Let The party Begin...

Pinterest much?

2011-08-04T16:19:00.001-04:00

This summer will not go down as being one of my best. Money has been tight, the kids are working and with Darren's new job, there is very little room for planning any trips. Having said that, I must first thank my friend Kathy. She showed me a new site online that has become pretty addictive but also inspiring. Pinterest has helped made my summer just a little bit more exciting and as a result, I've improved some areas of my life. For some, this means too much time on the computer but for me, its another way to stretch my imagination since goodness knows, that wasn't a talent I was blessed with, lol! This is what I've been up to during a rather uneventful summer...

My ribbon holder that cost pennies was an old box I found at Maritime Demolition Limited . Love that place! I also bought the rod that holds the ribbon with the box. With a lick of paint, I had it looking shiny and new, lol. My honey cut the rod into the desired lengths and bought some nuts(he didn't like the rusty ones that came with the rod) to hang them. The ribbon holder tutorial came from Pinterest. Theirs is a bit more rustic but since we're re-doing our kitchen and dining room, I painted mine to go with the new color scheme.

While this little gem I've been working on will sit on my desk, when its done. The picture showing the finished project is the packaging. However it gives you a general idea of what it will look like. I found the kit for this at Carsand Mosher. I'm excited to get my little space that much closer to being my own and organized. Speaking of my space, here's a look at my little corner in the house. For those of you who have been in my home, you know that space here is at a premium, lol. Its a tiny house with a whole lotta people in it. We've been here 11 years and the chances of me getting my own craft room in the near future is

pretty slim. Any real estate available here is in our petite dining room where we also keep our computer. It sure doesn't take much for it to become a mess so I'm grateful it was fairly tidy when I decided to update my blog. If you notice my paper holder next to the computer armoire, it's one of the items I got as a part of my $10.00 deal from Maritime Demolition Limited . At some point I may paint it along with everything else so it all flows but for now it's enough that I've got something to hold my papers in. The top shelf holds my Stampin' Up catalogues, the second shelf holds my DPS papers and the bottom ones hold my cardstock. I know, I know, its pretty tame compared to most but hey, it works for me. Of course on the very top of the shelf is my

travel bag for club nights. I had originally wanted to have my desk facing the window but alas, it just didn't work. Can't have everything, right? Right! See that little chair at my desk. That's the chair that belonged to a bedroom set my mother bought me years ago when I was a young pre-teen girl. I plan on re-upholstering it and give it a fresh coat of paint to go with my workshop. I had planned on using the chair in my $10.00 bargain picture but have since reconsidered that idea. My hubby hung the racks for the punches. This idea I stole from my friend, Lis. Like I said, I'm not blessed with imagination but I know a good thing when I see it. The cork board has been sitting around for ever and has finally found a home. It houses all my clear stamps that are not Stampin' Up. After looking at this scene, I want you to close you eyse and imagine that my walls are a dark chocolate, the wainscotting(which is being replaced) is a soft Caribbean blue and the trim is the color of sand. These are the current colors in my living room and entry way. Hopefully the kitchen and dining room will be those colors before the year is out. It's on the "honey-do" list for my very busy husband, sigh!

I'll blog about the tasty new dishes I've been cooking up for my family. Since I can't go anywhere this summer, I might as well enjoy doing the things I love to do.

"Time is free, but it's priceless..."

2011-07-15T17:01:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since my last post and I've become resigned to the fact that this is not my time to blog on a regular basis. Having said that, I still enjoy writing about things that are personal to me and my family, experiences that I don't mind sharing. At the ripe old age of 45, I've been thinking about what the next 5 years will mean to me. Our oldest child, Tiffani will attain another degree under her belt with her MBA and hopefully happily married to her chosen fellow. Savannah and Brandon should celebrate 6 years of wedded bliss and our beautiful grandson, Hayden will have started school and possibly big brother to another little Webber. Hopefully Brandon is going to find an awesome job in his chosen career and continue to be the wonderful husband and father he has proven to be. Chelsea will have graduated from nursing school and on her way to fire fighting school to fulfill her dreams, lol, which would also mean that she has gotten her driver's licence. Hopefully, Angus, dear Angus will thankfully buckle down and finally accept that he has to work really hard in high school and put all those brilliant gifts he has been blessed with to use. He will have graduated and chose his future well in accordance to his heart. Our boy Camden will also have completed his high school career and have moved on to something that will showcase his smarts, something he has never felt he had. Raven, our baby, will be as beautiful as she is stubborn, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. She will hopefully at this stage of her life decide on something which will not be changed after a few months of fixation, lol. All in all, I just want our children to be healthy and happy. I want them to find love the way I have. I know what has been good for me isn't necessarily good for them. I look forward to seeing them make the changes that will bring them a lifetime of memories. My yoga instructor once told me that the grooves between your brows are a sign of regret. I thought that was the perfect name for those lines because I don't believe there are anyone out there who doesn't have regrets...that would be like saying you've never made a mistake. I have many regrets, something that if I think about too long, would depress me. The good thing about regrets are the other emotions that balance and outweighs it. I have moments of joy, sadness, happiness, despair, loneliness, thrill, awe, inspiration, love, desire, weakness and strength. Through it all, regret is woven in amongst them. In 5 years, I hope to have a photo album in my heart of our life together filled with all these gifts of emotions to remind me of the greatest gift I have ever known and that is my Heavenly Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who have always been my friends even when I haven't wanted to be theirs. I remind myself when I have been angry or disappointed by others that they are, after all, mere mortals and sometime their imperfections and inabilities are there to help us learn forgiveness and understanding, something I "suck" at. At the tender age of 45, I have realized that I am soooooo much smarter and wiser on any given day, just as I can be foolish and inept on others. One of my many regrets is wasted emotions and the time I spent being angry over someone else's ignorance and meanness. Part of the wisdom I have attained, lol, is that I am master and commander of my reactions. Why, oh, why did I not learn this lesson years ago, sigh? It would have allowed me to channel all those angry and hurt feelings into indifference to other peoples' childish behaviour and more time on my family. Lesson learned!!!! See, I told you I was wiser! On to better and funnier posts, hopefully in the near future.

Blog Giveaway!

2011-04-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

Sweet giveaway on jknelson.blogspot.com.

Due to the contents of this blog,viewer discretion is advised....

2011-03-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

Today I am venting. Actually right now I am fuming. I'm sure I probably have steam coming out of my ears. I usually try to keep my blog upbeat and thoughtful of other people's feelings but today it's all about me. Today I want to scream, cry or throw something. I want to tell that poor sister who tried to warn me all those years ago when I really, really, really liked my children, that your warning about teenagers and how horrible they can be, has come true. I am soooooooo tired of teenagers who think they pay the mortgage, water bill, cable & power bill and feel they have the right to not do their school work and still expect the privileges of doing whatever they feel like. I am so angry at my usually wonderful husband who sometimes doesn't get what I deal with on a day to day basis and when he comes home, I'm the bad guy and he's the one who seems reasonable. I am tired of trying to do scripture studies with my kids every morning and have them grumble and complain because I am doing what needs to be done. I am so tired of being a doormat for everyone. I am angry at the man who saw that my car was in line to get gas at the gas station and felt that he was more important and drove his car in front of me. I am so angry that I couldn't even appreciate Rhonda's beautiful pictures this morning although I do love the one of the guy in the field. I am angry right this very minute and I know that by the end of the day I will feel better but until then please just let me vent....argggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Good, Better, Best...

2011-02-20T22:51:00.004-05:00

Technology is a beautiful thing when you know what you're doing, lol! I have had the good fortune to work in a high school that allows me to take computer courses which enables me to learn how to use a computer. Sadly, I tend to forget it as soon as the term is over, sigh. Having said that, I am so grateful to live in an age where the information highway is at our fingertips. There is so much out there that I don't know,but the opportunity is there to learn. For now, my interests lies within a very small circle. Call me selfish or old or just content, but I have no desire to pursue anything more than what amuses me. I leave all else for the young minds. What I have discovered about this technology is that it feeds my passions well. There have been a few sites that have kept me glued to this piece of equipment far more than I should. In fact I find the need to reward myself with 10-30 minutes of computer time depending on what household chores I complete, lol! It's the only way I can keep myself from getting swallowed up on all the wonderful sites out there. Due to this super highway of information, my simple pleasures are fed. I am amazed at how creative people can be. Mason Cooley once said, "Art begins in imitation and ends in innovation.

www.cheekykitchen.com encouraged me to do this...

www.dawnstampingthoughts.com showed me how to make a few of these...

www.amybutlerdesign.com inspired me to be innovative

and as a result I made this...

With the internet, the possibilities are endless. It can be a curse to those who misuse it, a worry to parents who are ignorant of it and a weapon for those who abuse it. Like anything with power, it should always be handled with care. Having said that, there is so much good that comes from technology. It is up to each of us to find what is good, better, best about it.

Finding Myself...

2011-02-18T18:57:00.003-05:00

Before I married my husband, I had dreams of remaining single and raising my oldest daughter Tiffani on my own and making lots of money. I didn't know really what my ambitions were although I think secretly, I wanted to try my hand at stay-at-home mothering because I never grew up with a stay-at-home mother. I went to university and studied European history because I thought being a teacher would be a decent way to make a living even if it wasn't really my passion. I had 14 credits and only needed one more to earn my degree when I gave it all up after getting married and then pregnant. I was just too sick throughout the first three months to handle school. Fortunately for me I had no regrets with that decision. Once I was married, I threw myself into being a wife and mother and became "Molly Mormon" for real. I revelled in this role. Before long my husband was transferred to NB and we left all our family and friends. We lived there for four years and it was one of the happiest times in my life. It was lonely at first but then I was able to discover things about myself as a woman, wife, mother and as an individual. It was also one of the darkest times because Depression entered into my life and took a stronghold on me. However, I didn't know it was depression and struggled to hold onto my sanity. During this time I discovered something about myself...I LOVED TO COOK!!!!! I wan't interested in eating it, just creating it The more intricate the recipe, the better the challenge. Besides looking after my children and husband, cooking validated my being. When I baked or cooked something spectacular, I felt powerful, lol, especially after I saw the effect it had on my husband. I began to watch every cooking show I could find on tv. On Saturday mornings I would hurriedly clean my tiny little house and then sat down to watch the nature show with my three girls(which they loved) and then prepped my pen and notebook for the unending cooking shows that followed on PBS. Oh those wonderful Saturdays. After taking down many notes I would then prepare my week of cooking by exploring different countries and visiting their different menus. Darren never knew what country he was eating from, lol! I had become accomplished enough in those four years that I was able to sell my desserts to a local eatery that wanted to advertise "made fresh locally". What a rush! Needless to say, Darren had to sample a few desserts before we chose the ones that were good enough for the restaurant, poor baby, sigh. One day, while we were on a date my lovely husband turned to me and said humbly that he wanted to ask me something but didn't want to hurt my feelings. Now there's a red flag, my friends, lol! Haltingly, he told me how he loved everything about my cooking and that he was the luckiest man on earth but would it be possible to have just "plain" spaghetti. Nothing fancy in it, just "meat and sauce", lol! I looked at him and just laughed. After that, I made sure that a couple nights a week, he had some plain cooking on the menu. Sadly our time in NB came to an end and we moved back to NS in the Sackville area. It was there that I took my cooking to whole new level and started having parties. Unfortunately we didn't have digital cameras to take uber pictures and my scanner isn't working right now to scan some old photos. I made all my children's birthday cakes into whatever shape they wanted and decorated them. I baked every week making sure the cookie jar was never empty nor the bread basket. Every birthday, baptism, or any reason for that matter, was an excuse to have a get-together. Those were the good old days, sigh! They seem so long ago. At this time I became pregnant with our fifth child and my depression took over. I was finally diagnosed with clinical depression and my doctor told me that I had been suffering from postpartum from the time I was pregnant with Savannah right through my pregnancy with Chelsea, Angus and then Camden. It was a dark time in my life and just knowing I was carrying my child kept me alive. The pain of depression was so great that it would have been easier ending my life. However that was not a legacy I wanted to leave my children. I had to see a psychiatrist for a year and slowly fought my way back to reality. It was a painful time in my life. My zest for cooking was gone and everyday became a struggle to function. I had moments of happiness only to be sucked back into the darkness. Winter was harder for me and spring became my lifeline. Throughout it all, my wonderful husband loved me unconditionally, never said an unkind word to me and came running when I was desperate. He never complained once when there were no more gourmet suppers, no more filled cookie jars or the smell of fresh baked bread wafting through the house. He accepted a messy home, unclean dishes sitting in the sink and the pile of laundry desperate for my attention. He loved me for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. For ten years I struggled to find a piece of myself. When I turned forty I swore I would find that person again and if not, re-invent myself. As a result I feel a bit of that former life returning. The desire to create something from scratch in the kitchen has become an itch I cannot ignore. The ideas are in my head but the experience is gone. It's as if I have to start all over again and so I am and will... so without further ado, here's a glimpse of what makes me happy.

P.S... hope this wasn't too long or boring!

Up to the minute...

2011-02-14T12:30:00.002-05:00

A lot has been going on in my life which has kept me from blogging. I admire those who can update often and maybe if I was still a stay-at-home mom, I would do the same. Unfortunately, we live in times which require the need for two incomes. The good thing is that I work for the school board so I have lots of time off during the year. This post is mostly just an update of what has been going on in my life. I do have something I want to blog about but I figure I would do the update first and then get on with the meat and potato of what I really want to blog about...

Visit with great grandparents 2010

Savannah's birthday

Having her cake and eating it too, lol!

Halloween 2010

Mom and Chelsea's birthday

Nanny opening her gifts

Our anniversary

drive to New Hampshire

Tiffani's birthday

My one true Valentines

Hope you enjoyed the update. Hopefully I will get to another blog post before my life consumes me again.

Middle Eastern Party, a.k.a., My Birthday

2010-10-17T18:55:00.043-04:00

Saturday morning began just like any other Saturday. It's the only day I get to really sleep in and usually my lovely husband brings me cocoa in bed and lets me enjoy some quiet time. On this particular morning I was feeling sad, an emotion I am very familiar with but haven't experienced in a long time. For whatever reason, I just felt like crying. I don't think it had anything to do with my upcoming birthday in which I am turning a very young 45. There was nothing heavy going on in my life. I just felt blue. As a result my hubby left me in bed for most of the day, bringing me breakfast and lunch and just letting me veg. Sometime, around midday he came down to our bedroom and told me to stay in bed as long as I needed to but I had to be showered and dressed by 5:00...he was taking me out to dinner for an early celebration. I usually love going out to dinner but we were watching Hayden for the afternoon and I really didn't want to miss out on our time together. However my husband wasn't taking no for an answer and insisted I got ready when 5:00 was drawing near. I did manage to get going and only later found out why he was so insistant. Can I just take the time to say how much I love this man and how he has always loved me unconditionally. My feelings have always meant something to him. He has seen me at my worse and still loves me. As a result of his love for me, he chose to surround me with all the people that I love to celebrate my birthday. This was the result...

An unforgettable moment in time...

