Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. Spring Break

This is our second week of Spring Break. Our neighbours went back to school (they were out the week before we were; our school isn't near us) and it rained for a lot of the the week, so the kids were bored and boring.  I was so happy for when we finally got some sunshine!  I am thankful for quiet mornings and waking up when we wanted to though.

2. Birthdays

This past Monday was Grama T's birthday. That is, my Hunny's grandma. She turned 97!  She lives in an assisted living home, so she has her own apartment room with kitchenette or she can join the catered meals in the dining room. I don't know many 97 year olds who can still live that independantly (even if she is losing some of her abilities)!

Our family went down to visit her on the weekend with flowers (Hunny remembered her favourites are pansies) and the kids drew her cards and pictures. I am kicking myself for not remembering to take a photo of her with the kids though! Oops.

3. 24 years in Christ

Twenty-four years ago on March 23rd, I accepted Jesus into my heart! I grew up in a Christian home, so it's not like I didn't know the Bible stories or didn't believe them, but I needed to make that decision on my own; I needed to encounter Him on my own. And He made Himself so real to me when I was listening to a song about His death. It was Palm Sunday and I remember every year and marvel at that night. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called Children of God! (1 John 3:1)

4.  Busy days driving

 I had to drive Bryn over to a friend's house, and then drop Abi off at her friends, come home and then head back out and pick up Bryn, and then go out and babysit my nephews, all right after eachother. It was crazy busy!  And very rainy!  I am so thankful for safety as I drive in the rain and when it is darker and when there are so many construction sites on the roads I tend to drive! We take driving as a given, an automatic ability when you are older, and don't consider being thankful that we made it to our desination safely.

5. nails

Can we just take a moment and marvel of the miracle of my nails?  This is three weeks of not biting! Three Weeks!!! Can we get an Amen?  I am pretty pleased with myself, thankyouverymuch! I am thankful for nails and for self control.

Now I need to trim them (it's getting hard to type!) and then slap some Jamberry designs on them!

6. new music

I have been listening to PRAISE 106.5 FM ever since I was a teen (and back when it was KLYN) and it is what we have on in our vehicles when we are out driving; Christian music has been a HUGE part of my life growing up (and one of the main venues that I was able to make that choice 24 years ago...see above!) Praise is based out of Lynden, WA, which is just half hour from here, so it is "local" enough to mention both sides of the border. 

But I was very happy to hear of an even more local Christian radio station that started up!
The Valley Stream is a sattelite radio station that is based out of Abbotsford, woohoo! They have four different channels available (Contemporary, Gospel, Rock and talk shows like Focus on the Family, Dr. Tony Evans, and Beth Moore); I have been listening to the Contemporary channel and have heard so many songs I had never heard before and so much more variety! I am very happy!  Check them out if you are looking for Christian music online: The Valley Stream.

7. cards

I got my creative groove back and managed to make a whole pile of cards this week! 62 to be exact!  It helps when you are making them in batches. (I would often make 10 of the same design at once) I am ready for upcoming birthdays again!

I love being creative! And I love making cards!

8.  sibling love

I love it when they actually play together and help eachother out! Sometimes it feels like all they do is tattle and get annoyed and try to irritate eachother!  I am thankful for moments where it looks like they are actually a loving family!

9. Five feet tall

It was bound to happen eventually: my 13 year old is now as tall as my mom! Soon she will overtake me! Now, granted both my mom, and my mother-in-law and myself are all short, but it is still exciting to reach the height of an adult! I don't know how tall my kids will be, but I am sure they will all be taller than me! (or I hope so!)

I am thankful for small things like this! They make me smile!

10. Sudden plans

I didn't think we would have much happening this week (last week felt more busy) but we still managed to get some friend get togethers and sleepovers in. As I mentioned in #4, Bryn got to go to his friend Forrest's house, and then I dropped Abi off at Hannah's for a sleepover and Kai got picked up for a sleepover (it was nice to have an 'early' night at home with the two Olders gone, but my Hunny and I didn't get to snuggle up on the couch and watch HGTV together, haha, as I came home late after babysitting.) And then we had Kai's friend over here and it was a good and fun week after all. But I do think the kids are ready for back to organized events like school!

