R and R

A few weekends ago we decided to take a break from the rat-race called life and go camping. We had no idea how it would go with a two year old but decided to chance it anyway. We all had a really nice time enjoying wonderful weather, family time with no distractions, and the beauty of nature.

Family resemblance?

Rocks, dirt, a pail, and a shovel - what more does a kid need?

Hoho Highlights

Did we have Christmas only a mere two days ago?

Are you sure?
I think I might have missed it.
No, I didn't. It felt very quick this year since we are so house-absorbed.
Brief as if felt, it was still special and filled with laughter and love.

Gifts.
It's always fun to receive things that I otherwise wouldn't get for myself. For example: gift certificate to a spa and black stretchy, comfy, around-home pants (this after I said that I practically never wear lounging clothes!)
Sierra was so cute and giddy with all the activity of stockings and gift opening. She got tons of new toys but a bead necklace was by far her favourite. It only comes off for sleep times.

Food.
Lots. Feeling glutonous. Weight Watchers must start soon. Need I say more?

Games.
A must at Christmas. Dominoes and Cranium amused us this year. You'd be surprised at how crazy we can make a game of Dominoes!

Wine and Bailey's Caramel Irish Cream.
Great stuff!

Family and Friends.
What make the season so fun.

Jesus Christ.
Without His birth there would none of the above to enjoy!

The tree surrounded by presents.

The famous beads.

Digging in deep and feeling something...

Grasping it and pulling it out....


Discovery! An elephant puzzle!

Our little family.

I'm It!

Kraftykash tagged me today and since I'm procrastinating however I can this afternoon this is a great excuse to keep it up!

Here is how it goes:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up six random things about

Random stuff about me:

1. I'm only just under 5' 2" tall and my daughter appears to be doomed to top out at 5'3'' according to the charts. I always say it's easier to hem pants than lengthen them!
2. I rarely use a cell phone in a world where everyone seems to have one. Mine is used once every couple of months.
3. Hair and make done, along with nice clothes are a must nearly every single day. I'm not a sweats-around-the -house kind of person. I even have a cute outfit for working out, at home, alone, where no one sees me!
4. I have no central vision in my right eye. Seven and a half years ago I had unexplained bleeding at the back of the eye which created a scar which blocks my vision. It was a scary time but I've had no issues since - other than adjusting to only one good eye that is!
5. I enjoy mind games like cross words and Sudoku puzzles, sadly there is little time to work on them.
6. I use cloth diapers on Sierra because I prefer to help minimize polluting the environment with thousands of non-biodegradable disposables (the average child is said to go through 2000). I do use disposables at night and for babysitters. Seriously, they have been easy and a huge money saver. Many people are grossed out by the poop aspect, Kushies makes flushable, biodegradable liners than I just put in the toilet and there's next to no clean-up. I use a brand of diaper called BumGenius.

That was kind of fun. So I tag...

Journey of an Artist Mom

Monkey's Momma

Blooming Almond (although she's not had internet for awhile)

Medneophyte

Bunny Dimension

Kickyboots

Review

Nearly two weeks ago on a balmy ( relatively speaking of course, it was just below zero as opposed to frigid -20 degrees Celsius which is not out of the ordinary for us at this time of year) Friday evening, our town held this really neat event - a Christmas light parade. We decided to bundle up and partake in the festivities.
Main street was blocked off.
Fire pits surrounded by hay bales were placed along the street as warm-up spots.
All the businesses stayed open and many handed out free cups of hot chocolate.
The parade lasted about half and hour and there were participants from all over the southern part of Alberta. Having never been to this event we were impressed and had a really fun time.

Sierra loves being out and thrived on the activity around her.

Post parade we made hot chocolate of our own and baked and iced sugar cookies while a fire crackled merrily.

Two days later my Uncle Walter had a sudden, massive heart attack and passed away. Thus followed one of the longest, craziest weeks I believe I've ever had.
Thoughts about the week:
The way our families came together in support was wonderful.
The strength and power of the Lord was very apparent and amazing.
I cannot imagine loosing a loved one without the assurance of eternal life and seeing them again in heaven.
Going to sleep at 1 A.M. or later and waking up before 8 A.M. several days in a row is not good.
I learned that I could sit at the kitchen table at 9:30 A.M and eat constantly until 1:30 P.M. without thinking about it.
Coffee is good. I drank gallons and I'm sure my stomach is rotting as a result.
Wine is also good - in moderation of course! (I already knew this though)

Post funeral week weekend Trevor and I participated in five, hour and a half long Christmas performances in our church. Tired or exhausted is not adequate to describe how I felt when it was all over. As we drove home from our church Sunday night in a snow storm we asked ourselves if it was really only a week since that phone call pierced our lives.