2010-09-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

I know have been really slack in posting updates. However not being a staying-at-home mom anymore, has seriously cramped my blogging lifestyle and because of this, my blog has been sadly neglected. Soooooooooooo

without much further ado, here's what occupied a lot of my time this past summer.

Let's start at the very beginning...the invitations, wedding favors and photo came about with the help of friends and family.

Brandon waiting for his bride and Hayden waiting for his mommy, along with the wedding party and guests.

Here comes the beautiful bride(if I do say so myself) and my sweet husband Darren. I loved the exchanging of bride for grandson.

I have to admit, I did shed a tear or two when both the bride and groom said their vows that they had written for each other.

Mr. and Mrs. Williwam Brandon Tyler Sangster-Webber...Brandon cringed every time Bishop Pilling used his whole name, lol!

Some of our family and friends.

Coming back from taking pictures.

Savannah and some of her cousins...Madlyn, Kaelyn and Logan Blinn.

Siblings.

I was really pleased at the way the cake turned out. considering the top was made at the local grocery store, the stand made by Bert Hartling and the cupcakes and frosting was done by my friends and I.

A collage of all the guests, except I forgot the table that held my mom and kids, lol!

Hayden had no idea what was going on or why he was wearing a tuxedo...love this little guy!

The entire wedding party.

Self-explanatory

The first dance...Bryan Adams, "Everything I do"...totally Canadian, lol!

I must say I was rather choked up when I stopped to listen to the words of this song for the daddy/daughter dance..."I Loved You First", Heartland.

Brandon and his lovely mom, Cathy

Brandon's rendition of getting the garter...totally hilarious! "I'm a slave for you", Brittany Spears.

The guests and family by the light of the bonfire.

The Drage family...some of them.

"Camping virgin", no more!

2010-08-20T10:31:00.002-04:00

Summer has always been my favorite time of the year...could be the Jamaican blood in me. Either way, I look forward to a time when lunches are no longer on the top of my grocery list consideraion and getting up at the same time every day is just not a priority. Having said that, I like to pack as much into summer as I possibly can and this summer was no exception. I decide that it was time to take the kids camping...something I don't think my sanity could have withstood when all 6 kids were living at home and were young. Now, when I decide to do something, I plan it all out in my mind and create countless lists. These lists are generally in notebook-form and become quite ragged by the end of the trip. I had a list for camping supplies, one for food, one for clothes and one for "DO NOT FORGET" stuff. As it came closer to the propsed date, things started to go wrong. Our 2nd vehicle was disabled and my husband was not going to make the trip. That was huge for me, since I have never set up a tent before or lit a camping stove or anything that I would have normally left to my hubby to do. The perfectly planned camping trip became a daunting task. Still I decided that I needed to do this more for my kids than anything else. The good news was that the Drage Family was accompanying us. They are experienced campers so I felt that all was not lost. All in all it was a fantastic time. At one point my son Angus looked at Lis and I in our campsites and commented that we were like single-mothers since there were no husbands on this trip. Hopefully the pics will show that for my first time camping and alone with 4 kids, I can no longer consider myself a camping virgin, lol!

We decided to stop at the Drages's cottage to check out the renovations. It was breathtaking. About 250 acres of rolling country-side with a spectactular view. There were outbuildings to explore and lots of places to roam

It was a great way to begin the trip. The only thing missing was a finished bathroom. There wasn't even an outhouse. Needless to say, the long uncut grass was a convenience, not to mention, tickly, hehehehe!

We arrived at Risser's Provincial Park and promptly set up. It wasn't as bad as I imagined but it did take us a little while to set up the tent, lol. Angus and Chelsea took care of that. It wasn't long before we were comfortable.

Between the Drages and the Frasers, there were 9 children. Somehow they manage to amuse themselves...thank goodness, lol.

The kids thoroughly enjoyed the evenings at campfire. There were unlimited marshmallows and lots of comfy seating.

One of the things I love most about Nova Scotia is the beaches and Risser's was no exception. It was stunning. The white sand was warm under our feet and the view was incredible. However as is typical in NS, the water was extrememly cold, lol!

We had a wonderful visit with James's Dad, Grandpa Drage as my kids lovingly called him. He was so sweet to my kids and they promptly asked if he could become their adopted grandfather. Fortunately for them, he liked them enough to agree. What a lovely man!

It just so happened that while we were camping, Bridgewater was having it's annual exhibition in town. It had a bit of everything, including farm animals. Apparently Angus was having issues with smell of the angus cows behind him, lol!

There was lots to see and do. It was a beautiful day and the temperatures were in the high 80's.

It also happened to be Dollar Days. Every ride was a dollar to get on and some weren't even taking tickets, so the kids got to go on even more rides. What a treat!

I was feeling pretty sick by the time we were leaving, ugh! A word to the wise, never eat before going on the rides, yuck!!!!

Back at the campsite we had some entertainment in the form of acrobatics...Ethan loved it. Lis was okay with her son being thrown in the air but I was a little nervous at the prospect of Angus dropping him.

Of course no campsite would be a real campsite without your friendly neighborhood squirrel, lol. This one was well-fed by all. If I had to rate myself as a camper I would give me an A-. I think my children were impressed with the meals adn the fact that I did all the dishes and kept the campsite clean, leaving them to just have fun. Either way, I enjoyed the good company of my friend Lis while having some peace and quiet in a very beautiful part of Nova Scotia..

Remember when....

2010-07-13T07:42:00.003-04:00

I remember growing up, my mother always told me to make sure that I had clean underwear on when I left the house...the premise being, you never know if you're going to be in an accident, lol! Well I have a new one to add. However I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's start at the beginning. I had been spending some time at my mom's apartment while she was in New York. Staying at my mom's is like staying at a hotel. Her place is immaculate and there's always food, not to mention cable. However due to some unforseen circumstances, my mother decided to come home early Saturday evening, totally disrupting my much needed hiatus and throwing a monkey wrench into my plans. Good thing I love her, lol! Sorry I'm rambling. To get back on point, I immediately decided that this will never do and packed up my things to come home. Don't get me wrong, it had nothing to do with my relationship with my mom but the circumstances surrounding her coming home early. I hurriedly tidied up and left. This should have been a quick trip from Halifax to Dartmouth...what could go wrong??? As I was approaching the MacDonald's Bridge(for those of you who know where I live) I noticed the lights on my dashboard going dim and to make matters worse, it started to downpour. I turned on the windshield wipers and they started in very slowwwwww motion. At this point I tried to contain the panic that I could feel rising up and told my 2 youngest children to start praying. Oh yeah, I had Camden and Raven with me on my little sojourn. To top it off, there was only one lane going on the bridge, hardly the place you want to break down. I kept repeating over and over , "Please God, get us over the bridge"...which He graciously did. Then I found myself approaching the highway and I started saying, "Please God get us off the highway" and again, He did. By this time the lights on the dash had almost faded completely, the brake light was on as well as the annoying ding of the seatbelt whatchamacallit. The kids also noticed the digits on the clock starting to disappear. As we approached Main street, I seriously considered my options and thought that maybe, just maybe, I might make it home and kept driving. I got to Dave's Fruit stand on Main St. and prayed even harder because it was raining like crazy and there was a stretch of nothing pass Dave's. Up until this point we had gone through 4 sets of lights and every one of them had been green. As I drew closer to the 5th set of lights, the van started jerking as I started to slow down for the approaching red light. Apparently God was still rooting for me because it turned green, I was on the homestretch. I could feel relief bubbling up inside. That was short-lived. I guess the guy in front of me failed know that I needed him to speed up to and drove very slowly. This forced me into the left-hand lane and into the very busy intersection of Main and Forrest Hills where my van died and panic rose in all its glory. I fumbled to put the van in park and took my foot off the brakes. The next thing I knew I felt a bang and looked in the rearview mirror to see another car attached to the backside of the van. My first thought was "what the heck is your problem buddy...you saw that I had stopped" Thinking back, I really hope that that was the language I had used. In my ignorance and fear, I jumped out of the van and asked him why he hit me since he saw that I had stopped. How deflated I felt when he informed me that I hit him because the van had rolled back, duh! I prompltly bursted into tears. I think all the panic and stress just took over...such a "girlie" thing to do, yuck! Of course I apologized and inquired as to whether he was hurt, which he wasn't and then proceeded to reassure me that it was okay. I felt humiliated, stressed, panicked and to add insult to injury, I had to borrow his cell phone. While I waited for my husband to arrive he kept telling me that it was okay there was no damage to forget about it and waited with me for Darren to show. Here's where the new advice comes in...LADIES DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A BRA!!!!! The entire time I was speaking to this very nice and thoughtful young man, the girls were hanging to my waist. In my hurry to give my mom some space, I didn't bother to put a bra on when I left the house. I was mortified and of course could not just jump into my van and find my bra with my 2 kids in the vehicle. When Darren arrived on the scene I think I started crying more out of humiliation than anything else. Needless to say, I spent most of the evening hugging my arms trying to keep the ladies pushed up and contained. As soon as I could, I dug through my bags, grabbed my bra and rushed over to Darren's car and gave the girls a lift. As I got up to drive my husband to work this morning, I started out the door braless...took one look at the rental and went back downstairs to make some minor adjustments.

Glorious and free...

2010-07-01T18:01:00.017-04:00

"I am Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and for all mankind"...John Diefenbaker, Canadian Bill of Rights, July 1st, 1960

In preparation for the Canada Day activities, we thought we would get an early start in celebrating...the night before.

To start us off we headed out to the Smith's Funhouse

for some marshmallow roasting, fireworks

and just good company. It set the tone for our annual trip to the valley the next day.

One of the things I treasure most are road trips with the family, especially now that everyone is growing up and moving on with their own lives. This Canada Day we decided that we would go strawberry picking since last year's venture to the fields was a memorable one. Of course before we even got started, tempers became frayed, items were lost, then found and then lost again and we had to go back inside a couple of times after the door was locked to

get something or the other. It took a lot of effort to make it out the door, but we did, lol! This year we had our little grandson, Hayden with us

and we had to travel in two vehicles. He wasn't much help with picking but he did try his hand at the wheel, lol! Of course what's a road trip without additional company. We met up with the Drages and the Gallants at the fields. There were so many strawberries that it took very little time to pick 56 boxes between 9 people. That's not counting the amount that was eaten at the fields or thrown at people(that would be Angus's idea of fun). Needless to say there was something for everyone. The grand finale of the day was watching the fireworks with the Nelsons. We live in a land that is "true north, strong and free" , where everyone has the opportunity to enjoy freedoms and liberty...OH CANADA!

As time passes by...

2010-06-27T05:29:00.032-04:00

It's been a long time since I last posted anything. Mainly because you think no one is really interested, lol, and sometimes you just don't know what to say. So this post is not so much about saying as just seeing. This is what I have been up to the last 5 months. We'll start off with my hero and best friend, my husband Darren. Our 20th anniversary is this coming December and after 18 years of marriage my husband decided to go back to school. I was fully supportive and loved his new found excitement. We rode the highs and the lows with him.

Our daughter Chelsea took pleasure in tutoring her dad and with her help, he was able to pass his math exams. As a result of hard work and dedication, my husband graduated from NSCC. What a proud moment for our family! Unfortunately we only had 5 tickets so Camden and Raven couldn't be there. The next 'Fraser' highlight was Raven's birthday and Easter. My baby is growing up, sigh!

It happened to fall pretty close to each other this year so we celebrated it together with our

annual Easter egg hunt. It was a really full day for the family. I made cupcakes this year for Raven's birthday to try out my Martha Stewart's cupcake book...they certainly turned out better than Bert and Ernie, lol! We finally broke down and gave her what she's been asking for forever.

This year also happened to be Hayden's first egg hunt as well. Call me a little bias but isn't he adorable!

What a joy he is to have around...can't wait to hear him call me Lola! it will be interesting to see how he does next year when he can look for his own eggs.

The egg hunt has always been my favorite family tradition at Easter and the kids look forward to it no matter the age. As time goes on the numbers seem to increase and the excitement never diminishes. These moments are more precious now because of the heartaches we have endured.

It reminds me of how much family means to me. Raven's birthday was April 4th and her daddy's birthday was April 28th.

Before we were married, Darren told me of an incident that really made birthdays for him, a "dreaded" affair. I vowed that I would always make his birthdays a "big" deal because he is such a humble person...I do love this man! This year he asked for a quiet dinner and a movie, just he and I. He made me promise!

Of course, he forgot that other people thinks he's pretty special too and came along for the ride.

They even chose the restaurant, lol! Fortunately, he's also a forgiving kind of guy. May 1st was Angus's birthday but fr some strange reason the only photo I have of him, is him holding his birthday gift. That is really strange because my middle name should be "overkill" when it comes to taking pictures. I'll have to hunt them down somehow. That really bothers me! Since I'm short on birthday pics, I'll post the ones I had wanted to use.

Angus decided he wanted to try out for the cheerleading team this year. I did wonder about it until I saw this picture. Notice the different color uniforms...that's the local high school cheerleading team lifting my son who is only in junior high, lol. This next event is a huge deal for me. Keep in mind that it is still May and we live in Canada. It was our Victoria Day weekend and guess where we were?

That's right...THE BEACH!!!!! It was a balmy 28 degrees and we were at our summer home, lol! It was incredible. It felt like the tropics and I was soaking it up.

The beach toys, beach blanket, beach bag and all the other beach goodies came out of the attic. I didn't care if it was a one-time deal, we were going to enjoy the day.

All in all, it was a memorable holiday. The only regret was that Chelsea was not with us. She was busy studying for her finals.

The next and last birthday till fall was Camden's. He turned 12 and received the Aaronic priesthood. He also went to the Temple for the first time. He's made a vow to do 1000 baptisms...he loves it!

We celebrated his birthday at my mom's because she was leaving to go to NY for my nephew's graduation.

Notice the very fat candle on the cake, lol...we forgot the candles. I know this has been a super long post but so much time has flown by, that I thought I would just get as much in on this post. I'm sure I have forgotten some things but my brain doesn't work as well as it use to. Life has not always been kind but through it all there are moments that make it all worth while. Enjoy!

A Helping Hand...

2010-01-26T22:06:00.002-05:00

As most of you are aware of the turmoil in Haiti, I wanted to bring your attention to a blog I was reading tonight. This is the address, babesinhairland.blospot.com, If you go to this site it is pretty self-explanatory. Nothing is required of you except to make a comment and for each comment they receive, they will donate .10 cents to the cause. Please read this blog and lend your support. Thank you.

Hayden's Blessing Day...

