Mrs.Winckler

Moved

2012-02-17T23:51:00.001-05:00

Just in case anyone is still around....I'm up and running over here; http://mrswinckler.blogspot.com/ still some tweaks being made but this is where you'll find me from now on if you care to follow.

Thanks Alicia ♥

20W2D

2012-01-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

20W2D

Yesturday we had our 20 week anatomy ultra sound for this little coconut in my belly and here is what we found out;

She is weighing in perfectly at 13 oz

She has a heart rate of 144bpm

She's healthy and looking good

Oh and in case you didn't catch it

She's a SHE!!

We are so excited!

To be honest between feeling her move like crazy the last couple weeks and now knowing the baby is a she makes it all the more real to me, this is actually happening!! We are really going to have another baby in the house, my daughter K really is going to be a big sister and my hubby really will be out numbered in a house full of girls.

(Sorry Hun...we do ♥ you!!)

Z Rizdvom Khrystovym! - Merry Christmas

2012-01-07T00:18:00.000-05:00

In honor of my Grandpa and all the Mischuk family; I wanted to wish everyone a

Very Merry Ukrainian Christmas!!

Z Rizdvom Khrystovym!

Both of my Grandpa's parents along with three of his older siblings came to Canada from the Ukraine back in the 1920's/30's....so finding this cookbook with the information and recipes that where contained in it meant so much to me.

Thank You Mom for allowing me to borrow this book...

Now I don't remember ever celebrating what you'd call a traditional Ukraine Christmas growing up but I do remember growing up with a lot of these traditional Ukrainian foods....

"borsch-beet soup"

"Pierogis"

"Nothings"

and to be honest after finding this book I almost feel like celebrating a "traditional" Ukrainian Christmas one year! How fun would that be. :)

Alicia♥

Here's to 2012!

2012-01-03T23:16:00.000-05:00

(*wrote 01/02/12)

I'm sitting here in the warm and quiet of my parents home, while outside the snow is falling and numbing cold wind is blowing. Oh how I love Canadian winters, there's nothing like it. I love watching the snow fall, while drinking a nice warm cup of hot coco, it's so very relaxing! Tomorrow I do hope I can get K outside to enjoy some of this newly fallen snow as I'm afraid this may be her only chance this winter to enjoy it. Back home in Eastern PA the next few days are suppose to be oddly warm, 50's/high 40's with rain.........ahhh whats up with that! It's winter and even once we've gone our nine+hours south.....I know I'm going to want more Canadian winter!

So how has your 2012 been so far? We enjoyed ringing in the New Year with my family here in Canada and have been enjoying a nice, relaxing, fun filled first few days of 2012 with them too. Pretty soon it will be time for goodbyes but I don't want to think about that right now.

The last few days K has been showing off her singing skills and has been talking up a storm with almost everyone here. She has also really enjoyed having her cousins just a flight of stairs away. Every morning she runs to the bottom of the stairs and wants to head up to my Aunt and Uncles part of the house to play. To be honest I've enjoyed having all these extra loving hands to help and play with Kaylin. It`s been a nice little break.....I`m even able to shower by myself without having to worry about her.

Games games and more games!! We've also enjoyed the first few days of 2012 playing games. Probably more games then we've ever played before. New Years day I got to play quite a few rounds of "Dutch Blitz" which is always more fun with a crowd. I think at one point there was eight of us playing this game at once....all I can say is wow!! I also enjoyed a few rounds of "Skip-Bo" & "Old Maid" with my cousin Em and her friend. We played till the wee hours of the morning.

My hubby so far has played two games of "Settlers", each game lasting just over two hours each. My cousin Q and him have also been working on creating a Canadian version of the game "Settlers", they are coming up with their own board, rules ect...My hubby is in heaven!!

Alicia ♥

pickles & lemon aid

2011-12-21T13:59:00.001-05:00

I've devoured two baby dill pickles already and I am currently working on my third. Not sure what's up with me and dill pickles tonight but I can't seem to get enough. I'd probably drink the pickle juice from the jar too if I let myself. (I know sounds gross eh!) This baby has my taste buds all over the place. With Kaylin I couldn't get enough ice cream...with this baby I don't even remember the last time I actually ate ice cream. I'd much rather drink a tall glass of lemon aid, or pepsi, eat a hand full of sour patch kids or devour every pickle that's in our fridge. lol This is very strange for a person that normally can't get enough ice cream, we used to go threw a container or two a week, but not anymore it's lost all of it's appeal to me. I think that's why I'm leaning more towards boy then girl this time around but I guess we'll see in time. :)

17 weeks

So want to know some more random/weird facts about me? Sure you do....

I refuse to sleep in a pitch black house/apartment/room, I need at least one nightlight on at all times during the night.

I can not sleep with socks on. I will often go to bed with them on to avoid touching the cold sheets but as soon as the sheets are warm enough the socks come off. This is why piles of my socks end up at the bottom of my bed.

I have one cousin who is older then me and 14 that are younger. (I love them all to bits!!)

Growing up I thought I'd be the very last one out of all my cousins to get married, boy was I very wrong I ended up being the first.

When I get over tired I become a crazy perfectionist and must have everything in it's place/organized/cleaned. This perfectionism is often so bad that I have been known to throw things out that I didn't have a place for and seemed very useless to keep at the time.

I am terrible shy around new people and probably come across to others as snobbish or rude but I'm just very unsure of myself until I get to know people really well.

Although I am terrible shy and have trouble opening up to people, I love being around large groups of people. I love going to parties, family gatherings...just don't expect me to be the first one to jump up and start dancing to a cool song or sing any karaoke.

So there you have it just a few facts for your reading pleasure!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas week!!

Alicia

Just the beginning....

2011-12-12T15:27:00.001-05:00

This weekend I started on my holiday baking wish list and it's been quite the adventure so far and I'm not even half way threw my list.

The first recipe on my list to attempt making was this little delicacy called "Opera Fudge"; this was one very time consuming and very involved recipe {I highly recommend watching the video before attempting this one!}. After many hours in the kitchen and kneading and pulling fudge in front of the t.v the end result wasn't to bad and I have to admit...I had fun with this one!! I would defiantly make it again!!

Oh how I wish I could of captured a photo of my daughters face when she got a bite of plain unsweetened chocolate for the first time. I felt so bad for her, but it also kind of funny at the same time. She now insists on peeling off all the chocolate before eating one of these little guys....the result....chocolate everywhere!!!! {Evidence below}

Opera Fudge

Peanut Brittle was number two on my list. This was another recipe that I had never attempted before. My first batch was a big fail! {It never hardened}, my second batch hardened beautifully but stuck like cement to my pan. It took a lot of pounding and chiseling to get this candy broken up in to the bits and pieces it was suppose to be in. So would I make this again? Probably not, but hey if your looking to take your aggression out on something and your also looking for something sweet to indulge in while getting those feelings out.....make some of this!

