What's With This Weather?!?

If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. Actually, I would...how pathetic is that...I do live in Manitoba after all! Just three days ago, the daytime high was +22*C, we were wearing shorts, and biking to school. Today, just three days later, IT'S SNOWING! and I had to bring my potted flowers inside. Thankfully it's not as much as Liam imagined when I said "It's snowing". He replied with glee, "I'm going to go make snow angels!" Hopefully you have to wait until next winter for that my boy, I want to see summer first!

This is what I saw when I looked out my window. Actually I'd already been up for about an hour and there isn't as much snow in these pics as I first saw when I woke up. This is a good thing I guess, means the temperature is warming up and melting the snow. :)

And to think that I scoffed at having to wait until the May long weekend to go to the greenhouse and start buying and planting flowers. The weather was so nice for a couple days I guess I had "spring fever". This is my reality check.

Here are our vehicles covered in snow. In the winter we keep the van in the garage but now the garage is full of bikes, spring toys and gardening stuff.....oops!
I don't think I posted a picture of our new car. The Echo beside the van, we purchased it in January of this year. So nice, I can't imagine how we did with only one vehicle or even how I did without a driver license for so long.
I hope you all are having a good spring!

Tales From The Laundry Room

It all started last week when my neighbors dryer apparently bought the biscuit and she asked if she'd be able to bring her wet washed clothes over and use my dryer.....SURE! I replied. Little did I know that on Friday while I was doing laundry, when I went down stairs to put my clothes in the dryer and start another load as this one should have be done for some time now. I lifted the lid on the washer to find a tub full of water and clothes. Oh no, did the button get pushed off....nope, is the dial stuck...nope, breaker blown....nope, I couldn't seem to find a simple solution. Seeing as how this was Friday evening and we wouldn't be able to get a repairman to come and look at it till after the weekend, we emptied the washer with a wet-dry vac. Can you imagine how that much standing water would stink after sitting for 3 days. Good thing my dryer still worked and I could dry these wet clothes sitting here. As I looked down at the days of laundry unable to wash any of it, two words came to mind - JOYCE, HELP! (that would be my neighbor). You can imagine with three young children and two nurses that wear a different uniform everyday and then change into street clothes after work that I need to do laundry about every other day. Well good thing we are good neighbors, for the next 5 days until out new appliances were delivered I used Joyce's washer and she'd use my dryer. :) We had figured that it was probably the pump that was gone on our washer and hopefully it could get fixed relatively inexpensively. Think again we were told, by the time we paid for someone to come out, look at it, and fix it, we might as well by a new one. So we did, we upgraded our top loading washer AND dryer (which was starting to make squeaky noises and we figured it's days were numbered) to a front loading pair...pretty! :)
washer


















dryer



















My laundry room is actually also the storage room/ utility room so I had to clean out the room of the boxes, totes and bookshelves with books so the delivery men could actually get the old ones out and the new ones in. As I look as the room now with everything out, it looks so roomy and so much more like a laundry room. As I was moving all this stuff out, there was alot of stuff I thought "why do we have/keep/or need this?" and definitely don't plan on moving it back downstairs. Having to move stuff is a good way of making yourself go through stuff and clean dust bunnies you never seem to get to. Here are a coupe pictures of the room and a close-up of the "laundry area" as it looks now. Just looking at it gives me visions of how to "finish" and decorate it. Also it reminds me of a conversation with a friend and gives me inspiration to put up some shelves, lay some mats/flooring and splash a bit of paint.

Yah-weh!

Here is a cartoon that was in my kids Sunday School bulletin re obedience ...LOL.....

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Did you know?...I didn't!!

Apparently yesterday, May 4th, was International Star Wars day. With a husband and a son who know waaaayyy more about Star Wars than I ever will, I'm thinking I should have known this! Anyway......May the fourth be with you!! LOL :D

Writer's Block

~10 FAVORITES~
1) Favorite Colors:it depends... to decorate with: peach, teal; to wear: browns, greens, earth tones

2) Favorite Food: just one?? ice-cream, seafood, chinese food

3) Favorite Musical Group: I don't listen to much music that isn't kids

4) Favorite Song right now: ? I can't pick just one

5) Favorite Movie: No Reservations, Top Gun, The Holiday, Fireproof

6) Favorite Sport: Wow, these questions are really making me think and realize how little me time I have. I haven't played any sports for a long time but I have always like volleyball, badminton, soccer. I really, really enjoy WATCHING figure skating but cannot do that myself.

7) Favorite Season: Fall with Spring a close second!

