Blue Skies

Today after the kids and I did all our chores we headed off to the water park! For a moment I laid down and this is what came into my vision......

This picture doesn't do it justice but it took my breath away. These tall trees towering over me, protecting me. Such beauty.

School Projects

Grade 3 has been the year of school projects. What I have learned about this is that Adrianna is a go getter! She is definitely not one to procrastinate. Instead she usually has it mapped out and is constantly talking about it while we look at her completely confused (until the newsletter comes home). I'm so proud that she has this fabulous skill at such a young age!

So the latest (and hopefully the last) Adrianna had to pick out a province (she picked Quebec), she had to research, display her findings, then present it to her classmates and last but not least participate in an open house for all the parents.

She did such a good job researching, typing, gluing, drawing, etc. She wasn't quite so happy about presenting it but once we got over that hurdle she did an awesome job.

Way to go Adrianna!

That's Two Times Now

This afternoon the kids and I were doing some errands and I asked Eli about his spelling test and he responded in a very serious tone, "that's two times now I've told you we didn't have time to do our planners today!"

I quietly sighed to myself. You see whenever I get frustrated with Eli that he's not listening I'll make the comment, "I've told you 'x' amount of times (usually at least 3 or 4)........please listen to what I'm saying......."

I did remember that they didn't have time to do planners so his planner isn't in his backpack but I was thinking maybe his teacher handed out the spelling to go into their backpacks separately. He was thinking that the two go together because there's the pouch at the beginning of the planner to put things like a spelling test into so they don't get lost!

Save-On Foods Stores Face Strike Threat

If you read the Vancouver Sun (click on the link to read the article) the above heading may have caught your attention. In our house this is BIG.

Les works for Overwaitea Food Group but he works for Cooper's Foods and they aren't a part of the strike vote because they are under a different contract and their contract doesn't come up for renewal for another year. However, they are getting ready for the rush.

In Maple Ridge Cooper's Foods is the most easternly located grocery store and the next closest is Save-On Foods. Do you see where I'm going? If the strike goes ahead something tells me we won't be seeing much of Les for awhile.

Gardening. A New Hobby.

We decided to experiment and plant a garden this year so we pulled the grass, brought in dirt, bought seeds for beans, yellow peppers, spinach, tomatoes and were given some seeds to plant peas. Well as you can imagine it wasn't the most ideal spring to plant a garden with the colder weather, weeks and weeks of rain and no sun BUT we have growth!

Everything has come in except for our peppers so the kids and I picked up some starter sweet pepper plants yesterday along with a brussels sprout plant and a strawberry plant. From left to right we have beans, sweet peppers, brussels sprouts, strawberry, spinach (that's the bare looking spot, really there are some coming up but I'm not sure if they'll survive) and then our peas! Our tomato plants are looking good but are small so you can't see them in the picture but they run horizontally along the back of the garden so that as they get bigger we can tie them to the railing.

Our green thumbs don't stop here! I've always wanted to grow a herb garden and finally did it instead of always talking about it and I'm sooooo excited! I have basil, parsley, cilantro and oregano growing plus in another bucket I have chives but I didn't plant those ones from seed like the others.

Summer Fun

When we moved to the coast we left the trampoline behind (it went to the dump....it was oooooold), the swing set went to Grandma Lynn's place (our backyard won't fit it) and we seemed to misplace the swimming pool (honestly not intentionally) so the kids though happy to have moved were saddened that all their fun 'outdoor stuff' was gone.

We've now been here just over 2 years and are starting our 3rd summer and the kids have been begging for a swimming pool. Luck just so happened to come by our way the other day! Les sold something of his and while he was rummaging through the box (that he hasn't touched for 2 years) he came across a garbage bag and low and behold our swimming pool emerged!!!!!!

He blew it up and washed it out and filled it with water while the kids were in school. Well.......you should have seen and heard the excitement! Eli thought we had gone out and bought a new swimming pool (no begging doesn't work) but Adrianna remembered it right away. Needless to say they are tickled pink!!!!

Having fun in the whale pool....hopefully they don't totally drown my chives!!!

Menopause PLEASEEEEEEEEE

This has been the month from hell. Sorry to be so harsh but it really has. Let me explain.......

I've always suffered from PMS and over the years it has gotten worse (after I had my 2nd child) and eventually I was diagnosed with having PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Now the one and only bonus about having chemotherapy is that it put me into a chemical menopause, which means I had absolutely no PMS/PMDD issues for months and it was fantastic.

Unfortunately my bliss was not to stay. Since February I have slowly started cycling again and there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it and I've been managing but this month has been absolutely horrendous. Really I apologize to any of you that have had to deal with me throughout June because I certainly have not been myself at all, I'm having such a hard time of keeping myself together and really don't think I'm doing a very good job of it at all.