Peanut Brittle

Love,

Alicia

♥

Update

2011-12-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

This blog has been very neglected over the last three months and I'm hoping and praying to start posting a little more now that the my first trimester symptoms are finally settling down. This pregnancy has been so much harder on me physically then when I was pregnant with my sweet baby girl.....so much so it kind of makes me scared to try again after this little one arrives. Which I have to admit kind of makes me feel a little sad; growing up I'v always dreamed of having a busy house hold with 4-5 kids...a couple pets...also opening up my home to fostering some children as well. I just love the idea of a busy house but I guess we'll just have to see where the Lord leads this little family next.

Now I wish I had some baby bump photos to share but that too was very low on my priority list. So instead I would like to share this ultrasound photo of our babe at around 13 weeks. (about 2 weeks ago.)

It really amazes me how at only a few inches long (approx the size of a peach) just how much our baby well looked like a baby already.....we could see their little individual fingers, watched them stretch their arms up over their tiny head...we even thought we caught a glimpse of possible thumb sucking...all at only 13 weeks. It was just amazing! Life is a miracle!!

Now here is a recent photo of my first sweet miracle Kaylin. She turned 2 at the end of September and is turning in to the sweetest little girl. Just yesterday we even caught her counting to 12 all on her own....(not all letters said with the greatest clarity) but it was still a proud WOW moment for the hubby and I. Kaylin is going to be a great big sister!!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

A Shutterfly Christmas

2011-11-11T16:35:00.004-05:00

Christmas is only 42 days away, can you believe it. Have you started your Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, or mailing out your christmas cards yet? I can proudly say I've started it all and thanks to Shutterfly my cards will be so easy to knock off my list of to do's.

I love Christmas cards, I love unique Christmas cards, I love being able to personalize Christmas cards so after using Shutterfly last year to make our own special personalized cards, I knew this year I would be ordering from them again. In my books Shutterfly has some of the best Christmas cards that I've seen anywhere; and their options for different styles, shapes and themes is just amazing. Whether you are looking for a traditional Christmas card, something whimsical, religious, or if you prefer those flat photo-cards or story book cards to share the highlights and top moments of your year, Shutterfly seems to have it all.

Last year it took the hubby and I quite some time to decide the exact card we wanted to use, but in the end we went with this pretty card that just seemed to fit perfectly with the picture of our daughter wearing our tree skirt.

Peppermint Pink Christmas Card

Turn your favorite family photos into Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

This year after much oohing and awwwing, I think I've finally picked a few of my favorite cards for the year. The first card I picked just really stood out to me. I love it's very simple yet elegant design and how it highlights the main reason for the Christmas season. I love simple smooth lined designs.

This card I love again because it still has that simple design and room for lots of pictures, but it also has a classic retro feel to it and that I LOVE! I'm even thinking of decorating the house this way.

Now the third card I chose just screams...."US!" The hubby and I are in love with penguins, we have on many occasions been referred too as "The Penguin couple!" So I don't think people would be surprised if they received this card from us. I think it would highlight a cute picture of our little girl well.
The final card that I fell in love with this year was a Shutterfly story book card. For the hubby and I's first few Christmas we sent out holiday letters with all of our cards. This year I think this would be the perfect way to combine both ideas in to one project. I love how the card leaves so much extra room to give an update on our life over the past year.
So what do you look for when it comes to the perfect Christmas Card for you and your family? Do you even like hunting down a perfect Thank you card?? for all those wonderful gifts and blessings you receive this time of year? Yes Shutterfly has beautiful designs of Thank you cards too. We actually used their thank you cards to send to our family and friends who attended our baby girls 1st birthday. Everyone just loved them!
*Disclaimer- Although this post was written for Shutterfly and for a Holiday promotion that Shutterfly is running over here. All the comments made are my honest options about Shutterfly and their products.

Alicia ♥

London Fog

2011-10-17T15:09:00.002-04:00

I like tea.....no wait let me rephrase that I am a tea-oholic who can't start her mornings off without a good hot cup of it, even threw the warm summer months it's a major staple. Now I could blame this addiction on the tiny bit of English/British blood that's running threw my veins, or I could blame my Mother, Aunts & Grandma who always seemed to have a cup of tea in their hands while I was growing up... but I think even without those wonderful warm memories from childhood...I'd still love tea..and much prefer it's taste to coffee. (sorry all you coffee lovers....coffee smells awesome but the taste isn't always for me.)

So in honor of tea and my love for it, I thought I'd write a quick post and let you all know about my all time favorite tea.

Now my first time having this fabulous tea called a "London Fog". I was in Canada at a coffee shop/restaurant called "Williams Coffee Pub!" over a year ago.

Don't I look so happy.....

Baby K getting a tiny taste and enjoying my very last drop of tea

Now unfortunately there is no such thing as Williams coffee pub down here in the states....so one day craving this fabulous tea I ventured over to Starbucks and tried their version called the "Tazo® Earl Grey Tea Latte" and I'll admit although it was good it just didn't taste how I remembered it at Williams. {I think both my hubby and wallet are very thankful that it just wasn't my cup of tea!"}

So anyways I now like making the drink at home. I can make it as strong/weak, sweet/unsweetened as I'd like and it's a little easier on the bank.

This is how you make one of these fancy drinks at home......{just in case you were wondering}

16 oz of milk. (2% or whole)

1 shot of vanilla syrup per 16 oz of milk
1 bag of Earl Grey tea

Brew a small amount of Earl Grey tea. Add about ½ cup of boiling water to a mug along with a bag of Earl Grey. The result is an Earl Grey tea concentrate. Let steep for 2-4 minutes to achieve optimum flavor.

Heat up milk. Access to a steamer is preferred. If unfamiliar with the process, seek the help of a local Barista. {Or like me you can use a tiny hand held frothier that we can pick up at our local Ikea...it makes perfect frothy milk for this drink!!}

Add the vanilla syrup. (adjust according to taste)

Happy Monday Everyone!

Oh Boy or Girl...???

2011-10-14T22:54:00.000-04:00

Well it's been almost two weeks since I did any sort of blogging and although I feel bad for my very few followers. Being M.I.A here just needed to happen. Everything is fine....so please do not worry. We as a family have just been out and about a lot lately enjoying the wonderful fall season. Taking in the crisp cool air and pretty coloured leaves. We've also been enjoying.....{for the most part....I will explain below}.....the new season our lives are now in ......... expecting baby W #2!

