another weekend

On Friday I packed my bags AGAIN, and headed back to Edmonton. It was sooooo worth it. I went with Derek's sister's for some shopping (as if I didn't do enough damage last weekend) and the Celine Dion concert.

Shopping at the wonderful West Edmonton Mall with my awesome sisterinlaws, minus Christy.

I've never been a fan of Celine. I've always liked her music, just not really a huge fan. Well, I hate to do it to my cool music image, but I love Celine! (and who am i kidding, my cool music image was gone long before we listened to Elmo in the car.)

Look at our great seats, she held this pose just for me.

She has an amazing voice.  Sounded just like I was listening to her cd. (one of which I now own)  Don't get me wrong she really is a huge nerd when she gets going on some of her songs (who knew?  celine singin' a little i love rock n roll gangsta style.)  and Steph and i had a hard time getting the Saturday Night Live skit out of our head for the first 20 minutes because she really does kinda act like that (hence the nerd) but there is no denying, she is amazing.  She ran and danced around in super high heels the WHOLE time, she must work out wearing them.  Where does that woman find the energy?! I'm totally inspired to hit up the gym.  (But I'll leave the stiletto's at home)  

Driving to the show!

Waiting for the show to begin!

Ok, enough of that.  Derek and the kids had a fun relaxing weekend.  Alli asked for Dad to read her the bedtime stories last night, and she ALWAYS asks for me, ouch.  But it was back to me again tonight, phew.

Just getting the kids costumes ready for Halloween (Yes, I'm making my kids their costumes this year.  Poor kids don't stand a chance for anything cute in that department with me as their mother.) and catching up with the disaster that is my house right now.  And since we stopped for sleep at 3:30 am on Sunday morning and got up to finish the drive at 7, I'm still lagging a bit.  So worth it though.  Dang too bad we moved a few months to soon!

flashback

I was over on Ashley's blog and decided since I'm too lazy to go into the other room to get my camera and download my pictures from my fun trip to Calgary and Edmonton, (plus I didn't really take very many) I'd copy her little game.  

You go into your photo library and pick the 4th picture of the 4th album.

And look at that.  

Just joking, that wasn't the 4th picture.  that would be too easy if it was a picture that I actually looked good in, right?!

This is the real one!  

My brother Peter and a few cousins in the distance. We were out at my cousin's in Pincher Creek around Christmas. It was a cold windy day (what a surprise) and we were out on the ice doing a little homemade curling.

I had so much fun looking through the pictures that I just couldn't stop myself from posting a few more.  This is not to long before my blog days began and I surely would have blogged about this so I thought it was ok.

...A little more of the flashback almost 3 years ago...or alot.

I'm really loving Derek's getup here.  We always had makeshift winter gear when we came to visit because we never brought any of our own.  Actually we look quite normal compared to the most of the other times.  Oh yeah, it must have been because we were borrowing my uncle and cousins stuff, not my parents.  

I'm just coasting along in the wind.

More curling.  Nice form.  All the spectators are truly engaged in the happenings.

I had to put this up because I remember what was happening here.  It was so windy that Brooke could barely walk forwards, she kept sliding back.  Funny, until I remember I now live in that wind...every day...including today...

I think we were having races.  My pants are total floods.

Apparently I wasn't these shaky skaters figure skating coach.  jk girls, doin great!

I'll make one more note.  It was cold and freezing and December.  And there was probably lots of snow, but the wind just blew it all away, it was all in a big pile somewhere I'm sure.  And baby Alli was nice and warm inside with my aunt during all this fun.

happy 3

This little princess turned 3 on Saturday.  

She has been patiently waiting for her turn to blow out her own candles the past few weeks.

Dad's Birthday

Mom's Birthday

Alli's Birthday!

(don't judge me on these cupcakes, scroll down for the goods.)

We had so much fun. Cousins and cupcakes and princess's and pink.  We doubled up for Lucy's birthday too as usual.  

Alli has been talking about her birthday probably since August and one day she said, 'mom, for my birthday I want a pony and a brown cake with pink (she requested these on a regular basis) and I'll bring the candles and you bring the fire."  

(yes, you do see what you think you see on James, he really wanted to play too.  and who am I to stop him?)

We made these cupcake bites I have dying to make for months and months after I found them here.  They aren't perfect, but they were fun to make and the yummiest ever to eat.  I have a feeling I will be making plenty more for practice. 

We are now recovering from a looong weekend, too much turkey, me working yesterday, and some sickies.  I have some sort of stomach bug and the kids kinda do to.  Bleh

Then off to Calgary tomorrow night and hopefully Edmonton after that if we are all better.

loving the fall

Loving a trip to Waterton with Grandma.  These are from last Monday when it was hot and sunny, not cold and windy like today.

a day in the life

Rhonda did this and I thought it was cool.  If you get bored and don't finish, I don't blame ya!  I'm doing this cause I want it for me.

