Yes, that pretty much summarizes my week. Actually, it has summarized my week for the last 8 years. But this week was extra kid-ish. Kenny has been gone lately... A LOT! He leaves for work every morning at 6:45 am so we don't even see him. He comes home around 4:30 and quickly showers. So we don't see him then either. And then he's off to coach basketball 3 nights per week, plays poker once a week, and runs the youth center once a week. So, from Monday to Friday we pretty much say hi and bye to him as he runs around.
I am glad he is able to help others with the coaching and youth center, but I do tend to miss him a lot. Especially when I am alone with kids all day and all night. This week I had lots of that. Every day this week I have taken care of other people's kids. It's gone really well and it's actually not that hard compared to what I used to do (you might not know this but I spent a whole year doing daycare in my home with much younger children which was much more tiring).
But even with the easiest of kids, after a while of "all kid, no adult", I tend to go a little mental and need some adult conversation. That's where I'm at now. Tomorrow I have another day full of my kids and other people's kids and then I have a bit of a break.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS SOME ADULT CONVERSATION! And I should get it this Saturday as my parents, sister and bro-in-law come over for the day. Whew! That gives me something to look forward to! And my hubby will be taking the Christmas break to give himself (and us) a break from all his running around. Whew again!
I wish all of you a very merry Christmas full of adult conversation and few bouts of screaming, fighting children!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The World's Ugliest Christmas Tree
Our family has been trying to tone down Christmas over the last few years. Not so much hustle and bustle, not so many gifts, not as much debt, and more time to focus on Jesus: The whole reason we celebrate to begin with.
So, in keeping with simplicity, we have not decorated the house in a couple of years. Ethan is a decorating diva and LOVES to do up a tree. Brayden is the spiritual compass of the family and loves to be an extremist so he doesn't want to do any decorating. Both children on two opposites sides of the spectrum. Hello? Where's the middle ground here? So we came to a consensus. We would decorate every other year. Good. Everyone is happy.
Knowing that we were going to get a tree this year, I decided to go out and buy some new ornaments (the first time since we got married). I started getting excited and began to envision this beauty which we would call our tree. To me, it would be a masterpiece, a work of art.
Enter Kenny.
Kenny also began to get excited for our tree. He too, had a vision. He was so thrilled that for the first time ever we could actually go out into our own backyard and cut down a tree... for free! I thought it was a great plan but I had my doubts. You see, I love a good, hearty, thick tree with lots of branches. Would there be such a tree in our yard?
To find out, Ethan and I walked around our 2 acres one afternoon. It was discouraging to say the least. Hundreds of trees awaited our inspection. All of them were skinny, sparse and downright lame. None even came close to passing the "Charlene" inspection. I broke the news to Kenny, who, in optimistic spirits, rejected my conclusions.
Then last night happened. He came home from work and told me he was going to find a tree. It was dark. He had a flashlight. I rolled my eyes. About 5 mintues later he bound into the house yelling, "I found our tree. Quickly, everyone get your stuff on and let's go!" Yah right, I thought. But we all went out to see this fine specimen.
To put it simply... it sucked! It was so skinny that I was afraid our "universal" tree stand wouldn't be able to tighten around it enough. The branches were few and far between. I said, "NO WAY!" But Kenny still in good spirits (and singing O Christmas Tree) waxed eloquently about it's beauty(keep in mind it's pitch dark and he can't see it at all). I didn't want to be all Bah Humbug about the whole thing so I said as cheerfully as I could, "Oh fine, whatever. Just cut it down already."
He chopped. He sang. Brayden chopped and sang. Ethan chopped and almost lost a foot. And then we yelled TIMBER and down she came. We hauled her back to the house and put it under our garage light to get a better look. It was terrible and we both knew it. Even Kenny was beginning to doubt this glorious creation.
But not ones to give up easily, we figured since we cut it down, we might as well keep it. And that's exactly what we did. Kenny had to force the tree stand to keep it standing. We had to threaten Ethan within an inch of his life because he was SOOOO HYPER while we were decorating. The dog was scared of the tree so she sulked at the top of the stairs (did I mention we decided it would stay in the basement... not nice enough to be upstairs). Brayden was freaking out about the decorations not being on exactly perfect. The angel was too big for the tree and wouldn't stay vertical. And Kenny and I just laughed uncontrollably between my bouts of disgust. It was one of those precious Christmas memories that we all cherish.
So, now that the story has you completely curious, here it is in all it's sparseness.
Why does my son have no clothes on?
All the stinking pine needles came off by us just trying to keep the decorations on the branches without it falling! This is my joyful cleanup efforts
Then to top it all off our camera refused to focus so we couldn't even get a decent picture!
Hope your tree looks better than ours! Merry Christmas!
So, in keeping with simplicity, we have not decorated the house in a couple of years. Ethan is a decorating diva and LOVES to do up a tree. Brayden is the spiritual compass of the family and loves to be an extremist so he doesn't want to do any decorating. Both children on two opposites sides of the spectrum. Hello? Where's the middle ground here? So we came to a consensus. We would decorate every other year. Good. Everyone is happy.
Knowing that we were going to get a tree this year, I decided to go out and buy some new ornaments (the first time since we got married). I started getting excited and began to envision this beauty which we would call our tree. To me, it would be a masterpiece, a work of art.
Enter Kenny.
Kenny also began to get excited for our tree. He too, had a vision. He was so thrilled that for the first time ever we could actually go out into our own backyard and cut down a tree... for free! I thought it was a great plan but I had my doubts. You see, I love a good, hearty, thick tree with lots of branches. Would there be such a tree in our yard?
To find out, Ethan and I walked around our 2 acres one afternoon. It was discouraging to say the least. Hundreds of trees awaited our inspection. All of them were skinny, sparse and downright lame. None even came close to passing the "Charlene" inspection. I broke the news to Kenny, who, in optimistic spirits, rejected my conclusions.
