Sunday, November 6, 2011

Halloween 2011

So, just thought I would share some pictures of my kids on halloween... Just a warning, my son looks very scary, and it is almost disturbing. He is a vampire and my teen daughter was very very good at making him look very creepy!!!!... the pic gives me the heebie jeebies!! I actually don't LOVE halloween.. I find it creepy (The rest of the year I try to keep my kids AWAY from scary images but somehow on Halloween, it's ok?? not that I could do much about it anyway...) and I don't like teaching kids it is ok to go door to door for candy... but yet I still celebrate it each year... I guess I am still making up my mind on whether it is a battle I choose with my kids...

So here is my beautiful teen :) She is a "fairy" (I think she just wanted an excuse to look extra pretty heehee:





and my sweet baby... who was both a star and a pumpkin this halloween:









Here is my super scary vampire:

(I suggest you don't look if you are easily spooked)






Unfortunately, my other daughter was super sick and we didn't get a pic of her in her costume :( She was a very cute lady bug though...

Sunday, October 23, 2011

A prayer I like


I have been reading a book called The Message, the new testament in contemporary language, by Eugene H. Peterson. I am really enjoying it a lot! Here is a prayer found on page 146 of my copy that I really feel sums it up well. (It is supposed to be part of Luke 11). The disciples ask Jesus how to pray. He says, when you pray, say this: (I just realized that it is the modern day translation of The Lord's Prayer)

Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right
Keep us alive with 3 square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil.

Later on the page, it says

Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.

It says... Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.

This page of the book spoke to me.. made me think... and so I share :)

Michelle C

Sunday, October 16, 2011

New baby!!



We have a new baby!!! That is one of the reasons it has been a while since I've blogged!! I have much catching up to do on here!!! I will start by introducing baby Talia Amy, born July 12th, weighing 8lbs, 11oz.











We drove her all the way to Cypress Hills, Sask so she could meet her big sister, who was at camp!











Here are the adorable diapers we are using for her :) It is an addiction!!! They are called gdiapers :) Click here for the website.. they are soo cute and great for the environment, especially when compared to a regular disposable!












Today, at 3 months, she has gained exactly 5 pounds and sits at 13lbs, 11oz!!

It has been quite the adjustment!! We are still trying to get into a routine!! Sometimes she sleeps 10 hours straight at night which is wonderful!! She HATES car rides and screams the whole time which is VERY stressful!! She fits right in though and the kids ADORE her!!

She loves to be held all day long, but sleeps well in the bassinet. She is starting to coo and "tell stories" which is so heart warming! She has a giant smile and it makes my day wonderful!!








Sunday, March 27, 2011

update

Well I had some goals a while back. They really didn't go too well. Life happens I guess. My goals were to cut meat from my diet and to be able to run for 30 min and also, to have finances in order. I would have to re-read to remember my specific money goal.

I started by cutting beef and pork from my diet, and it went well except that I would forget sometimes and also, I felt like such a pain telling people who were feeding me that I don't eat what they cook. It was hard and I did end up quitting. I eat everything now. I got pregnant and thought maybe it wasn't a great time for change. I now wonder if it was still a good thing, cuz I have been eating horribly since then!

I still have an ultimate goal of being vegan or something closer to it eventually, but how will I deal with telling people who cook for me, etc. I guess that is a bridge I will cross when I come to it!

My running goal did not work out because of my pregnancy... I can walk but running probably isn't in my near future. I still hope to accomplish that goal at some point!

Financially, things are going a lot better than they were, we are paying down debt.. we have a clear budget, but there is work to be done. I really want to figure out how to pay the debt down faster! I also have a hard time with the fact that our income changes month to month, year to year... so it is really hard to know what we can safely spend and put on our debt each month! Sometimes our income could be seriously low and we need money put away to make up for that. I really wonder what Gail Vaz-Oxlade would have us do with our financial situation. I recently ordered her book, Debt free forever, and I am really hoping she will get down to detail on how we can figure out the best path to being debt free and financially free! I really like that she is Canadian, so there won't be a lot of US jargon that doesn't apply to me! I have a lot of financial books, but I don't think any of them are Canadian... so that is exciting to me, to know she is so close and understands Canada! I won't have to wonder if what they are talking about only applies in the US :)

So, on to more current goals, I really want to be a better self, wife and mother. I am finding all of this really challenging lately and I just desperately want things to run more smoothly and for the house to be more clean and organized.

Self- I really want to take better care of my body. I want to eat more healthy things and less unhealthy. I have practically been living off poutine since I got pregnant and feel so guilty about that! I also want to take better of my emotional/spiritual self. I have recently found myself depressed, anxious and angry. That is not the person I want to be, and I think it is a direct result of me not tending to my needs in these areas.

Wife- My man does so much for me and our family every single day. Rarely does he take a day off. In fact, I'm not sure he ever does, between work and responsibilities around the house... even when we go camping, he is still doing everything he can to make us all very comfortable! I love this about him. That being said, all he asks for in return is healthy and happy children and a reasonably clean house. I could really be doing better for him and in fact I would give myself a great big 'F' sometimes! This relates to the next part:

Mother- I have the goal of reaching Clint's expectations in this area, and hopefully exceeding them. I really want to do more school, crafts and other fun things with the kids, and I want to keep their environment clean, tidy, uncluttered and organized. I also really want to get better at discipline, since I have been really inconsistent lately.

Wish me luck!

Friday, March 18, 2011

More fun and activities

We made some green jello for st. Pat's day :)



Raenen and Ky made a cake :)




I got to have a hot drink with some other homeschool moms while the kids did a project in another room :) This month it was "painting rocks"

Raenen's:




Ky's:




and Kota's:




Then we decorated the "rainbow" cake :)






It is almost gone now!!

We also made green milkshake!!




and finally, we cut out shamrock's and wrote on them things that make us feel lucky :)





Ky chose: money, cookies and bacon lol





Dakota chose our cats, his family and brownies :)




Here are the 3 of ours together :)

Monday, March 14, 2011

Here is what we have been doing lately

Clint and the kids playing hockey in the car port :)






Raenen saved up half the money for a new electric piano, and we paid the rest... She is LOVING it and does not want to stop playing!!




The kids LOVE to have "slumber parties" :)... This is Ky's new bed, finally a nice sized bed that she doesn't fall out of every night (or EVER)!!




My girls



This is what we have been up to today! Lot's of St. Patrick's day fun!

Here is my shamrock, made of hearts:




The kids, first of all, practicing how to draw a heart:









and here are their final master pieces:






and on to some word searches and mazes:















and that is what we have been up to!! :)