in heaven. But I still hope and pray that I have him for many more years and that he will grow up to be a mighty warrior for the Lord.