The Sweetest Thing's

2011-04-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Some birthday cakes and cupcakes I made for my husband and my son :-) Their birthdays are about 2 weeks apart. The first pic is my son's angel food cake slathered in a cool whip and cream cheese icing, the second 2 pics are husbands chocolate cake and cupcakes with cream cheese icing and strawberries. Yummm. The top pic is just a variety of some baking I did around Christmas time. I am at home at the moment, not working. So its nice to bake and decorate for my family :-)

2011-04-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Blog currently under re-construction.

2011-04-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

With Mothers Day very quickly approaching us, I have decided to share a few background templates I use for homemade cards or lining baskets. Here are a few of my favorites. Most of the images are from the internet, or pic's I have taken myself. They are all beautiful and you can be very creative when printing off your card. Any craft supply store will carry a variety of textured paper and colors to choose from. I personally prefer a nice Ivory or light peach/cream colored paper with a vintage feel to it. Something similar to homemade paper. If you have the time to make your own paper go for it. If I can buy it, I will lol. Many craft stores also sell vintage stickers. Head to the scrapbook section to find the gold picture tabs to frame your card, or a seperate pic you want to glue and frame on the front of your card. I like to use tissue paper as well sometimes. Although it is lighter, most printers will do a good job printing txt on it. You can streamline rip the edges of your card to give it a more romantic feel. Enjoy :-)

2010-12-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Some random pics of where I live :-)

2010-12-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

Oh wow its been awhile lol (( hugs )) Now that I remember my password and stuff I hope to start posting again :-) Cheers

2009-11-07T22:16:00.000-08:00

....Neil txting me back telling me to not panic!! Everything is Fine...lol :-)

The post below this one, the pictures were about 3 weeks after these photos were taken lol :-) I did it backwards :-) My son and daughter went out target practice and some light hunting ( Grouse) with dad and our best friend and were taught valuable lessons on how to handle a gun. Target practice lol :-)....be advised the pictures may startle some people but the kids were well taken care of. They were taught how to handle and respect a gun. They used a .22 long rifle.....I think...lol , like I know what I'm talking about lol :-) My daughter is 19 and not into hunting....lol...but our son is 12 and his dad is going to take a course with him so he can go hunting too. Strong valuable lessons were taught. I,of course, did not want to see my son handling a gun...or my daughter...but dad is a hunter/fisher and the kids go with him so this was something he wanted to do for and with them....Neil taking the first shot at the bullseye target........Ashley went first.....

....almost a bullseye........Brads turn....

....Got it !!!!

They had a lot of fun.

....teacher #2...Good job kids :-)

2009-11-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

Well it's that time of year again lol :-) Time to go gather wood for fires :-) We went on a drive out on one of the logging roads here and gathered some wood for some friends. It was a Blast !!! We left and it was a cold day....then it Snowed !!! I wasn't happy about that lol, but we had a lot of fun :-) Took the dog and let him run free. He didn't go far at all. I thought for sure with his wild nature in him he would wander away, but no...he stayed right near us all the whole time. He has wolf in him....in case you were wondering. So that was my big concern with him. My son brought his best friend so we had many hands to load two trucks full of wood :-) We started a fire to have warmth. It was great :-)

...the drive out there...

...the boys found a huge pile of logs to inspect....Notice the ignition used to start the fire....lol :-)...sigh...boys...lol :-)....My son and his sidekick lol :-) My son is to your left ( Brad ) and his buddy is to your right ( Damon). I always say Damon is the son I never gave birth too lol :-) We take him everywhere and his parents take my son everywhere lol :-)....the boys eating on a pile of logs...starting to snow now........20 minutes later !!!..white stuff.......the dog( Titus) checking out all the wood in the back of one of the trucks lol :-)....the drive home. Single lane log truck bridge........saw a LOT of this on the way home.....

....anyways, that was a day out gathering wood :-)

2009-07-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Wow !!!...It has been ages since I have blogged :-) I am doing well :-)...verrrry well :-) Just busy with work lol :-) I have no excuse for the lack of blogging...but I will try to update a bit more often :-)...I blame Facebook lol :-) Lets see, my puppy is now a ginormous dog, my children are well and my husband is fantastic :-) He broke a bone in his foot at the end of march and was off work for 2 1/2 months. Now we are spending the summer getting caught up on bills....life goes on don't it ;-) My car starter went a few days ago so I have to get that fixed...lol :-)...just seems like it's one little hurdle after another lol :-) I am happy to be working...as I know some people are not. My job is secure...at the moment. Plus I may have a new boss...negotiations for the business are in progress at the moment. Other than that...all is well :-) I will try and get around to seeing you all real soon :-) Thank you for your patience :-) ~ Cheers ~

2008-10-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

My goodness !!! Time sure flys. I haven't been blogging much lately and I apologize for not getting back to you guys much sooner. Things are hectic at the moment. We are in a scramble at work to try and find a new book keeper. Our hours were dropped to 4 days a week because work is slow due to a fragile economy. Then I got spun into a whirlwind of work starting November 1st. I went from 5 days to 4days, and now its 6 days full time. This morning we had a meeting and now it looks like my days are back to 5 days and 8 hours per day instead of 7 per day.....I'm confused.....

So lets step outside of my little confusion bubble and enjoy some funnies for the day :-)

What's the difference between chopped beef and pea soup? Everyone can chop beef, but not everyone can pea soup!

A magician was driving down the road..then he turned into a drive way...

Why don't aliens eat clowns. Because they taste funny.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh

Two snowmen are standing in a field. One says to the other : "Funny, I smell carrots too".

What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhino? el-if-i-no

Two peanuts walk into a bar. One was a salted.

2008-09-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

I got this by e-mail.

A child was told to write a book report on the entire Bible. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child. Children's Bible in a Nutshell.

JUDAS ASPARAGUS

In the beginning , which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he Was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than His brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the IsraelLights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses s' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them. After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyway's, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

2008-08-29T12:45:00.001-07:00

Okay, keeping with the bird thing ( lol) this one is for LZ. What type of bird is this ? We seen it on our lot at work. It was here for about 2 days, and then left. We haven't seen it since. It was hard to get a picture of it because it kept hiding and flying away.

Ignore the date on the camera ( it is wrong). If only March was bare ground( I think not). We still had a ton of snow here. The bird almost looks like a Robin...except it was skinny, and has a yellow chest. I had to zoom in because it was on the other side of the lot. Every time I got close enough it flew away. What is it ? I'm sure they are around, but this is the first time I have seen one that close.

2008-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Awwww :-(

Have any of you ever had the pleasure of seeing a Snowy Owl ? Some other names for the Snowy Owl are Snow Owl, Arctic Owl, Great White Owl, Ghost Owl, Ermine Owl, Tundra Ghost....so on and so on. Anyways around here, I have had the pleasure of seeing them fly around from time to time. I see them perched on the street light, sitting in the fields ( usually out by the airport ) or perched on the light posts that guide the airplanes onto the runway. The hills and the mountains and of course the farmers field's out near the airport is the best place to see them. Well this morning hubby and I were driving out to his shop and unfortunately came across one on the highway. I guess he or she swooped down to low and got hit. It was quite sad . They are very big and very pretty. I was a little saddened throughout the morning. The one we saw was very similar to the spotted one here ( above ) so I decided to do some research and find out a few things about them from the internet. For example,..." A distinctive white Owl, their overall plumage is variably barred or speckled with thin, black, horizontal bars or spots. Females and juveniles are more heavily marked than males - adult males may be almost pure white, although they have up to three tail bands. Adult females are distinctly barred throughout, and have from four to six tail bands. Immatures are very heavily barred throughout, and dark spotting may codominate or dominate the overall plumage. Intensity of dark spotting varies with the sex of the immatures, females being the darkest. Juveniles are uniformly brown with scattered white tips of down.".....

So I guess the one we saw was a female, or a young juvenile. They certainly are a beautiful bird. Especially if you see a few of them together flying low. It is quite an experience. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the small lesson on the Snowy Owl :-)

.....by the way, the pictures were taken from the internet, not by me personally. I do have 2 pictures but I took them with my cell phone and could not get close enough to share a good picture of them. Take care. Cheers !!

The Snowy Owl

Like a silent whisper the snowy owl flew into a winter wilderness
A thin shallow mist stretched over part of an icy lochan
A narrow stretch of pine trees laden with snow stopped close to the waters edge
In front of her the snowy owl saw the panoramic view of twin mountains, features softened with heavy snowfalls
This white illumination of timeless wonder and beauty was home to the snowy owl
As silently she had come silently she went
Tomorrow would be just another day

a collection of poems by David Morin

2008-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Okay okay...LOL !! NO this is not my van. This is one of my rentals from work. It was found awhile ago at the bottom of a ravine. We got money, and the vehicle was replaced with the same one, but I was still sooooo irritated when I came to work and they said okay Renae, lets take you to see what is left of the rental. Boy was I mad. Even the mechanics kinda stayed away from me as I walked around looking at this mess of metal with rather colourful words coming from my mouth LOL !!

The Caravan was vandalized, smashed up, drugs and alcohol were involved. The ignition was screwed up to make it look like it was stolen, then dumped down a ravine around 2:30 a.m. I was not pleased. It has all been settled now, so I thought I would share a few photos of what was left.
There were broken beer bottles inside, and a case of MGD ( what was left) thrown against the seat in the middle row. There were a lot of things found scattered around in there, including an empty can that smelled....'funny'....if you know what I mean.
Anyway, my theory is someone else was driving too fast, drunk and high with other people, they hit something in the front that screwed the left front tire, so they dumped it down a ravine and left it there. The police were involved and had an idea already of who the driver was. Soooo.....anyone looking for used parts ? LOL !! Take care and have a wonderful day :-)

2008-07-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy lately !! I am so sorry about my lack of blogging !!! I promise I will make it around to all of you in short order :-) In the meantime I'll share some photos of the newest member to our family. Meet ' Titus '......

Titus Pullo was born on May 5th/08 on one of the reservations northwest of Prince. He is a Black Lab/Wolf cross. I call him ' Chief ' as a nickname. I think he may have a wee bit of Malamute in his blood as well. He is a little cutie patootie :-)

He has a big name to grow into....but he also is going to be a big dog :-)

I guess he decided to change the program...LOL :-) These two pictures he is playing with my friends dog ' Angel '.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures . He is soooooo cute :-)

2008-06-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Little banged up beauties aren't they...LOl !!

Ok, now for some fun :-) Here are a few photos from the latest smash up crash up hit-to-pass that is held every year at our friends house. They have around 70 acres, so the races are on a homemade track down the property near the back. I had to have someone drive for me because I was at work and couldn't make it in time. But thats ok, there were still plenty of races going on when I got there, and lots to do.The pit...LOL !! You cannot spend more than $200.00 on a car, and it must run....somehow LOL !!Hubby ( white shirt and white hat) down in the pit keeping the cars running.

Lots of dust....Neil ( hubby) and the host of the event. They got distracted by something out there....not doing a good job of watering the track. They had a water truck, but the pump stopped working so they had to drag out the mini water tank and the 4-wheeler instead.
the green car stopped working...so it was pushed off the track over to the pit to be saved....This guy flipped right over....don't worry, he was fine. Laughing in fact...
pulling it off the track...
The cheerleaders....The flag station...Ashley....ready to rumble...RIP...Ashleys car :-(....another guy drove it...and killed her car...LOL !!) Hope you enjoyed some of the photos. We had a blast !!!

