Beauty Shop Momma

2010-05-23T23:14:00.003-06:00

A Day In The Life Of Brinley!

Brinley loves the dishwasher, taking things out, climbing in or whatever she can stick in it. This day Jen's dishwasher was calling her name and she couldn't resist.

Liam adores his baby sister. He dotes on her all the time and it's never a burden for him to play with her and chase her around. She gets so excited when she sees him comming.

She is truly our angel baby. I mean really look at that face how could you ever disagree with me.

More time with her big brother and her bottle, her two favorite things.

Busted for stealing the bottle before we ever left for church. He flower headbands are a little hobby of mine. I love them on her.

She's a tough little stinker. She enjoys pushing her siblings around on the wagon. She lights up when her brother and sister play with her and it's great to watch.

Now she waits for someone to push her.

How I love this baby, she is a joy to be around and I love to watch her grow.

2010-05-23T22:58:00.002-06:00

Mothers Day Tea and Performance!

The pre-school put on a great Mothers Day tea and all the kids sang to us and I loved it!

Kelsey even sang along with all the other kids. She loves to sing and we love to listen to her sing she has a great ability to remember song lyrics and makes up her own all the time also. They are so cute!

It was her best recital yet and I can't wait to see what's in store for the year end recital.

After the show the kids all got Freezies to enjoy and this was her face when she tried it. She said she didn't like it but she ate it all so I think she did but I'll never tell.

Thank you sweethart for making mothers days extra special. Love Ya!

2010-05-23T22:40:00.002-06:00

Spring Storm!

At the beginning of May we had a crazy freak snow storm and man was it windy. The one good thing about snow in May is that it makes really good snow men.

The winter snow is to fluffy but the spring snow is good and wet and perfect for Frosty. I'm not much of a snowman expert but Kelsey I had a good time together anyways.

It was so windy no matter how hard you tried to open your eyes for a picture you just couldn't.

As it always goes in Alberta the next day was gorgeous and the snow melted pretty quick. Even Brinley could wander outside and explore all the puddles. Thank goodness she walked early so she stayed dry for about 5 minutes.

2010-05-23T22:22:00.002-06:00

A Hanson's Safari.

When we do a safari as a family what it means is a walk out on the green space behind the house's across the street. We are very fortunate to have such a great space so close to home that we can go and walk and take the dog and she can run free and get some great exercise.

I love that we have these spaces close to home to walk and enjoy the good weather and to have these spaces to also be on our own and reflect on what we need to. I enjoy this time with my family and also when I get the chance to go alone it's a great place to ponder.

I love this shot of Patrick and his girls. He's such a proud dad and I think this picture really shows it!

At the end of the walk it leads us to the park behind the house where we can stop for a few minutes to burn off a little more energy. Bailey even gets a turn on the slide. She's a good sharer. lol

2010-05-23T22:13:00.002-06:00

Sweet Tooth Baby!

Brinley comes by her sweet tooth honestly. It runs in the family, we all have it.

So when I offered her the beater with the whip cream on it she was all over it.

Yes she is a little sugar drunk and we see that face often around here on each of us.

She's one sweet baby!

2010-05-23T21:37:00.003-06:00

Spring Break With The Dosko's

We were so excited to have Amber and her kids come and spend a few days with us over spring break. We had some great days hangin' out doing just whatever we felt like.

We had some wonderful friends meet us at the zoo for a day of walking in the sunshine and enjoying all the zoo has to offer.

You could tell spring was in the air because there were baby's everywhere. The baby gorilla's are always my favorite. They are so adorable when they are cuddling their momma's.

The kids even got to pet an Armadillo. How cool is that?? She was cute too and the kids thought it was pretty neat to see her up close.

The kids love to be outside and I love all the smiles that can be captured so easily.

We even had a peacock show off for us so we could take pictures of him.

It was so sad when spring break came to an end but we enjoyed our days and we are now counting down to summer.

2010-05-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie!

Bailey is truly a baby to us! We love our puppy very much. People think were crazy for having such a big dog in our home but our home would feel very empty if she wasn't here. Yes our grass is trashed in spots and I am forever vacuming up dog hair but hey she's still cleaner then the kids and she doesn't make more laundry for me so really I can't complain.

She is a loving pet and friend and she is so good to the kids why wouldn't ya love her. To meet Bailey is to love her and we truly do. Isn't that right puppy? Who loves ya? We do!

2010-05-23T19:53:00.002-06:00

K.O.'d Baby!

If memory serves me this was taken on a sunday evening after church. We have church at 1:00 in the afternoon and it last's for 3 hours. I nap Brinley before we go but it still makes for a long afternoon for her. We were only half way through dinner and she was out cold.

She was trying to hold her head up with her little fist but she kept doing the nod forward. It was so cute to watch.

She was actually asleep while drinking this and I love it when they are so tired but heaven forbid they put down there bottle.

Poor Brinley, our church time will change to 9:00am in the fall then she can actually stay up long enough to enjoy dinner with us.

Sleep well angel girl!

2010-05-23T19:10:00.002-06:00

Sunday Morning Girls!

This was Kelsey and I after we finished getting ready for church one sunday. Liam and Brinley are the spitting images of there Dad but Kelsey actually looks a little more like me. Especially with her blue eyes.

Kelsey is a real girly girl and it's soooo fun to dress her up. Although now she has very strong opinions of what she's going to wear and when and how she will wear it. I mean really who gave her an opinion?

I hope she never loses that fire in her it will take her far one day.

Once again I must say my children are beautiful and Kelsey in no exception, there is nothing homely about her, she is gorgeous inside and out!

2010-05-23T18:48:00.002-06:00

Cub Car Rally 2010!

This was Liams First Cub Car Rally with the cubs. It was alot of fun watching him and Patrick build his car. They chose to do the Bat Mobile and it turned out great. He won for best all over design and that made him feel great!

Winning for best design helped make up for not winning any of the races. As you can see below he was a little disappointed. That's the name of the game though and he is looking forward to next year when he can try again.

The white car below is one that Patrick made last year for an Elders Quorum rally. It totally dominated the rally so he took his again to see how it would stand up. As you can see it's still pretty good. Not fancy but man was it fast.

Liam is really enjoying cubs and is making his place within the pack. I love that the church is involved with the scouting programs so these boys can learn so many wonderful things. It helps that we have an amazing leader right now who really puts all his effort into the program for the boys. I am so grateful for that because it has done alot for Liam as he's grown with the program.

2010-05-23T18:32:00.002-06:00

Chillin' it McD's Style At The McKinnon's!

This was one of those random days where I decided to go out to Cochrane to do some consignment shopping. Jen works at this great place called Great Things In Store and it has the best second hand baby clothes. It also helps I do the owners hair in exchange for a running tab at the store. The McKinnon's came and joined us then we grabbed some McD's and went back to her place for a short visit.

I love days like these where the visit may be quick but the company is FANTASTIC!

Our kids are the best of friends and it's no coincidence that so are Jen and I.

Brinley made short work of her grilled cheese sandwich and there wasn't much left when she was done. Nothing like greasy food and great friends!

2010-05-23T18:20:00.002-06:00

Capturing A Rare Moment!

To know Brinley is to know that she is anything but a cuddly baby. She would have to stop running around first in order to actually sit long enough to snuggle. So when I plopped her on my bed with Kelsey I was thrilled to see her stay for a few moments.

Kelsey adores her baby sister but often finds it frustrating that she can't so as much with her as Liam can. She really enjoyed this little moment with her and we sure hope there are more to come.

I never had sisters growing up so this is unfamiliar territory for me. I hope they can get along as well as my brothers and I did but you never know with girls. Kelsey is a very passionate child and Brinley is a little bit of both most times. I can't wait to see her personality come out more as she grows. Or wait maybe I can?

I love you girls!

2010-05-23T08:06:00.001-06:00

Big Hill Spring Trail!

If you asked me what I love the most about living in Calgary it would have to be the fact we are only 20 minutes away from hiking trails and places to explore in nature. Is it cold sometimes Yes but that's what they invented hats and gloves for.
Our best friends the Browns came down for the weekend to hang out at get back to nature with us and we had a blast. Liam is the only boy in the family and so when the Brown boys are here he thinks he's died and gone to heaven. Boy heaven that is! There wasn't to mnay pictures of the boys because they were off doing there own exploring. One of the things I love about the brown boys is they never leave a man behind. They stuck together and kept watch over each other and I never had to worry about them. Big Hill Spring is in Airdrie and the best part about it is you can't get lost up there. The paths go in a big loop so you always end up in the parking lot. We know we wouldn't lose anyone.

Brinley loves to be in her backpack with her Dad. She's warm and can see everything around her. What a life huh?

We really enjoy Jamie and Tracy's company. I've know Tracy since I was 17 and best friend doesn't even begin to start covering what she means to me. No one knows me better and loves me regardless. Jaime is also a great friend and I'm so glad my hubby enjoys them as much as I do.

Here are our great warriors ridding the world of anything dangerous except themselves.

Bailey was so thrilled to be out in the snow. It's her favorite place to be. We love having our furry friend to come hiking with us. She makes the day even more enjoyable. I wish I had her energy though. She is a true golden retriever in the fact that she never gets tired.

Stefan and Kelsey have decided that being good pals is way more fun than fighting all the time. They had a great time together exploring every stick and tree they could find. It was pretty stinkin' cute!

I just love this shot of Brinley. She is the cutest baby EVER! I know you all think your babies are the cutest but really I would have to argue with ya. She takes the cake in my opinion! lol

After our adventure we were ready to climb back in the van and start back home. We were tired and little sore from slipping on the ice a few times and ready to end our day with a great meal and more good memories.

2010-05-23T07:37:00.002-06:00

Our Beautiful Ballerina!!

We decided to put Kelsey in dance this year. She is a very expressive little girl with ALOT of energy. The class she took was called "Happy Feet" It's a combination of Tap and Ballet.
This little girl might be built to look like a ballerina but let me tell you she is not a dainty little flower that is happy to stand at the bar and practise her positions. We had a parent viewing night and it was very apparent that next year she needs something a little more up beat.

She was however very fun to watch as she made up her own dance moves and walked to the beat of her own drum. She's alot like her mom that way. I didn't last long in Ballet either. The tap was better but she needs to be able to express herself in a different way.

There really is nothing cuter than a room full of little girls in pink though. The were really fun and Kelsey has learned to take better direction from a teacher and that was really what I wanted for her this year. Her recital is comming up soon and we look forward to seeing her own the stage.

I just realized this picture is in twice but really is it a hardship to look at it again. Our little angel girl all decked out in her recital costume. I love how grown up she's getting but I wish it would slow down just a little bit. Dance like no one's watching Kelsey even though I know you prefer an audience!!

2010-05-23T07:26:00.002-06:00

My Karate Kid!

eeeeeyyyyyaahhhhh!!!

The next best thing about being 8 around here is now Liam can take Karate with Bro. Johns at the church.

Bro. Johns has been a Karate instructor for years and now dedicates his time to teaching at the church for anyone who wants to learn. The only condition is they have to be 8 yrs old. Liam has waited 3 years for this and now he is active member of that group.
He LOVES it!! He is alot like his mom in the way that I have minimum athletic abilities. Liam enjoys more of the individual sports like Karate and skiing and so forth. He's doing very well in his class and since starting in January has now moved up a belt to Yellow! We are very proud and are so glad he found something he can do that he is excelling in.

I can sleep a little sounder with my little ninja around to protect me. Maybe!

2010-05-23T07:15:00.002-06:00

Daddy Daughter Moments

I love to see little moments like these throught the days. Patrick decided that he would take some time and paint Kelsey's nails. She loves to have her nails done and so he decided to take a crack at it. If you've never painted a 4 yr olds fingers you should know it takes a whole lot of patience to try to get paint of those tiny little nails on a girl who NEVER sits still.
You can't really see the color but she was over the moon with her nails and especially that her daddy did them. Thanks hunny for being such a great girl dad!

2010-04-20T10:38:00.002-06:00

Cub Scout Liam.

Well the big day finally arrived when Liam could be a Cub Scout. He has watched his Dad atended Scouts for years and has always wanted to be a part of it and now he can.

We attended the Baden Powell Banquet to watch him be sworn in and he was grinning from Ear to Ear. He was so excited to be a part of something with all boys in it. He also now attends a primary class of all boys and to Liam that is amazing. He has NEVER had a primary class with boys in it. Only girls so now he actually enjoys going to church. PHEW that only took 8 years.
Here are my men in uniform. Hey I'll take what I can get. This was a great moment for both of my boys and they look so cute in there matching duds! It's a shame Patrick got released from scouts just shortly afterwards but I have no fear he'll be back sooner than later.

His great-grandfather would've been so proud. My grandfather who I never got the chance to know was a HUGE scouter and now his legacy is being passed on.

Here's to lots of badge of work and camping with Dad to acheive them.

2010-04-18T19:40:00.002-06:00

Liams Baptism!!!

It's hard for me to belive that my baby has turned 8 and is now old enough to start thinking about his salvation. I joined the church when I was 16 so I had a few more years to get into trouble and develop a conscience. Here is my baby boy taking his turn in the waters if Baptism. We were so proud of him this day.

I know it was also a very proud moment for Patrick as well. He joined the church when he was 17 and has waited a long time to be able to baptise his own children and now it's started.

Kelsey was sooo excited as well. She may not always show her big brother how much she loves him but she really does and looks to him for an example.

The Relief Society room was packed with friends and family from all over. We have been very blessed to know such wonderful people in our lives and were so grateful that they all took the time to show Liam how much he is loved.

Me and my girls, life doesn't get any better than this!

We were so happy to have Nana with us this weekend. She was the only family to come and she even gave the talk on Baptism. It was wonderful. The spirit was overwhelming that day and I'm so touched by the love felt by all who attended. The Bishop gave an amazing welcome to the ward for Liam and told him what a wonderful spirit he was. He talked about his interview with Liam prior to the Baptism and how afterwards he felt so close to Heaven just speaking with Liam and that that didn't happen in most interviews. He spoke of his love for him and we knew that he was sincere as we watched the tears flow from his eyes as he spoke. I truly feel the love of my Heavenly Father when I think back on this day and know that he watched overs us each and every day. I can't wait for the next milestones so we can feel that overwhelming love again.