2010-01-11T17:42:00.018-05:00

So this past Sunday our first grandchild, Hayden was blessed. It's getting a little easier saying certain words that has grand before it,lol. My husband Darren had the privilege and honor of doing it. It was an incredible day with friends and family there to witness the event. Hayden was a perfectly good sport. It was a wonderful blessing and I know our daughter Savannah was thrilled with it all. Brandon's mom, grandmother and uncle were able be there and it added to the memories we are recording for little Hayden. Afterwards everyone headed over to our home for a potluck supper. Needless to say, it was quite interesting seeing as we have a tiny house with an awful lot of friends and family. However I think that just adds to the fun. The kids had a great time as the pictures will show. What impressed me the most about the children was how they overcame their shyness with each other and just had a jolly good time. It was the right combination of people. The converstion was flowing. I was busy running back and forth between the kitchen and the living room so I missed half of it, lol! The two grandmothers had no problems bonding! They got on like a house on fire. It was my mom's first time seeing Hayden as she was in New York for over four months visiting my brother and his family. Travel is another thing the two grandmothers seem to have in common. Of course my mom is the great-grand mom and Kathie is the grandmother. Either way, they were pretty chummy, lol! This also gave us an opportunity to take a picture of the four generations of family. It's also one of those rare moments where I actually looked pretty good in the picture. It was a pretty amazing day all round. It didn't seem so long ago when I felt like my life was full of darkness. What helped a lot was my blogging friends' words of encouragement. There were times when I had to go back into my older posts to reread those heart-warming words. There are a lot more pictures which I will be posting on facebook.

Twas The Night Before Christmas and All Through The House...

2009-12-30T14:18:00.010-05:00

For the past few years we've had a Christmas eve tradition in our home where we have a family potluck and then off to the live nativity. This usually included our six children, Darren's siblings and their familes, his parents and my mom. Well this year was a little different. We had the birth of our first grandchild Hayden and we had some family but also invited some very close friends of ours. Either way, what better way to start off Chrismas than with close family and friends. There's usually a theme to the meal and this year it was soups, chowders and chilis. My sister-in-law Denise brought spicy pumpkin curry soup, my girlfriend Paulette brought chili, Jeff and Kathy brought corn chowder and I made sweet potato soup. Let me tell you people, the food was outstanding. My mouth was watering just writing about it. There were bags of caramel corn to take home and a huge pan of it to eat as you like. Rolls and ice water finished off the meal. After which, we headed out to the pageant to see what Christmas is truly all about. I always get a little emotional when I watch it. This year the pageant was also a bit different. The costumes were incredible, more people were added and there were musical performances afterwards in which Chelsea sang in the youth choir. Christmas is such a special time of year and how blessed are we to be able to celebrate it with such a bounty of food, family and most importantly, the Savior's birth. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to spend Christmas Eve with. Even after the stress of preparing for the holidays, it was moments like these that makes you feel like it was all worth it.

Baby Hayden, our first grandchild and his parents, Brandon and Savannah.

The Blinn family...Madlyn,Denise(Darren's sister),Kaelyn, Ronnie and Logan.

The Nelsons...Jessica, Jeff, Sarah, Jacob, Georgia, Cooper and Kathy.

It's not often I get such a great shot of these two where Jeff is smiling.

I think I can safely say the kids had a great time, lol

The Jacksons...Tyrone, Devante, Paulette and Tisheena

Santa Baby!

2009-12-22T17:18:00.012-05:00

" A grandmother is a mother who has a second chance."

I am now officially a GRANDMOTHER, lol!

Whether I like it or not, I have now joined an elite group of women that hold that title. Robbie Hayden Webber was born on December 21st at 11:12 pm. He weighed 6 pounds 1 ounce and is very beautiful...and tiny. He was named Robbie after Brandon's best friend who died of cancer. Although that's his first name, Hayden is the name he will be called. It was touch and go during the labor, when the baby's heartbeat dropped so fast, they had to perform an emergency C-section.

Savannah wasn't even completely sedated when they began the procedure. The doctor actually apologized to her because they knew it was going to be very uncomfortable. Mother and son are both doing well. Just so you know this beautiful baby has a father, lol. His name is Brandon and even though the path that led to this moment was not how we would have liked it, Hayden is still a gift from God.

Brandon is a wonderful young man who loves our daughter and has been with Savannah through the whole process. He was there when they broke the news of the pregnancy and he was there when Hayden was born. We don't know what the future holds but for now we are happy to have Brandon as a part of our family. Of course I have other pictures, most of which I'll post on facebook but this has got to be one of my favorite pictures:

I know I'm a bit bias these days but my honey is one "hot" grampa! He wasn't there when Hayden was born because he was pulling an all-nighter. He arrived home at 5:30am, tired but happy to know his little girl was doing well. He's going to be an amazing grandfather!

Kudos to my friend Becca for such a great title...smart girl!

Entering a Giveaway!

2009-12-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

First Step Photo" Vinyl Wall Art $50 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY

"LA Originals" Knitted Baby Hat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-12-07T14:27:00.001-05:00

So want to win one of these!

And the winner is........

2009-12-05T15:45:00.001-05:00

I'm going with the Filipino name for grandmother cause it's cute and fun just like you.....and even reminds me of Lesley....probably because of the "L's"......anyhow I'm totally for "Lola".....Kathy Nelson.

Four out of six of my children loved the name especially with the Filipino connection. Congratulations Kathy!

Drum-roll please...

2009-12-04T23:15:00.002-05:00

Okay, so Friday has come and gone and I haven't yet annouced a winner. There's a method to my madness as I'm about to explain. We all know that a baby is going to call you anything they want and my wanting my own, "g...mother name" is purely vanity. You've all given me some great ideas and I look forward to presenting the winner. However before doing so I wanted you to know how the winner was picked. I asked my six children which name they liked best and decided to go with the majority. That way I can know that it was a fair assessment. I didn't tell them it was a contest so they just thought it was me trying to come up with my own version of a "g...mother" name. So without further ado, the winner of the g...mother contest is................

P.S. I wanted you to read this before letting you know so you didn't just skip down to the winner, lol. I'll let you know first thing when I get up.

Not Quite a Giveaway...

2009-11-30T08:07:00.014-05:00

So as most of you know by now, I'm going to be g.....mother. Still having a hard time with that word, lol! Is it wrong to feel that way? Since I'm having a hard time with the word, g....mother, I'm giving away a couple of movie tickets to the one who comes up with the best non-g....mother name for me. I feel younger than my years and quite frankly, am not ready to be a g...mother. However I know what kind of g....mother I don't want to be so that's half the battle. I'm looking forward to little Hayden coming into our lives after almost 9 months of getting use to the idea. I've even bought lots of clothes for him and have won the cutest booties from The Vintage Clothespin. Note how small they are on my Tim Horton's card. I know I will be a loving g...mother I just need to have a really cool and funky name because inside that's how I feel. I know there are great examples of grandmothers out there that I want to be like when I grow up, the first being my mom. She has been an exemplary grandmother over the years. See, I can use the "grandmother" word because it's not me I'm talking about. Another great grandmother is Jackie O'Hearon. She is so sweet and loving to her grandbabies that I'll be lucky if I'm as good as her and she didn't pay me to say these things either, lol! Ann Smith comes to my mind when I think of grandmothers who loves to cuddle and spoil her grandchild. With the incredible example of all three great women, I hope I can be a great g...mother. So put on your "thinking" caps and send me some fun and funky names for my soon to be new role. One entry per blogger. Closing date will be Friday, December 4th...my 19th wedding anniversary!

In Case Anyone is Interested...

2009-09-27T17:57:00.004-04:00

So it's been a long, long, long time since I've done a blog. I think it's mainly because I've felt like I've had nothing to share with anyone. However I've been thinking....hmmmmmmm and guess what? I've got lots to share with anyone who is interested out there. Since learning that I'm going to become a grandmother(still not quite used to that word, ugh!), I've done my soul searching and decided that life is too short. So here's the thing...I've been busy, busy, busy. You all know that my husband left his job and went to school. That has been scary and exciting. Just think, I'm married to a schoolboy, lol! We have been living off my part-time income and our child-tax credit every month, way, way below the poverty line according to the government and yet we have been blessed in so many ways, it's humbling. When Heavenly Father said that He would open the windows of Heaven and pour out His blessings on us, He really meant it. I have come to know without a shadow of a doubt, that Heavenly Father keeps His promises. For the first time since being married our bills are at a "0" balance(never happened before), we have more wood for the winter than we have ever had when we were both working, we were able to take a trip to New York City for 7 amazing days. My wonderful and to steal a phrase from Kristi, "hot" husband has also managed to get "paint" jobs as needed. There have been so many miracles happening around us. Sometimew when we are in the midst of our trials it's really hard to see the little miracles. However when the fog starts to clear and we feel we can lift our heads a little bit higher, we suddenly notice life around us. Sorry no pictures, except the one of my lovely children...just getting warmed up, lol!

Failure...

2009-05-17T22:14:00.004-04:00

Failure to know what to say when your 17 year old daughter comes home and tells you she's pregnant. Failure to know where you went wrong. Failure to know what to do. I am in such a state of shock that I feel like a zombie. Every morning I wake up hoping it's a bad dream and that nothing has happened to change the dynamics of my family. I know this will be a shock to most people and yet I'm sure there are others who will say they're not surprised. There are some who will look at this news as titillating, something to be discussed over and over and I know there will be others who will be a comfort to our family. I think the worse will come from family members who have never supported our marriage or who was of the opinion that Darren could have done better. However there is nothing I can do about that. I have not always understood why I became a mother or why my patriarchial blessing simply stated that I would be a mother and nothing else. Maybe because it's the hardest job on earth and it would take me a lifetime to figure it out. Motherhood has not been an easy thing for me. Some women are nurturers by nature, some take to it after a few moments of uncertainty. Then there are women like me who didn't even know what to do with a baby after it was born. Thank goodness my mom was a great source of comfort and support to me and later my husband whom I love so incredibly much that it overwhelms me by times. When I was pregnant with our first child, he would rub my stomach while our baby was moving and marvel at the miracle of it all. I remember when Savannah was born, he would sit by her cradle and with a voice filled with awe, exclaim about the simple sounds she would make while sleeping or the fact that he would never let anyone hold her while she was so small for fear of her getting sick. He became the father that some women dream about. That seems so long ago and now he feels such sadness that his baby is going to have a baby. These last few days have been so difficult for our family. What saddens us the most is the loss of innocence, the overnight growth to adulthood when it should be a time for giggles, movies, dating and the constant chatter about silly girly stuff. Some of you will probably wonder why I would share something so personal on my blog or whether I am looking for attention or sympathy. The reason I am sharing this with you is because I know that 99% of you are mothers with young children. I guess I just want you to know that the adversary is real and out there. I wanted you to know that since I have started blogging I have admired many of you who are young mothers because you seem to know so much more than I did when I was your age raising our children. You seem so on the ball. The support that you seem to have around you in the form of family and friends is incredible especially with the increase use of technology. I think of Kristi who lives way up North and yet she can still communicate with her friends and family or some of the new friends, like Becca I have gotten to know through blogging but have never actually met. I have learned so much from your stories and I guess I just wanted to encourage you to hold onto your children and love them while you have them. Satan is very real and he has discovered that attacking the family is the way to go and somehow he has found his way into my family. I am at a loss as to what is going to happen to us now but I wanted you to know that I love you all and I respect and admire what you are doing to safeguard your families. Please don't ever take your children for granted and appreciate them even when they falter. I don't know when I will be back blogging again. It all seems so insignificant in light of what is going on. I feel like the light in my life has been dimmed and my heart is broken in many tiny pieces. I am not ready to be a grandmother...I don't want to raise another child especially when I have 4 more children to raise. I hope the next time I blog, it will be on a happier note. Oh the irony of life...my last post was on motherhood and appreciating it, lol.

“The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom.”

2009-05-10T17:12:00.011-04:00

First of all I just want to wish everyone who is a mom, who aspires to be a mom and or those who stands in as a mom for others who don't have a mom, " Happy Mother's Day"! I hope your day was a great one. I wanted to do a quick post about my mom. Just a few good reasons why I love my mother. She and I didn't always see eye to eye growing up but she loved my brother and myself enough to find a good family psychologist to help us see what we needed to do to better our relationship. We didn't have a father-figure around but she more than provided for us so that we didn't miss not having a father. Money wasn't in an abundance, but somehow she always made it possible for both of us to go away to Europe a few times during our school years in order to see something of the world. She never learned how to drive a car but always made it to all the important occasions in our lives...and one of the most important memories of my mom was when she wasn't able to go to the Temple to see me, her only daughter, get married, but she supported me 100% and cried when she saw me in my wedding dress for the first time. My mom accepted my choice in faith whole-heartedly and later accepted my husband as if he was and is her own son. Whatever shortcomings she may have had as a mother, she has perfected while being a grandmother. She loves our children immensely and makes time to listen to all their stories, no matter how long-winded they can be. She calls regularly to see how everyone is doing and is always ready to be read to or show reports cards to. My mom is my mother, my father, my friend and a super grandmother. I have been blessed to have had her as an example and grateful that she was able to forgive me of all the crazy scrapes I used to get into and still do by times. I am still learning what it is to be a mother and hopefully one day I may just get it right but for now, I'm fortunate to have my mother with me.

The framed tree was my gift to my mom. I am missing one picture which I am hoping to put in

as soon as I can find it. Within this family tree, there are 5 generations of strong women, with my great-grandmother at the head. She lived to be 95 years old while my grandmother lived to be 94. The card was one I made for my mom to go with the gift. My sweet and wonderful husband provided us with a fabuous meal leaving us with plenty of time to just visit. He was right at home in the kitchen whipping up a fabulous turkey dinner. We weren't allowed to lift a finger to help with the meal and he kept shooing us out of the kitchen everytime we entered it, lol. Mom took the hint and settled down to spending some quality time with the kids. It wasn't long before supper was ready and we were sitting down to a yummyturkey dinner with all the trimmings. Needless to say, I was pretty stuffed when all was said and done. I was ready to sette down for an afternoon snooze when who should show up at our door but two of our favorite missionaries, Elder Baker and Elder Cooper. They came over to serenade me with a song about mothers. I was so touched by it all, it was like the icing on the cake to end a beautiful day with family and friends. This was our first time doing a video so excuse the amateur attempt, lol!

Losing Oneself...

2009-05-04T22:48:00.009-04:00

This is to all the readers out there. I have managed to read another couple of books since my last book post. I know you all have crazy busy lives but somehow those who love to read still manage to find some small part of the day to lose themselves in a good book. The first book is called, "Last of the Breed". The author is Louis L'amour. Now some of you may say, "who?", and some of you may actually recognize him. He is famous for his western fiction that contains a lot of historical details. Yes, you read correctly, westerns. My appetite for reading has led me down many avenues. Unfortunately, self-help books and sci-fi never really piqued my interest. I really enjoyed this book. Louis L'amour was very knowledge about American natives and their traditions and cultures. It is fascinating reading about the skills that they perfected in the art of war and survival. It is also sad to learn of the disappearing of so many different tribes. The author uses fictional story form to teach you about the many skills of the early settlers as well as the Native Americans, much like Gerald Lund with the "Work and the Glory", series. My other good read was, "My Sister's Keeper",. Kathy Nelson loaned me this book and I must say I have a little more information on the subject of lukemia. The ending was the most shocking part of the book. Don't worry! I won't tell it for those of you who plan on reading it. There is currently a "movie" version being previewed at the theater. It will be interesting to see how much they kept to the book and we all know that they don't always do that. If anyone has read any good books lately, let me know. I'm always looking for a good read and the library is within walking distance of my home. So I'll get exercise and feed my mind as well, lol!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAVEN!!!!!

