New 'Do

So this is the new 'do - I am liking it. Before my hair seemed boyish and just plain short. Today I feel sexy again. Not the best of pictures because I took it with my PhotoBooth on my Mac, but it's the best I got right now.
Have a good sleep! Or a good day, depending on when you read this.

Random facts

I watched the last few episodes of America's Best Dance Crew and was sad that I never saw it from the beginning. I love hip hop dance and will probably eventually go back and watch the entire season, even though I know who ended up winning. I think people who can dance like that are AMAZING - it's incredible what people can do with their bodies, though I cannot help wondering how much they hurt themselves practicing to get to the point of doing it well or perfectly. And how many of them should have some serious chiropractic work done. I do not like most rap music though as I think the lyrics are often rude and crude, so liking a style of dance that is based on it is a little surprising to me.
Here is a little sampling of the winning crew's routine Week 3...

I'm getting old!

I bought one of these the other day when I was at the video store because I seemed to remember liking them as a kid and wanted to reminisce a little. I got the Blue Raspberry flavor and just found it again today and opened it up to try out. I remember Air Heads being a little like taffy and good!
This one, sadly, is not. It is more the consistency of crystallized sugar and tastes way too sweet. Even for a candy lover like me!! Either I am getting old or this particular one is. Old, that is.
Sad thing is, I ate the whole thing.

The highs and lows of buying on Etsy

I discovered Etsy a few months ago. I ordered quite a bit of things in December for Christmas and then some gifts for people and a little something for myself at the beginning of this month. I just received it in the mail today!
Isn't it pretty? It's called "Death of a Snowman" and I got it from one of my favorite sellers on Etsy, Risky Beads.
The artist, Lori, has a YouTube video about it, you can go here if you want to watch it. I love her sense of humor - it is exactly like DH's. I love dealing with Lori, she is quick about things and makes dealing with her a pleasant experience. Other sellers I love and would recommend you check out are mamarunswithscissors where I got some equivalent to BabyLegs for a much cheaper price and funktionalthreads which I got DH and I coffee cozies from - trying to be more environmental here and not have to use coffee collars all the time.
I have been a little disappointed with a few sellers as I bought items for A and K in their stockings, itty bitty barrettes, as well as their main gifts of ribbon blankets and now 45 days later I still don't have the items. I am not going to put links to their Etsy sites here or rag on them because I had DH put in a complaint to both shops with PayPal as it will be 45 days as of tomorrow and that is as long as PayPal will let you go for a refund. I am most disappointed about it, because I wanted both things for both girls and I was trying so hard to support people working out of their home. "Buy handmade" and all that stuff and I feel a wee bit burnt. Another thing that bothers me is that the same barrettes that I bought were listed the same day at the shop I bought them at. I have tried to convo with both ladies and have received no reply. I feel like screaming. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! OK, there got it out of my system. Now I am smiling. :)
Don't let my experience taint you trying out or continuing to buy from Etsy. And I do really want you all to go check out Lori's work though - it is awesome and all you nursing mamas out there need a nurse purse. You and the babies will love them - we do at our house.

WHAT!?! Canada, truly

My dad forwarded this email to me and as per usual instead of forwarding to people, I put it on my blog if I find it funny or worthwhile letting others know. Enjoy!

Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website.
Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!

Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? ( England )
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.

Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the Railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada ? ( Sweden )
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada ? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto , Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax ? ( England )
A: What, did your last slave die?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada ? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary . Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada ? ( England )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada ? ( Germany )
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada ? ( USA )
A: Only at Thanksgiving.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada , but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. ( USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

I have to say this because it is on my mind. In grade 6 we had a whole unit on American history and geography. Do Americans not have to learn anything about their neighbours to the north? Where do they think Canada is and how is it so different from the States in their minds?

No More Telemarketers!

Apparently Canada finally got a National Do Not Call List for telemarketers. Go here to register your number! FINALLY!

All in threes

I have been thinking about it for awhile. Things at my house are in threes right now. Today is my 33rd birthday...I have been married for one third of my life and I have three kids. More to come about my birthday tomorrow.

Finally... I'm home!

