More About Me

Okay I found a different meme that's a bit more in depth. I stole... I mean borrowed it from Amy . Let me know if you decide to do this one-I'd like to come over and read yours too! Well hope you're having a nice weekend! Take care.
Heather

1. What is your occupation? SAHM
2. What color are your socks right now? White with black heels and toes
3. What are you listening to right now? My 8 year old talking to her friend on the phone.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Spaghetti
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Warm moss green
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Mom
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes
9. How old are you today? 38
10. Favorite drink? Water… I know… boring….
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Hockey…..or maybe football
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, I like a change now and then
13. Pets? Dog, Goldie and several fish… kids named them but too many to remember!
14. Favorite food? Mmm don’t really have a fave… probably some type of salad if I had to pick
15. What was the last movie you watched? The Guardian…really good.
16. What was the last book you read? Bible
17. What do you do to vent anger? Talk about the problem
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Didn’t really play with toys… we played outside with siblings and friends…kick the can was our favourite
19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Spring.. the newness of life is awesome after a dull winter!
20. Hugs or kisses? Hugs and Kisses!!
21. Cherries or blueberries? Cherries. Fresh from a local orchard or a friends tree...nothing like it!
22. Do you want your friends to leave you comments? Yes
23. Who is the most likely to comment? Hmmm probably Candy… Terri…. Hard to say.. (c:
24. Who is least likely to comment? Paula (new baby!)
25. Living arrangements? 1960s west coast style….vaulted ceilings….
26. When was the last time you cried? Probably last time I watched Extreme Home Makeover
27. What's on the floor of your closet? My hubby’s junk…. No room for mine!
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Not sending this
29. What did you do last night? Went to Small Group at my girlfriends home
30. Favorite smells: Fresh clean laundry especially if hung out
31. What inspires you? Hmmm friends who are struggling with similar things and are making progress
32. What are you afraid of? Hmmmm I’d have to think about this one for awhile..
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Spicy mmmmm
34. Favourite dog breed? Well .. probably miniature schnauzer or poodle (but we have a GoldenX)
35. Number of keys on your key ring? 5
36. How many years at your current job? Will be 15 years on May 14
37. Favorite day of the week? Friday usually
38. How many states have you lived in? None… but I’ve lived in 1 Province… British Columbia (Canada)
39. Favorite holidays? Summer break
40. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? Motorcycle and an excavator.

About Me

1. First Name: Heather
2. Middle Name: Gayle
3. Name you go by: Heather
4. Name(s) your parents call(ed) you: Heather
5. Other nicknames (past and present): Hez, Feather, Heath
6. What did you call yourself when you were little? me
7. Were your parents considering any other names (that you know of) before they settled on yours? I don't think so
8. What does your name mean? My parents gave me a gold bracelet when I was sixteen with my name engraved on the front and the meaning on the back. It said: A flower that blooms in rocky places.... considering I grew up with 5 brothers... that's a pretty rocky place..lol
9. Do any famous people share your name? Heather Locklear
10. Can you pronounce your name backwards? rehtaeh
11. Favorite girls' names: ooooooh that's a hard one! I have 4 girls and it took us Forever to name them!!
12. Favorite boys' names: hmmm well we had picked out Daniel Trenton if we'd ever had a boy.... does that count?
13. Favorite name you've ever read in a book: mmmmm haven't read in awhile....
14. Favorite name from a TV show: Oh boy... I'm just striking out on this thing!--I don't watch t.v. shows...
15. Favorite name for a dog/cat: Goldie is our golden retriever/lab cross.... she's a wonderful dog.


I should maybe have picked a different meme..... this one doesn't reveal much about me other than my name. I stole it from Leigh Ann(Momma Roar). (C;
Have a great day!!
Heather

Have You Ever Made Bread Bowls??

I just want to know if anyone has ever made bread bowls? I want to make some but thought a tried and true recipe would be nice to have. I guess I could use a general bread recipe, but am not sure if the bread would be too fluffy and soft for a bowl.....If you have one that you like please let me know. Thanks so much!
Heather

My Expanded Blog Roll

I came to the conclusion today that it would be easier to list all your blogs on my blog. This way I won't have to go to my bookmarks to find your blogs. So have a look and see if you're listed. Some of them are people that visit my blog and comment and some of them are just blogs that I like to read each day. The other thing is... if you don't see your name listed there and you'd like to be, just let me know and I'll add you.
I see by my visitor count that there are lots of visitors that don't comment.... sooo maybe you are one of those lurkers.... have a look you just may find your blog listed there! By the way....the reason I have the visitor counter is to satisfy my curiosity about where my visitors are coming from...not really to keep the count...So thanks for dropping by..... it's fun to learn about each others lives... maybe tomorrow I'll get to that meme about myself that I'm planning to do.

The Greatest is Love!

