Crafting Snobbery :)

Okay so here is actual proof that I need to get a life.....

Friends have been bugging me to join PINTEREST, like a need another online addiction and frankly it took me a while to get the whole concept...(its a place to keep all the neat ideas you find online. Home decor, crafts etc.)

Well it didn't take me long to really like all the awesome ways to feed a slight paper craft addiction. This is my first attempt at a project....

Paper roses. I used old sheet music, but anything would work.

Super time consuming but actually pretty relaxing...don't worry I know I'm weird. Secretly I find satisfaction in out crafting my friends...Fellow RS sisters seem slightly shocked that the unconventional me is actually a craft snob :) But I dare you, go ahead and try to out glue gun me :) 

My Kind of Weekend

This weekend was full of awesome, the good not the sarcastic kind. We chaperoned our youth at the Nanaimo Dance Friday Night, Went to a baptism Saturday night, and had our dear friends hang out at our house Saturday and Sunday. It was a busy weekend and we loved it.
Here are some of the wonderful things we learned:

1. Going through a check stop with the loser cruiser and a bunch of rowdy teen is extra fun.

2. 1:00 am when you are thirty something isn't as nearly as fun when you are sixteen

3. Baptisms are awesome no matter how old you are ....Way to go Tavie!

4. I love having a house full of kids (I`m serious) Something about all the laughter and chaos warmed my heart.

5. Whoever called it a sleepover was wrong...cause there was very little sleeping happening around here.


6.I can get kids ready for church with out crying or swearing. The 9 of them were super helpful and made it pretty easy.
7. High Council Sunday for once wasn`t dry...here`s what we learned. Men look like dorky wimps when they cry and its annoying "IF" hypothetically you have a wife that chews ice. Actually it was on honouring your parents, prayer and Patience. (See I can actually pay attention if I want to).

8. We also learned that our Missionaries Elder Watson and Elder Smith.....really can sing and not just in the "isn't that special" kind of way. They did an amazing job of Because He Lives. I love the power of music.






A weekend full of fun, faith and friends...Yup its my kind of weekend.

Inappropriate Dinner Conversation :)

If you're a prude you can stop reading now...if you want a good laugh keep on readin'

I think I could write a book just on the conversations that happen around our dinner table. I have to admit its my favourite time of the day and I don't even mind the lack of decorum  or manners. As long as we have a good laugh without a food fight then we have reached success....

Tonight was no different....

So here's the whole story.

Someone brought up the fact that the Superman and I started dating at 17 (The same age Holly is now). Holly says "That's so gross!" (teenagers will always keep you humble).  Then the fact that we got married super young. (18 &19) came up. This always makes the Superman and I slightly uncomfortable, we are not ashamed of this fact, we totally beat the odds, its just we know how much harder it can make life, and really don't won't them to experience the same hardship. So we have always been very open and honest with the rug rats, hence they have no problem bring it up...I think they love watching us squirm.

So Holly says "I'm a honey moon baby." Dallyn asks "What's that?" Superman says "It means we got pregnant with Holly right after we got married." Holly interrupts and says "Honeymoon! You didn't make it from the courthouse to the car!" "HOLLY!!!" the Superman and I say in unison. Trying desperately not to laugh and hoping it flew over Dallyn's head.....that is until Dallyn pipes up a second later and says "If there is giggling there is wiggling!" What?!?!

We'll just blame that on his public education ;)

Ok, so I guess it's time to have a little refresher of "the talk" with that boy. Inappropriate or not, I love our dinner table.

Home Teaching Apples

Our home teacher brought over two huge buckets of apples (so I guess we'll let them come back next month ) It was even the first Sunday of the month (over-achievers;)....

Even with force feeding the kids apples at ever opportunity, we had barely dented the first bucket. So I realized I had to do something with them.

So I found this recipe for Freezer Apple Pie Filling and went to work.