After 10 days in the hospital, I am finally at home! I got released this morning and though it was hard to leave our precious little daughters there, it is so good to be able to breath fresh air, not be under fluorescent lights, sit in a car and feel the motion and walk around my house in bare feet!
R has missed me like crazy and hasn't really left my sight since I got home. I put him down for his nap and then went back to the hospital for awhile, though I think that was overdoing it. I am finding it a little difficult right now, because I am so weak to be with the girls through the day so that we can give them every opportunity to start nursing, but it seems that I only get about 3 feedings altogether as I am so exhausted. The girls have both nursed at one point or another, though they seem to get tired out quickly, so do not for long or often. I am hopeful that as they get bigger and more alert and awake that they will. I enjoyed it so much with R that I need them to.
My blood pressure is still not settled, but it is responding to medication now - I am supposed to go see the doctor on Monday and he is hopeful that I will get off it then. It is weird to go from high blood pressure to low as a result of a little too much meds in the morning... almost fainted the last two mornings. We'll get it figured out though. I also hemorrhaged after the girls were born, so am on iron and my body is trying to get that back too.
I wanted to let you know the pronunciation of K' name. I am assuming that no one is wondering about A's, but K E is CAR-iss EYE-lee. K is Greek, it is actually the word used in the New Testament of the Bible that is translated "grace" or in some translations "an undeserved gift". E is Welsh for "light". So she is our undeserved gift of God's grace and light.
A is Welsh for "elfin ruler" or at another place we found the meaning to be "one who leads with spiritual wisdom". M means "mountain". So A M is our daughter who leads with spiritual wisdom from a solid foundation.
I am going to post lots of pics in the future, but am presently using my mother-in-law's computer and we haven't uploaded any pictures to anywhere yet. It's been all this time in the hospital so we will get there yet. Oh, though the girls are identical, they don't look like it at this moment, though every day they are looking more and more alike. The most interesting thing is that their hair color is different. K is very blond and A is quite dark haired. I was very dark as a baby, and A is already lightening up. Because A was down in my pelvis for months, her little head was misshapen and bruised on her face, with her little nose all flattened out. K was free floating and spent a whole 10 minutes in the birth canal, so her head is perfectly shaped and round with no bruising anywhere. It is nice to be able to be getting to know them first before we have to be telling them apart. They already have quite distinct personalities and even the way they carry their mouths are different. K's is always wide open and A holds hers tightly shut.
Well, I am going to go and have my first real meal in a week and a half. I will post pictures soon... I promise.

A little different take on Madness

Ok - I saw this on Mark's blog this morning and I had to post it because I couldn't stop laughing!

Cold Day in Hell

On a totally different topic, a guy who grew up in Caronport where I lived for 6 years of my elementary and high school life is now a writer and DH just finished a book he wrote called Motorcycle Therapy (I read it last year and it was pretty good.) He also became best friends with a good friend of DH's from college - Jeremy was Cordell's best man at his wedding. Anyways, DH mentioned that he had a website where he is chronicling his latest adventure riding motorcycle around the Middle East (his mother - a friend of my parents - fully expects to never see him again!) and I checked it out tonight. He's really quite funny at times and this particular post made me laugh!

A home party you don't want to miss!

No, I am not talking about Tupperware in this instant, though you never want to miss one of those! :) I finally had the Norwex home party that I have been wanting to have since June! It was on Friday and I only had 3 other people besides myself there, but it was so good and I am so sold on these products. I had gotten the window cloth and 2 of the antibac enviro cloths in June from my friend Cass' mom's party and I LOVE them and was wanting more product and to also see a presentation myself. Their hostess reward program is awesome and I am getting myself a mop - so excited for it to arrive! I have been wanting to get away from my Swiffer Wet cloths as I am a little scared to use them when R is around and I am finding that I have less and less time to get everything I want to done when he is sleeping. And my son, gotta love him, loves to help "Keen up!" He gets so excited when I get the vacuum out and when he sees the Norwex cloths come out, he knows he will get one to "use" to help Mommy, which I love to give him because I have no qualms about him handling them as there are no chemicals on them at all.
I am so sold on these products. I hate all the chemicals that we use these days to clean and all the germs that there are out there that seem to get more and more resilient and am wanting to transition my household to a chemical free (or as close to it as I can get! :) one. DH and I both have allergies and though R has exhibited no signs of them, I do not want him to get them. You use Norwex microfiber cloths with just water, so there is no need for chemicals. They are also anti-bacterial, using silver as an natural agent to kill 99.96% of all the bacteria that the cloth comes into contact with when it is wet.
Anyways, I won't go more into this - just want to say that if you have the opportunity to go to a party or find out more about their products - DO IT! You won't regret it.

New 'Do

Finally, the promised pictures of the new hairdo. First of all, the before pics. Excuse the deer in the headlight look of the first one - I was headed out the door and all of a sudden thought to take a before picture of my hair.

And the new 'do. I like it, though am discovering after two weeks that I do not have a lot of time to straighten as she did, and my hair when layered has some natural wave to it - actually weird kinks in all the wrong places. Which is a little different for a girl who grew up with hair that was straight as a board. Maybe having a kid changed that. Who knows.

And the back.