Last Saturday it was Amanda and Janelle and I at home. So we headed downtown to visit a little shop, called Rose Wood Cottage,on it's grand re-opening. They had a fire a few months back and are now ready to go again. It was the coolest store. They used to have all kinds of neat things- a mixture of antiques and newer unique finds...(Candy- I think you would call their stuff 'shabby chic') I loved going in there. But I was disappointed this time. All they had was a bunch of Easter stuff, bunnies, eggs, etc. It was really cute stuff, just not what I was hoping to see. So we walked over to the Christian bookstore. They carry a fair bit of artwork and home decorating items. I found some "words" to put on my wall. They're made out of iron. I was surprised to find that they were only $8 each! So I got the trio, Faith, Hope and Love. Each one is about 8" tall. Amanda was helping me take pictures of them for you all to see. Candy you can (somewhat) see my pink walls in these pics. For now these words are just stuck on the wall wherever there happens to be a hook. The lady that owned this house before us had TONS of stuff on her walls! So when we paint, we'll do a lot of nail hole filling and only have these hooks where we want them.

It's Gone!

For those of you who haven't noticed yet---It's gone!!! I got rid of the word verification option. It drives me crazy!! 95% of the time I find that I have to re-type the letters, when I KNOW that I've typed in the right ones..... grrr annoying. So I've decided to remove it and see what happens. If I have a problem, I'll have to restore it to the original setting. I really hope it's okay because I'd like to make it easier to comment. I'm sure I'm not the only one that gets frustrated with them, so enjoy! :o))
Heather

"The Atheist" A Joke for the Day.

An atheist was walking through the woods.

"What majestic trees"! "What powerful rivers"! "What beautiful animals"! He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look and saw a 8-foot grizzly bear charging straight towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant, the atheist cried out, "Oh my God!"

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.

"You deny my existence for all these years, teach others that I don't exist and credit creation to cosmic accident." "Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer"?

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian"?

"Very well," said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. The bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke:

"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

A New Menu

I'm trying a new menu. It's from menus4moms
I'm going to see how it goes. It looks like some good meals...
She also has a 'busy cooks pyramid'. It lays out the basics to simply and easily making your dinner in 30 minutes or less. The best part is they seem to be nutritious meals. She lays out a plan to have 30-40 meals in your freezer within 4-6 weeks without any marathon cooking. I think this is something that I could possibly manage! lol... I used to be a very creative cook, but have become a boring cook making the same few meals and being disorganized with menu planning and food shopping.
When the kids were all little, I used to try a new recipe about once or twice a week and my hubby loved it! Now it's a big occasion when I do try something new!! So we'll see how this goes... there are a few things on there that we probably wouldn't eat, one of them being pork, but we can easily substitute one of my 'old boring' meals!! :o))
Something else that is nice is that they have a printable shopping list for each weeks menu! Yay!! that's half the battle there! She talks about a printable shopping list where you can enter the prices for the items you need and when you print out your list, you know exactly how much your grocery bill is going to be when you leave the store! Sounds good but I don't know that I'll get THAT organized!! I love these ideas but find it hard to put them all into practice... so we'll start small and just do the menu plan and the simple grocery list!!
My two week menu is on the sidebar on the right if you want to take a look. The link to their site is also there.
OH! One thing I forgot to mention: It's free!!! I'll be posting some pictures of our yummy meals soon!
Thanks for dropping by...Next time maybe we'll have tea! ;)
Heather

A Great Deal at Twice the Price!!

I was walking through Walmart and noticed some books on their clearance cart. We can never have too many books here. Our girls are avid readers and we have a hard time keeping up with books for them to consume!!! Sometimes I think that if we let them that is all they would do-read!
They had these boxed sets of Illustrated Classics- eight to a set-on for $5 each. I picked up two of the sets. Each one has different books in it. The printed price on each book is $11.95 Cdn. funds! So for $10 +tax I got $191.20 worth of books!!! Wow what a deal.
They are geared for the younger girls ages and they have really enjoyed them too... The nice part is I don't feel I have to screen these books like I do the ones they bring home from school. . They've plowed through a good portion of them already!

No more Whinin' No more Complainin'!!

Okay, so I've been doing alot of whining and complaining about Old Man Winter hanging around so long....well...Enough is enough!! Today it was absolutely lovely out!!! I walked through the open deck door this afternoon and the temperature was the same outside as it was inside! The sun was glorious!
Randal and I spent a couple of hours out in the yard today pruning and cleaning up. (and me taking pictures!!) We got ALL of the roses pruned and cleaned up, Randal pulled out the dead shrub in the front and got rid of it. Our dog Goldie spent the afternoon soaking up the warm rays of the sun, while she lay there watching us....Her favourite pastime...spending time with her people!! Anyway I took a bunch of pictures to mark the end of Winter and the onset of Spring!


~~~Crocuses blooming~~~























~Tree just busting out!~


















~~Rhubarb coming up~~


~~~Irises popping through!~~~












~~Hyacinth about to burst into bloom~~

Word Verification

Okay is there anyone out there who also hates that 'word verification' thing on our blog comments?? When I leave a comment I punch those letters in at least twice, but usually three or four times!! How annoying!?!? But I also have this feature enabled on my blog..... sounds kind of stupid eh? Well I'm told that I need to have it to keep spammers from getting onto my blog... do you know anything about this? Is that what it's all about? I'm really tempted to drop it but don't want anyone messing with my blog. Let me know what you think (or know!).
Thanks
Heather

Thank You!