2009-04-18T11:29:00.003-04:00

I just want to wish my beautiful daughter Raven a happy birthday. She turned 9 yrs. old on April 4th. She celebrated her birthday over a period of time. It included an outing to the movies to see Hannah Montana, a gathering of friends and family and a night of renting a movie and totally junking out. Her birthday is the first of many in the next 2 months. Darren has his b-day on the 28th of April and Angus's b-day is the 1st of May and Camden's b-day is the 31st of May. That's a whole lot of ice-cream sandwhich cakes, lol! Everything in her collage represents a moment during this special time. I love you Raven!

"The Shack"

2009-04-09T13:22:00.005-04:00

"Mack has been married to Nan for just more than thirty-three year mostly happy years. He says she saved his life and paid a high price to do it. For some reason, beyond understanding, she seems to love him now more than ever, even though I get the sense that he hurt her something fierce in the early years. I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships, so do our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside."

So here's the thing...I LOVE TO READ!!!! I can tell from a lot of blogs out there, quite a few of you also enjoy reading. I was thinking of starting a bookclub here or even on facebook since I officially go back on it Monday, April 12th(that was a huge sacrifice...not sure if I'll give that up for Lent again). Anyway, I don't want to presume that everyone would want to read the same book as I am reading so I'll just let you know what it is and leave it up to you if you want to.

I chose that excerpt from the book because it made me think of my marriage and how I love my husband even more now, after 18 years, than before. However, I was the one who came to our marriage with more internal baggage than him and yet with his love and the
love of the Savior, I was able to find grace, something a few people had a hard time seeing over the years. That grace gave me a chance to heal.

So for those of you who have read the book, including people who are not on my list of blog friends, let me know what you thought of it and the idea of having a book club.

March Madness...

2009-03-22T20:01:00.011-04:00

Well since my last blog pleading for help, I thought it was only fair that I update you on all our latest adventures. My husband Darren, is very talented when it comes to anything mechanical or to do with computers. He can take apart things that are broken and put them back, working even better than before. This gift he has gotten from his father and it seemed to have been passed on to our oldest son Angus. For this reason, we have always been able to keep our vehicles and computers running longer than most. This talent of his will be put to the ultimate test. For the next ten months, my wonderful husband will be going to school while turning 44 in April. He found out about an aviation maintenance course being offered at NSCC starting in March and he just knew it was something he should do. So on a leap of faith, he quit his job(they wouldn't lay him off or fire him) and went for it. So far, everytime we have come across an obstacle, some miracle happens and the way has been made clear for him to start this venture. For example, he needed gr.12 academic math, which he did not have. Suddenly, the requirements were changed and he only needed to have gr. 11 math. He also needed to pay over $300.00 to secure his placement, once he was accepted and then it changed to $100.00(much more affordable). These miracles reinforce our faith and left us with a firm belief that if we do our part, the Lord will guide us through the rest. "Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous". On top of all that, we just bought a newer van. Yes, I know some of you out there will think we are crazy but we have 5 children living at home and driving back and forth at least least 6 times in our little car on Sundays was just a bit much. We needed to buy it while Darren was still getting a paycheck. Anyway that in itself was another miracle that happened. We had been looking at a 2009 Kia Sedona(AWESOME VAN) and had Darren kept his job, the payments would have been a breeze. However with the knowledge that he may have to quit, which nullifies him getting UI, we decide to by-pass the van. Long and short of it is, when he went to get his deposit back, the guy told him about this 2005 Kia Sedona that had just come in and had had only 31,000 kms on it. It was practically brand new. It still had the new vehicle smell to it. My honey dickered with the guy and talked him down $1,500 more and got a 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty on it. We couldn't have gotten a better deal. In fact, it was an anniversary edition that came out August of 2005 and so it had a few perks to it that the other models didn't have. One of those perks is the sonar that tells you that you are too close to something when you're backing up. This will come in handy since Darren will be teaching a couple of kids to drive. It also has the heated wipers so that you don't have to worry about your windshield during snowy weather and I love the car alarm as well. There are 14 cup holders, a lot of outlets for our portable dvd players and an outlet for your cooler, do I hear road trip, anyone, lol?? It has some other features, besides power everything and air conditioning but I can't remember it all. I have to say though, because of the light interior and 5 kids, I covered all the mats with heavy plastic until we can get some rubber mats to cover the light grey ones. So now we just have to keep it, lol! I know we have some rough roads ahead of us but I have a lot of faith that we're never alone no matter what choices we make. I just want to thank all my blogging friends for your unconditional support and I love that I can share this part of my life with you and know that you only have good thoughts for me and my family. I have a lot of faith in my husband who has always worked hard to provide for his family. He always said that if he lost his job, he would flip burgers if it meant putting food on the table. Some people discover early in life what their dream are, my husband just took the roundabout way to get to his.

Internal Affairs!

2009-03-19T10:08:00.006-04:00

"Goodness, yes, they're uncomfortable. But don't my legs look fabulous?"
I stole this list from my smart Hawaiian friend, Ardis...kudos to you Ardis! It is a long list but I’m sure there is something in there for each of you. I know I have found a few that I still need to work on but I also saw some that I have accomplished. So give yourself a pat on the back if you have been successful and keep at it for the ones that you are trying to attain.

40 Tips for a Better Life in 2009

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. (Especially on those days when yelling at your kids just doesn't make you feel any better.)

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep. (OR stop watching TV, cancel your cable, 'cause most shows are streamed anyway..and get MORE MONEY!!....I still need to work on this one.)

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today..' (Most mornings mine is "let's just get through scripture studies")

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008. (and try to borrow them from the library because your house can get really cluttered if not..and that does NOT make for a good 2009)

7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 80 and under the age of 6. (They really know how to make a person laugh...no seriously!)

9. Dream more while you are awake. (But NOT while you're driving your kids to school..that can be super dangerous!)

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. I wonder how that affects food storage...hhhhmmm!!!!!

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts. (I’m substituting the green tea with herbal).

12. Try to make at least five people smile each day - including yourself!

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new andflowing energy into your life. (Or in my case, try hard NOT to let NEW clutter flow into the areas I just cleaned out!!)

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. (or Postive Gossip...there IS such a thing!

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. (I’ve heard that before but still haven’t quite mastered it...could it be that sending 6 kids out the door, including my husband, everyday doesn’t leave me much time to eat like a queen?)

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away. (Be careful with this one though, don't overdo it...it could also chase friends away, because they might think you're a bit crazy!)

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. (in retrospect anyway, lol!)

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. (I was a bit devastated when I read this one...I hope my kids at least take me seriously...baaahahahahhaha!)

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. (I have a real hard time with this one...too competitive)

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. (100% truth!!!!!!)

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything - including yourself.

27. What other people think of you is none of YOUR business. (Look familiar, Gillian?)

28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything. (even me, lol)

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (Can someone remind me of this, 10 months from now, PLEASE!!!!!!)

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. (I hope all my friends are reading this)

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (I guess that means I have to repent of all that envying of people travelling south...sigh!))

33. The best is yet to come. (this one seems to come in spurts)

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. (And if people laugh at you, it's probably because stripes and polka dots DON'T go together.)

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often.

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. (hahahahahhahahahahhahaha...)

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride. (I’ve always avoided the roller coasters but they don’t seem to avoid me.)

40. Please share the wealth of your "new knowledge" gained from this list, with everyone you know!!! (Minus the stuff I had in parentheses, OF COURSE!)

Calling All Fellow Bloggers...

2009-03-11T22:10:00.003-04:00

I have really enjoyed blogging because it has become like a personal journal of sorts. I was never good at writing down all the details of my life so this type of recording has been quite enjoyable. I know it doesn't quite fit the bill but I'll take it. The reason for this blog post is because I am calling on all my fellow bloggers who believe in miracles to keep us in their prayers. If I am being presumptious, forgive me...I don't mean to take advantage of your good heart. However, my family is about to take a huge leap of faith and to be honest I am a little afraid. I know we have been taught that if you are prepared you do not need to fear but hey, I'm human. Our life is about to change and hopefully it will mean better things for us but as a wife and mother, that little niggling feeling of fear still remains with me. I think that is why I feel the need to ask for your help. I am not able to go into too much details as yet because there are family members who need to be told first. Until then, I have to hold on to the belief that everything always work out no matter what. So for those of you who respond to this call for help, I thank you all in advance and know that I appreciate you especially for sharing the bits and pieces of your lives.

Welcome To The Neighborhood!

2009-03-08T22:03:00.003-04:00

For those of you who know my husband Darren, you know him to be a man of very few words. Having said that, he really surprised me one day when he decided to create his own blog. Now to know Darren, you will know that he is not very patient with trying to get things started off the ground so when it came to creating this new blog of his, there was a lot of frustration. He is a genius at most things mechanically and quite amazing in the area of computers. So you would have thought this "blog" thing would have been a breeze...not, lol! Either way with my help and some soothing words of encouragement, he finally managed to get it up and running. So to all my blog compadres out there, please send a shout of welcome to my awesome hubby, father of our children and just an all-round nice guy, Darren Fraser.

PS...His blog address is darren33.blogspot.com...be gentle with him, he's only a rookie, lol!

Withdrawal...

2009-03-04T12:10:00.004-05:00

Some of you already know that I have given up facebook for Lent and no, I am not catholic, lol! I have always appreciated the idea of giving up something that means a lot to me for the space of 40 days. I know this in no way compares to what the Savior did for us and that His sacrifice doesn't require us to do anything of the sort, but it's my own personal "thing". The funny thing is, when I decided to start this tradition, it was just for me and did not include anyone else in the family. However my children was intrigued by it and decided they too would give something up for Lent. So this year, my husband gave up soda, Chelsea gave up going to bed pass 10:00 pm, Angus gave up tv, and Camden and Raven gave up the computer. These were their choices and so far, they including myself have all been keeping to it. Fortunately for my children, they enjoy being outside and doing other things. For me, it has not been very easy because facebook has been a life-line for me during these depressing winter months. My husband always teased me about how his wife disappears January, Febuary and March, only to return in spring. I don't know about anyone else out there but I am a person of sunshine and warmth. The cold makes me want to hibernate. However it is now March and my hopes are that, the weather will soon turn for the better. This is the time of year when I take out my gardening magazines and start to make a list of all the things I would like to do in my garden. The garden has always been my baby but this year I have managed to snag my wonderful husband into giving me a hand. Anyway my friends, I do miss you all...I miss seeing the little tidbits that make up your lives. See you soon.

Ode To My Mother-in-law...

2009-03-01T09:16:00.020-05:00

So it was my mother-in-law Paulette's birthday last weekend and we decided that a girl's day out was the way to go. Denise, her daughter, myself and our other sister-in-law, Mellissa decided that the best kind of day was a "no-plans" day. Of course this included making the cake and since we were already travelling an hour to get there, we wanted an easy no-fail recipe. Well it doesn't get any easier than this. Here is our version of a quick and simple ice-cream cake. We used 6 ice-cream sandwiches and layered it with cool whip, crushed oreo cookies and caramel sauce, another layer of sandwiches, coolwhip, cookies and caramel sauce and put it in the freezer until hardened. Now I know that we could have made it fancier but given the time constraint, this was our quickie version, lol! Anyway we decided to take Paulette out to lunch and Denise had gone to this cute pub in Lunenburg. It had a lot of local food choices some of which did not appeal to me but I know, is a big hit with the Frasers. Lunenburg sausage is a mainstay down here in this neck of the woods and something my husband enjoys. I can't for the life of me, bring myself to eat it but Denise and her mom ordered the Lunenburg sausage burger. Mellissa had a salad and I ordered the fishcakes and a Greek salad. It was all delicious but the one thing that was just so yummy was the mussel chowder. It was to die for and of course the one thing I didn't take a picture of, duh! Oh well! After our delicious lunch, we felt we needed to burn some calories and decided to go bowling. Well it's been years since I went bowling but was up for the challenge. I actually love bowling but always hated those tacky shoes, gross! Either way, we had a great time. If we had to give an award out for the most graceful bowler, it would have to be my MIL, hands down. Her form was impeccable. As for the least graceful, I think we can all agree that our SIL, Mellissa won that one with this form. Since this was Paulette's day, I won't brag about my winning the game or even show the picture of our score sheet, lol! Needless to say we had a great time. Lots of laughs. Of course what's a trip to the Southshore without going to Frenchy's? We had about 30 mins before Frenchy's closed so we made a fast getaway from the bowling alley. Our visit to Francois's was so quick, I didn't even take any pictures, lol! We thought this would be a good time for the birthday girl to have her cake and eat it too. So we made our way back to the Fraser homestead and dug in. The cake was amazing! In fact, I plan on making it for my husband and kids' upcoming birthdays in April and May. With a few minor changes, I think I can manage to make all four cakes differently. I don't think there were any leftovers since everyone except me had 2 pieces. David certainly enjoyed it. With our stomachs filled with yummy cake, we decided to hit the movies and see a "chick" flick. At this point we thought it only proper that we ask David to come since we had monopolized his wife's attention for most of the day. He was a great sport in agreeing to our movie choice. Now I did not read the book so I had no expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was first and foremost, clean. It was also funny and quite sweet. Karen Bing read the book and even though some things were missing(as usual), she liked the it too. It's nice to go to a movie and just enjoy the whole thing without having to flinch or grimace because of some unsavory scene and even though it may not win any critically acclaimed award, I still loved it and more importantly so did my MIL. It was such a pleasurable day with lots of laughs and just all out relaxing! Everyone should have a birthday like this, hint, hint, lol!

A Moxie's Experience...