Then last night happened. He came home from work and told me he was going to find a tree. It was dark. He had a flashlight. I rolled my eyes. About 5 mintues later he bound into the house yelling, "I found our tree. Quickly, everyone get your stuff on and let's go!" Yah right, I thought. But we all went out to see this fine specimen.
To put it simply... it sucked! It was so skinny that I was afraid our "universal" tree stand wouldn't be able to tighten around it enough. The branches were few and far between. I said, "NO WAY!" But Kenny still in good spirits (and singing O Christmas Tree) waxed eloquently about it's beauty(keep in mind it's pitch dark and he can't see it at all). I didn't want to be all Bah Humbug about the whole thing so I said as cheerfully as I could, "Oh fine, whatever. Just cut it down already."
He chopped. He sang. Brayden chopped and sang. Ethan chopped and almost lost a foot. And then we yelled TIMBER and down she came. We hauled her back to the house and put it under our garage light to get a better look. It was terrible and we both knew it. Even Kenny was beginning to doubt this glorious creation.
But not ones to give up easily, we figured since we cut it down, we might as well keep it. And that's exactly what we did. Kenny had to force the tree stand to keep it standing. We had to threaten Ethan within an inch of his life because he was SOOOO HYPER while we were decorating. The dog was scared of the tree so she sulked at the top of the stairs (did I mention we decided it would stay in the basement... not nice enough to be upstairs). Brayden was freaking out about the decorations not being on exactly perfect. The angel was too big for the tree and wouldn't stay vertical. And Kenny and I just laughed uncontrollably between my bouts of disgust. It was one of those precious Christmas memories that we all cherish.
So, now that the story has you completely curious, here it is in all it's sparseness.
Why does my son have no clothes on?
All the stinking pine needles came off by us just trying to keep the decorations on the branches without it falling! This is my joyful cleanup efforts
Then to top it all off our camera refused to focus so we couldn't even get a decent picture!
Hope your tree looks better than ours! Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Space Day
Brayden's class has been learning about space for several months now. He loves it because he is a science junkie. He has an awesome teacher this year who put tons of effort into having a "space day" for the kids. She got them to make paper mache space helmets. She made them jet packs out of pop bottles and she even bought them space suits! She totally decorated the classroom too. He loved it!
Also, here is a picture of Ethan wearing his new jacket. He got it from a friend who didn't get any use out of it. It's a Harley Davidson jacket which he LOVES!!!
Also, here is a picture of Ethan wearing his new jacket. He got it from a friend who didn't get any use out of it. It's a Harley Davidson jacket which he LOVES!!!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Toews Family Christmas Letter 2007
It has been a while since I sat down and wrote a Christmas letter. I have come to realize that if I don’t get one done every year the world continues to spin! But this year, for your reading pleasure, I have managed to sit down long enough to give you all a brief update on our lives (well, maybe it’s not so brief… feel free to skim if you want)!
Our year was full of traveling it seemed. This year we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and we wanted to do something special. So we went away for 10 days in January on a Caribbean cruise. We spent the first few days in Miami and then the rest of the time was set aside for our cruise. We loved every minute of it! We became cruise addicts and can’t wait to go again. My mom and dad graciously looked after our boys while we were gone and they all had a blast together.
March found us traveling again. My Grandad (my mom’s dad) passed away on March 10. He had been going downhill for quite a while and he left this earth very peacefully. It was very important for us all to go to the funeral. So, we made the trip to Rosetown, Saskatchewan. Leaving BC in the spring is difficult with all the avalanches and we discovered that the hard way. We got trapped in Revelstoke and ended up doing the BC/Alberta grand tour to bypass the avalanche. It was a 24 hour detour but so worth the trip. I was so glad to be there with my family to say goodbye to a great man.
Once school ended and summer came around, we packed up the van and the kids and drove the 22 hours to Steinbach, Manitoba. Kenny was born and raised there and all his family still lives in the area. It was a fun trip as we camped our way there. We found some great campgrounds in the middle of the prairies! Go figure! We all had a fantastic time visiting with siblings, cousins, parents, aunties, uncles, and grandparents. Our boys were in their glory with so many cousins around. It made us wish we all lived closer together.
August consisted of a week long trek to Vancouver Island where Kenny spoke at a youth camp, and a family camping trip to Mabel Lake where we go every year. Our summer was very busy but we are sure glad we were able to do all of that.
Kenny saw some changes in his life this year. He felt it was time to switch jobs. He finished up at Ashley Furniture in August. He had worked there for 2 years and made some great friends while he was there. He was a great salesman, but the hours were not working well for our family. He worked every single weekend and holiday. The boys never saw him and he would get home late every night. So, to remedy that, he found a job just outside of Enderby building park model homes. He is off work by 4:00 every day and has all weekends and holidays off. We all love his new hours and he is really good at the job he does.
Kenny is also wanting to get back into pastoral ministry within a church. He is hoping to end up somewhere where there are a few pastors already there. He has been doing ministry alone for 8 years now and he is really needing a team atmosphere for a while. We are finding it hard to wait for the right thing to come along and yet we know that God will lead us into the perfect place for us. We would love to stay in the balmy Okanagan but we know that moving away from paradise may be in order!
I spent the last school year working at the Enderby Preschool as an aide to children with social/emotional issues. I really enjoyed it. The hours were great and I was only there while my own children were at school. So that meant I didn’t need to put them into any other child care which was really important to me. Eight years ago I made it a goal of mine to stay at home with the kids and I am thankful that it has worked out for me so far.
