CHRISTMAS...update!

WOW the past few days have flown by! So much has happened and so much to catch up on, I hardly know where to begin. The few days before Christmas I was busy wrapping and delivering all the Christmas goodies to friends and family. Tyson was the one who delivered the gifts and he was SO happy to go to each door and see the peoples reaction when they opened the door. I could tell that he was really in the spirit of giving, and it was AWESOME!

Christmas eve fell on a Sunday and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. Our Sunday service was beautiful, filled with glorious music, and messages that spoke of service. It was a great way to start of the holiday season. After church we headed down to Cardston to Tyler's sisters house to gather with his family for the evening. We had a wonderful ham dinner with all the fixins. The kids (cousins) had fun playing together and the adults enjoyed visiting and playing cards. It was a great evening! Later we went to my parents house to get the kids settled down for the evening. They were very excited and could hardly go to sleep..well at least Tyson was having a hard time. After the kids were tucked into bed and we were sure they were asleep SANTA came to deliver the presents. It was great to sit and reflect with the glow of the Christmas tree lights. I was just as excited as the kids!

Christmas morning came fast and I couldn't wait for the kids to wake up! They slept in until 8:30! It was so fun to see the excitement in their eyes. Tyson was so captivated by the magic of Santa and all that he brought him. It really was a great Christmas!



Tyler surprised me with a PINK Ipod Nano. I was totally surprised that he bought me it, because for the past 2 years I have asked for one and didn't get one...so the year I don't ask for one I get it. Imagine that!

The rest of the day was spent with family enjoying a wonderful Christmas dinner made by my mom. She is the BEST cook! You couldn't even tell that the chicken we had wasn't turkey! After having full tummies we just hung out and enjoyed each others company, the kids played with their new toys, and everyone was happy.

Here are a few pictures of the kids opening their presents.

Tyson got this bright yellow hummer from Grandpa & Grandma Jensen. He was SO excited. He had to wait 8 hours for the batteries to charge before he could use it though...that took some patience.

Tyler also got a remote control vehicle. His was a black Silverado truck. The boys were in heaven. After they got them all charged up it was time to go in the back yard and give them a try. Tyson caught on quickly and the two of them had a GREAT time!

Here is Tyson opening up his Transformers. He was ONE HAPPY KID!

A Fancy Tie, & A Special Visitor...

For the past week or so I have been trying to teach Tyson the true meaning of Christmas. That it isn't all about Santa and the presents WE get, but that it is about the birth of Jesus and about giving to others. So I decided that he was old enough to think of something that Tyler would like, and then we would go out and buy it. I would let Tyson choose exactly what HE wanted and I wouldn't try to alter his decision any. He was THRILLED. When I first asked him what he wanted to get dad he said, "I think he would like a fancy cowboy hat with lots of bright colors on it." I told him that dad already had a fancy cowboy hat and wondered if there was anything else he might like to get him. He then said, "How about a new house!" A tired to explain to him that we liked our house and that we didn't want to move. I then left the ideas for a day or so and let him think about it. When I asked him again he said, "I want to get dad a fancy tie to wear to meetings." PERFECT idea. So we headed out to Walmart with the goal in mind to find Tyler a fancy tie. I had my mind set that no matter what tie Tyson chose that would be the one that we would buy for him, and even if it was wild (i.e. Scooby Doo, or some crazy Christmas tie) I would have Tyler wear it and be proud of it. So we went to the tie section and I was SO surprised at the tie Tyson chose, it really is nice. I wasn't surprised AT ALL that it was blue, Tyson's favorite color. Here is a picture of the proud boy with his FANCY TIE for DAD! Today was the day to wrap the fancy tie. I let Tyson pick out the wrapping paper and then helped him write his name on the tag. He wasn't as happy to take a picture with the wrapped present though. Now he can hardly wait to go with Tyler to purchase something for me. I truly believe it is about GIVING, and not getting, and that children are never to young to learn this concept. This is turning out to be a wonderful Christmas season!

Also tonight we had a special visitor come to our house. SANTA! Tyson was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Santa what he wanted. A Transformer Cybertron (Whatever that is??) Carson on the other hand wasn't too thrilled about seeing Santa. Santa aka Ryan has come to visit the kids in our ward now for a few years. This year though, Tyson caught on that SANTA was Ryan, but we didn't tell him that it was. I guess because he hang out with Ryan and Heather so often it was easy for Tyson to recognize his voice. None the less Tyson enjoyed his visit and is excited for when the real Santa comes to visit him on Christmas Eve.

A GREAT Article!

I was sent this article via email today. I found it to be a GREAT article. I wanted to share it with those who may read my blog.

A NON-MEMBERS POINT OF VIEW 2006

Paul Allen is the owner of the Seattle Seahawks, the oneswho played the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Super Bowl.He is also the owner of the Portland Trail BlazersNBA basketball team and is co-partner with Bill Gates inMicrosoft. He wrote this editorial in the Santa Clarita,California newspaper.------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: An editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita, CA. I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West all my life. I have worked around them. They have worked for me and I for them. When I was young, I dated their daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding.Now that I have daughters of my own, some of their boys have dated my daughters. I would be privileged if one of them were to be my son-in-law. I'm talking about theMormons.

They are some of the most honest, hard working people I have ever known.They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it as much as any Christian church ever has. They serve their religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. Not one of their leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they put in. The Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact that is not generally known. I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for myself. What a surprise!

What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple service with no fanfare. I founda people with a great sense of humor and awell-balanced spiritual side. There was no loudmusic. Just a simple service, with the membersthemselves giving the several short sermons. They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is "TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When I read their "Book of Mormon" I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I had been told I would find.

Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him someof the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise,when he found out that I was in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that they did not fit into the Christian mold. He also told me that they don't really believe the Bible. He gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant that the Mormons were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn't want to hear anything good about them.At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I began to wonder. I have never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United States are Mormon. What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a little help.The Mormon church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world without a word of credit.They have donated thousands to help rebuild Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes. You never see them on TV begging for money. What cult do you know that in stills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked and be a good Christian by living high moral standards?Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class? They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI,the State Department and every police department in the country, because they are trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are in the Secret Service - those who protect the President.They serve in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in the US Senate, and have been governors of several states other than Utah.They serve with distinction and honor. If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best friends and neighbors. They are Christians who try to live what they preach. They are not perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live their religion,just like many of us.The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths.(Others) had successfully demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself. You also will be surprised.When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards in Santa Clarita. Now there are 15.They must be doing something right.

End of Article.

I have been a Mormon all my life as well as my parents, and their parents, and theirs as well. I have lived in Southern Alberta where there is a large population of Mormons. I haven't really come face to face with any anti-Mormon literature or even people who ridiculed me for being a Mormon. I guess I have been lucky. I liked this article because I really think that it ansers alot of questions people may have. And what is even better is that it was written by someone who wasn't even a member of the Mormon church. It is nice to know that there are people out there who have questions about our religion, and then they go out and get the answers themselve, and go directly to the source who would know the answers. To often we believe what we are told instead of finding out for ourself. So I am proud of Paul Allen for not listening to all the "tales" he may have heard, and by going directly to a Mormon service and getting the answers he was looking for.

All I can say is WELL SAID!

Annual Gingerbread House at the Pilling's

It has become an annual Christmas tradition to make a gingerbread house. Tonight was the night! Tyson has been looking at the box for a few days now and begging me to make it. So tonight while our family was all together we assembled a fabulous gingerbread house. Tyson was the "candy man," or so he called himself. And Carson was the candy eater! This little munchkin wouldn't stop eating the candy. Some he liked and others he tried and then spit out. After about 10 minutes he was one sticky mess...and headed for the bathtub. Tyson took great pride in putting his gingerbread house together. He told mom where he wanted the "glue" (icing) and then he would decorate that area. Check out this video of him assembling his masterpiece.




