An Ordinary Day in My Life

So, a friend of mine nominated me to post a picture a day that showed an ordinary day in my life for seven days.  Lets be honest ... the last few days have not been thrilling especially since  I find my family entertaining enough to have made this blog years ago and filled it full of humour, love, and laughter.  After all, I am sure most of you remember December 24, 2015 -  I swear officer, we are an honest family.  Yep I am going there ... If you read that previous posts about two certain toads and fish and wildlife you might want to stick around and read this one to the end.  HONEST Officer ... I swear we are an honest family.  Finally a real ordinary day for us.  Don't know what the heck I am talking about?  Take a moment to check it out ... Far right column- Out of the mouth of Keegan - First entry 

Day 6 - An Ordinary Day in My Life 
So now that I have your attention and you are familiar with our Toad situation and our near escape from being convicted of a criminal offence I can tell you about today.  My day started at 05:00 - (hard to get up that early when you have done nothing but sleep for days because of a flu).  06:00 - En route to work I was stuck in a major traffic delay due to a train guard being stuck in the down position.  08:30 - One patient transfer out from Leduc and back, followed by 3 lift assists (allowing me to feel like a Firefighter again.)  15:30 - Pit stop after work at Costco.  16:30 - Ending with Hot drinks and a fine gentleman that I am proud to call my husband.

Ending is the key word.  I finally get in the door hang up my jacket, and start putting the groceries away when a familiar blue and red light out the window catches my eye.  I run upstairs to inconspicuously check out whats going on.  Just as I look out the window I see someone pointing to our house.  This is all too familiar and I immediately starting asking everyone what illegal activity THEY took part in.  Ginny heads out to move the garbage can that was previously frozen to the end of the driveway thinking perhaps that was the issue.  Yes we are now that paranoid.  Then it happens.  Ginny comes to the door and sheepishly says "Mom ... Someone is here to talk to you."  Not again! I swear I didn't harbour any illegal reptiles, rodents, or animals of any kind.  Sure enough, there at the my door is Benoit, our familiar town Peace Officer.  Of course he has to make me even more paranoid by starting out with "The neighbour has an issue ...... An issue with a porcupine in their back yard and I was wondering if someone could assist me in capturing it."  A big sigh of relief "Heck yah!' I said.  Long and forgotten were the toads and any other thoughts of recurring offenses.  I once again dawned my EMS jacket and my duty boots, this time aiding and abiding in transferring the neighbours fugitive pet .... with the LEGAL help of a Peace Officer ... Well ok ....  He may have done all the work.  I just held the flash light.  All in An Ordinary Day of My Life.

Feeling Full!

I am a little behind on my blogging so I may jump around a bit in the next few posts but tonight as I turned off the t.v, took a look around at my kitchen that has recently had a deep clean, made my way through the entry way and up the stairs to our bedroom I felt ... Full.  :) Proud in a sense.  I love our home.  I love the fire place on a cool fall evening.  I love knowing that our hot tub on the deck is only a few steps away.  I love going to bed with a freshly cleaned/organized house.  I love waking up to an empty sink.

I remembered that I had opened Keegan's window today to let some fresh air in so when I went to close it I could hear the familiar sound of music coming from Malakai's room.  :) Every night before bed he turns his christian music on very low so he can fall asleep to it.  I don't know what has gotten into him in the last few months but before, he used to throw the biggest fit when you told him it was bed time.  Lately he gets mad if you let time go by and forget to tell him to go to sleep.  Now when you tell him its bed time, he listens right away and heads straight up to bed with no arguing.

As I turned off his music, I couldn't help but smile.  There he was, all tucked up in the corner of his new bed.

As crazy as today started out, and with how uneasy I felt for the better part of the day.  I ended on a very different not.  

Tonight I have that genuine warm and fuzzy feeling.  Tonight my heart feels full!

Precious Visits

For months my mind would take me down horrible paths where mom was at her worst.  The times she fell in the bathroom and I was the only one dad would call.  The time where Blaine and I showed up before the Emergency Gala and she was so out of it that she couldn't even stay awake to carry on a conversation with us.  Or the last time she was in the hospital, only moments before she passed away.  For some reason every time my mind would go there I would let it and re live it over and over and over again.

