The Adventures of Ali Kat

Goodbye...

2009-12-03T14:22:00.003-06:00

Well, I've decided to stop blogging. I have hardly been writing any posts lately, and I just don't feel the urge to. I also have so many other things on my plate right now... the house, the kids, hubby, friends and I want to start scrapbooking again. So, if you want, you can keep up with me on facebook or twitter (alikatmb). Thanks for all your support and love with all that has happened since I began in the blogging world... I will definitely still be reading your blogs, so know that I'm still keeping up with you, too :)

Ali Kat

That time of year :o

2009-10-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

Hey all! Well, it's that time of year where people start cleaning up their yards, and boy does our yard ever need some clean up lovin' :) So, here's an invitation:

Where: Our place... give me a shout if you need directions
When: Saturday, October 17 - starting at 10am, ending whenever we're done (food will be served throughout the day!)
What: Trimming, digging, and pulling out anything you can get your hands on
Why: Our yard is a mess and we can't keep it under control
Who: Anyone willing and able
What to Bring: A shovel and any other yard tools that may come in handy

Please let me know if you would like to come and help us! We need all the muscle and extra bodies we can get :D Thanks!

Introducing...

2009-08-03T22:37:00.003-05:00

HUNTER JACK

Born July 30, 2009

7 lbs 7 oz
20 1/4 in

Still kicking

2009-07-22T22:21:00.004-05:00

I'm alive and well. Just so completely exhausted that I don't have the energy or creative power for blog writing. I've still been keeping up with everyone's, so no worries there. Had an interesting 2 days on July 14th an 15th - went into pre-term labor, had an ambulance ride to the City as we were at the lake and then nothing progressed so I was sent home after 18 hours of being in the hospital. So, now, I'm having Braxton Hicks and cramps and playing the waiting game :) Here are a few new pics of Bee!

Building towers with Daddy and having way too much fun :D

Reading with Mommy

Our little book worm

Already loving the shoes... mommy foresees a problem here ;)

First morning in her new "big girl" bed!

Helping mommy clean and move the crib up a level

Feeding and rocking her baby

Our little ballerina...

She's such a monkey, this laughing was totally fake ;)

Our Wonderful Vacation!

2009-04-04T16:35:00.006-05:00

I guess I really should have posted these sooner, but things have been so crazy since we've been back. I've had tons of appointments and lots of get togethers, so here they finally are!

Our thumb sucker getting over a fever... and we dragged her to the zoo on one of the hottest days :( I just love the way she has to stroke her blankie with the other hand.

She learned how to swim on her own with water wings and absolutely loved it!

She also loved sitting on the top step and climbing into the pool on her own :)

At the zoo... the only pic I have of us...

Daddy and monkey walking back after daddy got a much needed haircut!

There was a smaller warthog statue, but she wanted to "ride" the big one ;)

Hubby went on a long hike with the men... glad I wasn't there to watch him climb this rock :D

Our trip was awesome and it was horrible coming back to snowstorms and cool weather, but I guess we're lucky we got to go in the first place ;)

To my loyal readers...

2009-02-26T09:11:00.002-06:00

Thank you for your concerned comments (all two of you;)! First my monkey was sick with the flu for 6 days, the next week I had a crappy cold, the next week I had the flu and was literally in bed for 3 days, then my monkey had the flu again (thankfully only one day this time) and now she's teething and has been waking up at 6am and not sleeping through the night. So... I'm pooped - there ya have it!

We leave for Palm Springs on Tues and I'm now gearing up for that with suitcases and clothes everywhere and lists to be made :)

I guess I have really been neglecting my blog, but I've been trying to spend less time on the computer, and this is what the result has been! I'll post pics of the trip when we get back, for now, here are some of my cutie-pie!

I know, I know...

2009-01-08T13:22:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know it's been a while, but honestly, I've been feeling like crap. I was finally feeling better yesterday and today and caught up on lots of stuff that needed to get done around the house! Laundry, Christmas trees, decorations to take down, general cleaning (although I still haven't finished the dishes, that one gets put off for a long time). Which reminds me, I forgot to put a dishwasher on my Christmas wish list - NO WE DO NOT HAVE ONE!!! I wish, but the way the kitchen is laid out, there actually isn't anywhere to put it, so unless we totally reno it (which isn't likely, considering we won't be here for more than 3 years) then I'm stuck with washing all, YES ALL my dishes by hand :( Humph!!! Oh, and my last post was technically #100 which is kind of fitting, considering how significant it was. I say technically, because Blogger says it is, but I have a few drafts still in progress, so if you don't count those then it wouldn't be. Okay, I ate lunch 2 hour ago, I'm starving, so I'm gonna go and have a snack, yum :P I want to post a video of Beth opening some Christmas gifts, but it might take awhile for me to get it on the computer. Tonight is pizza and TV night at the rents, and they haven't seen Beth in a few weeks, they'll be surprised at all her talking :)

Bethany just loves her "Bear Bear" that she got from Aunty!!

Too many winners...

2008-12-25T12:48:00.002-06:00

You're all too good at guessing ;)

(sing to the tune of "Happy Birthday")

Merry Christmas to everyone
In the oven is a bun
I hope you have a great time
As we are having lots of fun

I know the words don't really fit the tune, but it's the best I could do! Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday :)

Love Ali Kat

I got one wish!

2008-12-22T12:10:00.001-06:00

I got one of my unrealistic Christmas wishes...

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS???

My Christmas Wish List (yeah, right)!

2008-12-12T15:41:00.009-06:00

So, Teresa blogged about her wish list. I am going to follow her advice and do the same. Although, mine seem a little more unrealistic than most of hers ;) It's just nice to be able to dream... in no particular order...

A Wii!!! Hubby and I want this so bad, but I think it'll be a few years 'till we get one. I really wanna try the Wii music.

Photoshop... I would love to be able to diddle and doddle on this program :)

A Jesus Fish tattoo. Sound crazy?!? Yep, hubby thinks so, too, but I'm still working on him ;) I had a friend who had a maple leaf on the very top side of her leg (hip) and I always thought that was a really cool place for a tattoo, but could never think of what I would want there. For a while I thought a star, but something more meaningful recently came to mind. And how neat would it be to tell people who don't know Jesus what my tattoo means to me and other Christians :D

A lifetime supply of Starbucks! Literally, this would be the most awesomest gift in the whole wide world!! Whole beans and coffees made just for me for the rest of my life!?! (For the record, this isn't my drink - it's the new Espresso Truffle - but my drink - (Iced) Mocha - looked really boring in the pics they had.)

A New Diamond ring (I actually LOVE this one, oh, I forgot that hubby doesn't read my blog)! I've been having big time problems with the claws on my engagement ring, and as a result, hardly ever wear it anymore. I wanna feel fancy and married again :( (I'm still married, don't worry.)

Your kitchen is someplace you never go, because you "have people for that." There's a Chocolatessen, which is rapidly becoming your favorite room of the house. Having one is also becoming a trend among your wealthy neighbors. Your master bedroom is the size of a small barn, with carpet thick enough to reach your ankles. Your study has hardback editions of every classic ever written, plus a special edition of Rich Dad, Poor Dad with the parts you ghost-authored highlighted. One of your garages holds your collection of ferraris, and is measured in acreage.

Your home also includes a guest wing and private quarters for your servants. Outside is your hedge maze and gardens, meticulously tended by a team of world-class botanists.

Below is a snippet of the blueprints:
My dream house. I don't know what that is yet (especially the outside - although I really like wrap around verandas) and I'm not sure if that will EVER happen :P But, I went on this website where you can find out a few little blueprints of your dream house just by answering some silly questions, it was fun!

A maid to clean my house, buy my groceries and do my freakin' dishes - still no freakin' dishwasher - FREAK!! (hee, hee)

A trip to Costa Rica (sans child(ren))! I saw a picture in a magazine in high school and have dreamed about it ever since. Who wouldn't want to be on a secluded beach, in your own hut, swimming under waterfalls?!?

A '63 Red Mercury Comet Convertible. I almost had one in high school, but at the last minute the guy's daughter claimed it. I've been ticked ever since :s

Another baby - maybe Santa will get my letter this year?

An ACTUAL NON-SPILL SIPPY cup!! Do these exist, or do all the companies just claim it but not produce???

Black Ugg Cargo III's... Oh wait, I DO have these, mommy bought them for me last week (I never would've spent that much on boots for myself)!!! I so love them, they're super warm and super comfy and super sassy :P

Sick :(

2008-12-10T09:04:00.002-06:00

Being sick sucks, I'll be back when my head doesn't feel like it's gonna explode, I'm not blowing my nose every 3 seconds, I don't have to eat 10 ricolas in a day, I don't feel like I'm going to faint...

My two favorites!

2008-11-21T10:02:00.003-06:00

Just thought I'd post these so y'all could see what I'm talkin' about. One of my faves (Vincent) got voted off last night and totally didn't deserve to! Oh well, it's hard to get but that's what happens when you leave things in the hands of teens ;) Hubby got tics to see the top ten in February - I'm so pumped!!

GO CANADA!!!

2008-11-19T19:56:00.003-06:00

"Canadian's So You Think You Can Dance is second to none" - Dan Karaty.

We rock Canada :D Talent coming out the ying yang ;) I so LOVE this show - it's up there with my other two faves - Grey's Anatomy and ER (boo hoo, ER is leaving us)! Maybe it's the fact that I've always wanted to be a "real" dancer, but man, I love this show (oops, did I say that already?)!! Okay, that's all I really have to say... Watch it, and see for yourself :)

Update

2008-11-12T14:29:00.007-06:00

Not much is new with us! I was performing with the Ballet at the end of October, so rehearsals were keeping me quite busy. We FINALLY got carpet in the basement, so it's actually functional now (and Beth just loves roaring around)! I'm trying to get the storage room organized now so we can get the rest of our belongings which have been living at my sisters place for the past 3 years. Obviously if we can live without them for that long, they're not too important (a lot of books). I'm hoping to really do some good purging in the next few weeks. I already dropped off 5 huge garbage bags full of clothes. I can't believe I actually kept things from 10 - 15 years ago! YIKES :P Here are some pics for you to enjoy (or don't enjoy them ;) I figured if Teresa could do them, then so could I!! Although, you can't see hers anymore... maybe she'll humor us, too?

My little monkey has now had two poops in the potty! It's spanned out over a few days, but it's a start!

An avid reader. She often just goes to her room and sits to read for a long while :D

She loves this "truck. It mostly gets pushed, 'cause she's not quite tall enough to reach the floor and push herself well enough to steer without banging into everything. We have an awesome video of Beth and Rachel pushing each other, way too cute :)

Bethany Following Instructions

2008-10-06T14:33:00.005-05:00

I thought it was about time that I posted a video of Beth! I just love how she actually followed my instructions at first! She's still only saying dada and I'm starting to get quite upset, me being home with her all day :( Sorry it's sideways, but it took me 5 days to finally be able to load this and I'm not about to try and turn it yet too. Just tilt your head and suck it up ;)

Bethany's One Year Pics

2008-09-30T20:44:00.003-05:00

I'm quite ticked at the way these scanned, but it's the best I could do, short of going out and buying my own scanner (which just wouldn't get used enough to warrant the money spent)!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Sick again?!?