We are so excited to be adding another cute blessing from the Lord to our little family. Boy or girl....~~they will be loved dearly~~.......they already are loved dearly!!!

Currently I'm at the end of my ~~9th week~~ oops...scratch that! Dr. measurements make her think I'm only 7.5 weeks along not 9 like we were assuming but ether way the heart beat was strong so we are not worried.

Now if I were to be brutally honest I am a little disappointed in not being as far along as I thought due to it being farther away from the end of my first trimester and the symptoms that go along with it. It's been a rough road traveled the last few weeks,which is why blogging has taken a back seat. Morning sickness/nausea, gas and bloating....I am so uncomfortable. Not to mention cooking, baking and everything else I love doing in the kitchen is now a big ordeal for me. You see I'm a kitchen hog, a wanna be Paula Deen/Racheal Ray/my beautifully baking Grandmother, but it's hard trying to live out those dreams when you feel physically sick every time you step near the kitchen or think about food.

I will say though that I am very thankful that it will eventually get better. What I remember about being pregnant with baby K is this physical discomfort will too pass and will be a very very very vague memory when compared to all the wonderful blessed moments that I will experience watching the baby grow, develop and eventually grace us with their presence. I also try to keep reminding myself that I'm sure there are thousands upon thousands of women out there who have trouble conceiving or can't have there own children who would rather deal with morning sickness as long as it meant a baby of there own.

DIY

2011-09-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

Here are a few DIY ideas I'm loving ...

http://www.diyideas.com/roombyroom/Bedrooms/headboards_ss2.html

Source: aboyagirlandapug.blogspot.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Source: ana-white.com via Carolynn on Pinterest

Source: learning-to-b-me.blogspot.com via Grace on Pinterest

Strike a Pose...

2011-09-27T14:26:00.000-04:00

One dreary and rainy day, months and months ago, my daughter and I had a little fun in front of a big mirror. I'd say "strike a pose!" and then pose myself in a way that would be easy for her to imitate. Oh how cute it was to watch her try and place one hand on her hip just so...while the other arm went straight up in the air. I think we both fully enjoyed this little copy cat game.

Now yesterday after trying on a new outfit she received on her birthday.....{K says thanks Grandma!} I just had to pull out my camera.

This is what happens when I say "Strike a pose!"

The little head band Kaylin is wearing is actually a part of a dress, but she wanted it put in her hair.....kinda gives the outfit a real throw back feel eh. Can we say 70's here we come!!

P.S Isn't the Elmo head just the cutest thing. Kaylin's Grampy made that for her. She call's it "Big Elmo."

Elmo...

2011-09-25T00:41:00.000-04:00

This little red monster from Sesame Street has taken over the house.......

all because one little birthday girl loves him so!!

Two Years

2011-09-21T01:54:00.000-04:00

At 1:24pm on this day two years ago....our sweet little Kaylin was born....

My how the years have flown by .....

She is growing up so fast....

becoming a beautiful young lady.....insdie and out.....

and we are so proud of her!!

Kaylin you fill our lives with so much joy. & laughter....

Happy 2nd Birthday darling daughter!!!!

We LOVE you more then words can express....

xoxo

Almost two years have past by.......

2011-09-20T01:23:00.002-04:00

Since the hubby and I were blessed with our sweet little baby girl!

Over whelming...

2011-09-15T23:57:00.001-04:00

No matter what you have said or did not say

No matter what you have thought or have not though

No matter what you have done or have not done

No matter what you have accomplished of have not accomplished

No matter what you have planned or have not planned

No matter what...

God has and will always love you.

Christine Caine on Thursday, September 15, 2011 {Facebook note}

Fall bring it on...

2011-09-08T23:33:00.001-04:00

I LOVE Fall!

I love having to get all bundled up before heading out doors...

I love snuggling up in warm blankets at night while a cool crisp breeze is blowing in my windows.

Fall food is the best!

So colorful...so full of flavor...to me Fall food is the...

ultimate comfort food.

One of my favorite Fall activities that I hope to make a yearly tradition is Apple Picking....

I'm so excited that "pick your own apples" started up last weekend...I'm just itching to get out there!

A photo from last years apple picking adventure...

Anyone out there ready to welcome in Fall as much as I am??

*All fall photos except the last were found threw Pinterest.

If you'd like to follow my Pinterest...click here!

Mr.Potato Head fun

2011-09-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

"Try these on for size Grandma!"

My daughter being goofy for her Grampy while he captures some photos of her...

Guess what Kaylin is showing her Grandma....

Yes it's her first year photo book, I finally...FINA-L-L-Y finished it....

If you'd like to check it out....click here.

Oh please slow down.....

2011-09-02T01:05:00.001-04:00

As I walked threw the grocery store today I noticed

rack after rack of Halloween candy.

HALLOWEEN?....we are not even half way threw September yet...

school hasn't even started yet for most kids, and for all you Canadians out there {like me} ;) what about Thanksgiving!

Push push push....can't we slow down and enjoy the moments we are in.

Advertising back to school only weeks in to summer vacation,

Halloween and Christmas in September.......

it all just seems a little silly to me.

Sometimes I wish I had lived back in the "Little House on the Prairie" days, where life was much slower and the present moments of life were not taken for granted.

Life moves too quickly on it's own.....

I don't need the advertising market to speed it up even more.

Speaking about time flying by...

Three weeks from now my Daughter turn 2!

My baby is no longer a baby.....even if she still insists on addressing herself as one.

So...

why did the boy throw his clock out the window??

He wanted to see time fly!!! ;)

Wordless Wednesday-Farmers Market

2011-08-31T09:13:00.000-04:00

Only at this market in Canada can you get the most delicious apple fritters around....

Only at the market can you taste test the fresh produce before buying....

Only at the market can you find zucchini almost the same size as watermelons...

I LOVE a good farmers market!!!!

Family

2011-08-26T23:57:00.001-04:00

After spending 3 days in one house with over 19 other family members, this past week was just too quiet for me. I know my family didn't come together under one roof for the happiest of reasons, but still I miss the commotion, I miss the constant activity, I miss having other adults around all day everyday.

When I was younger I wanted to write a book. A book about my entire extended family on my mom's side staying in one huge cottage that we all rented for Christmas. I never did write that book but part of me has started thinking about writing it again. Most of the story would be fictional but the personalities and traits of my different family members would hopefully be true to who they really are. I think it would be a fun project to tackle.

After experiencing the loss of my Grandma over 5 years ago and now her hubby {my Grandpa} last week....I feel like writing something that allows my kids to know who my Grandparents where. They were both very special people in my life and I'm very sad that my kids will not get to grow up with these two great people in there life like my bro,cousins and I did.

