can't get enough

Once summer is over, and I settle it within my mind, to just accept the changes of the season .. I then can't get enough of the beauty of fall. Not the rain that inevitably comes because of where we live .. but when the sun shines brightly, and the air is crisp and pungent smelling. Ohhhhh how in love I am! The colours are bursting against the green foliage, and things seem to be at their peak before the colder weather of winter sets in and freezes everything. The berries, the rosehips, even some stubborn blackberries hold on .. giving us such a feast of colour.

The apple tree is showing bright and ripe apples (tho this year, the ants and worms got to them, so it's not worth practically killing yourself over climbing up for a few very ugly looking apples .. but from afar .. they look tasty).

Some trees are showing very obvious signs of change. Yet others have barely changed from their summer coat of green.

And I can't get enough of our pride and joy .. our sunflower. She's such a beaut .. so bright yellow and perfectly shaped with not a flaw in any petal. The bees love her too, and I'm surprised I didn't capture one while photographing.

And another thing that excites me once my brain has done the conversion from summer to fall .. besides taking in all the new beauty that surrounds me .. is the anticipation of yet another birthday. Not the same anticipation in which I had before hitting the 3-0 mark .. but in a different way. It's almost indescribable .. tho I'm sure many others may feel the same way. It's not a dread of another year going by, not the happiness of celebrating another year either .. but a place somewhere in between .. contentness I suppose.

very productive day!

Along with the baking and pre-cooking of tonight's dinner .. I also found an hour and a half to pour my inspiration into a couple layouts. Oh, I won't deny that they're super simple .. because they are! But it was neat to pull out some older photos (C-Mas one is Hailey from 1999, and the cookie one is Alissa from August 2003 (she's 26 months)), play with them and create something simple and pleasing to my eye. If you could see ALL the photos from my pre-scrapbooking days .. you'd agree that simple layouts would be the way to go, to preserve them quickly. I had NO eye for angles and such, and the photos (taken with my inexpensive point and shoot film camera) just don't compare to how I perceive my recent photos to look like.
Anyway .. that's neither here nor there, and the point is that I scrapbooked today! :D

warming the kitchen

I guess I've been inspired lately, to do some more detailed cooking and baking, now that the weather has turned cool, and it's perfectly okay to have the oven on.

Today, I decided to turn yesterday's leftover beef stew, into a beef pot pie. Actually, I cut and fried up some sausage to toss in there for the added meat my family lives for .. and now it's baking in the oven .. ready to be tossed back in there closer to dinner time to finish the baking and to heat it up.

While in the kitchen, I thought I best whip up a batch of cookies. My girls love home baked cookies, and there's really nothing better to come home from school to, then a yummy, soft, fresh cookie. Dwindling supplies required I make only what I had in stock .. which accumulated to oatmeal raisin cookies. I probably shouldn't have doubled the batch tho.

at last!

Our sunflower has at last, turned its last petal outwards and become a complete head of beauty! It stands tall, strong and proud .. guarding our front entrance and shining down on us with a beauty that gets me through even the most dark and dismal day. I can't even imagine what it would be like to not see .. because for me, so much of my lifted moods come from things I can feast my eyes on.

TGIF

It's Friday .. and I'm gearing up for a three day weekend with the girls. Monday is a pro-d day already, so we'll be pulling out crafts and such, if the weather looks anything like today. Dark and dreary!
But I'll leave you with what we're looking at atop our very tall and stocky sunflower plant. I can't wait to document it's progress! AND, all this means so much more to Alissa, because she's actually studying them in her class right now. How neat hey?

i shouldn't have

Sorry I grossed some of you spider 'lovers' out yesterday with my photos, but remember how I wondered if killing it would bring on the rain? I chanced it, because really .. who wants a spider that hairy and that large, making webs around ones back yard? Guess what? It rained through the night. I guess the old wives tale has some truth to it. But remarkably enough .. the sun is shining once again this morning .. and I'm gazing out the window, admiring the beauty of it glistening off the raindrops that still rest upon the leaves. It's also shining upon many more webs strung between the fence slats so I must put 'sweeping down the fence and exterior of the house' on my to do list.