2008-09-16T15:33:00.003-05:00

Man, this is getting a little old (or maybe I am?)! I can't believe I have my third throat infection of the year!!! What's going on with this silly body of mine? It's really hard being so sick that you can't get out of bed for 2 days. I can't imagine if I had more than one kid. At least we've got family around that can take her so I can rest. And, thankfully it happened on a weekend, so hubby was home most of the time and was such an awesome help. He did everything (well, almost everything, there were lots of dishes to catch up on yesterday ;) Seriously, though, he was such a fantastic help! I love him and it was so nice to hear him playing with Bethany and reading her books. It kept my mind off how incredibly sick I actually was. High fever, achy body, exploding headache (yep, my new expression), sore throat, no appetite and no freakin' energy whatsoever. Am I asking for sympathy, heck yes!! Thankful that I'm done breast feeding so I don't have to deal with Thrush from the antibiotics on top of the sickness. I'm not a fan of meds, but it's really the only way with these infections. Unless I want to be out of commission for more than a week, and that my friend would be even less fun :P But, I'm feeling much better now, just a slight ache in the bones, less energy than normal and still some strain in the throat, but almost back to myself. I had a rehearsal on Sunday night that I had to be at, boy was that fun... NOT! I have an audition on Sat. that I really need to start practicing for, but just can't begin to think of singing yet :( Guess I'll have to talk to my doc at the end of the month about maybe, possibly, thinking about getting my tonsils taken out? YIKES! That's a scary thought when you're a singer!!!

ONE!!!

2008-08-29T10:12:00.008-05:00

Sleeping in the hospital. So incredibly precious!

Tomorrow my baby is one! WOW! It's really hard to believe that it's been a whole year already. She's standing on her own now, and has taken one step a few times, but she's a very cautious child and I think she's waiting until she can do it perfectly before she starts walking. I had to post this today as we are going to the lake tomorrow. She is such a joy to have around, and I can never be frustrated with her for very long! She has such a personality and is just fun to laugh with, tickle and hug :D What an amazing and beautiful gift God has given us this past year! I can't imagine the time I will get to spend with her in the future, and can't wait until we can talk and do girly things together. Hubby is amazing with her and they have a really neat bond (can't wait to see their relationship grow, too).

Her party will be next week. I sent out Tinkerbell invites and even added sparkles to them so people could experience the "pixie dust" for themselves. We are frantically trying to get the house ready for 40 guests... the basement is still in pretty rough shape. Hubby's coming home early this afternoon to build shelves and then next week I'll be organizing and purging. I already started last night... I can't believe the amount of clothes I have kept over the years. I was in a throw out mood, so I'm making sure I don't go back and look through the boxes today, otherwise I'm sure more than half would stay here ;) And with having maternity, fat, less fat and skinny clothes, I still have so flippin' many, it's ridonculous!

My birthday was great. It's funny how as you get older, your birthdays matter less and less ;) I had a cousin and her 3 kids over in the am. We played and ate lunch and talked, it was nice to have another adult to talk to, and for Beth to be able to interact with her 2nd cousins. In the afternoon I made apple sauce with my MIL, it was a great time and Beth had a nice long nap so that we could get lots done. In the evening, hubby and I went to my parents for supper (the cheap way) and then went and picked up my birthday present - a brand new Bicycle!! We went for dessert, which was not great at all (to a place which has apparently been going downhill for a while). All in all, a really nice day :) I'll leave you with many recent pics...

Learning how to eat on her own with a spoon. It's such a mess, but I'm sure it'll be worth it once she's go it down!

Playing with mommy after a feed - some of the best snuggle times, EVER!

Sitting with daddy outside. I have at least 5 great pics from this scene :D

Chomping into one of the many apples (two of those bins full) that we used for sauce and pies. I'm sure she thought she was helping me out somehow?!?

The only pic of us three that's decent until Beth is much older than one day!

My B-Day!

2008-08-19T23:51:00.004-05:00

I had to quickly do a post before midnight, because then it wouldn't be legit anymore. It did end up being a pretty great day! More info about my day to come in my next post. For now, I leave you with a ridiculous pic that hubby wanted to take of me because he said I looked sexy... you be the judge :P

Too Long...

2008-07-23T09:36:00.004-05:00

Man, has it been a really long time since my last post. We've been through two sicknesses (Beth with roseola - a form of the measles - and a cold and me with tonsilitis and strep throat and then a cold). A little crazy and scary, but we made it through and are now nursing a diaper rash and thrush - which we've had for 10 months off and on. She's talkative and very mobile and likes to be busy and active. Crawling, walking around furniture and curious :) Life is busy with household stuff, play dates and going to the lake... no excuse for not writing, but I'm using it anyway. Beth is almost 11 months old - wow time sure flies. Hubby and I just had our 5th anniversary and are hoping to celebrate with a night on our own, but it hasn't happened yet and Beth is still breastfeeding, so it'll be difficult. She finally took a sippy cup, after she had been sick she only wanted mommy and then I got sick and had absolutely no milk, so it was pretty stressful. Life is so fantastic and the summer is great! It's so nice to finally be outside and to have sunshine and no snow. I'll leave you with some pics...

Tried to eat the daisy many times

Loves bath time, but often tries to climb out

Has so much fun on the swing, especially when daddy pushes her really high

Come and see me!

2008-04-21T09:16:00.001-05:00

It's gonna be a great show :)

Busy Life

2008-03-14T11:20:00.002-05:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately. My Grandfather passed away last Friday (he was 97 and very ill, so it was a blessing and he's in a better place). We've had funeral stuff and tons of family came out, so that's been the last week. However, I did have time to do my very first scrapbook page. I want to post it, but still need to add one more pic, so once I do you'll get to see it. Although, I can admit it's not too great, I don't have much of an artsy streak. I'm very particular and love organizing, though, so I thought it might work for me to start this whole scrapbooking addiction. Guess I
ll have to see what all you pros out there think. For now, I'll leave you with a pice of my niece brushing Beth's hair - this was her first hair brushing experience!

6 Months!

2008-02-26T10:44:00.007-06:00

I can't believe my baby's already 6 months old! Wow, time flies! She's teething right now, yesterday was not a fun day (for either of us). She's usually so good and happy, so it was hard to deal with and I really didn't know what to do. Hopefully today will be better.

Also, I wanted to post this right after the oscars - but just didn't, so here's my beef...

If any of you have seen the movie "Enchanted" you know that Amy Adams sings both the working song and How Do You Know. So, I was quite surprised to hear that Kristin Chenoweth was singing the latter. I don't know exactly what the reasoning for this was (I heard something about Disney thinking that she was more experienced with live performances), and frankly, whatever it was, they obviously didn't know what they were doing. I like Chenoweth, don't get me wrong, but Adams would have done a much better job. The song was made for her, and Chenoweth cacked so many notes and just didn't have the right character. Anyhoo, I'll let you judge for yourselves...

About Me

2008-02-19T20:34:00.007-06:00

The Basics

Hair Color: Dark brown

Eye Color: Hazel

Height: 5’6"

Profession: A stay at home mom, taught junior high and high school music for four years

Relationship Status: Married

Religious Views: Christian

My Favorites

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Car: A new Bug convertible

Favorite Movie: Any musical and I’m good

Favorite Hobby: TV and reading

Favorite Song/Singer: Song: Someone to Watch Over Me
Singer: Harry Connick Jr.

Favorite Book/Author: Jane Austen

Favorite School Subject: Musical Theatre

Favorite Vacation Destination: Venice/Rome

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Restaurant: Starbucks – only for an Iced Mocha

Favorite Animal: Zebra

Favorite Store: Dynamite

Favorite Celebrity : Patrick Dempsey/Christian Bale

Favorite Childhood Friend: Courtney – and I always wonder what she’s up to now

Favorite Childhood Memory: Rollerskating in our basement

Favorite Baby Name: Not gonna tell, you could steal it

Favorite Person In Your Life: My hubby and my daughter

This or That

Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate, who in their right mind would choose vanilla?!?

Big Mac or Whopper: Neither, yuck

Coke or Pepsi : Pepsi, all the way

Beer or Wine: Beer

Coffee or Tea: Coffee, but with chocolate milk

Apple Juice or O.J.: O.J. every morning

Summer or Winter: Summer

Windows or Mac: Mac is the best

Cats or Dogs: Dogs

Boxers or Briefs: Boxer briefs, ha!

Rain or Shine : I like both

Chips or Popcorn: Again, both

Salty or Sweet: Usually salty followed by something sweet

Plane or Boat: Boat

Morning or Night: A night owl

Movie or Play: Play

Walk or Drive: Drive.

Money or Love: I can have both, can’t I?

Breakfast or Dinner: Dinner

Forgiveness or Revenge: Forgive

Paint or Wallpaper: Paint

House or Apartment: House

Do You?

Have Any Pets: Fish, and they keep dying

Have Any Children: One beautiful little girl

Smoke: No

Drink: In moderation

Exercise: I have the best intentions

Play On A Sports Team: No

Belong To Any Organizations: Manitoba Opera, Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg, Springs Church, Canadian Actors’ Equity Association

Love Your Job: When she’s happy (which is most of the time)

Like To Cook: Cook, no – Bake, YES

Play An Instrument: Voice, Piano, Bass Guitar, Flute and dabbled in many others

Sing: Heck yes

Dance: Yep, but I wish I was better

Speak Multiple Languages: No

Ice Skate: Hate it

Swim: Yep, taught lessons for 7 years

Paint: Walls

Write: I only wish I was as good as my husband

Ski: Downhill since I was 6

Juggle: Nope

Have You Ever?

Stolen Anything: Yes, a chocolate bar when I was 4 and an ashtray

Been Drunk: A few times, but never again – it’s way too embarassing

Had Sex In A Public Place: No

Got Caught Telling A Lie: Yes

Got A Speeding Ticket: Yes

Been Arrested: No

Littered: Yes, but I’ve changed my ways

Fantasized About A Co-Worker: Yes

Cheated On A Test: Yes

Cheated In A Relationship: No

Failed A Class: Ummm… yeah

Screened Your Phone Calls: All the time

Eaten Food Off The Floor: Yes, 3 second rule (or is it 5?)

