Beautiful Vancouver

The family in front of Canada Place

We always like to do something special with the kids during spring break and after racking our brains for a fun and creative activity we thought a day in the city would be a fun thing to do. The boys like going there but tell us over and over that they would never like to live in the city because it's too noisy and as Chad says: There's too much traffic! And I'd have to agree completely.

An arty pose on some artsy art

We were happy to have Kori and Roger and kids join us as well. Outings are always a little more fun with another family and since Kori and Roger are practically family it was even better. We know their weirdness and they know ours :)

More art to play on

Kori has lots of photos on her blog so these may look a bit familiar if you've visited her site already today.

Along the waterfront

I took my pedometer and was amazed that we walked approximately 23,000 steps and 20 kilometers. Our kids were amazing! Chad only needed a piggy back a couple of times and the older ones didn't complain at all. I don't know too many other kids that could have handled that!

We walked from Gas Town to Canada Place and then along the waterfront to Stanley Park. We'd never walked the waterfront before....it's beautiful! Once in Stanley Park we walked around the point to the kids splash park and then cut back thru by the Aquarium to head back to Gas Town again. The weather was very grey but it didn't rain once. It was a bit cold though and I felt chilled most of the day.

We were lucky and managed to see of bit of the beluga program from the free viewing area just outside the aquarium. That's a $60 savings :)

The sea lions were cute in an ugly sort of way

After all that walking we had dinner at the Old Spagetti Factory in Gas Town. It was a great meal. I love a big ole plate of cheesy carbs. Take a look at my manicotti on Kori's blog.

As you can see Chad stuffed in a lot of free bread and butter!

And since we are suckers for punishment we decided that after dinner we really ought to walk a little bit more and stopped at Ikea on the way home. By then I was dragging my feet but did manage to buy a few things. Kori and Roger got a great deal on some patio chairs. And then we had to stop at their bistro (tradition dicates this must be done) for some cheap eats. The kids all had frozen yogurt cones and the adults had cinnamon buns (except for me of course!).

It felt wonderful to fall into bed last night and have a well-deserved sleep!

There will be lots of blogging this weekend as it's Nate's birthday. Stay tuned for more.....

More Hair

Okay....here's another shot of my new color and as you can see Chad is about to get a haircut!

Lunch, Sandwiches and Beauty Parlour

The kids enjoying a gourmet lunch courtesy of Kori. Not only did she color my hair today but she also brought the 'fixings' for some delicious sandwiches, cut veggies and fruit and some cookies. My pathetic contribution was puffed wheat squares. What a gal!

Now doesn't that look good?

This was Kori's stacker sandwich...about 2 seconds later it collapsed :)

She gave my hair an all over color called 'Chocolate Caramel' and then we did some medium blonde streaks on top. I'm really happy with the results!

Really Soggy

It's well and truly spring around here. The rain is just coming down in buckets! What a way to start spring break.

This morning was a bit interesting with the time change. Thanks to the politicians for that earlier than usual traumatic adjustment. We actually did make it to church this morning almost on time but some people in this house were a little grumpy. No names revealed.

We had some marvelous plans to go to the carnival that is in town today with the kids. They both got fabulous report cards on Friday and this was to be their treat. No need for them to know that I got tickets for free :) But the rain did not let up for one minute today and then the winds starting gusting as well. So much for that idea. I'm sure they didn't have many customers today and probably closed it down early. The kids weren't as disappointed as I thought they would be so I was glad about that. So here was an entire afternoon ahead of us with no plans. I really hate having no plans. Some of you might call me a cruel mother but I decided that I wanted to watch 'Annie' but I don't like watching movies on my own. So I bribed Nathan to watch it. He cried at first (he desperately HATES Annie for some reason) but after making a deal about him playing unlimited 'Battleship' online afterwards he conceded. He watched it with a good attitude and told me by the end that he liked it maybe 10% more than the last time I made him watch it (and it's only been ONCE before....3 years ago!). Progress....he's making progress. This is where a daughter or niece would come in handy :)

Keith took advantage of his free afternoon to start his home project. We have a built in china cabinet....you know the ones that were so popular about 25 years ago. He pulled off the scrolled trim around it and is replacing it with something a bit more modern. Then when that is done we will paint it and put new hardware on it. Before and after photos will be posted just as soon as the project is complete. Better give us a while on that!