Monday I did absolutely nothing.

Yesterday I felt a hundred times better and was ready to resume regular activities.

As for our house - I've decided that we're not moving in until March. Early January can only happen by a miracle and early February - maybe if we work our tails off and have no life. So March it is. The only foreseeable way to bump that date up is to hire out much of it, which we might yet depending on cost.
We're planning on doing the finishing stuff ourselves and that always seems to take longer than one thinks. I refuse to stress about the schedule and get mad when we don't meet it. Inevitably there are factors that slow this or that down. For example: yesterday there was a planned power outage for the area so the ceiling could not be sprayed, and the original fireplace we chose doesn't work so we have to reselect. I want the house done as soon as possible, sure, but I'm not willing to have no life or live it in an eternally exhausted, frantic state. Maybe I'm over estimating how long it will take but my mind will find it easier this way.
There you have it, my last two weeks as brief and informative as I can be.

Oh, one other thing. I have not bought one Christmas gift yet and don't have a clue when I will!

More Choosing and Other News

Okay, we are in need of making another fairly major choice regarding our house and it is not going well!!
Arborite for our kitchen and bathroom counters is the decision at hand.
We are shown these tiny one by two inch square samples and then pick what we think we like. Then we are supposed to determine if the pattern and colour will coordinate with the cabinets and other projected colour schemes. Piece of cake - right?
Snort. Gafaw. Pfffft.
Impossible!
One company actually had larger samples of many of their options which was helpful. The look completely changed when we were able to see more of it and that in turn definitely gave us a better idea of the actual appearance. Problem: we cannot take the larger samples of arborite or the cabinet sample home to mull over and look at in different lighting. So we take the minuscule ones and then end up totally second guessing what we might like because it is extremely difficult to imagine the end result, especially without a cabinet to try and match to.
Understand my frustration?
Anyway, here are what we are currently deciding between. Imagine them paired with a maple cabinet stained in english oak colour. (this link is a close to an example as I can find)




Opinions are more than welcome but I imagine you will have about as much success as imagine the over look as I have.

In other news:
1. Trevor and Carla went on a date Friday night - without Sierra or the parents. Gasp!
Were they actually able to be alone together but not in front of the TV?
YES! ..and it was really nice.
"We went to a WHL hockey game in our city where we enjoyed massive bowls of icecream while being entertained by 16-20yr olds chasing a black hunk of rubber around a sheet of ice."
2. Trevor and Carla, her parents, and sister and brother-in-law went to see the play "Much Ado About Nothing" put on at the local university - sans Sierra again! (for those of you who don't know a lick o' French "sans" means "without".) Double gasp!
"We went for appetizers and drinks at a local pub before being amused by a wonderful display of Shakespearean acting."

Two nights out in a row while enjoying a leisure activity without our child! Crazy. It'll be months before this happens again I'm sure. I love my girl more than anything but it was sure nice to do "adult" activities.
Until next time....

Weekend of Renewel.

I’m going to tell you about the delightful get-a-way Trevor, Sierra and I had from Friday night to Sunday morning and all the fun and resoltions that came of it. The idea only came to me last weekend when I was in a disgruntled mood about the state of my life. As I moped around in silence I starting thinking and analyzing my mood, so I asked,

“Self, what is wrong with you?”

“I think I’m peopled out,” Self answered.

“Our living arrangements are great but it’s not just us anymore. I have Mom and Dad, and Trevor and Sierra around any time I’m home. Since Sierra so enjoys her Granny and Grandpa it’s difficult to disappear into the basement for extended periods of family or alone time.”

Self paused thoughtfully.

“I believe I need some down time to myself and with our little family.”

I mused for a moment and then a light bulb lit up in my weary brain.

“Well, what if Trevor, Sierra and I go away next weekend; just the three of us, and spend some time simply with each other?” I suggested to Self.

“That is a fabulous idea!” Self said enthusiastically.

I brought this idea to Trevor who also readily agreed.

After our restaurant adventure on Friday we drove for a little over an hour to a tiny town called Mountain View. Mountain View is in the foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains and offers spectacular “Mountain Views”. We stayed in a bed-and-breakfast called “Simply the Best” run by a nice Mormon family. (In fact 95% of Mountain View residents are Mormon) From Mountain View we drove the fifteen minutes to Waterton National Park and spent most of Saturday there.

Here’s what we did:

We tried a little hike but Sierra didn't enjoy being in the Snuggli, she wanted to run around on her own! We managed a forty minute walk.

She decided to fill the backpack with rocks.

The deer are so tame they came right up to us.

Just the three of us.