Stuck Gum Under A Desk: Yes

Wished You Were Someone Else: Yep

Cried During A Movie: All the time – even in “Home Alone”

Had A One Night Stand: No

Other

Describe Yourself
In One Word: I have no idea

Biggest Fear: My daughter dying before me

Biggest Mistake: Too many to list

Your Proudest Accomplishment: Becoming a mom, and loving it

#1 Priority In Your Life: My child

Dream Job: Broadway

Causes You Believe In: Childrens hospital

Special Talents: I’m a musician, that’s all

Where Are You Right Now: In my office at home

Where Would You Rather Be: In bed

Place To Visit Before You Die: Jerusalem

Song Played At Your Funeral: Faithful to Me

My soldier girl!

2008-02-14T13:31:00.006-06:00

A cute fun picture with a serious post!

I have a feeling many Christian parents have had these thoughts, but I just needed to get them out of my head, in writing and out there for some opinions. It's a crazy world we live in. I sometimes wonder why I brought a child into it - but then conclude that this is what we were made to do, and just hope that I can be a good example and teach my children what they need to know to follow the right path and tell others about Jesus. I know we don't / can't have all the answers, but I've been thinking lately that I don't know if I would have any. I've never really been book smart, so reading the Bible for me is a challenge. Hubby bought me the Amplified Version for my birthday 2 yrs ago, and I really love it and it brought a lot out that I hadn't realized before. But, I'm not a huge conversationalist when it comes to talking about my faith, and I always get nervous when it comes up. Why is that? Something I'm so confident about on the inside seems to be so hard to get across to people. I want my daughter to be a soldier for God - a fisher of men. But I don't even know where to begin! One verse that stands out for me is Ephesians 6:11 - "Put on God's whole armor, that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil." I know life doesn't always go as planned (and I know what I was like growing up, and that my parents probably didn't expect a lot of what I did to happen), but, man, this is making me nervous. I'm so excited to watch Bethany grow up, but so scared that I won't know what to do!!

Let's end on a better note: Happy Valentine's day :D

A long time coming :P

2008-01-26T15:29:00.000-06:00

One of the only nice pics I have with Bethany and me

I know, I'm a schmuck for neglecting my blog for so long (and admittedly opting for an easy way out by posting videos). I don't know what's wrong with me (a mix of facebook, baby and laziness)! Anyhoo, I'm posting now, and I'm guessing not many people will even read this, since I've lost so many of you to my lack of posts. Much has happened, and I'll start with the most recent.

Beth is almost 5 months old!! Yikes, time flies. And as I sit here typing, she's playing with me and giggling - how much fun can we have?!? Here are a few cute pics:

Laughing and playing with mommy (one of our favourites)

Sitting up and so proud :)

On Saturday we had a Dance Dance Revolution Party at my aunt and uncles. It was so much fun, I think we're gonna have to do it more often.

Hubby and I went to see Michael Buble! I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining he was and we really enjoyed ourselves. A vocal play group called Naturally7 opened for him and they were fantastic - totally my kind of music :) We've already agreed to see him in concert the next time he's here.

We went to Palm Springs for Christmas! The weather was sunny, but not as hot as I had hoped. I ended up getting really sick and was in bed and didn't leave the hotel room for 3 days - this really put a damper on the holiday for me. We were happy we had decided to go for 10 days instead of 7, otherwise it would have just been too quick. Bethany and I got Thrush again because I had to go on antibiotics, and for two days I had absolutely no milk, and my supply just got back up in the last few days.

I actually sent out Christmas cards this year!! Big accomplishment, since I've wanted to do it for the last four Christmases! I guess having Beth arrive helped, since we combined "Merry Christmas" with "We have a baby". I wanted to post the card (I actually did for a few days) but then realized it has our last name on it and I can't figure out how to take that part off, so you'll miss out on that one, sorry :(

The schedule thing is going much better (although Sundays and going out always messes it up). But she's content and usually good about the whole thing. Thanks Logziella for the great advice - I LOVE the Babywise book and am trying to find book 2!

And.. I'm running out of news, so I'll just say that I've been in such a moomy (oops, I meant MOMMY, or did I?) mode, that I had my first rehearsal for G & S yesterday and just didn't feel like being there. This has never happened to me, I'm usually totally pumped to go. It's a combo of wanting to be with my little one, not being vocally up to snuff, wanting an actual part (like last year) instead of just being in the chorus and being just plain tired (which seems to make no sense, since she's sleeping through the night). Hopefully I'll be more "there" for tonight's rehearsal.

PS at first I felt bad about so many pics, but then I read Lozi's recent post and all of those feelings went by the waste side.

This guy is hilarious!

2008-01-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

And yes, it's actually him singing! So good, had to share...

Lazy? Nah!

2007-12-07T10:33:00.001-06:00

Found this... had to share... lazy, no... just busy today...

Used Books (www.UsedIsBetter.com)

2007-11-19T16:03:00.000-06:00

My husband is a bookworm. We usually buy books new, but have been trying to save money and this is one department that makes it easy. There's a used bookstore based out of Texas that has so many fantastic books for really cheap! It's easy to navigate - you just type in the book or category you're looking for in the search engine and up pop your results. They have a great return policy, fundraising opportunities, and some wonderful reviews on Amazon and ebay. If you are bookworms like us, I suggest you check it out!

YAY!

2007-11-10T16:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks Zig for doing these amazing pics for us! Here are just a few to look at. Bethany was just under 2 months :D

She wore this hat for halloween - don't worry, she wore some clothes too ;)

This is one of her many "ty" animals. Her name is 'Bashfully'!

Schedule?!

2007-10-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

So, I decided we need to get Beth on a schedule. I'm not sure if hubby agrees or not (I do know he wants her to bed earlier at night). It would just be nice to know when she's gonna feed, sleep, play, etc. I'm just not sure how to go about this. So, I wrote a tentative one on the fridge, and what'd you know, it's only 10 am and it's already gone out the window. (I changed it to work for her having fallen asleep at 10 am.) How do people put their babies on a schedule? Here's what I'm thinking will/should happen today:

She fed at 8 am, but slowly, so she finished around 9:15.
10 am - nap until 11:30
11:30 - feed
12 pm - 1 - play/awake
1 - 2 - nap
2 - feed
2:30 - 4 - nap
4 - 5 - play/awake
5 - feed
5:30 - 7:30 - play/awake/nap
7:30 - feed
8 - 9:30 - play/awake
9:30 - 10 - bath/read
10 - feed
10:45 pm - 4 am - sleep
4 am - feed
4:30 - 8 am - sleep

How does this look to all you parents out there? Am I crazy for trying to have such a tight schedule? She is 2 months old today! I would just like to know when things are gonna get done and when I need to be ready to feed her. Hope this works. If anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE let me know :D

HAPPY TWO MONTH B-DAY,
BETHANY!!!

The wonder seat :)

2007-10-17T12:21:00.001-05:00

The "Bumbo" seat. This thing is fantastic - I love it and I've only used it once :) Bethany got it at her shower on Sunday (along with a ton of really cute outfits)! I had to take some pics - hope you enjoy them :D

Welcome to the world :D

2007-09-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world Bethany Diane!

Born August 30 at 6:19 am! Weighing in at 7 lbs 4 ounces and 19 inches long!

Imagine...

2007-08-14T17:57:00.000-05:00

Just imagine this is me... for the next 3 weeks (hopefully less). If you can't guess why, I'll tell. Baby is NOT head down. I'm thirty six and a half weeks and baby is being stubborn. Last time I went to the doctor, baby was head down, so I guess it's been moving a lot. Wondering why I'm writing about it? I'm asking for your thoughts and prayers. Pray that my uterus will open up and loosen so that baby will get into position. The pic I posted (since I didn't think anyone wanted to actually see me in that position) is the one my Obstetrician told me to be in lots in the next little while. Hope you get a good laugh out of it :D Thanks in advance for your support!

Ah, the joys!

2007-08-13T10:54:00.001-05:00

First, I need to say a big congrats to Zig and Alyssa - Welcome to the world Rachel Maria!!

I was in the hospital last night. Before I was pregnant, I got Migraines - I would be out for 1-2 days, was nauseous, but never threw up. Yesterday, I had a brutal migraine and was throwing up. So, when you're pregnant you worry a little more about getting dehydrated and also about baby. Hubby and I decided to go to the hospital just to make sure I didn't need to be put on IV and to check that baby was okay. We get to emerg and they send me straight up to the 3rd floor (labour and delivery ward). I was basically the only one up there when we arrived, they put me in a room, hooked me up to the baby heart monitor and then a great doctor came to see me. He checked everything out and said it was definitely a migraine and gave me a T3. 45 minutes later I still had the pain and it hadn't subsided. Then I got a Gravol (to help with the nauseousness) and they say it can also help the pain. Then, they kicked me out of my room! Don't worry, it was fine. About an hour after we arrived at the hospital, there were women in early labour that were waiting for a room, so we totally understood that they needed my bed. They put me in the waiting room and since baby was ok and they weren't concerned about me being dehydrated and weren't gonna put me on IV, we decided to go home. Got home around 1am, woke up at 3 and the headache was gone, YAY! I'm still feeling really nauseous today and the headache is lingering, but nothing I can't handle! Just a little extra here: When I got home form the hospital, I had realized that I hadn't prayed at all for healing. I immediately asked God to forgive me for not trusting Him and prayed for healing and the pain to go away. I'm 100% sure that he answered :) God is good :D

This pic was taken at the lake 2 weeks ago! Only 4 more weeks to go, YAY!!

What's this?

2007-07-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have a terrible headache today (and yesterday), so this one's for you, girls.

Can anyone guess what this pic is of?

Trip Video

2007-06-21T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here's the video from our vacation - FINALLY!!

Oh, Colin Firth

2007-06-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

So, I was fiddling on Facebook (what a surprise) and came across a group called "The if only Mr Darcy were real Society" and joined. Then, I happened upon this video. Hope all of you P & P fans enjoy it as much as I did!

My Color

2007-06-12T10:55:00.000-05:00

You Are Apple Red

You're never one to take life too seriously, and because of it, you're a ton of fun.
And although you have a great sense of humor, you are never superficial.
Deep and caring, you do like to get to the core of people - to understand them well.
However, any probing you do is light hearted and fun, sometimes causing people to misjudge you.

What Color Red Are You?

Pictures and a Story!

2007-05-31T11:31:00.000-05:00

So, last night we arrived at Osoyoos. Hubby's aunt and uncle have a condo here, it's absolutely gorgeous! The boys docked the brand new seadoos while I showered and got ready. We went for dinner - had some leftover wine, so they corked it and brought it back to the condo (something you can't do in our province). Hubby then started loading our video footage onto the computer... some of it was missing :( I was really upset. We're missing our arrival and drive to my aunt and uncle's and some really great footage of a forest we went for a walk in. Then, it starts halfway through being at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I had a nice cry, I don't know if I'll ever forget that we're missing stuff. How depressing. I guess a person should really get to know the camcorder (we just bought it before we left) before they start filming important things. It's done, can't retrieve it, can't do anything now except make sure it doesn't happen again. Right now I'm just waiting for Hubby to wake up (this is very unusual, he's always up before me - which is why I thought I'd let him sleep today).