I am not at the preschool this year and I feel that this is probably my last year of not working outside of the home. Once Ethan is in grade one I will most likely find something to do. But I am loving being at home this year. It is so nice to slow things down and do the stuff I really love: being a mom, a wife and a homemaker. I am still a certified doula and attend births every month or second month. It feels so good to help women during such an important time.
Brayden is in grade 3 this year. After the end of grade 2 we made the very tough decision to switch schools. We found that our happy little guy was really unhappy at the school he was at. We also found that the behavioural and educational standards were not what we were hoping for at his school. So we moved him over to the Christian School in Salmon Arm. He was excited to go and did not seem to go through any sort of adjustment period. He just fit in right away. He now comes home happy every day and thrilled to tell us all the stuff he learned that day. I can’t believe the difference in him.
He loves school, loves socializing and loves learning about anything to do with science, history and geography. His newest passion around the house is setting up his hundreds of army men all over his room, all over the basement, all over everywhere! He is also learning how to play the drums, which he really enjoys. He has chosen to take a break from karate and softball this year but is thinking he might try soccer next spring.
Ethan is now in Kindergarten. He has been waiting for years to be in “big boy school”. He too is at the Christian School and enjoys it. He is a bit on the shy side so it takes a lot of courage to talk to the other kids or even to the teacher sometimes. But he is fitting in well and learning lots. He played soccer this spring and really got into it! If he ran, it was at full speed. If he kicked the ball, it was as hard as he could do it. If he wanted the ball, he would push over whoever was in his way! He always left the game with a face beet red from playing so hard. He is our passionate child after all!
Ethan is our little artist. He loves to draw and will spend hours doing just that. He is also very excited to learn how to read and write which he is now doing at school. His time at home is spent creating… coloring, drawing, dressing up, painting his face, baking something new, etc, etc. But his favorite activity is “snickles”. That is a cross between tickling and snuggling. He asks me several times a day for snickles. And every time I get sick of doing it I am reminded that one day I will wish for these days back again!
Our plans for Christmas are to stick around here. We had the option of going to Manitoba for Christmas or going to Texas in January to visit Kenny’s parents. It was such a hard choice. We wanted to be with the whole family for Christmas but also have wanted to see where Kenny’s parents spend the winter. We have decided to go to Texas. So this Christmas will find us at the cottage having a quiet, relaxing day.
We hope that wherever you find yourself this Christmas, you will know the love and peace of Christ in your hearts and you will share good memories with family and friends.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
This will make your stomach turn
Just captured these images tonight. It is a regular occurrence at our house. Ethan loves his doggie and she loves to return the affection. I think it's cute because I did the exact same thing with my dog growing up. But most people think it is repulsive. Think about where that tongue has been! I have personally witnessed where that tongue has been. Not a pretty sight.
We are currently getting more snow.... lots of it! When I took these pictures the snow was still falling so who knows how much it will be in the end but for now it's almost 6 inches as you can see. Good thing our driveway is steep... the kids have had a blast sliding down it!
We had a fun weekend. I took off yesterday to Kelowna with 3 other friends. We did a Costco run which was so much fun! Today we had a ton of fun having a family over for brunch and then off to see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Kids liked it. Kenny cried at the end which is nothing new for him. Tonight we all played spoons and it got a little violent but so much fun!
I wonder if the bus will run tomorrow or if I'll be making the trek to Salmon Arm to drive the kids to school. Maybe it will be a snow day and I'll have them home all day. Always an adventure in the winter here in the good ol' Okanagan!
We are currently getting more snow.... lots of it! When I took these pictures the snow was still falling so who knows how much it will be in the end but for now it's almost 6 inches as you can see. Good thing our driveway is steep... the kids have had a blast sliding down it!
We had a fun weekend. I took off yesterday to Kelowna with 3 other friends. We did a Costco run which was so much fun! Today we had a ton of fun having a family over for brunch and then off to see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Kids liked it. Kenny cried at the end which is nothing new for him. Tonight we all played spoons and it got a little violent but so much fun!
I wonder if the bus will run tomorrow or if I'll be making the trek to Salmon Arm to drive the kids to school. Maybe it will be a snow day and I'll have them home all day. Always an adventure in the winter here in the good ol' Okanagan!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Winter is here
Well, I woke up this morning with two little boys talking very loudly into my ear. Something about snow. My throat was so sore... swollen glands and the whole bit (I guess I'm getting sick) nothing that a little oil of oregano can't fix. I managed to stumble out of bed and look out he window. WOW! Winter has arrived! I measured 9 cm of snow on our deck railing and it's still coming down a bit. The boys rushed around getting ready for school and were outside sledding by 7:45 am! I was still trying to crack my eyes open at that point! Oh the joy of being young (them, not me)!
Living in the country during the fall was amazing with all the colors. But living in the country after a fresh snowfall is pretty amazing too. Check out these pics of our yard.
This is what it looked like last night
And here it is this morning (that blue speck on the ground is Brayden sliding)
Living in the country during the fall was amazing with all the colors. But living in the country after a fresh snowfall is pretty amazing too. Check out these pics of our yard.
This is what it looked like last night
And here it is this morning (that blue speck on the ground is Brayden sliding)
Friday, November 16, 2007
Island Life
It's been almost 2 months that we have lived out in the country. I was asked the other day if I miss living in town (keep in mind the metropolis of Enderby is a whopping 3000 people). My answer... NOT AT ALL! I don't have the sound of cars rushing past my house anymore and I certainly don't miss the wafting smell of cigarette smoke coming in my windows from our former neighbours. I love that we are surrounded by trees and no one can see me dashing around the house in my birthday suit (that doesn't happen often but in our old house I had to crawl on all 4's to get around like that)!
