New Year's Eve.

Tonight we are going over to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends we have been celebrating with the last 14 years with. There is lots of food, spirits and fun, we always take the children, it is just around the corner so we can walk .
Our family wishes yours a very Happy New Year, we hope you have many blessings in 2008.
Please travel safely tonight.

New Years Resolutions.

It's that time of year again, with the impending New year fast approaching I mull over whether I will make promises I can't keep. I do this to myself every year, with great enthusiasm I write down all the things I want to accomplish.
I start off the year like a race horse out of the starting gate,I am excited at the prospects of accomplishment, overcoming an obstacle that weighs me down, feeling like a winner, then it happens.
I get lazy, fall into a slump, forget my motivation. Then of course disappointment sets in, I often think why do I set myself up for the let down, the fall.
I guess to stop challenging myself, expecting of myself, is to stop growth.
So here it goes, my list of New Year's Resolutions.

1. I will try to exercise more, get on the treadmill, lose 30lbs that I have gained this year.
2. Try not to let my Mom get to me , try to understand her more.
3. More patient with my children.
4. Get more organized, stop making excuses.
5. Limit my caffeine, I am way overloading on this stimulant, sorry Tim Horton's stocks are about to plummet.
6.Make an effort to visit my Dad more, try to understand his issues.
7. Stop feeling like I have to be my parent's parent.
8. Make more playtime with my kids, house work will have to wait.
Stop cursing, LOL. I am going to start giving myself time outs.
9. Go for my liver enzyme tests, PCR test to see if I am still in remission, I am a year overdue. I just want things to be OK and not have to face a relapse, chicken, bawk, bawk, that's me.
10. Look after my dog, make his golden year's the best, he is almost 15. Stop complaining about his dog hair and that he is stinky.

Okay, are you making some resolutions, want to share??

Snow Day

After having the girls inside so much the last couple of days it was time to go outside and enjoy the snow. Mommy also has ulterior motives, I wanted to tire them out, they had too much energy from being stuck indoors. We went out built a snowman and went tobogganing down a little hill we made by the dog ramp.
There were giggles all around and two tuckered out girls*wink*.

Christmas Blessings.

Twas' the night before Christmas....

Jillian really enjoyed her second Christmas , she loved her Doll house.

Jennifer got a Squawker McCaw, this parrot is a non stop talker(like someone else I know , LOL). You would swear this is a real parrot, this has been a real source of entertainment for the last couple of days. It even passes gas and says "Excuse me" ???? Not so sure about this, LOL.

For the faint of heart, scroll down quickly, LOL.

What an attractive family early in the A.M.

As Jennifer would say the messy hair fairy also visited us Christmas Eve, LOL.

We had to carry Jack down the stairs as he is not able to do them due to some nasty arthritis in his hips. Hubby carried all 90 lbs of him down to be with us, thank you honey!

Okay , what is with packaging lately, I have to use pliers, box cutters and scissors to open a present.

It took me so long to get into the box, the kids outgrew the recommended age on the package, LOL.

My fingers today feel sore from unscrewing wire, ripping into plastic and trying to screw tiny screws into toys after putting a hundred dollars worth of batteries in to them.

Seriously we had an awesome Christmas, spent in our PJ's( we stayed home, just the 4 of us!!)playing with all the toys, cuddling, eating ourselves silly and just enjoying every second.

My Christmas blessings.....

Happy Holidays from Jillian

Merry Christmas from Jennifer.

Trying to smile..

Sorry there was ice on the sidewalk.
sorry the snow shovel is curled up on one side and it didn't scrape off the ice.
sorry I didn't put your centrepiece on the table, it was too big.
sorry I used paper plates, plastic knives and forks, yes we ended up changing the silverware.
sorry you sat in the family room where you felt a draft.
sorry I didn't have dresses on the girls, yes they had them on at dinner.
sorry the meat was sticking on one side, the gravy didn't taste scorched.
Sorry...

Cute Cookie Cutters.

Every year I have been making cookies with my girls, even as tiny babies I would give them toy rolling pins and play do cookie cutters to make their own creations. Here is Jillian rolling the dough with Mommy's special antique glass rolling pin(from my MIL)
*Notice the Tim Horton's, helps get me through the whole process, LOL.

The girls have on their homemade aprons from their Great Aunt Chris, I think they look too darn cute. :O)

There are some cookies out of the oven, ready to be decorated.

Jennifer is getting to be a pro with the rolling pin, crazy but this made me so emotional(must be the season). There are times when I wish she would just stop growing.

Jennifer took this photo so I could show you the apron my Grandma made me last Christmas(still a beautiful sewer at 87). It was bitter sweet putting this on this year, I miss her beyond words. My heart still hurts so much, this will be a difficult holiday. I am having dinner this year, I hope I do her proud.

Some finished products, quality control(Hubby, LOL)said they were delicious!

