A Christmas Meme

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes, and am mostly done. Just want to make a couple of things, but if they don't get made, they don't :)
2. 
   
3. Tell me about one of your special traditions. We give PJs to the kids on Christmas Eve. Since my folks split up two years ago, all our family traditions will be changing. I do make cinnamon buns every year for Christmas breakfast :)
4. When do you put up your tree? Usually the 1st weekend of December.
   
5. Are you a Black Friday shopper? Since we are Canadian, that would be a no. I have often wanted to go to the USA to try it out! Gotta get passport!
   
6. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Just to my Mom's a nd to Michael's folks... but that's only a few minutes in the van! LOL
   
7. What is your funniest Christmas memory? Hmmm, not sure!
   
8. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time? The Grinch, the cartoon one! OH and Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation
9. Do you do your own Christmas baking, what’s your favorite treat? Oh yeah, I bake. I LOVE to bake!! I make rocky road fudge, chocolate chip cookies, shortbread with hershey kisses on top, and am wanting to try out truffles and biscotti this year. My favourite...I love it all!!
   
10. Fake or real tree? Fake. I'm allergic to real, and I would like to enjoy the Christmas season without a nasty 'cold' like thing going on!
    
11. What day (as a mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done? I often feel panicky on Christmas Eve, wondering if we have remembered everything, and rushing about tidying things up!
    
12. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? Sometimes, but not in a panic... might be something we saw last minute or forgot about. Michael does all the wrapping too, so that's nice for me! :)
    
13. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas? Hmmm, lots of stuff really... Christmas programs at school and church, going to see the Festival of Lights on New Year's Day with Popcorn and hotchocolate in the van :) Lots of stuff!
    
14. What Christmas craft do you like the best? For me, the stuff I make stamping... for the kids, glue snowmen!
    
15. Christmas music? I LOVE it! I would listen all year if I was allowed. Michael doesn't like turning it on before Dec 1, unless it is Trans Siberian Orchestra! I like it all, traditional, new, old, original or not!
    
16. When do you plan to finish all your shopping? Except for a few stocking stuffers, it's done :D
    

This is the man I love!

I started this post on May 31st, 2009. I will continue this evening, Dec 8th, 2009.

may 31st, 2009 - Yesterday morning, we learned that a good family friend had lost his earthly battle with cancer, and was now in the presence of the Saviour! While we rejoice that he is now at home, at peace, and pain free, we also mourn the loss to his family (his wife and two young sons) and to us, his friends.

December 9th, 2009 - The above info really brought it al home for me, just how much I love Michael. How much I rely on him, and how grateful I am that God brought us together.

I want to go on and on about how much I love him, what he does for me, for our children, for our family... I want to share how it makes me cry that he takes care of my Mom. I want to share how he has a pact with JA to tickle her only on weekends, and has had it for a long long time, but I only found out recently. I love that he has that special thing with her, even though it might be silly to others. As a result of that pact with JA, Z now has his own he made up yesterday - you can only tickle me on Monday's, and Tuesday's, ok, and a little bit of Wednesday too! LOL I love that he went outside tonight to plug in the Christmas lights for me just because I wanted him to. He let me listen to Christmas music in November, and only rolled his eyes a few times! :) He compliments my cooking. He asks about my weigh ins at Tops, and genuinely cares if I've gained or lost. He gives me tickle scratches, even when he is tired. He has not complained at all about not having a job this past 13+ months, even though I have gone through seasons of complaints enough for us both. He tells me he loves me every day, many times a day! He does dishes. He puts away laundry. He teaches me how to use my MP3 player. He wraps all the Christmas gifts!! He helps out at the church. He helps the neighbours. He laughs, a lot! He calls me 'n-o-f-u-n' which makes me laugh! He encourages me to get out with my friends. He watches the kids, and takes them places all by himself. He provides. He cooks. He rubs my back. He tickles me mercilessly sometimes too! He plays with our children. He volunteers with me at church in the AWANA group. He still holds my hand in the van, at church, and any time we are out. He sets an amazing example for our chilren, esp our son. He lets me nap every Sunday afternoon. He takes care of me when I am sick. He cleans up puke because I simply cannot. He likes my scrappy and card making results. He tells me I am beautiful. He shows me I am beautiful, even when I think I am not. I could go on and on and on. I have an amazing husband. I have an amazing best friend. I have an amazing God who gave me the most wonderful man ever!

