Resolutions

It's that time of year, the time when people decide to change something. It's the beginning of a brand new year, and for some reason people use that as a reason to change something they don't like about themselves (as if you can't change these things throughout the year...)
The top ten New Year's resolutions are:
to lose weight, spend more time with their family, exercise regularly, get out of debt, quit smoking/drinking, get organized, help others, learn something new and to enjoy life more. Ninety two percent of New Year's resolutions are not kept. Ninety two! Only eight percent actually follow through to keep their goal. Forty five percent fail by the end of January! The odds are not good.

To successfully complete your goal, follow these few steps.
-Aim low. It goes without saying that most New Year’s resolutions are easier announced (or written) than done—but if you set the bar too high, you’re doomed from the start. Instead of a sweeping declaration like “I will lose 30 pounds by April and finally fit into that dress,” target a goal that’s more attainable, like losing 10 or 15 pounds.
-Don’t overload yourself. It’s difficult enough for the average person to follow through on one ambitious New Year’s resolution; why on earth would you saddle yourself with three or four? Choose the most pressing issue at hand—losing weight, finding a girlfriend, improving your relationship with your parents—and concentrate on that. Trying to do everything simultaneously practically guarantees failure across the board
-Tell everyone you know. One school of thought says that New Year’s resolutions are best kept to oneself, but look at it this way: the more people to whom you announce your resolution (say, to get out of your dead-end job by spring), the more people there’ll be to prod you along if you fall behind. There’s no shame in seeking help if you can’t accomplish your resolution on your own.
-Reward yourself. Following through on a New Year’s resolution is rarely easy, so a little Pavlovian conditioning goes a long way. If you’ve resolved to shop less, stroke yourself for not buying those shoes by springing for a steaming hot cappuccino at the mall. If you’ve resolved to be nicer to people, buy yourself a nice jacket after enduring that tedious cocktail party without delivering any insults.
-Wait until spring. Sometimes the best way to accomplish a New Year’s resolution is to make it at a time of year of your choosing, rather than the one dictated by the calendar. May 1 is a good alternate date, since the change of season will neatly coincide with the change you’re hoping to accomplish in yourself.

Do you make a resolution each year? Have you ever kept a resolution? What is your New Year's resolution?

http://www.ehow.com/how_12076_keep-new-years.html

It's over.

So Christmas is over. All the preparations we do to get ready for the dinners, the get togethers, buying presents for weeks, wrapping presents, decorating, baking...and it's done. Time to take everything down, clean up the house and try and find room for all the presents we've received.
Charlotte got such a ridiculous amount of presents, I had to go through her whole room and toy boxes and get rid of a full garbage bag of perfectly good toys just to make room for the new ones! She got about 10 different dolls (her favourite), tons of dvds and books, clothes, a baby stroller, playpen, chair...she's like a little mommy. She loves putting her babies to bed, pushing them in the stroller and giving them bottles. Isn't it funny how she just automatically is a little mother? She gives her babies kisses, cuddles them and feeds them. Honestly I don't know why she just knows to do that, I mean, I am not that motherly, she doesn't see me with other babies, but she just knows to do that. So funny.

For Christmas Tim and I made a $50 limit for each other because we don't need anything. If we really need something, we buy it so we thought we'd put a cap on the spending this year. I KNEW he would break it. I didn't until I started thinking that he was going to. I got him an MP3 player that was on sale half off, which kept me in the limit. But last minute on the 23rd, I went out to Danier and bought him a leather jacket. Thank goodness I did. He went all the way to Oakville and bought me a Lululemon hoodie and some pants. Does that seem like that would be in the limit?! Unfortunately (for him, not me) my sister also bought me the exact same hoodie! So now I have a nice hoodie, and a credit for Lululemon! That was my favourite present.

What did you get for Christmas?

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy your holidays, take advantage and spend lots of time with your loved ones.

Also wanted to let everyone know all of the stuff we ended up getting for the family we blessed this Christmas. Thanks to everyone who donated, we were able to get:

-a turkey dinner and all the trimmings

-3 stockings full

-the mother got 3 sweaters, a blouse, necklace, earrings, gloves, $100 to help her out.

-the 2 girls got a straightener, hair dryer, 2 gift certificates for the Pen for $50, 2 $25 Chapters gift certificates, beautiful scarves and mittens, a basket full of items from Claire's (jewelery, makeup, watches,etc.) tote bags full of gifts (chapsticks, face washes, perfumes,etc.), 2 dvd's each.

This was a great experience and I loved being able to be a part of it. This has made this family's Christmas one they'll never forget and I thankyou from the bottom of my heart for all of your help.

Merry Christmas!

What a day...part 2

It happened again. I was on the phone and left the room for maybe 10 seconds and I hear a yelp (from the dog) and Charlotte started screaming. I drop the phone and run around the corner only to see another gouge out of Charlotte's forehead and blood streaming down... I just couldn't believe it.

I decided to put her down for a nap early since we had a Christmas party to go to that afternoon. Tim was out, so when I put her down I jumped in the shower. When I got out, I heard her door handle moving. I thought, what the ?!? I open the door and there she is standing there. She had somehow climbed out of her crib and was trying to get out of the door. Unreal! I couldn't even believe she did that without falling and getting hurt. So I called Shandi to tell her and that's when it all happened. So I'm wearing my robe, my hair is soaked, Charlotte had just pooped so she needed her diaper changed, it was lunch time so she was hungry, she was soon due for a nap and Tim had taken my car out and I didn't know where his keys were...not a good combo for having to run out the door to get some stitches! Thank God Shandi was home so she came up and helped keep Charlotte calm while I ran around getting everything we needed to get out the door.

Anyhow, the only way to describe the next hour and a half was traumatic. I had to hold Charlotte down (with my mom) and watch her endure this horrible pain, getting a needle in her head and 2 stitches...it was horrible. The last time it happened there were a couple nurses to help hold her down so my mom just stayed with her because it's really hard and traumatic for me to watch something like that...I'm a bit of a baby. I felt like that 5 minutes was 2 hours. But all is well now, she'll just another scar on her face...just like her momma.

Now we have a dilema. Tim loves this dog. It is his best friend. He was so depressed yesturday when he found out this all happened because he knows... we can't keep him, I mean that's twice in what, 4 or 5 months? We just can't take that risk with Charlotte and with having foster kids. I know it was an accident. Blue is the most gentle and kind dog, it wasn't about food or anything like that. He just lifted his paw and she was just standing there. He doesn't know how big he actually is. It is going to be really tough for Tim in the next few days while we have to find a new home for Blue.

Losing sleep

For some reason I don't know why, whenever I am going to be hosting something at my house, or people are coming over, or I have an event to plan (a shower, dinner, party,etc) I don't sleep the night before. I hate it. I just lay there thinking about what I need to do the next day, the errands I need to run, what needs to be decorated or set up, what needs a last minute clean... I just hate it. I thought I liked having parties and planning different events but obviously if I am losing sleep over something ridiculous like that, I can't like it that much. Why do I do that? Is that normal? I wish I was a little more laid back when it comes to things like that but I'm not. I feel like if someone is coming over the house has to be immaculate or they will judge me and think I'm lazy or something. Honestly, who even cares? Why do I care what others think? It doesn't even matter! I don't go to other people's houses and see if there is dust on the furniture or a little dirt on the floor! So they probably don't do that at mine either. I think it's a little of the OCD coming out... who knows.