Out of order photo, thought it was cute how they are working together. One holding the bowl and one mixing, I hope they are always there for each other.

Cheers, a job well done. Rewarded with juice and popcorn.

Our Winter Home.

The girls tobogganing on a small snow bank in the backyard.

The girls, Hubby and I always build an igloo for winter fun. Our winter home*wink*.

The walls are getting taller...

Finished product, is is so much fun for the girls to play in. It is surprisingly warm inside too!!

A tired work crew, a great final product, now if it would only stay cold. Predicted forecast, rain for Saturday. :O(


Momma Mia was terrific, danced and sang ABBA songs all evening, didn't know I knew that many, LOL.

Thanks "H" for coming with me, I know we were out past our bedtimes, LOL.

Mommy's Night Out.

Mommy is going out tonight, babysitter is booked(just until Hubby gets home from work)and I can't wait!!
My best friend H and I are going to see Momma Mia.
Looking forward to a girl's night out, it's been a while, yippee.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.

Hubby shovelling us out.

Jack used to like the snow, now he like his bed in front of the register.

Snowmobiles are out, we will be getting our machine out soon, ya!

Snow angels.

Thank for all the get well wishes, feeling a bit better. Now I have to catch up for some lost time, so much to do. Having Christmas dinner here on the 22nd, should be raring to go by then!!

Christmas in China

This photo was taken(Dec. 3rd) of the Christmas tree erected near the H*om*e D*ep*ot mall in Beijing.

If you look at the photo full screen you can see the H*ome De*p*ot sign on the right hand side of the tree.

What a gorgeous tree.

Crap.

Feeling like crap, dragged myself to the computer to check on the blogging world.
I seen my lovely header shrank, crap, too much to deal with today, turning off computer.
Flu has got a good hold on me. Couldn't visit anyone, maybe tomorrow....

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.....

Off to cut our Christmas tree, I love this family tradition.

Smile for Mom, my kids see the camera and they want to run. LOL

There's a smile that can melt some snow (and my heart).

Cutting down the "perfect " tree. Timber..

Here is Christmas tree 2007, I love how it turned out.

Now to get to some wrapping...

Thank You.

A big Thank You goes out to the ladies, they fixed my blunders and I am newly decorated. I was afraid I would have Santa on my header come Spring, HO, HO, HO.

Special kudos to K1 and mommy24treasures, they really helped the old frustration level, thank you.

We still are fighting the flu, Jillian and Mommy are the new victims. Jennifer is on the mend, but kept her home from school to to be sure.

Thanks everyone who lent their expertise.

HELP!!

HELP!!!
I would like to change the picture on my header, it won't go away(much like the cold and flu we have going on).
I go into Template, then to add and arrange page elements.
I go to edit header. Hit edit. The image will pop on the right and it says"remove image". I hit remove image and it disappears for one second and then pops back immediately.
Is any of this making sense, help, I really don't want Santa on my page in January.

Holidays greetings

The Flu..

This morning at 1 am, Jennifer turned on our bedroom light and told us her tummy got sick on her bed.
It's 3 am, I have settled her.....

This is what it's all about..

Jennifer hanging her Christmas stocking.

Jillian showing off hers.

Jillian is saying in this photo she is waiting for the HO HO man.

There you have it, the reason to remember such a special time of year.

Going to finsh off the mantle(as you can see only half done), tree and downstairs decorating today. The girls are excited to help.

So there you have it, we are off to deck the halls.

Christmas Whine.

Chalk it up to feeling crummy but why is it men think the Christmas holidays just "happen".
Who do they think comes in to decorate the house, buy the presents and cook the holiday turkey?
We are doing all this while we are watching the kids, still cooking regular meals and doing our two loads of laundry a day.
Then, the holidays finally come to an end and who cleans up the mess only to do it again next year???
Okay that was my Christmas whine.
It is out of my system, house is nearly decorated, tree will be cut and trimmed Saturday and groceries will be bought according to my list.
I can do this....

Intruder in my house, we want you out!!!

In the deep darkness of night an intruder crept silently among us, infecting us with his deadly virulent spew. First Jillian woke to find it had attacked her, invaded her tiny body and left it's mark with a fever, cough and yucky (can't even go there)nose.
Not to pick favourites it mutated it's lovely , almost pretty self and attacked, yes a full frontal attack, on poor sleeping unarmed Jennifer.
Then it got over confident, cheeky, ballsy, down right nasty. It attacked me as I lay like sleeping beauty(LOL, okay, not so pretty!!), it ravaged me as I lay solo in my bed, it had the nerve to invade me while my Hubby was out of our bed working nights(I didn't even enjoy it, LOL). I was victimized by this invader, now I lay whining, achy, stuffy and my sinus are sure to explode(blowing it's unwelcomed family members into every nook and cranny of my home).
Okay, you have out stayed your welcome, time for you to go!! I have other guests to prepare for as the season is fast approaching me.
Out, out, out...