Catch up

It has been awhile since I last posted. Things have been busy during the last week, but I have also been wanting to post about my new haircut - yes, I finally got my hair cut after 9 months - it was split end city! I am loving my haircut and I got pictures before and after on that day, but I can't seem to find the device that I put the SD card in to attach it to the computer and then get the pictures off the camera. So I've been waiting to post that before I post anything else and I am tired of waiting and think you all are probably sick of checking back and not having anything new to read or see.
So here I am. DH and I have had a pretty uneventful week. We all went to C and M's after church on Sunday for lunch and the afternoon. It was nice to spend time with them and just relax. C and I went through Christmas baking recipes and planned out some stuff we are going to make on the last Saturday in November. M, Dad and DH are going to start the mudding and taping in the basement. DH is taking off that week and we are going to get our basement done - YEAH!
This weekend is the MegaWest Christmas party at the Chateau Lake Louise. R is going to my parents for the weekend - they are being kind enough to take him for two nights so DH and I are going to take the extra night to ourselves at home - watch some movies, sleep in, enjoy being together.
Well, I oughta go get things done here at home. Have a great day.

The nicest bathroom ever!

So for Thanksgiving our family - DH, R and I - went to Great Falls, Montana. It was a good time, though a little bit of a drive to get there. It was relaxing in the evenings and we got shopping done and R got to swim for three days in a row. I forgot my camera at home, so there are no pictures to document the weekend. I hate when I do that. On the way down there we took the highway that goes near Waterton and Glacier National Park, so we got to see mountains all the way down. It had snowed the night before so everything was covered in a blanket of white and the leaves hadn't fallen yet so the trees were all yellow and orange and red. It was so gorgeous! We just enjoyed the view the entire way down.
I cannot believe how things are still cheaper in the States. Our dollar is at par and yet companies that have stores here in Canada as well as the States are charging us marked up prices like our dollar isn't worth anything. Like at Old Navy - I got a sweater for $20 that was $29.50 here. Crazy!
I shopped in Victoria's Secret - big fall sale on - and Bath and Body Works - never been, but boy does it smell good in there! I am definitely going back to shop in the store or online. Apparently they take expired coupons anytime and they gave me a new flyer with their upcoming products - Christmas ones - and they have an apple one! So happy about that as I was upset when The Body Shop took there Brandied Apple off the market - I loved that smell. I actually stocked up when they were selling out and rationed it so it lasted a long time. I also got stuff from Old Navy - needed new jeans really badly as all of mine are getting worn at the bottom of the legs at the back. WalMart and Target pretty much rounded out the shopping.
On the way home we stopped briefly in Lethbridge and the Fas Gas there had the nicest bathroom that I have ever used in a gas station/rest stop/community. And anyone who knows me well knows that I have used a lot of bathrooms. When we were in Australia and New Zealand when I was pregnant with R we stopped at every other place to use the washroom. In New Zealand they have a public washroom for the entire town (sometimes more than one, depending on the size of the community) and in Australia they have a rest stop every 30 minutes. This was a good thing for me, though a lot of them had open windows which is good for ventilation, but in the winter not so good for warmth. Oh, so back to the washroom in the Fas Gas in Lethbridge - it had a decorative mirror, tiling on the walls and floor and art on the walls. So nice! If you want to check it out and are in Lethbridge it is on the corner of 43rd Street and 4th Ave.

Get-Stuff -Done Kind of Day

Today I got so much done! I had gotten my Gymboree gift certificate in the mail and my mom also gave me a gift card to GAP that she had for R, and seen as DH was working on school stuff, I decided to take R to the mall. We got there are 10:40 and lined up to get in the Play Place at 11:30 - gave me 45 minutes to get what I needed and get back there. I went to GAP quick and got three long sleeved T-shirts, then on to Gymboree where they have a TV (!) for my son to watch as I browsed. Good sales today! I got a sweater and 2 more long sleeved T-shirts from there. Here are the tops from Gymboree that we got.
We then went to the play place and R had a blast for a half hour - it's the first time we have gone in there as this summer when I wanted to he was always without socks and that isn't allowed. We then headed over to Toys 'R Us where the potty seat I had been eying was on for half off! Awesome deals today! And I was out of the mall by shortly after 12:15 - so a grand total of 1 and a half hours at the mall and all this to show for it. Guess how much I had to spend out of my own pocket? Drum roll please.... just over 33 dollars! I know! I was so impressed with the sales and of course the gift certificate from Mom of a Munchkin and my mom. Thanks ladies!
After lunch and putting R down, DH and I spent some time together and I had a nap, a shower, and browned 2 lbs of ground beef, made a double batch of Mama Sue's Spaghetti Sauce and made 15 hamburgers. I made spaghetti for supper and cleaned the kitchen, bathed and got my little guy ready for bed. Then I got ready for my book club and am now blogging about my busy, got-stuff-done kind of day and I am now late for book club. Just wanted to share it with you, but now I gotta go!

