Saturday, August 25, 2007

ANTS!!!!

OH my goodness... I hate Ants...especially in the kitchen...
It is definitely time to clean the freezer when the ants have found it and have a convoy running back and forth from your freezer to their colony nonstop 24 hrs a day! We watched the movie Antz the other night, so I had a pang or two of guilt and sorrow as I squashed ants under my flip flops...but they were short lived pangs! The kids (and the biggest one whose name starts with R) like to put sweet drinks in glasses in the door of the freezer(which is on the bottom of the fridge). You can imagine that when said person closes the door it is not always the smoothest closure and the resultant spill makes a lovely mess of the freezer and the seal around the door....
Well we all know what happens when the nasty little ants get a whiff of this lovely sweetness!!! Yes...a mad swarming dash!! I'm just hoping they don't find the sticky honey bucket on the top shelf of the pantry cupboard!!! Well hope you all have a great weekend....as I'm shlupping out the freezer...and the honey bucket!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Sunshine, Friends, and a Beautiful Lake

This past Saturday my brother picked up his kids and our two oldest and was gone by about 11:30 am. By 12:15 we were over at the river channel dropping off Amanda for her friend, Kate's, birthday party. The party was floating down the canal and then meeting at the beach. Kate's mom, Louise, floated down with them and her husband, Steve, and Randal and I went to the beach to get set up for a wiener roast for later. We had a great time....but it was a little chilly...I think it was only about 70-75 F. We've gotten used to about 90-100F!!! But as much as I don't want it to be... I think it's a signal that summer is nearing it's end...Oh well... I guess that just means that we'll have fun winter activities, such as skiing and playing in the snow to look forward to....BRRR... okay okay... I'm tryin'!!
(Steve and Louise are some new friends that we've recently met and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know!) The Mom's dropping off the girls. Paula, Leona, Heather (me) and Louise.



Is that a look of apprehension on Louise's face....?
Seth showing me that he can see through the bottom of his flip flop!
♫ Happy Birthday ♫ Kate!
Abby enjoying a grape pop...mmmmm
Amelia and Janelle....not sure what they were running from....

Steve, Randal and Louise
Opening presents


Amanda, in red, poking the fire

Janelle
Steve loading the sausages onto Amanda's stick
Louise
Janelle and Amanda

Monday, August 20, 2007

Is there an echo in here???

Well today I woke up and don't know what to do with myself! Oh don't get me wrong...there is lots to do....I really need to get busy and clean up the aftermath of maaany children!! I just feel at loose ends because there are only two children left here. Janelle and Amanda...who are also feeling at loose ends too....and lonely. They told me last night that they really miss their cousins....and "even my sisters, Mom!!" So I will tackle things around here and get the place clean and in order.
My brother and sister in law used to do "cousin's camp". ALL the cousins that were old enough - out of diapers and able to talk/walk-would be dropped off at their home on thursday night. We would all come back for them on Sunday afternoon. We'd have a BBQ and then head home.
So how many cousins were there? Well including their kids...I think there were about 15 kids for the first couple of years, then add my two younger and one more and there were 18!! They wouldn't just sit at home either! They rented a huge van and took them to someplace fun. I now have a bit of an understanding of what they went through. That sounds negative but I don't mean it that way at all.. I don't think Connie made the kids do any cleanup at all...I think her and Paul did all that. They must have been exhausted by the end of the weekend! But man do the kids ever have wonderful memories of those times with them! They did that every summer for about 7 summers in a row! WOW!
My time with the kids this summer has given me a bit of an appreciation of what they did every summer for all those years. I felt privileged to have them all though. It was really great to be trusted enough to be able to have the kids. I think they all had a great time...I know our kids did! It really makes me want to move closer to them. The closest ones live about 5 or 6 hours away...and the rest live about 8 hours from here.....Oh I almost forgot...My youngest brother and family just moved to a town about an hour from here..so that is going to be really nice! It will be nice to get to know their little boy, Silas. He's just about 18 months old-and so cute. I'm also anticipating spending time with his Daddy and Mommy too.
Well I'd better get the coffee pot on and get busy!
You all have a wonderful week! (c:

Thursday, August 16, 2007

♫ ♫Happy Birthday to♫ Me...Happy ♫Birthday to Me.......♫

In amongst all the kids and company, I had a birthday. The kids and Nana made a dinner for me the night before and then the night of, we went out to dinner with some friends. I had a very nice birthday.
I had mentioned one time to my friend, Louise, that I really wanted a camera and that I had told Randal that for all my occasions for the next year, that a camera was all I wanted...Well Louise remembered this and for my birthday she gave me this cute little cow with the beginnings of a camera fund!! I felt kinda dumb that I'd said it to her, but it had been in innocence...just a conversation about how I'd like to get a camera. She's so thoughtful.


"OOOOOOHHH...I remember that conversation....."



The Cow containing the "camera fund".





Out for dinner with friends, Steve and Louise. We had a great dinner out at the Pasta Factory!! As Steve would say..."mmmm mm mmmm mmm mmmm"! :)) It was strange being away...I felt like I needed to get home because Mom and Grandma were home with 16 kids! But I did enjoy it.
One of the four or five cakes that the girls made for me. They had lots of fun baking and decorating them!
This is my Grandma that you all prayed for this spring. She has healed up amazingly! She looks really tired in this picture because she'd just spent the day in the house with 8 kids then the evening with 16!! It was so nice to have her here!! I didn't have great grandparents growing up, so our kids are really blessed to be able to enjoy having her around!

PS
I'm catching up on my posting, so there are two posts for today...scroll down.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

~Painting Courtenay's room~

Me Painting Courtenay's bedroom wall....(now isn't that just a great shot!)
Courtenay taking over......

Me looking frazzled after helping Court paint her room..... =)



I can't understand why


people are


frightened by new ideas.


I'm frightened of old ones.

- John Cage

Monday, August 13, 2007

Janelle out back in our pool.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Hellooooo....? Anyone home.....??

I've been missing reading all your blogs and as you can see my posts have been few and far between and the ones I have put up haven't been all that exciting!!
I've had my 3 nieces for the last five nights and another brother and his family have been here for the last 3 nights. Then on Friday night my brother and his fiance came to town too...so I don't need to tell you that I've been busy!!! Yesterday Randal's brother and family also came to town but are staying at his mom's house. Tonight they're coming over for a BBQ. I think there will be about 7 nieces, 2 nephews, 2 brothers and their wives and a mil over for dinner tonight(as well as our 4 kids!). I think it will be pretty low key though.
Then on Monday my mom and grandma should be here!! We're planning about a 20 kilometre bike ride while they're here, possibly overnight. Hopefully my nieces will be able to stay so that they can join us. My younger brother that is here with his family has ANOTHER 3 nieces for me and they are probably going to stay for a few days now too so they (the girls) can come with us on the ride!!!! So that is 6 extra girls as well as my 4 = 10 girls!! Wow!! But we will have fun!! I just hope my energy holds out!!! I love doing fun stuff with the kids! Well I better get off here. I'm on the worship team at church today so need to go get ready! Hope you're all having a good summer too!!
Take Care and before too long I'll be around for a visit with you all.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Is this you......?

We're all appeasers at one time or another...and some of us more than others. I think I tend to be too much of a "pot stirr-er" to be a real good appeaser!! ;)



An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.

- Winston Churchill

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Being frustrated is disagreeable, but the

real disasters in life begin when you get

what you want.

- Irving Kristo