Don't act like your surprised, I can be domestic when I wanna...I just don't wanna to often ;)

Cutting up apples takes a long time, but at least Dr Phil & Ellen were on.

The recipe was pretty simple, but next time I'll use my stock pot, the dutch oven is really too small.

I froze in zip loc bags but next time will use containers. (way too hot and messy).

At least the house smelled heavenly.

Gratitude....A-Z

My Gratitude List

A day late 'cause that's my style ;)

A-Alex, Answers to Prayers

B-Bailey, Beaches
C-Comedians, Cherry Pie
D-Dallyn, Do-overs

E-Email 

F-Friends, Fall (the season, not the act)

G- Gardens,

H-Holly, Hot Chocolate, Hope

I- Ice Cream Cones, Individually, Integrity

J-Jokes (the lamer the better)

K-Kindness

L-Laughter

M-Madison, Music

N-Nieces and Nephews

O-Ocean, Opinions

P- Public School

Q-Quilts

R- Raspberry Jam, Rain Forests

S-Superman, Sisters, Sunsets

T-Teachers, Twinkies, Thrift Stores

U-Unicycles, Unicorns (ok its the best I could do :)

V-Visiting Teachers

W-Washing Machines, Waffles

X-X-ray vision (totally kidding!)

Y-Youth, Yawning

Z-Zeal, Zebras

What's for Dinner???

<====So this rugrat

                                                       And this rugrat ======>

Had the following conversation on their culinary skills.....

Madison: I think I'll make spaghetti for dinner

Dallyn: Well your spaghetti kinda sucks, Maddie

Madison: Sure, coming from the boy who can only make Mr. Noodles.

Dallyn: Yeah, I know I suck at cooking too!!



Man I love my funny kids!!!

Don't Ask...It's Been H*LL :)

Today was a really hard day for me, which I find kinda weird because, Things are really improving for us and I really do have so much to be grateful for....So please bear with me :) If you are already rolling your eyes please stop reading *HERE*

Have you every sat in a room full of people, amongst friends even, and felt completely ALONE?? It's happened often for me over the last several months and is a complete refection of where I am at and not that of those around me.

My Superman got really sick this summer, but the really personal nature of his struggles made it difficult to share our pain with anyone, even those most close to us.

Things are much improved with a lot of Patience, prayer and competent medical care and a crazy specialist or two. I have no doubt that we will be okay. But that doesn't change the fact  that when people say "How are you?" and I say "fine", What I really want to say is "We've been to HELL and back, but thanks for asking!!"

You never expect or plan these things in life, and they really aren't talked about much, especially when we have our Sunday faces on.

Sometimes I find the silliest things bring such tender feelings for me....

Seeing my Superman at church, you see the loving, caring man, I also see a humble man who is winning a battle.

In RS today we sang "Families Can Be Together Forever", I didn't make it through.....Nobody knows the work and sheer determination it has been to keep our family together. Even with all our knowledge about the blessings of eternal families, there were moments when none of us knew what tomorrow would bring. My heart aches even admitting that.

Watching my Superman don the shirt and tie and head out the door to work. I see triumph.  Even a month ago I wasn't sure if this would ever happen again.

We have lost friends and felt distanced from family because of this, I don't blame them but that doesn't take away from the heartache. I wouldn't know what to do with us either. The reality of an illness caused us to close ranks, focusing on family, feeding said family and only those things of absolute necessity (ie. feeding the dog). There are those who simply didn't understand. For that I am truly sorry.

Its been so HARD and I have spent the last several months trying unsuccessfully to convince otherwise. But who am I kidding it has sucked. It is just going to take some time to get my feet sturdy again. My heart is full of gratitude for those who have reached out to help us. Your kind words and actions have sustained us more than you know. So I really do know that I am not alone....even in my HELL (Sorry HECK, I almost forgot it's Sunday) ;)


I have written a private blog about our journey "In the Quiet Heart" (don't judge blogging is cheaper therapy). Let me know if you would like an invitation to read it.