That is the weekend wrap up folks. I am pretty excited that it is spring break since it means that me and my little car get a two week vacation from driving the kids to school. I think most of you know that I drive 14 km each way to school so this break is just really needed. We are thinking that next year when Chad is in first grade that they'll take the bus at least one way. Something we are thinking about anyways. But I will enjoy my break very much!

Have a great week everyone!

Home Making Meme

Homemake Meme

aprons - y/n? I have ever only had one that I received as a wedding shower gift but do not wear it.

baking - favorite thing to bake? I like to bake things that I know will turn out....such as cheesecakes, cookies, squares.

clothesline - y/n? I'd like one for drying sheets and towels outside in the summer. Keith isn't quite as fond of them

donuts - ever made them? No, I am not eager to deep fry

everyday - one homemaking thing you do everyday? unload and load the dishwasher

freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer? Yes and it's very old ugly and small but it was free and is very useful

garbage disposal - y/n? No...and we call them garbeurators up here in the great white north. I'd love one though

handbook - y/n? Handbook? No idea what this is referring to!

ironing - love it or hate it? I don't iron so I don't have any feeling one way or the other.

junk drawer - where is it? Well...one of our kitchen drawers has odds and ends in it along with the phone book

kitchen - design and decorating? A work in progress. I am trying to decide on a color to paint the kitchen and we need to get new hardware for the cabinets

love - what is your favorite part of homemaking? Taking care of my family.

mop - y/n? as little as possible

nylons - wash them by hand or in the washer? Nobody wears "nylons" anymore.

oven - do you use the window or open it to check? I use the window unless the oven light is burned out!

pizza - what do you put on yours? Everything...loaded please!

quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? read blogs or read a book

recipe card box - y/n? Yes and it's stuffed full in desperate need of organization

style of house – circa 1981 BC Box but in great shape

tablecloths and napkins - y/n? tablecloths are a pain I have decided and napkins mostly when we have guests

under the kitchen sink – Garbage bin, recycling bin, dishwasher detergent, bags

vacuum - how many times a week? 3-4

wash - how many loads do you do a week? Maybe six?

x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? Only if my 'to-do' list is too large for my puny brain

yard - who does what? We've only been here 7 months but so far it's been my job. I hope to get Keith mowing more this year :)

zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day? Making sure the kitchen is spotless...I cannot wake up to a messy/dirty kitchen. That is utterly depressing!

German Pancakes 101

Pancakes. When you think of pancakes is it the flap-jack style? Silver dollars? Crepes? When I think about pancakes the ones that come to my mind are the pancakes of my childhood. They are very thin with crispy edges, yet soft enough to roll up with delicious fillings in the middle...and as large as a dinner plate! They are sublime. My kids love them and would happily eat them daily if I let them. Plain ole fluffy pancakes do have their time and place but these are so good that I want to share them with you. We had a feast tonight and after all that fresh air all afternoon they certainly hit the spot.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
Whip with a whisk

This is a double recipe
You must use lots of butter for each pancake you make
Pour about 1/3-1/2 a cup of batter onto a fairly hot skillet (non stick will not work)
Spread batter by tilting pan
Flip pancake with two forks when it look like this :)

And then let it cook on the other side just a wee bit longer

They are really good with just syrup

Another way to enjoy them is rolled up with cottage cheese and fruit
Dig in!

Us

What a bunch of great lookin' peeps!

