Merry Christmas 2008!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We hope you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus. We are off to PEI, praying for good driving weather! Be back in a week or so!

Four-Eyes!

Oh yes, soon that is what two of my boys will become, four-eyes! (not that you will ever hear me call them that!) My two oldest (10 and 7) have to get glasses...sigh. My youngest has slight astigmatism (hopefully it won't get worse because he doesn't need glasses right now). Their dad has passed on his bad eyes to his boys, but you'll hear him blaming his mother! Not really an expense that I wanted to shell out for after Christmas shopping. Luckily, my husband's grandma sent some Christmas money for the boys. Instead of Christmas presents, great-grandma is helping to provide the gift of better sight. That's not such a bad gift! So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of this around here:

(Andrew wearing my glasses)

I just have to add one more thing. Andrew was starting to get a bit nervous about wearing glasses this morning and said "I don't want them to take away my cuteness" He is so funny, as if anything could take away his cuteness! (no low self-esteem here!)

Snow Day

Things have been so busy and I've been wishing for an evening off. I guess I got my wish! We were supposed to have our Carol sing at church last night but it is snowing hard and has be postponed. I'm a little disappointed but do look forward to a nice quiet evening at home with the boys. There is a new Muppets Christmas movie coming on tonight but it doesn't start until 9pm local time. I am torn, there are Christmas movies on almost every night right now, but none start until at least 8. I have let the boys stay up until 10pm to watch the movies, but this morning they were so tired and I had trouble getting them out of bed. These TV specials are only on once a year and they only have two more days until Christmas vacation. My dilemma is, do I let them stay up and watch the fun shows, or put them to bed on time so they aren't over tired? I will probably let them stay up, maybe we'll get lucky and school will be canceled tomorrow!

We finally got our Christmas tree up. We were running out of time for a real tree so we decided to put our artificial one up, so we can enjoy the lights for the next week. Any tree looks nice if you put enough lights on it right? That's my theory!

Here are a few pictures of our tree. I didn't get a clear picture so I decided to just make it look like the soft dreamy look of the picture was on purpose, play along, okay?

The First and Last Lobster I Ever Cooked!!!

A friend of ours just came back from PEI and her son is a lobster fisherman. She brought home 61 LIVE lobsters in her trunk. I bought two because the price was right and hey, I live in the Maritimes, have to try cooking a lobster at least once!

I should let you know that I'm kind of scared of creepy things, especially spiders! My husband was in bed sick so I know I was the one who was going to have to deal with these things. When I got home I tried to pull one out of the bag to show the cat but whenever I touched it, IT MOVED!! I stuck them in the fridge until I was ready to deal with them.

I have to admit I was a bit creeped out at the fact that I was going to have to drop these things into a pot of boiling water alive. Poor creepy things. You'll probably see the word creepy many times in this post, because that is what they were! I used a pair of spaghetti tongs to pick the first one up to put him in the water. Actually, the first one wasn't too bad, he didn't put up a fight or anything.

So, now I'm thinking I can actually do this. He didn't fight, no "scream" (that some talked about when I looked online to learn how to cook the creepies), just curled his tail and instantly turned red. Now getting the second lobster was were the comedy started. He really didn't like getting picked up with those tongs and everytime I tried, he'd flip his tail at me and I'd scream and drop him (or her, I have NO idea!). It took about 5 tries to get him into the pot. That was enough excitement for one night so I put them in the fridge until the next day.

Okay, next day and time to eat the creepy lobsters. Ya, those guys are VERY protected in that shell! I was kind of creeped out about pulling the creature apart. Andrew thought it was fun to pull out the antennae and claws so I let him have at it. Joseph pulled a claw and antenna too but Nathanael wanted nothing to do with it! It took a HAMMER, bashing the daylights out of the thing, to get past that shell. All I can say is, all that work and creepiness, wasn't worth it! I know there are lots out there who love lobster. I don't get it.

I can say now that I've done it but I've got no desire to do it again!!!! One more adventure done! The funniest thing (warped sense of humour I guess) is that night I heard Joseph fussing in his room. I went in there and he kept saying "I'm scared of that lobster" in his sleep. I guess I wasn't the only one creeped out!

Look at all the legs and Antennae, too spidery for me!

Eww, the beady eyes, which sink in when you blow on them. Kids had fun with that.

First one done! I did it and survived to tell the story!

Like A Chicken With Her Head Cut Off?