*Dad helping Carson decorate a
gingerbread tree.

*Carson concentrating on


where he is going to place


his next candy.

*Tyson the master builder
assembling his master piece.

THE END RESULT! Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!

It most definitely is a wonderful time of year!

Pilling Christmas Card - The Parents!

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have been having a terrible time getting my kids to co-operate with me to take a few pictures. And it has been just as hard to get Tyler home with us at a decent time to take a family picture. So I have reached the deadline and this year the Christmas card will only have the kids on it. I am bummed, but what could I do? So for this year here is the card that will be going out.

I think the pictures turned out cute. But the tree became very dismantled as I was giving Carson balls to throw so that he would smile and laugh. The things we do to get our kids to smile.

I have to admit that I haven't wrapped 1 present! Usually by now they would have been wrapped and placed under the tree...but not this year. This is my year of Christmas procrastination. Everything seems to be on the back burner. But tonight I have a new movie to watch, "The Devil Wears Prada," and I am all geared up to wrap! At least that is what my intentions are. Tyler has been gone all week, and I am lonley! The kids are starting to miss him and it is hard to explain to them where he is and when he will be coming home. But I know that he is working hard now so that he can have time off during the holidays. So that will be good to have some time to spend together.

S*A*N*T*A*

Today was Tyson's pre-school Christmas concert. For the past few weeks we have been practising the 2 songs at home. Tyson has quite the little memory and he knew both songs well. I told him that he needed to sing really loud so that I would be able to hear him. Of course I was a proud mother as I saw him standing in the front row singing his little heart out. I was bummed though because it was SO dark int he gym that it was hard to take a decent picture, and the video is dark as well. Tyson is the boy in the front row in the middle.




There are only 11 shopping days left until Christmas. I can't believe it. Part of me is in the Christmas spirit, I have the music playing everyday in hopes I get into it more. I guess I don't really feel like it is Christmas because there are SO many things I haven't done this year that I always do. I haven't gotten our Christmas cards out yet...haven't been able to get a good picture of all of us together. So it just might be a picture of the kids this year. They are getting them taken tomorrow, I hope they co-operate! I also haven't done any baking like I usually do. Also the gingerbread house is still in the box waiting to be decorated. I sure hope it doestn' turn our like the Halloween house we were supposed to do. Now it is hidden in the cupboard in hopes that we get to it next year. I am hoping that next week the Christmas Spirit will fill our home and we will accomplish lots!

Little Shepherd & Trimming the Tree...

On Sunday Tyson had to dress up like a Shepherd for a sharing time in Primary. We practiced all week the 2 lines he needed to learn. They were: "C" is for the Christ Child, and "S" is for the stable where baby Jesus was born. All I can say is THANK GOODNESS for grandmas because I knew that my grandma Heninger had costumes for all the characters in the nativity. I remember as a child having the opportunity to play each part, Mary, a donkey, shepherds, and a wise man. I remember that very vividly putting on the costumes and acting out that most sacred event. Now it was time for Tyson to take part in the nativity. Grandma had the perfect shepherd costume, and Tyson loved getting dressed up and he was proud to say that he was a shepherd. What can I say...I think he make a very CUTE shepherd!

I can hardly believe that it is Christmas time again. I was having deja-vu today as I put up the Christmas tree. It really doesn't seem like a year has gone by...but it has. So much has happened, we have been so blessed, and we have grown so much. It has been a GREAT year. I love trimming the Christmas tree! It has kind of become a family tradition to put it up on the 1st Monday of December for FHE. We get the fireplace going and the Christmas music playing and Tyler starts hauling all the Christmas boxes out from under the stairs. It is a daunting task but he is happy to do it, which I am glad because I really wouldn't have to crawl under there! Tyson was a BIG help but "fluffing" out all the branches on our artificial tree. Tyson had fun this year but putting all the "bells" on the tree. Bells is his word for balls. LOL. It was funny because all the balls were at his level and the top 2/3 of the tree was bare. So when he wasn't looking I moved a few of the balls around to make them better dispersed throughout the tree. Finally after about an hour of fussing the tree was complete and beautiful as ever. I love the glow of the lights and the feeling that the "tree" brings into the house. Tyler did say something kind of funny to me today about the tree, he said " You know it is kind of funny that we bring an outside tree inside, put lights on it, and decorate it." And you know, he is kind of right. Where did the idea of decorating Christmas trees even come from? I am sure thought that it has been done for many, many years. And you know with each year I look forward to it. Tonight after FHE and prayers Tyson asked if he could go lay under the tree for 10 minutes before bed. I wanted to tell him that it was WAY past his bed time, by then it was 8:45, but I let him. I put the timer on for 10 minutes and told him that when it went off it was time for bed. So off he went and got his favorite blanket and went and just layed under the tree. It was the CUTEST thing ever. And sure enough when the timer went off he came right up to bed...and he was sleepy!

Life Is SO GOOD!

I have to thank Heather for this wonderful quote, "When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive; to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Marcus Aurelius " I always enjoy reading her blog, she is so inspirational and SO positive. She is an example to me in SO many ways. Even though we have never met in person and live about a 1000 miles apart it amazes me that people can still connect and influence each other. Heather thanks to your wonderful idea about putting this quote on your bathroom mirror, I may just have to use this idea for myself!

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, it was our ward Christmas party and Santa came to visit the kids. Carson wasn't feeling 100% and was quite out of it because of the medicine I gave him. But he enjoyed sitting on Santa's lap. The Christmas season is upon us know and it is my favorite time of year. Today or possibly Monday we will dig out all of our decorations and trim the house with a little Christmas spirit. Then the rest of the month is full with parties, concerts, plays and family gatherings. Not to mention the preparation still left to do at home for family, friends and neighbors. I love this time of year when I can bake up a storm and share the goodies with those I hold dear to me. This year another family and us has decided to "pixie" a family in need. We did this last year and it brought us so much joy to really be in the spirit of giving. This year I hope to involve Tyson more so that he will begin to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Life truly is blessed. I often take for granted ALL of my many blessings. I have 2 beautiful children who are happy and healthy. A husband to loves me and our kids, and who is a good provider with LOTS of ambition. I have a family who loves me and excepts me for who I am. I have friends and neighbors who go out of their way to help me when it is needed. The list could go on and on and on. Today is a GOOD day...take a minute to think about all you have been given, and then if possible give something back.

It Tastes TERRIFIC!

Tonight was our ward Christmas party. It is an annual tradition for our ward where all the families get dressed up in their Sunday best and we gather together for a nice Christmas dinner and have a program, followed by who else...SANTA. Every year there seems to be more and more people from our congragation who attend the supper which is good, but more people means longer lines to get your food. Of course the kids were starving by 6:30 when the supper was supposed to start. Do church functions ever start on time..I think not. Oh well, it is something I have gotten used to, but it is hard to convince a 4 year old that SOON he will be able to eat. So in the mean time we had to occupy the kids with something to eat. We were located close to the desert table and the kids eagerly snatched up some Rice Krispie treats. Watch the video to see how excited Tyson is to eat one. (This is the first time I have used the video function on my new digital camera so it isn't the best, but you get the idea.)

A Proud Mother...