One of the very very few photos I have of Kaylin and her Great Grandpa. I love this photo even if Kaylin doesn't look to happy!!

Wordless Wednesday-This one's for you Grandpa!!

2011-08-24T00:19:00.001-04:00

My Grandpa's Grand Daughters and Two Great Grand Daughters.

He will be missed.....

2011-08-17T18:03:00.001-04:00

I kindly request prayers for my family today. I got a very un-wanted early morning phone call today that has my emotions all over the place. In some ways the news is good....I know my Grandpa is now without pain, suffering, sickness and any anguish that he felt the last few months of his life, but i'm also grieving the death of someone who was very special to me. It's sad to think never again will I watch him take beautiful pictures of his family/friends with pride and honor, never again will I see him get all excited about a good hockey or baseball game,........no more home made spices, sauces or chicken soups will be made by him without a single recipe being followed, no more Grandpa hugs and kisses will be given and most importantly gone are the days of him sharing wise and knowledgeable words about the Lord. He was a giving man, a man of integrity, and he was like a Grandfather/Father to those in his church family as well.

Grandpa and my little little Kaylin

I was very blessed and proud to be his Granddaughter!

Here is a picture of a card I had all ready to mail to him this week...my daughter colored it and I thought it would make him smile...

Want to say more...

2011-08-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

I'v been quite busy over the last few weeks and things don't look to be slowing down. I wish I had more time to write/type a decent post but it's just not working out for me right now. Sorry! Hopefully one day this week I can do some sharing :). I do want to share this "quote I read during my quiet time today that I just loved & need to be reminded of daily....
Happiness depends on happenings, but JOY depends on Christ...

Wordless Wednesday- My Grandma and I

2011-08-10T14:37:00.003-04:00

hmmm....

2011-08-09T13:43:00.001-04:00

As a little girl I'd ask my mom how much she loved me?

My mom would stretch out her arms as wide as she could and answer.... "this much and all the way around!"

This had me thinking.....

If I asked Jesus how much he loved me?

I know he'd point to his arms stretched out as wide as they could on the cross and answer......

"this much and so much more!"

Shoes

2011-08-06T17:00:00.001-04:00

The moment we walk into a shoe store or the shoe section of a store my daughters shoe's fly off her feet. No this is not my doing but hers...she just loves trying shoes on!

Yesterday Kaylin spent a good 10 minuets in my closet just pulling out shoe after shoe,trying them on and even walked around the house in a pair of my high heels. {If you call an inch or too high.}

The lighting in the closet was terrible so getting a good picture was hard....

but I had fun trying to do a little photo shot of our feet.

I think my daughter gets this love for shoes from me. :)

I'm dreaming again...literally

2011-08-05T00:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've been able to wake up and remember my dreams in great detail but Wednesday night I had one that was very interesting....

Wednesday nights dream-

I was at my parents house looking out the window and I notice the clouds started looking a little funny. The first thought that ran threw my head was tornado but seeing such a beautiful blue sky above those weird clouds made me think twice about whether or not a tornado was really something to be concerned about. Next thing I know some comes running in to the room where I am standing and starts yelling about a tornado being spotted just up the street and yells that we must all go the basement right now. As I turn towards the basement steps I notice a change in the wind presser that's in the house and how it's already getting real strong. Now instead of going down the stairs like I am suppose too I turn again to go up the stairs to wake up my Dad who I think is sleeping upstairs. I never do get up the stairs though as my mom yells at me and tells me my Dad is downstairs on the phone. So I turn around again and push threw the wind toward the downstairs but as I'm running I see a man standing at our front door that I do not recognize who's trying to shut the front door against the wicked wind....{crazy dream so far eh!} I finally do make it down to our basement and immediately run and grab hold of a metal beam with one arm and grab my cousin Megs with the other hand. I look around me and see my cousin Michaela sitting on the floor and my old dog pepper running around. {He passed away almost two years ago :( } All of a sudden the house starts to shake and I can tell we are no longer on the ground......{now this is the part of my dream that I hope in a real life emergency actually happens.} Immediately I start praying and quoting scripture verse after scripture verse and don't stop till everything grows calm again. Next thing I know I'm looking out the window of our upstairs living room and I see total destruction all around us...houses flat...wood chips...beams...car parts scattered all over the place. This is the last part I remember of this dream.

Remembering who I am....

2011-08-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been so lacks and lazy with having proper quiet times with God but I must say God never fails to speak to me when I do take the proper time to put him first. God is so good!

While K napped a few weeks ago I clicked on a link for live sermons from Elevation Church in NC and without my choosing a sermon automatically started up that was titled "Reaction Determines Reach!" by {Lysa TerKeurst}

At first glance of the title I was unsure what the sermon was actually going to be about so I kept listening and the first sentence Lysa spoke after her greeting was this....

"Have you ever been in a situation where your heart and your emotion and your flesh just rise up and everything in you wants to react in a way that you know isn't exactly according to the bible..... but you know.... it's just there and that reaction just stirs up inside of you! Have you ever been in that place?"

My ears perked up and I knew this was a message I needed to hear. On a day to day, sometimes even an hour by hour bases I am that person. That person who quickly reacts out of there feelings... rather then reacting in the correct Godly manner.

This type of reacting is so natural for me right now :S that sometimes it just happens without me really noticing or thinking about it and I know that shouldn't be. No matter how offending, upsetting, or frustrating a situation may be.... I need to be the one controlling my emotions-not letting my emotions control me and my reactions to the situation at hand.

I have little ears and eyes watching me at home....fellow co-workers and employees watching me at work. Once I'm officially a legally licensed driver... I will have strangers on the road watching me and who am I suppose to be representing...who's child am I suppose to be....who's hands & feet am I!? Gods!

*Your feelings can be INDICATORS of what your facing...BUT...they DON'T have to be DICTATORS of how you REACT to it. - Lysa Terkeurst Elevation Church NC

check out the sermon here- http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/summerconcertseries/part4

In case you were wondering....

2011-07-31T00:25:00.001-04:00

We had silverfish....lots of big...small squirmy silverfish in this apartment when we first moved in but slowly I started noticing a decline in their appearance. This was when the spider population seemed to pick up a little bit.......{I'm getting shivers up my back just thinking about the spiders-I can't stand them!} Thankfully the spider population started dwindling just like the silverfish but that's when centipedes became more prevalent......even baby ones in the bathtub. {I promise you I do clean my house regularly!!} Now what I've heard is those wonderful many legged creatures....dine of the first two for lunch....hmmmmm leaves me wondering who's currently winning the occupancy battle for inside my walls. Also don't think i'll be going a centipedes house for lunch any time soon iky........