I want to thank you all for praying for Grandma!! She is doing much better... It looked like we were gonna lose her that first night but thanks to all of the prayers that were sent up on her behalf, she has turned around and is doing well. They had her up and out of bed right away.... I think it was the day after her surgery! Amazing!!! God is so good! So please remember to keep her in your prayers as she isn't 'out of the woods' yet, as they say.
Hope you all have a really great weekend...I heard tonight that we're supposed to have snow on Monday....groooaannn.....we haven't had any in a few weeks or so. It would be really nice to see it just leave us alone for awhile! :o) Hey I made a wonderful discovery today....There are some trees covered in pretty white blossoms here!!! Yayyy..... I don't know why I'm so desperate for spring this year..?? Guess I'm just tired of the grey skies...Well you all take care and once again THank YOu for your prayers... please continue to pray for Grandma (Margeurite).
Heather

A Painting Day.

I got a call from a friend this morning.... She had some painting questions..... I helped her paint her daughters room about 6 years ago...Well her hubby was starting to paint their daughters room and there are some built in shelves and cupboards. Yesterday while she was out he got the paint out and started to paint....Well between him and their 9 year old girl, they decided to sponge paint. ;o) My girlfriend started to have a bit of a panic when she saw it and thought uh oh.... maybe I'll call Heather to see if she can help him.... Well when I got there the sponging was painted over in the base coat. I guess when he finished with the sponging he decided he didn't really like it either. What we ended up doing was "smooshing". Here's a sample of what it looks like..... this isn't the painting that we did though, but the colours are very close to what we used!You paint the base coat, then put a slightly lighter or darker colour mixed with glaze over top.
As you paint your way around the room, you put plastic over top and "smoosh" the paint around. Then you peel the plastic off and "Voila"! There you have it-a beautiful textured wall. This is a great technique for an imperfect wall, it hides many problems!
Well I just got a lovely surprise at my front door!! This same friend just stopped by with a beautiful bouquet of daffodils and red tulips, as well as a manicure gift certificate, to say 'thank you' for the help this morning. She's a very thoughtful friend! Well must go. I have a to do list for the rest of the day
-sweep kitchen floor
-pick up groceries for tonights potluck dinner with friends.
-prepare the food(veggie tray)
-pick up flowers for Grandma for sitting with kids tonight and earlier this week.
Have an awesome weekend!!
Heather

Do you like Victorian?

I came across this site while wandering the trails of cyberspace. These people are restoring a Victorian era home. It is incredibly amazing!!! It isn't exactly my style of home but it is very beautiful. It's unbelievable what can be done to a wreck of a house!! Have a look and come back and tell me what you think!!
Heather
http://www.ourvictorianhouse.com/index.htm

Please Pray for Grandma

Yesterday my 87 yr. old Grandma took her little dog out in her yard for a little walk. She decided to do it alone without her cane for some reason. Well somehow she got in behind the motor home and fell. She severely fractured her hip. My Aunt, who she lives with, was cleaning house and sat down for a minute in the living room. Her little dog started barking at the door, so she got up and opened the door to let it out and could then hear Grandma calling her. So she went out and found her laying there in terrible pain. They got the ambulance out to the farm to pick her up. When they got her to the hospital they transferred her to a larger center for surgery. She wasn't breathing when they brought her out of surgery, apparently because of fluid on the lungs. They had her on a ventilator and were getting her ready to ship her out to a major hospital when she started breathing on her own and came conscious. So she must have had a lot of people praying for her. She really believes that when it's a person's time to go, they'll go... I'm not sure what she thinks of that now.... I guess she probably still thinks the same. She's not afraid of death, but ya know, we'd really like to keep her for awhile longer.... she is really the cement in our family.....she ties us all together... If you want to know how one of the MANY cousins are doing you call Grandma.... she'll know. Her biggest desire is to see all of her family come to know Jesus, and she has spent the last many years working on that. We had her here for about 3 weeks last summer and it was so nice to have her. I could have just kept her, but she wants to be out where her kids are.
Anyway please remember to pray for her as this is a long and painful road to recovery. Thank you my friends! :o)
Heather

YAAAY!!! I'm a Winner!!