It took time and coaxing from Blaine before I finally locked those pictures in a closet somewhere in the depths of my brain and opened new doors filled with happier memories.  It was when I did that, that I started dreaming of her.  Oh how I love her visits in my dreams.  They are usually very short visits and not always good.  I recently had a dream where she was scolding me.  I didn't wake up very pleasant that morning.  Blaine can agree with that.  Last night was the best visit of all though.  Please don't think I am a quack and that I "see" dead people.  :)  It was only when writing this that I refer to them as visits.  I will explain why, or rather you will soon understand but first let me catch you up on how last night came about.  

On Thursday morning at 6:00am Blaine pulled out of our driveway on his motorbike.  All that he took was enough gear to get him through a 4 day adventure, across the border, down twisty roads, and through the mountains with 17 guys and their treasured possessions.  So, for the last 3 days I have cleaned, purged, and organized.  I thought of him often and had a hard time falling asleep without him by my side.  Last night I especially struggled since I had my airbrakes course early this morning.  It was nearly 11:00pm when I finally began to fall asleep.  

As I laid in bed, my eyes closed, my breathing steady, sleep nearer and nearer, I was transported to the living room at the acreage.  As I looked towards moms chair I heard her laughter and there she was, sitting in her fav. chair, still in her p.j's and a smile on her face.  She laughed and said how glad she was that I was able to stop in for a visit.  I can't quite remember what we said but the conversation was long and filled with laughter.  She asked me how I was doing and talked about her birds and how she enjoys watching them.  The craziest part was that the whole time I was aware that I was not fully asleep.  Tears began to stream down my cheeks.  My breath was caught in my throat.  I willed her to stay.  She stayed, and continued to talk and laugh with me.  Soon though, she was gone as quickly as she came.  

As I laid in my bed, my pillow wet with tears I remembered the last course that I was in.  I resigned halfway through the course because mom had passed away only 2 days before.  Perhaps that is why my mind lead me to this precious visit.  God knew that without Blaine by my side, I needed my mom more than ever.   

It doesn't end there though.  My alarm was set for 5:15am but before it went off my dad and I were driving down the Buford road with a beautiful winter wonderland surrounding us.  As I looked out to the side, past my dad driving There was my mom, trudging down a snowing path with three of her greatest friends.  She smiled again and said "I know, I know, don't always rush me."  She then looked at me with a sarcastic expression like she usually did when Dad rushed her.  :)  I immediately woke up and realized it was 5:08.  I would wake up any morning before my alarm with a visit as precious as that one.        

Determination

Yesterday as Blaine and I drove to Home Depot I felt this overwhelming surge of emotion.  What the heck is wrong with me I thought, and then I quickly realized it was a good emotion, a full heart feeling, an excitement of the things I have accomplished lately and the feeling of Joy and Peace.

After ending a week of 4 structure fires, 2 river rescues and 2 flooded basements, all in 72 hours and during the deep hours of sleep I was exhausted. Following that I babysat our sweet Eden for the weekend and was so blessed with an overabundance amount of hugs, kisses and "I llla  luuuu's".

During my week of lack of sleep I had overheard Chief talking about a workout that he wanted all of us to start doing together.  The workout is called INSANITY and all he could say is that it was very hard.  My thoughts immediately went to a bunch of men and myself, stuck in our training room sweating to death and me making an absolute fool of myself.  So, instead of waiting a month until this began I decided to start without them.  

So while I was with Eden I watched the clips and mentally prepared myself for the worst and began to set some goals.  For 6 days straight I set my alarm for 7:00am.  The minute my alarm when off I would fight all instincts to press snooze and sleepily drag my butt out of bed.  I would then dress in my work out gear and proceed to gulp (gag) down a glass full of my Greens Plus followed by half a banana.  I learned quick that is about all I can handle in my stomach before doing such and intense workout.  From there I would head into the office and begin the 40 minutes of H*&%%.  

Insanity is a perfect word for this workout.  It is the only word that can be used to describe it.  So, for 5 days this was my routine.  On Saturday (day 6) I woke up and thought "I must do it now!! Or I never will get it done today if I don't."  As soon as I was done I felt such accomplishment.  6 full days of working out!  6 full days of that disgusting drink!  6 full days of not hitting snooze!  And in those days I have improved enough that I can actually get through the entire warmup without stopping.  Yes I said warm up.  It really is that insane!!  Followed by that Ginny and I made some banana bread and Blaine and I worked hard together landscaping our rental unit.  