2008-06-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

My little girl has graduated !!!

Ashley and StevenShe wore the Metis sash with her grad gown...Six more years and he will be there too :-)
Congratulations my girl !!! I'm sooooo proud of you :-)

2008-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ashley & Steven

Where does the time go !! It sure flys in the blink of an eye. I have been meaning to post some pictures of my daughters prom, and now here we are 3 weeks away from grad !! Holy Moly !! Now I understand what everyone has said about 'Enjoy every minute, the next thing you know they are all grown up.' Well here she is....all grown up.

I took her on her first day of kindergarden,12 years ago, and I'll be there for her last day of high school. Like all parents, we have been there for every milestone, every project, every problem, and every solution, boyfriends, heartache, and laughter. I know she's graduating , but then what ? She'll move on, work, then move out, get engaged, and then get married, then have kids of her own. Or the order may be reversed a bit, but she'll still move on. It's amazing how fast they grow up. My son is 11 now. Already I feel like at his young age, time is flying past. I can almost look him right in the eye. But , I am also only 5'1', so I think I can look most 11 and 12 year olds in the eye, LOL !! Steven ( in the photos) is rather tall, so I need a chair to stand on if I want to to be eye level with him, LOL !! Anyways, just thought I would post a few photos. The other girl in the burgundy dress is Ashley's best friend since grade 2. Steven is Ashley's boyfriend...then they are friends...then they are dating again...sigh...I get lost after awhile...LOL !!

2008-05-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

My Mom......

She is a nurturer, she is strength, she is love......

She is Happiness, Laughter, Life, Wisdom, She is everything I hope to be.....She is my Mom....I Love You !!

"A mother will lend a helping hand

until you have the strength to stand.

She'll pick you up when you are down,

when you need a friend she'll stick around.

A mother is one who listens well,

will keep her word; will never tell.

A mother never pokes or pries

but stands quietly by your side,

giving you the strength you need,

encouraging you to succeed.

A mother is one who can be strong

when you need someone to lean on.
You're more than a mother to me;a reflection of Him in your face I see,

a love that knows no boundaries."

Excerpt from ' More Than A Mother' By Kari Keshmiry

2008-04-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

This poor little Sparrow flew into the back window of Neil's truck about 2 weeks ago and got stunned. At first we panicked and thought the red all over him was blood !! Turns out it was not. It's just his coloring. So once we realized he was okay, we just sat with him and held him until he was unstunned....?....LOL!! Not sure if thats a word or not, but it works, LOL !! A lot of people get a giggle at the beer can and figured the little guy was sipping and got drunk. Don't worry, the can was empty, LOL !! We checked out his wings, and legs. Nothing was broken.

He just sat on the edge of the shoebox looking at us. Then he went around to the other side and just stared at me.We went and sat the box on the car in the sunshine to see if he would fly away. It took a few more minutes of resting before Neil picked him up and the little guy flew away to the tree's with his friends. He was fine, and not injured at all. I thought the pictures were neat. It certainly shows how colorful these little guys really are. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. We enjoyed having him for a visit.

2008-04-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well.....I had a toothache all last week, it hurt !! Ouch ! I woke up a week ago with sharp little zinging stabs through my tooth. Felt like little electrical zaps. So I took a LOT of Advil, and Motrin and tried to get into a dentist. I also used Oragel, and some good old fashioned clove oil. That helped...a lot. They finally phoned me on saturday around 4:30 p.m. and said if I got there right away they would do something for me. The tooth had abcessed, so they had to pull it out. Thank goodness....I feel much better now. Except, now my jaw is sore, and I feel dizzy, and stoned from all the T3's and Ibuprofen LOL !! The tooth extraction went well, it only took about 4 minutes and it was out. I was in the office for about 1 hour. The needles....oh how I don't like the needles!! There was a t.v. built into the ceiling so I could watch something while they froze my jaw, and then they left me for about 20 minutes in the chair. All I could think about was....'there is a t.v. in the ceiling'....if that came crashing down, it would land on my face...then I think the tooth problem would be put aside for the moment...LOL !! It's all done now. Too bad the price wasn't the same as the prices in the picture, LOL !! Oh well. Take care everyone. Peace and blessings sent to you all.....Cheers :-)

A couple jokes for you:

Did you hear the invisible man married the invisible woman?Their children weren't much to look at either.

Q: What do you call a cow jumping over a barbed-wire fence?.....A: An "utter" disaster!

An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the thing he predicted yesterday did not happen today.

2008-03-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me an email with some pictures of a rare Albino moose. I thought they were so neat I just had to blog these. I wasn't sure where the photos were taken because the email only had the photos. So I googled them and found out they were taken near Whitefish, Montana. Such beautiful photos, I just had to share them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Have a terrific weekend :-)

2008-03-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

My parents have come up for Spring break and Easter this year !! It is a week of celebration. Mom's birthday was on Tuesday, so I made her an angel food cake with pineapples and cool whip called 'Angel Lush'.... and for dinner we had roast beef, potato's, gravy, cabbage, green beans, and homemade garlic bread !! They will be here for Easter, and it is also my husbands birthday in a few days. So we have lots to celebrate this week. Hope you are all well and have a Happy Blessed Easter filled with love and peace surrounded by family and friends. (((hugs))) Cheers !!

2008-03-07T07:31:00.001-08:00

LOL !! I'm back !!...I forgot my password and have been struggling to figure it out, LOL !! Anyways, back to reality. We woke up a couple days ago to a massive not-very-nice winter morning. The weather channel predicted a snowstorm for our area, unfortunately they didn't get the snowfall amout right. They predicted 20 cm's...We got 2 ft of snow in 12 hours !!! Some areas just 5-10 minutes away from us got 2 1/2 ft and more !! This picture was taken at 6:30 a.m. . I went out, on my day off, to help Neil dig his truck out of the snow. What you are looking at is my car buried in snow. It was still coming down.

By the time we got a break from all the snow, my car was buried up to the door handle. This is a white Cavalier.

My son found the windshield, so we knew where to start digging to get the car out !! LOL !!

This little bird was singing away on the patio Sunday morning. The patio had NO snow......( except for the ice you see here)....

This is what we woke up to on Monday morning.I had to go out and measure the snow. This all came down in one night !!
We have had some winters where the WHOLE season was 2 ft of snow let alone one night !!! It's going to take a long time for this to go away. To think I was just planning out my garden and my herb and flower beds the day before all this came down. Now I feel like Winter will never go away !! I've been sick of the snow since it first came down back in November.....sigh.....I need to move away....somewhere tropical......

2008-02-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Kids On Love

Kids confidential opinions about love:
I'm not rushing into love, I'm finding fourth grade hard enough. (age 10)
Yesterday I kissed a girl in a private place. We were behind a tree. (age 7)

What people are thinking when they say I love you:

The person is thinking, "Yeah, I really do love him, but I hope he showers at least once a day. (age 9)
Some lovers might be real nervous so they are glad that they finally got it out and said it, and now they can go eat. (age 7)

Why love happens between certain people:

One of the people has freckles so he finds someone who has freckles too. (age 6)
No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular. (age 9)
I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful. (age 8)

How to make love last:

Spend most of your time loving, instead of going to work.(age 8)
Don't forget your wifes name, that will mess up love. (age 8)
Be a good kisser, it might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash.(age 9)

Random thoughts:

Falling in love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life. (age 9)
If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful. (age 9)
When a person gets kissed for the first time they fall down and don't get up for at least an hour. (age 8)
To make a person fall in love with you, shake your hips and hope for the best. (age 8)

2008-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone a fun and Happy Valentines Day !!

Valentine Friend

A Valentine friend is someone you choose

To share your life with you,

Someone who is always there,

Whether you’re happy or you’re blue.

With a Valentine friend, you can be yourself

You don’t need to pretend;

When you’re careful to choose a compatible match,

You create a perfect blend.
With you for my special Valentine friend,

My life is full and bright;

You bring contentment, joy and peace;

You’re my Valentine delight!

By Joanna Fuchs

2008-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

I recieved another email about Grandparents. It is the way Grandparents are seen by 8 year olds. this one is more for the Grandpa's. It's very cute. Enjoy!
-Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

- A grandfather is a man grandmother.

- When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

- They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on "cracks."

- They wear glasses and funny underwear.

- They can take their teeth and gums out.

- They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?"

- When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

- Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.

- They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

-Grandpa works in the shed all the time because he doesn't like broccoli either.

A Boy Needs A Grandpa

A boy needs a Grandpa...For man-to-man talks,

To go hand in hand

On companionable walks,

To fix up his toys

When they no longer go,

To tell him the things

Little boys want to know.

A boy needs a Grandpa...

To show him the way

To handle a puppy,

To teach him fair play.

To impart bits of wisdom

He's learned through the years,

That it's no disgrace

For a man to shed tears.

A boy needs a Grandpa...

To sit on his lap

And if no one is looking,

They take a wee nap,

Each wrapped in an aura

Of love and esteem,

Each smiling gently

At some special dream.

Eleanor B. Fallis

2008-01-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I recieved this wonderful email from a friend of mine and wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Cheers!!

THIS IS LOVELY

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting ~Author Unknown

What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret

Grandmothers are just 'antique' little girls. ~Author Unknown

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild. ~Welsh Proverb

A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television. ~Author Unknown Never have children, only grandchildren ~Gore Vidal

Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you're just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric. ~Pam Brown

Grandchildren don't stay young forever, which is good because Grandfathers have only so many horsey rides in them ~Gene Perret

When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window. ~Ogden Nash

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~ Marcy DeMaree

Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies. ~Author unknown

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first. ~Lois Wyse

My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world. And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too. ~Gene Pe rret

If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one. There is no fun for old people like it! ~Hannah Whithall Smith

It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother - that's why the world calls her grandmother. ~Author Unknown

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. ~Mary H. Waldrip

You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. ~Proverb

An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. ~ Gene Perret

The best baby-sitters, of course, are the baby's grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida . ~Dave Barry

I wish I had the energy that my grandchildren have - if only for self-defense. ~Gene Perret Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love ~Author Unknown

Grandmother - a wonderful mother with lots of practice. ~Author Unknown

2008-01-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share some pictures that were taken over the holidays. All of us kids were home for Christmas this year at mom and dads........

one of my brothers ( Travis..white jersey) and my hubby Neil....
My sister Alicia, Travis and I....
sister, me, Neil, brother,sister in law, and baby brother
.....me eating.....Again !!!
....my nephew Jack....yes, Simba came down on the trip as well. LOL !!

...mommy and me.......LOL ! Yup, thats my dad .....One of my dearest friends from high school............Neil and his best friend Shawn...

Hope you enjoyed the photos....

2008-01-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all !! We spent a wonderful Christmas at mom and dads with my whole family !! It was awesome !! Lots of food, lots of company, plenty of laughter!! It was great !! There was no need to gain extra pounds with the nephew around...LOL !! He will be 3 in feb. so most of the time I was chasing him, kissing his cheeks, playing games. Wore me right out !! Holy Moly he's got a ton of energy!! We met up with some old friends from high school. Some we haven't seen for about 16 years now. It was awesome !! The New Year already brings some changes for us. We may be moving in about 6 months...not sure yet, Ashley is graduating High school this year, and Brad graduates from elementary school to go into middle school !! I didn't really make any New Year resolutions. This year is full of changes so I think I'm just going to swing with what each day brings me. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and much love and hugs sent your way for all the best in 2008 !!