I guess this next week will be a sleepless one...we have family from out of town coming to stay with us for 4 or 5 days and about 2 or 3 different things going on each day...

Oh Charlotte!

As the holidays are getting closer, I'm realizing how little time I have to get organized and ready for the visitors, dinners and get togethers with the family. Tim's family is from out of town, so when they come down they stay with us for a few days. That's 4 adults, a baby and sometimes a dog. So it takes some organization, cleaning and preparing to get ready for their arrival. I usually go room by room and get everything prepared, vacuuming, putting fresh bedding for the guest room, dusting, etc. Let's just say Charlotte's room is going to be the last room I clean. She is going through a stage of opening every drawer of her dresser, taking every single thing out and throwing it all over the room. This is extremely irritating for me because when I fold her clothes (and she has a lot) I fold them into piles: long sleeved shirts, t-shirts, long sleeved onesies, t-shirt onesies, turtlenecks, dress shirts, sweaters, etc. And it takes a long time...but it is a lot easier to find what I'm looking for when I need to. I have re-folded her entire dresser about 4 times this past week probably wasting a good hour or two and it is just ruined the next day. I'm done with it. Either I leave her clothes spralled everywhere (which may also be easy to find what I'm looking for) or it's time to spring for some child dresser locks...

She also decided to dump her toy box out...

Christmas Give

A few weeks ago I was watching 'Secret Millionaire'. I was sitting on the couch and I started looking around at all of our 'stuff'. I looked under the Christmas tree and thought how ridiculous the amount of presents were under the tree, and I had only wrapped half! And no one needs any of the stuff I had bought, I just bought it for them because it is Christmas. I decided that this was the last Christmas I was going to go all out and buy all of this useless stuff for everyone. It is just getting ridiculous as we get older, there's so many people to buy for and they don't even need it! Why not put all of that money to good use and spend it on someone that actually needs it? From now on, we will be buying for the kids only and putting the rest of the money towards a family in need. This year I found a family with a single mother who is at work from 6am-7pm.. She has two daughters and she is struggling to make ends meet. She has informed her daughters there will be no presents this year because she just can't afford it. How sad would you have been if when you were a kid your parents told you there would be no presents? I've started a collection at work and through word of mouth for this family so we can give them a good Christmas despite their troubles. We're going to give them a turkey with all the trimmings, a basket full of food, some presents for the kids and hopefully a few gift certificates.

If anyone is interested in donating we will be collecting until Monday. You can contact me at trudybowslaugh@hotmail.com

Thanks everyone for all of your help! It is because of you that will make this Christmas special for this family!

Hugs, cuddling and crying...yuck!

I am not a cuddler. I don't like to be touched (by Tim is okay but not just anyone), I don't hug my girlfriends very often, I just am not that type of person. Growing up we weren't really a 'huggy' family. We didn't say 'I love you' all the time, I was just like my dad. We kept our emotions to ourselves, you could tell how we were feeling but we never talked about our feelings, never showed weakness...we were tough. At least I thought I was. On the outside I seemed pretty tough, never cried, didn't seem sensitive at all. But I am sensitive. I try not to let too much hurt my feelings and I always try NOT to cry, especially in public. I'd say my friends have maybe seen me cry about 5 times or so. Not too much considering I've been around them for the last 10 years or so. I don't know why, but I always thought crying was a sign of weakness and I wanted to keep up my 'tough image' and never cry. I think I've cried at work maybe 3 times and that was because of really nasty customers. But man, I was embarrassed. I just look ridiculous when I cry, I just lose it. It is not like when the tear just rolls gracefully down your cheek or anything. I cry so much I can't even talk. Maybe it's because I rarely cry so when I do all the tears that should have already come out are coming out?!?

Our family has changed a lot since growing up. We hug every time we see each other, we love spending time together for dinners or just hanging out, and we laugh probably about 80% of the time. We tell each other we love each other and we make sure to spend lots of time together when we can. I don't know what changed, but I'm glad it did. I tell Charlotte probably 20 times a day that I love her and I hug and kiss her all the time! So much that she pushes me away...uh oh...maybe she's turning into me!

I read in a magazine a few weeks ago that you should hug someone at least 5 times a day. That it really makes you feel better. Maybe I'll do a little experiment and try it out. Get ready Lakehouse ladies...the hugger is coming!

Do you cry a lot? How many times do you hug someone a day?

Divorce...is it an option for you?

When Tim and I got married, we went into it thinking that divorce is not an option. I think if you go into a marriage thinking divorce may be an option when things get tough (which they will), the odds are you throw in the towel and will end up divorce. With the divorce rate being so high (pretty much one in two will be divorced) I think we all know that marriages take a lot of work. Sometimes I think it would be easier to walk away and start over! But that is not an option. I think marriage is one of the hardest things. It is frustrating, trying and sometimes I just want to kill Tim (not literally...well maybe...lol). It takes time (lots) to really know your partner, know what frustrates them, know their temper, know when to leave them alone and know when they just need someone to listen. When we first got married, we fought a lot. We fought about stupid things, we bickered, we got on each others nerves. And we still do, but we also know how to handle each other when we're in a mood. But it took 5 long years, and we're still learning. There are lots of stresses in marriages. Kids, money, pets (I can't stand my dog...anyone want it?!), work, sex, etc. And there always will be, but we are learning how to handle these things and trying not to take it out on each other. If Tim comes home from work and has had a bad day, the only person to take it out on is me. I'm the only one there, and vice versa. It makes sense that we will irritate each other and get on each others nerves. There's no one else to take your frustrations out on. But in time, we are learning how to handle these things. I know it's not going to be easy, I mean, we've only been married 5 years, and with divorce not being an option for us, we still have a good 50 years ahead of us so we may as well learn how to deal with our problems and keep trying to make our marriage stronger.

Do you think marriage is hard? Has is gotten any easier?

I'm busy!

Are you ever cleaning the house, or working on the computer, talking on the phone or making dinner and your child wants to play or read a book and you say, I can't right now, I'm busy!? My girlfriend and I were talking the other day and she asked me if I ever felt guilty for not playing with Charlotte enough because I was 'busy' doing something that I felt was important. Of course I do! I thought maybe I was the only one, and I didn't want to admit that I do shoo her away if I am doing something I thought needed to get done. I felt relief when she asked me, because I knew that other people may do the same sometimes.

The things I'm doing when she asks me to read a book or play dolls with her, I actually think are important. But they're not. The house will ALWAYS need cleaning, and the computer will always be there after I play with her, and dinner will need to be made everyday. So why do I feel like I don't have time at that moment to play with my daughter? It's so selfish. I need to change my priorities and make time. I may not always have the luxury of staying home with her, so I should take advantage of doing so now.