It is Monday again. Hmmm, link up to Make Me Laugh Monday? Ya, no time to find funny things this last week.

Oh, Link up to Menu Plan Monday. Yaaaa, I haven't even gone grocery shopping in so long that I was forced to take a can of beans to work for lunch today...seriously!

As a pastor's wife, my schedule this time of year tends to get kind of full and if I wasn't busy enough, I joined a choir for a Christmas pagent too. I have something going on tonight (Monday), tomorrow, Wednesday, Friday (Church dinner to cook for on Thursday). I have I have three singing events from the 16th to the 21st. I still need to get the boy's picture printed and to get my Christmas cards done and sent and I haven't even started shopping and no tree up yet! Whew...breathe...ahh. It is only for a short time every year and I'm going to follow Sarah's lead and "enjoy the madness of it all. Cramming in all the fun, and trying to savor every last second...not feeling guilty." That is a direct quote from her blog and she is a fellow Pastor's wife and mom of boys so I think I'm drawing wisdom from the right person!

At least (hopefully, if the weather cooperates) we will be going over to PEI on the 23rd and spending Christmas with some dear friends. That takes the pressure off me to be cleaning, cooking and such for Christmas but I will lend a hand!

Oh and here is a picture to prove I did infact get my decorating done, except the tree. I have to squeeze some time in for that somehow!

6 Random Facts

I was tagged by Peanut last weekend for this meme where I list 6 random facts about myself. I had to think about this one for a bit. Not sure I have anything too interesting about me to share but I'll give it a shot. Here goes nothing!

1. I have a strange OCD thing with the tv. When I turn the volume up or down, it must stop on an even number. 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, you get the idea. I don't know why and my boys think I'm strange. I guess I am.

2. It really bothers me if something isn't symmetrical. I once gave away a loveseat because one of the buttons fell off and it was no longer the same on each side. But as far as OCD's go, that is pretty much it. I wish I had a bit of the OCD's where everything must be neat, or organized or I must be thin. Nope, none of those!

3. I have bad hay fever. I'm allergic to spring, fall, summer, dust and my cat. I insist on keeping my cat, don't seem to clean the dust as much as I should and would even like to get a dog someday. I have to take allergy pills every morning and night or else live with a permanent head cold!

4. I live over 6000kms (over 3900miles) from most of my family and close friends. I do find it hard. I miss them all and my boys don't know many members of my family. I am thankful to live in a time when technology allows us to keep in touch with our families and friends on a regular basis.

5. I find being a working mother the hardest thing I've done in my life. I was a stay at home mom for 8yrs and have been working full time now for 2yrs. I thought I was balancing it all alright until a few days ago when my youngest was crying and said that I never play with him and he was upset that I was having to go out for the third night in a row. I am also a pastor's wife so my schedule is busy. I was able to shuffle and reschedule a few things so I could spend some quality time with my boys and I realize I need to make that more of a priority.

6. I prefer to live in small towns. I am not a city girl AT ALL! I am so directionally challenged and still have to trace a path in my head when I first walk into Walmart so I go the right way to get where I want to go. I have been shopping at our Walmart for almost 6yrs. Sad I know, now imagine me driving around a big city.

Well, that's it. That is a hint of me. Now, who to pass this meme on to. I don't really know many bloggers well enough to tag so if you want to participate, do so and let me know in a comment so I can check it out! I will tag Canadian Southern Mommy since I know her!

Thanks for reading!

Make Me Laugh Monday

It's been a while since I linked up to Jenny on the Spot for Make Me Laugh Monday (but I definitely didn't stop reading!) but I have a few Jimmy the Janitor clips stored up that are worth a few chuckles so check them out:


Clip One

Clip Two

Clip Three

Clip Four

Clip Five

To have some more laughs, visit Jenny's Make Me Laugh Monday, you'll be glad you did!

So Not Ready!

Reading blogs, it seems that many have already decorated for Christmas. I am one of THOSE people who refuse to decorate until December! (although I did decorate my blog header already, does that count?) The decorations and Christmas songs start at Halloween in the stores and by December 25th, I am so tired of it. Doesn't that seem too early? It just makes Christmas so over commercialized.

Of course I am also THAT person who still has shopping to do and helps to fill the stores to capacity a few days before Christmas. I have not bought one Christmas present yet! Right now I've been focusing my attention on Andrew's 7th birthday party this weekend but I have that nagging voice in my head (I seem pretty good at ignoring it!) that keeps telling me I'd better get started on the shopping! This year I may try more online shopping since I have lots of access to the internet but my time in stores is very limited.

