4.14.2011

: Field Trip::Fire Station :

It was a pretty spring day when we got to join Jacob's class on a field trip to the fire station. Since my boys are just over a year apart we have to find a balance of what activities we do with JJ's class and what activities we do with Cole's class...but this day we were with JJ's class and oh BOY was it exciting {for them ;)}! The boys were SO excited to be going on the bus for the first time - they thought it was pretty darn great! As did Max & Mr. Jason The big trucks pulled into the bay just as we entered the garage - Jacob was slightly shy about the trucks but Cole was all over it! My boys really enjoyed the demonstration {HA! note above photo!} -- but I do have to say when they didn't have their ears covered they actually learned a few really important things, one of them the number to call when there is an emergency and another "stop, drop & roll" -- both of these things have saved lives and them knowing about them while they are so young is fabulous! Cole was slightly depressed and upset with me when I said that he couldn't sit in the driver seat, the kind fireman said "oh, it's no problem - let him" my response was "you don't know my kid!" {if you know Cole in real life you know what I mean!} At any rate, I let him sit in the driver seat for a few mere seconds and this is what his face looked like when he was in the driver seat and he said "I'm in great control!" Bah ha ha -- sometimes he kills me with what he says! Here is Jacob's whole class in front of the engine -- Cole was at my feet, too shy for the photo. It was a great day and a bit crazy but what do you expect for two boys at the fire department ;)

We're off to school and to start a cake order today for the weekend - hope you have an awesome Thursday, can't believe it's Thursday already!?! Where does the week go???

{XoXo}


4.13.2011

: What I LOVE Wednesday :


Last week I had the opportunity to go out with three great girls, and we had a blast! We got to the restaurant at 7 and left as it was closing just after 11 - we had some serious catching up to do! My girlfriend Laura {she has a blog but is a slacker..maybe this will encourage you L?} I've known Laura forever! Ha! Well at least it seems like I have! Here is the brunette side of the table; Crystal & Jessi. Both of which have blogs that you should check out! I was introduced to both of these lovelies through Laura, see I told you we've been friends forever! We had some seriously good laughs {note photo above} -- oh my goodness, no lacking on strong women at this table! It was great to talk candidly about what we are all going through in our lives, what our experiences have been with family/friend situations and glean wisdom from one another. I am so blessed to celebrate life with these women, to depend on them for prayer during the hard times and to know that they are what true friends are made of!

Thanks C, J & L for simply being you!

So what/who do you love this Wednesday, let me know -- I'd love to hear :)
{XoXo}


4.12.2011

: Today is Tuesday :

Today has been a crazy day -- started out with getting us all out of the house {on time!} then on to drop off at school for 9 am then right down to the states to do our bi-weekly gas fill up and grocery shop.
Cole lucked out and had a play date with Sophie from his class for lunch. After I returned from the States, dropped off an Anniversary card {Happy 8 years M&L} and then got lost trying to pick up Cole, it was 1 pm!

After that, we headed home had some outside play time then inside to do laundry, prep dinner, then tidy up and get the house "show ready" as we were having a showing here at 4:15pm. We got out of the house at 4:10 pm and drove down the road to wait for the 1/2 hour showing to be finished. They ended up not showing up until 4:50pm - grrr. So we didn't get back into the house until 5.30pm.

Now it is 6.40pm and everyone is fed, two are in the bath and it's still daylight...

Yesterday wasn't like today at all...I was a Mama on the town - it was a sister day. I love sister days and look forward to a few more this weekend as my sister from the Island is coming to visit with her 'lil girls. Oh joy!

More on sister day later, once I've caught my breath and the babies are sound asleep. Tonight we are home, it feels good to be home. Ahhhh!

4.11.2011

: Recipe::BrownSugarIcing :

Well, I must say I'm thankful it's a new week! Last week ended up being a hum-dinger of a week. It had many high moments full of joy then moments that were equally as frustrating. At any rate we survived and are onto another new full full full week - hopefully it'll be lovely and full but with less frustrating moments!

I wanted to start off this week with a go to recipe I use in our house quite often...and it's not my recipe, it's a recipe that I grew up watching my Marm make and it's from a family friend "Auntie Carolee" -- Here's a few things I know about Auntie Carolee: she's not a blood Auntie but an Auntie by love, she always smells good - kinda like the white soft soap & vaseline hand cream and has nothing but good things to say all the time!

Okay, so now on to the recipe: BrownSugarIcing
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp Milk
2 Cups Icing Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine butter & brown sugar in microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes add milk and stir until combined. Put back in microwave for 2-3 minutes until boiling. Add in icing sugar and vanilla and whisk until well combined and all icing sugar is no longer visible


Okay, so this is how it starts, I make a box cake...the icing is good enough it doesn't need a "from scratch" cake. I get my cake mixes on sale usually around $0.80 so the whole cake is really reasonably priced.