However, I have noticed something interesting about country life. I have become an island unto myself. It comes fairly naturally to me as I am a loner by nature. However, being married to the socialite of the century, I had forgotten that part of myself until now. Something about moving out of town has caused my isolated self to come out once again. And frankly, I love it! I have been enjoying many a day all alone, not calling anyone and not answering the phone. I will fully admit to dodging people I know while in town getting the mail or some milk!
But the other day I realized that I do need a bit of balance. I decided it was time to socialize myself once again. So, I called my former room mate Sarah and we chatted. That was a great start. I thought to myself, hey, this isn't so hard. So, yesterday I went out for lunch with a friend. Frankly, it was nice to be in civilization for a couple hours. And today I had a friend over who I have not seen in months. Oh yes, I am now entertaining in my own home once again! Tomorrow I am going to visit Ginny in Vernon... yup, heading out to the BIG CITY! I'm really going places now!
As much as I make fun of myself, I am loving this time alone out here in the peace and quiet. And a sprinkling of friends now and then is just the icing on the cake!
Hope you all have a great weekend whether you are a loner or a socialite!
However, I have noticed something interesting about country life. I have become an island unto myself. It comes fairly naturally to me as I am a loner by nature. However, being married to the socialite of the century, I had forgotten that part of myself until now. Something about moving out of town has caused my isolated self to come out once again. And frankly, I love it! I have been enjoying many a day all alone, not calling anyone and not answering the phone. I will fully admit to dodging people I know while in town getting the mail or some milk!
But the other day I realized that I do need a bit of balance. I decided it was time to socialize myself once again. So, I called my former room mate Sarah and we chatted. That was a great start. I thought to myself, hey, this isn't so hard. So, yesterday I went out for lunch with a friend. Frankly, it was nice to be in civilization for a couple hours. And today I had a friend over who I have not seen in months. Oh yes, I am now entertaining in my own home once again! Tomorrow I am going to visit Ginny in Vernon... yup, heading out to the BIG CITY! I'm really going places now!
As much as I make fun of myself, I am loving this time alone out here in the peace and quiet. And a sprinkling of friends now and then is just the icing on the cake!
Hope you all have a great weekend whether you are a loner or a socialite!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Glad to be home
It's been so nice to be back at home after my trip to NY. I love my family! My job today has been stripping the wallpaper off the bathroom walls. NEVER AGAIN will I attempt to do this. It is terrible! I have tried using the chemicals they suggest and it didn't work. So I drove 30 minutes to Vernon today to rent a steamer. I tried a section on my own but it is just too psycho to try and steam one section while scraping the other section. I think I'll wait now for Kenny to get home so we can do it together.
Here are some pics of the last week or two:
Brayden was a soldier and Ethan was a police man for Halloween
Kenny was a burly construction worker... oh no, that was just him when he came home from work
This is the only picture I have taken of our new place. Sorry!
Brayden's army men set that he bought. We currently have world war II laid out in our basement
Ethan loves styling his hair!
Here are some pics of the last week or two:
Brayden was a soldier and Ethan was a police man for Halloween
Kenny was a burly construction worker... oh no, that was just him when he came home from work
This is the only picture I have taken of our new place. Sorry!
Brayden's army men set that he bought. We currently have world war II laid out in our basement
Ethan loves styling his hair!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
October Update
Since we have been off line and off to NY for the month of October, I have not done much updating on my blog. I know most bloggers have left this realm for facebook, but I have not. Facebook is cool for reconnecting and stuff, but it doesn't even come close to giving people a window into my life like this blog does. And so, even though I may be one of the last bloggers out there, I will not abandon the cause!
October started really crazy for us. We moved. We now live out in country bumkin land. We are only about a 5 minute drive from Enderby so that is nice. But seeing as this is our first country living experience, it has come with some adjustments. We just love the quiet. We used to live right on the highway so to sit on our deck now and hear birds singing and leaves rustling is awesome. We have 2 acres of yard and forest so now I can send the kids outside and they just explore for hours. They have made forts in the trees and even found a bear trap. And we have an old country house. The floors creak, the water smells like well water, and the electrical work is always a surprise! Most fun of all is the family of mice that we are catching one by one. Our count is 6 right now but I know there is one living in our wall air conditioner because I could hear him rustling around yesterday. His days are numbered!
October also brought us thanksgiving which we spent with my parents at their cottage. It was only the second long weekend we have ever shared as a family since Kenny has worked weekends since our marriage began. It was so nice.
The next weekend Kenny took me away to Halcyon Hot Springs which is just south of Revelstoke. It was so nice to ease my tired body after the big move. I would highly recommend it!
A major milestone was hit in Ethan's life. He lost his first tooth. He was terrified of the tooth as it got looser and looser. It got to the point where he could not eat because it was hanging by a string of gums! But one morning I found him in his bed with 30 kleenexes around him and he was pulling and twisting. He was so thankful when it was done!
On Oct, 20 Brayden turned 8. Is it possible that I have an 8 year old son? He keeps trying to do stuff and say stuff that makes him feel bigger. Like making himself tea every morning and using adult sized spoons and forks now. He claims that he is now in the "middle years" and so his changing behavior is warranted! I think it's cute. He thinks it's grown up! We took him and his friends (along with auntie, uncle, Gramma and Grampa) to lasertag in Kelowna. What a blast! He loved it.
Of course, to cap the month off, I took off to NY. It was so fun but so exhausting. Honestly, in NY you walk like 12 hours a day! We stayed in Queens and mastered the NY subway system going all over Manhattan. We did hours of shopping, saw 2 museums, central park, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, and ate some of the best food ever. We made sure we only ate local stuff, not big chain restaurants. It was so great. But it was not a vacation of relaxation! I am still trying to catch up on sleep and rest my aching hip and knee joints!
Here are some pictures of our month.