I feel like I may have a little bit of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), I can't relax and sit with her if the house is a mess, I feel like I NEED to clean it. And I need to get over it! The more kids you have the more mess you have, and I want to be able to just sit and read a book with my kids and be able to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I am with Charlotte every day and we play dolls everyday, and we read books everyday...but I don't play with her all day long, which I'm sure she would prefer.

Do you ever feel guilty for 'shooing' your kids so you can get something done?

Cell phones

So my 3 year contract with Rogers is finally up. FINALLY! I have had a rough time with them. For the first year, they were ripping me off about $100 each month. I didn't know, I just got the bill, never looked it over and paid it. Then Shandi said she had to call every month because they were charging her for things that were actually in her package. I then started to check over my bills and realized they were doing the same to me. Every month I called them, was on hold for about 1/2 hour, then had to argue with them for another 1/2 hour to get my bill down. It was so frustrating. The past few months my bill has been perfect. $95 for our two phones. It's not great, considering I don't even use my phone a lot, but it is better than the $200 bills. I went into Rogers the other day to see when my contract was up, and the guy said it was up in August. Hmm...funny how they never told me, and have finally, after 3 years (and my contract was done) got my bill right. Now I have to find a new cell phone company that is reasonable. Really, I don't even NEED a cell phone, I mean, I'm at home probably about 90% of the time, but the thought of not having one kind of stresses me out. I don't want to have to find a payphone if I need a phone, I want the convenience of a cell phone. I personally could just go with 'pay as you go' (if they even still do that anymore), but Tim uses his for work quite a bit so he needs a company to go with.

What cell phone company are you with? Is anyone with Koodo? That one almost sounds too good to be true!

Secret Millionaire

There is this new show that just started this past week called 'The Secret Millionaire'. It is so inspiring. It is about a millionaire (different one each week) who goes undercover as a poor person, a bum, someone who is struggling to meet the needs of everyday life. They are placed in an extremely poor city and given $100 for the week. $100 is what people on welfare in the States receive. $100! Could you even imagine having to pay your rent, buy food and other necessities with $100?! You may think, 'Well why are they on welfare anyways? Are they too lazy to go and get a job?'. These are people who have just had some bad luck and have to try and pick their lives back up and survive. Anyhow, the millionaire's job is to give away at least 100,000 of their own money to anyone they'd like, anyone who touches their life.

This one woman that the secret millionaire met was a construction worker. She had a house, and everything she needed. One day at work she got hit by a live power line and fell about 20 feet onto her back. Every bone in her back was broken. When she recovered, she had lost her house, her company and lived on the streets for over a year. She got a couple good breaks, some people helped her out and she started up her company again, and found a place to live. Let me tell you, this lady was amazing. She works her butt off everyday. On the weekends when she doesn't work, she gets up at 4:00am and goes to the homeless shelter to help them get breakfast ready and feed the homeless. The millionaire asked her why does she get up so early on the weekend when she's so exhausted from work. She simply replied that someone did it for her when she was on the streets.

The people who are struggling and just trying to survive are so amazing. It is so touching to watch and it makes you realize how selfish we are. These people are just so inspiring. They are so self-less and compassionate for others and they do anything they can to help someone else. We need to start helping the less fortunate and stop complaining about stupid little things. We complain about having to work too much, at least we have work! We complain that we have so much housework to do, at least we have a roof over our heads! We complain about having to go grocery shopping or cooking dinner. At least we have food to eat everyday! We complain that gas is so expensive, at least we have cars and we can afford to get gas. It just really puts things in perspective and makes you realize that we need to be thankful EVERYDAY for what we have. We need to stop complaining about things are don't even matter.

Secret Millionaire airs on Wednesday nights at 8pm on the E! channel. I highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed.

Eden

I went to a 'alternative' high school, as they called it. It was pretty much a Christian school. We had the uniforms that always had to be tucked in properly, the strict mennonite teachers (well most of them) and an even stricter vice principal. I am not one of those people who wishes I could go back to my high school days, I didn't really like high school that much. My parents made me go to Eden and I think if I had've went somewhere else I would've liked high school much more.

Some of you may be offended by what I may write, but know that this is just my opinions and experiences during those years. It is nothing against anyone personally.

Looking back on my high school experience I think that Eden sheltered us from a lot of things that go on in the world. I'm not necessarily saying that it was a bad thing but I don't think that it was a good thing either. I think it was a lot of trying to look like the perfect Christian person, and we were judged if we didn't pretend to be. I think (I don't know for sure...well yeah, I'm pretty sure) that I was perceived as a bad kid in high school. And I really wasn't. Some of you may be surprised, but I never did drugs, I drank ONCE (and got so sick I didn't touch another drink all through high school)... the only "bad" thing I did was smoke. And personally, I don't think that makes you a bad person. In a regular high school that wouldn't even change anyone's opinion about you but in that school it did make me a 'bad' person.
I was shy so I had my group of friends and I didn't try to make new ones. Sarah and I would occasionally skip school (honestly, if that's the worst thing my kid was doing I would be so grateful!) and the one time we got caught the vice principal told us we were 'riding the fence of Christianity'. What the ?!?! For skipping school? Needless to say my dad had a few words with him. I think the focus was a little off there. I think if he had taken the time to get to talk to us, he would've realized that we weren't bad kids. It's not like we were out being promiscuos, or doing drugs or getting drunk every weekend...we skipped school. I remember our grad trip to Washington, D.C. someone in our class pulled the fire alarm in the hotel. Who did the teachers come to to blame? Me. And it was actually someone they would never had suspected. When we got home I was pulled into the office and the teacher that blamed me apologized. Judgement. I hate being judged!
Like any school there were a lot of nice people that went to Eden and there were a lot of people who weren't, there were friendly people who didn't judge others and there were people who had nothing better to do than talk about everyone else. There were the strict teachers that didn't particularly like a lot of us and there were the ones who actually got to know us and made a difference in our lives.

Don't take any of this the wrong way, I didn't hate high school. But I wouldn't want to be back in high school like a lot of people. I think the focus was a little off, a lot of trying to be someone perfect and I think that there was a lot of judgement. But I met a lot of nice people and I met a few of my best friends that I know I will have for life.

How do you think you were perceived in high school?

I think now that we've all grown up and matured, it would be so awesome to get together again for a little reunion.

What a day...

