back to my childhood

i just found one of the coolest downloads... this!
we used to have a polaroid when i was little and i LOVED using it! i remember going out into the yard and taking pictures of the most random things. i probably still have those polaroids somewhere in and admist all the junk i've rat packed all these years! ;) i also have some great polaroid shots of me when i was little. they are quite cute, if i do say so myself, but mostly because i look like little k in them. she found them and said, "look mommy, it's a picture of me with kitty. where is this kitty?" i should scan the pic so one can compare. i guess we have the same genes! :)
anyhow, i've already been having lots of fun with this download tonight!
check out the few i've already done:

look at my sweet family! we look like we're in the 70's, save for our fashions, i suppose.

i thought this little diddy looked kinda cute as a polaroid!

now this one totally looks ancient, doesn't it? i love it! my baby girl and i, circa 2009... although it could be a picture of my mom and me, circa 1979!
my two gals before heading to awana clubs one wednesday evening, on 'wacky hair night'.
oh sweetness... how i love this little face to bits and pieces!

there you have it... just a few shots now in polaroid form. how fun! download it and try it out for yourself. you won't be disappointed.
now, i wonder how they actually print out...

10 years

our 10 year anniversary was 5 days ago on december 11th. i can hardly believe it's been 10 years already. i'm married to the very best man, chosen for me. sometimes it's so easy to neglect our relationship. to take for granted. when i do take the time to remember our wedding day, i'm filled with emotions. so many amazing moments. i remember vividly the first time we saw one another that day. it was just after noon and i had come to the photographer's studio to take pics, alone with m. he drove himself there, i was dropped off by my dad. i took my shoes off, took my cloak off and walked with anticipation into the studio. i could hear him chatting with the photographer. i walked around the corner and our eyes met. the photographer kindly left the room for us to have a moment by ourselves. it was magical. we just stood there, so excited about the day. chatting about how surreal it was. we were so in love. we're still in love. maybe i don't always show it... maybe there isn't as much glitz and glamour (although what kind of glitz and glamour was there then? maybe just lest wrinkles and more hair -- for one of the parties involved)... maybe our life currently revolves around 3 people who are less than 4 feet tall. ;) we're now more in love today than we were then. we've endured much and fallen deeper in love with one another b/c of those hardships... and the good times also. we can only get closer as the years go by, as long as we stand by each other. i love you so much, m!! you were made for me, and i for you!
10 years... 5 houses... 4 vehicles... 3 beautiful girls... 2 platinum wedding bands... 1 amazing man... happy 10 year anniversary!!

a super cool contest from MckMama

seriously... who wouldn't want a new computer? and who wouldn't want the newest COOL computer?! it has a touch screen!! it's the HP touchsmart and i want one. ;) we already love our ipod touch, and now i feel the need to have a desktop touch device. the girls would absolutely love it too. plus, we really are in the market for a new computer. just can't afford a new one right now. so... this contest is perfect for us. (and about a million others, right?) ha ha! so... here's hoping i win!!

sisters

ok, i'll admit it. i'll be perfectly honest. when i was pregnant with #3, there was a large part of me that really hoped it would be a little boy. i already had 2 girls. i got to experience the joys of having girls. and i LOVED it!! it was wonderful. but, there was a part of me that wanted to know what it was like to have a son. to know if it was true that a relationship between a mommy and her boy was different than a relationship that a mommy has with her girl. when we had our ultrasound in april of this year, we decided we were going to find out the gender. we never did this the other 2 times. i was nervous, excited, trembly. first of all, was my baby healthy and looking good? check. all was fine. then the moment came. the tech went to get mike and she told us... "it looks like you're gonna have another girl!" i can't quite explain how i felt. i was thrilled but there was a eensy weensy part of me that was a tad disappointed. how foolish do i feel now? really? of course if we had had a boy, it would have been awesome and wonderful. but... we have a girl... and you know what? it's awesome and wonderful and amazing and fantastic!!! i absolutely love it! having 3 girls is a blessing and a joy! they will have so much fun growing up! our house is filled to the brim with pink and princesses and i'm in heaven! so, i'll be honest... having 3 girls, sisters, is something i'm extremely happy about!

our three princesses:

when the world around me...

feels like it's coming crashing down... this is the song i think of. it's all the really matters.