Our new yard. Kenny and the boys are making a fire pit
One of the many mice we have "sent to a better place"
Grampa and the boys at the thanksgiving feast
Our cabin at Halcyon Hot Springs
The Hot Springs Pools
Ethan's first tooth hole!
Brayden got a Nintendo Wii from us for his birthday. As you can see he is slightly excited
Brayden and a friend gearing up for the big game
The birthday boy and his friends
Times Square in NY
St. Paul's Cathedral
Only in NY would they put up a sign like this!
World Trade Center being rebuilt. What a sobering experience to be one the very streets where rubble and people fell.
Our massive plate of penne at an authentic italian restaurant
Central park
Elina and I on top of the Empire State Building. Just a tad windy!
One of the many views from the top of the Empire State Building
Me and my new best friend. She had a lot of really nice qualities about her but she was quite cold!
Me eating the famous NY pizza. It was so huge I had to fold it in half just to get it in my mouth!
Empire State Building from the ground
October started really crazy for us. We moved. We now live out in country bumkin land. We are only about a 5 minute drive from Enderby so that is nice. But seeing as this is our first country living experience, it has come with some adjustments. We just love the quiet. We used to live right on the highway so to sit on our deck now and hear birds singing and leaves rustling is awesome. We have 2 acres of yard and forest so now I can send the kids outside and they just explore for hours. They have made forts in the trees and even found a bear trap. And we have an old country house. The floors creak, the water smells like well water, and the electrical work is always a surprise! Most fun of all is the family of mice that we are catching one by one. Our count is 6 right now but I know there is one living in our wall air conditioner because I could hear him rustling around yesterday. His days are numbered!
October also brought us thanksgiving which we spent with my parents at their cottage. It was only the second long weekend we have ever shared as a family since Kenny has worked weekends since our marriage began. It was so nice.
The next weekend Kenny took me away to Halcyon Hot Springs which is just south of Revelstoke. It was so nice to ease my tired body after the big move. I would highly recommend it!
A major milestone was hit in Ethan's life. He lost his first tooth. He was terrified of the tooth as it got looser and looser. It got to the point where he could not eat because it was hanging by a string of gums! But one morning I found him in his bed with 30 kleenexes around him and he was pulling and twisting. He was so thankful when it was done!
On Oct, 20 Brayden turned 8. Is it possible that I have an 8 year old son? He keeps trying to do stuff and say stuff that makes him feel bigger. Like making himself tea every morning and using adult sized spoons and forks now. He claims that he is now in the "middle years" and so his changing behavior is warranted! I think it's cute. He thinks it's grown up! We took him and his friends (along with auntie, uncle, Gramma and Grampa) to lasertag in Kelowna. What a blast! He loved it.
Of course, to cap the month off, I took off to NY. It was so fun but so exhausting. Honestly, in NY you walk like 12 hours a day! We stayed in Queens and mastered the NY subway system going all over Manhattan. We did hours of shopping, saw 2 museums, central park, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, and ate some of the best food ever. We made sure we only ate local stuff, not big chain restaurants. It was so great. But it was not a vacation of relaxation! I am still trying to catch up on sleep and rest my aching hip and knee joints!
Here are some pictures of our month.
Our new yard. Kenny and the boys are making a fire pit
One of the many mice we have "sent to a better place"
Grampa and the boys at the thanksgiving feast
Our cabin at Halcyon Hot Springs
The Hot Springs Pools
Ethan's first tooth hole!
Brayden got a Nintendo Wii from us for his birthday. As you can see he is slightly excited
Brayden and a friend gearing up for the big game
The birthday boy and his friends
Times Square in NY
St. Paul's Cathedral
Only in NY would they put up a sign like this!
World Trade Center being rebuilt. What a sobering experience to be one the very streets where rubble and people fell.
Our massive plate of penne at an authentic italian restaurant
Central park
Elina and I on top of the Empire State Building. Just a tad windy!
One of the many views from the top of the Empire State Building
Me and my new best friend. She had a lot of really nice qualities about her but she was quite cold!
Me eating the famous NY pizza. It was so huge I had to fold it in half just to get it in my mouth!
Empire State Building from the ground
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Back to Reality
Ok, we are finally back online. It took over 3 weeks to get back online but here we are! You don't realize how much of your life is online until you lose it. I have felt completely out of touch with people, news, celebrity gossip, etc. Now I feel complete again... ok that's a bit of a stretch! But it is nice to be back.
Now that I'm back, I'm leaving again. No, not the internet... that is staying for good! I am leaving in 2 hours to head to the airport. I am going to New York! Crazy last minute vacation actually. My friend Elina is at a work conference in Boston and wanted to check out New York while she was down there. So she invited me.
I really love to travel but I miss my family terribly when I'm away from them. However, I know that this is a great thing for me to do. I have been a stay at home mom for 8 years and it's good to get away once in a while to remember who I am! I'm not just a cook, a cleaner, a homework helper, a dog walker!
So, it will be fun! I'll write all about it when I get back. I travel all night tonight and meet Elina in Boston. Then we take the train to New York and stay for $300 a night in a hotel! AHHH!
Pray for Kenny as he manages here alone with the kids. Well, actually he has loads of people coming to help so it should be fine. Plus I've made meals for them!
Hope you all have a good week.
Now that I'm back, I'm leaving again. No, not the internet... that is staying for good! I am leaving in 2 hours to head to the airport. I am going to New York! Crazy last minute vacation actually. My friend Elina is at a work conference in Boston and wanted to check out New York while she was down there. So she invited me.
I really love to travel but I miss my family terribly when I'm away from them. However, I know that this is a great thing for me to do. I have been a stay at home mom for 8 years and it's good to get away once in a while to remember who I am! I'm not just a cook, a cleaner, a homework helper, a dog walker!