What an interesting day I had yesterday. Rachel and I have started a little business called The Frosted Cupcake, which is obviously selling cupcakes. We do showers, parties, weddings, etc. Since we've just started out, we have to get ourselves out there, make ourselves known. Rachel found this craft show that is huge in Welland and after talking to the co-ordinator, decided to sign us up. The lady informed her that last year there were 3000 people that came through and this year they were expecting 5000-10000 people. Sounds good right? Saturday we spent about 6 hours baking 25o cupcakes.
Sunday morning Rachel calls and says that she just looked at the form to find out directions and realized that the show actually starts at 10am...we thought it was noon. Oops! Not a great way to start out the day. We rush out and race to the show and actually made it there about 10:15am. We get there and all the other 40 vendors are there set up and ready to go. Luckily people hadn't really started coming in from the public. We set up and wait...and wait...and wait some more. No one was coming to this show! Supposedly it had been advertised on the radio, in the paper and word of mouth since it was so huge last year?! By noon, we had sold one cupcake. ONE CUPCAKE (actually 3, but 2 were from Shandi and Todd, and they bought them out of guilt)! We started talking to the other vendors and every single one of them, this was their first time at this particular show, and all of them were VERY upset. They were all told there would be five or ten thousand people coming. Strange? I think so. If it was so successful last year, why wouldn't the same vendors come back? We started thinking it was a scam. Each vendor had to pay $45 to get their table with cheques made payable to this particular lady. Plus, to get into the show you had to make a donation. A few of the other vendors came over and bought a few cupcakes for themselves so we were up to $16. Sweet. Only $144 to go to cover our costs.
We then tried to brainstorm what we could possibly do with 234 delicious little cupcakes. We went around to all of the vendors and started handing them out. Okay, so now were down to about 200... that's a lot of cupcakes. We thought of a few ideas and decided to break our contract and start packing up at two (we were supposed to stay until five). The lady was just glaring at us the whole time. Then other vendors decided to pack up too! We thought that was pretty funny. On our way out Rachel said to the lady that we were very upset and we were leaving, we told her we made nothing, didn't even come close to covering our costs and now we're stuck with all these cupcakes that are going to be garbage at the end of the day. At least the other vendors can keep their products and sell them another time, we have to get rid of ours. She said she lost a lot of money too...yeah right...she's going home with $1800!
Anyways, at this point it's hailing (which made it easy to load up the car...not) and we are just laughing at our luck. Remarkably we still are smiling, and having a great time. We drive back into St. Catharines and make our first stop. The hospital. We run to the ticket meter to get our parking ticket (in the pouring rain). We go on every floor and give them to all of the nurses, and thank them for their hard work. When we come back out to the car, we decide to give our parking ticket to this guy coming in, since it had an hour on it and we only used about 10 minutes. He starts laughing and says, "You actually paid for parking today? It's Sunday!" I guess that was just our luck, there's $2.50 out of our $16 profit! :) Next we went to the Women's shelter, then the ambulance station, Hospice niagara and all 3 fire halls, thanking people for doing such a great job in our community. And the guys at the fire hall let us go in the fire trucks and into their back room where they wait for the calls! I felt like a little kid on Christmas! It was so fun! I always wondered what they did while they waited for calls. Now I know.
I know it's hard to keep a positive attitude when things don't go the way you want them to, but we should always try. We had such a disappointing day, but we kept our attitudes positive and we turned it around. I haven't laughed as much as I did yesterday in a long time. Although it didn't go well at all at the craft show, I had the best day, and I felt so much better than I would've if we would have sold out of cupcakes. We were able to put a smile on other people's faces and it was so worth it. We don't do enough nice things for others and NOT expect something in return.
Try to do something nice for someone this Christmas season, it is so worth it!

Ugh...mornings...

I am not a morning person. I have always enjoyed my sleep (preferably un-interrupted) and I like sleeping in. Thank God I have a baby that also enjoys her sleep. She definitely gets that from her momma. Until about 2 or 3 weeks ago Charlotte slept from 8pm until 8:30-9am. What a sweet little baby...and a sweet schedule! The past few weeks have been a little different. She seems to have decided to change her routine, not by a lot, but it makes a big difference for me! For some odd reason, she is becoming a morning person...I don't know where she's getting it, but it's happening. She's tired by 7:30pm (which is nice) but she's up at 6:45am. She doesn't cry, she's just talking and singing then after about 10 minutes she starts calling me. I go in, half asleep and give her a soother and pray that she sleeps for another hour or so because that USED to work. I can usually get another 15-30 min. of sleep, but then she's ready to get out and play. I cannot function if the clock says it's before 8am. It is so hard for me! And I don't even go to bed late! We're usually in bed by like 10 at the latest (I know I know...we're losers). But for some reason it takes me so long to get functioning in the mornings (and it's not unusual if I have an hour or two nap in the afternoon...). Weird how I almost need as much sleep as a one year old! And I'm healthy. I work out, I eat (fairly) healthy. Is it just because mothers are always tired? Am I going to be tired until I'm 40 and my kids are grown? Or do you just get used to it?

Never fails!

Today I had to go to the grocery store just to pick up a few things. We spent $200 on groceries last week, so I just had to pick up some vegetables, fruit, bread and some corn syrup for some squares I have to make. Next thing I know, I'm unloading my cart and the guy says "That'll be $112." What the heck?! Every time I go to just pick up a FEW things, it costs me the same amount as if I'm doing a full shop. I always think I'm going to spend about $40 or $50 since I spent so much the week before, but it NEVER works out that way. I see some sales on, so I grab that, if I'm hungry while I'm shopping I think everything looks delicious and get whatever I see...how do I stop the madness!? Does this ever happen to you?

I feel like lately my spending is OUT OF CONTROL! It seems like every time I leave the house I'm spending money! And I don't even have any money to spend! We tried making a budget (we've never had a budget since we've been married...I'm not a big fan of budgets) and with that, I was only supposed to spend my tips and not use the debit card. Tim asked me the other day if I was sticking to it...I just started laughing! I only work 2 nights a week, and I'm supposed to get gas, groceries and other necessities with only my tips?! That's just seems unreasonable!

Do you have a budget? How do you stick to it?

Finally! I can share the news!

My best friend Shandi is pregnant! She's hopping on the baby wagon, giving up her freedom, getting ready for a new stage in her life! I've known for like 10 weeks now...and haven't been able to tell anyone because she wanted to wait for 3 months. Well that time has come. She's about 13 weeks along, feeling good and getting excited. Finally the mother hen is going to be an actual mother! Shandi is going to be an awesome mom, she is absolutely going to love it. And I wouldn't say that about just anyone. She is such a giving and loving person, this baby is so lucky.

This is really exciting for me. I am the only one out of my close friends that has a child. I think that mothers have a bond. You can talk to any mother about your kids, parenting, advice, all of the stages, etc. We just have this thing in common. It's nice. Don't get me wrong, I love my girlfriends who don't have kids, I love going out with them, getting away from the kids, and NOT talking about poopy diapers and teething. But it is nice to be able to relate to another mother and know what they're going through and get advice from them. It is a special bond.

I get to be in the delivery room. I AM SO EXCITED! I cannot wait to be able to experience that moment of her child coming into the world, I feel so privileged that I get to be there. Since I have gone through labour and childbirth before, I am not nervous or scared to be there. I definitely wouldn't recommend being in a delivery room if I hadn't already been through that. I would pass out, and probably never have any of my own children. But I cannot wait!

Things are changing. We're getting older, starting to settle down and starting families. It's kind of scary to think about, I mean...30 is not too far away. But it's exciting too. I can't wait for this baby to come (and I don't even particularly like babies all that much...). I can't wait to see Shandi's belly grow, feel the baby kick and be there for the little guy (I'm pretty sure it's going to be a boy, for the record). And I'm so glad I don't have to hold this secret in anymore! It was SO hard!

Terrible two's???