2010-04-18T19:32:00.002-06:00

Sleeping Beauty!

I love to take pictures of my kids sleeping and this was no different. Brinley is a pretty good sleeper and she will quite often doze on the couch after her evening bottle until I can get her into bed.

I never had the opportunity of nursing Brinley and so when I used to bottle feed her I always had a receiving blanket up along her face to catch the drips and give her something to snuggle. She still sleeps with her blanket and snuggles it even when she's awake. She's such a little doll and it makes me sad that she won't stay like this for very long.

2010-04-18T19:15:00.002-06:00

Meet My Mr. Wonderful!!

This is my always mature soon to be 38yr old husband and father of 3!

He is what you would call a giant kid. What we love about Dad is his endless amount of silly faces.

Kelsey is alot like her father and can keep up pretty good with him but she will learn much from the master.

I'm not even sure there was a reason for this face someone just pointed the camera at him and this is what he did. Mr. Serious!
Not sure if you can tell what it is he is holding but it actually a nose hair trimmer. Every man will need one a some point in their lives and I dedciced this Christmas Patrick needed one. This is what he thought about it.
I can't help but laugh when I look at that picture. It cracks me up!

I think this was his version of what Kelsey looked like when she first opened her gift. It's pretty darn close.

I love to load him up with chocolate at the holidays and he LOVES his dairy milk. That is an actual chocolate bar he is holding it was MASSIVE! So was his expression.

If there's one thing I can say about this house is there is always laughter comming from the walls and Daddy is usually the one trying to bring it about.

We love you baby!!

2010-04-18T09:58:00.002-06:00

Preschool Christmas Concert!

This year's preschool concert was just as wonderful as last years. They sang, they rang there jingle bells and they showed us yet again how fun it is to be 4 years old.

Kelsey as usual was dressed as festivly as possible and was (in my mind) the star of the show. Well at least everyone knew she was there. She sang the loudest (when she wanted to sing) she stood out in the crowd (when she stood up when everyone else was sitting) and she made us laugh with her charm and cuteness!
She is truly a Diva in the making! I wonder where she gets that from?

She has the most amazing personality wrapped up in such a tiny little body. She knows she's charming too that's part of her problem somedays. I can't wait to see what the years ahead hold for her and see the amazing women she will one day become.

Let's just say the june dance recital will be interesting!

2010-04-18T09:44:00.002-06:00

Family Home Evening!

Last year we decided as a family that we would put a better effort into having regular Family Home Evenings and it's become a bit of an obsession with us. Nothing gets in the way of FHE now. It's been a year and a half and we've never missed a week. We love how it gives us time together to talk about the gospel and helps us as parents to give our kids a better understanding of why we live the way we do. We are unusal people in the eyes of the world but we love how we stand out in a world that can be often hard and difficult to live in.

Somthing we started this year was reading the Book Of Mormon reader to the kids. Kelsey is still a little young to understand the scriptures but she is not to young to hear the stories from the BOM. They enjoy listening to their Dad tell them the stories and add his knowledge to an already exciting tale. I love to listen too and learn from what Patrick knows that I don't yet. I decided to really take the time to STUDY the scriptures this year so I can add more to our story time in the future.

We may not be perfect parents yet but at least we do have our perfect FHE record thus far. I look forward to feeling the spirit each week and know that if we continue to be faithful our family will be blessed beyond measure for our diligence.

2010-04-18T09:32:00.002-06:00

Not So Little Anymore!

I know the last time I posted pictures of Brinley she was only a coule of months old where here she is now!

As you can see she is on the move so she must have been about 6 months old. (nice mom can't even remember how old the picture is) She has been trying to be mobile since she was born and so it was a great day for her to finally be able to motor around. It's helped that she has always liked to be on her tummy.
Can you see the twinkle of trouble in her eye's. She's like that ALL THE TIME! She gets into everything all day long and it keeps us on our toes. In fact as I type this she has destroyed my file box beside me and escaped up the stairs to see what's going on up there. Welcome to my life.
It's a good thing she's the cutest baby EVER or I might have to put her on Kajiji. lol

2010-01-07T08:56:00.003-07:00

A 4 Month Follow-up

I was wondering when the last time I posted a blog post and was not suprised that is was back in September. Alot has happened since then and you probably didn't need to hear the thoughts going on in my head.

I was diagnosed in september with Clinical Depression brought on by post-pardum. Now I have had PPD before when I had Liam 8 yrs ago but it was mostly due to lack of sleep. I didn't sleep for the first 8 months of Liams life and it took a toll on me. No biggie though I took meds for a couple of months, taught Liam to sleep through the night and I was fine. This time is nothing like last time. I started to get really angry with the people around me and it didn't seem who or what they were doing mattered it just all made me MAD! My baby (Brinley) was the least of my problems. She was the only one who didn't make me upset but the other two mastered it in no time. I was a horrible mom and I didn't know what to do. Finally I had my meltdown one wednesday during the kid's dance classes. I was so upset for no reason and I had to fight the urge to run people down in the parking lots. I'm not exagerating either. I cam home sent the kids downstairs, put the baby in the bathtub and sat on the bathroom floor and cried until I could compose myself enough to call Tracy and melt down again. Tracy has walked in my shoes and knows me better then anyone so she wasn't surprised at all, I think she'd been waiting for the call for awhile and knew it was only a matter of time.

I called my OB right away the next morning and they directed me to a mental health unti here in the city. I told them I needed help ASAP and they sent over a distress team that day to talk to me and give me a few options. I then headed to my family DR and he prescribed some anti-depressants to try and help me get control. They made the anger go away but they also made me soooo tired. The whole house fell apart. I stop cleaning, cooking and taking care of myself completly. So I went back to the DR and he gave me something else to try. They worked MUCH better. I still had bad days but they were getting less and less. I was then sent to the Foothills Hospital to see a specialist at the post pardum clinc there. She upped up my meds and now I feel much better I still have my moments but they are very few. Now the only reason I am tired is because Brinley like to teeth and keep me awake at night.

It's nice to feel more like myself but I still struggle to be the happy person I once was. She pop's her head out once and awhile but it's along process to feel like I'm me again. I feel tremendous guilt for what I have inflicted my family with but I can't change the past. Kelsey really took the brunt of it because she was home with me everyday. She also knows how to push my buttons best. It's her gift. I feel like have so much to make up to her for what we went through. Patrick was supportive but really there's not much he could do. I have to say though when I let the house go he said NOTHING! Smart man I probably would have set fire to him or the house, but it wasnt' necessary. He's glad to have his wife back but she still needs work.

I have definalty questioned my abilitys as a mom but I tell myself that I am only humand and there's a reason why I'm going through this. I haven't figured it out yet but I'm working on it. I think the biggest thing that allows me to keep moving is having an amazing support group of women who understand what I'm feeling. I just with they lived closer. There were some peole who just stayed away. They didn't know what to say or do so they were always awkward with me. I'm not sure what I would tell someone now on how to cope with a person who is struggling with PPD but I would tell them to treat them like a normal person and allow them the time to find out where the problem may lie.

2009-09-08T11:59:00.002-06:00

Rib Mania!!

Liam loves meat!!!! and now I have the pictures to prove it.

I'm not bragging but I do make really yummy ribs and Liam loves to dig into a plate of these. This paticular night he went to town on his dinner. The kids are usually light eaters but recently Liam has really discovered the joy of eating. He's a pretty skinny kid so he can use the extra protein.

As you can tell by his plate the meal was a hit and the ribs were his favorite part. (7 or 8 in total). He got so involved while eating that when he was handling th slippery bone it popped out of his hand and somehow he managed to wear it. Thank goodness he was shirtless. If your wondering what that circle on his chest is it's a tattoo that wouldn't wear off but we managed to finally get it off with some elbow grease.

2009-09-08T11:47:00.002-06:00

Our Princesses in the Making!! This sweet dress was given to the girls when Kelsey was just a baby and now Brinley fit's it. (thank you aunty tina ). She is sooo adorable in it and Kelsey was excited to share it and get dressed up fancy for church as well.

They were both so beautiful this paticular sunday morning that I couldn't not take a few pictures. I know I have the same picture on twice but it really was the best smile EVER!

I don't have any sisters to bond with this way so I'm a little out of my element some days with these two but so far they adore one another and I just hope most days they stay that way.

2009-09-08T11:31:00.003-06:00

Bumbo Baby!

As you can tell we get lots of use out of our Bumbo Baby seat. Brinley loves to be sitting up, she always has.

Yes that's right she is up on the kitchen counter her favorite spot to be. She can see everyone and be apart of whatever's going on this room. If she's awake and I'm doing anything in the kitchen she's always right there with me. She quite often has a sibling up on the counter with her too. Sometimes the island is better then she can be on the top and the others are on there stools.

She really is to cute for words. At least that's her mothers opinion and I would love to hear anyone question me.

2009-09-08T11:18:00.002-06:00

A Culinary Masterpiece!!
Liam loves to help me in the kitchen! We try to have him cook a few times a month so he can feel like he's contributing to the family and he always does a great job. He makes homemade pizza, homemade Mac and Cheese w/ ham, and now he's making homemade turkey meatballs with mushroom gravy. They were awesome!

He loves to work with his hands whether it's cooking or creating art or building his Lego creations he always keeps his hands busy.

We always look forward to a meal from this master chef who will one day not need me to feed him anymore and that makes me really sad. Oh well at least when he's all grown up and living on his own I know he won't starve.

2009-09-08T11:04:00.002-06:00

There's nothing like a little girl time! Kelsey is a true middle child and being one myself I know how hard it can be to find your place in the family. Middle children are unique. They tend to like to be the center of attention but can be quite shy when put on the spot. We are boisterous and excitable and if your a girl your VERY girly! As is Kelsey and hopefully Brinley too. Brinley and Kelsey both have matching earrings and most of the time matching toes.

I have been know to spend way to much time painting my own toes and nails and now I get to do it for my little princesses. Kelsey has had a bit of challenge adjusting to a new baby around the house, It's been just her and I for so long now during the day that sharing mommy can be hard so we try to have some time each day to focus some attention on just her and this was one of those times. I love having girls to pamper, I remember my mom and I doing it when I was young and I love those memories with her I just hope I can give the girls as many wonderful memories as my mom gave me.

2009-09-08T10:53:00.002-06:00

Awesome Great-Grandma! The kids decided that great-grandma deserved a status far greater then just great-grandma. So she is now affectionately known as AWESOME great-grandma. I think this title is well deserved as she is the foundation of this family and loved by all who know her. The kids love there visits with her as do mom and dad. She is always so full of love and affection for her great-grand kids that who wouldn't want to spend time with her. We cherish every moment we can with her and I am so glad to be able to give her the one gift she never complains about getting. More Grand babies.

2009-09-08T10:52:00.001-06:00

Mommy Brain!!!

I just noticed that I have now posted twice about the baby blessing so please excuse my mommy brain and just enjoy the photo's and my lack of observance.

2009-09-08T10:25:00.003-06:00

A Blessed Event!
The first weekend in July we blessed our sweet baby girl Brinley Evelyn Hanson. It was a wonderful day full of wonderful friends and family. Since we have no family here in the city we never know who will show these type of events and this time we were overjoyed by the turnout.In attendance we had the Brown family, the Dosko family, Grandpa and Grandma Hanson, the Klaussen family, the Mckinnon family and the Knaus family. It was soooo wonderful to have the people we love so close to us on such a special day. Brinley's gown was the very same gown I wore 32 yrs ago when I was christened and she was an angel in it. My dear friend Becky Ackroyd took some wonderful shots of her after the event so we could remember our baby B in her fancy gown.

Unfortunately this was the only picture I took all day. We had everyone back to the house for a BBQ after and I was a little preoccupied. Our family has grown so much in so many different ways but I will always be glad for these spiritual occasions that remind us who we are and what's most important.

Now we have a baptism to plan for next so stay tuned for those pictures soon to come in a few months.

2009-08-29T23:57:00.002-06:00

The Baby Blues!

For anyone out there who has ever had kids you know exactly what I'm about to talk about.

I have three beautiful kids who I adore to pieces but since the birth of my last baby (Brinely) I have had a few rough days. Mostly the last month has been a bit of a challenge. Is it the baby causing me this grief NO! She is a wonderful baby. She rarely fusses, eats great (no nursing this time), sleeps like a dream and makes me smile all the time. The other two are busy and make me crazy but I really don't think there the issue either. No this time I really understand what chemical imbalance is really all about.

I am moody and wheepy and cranky most days. I have no problen speaking my mind and get really pissy when people question what I'm feeling. I don't get mad very often but when I do get away from me and let me have my space. I've always been that way it's a family thing. So why this time, why now am I having this problem. I had post-pardum with my first baby but it was mostly sleep induced. I had no problems with my second and now with #3 I want to crawl into a hole. I don't feel like I need drugs or therapy I just need to work through it but some days I really just want the world to go away. For example today I was fine, lot's of work to keep me pre-occupied and then the evening was over but yesterday I was quite content to stay home and ignore everyone. What the heck!!!!

I know this will pass and I will be back to myself soon but I feel bad for my kids who get the brunt of it on the bad days. Thank goodness for school days. If you have any idea's I would love to hear them and perhaps as we women do, we can figure it out together. Thanks

2009-08-27T09:39:00.002-06:00

Brinley's Baby Blessing!

We blessed Brinley the beginning of July and had the most wonderful turn out of family and friends. The Browns, the Dosco's, the Mckinnons, the Knaus's, the Klaussens, and of course Grandma and Grandpa Hanson were there also. It was so nice to have so many loved ones in attendance as we live so far away from our family. We didn't get many pictures on the actual day so I had my friend Becky come to the house to take photo's of Brinley in her gown.

The gown she wore was the very same one I wore when I was christened as a baby 32 years ago. It meant alot to me to have in my gown and makes up that much closer. She was perfect for the blessing and her dad did a great job blessing her.

She wasn't to thrilled to be having her picture taken this paticular day but she warmed up to it after awhile.

She has the funniest expressions this girl it makes me laugh every time.

Brinley dress was bigger and longer then her 4 year old sister's dress was. Kelsey really wanted to wear her sisters but I managed to talk her out of it.