Some weeks are just amazing and some are just quiet and maybe a bit boring. I am so thankful that we are given more blessings no matter what and have so much to be thankful for. How about you?

Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. Muffins

I am thankful that I am able to bake for the family and that saves us some money on buying snacks.  I am more thankful when the kids actually eat it too!

And I am thankful for little girls who like to help out! (look at that determined face!)

2.  quick cards

B had a joint birthday party to go to with three friends, so I had to put together three cards quickly. It's a good thing I'm a cardmaker!

I didn't do anything too fancy. I figured they were just for some gr 3 boys who were not likely going to keep them. I just wanted them to look good and to have something for B to give them!

Yay for creative stamping!

3. Abi drawing

I love it that this girl has a talent to draw. It's something that I always wished I could do, but was never accomplished in. I love that she will just create cute and fun pictures, and that she will do them mostly for her friends.

I am thankful for natural talent, and talent that we can work at and enjoy and get better at!

4.  fun surprise gifts!

A friend of mine had posted on FB about the Valentine's candies that she was helping pack up for one of her child's class, which I had responded that I was going to steal my son's black ones from his box! (I thought they were in the same class; it turns out that they aren't! oops)  My friend said that she only added the black ones because she felt she should. Normally she throws them away! Imagine my shock! haha

A few minutes later she posted that she was sending some for me for Valentine's Day!

I enjoyed my black jelly beans! I feel loved!

5.  Old music

I pulled out some of my old CDs and had fun listening to them again this week! Yes, I still listen to cds. I don't have everything downloaded! Besides, I have a nice cd player in our van that makes me happy. I love the moments after I drop off Abi at Youth Group on Thursday nights and I get to play my music real loud!

I listened to my Rich Mullins cds "Songs 1 and 2" and remembered the beauty of his words and the musical talent and the tears I cried (in sadness and happiness) at his death. This song has touched me a lot this week: If I Stand.

Stuff of earth competes for the allegience I owe only to the giver of all good things

 If I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through
and if I can't, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you.
If I sing, let me sing for the joy that is born in me these songs
If I weep, let it be as a man who is longing for his home.

Oh, I love music!

6. Conspiring Cousins in the Corner

I got to babysit my little nephews this week while my Favouritest Sister had a doctor's appointment. I enjoy spending time with them and I love watching them interact with Eden. I hope we are always able to be close enough for the cousins to grow up and play together.

 7. Early birthday celebrations

We celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday early this month, since this is what worked best for the family. I love family! I love birthdays!

8. visits

We made a trip out to see myparents on the weekend. I haven't been to see them in a while, so this was nice!  We discussed buisness plans and ideas for revamping Once Again Designs and came up with some great ideas! I'm excited about them!

After dinner, the kids played Monopoly with my Mom!

9. Flowers and sunshine 

We have been so blessed with sunshine and Spring-like weather this week.  It really does help with our attitudes and mood. It's hard to be grouchy when there is sunshine after so much rain and chill.

This is why I love living in BC. True Story!

10. 100 Day

This week marks 100 Days of school, which meant that the kindergarten class had a celebration! They made cute glasses shaped in the number 100 (Rhys wouldn't let me take a picture of him wearing them though)  and they each had to bring in 100 items for a snack party.  Rhys and I, with Kai's help, counted out 100 Cheerios! I was impressed with his counting skills! He could count to ten easily, and so we made ten groups of ten, and then he counted up to 100. I love that he is learning and retaining information!

That's my week in a nutshell. How has yours been? What are you thankful for?

thankful thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. this girl

I am so thankful for Abi; for all that she is to our family. She babysits for us when Hunny and I need to go out somewhere (like our parent-teacher interviews at the schools, or for grocery shopping, or even just a quick step out for a coffee and a breather), even when she sometimes finds it frustrating. (we do pay her often. Sometimes in small gifts of a latte, and sometimes in cash, or in paying for new books for her to read, like we did this week!)