It's another one of those trying times of parenting. I think Charlotte may be hitting the terrible two's a little early. I can no longer take her with me as I run my errands. This just started this week. Maybe she is punishing me for going away without her, I don't know. Or maybe this is normal?! I thought I'd have a little bit longer before this happened! I went to the dollar store the other day, and first of all, she wouldn't sit in the cart. No big deal, I thought. Shandi was with me, so that makes it easier, there was always one of us to watch her at all times. When we were just about done, she threw a little tantrum because she wanted this hideous doll. Normally, I'd buy her a little treat, I mean, it's a dollar...but this doll was so ugly. And she was being a little brat about it. As I dragged her to the check out line, she's crying, screaming, trying to get away from me...all of the other moms and people in line are staring at me, seeing what I'm going to do, if I'm going to give in. I feel their eyes and judgement on me...I stay strong, she didn't get anything. But it was a rough few minutes. And it made me never want to go in public with her for a while, until she grows out of this stage. I know that's not a possibility, I wish it were. We went grocery shopping the other day, thank God Tim was with me. About 90% of the time I go by myself and it's been fine until now. I bring some snacks for her and toys and try to keep her occupied, but this time, no such luck. I think I'll have to go by myself from now on. Can you train them to behave in stores? Are you supposed to? Or do you just wait until this stage is over?

I didn't even leave the house yesterday with her. I had to run errands, but I waited until I had to go to work, and was a little late for work just because I couldn't bear the thought of bringing her with me. Is that bad or what? How do you push through these times? Have you ever had to leave your full cart behind and leave a store because your child has had a tantrum?

Survivor

Would you ever go on Survivor? Could you eat just rice, and whatever bugs they seem to find...go number one AND two out in the wilderness, sleep outdoors, pretty much on the dirt...and no pillows? Be around all the wildlife, snakes, bugs & backstabbing people? Personally, I could NEVER. I couldn't even consider it, not even for a half a million dollars or whatever they win.

When Tim and I were away, we were in our room watching tv, the lights were out, and I see out of the corner of my eye, this long, skinny, tube like black thing on the wall. At first I thought it was a scuff mark or something, so I stared at it for a few moments seeing if it would move. Sure enough, it did. I FREAKED out...turned on the light and made Tim get up and see what it was. He came to the conclusion that it was a millipede. I have never even seen a millipede and let me tell you, it was disgusting. He said it had a million squirmy little legs, and honestly, it was about 5-6 inches long and about an inch thick! He got his shoe out and smashed it against the wall. It then fell behind the dresser. So because I couldn't see it's dead body, I thought it was going to come crawling out in the middle of the night. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much that night. I kept looking around on the walls, thinking I saw something crawling around. We changed rooms the next day (not because of that...we wanted an oceanview...but a little bit because of that disgusting bug too...lol).

I think it takes a certain person to be able to go on a show like Survivor. And I am just not one of those people, and I'm okay with that. I like life's little comforts. Could you do it?

Potty training

It's that time. Charlotte is 17 months now, and knows what the potty is, and is ready (I think!) to start using it. She knows how to say pee and poo, she knows when her diaper is dirty, so I guess it's time. I think she was ready a few months ago, but for some reason, I'm dreading this. I don't know why...it seems like it would be a parents dream for their kids to learn how to use the toilet, no more diapers! But honestly, I don't mind diapers. That way there's no accidents, no surprises in her pants...I think potty training is going to be so...I don't know...frustrating and annoying! Like when I am training her, can I leave the house? Or do I stay home for a few days until she gets it? What if we're out and she poos her pants and it falls through her pants to the floor?! Does stuff like that happen? I would die! That is just disgusting! Even peeing her pants...in this weather, it'd leak through layers upon layers of clothing. It just seems like it's going to be so hard! What if she gets it for a couple days then just doesn't want to do it anymore? (I know that happens quite often). Frustrating! If she's trained during the day, when is she okay to not wear diapers to bed?

I don't really know a lot about this subject, so any tips or experiences would be greatly appreciated! Do you have any funny stories about potty training?

High School Reunion?

I often think about whether or not our graduating class will have a 10 year reunion. This June will be 10 years since I graduated high school! Wow...we are old!!! I don't know who is supposed to plan this, I don't know if people even do 10 year reunions, but I really think it'd be great! I would love to see everyone I went to high school with, see what they're doing now, see their children (if they have any) and just hang out with them for the day.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have changed since then. People may have thought I was a snob but really, I was shy. I had my group of friends, and I didn't really try to make any new ones. I have definitely become more outgoing in the past 10 years (that makes me sound so old...) I also think I was looked at as a bad girl in high school. I wasn't, not at all, but I think people had that perception. I never did drugs, didn't drink but I smoked (cigarettes). Sure I skipped school a little, and Sarah and I got caught and suspended for it but other than that, I was pretty good.

I think it would be a great opportunity to get to know each other again, now that we've grown up, matured and started with our lives.

Did you have a 10 year reunion?

Missing Sarah...and you too Kyle!

I can't believe Sarah and Kyle haven't even been gone 3 months yet! I feel as if it's been about a year! I've only talked to her on the phone 2 or 3 times, so I feel like it's been forever since we've connected with each other. Although I'm very happy they are experiencing this new era of their life, travelling and meeting new people together, I'm also sad that they are not here! And won't be back for at least 9 months, if not a year and 9 months! That just seems like a lifetime. I feel like things are going to be a lot different when they come back. First of all, we'll pretty much be 30...okay, not quite, but pretty close. Wow...that sounds old. I know it's not, don't be offended that I say that, but it's a milestone in your life. 30 is a big deal. I know I'll have a few issues with turning 30, I already had issues when I turned 27! Secondly, realistically, I'll probably be pregnant, or have another child! (no, I'm not pregnant...)And Charlotte will be 2, or 3 if they stay 2 years. I think at this point in my life lots of things are going to change in the next couple years. My family will get bigger, whether it be with our own children or foster children, we will decide where we would like to settle down for the next 20 years, etc. And I know it's selfish, but I wish they were here to share it with us, and vice versa. Oh well, c'est la vie! I'm happy for them, and I'm glad things are going well (besides the herpes Sarah...lol). Who knows, maybe when they come back Sarah will be pregnant!!! Love you guys...miss ya!

I'm back!

We're back! And glad to be! Don't get me wrong, it was relaxing, we had 5 days of 90 degree weather (the last two were cold and overcast...and by cold, I mean 72 degrees), decent food...well edible anyways and we just had a nice time together. But I missed Charlotte so much! I was a little depressed for the first 3 days! I couldn't even talk about her because I thought I would cry! The strange thing is, I'm really not even on even one of those mothers that can't leave their kid. I went away with my girlfriends for 3 days when Charlotte was 6 weeks old, and started back to work when she was 6 weeks old. I went to New York too for 3 days when she was 11 months too. And I was fine both of those times. This time for some reason was different. I don't know if it was because I was SO far away from her, if something happened it would've been a huge ordeal to get back, or if it was because I knew I wouldn't see her for a whole week, or if it was because I thought we might not ever make it home (plane crashing or something dramatic like that...I actually thought that...). I had to make a conscious effort to not think about her or I'd get really upset. I had Tiff, Shandi and my mom (they all pitched in to watch her while we were gone...thanks so much! Love ya!) email me every day, sometimes twice a day to let me know what was going on, what happened that day, etc...those emails gave me some peace of mind, and I could relax after I read them. Now that I think of it, being that sensitive probably had something to do with it being my time of the month...that's right, I just HAD to get it on our trip...but anyways, it was hard. A lot harder than I thought it'd be. We arrived last night at 3:30am, and went straight into Charlotte's room to give her a kiss goodnight.