Here are some pics from our trip so far. I'll try and upload one of the videos later!

This is from our drive around Vancouver. We stopped at this lookout to enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean. There was a sign (should have taken a pic) that said no parking between 11 PM and 6 AM. I wonder what they thought could possible happen at those hours... ?

This one is from a beach we stopped at. From here, you could see downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park across the water.

This is the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The part that was erased on tape somehow was the view of the bridge walking across. I don't believe we have any of the big bridge on video. Boo, Hoo :' (

This is still at Capilano. They have built walkways attached to the middle of the trees so you have some amazing views. This one has a stream in the background that is a habitat for Salmon.

We went on a hike up Teapot Hill. It was supposed to be a quick one, about half an hour, but with me carrying 25 extra pounds and having a cold, and yes, being a little out of shape, it took a little over an hour to get up. This stream I'm standing by was ice cold. I just had to put my hot and swollen feet in it on the way down.

This is the view from the top of Teapot Hill. We had made sandwiches, so we ate them up here and had a nice break - along with a beautiful view!

Vacation Time, Yay!

2007-05-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

We're going away for 10 whole days. We leave tomorrow, so, I won't be writing (at least, I don't think I will) while we're gone. Although, we are taking the computer, and I may not be able to keep from posting pics of the trip. Anyhoo, no one reads this anymore anyway, so y'all won't care ;)

Warning!

2007-05-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

I'm never sure if any of these emails are true or not. But, I checked this one out a bit and it seems to be legit. So, I thought I should put it out for more peeps to see!

Claim: Drug dealers are selling colored crystal methamphetamine known as "Strawberry Quick."

Status: True.

Example: [Collected via e-mail, April 2007]

Drug Warning - Beware and please inform your children

I have been alerted by one of our EMT's for our volunteer fire department that they
have received emails from emergency responder organizations to be on the lookout
for a new form of Crystalized Meth that is targeted at children and to be aware of
this new form if called to an emergency involving a child that may have
symptoms of drug induction or overdose.

They are calling this new form of meth "Strawberry Quick" and it looks like the
"Pop Rocks" candy that sizzle in your mouth. In it's current form, it is dark pink
in color and has a strawberry scent to it.

Please advise your children and their friends and other students not to accept
candy from strangers as this is obviously an attempt to seduce children into
drug use. They also need to be cautious in accepting candy from even friends
that may have received it from someone else, thinking it is just candy.

Origins: This warning about sweetened and flavored forms of methamphetamine began landing in inboxes in April 2007. "Strawberry Quick" (or "Strawberry Quik," named after strawberry Quik, a powder used to make flavored milk drinks) was first reported as appearing in the western states in January 2007. (Nevada holds the dubious honor of being the first state the substance was found in; its Department of Public Safety issued a bulletin about flavored meth seized during a 27 January 2007 search of a gang member's apartment in Carson City.) According to intelligence gathered by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents from informants, users, local police, and drug counselors, colored meth has also been found in California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Minnesota.

One DEA agent reported a red methamphetamine that had been marketed as a powdered form of an energy drink. Says DEA spokesman Steve Robertson, "Drug traffickers are trying to lure in new customers, no matter what their age, by making the meth seem less dangerous." The colored meth has been described as resembling rock candy or Pop Rocks (a kid-favored confection that fizzles in the mouth), and because it looks like candy, officials fear it may fool children and teens into mistakenly perceiving it as candy (or perceiving it as a drug far less dangerous and addictive than it actually is).

However, while colored versions of methamphetamine that resemble candy are certainly available, whether the drug is actually being sold in flavored versions remains a subject of some dispute. (Police labs don't generally test drugs for flavoring ingredients, so at least some of the seizures of colored meth may have prompted statements about "flavored" meth that were based solely on the drug's colorful appearance.) It's also not clear that either coloring or flavoring is being added to meth for the express purpose of making the drug appeal to children. (It seems more likely that such factors, if present, are manufacturing errors, attempts at creating superficial 'brand' distinctions, or simply ways of trying to combat the substance's bitter taste.)

In April 2007, U.S. Senators Feinstein and Grassley introduced legislation aimed at increasing the criminal penalties for anyone who markets or makes candy-flavored drugs by imposing upon them the same enhanced criminal sentences handed down to drug dealers who knowingly sell to minors. The Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act would alter federal law from its current state of requiring doubled (or tripled for a repeat offense) sentences for those caught selling illegal drugs to those under the age of 21 to imposing doubled or tripled sentences on anyone who "manufactures, creates, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute a controlled substance that is flavored, colored, packaged or otherwise altered in a way that is designed to make it more appealing to a person under 21 years of age, or who attempts or conspires to do so." No longer would a dealer have to be caught red-handed in the act of selling to an under 21 for the doubled or tripled sentences to kick in; under the proposed refinement to current law, simply possessing flavored versions of street drugs would be enough. Also, by the lights of this rewriting of the law, manufacturers of flavored drugs would also be subject to doubled or tripled sentences.

There is one bit of good news in all this: Methamphetamine use is down for much of the country for the second year running. Researchers say it appears this latest meth epidemic reached its peak in 2004 and 2005, and data from the federal government shows the number of first-time meth users has steadily declined in recent years.

Let's hope that Strawberry Quick doesn't serve to reverse that trend.

Barbara "quick step backwards" Mikkelson

From: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/candymeth.asp

New Look!

2007-05-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

Needed a new look for spring/summer! Plus, green is my favorite color :)

Oma and the Doll!

2007-05-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

So, I just now figured out how to download pictures from my camera...

This is from Christmas '06. Apparently, Oma never had any dolls as a child. So, my MIL, decided to make her one as a Christmas gift. I think it was the greatest thing. Oma was so surprised and totally excited and I'm glad I could capture that moment on camera!

Cutey!!

2007-05-15T09:46:00.000-05:00

A while back I wrote a post about A New Cousin. Well, he's 7 months old now, and we had a BBQ at my sisters with some family. He was there (with his mom and dad, of course) and he is so adorable. He's happy and giggles and plays with you. I was smitten :)

2007-05-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

I was on ratemyteachers.ca today, and found this from when I student taught. I thought the first comment was quite funny, so decided I had to post it. The second I posted to redeem myself from the first. Enjoy :)

11/28/04115 She thinks she's better that everyone. Not a great learning atmosphere for music students.•
(they still rated me at 5/5 for Clarity - so I couldn't have been that bad)
3/15/03255 She'll be an awesome choir director one day!!•
(aw, how nice)

Kids :D

2007-05-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

The other day I was taking care of my 5 year old nephew. I was feeling terribly nauseous. I told him I wasn't feeling well because of baby and he said this: "Well, then you must be having a boy, because boys bug people lots!" So cute :D

Getting Ready!

2007-05-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

Ah, the joys of hot rollers! I can't imagine someone doing this every day. Once they cool off, I'll take them out and do touch ups with the curling iron. Oh, how fun. And, while they're in, I'm gonna go bake some cookies!! Just thought I'd share the getting ready process with y'all :)

My Show!

2007-05-02T23:29:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to write a quick note! I'm busy rehearsing for my show. It opens tomorrow :) Having lots of fun. Hey, all you out of towners - good excuse to come up to Winnipeg (JK)! The upside - I don't look pregnant (my character is not supposed to be pregnant)... the downer is I look like a big fat blob of lard (what can ya do). Yeah, yeah - "suck it up, princess" :D Ta, Ta for now!

Blogging - Why?

2007-04-14T16:43:00.001-05:00

I must say, I was happy to see that Alyssa tagged me, 'cause I kinda felt left out. Poor me :( Hardly anyone's reading my blog anymore.

Actually, it was Zig and Alyssa who got me started on blogging. We were hanging out one night, and somehow got to talking about their blogs. I went online to check them out and decided I would start blogging. At first, it was easy - summer is more eventful than winter, I guess. Plus, I've just been feeling so crappy lately that I'm finding I really can't think of anything to write about. Through their blogs I happenstanced on Logziella , Reggie , and Guru among many others. Then, I realized my SIL Ali was blogging and my other SIL started after I did (to help us feel more connected to her family since they're so far away now). So, there you go. Here's one of my favourite posts from my first blogging days:

September 22, 2006

I know most of you are wondering "What or who the heck is jlippi?" So, here's the story of jlippi (whose name does not deserve capital letters).

This past July, my husband, sister-in-law, her husband and I, all piled into our tiny little Chevy Aveo 5 and drove 32 hours down to visit my other sister-in-law, her husband and 3 children in North Carolina. Some of you may not be able to imagine the things that happen on a trip so long in such a small space with 4 crazy relatives. I'm here to give you some advice. "DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS, UNLESS IN DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES (dire - definition: extremely serious or urgent)!" Well, okay, it wasn't that bad. Besides the wrong turns, marital disputes, annoying accents, lack of sleep, cramped legs, disgusting gas station bathrooms, almost getting killed by a semi on the freeway, smelly breath, bad food (that gives you gas), roadkill and general crankiness, all in all it was a really fun time :p

jlippi. We named our car jlippi after the trip. jlippi, with a silent 'j'. How do I start?

There's this game we play, called SOLO, it's very much like UNO, just a little more fast paced with a few twists and turns. So, we're sitting and waiting for Claire (the mother of 3) to come and play SOLO. We're waiting... and waiting...... and waiting......... So, I get up to get a snack, BOL is sitting quiet and patiently, hubby is hollering for oldest sis, the 7 year old is getting very impatient, along with Auntie (the 21 year old). So Auntie decides to start drawing. It begins innocently (even though she's not a drawing artist but rather a painter, as you'll see later). The Russian accent comes out (see: annoying accents) and she begins to form jlippi. The duck with lips (is it really a duck? I'm not sure). Maybe it's a cross between a duck and a pigeon?!? You tell me.

I also have a video on our camera with jlippi, in jlippi, but I can't figure out how to load it to the computer, and then I'd also have to know how to link it here. I may be computer literate, but I definitely can't do that much.

So, a few weeks ago, auntie and her husband (BOL) were over at our house helping with painting the basement. Auntie didn't feel too great about her "house painting" abilities. So, she took it upon herself to do some artwork on our faux fireplace. The problem now is, I can still see it through the first layer of paint. Does anyone have a solution? I think I'm gonna try a light sanding, maybe that will get rid of the profanity :o I thought you might need to see the original to be able to give some advice:

jlippi LIVES ON!!!

Hope y'all enjoyed that one - that is, those of you who are still my faithful blog readers :p BTW - we pretty much got rid of the POOP by sanding a bit and doing a second layer of paint.

I'm tagging SIL Ali, Peaches and Bowering - hope you guys are up for it :)

HAVING MOM OVER FOR DINNER!

