Birthday Round 2

We had Nathan's family party this afternoon. Everyone made it 'cept for Uncle Murray....we missed you! He was busy being a studious student and we completely understood his absence. Nathan got some wonderful gifts and great surprise too. My dad took Nathan to a WHL hockey game about an hour into the party. Just said: Nate, get your coat. You and I are going out. So Nathan just did as he was told and off they went. A little while later Nathan called us from the game having the time of his life....so excited!!! So the rest of us partied on without the birthday boy. We hadn't gotten together for a while so it was nice to sit, visit and catch up!

Birthday Party Round One

A great game of bowling during the alley's 'glo bowl' afternoon. The boys had a great time!

Keith was clever enough to bring home his turnout gear and it certainly took the boys attention for quite some time. They enjoyed learning about it and also each taking a turn trying it on.

Yum...pizza and cake. The stuff birthdays are made of :)

I would call today a complete success!

Ode to a Nathan!

Where do I start? How can my baby boy be turning NINE years old tomorrow?! I am not old enough for this and he is not allowed to be growing up so quickly.

March 18, 1998 we welcomed a precious baby boy into our lives. He came after 22 hours of labour and then an emergency c-section. I was so happy when he finally arrived. We were sure it was going to be a St Patrick's day baby....but nature had other plans on that one!

We fell in love right away and he was the best baby ever. He slept when he was supposed to sleep and was otherwise smiley and sweet. He grew into a curious toddler but never a naughty one. He had very few tantrums and the terrible twos were only something I read about. He truly suits the meaning of his name....'Gift from God'. He has grown into a kind, thoughtful, smart and handsome boy and we're so glad we are his parents.

Enjoy the slide show. It's kind of long but it was hard to exclude some of our favorite photos of our little gem!

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!