I'm the lucky winner of the draw for a pretty Easter card from Candy at candyandroses.blogspot.com
Right along with everyone else that put their name in for the draw.(C: Here's a picture of a couple of the cards she's sending out... I got this off her blog.I thought it was cute that Candy decided to give everyone a card! So nice.... she decided she couldn't just send out a couple of cards only..lol..... How sweet.... thanks Candy!!

Hi Amy!!

Hey Amy... How ya doin? This post is just for you! I found this picture on a blog somewhere in my travels through blogland and saved it...It made me think of you... (C:
Heather
ps...
not saying that you write about nothing-ness!! (that's me the rambler!!)

Sunday musings.......

Well here we are...Sunday.... a restful day at home...This morning our worship leader from our church called at five to nine to see if I was going to make it out to sing in church today.... uh oh! I had no idea I was on the schedule! I got ready in record time. Practice is at 930 and we have a 15 minute drive to get there.... Well needless to say I flew around here getting myself ready to go. I caught a ride in with a friend also on the team and hubby stayed home and got the 4 girls up and out the door by himself! He actually didn't do too badly! They all had their hair brushed and were wearing matching clothes!
It turned out to be a wonderful time of worship today. I enjoyed it so much. I haven't been doing it very much for the last little while..sorta hibernating at home.... well still going to church but not really getting into it.... and not singing on the team. Well every time I do this and then get back singing... I wonder why I ever do that. There is nothing like praise to lift you! I know we're not supposed to do it for our benefit, but boy it sure does benefit us! Amazing how that works!
I went out on Friday night with my girlfriends.... it turned out to be a fun time. We ordered this appetizer....it was so ummmm... strange! It was microscopically (literally!)thin slices of meat (it looked raw!) on a plate with a dab of salad in the middle... We were kinda grossed out but thought since this was a $9 plate we'd better at least try it! It was nasty! The meat was kinda gooey... pasty.... icky! I don't remember what it was called, but something none of us will EVER order again in our entire life times! We had a great time though... and the rest of the food was great! We went shopping at Winners for a little bit after we finished supper. Just some browsing no buying for me. I have to LOVE something now to buy it.... new thing for me! I hate to waste money on something I'll not like in a month's time. It also cuts down on the clutter! One treasure that I found recently, is this painting... (The flash reflected on it so it is a bit distorted) Not sure what you call the style.....? Maybe contemporary abstract...? I don't know... but anyway..When I saw it, I knew this was it! I've been trying to find something to build our decor around.... starting with a clean slate... We bought a new home last summer and it needs paint. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted... I've started keeping track of those things that really catch my eye. I find that really helps with figuring out what my style is!? I love earthy colours...peaceful greens, taupes, browns, reds.... I got an interior designer to come in and help me with a colour palette for the house. What a great use of $60! She was here for about an hour and really was helpful. She made up a colour board for me that I can keep in my purse with me. That way if I come across something that I like I check that it goes with the colour scheme we've put together. I also went out and picked up some paint to start painting. Hmmm maybe I'll make that a spring break project! Our interior is all a pale/medium pink. Hey Candy- You'd probably love it!! My kids right off the bat said "Mom, we have to take these ugly flowery curtains down!!" Well... it didn't happen right away, but it's the only thing we've done to change anything so far.....
Anyway, I should go and get something for our late supper/bedtime snack! You all have a great week and thanks for stopping by!
(C: Heather

Saint Patrick's Day.

Well we didn't do anything special for St. Pat's, unlike a LOT of you do! Friends called us at about 11:30 this morning to see if my hubby and I wanted to meet them for breakfast. They were sitting in the restaurant and gave us a call. We did and we had a fabulous time of eating and just enjoying spending time together with some awesome friends. We were having such a nice time that we lost track of time and overstayed. Our youngest daughter had a birthday party to be at, at the time we left the restaurant. She was supposed to go dressed as a princess and she has grown so much recently that we had to go find something for her to wear. We found one of the nicest dresses at Walmart. It's pink with some lovely draping and we also found some lovely white sandals to wear with it. Her whole demeanor changed when she put the outfit on (complete with crown). She became a princess! She looked so sweet! The camera battery was dead today so will have to take a picture of her in it tomorrow -as she has hung it in her closet, ready to wear to church tomorrow. We dropped her off at the party and then repeated the same process with her older sister!
Other than that, we've spent the rest of the day at home... very enjoyable! We love being at home! To top it off Dad made supper tonight. He made Greek salad.... family favourite.... home made hamburger patties, and brown rice. YAAAY!!! It was great.... I love it when Dad cooks. He only does it about once a month or so... but I really enjoy it when he does. When the girls were little he did it alot more. (I had 3 babies in 35 months!)He saw that I wasn't in very good shape and he really picked up the slack. I am so thankful, because alot of men wouldn't do it and would just be angry and resentful. I am blessed. As the girls have gotten older I have gotten better and have been able to pretty much do most things around the house so he has just ever so gradually stopped doing those things(he is still very helpful around here though)Which is totally fine with me... I'd really rather be doing them myself anyway... as I see that as my 'job', since I am a SAHM.
Anyway......this is a definite ramble...but that's what I enjoy........I find this blogging therapeutic most of the time, because I just start typing and whatever comes is what I write. (C:

Well happy weekend friends and thanks for stopping by... wish I could serve you tea and biscuits!
(C:

A Video!