2007-04-14T12:24:00.001-05:00

Scott invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, Scott's mother couldn't help but keep noticing how beautiful Scott's Roommate, Stephanie, was. Scott's Mom had long been suspicious of a relationship between Scott and Stephanie, and this had only made her more curious. Over the course of the evening, while watching the two react, she started to wonder if there was more between Scott and Stephanie than met the eye.

Reading his mom's thoughts, Scott volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Stephanie and I are
just roommates."

About a week later, Stephanie came to Scott saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the
beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?"

Scott said, "Well, I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure. So he sat down and wrote:

Dear Mom:
I'm not saying that you "did" take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you "did not" take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.
Love, Scott

Several days later, Scott received an email back from his mother that read:

Dear Son:
I'm not saying that you "do" sleep with Stephanie, I'm not saying that you "do not" sleep with Stephanie. But the fact remains that if Stephanie is sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the
gravy ladle by now.
Love, Mom

LESSON OF THE DAY ... NEVER LIE TO YOUR MOTHER

'I am the mull'

2007-04-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

Every once in while a truly great mull comes along like this. It IS a 'Diamond in the ruff', every detail is completely intentional and accounted for. Look at the aero-dynamacy, the colors, the length of this mull. A true craftsman. Now check out the accessories; The 44oz. Big Gulp, the wife beater, the beaded necklace, the aviator sunglasses and finally the baseball hat attached to the belt loop of faded denim shorts. The attitude, the confidence in his stride are also key, undeniable elements that make this mull stand above the rest. 'I - AM - THE - MAN' emanates from within and is projected to all. Good luck dude.

note: I do not like this website, but couldn't resist posting this!

The expensive plate

2007-04-09T14:42:00.001-05:00

I bought this plate a few weeks ago. It's Royal Albert and the line is called "Harvest Song". I've been thinking about this plate ever since my husband and I found it last July. We were walking around The Forks on our anniversary after dinner. There's this Antique store in the lower level of one of the buildings. It had some pretty neat stuff in it and it was fun to just walk around and look at everything. I saw this plate and instantly fell in love with it. I didn't buy it then, but have thought about it every time I go to The Forks. So, the other day I finally bought it. It was $39! I thought that was a little pricey, but, it's antique, so it was worth it, right? WRONG! Little did I know, this line is still being made and I could have bought this plate for $10.99 plus shipping online. I bet you could even get it at The Bay here, too (I haven't checked that out yet). I was ticked! Ticked at myself for not doing (easy) research and ticked at the antique store for getting away with ripping me off. Oh, well, it's done - can't return it. At least when I start collecting this set - many, many years from now - I'll have one plate already. Plus, it makes a story for when I hand it down to my child and it looks great on our dresser 'cause it matches our room quite nicely!

Name that baby

2007-04-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

So, hubby and I can't agree on a name for the baby. We had a list going, I pulled it out the other day and he decided he didn't like any of the names anymore. MEN!!

Anyone have any great name ideas? We don't know the gender yet, so you can suggest for both boys and girls. Your input will be much appreciated and I'm sure we'll get some laughs (AHzEigM)!

my apologies

2007-03-31T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm embarassed! Since I changed over to a new template arrangement, I've screwed up. The "confessions of a mama" blog has not been the correct one. It is my SIL's blog and I apologize. But, everything is cleared up now, so hopefully you'll all check her out at mamaluv1.blogspot.com or just lick on her link under my fun reads! Sorry Mamaluv, forgive me?!?

MMmmm, Chocolate!

2007-03-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

I am Chocolate Ice Cream

I have a flair for the dramatic and love to party.
My personality is super strong and unique.
Many people crave me constantly - while I turn a few off.

I am most compatible with coffee ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Pregnant...

2007-03-13T19:46:00.001-05:00

I've had so many mixed feelings. Don't think the wrong thing - I am so excited about having a child! I can't wait until I'm holding that beautiful baby in my arms. And I know that these past 3 months and the next 6 will be worth it all in the end. But, right now, it's pretty depressing. I've been feeling so sick and incredibly tired. I work all day, come home and have a 2 hour nap, make supper and either rush to rehearsal or just "relax" at home. Finally, this past week I actually had 2 nights in a row when I didn't feel nauseous before bed. Then, there's the belly...

Yep, I know what you're thinking. How can she be so big at only 3 months? At least, that's what I think every day. Sure, I've heard of people who were my size at this time too. But, most people I know didn't even start showing until 5 or 6 months. Bottom line - I feel fat. Not beautiful or glowing or the best I've ever felt. Just fat and unattractive. There's a reason I didn't show my face in the pi. I have zits all over my face (be glad you didn't have to see that). It makes me feel like I'm in High school again. Mind you, I did start using this amazing stuff for them - it really works! Okay, enough. Some of you asked how I feel (plus I really can't think of much else to write) so there you go. Bet you wish you hadn't asked now! I'm excited and totally looking forward to being a Mom! And... I feel like crap.

Cheesecake (among other things)

2007-03-02T16:21:00.000-06:00

I know, it's been a while. I warned you, but I 'm still very sorry.

So, Andrew and I went to Z and A's for dessert and some hang out time. We had a lot of fun (we hadn't seen each other in quite some time)! Anyhoo, they bought this cheesecake from Double D's, and I didn't know this, but you can actually get a cheesecake where each piece is a different flavour. Totally fantastic when you don't know what your guests like. Also fantastic just for you, 'cause then you don't get tired of one flavour. It was so good. I had the turtle flavour, and then, we tried little bites of each piece. I was very impressed with how good they were. The only beef I have about bought cheesecake is that the oreo flavour is never nearly as good as when it's homemade. I learned my lesson. Only homemade oreo cheesecake for me from now on! Too bad Z was on the side of the cheesecake where the oreo showed up closest to the camera. Yep, picture courtesy of Zig!

I''ve got a sweet tooth (in case you didn't figure this out already). I love chocolate and most desserts. The only thing I don't really like is cake. I love strawberry short cake and lemon chiffon cake. The kind of cake I don't like is the white, chocolate or marble cakes with loads of gross flowery icing on it. To me, that's just yucky. I'll pretty much eat any other kind of dessert. However, I also have my salty cravings too. So I'm both a sweet and salty craver!

I'm a picky eater (yes, Alyssa, I'll admit it). There was an article in the paper today about picky eaters. They went so far as to say that being a picky eater made you Obsessive Compulsive. Can you Believe it?!? I so do not have OCD. It also said that most picky eaters are terrified of being invited to people's houses for dinner. Not me! I'm pretty outspoken and don't really care if I only take two of the five things they put on the table. Heck, I don't expect everyone I have over to like everything I make.

My mom used to make a set meal for every day of the week. I think Sundays were meatloaf day. I hate meatloaf. I remember just eating toast or plain noodles on Sundays. My parents always said it just wasn't worth the fight. I was (okay, I am) stubborn. Refused to eat certain things and threw a fit (no, I don't do that now) if they tried to make me. Now, I just quietly pick the peas out of the pot pie (which is funny, 'cause that was an example used in the article) or pass the bowl of mushrooms to the next person hoping no one noticed I didn't take any. I'm not ashamed, no. And if someone would ask me, don't you want some mushrooms, I'll just tell them flat out that I don't like them. Since I've grown up, I will try things now, but I still have aversions to certain textures and flavours. That won't change. What I do know, is that I will try very hard to make my children try something once. If they say they don't like it after that - How can I force it on them, when I can't enforce it by eating certain things myself?

Okay, enough ranting. I know you were all excited about the new post and now you're totally annoyed at how boring it was. Meh, whatever...

2007-02-14T13:36:00.000-06:00

discover your inner candy heart @ quiz me

Oh, the fun...

2007-02-14T12:02:00.001-06:00

So, I've been pretty busy the last little while. Last week I started teaching in a five week term position. I get up early in the morning to help Andrew get ready, he was still having some troubles getting dressed. But, this morning he did everything except put his brace on himself. So that will be one less thing for me to have to do in the mornings. By the time I would get home around 4, I would be so tired that I'd nap for 1 or 2 hours. Then it would be dinner time, and back to the couch for vegging (I just didn't have the energy to do anything in the evenings). The weekend was busy with some much needed me time. I went for a massage and waxing on Saturday and ran around doing a bunch of errands. Sunday we went to church, did some errands and then I had a rehearsal in the afternoon. We went for dinner to my SIL's which was nice - I ended up taking a nap on the couch (what a surprise). Monday, oh, the terrible Monday. No only because it was Monday, but I woke up with a splitting headache (now I really know what people mean when they use that term) and I started puking. I couldn't even keep water down. So, being pregnant, I was a little concerned. Andrew got home, ate and we went to Emergency at 7 pm. At 8:30 they hooked me up to IV and also gave me some Gravol. The Doctor (who was pretty good looking, now that I think back) checked my breathing and stomach and felt the baby - everything was fine. So, they gave me 2 litres of IV and by 3:30 am I was able to go home. I'm still not sure it I had the flu or if I was throwing up because I was dehydrated. Anyhoo, took yesterday and today off work. Yesterday was a day on the couch, I could only be sitting up or standing for about 20 min. and still had the headache. Today is much better, but I'm glad my boss told me to take the day off. I've just caught up on most of the blogs, hope to read the rest after I have some soup (my Grandma's recipe of 'heal everything chicken noodle soup')! I really have no brain power to think of a creative entry, so this is all you'll get for now. Just thought I'd update you on what's up with me. TTFN : )

Boring me...

2007-01-30T01:03:00.001-06:00

So, it's 1 am, I know that no one is reading my blog anymore. I know I'm boring. Sorry. Between having to help Andrew every morning (very early), feeling sick, and being completely exhausted all the time, I just am not feeling creative enough. Please don't give up on me, I'll get there soon. Andrew's got the computer at work again all week, so maybe I'll get to something on the weekend. Sorry I'm being so dull and disappointing!!

Guess What...

2007-01-22T08:50:00.000-06:00

This entry has been posted by both Hubby and Me!

Hubby's out of commision

2007-01-18T18:21:00.001-06:00

I apologize for being a tease. I have good reason...

Hubby plays hockey once a week. This Tuesday, hubby decides to get tripped by another player. He falls on the ice, slides across the ice, and barrels into the boards on his side at full speed. HUBBY BREAKS HIS COLLARBONE (for the third time)!!!

So, I had wanted to post before Tuesday, but couldn't get up the energy 'cause I haven't been feeling too great. Then, Tuesday comes, and I had to take care of Andrew. So, now, he's sleeping, I've got a crap load of dirty dishes covering the entire counter and waiting to be washed. I decided blogging and catching up on some much needed computer time was more important. Then, I will go and watch my Thursday night shows and find myself doing the dishes until the wee hours of the morning. Oh, well! Relaxing and me time is also much needed today.

So... if I don't post for a while, it's because I'm being mother, doctor, nurse, wife and babysitter for hubby : )

ps I wanted to post a picture, but Andrew would not let me take one (he says I've embarrassed him enough on my blog). I tried to get one of him sleeping, but couldn't use the flash for fear of waking him up and it's too dark. Oh, well... another time!