My house is still unkept, my laundry is still behind but I don't really care about that right now.  I spent time with my kids.  I spent time on a project with my fav. person, and I even canned for the very first time, making 2 jars of Choke Cherry Apple Butter.  I am also finally at peace with the trailer in a horrible state and still being on the market.  I am moving up, leaps and bounds and I feel so good.  Now I just have to get through the next 8 weeks. :)  

Laughter is the best medicine.

Yesterday Ginny and I headed into the Stollery to visit Avery, Yvonne and of course, brand new little Jaylynn.  It was so good to connect again.  Yvonne is trying her hardest to keep Avery's fluids up and keep her eating good fighting foods and Avery is in good enough spririts to be stubborn and not want to eat what her mother is feeding her.  

Today I headed out to the Petkau homestead to lend a helping hand while Mom and Dad are in the hospital and working.  I haven't been there for quite some time and a part of me was nervous, wondering how the visit might go without Yvonne there.  I had a plan though and some tricks up my sleeve.  Every time we would visit the Petkau family Blaine would always play this special game that the kids would love.  Since there are so many youngsters all close together he rarely remembered their names.  All the kids would crowd the entry way when we arrived and he would start rattling off some names asking the kids if they were so and so.  They would roar with laughter each time.  Since the youngest one was just born the last time I saw them I had no choice but to play that silly game.  Little Carston, the youngest had the most fun with it, correcting me till I got them all right. Unfortunately Ginny missed Haven and Darby since they went to the hospital with their dad for a visit.  I promised her another visit real soon.

Things felt as normal as ever, especially when Riley handed off Carston to me and so bluntly said "You can go to Mrs. Anderson, She is nice Carston."  I have never known the Petkau's to invite a "none nice" person into their home. :)  We quickly gathered the supplies that Ginny and I brought and got to work on a great project for Avery.  Soon we took a break for lunch, all the while little Tristyn informed me that she was too big for naps and that I must be her momma for today. :)  Once we got back on track with our craft she informed me of what needed to be put where.  She sat on my knee, rocked back and forth, giggled and talked none stop.  Little Whitney ever so gently tapped me on the shoulder asking me to help her or to ask the odd question.  I saw new personalities, as well as hints of familiar ones.  Cierra has always been  the more outdoorsy type.  She used to love to catch bugs and play in the mud with Keegan.  The Cierra I saw today was growing into quite the young lady.  More responsibilities on her shoulders but still ready to run off with the younger ones in a heart beat.  We took some pictures for the craft and had a wonderful time being silly.

The whole while, little Tristyn reminded me that I brought ice cream and wondered when we were going to have our little snack.  I couldn't help but bring ice cream, caramel sauce and smarties to make sundaes.  Of course, I brought banana's as well.  Ginny and Riley ate up their banana's first so that they could savour the ice cream part. :)  It was a wonderful day.  As we wrapped up the afternoon little Tristyn asked me when we were coming again.  I assured her that we would return sometime soon.  "What will you bring next time?"  She asks.  "Hmm how about chocolate chips so we can make some chocolate chip cookies?" I reply.  "Oh yummy!!!"

It was such a great day and Ginny and I were blessed beyond measures.

A small reminder

Months ago I was off to Slave Lake in my nephews 'farm truck'.  As I winded that long stretch of burnt remains of what once was a forest I literally had no idea of what was in store for me.  I had gone under the assumption that I was going to be going through the remains of peoples basements, hunting for valuables.  What I was thrown into was nothing of the sort.

I was tossed into the lions den as I entered the most chaotic room ever.  The phones were ringing, people were shouting orders, and drawing up plans on huge sticky notes hung on the wall.  I was soon put to work entering data.  when my first day/night was done I had put in a 14 hours shift.  I had no idea that my body was even capable of such a thing.  The hardest part was knowing that I had to do it all over again the next day.

As I went to bed that first night I set my alarm for 6:40am.  Ever since that morning I have never changed that alarm on my phone.  Every morning when it normally goes off I am usually rushing about doing laundry, packing lunches, rushing kids.  This morning however with no kids around, I heard my alarm.  As I rushed over and checked why my phone was going off, a flood of anxiousness hit me.