So, it will be fun! I'll write all about it when I get back. I travel all night tonight and meet Elina in Boston. Then we take the train to New York and stay for $300 a night in a hotel! AHHH!
Pray for Kenny as he manages here alone with the kids. Well, actually he has loads of people coming to help so it should be fine. Plus I've made meals for them!
Hope you all have a good week.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Unreachable!
Today is the last day in a while that I will be on this computer. We pack it up and move tomorrow. But we cannot get our phone or internet hooked up until Oct. 12! Yes, we have to go a full 2 weeks without the modern conveniences of telephone and facebook (enter violin and quiet weeping). However we are not completely isolated... we have our cell phones. If you don't have our cell numbers yet, let us know and we'll give them to you.
Things look good on the packing front. Most boxes are already moved to the new place. Our landlords have allowed us to move stuff in early to which I am extremely grateful. Tomorrow will just involve moving the big furniture and cleaning the house. Then the hours and days of unpacking begins!
I will leave you with one final picture that we took at this house. It was our view of the moon rising the other night. The picture does not do it justice as it was HUGE and orange coming up over the mountain! We will not get views like this at our new place since it is surrounded by trees. So it was awesome to see this one last time.
Things look good on the packing front. Most boxes are already moved to the new place. Our landlords have allowed us to move stuff in early to which I am extremely grateful. Tomorrow will just involve moving the big furniture and cleaning the house. Then the hours and days of unpacking begins!
I will leave you with one final picture that we took at this house. It was our view of the moon rising the other night. The picture does not do it justice as it was HUGE and orange coming up over the mountain! We will not get views like this at our new place since it is surrounded by trees. So it was awesome to see this one last time.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
3 more days
Well, the countdown is on. We move in 3 more days. I have been busy packing and cleaning for the last few weeks. I did take a short break to nurse my back but I'm into full fledged packing again.
I have mixed feelings about this move. I am excited that we sold this house. It was the whole reason we bought it to begin with. Our plan was to ride the real estate wave for a few years and that's exactly what we did. We made great money on both the houses that we sold. Also, I knew that we were not going to live in this house for long so I never allowed myself to get attached to this house. However, it is a beautiful house and I know we may never live in such a nice house again.
I am also excited about renting for a bit. Financially it will be very nice for us. The rent is much less than our mortgage was. We don't want to stay out of the market too long or else it may be hard to get back in. But we plan on investing our money elsewhere for a few months which is a new adventure as well. I am excited about living farther away than 10 steps to the highway! Right now I hear every car going to or coming from the Okanagan Valley and frankly, it's annoying! Some peace and quiet will be nice. And our new place is surrounded by trees so no one will see me walking around in my jammies (or less)!
There is a part of me that is not too excited either. Our new place needs a lot of work. The owners of the home have some great plans to renovate it and eventually live in it themselves. But right now it is quite old and outdated. And yet, we both feel very peaceful about the decision and know that for whatever reason, God has asked us to live in this house for right now.
Another reason I am not too excited is that I know this move will be short lived. That makes it discouraging to pack and unpack everything because I know we will be doing it all over again in a few months! AHH! I am praying that God will lead us to a place of more permanence soon so we can really settle in. I feel like we have been in limbo for 2 years now and frankly, I'm ready to trade in the limbo for some stability. Kenny's hope is to find a pastoral position in a church where he can be a part of a team. He has been alone in ministry for 8 years and is ready to work in a group of people. So, we wait and know that God has a perfect plan for us in His time.
About my back, I went for my third chiro appointment yesterday. He worked not only on the vertebrae but also the rib specifically. Today I feel ok. Still have the stabbing pain but it is less intense. I have more range of motion in my body which is good. Just wish I could take a deep breath without feeling like I am being stabbed in the back!
Time to get this day going. Packing, cleaning, laundry, etc, etc!
I have mixed feelings about this move. I am excited that we sold this house. It was the whole reason we bought it to begin with. Our plan was to ride the real estate wave for a few years and that's exactly what we did. We made great money on both the houses that we sold. Also, I knew that we were not going to live in this house for long so I never allowed myself to get attached to this house. However, it is a beautiful house and I know we may never live in such a nice house again.
I am also excited about renting for a bit. Financially it will be very nice for us. The rent is much less than our mortgage was. We don't want to stay out of the market too long or else it may be hard to get back in. But we plan on investing our money elsewhere for a few months which is a new adventure as well. I am excited about living farther away than 10 steps to the highway! Right now I hear every car going to or coming from the Okanagan Valley and frankly, it's annoying! Some peace and quiet will be nice. And our new place is surrounded by trees so no one will see me walking around in my jammies (or less)!
There is a part of me that is not too excited either. Our new place needs a lot of work. The owners of the home have some great plans to renovate it and eventually live in it themselves. But right now it is quite old and outdated. And yet, we both feel very peaceful about the decision and know that for whatever reason, God has asked us to live in this house for right now.
Another reason I am not too excited is that I know this move will be short lived. That makes it discouraging to pack and unpack everything because I know we will be doing it all over again in a few months! AHH! I am praying that God will lead us to a place of more permanence soon so we can really settle in. I feel like we have been in limbo for 2 years now and frankly, I'm ready to trade in the limbo for some stability. Kenny's hope is to find a pastoral position in a church where he can be a part of a team. He has been alone in ministry for 8 years and is ready to work in a group of people. So, we wait and know that God has a perfect plan for us in His time.
About my back, I went for my third chiro appointment yesterday. He worked not only on the vertebrae but also the rib specifically. Today I feel ok. Still have the stabbing pain but it is less intense. I have more range of motion in my body which is good. Just wish I could take a deep breath without feeling like I am being stabbed in the back!