To Clear the Mind

After church today we persuaded (it didn't take much) Kori & family to come on Sunday afternoon jaunt with us. It felt great to be outside and even though it was overcast the rains held off. Kori and I both whipped out our cameras at any hint of something interesting. We decided that we would take some photos and each post them to our blogs (insert much eye-rolling from our families) and have our readers compare our skills! We don't really want to know whose you like better though...keep that to yourselves!

My backyard crocuses

Interesting moss

Don't know what this flower is called but it's so pretty

Random garbage placed between two trees (not mine...I don't drink coffee!)

Purge

Even though it doesn't seem like spring right now my internal clock knows that it's almost here. Along with that comes the urge to clean up and clean out. My target this afternoon was my closet. It's not something I particularly enjoy....but does anyone? I had a lot of stuff in there I hadn't worn forever but was keeping my hangers happy. I did a ruthless assessment of all items and got quite a bit taken out. Now my closet looks very empty which means it's time to go shopping! I'm really trying to be careful to only buy things I love rather than purchasing something because it's a great deal or something that I think will just do. Quite a bit of the stuff I am donating to charity wasn't worn very much.

Keith and I had a breakfast date today. It was such a treat to go out just the two of us. Not something that happens often enough! We tried out a new restaurant and it was very good! Such a hearty breakfast that we skipped lunch. After breakfast we shopped! We didn't find anything for the house but did come away with a few new items for our wardrobes. On sale of course :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

No Thank You

I like snow. I like snow in December. I love snow in January. I do not like snow on Feb 28th. In my mind it is spring. My crocuses are up and the trees are budding. I spent a good portion of the afternoon yesterday in my garden...in sunshine! This was not supposed to happen!
Work was crazy today and I am looking forward to two days off. It's nearing the end of RRSP season and all those procrastinators are calling and demanding service right NOW. Ugh.
Here's hoping for a cheery post next time!

We(s)t Coast Rainforest

It was nice this morning. It was not nice this afternoon. As we were driving to Kanaka Creek for a nature walk it started to rain. It hasn't let up since!

Not much else to say.....it was wet and soggy but refreshing. I always appreciate a change of scenery though.

It does appear that we never pass up an opportunity to ham it up for the camera!

My Latest Treasure

Okay...perhaps I should have made shopping at Home Sense my Lenten sacrifice instead of desserts and sweets!

One More Thing

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. This may mean nothing to you except that you have noticed it on your calendar. It may mean a lot to you if you practice the more traditional denominations of Christianity.

Are any of my readers observing Lent this year?

Getting Flack

This one's for you Dad! Apparently he is concerned about my lack of posts and needs an update. Well, shoot. There is nothing much exciting or blog worthy happening lately. I mean if you really want all the boring details I can share those. How about a little run down? Try not to yawn throughout!

Let's see.....my last post was Thursday. Friday I worked all day and in the evening we had my cousin Erin and her family over for some visiting and playing Settlers. It was nice to catch up and most lovely to hold their little princess. Their youngest is just about six months and a very sweet baby. The boys all played downstairs on the Play Station for most of the evening.

I also worked Saturday. Immediately after work, Kori and I headed to a wedding of a co-worker. She has some photos on her blog if you are interested. Then after getting home and saying a quick howdy to my family, we parted ways and I left for a girl's night out (photos on Kori's blog) and Keith headed to his mom's for a big family dinner. Another late night!

Sunday we woke up bright and early for church and then came back home so I could get to work in the kitchen. We had invited more cousins for dinner....two couples and one little baby boy! So as I cooked away the afternoon, Keith did all the tidying and cleaning up in the house. Truly a joint effort! The meal was a success and we had a grand time visiting with them and admiring baby Charlie. They all live in the city so it wasn't a late night.

Monday I worked a 12 hour day. The evening shift was purely voluntary but it's not often I get the chance to earn extra money so I took it. We have recently renovated our office and we have been working extra hard to get all the files moved from filing cabinets into our lovely new filing room. Kori and I have war wounds to prove our hard work...plenty of paper cuts and cuticle damage!

