Holy Neglected Blog Batman!!!!!!!

I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last post and I can't promise that it will be the first of many but what the heck, I found my blog and I remembered my password so it must be fate, right?
Way too much new in the last 11 months to recap, let's just say that things are going well.
Kids and hubby are all healthy and happy (well as happy as any teen or pre-teen ever is) but it is what it is.
Come on over to Lovebug and play with us if you get a chance.
My goal for this weekend is to actually get in my scraproom and complete atleast 1 layout. Who thinks I can do it?
Oh, and here's a fun fact..today is my 16th wedding anniversary..how bizarre is that.
So I shall leave you all with this...
Look how young and skinny I was...sighhhhh

Oh and thanks to the lovely Anna for the great hair cut today (and free to boot for my anniversary!) and for the link to her blog, check it out gals, she's got some great stuff on there!

OH ME OH MY! Changes changes changes

Over 2 months since my last post? Must do better with this for sure.
So many changes around here lately.
Most importantly is that I have re-entered the work force full time as of June 7th.
It is a huge adjustment for both me and the family.
I am working at a local printer/publisher in Administration and it is interesting to say the least. It's a little out of my realm doing a lot of marketing research and number crunching right now, but I am enjoying it. My main focus is going to be the Dryden and Area telephone directory which is of course a huge project, very detail oriented and time consuming. I am definitely busy with it and that is what I love, nothing worse than being stuck at work with nothing to do, makes the days just drag on by.
Logan is going to be in charge of the younger kids for the summer and is very stoked to have got a cell phone as partial payment and that he will be making money over the summer too. The kids listen to him quite well (atleast when Paul and I aren't around) so I'm not too worried about that. We have family and friends lined up as back up for him and to take the kids off of his hands periodically so he can still have some fun with his own friends as well. I think it will work out great.
I am hoping to keep my blog updated more and to actually get some scrapbooking done once we all settle in to this new routine of ours, so thanks to you who keep emailing me to update my blog..you stick with me even though to say I post sporadically is being generous.
Have a wonderful day everyone!

Too Much to Say...A Drive By Posting

and so little time LOL Okay so it was pointed out to me that I haven't updated this blog in awhile, and I have no excuses except the usual of no time. So here's a quick synapsis of the last month...now with photos! LOL

* As stated in my previous post, Logan's Junior Boys team went to Timmins, Ontario for the Provincial Bowling tournament. They won a silver medal and I am so proud of them. Logan did some of his best bowling ever with scores of 194, 261, 286 and 196..and the best part of it is that he had an absolute blast!

Check out the video of one his strikes and pay particular attention to the little butt wiggle when he realizes he nailed it LOL


And when he got home after his 15 hour each way bus trip, the kids and I made him this cake


* My newest great-nephew Matthew Scott Polhill came for a visit and totally stole my heart.


* We made this adorable Easter bunny cake for Easter



* We had an amazing evening with my cousin Gail when we went to see Garthmania starring Garrick Sissons from Thunder Bay. He put on an amazing show and as you can see from these photos, we had a blast!!!!!!!!!! If he and his band No Fences are ever in your area, be sure to get yourself tickets, it is well worth it.





And for the newest Lovebug news, like the return of Lovebug Loot, come and visit us at the forum, we would love to see you!

BLOG HOP WINNER!

Thanks for all your comments folks and I hope you enjoy the recipe.

The random draw winner for my rak is Shannon. I will get your prize out to you this week girl and I hope you enjoy it!!!!!

Lots going on this week with bowling practices etc but I'll be back to update you all first chance I get, I promise.

have a wonderful day.

BLOG HOP TIME AGAIN!!!!!!

Welcome to Lovebug Scrapbooking's "INSPIRE US!" blog hop!! Our blog hops
take place on the last Saturday of
every month. Thanks so much for joining us!

