Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Last Day Of School

YAY!!!! It's "officially" the last day of school. I think "technically" school was already done a week ago as the kids have been bringing home all their paraphernalia for the last week+. Yesterday was a talent show and today is a Canada Day celebration where the kids are going to be parading around the neighborhood with Canadian and provincial flags. I'm sure the kids will be looking forward to Mom NOT coming in every morning to get them up & dressed and I personally will be looking forward to not having to make lunches every evening/morning. I know that the summer will go by fast and next fall I'll have three kids in school (2 full-time and Liam 2x/week. We don't have a lot planned for the summer but are planning on taking a 3 day family trip in July and daily swimming lessons in August. And as Mom & Dad work much of the summer the kids are also looking forward to spending some time out in the country with their grandparents and cousins. Have a great summer! Do you have anything special planned for this summer break?

Monday, June 29, 2009

Not Yet :(

Many of you that have either talked to me recently or have read my blog recently would have known that this past weekend was when we were to pick Cookie up and bring her home. That would have been on Sunday to be exact. Well, we had an unfortunate turn of events. On the Wednesday last week (4 days before we were to pick Cookie up) I received a phone call from her owner. She told me that the day before, her husband had the puppies outside and unfortunately our little Cookie got underfoot and got her leg stepped on resulting in a broken leg. Meaning it would be about 6 -8 weeks before she could leave her Eriksdale home. Val (the owner) explained that if we want our deposit back she'd understand or perhaps we'd want to pick a different puppy... My first thought was this is the one we picked and this is the one we still want. However I knew the kids were excited to get a puppy and bring it home and show everyone their new puppy. We had already gone shopping and bought her bed, toys, leash, dishes, etc. So I thought the kids would like to pick a different puppy that could come home now. Well, after I talked to the kids I found out how wrong I was. After they were done crying they explained how Cookie was already a part of our family and they wanted to wait until SHE was able to come home. Basically they had made a commitment to her "in sickness and in health". We went to visit Cookie (and the other puppies) on Sunday. Wow are they ever getting big. I was surprised how well Cookie was doing. They kept her in a separate kennel from the other pups but when she had her own space she was put on the floor and she walked very well. She has been putting more and more weight on her back leg and is definitely still a puppy at heart and loves to play. She doesn't have a cast or splint and the leg seems to be healing up well. Her next xray appt with the vet is July 15. I guess after that we'll see how soon after we can bring her home. Here are some pics from our last visit.
The remaining 4 puppies sleeping in their area in the middle of the living room.
Cookie in her kennel where she is kept seperate from the other pups until her leg heals.
Autumn visiting Cookie on the chair.
Wynn & Cookie.























Liam & I playing with Cookie on the floor with a tie from my shirt.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

First Day of Summer

Yay! It is officially summer...and it feels like it! :) For the past week the weather has been beautiful. Temps in the mid - high 20's. Yesterday I was even swimming in a friends pool and the water was nice and warm as opposed to what would have been a "polar bear swim" just a few weeks ago. This spring/summer 2009 has been crazy - it feels like we went straight from a winter that wouldn't end to summer! For example on the May long weekend this year it SNOWED!!! I was looking at my wedding photograghs from 9 years ago and I had to reming myself I also got married on the May long weekend but by looking at the pics and green grass you'd think it was June. Also this year, I didn't put my plants in till the first week of June this year as it was so cold in the mornings and overnight. Yet still, what happened....I lost several plants to frost that 1st week of June. Now my plants need regular watering as the are growing like crazy and by the end of the scorching days are wilting from the heat. But don't get me wrong...I am NOT complaining!!! After a 6 month cold streak that wouldn't seem to end, I'll gladly water my plants every evening and sweat in the heat and humidity before you'll hear me complaining!! Happy Summer 2009. Hope it is a great year.

Happy Father's Day





You can download the above letter/poster by going to this link. I've reprinted it below so you can read it.