Brinley I hope you know how much your family adores you and I can't wait to see you grow up to be the beautiful woman I know Heavenly Father sent to us. I love you!!

2009-08-14T22:41:00.002-06:00

Welcoming our New Baby Girl!!!

I am proud to introduce the newest addition to the Hanson Clan!
Brinley Evelyn Hanson
Weighing in at 9lbs 9.5 oz
22.5 inches long
Born on May 20th 2:30 ish in the afternoon

This is her very proud big sister Kelsey who loves to shout her baby sister's name at the top of her lungs at least 100 times a day and would touch her all day long if she could!

Patrick is a very proud Dad once again. He once told me that if we win the lottery we would have a dozen kids. I think after watching this one arrive (not pretty) He will just savor the moments he has with Brinley. He was a great coach again and I wouldn't trade him for anything. We have a tradition with each baby born I get a HUGE greasy burger that night for dinner and this time was no different. He got me a meal from a joint called FATBURGER!. The name say's it all. I couldn't even finish it. It was sooo worth giving birth for!

Here she is moments after being born. I won't go into all the gory details just know she came fast and furious and with a vengence, just like her big sister did. She was beautiful from the moment she came screaming out and only gets more gorgeous each and every day.

I love this little girl soooo much and can't belive she's all mine to love and adore. I know I'm a little late with this post and will have more pictures soon, just bear with me. 3 is definalty an adjustment especially when I only took 2 weeks off work and now I'm back at it. Thanks goodness the other two are well trained.

2009-08-06T21:04:00.002-06:00

In case anyone missed the last year of my life, I was busy making a baby. It was definatly an eventful pregnancy one I am in no hurry to repeat anytime soon. Being pregnant is not one of my favorite things to do but the reward in the end is really all worth it.

I experianced some challenges along the way, nothing to serious but I really had to slow down and if you know me at all that's not something I do very well. In the end I learned alot about my limits and also learned to say no. Yeah me thats come in handy even after having a baby. My dear friend Becky took these pictures of me near the end of my pregnancy and I have to say I looked the best this time around. I was very round and had some very cute hand me downs to wear. Maternity clothes have come a long way since my first go at this.

Do I miss this belly of mine... No, but I have to say in hind sight I was really cute and my baby is also. At least it's been documented.

2009-08-04T19:13:00.002-06:00

Trying something new!!

So what do you think? I'm probably the most non-technical person on the planet but I got brave and tried a new website and now my blog has a new look. Tell me what you think so I can get a second, third and fourth opinion. I make no promises but I'm hoping that this will inspire me to keep up a little better on my blogging.

Wish me luck and enjoy the new picture!

2009-04-18T23:06:00.002-06:00

A New Freedom!!

I'm not sure if anyone even checks this blog anymore but for those who do, I am attempting to return once more. I have been given a new freedom that is quite liberating to say the least. I now have my very own computer!!!!! YAH!!!!

My dear hubby has finally gotten his own computer to play his games and not have to be slowed down by any of my own stuff in his machine. We share the office still which I must say is nice as we are still together but doing very seperate activites. I can now enjoy the freedom of hoping on line when ever I darn well feel like it. I can watch him conqer the world while I catch up on facebook and read my friends blog posts. It's the only time I really feel connected with the world. So bear with me as I try to make my blog a priority again but with the ver soon arrival of baby number three I make no promises.

Wish me luck!

2008-11-25T19:57:00.002-07:00

I STILL EXIST!!

Welcome to the official time of year where I cease to exist to most people around me. My family thinks I hate them, my friends think I'm ignoring them, and the rest of the world thinks I am a snob. Please be assured that none of the above is true it's just Christmas. This the time of year when I hole up in the basement and unless you come and see me for one beauty reason or another then I don't have time for you. I'm sorry if that's harsh but unfortunatly unless you pay me to spend an hour with you ($40.00 an hour) I am swamped. I love my job and it's not normally this demanding on me but hey tis the season to work around here. Not only am I doing hair all day, I also have Arbonne flying off the shelves so I am trying to appease those customers as well. On top of all this I am 16wks pregnant and just starting to get back on my feet. Heaven help me or at least swallow me whole.

I always think well you can't blog without pictures but if you wait for that we may all die a ripe old age so I am going to let the whole piture thing go and try to just let you know my thoughts. There not very profound but there mine and those who truly love me will still be interested somewhat.

So wish us luck this holiday season and I will try to keep you posted.

2008-08-08T22:42:00.002-06:00

My Hunny's Hobby!

My Husband decided last summer he wanted to buy an RC monster truck. So being the good wife I am gave him the green light to purchase one. It is pretty cool but I must say it breaks alot but I have come to understand that if it doesn't break when your racing it then your not racing it hard enough.

So Patrick decided that he wanted to make a new body for it. So this last week has been quite amusing for me as I have watched him agonize over cutting out the stickers and figuring out where to put them so there just right. Then painting it and taping it and painting it somemore. I have blue spots on my front and back lawns from where he was spraying the paint. It was really cool to watch it go from a clear piece of plastic to looking like a really cool truck.

I think he did a great job and I am really proud of his hidden crafter that came out. I know you girls are thinking HHMMM a potential scrapbooker he could be, but I won't push my luck.

Ladies don't let your men see this because it will cost you a whole lot more than just your averege remote controlled car. This one runs on real nitro and is mucho loud.

Boys will be boys and I can't say no.

2008-08-08T22:19:00.003-06:00

A River Runs Through It! (Cochrane that is)

Earlier this week Jen took my kids for a whole day and over night and half of the next day so my hunny and I could hang out together. When I went to pick them up from Jen's place we decided to head to the Bow River that runs through Cochrane and into the city. We hung out and had a picnic and let the kids and the dog run free through the water. What an awesome plan. Nothing tired kids and dogs out more that sun, water and ham sandwiches.

We had lots of fun and managed to even get a few pictures. Usually I rely on Jen to take the photos but this time I remembered my camera.

David is my little sweethart. I can't call Jen of the phone without David taking the phone and telling me how much he loves me.
Someone should really feed that kid!
A very wet pooch .
This picture is proof of a milestone for Kelsey. She is a very texture sensitive little girl. She has never liked the feel of grass on her feet, let alone rocks and sand and dirt. This is her walking around with one shoe off because she discovered Crocs make really great sand and water shovels. Her shoes then both came off and she wandered around the rest of the time barefoot. You go girl!

I love to see my kids in water it usually means very tired kids later.
Lauralyn was her usual cutey patottie that day and a little over heated.
Bailey in mid-shake. She's like a walking spray park. Anytime we though "Gee it's really warm out huh?" she would immediatly head over to the blanket we were on and proceed to dry off.
This is the girly way to throw rocks in the water. It's similar to the "Bend and Snap".
There's nothing better than a summer day with friends, I just hope we have a few more before the summer wears out. Thanks Jen for another great Hanson/Mckinnon memory!

2008-08-08T21:47:00.003-06:00

Upper Kananaskis Lake!

People alwys ask us if we miss the mountains we left behind in B.C. To be honest no we don't. We never really spent all that much time in them and now we have a whole new set to explore. Kananaskis is only 90 mins from our door to the lake and the drive in is amazing.

We aren't huge hikers but we love a good trail to explore and the kids get better and better every time we go about walking the paths and not complaining about being bored. There learning to enjoy the beauty around them and searching for the perfect rock to throw in the water and make the best splash.

This was Bailey's first time really being able to swim and she did amazing! We were so proud of her just diving in with no fear. Everyone told us she would be a natural swimmer but we were still a little hesitant but they were right and she loved it.
Yeah that's right, me and my hunny snuggling in for a quick picture taken by our boy. How do you like my post stampede cowboy hat compliments of walmart $3.00.
On the way back Kelsey ended up on top of daddy's shoulders. She hiked for almost 2 hours so she deserved a rest.
Cute little outdoorsy girl!!
Patrick and the kids enjoying the view.

My mountain family!
Bailey loves to be outside and here she had a good run and even made a few friends to play with.
This was one of the views. The lake is a beautiful aqua color and really freakin' cold. Glacier lakes are the chilliest and prettiest lakes around here.
Me and my boy!

It was a great day and everyone went home tired and happy. Can't wait for the next adventure and maybe next time we will stay longer and camp next time.

2008-08-08T21:29:00.002-06:00

Generations of Love!!!

A couple of weeks ago my sweet hubby took both kids to Edmonton to see the grandparents and great grandma. Greatgrandma's older sister Aunty Mary was out visiting from Prince Albert Sask. and we don't get to see her very often. I was unable to go as I had a full weekend of hair and pedi's to attend to but my family went and had a great time anyway.

These are my girls Aunty Mary, Kelsey and Great-Grandma.
I never had the privledge of having sisters but if I had I only hope we would have loved each other as much as these two do.
Aunty Mary hasn't really had the chance to get our kids all that well, but she sure loves them none the less and treats them like her own. Our kids love her like there own as well.
I just love this picture because it's a classic Kelsey moment. She hates to not be right in the action.
Liam is getting to be a great reader and he loves to read to other people and show off his talents.

He makes us very proud.

I sure hope we can see our dear Aunty Mary again really soon and next time I won't miss it.

2008-07-23T09:14:00.003-06:00

Making and reliving memories!

Saw this on Jen the Mom's blog and thought I would give it a go. It's all about sharing memories with old friends so the instructions are below and I will leave it up to you guys.

1) You leave a comment on my blog and in your comment you mention a memory that you and I share. Big or little. I don’t care. Heaven knows I’m not particular about memories. I can barely remember what day it is half the time so you could probably make something up and I’d go along with you on it.

2) Repost the instructions on your own blog and see what memories come back to you in the comments.
Like I said, I got this from Nicole so I thought I’d pass her blog on.

Have fun!

2008-07-23T08:33:00.003-06:00

Elbow Falls, Bragg Creek AB

Last sunday was so stinkin' hot we decided to head to Elbow Falls (45min frm home) for a stroll through the creek to cool down. The dog really needed a good run so we thought we would wear her out in the water. Bailey is still learning about water and can be a little shy at first but it didn't take her long to get comfy this afternoon.

This is one of our favorite places because it's local and beautiful. We are surrounded by mountains and trees and all the things I had back home in B.C. I love the mountains but I love them even more when I can have the best of both worlds.
Here I am Mountain Momma, pig tails and all.
This is our third time taking a picture in this exact spot. Each time we take it though a new family member is added. This year it's Bailey our 8 month old Golden/Border Collie.
This paticular picture was suppossed to go at the end but I messed up the order. This was Bailey at the end of the afternoon. She was done! It's so nice to see her tired once in awhile. It doesn't happen very often.

We found a good picture log to sit on unfortunatly Kelsey wasn't in the mood to look up.
Not only is Bailey a little shy of the water, so is Kelsey, but she did really well and it didn't take her long to settle into the cold water and she was find to wander as long as I wasn't to far behind.
Nothing like a good game of fetch to tire a puppy out. Bailey played so hard in the water that when she came out for a few minutes she would actually shiver it was so cold. Yet it didn't slow her down for long.
Liam has quite an interest in rocks and we found a big flat one that ended up in the back pack and came home with us.
My mountain girl!
I'm sure there will many more trips here this summer so keep posted.

2008-07-23T08:17:00.002-06:00

The Calgary Stampede 2008

This year we made it to the annual stampede here in town. It's always lots of fun and the kids have a blast.

We did soooo much so I will only give you a taste and maybe it will leave you wanting more and we can get some visitors next year.

Our kids love the rides!! I thought Kelsey would be timid but boy was I wrong, she has no fear just like her brother.
Liam is a ride freak, he get's it from his parents.
Our boy has a very sweet soul and a very generous heart, we can't go a fair without him winning something for his baby sister. So fishing was the game of choice this year and we came home with a couple of frogs, a pig and a bird.
Here we were enjoying some down time and waiting for the Superdogs to perform. They were AWESOME! As new dog owners we are especially taken with the canine shows. We also took this time to eat our cotton candy and fudge and finish off the pocket dogs we had for dinner.
This was actually the last show we saw and we were starting to get a little tired so it felt good to just sit and relax for a few minutes.

2008-07-23T07:55:00.002-06:00

Calgary Stampede 2008 part 2

Okay so I have to do this in parts so bear with me.

We spent some time in the Agriculture building so the kids could see all the baby animals. We saw baby pigs and chicks and Liam tryed his hand at milking a fake cow. Not bad for a boy who used to be terrified of cows. Even the one's on the side of the road in fields used to make him scream but not anymore. You go Liam your Papa would be proud!
This is the big Budweiser Clydsdale truck, it was massive. So of course we had to climb on for a picture.
This was sooo cool, Liam got to climb into a Army jeep, sit up top and hold onto the rifle up top and turn the crank and spin the whole seat around. I know we shouldn't encourage violence but come on you know you want a turn. He was so excited how could I say no. His dad was so jealous I could tellnhe was replaying a video game in his mind the whole time.
Yes that is me sitting in a torpedo, I make sensless violence look good.

2008-07-23T07:32:00.003-06:00

Baby Business At The Calgary Zoo!

No matter who you are or how tough you might try to act everyone coo's over a newborn baby. Even if it looks like a monkey and smells like one too. This is the newest addition to the Calgary zoo. Not sure on the specifics I just know when I walked into the Gorilla exhibit this is what I found. One tired baby and her very tired Momma. I can sooo feel her pain. They were beautiful and amazing to see.

There are many people who think zoo's are cruel and inhumane but I still think they have a pretty darn good life here in Calgary. Besides when am I ever going to be that close to a baby gorilla without the threat of being beaten to death by a herd of monkeys. So I will enjoy it while it lasts.

2008-07-21T23:02:00.004-06:00

Your never to old to learn new tricks!