I remembered the first feeling I got when that alarm went off.  Today of all days that feeling is still there.  I was hit with a rush of being used in such a unique way, a rush of fear, uncertainty, loneliness, excitement and a rush of Joy.  Ironically the first time I have really clued into that alarm since Slave Lake is today, the day I receive my pager and get recognized as a volunteer firefighter.

Where does the time go?

Again I find myself admiring the kids and their little quirks. Each month is like a new deposit to my memory bank.

This weeks deposits ...

It amazes me how every night Ginny prays that we will have "a great time, and a fantastic time tomorrow." I wonder if she ever thinks "Wow that day sucked. God sure didn't answer me last night." Ginny is our athletic one. Every day after school she asks to go roller blading. We knew she wanted roller blades but we really had no idea at how much she would LOVE them. It amazes me at how well she made new friends in our area. What a sweet heart she has. Funny thing that she has troubles making friends at school though. When we ask her how come she can't seem to find anyone to be friends with out of twenty some students her reply is ... "Well, all the girls in my class just walk around at recess. No one ever plays on the monkey bars or the swings like I do." She was ecstatic to find that over a weekend they put up monkey bars and a swing set on the older kids side of the field.

Keegan got a snake on Sunday. His heart did a double beat when we finally, after years of begging agreed to buy him a corn snake. The only reason I said yes was because I felt so sorry for the salamanders that he was trying to keep. For some reason spending $5.00 a month on pinkies seemed more reasonable than $15.00 on crickets that died before they even made it home. He is still such an insect lover. Last night I was reading the bible and came across something about ants. I had to call him out of bed just so I could read to him and show him that God loved him so much so that he even put ants in the bible for him. :)

This is week one that Malakai has been on his medicine for ADD. It was a hard choice but after struggling for so long I decided we had no choice but to accept this and try whatever it took to deal with it. So far, it hasn't altered his mood or his apatite. The only thing it really altered is his sleep. This evening as I was banking online he proceeded to yell down the vent ... "Mom, I have a song to sing to you ... Then he proceeds to sing down the vent "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart, I want see you." It was an awe moment for sure.

Tonight my memory bank is full and overflowing.

My Man

There is something about that man. The one that made my heart skip a beat the first time he kissed me. The one that makes me supper when I am completely done after an eventful day at work. The one that stows little love notes all over the house on our anniversary. There is something about the man that can't keep his hands from touching me, especially when I have cleaned all day and am wearing an outfit that doesn't match with my hair up in a bun. The man that holds me close and strokes my back as I shed tears of heartache. The man that bruises a rib by jumping on the trampoline with the kids. The man that says "you played good tonight" when I barely caught any balls and struck out twice. The man that I get excited to share a quick meal with before exams. The man that steals me away for a walk just to get me out of the house. The one that texts me during the day with "hey Beautiful, how is your day going? Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you. There is something abou the man that as he walks out the door he says "see you later Beautiful." The one that leans in for a kiss each morning before he leaves and tells me to have a good day. There is something about the man that has stollen my heart and held it close to his for almost 15 years. That man is my husband, my companion, my soul mate and my best friend. I love my man.

Best Birthday Ever

Wow! I have two posts in the brain so I need to catch up before it all disappears. After all, I am a year older now. The week before my birthday was kind of a downer so I had no choice but to try and make it good for myself. Tuesday night I went out and bought some Eggo waffles to make for the kids for breakfast so that they would be in better spirits when I woke up at least. It was a hit. Malakai explained that "he knew it was a special day" just because we were having waffles. It turns out that it was even more special because they were Eggo and not daddy's. Trust me when I say this though, Daddy's are far, far tastier and better for you than Eggo's.
I knew everyone at work had something planned since they told me to keep my birthday lunch free but I had no idea it would end up being that special. When they asked me to pick a restaurant I was immediately knocking out the ones I didn't want to go to. Trust me, this little town has two really good dinners but the rest can sometimes end up kind of sketchy. To my surprise we ended up at Earls in the city with more than a one hour lunch break. What an amazing time with friends. I felt so special and enjoyed myself immensely.
After work Karl came over with Ciera and we had dinner and a visit. Krista came all the way from edmonton to hand deliver a birthday card and present.
Then to wrap up my special day the "Hosers" had our routine Wednesday night game. That was also so much fun. Karl watched for a few minutes and when he left he yells out "Happy Birthday" Aunty. After that, every pitch they made, every run they made and every out we accomplished was for my birthday. I ended up making a few great catches and even a great hit. Everyone played awesome and ... We WON!!!!
Like I said, it was a super special day, with super special friends and family. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I truly felt like a princess.
I was greatly encouraged with the many unique and traditional facebook birthday wishes. I was blessed with the personal phone calls and the little added gifts that were dropped off or left sitting on my night stand.
In a time that mattered the most, God reached down and blessed me by letting me know that I am truly loved, cherished and valued. He also showed me how to make others birthdays just as special.