 
I am also so very thankful for her creativity and resourcefulness. When I was out at my dental appt recently, and Hunny was working late, she saw to dinner plans and made something for everyone. It was so good of her and I was so blessed by her thoughtfulness and her ability to fill a need. I don't know how I ended up with a girl like her! 

2. this silly girl

The Fiesty One decided to cut her own hair one morning while I was still in bed.  I know that a lot of kids do this; I certainly did as a kid, and even into my teens! But it still made me nervous to see her own handiwork!

I was thankful that it didn't really look too bad! I felt mixed on whether I should commend her on her abilities or tell her how it was a bad idea!

3. A friend of ours had her story published! 

A friend wrote a story for a grade five class project two years ago, and her teacher suggested she publish it, so her mom loked into it this year! A small company accepted it and the book came out just recently! It's so exciting! I see many years ahead of her developing her writing skills and growing her talent; she is already a great storyteller!  

Check out more information on this story, and how you can get your own copy!  We should support young talent, and local talent!  the lotus princess

4. a shameless promotion

 I don't join these things to gain followers, but I thought it was neat that Pinterest was using one of my boards in their "you may want to check this out" email this week! *patting myself on the back for being awesome*  It was neat to think that Pinterest wanted to promote me and my silly board on building projects! It made me feel pretty good! I'm thankful for small and un-important things like this that make me feel happy.

5. Jamberry party

For Abi's birthday party, she wanted to have friends over for a sleepover, but also do something fun, so we invited a woman over for a Jamberry party. I had heard about Jamberry this year, but had never had a chance to try it out myself, or to go to a party, so when we saw someone at a craft fair promoting their own business, we thought we'd try it out!

I'm a nail biter...I know, I know. It's a terrible habit. I really thought I would be over it by the time I hit my 30's, but by then the habit was set strong, and habits are hard to break.  I had heard that having a manicure would help, but since I don't have the money or time (or interest, really) to have one, I had heard that having pretty nail decor would help too.

My nails looked good!  My cousin's wife said that it helped her out, but if she had a snag or it bubbled up or frayed, she would pick at it, and I found out that to be true for me as well! Sadly, they did not make it a week! But I am going to try it again (after all, I did buy a few sets!) and hopefully I will be stronger this time!

I thought it was cute that even Eden was included! Our nail instructor, Kelly, applied Eden's nails for her, which I thought was very nice, considering I wasn't expecting her too. (you never know how some people will respond to a toddler, you know, when it involves their business, but Kelly was so wonderful!) She loved them!  *

6. Christmas music

I pulled out my Christmas cds the last week of November! I have a small collection that I listen to often, and I would say that my absolute favourites are the ones by Michael W. Smith. He has three...no, wait, I think he just came out with a new one, a Christmas with Friends one where he duets with others.  I love his Christmas music, they really do touch my heart. I love that he adds a symphony orchestra and many choirs. Oh, my heart is so happy and at peace when I listen to it. 

I was so happy to find his cds on youtube, so I've been listening on our tablet to the mix' while I prepare dinner. It really has helped with my peace!

All is Well (the song in the picture above) is a song off of his first Christmas cd, way back in 1989! It is actually sung by the American Boy Choir, and wow, it is so touching. Especially if you listen to Frank Peretti read his story of the same title. *tears* (I think you can listen to the story here. I'm not too sure since my computer isn't running very well right now, so I can't test it.)

7. custom card order 

I don't know if you are aware of this, but I love making cards and I really love making cards for other people. So I was pretty excited to have a custom order of 20 thank you cards to make for a friend!

8. Medication!

My thyroid is kind of ...off...this week. I have been in a lot of all-over body pain, having heart palpitations, feeling so so so cold, dealing with insomnia as well as fatigue, and been angry and frustrated yet also apathetic and depressed. It's been a really rough week!  So I was so thankful that my doctor called in my prescription to the pharmacy for me when mine ran out and I struggled.  

I may not always feel like my doctor is doing enough for my thyroid care, but I am sure thankful to have something to take that helps just a bit! Hopefully this will let me feel more..normal...again.

9. Snow!!!

The first snowfall of the season is always exciting!  Usually when it snows in other parts of the Lower Mainland, it won't fall at our house since we live at the bottom of two or three big hills, so I was quite surprised, and very happy, to see how much we received in the end! And ours lasted longer than my parents' house in Chilliwack!