When I asked Auntie Carolee what cake was her go-to cake to make for this she too said a box chocolate cake specifically Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge. I make mine in a bundt cake pan as to get the most icing coverage as possible ;)
Properly prep the pan for easy removal of the cake, my favorite is Bakers Joy Spray
Here are all the ingredients ready for the icing
Butter and brown sugar ready to melt This is what the icing looks like once everything is combined...beware it's stinking hot! And this is how you ice the cake...dump it all over the top of it, easy as pie, but it's cake! Let the icing set for 30 minutes before serving {if you can wait that long!}
Then enjoy a piece of cake once the dishes are done and drying in the kitchen sink. Seriously yummo!
Thanks Auntie Carolee for the awesome family recipe and for the best go-to icing recipe I have! All my family & friends thank you too ;)

I'm off for a Sister day downtown with my sister Jenn, hope you're Monday is great! I'm excited to spend the day out & sans children {Thanks again Marm & Daddy!}


{XoXo}

4.06.2011

: What I'm loving Wednesday :

I've got a few things that I'm L O V I N G this week...

First of those things is the show "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE" -- I really love this show, but unfortunately my hubby doesn't share my same passion! So it gets recorded and I watch it by myself usually on a Saturday when I'm doing chores around the house. Typically I cry in at least one scene - the stories are usually so inspiring and unbelievable that they bring me to tears!
I love "VitaCoco" I've been drinking it for 8 months or so and I love the coconut water mixed with pineapple puree - it's delish and SO good for you!
I had a whole tub {costco sized} of Greek Yogurt and it is almost expired --- so I looked up a recipe that uses Greek Yogurt for scones and this is the one I found and made and they are DELISH!!! I don't have agave syrup that is called for in the recipe but replaced it with honey - go try it, they are reasonably good for you and are full of protein from the yogurt. Enjoy!

Here is the yogurt I used, I got it at Costco and it was $5 -- super good and SO worth it!
I'm loving this sunny day and any excuse to wear my new Jackie Onassis inspired sunglasses from my forever 21 loot that I bought to support Japan Relief Aid -- Love 'em and at only $6 they are awesome!

I found this daily devotional the other day and it seemed just perfect for this time in my life...I love that the front cover says "devotional readings for women who strive too hard to make it just right" --- hmmm does "Authenticity" ring a bell ;) -- So far the daily readings I have read have given me much more than a tid-bit of information. Love having a new devotional for a new season - nothing like a fresh start! {Authors site}

Hope you're Wednesday has been good to you and you're enjoying this very Spring day -- It's just a beautiful day in our neck of the woods!

{XoXo}



: Spring has Sprung! :

It's really starting to feel like Spring, a little bit of rain for those inside cozy tea drinking days and then followed with a whole lot of blue sky --- and for me both are welcomed & loved!I've started to pull out, re-arrange & decorate our home with some spring type touches, and it feels good. Plus it shows me all the spots in the house that haven't been cleaned so well since the Christmas decor came down -- oops ;)Here are a few of my Spring touches around the house...I can't believe it's almost Easter - seriously where has the time gone!?!Soon we'll be filling our garden pots outside {I've got my seeds planted but not anything else} and before I know it we'll be signing up the boys for Summer activities {specifically VBS & Soccer Camp} - Yikes!!!


Happy Wednesday Lovelies! We've got a busy month around these parts, filled with lots of activities & celebrations...I can't say that I like being this busy but I do like the multiple celebrations!

{XoXo}


4.05.2011

: SOLD! :

No, no, no, don't get excited! Not our home --- our motor home! We're kinda into selling all things right now...not our kids but everything else is up for grabs ;)
So we had put our motor home up on craigslist.ca on Friday night -- by 9 am Saturday morning we had three requests to see it. And the second people showed up and bought it!

All this while everyone was still here! So the buyers went and had some dinner, while they did that we emptied it out..it was a little bittersweet. But all in all the right thing for our family right now.

The boys were sad for .25 seconds - then asked if they could ride their bikes - HA! I think we were expecting them to be really really sad!

Then I was left with this mess in our entry way and upper hallway - yippeee!!!

So I guess you can guess what I was organizing and re-packing on Sunday afternoon after church! Yup, all re0-organized and packed into the crawl space until our next adventure ;)
Now onto decorating for spring! Can't wait to pull out all my decor items, not going to delay it just in case we sell -- I love decorating for the seasons and it may be futile as I may be moving sooner than later, but for now -- I decorate ;)

Happy Tuesday Lovelies!
{XoXo}

4.04.2011

: Happy Birthday Mum :

It's my Mum-In-Laws birthday today, but we already celebrated with her over the weekend. We hosted a brunch for the family on Saturday to celebrate.Here's the birthday girl with my sister Jenn, her husband Michael & our niece Victoria --- she got two new links for her pandora bracelet and we bought her a linen cotton blend shirt dress

We enjoyed waffles, strawberries & whip cream for brunch -- it's one of Mum's favorites! Gifts waiting to be opened A family gathering wouldn't be right if someone didn't get put in time-out for something!
I decorated with local cherry blossoms - not from my street but from a street by our church...it's so nice to be able to decorate on a budget!
We spent hours chatting and watching the kids play {& melt down-HA!} --- Here is JJ playing on Uncle Jamies IPhone...he's a wiz!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!! May your day & year ahead be full of blessings and love!

{XoXo}


& Boys!

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