I am very fortunate to love my job, all of my jobs. I work hard and get paid to do something wonderful. For any one who doesn't know I am a hairdresser and an Arbonne Consultant. I love both businesses and wouldn't trade my jobs for anything. I am self-employed and very proud of the businesses I have built up. I try to always have a good work ethic and if I don't want to work one day I have the luxury of not. If I don't like my boss (me) then I ignore her for awhile and deal with her when I'm good and ready. She is my best and worst enemy. I love the beauty industry because it allows me to be expressive and artistic. Most of my work now is pretty low key but there was a time in my life when I got to make Geisha's and Vogue models and I have the trophy's to prove it. I have always tryed to learn new things and give my customers something different and now I am sooooo excited about my latest service.
In two days I will be spending the day with a lovely women who will be training me on applying nails and doing manicures. I can't wait. I love these new nails, they are called Krystle nails and they are not your typical nails. There is very little filing of the natural nail and also no build up of product so as they grow you aren't left with a ridge at the top. The product has titanium in it so they are super strong. If they can withstand the abuse I give them then they can handle anything. When you get tired of wearing them all I have to do is soak them in a special solution and they melt right off leaving your natural nail just as intact as it was previous to wearing the false ones. You can put the solution on right over your own nails if you want to grow your own and they will help them grow. This product is amazing and I can't wait to get my hands and everyone else's into it. You know what else is great, I get a whole day to be with another adult and no one screaming at me to get then juice, or take a potty break, or make lunch, or tell me how bored they are. I get to leave the kids with my dear friend Jen who knows how badly I need this break. I havn't had a break in weeks and boy are my nerves FRIED!!! Don't get me wrong I love being with my baby's but when it gets to 24/7 I start to lose my patience and just need to put my brain to use somewhere else. I love working at home and I love working, it allows me to have my own sense of being. I get to be mom and the hairdresser and it doesn't get any better than that. I am so looking forward to a new service at home something different and challenging, so if you want a beautiful set of nails for the rest of the summer, lets hook up because I won't be charging for sets of nails until september 1st.
Here's my challenge to all us stay at home moms.... Learn something before the year is through. Challenge yourself to go beyond what you know and learn a new skill. If I can do it I know you can to. See what your made of and challenge yourself a little. What doesn't kill us will only make us stronger. Good luck and let me know what your new skills are.

2008-07-11T22:29:00.002-06:00

Discovering "The Secret"

Now you may all think I am totally off my rocker, that Tammy has really gone off the deep end now and the looney bin is on route but hear me out first.

I have recently been watching the movie and reading the book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrnes. I have really enjoyed listening to the concepts explained in the story. It's all about the secret to life and how to be successful. I am looking for a little success in my life. I have a great life but I want to make it amazing. I want my family to feel like they can do anything and I firmly belive that if I can radiate that feeling of success and happiness I will teach them how to have that as well. This doesn't mean I want millions of dollars and a mansion with full servants and a pool boy (he he) it just means I want to not have to worry about the little things in life. I want to go out and get my year supply of food and not stress over how, I want to shop and treat myself without guilt. I want to take my kids on holidays and not worry about the bill when I get home. I want to know that should I have to take of myself and children alone I can. I am a business minded person, I do not like the 9-5 job I work alone and I have always enjoyed that. With Arbonne I'm far from alone but I'm still my own boss and I set my hours. The salon keeps me social but I call all the shots. The question I keep asking myself is how can I make these work choices benefit my family and give us this finacial freedom.

The first step I've been taught is "Gratitude" I need to be grateful for what I already have. Here is what I am grateful for...
My kids and the sweet way they love and play and forgive and roll with the punches.
My husband and his patience for never knowing whats going to happen next, also his belief in me and what I can accomplish.
My family for giving me a loving enviroment to grow up in.
My friends and the love and support they always have ready when I need it.
My jobs and the feelings of success they give me. The confidence I have developed from them.
My Heavenly Father for guiding me with a gentle hand to where I need tobe and bringing in the right people to bless me along the way.
My home. It is the symbol for all I have worked for. I found it, I bought it, I make it what it truly is.

That is only the tip of the iceburg. My life is sooooo rich and I have learned that the "Secret" to being happy is knowing that I already am and allowing the feeling to grow and develop and not focus one the bad just focus on the good that is already here and watch it turn into more of what I desire.

Tonight I really needed to remember all I have because it's been arough week. So instead of letting it get me down I am going to regroup and wipe my slate clean. I am strong, successful, and my possibilitys are endless. Look out world here I come.

2008-07-10T00:12:00.002-06:00

The Long Awaited Toothfairy!!

After going through kindergarten and grade one and watching all his little buddies lose their teeth and not a little wiggle, my baby finally lost his first tooth. It was a bittersweet moment for me but he was thrilled. He actually pulled it out himself and was very proud of what he had done. Liam is alot like me, we don't look for pain in fact we avoid it all costs. Obviously he really wanted that tooth out. The toothfairy was very generous for the first tooth so he was very excited the next morning.
I have to admit it really grosses me out to look at it. I can handle some pretty gross things but wiggly teeth make me want to hurl. I guess I better get used to it. The tooth beside it came out today and now he looks like my grandfather and talks with a lot of extra spit right now.
I just can't figure out where the time has gone. When did he turn into a big boy, where is my baby. I adore you my little man, please don't grow up to fast I will miss this little person who pulls out teeth and still likes to cuddle me.

I love you!

2008-07-07T08:13:00.002-06:00

Have You Hugged My Tree Today!

I love my tree! I have a wonderful white lilac tree in my front yard. At least that's what I think it is. This year it bloomed so nicely especially since last years late spring snow fall nearly killed it. I love walking out my front door and getting slapped in the face with its sweet aroma. I grew up with purple lilacs in my yard and now I have my own white ones.
It's still a little droopy on one side from the snow last year but may of the other trees in the neighborhood were completly destroyed so I'm just grateful it's still standing.
Now that it's hot out the flowers are gone but the tree still has a great presence in the front yard and I love it's beauty. I'm not a real nature seeker but I love how it makes the front yard feel even more like home.

2008-07-07T07:56:00.002-06:00

SUMMER HAIR DO!

Liam is getting quite the head of hair. For those who don't know my hubby is slightly shy of a few hairs on his own head so we are grateful for all that our boy has. This summer we decided that it needed to be really short because it's just to dang hot out.

So out came the clippers. #4 on top and #2 on the sides. My poor hubby was so sad, but it had to be done.
We had some fun with the camera and gave him a reverse mohawk, don't worry it did'nt stay that way for long.
Here is what we were left with. I know he looks slightly hoodlumish at that moment but it has grown out and it's quite a bit longer now. It grows so fast and I can't keep up with it. He's a lot blonder underneath and looks more like his sister now.
He is so funny when the camera comes out. Don't fret over the tattoo it's all that was left from FUNDAY at school. It's funny he should pick that paticular one to put on and also that he choose to put it on that shoulder because his Uncle Scott (my little brother) has a scorpion on his right shoulder as well. Creepy huh?
Here's to keeping it cool over summer!

2008-07-07T07:47:00.002-06:00

Someone Shot Sleeping Beauty!

I love to take pictures of baby's sleeping, it's the most peaceful part of the day and I love to look at there sweet faces. The other night I poked my head in to check on Kelsey and this is how I found her. The weather here is getting warmer and she tends to kick off her blankets and I'm not sure what happened to her after that.
I will confess I left her that way so her dad could move back the other way, he's better at resettling her in the night.

Little moments to laugh at. I'll save this one for the wedding photos.

2008-07-07T07:36:00.003-06:00

My "Sweet" Boy!

Last month was our Aunty Mary's birthday and we were designated cake duty. I make a lot of the cakes for our functions and I love doing it but this time my 6yr old decided he wanted to make it. OK I said. So we did everything, he made the cake himself (with pre measured ingredients) and I let him go hard with the icing. It was soooo much fun to watch him create his masterpiece and I personally think he did an amazing job. Liam is our artistic one he loves to draw and create with his hands. He will be my art student and I am so proud.

After we finished the cake it was my turn to be creative and what better canvas then a 6yr old. I took the left over icing in my icing bag and proceded to give him a goutee and moustache and if you look really carefully I added a pair of earrings (the only ones he will ever have). Then really fun part was watching him try to lick it all off his own face. I'll confess I helped. I love whipped icing and it was still yummy comming off his face.

I love these little moments he and I have, I get so busy with work, I sometimes forget to play and this paticular night I did not. I can't wait for the next birthday so we can decorate all over again. I think I'll make him look like pres. lincoln HE HE.

2008-07-06T19:53:00.003-06:00

Our Baby Is Three!!

I know this is a little late but here is my baby girl turning three.

I can't belive how fast the last three years have passed. Three years ago when Kelsey was only 8 weeks old we moved into our first house. It was big step for all of us but exciting none the less and now here we are quite settled and celebrating our little girls 3rd birthday.

We kept it pretty simple this year. We had a trip to the IMAX to see Kung Fu Panda ( holy cow it was funny) and it was only the second time we had taken her to a movie theatre. A few wiggles and a large bucket of popcorn later, we were rolling in the aisles and having a great time. Then we went to our favorite family resturant Applebees, for chocolate shakes and dinner. It was great. Then we headed home for cake and presents. She was spoiled as usual, my hubby and I have no control when it comes to buying gifts for our kids. Oh well your only three once right.

It was a great day and when I look at these pictures and see how much she's grown and what a sweet girl she really is, I just fall in love all over again. Kelsey you are our sunshine and we love you and your brother more then I can express. Happy Birthday baby girl we love you.

2008-06-20T07:22:00.004-06:00

The First Of Many!!

Last night I had my first Arbonne party in my home. It was my official launch party and even though only three girls came, it wsa still alot of fun. For anyone who knows me I have never been good at having home partys but with this I am not discouraged. The products sell themselves and so if it means having a dozen partys with only three girls at a time then so be it. I still have one more tonight and then one next week and three booked for the first two weeks in July. There's room for more if your interested. We had a ton of fun and laughed and ate chocolate, thats right my friends I bring a BIG box of swiss milk chocolate and there's plenty for everyone.

Michelle Shiers is my sponser and she is amazing. If I could work for a real boss just like her I would probably have a real job. We had a ton of fun last night and she will be here tonight as well. In fact she will be at all of my partys until I'm ready to jump out on my own.

You are looking at a girl whos changing her life and I can't wait for you guys to witness it all. I will keep you posted.

2008-06-12T07:31:00.002-06:00

I'm At It Again!

Well here goes another business venture by your favorite workaholic.

My last post reflected how stressed out I've been over money and our finances and I took to my knees to find out what I should do. In came a mom from school who runs a home based business and is doing VERY well. I thought she is just really lucky and the chances of success for others is slim. Well then I met 3 more women who have the same business and they are also doing very well. I was still a little skeptical but I have to admit a little excited as well. Then I asked for some concrete sign that I should maybe try this. Well guess what my hubby got on board as well. He gave me his support and is going to back me up. Well that sealed the deal.

You are lookiing at the newest consultant for Arbonne International. If your not sure what that is just gor to Arbonne.ca and you can read all about it. I know some of you will think I'm crazy but I really feel good about this. The women I signed up with have been wonderful and have purchased a good chunk of my start up kit for me. It's a great motivator to give my butt a good kick in gear. I'm really excited and hope you will be too for me. I plan to change my life and my familys life by the end of the year and I can't wait to share my success with you guys.

Keep ya posted.

ps Tricia thanks for the encouragement and tell Rhonda to give me a shout.

2008-06-04T14:03:00.002-06:00

Broke and Feeling Frustrated!!

I am feeling very overwhelmed today. It never fails that the day I have to take me car in for one little thing all of a sudden I'm $2000.00 poorer. Nothing like a vehicle to make you feel like you have nothing. I know I shouldn't complain, our car has so far in the last 3yrs needed nothing more than a new set of tires and regular oil changes, but now all of a sudden it needs new everything. I think I'll just buy a horse and pick up poop all day. Not like I don't already what's a little more.

I am determined to stay home with my kids until there old enough to all be in school all day but this is crazy. I need some ideas from my local readers what can I do to help my family. I need to find a way to get ahead. I'm tired of spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. I want to work in the salon more but I had my first crazy customer in our home the other day and now I know why I don't advertise. Referrals ar the way to go. My loyal customers don't send me there crazy friends so it's not usually a problem. So if you know of anyone in need of a hair service let me know and I can hook them up. I am very blessed and I do know that. I was really stressing yesterday about money and after I did that I had multiple calls for colors and cuts and now my week is picking up. So I know if I be patient I will continue to be blessed.

I just want to be ahead of the game not three feet behind. If you have any grand ideas let me know.

2008-05-27T12:35:00.004-06:00

In May we had the chance to see our boy in his year end concert. The kids sang for us and as usual made all the moms cry. In the finale number they sang an old song "we are the world" I remember singing that when I was in school a few years older then he is. Time flys and sometimes it's a little to quick.

It's hard to belive that this sweet little boy of mine will be leaving grade one soon to take on the academic challenges of the second grade. When we started our son in school he was quite young (we thought) only to find a wonderful teacher who worked so well with him and got him started on the right path. Now this sweet child of ours reads to us and teaches me things I have long forgotten about. I love to watch him learn and grow and become the little man he is. Most of the time he enjoys going to school and has a good time with his buddy's, but there was a tiny issue with a certain boy this year and that was worked out quite quickly and now they are buddies. I forgot how quickly we as children love and hate people so fast. I remember the samw things happening to me and how what seemed so huge and awful things felt in one moment and then the next moment everyone is friends again. Why can't we be the same way as adults. This is why children are so beautiful to us.

Liam I hope one day you can read this and see how special you are to me and your dad. You are the first born for a reason. You are smart and sweet and sensitive to others and it makes you the incredible person you will one day become. We are so proud of you and hope you will grab on to all the possibilities you can. You are a bit of a daydreamer your teachers have said but that just tells us that you have amazing ideas and one day you will make them come to life. We love you son and look forward to our next adventures with you.

2008-05-22T08:44:00.005-06:00

My trip to mexico was an adventure to say the least. It was fun in many ways but stressful in sooooo many others.

I'll start with the flight. I will admit I quite like to fly it gives me a chance to read and relax and catch up on some quiet time I don't usually get. I flew from Calgary to Houston then transfered planes and went into CanCun. When we were desending into CanCun I felt a pitin my stomach and wasn't sure if it was nerves or intuition. Well guess what I do have intuition. I made it through customs ok but when I went to retrieve my luggage it wsa not there. No big deal right? Wrong! My entire salon was stuffed into that bag and if it was lost I was hooped. The women at the ticket counter was very nice and promised that it would be returned the very next day. Well it was but not until 4pm the next day!!