I'm so tired...I get goofy when tired!

Oh Pinterest...

2011-07-28T15:14:00.000-04:00

I loveee Pinterest! Just earlier this week I joined in on the pinning fun and have become somewhat addicted to it! I'm a very visual person and could waste countless hours looking at beautiful, unique photographs on almost anything.

But what I want to actually accomplish with this site is collecting all the home decorating ideas that I see and love in one place. If I use Pinterest gone are the days of downloading, saving, making up folders...... just so that I can forget what I called the folder and where exactly I stored it on the computer later. yay!

This makes things so much simpler for me. I'm really excited about it!

So have you checked out Pinterest yet?

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: Summertime

2011-07-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

What could be better then spending a warm summer day at the beach...

soaking up some sun, filling our toes with sand and enjoying the cool water!

*Want to enjoy some more beautiful summer photos ....click the link below & visit The Paper Mama blog. :)

You Capture Tree, Flowers and Cute Babies

2011-07-22T09:00:00.008-04:00

2011-07-21T15:52:00.001-04:00

This time last week we were up in Canada having a grand ol' time with my family.....

I really miss them!!

Wordless Wednesday-Cousins

2011-07-20T09:02:00.000-04:00

French Onion Salisbury Steak is....

2011-07-20T00:35:00.001-04:00

What we ate for dinner tonight.....

This recipe was so easy to follow, didn't require slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon & it tasted great!

1 1/4 lbs ground chuck

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons scallions, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups onions, sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup dry red wine

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cheese toast (in frozen food section, or make your own)

4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (garnish)

4 teaspoons parmesan cheese, shredded

1 Combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt, and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape into 3/4 to 1-inch thick oval patties.

2 Place 2 tablespoons of flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Reserve 1 teaspoon flour.

3 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and sauté 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

4 Add onions and sugar to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; sauté 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine, and then add the salt and thyme.

5 Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

6 Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over.

7 Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

No place like...........

2011-07-18T14:54:00.001-04:00

When I was dating my hubby we lived over 9 hours away from each other & we saw each other maybe once every couple of months. This was hard! Even with our consistent nightly phone calls it wasn't the same as being face to face. Every time a face to face visit would end I'd have these strong homesick feelings in the pit of my stomach till we were together again in each other's physical presence.

Now the hubby and I have been married for just over 5 years and for these entire 5 years of marriage we have lived over 9 hours away from my family up in Canada. At first I'll admit it was easy to leave Canada after a few day visit. I'd shed a few tears on the way home....have one or two small conversations with the hubby about maybe one day moving up north.....but I always seemed to recover quickly and got right back in to the swing of things here at home.

Well I'm not sure what changed....but I feel those days of quick recovery from homesickness for my Canadian family are gone. Even as I write this.... {twenty four hours after saying goodbye to my bro and parents}... I am fighting back an ocean of tears and that familiar homesick feeling that has been none existent for years is now back sitting in my stomach. I wish I had a better understanding as to why this time was so much harder to leave or why it is effecting my emotions so more then ever before.....but I don't. All I know is I want to go back. I just want to go back to Canada.

Hey maybe if I click my heals three times saying there's no place like home, there's no place like home....

P.S Please do not mis understand me and think that I don't feel at home with my hubby and daughter. They are my family, my loves and I wouldn't leave them to go back to Canada for anything. I I just wish the three of us as a whole could be closer to my extended family up north....does that make sense?

A Belated Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

My cousin Mel took this picture during our outdoor birthday bash for my Dad. That also why you see half eaten cake on the chair behind her. Some one ... {who will remain nameless... perhaps it was me... ;)} let her eyes do the judging when it came to cutter herself a piece of cake.

Isn't she so stylish...

You Have Value... Just As You Are

2011-07-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

You Have Value... Just As You Are

With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me. Psalm 119:73 MSG

Listen closely, Jesus' love does not depend on what we do for him. Not at all. In the eye of the King, you have value simply because you are. You don't have to look nice or perform well, Your value is inborn.

You are valuable...not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are. Remember that.

God takes you however he finds you. No need to clean up or climb up. Just look up.

Excerpted from Safe in the Shepherd's Arms by Max Lucado

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

2011-07-10T21:45:00.000-04:00

Found this today in a Day Spring Cards Devo email today.....

I love you regardless of how well you are performing. Sometimes you feel uneasy, wondering if you are doing enough to be worthy of My Love. No matter how exemplary your behavior, the answer to that question will always be no. Your performance and My Love are totally different issues, which you need to sort out. I love you with an everlasting Love that flows out from eternity without limits or conditions. I have clothed you in My robe of righteousness, and this is an eternal transaction: Nothing and no one can reverse it. Therefore, your accomplishment as a Christian has no bearing on My Love for you. Even your ability to assess how well you are doing on a given day is flawed. Your limited human perspective and the condition of your body, with its mercurial variations, distort your evaluation.

Bring your performance anxiety to Me, and receive in its place, My Unfailing Love. Try to stay conscious of My loving Presence with you in all that you do , and I will direct your steps.

Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 31:16; Psalm 107:8

Excerpted from the devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

2011-07-09T01:11:00.000-04:00

I've been up since 4:30 this morning and I should be in bed.........but I'm not. Instead I'm catching up on some of my blogging reads on my parents computer! Yup that's right we took a 11 hour road trip today and ended up in whole other country. This was a planned trip don't worry. We didn't just spontaneous decide to drive all this way for a week visit with my many relatives.....although I am the kind of person who would do such things. I love being spontaneous! I love the idea of just jumping in the car at the last minuet to go to the beach somewhere....or just jumping in the car and just driving with no planned place to go...lets just see where we end up.

So anyways after such a long drive. We were all ready to just chill and relax for the rest of the night.........not. My hubby chopped wood, went to the hard wear store, helped build a fire and even tried putting up a little pool.

Kaylin and I helped get dinner{ok maybe I helped with getting dinner...while Kaylin kept the dog entertained!} then off we went...... just us girls to do some food shopping. My mom has a wonderful party planned for my Dad tomorrow on account of him celebrating 50 years of life and food is always a good thing to have at parties right?

Isn't this picture soo cute! This is Kaylin & her second cousin. They had some good fun today while my Mom, Aunt,cousin Mel and I shopped.

Well I do hope that this week doesn't go by to fast. There is always so many faces I want to see and things I'd love to do while here back home....but the busier we are the faster the time seems to disappear!