If you just happened by this blog and didn't realize a blog hop was taking
place, please go back to Lovebug Scrapbooking and start the Hop. You won't
want to miss all the ispiration from our members....... or the prizes

This time around I wanted to share with you a recipe I got from my Aunt Mayme, it is a lovely, light dessert perfect after any big meal. We used to try to go to Thunder Bay to visit her every year on March break and she always made this one for me.
This isn't the greatest picture of it, but trust me when I say you will love it!
This is basically an upside down lemon meringue pie, the meringue is your bottom crust...how fun is that!


Beat 5 egg whites stiff and add while beating
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp water
2 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
Pour into large WELL greased cake pan. Bake at 275 for 1 hour. Turn heat down to 230 and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Turn oven off and leave the pan in the oven overnight.

Next morning
mix 1 tin Eagle Brand Milk
1/2 -3/4 cup lemon juice (I like to use more as it doesn't end up with a strong lemony taste otherwise)
1 egg yolk
*Whip 1/2 pint whipping cream and fold into the above mixture. Spread on top of meringue and chill atleast 3 hours.

Your meringue might be puffed up and uneven - just poke it lightly down and then add topping.

Another thing I like to do is to grate a little zest of lemon onto the top of the dessert for a little more zing.

Now how about leaving some comments for me and share one of your favorite recipes with me? If you do, I'll put your name in a draw for a RAK from me. And please come back and tell me how you enjoyed this recipe when you try it yourself.

This blog hop will run from today, February 27th until March 2nd. We will
be drawing for winners on March 3rd.

Follow along in our blog hop! Your next stop is Carla's Cooking Blog so you are definitely in for a treat!

Busy, busy, blah, blah, blah

Well the last few weeks have been busy and blah at the same time.
First the blah, still no job prospects in sight and some days I'm okay with that, others it cuts me to the bone and I am struggling with feelings of disappointment, sadness, uselessness etc etc. No worries folks, it isn't like I'm despondent or suicidal just a little blue. I keep reminding myself that things will turn out as they are meant to and that I have to hold on to my faith, but you all know sometimes that is easier said than done. But I will survive, I just might not be enjoying the ride right now is all.
Now for the busy. Logan made the Junior Boys 4 Steps to Stardom Bowling team again this year for our lanes and the tournament was this past weekend. They won GOLD!!!
Woohoo boys, well done.
They will be heading to Timmins on March 6 & 7 for the Provincials and I hope they do well. We won't be travelling with him this time. He will go on the bus with all the other bowlers and coaches and will be billeted out while he is in Timmins. He is a little nervous as of course he is a pretty shy kid, but he is also a really polite and wonderful kid and I know he will be fine. That being said of course my nerves are frazzled at the mere thought of one of my kids being that far away from me on his own. Thank God my godson/nephew Tim is one of the coaches and he will be there too so I take comfort in knowing that Logan isn't completely without family.
Here are some pics of the boys and their amazingly sweet coach.
This is the team BEFORE the winners were announced (of course that is my amazingly handsome son in the back row beside the coach)

And this is the team AFTER they got their gold medals, atleast some of them changed expressions...geesh Lord save us from moody teen and pre-teen boys LOL (oh how love when I see my boy smiling and happy, he's the first on the left don't you know LOL)


And on another note, don't forget there is another fun blog hop starting on Saturday, it all starts on the Lovebug Blog

Survivor Pool and Today

We have a new Survivor pool started at Lovebug, even if you dont' watch the show you can play, it is going to have a fun twist that we are sure you will love, come and check it out in the Survivor Forum

Logan is feeling better and off to school today, he missed their overnight field trip though. I think he has mixed emotions about it, he was looking forward to the dogsledding etc, but wasn't so keen on sleeping in an arena overnight so I guess it depends on how you look at it. I guess I will have to contact the school to see about getting my $50 back that I paid, but atleast Logan is feeling better and back to his old self again.

So much going on, so many things I am thinking about that I don't even know where to start. Let's just say the main debate for me right now is still about going back to work. So many pros and cons for both sides, staying home or going back to the workforce. Unfortunately the choice isn't wholly mine as the job situation here isn't exactly great. Time will tell I guess.