I love that I'm home, I can get into my routine again, start going to the gym to take off the 5 pounds I gained during the trip (every kind of food was fried there...delicious, yet disgusting at the same time), do a cleanse to get all of that crap out of my body (we both feel so sick), and enjoy our baby girl.

It's funny, all of the other trips Tim and I have taken before we had Charlotte, it was hard to come back. Getting back to reality, work, normal stresses of everyday life...this time I appreciate the life I have. I love it!

5 Years!

Tomorrow Tim and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary! Does time ever fly! We were so young when we got married! Only 22. That is young now a days. The first five years is supposed to be the most challenging. You're bringing together 2 lives, adjusting to living together, having to learn how to deal with finances and having a house to pay for, it can be challenging. And it definitely was at times.

Tim and I are complete opposites. Especially the way we deal with problems. I am the kind of person who does not say what I am feeling. I am very closed off and stubborn. If I'm upset I'm just very quiet. Tim is very much the opposite. He is vocal, he says whatever he is thinking (which can be a bad thing), and gets so annoyed when I just get quiet. Opposites attract though right? Over the past few years we've learned how to deal with each other when we're upset about something. Sure, sometimes we get into a bigger fight, but we know how to make it better now...it only took 5 years!

Tim and I met at the Prince of Wales Hotel where we worked. He was the type of guy that would make fun of you, be really sarcastic, bug you all the time, you'd never know what he's really feeling (romance wise)...and for some reason, I liked it. I liked that he was a bit of a challenge. We were only 18 and 19 when we met. After all the flirting went on for months, we started 'seeing each other', but would never admit that we were dating, or ever saying "I like you". We both had just come out of relationships, his was 4 years, mine almost 2 years...we were each others rebounds. Who ever said rebounds don't work!? :) So after a couple months of NOT seriously dating, we (Tim, his friend Matt, Shandi and I) decided to move out west to Whistler and explore. Be on our own, live life. We weren't going together, we were going with our friends. Tim left in September, and Shandi and I in October. We didn't live together, we did in the same complex, but not the same apartment. Tim and I continued our strange relationship (still at this point never saying to each other that we liked each other...weird, I know). We went through some trials in our 'relationship' and ended up breaking up in November. He decided to move back home and we decided we were going to stay. I ended up coming home for Christmas, and Tim and I decided to get back together. We did the long distance thing for 5 months until I moved back home in May. In June, he told me he loved me. He hadn't even told me he liked me yet! So that was a turning point in our relationship. We became serious and he asked me to marry him the following March. We got married on November 8, 2003.

Tim is more than I could've ever asked for, he is a great husband, a hard worker, a provider, an awesome father and he's cute too! We have had bad times, good times, trying times and times that we'll remember forever, each one making us stronger. I can't wait to create more memories with him! Love you Tim!

Car cleanliness

My house is (most of the time) very clean. I enjoy a clean and tidy house. I can relax when it's clean. If it's messy I can't just sit down and enjoy myself. My car on the other hand is a disgusting mess! And I think that's really weird! I used to have a clean car all the time! I don't enjoy being in a dirty car, but I don't care enough to clean it all the time or anything. The other day, my sister got in my car and was like, 'your car is always so messy!'. I started thinking, why is it so messy all the time? I have empty water bottles on the floor, receipts everywhere, random garbage, baby wipes, baby toys, soothers, diapers (clean ones...I'm not that disgusting), Charlotte's shoes that she's taken off, a sweater in case it gets cold, little bits of food that Charlotte's dropped, etc... that is a lot of stuff to cram into a little SUV! Then my sister said it's probably because when I go into the house, I'm carrying a diaper bag, my purse (which isn't that small), and Charlotte (which also isn't that small). Then I didn't feel so bad. It's since I had Charlotte that my car is such a mess! I remember my sister's van when her kids were younger, it was worse than mine. You couldn't even sit on the seat without getting some sort of food stuck to your butt. So am I normal after all? Are your cars clean?

(The picture is not actually of my car...it's not THAT bad!)

Getting ready to go...

Tim and I are going to Mexico on Monday for our 5 year anniversary. And we're leaving Charlotte behind! Now that it's coming so soon, I'm starting all of my lists, getting prepared, writing out her meal plans, her daily schedule, what she likes and doesn't like, what to do if she's teething, what to do in case of an emergency...I'm getting paranoid now. I have a couple people watching her while we're gone. My girlfriend Tiffany for the first 2 days, Shandi for the next 2, and my mom for the last few. I completely trust all of them, but for some reason, I'm a little nervous. I have been away from her a few times for a night or a few nights, but I've always left her with Tim or one of our mom's, so I'm never worried. Maybe it's knowing that I'm going to be really far away, and if something happens, I can't really do too much, and I'm not going to be able to talk to them everyday to see how it's going. Well I suppose I could, but it would cost a fortune!

I definitely think we will enjoy the time to ourselves...well maybe just the first 2 or 3 days, then we'll get a bit homesick. A week is a long time away from Charlotte. She will be bigger and probably look different when we get back. Even when Tim takes her to his mom's for 2 days, I think she looks different when she gets back.

Oh well, I guess there's not much I can do at this point, I'll just have to remember that Charley's in good hands and will be fine while we're gone! And we'll definitely take her with us on our next trip!

Have you ever left your young one's?

Too early for Christmas?

I love Christmas. I love decorating my house, listening to Christmas music, getting right into the spirit! I usually wait until November 1st to decorate my house (well the inside at least), but this year, I'm just itching to do it a few days early. I've given myself a few little projects around the house so I am busy and don't think about the decorating...but I'm sick of that list...I want to decorate! You may think if you decorate and start listening to Christmas music this early that you'd get sick of it by Christmas, but not me. I absolutely love it! The house looks so beautiful and sparkly when it's decorated. I figure, it's so much work to get out all of the stuff from the attic, set up the tree, put up the garland and lights, I might as well enjoy it for a few months! I've already got a good start on my Christmas shopping too. I had a theory that if I start early, I won't feel like I'm spending like $1500 at once, I won't really notice spending anything because I just pick up a few things here and there. But so far, that theory sucks. I have completed my sister and my niece's presents, but now whenever I go out, I see something that they'd love and I throw it in with the already completed gift. So I am spending more money than I would if I would've waited till December!

Is it too early to begin with the Christmas festivities? When do you decorate your house? Have you started shopping yet?

Sisters...

