I've got sunshine on a cloudy day...

When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May...

I guess you'd say what can make me feel this way...

My girl...

Talkin' 'bout MY GIRL!
Rush & I last Sunday on our girls' afternoon at BPs. Man I LOVE this girl!!!

New Years Day sliding adventures at Little Red

Jellybean climbing up the hill with one of the slides.

Take a look at the air Bug caught coming down the one side of the hill. It was wicked!

Here I am just waiting at the bottom of the hill to get some good pictures. I'm looking a little frosty in the eyelashes and hair.

Ah ha ha! BigB took a dive at the bottom; it was quite a wipe out on the same side Bug caught all his air.

It was a fun time- a little too cold to stay out very long though.

The best singing bug I've ever heard!

The Toothfairy Saga Continues

Dr. Daddy checking out the extremely loose tooth with Bug's buddy, Pink Panther. Look how brave Bug is!

There it is! Taken out by Daddy and his handy "dental tools". Can you see the shock, tears and laughter on his face?

Immediately following the loose tooth being plucked from its home...

There you have it folks, the evidence that she (the Tooth Fairy) has stolen my baby from me! And can you believe that she is ALL READY in the process of taking another one!? The tooth directly beside is all ready wiggling itself free to be replaced by yet another sign of oncoming adulthood!!!

She's leaving on a jet plane...

It has been quite a week, I'll tell you! Our van broke down the week before so we were driving the car. BigB thought he would try to boost the van with the car in hopes of reviving it and...the car quit. We thought it was the alternator but alas, it is some yet to be diagnosed problem. We will be working on it this weekend with hopes of it being on the road very soon. As a result of our vehiclelessness (I know! I know! What kind of word is that?) we have been overwhelmed with support from our church body/friends. They have been picking us up, taking us to work, school and church; we have had vehicles lent to us for periods of time and are currently getting to use Miss Teresa's car. (By the way, it has heated seats and I WANT A CAR WITH THOSE!)

Yesterday was our last day of Hebrew class and I will now be taking a bit of a hiatus from school in order to spend more time with the kids. I talked to Pastor Kevin about it on Tuesday and he thinks it is a good idea as well. Rush has been taking on the brunt of our absence and we want to remove some of that stress from her as much as we can; I offered it of myself as I am also finding our schedule, not hard or taxing, but I was finding it leaving me feeling void of some important "mom-time".

Rush & I got to go out for some "Mom/Daughter" time last Sunday. We went to BP's shared some Cactus Cuts, Twist Bread with pizza sauce and a small Boston Royale pizza. By the time it was all said and done we were too full to move and not sure how we were going to make it playing volleyball that next hour (but we did just fine). I loved getting to spend that time with just her & I and hopefully next time we go we can spend a bit more time visiting with each other. (One of my old bosses came for a visit which was nice but did take away from our time alone.)

Speaking of Rush, she has some excitement ahead of her. Last night she called us to let us know that she had been invited by P.K and S.T. to go to Toronto with them, their daughter and another friend. They will be flying (something she has never done before), going to Pastor Peter Marshall's church, going to China Town and Niagra Falls and hopefully living it to the fullest and enjoying the experience of different sites, tastes etc. I can't wait to see the pictures and to hear her stories. We are on a fast track to saving money for her to go as she will have airfare to pay, meals to pay for and a need/desire for spending money (and I would hate for her to go and not be able to enjoy a bit of shopping-that's what makes it the most fun for girls anyway). Our plan is to gather up all our pop cans/bottles and return them. Rush's school fees for Feb. are all ready paid so her only bill between now and departure is her cell phone bill. We are having faith that all the money she needs will be provided!

She leaves on the 18th so she has approximately 3 weeks to be prepared. I have 3 weeks to contain my excitement for her-having only ever gone 1 or 2 places outside of SK myself, I am bubbling over with joy for her and hope that she has an absolute blast with her friends!

Taking a trip...down memory lane

Our first family picture. Check out the mullet on BigB...

Rush & Pa set up a tent at the farm and went to have a nap. Fun times were had by all. She's winking at me in this picture.

Yeppers, that is my Rush in January or February of 1995. She was "dancing" to a song from off "The Fox & The Hound" at Grandma H's apartment.

A Wish for my friends in 2009

My Dad's cousin sent me this email that I found too cute to not share and it is, somewhat, my with for you all for 2009...

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words . . . May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

The Tooth Fairy stole my baby!!!!

She did!!! And I am putting out an A.P.B. on her!!! She isn't very tall, resembles Tinkerbell and will most likely be carrying someone's tooth!!! She has stolen my baby from me!

Last night I was helping Bug brush his teeth when I noticed a tooth on the bottom left-hand side of his mouth was very wiggly. I informed him of my new found discovery and it sent him into gales of sweet, joyful giggles. It sent me into an instant flashback of my bald-headed, 7 lb 14 oz, toothless bundle of joy and how the years have disappeared with a blink of my eyes-just one blink. In that very instant the Tooth Fairy stole my baby from me.

