An Affair at 'the FAIR'!

This past weekend, our whole family trekked on down to the Fall Fair....the weather was gorgeous and the cotton candy was yummy! The girls went on a bunch of rides with their friends Brookie and Autumn (pictured here with my girls) and had fun looking at all the exhibits. The girls entered quite a few of their own baking and crafts, and Delaney won first for her penmanship on 'Why I Like The Fair'. My entries didn't fare so well (pardon the pun), I only won third for my banana bread. THIRD! Humph. Well, it's not all about winning anyway. I mean, if I won then it would be but I didn't so then it's not important. I mean there are more important things in life, like if my hair and makeup look good!

I've been TAGGED!

So, now I've been 'tagged' by Heather in this crazy little bloggin' game.... ah, the life of a housewife!!! Oh, and can I say, Heather's list seems so literary...mine seems so...ordinary!

1. One book that changed your life: Well, the very spiritual side of me says, 'say the Bible!' which would be true actually, well, mostly...see, the message of the Bible changed my life but reading the 'begats' isn't exactly AWE inspiring. However, the Purpose Driven Life really did change me. I'm also going to have to give a nod to 'The Barbarian Way' by Erwin McMannus.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. ( I still have the copy I got for my 9th birthday)

3. One book that you’d want on a desert island:Any of the Harry Potter books...MAN, I love those books!

4. One book that made you laugh: The Confessions of a Shopoholic (who wrote that...Kinsella??)

5. One book that made you cry: A Walk To Remember-Nicholas Sparks

6. One book that you wish you had written: Anne of Green Gables...OH the heritage!!!!

7. One book that you wish had never been written: Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl..granted it did help me in SOME area's but mostly made me feel like a crappy wife!

8. One book you are currently reading: Trace by Patricia Cornwall (it's my first book by her and it's quite good!!!)

9. One book that you’ve been meaning to read:It's the same as Heather's but I've REALLY wanted to read...Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller

10. One book that you wish had been written:Not sure! How about 'How to lose weight and still eat chocolate at any time of day!'

11. One book that you got for free: Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom (haven't read it yet but want to!!)

12. Favorite Book this Year: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown...what a page turner!

I was going to tag my cousin Scottie...he's not working and has nothing better to do but him and Calvin went fishing last night and he told Calvin he's 'not a reader' so I was thinking who should I tag??? It's kind of fun reading this on other people's blog so how about my friend Rebecca from Canada somewhere!

I Dream of.....BELLIES!

In the world I live in (with three girls) we dress up ALOT. Princesses and Ballerina's top our list HOWEVER, my Mom brought something back with her from Turkey for the girls...belly dancing outfits...oh, they jingle and jangle and cling and clang...and they look pretty darn cool too! (Sidenote, thank GOD my Mom didn't but one for me....I'm very happy with the funky earrings and cookbook, no need to scar anyone by putting a grown up sized one on this bod!!)

Now I know what 'they' meant.....or do I?

So, today I had one of 'those' days. Who coined this phrase anyway? 'They did' You know, the random 'they' that said that gas prices would go over $2.00 a litre...or that '30' is the new '20'...or that money doesn't buy happiness! (Ok, it's probably true but I wouldn't mind testing out the theory, I mean, Oprah seems happy doesn't she?)

What happened to make today a 'those' day? Nothing and everything. Today I feel fat, I feel like the worst mother in the world, I feel BORED, I feel far from God and I feel alone. I was doing some running around with my kids today and I heard myself talking to them and thought....is that ME? I left them in the car (yes, please no gasping) to run into Zellers and walked in the door amongst the bussle of the store and had tears brimming in my eyes. No reason, just one of 'those' days. I went to the girls swimming lessons and in fact stayed in the pool with my whole family, Calvin included and swam, and watched my girls play and thought...I'm not happy. For a moment I was fine...then we came home and Calvin left around 3 to go fishing and I was a wonderful mom doing crafts and baking with my kids for our entries into the Fall Fair.....oh yeah, wonderful mom freaking out because the glitter glue wasn't going on Laney's picture frame 'just right'. I tried to 'rise above' and 'make the right choice' but felt like a fake. My kids are very forgiving....but then I worry about how much I'll scar them because I'm not perfect. Maybe that's it. I'm not perfect. My house isn't perfect, my body is FAR from perfect, my thoughts and speech are NOT perfect....I'm not PERFECT. I read something on someone else's blog the other day (actually, I don't even really know her, it was a link from the Cyr's webite) about her dissatisfaction with life and how she's sick of it. How she needs to be content...it really struck a chord with me because it was like she was speaking my thoughts......BUT.....how can I be happy BROKE?? How can I be happy with an 'OLD' house....How can I be happy FORTY (yes, you heard it here first) pounds overweight? Actually, don't answer that...I know the 'right' answer. I know the 'by the book' answer. Let go, Let God. Pray harder, read my bible more (or at all)....I know...I'm just tired and sad today....HOLD ON..what day of the month is it? OH!! NOW I KNOW WHAT MY PROBLEM IS!!!!!! If it were only that easy.

Digital PAIN!!!

So, we were in Vancouver for the 'Symphony of Fire'. Sounds cool right? Sure, until you have someone (you know who you are YOUNGER SISTER WHOSE NAME STARTS WITH A V!!) yelling in your ear...'NOW! Take it NOW! Click it!!!' 'You're missing it!!' 'Do it QUICK! Here come the FINALE' Anyway, here are the pictures of pain as I like to call them.....

A Day At The Beach

Oh, the OCEAN!????!?!?!? To Calvin it smells like home....to me it smells like @#$*!!! (at least we look like we're having fun with my cousin's Scottie and Aimee!!!)

A Heritage To Be Proud Of

This is a picture of my Dad's parents with their SIX great-grandchildren, our three girls, Delaney, Avery and Camryn, Jer and Ty's 2 boys, Gabe and Zech (and they are adding to their brood in February!) and then my cousin Naomi's little boy Ben.

Sexy sista?

Ok Ok...I know I'm posting ALOT of pictures from our holiday but I took 300 pictures and SO MANY are SO GOOD!!! Anywho.....I love my sister....we are total buds, we cry together, laugh together and hey hey...look hot together! Like the makeup? We got it done at M.A.C. in Vancouver....by MEN! Yes, men, prettier than us did our makeup...ONLY IN VANCOUVER???? Did I mention that Vanessa is the queen of self portraits?

A fishy affair!

Here are the first of quite a few vacation pic's! We had so much fun with 'fambly' in Vancouver...we walked around Stanley Park and went to the Aquarium but first we HAD to stop for COFFEE!!!! We do have Richmond blood after all! (Who's in the pic's?? Uncle Art, Auntie Donna-Mae, Adam, Chelsea, Ryan, Jen, Vanessa, Calvin, Michelle, Delaney, Avery and Cammy!)

Flower POWER!

We're home now from our two week vacation where one of the highlights was my Dad and Joanna's wedding! It was VERY fancy and the girls did a wonderful job of walking down the aisle even though there were a few Canadian celebs in the pews! (Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson from Corner gas to name a few!)