2007-12-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Letter:

I have a list of folk's I know, all written in a book, and every year at
Christmas, I go and take a look.
And that is when I realize that these names are a part,not of the book
they're written in, but of my very heart.
For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime, and
in that meeting they've become the 'rhythm and rhyme' .
And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim, I really feel
that I'm composed of each and every name.
And while you may not be aware , of any special link, just meeting you
has shaped my life , more than you can think.
For once I've met somebody, the years cannot erase, the memory of a
pleasent word or of a friendly face.
So never think my Christmas cards are just a mere routine, of names
upon a christmas list, forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you, it's
because you're on the list of folk's , that I'm indebted to.
For I am but a total of the many folk's I've met, and you happen to be
one of those I prefer not to forget.
And whether I've known you for many years or few, in some way's you have
had a part of shaping thing's I do.
And every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew, the very best
gift that life can give, is knowing folk's like you.
And may the spirit of Christmas that forever endures, leave it's
richest blessing in the heart of you and yours.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! From my family to yours!! Cheers!!

2007-12-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well...we have another driver in the house !! Ashley passed her roadtest and is now officially allowed to drive on her own !!....yeesh...don't think I'm ready for THAT quite yet, LOL !!!

2007-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day. My daughter is going for her roadtest to get her license!! The weather isn't the greatest. Snow and icy roads...not a favorable time of the year to go and take a roadtest. She's a really good driver. I'm nervous for her. Hopefully she passes....I think she will. Then, I have my own driver, LOL !! Her learners license looks like Nicole Ritchie's mug shot!!! LOLOLOL !!!

2007-12-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today is my day off. So of course being in Dec. now, I must put up the tree!!! YAY !! All the garland and the Christmas village went up already about 2 weeks ago. Today is tree day. Of course the lights have to checked first, and then look at all the ornaments that have been carefully wrapped and been in a slumber for the past 11 months. The kids are at school so I'll put up the tree and lights, and then when they come home we will decorate. Tonight is the perfect night. We do the tree and always open the season by watching Charlie Brown Christmas. Well, it just so happens that it's on t.v. tonight. Perfect !! There are lots of Christmas specials on. I think Christmas isn't the same until we watch Charlie Brown, the original Home Alone, and of course Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase !! LOLOLOL !! The original Grinch, Frosty, and the animated Rudolf always follow closely behind. My kids love to watch the old Christmas specials. After the tree is decorated we turn on the lights and look and admire how pretty it is. Then we settle on the couch to curl up and watch the Christmas specials that are on.There are so many new ones....they still would rather watch it on t.v. (not video) because you get the commercials and the anticipation of knowing whats next is exciting. A commercial comes on and we all scatter!!! " Make more popcorn!!" " Who wants more hot chocolate?" " Do we need more snacks?"..."hurry up! It's back on!". LOLOL !! Yes, it's very exciting around here today. Especially since it's snowing, the wind is blowing, it's absolutely freezing!! (-17 with a chill of -28)

....but once it's all together, we all sit back in a warm home with the fireplace on, and fond warm memories of each Christmas past. Thats what today is for me. I'm glad my kids share in the same feelings. Have a warm wonderful week everyone.

2007-11-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

A Happy Thanksgiving to my American family and friends. May you all be blessed with Peace, Joy, good food,and plenty of laughter as you gather this week with family and friends to celebrate. Cheers!!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Samuel F. Pugh

"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."

2007-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of people that like to pay quiet secret little visit's behind the fence at my work. Most of them are living on the street. Drug addicts, girls....young girls...who sell themselves for whatever they need, usually drugs. There are older people who sit on a park bench and drink, some socialize, some like to make trouble, some just like to keep to themselves and go about their business for a quick shootup behind our fence. The fence is a chainlink fence at the back side of the car lot. So, when I go outside and smell that familiar smell of 'weed' in the air, I do take a wander over to the side to check up on who's in the corner. I have a miniature battle ground to walk through when none of them are there. I walk past needles, condoms, bottle's, beer cans, medicine containers, band aids, packaging that I'm not sure about. It is a mess. It is so sad to me when I go look at this back corner where the addicts pay a visit. I have had to ask if some of them are alright...because they sure don't look it. One young girl look's like she is about 35-40 years old. She is an epileptic drug addict....she's only 22. One older gentleman set up a house with a mattress, an old blanket, and a back pack. My boss and I approached him because he was in the corner making groaning noises and talking to himself and did not look good. He was startled to see us and proceeded instantly to gather his things. We told him we were not there asking him to leave. We wanted to make sure he was ok and if he had eaten yet that day....he hadn't eaten for 2-3 days. I told him to go get something to eat from the shelter 2 blocks away. The shelter was about to open for lunch and he didn't want to be a burden.He didn't want to leave behind what meant everything to him...a mattress with urine stains, an old fur coat, a bike, and a back pack. We told him we would watch his possesions and if the city came along they could not have his things. So he lifted as best he could and tossed over the fence to us his bed and the fur coat. We went back inside took up a collection and went to buy him some food for when he came back. He never did. I am so sad. This time of year really makes me appreciate what I have. These people have nothing, but to them something as simple as someone saying good morning or giving them a book to read means the world. I'm the first on the lot on saturday's and I open the gates and always smile and say good morning. My boss went into work early one morning and made a pot of coffee and went outside and poured them all a cup with creams and sugar. They were so appreciative. A smile, a good gesture goes a long way. Someone's day is certainly made better by a simple wave or a hello. We have a gentleman that walks by everyday with a shopping cart full of cans. His name is John. John used to work on electronics in the 70's. The computer age came about, his job was finished and he never did find work again. He stop's in every few days because we told him we have lots of cans at work. He sits and talks with us and then goes about his merry way. He is so intellegent it blows my mind that he lives off of can's and bottles...and does very well!! It's cold up here in the morning's but they are all still out there...somewhere. I see them off to the side by the tracks, sitting, waiting, some start fires to keep warm. They are beside buildings, in the ally's, between vehicles or sitting beside a bush. Now these people are gone. Where did they go? Will they be around again? Are they warm enough? Are they eating? Is someone else smiling and saying good morning to them?...or are they just getting dirty looks by people who pass by them?

2007-11-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

WOW !!! I can't believe how fast the time has gone!!! Sorry I havn't updated my blog for awhile now ....bad bad blogger. Right now I am at work watching the snow come down. All the cars on the lot are little fluffy snow mounds with a peak of colour coming out from underneath. It's been snowing for about 2 days now. We were lucky enough on Halloween to have a good night of walking around and then....SNOW!!! It is very pretty.

The snow insulates and makes everything so much quieter. When I'm at home standing outside on the deck you don't hear a sound. The birds are still around....the winter birds of course. So now I'm thinking ...there is only 52 days left until Christmas!!!! Oh my...thats....4 paydays...7 1/2 weeks...1 3/4 's of a month(s) left....roughly. Wow....so I guess when I go home tonight I'll start to think about my Christmas decorations and stuff. Believe it or not I've already bought a few Christmas presents. I started in....are you ready for this....June!!! LOL !! Now don't be groaning...I just happened to come across a few sales through the summer and some items were perfect for Christmas. Anyways I am at work and have had a blast reading all your blogs and have come across a few new ones. Take care all!!! Cheers for a safe and warm weekend!!

2007-10-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the kids start to talk about Halloween. What costume to wear, what accessories, who they are going to go trick or treating with. How long they will be out for.Where are they going trick or treating. The 'where' part is funny because they know which neighborhoods give out the big chocolate bars,LOL !! Kid's don't care about the whole voo-doo-hoo-doo hollabulloo about Halloween. It's just about getting candy.I mentioned this in a post I did last year about Halloween, this is the one time of year we encourage our kids to 'take' candy from strangers,LOL !! Usually we do all we can as parents to protect our kids from strangers. " Don't talk to strangers".." Don't accept candy from strangers".."Don't walk with strangers"

"Stranger Danger!". Halloween comes around and there are kids galore!! There are also parents galore out walking with them. All the little girls are wearing princess costumes, and all the boys are pirates, or something from a gross scary movie.To the kids, it's their chance to step out and dress up and be something that they imagined in their heads. Up here in the North, it's cold for Halloween. Half the kids are dressed up, and then they have to put on a winter coat over top there creations. All us parents are walking with our coffees and chatting it up with people as we watch our kids race from house to house to get the free offerings of candy. They are probably racing to keep warm ! LOL !!

"Eat healthy, don't rot your teeth." Another phrase we have always told them. This one day out of the year is the exception to the rule about eating candy. The dentist's must be thriving businesswise about a month after the great pumpkin came out. As far as candy goes, it's all in moderation....or so I like to think. Now, I like to 'think' I control my kids when it comes to the sugar high that they get after working their butt's off for 2-3 bags of candy. "Give it to me" I say, " Let's sit down and check it all over and make sure there is nothing bad in these bags." Well, not only are we looking for the typical scare's of Halloween candy, razor blades in the apples, tampered candy packages, questionable homemade stuff etc.....the whole bag, or 'bags' are a threat!!! This is 3 bags of sugar!!! 3 bags of little packaged monsters about to be released. Hyper kids, cranky kids, headaches,sleepless nights from gut aches!!....oh how I 'love' halloween. The moderation part....there isn't one!!! I try and be strict, but they still find it and devour it. I think it's time for a new tactic on monitering the candy eating/intake this year. Not sure what it is , but I'll find one. I'm sure kids have already figured it out and mine are one step ahead of me, LOL !! Blessings to all!! Be safe!!

2007-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I have about 16 people coming over today. There will be turkey, stuffing, gravy, creamed carrot's, buns, ham, mashed potato's, roast, scalloped potato's, green bean casserole, pasta salad,spaghetti squash,pumpkin pie, ice cream....hmmm, that's a lot of food!! Blessings to all for a thankful long weekend!

Things I am thankful for:my husband, my children, my family, my friends, love, friendship, peace,laughter. I am thankful for the things I have and the things I don't have. Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when your tired and weary, it means you made an effort. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they will become your blessings.

2007-10-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do .

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT......... Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did.

2007-09-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kid's are back in school!!! All is going well for my kid's. How is everyone else's? My daughter is graduating this year and the talk of prom, grad, dresses, shoes, pictures, flowers DATE's was the topic of the household last night. I think Neil's shining up the ol' Smith and Wesson, LOL ! She had an on again off again boyfriend for awhile, but had a hard time because his name is the same as her dad's..Neil. So we called him 'Fabio' instead. Still didn't work for her, so now they are just...'friends'..mmmhhum. I think it's funny, she doesn't quite see it that way, LOL ! Brad is doing well so far. He was so excited to get back to school. I think it was more because he hadn't seen some of his friend's all summer long. Now he's already asking when the first pro-d day is at school. He rides his bike because the school is just down the road. I drove him this morning because of the bear sightings, and now a possible cougar warning. That's kind of scary. The bears run when they hear a group of kid's,...cougar's on the other hand are attracted to the noise of a possible group of 'lunch'!! Ummm, no thanks !!An old friend of mine moved up here and just lives around the corner from me. She had a bear wandering her street the other day, and I think the bugger made his way over to my yard, again !! He didn't make a mess this time, but I could hear something on the side of the house rooting around. I didn't hang around outside to find out. The woodpecker's on the other hand are all over right now. We've got the typical one with the red head, we have Northern Flickers, and smaller ones that are black and white. I got a picture of the red headed one sitting on the fence. He likes to swoop down and pretend to dive bomb your head if outside, LOL ! At least I think he's pretending. I know he gets ornery if the feeder isn't full for him. I tried to get a closer picture of this one, I think it's a woodpecker? Not sure. But he was banging like the other one's.I know it looks like a Robin in the picture, but to see him up close, he's way bigger, and has spot's all over his chest.