The second day was quiet, but relaxing I couldn't go anywhere because I had to wait for my luggage to arrive. I wandered the town for a little bit but only long enough to burn my back and arms. Everyone was so good to me, I was affectionatly refered to as "the hairdresser" and was treated very well by everyone. They fed me, watered me, and shared clothes and sunscreen until my bag arrived.

At 3pm we started the hair marathon, and did some trials for the wedding, did a few haircuts, and got everyone ready for the rehersal party. Have you ever tried to do someones hair fresh out of the pool or ocean? It's different let me tell you. I have to say it was a very fun way to learn hair all over again. We then headed to a neighboring resturant for dinner and a wonderful fireworks display that the groom suprised his bride with to show her how much he loved her. Nice eh?!

The next morning was the wedding and it was a little slow to start but by 10:30 we were in full hair swing, cutting and styling and curling and anything else we could think of. I worked straight through until it was time to walk down the aisle and the girls were beautiful. I was very proud of my work and very grateful to be a part of such an incredible event. Most destiantion weddings have just a handful of people in attendance but this one had 80 people there. It was awesome.

The next day my taxi picked me up at 4:15am and we were off to the airport yet again. What a whirlwind but I would definalty do it again, only this time I will be better prepared.

Oh and for all you moms and dads who think Dora and Diego are haunting you, be grateful I was sure glad for the few tidbits I learned from all my years with them.

Well till the next time....

2008-05-22T08:34:00.003-06:00

LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER!

When my son was born he immediatly looked liked his dad and that has never changed. When my daughter was born she looked alot like her brother but her eyes were definatly blue. That gave a little hope that one day I might have a child that looked like me. I mean I was a cute kid and as an adult I never made anyone run screaming from a room so I can't be that bad. Well now that this sweet girl is growing up and almost 3yrs old she is starting to look alot more like her mom. These pictures were taken early in the morning and in our truest form and I can actually see a resemblance. Growing up I was always told I looked like my mother and I was proud of that. My mom is beautiful women in all stages of her life and I am proud to resemble any part of her (even the white hairs on my head). I was also told that my personality is the spitting image of my mom but my daughter and I are polar opposites right now. She is stubborn and definant and nobody pushes her around maybe she more like her nana afterall. LOL. I look forward to watching her grow and seeing the kind of woman she will become, for now we will always have pictures.

I Love You Sweet Girl!!

2008-05-12T09:57:00.003-06:00

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!!

I am about to live every hairdressers dream. A client is flying me to Mexico today to travel down and do all the hair for her wedding on wednesday. I have always wanted someone to want my skills enough to take me somewhere exciting and now it's about to happen.

My family has been ver supportive although very jealous and I wish I could take my honey with me but alas today I fly solo. I am only now getting excited and a little nervous too. I will be home on thursday day and I will let you all know what wonderful adventures I have had. Not to mention the 12 heads of hair I will be tending to.

See ya soon.

2008-04-28T13:29:00.002-06:00

MEET BAILEY!

Bailey is the newest addition to our family. We havn't been blessed with a third baby yet so here is the next best thing.
Bailey is a 6month old golden retriever border collie X. She has a great temperment, a quiet disposition and she has more energy then any child I know combined. She loves the kids and

they love her. She is gentle and never barks unless I have the vacume on. She is my personal trainer, we run our 10K together. We have a great off leash park really close by and spend a lot of time up there. She has been a great addition to our family and I am glad to have her here. I will admit though that the first 2 months were hard. I have potty trained 2 kids and now a dog and I'm not sure which is harder, but I'm sure glad that's over. I hope you can all meet her soon she loves company and if she's pees a little when you meet her, that means she likes you. Please don't be

offended though if I don't. I like you anyway.

2008-04-28T13:05:00.002-06:00

A Romantic Evening.

For our anniversary we had a lovely evening together thanks to good friends who took our kids and dog overnight.

We started out with a fabulous steak dinner at the Cattle Baron which was probably the best steak dinner I have ever had. We had French Onion Soup to start and a beautiful steak dinner to follow. The resturant was lovely and mostly quiet except the loud laugher in the far corner. Now that may seem rude but I am a loud laugher and my laugh is loud!

Well this person (not sure if it was male or female) was REALLY annoying. That did not stop our evening though.
Next we checked in at the Greenwood Inn for the evening, but decided that it was a little early for being inside so we headed to Best Buy where my honey bought me a new camera for our anniversary. Then we poked around a little more and headed back to the Inn.

There we had sparkling grape juice, a box of chocolates and a king size bed waiting for us. It was a great night and the room service breakfast was a great way to end our stay. Next 10yr mark I plan to do it again. (in Hawaii)

2008-04-28T12:44:00.002-06:00

10 Roses for 10 years!

You have to understand my hubby HATES buying flowers and this year he is really on a roll. Thursday April 24th 2008 was our 10th wedding anniversary. I was not feeling great as I was experiancing a toothache (nothing unusual lately, more about that later) and I had not intention of running to the door to greet anyone, until I saw a a humongous package in his arms. 10 roses for 10 yrs joined my Mums and orchids. The roses have been getting bigger everyday and are gorgeous on my kitchen ledge. We also had a lovely lunch at the Olive Garden with our 21/2 yr old to chaperone. The evening was a bit of a disapointment as I ended up having a root canal that night and was totally out of commission.

I must say 10yrs has gone by fast but all our hard work has made it worth it.

Here's to 10 more.

2008-04-22T12:47:00.002-06:00

An Amazing Thing!!

This weekend I did an amazing thing with some amazing women. I ran the Vancouver Sun Run 10K race. Yes you read that right I RAN!! Not only did I cross the finish line I RAN over it. I RAN the whole way. I did not stop RUNNING the whole race. It was the first time I have RUN 10K and I have to pat myself on the back for all my hard work. If you can't already tell I am pretty darn proud of myself.

I went with Tracy and Amber and Tracy sister Sue ran with us. It was a first time race for all of us and we came away feeling pretty darn good about ourselves. The most I had run was 7k on a treadmill and 41/2 on the road here at home but when your in a crowd of 59,000 + people and running with friends the fear of losing them keeps you moving. It was the most amazing feeling crossing that finish line and knowing that I did something great for myself. My running this race was all for me and showing myself that I am capable of anything. I also have to say how proud I am of my girls for acheiving the same goal.

The weekend wasn't just about running the race either we had a great time catching up with old friends and doing a major shopping spree. We kept it exciting also; everything from Value Village shopping to Lululemon workout gear. We know how to have the best of both worlds. I love shopping with my friends and being girly.

We ate all our favorite foods with all our favorite friends, Sushi w/ Marcy and Tricia and Heather, Fish and chips on the beach w/ Hazel and Sue and The doctors office we were racing with bought us a fabulous meal downtown Vancouver the night before the race. We got to stay at the Vancouver Fairmont Hotel the night before the race and that was a real treat. The start line for the race was just outside our front door. We hope to make this an annual thing and I can't wait to start training for the next one.

Thank you girls for making this weekend the best one I've had in a a long time. Thank you Hazel for putting us up and always making us feel welcome. It's always so great to catch up and keep in touch with those I care about. Maybe next time they will come visit me.

2008-04-14T03:30:00.002-06:00

Can't Sleep and Need To Breath!!

It's 3:30 in the morning and I am having an a mild panic attack. I haven't had one in about two months and this time it woke me up. The only thing I can think of is my pets and are they having to much variety in there diets and am I making them sick. Would you like me to back up a bit, o.k. here goes.

The last time I blogged was about January and I was so excited about a new year and all the things I was going to do. Then I started having some problems with anxiety. Small attacks here and there, not wanting to go to work (weight watchers) not happy at home, not feeling like I was doing enough you know the usual mom, wife, women stuff. I had a little bit of depression and between the two it was enough to worry some friends and make me think I was losing my mind. When I went to seek help I was told to take a step back and down size my life a bit. Good advice I actually quit my weight watcher job, said NO to more dayhome kids and excersised more. I was actually feeling better. Oh did I mention the retail therapy that helps too. My mom came to visit and that was also better. I have been doing really well and my life also feels alot less cluttered. My home is getting better organized and that also feels like a huge weight lifted.

Just so I didn't feel to relaxed we decided to get a dog in january and she has also been a full time job. That job is starting to ease off a bit now, she is mostly house trained and is training quite quickly, that cat hates her and so she just keeps her space but you can sure hear her when the two meet. Piddles is a great cat she just hates everyone except us. So this last weekend my hubby and I went off to the Pet Expo to see what we could do for our animals. We came home with bags of food samples for each pet and a few new toys to try out. Now for some reason all I can dream about tonight is all this food and are we going to make them sick trying new stuff and how bad is that for them are we doing them any favors by changing there diet and why is this bothering me. I have alot going on this week and maybe I need to slow down a bit but holy cow am I wired right now. I havn't felt this way in a really long time. Breath Tammy the animals are fine and you need a holiday. It's a good thing I have one booked for this weekend.

Yes you read that right I am going away this weekend for a little break. Tracy and Amber and I are going to Vancouver to do the Sun Run. A 10K run through scenic downtown vancouver. I can't wait to hang out with my girls and just relax. Between sick kids, animals, hair, husband, church callings, and all the other stuff I do I am looking forward to sushi with friends, fish and chips on the beach and a 10K run that will most likely kick my butt. Am I ready to run, well were about to find out. The nice thing about being a dog owner is that I have my own personel trainer who demands to be run every day. Did I mention she's a big dog. Her name is Bailey and she is half Golden Retriever and half Border Collie. She is a very high energy dog/puppy and she keeps me motivated. Although she won't be at the race to drag me to the finish line I am depending on my friends to do that for me.

Well I am calming down now and am starting to feel a little bit better. I want to post more and I am sorry for the long gaps in time. Perhaps if I these attacks more often at night I would stay current. For those of you wondering why I never called to tell you about my issues please forgive me, I kept it quiet for many reasons and I know that everyone would be so supportive but I needed to work through this and have become a much stronger person because of it. I have a beautiful back bone I hope to never use on the people I love.

See you soon
Tammy

2008-01-15T04:38:00.001-07:00

Something New!!

Hey everyone, go and check out my salons new blog at

headoverheels.blogspot.com

Tell me what you think??

Tammy

2007-11-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

HELLO WORLD DID YOU MISS ME!!!

I can't belive this is is happening but I actually got back on my blog. I have been unable to get here for months. It would never let me sign on and now here I am. I am totally stunned. In fact I am speechless and that is a first.

I havn't been here since May and a lot has happened. My baby girl turned 2 in june, my hubby turned 35 in June, we did a little camping in july and saw the sights around town. One of my dayhome kids lost his dad very suddenly to cancer in August and that was really hard. He is no longer comming to our home as his mom had to put him in a registered dayhome so she could get subsidy. Our basement troll Sally moved out at the end of August and good friends came to visit. My mom and dad came out also for a visit and my mom is now 50lbs lighter and SMOKIN' HOT. My son started grade 1 and is gone from me all day. I have no more dayhome kids except for 1 little girl in grade with my son and it's only after school for a couple of hours. Yahoo!!! I lead 3 meetings a week now for Weight Watchers all on Wednesday. My baby girl and I are together all day and love our time alone. I get to go to the gym at least 3 times a week now and I am loving that. I went to England for ten days with one of my best friends Tracy and we had an amazing time. I have to travel to edmonton at least every 5-6 weeks now for hair, I am that busy (thanks to tracy and renea). Craig and Mary had a baby last friday and he is gorgeous and we couldn't be happier for them. Tracy also had hers, so did Allison, Adrianna, and now we are waiting for Jen the Mom to have hers. Keep up the good work friends, the more you do the less attention gets put on me.

Life is pretty crazy but it's my life and I love it. People are always telling me to slow down and not work so much but I think if I did I would probably die, (of boredom at least)
Well I am just so excited to be here again and I will return very soon.

I hope some one reads this and missed me if not well that will teach me to be away for so long.

Toodles.

2007-05-24T19:42:00.000-06:00

I'm Back Did You miss me???

I'm soooo sorry to have abandoned everyone for so long I have had the hardest time trying to get on my blog. I was having password issues and it would not let me post.

Well I'm back and have had a ver busy few weeks.

Update #1

Florida was AMAZING!!!! It's was truly the best week I've had in years and no I am not exagerating one little bit. I want to make it an annual thing every year whether it's to Florida or anywhere else I don't care. I can't really say we did anything to terribly exciting but I can say we rested and relaxed and slept and didn't have to feed or entertain anyone but ourselves. We didn't watch any cartoons or eat anything that came with a toy. We stayed up late and ate ice cream at midnight and breakfast for lunch and came and went as we pleased. We shopped and shopped and shopped and then when we felt like it we shopped a little more. I have never spent so much at one time in my life and it was soooooo fun. My little girl is the best dressed 2 yr old ever. I came home tanned and little crispy in parts and they are almost recovered now. Who knew the crease of your bum could burn so bad and make life so uncomfortable. My traveling companions were the best girls ever to be with. We all got along we all agreed on everything and I would go away with any of them anytime. I took lots of pictures and I will post them asap I promise.

Update #2
I came home to absolute chaos. Not with my family but my hair business obviously missed me. I havn't stopped working since I walked in the door two weeks ago. That will teach me to go on holidays. It's nice to be needed by others then just my family. It was good to be busy but I think I need another vacation.

Update #3
I discovered Facebook. I thought it was so dumb when I first heard about it and then Tricia informed me who I could contact on it and now I'm hooked. I found an old friend that I was glued to my last 2 years of high school and I can't wait to hook up again.

Update #4
I have fallen off the Weight Watcher band wagon. I need to get my motivation back, I havn't gained more then a couple of lbs but I feel gross and need to get back to being nicer to my body. I joined the Goodlife gym at Superstore and I love it there and the daycare is great. My kids love it and they will also watch them for me while I grocery shop, how great is that. I also get unlimited tanning in my membership so my Florida tan is here to stay for awhile.

Other then that now much else is happening, Jen the mom and I are having a joint garage sale this saturday and hopefully that will pay off some of Florida. It should make for an interesting day anyway. Well I'm off to cut more hair so I will see you soon.

