Last Weekend

Know what I'm going to talk about today, on the eve of a brand new weekend?

Last weekend.

I know, I'm late. But not really. It was just such a great weekend and I've been savouring it a lot.

It kicked off with Girls Night on Friday night. Jules and I baked and decorated sugar cookies. It was so messy but so much fun. She loves to get into my icing tips and sprinkles. Lots of laughing and talking together.

Here are our cookies:




So fun.

Saturday morning we went apple picking. My mom wasn't up for joining us this year, and my nephew had plans, so we went on our own. We've gone to the same apple orchard for the last 30 years and it's funny how things have always stayed the same.




This is what we were picking:



This is our tractor driver. I was trying to take a picture of Ian and the children on the tractor while holding my tea. The driver was looking right at me and started to drive off. Without me!! Talk about a blond not being able to do two things at once. I couldn't hold my tea AND my camera AND get on the tractor. Thank goodness for the 8,000 (or 15) people on the tractor that yelled for him to stop. What a dramatic disaster.



Note how he isn't looking at me now. That's right, Mr. Driver Man...don't you be lookin' at me now.

Jordan was really into picking this year. She got the concept right off the bat and loved it. It was a perfect day to go because the trees were full and many of the branches were low enough for her reach on her own.

I love this picture. Remember this post when I talked about how Ian heals the wounds of my childhood? When I see him holding our children, I feel my heart healing that much more.



I love that we have this yearly tradition.



So do the children.



While the children (and my biggest kid, Ian) played in the hay pit, I browsed through the store and just about DIED FROM EXCITEMENT when I saw they had rhubarb. I need to go back and buy some. It's a need people. Like air is a need.

On our way home we made a special stop.



Afterwards, I met up with my friend Cindy to walk the dogs.

In the evening we had our Family Night and watched Iron Man 2.

Sunday was church, followed by a visit with my beautiful mother and a family hike in the late afternoon.

I loved that weekend.

Lots scheduled for this weekend too. I wonder if we can make it as good as last weekend?

Here's hoping!

Love At First Sight

Willow has a girlfriend.

He met her last weekend.

Her name is Kali and she's lovely.

This past Saturday afternoon, my friend Cindy and I met up at a conservation area near where we both live, and she brought her friend's dog with her. As soon as we parked the car Wills started whimpering.

Look at his face when he saw her.



I do believe it was love at first sight.

Here they are meeting each other.



Just look at this beautiful road we walked along.



I have to show you what kind of shoes Cindy wore for our walk...



Fashion first!

Do dogs smile? I think so...just look at his happy face.







I think they needed some cold water poured over them, if you catch my drift.





We're going to get them together for a second date this weekend.

Puppy love. Ain't it grand?

Tuesday's Treats ~ Banana Bread

I absolutely love the smell of banana bread baking. It gives such a feeling of warmth and comfort in my home.

Unfortunately, it never lasts for very long in my house!

I've used the same recipe all along and it has never failed me.

And today I'm going to share it with you!



You'll Need:
1/2 butter softened
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas *I always use three bananas
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda

To Make:
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

You could add nuts if you wish, or even chocolate chips for something different.

I never switch it up, I must admit. My crew likes it straight up, and straight up is how they'll get it.

Happy Tuesday!

I Love Tim Hortons And I Love This Commercial

Here in Canada we are known for many things.

Hockey.

Free health care.

Maple Syrup.

Our pretty money.

Bacon.

Snow.

And Tim Hortons.

Apparently Tim Hortons has the best coffee in the world, not that I would know. I'm not a coffee drinker. But I do adore their steeped tea almost as much as I adore my children.

So that's a lot.

During the Olympics earlier this year, I saw the following commercial and it made me cry. That shouldn't surprise you as just about everything makes me cry.

Ian says I'm a crybaby.

I say God made me tenderhearted.

Take a look at this and tell me if it moved you as well, or if I'm just a crybaby.



Sigh.