Working on life

So much for posting tomorrow! Sorry! Between being engrossed in Harry Potter and making tons (!) of phone calls, life has been pretty busy round our house. Anyway, I do not have much time to post at all, but wanted to put a little note on here that we are looking for a vehicle and there is a good possibility that we are looking at tonight. Pray for us if you think of it - for a great vehicle that will meet all our needs as well as will be reliable and a good purchase for us.
I am still planning to get pics up of our hike on Saturday as it was gorgeous scenery and a lovely walk. IT will just have to wait awhile.
Oh, FYI - if you are a Harry Potter fan - so good. I hate how you just have to keep reading and reading once you have it and then it is over. And now with this last one, it is really over! Last time this happened to me was with the "Left Behind" series, which we have all the original series of (one is even signed! :). And then the publishers and authors decided to do the prequels - what is with that!?! Need more money or what? Don't get me started on that. Anyways, even though I am sad the series is over, I am happy that I no longer have to wait two more years for another one. :) And I won't give away any details - DH would be very upset! :) (Can you have too many smileys in a paragraph?)

Today is another day...

So yesterday R stuck his finger in the fan - yeah, I know... I felt like the world's worst mom! I put a post on R's blog about it, so read all about it there. (It is private, so if you haven't been invited, email me or leave a comment on this post and I will email you.)
Anyways, even though I was starting supper at the time and not neglecting my child, it did give me a reminder not to let other things distract me and spend more time playing and reading with R. So this morning we read a lot of books, went for a walk and watched a little CBC kids while I changed his bandage - so awful! He screams and screams while I try to look at his finger, put on antiseptic and let it airdry and wrap it back up. Ugh. It doesn't look as bad today, just a little sore. Hopefully he will not lose his nail as that was right where the blade took off the skin. I am cringing as I write this because I feel so badly for him.
This afternoon we are going to mom's group. R should love that. He loves J so much talking about him constantly when I mention his name. It's fun to see him making friends already.
I think that's all for now. Have a great day!

It's freakin' huge!

This dragonfly sat directly in the middle of one of the fence boards - so I would guess it was 3 3/4 inches wide. It was HUGE! A little scary.. how big insects are getting.
(Oh, and say the title with a Scottish accent and it'll remind you of a movie! Can anyone say what one?)

The desire is back...

It's funny - since I have gotten myself settled a bit and am good with blogging and not worrying so much about things I find that the desire to blog is back. I was just sitting here, wondering to myself, "What can I write a post about?" So, it may not be very deep, but I am sharing what I am thinking, right? Some days are going to be like that.
We watched Happy Feet last night. So cute of a movie. R and I watched it again this morning, but I skipped past the parts with the leopard seal and the killer whales. I don't think he is up for that sort of stuff yet, don't want him getting nightmares at this point in his little life. Oh, that movie made me want to dance! I love to watch dance movies - not ballet necessarily, as I find it too slow, but dance. I loved the movie Centre Stage, I borrow it from my sister all the time to watch it again (actually, I think it's about time to watch it again). I loved Save the last Dance and Dance with Me and Shall We Dance. I don't always think the storylines on these movies are wonderful or deep or even original, but I love the dance sequences and will often watch those over and over.
I think part of this is because I cannot dance all that well. I mean, I have fun with it at home, with DH and R and I believe that R dances well and does because we are constantly moving to the music with him, but I do not think that any choreographed dance I would be good at. In Brandon, every once and awhile we would put some choreography to music and it wasn't really intricate or difficult because I had no training whatsoever, but it was fun. I love music and like Mumble in Happy Feet I cannot stop myself from moving as there is an internal rhythm that won't stop.

Beef and E-coli in AB & BC

DH just sent me this news story that was from 660 AM news and rather than just emailing everyone I know, I am going to put it here too.

E-coli contaminated ground beef is now being blamed for making five people in Alberta and B.C. ill.
The contaminated hamburger was sold at Safeway and some independent stores with best before dates between May 25th and June 6th.
The Canadian food inspection agency says Safeway is now voluntarily recalling the affected products which include regular, lean, extra lean and market trim fresh ground beef.
Food contaminated with e. coli may not look or smell spoiled, but may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Consumers are also being told to avoid frozen beef patties sold under the Butcher's Cut and Sunny Dawn brand names.

Fortunately for me the ground beef that I bought last week is divided up and in the freezer. I was planning on getting it out tomorrow for burger making for a BBQ we are having with some company. God is good to us!