2007-04-14T22:44:00.000-06:00

Apple Pie Made With LOVE!!

When we went to Edmonton for Easter my son wanted to make a pie with Great-Grandma. She was thrilled, a little nervous but thrilled all the same. Great-Grandam is the one who keeps this family going. She is the on that everyone looks up to, and loves unconditionaly. My children are no different. Our son is especially dear to her heart because she was right there the moment he entered the world. She was with us when he was born and has been right there to watch him grow ever since. She proudly shows all her friends her pictures of the kids when ever she gets the chance. So much so that one day we walked into her apartment building and my son went running down to her door and as we ran past a women in the hall she looked at him and say " oh my that's evelyn great grand son boy has he grown " I have no idea who that woman as but she knew my son and probably knows as mucha bout him as I do. I thought it was sweet. I loved watching them bake together and create this wonderful symbol of love and commitment to each other. Nothing says grandma like warm apple pie. I heard it even tasted really good, I never did get any, snooze you lose I guess. I hope the kids will have there Great-Grandma around for awhile yet so they can continue to make more wonderful memories with her.

I apologise for some of the sideways pictures your about to see but I havn't figured out all the kinks yet with this picture posting thing, but I'm working on it.

Enjoy!!

2007-04-14T22:22:00.000-06:00

My Handy Work!!

So I tell everyone I'm a pretty good hairdresser and I like to think that I'm not to bad but here's the proof folks. These are my two friends Tracy and Renea from Edmonton. I spent Easter weekend making them both over. Tracy was a challenge because she is A) Pregnant and always wanting change (I can handle that) B) running out of hair to change (I refuse to cut it really short) C) Were heading out on holidays soon and being the only pregnant one she needs to be hotter then us because she can't shop for new clothes while were away so hair it has to be. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, the back is actually inverted and so the layers in the back are many and she can wear it curly, strait, flipped out or under and the bangs were a really cute addition. We went with blond highlights because it's warming up and tracy looks HOT as a blond in the summer with her gorgeous Tan she always gets. She is on hot momma if I do say.

Renea was also a challenge. She has a BUTT LOAD of hair and it takes me about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to do the whole process. Not to mention we didn't start coloring her hair until about 11:00PM on Friday night. We were done buy 2:00 AM though, not bad on my end. We had been coloring her quite red with some blond highlights for quite awhile and it was time for a change. We took her back to a dark brown and loaded her up with lots and lots of blond. Her hubby loves her blond and I have to admit so do I. She has come a long way with me this year. She also let me wax her brows not that long ago and let me tell you there was a beautiful girl under those brows. It was a lot of work that weekend but here is the final result and I was quite pleased. You both look amazing and I'm looking forward to flauting you both off in Florida. If you think these two look good you should see what I did to Reanna, Renea's little sister, I promise to get a shot of her next time. What I won't do toTracy with the short cut I happily did to Reanna.

2007-04-14T22:08:00.000-06:00

My Baby Girls Room!!

Well here it is folks, the room I was soooo proud of. This is my daughters room that I did all on my own. I'm quite proud of my creation and I hope she will grow to love it as much as I do. I also hope she doesn't plaster the walls in long hair rock star pictures like her mother did when I was young. My poor mom must have been so frustrated with me. Oh well I did my part and hopefully the words will inspire her to be a little more well behaved then her mom was.

Don't worry Nana I never did anything bad in my room ( there were to many other rooms to choose from ).

2007-04-13T14:37:00.000-06:00

Keeping Tricia Happy!!

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Weight Watchers Leader
2. Hairdresser (self employed)
3. Day Home Provider
4. CIR Realtors Receptionist

B) Four places I have lived:
1. Spruce Grove AB
2. Surrey B.C.
3. New Westminster BC
4. Calgary AB

C) Four TV SHOWS I love to Watch:
1. Numbers (the nerd math guy is CUTE)
2. Sex and the City
3. Friends
4. CSI

D) Four places I have been on vacation
1. Salsburg Austria (I was 17)
2. Banff ( My honeymoon)
3. California ( as a kid )
4. Florida ( as of may 5th it will be official )

E) Four foods I like:
1. SUSHI
2. Rice Cakes ( BBQ )
3. Lettuce Wraps ( frm Joeys )
4. Warm Cookies from the oven

F) Four places where I would rather be right now:
1. Florida with the girls
2. Spa
3. Asleep in my bed
4. Did I mention Florida

G) Four Hobbies or Games I enjoy:
1. Scrapbooking
2. Reading
3. Girls nights
4. Karaoke

H) Top four moments of my life:
1. Getting Married
2. Having my Children
3. Buying our first home
4. Booking a trip to Florida with no kids comming along.

Four friends I think will respond:
1. Hopefully Tracy because she is the only one who will find my Florida ranting funny.
2. Someone who can't think of what to blog today
3. Jen will because Tag your it.
4. Allison guess what Tag your it too. Ha Ha girls

I don't usually do stuff like this but I'm having one of those avoid the rooms where chldren might be. So I hope you enjoy.

2007-04-13T14:25:00.000-06:00

Why Do I Care So Much!!

I have been blessed with friends who love me and look out for me. I like to think that I am a pretty low maintenance friend and don't require to much attention alot of the time. So when I have friends who need me emotionaly a little more then usual it's not really that big of a deal, but then why am I so danged overwhelmed by everyone else's lives.

I am a mother to two lovely kids so why am I forever feeling like I need to mother everyone else around me. I know that most of these people don't even care what my opinions for them may be but sometimes when I see people I care about making such STUPID choices I can't help but get frustrated that the obvious is right there and they are missing it completly.

So the question I pose is this... Why do I or we as women care so much? Why do I constantly think I have to take care of everyone and there kids and keep them fed and loved and coddled half of the time. These people have mothers and some even have sisters to do that for them. Why can I not just detach myself and say that it's none of my buisness and I don't need to be responsible for what goes on in there lives. Why do I care. I have always belived that I was a caring individual and I want to continue being that way but I just don't think I need to be lying awake at night pondering everyone elses problems especially when they don't even think they have a problem. I have the problem and I'm not sure how to change my inability to not get involved. Maybe I'm just nosey and need to feel involved, I don't know.

Help me Dr. Phil!!!!!!

2007-04-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

Moving up the Ladder!

On last wednesday night I attended my Weight Watcher meeting as usual and was chatting with my receptionists when I hear one of the girls say... "Look out were being observed". I turned around to see one of my W.W. peers standing at my door wanting to be let in. Sure enough I was to be observed that very night. Oh Crap!! Well she couldn't have picked a better night to come I have to say I was on that night.

Our meeting topic was handling holiday food and situations. I was also giving away the easter basket I had made and that was also the night I gave away all the point info on the candy. Well talk about well informed. It was the biggest meeting I had ever had and my members were fantastic. They were funny and chaty and most of the meeting was them helping each other I just had to steer the conversation the right way. Well the observer was thrilled with my meeting and had only good things to say and she moved me up the ladder to a Leader 2 postition. I now make commision on my members that attend my meeting and can move onto my next level of training.

I felt sooooo good after that meeting that I really knew why I do this job. I love to help people lose weight and feel good about themselves but I also just love my members. They are my family now and I can't imagine a week without them.

2007-04-09T13:51:00.000-06:00

41/2 lbs of chocolate have been added to this body!

Yes that's right 41/2 lbs of stress and weekend hoildaying have been added onto this butt of mine and I am feeling a little remorse. Yet I still have a hard time with not wanting to eat all the candy I can find. Somethings never change and me and emotional eating are here to stay.

Our Easter weekend was not quite what I expected but there were some great moments that's for sure. I arrived late thursday night to the Brown home where I was greeted by the ever lovely Tracy and her luscious Sex in a Pan just waiting for my arrival. We were up until 2 am doing her hair which I must say turned out really cute. You have to understand Tracy is pregnant with baby #4 and gets bored rather quickly with her hair. It's a good thing I have a good imagination because pretty soon she's gonna end up bald. But this time we found a keeper I hope, even though her sweet hubby doesn't like it. too bad.

I worked all friday and dragged myself to bed at 2 am again after another rousing evening of hair and laughter with friends. I even taught Tracy how to foil her sisters hair and that was a hoot to watch. I must say though she did an awesome job and I am very proud of her.

Saturday we spent with Great-Grandma making apple pie. My son was so excited to help His Great-grandma make pie and she loved the time together. I have lots of pictures to show you and I promise to get them up this week. We then spent some more time with the Brown family at west ed. mall at the amusement park. The boys had a great time and we wore them all out quite quickly. Then the evening's entertainment was spent at a very nice resturant and then dancing at the lounge. We always have a good time when were all together and it feels so good to just let loose and be ourselves. That night didn't end until 1:00 am and I was really feeling it by the time we got back to the in-laws.

The next morning we decided we were ready to head home. Grandma and Grandpa were not interested in anything fun to do with the kids so we came home for our egg hunt and and just relaxed together in our own home. The kids were good all weekend and now my Florida trip is all paid for. The Boys leave this Saturday and they are really really excited.

Thank you Brown Family for making our Easter weekend enjoyable if it hadn't been for you it would have been a real drag of a time but you always know how to make the days exciting. Especially with Jamie and his coupon book. See you soon

2007-04-05T15:35:00.000-06:00

Am I The Good Witch or The Bad Witch?

I have had the lousyest couple of weeks I ahve had in a long time. I am overworked, underpaid, extremly tired and really tired of kids, work, demands and constant reminders of things I keep forgetting I have said I would do.

Then I have an incident with a family member and now I'm being asked " what happend to the compassionate Tammy we all used to know " well to tell you the truth I probably ate her!!!

I know I can be little short lately and well you try my life for awhile and see if you don't keep things short and to the point. I'm not a bad person but I just don't have the patience to sugar coat everything anymore. I'm sorry if I have hurt anyones feelings but life is black and white and if I don't see your grey ideas then to bad. I have grown up and maybe I do need to lilghten up a little bit sometimes, but I do alot for the people in my life and when I get slapped with guilt trips then I just don't have time for that.

The only person I really feel sorry for is my poor hubby. He gets the brunt of most things. He doesn't deserve that and I kbow he can't wait to go to Florida and escape his nutso wife for a few days. Maybe by the time he comes home I can saw off some of the horns and find his sweet compassionate wife that he married 9 yrs ago.

Sorry for the rant but I was unable to cry about it so here's what came out. Have a great weekend.

2007-04-04T12:49:00.000-06:00

The truth will set you free and make you fat!

Since this is the week leading up to the Easter weekend and because of that I decided to do a little homework and see how depressing all the goodies can be. When I was a member of W.W last year at this time my leader took the time to look up all the points values of the treats and post them at the meeting for all of us to see. So I am doing you all the favor (if you want to look at it that way) and here they are.

Peeps (sugar coated marshmallow ducks) 2pts for 5 ducks.

Malted candy (whoppers) 5pts for 1/2 for 56grams (about 10 candys)

Hershey marshmallow egg coated in chocolate 2pts for 1egg

Cadbury mini eggs 3pts for 1 small snack bag

Reese peanut butter egg 4pts for 1 egg

Individual chocolate eggs wrapped in foil 5pts for 6

Cadbury creme egg 4pts for 1

Mr Solid, Mr Munchy, Mr Fruit & Nut 20pts for the whole bunny.

So what are you going to choose for the holidays. Carrots are looking pretty good right now actually. What I want to know is what would you put in your kids baskets if you decided that you wanted to make this holiday a little healthier.

I have been blessed with some really skinny kids but that doesn't give me a free pass to load then up with crap just because there not big. I heard on the news the other day that the obesity rate in Canadian children has grown so much that if your child is obese they will have a shorter life expectancy then there parents. That makes me what to cry. I was a plump little girl and thank heaven I learned early enough to take better care of myself, but who's teaching our kids if we don't. Please lets all try to make Easter a little more healthy this year and remember when Christ was resurrected he didn't come with a Mr. Solid bunny in his hand.

Have a happy Easter and Enjoy all your family has to offer.

2007-04-02T13:07:00.000-06:00

Who Inspires You!!

That was the meeting topic at my Weight Watcher meeting last week. I don't pick the topics they are assigned to us from Weight Watcher International that way if you cannot attend your regular meeting the topics are the same all over the world. Well it got me to thinking... Who really inspires me.

1) My mom and dad - for always beliving that I could do whatever I put my mind to and never discouraged me from acheiving my goals. There are many times in my life now that I could call my parents and say " I guess you were right I should have listened " but hey I just said it on the internet so that's good enough.

2) My Husband - For always trying to make me a better person even when I don't want to. It's because of his faith in me that I have accomplished some of my greatest acheivments and I love that even though he may use some tough love sometimes it's really because he loves me.

3) My kids - Because they love me unconditionaly and that is the greatest feeling you will ever experiance. I'm not a perfect mom but they think I am and that means I have a lot to live up too.

4) My Friends - I could spend days describing how each friend I have drives me to be a better person but I can sum it up by saying that I have the best friends anyone could ever have. We may all be different and even make each other crazy sometimes but they are always there and when I need someone I can always find a friend to make the world make sense.

5) My Weight Watcher Members - I have an amazing group of people who insire me to keep going every week. I think every single one of them are amazing and each week they overcome obstacles that a lot of people would give into. They are inspiring and beautiful and I love being with them each and every week.

If I missed anyone or anything I'm sorry but if you can take a moment have a thought about who inspires you and let me know maybe they can inspire the rest of us as well.

2007-04-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

Things that make me happy right now!

My clean house that only took an hour to clean because my hubby tidyed up Saturday and we did nothing on sunday.

Doing nothing on sunday for a change I think I actually got a day of a rest.

Being in my P.J's all say and not doing anything with myself for a change.

Having my hubby still hug me when I've done nothing with myself and I mean nothing.!

Watching my kids hug and snuggle on the floor and not bicker.

Hearing laughter at the dinner table when were all together.

Having girlfriends who just understand when it's unexplanable.

Clients who trust me and let my creative juices run wild on there hair.

I would have to say that my life in general is pretty good right now. I'm in a good place, I know there are lots of areas that need improvment but hey when the house is clean and the baby's are sleeping what else could you ask for.

2007-03-30T14:26:00.000-06:00

Parent Teacher Conference!!