In the past 2 weeks, I've seen my sisters 7 of those days, and I have absolutely loved it! Both Lori and Rebecca live in Ottawa, Lori has for over 12 years, and Beck has now for about 3 or 4. Rebecca is the youngest of the family, and is getting married in February. So needless to say, we've had a lot going on with showers in the past few weeks. I normally only see Lori and her kids maybe 4 or 5 times a year, and Beck probably about 7 or 8, since she comes down more...I guess it's a little easier to make the 6 hour drive without having 4 kids. When we get together, it is so hilarious! We have such a great time together! We shop, go out to eat, talk, shop, play games, shop some more...you get the picture. I couldn't imagine not having sisters! There is just something special about it, we have an unbreakable bond. We are all so different, but we are also very much the same.

Lori is the senior pastor's wife, has 4 kids ranging from age 3-8, she's a stay at home mom, yet works one day a week in her church, always has the house spotless, a hot meal on the table, always looks her best (I mean hair and makeup ALWAYS done!) and still has time to bond with her kids...and not ever lose her cool! I honestly don't know how she does it! Everytime I go up to visit, I swear I will never have more than 2 kids...it's a madhouse! But still fun...maybe it's because I know I eventually am leaving. :) Lori is just so selfless and kind. She is a great role model for me.

Rebecca on the other hand is just...well, she's just Rebecca. She says whatever she is thinking. And I mean whatever thought comes into her head. The things people want to say but don't, she says. She's so honest. The world revolves around her. It is hilarious! Maybe that's the youngest child coming out in her...who knows! She's moody, dramatic, always wants her way...and always gets her way too! But she is just so awesome. People are drawn to her beauty and her hilarious personality. She is the life of the party, and will always make you laugh. Some may think I am being a little harsh about Beck, but she will admit to everything I've said!

And then there's me. I'd like to think I'm just right in the middle of those two. I'm a little like both of them. I love both of their personalities, so to have a little of both, I'm happy with that.

Now that the showers have come to an end, I won't see Lori until the wedding, and Rebecca until Christmas. Spending so much time with them the past couple weeks is going to make that so much harder! Maybe I'll just have to move up to Ottawa...

I love no one as I love my sisters...

Women

Today I'm going to write about how great it is to be a woman.

1. Shopping. I LOVE shopping. I know not all woman like shopping, but in my family, we shop. Every time I get together with my sisters, we're shopping. And when my mom and I go out, we usually end up shopping.

2. We get the privilege of carrying a baby inside of us. Although pregnancy may not be the best at times, and we don't always feel the prettiest, it is an awesome experience. The delivery however...not so much.

3. We get to stay home with our kids and create that special bond. Sure, it's tough and tries your patience at times, but I do love it...most days!

4. Our girlfriends. Girls have a different friendship than guys. We can talk about our feelings, what we're going through, our kids, etc. If guys talked about their feelings as much as girls...their friends would think they're gay or a wuss.

5. We get to spend our husband's money! Last night I was shopping with my sisters, and my one sister said, oh, it's payday today! And I said, don't you have to have a job to get a payday?! She said, Jay's payday... :) I guess sometimes it is nice to live by 'what's mine is yours'.

6. We get pampered. Whether it be at the spa for a massage or pedicure, or by our husbands taking us out for a romantic dinner. It is nice!

Just a few reasons why I am grateful for being a woman.

I received an email from an angry reader regarding my blog about man vs. woman. Just kidding, he wasn't angry, but he did include a few jokes about women...

How many men does it take to open a beer? None, it should be opened when she brings it.

If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first? The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.

Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%. It's called a Wedding Cake.

Why do men die before their wives? They want to.

In the beginning, God created the earth and rested. Then God created Man and rested. Then God created Woman. Since then, neither God nor Man has rested.

Have a great day!

A little quiz

What are you like?

1. Sleep in or up early? I definitely prefer to sleep in...
2. Salty or sweet? Both, depends on my mood!
3. Optimist or pessimist? I'd like to think I'm an optimist, but I'm a pessimist...I try to be realistic!
4. Social or homebody? Social.
5. Apple or orange juice? Neither, not a fan of juice.
6. Coffee or tea? Tea.
7. Dogs or cats? Dogs.
8. Clean or messy? Clean!
9. Shy or outgoing? Outgoing.
10. Any tattoos or piercings? 3 tattoos...they are all very small.
11. Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii, seen a small part of Alaska already.
12. Home cooked meal or restaurant? Restaurant for sure.
13. Black or red? Black, half my clothes are black...so boring!
14. Fish or red meat? Fish for sure.
15. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla, not really a fan of chocolate.
16. Saver or spender? Spender, unfortunately.
17. Cuddly? Not at all.
18. Backpacking or all inclusive? All inclusive.
19. Relaxed or stressed? Stressed, most of the time.
20. Patient? No, that's something I'm working on...

Man or Woman?

Which do you think would be easier, being a man or a woman? Personally, I would think it is to be a man. Maybe it's because I'm a woman, and we always want what we don't have (if you have straight hair, you wish it were curly, vice versa; if you're tall, you wish you were shorter...and so on). Here are a few of the reasons it may be easier to be a man.

1. You get to pee standing up. That is awesome! You'd never really have to worry about the conditions of a public restroom, and you could pretty much go anywhere if needed.

2. You get pretty much eat anything you want, and not worry about your weight. That would be so fun! Tim used to eat a donut and large coffee from Tim Hortons every single day, probably for about a year, and didn't gain a single pound! If I did that, I probably would have put on 10 pounds in a month!

3. You don't have to go through childbirth. What a bonus! You get to have all the fun, then the woman gets to carry the child for 40 long and treacherous weeks, get fat, lose her body, and as if that's not bad enough, we have to push that large thing out of us...it's not pleasant!

4. You don't have to do any laundry, cleaning, etc... just go to work and come home to a clean house, clean clothes and sometimes dinner on the table. I would LOVE that! Personally, I enjoy working, so I would absolutely love to come home after work to a clean house and folded laundry.

5. It takes only about 10 minutes to shower, get ready and be out the door. I don't know about you, but it takes me about 25-30 min. just to blow dry my hair! Then I have to straighten it, put some mascara on, lotion, etc. From start to finish, I'd say it's at least an hour for a woman.

6. You don't get cellulite, varicose veins, spider veins, saggy boobs, saggy arms...the list could go on. I remember when I was about 6 months pregnant, I got a varicose vein in my calf...that was a sad day. I'm over it, but I'm sure they'll be more to come with pregnancy. At least now a days we can get them lasered!

I'm sure there are many more reasons being a man would be easier, but I'll stop there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being a woman, and I'm not a feminist or anything. I know being a man can be hard, they have the pressure of providing for their families, being successful, losing their hair... and for the most part, they are very hard workers (well at least Tim is). And he is a wonderful father.

I've included a few jokes that any woman will enjoy. Have a good day!

Why does it take 100 million sperm to fertilize one egg?
Because not one will stop and ask for directions.

How do men define a "50/50" relationship?
We cook-they eat; we clean-they dirty; we iron-they wrinkle.

Why did God create man before woman?
Because you're always supposed to have a rough draft before creating your masterpiece.

Husband: Want a quickie?

Wife: As opposed to what?

Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and good-looking?