Not only did we have some great family time but Trevor and I had the opportunity to finally just talk.
A big overhanging issue is his lack of getting a job. Here we were at the end of August with the school year beginning on Tuesday and Trevor didn't have a contract position. I know the first couple of weeks of school will reveal actual student numbers and government funding so some positions may appear but...
my faith in Trevor getting a job has all but disappeared.
I truly believed that Trevor would have a job by now. There really was no "if" in my mind. God calls us to have faith so that is what I did. The blatant fact at hand has shaken me deeply. I felt very betrayed and let down and hopeless.
Then I begrudgingly admitted that God's timing is often not our own, it's not as if Trevor would have no work, and God has been good to us thus far so why woudn't He continue?
Trevor shared some similar feelings along with questioning if teaching is really what he is supposed to do. At what point do we go from having faith that we will reach the destination along the chosen path to considering alternate paths?
I personally don't feel we need to change our route just yet as there haven't even been any job opportunities. If there was position after position that Trevor was just not getting hired for than I would be more likely to say perhaps he should consider something else.
It's only been a year, after all.
So for now, he subs and we dig deep down and cling to the faith that God knows best.

As for me and my job - I work full time this week yet and then Trevor and I have agreed that I'll move down to two days a week. I'll work Fridays and Trevor won't. It's only a half day for teachers so Trevor won't be missing as much by being unavailable. I will also work Tuesdays and, when it's my turn in the rotation, Saturday instead. It means that Trevor will have to be quite proactive in getting himself known as a sub to maintain relatively consistent work for a relatively consistent income. The more he works, the more he's known, and the more chance he has at getting a job later. All this means that I only have to find child care for Sierra for one day a week at most. That's the plan for now with keeping an open mind that it may have to change.
That's our life on the job front as we head into September. It is not ideal but we've accepted it and will make the best of it.

"Self, how do feel now?" I ask on this dreary, rainy, holiday Monday afternoon.
"I feel all right, issues are talked out and we're moving forward," Self nodded with a satisfied look.
"How about you?"
"I'm feeling pretty good about life right now too, thanks for being there!"
"No problem!"

Tres' Grande Event

What:
Wedding

Where: Centre Street Church, Calgary

Calgary Skyline and Saddledome

When: Noon, Friday, August 1, 2008

Why: They are in love!

Number of Attendants: 6+ ushers

4 candle-lighters/rose petal scatterers.

6 Bridesmaids and Maid of Honour

6 Groomsmen and Best Man

Wedding Party Attire: Ushers wore black suits with fuschia satin ties. Candle-lighters/rose petal scatterers wore a summery dress of their choir. Groomsmen wore standard black suits and each with a bright pink flower, I honestly didn’t notice anything else! Bridesmaids wore black cocktail length dresses and carried simple, fuscia bouquets; the maid of honour had a fuschia sash.

Bride – well that’s a given! She looked gorgeous and radiant (see pictures below).

Groom - looked pretty good but secondary to the bride of course!

Music: 20 piece orchestra (all friends of the couple)

Country singer Paul Brandt sang a song he wrote specially for them during the signing of the registry and lighting of the unity candle.

Number of guests at the ceremony and luncheon: around 700

Why so large: the groom’s father is the pastor of the church

The formal reception: 6:30p.m.

Guest number: 160

Where: Links Golf Course, Calgary

Menu: Prime rib; blueberry chicken; various side dishes

Who was this all for:

Kristin and Jon

From June 1999 until summer 2004 Trevor was the youth pastor at a small Mennonite Church in Calgary. Kristin was one of our faithful youth group members (one of our "kids") and contributed to some awesome memories from our time there. She also happens to be Trevor's second cousin. Getting to know her revealed a wonderful, sweet, loyal, God-loving woman with a fantastic singing voice. I am so happy for her and pray God's richest blessings on her life with Jon!

Beachy Afternoon

These were taken Sunday afternoon at the beach during our little trip. Enjoy!

Grandma and Grandpa

Walking along the pier.

Everybody who passed by Sierra walking with her grandparents had a comment or a smile. One guy was even taking pictures from behind, like this one.

Sierra exploring the feel of sand between her toes....

and the cool ocean lapping over her feet.

Weekend At The In-Laws

Trevor, Sierra, and I had a lovely extended long weekend visiting Trevor's parents on the B.C. coast. We flew out on Saturday afternoon and Sierra behaved like an angel on the plane. She quite enjoyed chewing on her unopened package of Bits n Bits and reading the in-flight magazine.

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Our activities of the included:

1. Saturday night drinks and appetizers with a great long time friend of mine and her boyfriend. I hadn't met this boyfriend and I say he's a keeper. Trevor and I quite like him.