I'd like to say that my son is brilliant and is going to be the next Doogie Howser but lets be honest he's got my genes and it's going to take some work to get to that point. But Mrs Nichol his kindergarten teacher said that he's doing so well and he's a joy to have in her class. What more could a mom ask for. He's liked amongst his peers, and he loves going to school. Is it strange that through the whole meeting all I wanted to cry because I was so proud of this little boy who has grown up way to fast. I know he's a smart, wonderful, kind boy but when you hear someone else tell you it just makes your heart swell. I just have to tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him. I can't wait to watch him grow more and see this little boy become my little man.

2007-03-30T13:39:00.000-06:00

Home is where you hang your hat!

It's true when you hear that expression. If your anyone who has ever moved away from home you know that sometimes going back to your roots doesn't always feel the same.

I went home to Vancouver B.C. this weekend to surprise my dad for his 60th birthday. We had such a good time. It was well worth the money to see the look on his face when we walked in the resturant. We being myself and my little girl. I remember my dad turning 40, my mom made a huge deal out of it and it was a ton of fun, but 50 was quite foggy for me. So when I realized this was 60 I knew I couldn't miss it.

The weekend started on friday night. Tracy and Jamie came up to Calgary on the friday night and had dinner and a visit until about 10pm then they and there kids and me and my baby packed up in the van and headed out for the long drive. And long it was. Jamie was amazing I couldn't have done that drive. We had everything from Rain, snow, white out conditions and very little clear sky. He did it though and we were sure glad to see the Abbotsford exit signs up ahead. The kids were perfect, they all slept through the night and made it a little easier.

My baby brother Scott picked me up in Sumas and took me back to his house, but not before he took me past our old house. A little history for you, I grew up in one house only and lived there from the time I was born until I got married. My parents sold that house about 4 yrs ago and moved permanatly to 100 mile house. It was an old farm house that really needed some love and attention, but it was home to me and I have soooo many wonderful memories from that dwelling. Well my house it is no more the new owners have magically changed it into something amazing. I won't bore you with the details but HOLY CRAP what a difference, and hat's off to them it looks great. That was my first hint that home was not the same. We arrived at Scotts and hung out and showered and changed into some clean clothes and headed out for some breakfast and shoppping. Then we met up with my dear friends Marcy & Tricia and had a great visit over a healthy lunch amongst wiggily babies and my screaming daughter. It was soooo good to see the girls and catch up again. It never seems to matter how long were apart we always have so much to share and being with them feels like home.

After a busy morning and a very long night we headed back to Scotts and had a great nap so we were rested up for the evening. Then we cleaned up and headed off to the birthday party and saw some old friends and family I hadn't seen in a very long time. Most of the people there had never seen my daughter and it was nice to show her off. She was so good and that made the evening even nicer. We later wandered over to some friends house to visit with mom and dad a little longer and when I started to fall asleep in the chair Scott took me home to bed.

Then next day was spent visiting more friends and enjoying some good weather. We had brunch and headed off to the beach to stroll along the pier. I was shocked at the sight of the water. It use to be nice place to play in the water as kids but that has all changed. The water was brown and gross and we stuck to dry land but the air was fresh and clean and that was great. Baby Girl stole my ice cream cone and enjoyed every lick she got. It was a wonderful afternoon. We said goodbye to mom and dad there and then headed off to a fair in Cloverdale and met up with more friends and took the kids of some amusement rides and that was hoot. I love to watch my kids scream with glee and fright all at the same times. Both of my kids love rides and nothing seems to faze them.

We then wandered off to see more friends who offered to let the baby sleep at there place while Scott and I went to see a movie and enjoy some time together without any distraction from her. Monday morning we were up bright and early and off to the airport to head home to Calgary and The flight was great and we had no problems getting in right on time.

It was a great trip and very fast, but I saw a ton of people and caught up with everyone I wanted to. As we drove around my old neighborhoods it was very clear to me that I would be so lost if I moved home. Sure I would adjust but it doesn't feel the same anymore. Calgary is my home and I love it here. I miss my friends terribly and if I could buy them all homes here I would and then I could have the best of both worlds. I will never stop being amazed at how fast life changes around us, and yet I love how my life is ever changing and ever amazing.

Happy Birthday Daddy and here's to 60 more. (If anyone could do it you could. Unless the bears eat you first HA HA)

2007-03-23T15:07:00.000-06:00

A poopy break-through!!!

Now you know your a mom when your child does something that would have totally groosed you out as a young adult, but as a mom your over the moon.

Just to back up a bit, I decided in January I would bring down my potty from storage and give it a wash and show it to my my youngest who was a mere 18 months at that point. I wasn't asking for miracles just giving her something to think about. She has an older brother who she alway's follows into the bathroom anyway so why not give the option. Well she loved to sit on it and everytime I went in to conduct my business she would join me. The only catch was she refused to take off her diaper. To actually sit on a cold seat was just to much for her precious bottom. Well today she told me she had to "pooppy on the potty" my usual reaction was "whatever" but she insisted and so I let her into the bathroom. I asked if she wanted to go and she said yes and headed to the potty. So I took a chance and removed her pants and undershirt (the kind with buttons) and then I took off her diaper. To my suprise she was actually starting to poop and when the diaper came off she sat right down and you'll never belive it she actually did it.

MY BABY POOPED ON THE POTTY!! I am beside myself with joy and yes I know it may not happen again for another year but hey it was momentous for me and we made a huge deal out of it and she was quite elated to recieve her candy treat afterwards.

It's these little moments that give me hope that there is a light at the end of a very long poppy tunnel. Here's hopin' for more perfect moments.

2007-03-18T22:29:00.000-06:00

Tag I'm It!!

Real Mom's Have No Problem With What May Come Out Of Our Mouth's!

I have learned through my many years experiance that I am actually a really gross person and I don't care who knows. I say a real mom is someone who canbe gross and whos' kids think that's funny and husband will still sleep with them afterwards so here I am in all my glory. Love me or leave me. A real mom will never turn down a dare no matter how nasty or disgusting and will never be out done by a boy no matter how old.
So now I'm supposed to Tag 5 other people who are to find us a picture of what a real mom is, so I say Marcy, Tricia, Tracy, Tag your it. I am so pathetic that I don't know 2 other people who can tag so if you feel sorry for me then jump on the wagon and let's see what you got.
Well now that I can put up pictures there's no stopping me, wish me luck!

2007-03-16T13:55:00.000-06:00

Being Accountable!

One of the hardest things about being a parent is having to disipline your children. Not only do you need to find a punishment fitting to the crime you also need to be more and more creative each time so they don't get the desire to keep commiting the same crimes.

Well my son was caught with the evidence in hand ( or mouth as the case may be ). My hubby is a HUGE computer geek. He likes to play a game on the computer called Battlefield ( purchased by my mom Thanks alot ) and he has gotten quite involved with it. He has a set of headphones with a microphone attached so that when he is online he can chat with the other nerds while they play. Well my son has taken to wearing the headphones while he play's his games on the computer. This is ok with us but it turn's out he has also taken to chewing on the microphone. No he was not raised by dogs but he has inherited a nasty habit from his mom. Yes I to am a chewer. Well in any such case he has now broken and fryed the microphone and to say the least his dad was not very pleased. I'm very proud of my hubby though he stayed calm and didn't yell, spank or any other of the usual reactions most parents have when they find something valuable broken. He had a good chat with our boy and asked me if I would help come up with an appropriate punishment. Well after much pondering here's what I came up with....

As of right now he is responsible for paying back his dad the money used for purchsing the headphones. He will do 3 additional chores to his regular load and when each said chore is done I will give him $1.00, until he has $50.00 saved. That money will then go to replacing his dads toy.

He must do the following chores that are usually his dads responsiblity's each and everyday...
1: Clean out the cat litter everyday.
2: Do the dinner dishes with Sally (our little tenant) every night.
3: Clean the two living rooms every night before bed.

To a 5 year old it's a mountain of chores, especially when he still has to feed the cat's twice a day, clean his room everyday, and help set the table each night for dinner. Call me cruel but hey for the most part he's a pretty great kid. I think I'm doing all right with this one. If only I could find the manual for his sister. I'm not a perfect mom but I'm doing the best the kind and if you ever meet all my dayhome kids you hopefully would agree I'm not bad. Yes I'm a little arrogant but hey you spend as much time with this many little people and you would toot your own horn once in awhile as well.

Happy parenting!

2007-03-14T14:03:00.000-06:00

PMS Overload!!

Ever since I gave birth to my beautiful little girl I have turned into the biggest b*%&## ever. I was fine after my son but with her I'm not sure what happened. My period is normal but the week before I am such a bag!!!!

Heaven help my family for when Mama's not happy ain't nobody happy! God bless my husband yesterday for being smart enough to just wrap his arms around me and hug me and say nothing at all after I almost put my fist through the wall. And yes I can do that now. 9 yrs of marriage and two baby's later I'm much more open about my feelings. Thankfully that's why I have diet pop and girlfriends who love me no matter what. Also a hubby who alway's knows when I need a little girl time.

My kids are really good to ( all 6 of them ) they just seem to know when I need them to be exceptionally well behaved and they do a great job. Don't get me wrong I have a wonderful life and an amazing family but I am still a woman and when my hormones start rushing get out of my way. Would I rather be man, heck no! Would I want there jobs NO. Although sometimes I think that would be easier then having my 3 jobs and running a home all the time. But hey I think I do a pretty good job. Just cause I look hot in the pants doesn't mean I don't like trading them in for a cute little flared mini sometimes.

Don't worry my friends I purchased a box of Midol and I'm good to go. If all else fails take pills right? How do you deal with your PMS?

2007-03-14T14:02:00.000-06:00

Inquiring minds want to know?

If I started a blog that was just weight loss tips and suggestions would anybody read it?

Let me know what you think.

2007-03-14T13:46:00.000-06:00

I Struck Liquid Gold!

If any of my readers are not Mormom (such as myself) you may think I'm totally crazy but I found something I've been without for a very long time. You better be sitting for this. I found Caffeine Free Iced Tea made with Slenda at Wal-mart last night. It's in the little packages for your water bottle and they are flavored ( I bought Tangerine ) I am in love right now. I havn't had Iced Tea in years and it's the one thing I miss the most since I joined the church. I don't miss beer, or smoking and wasn't into anything illegal, but iced tea was a favorite. Well deprived I am no more. And It's made with Splenda so it's Weight Watcher friendly. I was so excited to actually drink water today and that hasn't happened for a long time. I even like it more then my diet pepsi and I didn't think that was possible.

You know it's the little things that make life work for me. I let you know what other finds I come across. I did come across some berries and creme Dr Pepper and it's not that great. I prefer the cherry vanilla much better but hey I can say I gave it a shot. On a scale of 10 it's a 5-6.

2007-03-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Boy's, Boy's, Boy's!

This weekend we had the privledge of having the Brown family come and spend the weekend with us. I have forgotten what 4 boy's in one house canbe like and it reminded me that my house is not as big as I would one day like to have. We had sooooo much fun. Tracy's middle boy was turning 5 and we were able to celebrate his birthday with him. How much fun!!! As you all know I love to make birthday cakes and No I am not the fancyest or best but I still love to try. We made Keagan a "Sword" cake. You know like Knights and stuff. It was pretty fun and the boy's loved it. Then the dad's took them to the monster truck show and let us mom's have a break. It was mucho fun and I know the boy's really enjoyed each other. After they all left my son asked if he could send Keagan a letter telling him how much fun he had and asked me to mail it. (will be mailed today Tracy)

I love our visits with the Tracy and Jamie. We had som much history and so many fond memories (some of which I need to remind them of due to some peoples short memories Ha Ha). Jamie booked us girls our trip to Florida on saturday. Yee Haw. 5 days with no kids, husbands or work to take of. If you know how crazy my life is you would really appreciate that. I can't wait to be in the sun and shop and hang out with no responsibilitys at all. We have a good group going down and it will be soooooo much fun.

On of the promises I made myself this year was to have a little more fun and this will be a great way to start. Oh and our shopping spree at Value Village on saturday was a good way to kick it off as well. Thanks Tracy for more great memories and I can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks for our pre-florida weekend. Stay tuned for the post on that bad boy.

Well laundry awaits and then I'm off to tend to the babes. Have a great day.

2007-03-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Friendship and Me!!

It has recently come to my attention that a very good friend of mine has been misinformed that she is thought of by someone as something she is not. I won't go into detail but I have a few thoughts on how I feel about the friendships I've made.

Growing up I never really made a whole lot great friends, I was not very popular and really not very well liked because of whatever reasons. I grew up in the era where material things meant alot more to young kids then they ever should have. Fortunatly though as I approached young womenhood there were some wonderful people who were ready and willing to be there for me through thick and thin. Part of me want's to tell you about each and everyone of them but I could be here for hours and who knows what the kids could to the house in that time.

Let's group some of you together. Tricia and Marcy. You guys have been with me through school, many boyfriends until we found the right one's, weddings, baby's, moving away and so many other little things in between. You know me well and even though I only see you once a year now, when we are together it's like time waits for those moments. I love that no matter what you were there for me and no matter what you alway's will be. You are both kind and loving and think only of others when your needed. I love you.

Jenny you are my saving grace. When I need you, you are 110% there for me. You keep me sane and never do you make me irritated or annoyed. Our kids are close and that makes our friendship even more better. You are the sister I should have had and not just because your mom is crazy. I love our 12 phone calls a day and even when they are only 30 sec. long. I would not make through my long day's without you. I love you.

Tracy, you know things about me that no one else knows. You have seen me grow as a latterday saint in ways no one could. You have been my example and my strength for so many years. Your family is like my own and I wouldn't be the person I am today without you and them. You make me a far trendier mom then I would ever be on my own. You bling me up when I am all frumped out and I havn't worn my overalls since you looked at me with such disapointment that day Ha Ha. You are beautiful and wonderful and I love how you glow with that spirit. I still have never seen a more beautiful bride than you were on your wedding day and I have seen alot of brides, but none that shone with your light. I love you.

Tina and Mary, you two are the reason God brought me to Calgary. We have needed each other in may ways and I am honered to know you two and your family's. You are me family out here and I would be so lonely if it wasn't for your friendships. We have been through more things in 4 yrs then I have been through in 30 yrs, and that is know exageration. I love you both for your courage and strength and hope that you will always turn to me in your hour of need as I know I have turned to you guys in mine. I love you.