"the one thing"

i LOVE this song! one of my favs ever!

who'd have thought?

how could i have known that the day i wrote my last entry would be the day i went into labour and had my baby? quite funny, actually. my midwife came by to check on me in the early afternoon and gave me a stretch and sweep. regular contractions came on around 11pm on monday night and she was born at 1:21am on tuesday morning, september 8th. another baby girl! 3 girls! oi! poor M! ;) here are some pictures of our newest little princess!

due date + 1

here i am, officially overdue. i never thought i'd be here. both girls were early, 3 days and 5 days respectively. i feel like i've been overdue for days already. very strange feeling. i've been having sporadic contractions for many days and nothing, nada is happening. so i'll just keep waiting, i suppose. i'm starting to feel a bit anxious as there are lots of things i want to be at in the next week. kindergarten interview... first day of kindergarten... first day of preschool... first dance class... etc. plus my BFF is leaving on wednesday for 10 days and i'd love to have the baby before she leaves. gonna keep walking, keep bouncing on my exercise ball and try to get this baby out. further updates to come... hopefully sooner rather than later.

Grosgrain: Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

lovin' this bag! i hope i win! (crossed fingers)

some belly pics and thoughts

my friend, charmaine is an amazing photographer and i asked her if she'd be willing to take some photos of our family and my belly as we await baby #3. we were awestruck by the fantastic pictures that she took. simply amazing! so, i thought i'd share a few of my favs on here.















i can hardly believe it's only a month 'til baby arrives. i'm scared, nervous, excited, hopeful and so many other emotions that i can't quite put into words. i wonder how i'll manage with 3 children but i know that once i'm in it, it'll just be the way it's supposed to be. whatever that means. anticipating this baby's arrival has been far different than when i was pregnant with the girls. for one thing, we know how much work a baby can be... and so we're cautiously excited about it's arrival for we understand that soon there'll be many sleepness nights, less freedom and more challenges. on the other hand, we know how amazingly lovable little babies are too, even when they're crying, we're crying and everyone is cranky. for the baby stage doesn't last forever and we will try to treasure it for what it is. we cannot wait to see how the girls react to this baby either. i think that is what we're most looking forward to. so... we wait anxiously and excitidly for this baby's time to come into the world. september suddenly isn't so far away.

sweet summer skirts

long awaited, here they are.
i finished them already a couple weeks ago but i just haven't had time to download the photos and actually update my blog. ok, i've had the time just haven't MADE the time is more like it. my girls are quiet for a couple minutes so i decided to update the blog.

the skirts were quite easy to make, just took a bit of time. lots of zigzagging so my fabric wouldn't fray. working on the long stitch and pulling it to gather the pieces. fidgeting with the elastic and making sure it wasn't twisted before i sewed it shut, etc, etc. but it was fun! and even though my feet were actually swollen by the end of the day, it was worth it (it was like 27 degrees inside my MIL's house b/c she didn't put the a/c yet at this point and it was HOT outside). now the girls are thrilled they have matching little flirty skirts and i'm proud of myself for making them. who cares if they cost more than another cute skirt at old navy or superstore? they were created with love by their mommy! :)

here's another couple of shots of the girls playing in the yard.

and a close up shot...

summer furniture

dilemmas, dilemmas. we really need some sort of outdoor furniture for our covered patio. well, need isn't really the right word. want sorta makes more sense. it probably was a bad idea on my part but i went outdoor furniture shopping with my mother in law today. i should clarify... we went high end outdoor furniture shopping. you know, the stuff most definitely that will never fit into our price range. ahem. this is the piece that i salivated over...

