Your Gonna Miss This Moment

Yay!!!...I found some time (unlike last week and the hospital stay) and can play along with Pam's Carnival. Go on over and check out everyone's Moment.

My moment acutally happened last week about an hour before I rushed Gage to thet hospital.

I started to fold my laundry after dumping all on my king size bed. This way I am not folding shirts that need to be hung up...I don't have time to waste like that. I usually do this at night when the kids are in the baths or when they are just fooling around winding down for bed.

It really stood out to me yesteday that soon I won't be able to prop Gage up on the pillow and fold laundry. In a few short months he will be all over the place and though I love each and every moment as they grow but it makes me sad how fast it's going.

I think with Owen (my first) this time went way too slow...the baby year was not much fun. I mourned the loss of my Mom that year and I found being a Mother really really hard. I stayed home ALOT because I did not have friends with babies, their kids were older and my friends were back at work. I was seriously bored and I think slightly depressed. Then I found a Mom's Morning Out Group and have never looked back. It fulfilled things for me I can't even begin to tell you about in this post.

The twins baby year I was sleep deprived I could not tell you what happened. In fact their second month of life I think I have 5 pictures of them.

Now with Gage I want to soak it all up and it is going sooooooo fast.

Wearing the hat I knitted him when he was a week old....

And just this past week....

I guess I feel as if I am missing this but yet I want it over because I am losing my mind busy. Does that make sense?

I Have Only One Thing To Say Today

T.G.I.F.

If I could make it blink and have fireworks I would make it happen.

What I Needed to Put A Smile On My Face

They are Haystack cookies and they ALWAYS put a smile on my face. I have been holding out on chocolate because I am nursing but I gave in lastnight and made some of these while the kids ate their spaghetti.

I did not go wrong.

And I only ate 3 or 4......yeah right.

The Truth Hurts

Lastnight my six year old wanted to read a book he brought home from school. Since it was a Berenstain Bears book I decided the twins should get in on the action because it is one of their favorite shows on T.V, and this is where I went wrong.

The first page introduced Mama Bear...


Notice how she is smiling and happy...as every Mother should be.

But the next page shows this..........

Sammy (the three year old) says proudly "Mommy that's you!"

GULP

It gets worse.

I got another smiling "that's you" from him again with this page

SERIOUSLY????...have I been that cranky lately?

I did laugh at all of this but inside was hurting a little because if that's the way my kids view me lately then I need a serious attitude adjustment.

I will admit I felt better when later in the book Papa Bear loses his cool....

But the kids said nothing about this being their Dad but I thought it was good that it points out both parents having tantrums.

Wordless Wednesday

Brothery Love

(please ignore the puke spot on baby's sleeper..lol)

Go check out more great Wordless Wednesday's.

Tackle It Tuesday

I'll admit I was not even going to play along this week due to the way things have been around here. At the moment as I try to type up this post I have Dr. Doolittle trying to take my blood pressure on my ankle and telling me how sick I am. I also have another three year old whining and complaining because it's just that time of day.

BUT...I did get done the one thing I wanted to tackle today. It really is not that exciting but it's a big job and with 4 children and a dog in the house it needs to be done a couple times a week.

Ready for this.........I cleaned and mopped my floors. I have alot of laminate flooring in my house. Here is the spot that is ALWAYS dirty and of course I am only showing the "after" shots because I was slightly embarrased at the condition of them "before" I cleaned them.

I also have laminate in here, the kitchen....Sammy had to get in on this shot.

And here is more laminate and another shot of Sam. Everytime I went to take a picture he would run and get in the shot.

And of course more laminate in the dining room. Like I said it's alot!

I also had this one spot on the wall that I look at everyday. Something must have spilled or splashed in a spill and it has been bugging me. Finally today I grabbed my handy Norwex Microfiber cloth and got rid of it. Only a before shot for this one.

I did also manage a few other things but nothing worth noting. What did you tackle today?

Go check out what other blogging Mommy's are tackling this week.

Quotable Monday's

"Character is like a tree

and reputation like a shadow.