Mama squirrel is a character. She chatters and dances on the wood pile and looks at you if she's hungry. Then she scales up the tree and waits for me to go and fill the food bowl. She only had 3 babies this year and has kept them well hidden, mostly from my cat, LOL ! She is so funny though. The other day there was 2 squirrels playing among the wood pile and then disappearing between the logs. I thought,'Awww, how cute. They play so nicely."....they were not 'playing' if you know what I mean, LOL ! I love this time of year. Autumn is my favorite season. I think it's the most beautiful season. The leaves change colour, the sunset's and sunrise's are full of colour. The air is crisp in the morning, and still some what warm through the day. It's beautiful. Anyway, that's my thought for this morning. How are thing's where you are ? Take care, and much love and hugs sent to all of you. Have a terrific weekend!

2007-09-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

2007-09-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kid's sure come up with the craziest things to say, LOL !! Blessings to all for a great weekend! Enjoy some of these quotes. The kid's are all about 10 years old.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED

No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.

When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.

If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.

Never ask a 3-year old to hold a tomato.

You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic-tac.

Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time.

School lunches stick to the wall.

You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.

When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him.

2007-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

It was Ashley's 17th birthday on the 1st. Today we are doing a birthday dinner. Friends are coming over and we are going to do a couple of roast's on the bbq, some potato's ,corn on the cob, ceaser salad, homemade garlic bread, and birthday cake. We'll probably have a fire in the backyard, burn some of the wood down.

Yesterday we went out to our friends place and helped them stack wood for the winter. I had to work, so Neil and Curtis went out to help fall some tree's, buck them up, and stack wood in the shed. By the time I got there with the kid's there was still lots to be done. So we all worked away and then ended the night sitting around a huge bonfire. Ashley, lol! was helping stack wood with a tiera on because it was her birthday, LOL !!! It was so funny to look at her with wood gloves, movie star sunglasses and a tiera on her head. Anyway,' Happy Birthday' to my girl !!!

2007-08-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

It was rather chilly this morning. The leaves are starting to change color. It's not noticeable at all. One or two, here and there. Everything else is still bright green. Fall is a few months away. So today I thought I would echo a post I did about sunset's on my other blog. These were taken from my patio throughout the summer. The colors of the sunset's up here are so different. Then when the Northern lights come out, they just dance so bright in the sky. I am a big fan of sunset's, and sunrises. The best rising photo's are this time of year, so I'll begin collecting those pretty quick. In the meantime, enjoy these one's.

Most of these were taken between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.The last two (above) were taken around 9:30 - 10:00 p.m. . The sky went a fire color and stayed that way for a long time. We didn't need any lights on because it was so bright.
Take care!!! Blessings to all for a wonderful weekend!!

2007-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Much like the Spirit Bear project in Prince George, Vancouvers project was called 'Orcas in the City'.

Orcas in the City - Vancouver PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Local artists, in partnership with sponsoring individuals or organizations, will create a unique design and apply it to the surface of a life size (approx. 8ft with base) custom formed fibreglass Orca calf. The Orca becomes the artist's canvas. Once the work is complete, the Orca will be displayed in prominent public spaces around Vancouver, with the majority being placed in the downtown business core. A 'Walking Guide' will be created and distributed to tour operators, hotels, tourist spots, cruise terminals and popular community distribution points. The Orca was chosen to embody the West Coast and to highlight the fact that British Columbia is one of the best places in the world to view killer whales.

The BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities will be turning the streets of Vancouver and targeted Lower Mainland key points into a WHALE of an event.

2007-08-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heartfelt thank you to everyone for your kind words on the passing of my friend. Jo-Anne was to young to go, but her body just could not hold on any longer. She fought the fight as best as she could, but her time was up and she had to leave us. I will miss her so much.

I've known Jo for about 7 years and actually met her through another friend. We would talk so much everytime we got together, nobody else could get in a word LOL !! One night we sat and chatted for about 6 hours straight!!!! Jo had a blood condition that had no cure. Slowly over the past 3 years she had to stop working, and eventually was confined to her home. Breathing was hard for her and was finally put on oxygen 24/7 about 7-9 months ago. She carried around her portable tank inside her black leather Harley Davidson purse. I saw her about 3 months ago while we were watching the finals of a Stanley Cup game at the pub near my house and admired her strength and courage while she would walk around as best she could to say hello to everyone that she knew. It was hard for her to get up and walk around because the blood flow was effecting her bones, her lungs, it was hard to breathe even on oxygen. She tired easily and had to sit down a lot. She was in pain to get up and walk, but she did it. Even through all that, I sat with her for about 3 hours and she still had that sparkling laugh and smile, even through the pain. She always had a smile and comforting words and arms for me when I was upset, she had a laugh that would echo when she heard something funny, or told a story. She was a wonderful woman who we will all miss. Love you Jo !!!!

2007-08-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Spirit Bears in the City - Project Overview - Prince George

What is Spirit Bears In The City?

Found only in British Columbia's northern forests, the rare "Spirit Bear" or "Kermode Bear" is widely recognized for its unique white colouring. A First Nation legend states that the Raven, their creator, made these bears white as a reminder of the time when the world was pure and clean and covered with snowdrifts and ice blue glaciers. Raven promised that these bears would live in peace and harmony forever.
This reclusive bear will congregate on city streets in May 2006 in support of the BC Lions Society's Easter Seal Operations. The project has already taken roots throughout BC with the eight communities committed to joining "The Spirit Bear Trail" – Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver Island, Prince George, Terrace, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, and Whistler.Here's how it works...
Local artists, in partnership with sponsoring individuals or organizations, will create a unique design and apply it to the surface of a life size (approx. 7ft) custom formed fiberglass Spirit Bear. The Bear becomes the artist's canvas. Once the work is complete, the Spirit Bear will be displayed in prominent public spaces around the participating cities. A 'Spirit Bear Trail Guide' will be created and distributed throughout participating communities.

The goals of 'Spirit Bears In The City' are very simple:
-To create an event that provides maximum exposure to sponsoring organizations, artists and -recipient charities
-To invite tourists from around the world to visit our province and share in our culture
-To produce an event that encourages the 'Arts', local businesses and individuals to come together in a spirit of community fundraising, benefiting the important work of the BC Lions Society's Easter Seal Operations
-To generate artistic creativity and showcase BC artists
-To celebrate the cultural diversity of our province and promote civic pride
-To capture the imagination of children, adults, and tourists alike

Spirit Bears are all over the city. Allmoney raised goes to the BC Lions Society Easter Seals Operation. They are all spectacular!!!
This one's my favorite !!! Hope you enjoyed a peek at some of them. I've got a few more pictures of them I'll load next blog. Take care and have a terrific week !!!

2007-08-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Joanne,

You are no longer in pain, your suffering is over. Peace and calm surround you now. God took you home before I was ready, but you had to leave us and we know now you are at peace. I will miss you. I will miss your laugh, your smile, your stories, your comforting words, and your grace.

ESSLINGER - Jo-Anne Marie departed this life on August 9, 2007 at the age of 48.

2007-08-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 13, 2007

My arms are so sore !!! Yesterday, I went out back and had to restack 2 piles of wood!! Half of each pile lay scattered around from a bear that decided the arrangement of the wood pile was not to his satisfaction !! LOL !! Actually, my theory is, he tried to climb up the one pile between the trees to try and reach the bird feeder for a little snack. The wood was stacked quite tightly so when his weight on the pile was to much, he came down to the ground and took out half the wood pile next to him as well !! It was a horrific crash that woke me up from a sound sleep around 5:30 a.m., I was not pleased. This was about two weeks ago, so yesterday I put it all back up. Now it's all neat and tidy again. The funny thing is, he never reached the feeder, lol !! It was still hanging up in the trees. There is a lot of seed scattered on the ground from the birds and the squirrels, but they are pretty good at gobbling that up. This is the time of year when the bears are starting to eat up and get ready for winter. Takes a few months and then they are gone. We are going to be smoking some more salmon in the smoker real soon. This is usually done at night. So when the big black creatures are lurking, it's always a surprise if the smoker is up or down by morning, LOL ! So far so good. We don't like to run the smoker during the day, because we are not home. I get a little nervous about leaving that alone with smoke and a running element, good cause for a fire if not watched. Anyways, today is a good day for cleaning house, and then go downstairs and finish up a sign I'm working on. I do painting in my spare time ( when I can find some, lol ! ) . So this next project is being done on an old chunk of wood , with a birch bark frame when I'm done. I'll post a few picks of the things I have made. I like to use barn wood, old fence chunks, plywood ( must be well weathered of course) and turn them into little country signs. This latest project is a piece of plywood that was used as a for sale sign. I turned it around and wanted to paint what I felt would be perfect for the 'feeling' of the wood. I narrowed it down to either scripture, or an old hymn verse. I settled on "It Is Well" by Horatio Spafford. The rest of the wood will be turned into a checker board, or broken in half and made into 'Wash House' for the bathroom downstairs, or "Peach Blossoms"...?... something like that. I hand paint it all, no stencils. It always looks good once I pencil in the main design, after that, if I use a multi color it covers certain script or angles that I have to reproduce from memory of where I put certain lines. It's fun to do because it's all my own. Take care and have a terrific week !!!

2007-08-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Good day everyone!!!! I'm so happy to be back and running again!!! My modem died, probably as a result of a horrific thunderstorm we had a few weeks back. So I had to send the dead one back and have been waiting for almost 2 weeks now for the new one to be sent to me. 3-5 bussiness days I was told. Okay, so I waited.....NOTHING!!!! I phoned the other day to my service provider and lo and behold the new modem never got mailed out!!!!! GRRRRR !! Talk about frusterating. I never realized how much I enjoy reading all your blogs and catching up with everyone. I haven't been ignoring you all, I just haven't had access for awhile now. I could at work, but that only gave a small window to peek in on everyone, and then I would have to log out and use the computer for the car lot, or rentals, contracts, and stuff like that.You know, use the computer for work purposes..?... Like, hello!! Whats up with that, LOL !! Use a work computer for work stuff, how silly is that!! LOL !!! Anyway, I'm back now and promise to visit everyone and say hello to each and everyone of you guy's!!! Now I have to go get ready for work. Take care everyone, and hugs and blessings to you all for a wonderful weekend!! Cheers !!

2007-07-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Wow !! I just realized this is my 100th blogiversary!! Lol, not sure if I spelt that word the right way. This weekend was a rather fun relaxing weekend. We took Ashley and went out to our friends place where they have a bunch of old cars left from one of the races they hold each year. So, Ashley got behind the wheel and drove around the track several times. She had a blast!!! The funny thing about it all, she had such good control flying around the track with a license magnet on the back allowing her to drive, and she's taking driving lessons right now!!! Don't think her instructor would appreciate seeing her racing at high speeds.

