Happy Hallowe'en!

Well the pumpkin has been carved and the candy is by the door! We are ready for tonight! I am so happy that it is so beautiful today! My kids are soooo looking forward to running around the block and yelling "trick or treat"! Plus this year we are closer friends to more people on our street, so maybe there will be more stopping and visiting rather than running from door to door trying to beat the cold like previous years!

I will post pictures of my Princess Jasmine and my rugged Towboy! Occassions sure are getting more fun as these kids get older! In fact JD just might dawn an "afro" wig for the evening!!! Don't worry if it happens there will be photos!!!

Happy trick or treating!

I Can't Believe It!?!

Well it is official ~ my daughter is 5 today! At 2:50am, five years ago, she was born! I am in awe at how fast these years have gone.

Last night I told her she could decide what she wanted for her birthday supper tonight - and she thought and thought and then came off with "corn on the cob"!!! So after explaining that that might not happen she thought of some more of her favorites ~ she wants "bones" which are Greek ribs, and broccoli and cauliflower, and lastly GRAPES!!!! So I phoned my in-laws to invite them for supper and told them not to question the side of grapes with our meal!

Then for dessert she thought I could make her another cake - not likely! So I am going to attempt a key lime pie! She loves whipped cream so I am safe with any pie underneath!

Her Dad diligently put together a bright and shiny new purple bicycle last night - when he was finished I told him we better hide it in the furnace room until he got home tomorrow night... he said "no way, I am waking her up at 6:30am before I leave for work to give it to her"!! So at 6:20am we were waking her up to show her her new bike! Luckily she was thrilled and also went back to sleep after her Dad went to work!

I better go and start washing grapes!

What a Success!

What a great party Mardi had yesterday!

She was still vibrating last night at bedtime! It was 2 hours of fun, pampering and eating! Her Dad couldn't believe it when he got home - she couldn't tell him all about it fast enough!

She got so many wonderful gifts that are keeping her and her brother busy today!

Thank you everyone!!

Let's Get the Party Started!

The invitations have been sent....

The cake has been made....

The balloons have been ordered...

The "Pretty Piggies" lady has been confirmed....

I am ready for a 5 year old Princess Party!!

If only it was sooner?!? I am half ready for the fun to begin, but there are other occasions I need to attend first!

Tomorrow afternoon is the annual "Kitchen ladies luncheon", where all the ladies that either hold that last name or are past users of it get together and eat and visit. Since I gained that name oh some odd 7 years ago, I am on the invitee list! Apparently the "Kitchen Twins" are turning 90 this week so since the majority of the family will be around the Nanton area so we bumped this years' luncheon to now.

Tomorrow evening we are invited to an "End of Harvest" party at some friends of ours. However it is a "bring your kids" kind of affair so they will be our excuse to leave early! Thank goodness because we have a Princess Party to host on Sunday!!!

Stay tuned for the photos from the shin-dig, I am sure they will include all 8 squealing girls, a few of the moms and CK eating chips?!

Challenge Is On!!

Well Blairmore was a blast~! Had so much fun with the ladies! Lots of pages done - 21 to be exact! Jack's album is one layout away from being finished. I told myself to do that today but my son has turned me into a short order cook and someone he needs at his beckon call?! He is well on his way to becoming an annoying husband!

So while scrapbooking us girls decided to post an old layout showing our lack of talent! So here is mine! You all better hold up your end of the deal! This layout is the last one in my wedding album, and lets just say that by the end of this book I was tired of doing it! Flipping through the whole album made me giggle! There was absolutely NO patterned paper!!! My how I have changed!

Notice all the "utensils"?? How friggin cheesy!!

Also here is my favorite layout from the weekend that I did! I absolutely love the pictures of my little "farm boy"!!

Can't wait to see all of your "beginner" layouts ladies!!!!

And shout out to "bangs and boots"!

Starting to Feel the Pressure!

I shouldn't be on here! I am feeling so rushed today! Now that I decided to take the kids one day earlier to their grandparents' for the weekend - I feel that I am running out of time!