well, not this exact one but something very similar. it had an over $3000 price tag. i nearly choked on the drool that was pouring out of my mouth. jeez. i could buy another vehicle or two for that price. but it is beautiful and i'm sure it would last a long time. however, it will not be on our deck. so i found something more in our price range.

it's cute, ain't it? and a much more reasonable price. i found this little ditty at home outfitters, on sale for $419, regularly $599. not too shabby at all, huh? i was quite pleased with the price actually. i was thrilled with the price. M... well, not so much. he doesn't think we need anything on the deck so any amount of money is too much. i love it but the only downfall... i measured it and it's just a few inches too wide for our deck (the way i wanted to place it). oh well. i don't think i could have convinced him to get it anyway. so, where does this leave me? do i continue to use our ugly sitting around the fire pit camping chairs? or do i save up for something spectacular? here's the thing, i need and want something for the deck. unfortunately, this is probably what i'm going to end up with.
i just might be able to convince M on the $14.99 price tag. ;)

my first (nice) creation

stop the presses... i actually created something. on my sewing machine. yup, sewed it all MYSELF!! can you believe it? i hardly can. my wonderful mother in law helped me along the way, guiding me through, but the actual sewing of the finished product was all done by me. even these little guys.
(man, sewing button holes are a bugger! especially when you make them just a teensy weensy bit too small and you have to literally jam the button through the hole to make it fit through). who'd have thought throw pillows would take all day (well for an amateur sewer like myself, they do, that's with kid interruptions, lunch, etc). but, i had to zig zag all the ends (so the fabric wouldn't fray), had to add some extra material on the inside to make the pillow bigger (it was the very last bit of the fabric and i wanted it to last), had to put on interfacing, sew the button holes, sew the pillow together, stitch the buttons on by hand. phew! it was work but it was super fun! i loved it! i can't wait to do a whole bunch of sewing projects this summer. next one, skirts for the girls. you'd better believe i'll have pics up afterward. just wait. it's sweet amy butler fabric! :)

anyhow, i am pleased with the results of the throw pillows. what do you think? isn't the fabric adorable? and the buttons too? sweet little things. now i need to punch up my walls. they're still brown and blah. next project... stencil or free hand swirl painting on the wall? we'll see.

praying for stellan...

i don't have anything orange that fits me right now but you'd better believe that today i'm thinking about and praying for little Stellan. his surgery is scheduled to take place this morning in boston, actually it should be going on right now. i can't even imagine what mckmamma is feeling right now. i can't even fathom sending my baby into heart surgery at such a young age. yet we know that she has Christ to lean on in this difficult time... and we know that Christ will be right there guarding little Stellan's heart. i pray for peace, i pray for knowledge for the doctors, i pray that there is an amazing miracle to take place today. i just pray... and wait... and pray some more.

it's the simple things...

i'm sitting here while my girls enjoy breakfast, enjoying my own breakfast of sorts. eating some paska (easter bread) with yummy cream cheese icing (i know, very healthy... what can i say, the baby likes it!), and sipping on a hot chai latte. and i'm happy. just sitting here enjoying my chai is very nice indeed. just had to share!


this is me enjoying a cup of chai latte during the winter months.

cravings

i'm going to turn into one of these soon! seriously... i have a crazy addiction to peanut m&m's right now. they are SO deceptively delicious. i have a bowl full right beside the computer and every time i sit down, i just hungrily snack away. it's terrible! normally i am not a chocolate kinda person. i like my salty snacks, that i will readily admit. but sweets? nah... i can take them or leave 'em. EXCEPT... except, when i'm pregnant. then all the normal rules fall by the wayside. so i sit here, eating my easter colored peanut M&M's and i think about how they are going straight to my hips, thighs and bum. ah well. there's always time to get rid of it all after baby #3, huh? ;) (i know, i know. things are only going to get busier)

itchin'

