vday decor

the girls and i were feeling like we've been shot by cupid's arrow so we decided to do a little valentine's craft (who am i kidding... i just wanted to make them stop fighting and so i pulled out the paper, tape and ribbons).  ha ha!  we got started on a simple craft of cutting out hearts.

first we went through my paper and found all the heart day colored sheets.  pink, red... yup, that'll do!

 then we began to cut out hearts in the easy peasy tried and true fashion... folding paper in half and cutting out half hearts!  look at what we were left with:

 and lots of these cuties!!

some of them weren't perfect...

 but they were from the heart, so to speak.  ;)

 big k liked mixing and matching them up.

no word of a lie, while we were cutting out hearts, my loverboy returned home from work with these beauties:

 ain't he sweet?!  out of nowhere!!  i love that man!

ok, back to the craft. 

so, we were left with a big ole pile of hearts.  all shapes and sizes.

 then i cut out different lengths of ribbon and just attached it to the back of the hearts with tape.

you may be wondering what my little cherub was doing throughout the process?  why, watching tv of course.  isn't that what all 16 month old babies love to do?  no?  only mine?

 i then proceeded to hang the hearts from our kitchen widow sill.  aren't they ridiculously adorbs?

look you can even see me in the reflection!!!  ha ha!

 cute hanging hearts with a messy craft covered kitchen table.

now go out and spread the love, people!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

birthday extravaganza!

one thing i love about my daughters' birthdays is the fact that they are all spread out throughout the calendar year.  it is a blessing to have a few months to prepare for each one, and rest up (recover?) after each one as well.  my eldest, big K, is lucky to be an 'older' baby.  i was SO excited when i was pregnant with her that she was going to be born in january.  she'd be one of the oldest ones in her class once she went to school.  being a later baby myself (september), i was thrilled that our first born would probably not struggle when she began school.  my prediction was right, big K is great at school, both academically and socially.  she is at the top of her class, enjoys everything about school (except for the bus on cold days), and can't wait to get to grade 2... and grade 3... and grade 4... well, you get the picture.

anyhow, back to her birthday, her 7th birthday to be exact (am i really old enough to have a 7 year old?  don't answer that!)... she was born on one of the coldest days of the year, january 25, 2004.  it was something like -50 celsius with windchill?!  yeah... cold.  each year it is frigid on her birthday (obviously so b/c we almost live at the north pole) but that doesn't chill our hearts... it's the perfect time to celebrate a birthday.  smack dab between christmas and spring.  who doesn't need a bit of cheer at this time of year?  we love it!  so here are a few pictures from her birthday parties (yes, parties... one with strictly family, and the other, a friend party).  this year's theme: BARBIE!!!  :)


opening up presents the morning of her birthday from omi and opi (my mom and dad)

 i think this was the first year that she was genuinely excited about getting clothes.  a sign she's growing up, i guess.  :(

 she even got a sweet charm bracelet!

 blowing out her mini cake that night, after eating home made pizza (requested by her).

 napkins from her party.

 plates from her party.

 the meal set up... chilli!  perfect for a freezing cold day.  i made two different kinds, a stewed beef tomato based chilli and a white chilli with white kidney beans and chicken.  both were excellent!

 all the fixin's.

mmmm... my mother in law graciously offered to bake home made buns to go with the chilli.  i must have eaten 3 or 4!  oy!  (they are SO hard to resist when they're fresh baked, i swear!)

 need a little pep for your chilli?

mmmmm... the red chilli.  who doesn't love a little fresh cilantro?

numero 7!  this year kaia wanted an all chocolate cake.  delivered!

 me and my sweetpea!

 opening more presents.  another zhu zhu?!  "but this one is PURPLE, mom!!"

 the next day kaia and daddy made the awesome lego house she got from her cousins.  (don't you love the little lego lady hanging out of the skylight on the top?)

now, for big K's friend bday party she requested ice cream sundaes.

whaddya think?  ok enough toppings?

mmmmmmm.... i had to keep little K's paws off these treats!

aw.... i had to take a picture of my house b/c of how clean it was.  sigh...

oh yes... the k girls... dancing while they're waiting for guests to arrive!

oh, and posing with the balloons!

first we did a craft, made little necklaces (tutorial to come in a day or two).

funny face girl with her necklace.

party games!

opening gifts.  with all those little girls there were NO doubles!  can you believe it?

kaia's sundae.  chocked full of EVERYTHING!  surprise, surprise!

singing happy birthday!

so, there you have it!  my big girl's birthday celebrations.  another year older, another year brighter, another year full of fun!  what a blessing she is in my life!  love you sweetpea!!!

white blanket

i'm sitting here in a quiet house (ahhh... bliss) and enjoying the scene out my window.  white, still, peaceful, soft, and pleasing to the eye.  winter is cold here, yes it is but there's just something about that fresh and fluffy snow that makes it appealing, doesn't it?  it really is beautiful.   

it reminds me of how we can be made whole and new again after the ugliness of the dead earth, brown and withered away, is covered up with a clean blanket of pure white.  finishing up a holiday that seems intent on bringing out a lot of the selfish traits in us, over indulgence, a feeling of being rushed instead of reflective and finding a new year upon us, it seems fitting to know that whatever sins and wrong doings we've established, we can have it made spotless again.  those parallels never seem to get old and that is why the snow is so beautiful to me.  God is teaching me new truths each and every day, whether i choose to acknowledge them or not.  He gently prompts me just like the slowly falling snowflakes from the sky.  but He is ever present, unlike the snow, and that gives me great comfort.  He is the forever white blanket, covering my sins and making me fresh and new again.  

 Take away my sin, and I will be clean. 

       Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NCV)

here's a few more pictures taken the past couple of days after we've gotten a whole lot of the white stuff!

this is what happens when you want to go out taking pictures in the snow, without snowpants or proper winter boots on... we canadians call it a "booter"!