2. A leisurely, Sunday afteroon stroll along the ocean and out onto a pier (along with everyone else in the Lower Mainland!). The sky was blue, the sun shining, and the surf was gently brining the tide in. We ended the afternoon eating ice cream cones on a bench.

3. Sunday evening meal with more great friends. Beer and nachos at a local joint called Lou's. It's neat place with a tavern sort of atmosphere with a blaring juke box and wooden floors and furniture. Rumour has it it is owned by the Hell's Angels.

4. Monday morning breakfast at "De Dutch Pannekoek Haus". They serve awesome gargantuan crepes with yummy filling options.

5. Monday lunch with my aunt, uncle and cousins. We always enjoy visits with them.

6. Tuesday morning shopping for Sierra (my mother in law and me). What could be more fun than buying cute baby things?

7. A few competative games scattered throughout each day.

It was a really nice visit. Sierra played strange with everyone, which was hard for the grandparents, but understandable. Thankfully she was really well behaved as long as we were there. I thought reality would hit me hard this morning with the time change and all but I felt pretty good all day. That proves it was a great weekend!

The Magical World of Disney

Vile Villains + Pretty Princesses + Proud Princes + Colourful Cartoon Characters + Flitting Fairies + Pugnacious Pirates + Mischievous Mermaids + Languid Lions

= Magical Memories.

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You know, I feared that as an adult Disneyland would appear faded and somewhat hokey to me; a place for kids and fanciful teenagers. Those thoughts couldn't have been more disproved. The park is fabulous. It is extremely vibrant and alive with fantasy and fun. It put my little-girl imagination into reality. I loved it!

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California Adventure was also neat to see. It is built more like a typical amusement park with a section of it designed to look more old-fashioned. At a distance the roller coaster appears to be one of those rickety, bumpy, back-adjusting wooden ones. The ferris wheel also comes across as rather tame. They are anything but. Those are two of the thrill-seeker type rides, which Disneyland does not have.

The entrance to "Disneyland Resort." There's a short walk down a tree-lined road to a huge center courtyard. Disneyland Resort includes: Disneyland was to the right, California Adventure to the left and Downtown Disney (this includes the hotels and a bunch of high end stores) straight ahead.

The first thing you see upon passing through the gates of Disneyland. It was hard to get a good picture, too many people.

Main Street Disneyland

Us in Toontown

Sleeping Beauty's castle

Main street California Adventure

The amusement park section.

A free-fall ride based on 'The Twilight Zone'

Us in front of the river raft ride. The wait for this one on Saturday was 1hour and 45minutes. We rode it on Sunday after waiting 35 minutes..

I'm Going To Disneyland!!!

Yup, you read that right...Disneyland. Weeeee! (I'm such a little kid at heart - am I really a mom?)

Last summer my generous parents gave Trevor a voucher for a weekend away with me, along with free babysitting, as a university graduation gift. (Yes, there is a maximum dollar attached to this gift) It hasn't been an option to redeem it until now due to Sierra needing my breast and busy schedules.

We put the little certificate in a drawer, mentioned it here and there but didn't do anything with it. About a month ago it hit us, once again, that time was quickly passing. I would be returning to work in mid-May (ack!), summer would be taken up with house building, and our babysitters would be holidaying so the pressure was suddenly on. If we didn't redeem it soon it would be next winter before we knew it and who knows what life would be like then. Our tenth anniversary was also approaching and we really wanted to use this as an opportunity to celebrate that event.

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The original idea of use for the voucher was a quiet weekend in Waterton National Park which is a mere hour and a half drive away. I love Waterton, it is a quaint little tourist town among the magnificent Rocky Mountains but...I don't want to come across as picky...but it seemed rather ordinary to us and kinda close to home. Besides, the chances of us running into someone we know there are quite high and that's not particularly conducive to a romantic weekend getaway.

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Trevor's initial, alternate destination of choice was Las Vegas. We scrolled through pages and pages of options on the 'net and came to the conclusion that it would be too expensive because we have to go over a weekend for our babsitters' convenience. Weekends in 'Vegas are much pricier than going during the week. Maybe it would be Waterton after all, they did have some appealing packages available.

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Then....

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I came up with the fabulous of idea of using our airmiles to fly somewhere 'exotic'. The money from my parents and kicking in some of our own would cover food and fun. My enthusiasm returned and I went through a list of options: Phoenix AR, Palm Springs CA, San Fransisco CA, Los Angeles CA - wait a minute, if we went to LA.....Disneyland!

That was it, that's where I desperately wanted to go. I have wanted to go there with Trevor for years. I can't explain why Disneyland, just an idea I got in my warped little brain once upon a time that I haven't been able to let go of. A flurry of phoning and 'net scanning took place and we're going for a very reasonable cost for three full days plus travel time.

I am very excited.