8) Favorite Day Of the Week: Saturday

9) Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: chocolate chip cookie dough

10) Favorite Time of Day: bedtime after a busy day

~9 CURRENTS~
1) Current Mood: Tired; I'm working my 2nd night shift and it is 2:12 in the morning

2) Current Taste: Raspberry flavored water

3) Current Clothes: Nursing Scrubs - solid cranberry colored pants and printed top with cats, dogs, hearts, and stethoscopes

4) Current Desktop: a pic of my 3 kids and their 2 cousins wearing there new PJ's from Grandma & Grandpa at Christmas

5) Current Music: none

6)Current Time: 2:14 am

7) Current Surroundings: I'm sitting at the nursing station with a darkened wing to either side

8) Current Thoughts: I really should be doing something useful. I will have to start doing morning rounds soon.

9) Current Status: Married ha ha

~8 FIRSTS~
1) First Best Friend: A boy down the street named Desmond. When I was 4. We would regularly disappear together. I got a note from him asking me to marry him.

2) First Kiss: I can't really remember ... isn't that a shame?

3) First Screen Name: can't remember - Toad, I think

4) First Pet: a dog, Australian Terrier, named Jody

5) First Piercing: my ears

6) First Crush: Ummm.....? There were lots of "crushes" but none that turned into relationships

7) First Music: I can't remember, I assume this refers to professional but if not then I guess it would probably be lullabys from my mother and grandmother.

8) First Love: Cliff

~7 LASTS~
1) Last Cigarette: Never smoked and never will.

2) Last Drink: Wine hubby brought home on Valentine's day

3) Last Car Ride: I drove myself here to work yesterday evening

4) Last Kiss: Last night I kissed hubby as he came to see me at the end of his shift and the start of mine just before he left to go home to sleep in our comfy bed. I hope he's catching some Z's for me too.

5) Last Movie Seen: In the theater-Monsters Vs Aliens; On DVD-Bolt

6) Last Phone Call: My sister in law (who lives 2 hours out of the city) saying they were in Winnipeg and wondered if we'd meet them for supper and if they could sleep over at our house.

7) Last CD Played: Taylor Swift (requested by my niece and daughter) Last one I played for me was "Short Term Memories" by Chris Rice

~6 HAVE YOU EVERS~
1) Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Guy/Girl Friends: Yeah...and I married him. :)

2) Have You Ever Broken the Law: Not intentionally

3) Have You Ever Been Arrested: No, knock on wood. I guess there's always a first time but I sure hope I never am.

4) Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Ya, every chance I get. Oh, ya!

5) Have You Ever Been on TV: NO!

6) Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: I don't think I have. I may need to put that on my list of things to do before I die. (hee-hee)

~5 THINGS~
1) 1 Thing You're Wearing: black underwear

2) 1 Thing You've Done Today: blog - now I'm pathetic

3) 1 Thing You're Listening To Right Now: the hum of my computer and the clacking of the keys on the keyboard as I henpeck this.

4) 1 Thing You Can't Live Without: my hubby & kids

5) 1 Thing You Do When You're Bored: Don't get bored too often, but I find it's mostly when I don't have something to keep my hands busy that that's when I bite my fingernails.

~4 PLACES YOU'VE BEEN TODAY or Yesterday as today hasn't officially stated for most people.
1. Boston Pizza
2. Dairy Queen (after supper at BP)
3. My yard
4. Work

~3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO~
1. Betty-Jo
2. My kids
3. Cliff, I like to think I can

~2 CHOICES~
1. Black or White: Black (for clothes) White (for decorating)
2. Hot or Cold: Hot

~1 THING YOU WANT TO DO~
1. Make it to heaven.

The Simple Woman's Daybook (April 20th edition)

For Today...

Outside my window...the snow is all gone and has left behind lots of sand all over the streets, yards and sidewalks. Time to get those street sweepers going. Haven't seen one yet but hope to soon.

I am thinking...I need to go to the bank and cash our income tax returns and pay off some bills.

I am thankful for...the flood waters going down and no more adjustments to the flood forecast

From the kitchen...Shrimp Taco Dip that I'm making for home group tomorrow as well as some Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh character shaped Jello jigglers for the kids.

I am wearing... black jeans, a pink hooded top with faux white camisole attached.

I am reading...The Bible, I've never read the entire book but I think I've finally found a plan for reading the Bible in 1 year that works for me.

I am hoping...every time I get the mail out of my mailbox there will be a letter or card (ie "real mail") addressed to me.

I am creating...a busy and exciting calendar for the next couple of months.

I am praying...for God's wisdom and he will help me to parent my children.

Around the house...I started putting away winter boots, scarves, hats, and mitts a week ago, now to finish washing and putting away the rest of the winter clothes and getting out the spring shoes & clothing.

One of my favorite things...watching the new growth emerge from the ground that has been long since hibernating for the past season.

A few plans for the rest of the week... life-group, YWCA swim lessons, taking my daughter to watch the Western Rhythmic Gymnastic Meet at the university, and working night shifts this weekend.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

To read more Simple Woman Daybook Entries like this one go here.