2009-02-26T06:45:00.026-05:00

There are times in our lives when opportunities come to you in the most unexpected manner and when this happens, you grab it and have a good time. I work with a group of women who comes from all walks of life and one of these women, Sandra happen to have a lovely daughter name Carla who just happened, to land a job at a new restaurant that opened not too long ago. Moxie's is a Canadian business that started out west and has finally made it's way to the eastern shores of Nova Scotia. I had never heard of it before until my husband came home one day talking about their bathrooms and how famous they were for them. I thought that was rather strange since I usually critiqued a restaurant by it's food and not it's bathroom, lol! Apparently one of the trends of this franchise was to have a mock opening in which friends and families of the staff get to have a fine dining experience on the house. Now, maybe this is a regular occurrence in the restaurant world, but what do I know? Anyway, Sandra invited me, and a few other of our co-workers along for this evening of fine dining. For anyone who is looking for a new place to eat that has good food and great ambience, Moxie's is one of those places. Now keep in mind that when we went, there were still a few things to be done, so what you're looking at is a peek of what you'll actually see when you visit this Canadian trademark. Regardless of those unfinished details, it was still quite beautiful and the food was amazing. We were somewhat limited as to what we could order. We all had to pick a section of the menu and choose something from that section. Two people could not select something from the steak menu. Here's a sample of the menu and see why this was not a problem for us, lol! This was not all of the menu of course but it gives you an idea of the selection. It was amazing to see what everyone was ordering around us. We weren't able to order appetizers because they were concentrating on getting the main courses out to the customers but we were able to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks with our dinner. I had a lime margarita, yummy! There's nothing like an evening out with people that you enjoy being around, good food and a great atmosphere. Oh, and let's not forget that it's free, lol! That was the sweetest part of this evening. The only unfortunate thing about the night was that I was under the weather and knew I wouldn't be able to eat everything but thank goodness for doggie bags, hahahah! This is Debbie, our resource teacher. She had the beef vindaloo. It was fantastic!!!! If you like spicy food and curry too, this was the dish to get. Sandra ordered the chicken and ribs, which looked and tasted yummy! However because she ordered from that part of the menu, I couldn't order the steak and seafood dish that I wanted. But that was okay because it was Sandra who invited me to begin with and I was more than okay with her having first choice. I had a mediteranean burger with feta cheese with a basil sauce and french fries. It was really good. I think this is the first time I have ever ordered a burger in a restaurant that wasn't fast food. I'm always of the mind that if I'm going to spend money on a meal like this, it has to be something more than what I can cook at home. Either way it was enjoyable. Cathy ordered the philly steak sandwich and fries, which was so good. All in all it was a very fun and delicious evening. Of course what's a visit to a new restaurant without a trip to the ladies room. I was really hoping to get into the men's room because according to my husband, they have lcd tvs over the urinals and throughout the bathroom. Alas, I had to give up on that idea. Our little venture to the loo
was quite incredible really. Upon entering the bathroom, there was fireplace built into a wall of mosaic glass tiles. The room looked more like someone's dressing room. I'm usually one of those people who really try hard to not have to use the public washrooms unless out of desperation. However I have to say that this bathroom experience was unreal. Everything was very classy. I was a little disappointed though that they didn't have the tvs installed. That was happening the next day and yes even the women's washroom were going to have tvs as well. These were the make-up chairs that are heated as well as have their own personal make-up mirrors that wasn't installed as yet. No expense was spared when decorating this place. I wonder what it looks like in the mens room??? Oh well that would have to wait until I come back with my husband, lol. Of course I did save the best for last...the dessert and the bill. Desserts weren't being offered but I think the maitre'd really liked us...he spent about 20 minutes chatting with us at our table and taking pictures. Next thing we knew, we were getting complimentary desserts. It was beautiful to look at. It was called a banana xango(I think). It appeared to be delicious. I wouldn't know because at this point, I thought I was going to hurl. Not a good night to go out when you're under the weather. Oh well! What's a girl to do when presented with this kind of opportunity. As sweet as the dessert was, the bill was even sweeeeeeeter! The fun thing about this evening aside from all the food, friends and atmosphere, was that Sandra invited us to go back again the next night. We found out that they needed more people the next evening to practise on...unfortunately for me, I WAS SICK!

A Little Bit Of This...A Little Bit Of That...

2009-02-23T14:30:00.022-05:00

I always love looking at everyone's blog but dread doing one of my own...and yet whenever I finally post one, I feel like I have once again conquered technology, lol. To start off the new year we saw our two daughters, Savannah and Chelsea go off to their new year's dance while we just hung out with some good friends, Paulette and Tyrone. We also celebrated Tiffani's birthday. She turned 23 and so we did it up in style. The whole time I have lived in Canada, I only had lobster twice and that was after I got married. The first time I had it, I was pregnant with Savannah and threw it up. The second time was when Darren turned 40,and I splurged. Having 6 kids just doesn't make for too many extravagances. However, as we all know lobster prices this year has been quite low so we decided to indulge and feast on some lobster in honor of Tiffani. With the addition of caesar salad, scallops, and rolls, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Of course to round it off, we had birthday cake. It was a really nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I just can't believe that I have a 23 yr old daughter. Some days I don't feel old enough. We also had the Nelsons over for supper one evening. Jeff and Kathy have become part of our family. In fact I think we see them more than we see our own families, lol! This evening we were a few short of the usual numbers. Jessica and Sarah weren't there and my husband wasn't home from work yet. Of course we weren't going to let that stop us. Jeff stepped in to do the honors and we had a super time. We also had another little friend over, Akayjah. The kids had a roaring good time and ate quite a bit of food. Even though the majority was playing wii, Georgia thought she would try out the light sabers, lol! Note the gravy bowl that Jeff is using. That gravy boat has been in my family for over 30 years and the one time Jeff used it, the handle broke off, hahahahaha. What was even funnier, it broke off while he was pouring the gravy and he managed to catch the bowl upright without even spilling it...kudos to you Jeff, lol! The next thing to happen was these robins. This is just a handful compared to the 16-20 robins that were on the ground. This was in January and we were amazed that there were so many of them and they were so plump too. I actually felt like spring was just around the corner, HA! The joke was on me, since we seem to have gotten more bad weather. Well with the month underway, we found our way to Angus's first wrestling meet. Now I enjoy many sports. I enjoy watching as well as playing them. In fact there are few activities that I don't really like and under the heading of a few, falls wrestling. The idea of all that bodily contact just didn't appeal to me. Too much touchy, touchy, feely, feely moves. Anyway, he was impressive to say the least. he was undefeated right up until the gold medal match and then the unthinkable happened. What every mother dreads, an injury! Right in the midst of the match, he and his opponent slammed into the mat and I could see that my son was hurt but he continued to play on. His coach didn't even realized he was hurt until I came up and told him he needs to go to the paramedics. Sure enough they thought it was serious enough to send him to the hospital. Fortunately he didn't break anything but just badly bruised his elbow. He didn't win the gold but he did pretty good getting second for his first tournament! Moving on to end this rather long blog, I managed to squeeze in a little weekend trip with my sister-in-law Denise. We went down to Liverpool to visit our good friend Barb. We started the evening off with a little Mamma Mia sing along, lol. As you can see Denise was really getting her groove on, hahahah. I think Nick, Barb's son, was having a hoot at it all. We always enjoy going to visit with Barb. Not only because she is a wonderful friend but because her hubby, Ralph treats us like queens. He prepares all the meals and does all the dishes and we just sit back and tell him what we want. We love that man! The whole time we were down there, we laughed and played and just had a good time. I guess the thing I liked most about this weekend away, is that when you're with good friends, you never have to worry about them judging you or making you feel uncomfortable in anyway. I love my friends, both young and wise, lol! Anyway sorry about such a long post. I guess if I do it more on a regular basis like everyone else, I wouldn't have such a back-log of stuff to put on. Hope I didn't bore you all too much.

A Nice Gesture Of Friendship!

2009-02-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

Are you one of the Lucky 5?

Lucky you!The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (Though I hope you will!)

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year {might be a little while}

4. You get no clue what it's going to be.

It may be a story. It may be poetry or maybe even some creation I haven't even invented yet. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer to do the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

PS Please leave your address in case your surprise finds you via snail mail:) You can email it to me or facebook me if you like.

Me, Me And Nothing But Me...

2009-02-05T21:10:00.005-05:00

Alrighty, so I've been tagged by Keah. So here goes!

Rules: Write 6 random things about myself, link the person who tagged you & post the rules. Tag six people. Let them know they have been tagged.

1. I dated my husband Darren after we got engaged. Crazy I know but hey, we're still together after 18 crazy, fun-filled, passionate, topsy-turvy years.

2. I was a single parent at the age of 20, joined the church at the age of 23, married my husband at the age of 25 and had our first child before I was 26. My twenties was an exciting time in my life.

3. When I was a little girl growing up in Jamaica, I used to run out in a heavy rain storm and roll around in the mud naked and let the rain wash me off...I was really, really young, lol!

4. A lot of bad things happened to me growing up but through prayer, faith, a great doctor and a wonderful husband, I was able to come through it and still feel like I'm a person of worth.

5. Unlike most women, I am not a nurturer by nature and so motherhood is really hard for me...and to add to the challenge of it all, we had 6 children, lol! Wrapping my arms around my children while they are in their teenage years is really hard and yet when they were babies, I loved holding them. At the same time I would give my life for them in a heart beat.

6. I love my husband dearly. He is the only person I have ever met who have loved me unconditionally regardless of the excess baggage that I brought into our marriage. I have given him many reasons to leave me and yet he stays with me and doesn't judge me for for any of my irrational, crazy, headstrong, and somtimes foolish choices I have made over the years. I have learned to be a better woman, wife, mother, sister and friend to all the people that are important to me, including my blogging friends because of his example.

I hope this wasn't too silly or boring or TMI for some and I tag:

Rebecca

Chantelle

Kristine

Ardis

Tanya

Jodie

A Moment In History...

2009-01-20T11:55:00.003-05:00

This is a post to share with my friends about what today has meant to me as a person, a Canadian, a woman of color and neighbor to our fellow Americans. First to my neighboring Americans, I am so proud to witness this moment not only in your history but in the history of the world. I KNOW where I was when this all took place. I can say that to my grandchildren and maybe even one day my great-grand children. I am proud that my children have been able to be in this generation to see this incredible change. It was not that long ago that there were seperate schools for our black and white children, seperate entrances for the movie theaters and seperate water fountains for us to drink from. With every generation, change has been brought about. " With every trial in our lives, lessons can be learned and what doesn't kill us, build us up. "We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things....On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord... starting today we must pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off...We are ready to lead once more...Our power grows through our prudent use...we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned...we are the keepers of this legacy...Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken... for we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness...we are willing to extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist...Our challenges may be new, the instruments that we use to face them maybe new, but hard work, honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and partriotism, these things are old, these things are true...the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny...why a man, whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a sacred oath...let us endure what storms may come...God bless us" These are just a few of the things that President Obama said in his acceptance speech. As a woman of color, I did not think that I would see this day come. In fact, I thought that we would have seen a woman as president before a black man. There is a difficult road ahead for our neighbors which in turn affects us as Canadians. Regardless of whether or not we all have the same political, religious, or personal views, the spirit of unity and hope is strong among us all.

A Year In Review and Looking Ahead!

2009-01-09T19:15:00.019-05:00

Well I for one, is very glad to see the back end of 2008. It was a year of more downs than ups for me and my family. I am truly looking forward to this new year with high hopes. It has been enjoyable reading all the different blogs especially all the ones of young mothers raising their babies. I wish I had had something like this when I was raising my children. Sometimes, any form of communication was few and far between and here we are in 2009 able to communicate with each other, no matter the distance. I have really enjoyed the different views expressed by you all and look forward to hearing and seeing more of you. Thank you for sometimes lifting me out of my gloom and making me laugh with you all, as if you are close. I can't wait to see all the new happenings in each and everyones' life. Happy New Year everyone! Here is just a few highlights of 2008. Enjoy

Spring came full force in 2008, leaving my garden all young and green, If you look closely you can see the cherry blossoms on the cherry tree. I can't wait for spring already, lol!

Our daughter Chelsea got her patriarchal blessing and it has been a blessing in her life. She has read it many times. Patriarch Fielden is such a wonderful and humble man. We love him dearly.

We had some new neighbors move in...the neighborhood was never the same after that. The kids named them Ringo and Star, lol.

Of course a year doesn't go by without visits from friends from afar. Here we had a wonderful time with a former missionary from Darren's youth, Marty Man Smith. Our kids loved him. He is just such a wonderful man. He lives in North Carolina and just loves coming to Nova Scotia. He calls it his second home.

Our second home, Rainbow Haven Beach. This past summer was spent going to the beach every hot and sunny day. Of course having family to share these memories made it even better. Cousins, Kaelym and Madlyn Blinn with Raven.

Mid-summer and my garden has taken off...my haven away from my busy life of kids, work and church.

Since we didn't do a big family trip this year, we played tourist in our own backyard and visited many of the lovely sights in Nova Scotia, one of them being the Halifax waterfront.

Fall has finally arrived in Nova Scotia and with it comes the changing of colors, smells and feelings.

With fall in full swing, nature's bounty is apparent. This was a busy time for me with all the canning and preserving to be done while every thing is fresh. I do love this time of year.

Thanksgiving Canadian style comes in October and what better way to give thanks than to share it with loved ones. Our family has always shared many of thanksgiving moments with the Blinns, my husband's sister Denise and her family.

One cannot forget those OTH(One Tree Hill) nights. Karen Bing is taking the pics while myself, Nicole, Laura and Kathy enjoy the food, lol. I must say these evenings have lifted my spirits quite a few times. What a hoot!

Of course, who can forget the excitement of waiting for HSM3. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as well as spending some time with my other nieces and sister-in-laws.

Denise, myself, Mellissa, Madlyn, Leeyah, Kaylyn and Raven. It was a fun night for all to be had.

Last of course is the Christmas season..it came up so unexpectedly fast, it caught me off guard. We manage to have a very good time but it also made me realize that I want to make this christmas of 2009 better than ever. Which brings us full circle! I want so much to make this year about the important things, like family, church, friends and laughing, just laughing!

Better Late Than Never!

2008-12-22T20:10:00.020-05:00

It's been a long, long time since I've posted a blog. I know I could have just done a write up but I like to post pictures with each blog and for the life of me I couldn't find my camera cord, make that two camera cords. Well I have found one but so much stuff has happened that I hope I can do an update without it becoming too long and boring. First things first, these are my activity girls. Note the t-shirts. They decorated them for their service project. I must say some were colorful and quite creative. The service project was to collect food for Feed Nova Scotia. As you can see they collected quite a bit of food. Just for the record, we don't usually have boys in Activity but the boys' activity was cancelled and my son Camden(in orange t-shirt) and his two friends tagged along. I was really impressed with the girls' excitement at collecting the food. They didn't complain at all and was quite brave at going from door to door and asking for donations. We're looking forward to doing it again in the spring. The next major happening was our daughter Chelsea's "sweet sixteen" birthday. She had a boy/girl party and had quite a good time with her friends. She had a great time and really enjoyed the gifts she collected. I must say she made it easy for us to throw her a party because she's such a great kid. I didn't have to worry about who she was going to invite or what her friends were going to do once they arrived. I decided that I would try my hand at baking her cake and decorating it, something I haven't done in a long, long time. So please no heckling from the peanut gallery. This was my version of the "travelling" pants. Note the fruit roll-up belt. wwwbettycrocker.com really came through for me and fortunately Chelsea was very forgiving, lol! The next event has been our daddy/daughter activity. I thought it would be a good idea to do a breakfast and a craft for the fathers and daughters. We had sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs and caramel french toast. Well let me tell you, those caramel french toast was a huge hit and it so happens that we're having it for our christmas breakfast. What the fathers lacked in creativity, they certainly made up for it in enthusiasim. They seemed to have enjoy themselves immensely. Our craft was the family tree made out of wire with silver foil leaves (http://www.mormonchic.com/). It called for the use of some tools which I thought would be right up the men's alley. However I think some of them would have just rather some good old scissors and paper. All in all it was a very memorable time. With just two more events to go, we come to the annual christmas concert. With six children and oodles of christmas concerts under our belts, it was a little weird going with only two children this year. It felt a little lonely and really quiet. In fact, we actually arrived at the expected half hour early time. A first in all our concert years. Check out Camden in his suit looking out of the corner of his eye. After years of fighting with the kids to dress up for concerts, Camden decided he wanted to wear his suit and was quite excited to do so until he got to to the school. He suddnly lost his courage and was very shy. He loves to sing but freezes up the minute he faces a crowd. That's Raven in her blue dress and pink hat. She was doing a song which required a hat and mittens. She was so cute. She did really well until someone stepped on her shoes. It was all downhill after that. Oh the trials of elementary! Last but certainly not least was the decorating of the tree. This year has been a strange year for us. Everything seemed to have taken longer to get done. We were extremely late in getting our tree. We got our tree on December 18th and decorated it on the 21st. We had all the children with us but we also had some unexpected guests show up. As some of you already know, we've been spending almost every Saturday night for the last six years with the Nelsons at their home and this night they paid us a surprise visit. Of course this was not going to stop us from decorating the tree in fact, we had an amazingly fun time with our six kids and the four Nelson children. Without further ado, I'll let the pictures do the talking. Sorry about the long post. Hopefullsy some of you out there will actually read it, lol!