P.S I realized today that all the cool fonts I used for my header and other area's on my blog don't always show up when viewing it on someone else's web browser/computer. Kind of disappointed about this. My blog design looks so plane-jane when looking at it on my mom's computer. I wish I knew how to fix it.

Foodie Fun

2011-07-07T15:03:00.001-04:00

Hidden with in me is a "foodie" that so desperately wants to show it shelf. I've been all about trying new recipes & new techniques lately and I came across this beauty "foodgawker" while in search of some inspiration.

Now the nice thing about foodgawker is it's not just one person's recipes or photos of yummy looking food. It's a site where anyone can join and summit photos of their own yummy looking food that they have photographed themselves.

Here are a few of my favorites recipes that I've tried or am dying to try found threw foodgawker.........................................

French Potato Salad-{Cucina di Carrie}

{because my hubby was not a fan of all the ingridents I just made the dressing and kept it on the side....I also tried the dressing mix on my greenbeans....yummy!}

Portobello Pesto Pizza-{Brown eyed baker}

Last but not least in honor of my hubby and his penguin loving family...

Penguin Icebox cookies-{Penguin says feed me!}

Wordless Wednesday-weeee

2011-07-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

This is my daughters favorite....she loooves the slide or {weeee as she calls it.}

Happy Belated Canada Day....Happy Birthday Canada!

2011-07-02T02:05:00.000-04:00

I was born in Canada and lived there till I met my hubby and got hitched at the age of 22. Some days I miss my country of citizenship...the atmosphere is so different....more relaxed.....calm....friendly. {sorry my american friends and family.} Some days I really miss the food..."Harvey's!!" mmmmm "Poutine!!"mmmmm "pop!"mmmmm.... oh wait we have pop here too.....it's just not called pop.....it's "soda" lol. Oh and another thing I had to get used too...milk jugs. We have milk in bags back home. :)

Anyways no matter what differences I've had to adjust too or foods I've had to give up due to my move out of the country, the thing I miss most about Canada is NOT the food or accents or friendliness.... it's all my family & friends that still live within it's borders.

Last year we celebrated Canada Day in Canada with all my family and friends. This year the hubby, K and I had our own tiny celebration...just the three of us here at home.

I started my morning off with this.....

Then for dinner I made this.....poutine...

I was hoping to make some cupcakes today but I lost track of time so no cupcakes where made in this house in honor of Canada.

Now one of my favorite things to do on Canada Day/July 4th other then eat good food and see the family is watching fire works and playing with sparklers....

So guess what I just had to do before Kaylin went to bed.....

Can you guess who wasn't as excited about these sparklers as I thought they would be.....perhaps next year when Kaylin's a bit older she'll become more fond of them.

After all the outdoor excitement we headed in to get K ready for bed.....well first we had to have a little photo shoot with her and I while she wore this adorable onsie.

I believe Kaylin is a lot like me....she gets really goofy and energetic when over tired.

Hope everyone has a nice long weekend....celebrating!!

I just love this photo....

2011-06-29T01:22:00.000-04:00

Photography Images

*I did not take this photo!

Wawey play=water play

2011-06-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

Last week was a difficult one.....we had a few sick bodies in this house including myself. Well actually I'm the one who started it.........but I think we are all fine now. {Praise The Lord!}
This week I've been trying to play catch up on all the little things that just didn't get done or we missed out on....laundry....re-arranging Kaylins room....playing out side in the grass..... going for our daily walks....re-designing my blog.... perhaps making a blog post or two.

When I'm feeling good...I love being outside in the nice summer weather with Kaylin. So when we found this cheap water table at walmart I was so happy. We do not have a playground with in walking distance of us and our community pool is off limits while Kaylin is in diapers....so the water table gives us something else to do outside besides playing in the grass.

Kaylin just loves wawey = {water}.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T00:47:00.000-04:00

*Never take a strawberry LOVING toddler strawberry picking...........hehe

2011-06-21T13:54:00.003-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

My heart...

2011-06-20T14:30:00.001-04:00

My family back home in Canada is going threw a lot and they could really use a lot of prayer. There are things happening that I just can't explain or feel I have the place to share...but peace and wisdom are needed greatly. Then there is my Grandpa and his health. His health is failing and in serious condition....and if I were to use my Mom's words he literally needs a new Heart! My Grandpa knows his maker well and I think that helps give me lot's of peace....but selfishly I'm not ready to see him go.

Kaylin with her Great Grandpa

My Grandpa...doing something he loves.

My Grandpa and his three beautiful daughters..........................▲{my mom}

Grandpa I ♥ You!

Messing around + Tiredness{2}=

2011-06-16T13:55:00.000-04:00

A plain and simple looking blog till I figure out a new style for it.
Another thing to add to my fix it list.
A nap for me this afternoon if I can squeeze it in.
Tells me I need to start going to bed earlier and shut off the computer before 1am.
I think I need to spend some time evaluating my purpose and direction for this blog. ♥

To all my friends, family anyone who happens to fall upon this blog....have a great weekend...I have a very busy one {drivers test Saturday...Fathers Day Sunday} so I think my postings will be lacks for a few days. Sorry.

"Momma in Focus"- a little early I know.
If you havn't already head on over to Casey's blog "One Day at a Time" and give her a visit. She's one awesome Girl & Momma and she's the head of "Momma in Focus" on Fridays.

Messing around + Tiredness=

2011-06-16T01:16:00.000-04:00

Lost blog design!! I liked how I had the previous layout/design of my blog but I wanted to play around a bit with it...just for fun.....oh what a bad idea that was. I ended up uploading a whole new blog template not to my "test blog" where I do all my fun experimenting but I uploaded it to my actual blog. I'm just a tad frustrated right now because of it but I'm also very tired and at the moment really don't care how my blog looks in appearance. It's the content that is more important right. :)

Out of my kitchen...

2011-06-15T13:24:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon doing this....

So today I could make an attempt to make this.....

I'm very excited to be trying to make my own jam. It's something I've always wanted to try....so we'll see how it goes. :)

....

Momma In Focus-Day at the ZOO

2011-06-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

The hubby and I took Kaylin to the ZOO for her first time last Saturday..........she's at the age where she is learning rather quickly and enjoys exploring EVERYTHING.

Don't worry we did see some real hippos........such magnificent creatures!

There is just something about seeing these beautiful creations of God in person that just makes you go wow!

I think my favorite part of the day was watching Kaylin interact with the goats in the petting zoo....

She would repeat the word "niice,niice" {she drags out the i} as she petted them......

I was a little disappointed to see that this particular ZOO had no Elephants....

But they did have penguins.............

This family LOVES their penguins!