The shadow is what we think of it;

the tree is the real thing."

- Abraham Lincoln

Battle of the Bulge #4

Okay, so because of my circumstances this past week I failed miserably in the exercise department. I did at one time consider doing lunges in Gage's hospital room because I was so bored but thought the nurses may think I am a little crazy and settled for stretching.

Due to not really wanting the hospital's daily specials like Wednesday's Liver and Onions, I did lose 2 lbs this week. I am almost out of the 190's which makes me happy. I am exhausted from a sleepless night so the exercise may be kept low key today but I am hoping I will get back on track with the eating.

Once I find my measuring tape I will see where I am in the inches lost.

Anyone else want to update?

Update on the baby

We arrived home Saturday evening after his final dose of antibiotics.

I had a little bit of time yesterday so I used it to do something that lifts my spirits...I made thank you cards for friends and family that helped out while we were in the hospital. My plan was to do an update here but the free time was short as it is now because I hear the littlest of the little people crying AGAIN (he has been up all night with gas).

In the hospital the "free" time was enormous as I could not take Gage out of the room. I had alot of time for this......

and for this...........

Did I mention I could not have made it through without my cell phone! I texted more in one day than I ever have. Thankfully the coffee was good at the hospital as well, the food on the other hand was not.

Gage is better. His chest is clear and he is doing well, with the exception of lastnight. His eczema is totally out of control thanks to the hospital but we can fix that. I did notice that he is not coughing at all right now but I am still paranoid and want to stick close to home for the next little while.

This little boy sure grew up in a week. He now smiles the instant you talk to him, he is also holidng his head up on his own which is a feat in itself because he was blessed with his Daddy's noggin.

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. We felt every bit of it while staying at the hospital.

It's always something right?

Okay, so If your one of my very good friends (escpecially if your name starts with R) I am sorry your finding out about this via my blog.

I have just popped home for a quick shower and to get some things. I have been at the hospital since 10:00 p.m. lastnight with my baby boy. Gage has pneumonia and is on IV antibiotics. Thankfully I took him in lastnight and he did not need to be on oxygen but the doctor said if I had waited he would have been for sure.

Lastnight his temperature spiked to 39 Celsius and he was so out of it. He has had a cough for a while but so have the other kids with no fever though. I called the Health Line, explained his symptons and they said that classified as a 911 call. I got Gage ready as fast as I could...scared out of my mind because his breathing was very very labored. Once at the hospital his temp started to decrease because I had given him tylenol at home.

Long story short we are in for a 5 day stay. I have kids crying, wanting me so I better go but wanted to keep you all informed. "R" I will call you later or call me on my cell.

Prayers would be appreciated.

Quotable Monday's

"I don't know the key to success,

but the key to failure is to try to please everyone."

- Bill Cosby

Battle of the Bulge #3

I hate to admit it but I actually look forward to when I can exercise. Now that I did admit it that feeling will disappear and quickly. I did not exercise all weekend and that totally was not planned. My plan IS to exercise when my husband is home so I can do it without having to entertain children at the same time.

I don't feel bad though. I exercised 4 out of the 5 days last week and lost another pound. Depending on the time of day it almost looks like 2 pounds. I know I have lost 3 lbs so far. This week I really want to try harder at watching what I eat.

As I said before my perspective is more about being healthy and loving the feeling after a workout. It's nice to get out of bed in the morning and not feel like a bone may break. I will have to get a little more creative on the cardio because the treadmill is already getting boring to me. I would love to rent an exercise DVD but I have no idea where to start. Anyone have suggestions?

What Gets Me Through

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I appreciate all the comments and Geli your comment made me laugh. By the way his job he is going to is a Police Officer so he is in training for that right now.

My husband reads my blog and saw that I was thinking of him. He laughed and said thanks but he did not have the long run like I thought. He still had "fitness" with their instructor Patty who they call "Satan" but at the end of the day he sounded much better than last Thursday so that made me happy.

