My life in photographs...and one for Jody

So Jody asked me what a rag quilt is. This is one of the many that I have made:




It's a quilt with frayed edges. I think they're relatively easy to make.







Also, I must show you the AWESOME fort I built for Tanner while he was away in Calgary. I'm thinking I might become a professional fort builder:



With the "door" closed




With the "door" open





Inside.

Tanner of course LOVED it and said it was awesome.

Your Favorite Season:




Fall is one of my favorite seasons because I LOVE the colors and I love that school is starting and routines are changing and coming back into place. I love the smell of fall and the leaves falling.




Spring is also a favorite because it brings new life and the perfect weather.


Favorite vacation spot:

I haven't been too many places. New Mexico (little philimont for a fun scout camp) , Utah (lots of summer trips and 1 Christmas), Denver (funeral), Drumheller (where I was born and we went there LOTS as kids), San Diego (my very first on my own trip to see my cousin Mark), Ontario (to see my good friend Trish), Edmonton (every summer to visit Aunty Carolyn), and Alabama (our 1 year anniversary/honeymoon). I would have to say that Ontario was my VERY favorite and I would love to take Matt and Tanner there someday to see these:




MARINELAND




AFRICAN LION SAFARI




NIAGRA FALLS



How I exercise:

No surprise there. I run on the treadmill...or right now, outside



My running shoes







My pets:

Growing up we had a Budgie bird named Billy Boy. I can't remember the details of how or why we got him, but he was our familiy's first pet. I remember when he flew out of the cage the couple times he did, my sister would all hide in their rooms and I had to find Billy Boy and throw a towel over him and put him back in the cage. I was always afraid I'd squeeze him too hard under the towel but I always ended up being really super gentle. My older sister is terrified of birds. She calls them "devil birds". It took her a long time to even be okay with seeing birds in movies. She's progressing. I think she should watch the movie Hoot. I think it would be a great movie for her to watch ; )





Where do you relax?

I would have to honestly admit that I rarely am relaxed. I know...it's so bad for your body but with my "mind" problem of it never shutting up, I have a difficult time ever living in the present. It's a curse that I am daily working on to overcome and control. I always think ahead or think about random things. I am most relaxed when I am listening to music on my iPod or at work when I don't think about ANYTHING except work...and that isn't stressful.



So there you have it for this week: my life in photgraphs, plus a little bit more.

Christmas is coming!

Lots has been happening in the last week or so. We started our advent Calendar. We have gone to the ward party, started the nice jar, put up the tree and decorations, gone to the old fashioned Christmas (Matt took Tanner because it was so stinkin cold out), written to Santa (okay, we haven't done this one yet, but we will tonight), we were supposed to go to the First Presidency Broadcast, but Church was cancelled so we assumed they didn't show the broadcast here, and today we are making cookies and taking them to someone in need.



Last week was a busy one. The best day was Wednesday. Susanne and I drove up to Calgary and went with my sister, Megan, to So You Think You Can Dance Canada Tour!!!! Megan and I screamed and screamed and then we screamed some more. Susanne did lots of screaming too. It was so much fun! Susanne is the only friend I've ever travelled with and she is great company. It's nice to be able to travel/vacation with people that you can be yourself around. My sister Megan is so fun. She was like a kid in a candy store. I have only ever seen the American version of the show so all the dances were new to me because I didn't watch the Canadian version of the show. Megan and Susanne knew what dance every one was and could tell me if it was a good one or not. So that was fun. I'm glad we went.








(some random Christmas shots)

Then on Thursday I got on e-mail that one of my other best friends had her baby. I am so excited for them. It is their third baby and they have all boys. Congrats again, Jamie! I always get so excited when my friends have babies.

On Friday we went to a fabulous Christmas party. It was soooooo much fun. I had a blast. We played 2 truths and a lie and then did a gift game. It was hilarious. It was an adult only party so that was nice to get out without Tanner for a few hours. Tanner went to the Bishops house and he said he loved it there and it's his favorite place because one of their boys has Star Wars Lego. So he was in heaven. Santa may have to do a small trip to the store to get some Star Wars Lego...lol.

On Saturday it was crazy!!! Tons of blowing snow and coldness.