On Facebook I asked a question about something that has been on the forefront burners lately. Just this year, our school made changes to the classroom dynamics and this has caused alot of uproar and concern with parents and students. It doesn't seem to affect us as much as some .. but that doesn't mean my concerns are any less.
Let me explain. With the recent passing of Bill 33 class sizes have been made to a maximum of 22, with an overall district maximum of 18. Sound confusing? It certainly is to me too. But it gets more complicated because the elementary school in our area and the one my children must go to because we live in the catchment area .. is also a french immersion school. There are 11 classrooms of french, and 4 classrooms of english .. and this all is from Kindergarten to Grade 7. So eight grades squished into four english classrooms makes for three grade levels in one classroom. I'm all for split classes if that's what it takes. Thus far, my girls have done fine with two grades in one classroom, but to have a three grade split can cause a child to either fall behind if they are one of the older grades, or learn up a grade level (which isn't all that bad) if they are a lower grade. As it stands .. both my girls are in the middle grade for their classroom. I'm not worried about Hailey holding her own in each subject (she gets the extra help she needs where she struggles, does the grade up level for subjects she excels in) but Alissa's just learning to read and grade one seems to be a big stepping stone out of the 'baby' stages and into full blown school. With only one teacher .. this leaves alot on their plates as to covering all the curriculum they need to with each grade level, giving each student the amount of attention or help they need, etc.
Tonight is Open House, and early next month is the Parent/Teacher interviews. I'm playing it by ear until then .. seeing how the girls react and report back to me on certain things, but I know of many parents that have taken steps in placing their children in other schools, or one that has written up a letter to the school board director and the MLA after she spoke to the individual teacher and our school principal. It just seems like a huge change from previous years, and because we're a 75% french immersion school .. those of us choosing the english strain, seem to have to fight harder for our childrens rights to a fair education.

On that note, I'll close. It seems I can't cover all the itty bitty details in just one post .. but I feel better just having put it out there anyway.

wordless wednesday

It's a beautiful sunny day .. dare I squash this big hairy thing and chance the rain clouds rushing in?

*you must really click on the photo for the full size version, or you'll be missing out

15 years!

It's been fifteen years, to the day, since Dave and I had our first date. I can't believe 15 years have come and gone .. and his kisses still make me weak in the knees. *blush*

chats with Alissa

walking up to the front of the school where Alissa's class lines up outside their door into the school AFTER the bell had already rang, this is our conversation...

Me: "We need to hurry, or you'll be late!" taking her hand to hurry her along

Alissa: "But I don't want to go to school today. I don't want to learn and I don't want to stay!"

Me: "Well, there's lots of things we don't WANT to do, but we have to .. like school and brushing our teeth and taking baths and saying our manner words."

Alissa: "Did I ever ask to go to school? I don't want to go!"

As we round the corner and are nearly there, hoping the other kids haven't gone in already .. she suddenly asks me to put a toy she had been holding, into her backpack, got into line, hugged and kissed me and was off .. up the stairs following the others into the school.

I'm left, inwardly shaking my head and wondering why she put up such a verbal fuss .. yet went about what has become our weekday morning routine, just fine. In her mind she's probably wishing she could spend all day, every day, playing with the adorable puppies from Saturday.

Crazy girl!

they're in love

My cousin and her boyfriend have themselves a small tribe of American Pitbull Terriers .. one of which had puppies about two months ago. The brave girl had ten puppies in her litter, and three were still without adopted homes, so during our visit yesterday .. the girls had a hay day playing with the little muncher and the adult dogs. I call the little ones munchers because you should see their teeth. Better yet, let one of them sink their teeth into your leg or finger and OMG, you'll certainly understand why I call them that.
My girls ADORE dogs .. especially Alissa .. so you can imagine how many photos I took of them interacting with them. They really are such sweet dogs, and a pile of energy, just like kids!

*top picture shows the daddy to the bunch of pups

am I insane or what

Dave just got himself his first ever street bike. I know I'll be regretting finally giving in to it, but I trust HIM and know HE'LL drive safely. He's taking the bike course at the end of the month, and already passed his learners the first time (better then both of us on our class 5 learners .. lol), and after the course he can take another test that'll allow him to drive without another biker .. but still not at night (which is fine by me) until he gets his final license. Anyway .. despite all the indecions on my part, I still think he looks hot upon his new wheels. *giggle*

being forced

I've been using Google Reader for about a year now, and couldn't imagine having to read blogs the 'old school' way like I did up until I found GR. I've loved it, because it's allowed me to add so many more blogs to my daily reading regimen and not lose a ton of time clicking on each's link in my favourite's list.
But as much as I loved the version I had, of course they came out with a new and 'improved' version. I tried it out oh about three or four months ago, realized I didn't like it and found the option to go back to the old version. But everytime I'd log in, the option to switch over to the new version or keep the old version, would pop up. I'd click the second option and be directed to my list of updated blogs. Well today .. it didn't happen, and the design and layout looked all to familiar from when I had tried the new version. Oh for pity sake .. they did like Blogger did awhile back, and forced me to switch. Argh! So like it or not, I guess I'm stuck with learning the ins and outs of the new version. Tho however long it takes to learn, it surely will be faster then flipping through all the blogs I've come to love. I wonder if I'll ever learn to like it.

how dare they!

