Summer was good!

Here's a few photos from our summer adventures. M went to Camp Wolf Howl for a whole week with Cub Scouts. We also had Camp Summer Lovin' with Trisha and her gang and then we went with Phil's fam to Camp Jubilee for their 25th anniversary celebration. They had yurts! The best part of the summer with our family was hanging out locally enjoying the wildlife and parks in Queensborough. We planted a garden, went to the water slides, entertained cousins and E is growing like a weed, a pretty one with flowers on it. Fastest year we ever had! Lina and Asia couldn't get enough riding in the bike trailer around here and P worked like a dog all summer long. To finish off the summer we attended Bumbershoot in Seattle and made it all about the children and their experience there. So we didn't see any big name bands but we went and we enjoyed. We had a lot of flat tires over the summer and didn't keep up with the housework!

quick post

 daddy loves his baby

Cards for Cancer Class July 2011

We always have so much fun! A great group of ladies gather in South Surrey, British Columbia and spend the day stamping away making pretty cards with a variety of techniques. It's mostly seniors so it's always a pleasure to see the smiling ladies who love to make cards and the snacks and prizes are always fabulous. The cost is $25 donation to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and with a $10 fee for supplies and believe me it's worth it. If you want to attend or donate prize items you better act fast because it's on Wednesday July 6th and i know the cards have been in the works since the beginning of the year so the anticipation is part of the excitement. The grand prize this year is a 5 piece set of lovely luggage. R.S.V.P. is an absolute must www.newwestmommmy.stampinup.net
Additional events can be held for large groups wanting to support this cause.

choose to BECOME

Saturday was wonderful as well but details will have to wait because I have food to cook, floors to sweep, diapers to change, laundry to fold, lego to play with, dishes to wash, snot to wipe, hair to brush and goals to fulfill. 

Summer Mini catalogue

Ready to Order!

Seattle Weekend for Me

*A*L*O*N*E* in the U.S.  
Well almost! I rode with a good friend who was kind enough to pick me up and take me away from my children in the afternoon last Friday. She brought us south of the border where I have not been for quite some time. My passport had never been used until….TOFW gave me a really good reason to visit America. I love Seattle and the event was held at the Benaroya Hall which was lovely. Many times I have heard and read John Bytheway so it was a really pleasure see him and listen to him. He is a popular speaker and has warm humour that keeps your attention and keeps you smiling making his inspiring talks memorable. One book by him i particularly enjoyed was
Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything
The other speaker that was also fabulous! She was Mariama Kallon picture above as well. I had never heard of her or seen her before. She was dressed in a beautiful African outfit from head to toe! She spoke from the heart with conviction and an accent that reminded us how far she has come and she was so grounded and sincere. As a small girl and youth she saw so many atrocities that she could have chosen to be angry and bitter but she was not. She chose to have a good attitude and made us laugh and touched our hearts with her testimony. She was raised in Sierra Leone in Africa. 'Soon after witnessing the violent murders of parents and siblings and spending her youth fleeing from rebels, she was introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ and found hope in God and peace in a knowledge of eternal families. She was given a humanitarian kit by the Church which became a treasured symbol of hope that she used to bless the lives of many as they again fled for their lives. After returning to her town, she was called on a mission to the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission, and wept in gratitude to the Lord as she visited the place where her precious humanitarian kit was made. Today Mariama stands as an example of the divine purposes of humanitarian work and tells her story to numerous audiences, urging them to participate in this work. She currently resides and works in Salt Lake City where she attended LDS Business College.' 
There was also a wonderful singer who played piano and introduced the other speakers. His name was Michael McLean and I have enjoyed performances by him before. Toiletries were also collected to make Possibility Packs for a local women's shelter so it was fun to include service in the event as well. I was glad I could do a little something for women in such dire circumstances. Sometimes I feel as though I cannot do so much service even though I am serving my family and serving the Lord each and every day raising my children and trying to teach them to be good people and not kill each other before they are grown. I work diligently to show them how they can take responsibility for their choices and to learn to become independent of me and still rely on the Lord. I hope and pray they will look back on their childhood fondly and know all they need to to become happy and successful in their lives. I am learning a boat load in the process and didn't expect to be loved back so fully and just now have realized I am so important to them. Now they can tell and show me that and it gives me an inkling of how much our Heavenly Father and Saviour must love each of us. 

so much fun!

he's holding a candle

 birthday girl

 snot

 asia

 what happens when your nine year old BOY gets a hold of the camera! 