The kids were going to go play in it, but that lasted hardly even 10 minutes. It was just too cold! We still have this arctic chill going on! Brr!

10. Swim lessons

We finished up our swimming lessons. The Youngers had a blast! They loved learning to swim, and they loved their teachers, and they were proud of themselves for what they accomplished; they started out timid and gained new skills. They didn't pass their levels, but that's okay. They learned so much and are able to now get their faces/heads wet, and that's a big step from when we started!

They keep asking about swimming, so I definitely see us repeating this in the Spring!


So that's my week in a nutshell!  There is so much to be thankful for!  What are you thankful for? If you start a list, let me know. I'd love to share your happy news too!



* I was curious as to how long Eden would keep her nails on, just to find that she had pulled them off in bed that very night! haha.  Of course, she wanted new ones on the next day!

what I've been up to lately

I've been gone a bit, haven't I? Or maybe you hadn't noticed. No big deal.

Funny story...

I have a huge storage container full of scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies that I just do not need anymore. A lot of it from Stampin' Up: retired stamp sets, brand new sets, tools, paper. you name it! I pulled it out of my collection with the hopes of selling it off to make some money. Except that it just hasn't seemed to work well yet. I wasn't able to sell much at all at our yard sale in the summer, and I haven't gotten around to posting it on those swap sites, and when I posted some to the auction sites on FB, they didn't sell. To say I've been frustrated would explain it well!

I came across a post on one of the craft swap pages on FB that was looking for interest in a craft fair for people to barter their items and I was all for it! Maybe this was the way to get rid of my huge stash and make some money for the holidays! The price on the table was good, so I was interested.  However, I began to realize this wasn't going to be one of those types of swap fairs, but an actual craft fair with handmade items and artisans and such. Which posed a question: what would I offer? I have scads of cards laying around, and still plenty of ideas in my head, so that was a route I could take.  Or I could make something entirely new.

Without even knowing for sure, I jumped in and paid for a table!

I was giddy. I was full of enthusiasm.  And I roped my Dad into it as well!  We decided to work on items and do this fair together. Oh, and just to make it more exciting, we only had one month to figure this out!!!

Apparently, I like to live in that eleventh hour....


You can read part two HERE.

scrappy sunday

It's been a long time I've actually participated in my own Scrappy Sunday challenge to get those photos into scrapbooks! A few years longer since I've even posted anything as well. (here are my two previous offerings: R and B)

I went to a scrapbook class and made two LO with friends; sometimes it's nice to be able to mix your hobbies with friendly chats. Often, I am sitting at home by my lonesome creating, and making a mess and taking up all of the room!

I loved this Fall two-page LO because I got to try out stencils and the new SU Holiday Home framelits, from the 2014 Holiday Catalogue, which make cute haunted houses as well as holiday ones! But what I mostly love is that I actually remembered to bring photos with me and could put the page together right away! Woohoo!

These photos are from 3 years ago when I dressed Eden up as the Very Hungry Catterpiller, goodness she was so chubby and cute! And look at how little Rhys was at 3 years old! He was the cutest Garden Gnome I've ever seen! (although a few people thought he was Santa! pfft! does he look like Santa? I don't think so! haha) Bryn was a green ninja and Kai a red ninja, and Abi was a Medieval Lady.

Our second two-page layout was a Christmas theme. I didn't manage to scrounge up some photos for those though. I love the banners and the glitter paper! 

I especially liked being able to put together four scrapbook pages in just two and a half hours. It totally helps having someone else decide on the design and do all of the cutting and prepping for you! All I needed to do was show up, stick my pieces down and add photos! Sweet!

Hey, whatever it takes to get that stack of photos sorted and put away nicely! (and by 'nicely', I don't mean in a box or drawer like they are currently!)

Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Lousie at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for.. 


1. love squash

I am thankful for fresh veggies and fruits of the season! I was so happy to pick up an acorn squash this week and have plans for a warm cozy dessert one night soon!

When we got home, Abi discovered that our squash has an orange painted heart on it. How cute! I am going to love eating it even more now!