Everyone seems to have a "cold day" story and ours is not very exciting but here it is anyhow...when Matt went to do the papers on Saturday morning and the car got stuck just as he pulled off the drive way...so it was sitting on the road. I suggested to Matt that he call his friend and ask to borrow his quad to deliver the papers. So he did and his friend was so gracious and lent Matt one of his quads. Then as we got talking I thought of when the night came and our car sitting, half covered by snow drifts, on the road. So I suggested we try to get it onto the driveway and call and see if someone could help us. Lucky for me I have a best friend who's husband has a shovel on his quad and was happy to come and help us. So we finally got the car on the driveway and we are so thankful for the help that was given to us. We had to have the car towed backwards onto the middle of the road to get a "run" onto the driveway, but it worked! Then we went over to Susanne's house and ate, watched footloose (my first time ever!) and played games. It was a blast.

They cancelled church here on Sunday and that was kind of weird. But all in all, it's been a great week-ten days. Matt came home Thursday night and that was wonderful.

So ever onward. It's suppose to be cold for the next couple of days so we'll have inside days.

clothe the naked

First off, a little story. When I know we are going to Calgary, I usually pack about 3-4 days in advance. Sometimes it's a week in advance. I know...crazy right??? Anyway, so I packed and got all our outfits together for this weekend including Sunday clothes that I don't pack, I just leave on the hanger. So last night when I was packing the car, I was so proud of myself thinking...I have everything, I haven't forgotten anything this time. WRONG!!! When we were in between Vulcan and Mossleigh I realized that I had forgotten our Church clothes at home in the front closet...(eyes rolling) so we are figuring things out as to where we will borrow clothes because we certainly don't have money to buy anything. Life...

Next, I've been tagged. I was actually tagged a long time ago, I just didn't have the time to sit down and do it so I'm doing it now.

My 3 Joys:

My family
Music
The Church

My 3 Fears:

Being alone in the dark
Losing someone I love, especially Matt and Tanner
That I will not live up to my potential

My 3 Current Obsessions:

Card making
Tanner
Gilmore Girls

My 3 Surprising Facts:

I have been wearing my contacts a lot more lately
I have already volunteered in Tanner's class twice
I just saw that my Mom has the new stampin up fall/winter 2008 catalogue and I'm a little jealous.

Mine and Matt's date night was fabulous! We are learning to dance...jive, waltz, cha cha. It's a weekly thing so I am really looking forward to it because I've always wanted to do it. Matt and I are the youngest couple there by far. How do I know??? Everyone else has all grey hair or has grown kids. It makes me happy to dance and I always wanted to learn to do that kind of stuff. I know how to jive and my family and I took line/country dance classes when my Mom was engaged but then we never got to show off our stuff. So I'm pretty stoked about doing this with Matt. Plus, it free! You can't go wrong there.

Anyways, that's all for now. Happy Thanksgiving.

Fly protected car

Yesterday as I was looking for Tanner's tent thing...which can I say has been VERY successful last night and it worked...he had climbed in the car. Normally, this is totally fine and it doesn't really bother me. We played in the car when we were kids and we were perfectly fine so I don't worry about Tanner when I can see him right there. It beats trying to chase him around keeping him in the yard and not wandering down the street. So all of a sudden I smell something. My dear, lovely, Sweet, kind, considerate, gentle Tanner had sprayed insect repellent (which was still in our car from summer) in the car on the dashboard and on the back window. At least no bugs will come in our car. The car has been airing out during the day with the windows fully open. What a lovely treat...lol.

I was thinking today, what makes a good blog post in which people comment a lot. Is it a lot of friends or connections? Is it interesting things being said? Is it just the day? Maybe the length of the post? I seem to post a lot but don't get as many comments. Why is that I wonder....am I too honest? Am I too abrupt? Do I not write well? Am I boring? Are people afraid to comment? To me, it doesn't matter if I know a person or not, if I think they posted something that I think about to and or have an opinion on, I'll post a comment. I usually tell them, if I don't know them, how I came across their blog or who I know that knows them. Are YOU afraid of posting a comment???? I wont' bite, I promise. And it doesn't even bother me if you have something to say that contradicts what I post. I like to know who my readers are.