What can I say...I am a proud Mother. Last Sunday, November 26th, 2006 Tyson gave his first talk in primary. I am amazed at the memory he has, and was beaming when he said his little part in the Primary presentation a few weeks back. His line was "Be sorry to Heavenly Father, as well as the person you did the wrong to." He said it perfectly! I swear we only practiced it 10 times and he had it down. Now this brings me back to his talk. I had known for 2 weeks when he was to give his talk. I eagerly picked it out, "My Big Brother." A little story about Jesus. I was planning on having him memorize it that way he could concentrate on holding up the pictures that went along with it. But as you know time flies by and we forget what day it is and I forgot about that talk. After our shopping spree in the states we came home exhausted and 2 kids to really needed to go to bed. And then it hit me...THE TALK! AGHHH! So I quickly ran over the talk a few times with Tyson, disappointed that I didn't remember in time for him to memorize it. Oh well, not everything can be perfect. He did a GREAT job anyway, and remembered what I had told him about saying the words loudly and slowly so that everyone could hear him. I was so proud of him. I know that this is the first of many talk to come, but how could I not jot this down on paper for his posterity to remember. Way to go TYSON!

p.s. I was really, really tempted to take my camera and get a picture of him standing at the pulpit in the Primary room giving his little talk, but I know that would be appropriate. So I hope that I will be able to burn the imagine into my brain and remember how sweet and innocent he looked while giving the talk about Jesus. I really was a precious moment.

It Is FREEZING...

The weather here in Southern Alberta is way beyond cold. It is like we are living in a deep freeze. The temperature is -22 degrees BELOW freezing. The kids and I are locked up in the house with NO intention of going outside. Tyson has soccer tonight but it is way to darn cold to bundle the kids up and drive to the city for it. I hope he doesn't mind missing it, it will be our 2nd week in a row not going. I feel bad for Tyler though because he has to work in this cold weather. There company policy is that they work until it is below -30, then they don't have to work. How generous of them! LOL! Thank goodness for warm clothes and lots of layers. So for the next few days while it is supposed to be cold we are going to stay close to the fire and watch t.v. and movies. Nothing very productive but at least we will be warm. And another positive for the cold weather is that I don't even want to go out shopping. LOL!

I have SO much to catch up on! Blogging has most definitely been the very last thing on my list of things to do in the day. I must say though that I have missed blogging and am afraid that I could have missed some things that should have been written down. Oh well...I'm recommitting. So to update in point for here it goes:

1. I have spend the last 2 weeks completely giving my kitchen a make over. I have hated the dark brown cupboards since we bought the house 7 years ago. So I decided to paint them, and what a JOB it was! I will never, ever do it again and I would never recommend doing it to another person. But the end result is great and I love it!
2. We had new laminate flooring put in the kitchen and in the dining room. For those people back in the 70's who thought it was cool to have carpet in the dining room...what were you thinking! We got rid of it and the place looks great. Now I have to decorate the bare wall where I used to have a bunch of junk!
3. I have started to sell Salt City candles, and they are being received VERY well. I must say they are the BEST candles on the market. So if you are looking for a great, fairly inexpensive Christmas present this would make a great one.
4. Tyler and I spend the last few day in Kalispell doing some major Christmas shopping. It was "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. and it is the #1 shopping day of the year. We had to take part in the great sales. We rented a mini van before going down and man are we sure glad we did. The van was loaded to the roof with all the stuff we bought. Some of the best purchases we got were the new Canon digital camera, a 10 inch DVD player for the car, and of course lots of clothes for both the kids and myself. This will become and annual tradition!
5. I HAVE to get our pictures taken for our Christmas cards. It has been so hard to get the kids to co-operate and look at the camera at the same time. And not to mention Tyler, that guy won't smile for the life of himself! So it might not be the best picture for this year.
6. I have been asked by a magazine to contribute to a special issue they have coming up. So I need to get scrapbooking again. I haven't done it in awhile and the pictures are starting to pile up. AGHHH!

So much has happened around here, and it looks like I am going to be having a few busy weeks ahead of me. Tyson has his pre-school Christmas program coming up, so that should be fun.k I love the holiday season. I hope this year we can have the true meaning of Christmas in our home. That we won't focus on the materialism of it all as much, and focus of the birth of our Savior. I am looking forward to putting up the Christmas decorations and playing Christmas music (although i played some today.)

Halloween...

My blog entries seem to be fewer and father apart these days. Life has been very busy, as I am sure it is for everyone. Tyson's Halloween party was fantastic, and the kids are still talking about it. All the kids dressed in their costumes. We decorated mini pumpkins, then played a few games, came back upstairs for a treat of cupcakes and floats. We finished off the day by decorating cookies. It was a blast, but very hectic, with 10 3-4 year olds and 3 babies. Yes I know I am CRAZY, but it was worth it to see how much fun the kids had.

Trick or Treating was so fun this year, all though the weather was extremely cold. That didn't stop Tyson and Tyler though. We went to the Park Place Mall after school and loaded up on the treats there. Then it was home to get more treats. Tyler took Tyson out so I could stay home where it was warm with Carson. By the time they got home 2 hours later Tyson had 3 bags FULL of candy. Here it is a week later and we have hardly put a dent in all the goodies. Now Tyson is already starting to tell me what he wants to be for next year. CRAZY KID!

Tyler's work is still busy so on Sunday we made a spur of the moment trip up to High River so we could spend the night with him. Tyson has been asking when we could go and spend a night in a hotel and go to the waterslides, so he was thrilled when I told him we were going. We had fun and the kids were relatively good in the hotel. Carson finally settled down after we put him in the playpen. It was a good thing I brought it because we wouldn't have gotten a very good sleep if we would have had to rely on him sleeping in a bed. The next day we went to the city and did a bit of shopping. The kids were GREAT!

I have ventured yet again into a home business. I have been in LOVE with Salt City Candles for sometime now and decided to become a demonstrator. They are seriously the BEST candles out there. The fragrance is so intense and fills your whole house with wonderful scents. I am quickly booking parties and can't wait for these candles to become peoples favorites!

Where should I begin? Time seems to be getting away with me, and blogging hasn't been on my "to do" list for quite some time. I must though sit down and jot a few things so that I won't forget about them, and to share them with others as well.

Last Saturday October 14th, 2006 my youngest sister, Kimberley was married. We were all thrilled for her that she was finally marrying the guy she has been with for 5 years, and with whom she shares a child with. We have been busy planning and preparing for this joyous occasion. I helped make the invitations and the guest book. They both turned out so cute. My mom is the ultimate planner and not a single detail was left out. She got everything perfect down to the chocolate colored napkins, and gold napkin rings. It was beautiful! I am sad to say that I didn't get many pictures at all! I was too busy chasing after 2 kids. I did get this picture from Tiffany though of the 3 of us, and I think it is really cute. Kimberley looked like a radiant, beautiful bride. You could tell that her and Travis were both very happy to be man and wife. Travis gave a beautiful tribute to Kimberley and said he didn't know where he would be without her, probably not very happy. Their little girl Jayda was the flower girl and she looked so cute! She was happy to announce and tell everyone that, "Mommy & Daddy are getting married." She was thrilled! My mom is happy to have the wedding over with, she was exhausted with all the planning, working, and cooking meals for my dad's hunting clients. She had a full plate that is for sure. So now all of her girls are married and mothers to her grandkids. It is nice to have a new brother in law. I hope that he will feel welcome in our family.