So to fill some place let's play "today"...

Outside my window... it is bright, sunny and cold.... - 26C
I am thankful... for health and my family
I am thinking... to go back to work or be a stay at home mom and that I am going to try to call my girl Nicky this afternoon, it's been a year since she was here and I miss her
I am celebrating... the freedom to make the above choice LOL...sort of...okay, extra money would be really really helpful..
From the kitchen... I think tonight will be shepherd's pie, haven't had it in a long time and I love it
I am wearing... my comfy Jockey Person to Person navy roll top pants and my blue and black hoodie
I am reading... Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
I am hoping... that I can find a way to take the kids away for a mini vacation during March break
I am hearing... the glorious silence in my house, kids are all at school and DH is at work
I am working on....the final details for the Lovebug Survivor Pool and a nice litte reward challenge for our players
Around the house... laundry, dishes, vacuuming, laundry, dishes, vacuuming...never ending vicious cycle
One of my favorite things... my cup of coffee that right now tastes like a little bit of heaven right here on Earth
A few plans for the rest of the week... grocery store this morning then to the Red Cross to fill out some paper work that I need to do when I am volunteering there, helping them update their computer files etc, should be fun and it will be nice to be around grown ups too LOL

Lovebug Blog Hop Time...Woohoo!!!!!!!

Welcome to Lovebug Scrapbooking's "INSPIRE US!" blog hop!! This is the first
of 12 months of inspiration, each to take place on the last Saturday of
every month. Thanks so much for joining us!

If you just happened by this blog and didn't realize a blog hop was taking
place, please go back to Lovebug Scrapbooking and start the Hop. You won't want to miss all the ispiration from our members.......or the prizes

Our theme for January is "Love is In The Air".

Now let me premise this by saying that I have known about this for weeks and it totally slipped my mind to do a project, and so I did what any resourceful mother who has 3 kids home today as it was a PD day for them...I put them to work.
Carly spent the afternoon downstairs in my scraproom with me and helped create these adorable little cards from my scraps. She did most of the work herself, with me doing the cutting for her and helping her out a bit along the way. I think she did a great job.


Her second project was this little coupon book she put together, not sure who she is giving it to. We simply cut the patterned paper down to size, punch a few holes and threaded ribbon through to hold them together. The coupons were created at DLTK's site, which is full of great little crafts and printables for the whole family, and they are free, so be sure to check them out.


So leave me a comment and I'll enter your name in a draw for a lovely rak, and don't forget to send your friends along too. If your friend leaves me a comment and tells me you sent them, I'll enter both of you in the draw twice. How cool is that, huh?


This blog hop will run from today, January 30th until February 6th. There will be a prize drawing on February 7th. Check the Lovebug Blog for more details!

> Follow along in our blog hop! Your next stop is to one of my favourite gals in the world, the most talented Margo. So head on over and prepare to be amazed.

Happy Birthday Dad, we miss you

It is my dad's birthday today and as you now he passed away in July. Today I am not sad though, I am spending my day watching home videos, looking at photos and remembering all the good times.
Logan of course turned 13 on the 23rd of this month and he and Gramps shared a cake every year. This year Logan didn't want a cake on his birthday. He chose instead to have his cake today, on Gramps' birthday instead. And so, we will have family over for dinner tonight and have birthday cake, and raise our forks to my Dad to let him know we are thinking of him and most importantly to show him that we are doing okay, we miss him terribly but are doing as he would wish and celebrating instead of commiserating.
That boy of mine, he is something else. These are all pictures from 2004 of Dad and Logan sharing their cake.

Happy Birthday to my boy Logan!~

Thirteen years ago today, this precious boy was welcomed in to our family, things have never been the same and I couldn't be prouder of him.