The whole reason to ship them off early was so I could run to the Scrap Yard tomorrow morning, to use up my gift certificates, and go to Costco to pick up my pictures I will need this weekend and do this all alone ... kidless! Now I am not as organized as I was hoping and I still have to run to Stavely with the kids after dance tonight!!

Boy I am going to be busy this afternoon and tonight when I get home!!!

Gotta run!!!

See you there Kacey and Kaly!!!!!!

Home Sweet Home?!

So I have opted out of going to Calgary today! I got so deep into planning pages for Blairmore this weekend that I decided I had better get it finished before I hit the ScrapYard!

This is the most organized I have ever been before heading off to scrap the weekend away. I have to thank CK for that - I would be pissed if once again she was more prepared than me! So Friday it is - I will head to Calgary bright and early Friday morning - without the kids! I am sure to get more accomplished and quicker. Then I will rush back to meet CK in Nanton at 12:30pm to head west for 2 days!

Can't wait to scrapbook with a room full of women I know!

Well there will probably 10 or so I don't!

Fun Fun Fun!!!

Now I Can Bitch!

Well I did it, already this morning - my vote has been cast! It will not make a difference, just add to the large number! Hee hee! Not a Stephan Dion fan in this household!

Glad to be home and sleep in my own bed last night! We got a lot accomplished yesterday! 3 hours of riding and then 3 hours of sorting and loading all the calves - job well done! Hope they ring the bell at the sale this morning!

Also - shout out to Kacey today! Glad to see there was someone slower than me this morning! Barely got my little miss to school by 8:40am!!! However I only have 2 to get out the door - unlike my fair friend!

2 more sleeps ladies - 2 more that is until I take my kids to Granny's for the weekend and head west to scrapbook my ass off! YIPPEE for me ~ and all you others that get to enjoy my company all weekend!!!

Better go get pictures ready...

Heading West!

We are full of turkey, good stories and laughs, so now back to reality!

We are heading to the mountains today to do some work! Tomorrow is the day we gather and wean the cattle. Granny is staying behind to look after the kids and my sister, my hubby and I will help my Dad gather and sort all our cattle and ship them away on the trucks by 2pm tomorrow. We decided to go up this evening and spend the night as we are supposed to be mounted on our horses by 9am tomorrow, and since it takes an hour to get there - there will be a lot less screaming from the kids if we go after naps this afternoon!

So here we go to the fresh, cold air of the mountains, the sleeping under feather beds and listening to the fire crackle in the wood burning stove - oh yeah and the lack of running water and indoor plumbing!!! At least it is only for one day!

Happy Turkey Day!

So today is our Thanksgiving dinner! When I say "our" I mean we go to my grandparents' place, take the majority of the food - as we only require my grandma to cook the turkey, and see the long lost relatives that live so far away... in Brooks!! Lots of laughing adults and squeeling children ~ if that interests any of you come along!

The stuffing is cooking in the crock pot and the salad is marinating, now just to iron our clothes and pack some diapers and extra clothes, as I am sure there will be a trip to the school park after dinner!

Happy Turkey Day to all of you that celebrate a day or two early, and to all of those who are doing it tomorrow or Monday...can we come??!!

Reading 101

So it was "father take daughter" to school day! I originally wanted to go and pick her up but I got so deep into my fall cleaning that there was no way I would have made it to school on time. And it was also the first time that he was asked to stay and talk to the teacher after class ~ well not maybe the first time, but the first time as a father!

The teacher wants to start our daughter on the reading program ~ already! Crazy! But I have noticed her eagerness to learn lately! She now knows all the sounds the letters make - even though they are only on "m" at school. So she got sent home with her first book to read herself - I am very excited to start that tonight!

Pretty soon we won't be spelling all those words we don't want to say in front of her- or at least she can decipher them for her dad!

Back in the Swing of Things!