I found a video for a song that I LOVE on a website that I visited tonight. I'm moving right on up in this world of blogging.. I actually figured out on my own how to get it on my blog... quite an accomplishment for this newbie!! Thanks for asking if I was feeling better... the answer is a resounding 'Yes'! I used to get TONS of severe headaches... I'd say migraines... but have been going to the chiropractor and have had amazing results... next to no headaches...Yay!! They can be debilitating. I'm so thankful to have mostly gotten rid of them... I probably had one from sleeping in a weird position last night and from staying up too late.... hmmm speaking of which I should say good night all.... I guess it will be friday when you read this.... I love fridays it almost makes me giddy thinking about it... and the best part is the kids start spring break tomorrow too! They are so excited! Well so is Mom. :o))
I'm looking forward to tomorrow night for another reason. I'm going out for dinner/evening with a couple of close girlfriends.... they're the best friends I've ever had. They know all your deep dark secrets and keep them that way...! AND they love you anyway!! lol We'll sit and have dinner and just relax, chat, catch up.... I find that times like this I RECHARGE.... we bounce things off each other....share our hearts... talk about our Lord.....we're doing a small group study together so that will also be discussed I'm sure... Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. I'd better get to bed now or I'll be ready to come home by 7:30 tomorrow night!! =o)
Take care and have a wonderful Friday!
Heather

Help!

Hey as you can all see, I'm new to this blog world. Can anyone tell me how to get rid of the screwdriver and wrench on the right side of my blog?? I've tried different things and haven't been able to get rid of it...Will post later.... have a headache and posting will take too much mental energy!!! lol... talk to you later.
Heather
ps
I also need help with the link I have on the left side....I add them and then they don't work. Any ideas??....

Kiros is Here!!!

For those of you that don't know them, Kiros is a Christian Rock band. They performed at our church tonight for the younger generation!! The girls aren't home yet, but Dad stopped by the church to see if they were ready to go yet. Of course they weren't.... :o) They had a fairly good turnout for the concert and that was without advertising. Wow can you imagine if they'd actually done some?! They needed at least 100 to break even, but oh well....The girls are really excited because we are billeting 3 of the guys from the band!! I'll post some pics of them with the girls. Will have to get the camera from the girls and download first.
So needless to say I had a busy day of washing and waxing the kitchen/dining room and bathroom floors. Cleaning the bathroom, doing about 4 loads of laundry.... folding and putting away as well. Re-making 3 beds for the guys..... And in between all that I picked up some fruit from the packing house, bought a costume at Zellers for Janelle, went to the salon for a haircut and went to a reader's theatre performance for Janelle's class. At 3 I took the girls to the church and helped them get supper ready for the Kiros guys and their youth group. Then I came home made supper, did the last finishing touches on things around the house and now it's time to sit for awhile and chill out while I blog for awhile! PHEW!! What a long, busy day! I am going to sleep like a baby tonight!! Hope alls well with all my friends in blog land. =o}
Heather

Please Leave A Comment

Hi there
Welcome to my blog! I've noticed that, after looking at my site meter, alot of you are stopping by to read, but aren't leaving a comment. If you're not sure how to do it, here's how: At the bottom of the post you'll see the word 'comment'. Just click on it and start typing in the box that comes up. You can click around the site.... you can't hurt anything..
When you're done typing you need to type in the warbly letters. This is there to control spam on my blog. Then just select 'other' and type your name in the box. Then select 'publish your comment'.
Well take care and thanks for stopping by (and commenting!! ;O})
Heather
ps
It's nice to know that you're keeping up on what's happening with our family.

Yay!!!! The Ice Is Gone!!!