Logan is an intelligent, handsome, funny and all around amazing young man and I am thrilled that I get to be his Mom. He is as tall as I am now and takes great pleasure in informing me that he is still growing and will tower over me soon LOL

I have been telling him for months that he wasn't allowed to be a teenager since I am much too young for that, I told him he would forevermore be referred to as "not 12", but alas I find that I must let him be 13, I must let him grow up to be the person he is going to be, and I know that that person is going to be absolutely amazing! I love you Logan, and happy birthday my darling son.

Today I am thinking -

- about old friends, the kind who you don't have to see everyday but even if months have gone by and you see them it is just like it was yesterday. Some friends of mine who fit this category are going through some of the toughest times of their lives these days. Job less, health issues with all of them. My heart is breaking and I am feeling that feeling you get when you want to help so badly and there is nothing within your power to do...except tell them you love them and send out prayers. That is what I am doing today.

- the fact that I am going to be the Mom of a teenager in less than a week. How did that happen? I'm not sure I'm ready. The last year or so has given me some hints to what it will be like, and if I can just find my way through the minefield of emotions he is bouncing around in then I know we will be fine. I am trying to give him enough space to not feel crowded but not so much space that he thinks he is alone. Wow, what a fine line that is. All I can do I guess is trust that we have done the best we could for him and shown him the right path and then pray to God that he follows it.

- that I really have to start taking better care of myself. I am back to not eating regularly, smoking too much and drinking way too much coffee. None of these things are good for me, they make me feel like crap and then my mood turns to crap and I am stuck in this weird and destructive little vortex of my own making. Time for changes...and quickly.

- that I am more blessed than I think and I need to make a conscious effort to remember that. I need to remind myself that each and every day is a gift and I can't squander it.

- that it is time for me to get off this computer and get some laundry and dishes done, and then I will get to play some.

Have a great day everyone and I'll catch you on the flip side.

How about a few pics?

Not enough coffee yet this morning but want to post before I get busy, I'm on a mission to post everyday if I can.
Now, how is THIS for a coffee cup? LOL


Here's a family photo (we only seem to get them when my cousin Bill comes to visit)
this was taken just a few days before Christmas. Geesh, I really need to start wearing makeup or something before I start scaring small children and animals.


And here is a fun one of my three kids and the two "kids of my heart".

I hate email chain letters...

but I love the thought behind so many of them, so instead of spamming my friends, I'll just share this one I received today.


I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER! FRIENDS FOREVER!

New Year and Fresh Start

Okay, I knew it had been awhile since I posted, but August? Really??????

I won't even attempt to catch everyone up then, suffice to say that life goes on and it's been the same general lunacy as usual.

How about some scrappy news? We are blasting off into the New Year at Lovebug with an online crop January 22 - 24th, come and check it out. 2010: A Lovebug Odyssey There are going to be challenges, games and of course prizes, bring a friend along, the more the merrier.

Also the Lovebug 60 Page Club is starting again, bigger and better than ever, so be sure to check that out too.

On the home front, I am heavily in denial that I will be the mother of teenager in another week. I have decided that Logan is NOT going to be thirteen. He will forever more be referred to as One Three, or my personal favorite "not twelve". I am totally not prepared to be the mother of teen..where did the time go???

And many of my dear friends are going through tough times right now and without giving too much detail, if everyone could send out some extra positive thoughts and prayers on behalf of Heidi and on behalf of Jeff and Nancy and family I would be eternally grateful.

That's all for now I think, but I will promise to try to be back. (There you go Jillian *wink*)

Getting There

Life is slowing getting back to normal????
I wanted to thank everyone for all the phone calls, emails, flowers, food and everything that we were inundated with during this difficult time.
I was so touched and humbled by the outpouring of compassion from everyone.

We are concentrating now on making the remainder of our summer as good as possible for the kids, they haven't been able to have much fun.

Off to make supper for the family now, pudding and ice cream for little Evan who had 2 teeth extracted today (crowns that he got as a toddler that were bothering him).

I'll try to be back in the next day or so with some happy posts.

Blessings to all.