GOD LOVES YOU

And He is the father
you've been looking for
all your life.

This is His love letter to you...

My Child,

You may not know me,but I know everything about you. (Psalm 139:1)
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2)
I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3)
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-31)
For you were made in my image.(Genesis 1:27)
In me you live and move and have your being.(Acts 17:28)
For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28)
I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
I chose you when I planned creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
You were not a mistake,for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16)
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.(Acts 17:26)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
I knit you together in your mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)
And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6)
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.(John 8:41-44)
I am not distant and angry,but am the complete expression of love. (1 John 4:16)
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (1 John 3:1)
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11)
For I am the perfect father. (Matthew 5:48)
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17)
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.(Psalms 139:17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40)
For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5)
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3)
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13)
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18)
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11)
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. (Revelation 21:3-4)
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. (John 17:23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)
He is the exact representation of my being. (Hebrews 1:3)
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. (Romans 8:31)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (1 John 4:10)
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32)
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (1 John 2:23)
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-39)
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7)
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15)
My question is…Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)
I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)
Love,
Your DadAlmighty God

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Puppy Tales

3 Weeks Old
As I've mentioned before we are in the process of getting a puppy. It will be a Schitzu/Bichon cross. Two weeks ago (May 31) was our first visit out to see the puppies. This weekend (June 14) we will go out again and they will be 5 weeks old. Around about the age their personalities start to emerge. Therefore we will choose which puppy we want to purchase and pay our deposit. More pics to follow of this upcoming visit. Here are some pics of 2 weeks ago. aren't they so cute!?







The father is the dark Shitzu standing up on the fence.


In this picture you see the mother who is Bichon.
This is a grown dog from a previous litter. The owner brought him to visit so we could see what our puppy will grow up to look like.






5 Weeks Old

Each of the kids had their favorite puppy. A) Liam liked "Snowball",
B) Wynn liked "Cookie",
and Autumn liked "Oreo". Now which one will it be ??!!? The white one was very playful. Cookie was also playful but someone else was kinda hoping we wouldn't choose her as that is the puppy they wanted. Oreo is the one we originally thought we wanted from looking at the early pictures. He was actually very cuddly and Autumn wouldn't let him get very far from her grasp.
After much debate and tears shed....Cookie was the one we chose. Two more weeks (June 28) and we'll bring her home. Now to go shopping for puppy necessities and accessories.
Again here is a grown Schitzu/Bichon....cute egh! :)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

My Graduates

Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun!! When my kids were babies I'd just raises my eyebrows and say "yeah right" whenever someone told me kids grow up quick. Boy, were they right! The kids get their graduation pictures taken at school when they finish kindergarten. So now I have two graduation pictures on my wall. Aren't the awesome?! I just have to laugh whenever I think of DH's comments.


Wynn looks so innocent in his pic (don't let him fool ya!) as if he should be wearing a halo.










And Autumn looks so mischeivious.(Yeah, that's about right! :) ) Cliff figures I should draw horns on her picture. LOL

Driveway Old & New

We recently had our driveway asphalted and it is so much nicer now in so many ways. DH was often saying he'd like to get rid of the crushed rock and have it all paved. His pet peeve was the rocks getting onto the concrete and having to constantly sweep them off. I (as the main snow clearer) hated when the snow would melt in the spring and there would be rocks all over the grass from a season of clearing snow off the driveway. The kids, I'm sure it goes without saying, did not like riding on the rock, falling and nursing their scrapes. Therefore when a young man came to the door and offered to give an estimate on asphalting the driveway ....I was ecstatic. - As opposed to my usually annoyed response to telemarketers and door-to-door sales persons. Below is a picture of my driveway before with the crushed rock and concrete and another picture of the after/now product. What do you think of it?

BEFORE

AFTER

Circus 2009

Last weekend we went to the circus we have been going to for the last couple of years. Besides being much cooler this year, the show was awesome. Here are some pictures from that night