2. creativity

Yes, I know, I know, I am often thankful for being creative and for card making. I can't help it. It truly does make me happy! But I am not just thankful for making cards for WCMD. I am thankful that I have a creative spirit and that I am able to make things. Sometimes it is just for me, and sometimes it is to bless others, and you can never go wrong with that! 



3. warm laundry

I can easily say how thankful I am for the ability to wash and dry my laundry in my own home; I know that not everyone in North America has that ability and has to rely on family to get clean laundry or on a laundromat. And I am aware that in many countries washing clothes by hand in a basin, in the river, or over a fire, is still common. So I am very grateful that I can live in my cozy, warm and convenient home.

But specifically, I am thankful for warm laundry to snuggle up in as it comes straight from the dryer!  I loved it when my mom would bury me in it, (actually, I still love that!) and my kids enjoy that too!

4. cold supplies

I'm not thankful for my first cold of the season, but I am thankful for friends who offer help and for supplies. Hooray for thick soft tissue with lotion! And for hand cleaner. And Halls.

5. good books

Abi had to go buy the brand new book, Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordon, which came out on Tuesday. It is book five of the Heroes of Olympus series and his last one with Percy Jackson, so the news goes, but we are hopeful one of two characters will end up in his new Norse series. We have been reading all of his Percy books for years (the Percy Jackson Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus, five books in each series.) but didn't get into his Kane Chronicles series (which are about the Egyptian gods), and have been waiting for a year for this last book to come out. (he releases a new book each October)

I knew she'd be up all night reading, but I had to laugh when I caught her at 1:30am with just a chapter to go! Now she is sleep deprived and going through a #bookhangover as she mourns the fact that the series is over!  

I laughed when I saw this tweet by Rick Riordan (@camphalfblood):
Some reader each year: loved the book read it in 5 hrs but it felt a little rushed.
Me: maybe because YOU READ IT IN 5 HOURS. #niceproblems

hahaha!

I love that Abi has found a series and author that she loves and that she is willing to lose sleep reading. I admit that I would've done the same thing...as a kid and now as an adult! We are excited about the new series next year!

**I know, these are crummy photos, but I couldn't get my flash to work. I'm sure you are used to my less-than-professional, un-photoshopped pics by now!


6. serious baking

I enjoyed having Kai in the kitchen baking these Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins this week, and am thankful that he is starting to show more interest in things other than Minecraft and Lego or Nerf guns! He did a good job and the muffins were yummy!

7. stamina, strength and other stuff like that 

I am so grateful for the stamina and strength that I had this week while being a temporary single mom. I managed to get the kids off to school each day despite sickness (well, except for one day) and late nights, and we stayed on our meal plan list and we didn't have too many issues to deal with. 

I am also thankful for my Mountain Man's return and am counting down the hours til he is home!


8. Overwhelmed

This song really touches me. It is the newest song by Big Daddy Weave, called Overwhelmed.

I am so thankful for good Christian music to listen to in my van or online. Listening to music that supports the way that I think helps shape my day and keeps my mind on the right track. There are a lot of catchy songs on the regular Top 40 radio stations, and I do love a good danceable beat, but some lyrics are really terrible! We don't pay attention to the words we are singing often enough. When we are singing it, we are agreeing to it in a way, and it starts to become something acceptable in our thinking, and I need to be careful about that.

9.  Free School Photos

I love school photos!  I can not seem to NOT order them each year; it just doesn't seem right. However, with four children in school now, ordering photos can get a *bit* expensive. (to be honest, most things are.  I had to pay $60 for my kids to order hot lunches this fall/winter. Gah!)  So I am so thankful that MountainWest Studios, the group that our school uses for their photos, offers a "family savers plan". You pay for two children and any siblings after that are free! The stipulations are that they have to be in the same school (different campus' count, thankfully!) and you have to pay for the more expensive packages, and you have to have the coupons they offer (which you can usually pick up from the school office)

If you have more than two children and your school uses Mountain West, you need to look into this! It has saved us almost $50 this year! Yay! (...now if only the school could arrange a family savers deal for hot lunches!) 