You Capture-Flowers

2011-06-09T10:54:00.000-04:00

Rush, Rush, Rush

2011-06-07T13:01:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if it is due too my coffee shop days where you had to have the customers coffee in hand in less then a minuet in order to keep them happy or the never ending drive threw where you had to have the order out the window in less then a minuet to keep management happy. I'm not sure if it comes from being the Administrative Assistant for a Dick's Sporting Goods where your day was filled with answering time sensitive emails, writing up time sensitive reports, relaying time sensitive messages to the staff and management team....but I have been well trained to rush threw my days.....using every minuet...every second to accomplish something...no minuet wasted on reflecting, relaxing, or just being.

Now I realize sometimes there are situations that call for rushing/hurrying but as a S.A.H.M. I think slowing down and not trying to rush threw every minuet of the day needs to be re-programmed with in me. Hurry up and get out side to play...Hurry up we need to take our walk....Hurry up and eat our lunch...Hurry we have laundry waiting in the drier...why are we hurrying again...what's so urgent...oh wait nothing...

2 months old♥

While sifting threw the thousands of pictures yesterday trying to narrow down my favorite photo taken of my baby girl...I realized how blurry some of Kaylin's first few days/weeks even months at home are to me. I'm so thankful we took lots of pictures....

4 months old♥

6 months old♥

8 months old♥

12months old♥

20 months old♥

Your Best Shot!-Child

2011-06-07T01:12:00.000-04:00

My Kaylin at 2 months old...

No Nap

2011-06-03T14:56:00.001-04:00

As I type up this blog post, my little baby girl who should be napping....is well not napping but jumping around in her crib like it was a trampoline. All I hear are the squeaky noises of her mattress springs as she jumps... giggles...and then shouts... "Mommy" followed by a deep angry cry. I can not decide if she is now over tired and fighting it or not tired at all and perhaps I should just go set her free. Oh where did my good little napper go?

My good little napper who'd sleep two hours every afternoon, would wave and say "nigh,nigh"as you left the room...now screams, cries and kicks in protest the moment she is placed in her crib. I can not decide if she is having separation anxiety, or if our sweet little girl is just trying to enforce her own will and desires upon us. It has been over a week of fighting to get her to nap even go to bed at night and I am feeling a little drained out and so uncertain about how to handle this. I hate hearing her scream and cry...it hurts....but I also feel neglectful if she's playing around in crib by her self. Oh what do I do.?

Fun, Fun, Fun...

2011-06-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

I've always thought it would be cool to open up my own bakery/tea room and sell everything from home made breads, rolls, biscuits to cupcakes, fruit tarts, cakes and pies. But I have two problem's that stop this dream from happening...

1. I do not have the money to start a bakery & 2. I don't know how I would make my bakery original enough and different from every other bakery out there. There are so many wonderful bakeries out there already....how could I compete with them.

So anyways... yesterday after being inspired by this cute blog's cupcake post "Tidy Mom". I baked up a storm while the little lady of mine napped.

Today I was thinking of baking some rolls...but the same little lady of mine decided she didn't need a nap.

She calls them....Nummies

2011-05-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

I have found a new love of my daughters that her and I share.

Together in one sitting I bet we could finish off a whole lb of them...no seriously...I think we could.

I used to cut the strawberries up for her in really thin slices. I tend to over worry about chocking hazards with food....but on this beautiful day I decided we'd sit out in the nice warm weather and I'd let her just enjoy the strawberries just as God created them....washed of course.

Now to figure out how to take her strawberry picking without the both of us coming out of there weighing an extra 5 lbs due to eat one-pick one....eat just one more-pick one. I think dressing in all red that day would be smart too....but what interesting pictures would it make if we both dressed in all white. White cloths that didn't matter if they got all messy of course.

Simple Fun

2011-05-20T13:16:00.000-04:00

I love the imagination and confidence of toddlers. They are not stressed over what's in style or not. They don't worry about whether their hair is styled just so.

They just have fun with anything they can get their little hands on!

They have fun wearing empty Kleenex box's on their cute little heads...

and sharing there elmo stickers with the dog.

Toddlers seem to enjoy the simplistic things in life.

Oh to be a toddler again and have that kind of simple fun.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T01:42:00.000-04:00

Kaylin's Uncles....

Kaylin

2011-05-16T14:34:00.002-04:00

Some people call Kaylin a mini me....

Other's think Kaylin is all Daddy...

But no matter who she looks like more. Kaylin's personality is all her own....and I'm so proud of her!

Kaylin has always been a mostly content, happy baby and now that she is able to really interact with others on her own she never has a shortage of hugs or kisses to share with anyone. Kaylin will ask for hugs from our waiters/waitress's at restaurants and blows kisses to almost everyone we meet. Last week we over heard a cashier at a J.C Penny mentioning to another co-worker how her day wasn't going so well...but Kaylin managed to make it just a little better with a big smile, some baby talk and blowing a kiss to her as we left. I pray that as Kaylin grows older this spirit of friendless and outgoingness stay. I want her to be very different then I was as a child. I don't want her to be shy and timid and cry till she pukes in Kindergarten like I did. :) I want her to be proud of who she is and who God created her to be. I want her to have a boldness that I know I struggle to have.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” ~Psalm 139:14

Happy Weekend!

2011-05-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

Life has been so busy lately and I am feeling oh so tired. So as much as I would love to finish a blog post that I started in the middle of this week....it'll have to wait till Monday.

This weekend will be full of family time in honor of my hubbies younger brother graduating from collage. I was up till almost 2am trying my hardest to hem my dress pants for tomorrow...so I'm already wiped out and the weekend just started. Sometimes I wish I was just tad bit taller with longer legs. Pants are ALWAY to long and it can be very frustrating. All I can say is thank goodness for high heels. ;)

Well here are a few pics from my second Mothers Day weekend...enjoy..

kisses for Grandma...

Mommy asking for kisses

2011-05-10T08:47:00.000-04:00

I really liked this blog layout when I saw it so...

This blog is...

Under Construction

sorry for the mess! ♥

Momma In Focus-B&W

2011-05-06T14:09:00.002-04:00

I know the majority of my posts lately have had very few words and many more pics so I'm sorry for those of you looking for a good read....my words are few this week.

What can I say I'm proudly Canadian

2011-05-04T14:54:00.001-04:00

While up in Canada my beautiful cousin Megs gave me the cutest onsie for Kaylin. I was so thrilled to have cooler temps today....I've been waiting for such a day just so my daughter could rock this one.

Also while up North I splurged on some of my favorite ice cream which you can only get in Canada.

Did I mention I also stocked up on a bunch of these to bring home with me...which you can also only get in Canada.

;)

All Fixed....sorta...

