O Holy Night

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Perfectly Delightful!

It's always exciting to have the flower delivery van pull up to your house!  This lovely Christmas bouquet comes to us from our special overseas friends.  Thank you Hamm family...we miss you all!

Pig and Chicks

I let Nathan and Chad chose their donation to World Vision this year through their gift catalogue.  There were many worthy gifts to chose from but they agreed to pool their money (I alloted them $30 each) and get these animals to help a family.

Such a great thing to be able to help the kids learn about being generous with people who just need the basics help sustain themselves. 

On Their Own

This year we decided to let the boys do the gingerbread house on their own.  No need for assistance from us...it's not that terribly complicated!  They did a great job as you can see.  Nathan took charge and we had to remind him a few times to let Chad and Liam contribute as well.  Being bossy is a first born trait...I should know!

Take Me Back Tuesday

One of my favorite pictures of my honey bunny....circa 1993.

Making Christmas Treats

You never know until you try!  I really wanted to make butter tarts this year without resorting to store-bought pastry shells.  So, I found a recipe from a trusted site and made them.  I didn't really have a cut out that was the right size for deep tarts so they turned out very shallow but tasty nevertheless. (results in the photo below)  The pastry was very flaky and light.  I impressed myself...or more accurately the credit goes to the recipe!  Check out MGCC for the details.  The next day I wanted to try again.  I wanted tarts that were deep and I wanted the filling a bit more gooey.  So I used a recipe for the filling that my aunt passed along to me.  I got a tip from my mom on making the shells just the right size.  She just puts a ball of dough in each muffin tin and presses it up the sides and bottom.  Essentially making the tart right in the pan.  They turned out super!  No photos for these ones...but they are almost all gone.  I saw them in the kids lunches all week so the boys must have discovered them! 

Yesterday the boys and I decorated the sugar cookies I had baked the week before.  It's nice to do sugar cookies in a two step process.  By the time you've made the dough, chilled it, rolled it out and baked them, decorating seems rather daunting.  So you can just bake them and put them in the freezer until you have mustered some more energy!  Today was the day and we had a great time making them as colorful as we could.  They are not works of art and we are okay with that!

Well Done!

Nathan wasn't sure what to expect in regards to schoolwork with starting a new school for 8th grade.  Would it be easier?  Would it be harder?  He was up for the challenge and we did emphasize to him that we would be expecting excellent effort as a part of his priveledge of attending a private school.

Nathan exceeded my expectations today with his report card and certificates.  He had his best report card ever and achieved 'high honours' as well!  My buttons are bursting.

I admit I wasn't quite sure what to expect  as we had a few bumps in the road this fall with assignments not being handed in on time.  Also, my boy almost never has homework which had me a mite concerned as well.  Well, not to fear.....he pulled through!
Congratulations, Nathan....well done!

PS.

Due to job action in the public district, Chad will not get a report card this term.  He is rather sad but his teacher was kind enough to send home a progress report that assures us that he's doing rather well.

Oh, Liam!

My dad sent me this email the other night:

Last night Liam was strumming the Ukulele. I then showed him some YouTube videos with guitar playing. I guess he got inspired because he went back to the Ukulele. He discovered the pick tucked between the tight strings at the top of the neck and discovered that he could get a better sound with the pick. I was watching him out of the corner of my eye when suddenly the pick fell into the Ukulele. He pondered that for a while and then glanced my way. I pretended that I did not see. Then he put the ukulele against the wall where it belongs and started to walk out of the room and I asked him where the pick was. As he was walking away, he turned and said over his shoulder, with a tinge of guilt in his voice, “Just forget about it”.

I laughed so hard I just about peed myself, but he did not see me laugh as he was off to to see Chad. 

High in the Eye

My lucky boy gets a trip today up Grouse Mountain to experience 'The Eye of the Wind'.  How fabulous is this view?
After they learn about wind power, sustainability etc they will go snow-shoeing.  This mom's a bit jealous!

Take Me Back Tuesday

My job right out of high school was the position of 'Managment Trainee' at the brand new Northern Reflections in Sevenoaks Mall.  Quite a title but really it meant nothing.  I was the slave of the manager and she was a real piece of work.  A few months into this job I knew that retail was not for me.  I loved working the till and counting the money so I knew that I'd better find a job in a bank!  I lasted at this place about 18 months.  But boy oh boy I came away from there with a LOT of clothes!  That employee discount rocked.

Yaroslav

Last spring I posted about Lubya (you can read it here) who we are sponsoring through the 30/30 program at MEI.

I was between kids through World Vision so I decided to cancel my support with them and sponsor another child from the Good Shepherd shelter.

This is Yaroslav and I think he's about six years old.  He looks like someone my boys would really like due to the Lego in the photo!  I look forward to supporting him during his time at the shelter.  He has a little sister that needs a sponsor so if you are looking for a place to spend $30 a month please let me know and I can hook you up!

Diamond, Where Art Thou?