10.  A quiet house

It has been over a week of me trying to settle my house down but not succeeding, when finally last night it worked: a quiet moment! I actually had all of the kids in bed by 9:30pm, and most were actually sleeping! Even the Olders were in bed! I sat down in complete silence, amazed and just soaked it in! Of course, this happens the last night before my Hunny comes home, when I could've used it greatly over the course of the week! But you know what? I am so grateful for that quiet evening. It worked wonders to quiet my own soul too, and I found myself finally relaxing too.  So, thank you, Father, for that gift of peace. Thank you for giving it to me just when I needed it the most.


 Looking back over my week and recognizing small blessings is a great way to keep my perspective. I had a few rough spots this week, but I will take these reminders to heart.

What are you thankful for? I would love to know if you write your own list. 

WCMD

World Card Making Day falls on the first Saturday of October, which was this past weekend.  If I didn't participate in some way, I wouldn't be much of a dedicated card maker! Unfortunately, since I have been sick the past few days, I wasn't able to get down to my Stamp Room until the next night. 

I wasn't too sure what I was going to create, but thankfully I have a huge board on Pinterest to help me out! I was very pleased with my results

My first card is a CASE from Sarah Sagert, found here on her Stampin' Up website blog. It is so cute! I would've loved to add some stitching, but it was just too much effort for me!  There is a reason she was on the SU Artisan Design team! I didn't put as many embellishments on my card, but I do like how mine turned out. I used all retired SU supplies, except for the gold sequin trim.

My second card is a CASE from Catherine Joy Stockley at Catherine Loves Stamps.  I love her tag and I wish I had those stamps, but I had to use what was in my supplies. So I used the tag that I made from my Big Shot (I used the negative die cut on the first card. I was happy to find a use right away for the polka-dot Chalk Talk framelits) and found something suitable.  At first, I wasn't happy with the end result of the card, but looking at it more, I am pleased.

I didn't have the washi tape she did, but mine worked good, and I added ribbon as well. I also pulled out the gold sequin trim for this card. I had bought that a few months ago and had finally pulled it out of it's plastic wrap! Pulling the sequins off of the string wasn't too hard and they make cute embellishments!

Did you do any card making for WCMD? Or anything crafty this weekend? It really speaks to my soul when I am able to create something. (even if it is just to copy someone else' idea.)  I can't wait to show you what I created with Abi!  That will come soon. Promise!

Thankful Thusday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Lousie at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for..


1. B-day Parties

We put off celebrating Bryn's 8th birthday until this month since having a party in summer is hard to have friends come to. We hosted it at the pool and it was perfect! Although maybe the Most Boring party for us parents (we sat there and watched them swim; we didn't have to entertain any kids this time!), the boys loved it!

2. Youth Group Start Up

Fusion started up again for Abi and the youth of Jericho Ridge this week! Their kick-off event was supposed to be a scavenger hunt, but with the pouring rain they had all day and evening, it was cancelled and they extended the glow bowling party at the Clover Lanes, which is near us. I love that Abi has her group of friends and enjoys youth group! (they go on their annual youth retreat this weekend!)

3. Babysitters for E and R

With B's party at the pool this week, we had to find something to do with Rhys and Eden. They would love to be in the pool, but they wouldn't be able to keep up with the bigger kids' games, and we wouldn't be able to keep them safe in the pool while also hosting a party (even if we didn't have to do much in the end for the party). I am so thankful my mother in law was able to come and stay with them. 

I am also very thankful for my parents for coming and keeping Eden company so that I could go on Rhys' class trip to the Applebarn this week! This is my first field trip without preschoolers, and I was so excited to go! Which brings me to my next thankful listing:

4. Apple Barn Trip

All of the kindergarten classes went to Taves Family Farm (AKA the Apple Barn) for their first field trip and it was so much fun!  It was so wonderful to be able to go as well, even if we had a lot of rain for the trip.

I loved that I was able to go on this trip too. I think I was just as excited as Rhys was! My parents told me to let them know when the next field trip was...I think they are okay with watching Eden again!