Apparently we're not the only ones who are glad to see the ice finally melt. We had about a foot of ice on the pool this winter and it didn't all melt off until about the 6th of March! That's late for here. The other morning I woke up and came out to the kitchen. My hubby was busy making coffee and all of a sudden he called out to me in the dining room; "hey look we've got ducks on the pond!" I had a "laugh out loud" moment because we have an in-ground pool and we've been watching the Beverly Hillbillies lately and they call their pool the see-ment pond. So the ducks were pretty to look at and it was a nice way to get the girls up and out of bed to look at the ducks. Courtenay grabbed the camera and quietly snuck out to snap a few pictures....so here they are, they're kinda dark but hopefully you can see how pretty they are. Enjoy.
You can probably see the leaves in the pool... now that the ice is gone we have to get out there and get it cleaned out and start working on getting it all ready for the summer season. Hope you're having a good day.
Heather

Family Fun Day On The Mountain

Yesterday was Saturday. We had a rare day at home with everyone here! It was great. We did some stuff around the house then headed out for a hike.We drove thru Wendy's on the way up to the mountain. We grabbed value meals for everyone and off we went. By the time we got there it was about 2:30. We finished our lunch and headed up the hill. As we came around the hill the wind hit us like a wall! It was sooo chilly and windy it nearly blew us off the mountain. The girls weren't expecting the cold so came out in their hoodies and were lucky that Dad had extra coats of his in the back of the van. So if they look kinda funny - that's why.
We walked until we got to the sign for our city. It's made out of concrete with coarsely crushed white rock pressed into it. It can be seen from across the lake.... It looks like the "Hollywood" sign in California. The letters are each around 30 feet tall -and steep! Everything is totally brown.This area is semi arid and has alot of cactus on the ground.We took Goldie our golden retriever/lab up there with us and she found out all about our cactus. The poor dog.... she stood in one spot with her foot up and then tried to walk but couldn't. I was amazed how still she stood for us to remove the cactus from her poor little foot. Then she took off and did it again....you'd think....ya never mind.. :) We should have taken pics of it stuck in her foot but the camera was dead by then. oh well.... not that you'd be missing much.. :o)
So....we left the mountain and went to explore the area that we had been looking down on. We went for a drive for about another 1/2 hour... down to the lake.... I wish the camera hadn't died by then, because it was a beautiful day to be at the water. The wind was whipping up white caps on the crest of those king-size waves. It was soo pretty! And soo cold. The dog had just as much fun or more than the rest of us. She ran all over- nose to the ground, sniff, sniff, sniffing her way everywhere we went.
We finished off the day by dropping the kids off at home then heading to the produce store. After finishing there, I thought hey... perfect opportunity.... Randal is with me..... he can come grocery shopping with me! Yes! Well he informed me that we needed to go home first, so I could drop him off to use the washroom....I told him that they had one at the store he could use, so that was okay.... we could just go to the store... then he said that he should go home so he could put potatoes on to go with the roast that was cooking for dinner....I finally realized that he was trying to find a reason to go home and NOT go food shopping!! Well the rest is history. It was painful for him-lol..... but he was great to have along.. so nice not to do it alone... He carried the heavy boxes for me. I find shopping so exhausting that I tend to avoid it until the fridge is bare... doesn't make meal prep very easy though! So now the fridge and freezer are stocked! Yay... It was so much easier than doing it alone.. and nice to have company. Well I should get to bed. With this time change it's really throwing me off... altho it's only the 2nd night..... I have a bad late nite habit already...now it's another hour later. Oh well... discipline.. just gotta get myself off here earlier and get to bed! Well have a great day today!
ta ta for now

"The Truth Project"

We are doing "The Truth Project" for a small group study. It is sponsored by Focus on The Family. It is absolutely AMAZING!! I believe that EVERY Christian on the planet needs to be exposed to the truths that are offered in this study. It exposes the lies that corrupt our hearts and minds daily. It is absolutely stunning that in one form or another most of us are believing these lies! It's like the old story about the frog in the hot water. The water wasn't boiling when the frog was put in the water, but it was gradually turned up until it was boiling and the frog was cooked! Our society has taken God out of the picture and when that happens, there are dire consequences. This project is all about obtaining a Biblical worldview.
The stats are mind boggling. According to the Barna Research Group, only 4% of the general population of America has a Biblical worldview. Canada will have figures much the same as theirs- don't kid yourself. When you look at "born again believers" the number goes up to a stunning 9%!! Wow--That is just staggering. So please have a look guys! Just Google "Truth Project".
ta ta for now

ps
here's a small clip from the study.

4. Why does a biblical worldview matter?

If we don't really believe the truth of God and live it, then our witness will be confusing and misleading.

If we don't really believe the truth of God and live it, then our witness will be confusing and misleading. Most of us go through life not recognizing that our personal worldviews have been deeply affected by the world. Through the media and other influences, the secularized American view of history, law, politics, science, God and man affects our thinking more than we realize. We then are taken "captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

However, by diligently learning, applying and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives — whether it's watching a movie, communicating with our spouses, raising our children or working at the office — we can begin to develop a deep comprehensive faith that will stand against the unrelenting tide of our culture's nonbiblical ideas. If we capture and embrace more of God's worldview and trust it with unwavering faith, then we begin to make the right decisions and form the appropriate responses to questions on abortion, same- sex marriage, cloning, stem-cell research and even media choices. Because, in the end, it is our decisions and actions that reveal what we really believe.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

Amanda's class goes rock hounding....