Today was my day off but that doesn't mean a day off work. It just means work of another kind! After I dropped the kids to school I went to a dentist appointment. Laying back in that chair for 1 hour was actually the most relaxing part of my day! Then it was off to do a few errands before I had to pick up Chad. Then we had lunch and noticed that the sun was trying very hard to make an appearance. So I thought that I should do some yard work. So I hauled out the pruning shears and rake and set to work. I cut back all the shrubs and rake out all the flower beds. To my surprise I found some pretty yellow crocuses under all that grub. Chad and I filled four large garbage bags of wet and rotting leaves. My compost bin is full otherwise I would have tried to stuff it all in there. It started to rain just as we were finishing....perfect timing! Then we went off to get Nathan from school. Back home to get a snack, do homework and start dinner. Yeehaw! Nathan was supposed to be at soccer tonight but the thought of standing in the cold wind and rain just wasn't cutting it for me. This is generally Keith's duty but he's at a union meeting tonight. Are you still awake out there? People? HELLO!

You are now updated. Completely.

Time to be amused by Colin and Justin on 'How Not to Decorate'. Those guys are hilarious!

Dropping Like Flies....

...except it's teeth. This week has got to be a record! Nathan has lost two molars and an eye tooth. He's amassing wealth at a phenomenal rate! He's my squeamish child so this is not something he tolerates too well. Most kids I know are eager to pull their teeth to get money but Nathan is not motivated by money. He lets that tooth dangle for as long as he can, chews around it and will talk funny. He definitely lets nature take its course! Today's loss happened at school during the first bite of his tuna sandwich. So he will get more money tonight!

He actually asked me to phone the tooth fairy to let her know that he's not losing teeth on purpose to make money.

I took a little gander at my backyard during a brief break from the rain today and noticed that my heather is starting to flower. The crocuses are peeking out and my daffodils and tulips are coming up too! I'm so excited to see my yard all pretty again.

The Old Grey Mare Ain't What She Used to Be

Today was finally the much anticipated ski trip to Blackcomb! Wow...what a wonderful day we had. We started out bright and early. I call this the middle of the night actually. My alarm went off at 4:05 am! Yes....very rude. We had to be boarding the bus at the school at 5:15 am! The ride up was not pleasant for me at all. I got motion sick for the final hour and a half of the ride up. I don't usually get car-sick so this was a bit of a surprise...an unpleasant surprise I might add. I sat there and prayed very hard that I would not throw up on the bus. I brought along some Gravol (just in case) and was so thankful that I had. I took one but it only took the edge off the nausea. Once we got there and I was able to get into the fresh air I felt like a million bucks! So then commenced the gong show of getting the kids sorted into their lesson group and fitting them with equipment. Yeah....by the time that was over I was sweating! Yuck. Once the kids were off and away with their instructor, my girlfriend Delayne and I got our equipment and set off to the slopes. Neither of us had skiied the mountain before so it was a little overwhelming.....the trail map is huge and they have around 10 chairs! I am used to puny mountains with 3-4 chairs at best. We just randomly chose a lift and did our first run. It was bliss! Skiing is like riding a bicycle and we both found it be as great as we remembered. On our next run we chose a combination of two seperate chairs to get even higher up the mountain. Once we got up we were approached by a 'mountain host' who wanted to know if we would be interested in a free mountain tour. Why not?! You could chose a slow, medium or fast tour and we jumped onto the medium tour along with another couple from Texas. It's such an international experience up there....so many people from all over the world. I'm a sucker for accents and I heard my share today. Our wonderful guide took us all over the mountain...places we would have never ventured to on our own I'm sure. We skiied a glacier, tons of fresh powder and saw the most amazing views. The guide was very informative with little bits of trivia and history of Whistler. It was a very enjoyable two hours. We skiied almost the entire time....only going on two lifts during the tour...that's just how big that mountain is. But it did exhaust us and we bailed out of the tour on the last run to grab some lunch and rest our burning legs. Burning legs....burning....still burning......I fear what tomorow will bring in the pain department. Throughout the day we checked up on our boys and found them to be progressing very well. This was the first time for both of them and by the end of the day they were ready for a 'real' run and ride up the chairlift. We were very very proud mums!The ride home was much tamer for me. I kicked a small child out of the front seat of the bus and took a Gravol before we left. The combination brought me a nausea-free ride home which was such a relief!It was a great day and now I am so very tired and must go to bed. I'm sure Nathan and I will sleep very soundly tonight! Nathan and his buddies all ready for their first ski experience!