We are having a great day today! The man I sleep with woke me this morning at 6:45am before he left to help my Dad all day - and I did not want to start the day yet! I knew I had to get up and start my list of chores to do before school started. I had carseats to return to the family vehicle after last nights escapade with our "high school friends"! What a great night! Six people who did nothing but laugh all night long - mostly at my husbands expense - but still what a wonderful guy to make fun of!! The great thing about that group of friends was that 5 of the six of us went all through school together -so we have known each other for 25+years! Also makes me think that only one out of all of us actually went outside of "the comfort zone" to find a mate!

So I had to wake my daughter up this morning in order to make it to school! We haven't had to do this for a week and a half so she was a little reluctant to remove her sweet head from that pillow too! Lunch made, breakfast ate, carseats where they belong, clothes ironed, attempt at fixing last nights hair and makeup, and pulling on the same clothes means I am ready to take on the day!!

We successfully made it to school, purchased the necessary food cards, handed in the criminal record check, picked up a bag of school parafinalia that we missed in the last 2 weeks, and made sure the "brother and sister" got to have a good-bye kiss before we left.

The son and I ran a couple of errands, then stopped by the recplex to watch some aquasize and some adult skating! Once convincing him to go home, he put in his demands... "tea" (iced tea) and " popcorn"! So home we went to cook up some snacks! He got snuggled on the couch and wanted to "watch Thomas". The best part of my days with him alone - whatever he wants he gets! Then everyone is happy!!

Our Night Out!

So tonight we had tickets to go and see The Tennessee Three in concert. This was Johnny Cash's band! My hubby had seen them in Calgary a few months ago and now a group of 6 of us were going....until I got the call! The Empress Theatre called me this afternoon to tell me that the show was cancelled. Apparently their tour bus broke down and there was no way they could make it tonight! Damn. If you want to see a grown man upset you should see my husband!

So now we are all meeting here a little later than planned and going to draw straws on where we can all go for a nice meal and visit...kid free! No use cancelling the babysitters now!!

just a lazy day around here...

Oh are we lazy around here today! My son and I managed to sleep until 9 this morning which made for a late start to the day! I did manage to get the kids and myself dressed and ready to head to the grocery store in the middle of the windiest part of the day!

Since it is 15% Tuesday I forced myself to go and at least buy the fruits and vegetables this afternoon (before they are all picked over!). Once my hubby is home from work I will go alone to pick up the rest of the store I need!!! Ahhh what you don't do to save a few bucks!

After a few hours of running around this morning I realized that I probably could have sent my daughter to school afterall today! Her cold is definitely behind her ~ or atleast the worst of it. So watch out kindergarten - she'll be back Thursday~! And the rush to get ready, the making of lunches, and the rushing to dance practice will all come flooding back too!!

I HATE schedules!!!

New Toys!

Ok here I am again today! I am going to try and leave a little something on here everyday! We'll see how long that lasts ~ hey CK!!! Especially on my hubby's days off!

So today my dear hubby decided that I should give my daugher a doll house that I have been hiding! I have been waiting for a special occasion to give this to her ~ however he figured that "her being such a good girl while having this nasty cold" was good enough! So out it came!

I had been collecting "Pampers Points" and redeemed them for this amazing doll house! I must admit I have gotten books and toys from there before but this one topped the list! For minimal shipping charges I have received great things for my kids!

Now I had nothing for my son so before the doll house made an appearance I paid a visit to the trusty dollar store in town to pick something up for him! I bought him a hummer and an airplane! He was thrilled with both of those but still had to be a part of the doll house too!!!

He insisted on parking his hummer in the "garage" of the doll house. Needless to say the vehicle was too big - however he just rammed it harder and harder trying to make it fit - much to his sisters shrieks he continued! BOYS!!

Now they are playing very good with their new toys! Just in time for naps!! At least I know what they can do while I am cooking supper this afternoon!! Horray for new toys!

Call it Peer Pressure!

Well my "PBFF" has been urging me to start my own blog - since I have become obsessed with reading others! I also am doing this as an easy way to show her my pictures without putting them on facebook ( as she only has dial-up! ).

This "PBFF" has been away this weekend scrapbooking ~ without me! So in my jealousy I decided to pull the old adhesive out myself. I managed to get 2 layouts done this weekend ~ not near the 10 pages she got accomplished ~ but still proud!