The restaurant on the bridge

2007-01-08T09:21:00.000-06:00

Zig's post reminded me... We took my niece and nephew here the other day. We were the only ones in the restaurant (that should have been a clue), which was good for the kids, 'cause they ran around like crazy. Service was bad, we got one water at the beginning and she never came back to give us more. The food was greasy (expected that) and she forgot to put in my order of fries, so I got them when I was already finished my sandwich. The kids wanted donuts, so we waited, and waited, and waited... Finally, I had to stand up and make a point of staring at the server so she would come over. It still took a long time to even get the donuts (which appeared on one plate - two kids?). Also, two groups of people came in while we were eating and waited to be seated (never were) and left again. I knew that Winnipeg never should have put a Salisbury house on this bridge. Hopefully they'll do terrible and have to change the restaurant that's there. Oh, the view was not as good as I thought it would be, either. Whatever!

Apparently...

2007-01-05T15:54:00.000-06:00

I am Supergirl

Lean, muscular and feminine.
Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

I'm definitely not muscular and lean, but I'll take it, if I get to look like that...

Snow

2007-01-04T16:30:00.000-06:00

Or as some would call it "Schnee". Someone will have to clue me in on that one...

So, we were supposed to drive out to the lake for New year's. Hubby woke up on Sunday morning, got ready to go to church (which probably ended up being cancelled), went outside and realized he wouldn't be able to drive anywhere, so he shoveled for the next 45 min. I woke up half an hour into his shoveling to utter disappointment and thoughts of beauty and wonder...

I can't take credit for that pic, it was hubby!

So, we stayed in all day and relaxed while thinking how beautiful it must have looked at the lake with all that snow. The in-laws came over for a bit in the evening, and then we went to my sisters for a few hours to ring in the new year. By then we could at least drive on the main roads to get to her place. My other sister actually had to walk there and went in her snowshoes :) So, all in all, it turned out to be fun. The lake will have to wait 'till summer...

Another Yum, Yum!

2007-01-03T17:34:00.002-06:00

I know I've been a terrible blog tease. Many reasons - here are two:

1. We've been crazy busy doing stuff with family, friends and working on the house.
2. I feel totally creative challenged and figured it was better to not write anything, than to write something completely boring!

But, I did promise another recipe, so here goes...

Popcorn Cake (simply marvelous)

Melt:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
1 pkg. (500g) Marshmallows

Add in a big (by big it means really big) bowl:
16 oz. baking gumdrops
1 1/2 cups peanuts
24 cups popped popcorn

Mix all ingredients (I suggest pouring the melted on top of the other stuff)
press into angel food cake pan
Let cool for at least one hour

Here's a tasty pic:

Yum, yum!!

2006-12-28T09:47:00.000-06:00

My new favorite dessert: Chocolate Raspberry Torte! O my goodness, this is so amazing (I think I can say that even though I made it, right?). It's not too sweet and not too bitter, just the perfect amount of icing, and nice and thick (I don't like fluffy cakes). I decorated it all by myself, I was really proud! Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

1 package semi-sweet baker's chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 package raspberry jell-o powder
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
2 cups whipped cream (1 cup liquid to make 2 cups whipped [I add some icing sugar and vanilla to make my whipped cream])

Melt butter and 4 squares chocolate
stir dry jelly powder and sugar into chocolate until well blended
mix in eggs
stir in flour
pour into lined (waxpaper) 9" round cake pan
bake at 350* for 40 min (in my oven it's only 35)

Icing:
Melt remaining 4 squares of chocolate
stir in whipped cream until smooth
frost the cake once it's cooled

More great recipes to come...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2006-12-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I know it's a little late, as most of you won't read this until after Christmas. Hope you enjoy time with friends and family celebrating the birth of Christ and His amazing gift to us. The gift of salvation and eternal life!

Love Alison

A friend lost...

2006-12-19T10:55:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, my friend Michael passed away. I find it hard to deal with this death as so many people were praying for healing and a miracle for Michael. The weekend was a roller coaster. There were many times where the doctors thought he would make it, and then it just went downhill. We didn't find out about his death until last night, as his wife had to fly home to tell the children. I know the Lord has a plan in all this, but it will be hard for his wife and 2 children to understand at this time. The picture I chose to post is symbolic of something that we all need to remember. Michael (the small tree and only one lit) is in heaven rejoicing with God and the Angels, while we (all the other trees around him) are on earth in a dark and dreary place. We need to remember that he was in pain here on earth, and will be much happier in eternity with God. This is a hard concept to grasp for those who are grieving... please pray for peace in their hearts and healing in their souls that can only come with time. I thank you guys for your prayers and ask for continued prayers for their family and friends. I also wanted to post a few verses that have helped me in the last few days, that will hopefully be of use to some of you! These verses are from the Amplified Bible:

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find recreation and blessed quiet for you souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good - not harsh or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

Isaiah 40:28-31 ...The everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength, causing it to multiply and making it to abound. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and selected young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted. But those who wait for, expect, look for, and hope in the Lord shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

We've been elfed :)

2006-12-18T15:37:00.000-06:00

AliKat and Hubby

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Prayer Needed!!!

2006-12-18T10:19:00.000-06:00

I have a 38 year old friend who has been having heart troubles for the past 6 years. He needed a transplant and was called on Friday morning to go and have the Surgery. The initial transplant went really well. Friday night he was doing fine. Saturday morning at 8:00 the heart stopped working. They decided to open him up again. After the second surgery, the heart was working again. They still had him hooked up to the heart machine to keep the beat steady, although it was pumping and beating on its own. The doctors were optimistic about the heart and he was no longer “critical”. During the second surgery, he lost oxygen. They were going to wake him up Saturday night and have him follow some simple commands to check for brain damage. I do not know those results. Then, they did a third surgery and were going to do a fourth on the heart, but got the bleeding under control. They were then concerned, early Sunday morning, about his pupils dilating, as that could mean bleeding in the brain. Sunday morning they did a ct scan and found bleeding in the brain. His parents are flying out to be with him and should have arrived there around 5:00 p.m. Sunday. I believe they will wait until his parents arrive to take him off life supports. The couple's brother is flying back and seeing their two children (7 yrs and 5 yrs) together to tell them about their Daddy.

Please continue to pray for him, as well as his family. His wife is in Edmonton with him, as well as her two brothers (both physicians) and his brother. The children stayed here.

We all know that God can do wonderful Miracles. We have prayed for a Miracle for my friend. Ultimately, God has a plan, and we can't change that. Please pray for healing, comfort and peace for him and his family.

Thanks everyone!!

A BioPoem

2006-12-14T10:05:00.000-06:00

My friend did this on her blog and encouraged others. So, here goes...

Alison
Friendly, Fun-Loving, Stubborn, Bold
Sister and Sister-in-law to several
Lover of Jesus, Hubby - Sleep
Who feels Hurt, Attacked - Accepted
Who needs Hugs/Cuddling, Support, Adoration
Who fears Change, Exclusion - Spiders
Who gives Love, Gifts, Opinions
Who dreams of Performing (big time), My dream house - Being content with life
Bursting with Flavor
Gymnast (My second life alias)

Here's the original for anyone who's interested in blogging this. It would be fun to read this about everyone!

(First name)
(Four traits describing this person)
Brother/sister/ friend of
Lover of (three things or people)
Who feels (three emotions)
Who needs (three things or people)
Who fears (three things)
Who gives (three things)
Who dreams of (three things)
(Metaphor for person)(Last name)

Our tree :)

2006-12-12T14:58:00.000-06:00

The ride to buy the tree was not very adventurous. But here's a mini funny... Andrew was driving, I was the passenger. He "saw" a "tree lot". I wasn't paying that much attention, so we proceeded to go to the "tree lot". It was a building with lots of land around, on which were lots of evergreen trees. This was not a tree lot. We had a good laugh, I called him a loser. That's the only story about our tree buying adventures.

Oh, for some reason he decided to drive home. The tree was on top of the car and he was holding onto it through the window. I was a little scared, I don't know why I didn't drive in the first place. Well, we made it home and the tree is fine!

I figured since everyone else was posting their trees and decorations, I would too. I know these pictures are not very good, but it's the best I could do.

Andrew the Great :)

2006-12-11T10:14:00.000-06:00

Sorry, honey :'( I couldn't resist!!

Oma takes the bid!

2006-12-10T11:07:00.001-06:00

In our family (both on my side and Andrew's), it's tradition to play a game called "Rook" at family gatherings. Now, I must admit that it's been upheld a lot longer in Andrew's family. I think that since my Grandpa has been in the old folks home we hardly ever play it because he's not there to demand it. But, we still do on rare occasions. The rules change from family to family, and it was hard for me to get used to the ones that Andrew's family uses (I'm such a creature of habit and really don't adapt well to change), but I suck it up and play anyway, 'cause it's a really great game. Okay, okay, I'll get to the point...

Andrew's Oma (Grandma, for you non-germans) is a very timid and reserved person. The fact that she can live through an evening of rook with her family actually makes me think of her a little differently at times. I can't explain the entire game, but I do have to tell a little for you to be able to understand why this topic was worth blogging about. At the beginning of a rook game, you bid (according to the cards in your hand and whether you think you can win the round). The bid usually starts at 100 - 120. You also call a trump color (usually the color with which you have the highest and most amount of cards) and a partner (usually a card you need, but are lacking form the trump color).

I said Oma was timid and reserved - well, here's where that comes in. She rarely bids over 100 (if she starts the bid, it's usually at 80) and sometimes, she won't put a certain card down (even if it would benefit her) because she wants her grandchildren to win or not get down because they lost a hand. Well, Andrew and I had them over for dinner on Friday. We, of course, played some rook afterwards. We had played 5 or 6 rounds, Andrew had dealt, so Oma was to start the bid. But, she did not start at 80, or even 100. She went straight to starting the bid at 120!! Needless to say we were all in complete and utter shock. How could we not take advantage of this situation. Andrew and I look at each other - both with mouths agape. We discuss (with our eyes and some mouthing of words), Opa passes, then I pass, and Andrew passes. Aha, we got you Oma. Now Oma has to take the middle (random cards to help or hinder the person who bid). I was so excited - I don't think I've ever seen Oma take the bid. That's where I got up to get the camera and take the above picture. She's a little scared. Actually - TERRIFIED would be the right word (she definitely looked it). But, we got her, now she's gotta' keep on truckin' :)

Oma won that round - how could she not. There was actually one point where she could put down a card with lots of points to screw up Andrew. She was hesitant, but she even did it (with a little coaxing from me and Opa). Way to go Oma, I'm proud of you!! (I know she won't read this - but enough people in our family do to relay the message.) And after the round was done - Oma looked so relieved. She said she was so stressed out. I didn't want to make too much of a big deal about her bidding, 'cause then she might never do it again. Well, here's hoping...

