a few pictures...

from the past few days....

the kids enjoying the nice evening tonight....

three things I notice from this picture:
1. how tall and skinny my kiddos are
2. love the rubber boots with the swimming shorts
2. can't believe how big my kids are




















part of summer is having a dirty face...
a little chocolate from the cookies he helped me make
some sand from the sandbox
and dirt from playing

























daddy helping Lucy learn to ride a tricycle tonight...

























isn't she getting so big???
a little chocolate on her face too.

















they are playing together more and more.
Alden was being Lucy's puppy.
Lucy was a princess (of course)

























and little Lucy looking so cute with her beloved puppy.
liked both the color and the black and white































As of lately my momma has been teaching me how to sew things. I can quilt. But clothes with patterns. It's like they are a different language to me. And so these are my two creations from today. (The dress was started a week or so ago.) Not the best pictures as I used the web cam to take them :)

zzzzzzz

10 city blocks
carrying 1 two year old
pulling a 5 year old
makes one very tired 7 month pregnant lady.

Happy Mother's Day

I didn't quite get around to posting anything this week.
But I thought about it.
:)

Since today is mother's day. I wanted to give a little shout out to the momma's in my life.

1. My own momma.
I don't have any pictures of her lately. (Which needs to be fixed soon!)
But here is a scrapbook page I did a year or so ago about her.


Hard to put into words the appreciation I feel for my mom. We have a really good relationship. It wasn't always that way. Really it changed between us when Kelly died. And again when I had my first baby. I love that she is so talented. Love that she knows how to do everything. And if she doesn't know, you give her a book on it and she can learn it shortly. That takes talent. Love that she loves her kids so completely. She's got piles of love oozing out of her. Waiting for the next person to walk by. She is a wonderful grandma. Love that she is so in love with my dad. They have an absolutely ideal marriage. Which is such a wonderful thing to grow up with! As I get older, I've learned to love the little quirky things she does too. Her love of garage sales. Her obsession with quilting and teaching. Really, I'm a very lucky girl to have her in my life. Love you momma!

2. My mother in law.
Another old page. When my MIL was visiting us in Nova Scotia she did the coolest thing, she took Alden out into the woods on a walk just after it got dark. He thought it was so cool that he got to go out then and that he got to hold the flashlight. It just made me think about the little things we can do for our kids that really enrich their lives.


That is one of the things I love most about my mother in law. That she is completely positive. Looking for the little fun things that make life good. Even her talk is positive. Such a good thing for me to be around. I need more of that in my own attitude, so I've always appriecated it about her. Love that she raised Regan and did such a good job with him. That she loves him so much and because of that she loves me too. Love that she is so willing to help her kids out. She is a wonderful grandmother. Who is always wiling to watch her grandkids. Teaching them, doing fun things with them. I'm very thankful to have a good mother in law and a good relationship with her.

3. My sister in laws. I have lots. 3 (soon to be 4) on one side. And 5 on the other. That's a lot of different personalities and marriages. Almost all of them are moms. (All except 1 (soon to be 2). I really thing that having kids together has strengthen our relationships. I have a whole group of go-to moms that I can talk to about all things mothering. That is a big blessing. I love them all very much. We have vastly different relationships and that is what is so cool!


I'm thankful to be a momma too.
Thankful that I get the opportunity to stay home with my kiddos.
In about 6 weeks I'll be a mother to three. That is strange. But wonderful.
Hope all you mommas had a wonderful day!

In the Craft Room: Happy National Scrapbooking Day

I'm back at home.
And it is good to be home. Very good.
Especially to have Regan home for the weekend too. All of us at home!

Since today is a special day. (For some people.) :)
I wanted to mention a few things about scrapbooking.
It really is a big thing in my life.
I am not a "professional" or "famous" scrapper. But I love doing it.
So a list about scrapbooking.

1. I love that it helps me to see the positive little tidbits in my life. Helps me see things better. Clearer. And remember them. Ali Edwards calls that being a "Life Artist".

2. I love photography. And i love writing. And i love art. Fantastic combo!

3. I love the freedom of it. I have heard so many people talk about how they are behind. Or they don't know where to start. Or that they don't know what to do with it. I feel so the opposite about all those statements. There are no rules to it. So you can't do it wrong. It's impossible. Literally impossible. (which is so cool.) You can't be behind. It's' a hobby. If you make 10 pages or 150 or 2, it really doesn't matter. At least you did some. Start with today. Start with yesterday. It doesn't matter. Just write down what you are thinking about today.

4. I love supplies. Love the pretty paper. And paint. And fabric. And rub-ons, acrylic, letters and fonts. Fancy pens and staples. Ribbon and buttons. All those little things make me happy.

5. It really is part of me to create things. So very much something I learned about my mother. Making things (especially pretty things) makes me feel like I have accomplished something. It makes me feel alive. It is so very much an essential part of my life. If I wasn't scrapbooking, I'd be quilting, or sewing or pottery. Creating something.

6. Scrapbooking leaves a part of you behind. For everyone else. If you know anything about me, you know I've lost loved ones. And I love all the little tidbits that they have left behind. A card Kelly wrote me is one of my most prized possessions. I hear her voice and see her handwriting every time I read it. Like she is sitting beside me. I am leaving that for my kids, my husband. For everyone who cares about me.