I decided to have a kids Halloween party for Tyson. I feel it is a shame that the kids often only get to wear their costumes once. In the past our ward has done a trunk or treat for the kids, but for the past 2 years they haven't, which really is too bad, but I'm not the one in charge therefore I don't have control over what the Primary does. So instead I am having 10 of Tyson's friends over for a Costume Party. Tyson is SO excited. He could hardly wait to take the invitations I made to school today. I thought that I would decorate mini pumpkin and also sugar cookies. I am also looking for some kind of fun Halloween game we could play. It shouldn't be hard to entertain 10 3-5 year olds though.

It has been awhile since I have blogged...life has been busy. I'm not even sure where to start to catch up on what the Pilling family has been up to.

I recently finished reading "Inside My Heart," by Robin McGraw. It is a MUST read. It is such an inspiring book. I couldn't put it down. It really made me stop and think and re-evaluate a few things in my life. It is a book that I know I will find myself referring back to and reading more than once. If you need a pick me up, or just a good inspirational book to read...this is the ONE!

Fall is here and I have found myself baking up a STORM. Last weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. We weren't able to get together for this coming weekend so we had it a week earlier. I found myself thinking while we were cleaning up a wonderful dinner, "What am I going to do with all these left over cranberries?" It seems no turkey dinner is complete without them, but we hardly make a dent in the can. So I decided to search for a recipe to use up the left overs. So yesterday I made these delectable little cranberry cheesecake squares. So YUMMY!

Here is the recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of this mixture and press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon juice and spread the mixture evenly over the prepared crust.

3. Empty the can of cranberry sauce into a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch and brown sugar. Spoon over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the top with the reserved crust mixture.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until top is golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Tyson started soccer last Monday and he LOVED it. He kept telling Tyler and I that it was Super Dupper Fun! I am so happy he enjoyed himself. He can hardly wait for 2 weeks till his next game. Pictures to come.

I Did It!

I actually scrapbooked 2 lo's the other day. And right now I am in the middle of doing another LO. YES...my MoJo just may have come back. I am loving all the fun goodies I bought at my LSS. It is always so fun to play with new product. So here's to finding my mojo and hopefully I will start cranking out the pages. It has been fun for me to go back and look at the pictures I took over the summer. We really did do some fun things. Now I can't wait to put the memories on paper so they will never be forgotten.

On a totally different subject...I have had terrible back pain for over 2 weeks now. One day I bent over to mop the floor and a stabbing pain shot in my lower back. I have experience trouble with it before but never had I experienced this magnitude of pain. It literally took me 5 minutes before I could hobble over to the couch. I managed to get in for a massage but needless to say it didn't help, it only made it worse. Usually a massage will make it feel better, but not this time. So after going to the Dr. twice and with a fist full of medication I can finally function. I would rather have a baby any day than go through the pain I have been in. It has been terrible! So bad that I had to call Tyler in the middle of the night (he was out of town for work) and I was sobbing in pain. It hurt so much that I missed part of the season premier of Grey's Anatomy. Now you know I was in pain if I am going to miss Grey's! I went so far as to call a friend who is a pharmacist, and she came over with some med's that helped me at least sleep that night. But now...after the pain comes some relief. As long as I have some medication handy if it gets to painful, I can make it through the day. I am going to get acupuncture next week, maybe that will help. I am willing to try anything. I am thankful today because I haven't had to take any Tylenol 3...so that is a good sign & I hope I am on the road to recovery.

A Tear Jerker!

I came across this book recommendation on another blog. I am always drawn to what other people are reading, and I love to find a good book to curl up with. I am also always on the prowl for good kids books. Both of my boys love to read. I have read to them since I brought them home from the hospital and they have a love for books as I do. After picking up this book, Let Me Hold You Longer, from the library today, I took a few moment to quickly read it while I was getting supper ready. Wow is all I can say. It really made me stop and think about life and how quickly it passes by. We usually only think of our child's "firsts." First tooth, first steps, first day of school, first day on a sports team etc. But do you ever stop and think about your child's "lasts?" The last time you nurse them, the last time you hold them while they drink their bottle, the last time you curl up with them for there afternoon nap, the last time to comb their hair etc. This book really made me reflect on the life of my children and how I really need to cherish each moment. Even though life gets buys and we don't take to to stop and slow down, we really need to...I need to! Before I know it my boys will be in school full time, then off to middle school, then high school. They will be driving and going on dates, and applying for colleges. Then there will come the day they turn from teenagers into men and leave the home they grew up in. I hope that when they leave, that they will always return. In the meantime I hope and pray I can cherish the time we have together. Share the good times and bad, the laughs and the tears. If you haven't read this book...YOU MUST! I am going to pick it up for myself as soon as I can.

Today I attempted to work on my sister's wedding album. Man am I out of the scrapbook loop or what! I took me an hour to complete the simplest page I have ever done. I think I am out of practice...or maybe I need more supplies to work with. Who knows..I think my scrapping mojo is totally lost. I need some inspiration and some solutions that will help me get this album done quick. The wedding is in less than 4 weeks and there is still SO much to do. So if any of you have some scrappin fairy dust, sprinkle some and me! LOL!

It Is All In Your Attitude...

How happy or miserable you are in life really comes down to your attitude. It really doesn't matter what situation you are faced with, how you handle it really is determined by your attitude. I'm sure you know of someone in your life that is very optimistic, always has something positive to say, and always looks on the bright side of situations. They look at their glass as being half full instead of being half empty. Then there are people who are always negative, they are depressed and have no hope of a brighter tomorrow. Lately, I have been finding myself somewhere in the middle but leaning more to the negative side. Life hasn't been very easy or pleasant for me, or atleast that is how I have been seeing it. I don't want to focus on the negative, I have had a change of heart and have decided that I need a major attitude change.

On Sunday I introduced the song "You Can Make Your Pathway Bright," from the LDS song book. It is all about attitude and how we can make life happier by out attitude. It hit me, that I control how happy or unhappy I am. Now I know that being completely happy 100% of the time is a very unrealistic thing to happen, but I can try and have a more positive attitude in general. So that is MY challenge. Look more on the positive side, see my glass as half full instead of empty. I know that this attitude change won't come over night, but gradually and with help from a more divine power than my own, I know that I can make a more positive change in my life.

Tonight for Family Home Evening I had a lesson on just that...being happy. I presented Tyson with 2 characters, Miserable Mack and Happy Henry. Each one was faced with different situations where they could make a happy choice or a miserable choice. Tyson seemed to grasp the concept. At the end of the lesson I presented a challenge to him, if he could be a Happy Henry all week until Saturday then we could do something special as a family. He chose to have movie night together, complete with a movie picked by him, popcorn, treats, and his favorite POP. This will be a challenge for my little 4 year old who has been struggling lately with obeying and listening. For every time he isn't happy he gets a body part taken away from Happy Henry. He can earn them back by being extra good, but it will be harder. At the end of the week if all the pieced to Happy Henry are on the fridge, then we have movie night...and if not...we don't. Tyson fully understands the rules, now I hope we have a successful week. I guess we will see.

Life

Life, it has many steep hills to climb, and many slippery slopes to get down. There are hairpin curves that we get thrown from time to time. Once in awhile you are on a nice long straight stretch when life seems to be going okay. But those long stretches don't seem to last very long. Life isn't easy, and it wasn't mean to be, but sometimes it seems too hard, and too challenging. I am having one of those days today... even one of those weeks. I have never had a complete meltdown, where the tears start to flow and I let all my emotion out. I seem to keep it bottled in and my head starts to think about all the possible scenarios of how to make life better. How life would be better if Tyler were to quit his job and find something where he could be home more. I find myself envying those women whose husbands have a 9 to 5 job, and whom are home on weekends. Whose jobs don't require them to cut there holidays short because they have a staff shortage. I find myself thinking about all the time my boys are missing with their dad because of his work load. and I have been finding myself thinking of the blessings I don't have, instead of counting the many bounteous blessings we have been given.