The picture says it all!

2006-12-06T15:49:00.000-06:00

'nuff said :)

* For privacy reasons the faces in this picture have been blocked out!!
(Actually, they were never in the picture to begin with, ha, ha!)

What a tangled web we weave

2006-12-04T18:51:00.000-06:00

I never thought it could be this crazy. First, I married an Andrew. I have a close cousin named Andrew. Not only that, but they have the same middle initial and the same last name. Then, my SIL marries a Kevin. She has a cousin named Kevin, and they share the same middle name. I have two cousin Paul's (they are brother-in-laws), so one is called PJ. This past spring, my cousin married a Michael. Her sister is married to a Michael (one is called Mike) What's even crazier is that I have a SIL Ali. Yes, her brother (my hubby) actually married someone with the same name as his sister. So, his pet name for me eventually caught on with everyone else in his family and for 3 years I was called Sweety-pie (to differentiate between us). Finally, I needed to put an end to it, I couldn't handle being 80 and still being called Sweety-pie. So, last Christmas, I walked into the family gathering and made an announcement. "I will no longer be called Sweety-pie" I said. "I have discussed this with sister Alison, she will be Ali and I will be Alison. I will not answer to Sweety-pie anymore! I WILL NOT be an 80 year old Sweety-pie!!" Well, it pretty much worked. His youngest sister Pam still calls me Sweety-pie. I wouldn't mind so much, except that we are in some shows together. I couldn't have my friends and director hearing that I'm Sweety-pie. So, I threatened her. It worked :) Also, I found out when I tried to up the limit on my credit card that I have an outstanding debt. (NOT MINE, DUMMIES!) How can they actually get me mixed up with her. Our birth dates are different (even different years), my last name wasn't even the same when it happened, I wasn't married yet. And, I've tried getting it off my record, but the schmucks won't do it. I even showed them my marriage and birth certificates. Total idiots. It's still difficult to keep track of who's who, since when we go to Ali's place to visit, there are 3 Al's (her husband is Alex), 2 Ali's, and 2 Alison's. Even if a person agrees to be called a certain thing, it's hard not to answer or be at attention when your full name or nickname's are called. YIKES!

Anyone else have same name families?!?

The resilient Fig tree (or so I thought)

2006-11-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of the fig tree with the Christmas lights that didn't last very long...

The story goes like this.

I have a really good friend named David. He used to work at a greenhouse and knows tons about plants and stuff. So, when he moved from Winnipeg to Montreal to go and take his Masters, he had some things he needed to give away. One of these was his fig tree. Now, I have never had any luck with plants. They don't seem to like me very much. So, I was hesitant - but David assured me this was a really resilient tree. You only have to water if once a week, and if you forget a few times it doesn't really matter. You could prune it every once in a while if it's getting too big for you (which I haven't had the guts to do yet), and all in all, it's a pretty tough plant. So, I adopted it. We had it when we were renting my sisters house and then when we moved took it with us. Well, I guess it had grown a great deal since the first transport, because we had to bend some of the branches. I thought it was fine - Andrew was a little worried. So just as we were taking it out of the car to put into the new house - a branch broke - but didn't snap off. So, I asked a friend at work (who also knows a lot about plants) how to fix it (or if it could be fixed at all). He told me to wrap a cloth around the spot where it was broken to secure it and to water that part of it. Well, it worked. After a month or two, the branch could hold it's own. It had a little scar, but other that that it was pretty much healed.

Now, don't go cheering just yet...

I thought it would look pretty to have Christmas lights on it this year. So, I proceeded to put lights on the resilient fig tree. Well, the "healed" branch broke again. POOP!! And it was doing so well. So here's my way of fixing it (it kinda' blends in, NOT)!!

Hiatus

2006-11-21T23:35:00.000-06:00

I'm on hiatus since hubby went to TO with the computer 'till Sunday am!

Sorry :(

Ladies, you knew it was coming...

2006-11-21T21:13:00.000-06:00

Here are the rules from the male side.
These are our rules!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport.
And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.
Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem.
See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.
In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria 's Secret girls,
don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.
Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done.
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine.
Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as CARS, Hunting, Fishing, or NASCAR.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape.
Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.
Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;
But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

For the women...

2006-11-19T12:21:00.000-06:00

He said: I don't know why you wear a bra, you've got nothing to put in it.
She said: You wear pants don't you?

He said: Shall we try swapping positions tonight?
She said: That's a good idea - you stand by the ironing board while I sit on the sofa and fart!

He said: What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you?
She said: Turn sideways and look in the mirror!

On a wall in a ladies room "My husband follows me everywhere!" Written just below it...
"I do not!"

Q. How many honest, intelligent, caring men in the world does it take to do the dishes?
A. Both of them.

Q. How does a man show that he's planning for the future?
A. He buys two cases of beer.

Q. What is the difference between men and government bonds?
A. The men mature.

Q. Why are blonde jokes so short?
A. So that men can remember them.

Q. How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
A. We don't know; it has never happened.

Q. Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and Good-looking?
A. They already have boyfriends.

Q. What do you call a women who knows where her husband is every night?
A. A widow.

Q. Why are married women heavier than single women?
A. Single women come home, see what's in the fridge and go to bed. Married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the fridge

Don't worry guys, there's more to come for you. I'm working on it.

PS ignore all the copyright stuff on the pic, I had to use it anyway!!

A funny!

2006-11-16T18:02:00.000-06:00

Men are not mind readers. If a man asks a woman if something is wrong and she says "nothing", they will act like nothing's wrong. They know we're lying, but it is just not worth the hassle. And finally, ask for what you want. Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

Don't worry, this one was for the men, women, you've got one coming too!!

Do Your Boobs Hang Low

2006-11-14T23:41:00.000-06:00

Sing this song to the tune: Turkey in the Straw

Note: I know some of you may be distressed by the change of word from ear to BOOB. Suck it up and deal with it, okay?!!

Do your boobs hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie 'em in a knot?
Can you tie 'em in a bow?
Can you throw 'em over your shoulder
Like a Continental Soldier?
Do your boobs hang low?

2006-11-12T23:38:00.000-06:00

Laugh, it's good for you!

I don't know about you guys, but when I hear a baby laugh it makes me laugh too. The giggling and cuteness is just so adorable. Enjoy!!

ps Does anyone have a hot clue what language is (or what is written) at the beginning of the video?

2006-11-08T15:50:00.000-06:00

Will Ferrell is The Phantom of the Opera

I Love Will Ferrell! I can't wait to see his new movie "Stranger than Fiction". Just thought You'd all enjoy a nice laugh today. ENJOY!!

Another dog story

2006-11-06T15:22:00.000-06:00

I Love 'puppy'. He's so cuddly and fun. When we go over, he gets so excited and it's nice to see that. Even if there's no human that gets that excited to see me :(

A little while ago we went over to the my MIL's. I was about to open the door to go outside and see 'puppy' when I saw carrot ends lined up at the end of the deck. I asked my MIL what they were there for. She said "The dog lined them up like that". She had thrown the carrot ends outside for him to eat (apparently the vet said they were good for him), and he hadn't eaten them, but lined them up at the end of the deck. I couldn't believe a dog would do that. Too hilarious!! We forgot to take a picture, and threw more out to see if he would do it again, but he didn't. I thought about lining them up myself to take a pic and say the dog did it, but thought I'd put this nice pic of me and 'puppy' up instead.

Last Sunday we went to their place again. And as you can see, 'puppy' was excited to see us. In this pic he has just finished giving me lots and lots of kisses, which is why I'm laughing so hard. We watched a movie and 'puppy' snuggled up to me the whole time (he weighs about 60 lbs now). He's so cut and lovable!

I know you're probably all thinking - "Why doesn't she just get a dog already so we can stop having to read about "puppy whithdrawl"?" I think the same thing, but hubby does not. He will not let me get a dog. Oh, to open a box this Christmas and find a cute little puppy with a bow around it's neck :) (That was for hubby to see!)

And... last but definitely not least, here's a pic of puppy giving me a hug!

Grapes

2006-10-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of grapes. I like the green ones a little, but not the red ones. But, my favorite are Concord grapes. MMMmmmmmm ... YUMMY! I know my pics aren't nearly as great as some peoples, but I try, and every once in a while I get a really good one (of course, I don't have them on my computer to prove it).

The problem with buying these grapes is that they're a little pricey and you have to buy a huge basket of them. With only two people in our family right now, it's hard to eat that many grapes before they go bad. So, some are still sitting in the fruit bowl and starting to shrivel up. This is not fun to watch, but if I eat too many I'll get the runs. Okay, too much info, I'll leave it at that!!

Baseboards, Baseboards Everywhere

2006-10-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

I'm in heaven. Well, not really. It's loud and messy, but we're FINALLY getting our baseboards on!

We got possession of our house on May 15, moved in 3 weeks later, and 4 weeks ago we actually went and bought new baseboards. We were going to just paint the old ones and put them back on, but, as happens in Renos, when our basement garbage pile was being taken to the garbage (what a concept), almost all of the baseboards were taken with. So, we had to buy new ones - which I secretly (well, maybe not so secretly) wanted anyway. My mom came over one Sunday, and we painted them, waited for them to dry (which obviously doesn't take 3 weeks), and now they are finally in the process of being put on. Our house is actually starting to look like a real house! So exciting!!

Yesterday, between going to Rona to get all the stuff we needed, Andrew making a box to cut with that didn't work, going back to Rona to get a box that still hardly worked, Andrew cutting his thumb with an olfa knife, and going to pick our cousin up from the airport we didn't get much done. But, today - we have a miter saw that has made things go a lot faster.

Before I finish this entry you need to be able to appreciate it a little more. Andrew hates me blogging. He's asked me for help at least 6 times with things that he didn't REALLY need help with. He's bugged me to stop at least 3 times, and when I asked him the names of the tools (you didn't actually think I knew them, did you?) he told me to look it up myself. Yet, I don't feel guilty. Is that wrong? I enjoy blogging. And, I admit, at first it took up a lot of my time. But, I don't spend that much time at it anymore. I'm getting into the creative writing a lot faster than I though I could, and I browse a lot faster now too. Just thought you should know how much effort was put into this short little meaningless blog :)

Water on Top, Ggrrrrr!!

2006-10-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

This is a complaint post. If you do not want any negativity brought into your otherwise happy day, then I suggest you do not read any further.

Okay, this is a beef I've had for a very long time, and I'm pretty sure, it cannot be solved in a way I will be happy with. But, I need to vent about it anyway.