The view from the very top of Blackcomb....lots of fog mid-mountain but at the top it was gloriously sunny!

Delayne and I just before we tackled this double diamond run :) I am very happy with my decision to rent. The equipment was great! I only saw one person ALL day wearing 'old fashioned skis.

Okay...they didn't have this cool 'magic carpet' on the bunny hill back in my day. We had that horrid tow rope that ripped up one's gloves!

Q&A

Shall we play a little Q&A? Since my life is pretty much an open book maybe none of this is very enlightening.

1. Are Your Parents Married or Divorced?

They have been married 36 years. They seem happy :)

2. Are You a Vegetarian?

I do enjoy meat. I can do without and am not the type to need it every day but I don't believe that I would want to give it up completely.

3. Do You Believe in Heaven?

God says there is a heaven so yes I believe it. And while we're on that topic I find the idea of eternity to be very fascinating!

4. Have You Ever Come Close to Dying?

I don't think so...if I have there is a mental block...no recollection.

5. What Jewellery Do You Wear 24/7?

My diamond earrings. My wedding rings must come off for night. I only sleep with them on if we are away from home.

6. Favorite Time of Day?

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

7. Do You Eat the Stems of Broccoli?

Yes, I do like broccoli a lot.

8. Do You Wear Make-Up?

Of course! Do you know how much make up it takes to have that 'natural' look?! I feel like I wear more and more as I get older. More is needed to disguise the aging process I suppose.

9. Ever Have Plastic Surgery?

Do I look rich?

10. If You Had Plastic Surgery, what would you do?

I would only have plastic surgery with a guarantee of no complications. Since that is not possible I would not have it. BUT in my dreams a nose job and tummy tuck would be lovely.

11. What Do You Wear to Bed?

Whatever is clean and in my 'go to bed clothes' drawer.

12. Have You Ever Done Anything Illegal?

Oh boy...this is incriminating. I guess trying to outrun the cops when they are chasing you is probably illegal. Yes....guilty of that.

13. Can You Roll Your Tongue?

This is probably my only talent.

14. Do You Tweeze Your Eyebrows?

Yes, to keep small children from being frightened of me.

15. What Kind of Sneakers?

Well, I've tried many many brands and have decided that it's mostly about comfort and price.

16. Do You Believe in Abortions?

Yes, they exist if that is the question and I do believe that they are a very tragic choice.

17. What is Your Hair Color?

Truly mousy brown.

18. Future Child's Name?

Why tempt fate? There are to be no more babies from this womb.

19. Do You Snore?

Not at all. I sleep very quietly.....sssshhhhhh.....

20. If You Could Go Anywhere In the World, Where Would It Be?

Europe

21. Do You Sleep With Stuffed Animals?

No, unless Keith counts?

22. If You Won The Lottery, What Would You Do First?

Hand in my notice at work.

23. Gold or Silver?

Either....but I'm not really a jewellery person.

24. Hamburger or Hot Dog?

Hamburger with all the fixings please!

25. Only Eat One Food for the Rest of Your Life...What would It Be?

Popcorn of course!