I headed out with Amanda's class on a field trip today. Since I hadn't signed up for it, they didn't need the extra driver, but I went for the fun of it. (Originally I had been scheduled to work) So it was just Amanda and I in our vehicle. We made a detour through Tim Horton's for a coffee/french vanilla and a hot chocolate with whipped cream. Mmmm yummy! Neither of us won anything. ): Amanda was completely thrilled because she got to sit in the front seat. This is probably about the third time for her!! (I don't let them sit there until they're big enough to withstand an airbag deployment.) We kinda cringed when we headed out on the road and found everyone pulled over waiting for us! Oops! Oh well, no problem.
We got to our spot and headed out on foot. We were hiking along an old rail bed- the KVR (Kettle Valley Railroad). It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was shining and the wind was nearly blowing us off our feet. Mr. Gray talked about the different kinds of rock that we were seeing and the different layers and how they were formed. It was quite absorbing. There was alot of purple rock. It was embedded in the layers of rock, but for some reason I didn't ask Mr. Gray what kind it was. It was pretty though, kinda like amethyst without being translucent like the gem would be. We sat down and ate our lunch... well the adults did. The kids climbed the rocks and sat in various places eating their lunch. After we finished lunch Mr. Gray and the kids climbed up a big pile of jagged boulders. There was a cave in the middle of this pile, that they explored. They were all thrilled to find inside this cave, the makings of a home. Apparently it was a homeless person's home......The kids were crawling all over this massive pile of rocks.... almost made me think I should just stay home next time... It was a bit nerve racking! But alas all were fine and we continued on our way. The next big find was a mostly eaten deer carcass. Some of the girls were appalled that some terrible predator would do such a horrible thing!! We explained to them that this was completely normal and actually a good thing.... I'm not sure that they were convinced! Well we started to head back the other direction... and came upon a cave up on the hillside. So the kids and I climbed up to it. It was dug into the clay hillside. I'm not sure that anyone/thing was using it though... looked pretty vacant. I climbed up a bit further to where there were a bunch of small holes in the clay bank. They were made by swallows. (I think :)) Well by this time I was quite aways up this steep bank...and the only way down is ......down...lol.....FAST..... the adults all had a good laugh at my expense.... well not really my expense actually, cuz I was laughing too. It was time to head back so we adults turned around and headed back for the vehicles. The kids and teacher kept going to where we'd meet them. Well the way back was up the steep bank. Someone had set old tires into the bank for steps and I looked at them and thought... I can't stand to walk up those.. It will take way too long... so I ran up them... the other moms were trying to keep up, rather noisily...lol.... anyway... smarty pants me gets to the top and just about collapses from lack of oxygen!! My legs made it up but my lungs felt like they were suctioned closed!! We headed back to our rendezvous point and loaded up and headed home. What an awesome day in the outdoors... on the shore of a beautiful lake, the sun shining.... a brisk wind blowing.... paradise that we live in here! Life is good.
ps
pictures to come.

Do you have a Favourite Online Devotion?

Hi Everyone- can you help me out. I'm looking for an online devotion that comes to my inbox each day. Do you have one that you absolutely love? If so let me know. I'm looking for one and thought what better than to get the input of my fellow bloggers......? maybe this will entice the reader/non-comment leaver to leave a comment!! ;0) Thanks and looking forward to your replies.

Photography....

I've been playing around with Randal's work camera.... trying to take some nice pictures... I can now appreciate why someone would want a 'good' camera. And the thing about lighting.... Wow! amazing once you start playing around with it. I'll find some of the pics I've been taking and post them... there really isn't much to look at, but it could be a fun hobby to get into. I would love to get a good camera.... but they are very $$$$! I'll have to keep my eye out for a nice one.. maybe I can find a good one on sale for a really good price....well gotta run do the dishes before I have to get the girls from school. I am so ready for the weekend! Only one more day! I really enjoy Friday nights. The older girls go to youth and we usually do something fun and relaxing at home with Dad... He does alot of bus driving on the side but is usually here for Friday nights...Anyway can't procrastinate any further... must get busy!
ta ta for now.

The Cutest 'Almost One year Old' There Is!!

Here is a picture of my youngest nephew, Silas. Isn't he sweet?!!?He's having a look at the work of some beavers down by the river.....He looks really
interested in that chewed up tree!!He's going to be
a year old in about 2 weeks!! I can hardly believe it. The time flies by so fast. Especially when they live
aways from us and we don't see them often. His Mommy was just telling me that he is just over the average for a one year old, three times his birth weight. And he's so strong he can pick up the end of his playpen and give it the old 'heave ho'!! Wow! He's going to give Joe Weider a run for his money!! lol...


