5. Card Making Class

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I love to make cards. *snicker* okay, so I may have mentioned it once or twice!  I have a friend who teaches cardmaking with Stampin' Up!, and she was hosting a few stamp-a-stacks this week. (That's where you make a stack of cards in one evening. We made 9 in total)  I love Amanda's creativity in making these and designing and setting up this class! She has a few more classes coming up, if you are in the Langley area. Look up Amanda-Independant Stampin' Up! Demonstrator on FB!

6. Free Stuff!

I found this nice piece of furniture outside of a house down our street with a "free" sign on it! I was so excited! I was able to convince my Hunny to take a look at it with me and to haul it up the street to our house. (it was heavy too, ugh! and we had to carry it up the stairs too!) We have been keeping an eye out for a new dresser for Rhys and Eden, and this is perfect!  I love it's size; it's low enough for the kids, and long and deep for clothes. It will go into the boys' room for R and B to use, and E will get B's old white dresser! Hooray!

It has a few scratches, and you can see some of the wood is chipped in the middle at the front, and the top is covered with a laminate, but it really isn't in too bad of a shape. I am hoping I can just sand it down and do a bit of repair work, slap some more paint on it and call it a day.  We shall see.

Hooray for free answers to furniture needs! I never find free stuff on the side of the road that I need! (or if it is something that I could use, I go back to pick it up and it's gone. Dang!)

7. Timmys

I had a funny moment this week at Timmys...their debit machine wasn't working very well and it wasn't accepting my card to pay at the drive thru, so the guy says to me, "It's ok, you can come back and pay later. You come here often enough!" I thought that was sweet, yet also embarrassing! I apparently come often enough that the guy recognizes me! (I did find the correct change in my purse in the end though, so didn't need to return later!) haha. It was a nice start to my day!

I am thankful for the chance to be honest and for the fact that someone I don't know personally considers me trustworthy enough to leave without paying. He's right: I would've returned! I would have felt guilty if I didn't and would end up having to get my Timmys pumpkin spice muffin at a different location!

8. cheap costumes

My Hunny and I took a quick coffee date this past weekend and found some great costumes at a thrift store for the Youngers to use at Halloween! They were perfect and not too bad for prices. ($25 for two)  Eden loves her Pegasus costume and Rhys is happy with his dragon/alligator/crocodile costume, even though we will still need to add pieces to his.

9. Clean Teeth

It was Kai's turn at the dentist this week, and since it had been a while since he had been (*blush* you really don't notice how much time has gone by until you look back at records. Oops!) we were a bit worried about the results. After his x-rays and cleaning, I was so pleased to hear that all was well! No cavities! The dentist is happy. I was happy. It was a relief! We could see on the xray that he has two teeth that will be falling out soon too! 

10. Kleenex

I am thankful for kleenex as it is softer than paper towels, which is what I was using first to blow my nose! I caught a cold this week (I blame Abi, who started it!) and feel stuffed up and sneezy and achey. ugh! 



It has been a good week and I have a lot to be thankful for. How about you? Take a look back and start your own list.

Thankful Thursday

 I decided to take up this challenge from Talk Nerdy To Me; where Louise posts ten things that she is thankful for that during the the week. I thought what a great idea! I could definitely put more effort out in being thankful. Sometimes the weeks go by and you miss the small things, you know? The events that occur that you don't think twice over. In thinking through your week more clearly, in doing that search for items, it is so much more easier to see just how wonderful life truly is! We really do have a lot to be thankful for!

I missed last week as we were away camping, but here is this week's list:

1. Cousins

B got invited out to the zoo with cousin Mia (they had a two-for-one entrance coupon) The two of them are so alike, it is so neat to see! They are both so incredibly silly and have oodles of energy to spare!  I hope they always hang out and do stuff together as they grow!

2. New Phones

We didn't get to fix the cracked screen on my Nexus cell yet, but were advised by a Telus salesperson that the best idea was to go buy a Samsung Discovery, which is a tiny touch screen, everything included, cell that comes with it's own SIM card. It only costs $70 and has no contract, so it was within our budget! In fact, I replaced my phone (we just swapped my old SIM into the Discovery) and Abi upgraded from her crappy Blackberry. (As much as I want to support a Canadian company, blackberry just isn't reliable and they didn't keep up with how fast technology is changing. It's sad.) It was a win-win situation for us!  

