One Word...

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday was our 11th anniversary. I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday but I didn't want to let this post go. It seems like it was so long ago yet just yesterday at the same time. So much has happened in the past 11 years. Jim finished 4 yrs of Bible college, we had three beautiful boys and have pastored at two churches. Appearances have changed (mostly mine!), family dynamics have changed, but our love for each other and God hasn't! I thank God for a wonderful husband who loves Him and me with all his heart and who is a great father. Marriage isn't always easy but we make it through the good times and bad with open communication and with God's help. Many people doubted that it could work with me being only 18 (for one day) when we got married, except my family and close friends. They knew better, they knew that we were meant for each other. I am thankful for supportive friends and family and my wonderful husband who is my best friend. No matter what I look like or what I do, I always know he loves me. How lucky am I?



Here is a picture of us the night we got engaged (we are so young and thin!)

Here is a wedding photo. I know, I didn't like the hair either but I loved my dress that my mother-in-law made (with a little help from me)

B-Day

Well we made it home alive! We travelled 2 provinces and 6 states and arrived home last night. Today I awoke to many choruses of "Happy Birthday" from my boys. They get so excited! They promised me that since it is my birthday, they will do whatever I say (as opposed to every other day!), that struck me funny. Only on my birthday will they listen to me, oh well, I'll take it! My last year in my twenties, that really doesn't bother me. I like where my life is right now and turning thirty isn't scary at all, I look forward to everything God is going to do in my life and am happy about reaching all the milestones. Ask me again when I'm turning 40, maybe my outlook will have changed a bit, heehee. I'm so happy to be home (and sleep in my own bed instead of on an air mattress in a stinky tent) and am looking forward to visiting PEI in a few days. It is a beautiful day outside, here's hoping you are enjoying God's creation today too!

Quick Update

I don't want to go into too much detail since I'd like to do a more thorough post regarding our trip. We made it to New York and I am so glad we borrowed a GPS! We went to the Wiggles concert and then headed up to Massachusetts and spent the whole day at the Yankee Candle store. That is an amazing store and huge! We are now camping in East Dummerston in Vermont. I'm not sure where we'll be or how far we will get tomorrow but we are slowly heading home. I think we'll probably get home by Thursday and my birthday is on Friday and then our anniversary is on Saturday. Then on Tuesday we are off to PEI, we are definately making the most of our time off this year for once! The kids love camping. We'll that's it for now! Harmony, signing off!

Vacation - Day 2

Day 2 has turned out to be so much better, except for the fact I have a spitting headache right now and the kids are jumping and yelling like monkeys fresh out of the zoo! I guess being cooped up in a car for 12 hours can do that to you! We had a good sleep last night and after eating breakfast, we were on the road by 8am. It was a beautiful day and we made it from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts USA. We are somewhere near Boston. I'm not totally sure where because we have been following the GPS and not the Atlas. My husband finds that a bit strange because with the atlas, he at least has an idea where he is and what is coming up. I think we are in a town called North Andover or Anover, or something like that! I'd ask my husband but he has gone off to the theatre to watch the new Clone Wars animated Starwars movie (while I play monkey keeper)! We will reach our destination, Uniondale NY, (or somewhere near, that is where the concert will be) tomorrow and won't have to be on the road as long. After the concert we are pretty free as to what to do next. We will slowly make our way up home but do some sightseeing. Anyone know anything fun to do in these areas? Anyway, it was beautiful weather all day, hot and sunny but by the time we got here.... can you guess? Yep, pouring rain! So, we are staying in a Hotel again. We are hoping for some nicer weather to do some camping (and save a few dollars). I have yet to take a single picture! I'll take more on the way back since we won't be rushing to a destination and can make a lot of stops! Well, really nothing too exciting to report! I just have to say, I love this GPS! It works great and a bonus is that it can tell us what speed we are driving in miles! Our car doesn't have miles on the speedometer, isn't that strange?

Vacation - Day 1

I am in a hotel room somewhere in Nova Scotia and have wireless internet so I thought I'd share with you the first exciting day of our trip. We were going to leave Friday morning but hubby thought it would be a good idea to leave after I got home from work (seemed like a good idea). I rushed home and we packed like mad and wolfed down some egg salad sandwiches for supper (not such a good idea). As the kids were getting settled in the back seats I was trying to get the DVD they requested from the trunk. The DVD's are in a basket wedged in pretty tight. I was trying hard to get it out when it flew out of my hands and hit two of the kids in the head (really bad idea)! Of course it wasn't any normal DVD. It was a collection of Goofy cartoons in a thick case, that was in a larger tin case, oops. They were bawling and I was starting to worry how this was going to go! Off we went and not much more than an hour into the drive, I start getting car sick (ya, those egg sandwiches really were not a good idea). Then the rain starts to pour and heavy fog rolls in (sigh) so we decide to stop only two hours into the drive...but...we missed the turn off. Okay, we decide we'll stop at the next town (I'm turning green, blah, no more eggs!). We turn in the next town and after a half hour of driving and not finding anything, we leave and head for the next town. Finally we have found a motel (over priced) to stay at (at least we'll get breakfast). So here I am, at said Motel, at 10:43pm telling you about this and praying that it only gets better from here! I'm ready to sleep. I took two children's gravol and they are working well now! First I have to tear the boys away from Treehouse (we don't have cable so they are glued to the tv) so we can get some sleep and head out again. Hoping for a much better (and warmer...with no rain...please?) Day 2! Stay tuned....

