Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Looking forward to....

My friend V had a list of things she was looking forward to, thought it was a great idea.




1) dying easter eggs with the kids this weekend
2) having the temperatures warm up
3) finding out if we can afford a house
4) getting my knee fixed
5) flowers being back in the garden
6) sitting out on the back deck
7) baseball season
8) getting some down time
9) a serious spring cleaning
10) a date night soon with Chris

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Good bye old friend


I have a diet coke addiction. First step is admitting it right?


I am giving up diet coke. Or should I say, I have given it up. Thursday marks one week. Five days in, and I hate to admit this, I am feeling better. I am also down three pounds.


Thanks Jenn for the push. Let's hope this triggers more healthy habits!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Earth Hour



I love the concept of earth hour - when everyone in the world hopefully takes the time to turn off their lights for one hour. Reduce the energy used, and take note of what you didn't need to be using in the first place.





On a grass roots level, it must be making a difference as my kids turned off everything an hour early, and ensured that we did our part. I love that their generation is going to help make green decisions to make the mistakes of the past, just that, the past.





And of course, the darkness and candles allows me to play with a few settings on my camera.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Dear Santa


Dear Santa

I know you read my blog, and you know I am your number one fan. Should you want to be uber organized this year, I am submitting an early list for you.

I will tell Chris too, but I am on "hold" for gifts for a bit (he went big on my birthday!).

I like this http://www.epiphaniebags.com/#/shop-1/

Love always,
Kirsten
PS - it's the ginger one I like best.
Oh ya, for those of you who may need this bag as much as I do, here is a contest for you! http://www.haveanepiphanie.com/home/2010/2/28/epiphanie-give-away.html

a few creative things




I really need to get back at taking the camera everywhere - now that the better weather is here I should take full advantage of it. But for today, here are some newer scrapping lay outs. The one above was for a challenge that we weren't allowed to do a typical square LO.

BTW - in a couple of weeks I will be taking part (again) in the A week in the Life - which documents my oh so excited world for seven days. It's an awesome way to take note of all the little stuff that happens from laundry to events. I did this a year and a half ago, and loved the process. I will be doing the documentation here, and then building a mini album afterwards.

The lay out above is my precious three month old asleep on the couch. I wondered at the point in her life what she would be like. (It was done for SNC Sketch challenge in March)

Well the lay out below shows how four years can show you even more of the future ahead! She is just as beautiful now as she was then.......just a lot louder! (This one was done for SNC's March Lay Out tag)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The House Dilema

Recently Chris and I have started house hunting. It started off just like every third month or so does - Chris looks up listings on the MLA site, we see that we cannot afford anything, we drool over houses we can never live in, then we close the site and carry on.

This time though, a few things seemed to change. First, two units in our complext have sold quickly, and for over asking. The housing market itself seems like it is about to explode again, so now seems like the time to buy. Chris and I have always wanted a house, but right now it actually seems like it may be possible.

We have looked at a few, and nothing has made me jump. Mainly because most of them require us to move the kids to a new school. I am sure they would adjust more easily than I expect - but I am also the one who had a huge hissy fit when my Mom said we may move and I was about 15 (right mom?).

There is a "something " on the horizon right now which actually has me really excited. A women who wants to move into our complex is selling her house that is only two blocks away. Could a swap be possible? Could it be that easy?

For now........I will wait. And think good thoughts.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Happy Birthday Braydon!


How fast can seven years go by? Pretty fast!

We spent the weekend celebrating Braydon's 7th birthday. It started by inviting 14 six and seven year olds over for the first celebrating.
Then when the kids arrived, we headed down to the school and played a few rounds of the great Canadian game. I have to say, I was really impressed with how good the kids were, and it was all fairly fun and painfree.


Later in the evening, we headed to my parents for a Chinese Dinner. Mom's arm is still in a sling, so ordering in was the perfect night out for all. Braydon got spoiled some more - and was ready for the next day when his REAL birthday happened.