Because they already have boyfriends.

Husband: I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it.

Wife: You wear briefs, don't you?

What is a man's idea of foreplay?

A half hour of begging.

Waiting...

Tim and I are currently going through the process of becoming foster parents. When Tim was about 16 or so, his parents took in twin newborn babies, who's mother was a crack addict. It was an unbelievable experience for him and his family. Tim is so great with kids, he loved it! It created a lifelong bond. They were actually our flower girls in our wedding. Tim is also a Big Brother with a 13 year old and he has been with him for over 5 years now. His little brother just loves him, looks up to him and learns a lot from him. They will be connected for the rest of their lives.

We took the foster parenting course about 3 years ago, but when it was completed, we put it on hold because we were building an addition onto our old house, I was working full time and still fairly young, it just wasn't the right time. A couple months ago we decided to go ahead and finish up the rest of the process. It is a very long and in depth process, including hours and hours of interviews from our case worker. It will be at least 6 months before it will be completed.

Tim was doing a side job for someone last week and they take in exchange students from all over the world that come here for a few months. She said she thought it would be a good experience to try that first before fostering, just to get used to opening our home and make sure it's something we'd like to do. We called the agency, and they said they would take our information, but it most likely wouldn't happen until January. Thursday we get a call from them saying they need a home for a 9 year old girl from Korea, who is having some sort of problem at the home she is in now. We said no problem, we'll work something out if you need us. The only problem is that if she comes to live with us, they have to take her out of her school and move her to the one near us. Right now they're talking back and forth to the parents through the agencies, and trying to figure out what would be best for their daughter. So now we're waiting...life may be about to change...

Handy?

I bought a beautiful new picture today for over my couch in my livingroom...but I had to wait for Tim to come home to put it up. I've tried many times to hang pictures and make them centered, but I suck at it! When we moved into this house, I wanted to hang some pictures right away, just to give it that homey feel. So I made Tim put some up, but we didn't have any nails. Since I wanted them up so bad, he used screws thinking I would probably leave them up for at least a few years. A couple months later, I decided I didn't like the ones that were up anymore, and I put up some other ones I had. Of course, where the screws were in the wall would not work with the new ones I wanted to hang. Tim wasn't home, so I got out the hammer, and took out what I thought were nails. That did not turn out very well. We have plaster walls, so the screws came out, as well as a lot of the plaster and paint. There are actual holes in the wall, pretty deep and pretty big...I just thought "I gotta get those new ones up before he gets home so he won't see the damage!". I got them up in time, thank God! Since I needed him today to put the new picture up, he saw the two huge holes in the wall...and that is one reason I don't do any "handy" stuff around the house.

Luckily, the picture looks great, and the holes are covered...

Are you handy around the house, or does the man do it?

The List

The night before I go on a trip, whether it be a day trip, a weekend or a week long, I CAN'T sleep! I just think about what I need to pack before I go, what to remember to do...I hate it! I toss and turn for at least a couple hours.

I am such a 'list' person. I write a list for EVERYTHING. Groceries, walmart, what I need to do that week, packing lists, cleaning lists, odd jobs around the house lists...it's sick! I am my fathers daughter. My dad also makes a list for everything. I guess that's where I get it from. Some may think that we have a 'list' problem, but I think we are smart. We never forget anything because we start our list a week in advance, and as we remember things, we write them down. Smart eh? I don't understand how some people just pack the day they're leaving! Can you actually remember everything when you do that?

I'm going to Ottawa today for the weekend for my baby sister's (well, she's 22) wedding showers (jealous?! Ya! 2 in one weekend!). That is why I didn't sleep last night, and why I'm writing about lists.

Oh well, at least I won't forget anything...

Rich and Famous?

For some reason, I find the lives of celebrities pretty interesting. I buy those stupid 'rag mags', you know, In Touch, US Weekly, etc...and I read them at the gym, or at the beach, on a road trip or plane...I'm a bit pathetic. I don't know why I like them either. I mean, celebrities are pretty much just regular people, but with a lot more money, and some paparazzi following them all the time. I like to see what they're wearing, their hairstyles, and what they're up to. I don't even know how accurate those magazines are, I mean, when you see them on tv for an interview, they always say not to believe what you're reading. I don't know if they're just talking about the National Enquirer or if it's the one's I'm reading. But why do I find it so interesting? I would rather read those garbage magazines than a book! Maybe I just haven't found any good book that keeps my attention?!

I would hate to be famous and always be in the public eye, always being criticized for how you look, or how fat you're getting, how you've let yourself go or how bad your last movie was...I would probably be so depressed and become an alcoholic or something, like a lot of them and end up in rehab! It would be so hard! Imagine just wanting to go get some groceries in your sweats, and having tons of paparazzi following you around taking tons of pictures! It would be terrible! No wonder Britney went a bit crazy for a while! The poor girl had absolutely no privacy in any part of her life, and everything she did was splashed on the headlines of all the magazines! I would go crazy too!

I always think it'd be easier to have lots of money, never having to worry about financial stability and be able to buy anything you want or need. But if I had the choice to be famous and rich, or just a regular person and not rich, I would definantly without a doubt pick NOT being famous. Doesn't seem worth it!

Would you want to be rich and famous?

Thanksgiving

I enjoy Thanksgiving. I love love love Turkey dinners! Delicious stuffing, cream corn, white meat, cranberries, pumpkin pie (which I just started liking when I was prego)...yum! I also enjoy spending time with my family. When I was growing up, we were the type of family that had dinner together every night. And we had a family of seven! Now we're all grown up, everyone is married or engaged (except Chris...but maybe soon?!... :) My two sisters live in Ottawa, so it's just me and my brothers here. We'll be thinking of you Lori and Beck while we're eating mom's delightful dinner!!!

I really enjoy going home for dinner with the family. It is always the most entertaining hour too. Chris is just hilarious, we are always laughing the whole time we're eating, and my mom makes a mean turkey dinner. Can't wait!

I have no idea how to make a turkey dinner. First of all, Rachel told me last night that when you buy the turkey you have to take the guts out?! That will never happen, guess I'll be going to my mom's every year for the rest of my life! Secondly, how do you keep everything hot so it's ready to eat? You've got potatoes, stuffing, corn, gravy, the meat....how does everything stay hot? I have a weird thing about my food being hot enough. I hate when some things are lukewarm. I usually have to heat it up in the middle of eating because it's not the right temperature. But my mom always has everything nice and steamy. Delicious!

I am so thankful for my loving husband. He is just the greatest, such a hard worker and I know he loves me so much, he would do anything for me. I am thankful for my beautiful, healthy baby girl who makes me laugh everyday. I am thankful for my beautiful niece who is doing so well, learning new things everyday (and I'm thankful she likes me now!). I am thankful for my friends who are always there for me, even though one of them is on the other side of the world... :( . I am thankful for the roof over my head and food on the table. I'm thankful for my family, who are always there for me (my in laws too, they are my family). And I'm thankful to God, who has given me all of this to be thankful for!

Do you make a turkey dinner yourself? Or are you like me who goes to someone's house for dinner?! What are you thankful for?