Today I came very close to letting my emotions get the best of me, and it would have been at church, which wouldn't have been very good. I found myself yet again taking the kids to church by myself. And it can be trying on the best of days, but today was not MY day. Carson was being a little terror and wouldn't co-operate. Then we couldn't find a seat in the chapel because people won't scoot to the middle of the row so others can sit on the outside. So we didn't have a place to sit other than in the gym, which made the kids even more rambunctious. I just couldn't take it, and my nerves were shot. So after 20 minutes I packed them up and we left. I could tell that a few other ladies new I was stressed out. They expressed to me that they understood and they too at times have felt the same way I do. I really feel though that I am the only women who has thoughts of packing a suitcase, getting a passport and leaving to somewhere tropical for a vacation by myself, letting my husband deal with EVERYTHING! I often feel unappreciated with all that I have to do, and all that I do accomplish. I know that Tyler works hard, and I appreciate that he is a hard worker and that he is a good provider, but I honestly don't think men understand just how much WE do! Maybe I am finding that if he would express his thankfulness more often it would make it worth it. The kids don't give me any positive reaction or praise for all I do, so the only person I can get it from is Tyler, and he really has been lacking in this area. I know that the storm rages before it calms down, and I am just wondering when this storm I am in is ever going to cease. I keep trying to tell myself that I am doing the best I can, that I can endure a little longer...but how long?

Sorry that this post wasn't very encouraging, but I felt it might do me good to get my feelings down. :) Here is to better days and brighter tomorrows. My mom always told me that it would be better in the morning, and it was.

1st Day Of Pre-School!

My baby is no longer a baby, he is a Pre-Schooler! Today was Tyson's very 1st day of Pre-school. He was SO excited, and couldn't wait to put on his Spiderman backpack and walk to school. He did ask me if he could ride a school bus. I had to tell him that he didn't need to ride a school bus because he lives across the street from the school. Only kids who live a long way away need to ride the bus. After that he was happy to walk with Carson and I. I could see the excitement in everything he did on the way to school. From how fast he was walking, to the skip in his step, the loudness of his voice, and the anticipation that I was hearing. He was EXCITED! It gives me such joy to see my children this happy. I took a few pictures of him in front of the school. He told me he didn't like pictures, and I said, "We have to get some pictures because you will never have a VERY 1st day of school again, this day is very special." After that he agreed. When we got to the school he RAN to his class. He went right in with no hesitation. Then he remembered the book order and wanted to give that to Miss Rita. He then sat down at a table and began doing a puzzle. He wasn't scared or hesitant AT ALL! That's my boy. I reminded him about using his manners and his inside voice, and to raise his hand when he wanted to speak. He kept telling me, "I know mom." So after a quick kiss I left. I knew he was in safe hands and that he felt comfortable.

When I picked him up 3 hours later he was so excited he could hardly speak to me. He told me the "rules" of his class, that they were to leave their name tags there when they went home, and that if they had to go to the bathroom, and adult had to go with them. He was happy about the day, and can't wait to go back next week. This is sure a mile stone in his life, and in mine also. It is an exciting time for our family!

Know Of Any Remedies For...

I'm afraid that the Pilling household has a case of the bed wetting 4 year old. I feel bad for the little guy that his little bladder can't make it through the night. But I have to admit that I am getting really tired of washing his bedding every morning. It doesn't matter what I do or how many times I take him to the bathroom before I go to bed, he still ends up wet. So does anyone have any advice for me? I would greatly appreciate it. My DH suggested that we set an alarm at 3 a.m. so that he will learn to get up and go on his own. I don't usually wake up in the middle of the night, but I may just have to for a few nights to get Tyson in the habit of waking up and going to the bathroom. I am willing to try anything! I think the little man is cluing in that I'm not very happy about the situation because early this morning I heard him getting into his drawers putting on clean underwear and p.j. bottoms. Then when I went to find his sheets they were hidden under his bed. Poor little guy!

On another Tyson note...I was ready to WRING his neck today. I took the boys to Super Store for pictures, they both looked SO cute. They were in plaid shirts, with sweaters over the top. People probably thought I was CRAZY to have my kids dressed in these hot clothes, it was +27 here today. Oh well they looked darling...or cool as Tyson would say. Anyway, the little stinker would NOT obey or co-operate. He was doing all these crazy, silly faces and wouldn't listen to the photographer. I tell ya, he was really testing my patience. I told Tyler tonight on the phone that if I wasn't in a public place I would have given him a spanking. I tried to remain calm and once the fiasco was over I told Tyson I was very displeased with his behavior, and because of it he wasn't getting a treat, and we weren't going to look down the toy isle. Tonight on the phone he told his dad that he was naughty, so that made me think he understood that I wasn't pleased with is behavior.

Well I started my great scrapbook clean out! It feels great! I have a HUGE pile of paper that I know I'm not going to use, it is still cute and hip, but when I looked at it if it didn't "speak" to me, then it went in the pile. I hate to think of the $$ that is in that pile. Oh well, why let it take up room if it isn't going to get used. As I mentioned I was going to do a RAK, well I have decided to donate my unwanted supplies to a local charity or organization. I was thinking the Boys & Girls club might be able to put it to good use. So sorry girls, no RAK for you...I hope you understand. I can see the top of my work area now, and the paper is all neat and tidy. I think I know what I am going to work on 1st, a prima music box I bought in MAY when I was in Chicago. It is SO darn cute. Stay tuned for pictures!

I Feel VERY Inspired!

Oh My Goodness...I was browsing some blogs tonight and now...I feel totally inspired. Bring on the scrapbooking. I actually feel giddy, and excited to tackle the piles of pictures that have been collecting on my desk over the past 3 months! I have decided that I am going to do a few things to put me in the mood to start scrappin again.

1. I am going to re-organize my scrap space. I don't feel that it is homey enough for me. It doesn't invite me to sit down and create.

2. I want to paint my scrapbook room. This may take awhile before it gets done, but it is on the list.

3. I want to display some of the projects I have done. No sense keeping things hidden in a closet.

4. And lastly, I am going to CLEAN SWEEP ALL my supplies and do a RAK.

I can't wait. I have so many great products to give away. Why keep them if they aren't being used right?? Stay tuned for a quiz all about ME. You could win the RAK prize. I guarantee it will be GOOD :)

I wanted to share a few blog site with you tonight. These are the sites that have inspired me to GET CREATIVE!

Leah Fung oh my goodness this girl ROCKS! Her style it totally like mine, I love every project of hers. 1st on my list to try of hers it the Rolodex project. What a stinkin CUTE idea. I think I will do one for birthdays in my family, or my favorite recipes. It would be GREAT to keep the Rolodex of my favorite recipes out on my counter instead of diggin through my drawer to find what I am looking for.

Page Maps This is SUCH a cool site. They have awesome sketches for layouts. I think that is where I need the inspiration. This site will give you just that!

So there you have it. I feel rejuvenated and ready to scrapbook once again. Hopefully in the next few days I can get organized and then I can tackle that mound of photos.

Can you believe that Christmas is only 111 days away! Yes only 111! WOW! Just thought I would through that in there for you tonight. Don't get all in a panic though...you have plenty of time! LOL!

I Am...UnCREATIVE!