This is Emmanuel, Tiffani's boyfriend. He spent christmas with us last year and he's going to BC this christmas. Fortunately he was able to spend sometime with him before he leaves. I just want to wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas and a happy New Year.

What Do You Think?

2008-11-11T12:05:00.005-05:00

I haven't been blogging a lot lately because life stepped in and became crazy. I usually enjoy reading all your blogs and leaving little comments but lately my life just seem to be filled up with "stuff". Anyway one of the things I have been wanting to do was update our family picture. For months I have been asking my husband to show me how to use the scanner so I could scan this picture. Well he finally did and now it looks so outdated because everyone has changed so much in the last couple of years. Trying to pin everyone down for a family shot has been painful, not to mention the "ah, mom, do we have to?" objections. Anyway I would really love to have your feedback as to what you think and just to make it easier, I'll post another one of the kids that was taken at their great-grandfather's funeral a year ago. This was the one the one taken last year and as you can see, there's a big difference in their looks.

A Night of Pure Pleasure!

2008-10-25T10:03:00.013-04:00

As most of you all know, life is crazy busy all the time and so any chance you get to indulge in some downtime, well, who am I to say no! Me and a few galfriends decided it was high time that we paid Ms Lis Drage a visit. You see, Lis has a craftroom, something of which most of us only dream about. Usually some of us have a closet, some boxes under the bed or a little corner in a room somewhere, but not Lis. Lis had the real deal and we experienced it full throttle.

How's this for a room? My little corner in the dining room would fit easily in this corner. In a perfect world, us crafters would have one of these.

Note the computer screen...it's bigger than my ancient TV at home. Lis is definitely on the ball!

This is the Cricut. for those of you who have never heard of it, well how do I describe this piece of, of...words fail me. You have to experience it yourself.

This next piece of wizardry is called the Cuttlebug. Kathy mastered it in no time. She even did most of my suff while I had a turn on the Cricut.

Our lovely hostess, Lis! What a most generous friend. Not only did she open her home to us, but she also allowed us peasants to use her gadgets and supplies as well. We all brought our own but didn't use it.

Not only was she generous with her supplies but she managed to get a couple of cards done, while showing us how everything work.

However, Lis was not the only one who was feeling creative. Monica got all her halloween cards.

As for Kathy and myself, we didn't actually make any cards. We just indulged in the gadgets. We did take home some booty though!

I even got some snowmen made for my christmas cards that I hope to make. Keyword being "hope", lol. Of course, what's a party, of any kind, without a spread? We had a little bit of everything. Some fresh fruits, cheese/crackers, some hummus and pita and the most decadent brownies I've ever tasted. Did I mention that we also had a bit of bubbly, a.k.a. sparkling fruit juice. Us mormon women sure know how to "do it up", lol.

Of course the grand finale for me was when Lis told me she had the full set of the "Twilight" series and that I could borrow them. Could this night get anymore delicious? I was in heaven. I had just finished the first book that morning and was desperate to find someone to take pity and loan them to me. Lis, I love you!

When life gives you lemons...just squeeze! Part 2

2008-10-15T12:51:00.017-04:00

So here's the thing! My husband works really hard, as do most husbands I'm sure, and sometimes he doesn't even get a day off. Well, miracles of all miracles happened the other day. He managed to get a 4-day weekend off over the thanksgiving holidays and because it could have changed any minute, we didn't really plan specifically what we were going to do. We had some ideas but nothing in stone. Well we decided at the last minute, as in 2 days before that we were going to go to New York and visit my brother and his family in Syracuse for the heck of it. My mom was also visiting them for a few months so we would have gotten to see her as well, not to mention pick up all the loot I know she has bought for us already. My mom loves to buy us stuff when she goes away. I worry about her sometimes. I would have even been able to pick up Karen's soap that I had bought her in Miami and is now sitting in New York. Now I ask you, wasn't that a neat and tidy plan? Here's where the lemons came in. Being thegood mother that I try to be, I went to put the last load of laundry in before we drove off and 'lo and behold, my washing machine died. I tried everything to get it working but to no avail. I guess I could have just said to $%#% with it and left because this was our time together but I couldn't do that to my kids. However let me tell you, when they heard we weren't going anywhere, they were outraged at the idea of us spending time with them when we were suppose to be gone. Where is the love? anyway to make a long story short, we decided to do all the things people say they're going to do but never get around to doing it...we played tourist in our own backyard with a 2-night stay at my mother's apartment(the kids were thrilled with that part).

The guilty party...it almost looks as if it's enjoying it's new position on the curb!

So here's what we squeezed out. My husband started off our day with a trip to the farmer's market. I love this place but be prepared to spend some moolah! It's such a land mark for us Haligonians, that it's always a treat to get there.

Did I say the treat was going to the farmer's market? The real treat is the eating. I was treated to homemade waffles with butter, syrup and icing sugar. These waffles were big and thick. There were other toppings but since this was the beginning of the day, I didn't want to walk around with stuff all over my shirt.

After we left the market we went for a walk around town and came onto this building, 5442 Morris St. This building was my first home when I came to Canada in 1975. It was in April and there had been a snow storm. I had never seen snow before and I thought it was sugar at first.

There was a candy store right across the street. This building is now under order to be demolished. I'm so glad we were able to see it one last time.

Right around the corner from our apt. was this little park.

I used to come here with my friends on Saturday mornings and play for hours.

After our stroll down memory lane we hopped in the car and decided to take walk down Spring Garden Rd., something I never get to do.

Of course what's a trip down that street without a visit to a friend at Roots.

You'll never guess what question my husband asked our sweet friend, Karen Bing. He wanted to know if they sell water bottles made out of buffalo scrotum...yes, you read correctly. I think Karen blushed a bit at that one. The worse was, he was serious about it. Apparently they are great water bottles. Who knew!

For those of you who don't recognize this "piece de resistance", this is a favorite maritime treat for most...a donair. Please do not turn your nose up at it until you have sampled this tasty treat. Once you leave Nova Scotia, you're hard press to find one of these babies and if you do, it may not be as good. In other areas, they call it a gyro, which I've had and it does not taste like a donair. Darren and I feel it's our duty to share this wonder with any relatives or friends who come to visit and have never had it before.

After indulging our appetites we decided to stroll around a bit since it was such a beautiful day. How many of you out there, besides fellow Nova Scotians of course, can brag about having a horse jumping facility right smack-dab in their city?

It was wonderful to watch and with the wind blowing the other way, the odor was quite mild.

We even had a chance football game on our way to the beautiful Public Gardens. I haven't been back here since Hurricane Juan. It seems so open with so many trees gone.This little shop in the gardens holds bittersweet memories for me.

I use to go across the street to my grandmother's nursing home and visit with her. Whenever it was a beautiful day out and she was feeling up to it, I would take her out in

her wheelchair and come for an ice-cream. she loved rum and raisin or grapenut. Unfortunately, the place was closed for the day.

I love this park! It gives you a sense of peace and tranquility walking through it. There were 7 wedding parties that day. who woldn't want their pictures taken here? Those 7 brides chose a really beautiful fall day to begin their new lives.

P.S. This was just the first day!

Life's Bounty...Part1...Hawaiian Luau

2008-10-04T22:37:00.000-04:00

This is a two occasion blog. The first being the Hawaiian dinner that Darren and I were invited to. Jackie O'Hearon, Kathy Nelson's mother, invited us as well as the elders and Laura, her daughter, and her friends to this Luau. For those of you who don't know, my husband Darren served his mission in Hawaii and Jackie and Bill went to Hawaii twice in less than 2 years. There was also an elder who was from Hawaii. Everything for the meal was authentically Hawaiian.

This is Laura(on the right)and her friends who joined us for the dinner.

This is Bill, "the Big Kahuna", Jackie's husband. He is such a sweetheart. I just love him and Jackie...they're such great people.

Of course what's a luau without a palm tree. When the O'Hearons decide to do something, they do it big. Not bad for Nova Scotia, eh!

Not only the table setting was lovely but the food was amazing! Everyone brought something to the table and it was awesome!

This was just the starter. We had papaya, pineapple, mango, melon, grapes, strawberries and a madarin salad. Even the bread was Hawaiian courtesy of Jackie.

As you can see, there was no lack of food. The pig was fine, the chicken and ribs disappeared and the poi, well let's just say, that was an aquired taste. My husband loves that stuff and I can't stand it myself but to each his own.

This is Elder Cooper from Hawaii. He actually was the one who asked to have the dinner. His mother had sent him some stuff in a care package and wanted to share it with us. It was very generous of him and we certainly appreciated it.

Jackie mastering the Hawaiian lingo with Elder Cooper. Not only was the dinner authentic but the whole atmosphere was laid back and relaxed...so Hawaiian style!

I quite like this picture of me in borrowed clothing(Jackie's).

Darren came straight from work and Bill provided him with the shirt. What fabulous hosts!

The dessert that Jckie is cutting is the one I made. It's called Haupia pudding(coconut pudding). The weird thing was, it was Elder Cooper's favorite dessert, which I didn't know and also something my husband really loved while in Hawaii. This was my first time making it and my husband thought he had died and went to heaven. Just look at this next picture!

I know what I want to say concerning this picture but it might offend some people...needless to say, he was enjoying the whole experience and we got a good chuckle from it all.

Of course, what's a luau without some entertainment. It was lovely hearing Elder Cooper sing and play the ukelele...it wasn't quite so authentic when we tried to sing.

Card Sharks II

2008-09-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

First of all, I want to thank my dear friend Becca for being a genius at fixing the problem. She is incredible and I just want to send her kudos for coming to the rescue. I think I would have just went on hiatus if she hadn't figured out what was wrong. So for those of you who haven't given up on me, here's what I have been trying to post:

One of the things I've come to enjoy is making cards. The only thing is, I'm just not good at coming up with my own ideas. I love to steal ideas. It's the only way to go. Anyway, I decided to throw a "stamping" party for me and my crafty friends. I was surrounded by the divas of card-making and of course the queen herself, Irene Hirtle. It was crazy, because we don't get to see Irene, she decided to do 3 card kits with us...what a woman! Needless to say, we had to catch on quickly. All-in-all, it was a very productive evening.

This was the first project that we did. Some did Halloween, I did thanksgiving.

As you can see the concentration was fierce. There was a lot of creative juices flowing amongst us.

This was our next project. It so happens that daisies are one of my favorite flowers, so I was thrilled to do this one.

I loved making this card. Irene really did us proud with her choices in kits. The funny thing was, I did this one upside down. You'll probably get a look at it on Kathy's site or facebook. It was good for a laugh. However, all was not lost, I managed to salvage it.

As you can see, it was time well-spent!.

Kailey was the youngest member of our card-making evening. However, she had other plans for grandma besides card-making.

Of course what's a party without food? We managed to work up an appetite with all that hard work, lol. I think Kathy was contemplating her bed while Karen was thinking, just a little bit more, please. Thank you ladies, Irene, Ann, Kristine, Doreen, Lis, Kathy, Karen and Denise for such a fun and enjoyable evening. You're the best!

Frustrated!!!!

2008-09-30T08:03:00.000-04:00

So here's the thing. I have been trying to do a post and for whatever reason, the pictures won't come up and all I get is gibberish instead of the picture itself. However, I can see it on the preview. Does anyone have any idea as to what is wrong or is it me? Don't answer the last part of that question please, lol. Let me know if anyone has any ideas.

2008-08-31T15:50:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

God Is Good!

2008-08-28T20:48:00.000-04:00

In Jamaica we have a saying that we use everytime something good happens, whether it be small or great. I remember my grandmother saying it while growing up, and she lived to be 95. The expression is "God is good". Well, He is definitely great. I just landed a job with the Halifax school board as an epa(educational program assistant). I work Monday to Friday, from 9:30-12:30, which means I'll be home in time for my kids to get home from school. I get paid an incredible amount of money and I have weekends, holidays, March break and summers off. This has been an amazing blessing for us because things have been so tight due to a change in our finances. This means so much to me and my family, but most of all it means that my husband can breathe a little easier from all his worries. I hope no one thinks I'm bragging. I just wanted to share our good news with all our friends and send a shout of thanks out to those who have been rooting for us.

The Southshore Experience

2008-08-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, we've been taking little vacations around our home town. This last one was our usual visit to the south shores of Nova Scotia. Call me bias, but I happen to think that Nova Scotia is one of the most beautiful places to live and just taking a drive with the family around our little province proves that. It was a rare visit in which we had all 6 kids with us. Since Tiffani lives on her own, it isn't often that we have her accompany us. The shot of the 3 churches is found on many postcards purchase by tourists. There are many quaint old buildings and homes in the southshore area and tourists just love coming here for that "old world" charm. While out, Angus decided he needed a "spot" of tea. Notice the curled pinky, lol! Along with visiting the area, we also

visitied with Darren's parents in Bridgewater. The children had a lot of fun, especially the 4 older ones. Their grandfather or grampy gave them their 1st driving lessons in the old citation. Since they own 5 acres, there was plenty of room for them to drive around. As well as driving lessons, we pickedblackberries and tramped around the property.

To top off such a great day was a beautiful Nova Scotia sunset!

A Day In The Life...

2008-08-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

Due to issues with our vehicles our summer has been limited to the odd day trips here and there. To say it has been a great summer would be a gross exaggeration. However all is not loss when you live in a beautiful place like Nova Scotia. In order to enjoy what was left of the summer, we decided to do some day trips around town. One of the annual events here are the Buskers. We decided to take the crew downtown Halifax and brave the crowds. For those of you who have never been to Halifax, we are known world-wide as having one of the largest ice-free ports, which was and is important for the shipping industry. It is also very pretty especially on a beautiful sunny day as we had. Even though I was born in Jamaica and love my homeland, there is no place like Halifax, Nova Scotia! There's always something to do. We have many visitors who come to our region and enjoy the many sights and sounds. Of course because of gas prices, many families are having, "staycations", the new form of vacations! Some of the performers we saw was a group, called Ryouko. They were a martial arts group that worked with Jackie Chan and the Matrix movies as stunt doubles. They were pretty good. Camden who has asked to go into tae kwan doh(not sure about spelling) was really impressed, especially with the Matrix scenes. We actually had bench seats for these performances, so it wasn't too bad. I think Darren got a bit sun-burnt but it was nice to not have to jump up and down to get a peek.