A slow morning start was a nice change since we were all tired from the day before. Braydon is so different from me in the sense that he can wait, even when he knows that there are presents waiting for him in the other room. He ate his breakfast and even waited for his sister to finish hers.

Apparently he loved the gift KJ gave him (indoor hockey set so they could play downstairs). He wanted it, and she asked me to get it for her. Good score all around I say.


Mid morning, Uncle Richard came over and brought Braydon some more goodies (more hockey and some soccer stuff) Should keep the kid busy for awhile.

This afternoon we headed over to the kids great grandparents house for more celebrating. Grandy, Nana, Papa, Uncle Jake and Aunty Barb all helped the Braydon turn 7 with more gifts and lots more love.




And through it all, while the weekend was about Braydon - Kaylee was more than happy to be by his side and have a party too.


So little man - happy happy birthday. It's been an amazing seven years, but the best of my life. You make me laugh, you make me think, you make me want to make things better for you. I love you with all my heart, and still think you are pretty darn sweet. Even when I try to get a nice photo of us..........with or without bunny ears.


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

20 Random Things You May (not) know about me

1) My favorite colour is Red. My car is Red, my kitchen is Red, I have more shoes in the colour Red than I do anything else.

2) I wore braces for more than four years. I broke them several times throughout those four years. I am forever thankful that I wore them (one day I will share those buck tooth photos) and that they worked. My teeth imprints are examples at the orthodontists.

3) I have lived a total of 6.5 weeks without an animal in my life. That was when I first moved out on my own. Within the second month of living there - we got Madison who hung out with me for the next 16 years. I will always have animals in my life.

4) When I was growing up, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. Not the kind that does the lame stuff like learning about fish and habitats - I wanted to be the kind that trains and swims with the Orcas. Given the opportunity to do so - I would do that in a heartbeat (providing school wasn't required)

5) If I could be anything other than what I do now - I would love to be a designer or photographer. My love for colours and pretty things would merge together there nicely.

6) I spend more money on scrapbooking supplies through the year than clothes. I should probably change that.

7) My most prized possession is my new camera. Before that, it was my old camera.

8) I asked my husband to marry me. I was tired of waiting for the question to be popped. I mean, we had been together for all of 8 months. Geez.

9) I have a large pin in my left knee.

10) I like my own handwriting and my name. Seems most people don't like either of theirs.

11) I always knew that I wanted to be a mom, and expected to have one girl and one boy. However, they changed the order on me - but that's cool too.

12) I wish I still had fake nails. I have lousy real nails.

13) The one place that I really want to travel is Africa, to do a full on safari. That would be amazing.

14) I look at life through rose coloured glasses. It's prettier that way - besides, I already said my favorite colour was red.

15) I enjoy cooking and baking - but I hate planning the meals. Oh, and cleaning up after them.

16) I have had the opportunity to swim with dolphins twice, kayak with orcas, scuba dive in the bahamas, para-sail with my brother, ziplined through a forest, mountain biked down a mountain, and flown in a heli-copter numerous times, but would not consider myself adventurous.

17) One of my proudest moments was passing my level II CISA and my brother telling me that I was an awesome skier.

18) I don't think I would have an issue with being rich.

19) I can't stand slow drivers. Yet I seem to get stuck behind them on a regular basis.

20) I loose my keys. I loose my keys a lot. I loose my keys more than once a day. I once lost a set of keys in my house and have never found them. That was five years ago. I know they are in the house somewhere. One day I will find them. Until then, I will continue to loose the keys I have.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Smile for the Camera

I am supposed to be cleaning, so of course that means playing with my new camera. And since Kaylee is supposed to be cleaning her room - she was happy to pose for me. We make a good team.







Getting LOADED without the hangover

Friday's

Last week my friend Suzanne hosted LOAD at http://www.skrapnchat.com/ - this is a week long challenge where the end goal is to product one lay out a day. There are some basic guidelines for each day, but really it's to encourage you to scrap and have fun.