Time to get this day going. Packing, cleaning, laundry, etc, etc!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Back update
I have now been to the doctor 3 times. The first time he gave me an anti-inflammatory that did nothing to me. The second time he pretty much looked at me and said, "well, I have no clue what is wrong with you and I don't even know how to help." Ok, not a good sign. The third time I tried someone else and they said that they had no clue what was wrong with me but I should try a chiropractor.
So, after not sleeping at all on Tuesday night I went to the chiro. I was in terrible pain by the time I got there. And frankly, I felt like a total wimp once inside his office. Honestly, I am the kind of person who rarely makes a sound when I'm in pain. Even in childbirth I barely made a peep. But here I was in his office screaming in pain. He had me lay on my stomach so he could massage the muscles first. He was so gentle that I wondered if he was using any muscle power at all. And yet, the pain I felt was as if he was the incredible hulk on a bad day. It was excruciating. Then he asked me to flip over. Oh yah, right! I couldn't move! I felt like a total loser as I admitted that I could not move! He suggested that he help me slide off the table. That thought terrified me and I managed to get up and over myself.
Then came the "adjustments". I would rather push an 8 pound baby out of my crotch than endure that kind of pain. I felt slightly guilty for screaming into his ear, but I did it anyway. Directly following the adjustments I began to experience intense back spasms. Kind of like having continuous "charlie horses" in my back every 5 seconds. Nice. Yes, that was my day on Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday were better. The spasms stopped. The back pain was still there but the intensity was slightly less. I went back to the chiro today and the adjustments were much better. I am still in pain after the treatment but the spasms aren't there and the process was "scream free" which made me feel like I had gained some of my dignity back.
Turns out my stiff muscles on the left side of my back which have plagued me for years are the culprits for this issue. The muscles have been so tight that they have caused extreme swelling in 2 of my joints in the spine. The joints that attach my ribs to my spine. Anyhow, the joints are so inflamed that they can't move! So the solution according the the chiro is to manually move them to bring the swelling down and stop the pain.
I am also realizing that ignoring back pain for years is a really dumb thing to do! I think after the stabbing pain is gone I will try and keep my back loose by going for some regular massage and chiro visits. I hope to never experience this again.
And just for you curious people out there, I have not managed to do any packing this week and only minimal cleaning. My back has terrible timing! But I will get it all done and we will be moving this time next week.
Time to go clean more blinds!
So, after not sleeping at all on Tuesday night I went to the chiro. I was in terrible pain by the time I got there. And frankly, I felt like a total wimp once inside his office. Honestly, I am the kind of person who rarely makes a sound when I'm in pain. Even in childbirth I barely made a peep. But here I was in his office screaming in pain. He had me lay on my stomach so he could massage the muscles first. He was so gentle that I wondered if he was using any muscle power at all. And yet, the pain I felt was as if he was the incredible hulk on a bad day. It was excruciating. Then he asked me to flip over. Oh yah, right! I couldn't move! I felt like a total loser as I admitted that I could not move! He suggested that he help me slide off the table. That thought terrified me and I managed to get up and over myself.
Then came the "adjustments". I would rather push an 8 pound baby out of my crotch than endure that kind of pain. I felt slightly guilty for screaming into his ear, but I did it anyway. Directly following the adjustments I began to experience intense back spasms. Kind of like having continuous "charlie horses" in my back every 5 seconds. Nice. Yes, that was my day on Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday were better. The spasms stopped. The back pain was still there but the intensity was slightly less. I went back to the chiro today and the adjustments were much better. I am still in pain after the treatment but the spasms aren't there and the process was "scream free" which made me feel like I had gained some of my dignity back.
Turns out my stiff muscles on the left side of my back which have plagued me for years are the culprits for this issue. The muscles have been so tight that they have caused extreme swelling in 2 of my joints in the spine. The joints that attach my ribs to my spine. Anyhow, the joints are so inflamed that they can't move! So the solution according the the chiro is to manually move them to bring the swelling down and stop the pain.
I am also realizing that ignoring back pain for years is a really dumb thing to do! I think after the stabbing pain is gone I will try and keep my back loose by going for some regular massage and chiro visits. I hope to never experience this again.
And just for you curious people out there, I have not managed to do any packing this week and only minimal cleaning. My back has terrible timing! But I will get it all done and we will be moving this time next week.
Time to go clean more blinds!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Pain in the Back
I have been having some serious back trouble. About a year ago I woke up with an excruciating pain in my back. I couldn't actually move! The pain was in my upper back between my shoulder blade and my spine. After a day I could move again but the soreness never went away.
Since then I have had a constant ache in that part of my back and every now and then if I move wrong, the "I can't move" pain returns for a day or so. A couple weeks ago I stretched in my sleep and awoke with that stabbing pain again. But this time, the stabbing pain has not gone away. I went for tons of x-rays which I'm sure won't amount to anything since I doubt it is a bone issue. I am on these anti-inflamatories which take 3 hours to start working! And the worst part about it is that I'm not always sure which movements are going to cause the stabbing pain so I'm always scared to move. Even worse, I get the pain when I breathe which happens every few seconds! Yikes!
So, I will head back to my doctor this week to hear him say, "the x-rays looked fine" and try and find another solution. Is something pinched in there? Is there something growing in there that shouldn't be and it's putting pressure on my muscles and bones? Is a muscle kinked? Who knows! All I know is that this pain is making packing and cleaning rather hard!
Speaking of that, we move on Oct. 1. So, that leaves me only 2 weeks to get this house packed, cleaned and moved into the new place. It's been going good and as long as my back cooperates it will be no problem getting everything done.
I'll keep you posted on the back saga!