Sigh... I just wish I was more organized like some of my friends who have it all planned out and are done with their shopping. Another thing I'm slack on (well another thing of many!) is wrapping the gifts! We usually stay up late on Christmas Eve wrapping instead of wrapping as we buy. There is still time, I need to start now!

But there is one thing I must do first... can you guess? Yes that's right, I still need to get Andrew some birthday presents! See? Slack or what? I KNOW!

You Know You Have Been Reading Too Many Blogs When...

...you dream in blog post format. And I'm not even joking!

What's up Doc?

It is has been pretty quiet this week on this here blog! Two of the kids and I have battled a stomach bug. It always amazes me how fast the kids bounce back but when I catch the same thing, I'm bed ridden for two days. Thankfully we are feeling much better and hopefully the last two members of our family will be spared! (and I got to catch up on some sleep, that is never a bad thing) Today is report card day so I'm excited to see how my kiddos have been doing and they are always excited to bring them home (not sure how long that will last!). We still have one more birthday before Christmas. Andrew has his 7th birthday on Nov.30 and he told me he wants to invite this girl from his class because she gets picked on a lot by the boys. He has started playing with her at school too, to cheer her up. Isn't he the sweetest? Andrew has always had a gentle heart but when he was telling me this, it was all I could do to not tear up. I love that he always sticks up for the underdog, even if it means going again the grain. He'll be the first to make you a get better card if you are sick and cry for you if you are hurt. I look forward to celebrating this big birthday with him. He thinks it is a big deal because the earliest age he remembers of his big brother is 7 so he feels like it is really growing up! And so he is.

By The Way...

Jim has some new wooden guys on up for auction on ebay, you can find them here. Happy Remembrance Day, hope you all got a chance to think of our veterans and to pray for those who are still on the battlefield.

Birthday Boy

Well, the Big 10 birthday has come and gone. Here some pictures from the big day I'd like share with you:

Jim made one of his little wooden toys to look like Nathanael. You'll often see Nathanael wearing that striped shirt and you can't see it from this view but he is wearing his backpack too!

Here is a gift from some close family friends. There were at least 4 or 5 of these paint by numbers, should keep him busy!

Nathanael decided to start band this year and is playing trumpet. Grandma and Grandpa were generous enough to buy him the trumpet and he is really enjoying making the sound of a dying goose! (He doesn't start band until Monday so he doesn't know how to hold it yet!)

He is so proud!

Here he is, my handsome 10yr. old. Hard for me to grasp yet but thank you God for giving me this amazing boy to take care of!

HOW CAN IT BE????

How did time go by so fast? I awoke this morning and realized I am now the mother of a 10 year old. Ten? Double digits? What happened to my little baby? Where did those long and hairy legs come from? How did he get so big that he now is as tall as my shoulders? How come he didn't keep his word when he promised me he wouldn't grow up? Am I really old enough to have a 10yr. old? Ten years from today my oldest was born and these are the questions floating around in my head as I try to grasp this milestone birthday. More to post on this tomorrow, after the birthday celebration! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANAEL!

WFMW

This week's Works For Me Wednesdays has a theme: Toys Worth Buying. What works for us is homemade toys. My husband is pretty crafty with a wood lathe and paints! My husband kept his old fisher Price play set, do you remember those? He has a bunch of his old Fisher Price Little People too but has been making his own to fit in the set for a while. The kids love to play with it and use their imaginations and they really love the homemade people because they are so customizable. My husband has made one for each of the boys that looks just like them and wearing their favourite clothes. They like that he can make all their favourite characters too. This year whe will make us some Christmas decorations too. Check out some examples he has done on his blog. He is almost done making a handful that he will be putting up on Ebay, so stay tuned for that. If anyone has their old Fisher Price play sets, this is a great gift for your children! If you are handy with a lathe or chisel set, try to make some of your own, you can even let the kids paint them.



Check out more Works For Me Wednesdays over at Rocks in my Dryer for hundreds more Christmas toy ideas!

**Edited to add: Jim now has some up for auction on ebay, you can find them here.

Halloween Costumes and an Unwelcome Surprise!