Where has my creativity gone? Where has my passion gone for the hobby I love so much? It has literally been months since I have sat at my scrap desk and produced anything! I have attempted several times to scrapbook the pictures I took of our exchange student, but nothing became of it. I feel guilty as I see all the photos I have taken over the summer...they are staring at me begging to be made into something beautiful. Why can't I "get into it?" Is it because when I walk into the scrapbook store I feel totally overwhelmed at what I see? Or is it because I look at all my "old" supplies and can't get excited about using them. I think it is a combination of all of these things. I MUST get my creativity or MoJo back. I feel lost, guilty, and very uncreative at the moment. I purchased a few things last night at the LSS with the intent of making something today...did that get done? NO! I sit here with the Heidi Swapp Fall frame kit that I bought and haven't done a thing with it. My intentions are good...but they aren't producing ANYTHING. Okay enough rambling and complaining. My goal is that once Tyson starts pre-school and we get into a routine I will have 3 hours in the afternoon to work on some projects. Carson will be napping and I will have "me" time. I hope that my MoJo slowly creeps back to me before then. I hope the scrapbook fairies will sprinkle some magic dust on me to help me feel like creating once a gain. Until then...I'm afraid not much is going to get done. I will continue to admire beautiful Lo's on other blogs and websites, and dream about the day when I finally make something that brings a smile to my face. Enough Said!

I Think I Am In Love...

Last night after Tyler and I enjoyed a very yummy dinner at The Keg (it has been months since just the 2 of us went out to a nice restaurant), I went to my LSS. WOW has that store ever changed. I haven't been in there in quite some time, I'm afraid I haven't been in the scrapbooking mood, anyway the store looks awesome! So many fun and new projects. Now on to my point, I noticed the new Provo Craft Cricut. I remember seeing it debut at the trade show awhile back and it was ALL the hype. Now I finally got to see what this little machine could do. WOWZERS! I am in love. For all of you who have painstakingly been hand cutting out letters or words with your scissors or exacto knife, PUT THEM DOWN and run out and buy a Cricut! I usually don't follow the high priced trends of scrapbooking, but this is an item I could see myself investing in for sure. It is a pricy little item, $400 at my LSS. So smart little me decided to look on eBay, the first place I go before purchasing any high priced item. Of course I found it cheaper! Now I will sit and wait patiently until nearly the end of the auction before putting my bid in. Who knows in a few days I may be the proud owner of a NEW Cricut...HOW FUN!

On another note, the weather here has turned colder. It is looking like fall is just around the corner. I even noticed a few leaves starting to turn colors. I LOVE fall. the cool mornings, the changing leaves, the smell of apple cider, and Thanksgiving! I can't believe that next week my baby will be going to pre-school. How quickly time flies by. It is a bitter sweet time in my life, I want him to stay young and innocent under my watchful eye, and yet I want him to learn and grow and gain his own identity. It is an exciting time, and he can't wait to go to school with his Spiderman backpack in tow. The schedules will start and we will get into a routine, something I am looking forward too.

Time to DeJunk!

With the changing of the seasons it always put me in to mood to dejunk my house. I decided at 8:30 p.m. last night that I was going to tackle my closet. I ad clothes in there that were WAY to big, and WAY to small, so why keep them? They were taking up room for potentially NEW clothes. So I started, going through one article at a time, and pulling things off the hangers. By the time I was done I had a HUGE orange garbage bag full of clothes I no longer wanted. Tyler asked me how much $$ I thought was in that bag...I hate to even think about it, but it would have been quite a bit. Oh well, what is the point in keeping the articles if I am not going to wear them. I might as well let my nieces go through and see if there is anything they want, and if not then Good Will I'm sure would be happy to have them. It feels good to have cleaned my closet out. Now I can think of 100 other places that need to be dejunked, here are a few that need immediate attention.

1. Tyler's dresser
2. Kid's closets
3. Telephone desk
4. Linen closet
5. Tupperware cupboard

Oh that reminds I did manage to clean out our coat closet as well and get all the shoe organized. And now there are NO dust bunnies hiding in there. It has been AGES since I cleaned in there. Now I am embarrassed at how bad my housekeeping skills are. My sister has told me in the past that on the surface my house looks very clean and tidy, but don't go opening and closets or drawers. I have to admit...she is RIGHT! Well I better go dejunk some more...

Speech Therapist...

Today Tyson had a visit with the speech Therapist, Robin. He needed to be assessed for his pre-school entry. After his pre-school screening back in May (I think) he was considered mild/moderate for speech disability. I had noticed there were consonants that he wasn't pronouncing properly and I was concerned about that. I knew that I should be on top of that and have him assessed.

Over the course of the summer I have noticed MUCH improvement with his speech. I was even beginning to think that he didn't need to be assessed. Although if they have a mild problem then they can get support, and go to pre-school for FREE! Who wouldn't want to save an extra $60 a month? I though it was worth a try.

Today he was assessed and the speech therapist was quite impressed with how he was pronouncing his words. She said he had a few minor problems but I could work with him at home and he should be just fine. He picked up her signals for the "S" (snake sound) very quickly and he would catch himself when he wasn't pronouncing the word properly. So needless to say he won't be going to pre-school for free, but on the upper side he doesn't have any severe or even moderate/mild speech problems. So it is good, we have the money to pay for his pre-school and I can sleep better knowing that with a little extra help from me his speech with be perfect in no time!

1st Trip To The Dentist!

Today was Tyson's 1st trip to the Dentist. He was quite nervous and was anticipating when he would have to get his teeth drilled. I asked him why he thought he would have to get his teeth drilled and he said that he learned that from one of his books on tape. I explained to him that for today he was only going to have a check up first to see how good his teeth were. I kept encouraging him and telling him that he was a very brave boy and that he would see that there was nothing to be afraid of the dentist for.

The time came for Tyson to go back with Dr. Rice's assistant for his check up. He showed lots of courage and confidence. The assistant was awesome! She made Tyson feel so comfortable. She showed him the chair and how it moved up and down and forward and back, and then how it layed down. When she layed him down she told him to look up and to tell her what he saw. He was happy to tell her that he saw the t.v. She then asked him what t.v. show he wanted to watch, and he announced, "A bad guy show!" So we found a show that both Tyson and I could agree on, the Backyardagains. He got to put the head phones on so he could hear his t.v. program, and he felt right at home. Then she showed him her special mirror which helped to look at his teeth, and also her tooth counter. She counted all 20 of his teeth and kept commenting on how nice and clean they were. Then Dr. Rice came in and was so friendly, and made Tyson feel special by asking him about his birthday and how old he is. He then looked at his teeth and told me that his teeth are GREAT! There is lots of space for the permanent teeth to come in, and he anticipates that his teeth will be fairly straight. Tyson was then rewarded with a Power Rangers toothbrush and then got to go to the prize box and pick a prize. He was so happy and I was so proud of him for behaving so well! It was a positive experience and that put Tyson's mind at ease about visiting the dentist. In 9 months he will get them checked and cleaned again. I know Tyson won't have any worries next time.

Things You May or May Not Have Known About ME...

I got an email from my sister today with these questions. Of course they had her answers to the questions. I had fun reading her answers and learning a little more about her. You would think that you should or would know everything about your sister, but I guess I didn't. So here are my answers. If you like copy and paste the questions into your blog and fill in the questions. It is so fun to learn more about other people.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:36 Carson woke up...and then woke me up.

2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Step Up. I went with my niece's and sister in law. It was a cute show.

4. Favorite TV show? Oh man I can't pick just one, here are a few of my fav's. Grey's Anatomy, Big Brother All Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance. GO BENJI GO!!