2011-04-28T13:07:00.001-04:00

Before

After

Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T13:58:00.000-04:00

Dinner Rolls for a Crowd - Every Day with Rachael Ray

2011-04-22T00:56:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning I will be making these fabulous rolls to go with our Easter Dinner.

These are some of the easiest rolls I've ever made and they taste AWESOME too.

-I highly RECOMMEND!!!

INGREDIENTS:

3 to 3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup sugar
One 1/4-ounce envelope instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, 6 softened and 4 melted
2/3 cup warm water (between 110° and 115°)
1 large egg, at room temperature
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

Using a standing mixer, combine 1 cup flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. With the machine on, gradually add the softened butter at low speed until the mixture is the consistency of sand, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the warm water in a slow, steady stream for about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl. Beat in the egg at low speed for about 1 minute.
Using the mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix in 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup at a time, on low speed, scraping down the bowl once, until the dough forms a ball, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes until smooth, elastic and slightly sticky, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if needed. Cover the bowl and let stand in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
Brush a heavy-duty baking sheet with 1 tablespoon melted butter. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into thirds, then cut each third into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Arrange the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the rolls until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the coarse salt.

wee-bit about me

2011-04-21T01:40:00.002-04:00

Canada welcomed me home with some maaaajor cool weather, snow showers and lots of rain but I just love being home!!It's been hard to do much blog posting this week on account of much needed family time...but here's some random facts about me....

{one} how often do you do laundry?once maybe twice a week...depending on my mood.

{two} what is your favorite type of cookie?This is a tough one to answer. I love oreo's and I also love chocolate chip cookie's ohhh and these cookies are also fabulous...
{three} what would you do with an extra $2000 per month?seriously pay off some dept....donate more money then I can currently can to family members who are going on mission trips in the near future. I'd also buy completely new furniture for our bedroom ;). Ikea shopping spree anyone!

{four} what was/is your favorite subject in school?Art, music & english.

{five} have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon?No and since I do not care for heights...I don't think I ever will.
{six} what was your high school mascot?Ghosts. G.C.I Ghosts. I almost had to admit forgetting this one.

{seven} if you had the chance to go into space, would you?Nope again with the heights....I would be terrified being that far above the earth.

{eight} how often do you go dancing?In my living room with my baby girl/hubby....a few times a week. Out in public where everyone else can see...N-E-V-E-RR!!!

{nine} would you rather drive or fly?Well I'm still getting my driving skills perfected but I am really starting to love it. So driving it is.

{ten} have you ever been caught re-gifting?No can' t say I've ever done this.

2011-04-16T00:34:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Kaylin will be doing a lot of this as we take a 8-9 hour car ride up to Canada. I'm so excited to see my parents, bro and the rest of my family....it's been to long.

Well I must go get some sleep!

Have a good weekend everybody!

It's been to long...

2011-04-14T00:50:00.001-04:00

Since I've just sat still...quietly watching nature do it's thing. I love to sit at dusk {This is my favorite time of day.} and watch the sun splash it's colours across the sky while it slowly melts behind the earths horizon...I love sitting and watching the thick dark clouds roll in and the flashes of lightening light up the sky. I love waking up in the spring and summer to the birds singing their sweet songs.

These little nature moments have always had a way of making my thoughts still and focused more on God.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." Romans 1:20

The hard part is slowing down enough to actually notice these little moments happening every day so that I can......slow down.

I've been so busy lately being a mom, wife, cook, cleaner, cashier...I can honestly say I don't hear the birds sing much any more...but not because they are not singing...I've just been to busy to hear.

I think it's time to try and slow things down.... perhaps stopping to smell some roses or noticing the colour's of the sky at dusk once again. It is needed.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T08:33:00.000-04:00

We love our ice cream!

Psalms 33:20-22

2011-04-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

20We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,

even as we put our hope in you.

Rainy Friday

2011-04-11T13:46:00.000-04:00

No out door playing on Friday....

But today was a whole new day full of sun and fun

Driving away...

2011-04-04T14:26:00.002-04:00

The face of this sign shell forever be engraved in my brain as the one question I skipped on my permit test.

For all of you who didn't know....the last 4 years...oh wait excuse me the last 6 years living out here in the U.S.A I have not once had my learners/permit. I got far to comfortable with being chauffeured around by my hubby, friends, other relatives and never really thought it was a big deal that I couldn't drive....legally. :) {I can physically drive, I know how....except that I turn like a trucker and make very wide turns.} Anyways with Kaylin getting to the age where we'd like to start putting her in some sorta a class soon..such as dance or gymnastics and to give my hubby a break from "HAVING" to go grocery shopping with me every time...I went and got my permit...hubby lets out a big WOOHOO!!

Now when I am finally able to drive on my own with Kaylin I think it is going to be the weirdest feeling in the world. I've always been in the car with at least one other adult to talk to or fight over the radio with. Now instead of fighting about heavy rap music or my Hillsong c.d I'll have to convince Kaylin that Hillsong is so much better then Elmo. hehe

Oh in other news look what we found at a consignment sale a couple weeks ago....

If you know Jason and I well enough you would know we are really in to penguins so for 3 bucks we couldn't pass up on this.

Kind of makes me get teary eye'd seeing her wear this little bag. Looks like she's all ready for her first day of school and I'm defiantly not ready for that day. Not to mention by the time she reaches the right age for preschool...I'll be...umm "clear throat"...thirty. That is hard to swallow too!

Well we are finally starting to have some much nicer weather. Sunday the weather was so perfect. Cool yet warm and sunny.... I just had to drive in it. So even though I had yet to experience driving in actually traffic since getting my permit...I convinced the hubby to let me drive home from church. This was the highlight of my weekend.

One day my dream is to own one of these babies...1970 Dodge Charger....but since they are rather pricey...I'd settle for just a few hours of driving time in one if that's all I can get.

1970 Dodge Charger

Momma in focus

2011-04-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

Wow a whole week as come and gone and I'm finally sitting and doing a blog post. This week feels like it went by crazy fast.

The week was very cold, wet and grey making for a very unproductive... fast passed week for me. I think most of the week was spent hanging out with my little lady and drinking lots of hot tea.

Kaylin thought my silver necklace{pictured above} was super cool. It made fun jingle sounds when she walked with it on. She wore the thing all day except for during nap time. She didn't want to take it off.

It is so cute... whenever you put a "pretty" in her hair or change Kaylin's cloths or even just put her coat and boots on to go outside...she runs to the mirror we have in our hall way to look at herself. {I really have no idea where she gets this from. ;)}

I hope you all have a great weekend. I am hoping to do some drivers training. {Post to explain is in the works.} ♥