Michelle and I got a turn driving with her. I am so sore!!! My back hurts, my butt hurts , my ribs are sore from laughing and bouncing around so much!!! We all had a blast. Then we sat around the fire and yakked away until the wee hours of the night. Ashley did very well on the track. Then Neil got into another car with her and was going to teach her how to drive a standard. They didn't get to far because the car kept stalling. So it was parked out on the field and we moved onto something else.
The above picture was Curtis and I backing into them to try and give the car a push start. We were in the yellow car, Neil and Ash were in the blue one.
Lol, she had to give a few stomps on the roof. Wrong kind of 'jump start' Ash!!! Some of the vehicles needed gas and oil, Neil and M. to the rescue!!!! That picture was a little dark, sorry 'bout that. It did lead up to a beautiful sunset photo.
Then it was off to the house to sit by the fire. The very top photo is of an old tractor that has long been retired. So I took the picture with a Sepia tone to it to try and Antique the photo. Here's a color snap of the tractor growing in the weeds, LOL.
It was a perfect night. Good friends, lots of laughter, I love relaxing casual nights like that.
Lisa, Michelle, and 'moi'. We all sat on an old carriage that's sitting just off the way from the fire pit.
The above picture is me sitting on the carriage, very Sleepy Hollow from the smoke. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, from what you could see,it was a little dark. Take care and have an excellent week everyone!!!

2007-07-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend has gone by far to quickly!!! Neil and Curtis left for a fishing derby on Friday, and won't be home until tomorrow. I had to work on saturday, so once I got off, I came home and packed up the kids and clothes and headed out to Purden Ski lodge to meet Michelle and her kids at a friends cabin. It was soooo nice!! The bugs were horrific being out on the mountain like that. Still the weather was gorgeous!! The sun was hot!!! So hot!! Michelle left with the kids around 1:00 and headed out there, I had to work until 5:00. I borrowed her camera to post some pictures of this trip because Neil took our camera on their fishing trip. The first few are of Purden Lake. I wasn't there, but Michelle took her kids for a swim at the lake and then they headed up to the cabin. Beautiful British Columbia....my province..

I'll have to ask Michelle, but I believe the above shot is Purden Ski Resort, which is where the cabin is at, just near the lodge. Those clearings are the chair lifts. Once we arrived it was just beautiful!!! Way up in the mountain. Bear, Cougar, Wolverine, Wolf, Moose, Deer, Lynx, anything you can think of, yup it lives among those mountains. The next few shots Michelle took around the cabin, and at the resort.....

In the morning, I decided to have some fun with the camera and changed the color tone. So I snapped a few B&W and Sepia tone photos. This is very old skis above the door....Love this shot!!!

Michelle took this one of me...

I will get her permission,( because she may freak lol, ) For me to put her picture here. It is a gorgeous picture of her. She thinks it's very Janice Joplin, I happen to think it's a good pic of her.

So, until then you get to see me in my jammy's and funky wool stockings I borrowed, lol!! Very cabinish!!

UPDATE: JULY 19/07 Lol, it won't be here for long she may have a fit...this is Michelle.

So anyways, I wanted to get a picture of the kids. The bugs were soooo bad, I didn't want them to suffer. So I told them where I wanted them to stand, and it was a one shot deal. Bless there little hearts for cooperating with me. Standing still with millions of bugs attacking and swarming them. It sort of turned out, really good I thought. I would love to have gotten one more, but....to many BUGS!! Even I couldn't stand still to take the photo, lol !!! This is all our kids....
The owners of the ski lodge brings his horses to come up and graze freely on the mountain around the resort. They don't leave each others side. So we had to get a picture of them. It's funny, you just walk along and then you turn around and Bam! there they are following you or just moving somewhere else. He had goats to, but one got eaten on the mountain so he took the other one home. The horses are brought in at night.
We all had a blast!!! I'll leave you with a few more photos of the wagon ,the wood shed, and the cabin.

Oh yes, I took this picture of Ashley, so I thought I would add it. I think its a beautiful picture of her!!! Take care and have a wonderful week everyone!!!

2007-07-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is a really cute email I recieved this morning, lol !!! Children really are precious jewel's....

6 reasons not to mess with children.

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a
human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother,
she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shalt not kill."

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up
and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael; he's a doctor".
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher; she's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she sai d, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face."
"Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position, the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was
a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

Have a terrific work week everyone. Hope the jokes made you smile. Take care.....

2007-07-05T07:44:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of fun on Canada Day.We had some friends come over for a bbq. Potato salad, macaroni salad, caeser salad, bbq chicken,baguette with cream cheese and sundried tomato pesto with parmesan cheese on top, and baked potato. Then we sat around a fire in the backyard for awhile. Around 10:30 we loaded up the kids and went 4x4ing just out by our house and sat and watched the fireworks from the city on top of a hill/cliff/mountain, lol!! It was very dark, but so pretty. A couple of other trucks showed up shortly after we arrived. When we got there, one guy was all alone with his quad by a fire. So we cranked up the tunes, sat by a big fire, watched the fireworks, and then headed home around 11:45. Didn't see any bears, thank goodness. We were in their territory. That reminds me of the time I came home from work around 11:20 p.m. and wondered why my security light was on in the back yard. At the same time pulling around the corner, a large black furry flash went past me. What the heck was that? I knew it was a bear, but at the same time, this was no ordinary bear. This was a big ol' bush bear that had to have been around 10 years old. Not the normal little young ones I usually have pass through the yard from time to time. So I turned and looked for him before getting out of the car. Where did he go? Hmmm, perhaps its that massive black mound looking at me from my neighbors yard....yup, that's him. I pulled out my cell phone and phoned Neil inside the house. "Where are you?", he asked. "I'm in the car because a bear is in the yard." So he came out to the living room window and looked around because I couldn't see it anymore. He waved me in, said he didn't see it anywhere neither. I have never run out of my car into the house as fast as that Ever!!!! Next question as I'm running maddly to the door....this door better be unlocked?!!!! Well, I guess it was more of a statement because if the door was locked, I was about to make a new one with my foot!!! I thought I saw this.....

But in reality, it was actually this......
So thats my little horror story for today folks. Blessings to you for the upcoming weekend. Take care.......and watch out for bears!!! Lol!!!

2007-07-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to my American neighbors!!! Hope you all have a wonderful day today full of celebrations. I know some of you are going to games, bbq's, picnics, fireworks. Sounds like a lot of fun. Have a wonderful celebration today. Talk to you soon.....

p.s. I love old postcards so I wanted to post some of these. They are just to cute....

2007-07-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

What a nice award!!! I was tagged by greeneyes and received the Rockin Girl Blogger award.

This is what she said about me:

A wonderful soft hearted woman , who usually makes me laugh somewhere on her Blog , she is interesting in her poetic passages and her friendly warm soul , she makes me feel right at home ,sweet indeed .

Thank you so much. Now it's my turn to tag some Rockin Girl Bloggers. The first one, of course, without a doubt would be my mom Kate, my sister Alicia, Shona, Sharon, and Kelly.

Karen:http://adventuresfromkateland.blogspot.com/ She is a wonderful woman, with a sense of humor. All her blogs are love, wisdom, advice, memories and just plain real. She is vibrant, loves life and is way to full of energy!!She is my mom. I love her.

Alicia:http://allthingsjack.blogspot.com/ Leish has a terrific sense of humor that reflects on her blogs. She has such a soft heart and a sweet spirit about her. She is family oriented and would do anything for you to help out.

Shona:http://thefunnybone.blogspot.com/ Shona is a wonderful, loving funny woman who is a mother of 4. She loves to laugh, tell jokes, just be herself. Her blog is full of life. Stories about her children and her husband make me laugh, and always say Awww.

Sharonhttp://sharon-pocketsofblue.blogspot.com/ Sharon is very down to earth. She is a mother of 3 and is very busy.She loves her children, husband and it's a pleasure to stop by and read her blog. She is a very caring woman with concerns for all.

Kellyhttp://myutopias.blogspot.com/ Kelly is very real. She is concerned about making a difference. She has a very unique personality, and a sense of style that makes her blogs such an informative read. Her cares, concerns, and love for helping children make her a blessing to me to have her as my new blogger buddy.

Meow, Jeanette, Greeneyes, Doug, Lz, and Michael are all wonderful caring, funny blogger buddies that have brought such joy to me. I enjoy talking to each and every one of you.

All the bloggers in my little world have generous hearts, caring sensitive nature's and have made my day at times when I really needed to be uplifted. I love you all. Thank you for being a part of my life. I know even though I have never personally met some of you, I feel as if I know you very well. Take care and blessings sent from my home to yours for a wonderful relaxing week.

2007-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

Canada Day is often referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press. However the first day of July does not commemorate a clear-cut date of "independence" or "founding," but instead merely commemorates the begining of the establishment of the Canadian Federation through the 1867 British North America Act. The holiday was formally established by statute in 1879, and was originally called Dominion Day, making reference to the term "dominion," which was first used to describe a political union within the British Empire for Canada, at a time when the British government was hesitant to adopt the name proposed by the Fathers Of Confederation: Kingdom of Canada.The British Parliament still retained several political controls over Canada after 1867, and the country still lacked many of its modern provinces. July 1, 1867 represented the establishment of Canada as a kingdom in its own right, the begining of a new phase of Canadian self-soverignity and democracy, and was the begining of the slow march towards full independence from Britain, attained with the proclamation of the Constitution Act by Elizabeth II,Queen of Canada in 1982.

Have a great holiday everyone. Take care..........

2007-06-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Joe and Shona on the birth of their baby boy!!! Noah Joseph made his debut appearance tuesday, June 19th at 7:23 a.m. at Mater Mother Hospital in Brisbane, Qld.He was 8lbs 3oz, 52 cm long, (20.5 inches). What a beautiful baby. Shona was lucky and labored for only 3 1/2 hours..?..( I know..I know!).... 3 pushes and Noah emerged to greet the world. Mom and baby are doing well.Congratulations Joe and Shona, Ashley, Tasha, and Jonah on the newest little member of your family!!!!!

Its 3 am they're all asleep and no one's here to see

As we rock slowly back and forth my Baby Boy and Me.

His little head is feather light tucked up against my chin

I hold his tiny hand in mine and stroke his baby skin.

The house about us creaks and groans the clock hands creep around

He snuggles closer to me still and makes his baby sounds.

I love these quiet hours so much and cherish every one

store memories up inside my heart for lonely nights to come.

All too soon he'll be grown up his need for Mama gone

but until then I still have timefor kisses and for song.

Time for quiet hours like this with him cuddled in my arms

where I wish he'd always stay protected safe and warm.

And yet I know the day will come when this tiny little hand

will be much bigger than my own he'll grow to be a man.

But until then he's mine to love with no one here to see

as we rock slowly back and forth my baby boy and me.

2007-06-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

For Fathers Day we went to the annual Show and Shine. It's a display of old cars, trucks, and motorbikes. The city shuts down the downtown core for about six blocks. All the old vehicles line the street and it takes about 2 hours to walk around and look at everything. There is music, crafts for the kids, venders, lots of exciting things to see and hear. Ashley and I took a few snaps of the cars, so bere with me as I attempt to post as many as I can. I may have to split this post into two. After the Show and Shine we took the kids to the waterpark, and then went over to Curtis and Michelles for a bbq. It was a wonderful day we all had. Enjoy....