Picture this

Picture this ...

You are eleven years old and playing a game of hide and seek with you family. With great success you have found everyone except mom. Where or where could she be? You checked upstairs in all the rooms and closets. You looked under the beds and in the bathrooms, you even turned on the light into the closet and reached in to try and look in the cold room but the door was locked .... In a moment of such excitement it did not cross your mind that the cold room door does not lock.

Your nine year old sister comes running down the stairs to help you find that last person. Your sister has many ideas of helping you get that door unlocked however you, being the utmost fearful one in the family, shrug off the idea and proceed to head up the stairs.... But Wait!!!! Your Sister yells for you to come quick to see what she has observed.

As you round the corner and stare at the little door within the closet you notice the handle twisting back and forth. "Mom!" you shout "stop goofing around". If only we could all see the look on your face. The door stops twisting for only a few seconds but then the door slowly creaks open. Then before you even know what is going on, the door fly's open and out bursts someone with a deep holler. You lunge backward and bang you head on the wall, while your sister is already screaming at the top of the stairs. There in the door way stands your proud mom bursting with laughter as your heart is beating out of your chest.

I love Hide and Seek. The best boredom breaker of all.

The trip of many "almosts"

The holiday is done and right now is probably not a great time to be blogging. My mind is in a whirl wind of thoughts right now. I had a lot of time to think on this trip. Fortunately and unfortunately I have realized a lot about myself. I am a deep ponderer. Sometimes, most of the time I ponder too much and get way ahead of myself. Right now I wish I were still in that small trailer with my family and no ties to the world. No one expecting anything except for a nice meal and a lot of love. For now though let me humor you with our Trip of many "almosts."

We almost.....
missed out on what was to become a great holiday


We almost thought we missed the ferry because of a great visit with even greater friends



We almost
saw a Sea Otter preying on pet fish

We almost
saw a Sea Lion but soon found out it was actually a bird

We almost
had good weather

We almost
saw a Gray Whale


We almost
lost Malakai to the Ocean (if I had stopped to take an actual picture I am not sure the Ocean would have let him go.)


We almost
saw a beached Sting Ray

We almost
found the bridge to Terabithia


We almost
got out of a parking ticket (if only Blaine would have ran when I told him to.)

We almost
got to go for a boat ride on the Ocean

We almost
got blown over while sleeping in the trailer

We almost
chucked our breakfast on the ferry

We almost
had the most horrifying ferry ride ever

We almost
got to go for a hot tub

We almost
burnt down our campsite (thus causing us to lose our favorite camping chairs with years of memories, including our first mission trip. Rest in Peace dear Canadian chairs.)


We almost
caught the Easter Bunny


We almost
got caught by the in laws :)

And ..... We almost
didn't want to come home

Moon lit sledding and nature hike

One day as we traveled the bridge through the hills, and over the river Blaine said "this little town reminds me of living in Jasper". The first time I took a look at this house and saw the ravine at the end of the block I knew it was meant for us.

I Can't say I entirely agree with Blaine since I haven't yet woke up to Elk in my yard, bears hanging out in sheds or the beautiful view of mountains but I undertood.

As a child he would ride his bike through the mountain side, go sledding down the largest hills and build forts in the trees. Each adventure was a new experience. As a teen I remember taking Sunday hikes with my dad. I was so afraid that we would run into a Bear but spending the time with my dad was worth it. Then when Blaine and I were dating we would climb this one mountain in particular (It wasn't as treacherous as it sounds, there were stairs and a sight seeing legend at the top). Anyways, I remember sitting up there together, talking about our future and what it held for us.