Wasn't that sweet? I cry every.single.time I watch this.

Excuse me. I need to go get some kleenex.

5QF ~ September 24

Yay it's Friday!!!

You know what else?

It's three months until Christmas Eve!!!

So exciting.

And....you know what else?

Today is Mama M's Five Question Friday blog meme. If you haven't checked her out yet, this is the week to do it - she is tackling some hot topics over there :-)



Ready?

Set?

Go!

1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?

I'd love an Irish accent. Oh yes please. Instead I sound very Canadian with my "oh ya" and "eh".

2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, deck)

Yes.

Truly anywhere.

In fact, if I sit still for too long it will happen.

The other night we had a wicked thunder storm during the night. I kind of heard it, but was too involved in my sleep to be bothered. At one point I thought about my porch chairs. My thoughts were along the lines of "Oh my porch chairs...my chairs....my chai..zzzz..."

I love my sleep.

3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?

Yep. It's a very involved process, however.

First I have to wipe off the seat. Then I line the seat with two layers of toilet paper so that not one bit is exposed.

Then, and only then, do I deem it safe enough to sit on.

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?

Dr Phil. I have some issues you know.

5. Where did you & your significant other go on your 1st date?

We talked on my front porch and then went for a long walk. I wanted to hold his hand so badly!

He kissed me first.

Didn't you, Ian? ;-)

That's it for me - Happy Friday!

Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and join in on the fun!

Mama Needs One Of These

I'm not a motorcycle lover. I see them as accidents waiting to happen.

But then, yesterday...I saw this dude.



It's like a motorcycle tricycle, isn't it?

Oh my word. I think I need one too.

Look at him going around the corner...



So cute.

Now that's the only kind of motorcycle I would ever ride on.

I wish I had a picture of the whole side of it but Ian said it was rude to take pictures of a stranger. Or something like that. All I heard was "Blah blah blah get out and I'll take your picture with the guy."

I totally would have too, but Ian drove away.

Boo Ian! Boo!!

Really??

I have heard of people who did this but until the other day I had never seen it for myself.

Fuzzy dice tied to the rearview mirror.

Oh my.

Tuesday's Treats ~ Lemon Burst Cake Mix Cookies

Not too long ago I had a piece of lemon cake and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

Then... I came across Tidymom's blog. She's kind of brilliant, you know. She makes cookies from cake mixes.

The ones that caught my eye were her Lemon Burst Cake Mix cookies.

Lemon cake mix.

I had to try them!

I couldn't believe how easy they were to make.



You'll Need:
1 lemon cake mix
1 8 oz container of Cool Whip
1 egg
1/3 cup if icing sugar for rolling

Step One:
Preheat oven to 350.

Step Two:
In a bowl, beat cool whip, egg and cake mix until well blended. Dough will be thick and sticky.

Step Three:
Roll into one inch balls and coat lightly in icing sugar. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet

Step Four:
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
*I found I had to bake mine between 16-18 minutes

This recipe makes a really lovely cookie. I think I'll have to bake some for my Bible study girls to enjoy with some tea.

Thanks for sharing this great recipe, Tidymom!

Happy Tuesday!

Girls Night

For as long as we can remember, Friday nights have been Family Night here at our place. We started this because we found we were getting so busy during the week dealing with work, school, extra curricular activities, church involvements and friends that we needed a block of time to just come together to settle in, regroup and enjoy each other's company. It's so sweet how everyone has come to rely on this night together.

But even good things come to an end. Or, in our case, a new beginning!

I have mentioned before how Ian is the youth leader for our Jr High youth group. He loves it and the kids love him. Well, this year is Sam's first year in Jr High. Which meets on Friday nights. And beginning this year, it's every Friday night.

Being that we'll be boy-free on Fridays, Girls Night has been born! Just me and the Js. Every week we'll do something together and just celebrate being girls.

This past Friday night was our first Girls Night and we decided to do our nails.

We pooled our measly nail polish stash and I pulled out our best wine glasses and filled them with iced tea.