Michael - He loves God. He loves me. I can't ask for anything more. I love him more every day, I love him forever.

The Princess and Her Hair - blog giveaway!

So I follow this blog, and it has fun hairdos for little girls :) The girls love it!

Well, she is havinga blog giveaway for an amazing flat iron. I don't really want you to enter, because I'm selfish, and I want to win the flat iron for myself! LOL! Bwahahaha... no really, go ahead and enter! :) I can be happy for you too, lol.

Anyway, check this out to see the contest!

Also, check out my Stampin' and Scrappin' blog... great specials, ribbon shares, button shares... lots of fun!! :)

A yummo snack!

So I went to get a few groceries on Tuesday. I bough some triscuits. I don't really like triscuits. Too too or something, ya know?! But I bought these garlic parmesean ones... they are GOOD! But even BETTER is putting a tinch of mozza and a bit of marinara sauce on them, and heating them up a bit... Oh, the joy in my mouth!! Oh the garlic onmy breath! LOL!

SO YUMMY!

For Today Nov 6th

It's been a while since I posted one of these...

Outside my window. . . it is dark, and probably cold.

I am thankful . . . for being almost ready for the craft show tomorrw!

I am praying . . . that we will trust God to provide for us in this time of job uncertainty.

I am thinking . . . about the last minute things I need to do for tomorrow!

I am celebrating . . . nothing at the moment, but it WAS my birthday recently! :)

From the kitchen . . . homemade pizza, YUMMO!

I am wearing . . . white t-shirt, jeans, pink and white stripped fuzzy socks.

I am reading . . . Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.

I am hoping . . . for great sales tomorrow at the show.

I am hearing . . . Transformers, it's movie night!

I am creating . . . a few last minute items for the show tomorrow - are you sensing a theme?! lol

Around the house. . . a mess.

One of my favourite things . . . snuggles with the kids.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . the craft show and a trip to London tonmorrow... church on Sunday. Creating more stuff for next week's show!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .
OK, it's TWO photos, to show you the inside and outside of this cool card! :)

Apparently I've been remiss...

...in posting about my children! LOL!

There's not much going on with us, just the same old same old. I should have posted about birthday's, and I forgot. I coul do that now I suppose.

JA turned NINE - um, not sure how that happened, but all Mother's say that! I will say that when she's fifty I'm sure! LOL She chose to have an unsleep-over party. All the girlies came in their jammies and brought their pillows.



We played musical pillows, and pin the blankie on the bed. We had pizza, pop, chips and carrots with dip for supper. The girls watched "17 Again" whichin hindsight was NOT the best movie, but c'est la vie. She was spoiled rotten!! Lots of money, which she is spending pretty carefully :)



I made a cake shaped like a bed... and it was SO delish!! I got the recipe from my friend Bernadette and it was fabulous!



I had fun making it, but I think any aspirations to be a cake lady have vanished! If I had a better kitchen, and kids who didn't want to always HELP.... but no, I'm doing the paper crafting thing, and that is fine with me :)

Happy Birthday Baby girl!! :)

AND it's my birthday on Wednesday... so maybe I will post then too :D

One week down

...two to go!

Michael signed up for the Job Finders Club through EI. It started this week. It's insane the schedule I am keeping! With all the stress going on, with a friends Mom passing away suddenly on Sunday, and then Brian and Stephanie's baby Dean not living past birth, it's just been awful.

However, I thought that today I would post 7 things I am thankful for, in spite of all that is going on.

1. There are no children or parents sick in our house, despite all kinds of our friends being sick!
2. I had a GREAT hostess club get together last night!
3. I have been spending a lot of time, b/c Michael is 'letting me', making cards and other paper crafting things to put in the craft shows I am in during November.
4. For a supportive school during our time of unemployment, and the breakfast club they started up three weeks ago!
   
5. For the little job I have with the school board, that will help keep us afloat until God provides us with a job.
6. The furnace. It's cold outside today!
7. Pizza night... which has moved to tomorrow! Every Friday is family movie/homemade pizza night :) Gotta love it!
8. Ok, I said 7, but really, there ar emore, but I had to share this last one. For Michael. Because he loves me. Because he loves our children. Even when we drive him around the bend!