This guy was amazing. He played the drums on just buckets and it was incredible. He was also very funny. At one time he asked all the black people in the audience to yell out, well you heard maybe 5 people. Of course that wasn't good enough, so we had to yell a little louder. He then proceeded to play something and asked if we would recognize it, which of course we did. Then he asked if there were any hispanics in the audience and only one voice yelled out, it was quite funny. He then proceeded to play something that apparently that sole hispanic seem to have recognized because they started yelling happily. Then when he got to the asking whites to yell out, it was almost deafening because the majority of people were white. The funny thing was when he started to play whatever he played, I really didn't know what it was he was playing but all the white people recognized it and started cheering. This was one of those acts where you had to squeeze in to get a picture or sit on someone's shoulders, case in point, Raven and her dad!

There was a lot to see that day and I'm glad we were able to go as a family to see it. Tiffani was unable to join us which would have made it perfect but oh well, c'est la vie! The kids seem to have had an enjoyable time considering we didn't spend a penny. Sometimes the best places to visit is right in our own backyard! There were other acts we were able to see as well as the scenery was just beautiful. These are some other pictures of our pretty little town and our family.

Hot Off The Press!

2008-07-30T18:26:00.000-04:00

This post is for all the avid readers out there on my friends' list. I love to read and when I find a good author I tend to try and read everything he or she has written. I also like a variety of subjects to read about. I guess you could say my taste runs to the ecclectic. Anyway the reason I am sending this shout out is because a good friend of mine is about to make her debut in the writing world and I have had the privilege of reading one of her works. Her first book is about to be released this September, called "Destiny Bay", and this is the cover of the book. Sarah Moses, aka Sarah Abbott, in my opinion, is about to join the ranks of authors like Mary Higgins Clark, Victoria Holt and Nora Roberts. After reading, what she hopes to be her second novel, "The Bone Whisperers", I am in no doubt that Sarah is ready to take her role amongst these women. I just want you all out there who enjoy and exciting thriller with a twisted ending and just plain clean reading to have a heads up for what is about to come our way. Be prepared to stop everything while reading her book. In my case, my laptop, a sacrifice I was willing to make to get to the end. After speaking with Sarah, she admits that her second book, "The Bone Whisperer", which hopefully will be hitting bookstores the following September is even better than Destiny Bay. Which leads me to believe that she gets better every time.

The Lazy Days Of Summer!

2008-07-17T16:59:00.000-04:00

As most of you already know, a perfect day for me is spending it at the beach with my family and/or friends. Well today was no exception. I got up at 6:30 am to mop my floors and folded laundry to feel somewhat justified in taking off to the beach later. After the kids ate breakfast, did their school work, brush their teeth and washed their faces, it was time to start packing for the beach. As you will see from the pictures, nothing gets left behind including the snacks. this time around I made homemade hummus with pita chips, tuna sandwiches and homemade spice cookies with a huge jug of ice-cold water to take along. It was another beautiful day and the fog over the horizon managed to stay away whilst we were there. Today I was babysitting for a friend of ours and her daughter Akayjah was coming along for the ride. All in all there were 12 of us at the beach. Akayjah took to Angus like a "house on fire". All day you could hear her sweet little voice calling, Angus, Angus and he was equally sweet to her. Now why can't he be like that with his baby sister. Trust me when Raven is calling Angus, it's because he's annoying her and visa versa. Believe it or not, this color co-ordination was not planned. Everyone showed up in seperate vehicles so no one knew what the others were wearing. The girls all looked sweet playing together. I think that's what I love about the beach so much, there's room to feel relaxed and free.

For whatever reason, the boys just wanted to hangout and play games on the towel. I guess I must have missed it when they decided to go in the water. As you can see no color co-ordination for the boys. Girls must have a sixth sense about it all. With this many kids, it left us adults to do nothing but relax. You didn't have to tell us twice!

With the kids occupied I was able to wander on my own snapping pictures at the crew. That's the next best thing about the beach that I love, taking pictures. It saves me from being in front of the camera. It seems my whole family is photogenic but me. You can get a great picture at any snap with my husband and kids but me, I need 50 shots to get one. this one is my sister-in-law Denise who is as photogenic as her brother, Darren. Although I guess you couldn't really tell in this one. This is the one place where I feel I can actually take my eyes off my kids for more than a few seconds and still find them there when I turn around. Looking at Raven with the board, you would think she's done this before, but it's her first time. Nothing like having your cousin for support. I can't believe how well their bathing suits match. I know, I know, I already mentioned that. It's funny how when you're that young, you have very little fear. They certainly didn't seem to mind that the water was not "bathtub" warm. It takes me almost an hour just to get use to the water and they can just run right in. Most of the time, I only go in because I need to pee and it's not like a little old pool, then I use the bathroom. Here it's a great big ocean and no one will ever know.

I really love this picture of Raven. She was really excited about finding a live crab. Fortunately she didn't ask me if she could take it home. Everyone know's that the only animals allowed in our home is the human kind. Angus is so protective of Akayjah. It was so easy babysitting her because he played with her the whole morning before we went to the beach.

I also love this picture of Camden and Madlyn.

Part II

2008-07-12T12:14:00.000-04:00

Yes that is a Christmas tree you see. One of the things we did this year was have
a theme for each day. Our 1st day was Canada Day, the 2nd was Saint Patrick's Day and the 3rd was Christmas. Even though we were all melting in our undies, we had the Christmas carols playing the decorations up and of course the tree. The tree was decorated with packets of snowman soup and the gifts underneath was the last of the pixie pal gifts. Each girl would come up and take a snowman soup packet and take their pixie pal gift and reveal their pixie pal gift by giving it to them. It was really sweet to see the surprises on the girls' faces as they found out who their pixie pal were. I love pixie pals. It is one of the things I enjoy taking my girls out and find gifts that we think our person will like. I always buy extra in case some of the girls forget theirs or the new girls didn't know about it. It's always interesting to see what happens when it comes to the gift exchange. Of course what's Christmas without some elves and Father Christmas. When we plan something we go big or go home. I feel even though it may do some damage to my reputation, I'm willing to take one for the team. That's Pat in the green boa. She was actually singing and got quite carried away. I'm still trying to make out exactly what we look like other than fools. I don't recall any elf looking like we did! Oh well! As I said, we also had Father Christmas with us. For the life of me, I can't remember his name. Another sign of old age. I think most elves are hndreds of years old. We had a little gift bag made up for the girls. It contained a stone carved with the word "believe", a bracelet with the saying, "be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in good works" and a bookmark with the theme. Now of course what's Christmas Day without the Christmas supper. It was almost 100 degrees oustsied and probably another 2o degrees more inside the kitchen but our sisters labored diligently to give us a fantastic meal to rave about. We had turkey, dressing, cranberries, mash potatoes and gravy with homemade apple and pumpkin pie with ice cream and whipped cream for dessert. Suddenly I'm feeling very hungry. I think I need a snack. Now there's a tradition we have here in our girl's camp that I don't know if it's done at every gc. There's a song we sing if

you get caught with your elbows on the table:
Lesley, Lesley if you're able,

get your elbows off the table,

this is not a horse's stable

but a first-class dining table.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and sing us a song, a song.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and sing us a song.

Well one of the ones to get caught was the 1st counsellor in the stake president, President Blakeney. He had a great time singing and of course the girls' couldn't resist but to sing along with him.

When I'm Not Being A Mother...Part 1

2008-07-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

Well it was that time of year again, my 6th year at girl's camp. The theme for the year was, "Climb Till Your Dreams Come True And Reach For The Stars". This year, there were about 80 of us. Anyway, camp underwent a facelift of some sort since the changing of the "guard". All our leaders had their own building, complete with 2 showers and 3 bathrooms. It was sweet! The camp director Barb is on the left and her 2 assistants, Denise and Jocelyn, are on the right. It was St Patrick's Day at camp, hence the green. They were performing the yogi bear song and well the picture doesn't do it full justice. The other picture shows not only the building the leaders stayed in but our specialists performing another ditty! Pat Jewers on the left, really threw herself into it all! I really don't want to comment too much on their performances as I know there will be some doozies of me on facebook! Part of my roll at girl's camp was craft. Each year I try to come up with interesting ideas for the girls and this year, I thought making a family tree would be a great idea. This was the sample I made for the girls to see. Once done, it is placed in a frame with a black felt background. The pictures in it, are not the ones I want so they'll be changed lickety-split. I hope to make one for my mom for christmas, of my grandmother and all her children since it will be 3 years since she passed away. Christmas was also my grandmother's birthday. I know my mom will appreciate it as a gift. I hope to finish this one with only my immediate family on it. Chelsea managed to get the hang of it. Although I haven't seen the end results yet. The other 4th year girls were quite quick to catch on with the craft and manage to finish the wiring part in one class! It was a little hard on the fingers to make it but it really turned out well. Even though I had to teach crafts everyday, there was still time to play. The temperature was in the mid 90's while at camp and what better way to cool off than some swimming and canoeing. Doug Williams was the man when it came to these 2 activities. I don't know how many years he has been going to camp but I often wondered how he felt being one of only 2 men surrounded by women. He never seem to lose his cool no matter how much chatter goes on around him. I'm sure he's heard it all over the years. Still, he keeps coming back year after year.

This picture of the girls lifting the canoe was just an old one that the kids would just load up and try to sink. We watched them for a while wondering who would be the 1st to get "conked" on the head.

Growing Up...

2008-06-29T05:53:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I have 6 kids, all at various stages in their lives. For those of you who don't know this, we have 2 teenage daughters that are only 13 months apart. Savannah was born first and then 3 months later Chelsea was conceived. I was the butt of my neighbors' jokes for months. Although many people thought they were twins growing up, you couldn't find 2 kids that were more different in every way. Either way, if I survive motherhood, it would be through the grace of God. Savannah did well in finishing school and is going into grade 12. She had the opportunity to go to prom with a really nice young man, Tony. His parents are from Lebanon and have lived here for years. We have gotten to know them since moving into our neighborhood and just really enjoy talking with them. One of the side affects to motherhood, is memory loss. I forgot to take a picture of Savannah all by herself. Hopefully, she won't notice. Oh well I can't think of everything. It was a rather stressful journey getting to this point, considering that I was away for three weeks. However, we did manage to get through it all with our body and soul in tact. Forgive me, but I just had to get a picture of my garden in there, haha. The dress Savannah is wearing was borrowed from a great friend of mine, Paulette. She rescued me once again after hearing of our unsuccessful shopping excursion before leaving for Miami. I love to shop more than most people, but this time around, I was ready to pluck my eyeballs out. I've discovered that whatever I like in life, Savannah is determined to go the other way, hence the constant battles. I do love her though and I thought she looked beautiful. She does a mother proud. Anyway, what's a prom without friends to enjoy it with. This is Katherine, a friend from church and her date, Riley. Katherine's dad drove up to our house in a cherry red convertible just as I was leaving for the gym and so I didn't get a picture of their grand entrance. It did look super cool though. I thought they all looked very stylin'. Looking at them I have to wonder what adventures their future hold and what will they remember from this day. I still remember a lot from my prom day, grimace. As I said in the beginning, there are two girls. Well having them this close in age also means that while Savannah was going as a date to the prom, Chelsea was actually graduating from junior high or middle school to some people. First of all, let me say that I am very proud of all my children and their accomplishments this past school year. Some were easy going about the work required of them and others gave me a run for my money. Let's just say, with Chelsea, I didn't have to worry. All in all, they did extremely well. A lot of awards and ribbons entered the Young-Fraser household. As this is a blog about the girls' day, it's Chelsea's turn. Before I left for Miami, Chelsea casually mentioned that she was chosen to help out with something at the school. She wasn't really sure what it was but it had to do with some very important people. She was so cavalier about it that it wasn't until I was in Miami, that I found out she was getting the citizenship award in her school. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's an award that is given to one student in each school, who not only excels academically but serves her community well. This is Chelsea with the mayor, Peter Kelly on the right. She had to go to the mayor's office to recieve the award. It was on tv and of course, I felt horrible that I missed it. I tried desperately, to get a flight home and got home the day after. Such is life. I am glad though, that she had a "daddy-daughter" moment like this one to remember always. My mom also went. It was a proud time in my mother's life to see her grand-daughter shine. She has played a huge role in our childrens' lives and I was thrilled that she was able to be there. We were only allowed 2 tickets and I couldn't think of 2 more important people to be there. Needless to say, any parent would have been thrilled with their child receiving this award but allow me to just brag a little bit more about the other awards Chelsea received in lieu of her hard work. She also received the "Student Of The Year" award, "Black History Appreciation" award and the "Platinum" award for students who were on the platinum list all three years in in a row. No one knew more than I, of how hard Chelsea worked during the school year. She was a great example to her siblings. Her dad and I scratch our heads in wonder, as to who she takes after. Must be a throw back. I'm sure there are those who would like to take credit though, lol. I can't be too bad of a mother since I did manage to make it to this award ceremony. With everything that has gone on in our lives in the last 8 months, our children have come through in making us realize that out of every bad thing, great moments can be had. Many times I have bemoaned the escapades of the kids but it is also a joy to experience their accomplishments. I look forward to seeing Savannah graduate next year from high school. She did a good job finishing the year. Angus has also reached a couple of milestones as well. He left elementary school and is about to embark onto junior high. Both Camden and Raven have graded and will be moving on up to gr. 5 & gr. 3. Our oldest daughter Tiffani is attending Saint Mary's University, so right now all is right with the world. After going through all the accolades, it seems almost anti-climatic when it comes to Chelsea's grad dance. However she, like her sister, looked beautiful. I think the only reason I remembered to take Chelsea by herself was because she was meeting her friends at their house. Otherwise I probably would have forgotten that too. Although she wasn't officially 16 and therefore couldn't date and her father who Chelsea did ask to take her, was working, we allowed her to go with a group of friends with Jason as her escort. I wasn't there to meet him but her father was. Of course what father was going to let his little girl go out with a boy, all be it, in a group, without a little warning to the young man. I think Darren whispered some gentle counsel to Jason to "be good" I think the simplicity in that short statement almost put the poor boy over the edge. According to Chelsea, Jason was very nervous and took some time to relax. Although a mother's work is never done, and as much as I enjoyed it all, I'm glad that this time has come and gone and now we can look forward to some relaxing time at the beach with friends and family.

South Beach, Florida

2008-06-11T18:24:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on my various doings in Florida. One of our excursions was meandering down South Beach.

On the way down, it was amusing to see some of the billboards. Only in America. As soon as we arrived, I knew I was among the rich and quite possible, the famous. The whole place reeked of money. The homes that were on the small islands along South beach can only be accessed by helicopter or invitation only.