To be honest with you all, these last two weeks have flown by. Not once have I had a selfish meltdown where I am kicking and screaming and mad my husband is not here to help. The reason for that is, he was not home much before when he worked with the family business so the only difference I find now is I do not talk to him whenever I want during the day and I always have to get up at night with the kids. I also think there is Divine intervention with my patience!

But what gets me through the days, even when he is here, is the fact that I think it is a blessing to serve my family. Yes, there are many days my selfish side takes over and I whine and complain about having to do everything. Truthfully, I do not mind doing most of the work I just feel disrespected when people take it forgranted.

There is a difference between being busy and being fruitful. I listen to Joyce Meyer on my ipod (you download the tv show for free). Last week she had a show called "Are you too busy?" She spoke of how you can fulfill God's will in your life to bear much fruit. When I heard her message it made me realize how I need to change my perspective some days. You know the days where the demands from your family make you want to RUN far, far away.

As a Mother we are always serving people and there are days where the serving gets to the point where we are feeling like we are left out. We think that those we are serving are frustrating us but in truth we are frustrating ourselves because we are trying to do to much and have not given ourselves a break. We all have a to do list and sometimes we do not even put ourselves on that list because we think that will be selfish. It's all about balance and choosing to do those things that "bear much fruit" (Joyce talks about this around the 16 minute mark). Living a life with passion, a passion that we know God has given us...the direction he has put us in and going towards that with full force.

I'll be honest I am not sure what my true destiny is just yet. I know I love being a Mother but I think there is more for me yet. There are days I let myself and others down because I can be really bad at being a "good" Mom. But it is in those bad moments where I find I learn the most about myself. Those moments are where we learn but first you have to be willing to be vulnerable and admit when your wrong and ask for forgiveness.

So today if your having one of those "busy" days, remember to go about it with joy in serving others. Go live within the "fruits of the spirit" and just see how much better your day can be.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. "

Galatians 5 v2-23 NIV

I Now Feel Bad

After all my whining in the last post I realized it's Thursday.

Thursday is not a fun day where my husband is.

They have a run today...like in jogging...or maybe it's running. Anyway, they must do it outside and like I said it's cold..very cold. He coughed most the weekend when he came home after his first experience with what they call "Hell" Day. I can't imagine how it will be today.

So while I am whining and complaining about my "bad" day, at least I am warm and not being physically tortured by exercise.

So now I feel bad.

I Want Sun Mr. Golden Sun

Have you ever felt like you are having a day where everything is just falling into place? The day starts good and ends good. You feel rested, your thoughts are organized, you had some laughs, your kids behaved well, and everything just feels real good. Then reality hits.

Tuesday I had an awesome day. Mentally I was on par and physically I felt great. As a mother of a 2 month old baby and 3 other children 6 years and under I tend to be tired alot because of my frequent night wakings. But Tuesday I felt great.

We attended my Mom's group in the morning and the twins did not even fuss about me leaving them. We had a awesome presentation on finances as well as some really good laughs. It was the kind of fellowship that makes me feel so blessed to be part of this group.

We grabbed some McDonald's on the way home (not so great for the diet but hey I break at times) arrived home and the kids got along really well for the rest of the day.

Everyone seemed to go to bed quite well which left time for me and my knitting.

Then Wednesday happened. Nothing in particular happened but it was a very different day than Tuesday and I wanted the "good" day back.

I have a sick 3 yr old and a sick 2 month old baby. Their coughs are horrible and I am seriously considering taking the baby in to the doctor to get checked out. It's not that he is having trouble breathing and he has been sleeping ALOT but it's not fun watching a little baby gag and cough and I am worried he may need attention now. The older one I can give him cough medicine...the baby I cannot.

I also felt extremely exhausted yesterday and as well this morning. I could just crawl right back in my bed (kids and all) and go right back to sleep. I am usually an early riser and once I am awake I stay that way, but not yesterday and I have a feeling today is the same.

My van is having it's own issues too and I cannot open one door. Since I forgot about it all night I imagine my battery is dead this morning because the door was slightly opened...enough for the lights to come on and then I could not budge it. This all happened when I took the kids to school yesterday and went bowling with the preschool. It also happens to be the door I take the baby in and out and the older two get in this side to go to their seats in the back. Yup, it was not fun taking baby in and out of the opposite door and trying to do up a carseat while being folded in half.