The Discovery isn't too bad either. It is taking me some time to get used to it still, but it is quite cute. It is very similar in looks and in application as my old Google Nexus. With just a smaller screen!  What I don't like about it is that silly Auto Suggestion! Oh my goodness!  It doesn't just want to correct your spelling, it wants to offer you other words instead. It tries to predict what you're typing and gives suggestions for you to click instead of finishing your own sentence. So very irritating. It would be like someone constantly interrupting you. "So I was.."  "going....walking....shopping....sleeping....?"  "...going ..."  "for dinner?  with? a walk?"  "...to go to..." "bed? see? "  GAH!!! It was so frustrating. I finally took that option off of the phone. But now I find it irritating that my misspelled words aren't immediately corrected for me! *sigh*

I do love my new little phone though, and I am very happy to be able to join the rest of the world in texting instead of calling or visiting. Haha. I love being connected to FB all of the time, as well as Pinterest. (well, wherever wifi is!) And I love my apps. Which brings me to my next Thankful listing.

3.  Apps

I have enjoyed adding some apps to my phone. The boys love playing Clash of Clans (K) and Castle Clash (B) and Lego Junior's Quest (R). and I have my addiction to Tetris again; but to be honest, I don't play too many games on my computer, I tend to waste my time on FB the most.

The app that I love the most and have to say was one of the first things I updated when I got my phone back was the Bible app. It is YouVersion, the Bible App, and I love it. Not only do I have the Bible in several different versions (Hunny loves Da Book, a Hawaiian Pidgin version, for the fun of it. I like to stick with a basic New Living Translation. But there are 950 Versions in 648 Languages available. WOW!) but I have several different Reading Plans to choose from. Such as Devotionals or Topical studies or the Whole Bible (for those who's goal is to read the Bible in one year, one day I will do that.). I am so happy to get back into reading my devotions. I finally finished a 5 day plan that I started in April. (haha. I had trouble accessing it without my phone) and have just started two new 30-day ones. 
 
 I have to admit that I have totally noticed a difference in my peace and outlook and in my faith just in consistently reading the Bible and studying it and by doing a devotional. It just takes two minutes out of my day (and I read at night before bed. I don't do mornings, so I do it when I can focus on it better. I know most people suggest getting up early and starting your day off with Bible reading and/or exercise, but really it won't work for me. And I am okay with that.)  

I am so incredibly thankful for the ability to get back into these Plans. Hooray! It just feels better in my spirit, to be honest.

4. Being Creative

I actually went out and stamped with friends this week! How wonderful is that? I have been keeping myself busy by stamping at home, but it just feels so much better and relaxed and fun doing it among others. We didn't have a class, but we all brought our own projects to work on. Considering I arrived there with a ton of stuff but no plan or real thought, I was impressed with what I accomplished!

I CASED a card found on page 104 of the the brand-new Stampin' Up! catalogue. I made 11 cards with three different variations; the top one with the stars and no banner is being sent to my brother and his wife for their 11th Anniversary! The deets: Sweet Essentials stamp set, Retro Fresh dsp, Calypso Coral ink,  Pear Pizzazz seam binding ribbon, rhinestones, bakers twine, star punch, staple.

I need to do this more often!  I miss getting together with friends and stamping and being creative!


5. Siblings who help eachother

 Abi got herself a paper route this spring; just 74 houses in the immediate neighbourhood. It's been a relatively easy way for her to make $50+ each month. Sometimes she ropes her brothers into helping her out (she has to pay them) and I've helped drive her sometimes as well. (I think that makes the route going longer than it needs to be though.)



I love it when her brothers help her out. They don't have to, and I do sometimes have to remind them to stop complaining, and to actually be useful and to not drag their feet. (If they agreed to help, they need to stick with the committment. I love it more when they do it without needing to be reminded of that!), but it is so good to see them willingly helping her out and working as a team.

Kai insists on wearing the safety vest! (Abi doesn't like it, but someone has to wear it during the route.)