Julie toasted our first Girls Night ever.



We talked...

...and talked.

....and talked.



Even Jordan had her nails done - toes too!



Julie's nails...



... and mine!



We even did our toes too :-)

Once our nails dried, we cleaned up and Julie made her Super S'mores in the microwave and we watched a bit of tv until the guys came home.

First Girl's Night was a success! I can't wait until next time!

10 Things On Friday

I've been in a bit of an odd place this week and my emotions have been all over the place. Forming a blog post has almost been too much.

So... I'm just going to share a few things that are on my mind.

{1} Tuesday was an emotional day. Every two years I need to have a cystoscopy to make sure that the cancer I had 12 years ago hasn't returned. It's a very unpleasant procedure to have, but thankfully not a long one. Tuesday was that day. I was particularly nervous because I skipped my last one, so now it had been four years since I was last checked. All is clear and my chances of recurrence has dropped from 45% down to 10%. It was a good day.

{2} I've had a change in attitude about returning to work. I've been so miserable at the thoughts of not being at home for the children. It suddenly clicked with me - I'm still going to be there for my children, but just in a different and equally important way. I don't want to be so focused on holding on to where I am that I miss where God is taking me. I still feel sad and scared, but I'm choosing to trust that God is taking me in a good direction, even if it doesn't feel good to me right now.

{3} I am in desperate need of a pedicure. This isn't a "want", it's a desperate need. When you step on a dryer sheet and it sticks to your icky picky feet, you know it's time. And now that I've completely grossed you out, I will move on.

{4} Today is Willow's birthday! He's now 1 year old. A puppy-toddler. He still chews everything in sight and he barks at anyone who so much as looks at our house. There needs to be cake and a party, I think.

{5} Girls Club started last night. I wasn't going to serve in this ministry this year for several reasons, but I had committed to handling registration on the first night. It was so good to see "my" girls again! They were so excited to see me too :-) Lots of hugs and squeals and "Look at my braces Kate!" "Kate! Kate! Look at me! I GREW over the summer!" "Kate! I'm going to try out for soccer!" And so on... Y'all know I don't like other people's children, but God has really given me a love for these girls. We had ice cream and sat in groups and caught up on each other's lives. Precious time.

{6} Jordan is hooked on Camp Rock 2. We've seen it so many times now that I'm starting to see the goofs in the movie. And I know all the words to all the songs. I'm always humming the songs while I'm puttering around and sometimes I even do some of the dance moves. I don't think I'll be hired to do Camp Rock 3 any time soon.

{7} I hope the weather is nice enough to go apple picking tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to making apple pies and other apple-y desserts.

{8} The other night my friend Dawn called and we ended up talking for close to 5 hours. I think that covers our quota for conversation for the next year ;-)

{9} Sam goes to his very first Junior High youth night tonight. I can't believe he's old enough to go. He's so excited and I've been teasing him all day that he isn't allowed to go because I will miss him.

{10} Ian brought home the Playstation Move and it looks awesome. Soon "Fight : Lights Out" will be mine.

That's all I can think about to tell you right now. I hope you have a great weekend :-)

Tuesday's Treats ~ Nutella Cupcakes

I've never been much of a Nutella fan. I know people who love it so much that they think it should be its own food group.

Me? I tried it once on bread and it felt like I was eating a chocolate sandwich. Which I was... but it was grody.

But peer pressure is an awful thing, isn't it? I decided to try baking with it and see what happened.

Well what happened was Kate put her finger in the jar to taste it and there was love and hearts flowing all over the place. I am officially a Nutella Convert.

And today I share with you... the Nutella Cupcake.



You'll Need:
1 vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup of Nutella
3/4 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of milk
1 cup of icing sugar

Step One:
Prepare cake mix and pour into cupcake pans.

Step Two:
Beat butter and Nutella together until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until the icing sugar is incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high unil frosting is smooth and stable

Step Three
Frost your cupcakes!