Since then I have had a constant ache in that part of my back and every now and then if I move wrong, the "I can't move" pain returns for a day or so. A couple weeks ago I stretched in my sleep and awoke with that stabbing pain again. But this time, the stabbing pain has not gone away. I went for tons of x-rays which I'm sure won't amount to anything since I doubt it is a bone issue. I am on these anti-inflamatories which take 3 hours to start working! And the worst part about it is that I'm not always sure which movements are going to cause the stabbing pain so I'm always scared to move. Even worse, I get the pain when I breathe which happens every few seconds! Yikes!
So, I will head back to my doctor this week to hear him say, "the x-rays looked fine" and try and find another solution. Is something pinched in there? Is there something growing in there that shouldn't be and it's putting pressure on my muscles and bones? Is a muscle kinked? Who knows! All I know is that this pain is making packing and cleaning rather hard!
Speaking of that, we move on Oct. 1. So, that leaves me only 2 weeks to get this house packed, cleaned and moved into the new place. It's been going good and as long as my back cooperates it will be no problem getting everything done.
I'll keep you posted on the back saga!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Moving soon
This past week has been a gong show. We have been desperately trying to find a place to live. We wanted to move to Salmon Arm since our kids now go to school there. And we really just wanted to rent for a while because we are in the middle of transition and know that wherever we move it won't be for long. But, finding a place to rent is very hard when you can't sign a 1 year lease or if you have a dog.
So, out of desperation we began looking for places to buy instead. We wanted something that was easy financially for us since I am not working right now. We found a few old houses that we could renovate but both of those houses needed MASSIVE work and we didn't feel we should be doing that. Too much time and money involved in those houses. And all the other houses we found were sold before we could even go look at them.
God was clearly closing the doors to purchase which was fine with us because we didn't want to buy right now anyway. He also closed every rental door too! However, there was one door left open that we walked through. Our friends own a house just outside of Enderby that they are wanting to rent. We looked at it a couple of months
ago but there was a lot of work that needed to be done to it back then and the basement wasn't usable at that time so it would have left us really squished just living on the top floor. But now the basement is almost done which gives us more room. The upstairs is still in need of some updating but we can handle living in the 70's for a while! It is on 2 acres of land which is fantastic for our kids and dog.
As much as I wish we were buying a great house that we could call our own and live in for the next 10 years, I know that this is just a stepping stone for our future. I know that a year from now our life and home will be much different.
So, my packing continues but the stress of finding a place to live is gone! And that thought alone makes this week start off on a good note!
So, out of desperation we began looking for places to buy instead. We wanted something that was easy financially for us since I am not working right now. We found a few old houses that we could renovate but both of those houses needed MASSIVE work and we didn't feel we should be doing that. Too much time and money involved in those houses. And all the other houses we found were sold before we could even go look at them.
God was clearly closing the doors to purchase which was fine with us because we didn't want to buy right now anyway. He also closed every rental door too! However, there was one door left open that we walked through. Our friends own a house just outside of Enderby that they are wanting to rent. We looked at it a couple of months
ago but there was a lot of work that needed to be done to it back then and the basement wasn't usable at that time so it would have left us really squished just living on the top floor. But now the basement is almost done which gives us more room. The upstairs is still in need of some updating but we can handle living in the 70's for a while! It is on 2 acres of land which is fantastic for our kids and dog.
As much as I wish we were buying a great house that we could call our own and live in for the next 10 years, I know that this is just a stepping stone for our future. I know that a year from now our life and home will be much different.
So, my packing continues but the stress of finding a place to live is gone! And that thought alone makes this week start off on a good note!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
First day of school
Arriving at school
Brayden's new grade 3 class. He chose a desk right behind a good friend of his
Ethan trying out the toys in his Kindergarten class
Ethan looking proud to be in "big boy" school
Brayden outside of his class
Brayden's new grade 3 class. He chose a desk right behind a good friend of his
Ethan trying out the toys in his Kindergarten class
Ethan looking proud to be in "big boy" school
Brayden outside of his class
Monday, September 03, 2007
Last days of summer
Today is the official end of summer holidays for us. School starts tomorrow for both boys and my summer job finished on Friday. Yes, fall is upon us. We had a very busy summer but loved every minute of it. We had our share of company and went away a number of times.
This long weekend we went to my parent's cottage. Mom and Dad were away at a wedding and invited us and the Dueck family to take over their cottage for the weekend. Sarah was my roommate in college and we have been the closest of friends ever since. If there is a person that I felt most comfortable with and had the most in common with, it would be her. Anyhow, her hubby Randy is also great friends with Kenny and they get along so well. Randy and Sarah have 2 boys who get along just awesome with my boys. All weekend Sarah and I hung out and talked, the guys drank beer, played games and harmonized to their favorite old hymns, and the boys played non-stop without a single fight! It was pure bliss!
Check out these pics of our weekend.
The Dueck Family on the boat
The four boys
Kenny Cliff jumping on Copper Island
Randy jumped from even higher
Brayden tried his skill at cliff jumping too
Kenny and Randy... the weekend "gamers"!
I took Sarah out for her birthday
All of us together
This long weekend we went to my parent's cottage. Mom and Dad were away at a wedding and invited us and the Dueck family to take over their cottage for the weekend. Sarah was my roommate in college and we have been the closest of friends ever since. If there is a person that I felt most comfortable with and had the most in common with, it would be her. Anyhow, her hubby Randy is also great friends with Kenny and they get along so well. Randy and Sarah have 2 boys who get along just awesome with my boys. All weekend Sarah and I hung out and talked, the guys drank beer, played games and harmonized to their favorite old hymns, and the boys played non-stop without a single fight! It was pure bliss!
Check out these pics of our weekend.
The Dueck Family on the boat
The four boys
Kenny Cliff jumping on Copper Island
Randy jumped from even higher
Brayden tried his skill at cliff jumping too
Kenny and Randy... the weekend "gamers"!
I took Sarah out for her birthday
All of us together
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