Here's a really nice looking glass of iced tea. It only looks nice 'cause it's just been poured and the ice is fresh and it's still as strong as it should be. But, by the time I'm done writing this blog and doing some emailing, it will be watered down and all the ice will be half melted (if not completely). I will then have to either stir it to get rid of the layer of water at the top, add some more powder, or pour a new glass altogether. Some of you may be thinking - "Why doesn't she just not use ice cubes?". Good point, except that's not a possibility. Iced tea does not taste good without ice cubes, believe me, I've tried, I'd rather not have any if there aren't ice cubes in it. There are now others saying - "Why doesn't she just drink it faster?". Also a good point, and I've tried that as well, but I'm just not a guzzler of drinks, especially when they're nice and cold (because of so many ice cubes). It's a lose lose situation that I force onto myself. Well, off I go, to fix the glass in some way so I don't have to deal with tasting the gross, watered down version of iced tea that you get in the restaurants. There's a reason I prefer it at home, made by me!!

A new cousin!

2006-10-17T12:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I believe the correct term would be "cousin once removed", since he's my cousin's child. His name is John Daniel - isn't he so adorable. He's only 5 days old in this pic. I couldn't believe how beautiful he was. I mean my cousin and her husband are both quite good looking, but I thought newborns all looked the same. You know, the old wrinkly grandpa look, with a misshaped head and discolored skin. Not John, no way!! I went to the hospital the day after he was born and was just mesmerized. Maybe the reason I'm so taken up with him is not only because he's so cute ... ?

I have a really sweet pic of my niece and nephew with John, but my sister doesn't want me to post their pics on the web (totally understandable). So, y'all have to deal with me instead. Sorry :p

My Crazy Husband :)

2006-10-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

These pictures were taken on Monday, October 9, Thanksgiving Monday at the Lake. I state the date so clearly because it was quite cold that weekend, frost on the trees and ground that morning.

There's this saying at the lake: "Top Chicken". I'm sure many of you could guess what that means, but todays entry is not a prize entry (sorry Reggie), so I'll explain. There are many different types of people in this world. Some are the "dip your toes in" type, others the "go in bit by bit" type, and I believe the majority of people in my husband's family are the "Just jump in and get it over with" type. I'm talking about swimming, just to clarify! I find myself in every category at some point or another, but I'm mostly the "I'm only going in if I'm extremely hot and sweaty" type (even though I lifeguarded for 7 years - maybe because I lifeguarded for so long). Anyhoo, Andrew's family can be pretty annoying when it comes to wanting swimmers to join them, so I often give in. The "Top Chicken" would be the last person to go in the lake on any given weekend. Well, how could I possibly accept that title? Who wants to have that in their history? Not me. Although I do believe it happened once... okay, maybe twice... I TOLD YOU I'M A "go in only if hot and sweaty" TYPE, OKAY!!! Well, this time, everyone except Andrew was "Top Chicken". Andrew wakes up Monday morning, chipper and cheerful. Without making any sort of announcement, he decides to go for a swim. The water must have been about 10 degrees (50 F for you silly Americans). That's flippin' freezing, in case you couldn't figure that out. So, I had to witness this!

Down I trot to the bottom of the hill in my socks and shoes, fleecy pants and bunny hug (aka: hoody/sweatshirt). I get a peek around the corner of him dipping his head in the water while lying down (as seen on the left). I decide that's not good enough, so I tell him he absolutely HAS to go in all the way. I mean, what's he doing down there if he's not gonna' jump in? So, he proceeds (with much caution) to the edge of the floating dock. And... he jumps in (backwards, so as to be able to climb out directly after) and is out within 3 seconds. I almost hollered "You're the top chicken!", but how could I risk getting pushed in with all these clothes on? Plus, it was very brave of him and I was actually very proud. So was he, apparently ...

I'm Baaack!

2006-10-11T23:33:00.000-05:00

So, my crazy husband was disappointed with the amount of time I was spending blogging. "Coincidentally", he decided he needed the computer at work these past two weeks. I'm net deprived and he's working longer. This means I'm more bored, with NO computer, AAGGGGHHHHH!! (Oh, and no husband;) Anyhoo, it's late, you're probably all bored reading this anyway, and I don't have anything short and good to write, so I'll sign off.

To my Fellow Bloggers: Please do not stop reading. I have lots of good stories to come, as soon as I get the computer back before 11 pm!

Digital Camera

2006-09-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken at the lake when we went with our friends John and Emilie. I had just put new batteries in the camera and couldn't believe what was happening. You can see that my husband didn't make it to the picture in time and couldn't remember where he was supposed to go (John pointing, me hollering "here", Opa wondering whether to smile or not, and Em and Oma posing like good little girls). Well, that's because the batteries were dying and proceeded to become dead so we could not take the group picture that I so desperately wanted to put on my blog. Instead, you get to look at the funny faces and unprepared bodies! Guess that makes for a better entry anyway. I don't get it, I mean, I know that digital cameras use a lot of battery power, but I never realized that they would die after taking two pictures. I'm ticked, and rightly so. The only thing that redeems this situation is that we won the camera at a social, so we can't really complain. The amount of money we're spending on batteries for this sucker will soon add up to the price of the camera (I don't even know how much it is worth). I've heard that when you're importing pics to the computer it sucks up the battery. I also heard you can get a plug (like an AC adaptor) for the camera - I'm gonna do that soon. Anyhoo, just needed to vent a little!

Reggie Wins!!

2006-09-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

You must have kids! Enjoy the prize :D

This is my nephew, who proceeded to sneeze all over his auntie's (thank goodness not this auntie's) face!

Guess right and you get a prize!

2006-09-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

What is he about to do?

Perogies :D

2006-09-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, Okay. I know it's been a while. I don't know why - have no excuse :( Anyhoo...

Today, I was making perogies all day. I've never made them before, so my mother-in-law, two oma's and my sister-in-law came over to help. YIKES, was it a crazy day! We had lots of fun and took a break for lunch in between with opa stopping by (typical man just coming for the food).

I was particularly excited because I've been craving perogies for a while. These perogies are actually called verenicke. They don't have the gross cheddar cheese or potato in them like you have probably had, but rather cottage cheese. SSSSssssssoooooooooooo YUMMMMmmmMMMMY!!! We also made fruit perogies with blueberries and plums, which are also really tasty!

The only downside to making them with tons of people is that I don't have very many in my freezer because we had to split them all up. I guess I couldn't have made 200+ perogies on my own anyway, so I still feel very blessed. Blessed with omas who teach us all the things their omas taught them and so on. Blessed to have a house and kitchen in which said perogies could be made. Blessed to have a family that gets along and has tons of fun together. Blessed to have a mother-in-law that loves me just like her own kids. Okay, I'm getting all verklempt and way too cheesy for my own good.

It was fun and now I've got free food waiting to be consumed :)

The other thing that was really exciting today, was I got to see "puppy"! Woo hoo ;) He's so big now, I know he's gonna get bigger. He's so cute and playful. I had feared he wouldn't remember me, but he totally did! He came to me and played and listened so well. How am I gonna convince Andrew that we NEED a dog. I feel so lonely everyday, a dog would solve so many of my problems (although I'm sure it'd create some too). Oh crap, he's only been gone half an hour and I'm already going through puppy withdrawal :'(

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)

"Puppy withdrawal"

2006-09-23T15:47:00.001-05:00

When my husband and I were dating, we talked about being in withdrawal. He would tell me he was in "Alison withdrawal" and I would say "I'm going through Andrew withdrawal". Well, now that we've been married for a little over 3 years, we don't really go through that anymore. However, for the last little while I've been in "Puppy withdrawal". You see, My mother-in-law got a cute golden retriever puppy a few months ago. I saw him often in the summer because we went to the lake and spent more time with family. There's something about a puppy's face and the way they snuggle and play that is just so fun! I even find myself having giggle fits when he comes up and licks my toes, or decides to jump on my face as I'm basking and relaxing in the sun on the dock. Now that September is almost over, I haven't seen "puppy" for a few weeks and I'm missing him very much. You may wonder why I do not call "puppy" by name. He has a name that I love, a name that was being reserved (when I say reserved I mean by me only, and was not made knowledgeable to the public - why would I have to, I thought) for a future child I would have - if it's in God's plans for me to have a boy. So, you can imagine my great disappointment and subsequent frustration when I found out that they named the puppy Luc (I would not spell it the French way, as I am not French, but rather it would be Luke)!! So I complained, much to my dismay, as I did not realize how stubborn my father-in-law is, and his name is still Luc. Oh, I call him many things, like pooky, shmookie, puppy (my favorite), buddy - anything to get out of calling him my beautiful (unborn) boys name. I just can't bring myself to call a dog by a human name. I miss "Puppy" :( Maybe we'll have a visit this week?!

jlippi lives on!

2006-09-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

I know most of you are wondering "What or who the heck is jlippi?" So, here's the story of jlippi (whose name does not deserve capital letters).

This past July, my husband, sister-in-law, her husband and I, all piled into our tiny little Chevy Aveo 5 and drove 32 hours down to visit my other sister-in-law, her husband and 3 children in North Carolina. Some of you may not be able to imagine the things that happen on a trip so long in such a small space with 4 crazy relatives. I'm here to give you some advice. "DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS, UNLESS IN DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES (dire - definition: extremely serious or urgent)!" Well, okay, it wasn't that bad. Besides the wrong turns, marital disputes, annoying accents, lack of sleep, cramped legs, disgusting gas station bathrooms, almost getting killed by a semi on the freeway, smelly breath, bad food (that gives you gas), roadkill and general crankiness, all in all it was a really fun time :p

jlippi. We named our car jlippi after the trip. jlippi, with a silent 'j'. How do I start?

There's this game we play, called SOLO, it's very much like UNO, just a little more fast paced with a few twists and turns. So, we're sitting and waiting for Claire (the mother of 3) to come and play SOLO. We're waiting... and waiting...... and waiting......... So, I get up to get a snack, BOL is sitting quiet and patiently, hubby is hollering for oldest sis, the 7 year old is getting very impatient, along with Auntie (the 21 year old). So Auntie decides to start drawing. It begins innocently (even though she's not a drawing artist but rather a painter, as you'll see later). The Russian accent comes out (see: annoying accents) and she begins to form jlippi. The duck with lips (is it really a duck? I'm not sure). Maybe it's a cross between a duck and a pigeon?!? You tell me.

I also have a video on our camera with jlippi, in jlippi, but I can't figure out how to load it to the computer, and then I'd also have to know how to link it here. I may be computer literate, but I definitely can't do that much.

So, a few weeks ago, auntie and her husband (BOL) were over at our house helping with painting the basement. Auntie didn't feel too great about her "house painting" abilities. So, she took it upon herself to do some artwork on our faux fireplace. The problem now is, I can still see it through the first layer of paint. Does anyone have a solution? I think I'm gonna try a light sanding, maybe that will get rid of the profanity :o I thought you might need to see the original to be able to give some advice:

jlippi LIVES ON!!!

A Poem

2006-09-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

Blogger is down
My pictures won't load
It's making me frown
And almost explode

Since I can't write
The entry I planned
I thought I'd make light
Of the situation at hand

Bloggers of the universe
Take heed and don't diss
It'll only get worse
So I'll leave it at this