The kids fought whenever we were home. The twins fought constantly yesterday....usually they play really well together. Then when you add in a bossy 6 yr old and everyone is tired from school it just got ugly as did I.

Sam somehow managed to poop all over the bathroom floor while I was nursing the baby. I had to stop nursing and go clean it up because according to my 6 yr old it was being spread everywhere!!! He was right by the way.

I fed the kids supper at 4:30, which none of them ate. Then while they played downstairs for 10 minutes I laid on the sofa and drifted off for 20 seconds but it felt good anyway.

It was a tough battle to get everyone off to bed and of course early to bed early to rise so we have been up since 5 a.m. It's still cold outside...-34 Celsius and I just know it's going to be a LONG day. As I have stated many times before my children NEED to be outside part of the day as do I. My oldest gave it a go yesterday but only lasted 15 minutes. We will try again today if it warms up. I have to get creative and think of some things for them to do or I will be making many trips onto my deck to breathe in cold air and calm down.

As I finish this my 3 yr old daughter has demanded we play Candyland NOW......sigh....it's only 7 a.m.

Go Now

On my sidebar I have a blog listed as Canadian Freebies. Today the post is regarding the Proctor and Gamble sampler pack. Click on the link and sign up to receive it in the mail. You will not regret it.

I signed up for the last sampler pack and was impressed. We received a Gillette Fusion Razor and my husband loved it. Most of the shampoo's and lotions are in the travel size but that's fine with me because you always need them. I think this pack is great.

Go Now and sign up.

Wordless Wednesday

Because I need to be reminded that it will warm up .....

(-36 C with no wind chill this morning)

For more WW participants go visit 5 minutes for Mom.

Tackle It Tuesday

A week or so ago I posted my New Year's Resolution that I wanted to get my house organized once and for all. Yes I am crazy to start this at a time in my life when I do not have a whole lot of time but I work well under pressure (in certain circumstances). I told my husband that by the time he got back he just might not have much left in his closet and he may come home to a thousand plastic bins!

So I started my office tackle just before New Years. Since I have been single parenting four children I decided not to overwhelm myself and tackle my office in small chunks. I always have 15 minutes here and there so this is how I have been using this time.

Here is the before picture of my desk area:

And here is the after:

I am so proud of this and those plastic bins just make me smile when I walk in the room. Now we can actually get in here and paybills or whatever without feeling anxiety (I guess paying bills still will give me anxiety..lol).

This coming week I am tackling my scrapbooking area on the opposite side of the room. I am really nervous about it because I know I need to purge alot of stuff and I have a hard time parting with scrapbooking items.

Wish me luck!

Go on over to 5 minutes for Mom and see what other Mom's are tackling.

Quotable Monday's

"Insanity:

doing the same thing

over and over again

and expecting

different results."

- Albert Einstein

Battle of the Bulge #2

I weighed myself this morning (and everyday since I started this thing) and I lost 1lb. I am proud of myself. I did awesome with my eating up until Friday and Saturday was a bust too (but we celebrated my birthday so does that count?).

I am having a hard time eating. I know that sounds ridiculous but what I mean is I am having a hard time eating 5 small meals. I forget to eat lunch alot or just don't have the time so by mid afternoon I want to gnaw my arm off or just go through the first drive through I see.

The goal this week is to STAY on the healthy eating plan and exercise EVERYDAY and then take the weekend off. Things got crazy by the end of the week (regarding my children misbehaving) so I have not worked out since Thursday. I really need to do it first thing in the morning but some mornings there is not a clear line when "first thing" is. This morning I have been up since 1 a.m. on and off and so was my husband and it was not even our children it was our dog.

Which reminds me...Anyone want a gentle but very active and curious 10 year old basset hound?

Like I said I am proud I at least hit my goal of one pound and would love to have a week where I lose maybe 2 lbs.

Geli how was your week? What are your goals weekly? Sounds like we have the same amount of weight to lose.