7. I love that your pages can be as unique as you are. I love all different scrappers work.
Like this one. (she is soooo funny!)
And this one.
And this one.
And this one.
And this one.
And they are all so different from each other. It's like a really good buffet of your favorite foods.
(And seriously WHO doesn't love a good buffet.)

So in honor of NSD, here are some pages from this month's kit from Scraptivity.

This is not a good picture. But it means a lot since it was a special day in our family.




And some of my favorite pages I've ever done.
For different reasons.
Maybe I like the color scheme or the journaling really says what I want it too. Or the photos are some of my favorite. Or it's a memory that means a lot to me.






















(I think that is officially my longest post. and it you made it all the way through either you like scrapbooking, your care about me or you are TOTALLY bored.)

out of town

for the week.
Spending time with Regan in Claresholm where his current placement is.
Don't have the internet or a computer.
So we'll be doing one of these. Which really is good me every now and then.

We'll be back Friday night.

Note to Self

1. 6 pieces of watermelon before bed is really NOT A good idea for a pregnant lady. No matter how bad you want it. (It results in waking up MANY times to go pee....)

2. When you are married to a soon to be dr, he needs to know the details from dr appointments. At my appointment this week my dr told me I either have to get my iron up before the week's over or else i have to get iron shots..... apparently it is "dangerously low". First thing Regan asked when I told him was What was the number. I really didn't think to check that. (And no wonder I've not been feeling so hot lately.)

3. I am in fact getting old. I went to a kindergarden information night this week. I will have a child in school. Strange.

4. It's okay to make pancakes for supper when your hubby is out of town. The kids like it. It's just easier all around.

i'm thankful for

time to create.

5 reasons I'm excited for July

1. I will not be pregnant anymore.

2. I will have a beautiful little baby to hold and take lots of photos of. :)

3. Warm weather will HAVE to be here by then.

4. Maybe my cold and ear infections will finally be gone by then.

5. I'll gain a new sister in law.

In the Kitchen: How to make a banana airplane

First you need all the ingredients.
Peanut Butter
a banana
graham crackers
raisins
(and a table knife)

























First peel that banana and cut it half lengthwise.
(ooh look... it's naked)

















Then slather it with peanut butter on the banana.
(And don't be skimpy!)
Lucy wanted to do it "ALL BY MYSELF!"


























Then add a graham cracker cut in half.
(it's the wings if you couldn't tell!)

















Add the banana halves back together.

























Using peanut butter, add some raisins for windows to your plane.

















And then enjoy it.




























Pose with it, as long as you have a cheesey grin to go with it.

and the good husband award goes too.....

this one.
Who let me take a long nap today.
and took the kids to the playground.
Took Alden to school.
Vacuumed all the floors.
Mopped the kitchen & dining room.
And just has been so kind lately, when i haven't been so healthy.

Aren't I so lucky?

Can I complain

just a little tiny bit??

This pregnancy has not been a picnic.
In fact kind makes me not like those ladies who say they feel the best when they are pregnant.
That is NOT me.

I have been throwing up a lot.
You know morning sickness.
Although it's not contained in the morning alone at all.

I got a cold - flu thing that lasted FOREVER.
And my cough is still around. Although much better.
But it was making me throw up from coughing -
which was just adding to the amount I was already throwing up.
Got a yeast infection.
Then a bad bladder infection.
Still coughing.
Then today I woke up and my ears felt like they were going to explode.
So I went to a walk in.
I now have a double ear infection.

Isn't pregnancy such a beautiful thing.

April S! kit

Since it's the beginning of the month, I thought I'd post some of my kit pages.


































































































There are LOTS of great pages from this kit that the other DT members did.
If you are interested you can see it here.


And just a random page I did using up some product I was given.

just wanted to share

this great story.

Click here and click on Listen Now at the top.

Tell me what you think.

Monday Seven

1. Thankful my little brother, his wife and kiddos could come and stay with us for the weekend. We don't have a big place, but they came anyway. And we had fun. Alden was in cousin heaven. He got his sleep over in the bottom bunk. (Lucy would have liked a girl to come as they have 3 little boys). We went to the zoo, played cards at night, took them to church with us. It was good.

2. Thankful we could have an almost the entire family get together at my brother Sean's house on Sunday. It was nice to get together and still be able to drive home the same day to our house. We got to celebrate Sonya's 4th birthday too which was great.

3. Thankful my kiddos are no longer sick. I would way rather it was me holding on to the sickness than them. (although I would rather even more that none of us would...)

4. Thankful for good food. In the past few weeks I've really enjoyed some recipes we've tried out.
Like this one.
And this one.
And this for supper.
(All of which I would TOTALLY recommend!!!)
Regan told me at the beginning of the week that I had to wait to cook because he couldn't keep up with all the stuff I was making. So I made lots of fun stuff over the weekend. And I enjoyed it. :)

5. Thankful that my sister in law Susie is coming to stay for a few days tomorrow. I love having people visit. :) Another reason to bake something yummy tomorrow.

6. Thankful that we have two vehicles now. It took a while to convince Regan that he needed to get one for Clerkship. But he came around and I am sooooo glad that we have it. And so is he.

7. Thankful for my momma. Always.