Here is how my little squirts looked for Halloween:

I didn't spend one dime this year. Joseph was more than willing to use a costume passed down from his brothers. He was the fireman and loved every minute of it. He kept pointing out to everyone how he has smoke (soot) on his face from fighting a fire. Nathanael and Andrew decided to make their own costumes this year. Now I might not get the names right but I think Nathanael is Power-Man and Andrew is Mr.X (both made up of course). They picked out a shirt in the colour they wanted, drew and taped on a logo and then we painted on masks, to protect their identity!

Then on Sunday we got a nasty surprise, well, depending on your view point!

That's right, we got our first snowfall of the season. Nov.1 is too early for me! I know there are others with snow right now like our old home of Dawson City, Yukon but that is expected, I don't want it here!!! I'm sure in the good old days they got several feet of snow in November and maybe even October (you know those type of stories!) but I don't want to see the white stuff before December. Oh well, you've got to roll with the punches, the kids thought it was pretty exciting. I can't really complain, it did all melt the next day when we had a beautiful sunny day. As long as Jack Frost is just visiting and not intending on a long stay, I'm good. It is nice to see some snow on Christmas though, which isn't that far away! EEEK! I'm sure you are all getting ready for Christmas, may even have your shopping done. Not me, I have two more birthdays to get through and then I'll start thinking about it...thinking. That is why I'm usually shopping in mid December when there are far too many people in the malls!

*Edited to note: I was wrong, the snow came on Nov. 2! A few days later it warmed right up to 18 degrees and feels like spring. Crazy weather!

So Sweet...

...is my Hubby! I was quite hormonal last weekend, grumpy and in pain. I just didn't feel good and every little thing set me off and I ended up taking it all out on my husband. I feel bad about it now but he did cheer me up (for a few hours) with these flowers. Wasn't that sweet? He doesn't buy flowers often, money is tight these days so we only gift on the appropriate day. But he could tell I was really struggling, and wanted me to feel better. When he presented me with the flowers, I just broke down, sobbed! I'm glad to be feeling better now (but still can't shake this stupid headache I've had for 5 days now!) and thank Jim for being so loving and thoughtful. I am so lucky, so very lucky.

Make Me Laugh Monday

Another Monday, another funny! Here are two Jimmy the Janitor clips, quite funny. The second one really struck me for some reason, I was laughing quite loudly... .at work!

How to get rid of mice in your church!

Do you know someone not suited for their job?

Check out more Make Me Laugh Monday posts over at Jenny on the Spot

Linky love

Here are some links to some posts I enjoyed this week:

Why Me?
Why would God use such a flawed person as me for His work? Shalee's post says it best!

Ransomed
This is an amazing post, one that will make you laugh and cry!

Protect Your Daughters From Breast Cancer
Yet another reason to eat healthier.

An Excerpt
Sound Familiar?

Happy Anniversary (better late than never!)

My first official post was October 16, 2006. Two years have gone by and I didn't even realize it! Of course at first I wasn't too serious about it and there were large amounts of time where I didn't post. It wasn't until May of this year that I really got into blogging, when I discovered there was a whole bloggy community out there! I don't have many readers and I don't have many followers but I do receive some encouraging comments and that means a lot. I love to read and follow other mommy blogs and it really makes me feel like I'm a part of something. We all share parts of our lives and let others know they are not alone. I love how we mommies encourage each other! So, I guess all that is left to say is, "Happy Blogiversary to Me!"

Psst...

....just thought I'd put in another plug for my husband. Not sure why I am whispering this (couldn't you tell? Isn't it okay to advertise for your family? ) but check out his blog to see his newest wooden toys.

Okay, no more whispering! He has been hard at work making new characters and I've been over there, redecorating (is no space off limits?). I'll let you all know when he will have some ready to put ebay. Also, if anyone has any requests of themes or characters you would like him to make for you, he has no problem doing custom orders. We are in the process of setting up some price points and shipping info but currently he just puts them on ebay, although he does have some custom orders to do. He can also make some of them as Christmas ornaments if anyone one is interested. The toys he has made now fit with the older Fisher Price play sets (he is still trying to live out his childhood with our boys!). They are all handmade and he really enjoys making them. Pop over and pay him a visit. Even if you aren't interested in buying anything, be sure to leave him a comment, we all love to receive positive comments, right?

...thanks so much!

I mean, thanks!

Make Me Laugh Monday

I'm not sure if you can read these, I found it hard to make it bigger but it is kind of cute.