16 years later we have taken that passion and instilled in into our kids. We love hiking with the kids and take the chance when ever we can. Last night we took out our toboggan's and had so much fun sliding all the way down. By the time we got to the bottom it was dark and the moon lit our path. Keegan freaked out when I saw a bunch of deer running into the bushes. Later he freaked me out as he yelled "DEER, DEER, DEER" with my back towards them. I admit .... I didn't hear deer. I distinctly heard BEAR and the way he was acting even you would have thought that was his reason for freaking out. Then as we struggled with toboggans, and piggy backing Malakai up the trail I knew what Blaine was getting at. This was our third time hiking this trail but each time is a new experience.

So, if living here with out the high cost of Everything , the unlimited transients and bears :) means that I still get the Jasper benefits. I'm game.

Christmas

I love Christmas! I love any holiday that involves my whole family getting together and having fun. It is noisy, it is chaotic but most of all it is fun and wonderful. I love being a part of a large family, although it is rare that the "whole" family always makes it for one event. There is usually someone always missing. However most of my Nieces and Nephews are into their teens now and since I am the youngest in the bunch it is usually Blaine and I that end up having the most fun with them. In the summer we have giant fires and play kick the can. In the fall we go for long hikes to the trestle near by and throw rocks at the train signs. In the winter we sometimes get the buggies out and rip them around a bit. It is fun being the "fun" ones.

In just 3 more sleeps our house will be filled with laughter, noise and chaos. It is an estimated guess that 25 peoples will crowd in our new little home and join us for the best holiday of the season.

Blaine and I both have Christmas Eve off and we plan to start a new tradition by lighting a candle for Baby Jesus. Hopefully if all goes well, our candle will stay lit until late in the evening. Everyone will start to arrive at 3pm and when everyone has settled we will pray for each other and for the fun that will begin. Usually we always draw names but after years and years of that, it is expected of who will get you and who you will eventually get. This year we are doing the gift exchange where everyone brings a gift and steals a gift. It will be interesting. After all that it is time to fill our bellies with the best German food... Buns, cheeses, meats and lots of goodies. Mmmmmm! When we are all filled up, we will be heading out the door to either go home or to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at the church.

It is so neat to see the kids all dressed up sometimes towing along a new Christmas stuffy or wearing a new Christmas hat. They love getting to be big and holding onto that stick of fire. Ginny usually belts the silent night as long as she can showing her pride with every word. Malakai stares at the flame, trying his hardest not to succumb to sleep. Keegan smiles with his big adult teeth and hugs the one closest to him.

After trudging the kids home and tucking them in, they are bound to have troubles sleeping with the excitement of Santa coming.

The next morning they rush for their stockings and beg for us to wake up. Daddy will make us breakfast and then we drive to Grandma and Grandpas for more gift opening and a wonderful, very classy Christmas dinner.

What are your plans for Christmas??

Our continuous journey forward

I read a quote one day and it has been one of those quotes that has stuck in my head ever since (if I get enough courage you just may see it tattooed on my foot but that is a whole other post :).

My Quote: Life is a Journey, not a destination!

This one quote has held so much truth in our lives. We were Youth leaders, Drama directors, Awana Leaders and now Pre Teen leaders. Blaine did a shocker roo and decided one day to switch careers while another day deciding that it wasn't good for him and went back to electrical. I went from 10 years of being a stay at home mom to a full time Administrative Assistant. And yes as many remind us, we have a tenancy to move on a regular basis. The most awesome part of it all is that this whole time we have been loving friends, loving teens, loving children and loving each other. God has led us down this journey and all though there are times that we struggle and ask the why's or just don't know where we are going next, we are along for the ride and are loving the journey. Sometimes we look back and wish that we would have done things differently but then off we go down another fork in road, starting a new adventure.