It's been a good weekend with Dad home and the kids enjoyed him. He is really sore from all the workouts they must do but he is in good spirits. I could never do what he is doing.

Just To Clarify

Though I enjoyed the comments you all left in the last post I just want to clarify something with you all. Yes I did make it through the week but I never once mentioned that I was a good Mom.

At the moment I am sweating from gathering every single toy in our home from all three floors and putting them in our storage room. I am tired of the excess and it does nothing for the kids but make them whiny and complain. I am officially taking the twins soothers away during the day (if and when they have a nap) and once I have enough time I am going through the toys and cutting down to 1/4 of what is in that room.

I am angry at the moment (at myself) for losing my cool with my children. Trust me it happens more than you think. I could have let your comments be but I feel far from "amazing" or that "it was a job well done". I am not happy nor are my children at the moment because scary Mommy came out.

Yet I do feel somewhat justified in losing my cool. The twins stopped being whiny and the oldest is actually playing with a toy.

I don't think it's wrong that I expect to be respected. I respect them everyday by answering their requests, clothing, feeding and keeping them safe. I tell them I love them and hug and kiss them. I don't think it's wrong that I was feeling disrespected even if they are only 3 and 6 years old. I have seen them at their schools with their teachers and they know what it is to respect someone. I just feel like they think I am a big joke sometimes.

The twins are upstairs misbehaving once again (this has gone on for about 2 hours). Even as I took the toys away they were laughing and joking...and I know they do not fully understand what I am doing but I want to try to teach them when Mommy is not very proud of their behaviour that they need to shape up.

I guess I am just feeling slightly hypocritical if I let your comments soak in. I made mistakes today by losing my cool but I do not feel bad about taking the excess away. I do not want these children to be this way. I want them to understand how thankful they should be. So let's start all over.

One week down

It's Friday.

Which means I made it through the week as single parent of four.

I am still nursing baby even though at times I want to quit.

I am not so sleep deprived that I cannot function or am nauseous.

I did not get scared at night by myself, I think I did not have time to think about it.

My house is clean thanks to my Mother In Law helping out yesterday.

The dishes are done, there is food in the fridge.

I did it...now only 16 weeks to go.

Not your cheery kind of post

Yesterday I received an email regarding the fact that cell phone numbers will be listed for the public. First off I was not aware of this happening and fail to find anything on the Internet to prove it. I plan on calling my telephone company as soon as I get my happy face on (long night but totally off topic).

Everyone that received this email will now probably go and register their cell phone on our national do not call list. Even if they are like me and had not heard this news they will do it anyway because heck they got an email about it. I am not saying it is not true because it very well may be but I sure would like to find the info on it actually happening then following an email's advice. I mean I had enough interest to go look for the info before I did anything. And in this case if you registered your number there would not be any harm BUT some emails you receive like this are harmful in their suggestions.

This gets me to my point of how society is. It bugs me that everyone just goes where everyone else is going. On the weekend I had a close relative berate me for being on facebook. I commented that I saw they were a member and then I got the whole shebang. This person went into a long winded rant how facebook is so dangerous and they could take your pictures and put you in a porno show and that is why they took themselves off of it.

My response......"Okay what?" (can you feel the sarcasm).

What got me angry was not the fact that they were telling me what to do or the fact that they had NO idea what they were talking about but it was that they just believed what someone told them at coffee row. I feel bad for them. I feel sorry for people that do not have any type of self awareness. I pray for those people.

I do not think God designed us all the same. I do not think we are all to just follow one person because of what they say and that it may sound right. I think we owe ourselves to research something that may trigger an "AHA moment" inside of us and to ignore the rest.

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert ignoring Moses and what he had to say (and what he had to say came from the lord)...was teaching for us. I do not think they were supposed to just think "Okay Moses says this,so we need to do it" They were supposed to grasp the fact that there was a God leading them and to follow in faith and TRUST that all things were happening....good or bad...for an ultimate purpose.

Sorry I went on a biblical rant there. I just feel that we try to control way too much and way too many people.

I DO NOT like to be told what to think or feel.