Being that I was loving this new treat, I decided to inject some Nutella straight into the cupcake before frosting it. They were divine.

Both Sam and Julie rated this cupcake a solid 10 out of 10.

Solid ten, folks.

But wait....

I love Cool Whip too.... I wondered what would happen if I mixed Cool Whip and Nutella together.

Extreme deliciousness. That's what happened.

Just look for yourself.



This made for a very light frosting which I really liked.

The children still preferred the original.

All the more for Kate.

Happy Tuesday!

Quick Update

I can't believe how quickly the weekend passed.

Friday I had interviews with two placement agencies. I think I'll have better luck with the one from the morning. The afternoon interview was just strange, and I didn't get a good feeling from the woman at all.

The girls and I dropped Ian and Sam off at the church just after 5 for their retreat. Knowing how Sam hates any type of public affection, I gave him a hug and kiss at home. I felt so warm and fuzzy watching him racing around with his friends while Ian and the other leaders checked in the kids.

Once they left, the girls and I went to the grocery store for snacks, then picked up a pizza on our way home. We watched The Princess Diaries 2 and ate s'mores until we just about blew up.

Saturday morning was lazy and easy, and we went to my mom's for the afternoon. Once Jordan was in bed, Julie and I climbed into my bed and we watched High School Musical 2 and ate even more s'mores.

Sunday morning we all slept until 9am, did some tidying up, and just hug out all day. The boys arrived home around 4 and all was well in my house again. Sam had an absolute blast at the retreat. Ian did too, and was so exhausted from the weekend that he ended up going to bed earlier than he usually does.

Today I have been online searching for jobs. I've applied to three and sent my resumes to two more placement agencies, one of which I'll be meeting with on Thursday afternoon.

Tomorrow morning I am at the hospital for a test, and then I hope to visit with my mom in the afternoon. It will depend on how I'm feeling afterwards.

That's all I have time for - hope you're having a wonderful day :-)

We Will Never Forget

5QF ~ September 10

Well hello there, Friday!

This weekend is going to be an All Girls Weekend with my favourite girls: Jules and Jordan! We'll cuddle while watching movies together and eat pizza and popcorn and stay up late and do no-boys-allowed-girly-stuff.

Ian and Sam will be heading up north tonight for the weekend to take part in the jr high retreat. This is Sam's first year going and he's really excited. Ian is the senior leader for jr high, and it comforts me greatly to know he will be there.

I'll miss my boys.

Today I have interviews at two employment agencies. The first one is the one who placed me at the company I worked for last year, and the second one is new to me. I hope I don't have to do all sorts of testing.

Today, as usual, I'm playing along with Mama M's Five Question Friday blog meme!



Let's go!

1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?

Yes I do. I try not to spend much if I can help it. We are a single income family (for now) and Ian works very hard to meet our monthly expenses and I want to respect that.

2. How well do you know your neighbors?

I have been working really hard the last couple of years to connect more with my neighbours and to get to know them. I know some of their names, but the rest I make up.

For example, there's Buddy Across The Street, and his wife is Buddy Across The Street's Wife. I bet you can guess what I call their daughter, can't ya? Well you'd be WRONG. I actually know her name.

Then there are two neighbours I hug every time I see them. I'm kind of a serial hugger. I understand that can be considered creepy to some but I just can't help it. Before you know it, my arms are open and I'm comin' at ya.

If I ever ran into trouble I know I could go to Buddy Across The Street or The Peeps On The Corner, but never Loose Dog Lady or Heavy Drinking Couple.

3. What age are you looking forward to being?

I passed it already. I couldn't wait to be 21.

4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?

You betcha I get excited when the mail comes! Why? Because there might be something in there for me!

5. What is your earliest childhood memory?

I don't have any memories from before I was six. Which isn't really odd, because who in their thirties remembers anything from when they were six? Except I didn't remember evenwhen I was seven or twelve or twenty. It's like I just arrived in the world at six years old.