This Friday we will be attempting a start down a new fork in the road. For so long I wanted to be where we are now going. For so long I wished to be closer to my parents and to our church family. Now the opportunity has come where we get to keep our house and rent it out, at the same time renting a house of our own. We are not the only ones excited. We have lots of friends excited about future walk nights and hang out nights and the kids have been adjusting in their new school since September and Love it! Today was the first day the kids got to see their new home and they got so excited about every part of it. We relished at the bike paths right down the road from us and we looked ahead into winter when we can toboggan down some more paths further down the road. Then, just as we were heading out the door we heared someone hollering Keegan's name. Can you believe that right across the street in the house directly across from us is a brother and sister that are in Keegan and Ginny's class? All I can say is, this is from God. This is our Journey that he is leading us on.

I am still toying with the sadness of once again packing up our memories and leaving some behind. I will miss my bestest friend and will miss the other friendships that were just getting started but the whole time I am reminded of......

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Yes it is true, my favorite quote has some false hoods. To my excitement there is a glorious destination that awaits me but until that time comes I am going to "Stand Sure" and continue forward on our Journey.

Another experience to add to our memories

Last year I posted about my sister and I participating in a school fundraiser called the "Amazing Challenge." This year Blaine and I took part in it. This fundraiser is a weekend event much like the amazing race. The weekend is jammed packed with challenges that leave you tired, sore and soooo challenged. Aside from all of that, we walked out with new friends, new memories and new experiences. It amazes me how our volunteer planners can come up with some of the greatest most unique ideas. The amount of time, energy and brains that go into an event like this is phenomenal. We beat other schools fundraisers HANDS DOWN! Here are some highlights that we enjoyed.

Aside from raising the most money, one of the first challenges was to bring a baked good. The only key thing that we picked up on was .. it had to be on a serving plate that you would not get back and the fact that presentation was important. We chose to do a three dimensional bee because our schools mascot is buzz the bee. I knew for sure that we would end up selling our cake but little did I know that the wings would fall off and that we would still end up getting $20.00 for it. This cake won us huge points in the race.
There were so many other events that we endured through. We ended up having to climb 242 stairs only to end up at the top with the question, "how many stairs did you just climb?" I was on top of that one and we actually counted as we climbed. That saved us from having to do it again. There were a lot of mind puzzles and thank goodness Blaine is so good at those. He rocked! We got to bet on horses, do a scavenger hunt on a city bus, archery, lighting a fire with flint, swimming laps and so, so much more. The ultimate best was of course ...

BUNGEE JUMPING!!!! As you can see, I chose not to do this challenge. Blaine was not at all disappointed that I made him do it.

So, there you have it, that is what us crazies were up to this weekend. I loved it. Oh, I think I forgot to say .... WE CAME IN 1st PLACE!!!! I still felt bad for the ones that stayed ahead of the rest but were beat by us in the end. I guess points are added up for certain things along the way. I found that the challenge is not all about speed and endurance, quality plays a big part also. It does however feel good to see and hear the excitement from your kids, your parents and all your friends. I will always cherish how all nine teams got to freeze together in the middle of night while listening to loons, dogs, coyotes and so much more NOT! :) In the end, it was the cherished memories and time spent with the one that I love the most. I am so proud of Blaine ... even though I Blame him for my hurting a ton more this year than I did last. It was well worth the challenge.

Summing it up

~ As you can see, thanksgiving was great. There were 21 of us and only one little disagreement (a record in my family). We had a huge dinner and I saved the day with good ole stove top. The afternoon was wrapped up with a 2 mile walk to the trestle where we spent a lot of our childhood. 21 of us started on our journey and 11 actually made it.

~ My Ginny is finally in Irish dancing. I have waited 4 years for this moment.

~ Keegan quit Navy Cadets. He liked the marching but hated the paper work, go figure!

~ I got Hired and fired without even meeting my employer :) Long story! Not nearly as harsh as it sounds.

~ Malakai has finally dropped the "you broke my heart"

~ Malakai has just purchased a board. Where he got it from and what it looks like No body knows, it is in his head where only he can see it. Apparently as we have experienced, if you are mean or unruly you are "Xd of his board". It is harsh. You never want to cross him or poof your "Xd" and he will let you know all about it.

~ As of now we are scrambling to catch up. It's amazing how many fees can add up in one month.

~ Everyone's costumes are down pat for halloween. This year we are having a hallelujah party at the church so even Blaine and I have to dress up.

~ Oh, did I mention my sister hates me? Yah, I think it had to do with that disagreement on thanksgiving. I don't really know seeing as she won't talk to me.