I DO NOT like when someone ignores my feelings so I try to be aware other people's sensitivities.

I guess I want to empower people to become aware of that inner voice of what is right and wrong and maybe those things that we are just unsure of.

I do not want to be a follower and never have my own place in a world that is scary enough.

Told you I needed my happy face. Sorry if I offended anyone.

Wordless Wednesday

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Go checkout some more WW particpants blogs.

Tackle It Tuesday

A week or so I posted pictures of my New Year's Resolution. No it's not losing weight but that is in the plan too, but this year I vow to get my house organized.

I get frustrated when something is not where I last put it or where it should be. I'll admit I am as guilty as any other member of this family for not returning something but I will also admit I do not do it very often.

I decided to start in my office since it is the messiest and most unorganized. I also felt it was a starting point because it is where we dump alot of stuff we find on the main floor. There are also very important papers stored in here as well as my scrapbooking area and games for the kids. They also have their own desk in here and like to color sitting at it.

I am tackling things a bit at a time so I do not get overwhelmed because that happens easily with me too (and I am not scared to admit it).

This week I completed half of my desk area. I spent way too much money on bins but they were much needed and I had put it off way too long.

Here is the area BEFORE:

And here is the AFTER:

I threw away one big black garbage bag of "stuff". It was ridiculous what was there. I also uploaded any CD's I had to my ipod and put the CD's in a "Garage Sale" bin I started. It took me four hours to go through this tiny area. The baskets down below have the kids games in them...strictly games. The second shelf holds software cd's and computer games and other bin holds cords for our ipods, camera, etc. The next bin which looks empty is for the kids art (after we are done displaying it) that comes home from school. I will go through it when it gets full and keep what I want. The two bins above the computer are desginated for my husband and I. I keep my camera and ipod in mine and he keeps his ipod and other stuff I find laying around in his;). I also have a file folder right beside the monitor and it has bills that need to be paid, and other folders for papers not yet filed in our filing cabinet.

Go on over to 5 minutes for Mom and check out what other Mom's are tackling.

Quotable Monday's

A characteristic

of the normal child

is he doesn't act

that way very often.

~Author Unknown

Battle of the Bulge #1

Here is the skinny (lol). I need to lose weight but I am also a little tired of feeling like a creaky rocking chair. I have always been an active sports person and since my children have arrived I'll admit I have become lazy in the exercise department. I know some of you will come to my defense and tell me I should not beat myself up because I am busy raising young children. But I see a few minutes free and I should be putting it to better use by keeping my body healthy than wasting the time surfing Facebook or reading 15 blogs every morning.

That being said I have done a workout this morning so now I can surf Facebook..lol.

So I thought I'd do what I can with the time I have and this morning I had about a half hour. I am disappointed at my performance on the treadmill but I know it has been many months since my last workout so I am not too concerned...just disappointed.

It took me 25 minutes to walk 1 mile....sad I know BUT this makes me want to keep it up. I think what is worse than my time was the fact I only burned 100 calories....HELLO...that is a yogurt for crying out loud!

I have also resigned up on Sparkpeople. I am hoping to keep up with it this time...especially entering in the food intake because you really start to pay attention to things like protein and carbs. Wish me luck on this because time and sleep deprivation are now going to be huge for me.

So here is my goal. A pound a week....I want to be realistic! The way I see it I have 4 months till my husband returns to this family full time. I know he will be in great shape and down a few pounds so I don't want him coming home to a cranky-still haven't lost the baby weight-sleep deprived wife; therefore, he is my motivation, that and the fact that exercise will be my one thing that I will do for myself. If I put it in that perspective I want to protect it...cherish the time I use to do it and know in the end it's good for me.

So I invite you all to cheer me on and help keep me motivated.

Here are my goals and stats as of today. Hopefully the stats will change but the goals will not.

Weight..... 194lbs
Measurements... Bust 45 1/4 " Waist 43 " (yikes, I am trying to remember I had a baby 2 months ago) Hips 45 1/4 " ...oh well I guess I am evenly distributing my fat.

