Family time is the best!

I'm clinging to every day when we are all together for the next while. Because before we all know it, they will be off on their own adventure we call life. So I will steal anytime I can with them, all!  Today we went for a bike ride, 17 km bike ride that is. It was so fun. Yes I'm tired, yes I'm sore. But we were together, biking. I wish I had a picture of us all. But I do have one of son, up on an old bridge. 

I won't tell you what he told me about being scared.  

Biking. Something I kinda avoided for like 20 years, but I actually kind of love it. I do. It's a great workout cause you can get in more km in less time than walking & be done faster! 

Someday I want to do a bike tour, don't tell hubby, cause I told him I doubt I'd be able to do that. 

I thought I've posted since then

But I guess I haven't. I have been meaning to. That counts right?  I was reading a friends blog recently, and it inspired me!  

Not a whole lot has been going on around here, well....maybe there has. This has been by far the busiest summer on record!  Kid in Mexico, kids helping with camp, kid at my sisters. Almost 2 weeks with no kids...1 full week without kids, it was nice. Someday, before we know it, this will be our reality. No kids here. I recommend having a vacation at home sometime without kids!  It's definitely enjoyable! 

I actually was able to organize my craft room.  The before mess WAS NOT ME!  It was pretty much ALL my youngest crafter. 

BEFORE

AFTER

I painted, cleaned, and organized! We made the kids a new table, used curtains to hide hubby's messy corner!  I organized my stamps & ink pads too!  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!  If you are looking for me, I'll be down there! 

While the kid was in Mexico, we redid her  room (which I decided to do the day before she left) it was a surprise!  She LOVES it!  Says it's exactly what she wanted!  I didn't take a before shot until all the stuff was in the middle of the room. 

BEFORE 

AFTER

I love the way it turned out!  Now when the other kids go away, they run to their room when they get home....I'm done painting for a while!  Two rooms in less than two weeks!  Phew. 

Well that's good for today!  There is 5 day club going on at my house today. And right now they are screaming a bible verse outside!  It's awesome!  

Christmas time is here again!

Just like every other year, we run around finding just the right gift for the right person. 

The hustle & bustle is just enough to make a sane person, well, insane. But we actually got done remarkably early, thank goodness. I just have a little baking to do & food prep for the turkey dinner with the hubbies fam jam.

We have the usual traditions & made some new traditions this year. 

A new one is the person who picks the winning team & closest score for the CFL grey cup game gets to pick out the Christmas tree!  Noah was the winner this year,  to which he was very thrilled for, he LOVES Christmas!  

Lovely tree

Baking is another tradition, and I've made a few things. I made something that I failed at last year. 

It's called sponge toffee or sea foam candy. Or Crunchy Bar. It was D-lish. 

Dipped it and gave some away to my family!  

I made some yummy homemade turtles, sugar cookies, whipped short bread & tarts too, but didn't get a picture!  

The last two years I haven't really been very excited for Christmas.  This year, I'm so excited.  Mostly cause we will be all together, giving thoughtful gifts & celebrating the real reason for Christmas!  

Our traditions will continue tomorrow, Christmas Eve, we will have pizza, go to church for the candlelight service, and then drive around to look at lights. We will come home and open a present, which is usually PJs. Maybe watch a movie or play a game & antisipate what the next day will bring us under the tree & in our stocking!  I'm so excited!  

I pray you & your family will have a blessed & memorable Christmas.  That Gods blessing will be with you wherever you may go to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ!! 

Merry Christmas from our little family to you & yours!!  God Bless!

Well, that was fun...

NOT. 

OY.  I survived, we survived. And I have realized that as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE kids, I'm not cut out for full time child care. Part time is way better for me & my family!  

It was a long year.  Full time for two one year olds. And part time (full time summer) for a 5 yr old. We were blessed to have had the opportunity, for sure. And I truly believe it has helped my kids, tremendously.  They have grown up with very little opportunity to be around very little kids. And didn't have nearly as many babysitting jobs as I did as a teenager. But this last year has opened many opportunities for the kids. Emm has a part time in home child care job for 3 kids, one of which has been diagnosed with autism. Alexa has a weekly babysitting job and it just right for her at this moment in her life. 

AND, we are officially done with paper delivery at 5:30 every morning. That ended in May of this year. Phew!  The Leader Post made some changes, which I've since heard has been a poor choice, and they were expecting the carriers to pick up the papers at a central location & then still have them to be delivered by 7am. No way was I letting my 16 yr old daughter going out at 5am to a location where who knows who would be there!?  Right!!?  But, Noah & Breanna picked up a flyer route, which is just 3 days a week and not by 7am!!  So everyone is making money. Except me now....

Life seems busy and we don't have very many extracurricular activities. But the calendar seems to fill up fast. 

Christmas is less than a month away. 

New Year's Eve is always exciting, our oldest will be 17 this yr. This could have been her last year of school. That would have been cray cray. But we held her back a year. As much as I sometimes wish she was in grade 12 with all the other 1997 babies, I am glad she has another year before she's graduated. Ok, I'm gonna stop talking about this now, I'm getting nauseous!!

A little update from our family!   I wanna try to write more than 2 or 3 blog posts a year, but I wanna know who my audience is....who are you??  Tell me below in the comments section!!  

January

Has come & gone. It was an eventful month!

We did some traveling & had a sleepover at my moms!  It was so much fun!!  I can't wait to go again! 

  

My boy turned 14!!  He got a punching bag for his birthday. 

Super Bowl food was eaten while we watched the commercials err, the game. Ya. 

Snuggling

Green smoothies!!  I need to do more of these, I felt sooo good when I drank these last year!!

Some baking was devoured.  

A little bit if a warm spell, to enjoy some of this. 

Coffee. 

Curling. 

Okay, the last few were February. But I'm kinda caught up ish. 

HAPPY February. Soon to be March! 

 

BEFORE & AFTER & during {Fireplace photos}

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it turned out!!!!  Still a few more things to do!  That corner will change too!  It's still a work in progress, but I'm happy with the stage it's at now! Our living room felt huge before, well it feels even bigger now!