Here are my creations from the week:

Monday



Tuesday



Wednesday





Thursday


Thursday, March 11, 2010

A day at the Farm




Just down the road is Maplewood Farm - a small little real working farm. It's a great place to go and just let the kids run. It's never too busy and it's open for true running and playing - and of course, you need to make sure you get the bird food or it's no fun.

My friend Lori and I decided to meet there today, then she and her boys came back to the house for lunch and the kids played while we catch up. Her youngest is two - but we still got conversation in and it was a great day.

The Farm has all the basics of any good farm - ducks, cows, horses, bunnies and goats.


The goats were extra friendly today - in fact most of them tried to eat each of us. And they made it to the duck food even though we put it outside (sneaky little buggers).


It was raining with mixed snow to start the day, but it cleared up just in time for us and was probably the only two hours that didn't have rain in it today. Which was great for me to play with my new toy!


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I got a baby for my birthday!!


But not the kind that keeps you up at night and makes you change diapers.....

this kind of baby

Ahhh, my lovely husband said that I work hard all year and take such good care of our children and him that he splurged and went with the one gift he knew I really wanted. Did I ever say I love him?? I am not a very materialistic person, but I have so loved my camera for the past few years, and got full value for it many times over, but newer and better was out there, and now it's in here.

Ok, so chances are you may be saying "um, it looks just like the old one". NOPE! Ok, first it has a massive digital screen on the back (guess I should have taken a photo of that) - which is so nice for scrolling through pics and you can take photos looking at the screen on this one (that will come in handy when someone else is using my camera and can't figure out how to look through the view finder!)

More importantly, the mega pixals are HUGE like really big!! My old camera - 8. The new one...18!!! Crop away I will do without losing anything! Oh how I laugh at my first 3mp and thinking how great was that.

Oh ya, and one more awesome feature....can you say HD Video?? YES I CAN! You see, I drag my camera everywhere. Skiing, walking, vacation, playground, parties, dinner, everywhere. All over the place while our video camera sits at home. Now it's all in one. How awesome!!

From the amount of exclamation marks, you may be able to tell I am a little excited. But Chris and the kids were not the only ones to spoil me. I got lots of treasures from my family, and money to spend on things that I want (hmmm, thinking new lens, maybe a flash....and of course some scrapping supplies).


So expect lots of new posts with lots of new photos and video. Fun times. I think she needs a name, so if you have a suggestion, let me know.


Sunday, March 7, 2010

Before I get LOADED

It's not from drinking....at least this week - it's L.O.A.D this week - lay out a day!! Start tomorrow, but I am behind posting some LOs here, so I am catching up.

Just finished this one for Mission Create #10 - a sweet photo of me and my little princess


This one is for Dawn's March challenge, I scrapped my messy scrapping area. Photo proof I am a disaster when I scrap. Big surprise there!

Each year, I scrap a birthday lay out - with a recent photo (kudos to my photographer Braydon). I really like how it came out.

And a family one just for fun


What am I most excited about??? Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine has asked for one of MY lay outs for their summer edition!! YIPEEEEEE!!! Can't show you, it's out for "publication".

Stop and be thankful


Stop and smell the roses is an old saying, but sadly I was reminded again what an important one it is.


A friend and co-workers husband was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday. He leaves behind two boys, a two month old and a four year old. My heart is heavy for Michelle and her sons, and it reminds me that my life is so blessed.


So today, if you do anything - stop. Stop and look around you and remember that that petty stuff is not worth hanging on to. Stop and look at the people around you and appreciate all they are worth. Stop and smell the roses as they say.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Zoooom


Time seems to fly by in this house, faster and faster and faster.

Today at work I had to go through some old photo files, and came across some that Kaylee is such a little sweet baby. So tiny.

Here she is all "grown up" in her four and a half year confident self fanning me so I can cool down. Really she just wants photos taken of her, so I oblige. I want to capture every moment as they zoom past me.