Late yesterday afternoon/early evening, we discovered 'our' precious mountain was on fire! This mountain skirts the town and because of it's close proximity, has become a favourite place for us to hike, geocache, fish, hunt and 4x4. Dave knows pretty much every road on that mountain, and even tho much logging has eaten away at it's beauty .. we still LOVE 'our' mountain. So you can imagine how horrible we felt when we saw the smoke rising from it. This helicopter went overhead, in search of water from one of the nearby lakes .. and later we found out it was successful .. because all three small fires, were put out. I also found out this morning, those fires were set dilibrately. *gasp* Why on earth would someone set a fire on purpose. Don't they know many local people use that mountain as their play area? Argh!

neighbourhood watch

It's my responsibility .. it's my rightful duty to keep a watchful eye on the goings on in my neighbourhood, right? That's why I HAD to take these photos, because all the noise they made simply beckoned me to the window. Am I to blame that my camera is always accessible? No way! The photos pretty much took themselves, as I strategically aimed the camera in the direction of the window to which held the best view. (which happened to be my youngest daughters bedroom window) I shall try my hardest not to make many trips past that bedroom, until they are finished. And if these hard working individuals were just a tad hotter, I may find myself having to investigate the source of the noise, just a couple more times this morning. It's my neighbourly duty after all!

you know what day it is

Everyone around the blogosphere, news, and world seem to be talking about or commemorating today in some way. We all know what happened six years ago, that changed the world forever. I remember that morning very well, and although I know no one directly involved in the disaster that was this day just a few short years ago, it impacted me a great deal.

I had a three month old baby, and a toddler that I cuddled closer, wondering why it was again that had driven me to want to bring children into this Big Bad World. A world of hatred, a world of who's more powerful, a world of disaster and domination. But I then drew the scale smaller, and took comfort in our small community and how close knit and friendly people can be, and I remembered why I wanted to procreate. To raise more friendly and loving human beings. To fill the world with smiles and love and warm greetings .. putting away guns and bombs and to end disagreements in words and communication instead of distruction.

To those that have lost, to those that fight to keep freedom, to my country for sending in peace keepers. My heart aches for you, and I thank you for your part in the fight as much as I disagree with the why's.

So in memory of 9/11, I'm going to take a few hours to make some cards to send into the Cards For Soldiers program by 123-scrap.com. If you have the means, and the time .. here's the information and the address where to send them in. Sharing your craft can put a smile on someone's face.

new layouts

I don't have much excitement happening in my neck of the woods, so I'm filling my white space with some recent layouts. Extremely simple, but it seems that's my style as of late.

cowgirlin' it!

There's something about a little girl donning braids and a cowboy hat. Today, the girls were off with their Uncle and Auntie .. to Round 'Em Up Sunday school at their church. From what I know, it's a way to celebrate the first fall Sunday .. welcoming those that were away for the summer, back. All this is done in a country theme, starting off with a pancake breakfast before the service/sunday school starts. And because we don't attend church .. the girls adore that they're always invited by their Uncle J and Auntie S.

i *heart* sunsets

I was privileged to witness THE most beautiful sunset I've seen in my lifetime. Seriously .. this was more gorgeous then photos could ever portray, yet I felt compelled to document it by taking some anyway. When the sun moved to a point where rays were spilling over the mountain (in the third photo), I just about jumped out of my skin with excitement. I couldn't stop snapping photos, yet we were also consumed with the activities of the annual Salmon Derby in a nearby town.

There's just something so romantic, serene, and even invigorating about a sunset. I'm in love with these photos!

and they're off...

Off to their first full day of class, with bulging packs and a large healthy lunch/snacks.

how we spent our labour day

Labour-less, that's how! Unless you count all the rocks we had to hike up and down, but that's fun within reason. We enjoyed a little local spot, yesterday .. took in the beautiful ocean air and tid bits of sunshine .. but mostly enjoyed doing something as a family. We hiked, we snacked, we geocached, we (or rather, DAVE) fished, we (or rather, ME) took lots of pictures, we balanced on drift logs (two particular people more then the others), and when we were finished with the ocean side .. we came home and watched Wild Hogs. Funny movie!

perfectly formed

Last night, the girls and I went to enjoy some beach air for a little while, after supper. We made ourselves a city of castles, motes and bridges .. and then watched the tide ebb up to them, and then finally wash away most of our construction. It's been awhile since I actually 'got dirty' with the girls .. and usually coin myself the photographer and let them do all the work. Last night, tho, I wanted to express myself as well. I was down on my hands and knees, digging, filling pails with sand, smoothing, forming, making everything look as perfect as it would allow. And when we were all happy with our creations (little cities we called them), we sat back on a drift log and watched the waves come in. We giggled, and ooo'd and aww'd, we anticipated which wave may reach our cities, and when they did .. we gasped excitedly as the water washed the sand smooth again.

Sometimes, it's fun to see the world like an 8 and 6 yr old. That the biggest deal at the moment, in our own little world, is our sandcastles being washed away.