i am so ready for spring. i don't really get why we live where we live. it's freezing for nearly 8 months of the year. yup, our summer are usually gorgeous BUT that doesn't change the fact that the rest of the year it's white. i felt renewed on sunday morning when i got up. i was tired, i will admit that (kids don't understand daylight savings, do they?), but i was excited to know we'd have a whole 'nother hour of light in the evening! it's been great! eating supper when it's still light out instead of in the dark. somehow though, my excitement of 'spring' coming has been a bit diminished by the fact that today there's a blizzard warning in effect. yup... a friggin' blizzard warning. talk about depressing. actually depressing enough that i'm just in the foulest of moods today. watch out! i did have a few spots on brown grass poking through the SLOWLY melting snow of our yard... and now, hrmph, there's crazy blowing snow and windchill in the minus 40's (celsius). man, oh man... it always brings me back to the same question: why do we live here again? ok, here's a plus. a friend tried to make me feel better about the situation by telling me about this new show called, "extermination" or something like that. anyhow, the last episode she saw was a house infested by cockroaches. ewwwww! that is a NIGHTMARE, actually, beyond a nightmare in my opinion. that would be hell for me. thank the Lord that a situation like that could never occur where we live b/c there actually aren't any cockroaches living here. yippee! so, that made me realize that at least if i have to suffer through snow and cold and horrible weather, i'll never have to worry about large insects and tarantulas invading my home premise. and for that... i'm thankful.

but... i'm still itchin' for spring.

Anthropolification Boyer Cream Cardi GIVEAWAY!!!! GIVEAWAY!!!!

Anthropolification Boyer Cream Cardi GIVEAWAY!!!! GIVEAWAY!!!!

crafty

why can't i be as crafty as i dream to be? well... maybe it should be more like, why can't i find the time to BE as crafty as i want to be? that is the serious question. yes, i have kids... yes, i work part time... yes, i'm social. but i know that i could find the time to squeeze in some fun projects. i've always had it in my heart to become a major sewer and clothes maker extraordinaire! you know how people always wonder what their 'hidden talent' might be? i've always had it in my head that mine is sewing. unforunately, i've haven't given myself the time or effort to see if it is really true. maybe it's just a pipe dream. ha ha! regardless i never run out of things to be inspired by. here's the newest piece.
isn't it dreamy? and so adorable... i need to have it. i am such a sucker for deals that i like it better than the real anthropologie sweater because of the fact that she made it for only $6!!!!! yup... 6 smackaroos! can you believe it? the sweater online retails for over $150 canadian. yikers! i can't afford that. but $6 and some time/effort. that i can do. so... i'm feeling inspired. if i don't win, then maybe i'll try for my own sweet piece. buy a little cardi and add some trim. it'll be perfect! and the mere fact that i'll be saving money will be the sweetest reward!! take that recession!!!

i have a 5 year old!

i can't even begin to describe how it feels to actually have a 5 year old daughter. it's crazy! it's strange because it feels like it's been forever since she's been born (0ver 5 years) and yet it feels like just yesterday we packaged her tiny body up in her warm bunting bag and fixed her in her carseat for the first LONG drive home from Winnipeg. -50 celsius... blowing snow... new parents extremely nervous driving with their first baby! what a combo, huh? it obviously turned out all ok. with everything that was rough and tough during that "4th trimester" i was lucky enough that breastfeeding went well. what a champ she was! i was blessed that it went so easily with her. but of course not everything was easy. sleepness nights, oodles of crying, the endless bouncing on that damn exercise ball, anxiousness that she would stop breathing at any second during the night, etc, etc. oh how i wish i could have been less worried and enjoyed more. in hindsight i wish i would have cherished each moment because it was so very short. now she's all grown up and ready for kindergarten in the fall. i am proud of the girl she's becomming. she's sweet, precise, thoughtful, creative, organized, beautiful inside and out, funny, silly, smart and so much more. she brings so much joy to our lives and we couldn't imagine life without her.

Kaia Faith... you are an amazing little girl and we're so blessed to have you as our daughter! we love you!!