Vacation

Well, it is that time of year where many bloggers (well, those in places where it is summer, or supposed to be, stupid rain) are taking time off blogging for vacation. I am no exception. On Friday we are leaving for a family vacation. We've done small trips for vacation many times but always to go see family or friends. Although we are going to visit friends (which I love to do) on the second week of vacation, the first week we are taking a trip for just us. We will be driving down to New York. We are taking the boys to a Wiggles concert there (my first concert and it is the Wiggles! Exciting or what?!). Anyway, that is where I'll be for the next two week. We maybe come home for a few days in between destinations and if I can I will drop in to say hi but most likely I won't be back on until the beginning of September. I will be sure to come home with lots of stories and many pictures to share. Until then, God Bless!

*Taken at Fortress of Louisburg in Nova Scotia, Canada

Cooking Catastrophes

The writing prompt over at Absolutely Bananas for this Monday is cooking catastrophes! I don't have many bad cooking stories since I tend to stick to what I know I do well. I am good at following a recipe but if I stray or try something on my own, the food is more likely to suffer from lack of flavour then to taste bad.

The first cooking error I can think of was when my husband and I were dating. I was at his house and thought I'd try a recipe for him and his family. I think it was some kind of broccoli and mushroom side dish. I can't remember the exact measurements but it called for about a cup or so of chicken soup base. I didn't realize at the time you were supposed to mix up the powdered soup base with water and make a cup that way. I just dumped a cup of the powder in. Ya, you can imagine how bad that was, it was ssssooooo salty! My future father in law kept telling me it wasn't bad and he ate his whole serving! What a sweetheart, really, they were probably all wondering what their son was getting in to!

Okay, the next one happened just after I got married. I was only 18 and hadn't done much cooking but I was armed with my mother in law's recipes so how could I go wrong? I decided to make a dessert (brownies or a cake, can't remember) and it was time to try my MIL's amazing icing. I followed the recipe exactly as written and didn't think much of it. While stirring, I realized something didn't look right, and it didn't taste right either! I called my MIL and she laughed and realized she had written flour instead of icing sugar on the recipe. DUH!! An honest mistake right? You'd think I'd have the brains to realize the mistake and correct it. I mean what is icing without sugar?

Luckily I have managed to not poison anyone or make anyone gag (well, my kids might disagree!), that is about the worst of it! What is your worst cooking catastrophe? Write about it and link up at Absolutely Bananas or read more cooking catastrophes!

Lesson Learned!

Okay, NOTE TO SELF, do not take all three kids school supply shopping! I will not buy everything they want so it isn't worth bringing them. They hate shopping, I hate taking them shopping so why do I torture myself? I can't read three supply lists, break up multiple fights, keep them all from straying all at the same time. I was so frazzled that I rushed through it and when I got home, I realized I forgot a few things. Next time I will go alone, take my time and stop at Tim Hortons for a Cafe Mocha! That sounds like a much better idea!!!

Here are the fruits of my labour, all organized, labelled and ready to go:

And now for some total randomness:

Bravery:

This is one place you will never see me step foot in, my brave son!

My Handsome Men: Dressed up for church!

Before

After

Amazing what a good haircut can do hey?

Stung! Part 2 - Revenge

A little while ago I wrote about how a wasp (hornet, yellow jacket, whatever they are called) had stung hubby on the side of the head. He suffered for a good few days with that until finally he decided to get rid of the nest, you know, so we could actually use our back yard and deck!

It was a two night process. We have a small portable greenhouse on the deck and because of the high winds we get here, we had to bungee cord it to the deck. The pests had built their nest behind the greenhouse just under the top ledge of the deck rail.Let me tell you, these hornets (wasps, stinging things, whatever) were aggressive! Any vibration on the deck at all and they came out fast and furious!

Jim waited until night and then very slowly sneaked up to the nest and using a hockey stick, knocked the bungee cords off and then ran like the wind to the front door! Then several hours later he crept back out and pushed the greenhouse over (it is empty anyway and should be put away!) and again, ran as fast as he could around front. That was all the excitement he could handle for one night!

Finally, the next night, in the cover of darkness, he plotted his revenge. Now you will have to use your imagination for this. He absolutely would not let me take a picture, no matter how much I begged! He dressed up in a full snowsuit, boots, toque and gloves. He wrapped a scarf around his mouth and nose. He then took a piece of clear plastic (I think it was the wrapper from the frozen pizza) and taped it to his toque and scarf to cover his eyes. He was ready for battle!

He went outside and very slowly crept up to the nest and sprayed it. He sprayed it all over and up into the nest until all you saw was a huge foam ball, looked more like a white fluffy cloud (white fluffy cloud of death!). The next day the foam was gone, I could see a piece of the nest hanging off and something laying on the deck under the nest.

This is what I saw:






Poor things, you almost feel sorry for them, almost. Those larvae things give me the creeps though! Jim said he saw one of them moving! Yuck! I couldn't get a picture of the actual nest though, Jim mashed it into the ground immediately. He seemed to take a lot of satisfaction in that, still smarting from the sting and all.