The El Camino below belongs to the owner of the car rental place I'm at, and the cherry car below that is my neighbor's....

After the Show and Shine, we went to the water park......
We all had fun. I know the dad's were a little bored of being at the park but, oh well, suck it up buttercup's!!! LOL !! Hope you enjoyed the photo's.I have a few more so I'll post them in a couple days. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.....

2007-06-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

DAD

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ... Dad

Happy Fathers Day Dad!! And to everyone else ,blessings sent your way for a rich day with your children. Renae

2007-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

It was Our Anniversary yesterday, We have been married for 16 years!!....holy moly! Last night I stopped in at one of my best friends to drop off a and pick up a few things and her sister and brother in law were there.So I called Neil and said come over for a visit then we'll go home. So he brought the kids . Gord made us a beautiful anniversary dinner! Roasted potato with dill and butter, a spinach salad with creamy dressing, corn on the cob, tomatos and onions done in a sugar and dill sweet wash, cucumber salad with another creamy dressing, all homemade, and done on the bbq! It was sooooo good!!! Then we sat around the fire pit and came home. All our kids were there. It was a wonderful time. That is what I love to do the most. Be surrounded by family and friends instead of going out somewhere to have a quiet dinner. We used to do that but now I would rather be with family and the good friends that God has placed in our life. Have an excellent weekend everyone!!!

2007-06-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

While we were on our vacation in Langley, B.C. we took in a little pub called Dublin Crossing. What a beautiful Irish pub. Neil and I took mom and dad there for lunch the next day.

Everything was from Ireland. The furniture, the pictures, the lights, the building!!!! Everything was shipped from Ireland and built in Langley. They had painters from the New York Institute of Art come in and hand painted Everything!! The writing on the walls are all done in Irish Celtic.

There are murals everywhere you look. This one was painted over the entrance.

The upstairs balcony had old iron railing that lined the top almost like an old castle.

This was upstairs. It's called the Royal Room.

Live bands play there. All the music is Irish. I will definately go back again. The food is amazing! You get so much, and it is very reasonably priced. We had a terrific time. I recomend to take in this Pub if anyone is in the area. You will not be disapointed.

There are so many little nooks and corners to go in. I just loved it!!!!
Hope you enjoyed the pictures. I know I love looking at them. Have a wonderful week!!!

2007-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!! I never really went anywhere, I've been ill for the last week and a half. I tried so hard at work I finally had to take a day off. So now I'm feeling way better. My stomach still is not the same. I caught some stomach virus that really did a number on my system. I haven't slept a whole night through. This is a bad time of year for me anyway's because as you can see the sun doesn't really go down all the way.I'm a light sleeper anyway, so combine that with some mild insomnia, makes for a tired morning. Some mornings I wake up with only about 4 hours sleep in total and I get up like I slept for 12 hours. I took this picture last night at 11:30. We know which way north is!!! I would hate to be up there where the sun is up 24/7. Once all color is gone from the sky it's about 12:30 a.m. for us. Then it starts to rise about 3:30 a.m. . By 4:45 a.m. the sky is bright and the birds are singing. It's quite pretty. So, today I'm off to work and Ashley's home. She is such a good girl, she'll clean the whole house for me so I don't have to when I get off work tonight. I think we'll have Grandma over for a bbq. Grandpa passed away a few weeks ago, so she's kinda lonely. She is Neil's grandma, great-grandma to the kids. Have a wonderful relaxing weekend everyone.

2007-05-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Car update. Good news!!! Turns out I didn't have to get the ignition replaced. One of the car salesmen at work called one of our mechanics and the mechanic suggested getting a new factory GM key cut for the car. He explained that the tumblers may have come a little loose and since I have been operating the car using a spare key cut from a spare key, cut from the original key...whewf, (that was long lol..) maby I should try getting a brand new coded factory key cut and try that. He also went on to say that people have brought their cars in the shop because the key won't turn and 9 times out of 10 the problem was the actual key, not the ignition. So the salesman drove me over to where we bought the car and they cut me 2 brand new keys. First she couldn't find the code because the other salesman that sold us the car 8 years ago forgot to add the key code. So I had to pay extra for her to look that up....kinda like one of those finders fee's I guess. We left the car at my work just in case the new key didn't work then the car would be stranded at the dealership. So we got the keys went back to my work and I very hesitantly took out Neils key....the only one left to run the car. Boy was I nervous. I put the key in the ignition and ta-da!!! The beast came to life. I was so happy, we all did a happy dance. So that saved me couple hundred dollars!!! So, if anyone else has a sticky ignition like I had, try a new key first, if that doesn't work, then take it to the shop. Now I can go anywhere and not worry about being stranded. Especially if I'm way into town, then it would take Neil about 20 minutes to get to where I was and try to get the beast going. So that was last week. This weekend was gorgeous!!! I spent the day sunday redoing my flower bed in the front with some landscaping fabric. The weed's this year are so out of control I was frusterated. Now the flower bed looks so nice. That took me about 4 hours. Today I'm going to steam clean the carpets downstairs, start on the upstairs, then go out and lay that fabric in my garden before I plant it. Neil is going to go and get a truckload of topsoil for Grandma tonight, and then get some for the garden. So after I'm done cleaning the inside, I will go outside and get the garden ready. I love my garden. Tomato's, peas, lettuce, radishes, 'icicle' radishes..very spicy, but so tasty, all my herbs have come up, carrots.... I could go on and on. How was everyone else's weekend? I know my sister spent last week moving into their new place. Congrats once again to Mike on the job. Well done!!! My word! I just noticed how long this was, lol !! Have a wonderful week. It is so sunny here I send much love and sunshine your way!! Take care.

2007-05-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

Victoria Long weekend for us is now over, sniff. I didn't get any flower beds or my garden going because we had heavy rain and wind the whole weekend. The evening's were ok, but that left a lot of wet ground to work with.This week is nothing but hot sun right until sunday!!! So I'll be working each night on the plants and the garden. We had some friends come over on Sunday night for a fire at the pit and we did salmon burgers, potato salad, ceaser salad,garlic bread. It was kind of a spontanious thing that turned out a lot of fun!!! I have been having a lot of problems with my car key. Whats the problem???...Well, the tumblers in the ignition have loosened and I can't get my key to catch so I can start my car!!!! Poor Neil had to come down twice to the grocery store and rescue me and try to start it for me. One guy thought I was perhaps in the wrong car!!! No, I said, my key isn't working properly,....moron...lol !!! So it looks like I have to get a new ignition thing...starter...something or other. I get so frusterated because I have to jiggle the key a certain way until it catches and then the car starts. This time, it's taking me up to 20 minutes to try to get it going. That's when I called Neil.Yesterday, he took me home in the truck with my groceries, and then we went back down so he could try to get the key to work. After about 1/2 hour of me trying, and then about 10 more minutes of him trying, the car finally decided to give up the fight and it started. So now I don't shut the car off totally. I turn the key back so it's one click away from taking out the key. Unfortunately, I have to leave the key in the ignition for me to start it now. So all doors are locked, and his key stays in the ignition at all times. This week we will have to get a new ignition key thing...as mentioned above, lol!!! Hope you all have a wonderful week this week. Much love and sunshine sent your way....

2007-05-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Monday. I have Monday's off. So it's yardwork for me. I got to relax yesterday for Mothers day....only to have to work twice as hard today, lol !!! How was everyone else's mothers day? I got a beautiful purple rose from my kid's. Neil took me out for lunch with some of our best friends. Then we puttered around the yard. Another couple of best friends came over and we started a fire in the pit, and sat around that for hours. Neighbors popped by, my kids were there, my friends kids came over. It was a beautiful day for family and friends to share. Blessings to all for a fabulous week!!!

p.s. Ancient Pathway is featuring a new flower of the week. It's a .....check it out.

2007-05-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

I will finish posting our travel pictures next week. Today I would like to take the time to wish my mom, my grandma's,my sister, all my friends, and wonderful blogger buddies around the world a Happy Wonderful Mothers Day!! Cheers to you all!!!

A mother's love determines how

We love ourselves and others.

There is no sky we'll ever see

Not lit by that first love.

Stripped of love, the universe

Would drive us mad with pain;

But we are born into a world

That greets our cries with joy.

How much I owe you for the kiss

That told me who I was!

The greatest gift--a love of life--

Lay laughing in your eyes.

Because of you my world still has

The soft grace of your smile;

And every wind of fortune bears

The scent of your caress.

2007-05-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

After we took the kids to Capilano Suspension Bridge, the next day we went to Science World. Which has been renamed 'Telus World of Science'.We decided to park and take the skytrain from Surrey into Vancouver. As you can see, the kids were thrilled!! LOL !

Once we got there we all had a lot of fun. The exibits and displays were unbelievable! Just a big science experiment everywhere we went.Neil and Ashley got on a machine that had wheels and propellers at the top. If they turned the wheels the same direction, it spun them around. The next machine was a sound vibration tube. It had a heavy drum like cloth on one side, and when you hit it, the vibration travelled through the air and echoed onto a light cloth at the top about 20 feet away. The vibrations made the cloth ripple as the air danced through it. That was really neat.

Bradley and I got onto some merry-go-round thing that spun around, and we had to toss a ball back and forth going in an opposite direction. Enough to make a person dizzy.Then Ashley found one of those metal'pinboards' that makes the shape of your hand, or whatever you want to put on the board.

We took in a movie at the Omnimax theatre watching a screen that was 5 stories, and 30 degree seating. It was quite amazing. The movie and the sound made you feel like you were there. Sometimes I got a little dizzy because the picture was 3D. So if a scene moved to fast in to many different directions, I felt 'floopy'....which is quite normal for me anyways, lol !!Of course when we left I had to get a picture of G.M. Place( General Motors, home of the Vancouver Canucks) and B.C. Place Stadium. The worlds largest air supported domed stadium.

That was a lot of fun that day. We got back on the skytrain and headed back to mom and dad's, only to find we forgot to transfer and went to far. Neil realized this before I did, so we got off, got on another one back to the last station, then waited for the right train to go the right way. Lot's of creepy people around. We made it back safely. Well, thats all for tonight. I'll post the pictures of the Irish pub in a few days. That was a beautiful little place to go to.Take care, and have an awesome weekend everyone.....

2007-04-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

The new job is working out really well. I trained for a couple of days, went to work for a week, and then we left for a family vacation on Saturday April 21, lol !We drove down to Kelowna and spent the night at Neil's brothers place. Then got up the next day, had breakfast with his brother, his cousin, cousins wife, and their little girl who is way to cute!!!

Left to right is Josh, his wife Mellisa, their little girl Autumn, and Neil's brother Steve. Then we headed off for Langley to visit my family.We had a good time while we were there. We took the kid's to Capilano Suspension Bridge. I do NOT do heights very well. It took a while for me to cross the bridge. I hung on for dear life every step of the way. It sways and moves with all the other people on it.

The scenery was just beautiful! A lot of people looked at the pictures I took and thought the one of Neil and I was a nice picture. I am actually clinging to him out of love, and fear of being up on all these little mini bridges once we got across the big one, LOL !

Oops, I guess I put the right one kinda crooked, and can't fix it because it keeps deleting the picture...LOL! There are a lot of mini bridges to preserve the forest floor. Tree houses are everywhere.