As for the rest of you girls, I love all of you. I have been blessed by so many wonderful women in my life that it's hard to put all I want to say in words. Thank you for letting me ramble on and when I am old and gray, well old anyway, I can look back on these words and remember how loved I really am.

Thank you!

2007-03-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

A fresh new look!!

Well I finally did it!

I got brave enough to actually paint a room in my house. My daughters room was my first attempt at designing and I have to say I did an awesome job. Her room is now a beautiful shade of Lavender that we found in a mistint pile at Canadian tire for $10.00. Then I stenciled all the young women values (faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge choice and accountability, good works and integrity) all around the top of the room. Above her closet though it say's " A daughter of God " with the values following after. They are all painted a light pink with a dark pink outline. Then I stamped (yes that's right marcy and tricia I stamped) daisy's all around on either side of each phrase. Then I got white curtains and hung them in her window and tied them with some pink ribbon so you can still see out the window. I am in love with this room. It feels so feminine and girly. and I hope when she's older she can appreciate the wisdom in the words that will surround her. It's my first attempt at being really creative with our home and I LOVED IT!!! I can't wait to do another project now and hone in on my painting skills. I think I'm scaring my hubby though. I did get a few spots of purple on the ceiling but my touch up work was pretty dang good. Now I need to my son's room and I'm envisioning the colors of Spiderman. I won't do a spiderman themed room. but red and blue would be pretty cool, and the blue would match his bed perfectly, but I guess I should let him have say seeing as he is 5 yrs old and will probably have an opinion of his own. Curse you independence I miss the day's when I could think for them. Oh well as soon as I take some pictures of baby girls room I will post them for all to see. And if for some weird reason you don't like it keep it to yourself I like the my happy bubble just the way it is. Ha Ha

2007-02-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just Another Day In Paradise!!

If you want to call 5 days of straight snow paradise. Don't get me wrong I love this city but Holy Crap the snow is getting old. Yes Yes I know we havn't had much this year but it's a good thing we havn't cause I'd probably lose my mind. It's pretty to look at but if I hafe to sweep the snow off my steps one more time today I'm gonna lose it.

Well now that my rant is over, it's been a pretty good day thus far. The house is almost clean, the laundry is half done and I stole an hour to cuddle with my baby girl and snooze in the rocking chair. I really don't have anything profound to say but I thought that if I don't get something down while I have a moment I may never see the light of the computer again.

I did have the opportunity to have a date with my hubby on friday night. We do try to fit each other on once in awhile but life tends to get in the way so much. Well much to my surprise he made a reservation at a quaint little italian resturant and we had a wonderful dinner. The food was amazing, I love the Olive Garden but the portions here put them to shame. It was soooo good even hubby couldn't finish his and had to pack it up to bring home. (first time in 10 yrs I've seen him do that) It was nice to dress up and be a grown up for a change. I must add that I was quite hot, so hot in fact I turned myself on staring at me. I have discovered the wondrous world of the corset. No lady's they are not only good for getting him riled up in a bad way, but my waist shrunk and my belly was as flat as it was before I got married and popped out 2 kids. I was GORGEOUS!!!! I like to think of myself as fairly humble but hey I am allowed to let loose once in awhile.

My children are wonderful, my son is growing up too fast for me, but I have learned that he still loves to cuddle under a blanket with his mom and watch cartoons on a sunday afternoon. My little girl is becoming quite the little girl. She has a new love of sitting on my lap while I do my hair on sunday morning and then she will let me curl hers. She has the straightest hair ever and when it's curly she looks just like me when I was her age. She melts my heart and wraps her daddy ever tighter around that little finger of hers.

So I guess snow and all my world is pretty good, even a little like paradise sometimes. We are heading off to Edmonton this weekend for some hair and family time. The best part will be that we are arriving on friday which is Tracy Browns birthday and we will be off to celebrate once we arrive. YEE HAW. It's always fun when us girls get together and this will be no exception.

See ya then.

2007-02-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Resolutions, Resolutions, Resolutions!!

We all say were not going to set resolutions, but we will set goals, or a plan or just try to do better this year at whatever it is needs to be better. I've got news for you, no matter what you call it, it's still a resolution. We guess what I'm in there like a dirty shirt.

Goal #1: Remove as much debt as possible
Goal #2: Lose 10 Lbs (again)
Goal #3: Possibly have another baby
Goal #4: Not work myself into the ground (oops to late)
Goal #5: Spend more time with my hubby (see I can't even remember his name)

They are typical resolutions but hey I'm a pretty typical girl. So if you have any tips for any of them pleeeesssseee let me know I need all the help I can get.

What are your plan for the new year let me know and let me help.

2007-02-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

One hot 30 year old!!

Yes folks that's right I am 30 years old now and I am hot. I had a great birthday this year. Probably the best I've had in years. My wonderful friend Jen the mom, planned a swinging party at a pub here in the NW, it was not the pub she was thinking of but you know what it was just what we all needed after a week with sick kids. We watched a couple of hockey games, shot some pool, did some karaoke. It was a blast. We did have a party pooper in our midst but that pooper left and we resumed our good time. I havn't laughed so hard ever in my life. Tara even got the bartender to make me a virgin shooter. A muff diver if you can belive it. For those who are unsure, you take a very large martini glass and place a shot glass inside. My shooter this evening was Coke and Grenadine, then you fill the whole thing up with whipping cream and bury the shot glass. My job was to stick my face inside the martini glass and dig out the shot glass with my tongue and shot er back. Well a drink virgin I may be but a tongue one I am not and I was quite successfull in finding said shot glass. It was a riot.

It was sooo much fun, and I am so grateful to have a friend like Jen who would take the time plan such a great night for me. I have been so richly blessed with friends in my life. I may not have any real sisters but the women in my life make it complete. Thank you Jen for making 30 a little less painful then it could have been, you just wait till yours, you ain't seen nothin'.

2007-02-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Happy FEBRUARY New Year!!

Soooooo Sorry for the delay but my life has turned into the dayhome, hair salon, Weight Watcher world of crazyness. Don't get me wrong I love my life but holy crap what have I gotten myself into.

Well for anyone who may be wondering we had an amazing christmas. My whole family was here and it's been 4 years since we were all together ove the holidays.

First Nana and Papa arrived with Tara and her three kids in tow. Then Donn and Brandi and Emma-lee showed up two days later, and Scott arrived two days after that. Our home was full and fortunatly so was our fridge. Everyone came happy and healthy and my chlidren made sure to share all there germs with the Emma (10 months) and she came down with her first cold. I felt like the worst aunty in the world but fortunalty for me she loved me best and it was non stop kisses for aunty. She is the cutest little thing I have ever seen. My kids are definalty cute but Emma is a jewel and I can't wait to watch her grow.

We didn't stray to far from home to often, it's amazing how much work it is to herd that many people out the door in the morning. Church was a feat in itself, but yes my whole family went to church with me and it was soooo wonderful to have the spirit surround us all together. We did manage to get to the zoo and the kids were perfect, we went to banff on christmas eve, we did lots of shopping. Nana and Papa were in a spending mood and spoiled all of us the whole visit. Our evenings were full of Karaoke and cards and more laughter then I've had in a long time. I love being with my family and especially my brothers. We are so different yet we can laugh at the same things and also at ourselve's. I really wanted to show my big brother how grown up I really am. That I can keep a home, a job, kids, and a hubby and still keep my sanity. I don't know why I've never grown out of wanted to impress him but I havn't and I guess I will always be that way. I look up to him and love him and just want him to know I'm o.k. My baby brother I just want to take care of, he has been my best friend for most of my life and alot of my favorite memories are of him and I doing really simple things and mostly just being there for each other. I would do anything for both of them and I know those feelings are returned.
Now my sister in law, I need to live closer to. She is so freekin funny. She comes across as quiet and shy but that is just a cover, she can be loud and hold her own in a poker game. She is a famtastic mom and a great wife to my brother. I loved giving her a makeover at 10 at night. There's nothing like removing facial hair from the ones you love. She got plucked, dyed, cut and streaked all in one night and it was sooooo much fun. She looked awesome. I can't for our next visit so we can re-live and make new memories together.

It was also great to see Tara and the kids again and see how much the kids have grown and changed. It was also a shock to see how much tara shrunk. Skinny cow lost 45 lbs and never told me she had till she got here and suprised us all. She looked hot and I forgot how much I missed our talks and visits. It was also really fun to chop all of her and Britt's hair off. I never get tired of that!!

All in all it was a fabulous holiday and I look forward to the next one but holy crap am I glad it's a whole year from now.

2006-12-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

There Is Something Terribly Wrong With Me!

If your not sure what I mean let me explain....

I have a disease called the " can't say NO to anything " disease. Let me go further...

Tammy can you cut my hair RIGHT NOW? Why sure come on over. (never mind the fact that it's 10pm and I've been up since 6am)

Tammy can you find a gift for my parents (my in-laws) to give to them in two days? Sure I'm up for the challenge of buying for the two hardest people in the world ever.

Tammy can we bake cookies and peanut brittle and rice krispy squares shaped like candy canes and fudge and chocolates and make christmas cards TODAY? Sure I only have 4 clients and a Weight Watcher meeting to do tonight.

Tammy can you watch 12 kids, cut hair, bake for the neighborhood, sing in the choir, dance on your head, sew a new dress, wrap all the presents and keep the house clean and not serve corn dogs for dinner. Sure I'm at your service.

HELP ME I HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!!!

I cannot say no to anyone, why is that.

I love to make people happy that's why I cut hair and teach Weight Watchers. I love to make people love themselves and love what I can make them become. I need to remember though that supermom was my mom and I do not need to be that women. My mom was amazing but I can bet my life she was probably very tired some days. I am tired most days. I have this thing that when I'm tired my body lets me know by starting to ache. It usually starts in my legs and works it's way up my back and If I've really pushed my self my arms start to ache as well. Yesterday I could barely lift up my arms to drive home from my W.W. meeting and I arrived home only to be joined my a full head of highlights, which if you want to do a half decent job you do need to lift them slightly higher then my waist. Well three Advil later I was on my way to giving said client and beautiful head of hair that I know will knock her hubbys socks off. I on the other hand was not a happy girl when the alarm went off at 6am and I dragged my butt out of bed to start a new day this morning. I need some calgon take me away time. Not happening though. I am heading off to Edmonton tomorrow to do 8 more heads of hair before the holidays start.

Why do I do this you ask? Well we will have a very merry christmas this year because of it and in the end I REALLY love what I do. I love making women good about themselves and I love feeling needed and I know that alot of my clients could never afford these luxuries if I didn't offer them. I keep prices low so we can afford to feel good and not feel guilty. So hey I will back on Sunday night and if I can make you good this holiday please let me and if not I will sure as heck be waiting for buisness in the new year.

2006-12-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Are We There Yet?

Crap this holiday is exhausting!! Have I mentioned I have 18 people coming for Christmas this year. It's not that I'm not excited because I'm totally pumped, but holy crap I am tired. I have tried to be as relaxed as I can but all of a sudden I realize that the gifts are not bought, the tree only just went up yesterday, the house is still a disaster (even after a full trunk load went to the 2nd hand store) and I'm really stinkin' tired. So what am I doing to remedy it, I am sitting here on Jen the Mom's computer while she pick's up her kids and I hang out at her house and pretend that the mess in my house doesn't exist. Is it working?

I have had lot's of drama in my life lately none that I can go into great detail about at the moment but let me tell you life is never dull when you have friends and family like mine. I love the people in my life but WOW am I grateful for my uneventful life and my boring kids and husband. Knock on wood life stays boring for awhile. Jen the Mom was right when she said I suffer from a disease called the can't say NO disease. I am going to duct tape my mouth shut on the first of January so I can hopefully have a restful month. How much you wanna bet that that won't last long. Oh well at least I'm never looking for something to do.

On a positive note the kids and I did get a good start on the holiday shopping last night and we may be done by the end of the weekend. Well maybe not done but at least almost there. I hope all your preparations are going well and don't worry the Christmas cards will hopefully be mailed out by Monday. Miss Tricia Price was the official first holiday card that arrived at our home today and was soon followed by one from Ron and Bel Bishop.

See you soon

2006-11-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

A Growing Family!!

Don't get all worked up, It's not what your thinking. Our new additions have come in many forms and shapes and sizes. First off we are the proud parents of a 18yr old teenage girl let's call her Sally ( sorry creppy people no real names used here. ). She comes to us from Kamloops B.C. and is a Massage Therapy student going to school and working here in Calgary. We LOVE her. She is a wonderful addition to our home. The kids love her and so do hubby and I. She is the teenage pregnancy I should have had. She is funny and charming and so well matched to our little family. Yes she is member of our church and so family prayers have been added onto. Now we are learning how to worry about a teen when she goes out on dates and I find myself waiting up for her. Hubby checks out all the guys she brings around ( although it's only one guy she's smitten with ) and we have an extra set of hands to help with the kids and that is priceless. We have tried to make her arrangement with us as similar to home as we can and according to her weve done a good job. Welcome home Sally and we hope your here for while.

Secondly we have also adopted my hubbys latest baby, a 52 inch LG t.v. It's a DLP, rear projection t.v that hubby has been looking for for almost 6 months now. We looked and looked and had given up the dream for awhile when sweet Sally called from work ( Electronics store ) and said that one had been returned, repaired and left behind and the store wanted it gone for $800.00 including the stand. Well that's better then the $4000.00 we thought we would have to spend to get what we wanted. So needless to say it is proudly displayed inour basement and hubby is feeling like the million dollar man right now. Thank you Sally!

I on the other hand have the project of getting ready for this up comming holiday of merryment. Am I feeling merry yet? well it depends on the moment. Last night after picking up a few gifts and wrapping them I felt pretty good. Today while I dusted the house and tryed to re organize the entire house Not so much merryness here. I have 18 people comming for the holidays and my house is only 1350 sq ft. It's good thing we developed the basement or I would be Merrily screwed. It will be a tight squeeze but we will make it work somehow. If you have any suggestions please let me know I could use all the help I can get.