I'm trying to get a hold of my oncologist but she's out of town and so it was off to see my family doctor today. Because of having breast cancer I can't have any form of hormone therapy unless its okayed from my oncologist, which is really a very very last resort and only because I wasn't estrogen positive. Anyway, I left my doctors office still frustrated, with a prescription in my hand and with the instruction to contact my oncologist as soon as she's back.

I know we're never given more than we can handle but right about now I'm feeling like I'm beyond what I can handle!

Our Very Own Website!

As most of you are well aware my sisters, sister-in-law, cousin and myself have teamed up to participate in The Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

Just a couple days ago we launched our own website Team All For One where you can purchase some of our homemade goodies or you can simply make a donation.

PLEASE check it out and help support us and a worthy cause!!

Beautification

We have Les's parents with us for a couple of days and have them helping us out with a project.

So Tuesday morning I got the kids off to school and then the adults got right to work. We unloaded 173 (give or take) blocks, pulled plants, levelled the ground, placed blocks, filled blocks, covered the beam with shingles to protect the wood, brought in two truck loads of dirt/manure, replanted, bought more plants and planted all in time to have the kids arrive home from school....well actually it wasn't quite done but pretty close!

BEFORE

THE GUYS HARD AT WORK

BEAUTIFIED!!!!

Happy Birthday Tricia!!

Les just started holidays a couple days ago and I've kept him busy with family functions! Today started with going to my brother Mike's place to have a quick visit with my dad and his wife who were driving through on their way home from a visit to the Island BUT the really exciting part was that Trish was there too and its her BIRTHDAY!!!!

Trish celebrating 30 something with Eli behind her

The nieces and nephews along with my step mom's granddaughter surrounding the cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISH

We LOVE you and hope you had a FANTASTIC day!!

After visiting for a few hours it was a mad rush home to try and beat Les's parents arrival but they were already sitting on the deck waiting for us.

A Visit With Uncle Kenny....I mean Uncle Ken!

Our plan the last time we got together (way back in January) was to get together once a month. Well......5 months later we finally got together again and really not from a lack of trying. When I say 'we' I mean my Uncle Ken, my family, my sister Tricia and my brother Mike and his family that's a lot of schedules to work around!

After having weeks and weeks of rain and miserable weather it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. We were able to walk to a local restaurant and by doing so got to check out Uncle Ken's fancy new electric wheelchair (pretty cool). On the way back the kids were able to play at a park for a few minutes before continuing the walk to Uncle Ken's place.



At the restaurant left to right Eli, Mike, Nikki, Keidis, Uncle Ken and Kaya (a little bit of her anyway)





Eli and Adrianna on the rock wall at the park












Kaya on the swing














Keidis on the jungle jim















Eli holding his cousin Ophelia












One thing I'm learning is that sometimes it really is hard to change a habit..............My Uncle really doesn't like being called Uncle Kenny, I liken it to people calling me Jenny - YUCK but its what I've called him my whole life. I'm striving to change my old ways and call him by what he likes to be called - Uncle Ken. However, without realizing it the old habit has been picked up by the next generation OOPS I better get on that!

French Kissing

A very interesting conversation took place this afternoon!! The four of us were goofing off in the kitchen and for some reason I stuck my tongue out at Les, which was also VERY close to his face. This is what happened.....

Adrianna & Eli laughingly said, "Ewe, gross!" Then in a serious tone Adrianna continued, "Good thing your tongues didn't touch or that would have been french kissing!"

In a panicked voice I responded, "How do you know about french kissing?"

"From Carly & Jaime," Adrianna stated.

A little shocked that my daughter has been discussing this with the neighbour girls I asked, "And how do they know about french kissing?"

Adrianna responded, "Mom, they did go to a French school!!"

I had the hugest smile on my face and only responded by saying, "Oh, Adrianna I LOVE you!"

I absolutely love her sweet innocence but at the same time worry about it. I don't want it to disappear too soon but how can that be controlled without sheltering her from the outside world, which I don't think is right either. I realize that there is school, friends, TV and so much more that she'll learn good and bad from but sometimes I find it overwhelmingly scary that my little girl is growing up and learning about things like french kissing!

Mmmmm Good

Earlier this week I tried out a new recipe and I just have to share it!

Its called Bean & Veggie Burrito and it is soooo tasty. I got it from the blog Gourmet Momma where she listed it as one of her 'drop a dress size' dinners.

I have to admit I didn't feed it to my children mostly because I was trying a new recipe that I really wasn't 100% sure if I was going to like BUT they better watch out for next time because they WILL be trying it!

So whats in it you ask? Pretty simple really just zucchini, onion, fresh spinach, black beans, corn and chili powder!

Hmmmmm Gooooood!!!! I'm thinking I just might have to have one for lunch today......I'm getting hungry talking about food!