On another note, a lot of people have posted about Sterling Low. It made me realize just how big of an impact a young person can make in the world. Not just him, but all of us. Those who know the Low family have nothing but kind, loving, thoughtful, generous things to say about them. I keep thinking over and over the line in the Hymn "tho hard to you this journey may appear, all is well, all is well...". What a blessing it is to know that the Lord loves us enough to have provided the Plan of Happiness for us and the knowledge that we can be with our loved ones again. The Lord will never leave us comfortless if we but turn to him for comfort and peace. I hope and pray daily that comfort and peace will bless the lives of everyone in the Low family. Having gone through something so tragic is a very difficult thing. I think a lot of people think of the parents, siblings and wife first, but it's important to remember that he was a nephew and soon to be uncle, a grandson, a cousin and friend. I think sometimes those people get left behind when someone dies. I hope that everyone in the family, immediate and extended, feel that comfort and love and peace. I know that he must have been a very valiant servant to have been called home so early. There is a greater work for him on the other side, and tho it is difficult to see or understand the big picture sometimes, it is a blessing to know that we will all see each other in the next life. I can't wait for that day to see the people that I love that I've lost. What a joyous day that will be.

So, I think that's all for now.

5 stories for Friday

These are questions that are actually stories so here goes:

1. Have you ever peeked in the boys locker room?

When I was in grade 12 I took a Sports Med Class so I was a Sports trainer (basically I just wrapped the players' ankles...it was more first aid stuff than "training" stuff) and one day after a football practice, this friend of mine picked me up over his shoulder and said "we're taking into the boys locker room" and I was screaming and screaming "no, NO...put me down". So he took me in and I of course closed my eyes and then the coach came into the locker room and gave crap to my friend for taking me in there. So that's my story about that.

2. Ever rode in an ambulance?

In grade 10, I donated blood and I fainted. Well, when I was riding the bus home that night, I knew I was going to faint again and so I told the bus driver and he called an ambulance and I went. I also rode in an ambulance when I had to call one when Tanner got RSV and I thought he was going to stop breathing.

3. Ever been on a snipe hunt?

When I was in Y.W and on this girls camp in 95 or 96, the leader that was taking us snipe hunting and a snipe bit her so bad that she was bleeding all over. It was terrible. Yes, I've been snipe hunting and even led one.

4. Do you know how to drive a stick?

We learned on a stick shift and that's all I've ever driven for the last 15 years. My Mom wasn't a good teacher so my cousin taught me. My Mom was a bit of a nervous passenger when we were teenagers...I guess that's to expect when you have 3 teenage drivers all at one time.

5. Ever met anyone famous?

When I worked at the Stampede I got de...I mean promoted to be in the elevator and take the executive people to the floors they needed to go to (like they couldn't push the button themselves...lol) and I met a few famous people while in the elevator. Theron Flury was among them. I also got stuck in the elevator for an hour with some media people and a few hockey players. That was NOT fun. I was a little panicked.

RAIN!!!

We finally have rain!!! Horray! I am soooooo happy. I love the rain. I remember going to the Stampede Chuckwagon races and grandstand show one year and they had to stop the grandstand show because it started raining and it was dangerous for the dancers. Anyway, I remember Matt and I stayed out in the rain, getting soaking wet for about 20 minutes before they started the show again. It was awesome! I was freezing on the way home on the train, though. Matt was nice enough and gave me his coat to wear.
I love the cold. I'd rather have fall and winter than Summer, anytime. I love in the winter that you can cuddle up under your blankets with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. Mmmmm...I can't wait for winter.
Tanner had a little accident yesterday. We were outside and I was putting some things away in the shed and Tanner was running on the driveway and he tripped over his stupid Crocs and fell...well, actually slid, on the pavement. He was pretty banged up. His knee bled more than I've seen him bleed anytime else. Nothing that needed stiches, though. He usually doesn't bleed too bad when he gets cut or scraped. He also doesn't like band-aids in any capacity so I had to tell him he needed the band-aid on or he would keep bleeding. He didn't like it at all but I put it on and he hasn't complained about it.
They are having a 'community clothing exchange' this weekend. I'm looking forward to giving away a bunch of stuff. We have gifts that we have had from when we got married and I really can't see us using them anytime soon. I'm getting tired of lugging them around everywhere we move to. It can be such a pain to have to try and remember what we do have. Plus I have a bunch of clothes that I keep because I think "when I loos a little weight, I can fit into this". I've been saying that for 2 years now and I just have to realize that I am big chested and the items are never going to fit again. That's what happens after you have a baby. So I'm glad to be giving it away to peole who I'm sure will be grateful for it and appreciate it.
Well, I think that's about all for now.