I looked down at my hand this morning in church and discovered that my wedding set was missing a diamond!  Can you see that wee little spot....top left.  A bit sad but I suppose my own fault for not getting my claws checked in the past oh....8 years!  I haven't a clue when it went missing and there truly is no point in looking for it.  Maybe it went into the baking, or it could be at work, or somewhere lost forever outside.  I have two pairs of small diamond earrings that are missing their partners and another ring with small diamonds that I will bring to the jewler to see if we can fit them in my ring.  Not precisely an expense I wanted at this time of year but I think I'd better get the claws checked along with the repair as soon as possible!

Holiday Reading

Would you like to a read a good book over the holidays?  I have a recommend for you!

It was hard to put down.  I got a bit lost in the 'war plane talk' but the human interest of the story does prevail in most of the book. Just when I thought this book couldn't get any more heartbreaking, a complete and wonderful thing happens in the end. 

If you've read it or are going to read it, let me know what you think!

My Hero

He's always ready and willing to 'save' me from disaster.  My little firefigher in training.

Take Me Back Tuesday

So, since I now have a proper scanner again I thought it was time to resurrect some oldies for 'Take Me Back Tuesdays'.   This shall be great fun.  For me at least.

Jillian, Shelly and I at the House of James bookstore on our way to our school Christmas banquet in 1990.  We had stopped in to see Shelly's mom who worked there so she could see us all dressed up.  Oh youth!  I was hiking up that skirt a little high, don't you think?  Oh well....I was single and available.

A Hot Tub for Christmas?

Ever since we moved to our place in April the hot tub as been sitting in the backyard empty and forlorn.  After enjoying the hot mineral pools at Harrison last month, Keith felt inspired to get our hot tub going.  He's been digging a trench for the electrical cable, smoothing out gravel, laying concrete blocks and cleaning out the tub.  Keith has also planned out a nice patio extension at the same time so it will all flow and be visually pleasing.  Since we know an electrician we can do this all on a nice tight budget which is great since the money tree shrivelled up and died quite some time ago.

Stars Two and Three

 Liam had his turn this morning to shine.  Our littlest star did a fabulous job with his class in the kids production at church this morning.  He was just so cute! 

Nathan is not the only star in our family.  This year I convinced Chad to join the kids choir at church.  It told him that he needed something on his 'resume' for when he auditions for A.C.T. next June.   He had a speaking role as Randy Richardson in a spelling bee and then near the end was a wiseman.  He also did fabulous.  He tries SO hard to keep up with Nathan!

Chad's two longest friends were characters in the play as well.  Colton and Justin have been his friends since....well birth really!  As you can see they have really changed in the last 10 years!  Justin and Chad have been in each other's class every year since Kindergarten and when they move to middle school the three of them will be at the same school.  Good times ahead for them all!  I'm so glad my kids have such good friend in their lives.  It's so important.

Our babies in 2001

 Justin~Chad~Colton

2011

'The BEST Christmas Pageant Ever'

A mother's got a right to brag on her kids.  And so I shall.  Nate did such a great job last night as 'Charlie' in A.C.T's show. 

He doesn't really talk about his rehearsals or acting much.  He never practices his lines with us or anything like that.  Just imagine our surprise when during one of the opening scenes he sings a short humourous song...solo!  I was so surprised I could barely take it in and wish there had been a rewind button at the time!

 It's a very funny and crazy show...you'd know what I mean if you have seen it.  There were many laughs and all the kids did such a fabulous job as usual.

Here he is with just some of his fan club.  He had a row of supporters tonight....thanks everyone who came out!

Am I the Only One?

I am annoyed with the cross-selling tactics at the cashiers at Costco.

Generally I say no thank you and that's that.

But on Sunday I was pestered to death and my intelligence was questioned by the cashier and her packer dude about why on EARTH would I not want an executive membership.  They would not take no for an answer and I left annoyed.

 SO...I decided to email them on their website and complain.

I got a call from the manager of Costco in Abbotsford on Wednesday.

Basically....he also tried to sell me an executive membership!  Seriously?!

It costs $110 annually.  I'm happy to pay my $55 business membership, plain and simple. 

Anyhow...I told him that I was VERY familiar with 'cross-selling' and 'over-coming objections' as I have been in sales myself.  He was a bit taken aback at my 'knowledge' of the system.  I told him that I would like it if people at  Costco would respect my 'no thank you' and leave it at that.  I don't want to get into defensive mode everytime I am there.

Essentially he told me that perhaps I am frustrating the cashiers since it doesn't make sense for me NOT to have an exec membership.  Excuse me?  I don't want one.  Do you NOT understand this.  I don't want one.  I wouldn't even care if it fixes global warming or rebuilds the rainforests...I DON'T WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!

So the best he could do for me was offer me a 'fake' exec membership card so the cashiers will think I have one and not harrass me anymore.  But he said, they still will ask me if I want an Amex credit card.

There is no winning in this situation!

Bye Bye Baby

This was the very last thing about Liam that still kept him in 'baby' status in my books.  I had been putting these on him every single night even though he has woken up dry since late summer.  But last week we decided to give the Pull-Ups the boot.
Now, he is 100% 'big boy'!  He loves to recite the items that have left his life and made him a big boy.  Bye bye to bottles, soother, crib, diapers, crying instead of talking for what you what and now pull-ups. 
On we move towards bigger and better things!
I even get to register him for pre-school in January.  Wow!