We also took the kid's to Science World,that was a lot of fun. We took the skytrain when we went there. I will post pictures of that in the next blog. Of course I had to go get a picture of G.M Place. Go Canuck's!!!! That's another post. I took Ashley to a women's workout gym where my mom works, met my new Uncle in White Rock, and we took in a new pub that opened called Dublin Crossing. I have a lot of pictures from there as well. Eventually I'll get around to posting all the pictures. Now it's time to finish cleaning the house, do homework ( I have school tonight, lol ) and off to work tomorow. That also will be yet another post. Take care all and many Blessing's your way for a productive, relaxing week.......

2007-04-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

This Is To Sweet For Words!!!

A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father, being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand.
"That's a serious step," he said. "Have you thought it out completely?"
"Yes," his young son answered. "We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers. It's right across the street, so I can run home if I get scared of the dark." "How about transportation?" the father asked. "I have my wagon, and we both have our tricycles," the little boy answered.
The boy had an answer to every question the father raised.Finally, in exasperation, his dad asked, "What about babies? When you're married, you're liable to have babies, you know." "We've thought about that, too," the little boy replied.
"We're not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I'm going to step on it!"

2007-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

So we went for a drive in the truck yesterday, and then went over to Curtis and Michelle's. Michelle had to work last night, so we were comparing the boy's trucks...lol ! Anyway, Neil's truck was squealing slightly so the boy's popped the hood. Broken alternater bracket was the cause. So Curtis fashioned a new bracket and Neil took the old one off. Sounds easy right? Nope. When Neil was unscrewing the old bracket, a screw snapped in half and left a very tight stuck old screw still attached to the alternater.

Hmmmmm, now what. Well, turns out the bracket in Curtis's old blue chev would fit perfectly. So while the boys drilled out the broken screw out of the white chev, Ashley took the bracket out of the blue one.

All is being supervised by the proffesional of course.

In the end the truck was working squeal free, and Ashley was right in her element. She would rather be under the hood of a truck pulling out parts and fixing things instead of cooking or cleaning. She can do it all very well, but this was just way more fun. Brad was out there as well, but got sidetracked and went and kept the dog company. Vancouver won the game in overtime against Dallas for a score of 2-1. Awesome. We had a good weekend, hope everyone else had a good one as well. I start my new job this week fulltime. Training for me is over. I think I know what I'm doing, lol ! Blessing your way for a wonderful work week. Enjoy!

2007-04-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to find pictures on my computer saved from our new camera!!! The above are pictures of me and Brad coloring eggs, I love doing that!!We had so much fun. Ashley took the pictures.

The other 2 are of Neil fixing his truck over at Curtis and Michelle's, and Neil making his homemade pea soup! Yummy! Well, I'm off to take the kids shopping. Got a lot of running around to do today. Tonight we are going over to a friends house to watch game #2 of the Canuck's playoff. Hopefully this one won't go into 4 overtime like the other night! Have a great weekend everyone!

2007-04-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

I started training for a new job yesterday. It is a car rental place. There is also a dealership on the same lot.Today I go back for day 2.It's a little overwhelming because I have to know so much when I'm answering the phones to take reservations for cars. I have no clue what I'm doing! LOL! My friend has such faith in me over there, I really don't want to let her down. I think once I get the hang of asking the right questions and get to know all about the insurance company's, and policy's I'll be fine. Until that happens, someone is bound to get a car for a week at a 2 day rate from me , I know it! The customers will love that, the boss,mmmmm, not so much! lol ! Everbody is so friendly in this place, I know I'm going to love working there. I still have to finish my old job working nights. Those customers don't want me to leave, but they know I have to. This new job pay's more, and I'm not dealing with drunk's!!!! Yippee! Anyway off I go to get redy. The Canuck's start the playoffs tonight so everybody is all excited. Go Vancouver!!!

2007-04-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my son Bradley!! He's 10 today. It's hard to get a hold of friends to come over and do something this holiday because no one is around. He has a friend coming for cake present's, movies, and a sleep over. I have to work tonight, but Neil will do something with the boy's. Happy Birthday baby!!!

2007-04-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

Have a blessed Easter from my family to your's!!!!

2007-04-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

2007-04-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

^^^^Thought this was so cute. ^^^

Well, I guess the reason for 'Good Friday' goes down through history as a translation difference.
It is likely that the name "Good Friday" came from the earlier English name, "Godes Friday," meaning "God's Friday." In much the same way as "God be with ye" was shortened to "goodbye," so did "Godes Friday" become "Good Friday."

Thank you to mom who sent me that. It is also on her blog.

2007-04-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I had an interuption to my day a few days ago. There was a knock at my door around 9:30 in the morning. So without looking out the window, I answered it. Thinking it was a friend.
Two ladies in black wanted to talk to me about 'Him'. Handing me a pamphlet, they asked if I wanted to join them in the 'celebration' of the 'Anniversary' of 'His' death...?...As you well know by now they were Jehovah's at my door. Now, I really am the wrong person for these poor unsuspecting women to run into at 9:30 in the a.m. and proceed to talk to me about 'Him'.
'Him" has a name, I said. 'His' name is Jesus Christ. And furthermore, I don't 'celebrate the 'anniversary' of 'His' death. I joy in the fact that He rose again. That is the celebration. He died for our sin's, I am aware of that. But, that is not a happy celebration in my mind.
I never really fully understood why it is called 'Good Friday' when Jesus was crucified. It seem's like such a horrific act to be called good. I know there are a lot of prayer services held with readings from the Gospel with giving accounts of the events leading up to the crucifixion. Death itself was conquered by the resurection of Christ on the third day.

Next, what happened on that day that made all the rabbits go so crazy that they started to lay egg's? I personally have never noticed a bunny hatch an egg that was filled with chocolate.Let alone walk with baskets. My brother had a bunny. Unless he had some secret underground shop with the squirrels, I never witnessed egg's come out his bum! We did notice lot's of little round 'pellets', but I don't think they were chocolate. Anyway, that was just a quick little blerb for the day. I will return later with something a little more fascinating than bunny's's pooping eggs and chocolate.

2007-04-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

New Blog coming soon.....to be found in my profile....

MySpace Comments

2007-04-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

One day a farmer’s donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasn’t worth it to him to try to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly.
Then, a few shovel-fulls later, he quieted down completely. The farmer peered down into the well, and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovel-full of dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off, to the shock and astonishment of everyone.
The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to stop wailing, and not let the dirt bury you, but to shake it off and take a step up. Each one of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

2007-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about my doctor. He's very good. If you tell him you
want a second opinion, he'll go out and come back in again.
He treated one woman for yellow jaundice for three years before he
realized she was Chinese.
Another time he gave a patient six months to live. At the end of the
six months, the patient hadn't paid his bill, so the doctor gave him
another six months.
While he was talking to me, his nurse came in and said, "Doctor, there
is a man here who thinks he's invisible."
The doctor said, "Tell him I can't see him."
Another time, a man came running in the office and yelled, "Doctor,
doctor! My son just swallowed a roll of film!!" The doctor calmly replied,
"Let's just wait and see what develops."
One patient came in and said, "Doctor, I have a serious memory problem."
The doctor asked, "When did it start?" The man replied, "When did what start?"
I remember one time I told my doctor I had a ringing in my ears.
His advice: "Don't answer it."
My doctor sure has his share of nut cases. One said to him, "Doctor,
I think I'm a bell." The doctor gave him some pills and said, "Here, take these. If they don't work, give me a ring."
Another guy told the doctor that he thought he was a deck of cards.
The doctor simply said, "Go sit over there. I'll deal with you later."
When I told my doctor I broke my leg in two places, he told me
to stop going to those places.
You know, doctors can be so frustrating. You wait a month and a half
for an appointment, then he says, "I wish you had come to me sooner."

Have a great day everyone!

2007-03-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Myspace Glitters

The birthday was a huge success! We had lots of food, and lots of friends. Even an old friend I haven't seen for about 5 months came over. It was nice to see her again.Today we are just taking it easy. Got some steaks to do on the bbq. They are going to be so tasty.We roasted some whole garlic cloves in the oven to make a paste for the marinade to put on the steaks. That was about 3 hours ago. So now it's time to go and put them on, and eat a late dinner. The sun is shining so bright right now. I hope it takes away a lot of the snow that we still have in our yard. Take care for now. I hope you all have a pleasent warm work week. Talk to you soon.

2007-03-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Image hosted at bigoo

Today I've got a bit of shopping to do. It's hubby's birthday tomorrow. So tonight I'm doing an appetizer night with a few of our closest friends. I think I'm just going to go pick up a variety box of appy's. A veggie platter, make a cake, or maby just buy that too. I agree with Shona, Sara Lee is where it's at!! LOL! We are also having some fresh, hot, homemade bannock! One of my best friends ,I call her the 'Bannock Queen" is coming over and making some. It is sooo good! Yummy !So I've got a bit of running around to do and then clean the house today. Only to do it all over again tomorrow I'm sure. Take care and have an awesome weekend everyone!!

2007-03-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's Monday, the start to a long week. For me it's a bit of a break from the beer store. I have to work tonight, and then get 2 days off before going back into the combat zone.I feel like I've been living over there since last Thursday at 5:00 p.m.(my boss went on holidays so I've been working for her 5 long days). Cash, floats, backups of data, running off copies of everything, paperwork, I tell ya, I would not want to do that everyday. It's very frustrating to find a discrepancy between the sales and what's on the final sheet. Then I have to start all over and find the problem. Go through everybody's notes from nightshift to find out what happened, and why money is more or less. Yesterday, I almost had to be there from 8 in the morning until 11 at night. One of the employee's was very tired from another job and didn't want to work. So I phoned around to try and find someone to replace him, with no luck. I finally got a hold of the one girl and asked if she came in at 5, I would go eat, and then come back around 7 to finish off the night.She would, but it looked like she could not get there until 6. My shift was supposed to be over at 4. I had to stay until 5. When he called back, I said that I would stay and do his shift, but explained that we lost 3 people in one week so now there are only 4 of us. He said he'd come in. Thank goodness! I'm tired from living in there.

I did get a chance briefly on St. Patty's day to go to the pub and check things out over there. I snapped a few photo's with my camera phone.(the pub owns the cold beer store and has set it up just down the road). Then it was off home where I drove my daughter and her friend to a birthday party, and back home to eat, go to bed, and wake up early and head back over to work in the wee hours of the morn.It was a long weekend, drunk's...happy although, and lots of 'cab' calling, police checking in on me because of the festive excuse for some to get out of control.Other than that, it was a very somewhat tame weekend. The first picture is Haley, and Sara behind the bar, the second is my hubby with his Leprechaun tatoo, very Irish indeed,the third is some of the crew relaxing, and the fourth is Bob.....yeah. Seemed pretty quiet until some woman none of us ever seen before, came along and, well, I'm not sure what she was doing. Let's just say she was very intoxicated. She was looking for ....something I'm sure. She sat beside my hubby at one point, and then I think she got the feeling she was being watched!....that was about when she looked over and saw me! Need I say more, she vacated pretty quickly . She didn't have to much to say, he kinda had a deer caught in the headlights sort of look. A light smile from me and, sorry mom and dad, a few soft colorful words from me that only she understood, and she got up and went to another seat.Neil and I floated around to rescue one of our friends that she had her 'eye' on. I mean it....I think she could only see out of one eye.Just as fast as she appeared, she was gone. Thank goodness. Hope you all had a good weekend. Talk to you soon...