Otherwise we are healthy, happy and well fed. :<)

It's buggin time :<)

New camera + buggin season = cool video and cool pics.

God works in washing machines

Since Blaine has started his new quest we have had to financially adjust our lifestyle again again. Just when I thought that we had no more room for adjustments everything seemed to fall apart. On Saturday Blaine needed to take apart our washing machine because it was screaming like a jet plane every time it was in the spin cycle. After 3 hrs of working on it he discovered it was the bearing but was unable to get it out. Then on Sunday our check engine light went on in our truck. I was determined to make our Monday better by getting the tools Blaine needed and finding out why our check engine light was on without spending a ton of cash.

My plan failed miserably. The puller that we needed was no where to be found. Either that or they were withholding it so we couldn't save money. I then found out it would cost $600.00 for them to come and fix it. Might I add... this machine is only 1 1/2 yrs. old. So much for Maytag. The truck.... $150.00 just for diagnostics. Needless to say I was desperately calling out to God when my morning was done.

After getting groceries I came home to my dad waiting to help me unload and..... waiting to take me to buy us a new washing machine. He had no idea what we were quoted. He had no idea we were at the end of our rope. He just knew we were having troubles with our washer and wanted to help out. 2 hrs later my dad and I were hauling a huge top of the line washing machine by ourselves into the house.

It was hard to except this most generous gift. I was more than willing to get a cheaper than cheap model but he wanted to get us the best. More than anything it made me realize how selfish I am when it comes to my time and help for others. Sure I have done the good Samaritan thing here and there.

My father though, is a great example of how we should be. He is always painting the church for free, he is always helping my siblings out, and never does he remind them that they still owe him. He is always driving everywhere without questioning the price of gas or the amount of time. He even gave up his holiday money for us to wash our laundry. Who knew that one washing machine could teach me such a life lesson.

Guitar Hero!

Well, we are going into week 8 I think. I can honestly say that through this process we have really learned what it is like to let God lead you and to give him all the glory. For the first month or so our lives were complete chaos. After getting a huge wake up call from a sermon that our pastor preached we once again turned everything over to God and though we still have our really down moments we can finally see some up moments.

~ Easter went well enough. A friend of Blaine's helped me download my one tree hill and I literally vegged on 12 hours of catching up in two days.

~ Some friends of Blaine's came over and I watched as the recruits played guitar hero. Who knew that a game could be so fun to watch.

~ We have been dodging the stomach flu and cold flu every where we turn however as I sit here and type I do believe that it has finally caught up to me.

~ Interviews went well. It is such a blessing to hear from each of their teachers of how the kids are so well mannered and always have big smiles to greet them. All but one of course. Malakai's interview was more of how different his name is and how he can't spell it. I guess it would be wrong of me to leave out the fact that she was dropping subtle hints that he is disrupting the class. Give them till the beginning of next year. I know for a fact they will want to claim him as ADHD or Autism or something.

~ As of now Erin is re attending her private school and will be boarding with us again next year.


Please continue to pray for Blaine. He has been having some pain in his shoulders and even after the 4 day break they are still bothering him. We would all hate to see him deferred and have to start all over again next February.

Quadruple dating ?

Fact - Did you know that the new term for swinging in unison with another person is called Double Dating? I had no idea and was informed by my soon to be 9yr old this afternoon.

Unlike the last week in our lives today was a very good day. The sun was shining it was well above zero and Daddy was home. Since it was such a great day I insisted we take the kids to the park and I am so glad that I did.

As I sat on the bench and watched Blaine swing beside Malakai while Keegan pushed him, I was touched. I listened as Blaine taught Malakai how to pump his legs while Keegan giggled with glee. It wasn't long before I felt the pull to join them. The four of us broke out into laughter as we all sat on swings swinging in unison going high into the sky. Blaine had a hold of Malakai's chain and Malakai kept coaxing "higher daddy, higher! Go as high as the sky daddy!"

At that moment all the negative comments of how our family will be changed in this whole process disappeared. All the embedded heartaches from the previous days were gone. Our family was still there, there was laughter and smiles, there was brilliant signs of how our bunch is growing so big and the closeness that we share. Sure these moments are a little more sparse now a days but when things look a little down I can look back at today and have confidence in knowing that they will be there again.