It all started right around 7:30, little later than most days.  I kicked Derek because the alarm is blaring for the 3rd time.  He gets up and I doze off again.  This is the point where I either have 2 thoughts drift through my head. 

Thought #1:  I should get out of bed and shower before the kids wake up, or I should have gotten up half an hour ago and gone for a run.

Thought#2:  I'm so lucky my kids sleep in.  I'll never be a morning person.

Derek's rushes out at 7:45 and gives me a quick kiss and whispers sweet nothings into my ear.  

8:00 I hear James waking up.  So I go downstairs only to find Alli just about into his room, saying "I'll get him."  and saying it like it is this horrible chore she does everyday, which she never does.  So there was my first laugh of the day.

James starts yelling "CEREAL, CEREAL!" like he does every morning that he's not yelling "SHORTS!"  or "SHOES!" or "SOCKS!"  This kid has a serious fashion obsession.

Alli wants to lay in my bed, since she was up until 9:30 last night, I let her.  Lay in my bed as in watch tv.

8:30 James is excited for Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast.  He chooses which cereal he wants everyday.  

8:32 Susie calls, chit chat for a while.  Then I decide to give the kids attention, bye Susie.

9:00 Clean up breakfast.  Get kids and myself dressed.  Gather the million library books up.  Out the door by 9:45.  

Library, bank, post office.  I love these things.  Really, besides the library, totally boring stuff.  But it's an adventure to the kids.  We can park and walk to all 3 places.  I get a couple cd's from the library too, this will come into play later in my day.

10:45  back home.  Phew.  The garbage isn't picked up yet.  Drag out all our stinky trash, Derek forgot in his rush this morning.

Well, now that I'm gross, might was well mow the lawn.  The kids get all filthy in our pile of top soil, oh well, nothing they didn't do last night.

11:45  Drag the filthy kids in and give their feet and hands a quick rinse in the tub.  Get lunch going, pay some bills.

12:05  Derek comes home.  What?  He never comes home unannounced.  Good thing I made lunch.

12:20  Bye Dad! Start clean up.  Then I remember my cd's from the library.  Go get the Mamma Mia music and crank it.  James is in love with the tunes.  Alli is rockin out to the max.  And me? well, I was craving the music, what do you think I was doing?  No clean up, Dance Party for a good half hour.  That thought #1 this morning? no more guilt felt, got my workout.

12:51  My sisinlaw Brooke calls me.  What a sweetie.  More chit chat.  1:00 James gets fussy, and goes to sleep while chit chatting.

1:30  Ok, now I really do have to clean up.  Alli helps as usual.  It doesn't slow me down at all, really...

2:00  Time to chillax

2:30 Alli's friend wants to play.  So Alli gets her swimsuit and her friends' mom even came over to get her since James was asleep.

2:45 Now I finally get my shower and a little more chillaxin' and cleaning.  Oh, note the pics at the bottom, took these during this time.

4:15 James is awake!  Long nap today!  Poor guy all red and hot with fever, still teething.  Give him drugs and off for a walk to pick up Alli.

4:45 Derek's home.  They guy who is doing 'goodness of his heart' work in our backyard is here a day early!  YAY!  The kids are intrigued for hours. 

6:00 I call Jacklyn back after her 2 messages.  Chit Chat while making supper and bathing the ULTRA filthy child Derek brought in.  REALLY wish I had a picture of how dirty James really was, so gross.

7:00-8:00 Supper, more baths, kids in bed.

8:00-present More calls from my sis Brooke, (not to be confused with sisinlaw Brooke) Regan &Rhonda, and Mom and Dad.  Derek brought me some ice cream in there somewhere.  And I had an alarming overflow of facebook messages today too!

I think this is the only time I have never had cake on my actual birthday.   

THANKS TO ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS & FAMILY!  I HAD A GREAT DAY!

Did you really think I got that many phone calls on a regular day?

And my sis Brooke, if I can't have your cake I don't want any cake today!  (but I'll take yours on Sunday mom.)

Also, don't worry, Derek is a great husband.  Poor guy felt so bad he didn't make his planned birthday supper for me.  But I would have rather had him out there working away getting closer to planting that grass anyway.  And the sweet nothins' this morning, was a happy birthday wish of course.

Alli's room. I'm not even sure if this pictue shows how bright it really is. Nope it doesn't.  It's awful, I just hate it every day. I wanted a nice soft apple green.  I take full blame for picking the color.  Also, I'd love it if a perfect white headboard showed up on my doorstep for this bed.

Our little basement playroom. That door goes to the laundry and we have a renter in the rest of the basement.
My red kitchen, love it!
I still have some more decorating to think on, but that's pretty much it.  And I'm on the lookout for pillows for Alli's bed and mine.  And since James was asleep i didn't get his room in there.  Next time I guess.

Here's our view out our front window.  Not the greatest picture of the mountains in the middle of the day.  But as soon as that house gets a roof on we'll be sad to  lose our view of Cheif Mountain, so sad.