 3

 me & my cake

daddy

 daddy plus

cake on my face

This year has been challenging to say the least. I got in a car accident crossing the yellow line and barreling into a semi truck coming off the #1 getting on to the #7 on my grandmas 101 birthday December 9th so although my knee is better and i can walk and kneel without pain now my neck and upper back and shoulders are not as good. I am however turning a corner so to speak at physiotherapy and will soon not be spending so much time with that. In the beginning of February I had some kidney stones in both kidneys and was whisked into hospital for a few days. Fortunately they were able to remove the stones quite easily and quickly and i was able to have my sister in law help with the children while i was in RCH and pump lots of milk for my baby. Unfortunately they left in a stent for over a month and that caused quite a bit of discomfort and pain. I am grateful to the wonderful friends, sisters and neighbours and relatives for all there care, attention and help! Shortly after the stent was removed I turned 41. That was exciting! We all passed around sniffles and conjunctivitis and then the children got fevers. Then i got the Norwalk virus and began feeling pretty awful and now i am recovering from Bronchitis! Wow if things come in threes i have a few more to go i guess. Yuck! The sunshine helps me keep things in perspective as do early morning walks! I know there are many people with health problems more complicated than mine but i do need a break right now and I am so glad FINALLY there is no snot in my home except when accompanied by crying! Almost everybody got haircuts today and have been waiting since the beginning of the year at least! I got out the six month baby clothes even though she is over 7 months old now and am slowly rearranging my kitchen cupboards, storage and basement. All the Christmas decorations are all together but not yet put away. Some are still in the living room but the tree isn't. My children are healthy and didn't get as sick as myself and i am so so so glad my husband escaped it! He cannot take time off from work and coughing makes him so cranky. Also he cannot put the vacuums and the dirt in front of cartoons and feed them cheerios for lunch if he isn't feeling too good! Also I was able to read three books! Fight Club, The Alchemist and The Host! Amazing and still fit in time for scriptures and some sanity! Go super mom! Don't tell anyone that sometimes my children forget to brush their teeth and hair {if it isn't totally obvious} and that they sometimes travel to and from the school in their pajamas, not the ones attending! 

February 2011

sitting up baby! 

sleeping babies are always good...

aunty jessie loves to read stories to the girls and we love our aunty

Happy New Year!

Ella 4 months old! 

L-R-Asia 5, Santa ?, Ella-Jean 3 1/2 months, Avalina 2
Below-Marvin 9

smiles a while ago

Anastasia in September

I haven't had a chance to think about what I can change for 2011 except for... Try to have more patience with self and family. Try to be more understanding towards the children. Increase scripture study, don't eat a lot of corn dogs, stand up straight...O.K. maybe i have thought about it some...Things at our house are moving so fast and there is always so much to do and a shortage of time and energy for all of it but somehow we seem to laugh and smile through it all and get small bits of things done and find a little room for things we want to do as well as the things we should do. I love living in Queensborough and walking around here. Now that we are short a vehicle I haven't had a choice and while it sometimes gets tedious going back and forth to that school three times a day with two children in a stroller and a grumpy one that wants to be in a stroller, when it's dry I really enjoy it! especially when nobody is crying! This week we saw tons of ducks and a heron. It kind of makes my leg hurt but it also takes my mind off the pain in my shoulders and collar bone area. Thank goodness for tylenol/advil and the power of prayer right now! Marvin is working hard to keep from getting detentions for blurting out and laughing and such and is making some progress. He is back to Cubs this week and starting an all boys gymnastics class today! Thank-you Canadian Tire and the Jumpstart program! Anastasia is always carrying her baby sister and just cannot leave her alone! She's enjoying Kindergarten so much I wish she was in the full day program. She has really come out of her shell going to school! She is pestering me to let her wear make up (yes at 5 years old!), to bake with her, teach her sewing and watch more ICarly. She continues to love painting and drawing and is always sketching dresses and accessories. Avalina is such a chatterbox! She constantly talking and asking questions and is so funny! Ella-Jean is a happy baby when her gums are not bothering her and when other people are not waking her up! She's realizing that she has hands and laughs with a deep voice. She's sleeping more at night but Avalina is still waking up so that is hard for me. Sleep deprivation makes me so scattered and forgetful and I can get overwhelmed and discouraged more easily but I am hanging in there. I really miss my coworkers at the hospital and being there but I also really like being home with my children. I can teach them so much more about important things this way too! There's lots more to report  but i have to sleep now before someone else wakes up!