He is quite a little man now. He holds doors open for me and asks how my day at work went, grabs a blanket for us so we can "nuggle" on the couch, loves to have me read "Love You Forever" to him and promises to take care of me for his whole entire life. Bug is now reading stories not by the words but through interpretting the story's pictures and he has come up with some grand tales and taken us on some incredible adventures and when he sees me his face lights up with joy and love when he sees me after even a brief absence. He loves holding my hand when we cross the street or are in aparking lot and without his hand in mine, mine feels a void.

So, I need to find this Tooth Fairy to give her a piece of my mind! She has stolen the other 6 all ready and I had just hoped for a little more time!!!

The Birds, The Bees and The Pharmacy Tech????

Last night Jellybean came downstairs to tell me that she just heard that someone we know may be pregnant. She also told me how it says in the Bible that being pregnant without being married is a sin. I told her she was pretty much right but that it's not the being pregnant but the having sex that is not right. She looked at me quite befuddled and quizically asked, "What does sex look like?"

PANIC raced through me!!!!!! Cra-ap!! Why did I correct her!? She would have been just fine thinking it was 'pregnant' at least for the next 15 years, right??? "What does sex look like?! What does it look like??!!!". I can hear that question pounding in my ears.

"Oh, honey, you don't need to worry about that right now. Mommy will explain it all to you when you are a little older. For now all you need to know is that it is something special between mommy's and daddy's."

LO-ONG, AWKWARD SILENCE......

"Mommy...? I think I know what sex looks like."

"Oh?", I whispered with my mind racing through all the things she could say so I could "plan" my response.

"Yeah. I think it looks like a vitamin."

I stifle a laugh.
"No, it isn't a vitamin but right now you are a bit too young to really understand what it is but, I promise, as soon as Mommy and Daddy think you are ready to understand I will talk to you and explain it. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, smiling sweetly at me as she bounded from my chair and out of my office.

"Whew!" I feel my lungs begin to exhale a huge sigh of relief and my heart rate slows to normal. I wiped the beads of sweat that had begun to form on my brow and began to wonder when WOULD she be ready? When would I?

I have been silent

But not because I have been mad or depressed or anything of that nature...not at all. I have merely been enjoying my week of Christmas Festivities and my week of family time! It has been fantastic. I was done work at 5:30 on Christmas Eve, went home and began helpin gBigB with the supper preparations for our traditional pig-out feast (homemade pizza, ribs, taco dip, cheese dip, cheese ball...it was great and we were all very stuffed) which we were blessed to share with some of our dear and newfound friends (just one of the great things 2008 brought us).

Christmas Day we spent with Pastor Rob; he is BigB's "brothah from another mothah" and I am his "Twisted Sister". It was great to be able to have him at our house enjoying the kids, the chatter, the laughter, the food and the Wii. Rush's biggest claim to fame that day was knocking out "Uncle" Rob in a game of Wii boxing.

I worked my first shift in ICU in about 1 1/2 years and it was a bit of a hair raising experience as we were fully loaded and a nurse shy with some very sick people...but I made it without needing resusitation myself. In fact, it was rather invigorating if I may be so bold.

On the 27th we had BigB's mom and dad over for the afternoon and a late lunch/early supper. They brought the other two kids with them, Tuff and the K meister! It was awkward at first as we haven't seen them since last January but it didn't take long for that to disolve! We had a lot of fun with them while they were here; they went home with P.B. & J on the afternoon of the 31st. That's right; they were here as well!

On the 29th I worked the morning in ICU and went for lunch with some friends from high school; we had fun chowing down on some good ole B.Ps until we were too stuffed to move. Good times; good times. The 30th is when P.B. and J came for the day; we visited and had supper with them and watched "Horton Hears a Who", our Christmas present from them. It was nice to have them with us and we were almost a complete family but having us that close to complete made the void that much more evident and painful. Perhaps next year...that's what the plan is sounding like so far! Definitely will be exciting to have the 9 kids with us if that works out!

The 31st I worked another half day in ICU, got my hair cut and colored and then went to church for service and food. What a great way to say goodbye to one great year and to hello to another with good friends and, most importantly, the presence of God.

I didn't get as much organizing done as I had first hoped as I didn't expect as much company nor did I plan on working-that was all last minute. I did get to completely go through our huge linen closet and tossed tonnes of stuff as well as find things that we no longer use that a friend of ours was able to make good use of! My linen closet is a thing of beauty at the moment-if a linen closet could be a thing of beauty! Regardless, it is very organized and 'purty'. Bug's room done. Linen closet done...it will be complete soon.

I guess this weekend is the official weekend of bringing down the tree. I am going to feel very good about getting my living room back in all of its square footedness. Oh and some great news on the new church building front...they were supposed to be putting the cement down today...step by step we are getting closer and closer! Can't wait!!!