Anyway, I remember watching Sesame Street in the living room while my mom was working in the kitchen, and that day's letter was "Z". The screen was a picture of outer space and the letter "Z" started out as a tiny speck and came closer and closer and this voice over was saying "Zeeeeeeeeee" all creepy like. I ran into the kitchen to be with my mom and told her what scared me. And I remember she didn't laugh at me. She never laughed at the things that scared me.

And that was my earliest memory.

Want to play along? Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and get in on the fun!

Have a fun Friday!

Disappointment Sucks

A couple of weeks ago I commented on my facebook page that I was looking for a job in my field (collections) and if anyone knew of any companies that were hiring to please let me know.

A couple of days later an old friend contacted me and told me about a possible opening at his company for a collector. And the best part? It was a work-from-home position. That would be perfect for me because Ian takes the car to work every day.

I went in to meet with the President and Controller on Tuesday morning, and it seemed to go really well. I gave the interview my all, and they seemed very receptive to everything I said or suggested. The conversation was easy and comfortable. We talked about how quickly they could count on seeing results, and we talked about salary requirements. I was told they'd like to call my references and get back to me on Thursday.

The initial feedback from my friend was that they wanted to work something out with me and have me start as early as Friday. I was so excited to be able to work from home, still be there for my children, care for the house, help my mom and bring in an income.

I really thought God had heard my prayers and exceeded them. I was so thankful.

The next day - Wednesday - I heard from the Controller and was told that they loved meeting me, but they had decided to hire someone to work in-house. I thanked them for taking the time to meet with me and that it was a pleasure meeting them.

When I hung up I started to cry.

God didn't hear my prayers after all.

As hard as I tried to not get ahead of myself or too excited, I realized how much I had been counting on this opportunity working out.

When Ian came home last night he sent me up to our room to have some quiet time. I pulled out my crayons and colouring books and let myself feel the full weight of the disappointment. I cried and coloured and plotted my next plan of action.

I'm not worried about finding work. Collectors are in demand these days so I'm sure I'll find something. I will call my contacts this afternoon once Jordan goes down for her nap.

I know I've been a stay-at-home mom for a few years now, and that's more that I had with either of my first two children, and more than most moms get. I don't mean to sound so ungrateful. It's just hard for me to let go of something I really, truly love. I want that to matter to God too.

I'm sure you're tired of me complaining about this, but be warned...I'm probably not done yet.

First Day Down

The children survived their first day of school.

Julie could hardly sleep last night because she was so excited for today. She showered and washed her hair, laid out her clothes and packed up her backpack last night so she'd be ready first thing this morning.

Sam, on the other hand, had a hard time falling asleep last night. He was really dreading today and there weren't a lot of smiles from him this morning.

Here they are on my mom's front porch:



My sixth grader:



My fourth grader:



Sam walked to school on his own, wanting nothing to do with us. Julie, however, wanted us to walk with her and to meet her teacher. I needed to drop Ian off at work and head to my interview to ensure I'd arrive on time, and almost said we'd just drop her at the kiss and ride. But then I realized that there are only so many first days of school, and I didn't want to miss hers. Next year she may not want us there at all, so I'm glad we walked with her today.

Jordan had a meltdown of huge proportions as we all left for our days. My poor mom! She said Jordan cried for a bit after we left, then agreed to go to McDonald's with Mom to pick up some coffee and muffins. So cute.

Julie was flying high when she arrived at my mom's after school. She loved everything about her day: her outfit, her hair, her teacher, and her friends. She's been so excited all night. Excited and exhausted! She actually asked to go to bed early.

Sam didn't enjoy his day at all. He's in a 6/7 split class, and all of his friends are in a different class. He's anxious about how hard this year is going to be already and isn't too thrilled to return tomorrow. I'm glad that he has been separated from this one kid in particular, and hopefully he'll be able to focus more this year. I feel sad for him though.

Feels good to be getting back into the swing of things!