The ferrari you're seeing is just a sample of what people are driving down here. I actually saw a

cream-colored rolls royce. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died and I missed my opportunity.

I don't think you'll find anything like this in Nova Scotia. The shopping here was out of this world and outside of my wallet. I couldn't even afford to walk inside the stores and all the boutiques.

How cute is this little diner!

This is one side of South Beach. The entire left-hand side of the beach is lined with hotels and restaurants. Even though it was the middle of the week, the place was crowded with people walking along the streets. It was such a different atmosphere than back home. You could see the money and the wealth around you. Most people were dripping with bling and driving mercedes convertibles.

This was the right-hand side of the street. Just a short walk away, was the beach. It was incredibly windy but very warm. The only thing that kept it from being perfect was not having my family here to enjoy it.

This was the scene at the beach. The sun was hot, the water was heavenly and the sand was warm underfoot. Life was good. I was limited to the pictures I could take as there were so many thong bathing suits. When I was looking for bathing suits to buy, all they had were two-piece suits.

My sister Susan, still hanging in.

Life in Sunny Miami!

2008-06-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

So here's the thing. Apparently life has not always been exciting before I came to visit my sister Susan. However suddenly, we're in the middle of an undercover police operation. In all the years my sister has been a resident of Miami, she has never seen this happen before. We were visiting Susan's in-laws, when her father-in-law looked out their living room and saw three undercover cops pull over this vehicle. When I took out my camera to take pictures, I was told to make sure not to let the police see me take the pictures because they would take my camera away. Believe me I was being careful. My sister Susan was more concerned about the possibility of open fire. Aparently there have been some cop shootings during routine traffic stops. The orange car is the one being pulled over. The guy with the black t-shirt with writing on it, is one of the cops that was searching the vehicle. The black cop car was the first on the scene and then the silver car. Obviously there was some concern because the silver truck pulled up and this huge cop got out packing. Nothing like a little roadside entertainment. With that bit of excitement behind us, we headed back home. I decided to take some pictures of the local scenery. This next picture is the entrance to one of the "planned communities". These are communities that are gated and have incredible strict covenants. If one blade of grass has grown too long, you receive a letter of complaint requiring you to cut your grass a.s.a.p.. Did I mention that on top of your mortgage you have to pay an extra fee for all this attention. Since I have been here, my sister and her husband Sean received letters informing them that they needed to pressure-wash their driveway, pressure-wash the roof and paint their mailbox. Failure to comply would result in a fine of up to $1000.00. Well what's a girl to do but help out. Iwish I had taken a before and after picture. While I was doing this, my brother-in-law was pressure-washing the driveway. As for the roof, well that was not a part of my iteniary. Since being here I have been warned about leaving any doors open or unlocked while I'm home, be it inside or out. Apparently there have been a high rate of people being attacked in their homes. I'm not to leave anything of value in the vehicles and all car doors should be locked. I cannot go for a walk on my own in the neighbor hood in the evenings for fear of being abducted and I'm not to answer the door while home if someone is not expected. The joys of living in the big city. Just a quick update, while writing this blog, we had an incident. A young guy came to the door to apparently sell or solicit some thing or the other, my 1st mistake. When he explained he was doing a survey for the city and wanted to know how busy the area was, I promptly said it was a nice quiet area, mistake #2. Next thing I knew my sister called Miami's finest. The officer was kind enough to allow me to take her picture. While I was snapping her picture, an unmarked car pulled up. It was a detective, who turned out to be her husband, his 2nd wife. It's amazing what you find out when you use the old friendly Canadian approach. Apparently, he pays his alimony and child support because the officer indicated that she doesn't get all his paycheck. It was a bonding moment for us females. The officer and the detective were very friendly, something you don't find too much of in Miami. It's every man for him/herself it seems. My 3rd mistake was wanting to watch what happened when the person in question appeared at another door down the road. My sister promptly ushered me in the house, advising me that you don't watch this stuff from her yard. I'm already tired of all the do's and don't's of sunny Miami. As I update my blog, I'm sitting here waiting to go to the beach, something I haven't done since coming here and I've been here 8 days now. It's now 3:00 pm and I haven't even made it out the door yet except to go for a run this morning. Life just doesn't get better than this!

Bon Voyage!

2008-05-31T22:02:00.000-04:00

So here's the thing. I was sitting at my computer the other day, Wednesday, the fourteenth, to be exact, when my sister in Florida called. She had just bought me a ticket to Miami for May 29th. I cannot begin to explain the shock I felt. I knew I was planning to go to Florida sometime this summer. However I wasn't expecting it this soon. I remembered mumbling that I didn't have a passport in which she promptly told me, "you'd better get one then". I asked her if she had taken out any cancellation insurance in which she reponded with a resounding, "nope". Feeling panicked I started scrambling. After an incredibly stressful evening, I found my way down to the passport office the next day. Surprisingly enough it only took me 15 minutes to get the job done and 2 minutes to pick it up when it was ready. So here I am, getting ready to embark on my lonely journey. What you couldn't see was the tears I was shedding at having to walk away from my husband and go through the scary world of American customs by myself. In case you didn't know this for anyone travelling to the States. Make sure you say your goodbyes downstairs because there's not much room for that upstairs. By the way did I tell you that my sister wants me to stay until July 2nd? These are my wheels! It's a little small but it got me to the first stop over in Boston. I was a little disappointed that there weren't any entertainment but I guess that might be because the flight was only an hour. As you can see Boston was quite busy. With only an hour in between flights, it wasn't long before I was on the next plane heading for Charlotte, North Carolina. Again there wasn't any on board entertainment but they did give me 2 cookies and some herbal tea. I thought that would give me a "worldly traveller" look. I even considered pulling out my laptop but I didn't exactly look business-like in my "Canada" t-shirt and baggy capris. After leaving the relative comfort of a Canadian airline, I was a litte nervous about boarding an American plane. I know that sounds crazy but you don't hear too often about a Canadian plane being hi-jacked or bombed, no offense meant to any of my American friends. As you can see, these wheels are a little bit larger than the last. However it did very little to calm the nerves. Generally speaking, I love to fly. I love airplanes. I would live near an airport just to see the planes take off and land. Yeah I know, weird! I also thought that since I was in Charlotte's airport, I'd take some pictures. This one's for you, Jeff and Kathy. I couldn't resist since you guys love racing so much. I didn't get a chance to eat there since I was running short on time. The seats were made out of tire rims as well as the barstools. It was pretty cool to see. This is another shot of the same cafe.
I didn't take too many pictures because I felt like an idiot standing in the middle of the airport, snapping pictures, while everyone was tearing off to various destinations. With the t-shirt and camera, could you tell I was a tourist? I guess that's why I chose to wear my Canadian t-shirt. I felt safer wearing the "maple leaf". Anyway you know racing is a big thing here when you go into the airport and see a restaurant crammed full of memorabilias totally devoted to the sport. I know Jeff and Kathy would have given this place a go. Too bad it didn't have a little race track that you could try out after a meal. This was the last pitstop for me before reaching Fort Lauderdale. All in all it had been pretty smooth sailing. There really is a different atmosphere when you enter the United States. Maybe it has something to do with so many people all trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Anyway I slept most of the time on the last leg but still manage to get a couple of shots before and after. I was especially pleased with the outcome of the shots from the air. Whenever I am in a plane above the clouds, I always feel a sense of awe at how far "man" has progressed in a "worldly" sense and yet does not always recognize God's Hands in all their achievements. Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing in Fort Lauderdale in about 15 minutes. We hope you enjoyed your flight. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to Florida!

Raven's Baptism...

2008-05-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

Well, we have come to the end of an era in the Young-Fraser family. I use both names because

there are so many Fraser families in the stake. Our youngest daughter Raven, has just turned 8 on April 4th and was baptized on April 27th. She really wanted to have her baptism on her birthday but her grandparents were in Ontario and was schedule to arrive back home on April 24th. This is the last of our 6 children getting baptized. It was a bittersweet moment for us as parents. Getting this baptism off the ground took a bit of manuevering, but as you can see from the pictures, it went off without a hitch

We had the baptism on a Sunday, something I didn't do with the other children. I always thought with church being 3 hours long, I didn't like going to anything else on a Sunday. However because of the family dynamics, we didn't have a choice. Since our ward is finish service at 2:00, we had a family potluck at 3:00. The baptism was schedule for 5:00. I knew our ward would have eaten when they went home but our family travelling would be going to the baptism at supper hour. We had Texas-style chili with nachos, sour cream, cheese, corn bread and rolls. The kids who didn't like chili had jumbo-size hotdogs. It was some good eating!

We took many pictures that day, something we weren't able to do as much of with our other children. As technology get better and better, our abilities to keep track of milestones become easier and easier. The pictures I loved the most were of Raven and her dad all in white.

We had 37 people at our home for the potluck. Afterwards we headed off to the chapel for the baptism. We originally did not want to make an annoucement to the ward about Raven getting baptized because of the large number of family members but since I was in the primary presidency, I couldn't quite pull it off. I had ordered a cake that was big enough for 50-60

It's actually bigger than it looks. The traditional first cut with dad.

Off with the head! Emmanuel, Tiffani, Angus & Raven

Mothers & daughters singers. Kaelyn, Raven & Leeya, all cousins, all 8.

Kathy & Miss Georgia Nelson. Nanny Joan reading with Raven.

Savannah & Baby Isaiah Fraser. Raven & Elder Wark from Scotland.

Chelsea and William Fraser. A whole lotta children, mostly Frasers!

Aaaaaaaagh!!!!!! Cake anyone?

As you can see, there were many family members and good friends that attended Raven's baptism. It was wonderful to have so many people that care about Raven and our family on this special occasion.

It's Great to Be Eight, Part II

2008-05-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

After the gift-opening, it was followed by some serious physical activities. I decided that the best thing to do was give Raven a swimming party. It didn't hurt that we were already members of Cole Harbor Place.

With her siblings and cousins in tow, Raven had a super time.

She was in her element!

As you can see, I was not in the pool. Darren and Ronnie(Raven's cousins' dad) was assigned that job. Denise and I went upstairs to the gym. For a blissful hour and a half, I was able to work up a sweat, while Tiffani was my photographer. It was very organized. Everyone got what they wanted. The children had a blast with their fathers, the mothers had a great workout and Tiffani didn't have to get wet. Savannah was the only who wasn't there. She had to work that day. All this physical stuff sure worked up an appetite, which was just what we needed for the cutting of the cake!

Here's the scoop! Raven actually wanted a "Hannah Montana" cake but because in the days

leading up to her birthday, I only heard about a show called, "Ben-10", I completely forgot about what she had said and got her a"Ben-10" cake. I felt so bad. What kind of mom forgets what her child wants for her birthday cake? Fortunately, Raven was very forgiving. She actually enjoyed her cake.

She was such a good sport about it. She loved explaining to her cousins who Ben-10 is.

I guess a little DNA never hurt anybody.

The traditional first cut of the cake with daddy. I'm not allowed to cut cakes or bread in my house. Apparently, I don't cut straight enough.

Savannah has arrived to join the festivities!

Getting caught up!

I love this picture!

Getting a phone call from Uncle Daniel. I wish he and Lara lived closer.

No time like the present to try out some of the "loot".

Madlyn didn't want to put make up on...she wanted to play with the cell phone.

It was a long afternoon and I think some people were exhausted. I guess we'll call it a night!

It's Great To Be Eight!!!!

2008-04-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

2008 will go down as the year of the birthday parties, starting with Raven's. She turned eight on April 04. She is the last of our 6 babies getting baptized. She wanted to have some friends over but as it turned out she had her cousins instead. It wasn't your typical birthday party of course. We started off with the most important activity, which was the gift-opening.

This was from her big sister Tiffani. It was really soft.

The make-up kit was part of the Blinn family(her cousins) gift. Logan was very curious about the whole get-up.

This was also from her cousins. Kaelyn and Madison also have the same dress. I think that would be a great picture with the three girls!

It was Madlyn's turn to help out with the gifts.

This was priceless! Raven had wanted this teddy bear for a long time. To her, it was better than a "build-a-bear". Well guess what?

This is the "crew". Savannah was at work. She joined us later. Can you imagine if all of Raven's friends were there too? I didn't even invite the rest of her cousins because I knew they would be coming to her baptism schedule for a later date.

This was the kids with Emmanuel, Tiffani's boyfriend. He has become part of the family. We call him Mani, for short. What a great guy! We absolutely love him.

This is the Blinn family. Ronnie, Denise, Logan, Kaelyn & Madlyn. Denise is Darren's sister, in case you didn't catch the resmblance. We spend a lot of time with these guys. I met Denise shortly after meeting Darren eighteen years ago. We were all single-adults back then. Time sure have flown!

This is my most favorite picture of all the "birthday" pictures. I love seeing my husband and his "daddy's little girl"!

Uncle Darren with the "boys". Hard to believe that Angus and Logan are the same age. Angus looks like he's sixteen.

Uncle Darren and his nieces, Madlyn and Kaelyn.

Easter...better late than never!

2008-04-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

Well as most of you now know, this is my ??? attempt at blogging. Hopefully I'll get it right. I thought I'd start off with Easter since that was the last big event of the year so far. It is tradition in the Fraser household to have an annual egg hunt with the children. This year I had almost everything ready for the eggs and was just waiting upon my lovely husband to get the plastic eggs from the attic. I had mentioned it to him a month prior to the occasion and once a week leading up to the event. I kept getting, "I will, I will". Needless to say the night before the event Darren went up to the attic and began his search for the eggs. As time went by, I began to wonder if he had fallen asleep but no, I could still hear him rummaging around. After calling to him, he quietly came down from the attic empty-handed. He couldn't find the eggs. I tried not to get upset because I knew they had to be somewhere in the house. However my husband wasn't quite as intuitive to my slight mood change and suggested that perhaps I hadn't bought any plastic eggs. Did I already say that I tried not to get upset? Oh well! That statement did it. He quickly started hunting for those eggs as if his life depended upon it. He checked the basement, the shed, the attic(again) and all the closets in the house. The more he insisted that I hadn't bought any plastic eggs, the more determined I was, that I had. I had manage to get everything ready for the occasion and all he had to do was get the eggs. It looked as if this year, there would be no Easter egg hunt. I went to bed that night disappointed and Darren, I'm sure went to bed praying fervently. The next morning he awoke with the idea that the eggs were under our bed and alas! they were. With very little time remaining I managed to stuff all the eggs. Needless to say, all was forgotten in light of the kids' search for their loot. Darren had managed to hide some of them in some very good places. I think next year I'll get the plastic eggs first before I get the stash!

OOPS!

2008-04-16T15:54:00.001-04:00

Here's the thing! I finally went into add to my blog and instead accidentally erased it. What a moron! Anyway it's up and running again even if it means reposting some of my old pictures. One of these days I'll get caught up with technology. I hope the ones who added me will still want to add me again. I'm trying to give "you can't teach an old dog a new trick" a new outlook on life. Now if only I could figure out the whole template thing, hmmm!