The next pictures are of Silas and his
Dad (my youngest brother). (Mom must be the one taking
pictures.) (c: They're watching the action down on the river.It looks like something has certainly caught Silas' attention! I guess little boys (and big ones too!!) like boats and that kind of thing!

A Long Day..........

I was just going to get up and go to bed when I suddenly realized that I have to do my paperwork first.....yaawwnn....
Today was my "card" day. On Wednesdays I go to a couple of dollar stores and order their greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, tissue, bows and a few other odds and ends. The following week I return to the store and put out the stuff that I ordered the week before, then start the process all over again. I absolutely loved it for the first year.... Now I'm starting to not enjoy it so much. My biggest client is also my most difficult one. I never know what is going to be wrong this week, as I go into their store to work. (I'm back now- 4 hours later)But I'm really thankful to have this little job. It has really been a financial blessing! For the most part it really pays quite well. It makes it easier for me to be a SAHM. It's only one day a week, but I'd rather be at home.
Our home is in chaos these days. I've just gone to Fly Lady's website and signed on to re-learn some good habits and routines. I like her system. I used it a few years back, but it has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping it will help me stick to a plan of action for good this time...... I like the hints - tips - stories that I've read on other blogs, on how to make your house a home, a haven. So first off I'm going to start by going to bed before the sun comes up! Tomorrow is a fresh day!
(c:

A New Home for the Fish!

Well I've been wanting to get a stand for our fish tank for a long time but didn't think to look at WalMart... come to think of it.... It's probably more like... I didn't think to look!!! Well we were shopping for some fish at WalMart the other day and I noticed the tank stands in a box. So I picked one up. They weren't tooo expensive. I think I payed about $45.00. Courtenay thinks it was more like $30.00.... so I don't really know what I paid!?! Anyway the next morning after dropping the girls off at school, I got it out of the box to put together before they got home. I got busy with something else and before you know it, it was time to go get the girls from school. Then it was time to start supper..... etc..etc... So after supper Dad found his tools and the instructions and went to work on it. I took Janelle out to her violin lesson. When we got back - Voila! It was all put together!! I was glad he did it. I don't mind doing things like that, but some days it's just nice to have someone else do those kind of things. Now our fish have some new friends and a lovely home in the dining room, with space underneath to store all the accessories. It's great to get that stuff all together and out of the way!! Well need to go do some tucking in.
ta ta for now (c:

Spring... where are you.....?

I'm so ready for spring! This morning I looked out the dining room window and got excited about the sun shining on the mountain..... so I went to open the blinds and let the sun into the living room. By the time I got there the sun was gone. :( I'll be SO happy to see some sunshine and colour when spring arrives! Our winter has been extra long this year. We got snow in November that stayed, and it's just melted in the last couple of weeks. Everything is dead and brown and looks so awful!
We do see some signs of spring though. I cleaned the leaves out of a flower bed and was happy to see the heads of the bulbs poking up through the soil!!A promise that spring is coming. I can hardly wait til they flower. I understand why people head south in the first couple months of the year..... we crave the sun!!
Well after having said all that....A few days ago I was walking into Safeway and outside the door they had bulbs, planted in pots, on sale- 2 for $6. I couldn't resist- I bought 2. They are such a pretty burst of colour on the table. That will have to do for now......
After having done all that complaining I have to say that I am just thankful to be alive! God is so good to us! We have two friends laying in the hospital right now--one-a dad with young kids and critically ill with cancer, the other also a dad with young kids-wondering and waiting to see what is wrong. So - yes I say 'Thank you Lord" for my health and that of my family!

A Question

Can anyone tell me where to get the pretty pictures I'm seeing on other peoples blogs??

Quote for the day

"You can’t change circumstances

and you can’t change other people,

but God can change you."

-Evelyn A. Theissen

A letter I "borrowed" from a blog I visited.

After 21 years of marriage, My wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you." The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much." That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I saw that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited at the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting." We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu, for she could only read large print. Half way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary, just catching up on the recent events of each other's life. (We missed the movie.) As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. At home my wife asked: "How was your dinner date?". "Very nice; Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates -- one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son." At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time : "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time."

This isn't just about being a mother, it's about appreciating the people in your life, while you have them....no matter who that person is.

More fun in the baking hot sun.

The week of the clown party was an extremely hot one! The temperature ranged between 38' and 42'C!! For my American friends, that's about 100-108'F!! The kids spent most of one day in the pool and then had to stay inside for a couple of days playing boardgames.....They were more than happy to be in out of the heat. Great Grandma Scott was here during that heat. For those of you that know her, you will remember that she can't stand the heat! Well fortunately the new house has a heat pump, so she just stayed in. I don't think she even poked her nose out during the heat of the day. She was able to go out late in the evening on those nights that it cooled down....she even got out into the pool once!



Youth pool party at our house



Nana












"All the clowns"











Lysh and Linds

Jelly Bell









Court and Lysh