Putting Temptation in My Way

Well, this is my 'other' birthday present. The present technically from Keith but which I went out and bought for myself. I'm sure most of you know that I have an absolute weakness for popcorn. I love it and have always loved it. Growing up we ate it for snacks several times a week....I think it was a very economical thing to feed ever-hungry kids! Now over the years I have eaten hot-air popcorn, microwave popcorn and popcorn popped on the stove. They are okay but nothing every really compares to the popcorn you get at the theatre. That is the very best in my opinion. So a few years ago I was introduced to Schneider's popcorn through a co-worker and found it to be as close to theatre popcorn as you can get. It's awesome. I didn't want to buy the special pot, oil and popcorn though because I was afraid that I would not be able to control myself basically eat popcorn 24/7. This may still happen but I decided that darn it, if I was going to eat popcorn I should eat GOOD popcorn! So I took myself down to the only place I know that sells Schneider's products around here and scooped the very last one off the shelf. I am happy. I will be eating popcorn tonight. Oh......how many more hours must I wait? I must practice some self-control.

Other than the popcorn saga things are going well around here. It's been a busy week with both boys slowly recovering from the flu. Keith was also away all Tuesday night at a fire investigation so he is recuping from being up for 2 days straight. I am bummed about the rainy weather that came back. Last week was so sunny and beautiful. I had fit in a brisk walk several times and was feeling very energized. I suppose I must be patient for spring. I noticed in my garden that some of my bulbs are coming up....very exciting! I planted a whole bunch last fall and can't wait to see them bloom.

It's almost TGIF!!!

More Presents

My mom had us over for a birthday supper tonight. We had peach chicken which is one of my favorites. I had a special request for dessert which was homemade butter tarts with whipped cream. So good! No one makes them as good as my mom!



I got this funky teapot from my parents and the diner straw dispenser from my brother. I love it when birthdays are drawn out over a few days.

Our Weekend

Saturday night we managed to go out for dinner with Kori & Roger despite having a very sick child at home. Thank goodness for grandparents! It was a delicious Greek dinner and we certainly ate enough food to fill our bellies and then some!

Tonight I made a big Mexican feast for my mother-in-law's birthday which is also in February. It tasted quite wonderful if I do say so myself. Chicken enchiladas, with rice (thanks Tracy for bringing it...very tasty!) and salad. We also made some delicious margaritas...so good that I had three!

I was definitely spoiled with some really lovely gifts. Keith got me the new Michael W Smith CD. He is also buying me something else that I will post when I actually get it. Kori & Keri gave me a very pretty bowl set (see her blog for a photo) and a gift card to HomeSense. My sis-in-law and in-laws both got me gift cards to home decor stores. Yippee! More shopping! Also thanks to Sinead and family who sent over some Euros for me to spend as I like. Tomorrow my mom is making me a birthday dinner so the partying isn't quite over yet. The not so good part of the weekend is that now Chad caught the flu from Nathan so now he's really ill. Nathan seems to be on the mend now but Chad is in the thick of it. It's the same flu Blake and Roger had a short while ago. It's a wicked fever that saps your strength and takes away the appetite. Nathan is so skinny already and now he's downright gaunt. Hopefully it won't hit Keith or I because we don't have time to be sick!

I Feel the Love!

I want to thank each and everyone of you who left a comment on my blog to wish me a Happy Birthday. All my blogger friends, 'real life' friends and family are the best!!! There aren't quite 34 comments yet but the day is not over! Only eight more to go....where are you Mom & Dad?! It's been a great day and I'd have to say being 34 is pretty good so far. I know that Keith loves it that I pave the way in the age department and enjoys being with his 'older woman' :) My little family is the best part of being on this planet!
We had plans for a fun family day out but Nathan came down with a fever yesterday and is still not himself. We will still go out for dinner tonight with Kori and Roger though to stuff ourselves silly. I can't wait!

Yeah, It's my Birthday!

Well....almost my birthday! Saturday is the official day and I think it would be really fun if all my blogger buddies left me a comment! Doesn't have to be fancy...just a 'howdy' will do. It would be great to see 34 comments in honor of this most momentous occasion!