2007-03-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Dia Dhuit,

Well St. Patricks day is upon us. It is a big thing up here where I live (especially being associated to the local pub I work for). There will be lots of games, prizes, fun, and 'green' beer all around. Lol ! Nobody ever orders the green beer, it freaks them out.

My husband is Irish, so he's ready for the day. I have to work that day so I'll be wearing plenty of green. Otherwise, I won't be able to sit for a week! LOL !

We have been selling shamrocks for the Muscular Dystrophy Association at work and have done well. There are shamrocks hanging all over the place. The names people put on them are quite funny. We've sold to country singers, movie stars....it is quite impressive..lol !

Below is a picture of Wayne, a very dear friend of ours. I took this picture of him last year sitting at his 'stump'. I had to work that day as well. Every year he grows out his beard for the winter, and then on his birthday in April he shaves it all off. He looked so much like a leprachaun I had to snap a picture of him.

Have a happy and safe St. Patricks Day to ya!!!

2007-03-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

Funny little email joke I received, real cute.......

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting.Well, for example, the other day I went downtown and went into a store. When I came out there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. I went up to him and said, "Come on, man, How about giving a retired person a break?" He ignored me and continued writing the ticket.

I called him a name. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having 'worn tires'. So I called him a "member of the doughnut eating Gestapo." He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket. This went on for 20 minutes. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Personally, I don't care. I came downtown on the bus.

I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired.

2007-03-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

I came across this poem by Brenda Race while looking for another literary subject, and thought it was so meaningful I just had to blog it. I hope you all enjoy this poem as much as I did. There is truth in how we look at things if only we looked at it through the eyes of a child. Enjoy.

The innocence of a childs soul is what makes them seem so whole.

So peaceful and trusting as they reach out.

Full of life and rarely in doubt.

Skipping along while holding your hand,

Knowing that you will take their stand.

Loving you entirely for who you are,

Seeing the beauty of your soul with no scar.

As we grow older and more serious in age,

We become fearful and oft with rage.

We begin to lose things that once made us feel loved.

Somewhere in our soul are things that are shoved....

that we try to forget and leave sitting inside.

We forget how to live and just go with the ride.

If only we could look through our eyes as a child,

into the soul that we once possessed undefiled.

To enjoy the wind and the moon and the stars,

with a soul which has not gained any scars.

To see the beauty in all that we touch.

To see through the eyes of a child would mean so much.

God grant us the gift to look back as a child,

to trust and to love with a soul undefiled.

Looking once more through the eyes of a child!

By Brenda Race

2007-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Who does what

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first,and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says.........."HEBREWS"

God may have created man before woman,

but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

2007-03-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a few funny church bulletin and announcement mistakes.....

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge. - Up Yours."

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next week.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands

2007-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Healing rain is falling down......nobody's perfect, but sometimes, including me, I get caught up in the hubbub of work,school,2 jobs,house chores, cooking,cleaning,kid's to school,husband to work,me to work,back home,groceries, dinner, off to job # two...After a while it's so overwhelming that I just didn't have enough time for anyone including me. I haven't had 'me' time since....?...So, I decided it's time for a change. I changed the way I looked at things, and things began to change. It's funny how that works. A prayer of faith needs to be said in doing this. The devil likes to slip in and try to ruin plans for a better future just so you can stay down. Well, not no more!!! I do believe that God has a plan for us. People, goals, jobs, experience are all a preparation for what is to come. What is to come? I don't think that is for us to decide. Sometimes people come into our lives briefly and can have a profound effect, and then just...disappear. Whatever happened to so and so? But when you think back about that person did you learn something valuable? or nothing at all. Perhaps if we didn't learn anything that was God's way of saying, "See, you don't need that person in your life." Then when you move on, nothing is really different. Just minus one or two people that never really did anything for you. Or on the other hand, maby they never did anything for me, but perhaps I did something for them?...Does that make sense? I have asked God to remove from my life all people who would be harmful as friends. It's funny, because when I did that I noticed certain people slowly disappeared. When I think about them I wonder, how are they doing?. Then I hear it's the same old- same old. Nothing new.I feel like I'm in a battle spiritually. The enemy is trying every tactic to harm me. Well, I'm not going to let that stop me from moving forward. I take it to the Lord and ask him to deal with it. Sounds like I'm just dumping it in God's lap. No, it's faith.I may not have the tools or the 'know how' when it comes to certain people or situations, but I can ask God to deal with it, them, and help me to be strong in my fight against wanting to give up. Just look ahead and everyday ask for guidance. God is leading the way. I feel like I'm being prepared for something and don't know what. So, if every stride I take is in the right direction things go well. If I run into a snag, I stop and go"uh-oh"...then consult my map of Jesus and find out where I took a wrong life turn. Correct it , and then get back on the right path.Kinda like driving in the dark. Jesus has the map, and then said 'OK, you drive'. So I try.Then take a wrong turn and he quietly says"Maby we should ask my 'Dad' for directions". So I pull over and ask for direction.Then God answers and says," you are going the right way, just keep driving straight, and you'll see the road right ahead of you. You will be fine, follow me."...LOL, I just read back what I wrote. Please don't think I'm being a smarty pants, because I"m not. I just appreciate my Heavenly Fathers guidance in decisions I am making right now because I don't know if they are right or wrong.So I have placed it all in God's hands and pray in faith everyday.By the way, Jesus is an excellent driver..lol !

This is just me being open and still somewhat confused. I really hope I haven't offended anyone with this blog today.I didn't mean to.Have a good day all!!!

...wow, that was a long read, sorry about that........

2007-02-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

This day in history....

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine. During his lifetime, Longfellow's poetry enjoyed extraordinary popularity at home and abroad....love his poetry!!

1879: Two American chemists announce the discovery of saccharin

1933: German parliament building (Reichstag) destroyed by fire

1948: The Communist Party takes control in Czechoslovakia

1991: An allied ceasefire in the Gulf War begins, Iraqi forces withdraw from Kuwait.

1902: John Steinbeck, American writer

1930: Joanne Woodward, British actress

And of course my absolute fave!!! Elizabeth Taylor!!! ...we are 40 years apart today!Love her!!....twins...seperated at birth. sigh, I know. It's hard to believe..lol !!

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London, England, on February 27, 1932.
She has lived a life far more exciting and dramatic than any movie she's ever appeared in and probably most any other movie you could name. She's known internationally for her beauty, especially for those violet eyes, with which she captured audiences early on in her youth and has kept the world hooked on ever since. She's won the Oscar twice and she's earned her place in and out of the sun.

2007-02-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

Children's Answers about Angels
I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold. Gregory, 5
I hear angels all the time in my dreams. And I'm sticking with that no matter how many people tell me I'm crazy. Molly, 8
Everybodys got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why but scientists are working on it. Olive, 9
It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. Matthew, 9
Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else. Mitchell, 7
My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science.Henry, 8
Angels don't eat but they drink milk from holy cows. Jack, 6
Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The basic message is where you went wrong before you got dead. Daniel, 9
When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. Regan, 10
Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter.Sara,6
Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter. Jared , 8
All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it. Antonia, 9
My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth. Katelyn ,9
Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the kid get over it. Vicki, 8
What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them. Sarah, 7.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

2007-02-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

Well, today I was going to write about a' start the car moment.'My friend got a screaming deal on a few items at the store. It was a funny situation that I will write about another day. Today I have instead chosen to quietly give thanks to the Lord for answering a prayer. I have seen what I have prayed for slowly come to light. It's funny how when you talk to God and ask Him for help and expect to see things unfold right away. It doesn't quite work that way. In order for a prayer to be answered there are a few other things that need to take place first. Sometimes it seems confusing and then it all becomes clear.Thats not what I prayed for Lord? Why did that happen first? I don't need to see that answered, I knew that part already.Well, that's just it. I knew, but didn't actually KNOW . Does that make sense? Probably not. It does to me now. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. A sense of healing is in the works. I Know!!

2007-02-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Why God Made Moms
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother & not some other
Mom?
1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between Moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

2007-02-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day !!!!!!

2007-02-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

Mark 16:15

2007-02-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Well, my parents have returned safely from India.With a bout of illness due to different food on a stopover in Singapore,all went well. The ministry team was in fact a team. They worked as one . The children were so happy to see 'white people' they came from everywhere!! Dad took his Shofar,a rams horn, and blew it soundly in the morning. Children came from everywhere. He let them hold it and try to blow out of it, then produced candy for them, and more appeared. The villages they visited were very happy to see them, and embraced them wholeheartedly.Everyone wanted to come and touch them lol! I laughed and told mom that they were like celebrities over there.She said the children would line up in the morning to wait for a piece of candy when she woke up in the morning.They held prayer meetings that were a huge sucess.Gifts were handed out, books, candy, cots,etc. Sounds like dad will be returning in june or july this year with Jim.Mom traded a toothbrush with a little girl over there that they get off of a tree!!! The bark is what they use. They take this bark and soften it up,then brush their teeth with it!
Such neat and powerful testimonies are a result of this trip.
I will try and post a picture of my sister 'Navaya' my parents are sponsoring.So much more stories to come from this faithful team of warriors.

2007-02-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever superglued a quarter to the floor and watched people try to pick it up?
My hubby and his brother did that on a cement floor beside the pool table. It's funny. They also glued a loonie and toonie. One guy pried the loonie off with a screwdriver. It had cement and glue on it after he got it off, lol!!

Did you ever notice when you are sitting at a red light that when the person in front of you pulls up a couple of inches you are compelled to move up too? Do we really think we are making progress toward our destination? "Whew, I thought we'd be late, but now that I am nine inches closer I can stop for coffee and a danish!"

How come cartoon characters that don't wear clothes during the day wear pajamas at night?

6. What do the following words have in common?

Assess

Banana

Dresser

Grammar

Potato

Revive

Uneven

Voodoo

Answer... If you take the first letter and move it to the rear of the word, you get the same word when read backwards.

Just a few things to think about today. Have a good one.

2007-02-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's my nephews birthday today! Happy Birthday Jack!

Happy birthday to you,

you are my nephew

Happy birthday dear Jaaaack,

Today you are two!!!!!!!!

Wow, you are two years young today!!Yay!!!

Don't panic people, I know the child is in the dryer.

He did have a bath, but dries out the old fashioned way, with a towel!!! LOL!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!

2007-02-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Cheers to the cooks!!!! Dinner was a success. Lots of food, company, fun.
The cabbage rolls were Delicious!!!!! The perogie's....well, what can I say. Nothing but sheer perfection, LOL!
After dinner we watched the hockey game. Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. We had as much Vancouver wear as we could muster up. Jersey's,hats,gloves,towels,lighters. The only Flames fan was Curtis.....he had two Calgary hockey cards lol,and a Flames air freshener.For one fan, he sure makes a lot of noise!!! It was a lot of fun. We all rooted for the Canuckleheads, and of course they lost.......Vancouver lost the game!!!! and the flame was lit!!!
The picture above is Michelle and I....I better post a different one, I don't think she cares for that one....

Alright, Dahling, is that better? ( I know she'll call, tee hee).No,we are not the only ones at the table....I'm noticing all the beer bottles....that are empty...in front of us....hmmm. All in all, it was a fun night. I think a western night should be planned. That hat comes out a lot. Have a great day everyone.