5. What did you have for breakfast? NOTHING! I am not a huge breakfast eater. I know that is bad.

6. What is your middle name? ReNae, after my mom.

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Thai of Mexican

8. What foods do you dislike? Hmmm, my dad concoction of macaroni and tomatoes with lots of brown sugar! YUCK!

9. Your favorite Potato chip? Doritos Nacho, or Mrs. Vicki's Sea Salt and Malt vinegar.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I can't remember the last time I bought a CD. But I do like the new Rascal Flatts and also Miranda Lambert.

11. What kind of car do you drive? Grand Prix GTP

12. Favorite sandwich? Ham and Cheese loaded with all the fixins.

13. What characteristics do you despise? Liars, I really don't see what the point to lying is. You just get tangled up in a web and you can't get out.

14. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans or yoga pants.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you NOT go? Europe for sure.

16. Favorite brand of clothing? I don't really have a favorite brand. I will buy anything that I think is cute. From Walmart, to Old Navy, Gap, Reitmans, Suzy Shier, or Sirens.

17. Where would you want to retire to? Somewhere warm and sunny, but not too far from home.

18. Favorite time of day? Evening, after the kids are asleep.

19. Where were you born? Cardston, AB

20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Hmmm...not really a sports watcher. I do like figure skating, or the Olympics when they are on.

21. Pepsi or Coke? Definitely COKE

22. Beavers or Ducks? Beavers, they are a Canadian symbol :)

23. Are you a morning person or night owl? Not really either.

24. Pedicure or Manicure? Pedicures for SURE!

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A Marine Biologist.

26. What is your best childhood memory? Hmmm hard to choose just one, but I would have to say any activities done with my family.

27. Just my ears, but I used to have my belly button done when I was in High School.

28. Ever been to Africa? Nope, and I have no interest in going there.

29. Ever been toilet papering? OH YEAH!

30. Been in a car accident? Several, one where I totaled the side of My DH's truck, and a few other minor fender benders that weren't my fault.

31. Favorite day of the week? When I was working it used to be Friday, now that I am a SAHM, everyday is the same.

32. Favorite restaurant? The Keg, or Chili's

33. Favorite flower? Wild flowers. I really don't care for roses though, they are too traditional for me.

34. Favorite ice cream? PC's Blueberry with Cheesecake chunk's.

35. Favorite fast food restaurant? McDonald's or Taco Bell.

36. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None.

37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don't think I could choose just one store, but if I had to maybe Cosco

38. Bedtime? Between 10 and 11

39. Last person you went out to dinner with? My sister in law Cheryl and her girls.

40. What are you listening to right now? Nothing it is peaceful and quite in my house.

41. What is your favorite colour? RED!

42. How many tattoos do you have? Zippo

43. Favorite magazine? Paper Crafts Magazine

Shinobu..Our Japanese Friend for LIFE!

If you ever get the opportunity to have an exchange student in your home...DO IT! I was the best experience for our family. On July 31st we had a 13 year old Japanese girls come to live with us for 10 days. Her name is Shinobu Otsuki. Immediately when we were introduced to her I was impressed and surprised with how outgoing she was. Coming to a foreign country where you can hardly speak the language I would have thought she would have been very shy and reserved, but she proved to be quite the opposite. Japanese people are very polite, and Shinobu lived up to this reputation. She seemed to be quite comfortable right from the moment we brought her home. We were informed by her instructor and guide that she had a bit of the stomach flu and she might not feel up to eating much for the next few days. This proved to be the case, but Shinobu was very happy and never let on that she wasn't feeling 100%.

After showing her around our home and hearing her comments like, "Wow..very big, and so nice," it made me feel good to see that she was happy with where she would call "home" for the next 10 days. She was thrilled with her own large room with a queen sized bed, and loved her own bathroom. We let her call home to speak to her mother, and that seemed to ease any fears she may have had. I was impressed with her ability to communicate with us. Her English was quite well for her age. I was informed by others who have been host families in the past that sometimes it has been very difficult to communicate. I didn't get that impression with Shinobu, and I felt quite at ease with the stranger we had living with us.

During the day from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Shinobu attended school at the Maranatha Christian School on the West side of Lethbridge. We had arranged car pooling with 2 other families from Coaldale who were also host families. I was assigned pick up of the 3 kids. I was kind of relieved that I didn't have to entertain her all day long, that took alot of the burden off of me. I was excited to share Canada with her. It was so fun asking her questions about Japan and getting to know more about Shinobu. She is a great girl with a wonderful personality and spunk for life and learning. She got along great with the kids, and Carson especially was fond of her. I kind of felt bad for her though because Tyson kept asking her SO many questions I'm sure her brain wasn't computing all the info he was throwing at her. He was asking her if she liked rollercoasters, and waterslides to ninja turtles and spider man. He was quite the kid with her, and he didn't hold anything back.

While she was here I tried my best to give here a true taste of Canada, but I quickly found out that she had been exposed to so much "Western" culture back in Japan. Pizza, McDonald's, and ice cream sundaes were nothing new for her. Although she did try licorice and didn't really like it. We took her to Waterton National Park for the day and she loved it there. In Japan they aren't used to seeing wide open spaces, and spacious mountain peaks. We also went to my inlaws ranch and Shinobu was able to ride a horse and milk a goat. I think she really enjoyed herself, and I know that we enjoyed having her in our home!

Calaway Park...SO MUCH FUN!

I have discovered another thing about Tyson...he is a DARE DEVIL! We went to Calaway Park, for the first time EVER, and the kids had a BLAST! There wasn't a ride that Tyson wouldn't go on, except for the ones that he was too short for, but if he could have he would have gone on those too. He loved every minute of it. He was go...go...GO...all day long. He was one tired boy though when we got back to the car. Even little Carson enjoyed going on the carousel. His eyes would get SO big when the horse went up and down. It brings such joy to me to see my kids having fun and enjoying life.

It has been a tradition for our friends (Cook's, and Douglas's) to go to Calaway with their kids every summer. This is the first summer we have been able to go with them. We all enjoyed each others company and had such a great time watching the kids take in the thrilling rides. Stacey and Becky are quite the thrill seekers themselves. They went on the roller coaster and the new ride STORM. I, myself only went on one "crazy" ride with Tyson, and that was enough for me. My head just gets all fuzzy and I feel like I'm off balance when I go on rides. I used to love them, but I guess getting older has changed my body and I'm not as tolerable as I used to be.

It was a GREAT day, one that we will do again next summer for SURE. And next year Tyson will be a littler taller and able to go on more rides that will satisfy the dare devil in him.!

Single Parent...

I am feeling VERY alone these days. Tyler has been working in Swift Current ALL week long. I miss him terribly and I am coming to my wits end. He is putting in very long hours working 2 jobs. The promotion he got as Area Supervisor hasn't turned out like I had planned. One of the oil rig operators in Swift broke his collar bone a few weeks ago and will be on disability for several months. So needless to say Tyler has to cover his area working on the rig. So he is doing double duty. He is tired and wants to be home with us, and we want him here with us! It must be draining and tiring for him just like it is for me I am sure.

Taking care of the kids and the whole house by myself is getting me down. I am beginning to feel overwhelmed with all of it. Tomorrow is garbage day so that is yet one more thing on my list I have to do. My flower pots have been neglected and have been suffering for this heat. I have to admit that the dog has gone without food for a day or two as well. So many thing on my plate, I just can't seem to get everything done. I find myself looking forward to the kids bedtime. A time when I can finally unwind and have some peace and quiet. I can't count how many times in a day that I hear the word "Mom, I need..." Somedays those words are music to my ears, and others they aren't. Am I a terrible mother for thinking that? Am I terrible to countdown the hours, minutes, seconds until my children fall asleep? I guess I am just feeling very heavy laden with all the responsibility of being a "single" parent for awhile. I know that this will pass, but when is the question?