Goal....16 lbs in 4 months and to fit back into my prepregnancy bathing suit without feeling like half of me is falling out of it (If I get brave I may post a picture of me in this suit in a "before" shot).

The plan is to post my results from the week every Sunday.

Let the BATTLE begin!

A Cabin in the Woods

First off, I have had another rough night with my baby boy. I know that a baby will change his routine at any time and any moment...can I also add at any hour? I also know that resisting this change in your baby just gets Mommy more frustrated and baby will fight you more. So here I sit at 6:30 a.m. but I have been awake since 3:30 a.m. after just a few short hours of sleep that were interrupted by my dog having to go outside twice and my other son having his own issues. Needless to say I am tired and I know I shouldn't complain but I also have the feeling many of you understand.

Don't ever ask me how I managed twins because I really have no idea. I am cranky now and get way more sleep than when the twins were 2 months old. My baby boy had been sleeping 5-6 hours straight at night and then poof just like that he decides that there should be a party at 3 a.m. not too mention he barely slept all day yesterday.

Okay, enough complaining!! I am on the big beast of a computer and have downloaded some pictures of New Year's Eve.

We rented a cabin at a lake 45 minutes away from our city. I had been up to the resort last January with friends for a nice supper and inquired about the resort. The man I spoke to said you have to book a year in advance if I was interested in New Year's dates and at the time I thought it would be fun with the three kids. Please remember our darling baby boy (the one who will not sleep and eats and eats) was a huge surprise and I did not plan on having a new baby during the New Year's celebrations. But in the end it all worked out and even Gage was up to watch the fireworks at midnight (as were my other children).

Here is the back of my van...this is what you need for 2 nights with a family of six. We took two vehicles because my husband had the ice fishing shack and supplies in his truck.

So here is the cabin. It is a 2 storey chalet....

I LOVE log cabins and when we were talking about building our house we looked into Log homes and timber framed homes.

The cabin was surrounded by dense bush and you could barely see the other log cabins on the resort area.

We took the kids to the sliding hill even though it was -30 Celsius.

The kids don't notice it as much as the adults. I think we complained so much the kids were tired of it and wanted to go back to the cabin to do this.....

Whatever Dora movie my sister brought up was a hit. Even my six year old was enjoying it. I think it was more advanced than other Dora shows because it had word recognition and alot of it. The other movie that was a hit was "Open Season".

The kids had their very first Ice Fishing experience.

Aren't they cute lined up like that. They do it automatically...my kids and their cousins. It's hilarious.

My six year old...you did not dare bother him.

My 2 year old daughter who caught the only fish the next day. She was determined to catch a "pretty" fish for her Granny. She did and she kept asking me if I wanted to watch it dance. After awhile the fish just did not dance anymore. But she kept talking to her "Beautiful" fish.

And here is the shack. I had issues with going in it. I think the smell of the bait did not agree with my senses. Yes, I am a tough farm girl but me and slimy fish do not agree.

The twins had a long afternoon nap so we headed out to the fireworks and bonfire around 11 p.m.. It was cold but everyone bundled up except for me because I was busy making sure everyone else was warm and getting my camera. I do not want to post pics of the fireworks (sorry saving that for Wordless Wednesday) but here we are waiting for them and some pics of a late night walk.

I also fell in love with these pots. They are from IKEA and if I want one I'll have to drive 6 hours. But I loved the simplicity of them so much so I had to take a picture.

This is what Gage did most of the 48 hours we were there.

I just don't understand...he slept so much at the cabin which was good so I could hang with my family but if I had been at home I could have been sleeping since my husband has been home. (whispering to myself right now to quit resisting the change..go with the flow)

I can't wait to scrapbook this but I just might have too. I have no idea what this first week will be like as my husband leaves for college. He dressed up in his uniform lastnight for the kids and it was so cool to see him all official. He is now a Constable and I am still in awe of it all. How our lives will change in the next year. I truly believe he was put on this path for a reason.

As I drove into the city yesterday to witness him being sworn in by a judge this song started to play on my ipod. It was the perfect way to start my day.