For more Make Me Laugh Mondays, check out Jenny On The Spot

No More Turkey!

Okay, how many days in a row can one person eat turkey! We had our Thanksgiving dinner Sunday and every day since then I have eaten turkey in one form or another.

Every. Single. Day.

gobble gobble

I have eaten turkey casserole, turkey soup and turkey sandwiches. Do we have to have turkey for Christmas too? Unfortunately, turkey supper is my husband's most favourite meal so I don't think I could get away with having a Christmas ham. Oh well, turkey it is, this time we might not be making the meal therefore won't have to battle with leftovers so I can be thankful for that. Not that I am trash talking the turkey, turkey is delicious. I'm sure you are all so creative with turkey leftovers so your family doesn't feel like they are eating the same thing for 5 days in a row (want to share how you do it?) but I am not so creative.

Well, nothing to interesting about this post, I am just fed up with turkey (pun intended) and thought I'd share because I just know you would all be sssoooo interested, right?

Yah, right!

Well, that's it for me, that's my deep thought of the day (sad isn't it?). I'll just finish reading your blogs today for some great posts, Happy Thursday!

A Lovely Day on the Trail

The Cabot Trail that is. It is a lovely road to travel in fall in Nova Scotia. The colours are amazing. We finally took the trek on saturday and it was a long day but so worth it. Here are but a few of the many pictures I took. Aren't they gorgeous? (I even got a few pics of some moose but they aren't very good, it was dark out! But it was fun to be on the hunt for the elusive picture!)

Are You Worried?

I just wanted to share a great blog post with you. I know we are all a bit concerned with what has been on the news lately regarding the financial crisis and how it will affect us. The Preachers Wife really addressed this well and said it better than I ever could so check it out. A great reminder that God is in control!

Thanksgiving

I love fall and thanksgiving. It is probably my most favourite time of the year, after Christmas of course. I love the beautiful colours, the cool nights and the fresh smell in the air. I figured I'd do my Thanksgiving post now since I'll be very busy as the day approaches, this weekend in Canada.

There is so much to be thankful for. I think of my husband's sermon from last sunday. He mentioned that as Canadians, we are so blessed. We can get so caught up in worry, stress and money problems, meanwhile, most of us have a roof over our heads, transportation and amazing families.

I am so grateful for my amazing friends and family who show me daily their love and support. I'm so thankful for my husband who serves God with all his heart and loves his children and is my best friend. I'm thankful for friends who live near and far. I do not go without food, I never have to sleep on the street and I am never lonely. Number one, I have free access to the Bible and to God. I don't have to worship in secret and fear for my life because I choose to follow Jesus. Yes, I am truly blessed.

This thanksgiving, lets choose to focus on our blessings instead of our burdens. Lets tell others how much we care and love them and lets show them too! Lets remember to show and share God's love to those who do not yet know.

Thank you God for saving me. Thank you that you sent Jesus for my sins, even though I fail you time and time again. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your peace, healing and love. Help me to boldly share your message of hope. Give me wisdom and patience with my children. Help me to be an encouragement and comfort to those around me who need it. I pray a special unspoken prayer for a dear friend. Thank you God that you care and are listening.
Amen

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don't forget to hug your family and friends and thank God for His blessings!

My Budding Artists!

While we were in PEI, we visited an Artist's studio and it inspired the boys to do some painting. I brought home some canvas, brushes and paints and they had a ball. First they figured out what to draw on paper and then copied it onto the canvas. Andrew painted a jungle with an elephant and monkey. Joseph painted himself, I think, with super large boots on! Nathanael did an amazing job painting a light house, with shells and water splashing. It was so fun and I enjoyed watching them create and now I have some amazing art work to hang up!

Menu Planning Monday

I haven't posted a weekly menu in a while, the meals have mostly been planned but I just haven't had time to post them. I love The Orgainzing Junkie's new Menu Plan button, very seasonal!

Monday - Sheppard’s Pie (My MIL is visiting and makes it the best!)

Tuesday - Greek salad, Marinated steaks, Mashed potatoes

Wednesday - Homemade Pizza

Thursday - Fish, Rice and Veggies

Friday - Cheesiest Potato soup, homemade rolls, cucumber slices (cucumbers from the garden!)

Saturday - Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti with salad

Sunday - Leftovers

Check out The Oganizing Junkie for tons more recipe ideas and menu plans!

All I did was blink a couple of times...

And suddenly my baby turned 5!