While Tyler has been gone it really has made me realize just how much he does for me and the boys. From taking Tyson downtown with him to do an errand, to taking out the garbage faithfully every Monday when he is home, that is such a help. I miss those few extra minutes of sleep in the morning when Tyler gets up with Carson to give him a bottle. Little things like that really make a difference to me, and in those simple acts it really shows me how much I am loved by him. I sure don't take for granted all that he does for me. I hope that I can better show him my appreciation for all that he does. He is the hardest worker I know, and the most dedicated person to his faith and family. I love him, and count my many blessings everyday for God bringing him into my life when I needed him!

My heart goes out to all those women who have no choice but to be a single mother. How they do it everyday is beyond all my comprehension. To have to go to work to support their family, and then come home and have all the household responsibilities in my mind is more than one person can muster by themselves. But so many women do this, and are succeeding in raising wonderful families. They are courageous and strong, when I am sure they have many "alone" times. I am thankful and very fortunate that my "alone" times are short and far between.

I Have Been M.I.A. Now I'm BACK!

Sorry I have been MIA for awhile. We have been busy camping and playing outside, and I have to admit that we have been napping and watching WAY to much t.v. It has been SO hot outside that I just can't bare to go out there in the afternoons. So needless to say Tyson has been able to watch more t.v. and play the computer more than usual. Why haven't I been scrapbooking while being inside? I don't even know the answer to that. I guess I haven't been in the scrapping mood lately. Come fall I will hit it full force again. I will have all those fun summer pictures to do lo's for.

We spent last weekend camping at the Oldman. We went with our good friends the Cook's and Douglas's. There were more kids than adults, which can prove to be challenging, especially when the men leave for 6 hours and go fishing, but we had a great time. It was so fun to play cards all day long in between chasing kids all over and making sure they weren't falling into the raging mountain river that was FREEZING cold. All in the all the kids were good and played well together. Thank goodness though for the outdoor toys I brought. They were a lifesaver, even if they did take up the whole inside of the trailer to bring them. As all the adults were sitting in front of the fire, after ALL the kiddos were finally in bed, we decided that camping is great and these are memories we are making, but man is it a lot of work, but so worth it! I took some really cute pictures of the kids playing in the river stripped down to their underwear. I will share them later as I left the camera in the trailer.

The only downer that we encountered was that the fridge in our trailer went on the fritz. Before it was freezing everything and now it isn't even getting cold. What a PAIN! We managed though to put our perishables in other fridges and we made out okay. Now the 1978 trailer is in the shop getting fixed for our next camping expedition. I guess that is what you get with a 26 year old trailer.

My sisters, mom and I went to Phantom of the Opera on Thursday night. WOW is all I can say. It totally exceeded all of my expectations. The music was so beautiful, the sets amazing, and the acting perfect. It was totally worth all the $$ I spent to be able to go. I had my niece Brooklyn come and watch the kids for me while I went to Calgary. I know it was a very long day for her, but the kids loved having her watch them and she did an awesome job. She was able to stay for a few extra days and I spoiled her while she was here. It was SO fun to have a girl around. I did her hair and makeup and I just loved being girlie with her. Plus I enjoyed her company SO much as Tyler has been working ALL week long in Saskatchewan.

On Monday we are getting an exchange student from Japan. She will be here for 9 days. I think it will be a fun experience. I am looking forward to it. I am hoping to take lots of pictures so that I can make a mini book for her after she leaves. I hope she enjoys her stay while in Canada. I really hope my kids behave and don't drive her totally crazy.

Exhausted!

I am totally exhausted. The morning always seems to come WAY too soon. You would think I would have gotten enough sleep, I usually get 8-10 hours. But still I am tired. Most days I have a nap when the kids nap, and yet I wake up and feel tired. What is wrong with me?? I just feel BLAH... I would love to do a body cleanse but I don't know what one to do. If ANYONE who read my blog knows of anything I could try, I would love the info. Anyway...I'm off to have a NAP!

Attack of the ANTS!

We have lived in our house now for 6 years. I USED to brag that our house has been virtually "pest" free. No spiders or ants or another creepy crawly things. Well that has changed! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Lately I have noticed teeny tiny ants crawling around. Today as I sat down to the computer I noticed a trail of them crawling into the speakers. It totally grossed me out! Out came the RAID, and zap they were dead. Tyler also found some in the front entry way. YUCK! I know they are so tiny and very harmless, but there is just something about things that crawl around and get in to the smallest of places. I will be keeping the can of RAID very close near by in case I see another invasion happening.

The "MEAN" Kids..

We just got home form a few days away camping. Our little family of 4 loves to spend time together and we especially enjoy going camping. There is something about pulling your "home away from home" behind you in search of the perfect spot to park for the night. We decided to try out Little Bow Provincial park. The campground was situated at the bottom of a long hill, it had lush vegetation with many mature trees and bushes. It is a boaters paradise, with a huge reservoir to boat on. Needless to say that there were so many campers there that I felt like we were in a full parking lot with trees. You weren't secluded from your neighbors and this is something that Tyler and I both didn't really like. We made the best of it anyway and had a good time, although early the next morning we packed up and headed to another campsite in search of something a little more private.

Tyson is a very personable child. He isn't afraid to talk to strangers, although lately he keeps asking me if these people are strangers and if they are kidnappers. Yes I have tried to drill it in his little head that there are some bad people in the world and we have to be catious. Anyway, there were a bunch of kids climbing a tree that was by our campsite. Naturally Tyson wanted to play with them. The kids were a few years older than him, which didn't bother him, but seemed to bother them. Tyson of course was too short to climb the tree without our help, so the other kids kept telling him he was too small. They were calling him a baby, and saying that he probably still wore diapers. Meanwhile I am taking this all in and am feeling heart broken that some little kid would treat my child that way. Tyson continued to try and play with them, and they kept making fun of him because he still had training wheels on his bike. The kids were also using language that I don't allow Tyson to say. He told them they were saying bad words and they shouldn't say them anymore. The older kids said they were allowed to say swears because the were 8! As I sat there and listened more intently on the situation my heart kept breaking. At such a VERY young age these children were already being unkind. Tyler told me not to do anything, that it didn't seem to be bothering Tyson. Well it was bothering ME! Finally I couldn't take it any longer and went over and told the kids that if they couldn't be nice then they couldn't play together. I took Tyson aside and told him that he couldn't play with those naughty kids ( a word that I should have used with them because from then on Tyson kept referring to the kids as the "naughty kids." LOL), that they weren't being nice and they weren't saying nice words. He asked me if they hated him, of course I told him NO! He then told me all the unkind things the kids were saying to him. How could my heart not break for the way they were treating him. I know, I am a very over protective mother. I know that I won't be able to keep him from unkind kids all of his life. But I can teach him to be kind to everyone. This is a quality that I want both my boys to acquire. It reminded me of a primary song, and I sang it to Tyson. The words are:

Jesus said love everyone,

Treat them kindly too.

When your heart is filled with love,

Others will love you!

How true these words are. We MUST be kind and tolerant at all times to others. Deep down I know that the "mean" kids didn't intent to harm or hurt Tyson. But on the other hand, we never now when something we might say may offend or hurt another person. We MUST think before we speak. Remember the golden rule,

Do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves.