Sunshine Through The Rain

They're Both In School!!!

2011-09-07T16:33:00.000-04:00

It's hard for me to believe that both of my munchkins are in school this year. I wish RooRoo were here to put a picture up to. She would have been starting grade 1 this year. Here are the pictures of the kids. Melody had her first day of grade 5 yesterday and Aizen's first day of JK was today.

Wedding Hairstyles For Tiffany

2011-08-20T19:06:00.000-04:00

Hey girl!!! Decided I'd make a blog post with all the hairstyles I thought were elegant and fun. I think we have the same style so I hope this helps a bit. (((((hugs)))))

The ones that are flower girls pictures I think would look good with your petite face.

Flower girl 1 ~ favourite

Flower girl 2

Half up

Updo with beaded accents ~ favourite (this could work with a veil and then without the veil at the reception)

Updo with a tiara

Pretty ringlets

Unique and intricate

Elegant updo

Messy bun

Sorta half up and down ~ favourite

Half up down ringlets

Very elegant

Wispiesh updo ~ favourite

Hope these help honey!!! Let me know if you'd like some more ideas!!!!!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY AIZEN!!!!!!!

2011-06-28T00:37:00.000-04:00

It's Aizen's 4th Birthday!!!! Whooo hoooo!!!!!

We sure have been through a lot with this munchkin. I was 18 weeks pregnant with him when his big sister Ruby passed away and his first ultrasound picture was the day before her funeral. We saw him for the first time on Valentine's Day of 2007. He PROUDLY displayed that he was a boy and here's his first perfect picture:

I went high risk with him as I did with all my other pregnancies. Aizen wasn't planned but he was most certainly wanted. I went in every week from 31 weeks to 37 weeks to get an ultrasound done and he Always had his hand right near his right cheek. This picture is from when he was 34 weeks:

Here is the very first picture of him and look at what he did! Wiggled his hand up so it could be by his cheek. hehe

This is by far my FAVOURITE newborn picture of him. Look at those little balled up hands and the nookie that looks huge on his face.

My little guy on his 1st birthday. He's a total adrenaline junkie and was being held up in the air for this picture:

2 Years Old and trying his very first plum. Oh he was so excited and he had it everywhere.

3 years old and he got tools for his birthday. This kid will follow around his papa all day long and try to help him fix things. It's still one of his favourite toys.

My little man just a few months ago. Look how much he's grown up. I can't believe it's the little peanut who used to kick me in the ribs and keep me up all night when I was pregnant with him.

We've had a lot of challenges with him but he's such a sweet little boy. I can't wait to see how he develops this year. School will be great for him and althought he is autistic and severely speech delayed he's thriving and suprising us with new things every day.

I love you Stinker Butt (((((hugs from mommy)))))

Penguins And Stingrays

2011-06-12T22:15:00.013-04:00

We are very blessed to have African Penguins and Stingrays at the Toronto Zoo. They are both magnificent creatures and they were my favourite things we visited today. We have season passes and have been waiting months for both of these exhibits to come.

They have the most intersting feet. I was expecting to see small and webbed feet like a duck, but their toes are more like a stubby finger with the webbing. They travel around in a little pack and are truly a co-depedant specifices. Enjoy the pictures.

Look at the bubbles in the next picture. It was so cool to see that from them. They will get air when they surface and release it just like we do when we are swimming under water.

We were SO Excited to see the stingrays. You can touch them and feed them. They are so very soft and will slow down as you touch them. After the kids were done, Daniel took them to the kids zoo and I stayed for another half hour just touching them and taking pictures.

Aizen touching a sting ray:

Melody touching a stingray:

Here Melody is feeding a sting ray. You hold the food between your fingers and put your hand down low to the bottom fo the tank, wait for them to hover over and suck up the food. It feels so strange at first but it's really quite ticklish after you get used to it.

Another picture of Melody petting a sting ray:

Melody's Birthday

2011-06-12T22:04:00.003-04:00

I did a post over on my Bugaboo blog and thought I'd put a LINK to it here so I don't have to use up more photo space on blogspot here. We had such a good time and she had a mix of both boys and girls at her party. We went to a local ceramics shop and painted different pieces, the kids each got to pick their own. The finished pieces turned out so well. So, head on over and take a peek. ((((hugs))))

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY MELODY!!!!!!

2011-05-25T01:34:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe but my little 4 1/2 pounder is now going to be in the double digits. We're going to be having a fun party at a local ceramics store where the kids get to paint and their masterpieces will be done in the kiln for them.

I'll be sure to update with her "10 year old" photo tomorrow.

I love you sweet Melody and I pray that the next 10 years are filled with fun, joy, laughter and our great night time talks about the Lord!!!!!!

Melody 1 day old in the isolette:

1 Years Old:

2 Years Old (she was the flower girl at our friend's wedding):

3 Years Old:

4 Years Old and jamming at the Science Center!!!

5 Years Old (being silly as always with a pullup on her head!!!!):

6 Years Old and ALREADY learning to drive:

7 Years Old:

8 Years Old (that kid has some really long legs!!!)

9 Years Old:

Bleeding Hearts Plant In Our Front Yard!!!

2011-05-21T13:30:00.000-04:00

The bleeding hearts plant has overtaken this part of our front "garden". It's such a delicate and dainty plant and it was planted the summer Roo passed away. Melody wanted it there to remind her of her sister. Miss you sweet RooBoo!!!! ((((hugs))))

Compliments?

2011-04-20T00:31:00.001-04:00

I just finished reading this really great book on introverts. It's called Self Promotion For Introverts by Nancy Ancowitz. It's more related to the business world and how to work on yourself but there were some really great things I learned from it. The one that continues to come to me over and over again is one about receiving compliments. Here's the quote:

Refute Negative Self-Talk Instead Of Compliments
How do you respond to compliments? Do you deflect them or say that you don't really deserve them? You may be so used to minimizing compliments that you're not even aware that you're doing it. By denying a compliment, you are not only putting yourself down but you're also slighting the person who offered it by doubting her judgement or suggesting that her standards aren't high. Instead why not graciously say, "Thank you"?

So often I don't think I'm good enough for compliments, they embarass me, I don't like the attention and b/c of my inner self dialogue I honestly don't believe most of them. This quote really got me thinking of how I'm affecting the other person by responding the way I do. It's kinda like saying thanks and then crumpling up their compliment and handing it back to them. I know I get mildly offended when someone doesn't take my sincere and heartfelt compliments, but I never thought about how my rejection affected others. I was too concerned with how I saw myself and what I thought about myself that it didn't even occur to me that I'd be hurting someone else's feelings by doing this.

I'm now trying to take an assertive role and genuinely accepting compliments when they are given to me. It's not just about someone wanting to make me feel better, raise my self-esteem and help lift my spirits but it's about not hurting that person in return. =)

Happy Birthday Ruby!!

2011-04-16T13:12:00.001-04:00

1:12pm today and my daughter would have been 6. I really miss my little girl but I have so many fond memories of her. She was born quickly after 4 hours of labour and 12 minutes of pushing (my babies come out quickly!! hehe). I remember holding her for the first time and instantly falling in love with her. She was doing that adorable little blinking she did, she never blinked quickly but had long blinks (here's a video of her ~ no sound ~ eating cheerios and you can see the long blinks she would do)

I had a few hours of fawning over here and saw these little bumps in her mouth and had our doctor look at her. She had Teeth!!!! that were just bumps. Her first night home she was in bed with us, my finger rubbing her gums, helping her toofies cut through. You all would have really liked her and been charmed by her, she had these gorgeous bright blue eyes that glinted with mischeviousness.

I'll write more about her later when I'm not so emotional, I miss my little girl so much and desperately wish she were here to blow out the candles on her cake. I miss you sweet Roo Roo and enjoy your birthday in your Saviour's arms!!!! ((((huggles)))))

Summer Camp!!!! Here We Come!!!

2011-03-13T18:18:00.000-04:00

Got the email today that Melody got accepted into the autism summer camp. We just filled out the extended questionarre and she is SO excited. I can't wait for her to experience this and to know she can do things on her own and away from home. She's nervous of course but I've got time to talk with her about things and I know she will have a good time once she is there a few days and gets to know her counsellors. Thank you all SO much for your prayers, this is such a big step for her and I think she's going to do amazingly!!!

Prayers For Melody and Summer Camp

2011-02-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

We found a really great camp in the Muskoka area that is designed for kids with autism that is free. It is paid for by our local autism family respite program and would be an awesome opportunity for her to work on her social skills and do some things that she has never done.

She would go for an entire week and stay over night. She is assigned a counsellor and they do a lot of 1 on 1 activities and group bonding activities. It is done as a lottery system and we really hope that she gets picked.

We covet your prayers that Melody will get picked and have a great time. She is so excited at the prospect of going and trying out some new things. Here is a link to the camp Kinark Autism Camp. The grounds look so pretty and it's very spacious.

We also applied for a family weekend and the family week there. I can't wait to see if we are accepted for these. The family weekend would be so beneficial if Melody is chosen for the summer camp b/c it is held in May and June, so we would have an opportunity to go and see the grounds before she had her time later in the summer. =)

Fairy Skirt For Jenna

2011-01-18T22:38:00.002-05:00

I'm making matching fairy skirts and hairbows for Melody and her maplelea girl Jenna. I finished Jenna's Skirt today and wanted to share it with you. I'll be sure to update when I get Melody's made. =D

52 Books In 52 Weeks

2011-01-15T18:50:00.031-05:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when I'm both happy and sad. We had a nice Christmas and the kids had a really great time opening their presents. I "made" it through the day but really just wanted to stay in bed and sleep. I'm really missing Ruby and it was hard to watch the kids opening their presents knowing she isn't anywhere near us. It's hard to believe that this is our 4th Christmas without her, which soon means that we're drawing upon her 4 year going home anniversary.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and that the new year has some awesome things in store for you. As always, please keep us in your prayers. They are definately helpful and I'll be back a bit later to tell you of some of the things we got for Christmas.

Blessings. =)

Aizen's Halloween Outfit

2010-10-31T20:00:00.000-04:00

Melody's costume looks the same as Friday with a few more layers so I didn't take any pictures of her.

Here is the ferocious dinosaur AiAi!!!!! Look at those predator nails and big teeth!!!! I just adore the little tail on his tooshie. lol

Preview Of Sunday Mom =)

2010-10-30T00:23:00.000-04:00

Today (well Friday) was Mel's halloween party at school and I snapped this picture of her before she headed off to have a fun day at school.

This year Melody decided she wanted to be Old MacDonald's daughter. I think she looks adorable with her little pigtails (they have really grown since she got her hair cut in April!!) and she had her basket of "farm animals".

I'll take pics of AiAi on Sunday for you mom. We really wish you could have been with us this year but hopefully next year you won't have your therapy the next day and you can stay a bit. Love ya!!!!

Please Pray ~ very sad

2010-10-15T13:07:00.000-04:00

Please pray for Ruth and her family. She is a mama I know on my christian mama's forum. Her little Rhys died and she had to deliver him. She was due with him and my heart just breaks for her family. Please smother them in prayers for healing and that the Lord would pull them into His arms and just comfort their family.

We love you Ruth and if you need anything, please let me know and I'll do all I can to support you sweetheart. ((((hugs))))

UPDATED!!!! ~ Italian Charms For Sale ~ Need Money For Christmas Presents =D

2010-10-14T20:52:00.001-04:00

I'll be repeating this post on a bunch of my blogs.... so yep it'll be a repeat if you've been to the other ones. A few years ago, I used to make and sell Italian Charms. It's not a craft I am interested in anymore and I'm selling my stash so I can afford Christmas presents for the kids this year. So... here's the deal:

$5.00 for a starter bracelet
$1.00 per charm
$3.00 shipping for the starter bracelet and first charm, then
50 cents per charm.

These are on a first come, first served basis. I have only one of each of these charms, except on page 6, where I have a duplicate of a couple charms. These are really nice charms. My photography skills on the other hand... well I am not very good at photographing shiny things.

1. Choose (on page 6) what type of starter bracelet you would like. Shiny, matte or shiny with a gold coloured trim. Please measure loosely around your wrist and let me know in inches what that is so I can make sure your bracelet will be big enough to fit you.

2. Write down the number of the charm you want. I made it really easy. Each line is a letter and then the number after it.

3. Leave a comment here with which ones you would like and your email. (I moderate ALL comments so they will not be published) I'll send you what the total will be and give you my paypal address. Once I receive the funds I'll get your bracelet all ready for you to wear when you get it.

4. I'll update these pages when things get sold. Thanks for taking these charms off my hands!! These also make really nice Christmas presents!!!!

Is It Too Early To Post A Christmas Wishlist??

2010-09-24T16:12:00.010-04:00

Well.... I don't think so!!! haha

I'll be adding things to this post as I go today and if you want to spoil me, I'll be happy to receive any one of these things. There will be different prices to accommodate different budgets and Daniel sure would be happy if you bought them for me instead of coming out of the budget. rofl !!

Copic Markers at Ooozak ~ I love copics and this company is Awesome, Rusty is a great guy and their prices are the best. I colour all of my cards now with copics and you can never have too many. =D

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The following paper card crafting books in order of what I want most:

1. Interactive Cards ~ yeah!!! I got this one for Christmas. hehe

2. Pushing The Envelope

3. Fabulous Folds For Cardmaking

4. Joy Of Cardmaking

5. A Card A Day

6. Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Word

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Rubber Stamp Binder Boxes:
I've recently started putting all my rubber stamps in binders. I would need a bunch of these, so even if one or two is great, but all in total I'll need around 25 of them. I'd like the CLEAR ones in the drop file. hehe

EZ Mount Stamp Storage Panels I would need 5 of these.
These are the storage panels I am transferring my stamps to, I shop at Stamping Bella all the time and they have awesome shipping to my house, they're local.

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The following digistamps:

Candy Land Dreams

Alphabet Train

Toys On Wheels

New Cards For Sale

2010-09-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

Just posted some new cards over on my bugaboo blog, so go on over and check them out. I'm also taking orders for Christmas, a pack of cards makes a nice present for your sister, mom, wife, grandma!!! I'll be posting about that tomorrow here and on my other blogs.

Dee's Bugaboo Boutique !!! =)

7 Minutes Left Of My Birthday!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-01T23:53:00.001-04:00

I have a few more minutes of my birthday still left. It was a lot of fun and I'll post tomorrow and let you all know what I got and take some pictures. So........

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!

I didn't get any of my markers on my wishlist.... so if you'd like get me some I'd be estatic and my hubby would love that I'm not spending our money lol /wink wink nudge nudge =P

It's My Birthday In 4 Days /giggle

2010-08-28T20:32:00.000-04:00

Just in case you didn't know. =P

Here's what I want: copic markers!!!! /looks adorable

Wonder if I'll get any of them. lol

Couple Finished Cross Stitch Projects

2010-08-19T19:40:00.002-04:00

I've finished up a few cross stitch projects and thought I would share. They haven't been ironed so they might look a little funky, but the lines on the second one are straight. They are going to look great after they get ironed, matted, framed and given to the people receiving them. They have been prayed over and while I cross stitch I pray for those who are getting them. So Jules and William, you've got like 70 hours of prayer each covering ya!!!!! =D

Here is the one for my good friend Julie. She has been such a dear friend to our family for so many years. She has supported me ever since I met her16 years ago. I love you JooLoos!!!!!!!!

This one is for a friend who's need a touch of something homemade for his apartment. It's a really nice pattern and is not girly at all, so I think it will do the job. See you in game William!!!! oh and just for fun /fishslap =P

I'm starting a new one and just got the edges secure and a bit of a line started. I'll post some new pictures of it when there is more progress.

Went To Sick Kids Hospital Today!!!

2010-08-13T21:35:00.004-04:00

Daniel and I went down to Sick Kids Hospital today to drop off some hats that I have made over the past year. There were 137 hats all in total. Mom and dad took care of the kids while Daniel and I went down on the subway. The hospital is right in the middle of downtown Toronto and it's actually easier and faster to take the subway down there.

So, here are the hats that were taken down. As a coincidence, today it is also 3 1/2 years since my Roo was taken Home and the hats got delivered. I do it all in her memory.

Here is the link to my Ruby's Heavenly Treasures blog. Check it out if you haven't been there already. =D

If you are in the Markham area and would like to help make hats or donate time, yarn, ink, paper (for the tags) or small safety pins; please leave a comment and I will get back to you. If you are not near me and still would like to help, leave me a comment and I will let you know how you could help put beautiful hats on some very precious child's head at this wonderful hospital.

God bless, Dee =)

Our Time In Muskoka

2010-07-18T21:56:00.027-04:00

We've been home for a few hours and I'm exhausted. I definately need a vacation after my vacation, anyone else ever feel that way when you come home from a vacation with children? It was both awesome and difficult at times. I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my family and was really sad not to have Ruby with us. I wrote to her in my journal everyday and that helped to have it feel like she was with us.

So.... are you ready for A LOT of pictures. There are just some of the highlights, between my father in law and I, we took .... oh.... around 300 pictures. hehe

These are my TOP 3 of the ones that I took:

This is the view from the balcony at the suite, how gorgeous is this sunset?

And here are some pics of our time there. I don't feel like putting a ton of captions, so here y'all go:

Look at how long Melody's legs are, this kid is 9 and 4'7", she's totally going to tower over me in a few years.

These two young ladies worked at the rec centre and Melody adored the two of them. They were fantastic with the children and Melody was so happy to go down everyday to see them and find out what was going to happen thanks to how kind and friendly they were.

On Saturday evening they had the Muskoka Wildlife Center and family park come in to have an informative show about some of the animals in Ontario. These are animals who have been born into captivity and wouldn't survive, have had accidents, abandoned, etc. It's a great place for families to go and see animals native to Ontario.

Thes was a baby lynx:

A wood turtle:

A gray wolf named Eve who was SO sweet!!! Look at that paw and she's only a few months old!!

A great horned owl:

A sweet beaver, he was very friendly and the kids got to pet him after the show was over.

These pictures are from when we said goodbye to Ruby this morning. We were pleased to see that her flowers had made it through the winter. We got her a few extra things to make her grave adorable and sweet. We miss our Roo Roo so much and this is really all we can do for her now. Please keep us in your prayers as the summer continues.

More pictures:

Aizen was tuckered out from his long week and fell asleep in the car! awwwww

Thanks for looking and seeing our vacation. And yes mom, you'll get the rest of the pictures when I see you next!!!

Another Summer Without Her

2010-07-10T22:28:00.002-04:00

We are getting ready to head up to the time share in Muskoka this week and it's just another reminder that Roo isn't here with us. We will visit her grave but it's just not the same. I want to see my baby girl in the pool, see her on the swings and climbing on the playground with her brother and sister. I miss her so much, she would have been 5 this summer and it really sucks that we have to endure every day without her.

We aren't taking the laptop with us this year, so I won't be posting until atleast next Sunday, depends on how our time up there goes and if I go into another grief depression funk.

Dee =)

Dear Blog

2010-06-27T02:45:00.002-04:00

Dear blog,

I am sorry for neglecting you over the last few months. Things have been a bit hectic over on this end of the computer. I've had a rough few months with my grief and am starting to feel better. I'll write more often and tell you more about my life. But right now I need to see if I can go and do that sleep thing. Wish me luck!!

Dee =D

It's DONE!!!!!!! and A New One

2010-04-20T19:40:00.003-04:00

/does a little dance singing ... it's done!!! it's done!!! it's done, it's done, it's done!!! I am so thrilled to finally have this project done. Isn't it gorgeous? I really hope they like it and hang it on the wall. hehe I can't wait to give it to them next Saturday and watch as my friends get married and commit their lives to Christ and themselves!! Blessings to you both!!

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And here is a project I've been working on over the last week while watching tv for Melody. I think it's a great quote for a little girl to read daily and live by as she becomes a wonderful lady and woman of Christ. I just need to get it framed. =D

Ruby's 5th Birthday

2010-04-17T19:49:00.015-04:00

This is a super long post with lots of pictures on how we spent Ruby's birthday!! We always make her favourite cake: strawberry shortcake and sing happy birthday to her. This year was extra special because Melody was able to get her hair cut in memory of Roo for Locks of Love. She had 11 inches that she is donating.... so... here we go:

Aizen and I made the whipped cream for her cake and of course I had to give him one of the beaters. He couldn't get his tongue into the middle so he shoved his hand in and got lots of whipped cream that way. And yep, he's sitting on the counter hehe
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After school my father in law and I picked up Melody and proceeded to First Choice Haircutters to get Melody's hair done. Here is how long her hair has gotten, she has been growing it for 3 years now.

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All ready to get it chopped off!!!

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Getting her hair styled, it's in a bob that is shorter at the back and a bit longer in the front.

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She loved getting her hair blow dried and kept giggling about it tickling.

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Here we are back at home with her new hairstyle, Jenna and the hair she is donating.

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We started to make Ruby's cake. I had already sliced the strawberries and made the whipped cream.

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Her birthday candles, so bittersweet. /sigh

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Here is Melody about to blow the candles out just after we sang Happy Birthday to our precious Ruby.

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And the next few pics are of everyone enjoying the cake.

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A Skirt For Jenna

2010-04-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

Melody's birthday is just over a month away and I'm trying to think of ways that I can give her presents without spending a lot of money. We don't have much atm ... SO.... I've had this little skirt tutorial for a while now and decided to try a trial one. I want to make ones that are matching between Melody and Jenna but wasn't sure of my sewing skills.

The skirt is reversible and such an easy pattern. I had to read it like 10 times through to get it but here it is. Jenna was an Awesome model and we got the perfect shot the first time for each skirt shot.

I can't wait to get making some more next week when Melody is at school.

First side of the skirt:

Other side of the skirt:

Happy Birthday Ruby!!!

2010-04-16T21:09:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to post too much today. It's been a really long day and I'm pretty exhausted. I have lots of pics with all that happened to remember my little girl by.

Ruby would have been 5 today if she were still with us. I wonder how she would have looked. Would she still love strawberry shortcake and asked for it as her cake? Would she still have those round chubby cheeks or been skinny like her sister? So many questions I wonder about her that I will never have the answers to.

I'll make a big post tomorrow when Melody is at her art class but until then....

Happy Birthday Ruby!!!!!
~ Hope you had a great birthday in Heaven with all the other little kids and our Saviour!!!!!

My Poor Eye =(

2010-04-13T18:50:00.002-04:00

So, Sunday I had an itch on my right eye so I scratched it. A couple hours later a couple blemish looking bumps appeared. Overnight my eyelid started to swell to about mid way on my eyelid. I went in to urgent care to get it checked out and guess what it is??

It's a Coldsore!!!!!!! I knew that you could get one near the eye but it's so uncommon and lucky me!! It's itchy and puffy and just well bleh. hehe I keep a bandage on it overnight so I don't accidently scratch it in the middle of the night. I'm a pirate!!! yar!!!!

I go in again tomorrow for a checkup to make sure it's doing well. My eyelid has swollen completely now but the blisters haven't broken and my actual eye doesn't hurt. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

It's Almost Finished!!

2010-04-05T14:22:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest update on the cross stitch project. It's almost finished. I just need to do some detail backstitching to make certain parts pop. Hope you all had a great Easter, we sure did!!

Aizen .... The Shoe Organizer ???

2010-03-23T21:29:00.003-04:00

On Monday I got to sleep in while Daniel was home and taking care of Aizen. I went to get Melody at the bus stop and couldn't find my shoes on the mat where I always put them. I look up and this is what my son was doing while daddy was watching him. Those are my white sneakers on the very top of the pile. I love that kid!!!

He loves to organize things and put them in piles of alike items. He is also enjoying getting on a step stool and jumping off. He's growing up so much and I can't believe that he is going to be 3 in just a couple of months. Where did my itty bitty baby go??

Cross Stitch Project I'm Working On

2010-03-23T21:26:00.003-04:00

I've been working on this beautiful cross stitch project for the last week and a bit. I posted it over on my card blog and wanted to put it on here as well. I won't be getting many cards made while I am working on this project. I am working on the right lower hand corner with the grass and stuff. I'll update later with more progress.

Click on the image to see the details, it's A LOT of little x's!!

My Gooberheads!!!

2010-03-05T23:14:00.002-05:00

My kids are so cute and funny. Aizen was running around and trying to get into the tv area. Melody grabbed him and pulled him up onto the chair. Had to pull the camera out. Don't they look so cute together. AiAi's expression in the second picture is hilarious... he caught on that I had the camera and this was his cheesy grin, what a gooberhead!!!

I Need To Blog More

2010-03-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

oopsies, bad on me for not blogging earlier. I got really sad and depressed around Ruby's anniversary time and was functioning very well at all. I'm doing better now and have been busy with all kinds of stuff.

I'll be posting in the next few days about some of the things I've been doing and links for some of those things. Thanks so much for all your prayers and thoughts through this rough time, they are appreciated more than you could ever know.

((((hugs)))) Dee =)

For You Shauna ~ Couple New Pics Of Aizen

2010-02-12T08:47:00.005-05:00

After taking some pictures of Melody with her Valentine's, thought I'd pop in and take some pictures of AiAi, so here is his Shauna, look how much he's grown!!

Melody's Class Valentine's =D

2010-02-12T08:41:00.003-05:00

Melody and I finished up her class valentine's yesterday. So, here they are. They are a flower made with 2 types of cardstock and a tootsie roll pop in the middle that acts as the pretty flower middle. I took a couple pictures of her this morning with her basket and she sure is excited to hand them out at her class party today.

How Cute Is This??

2010-01-29T22:44:00.002-05:00

I was over at Naomi's blog and saw she had one of these little stick figure images of her family, so I HAD to get one of mine. It will be at the bottom of my blogs and you can make your own at this site: Free Flash Toys

Publish Post

She Reminds Me Of Melody

2010-01-25T12:05:00.003-05:00

This is the card I made today for my 365 Card Challenge, you can check out my other cards on my other blog, and YES!!!! ALL of my cards are for sale!!!! /cheesy grin

Isn't this little girl just adorable? She reminds me of Melody when she was that age. So, I knew when I pulled this stamp out to use she had to be eating squash. Melody would eat squash like there was not tomorrow, and it is still one of her favourite vegetables.

Silly Hubby ~ Aizen In Ketchup Heaven

2010-01-22T16:39:00.003-05:00

So, last night I made grilled cheese for the family. Aizen doesn't like grilled cheese, he likes to pick at the cheese and it frustrates him with grilled cheese. So, while I am cooking I ask Daniel to make AiAi a sammich and this is what he made for him on his highchair tray! I love that man. Needless to say, Aizen LOVED it and he was in ketchup heaven!!!

My Tub Buddies =D

2010-01-14T23:24:00.003-05:00

I gave Aizen a haircut today and he needed a bath afterwards to get all the hair off of him. Nana and papa got Aizen this great little tub toy that squirts water everywhere, it's quite a lot of fun. Aizen loves it and Melody had to come and see what it was all about. So here are my tub buddies playing with the toy. =D

Christmas Scrap Album Part 1 ~ Pages 1 - 9

2010-01-08T23:38:00.011-05:00

For a bunch of presents this year for family I made a "Year In Review" book for them. Each of these pages is printed out onto a 4" x 6" piece of photo paper and then were put into a 36 page photo album.

There was 1 scrapbook per "page" and there were 2 side by side. So, for the upcoming posts I've put what pages went side by side in the photo album. Enjoy downloading them mom!! We bought my mom a portable digital frame keychain thingie so she didn't get one. hehe

Click on the images to see details and read any text you can't see. =D

Page 1:

Pages 2 and 3 together:

Pages 4 and 5 together:

Pages 6 and 7 together (and my little girl is ALWAYS making funny faces so I thought this collage was a perfect representation of her personality):

Pages 8 and 9 together:

Christmas Scrap Album Part 2 ~ Pages 10 - 19

2010-01-08T23:31:00.004-05:00

Pages 10 and 11 together:

Pages 12 and 13 together:

Pages 14 and 15 together:

Pages 16 and 17 together:

Pages 18 and 19 together:

Christmas Scrap Album Part 3 ~ Pages 20 - 29

2010-01-08T23:14:00.014-05:00

Pages 20 and 21 together:

Pages 22 and 23 together:

Pages 24 and 25 together:

Pages 26 and 27 together:

Pages 28 and 29 together:

Christmas Scrap Album Part 4 ~ Pages 30 - 36

2010-01-08T22:58:00.017-05:00

Pages 30 and 31 together:

Pages 32 and 33 together:

Pages 34 and 35 together:

The last page in the album:

And Yet Another Blog

2010-01-08T15:17:00.002-05:00

And yes... I have another blog. Last year I did a 365 challenge of making a hat everyday for sick kids hospital instead of doing a scrapbook page everyday, well I'm doing a card challenge where I make a card a day.

So, to save space on this blog, I made another one. All of my cards are for sale once I get my paypal sorted out, should be in a few weeks. So, if you want something, just let me know.... hint hint... oh Shauna ~ I think Katelyn needs some of my cute valentine's /wink wink

So, here's the blog Dee's 365 Card Addiction Enjoy!!

Birthday Card

2010-01-02T13:13:00.004-05:00

We're heading to a birthday party tomorrow for one of AiAi's friends, she's turning 2!!!!! So, here is the card that I made for her. And YES!!! I do sell cards and little things like that. =D

Here is the outside of the card.

Here's a peek at the inside of the card. The paper matches the one in the middle that I absolutely adore and wish I had bought more of!!!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T23:52:00.003-05:00

I have had a rough couple of days and it's hard for me to celebrate the beginning of a new year without my sweet Ruby. It's just another reminder that another year has gone by without her here and that unfortunately life goes on, whether we are ready or not. It's hard for me to fathom that in less than 2 months my sweet Roo has been gone for 3 years. Has it really been that long? I still remember all the details about the night I held her in my arms as her heart stopped and I gave her over to Jesus. I wish so often that there was a different outcome, no matter how she would have turned out; but I know she is safe in the arms of our Saviour, waiting for me, and i will spend eternity with her. It still hurts like hell not having her here and there are so many reminders of her in things Mel and AiAi do.

Pray for our family this year. I am trying so hard not to be bitter but that seems to be where I've come back to in my grief. I know it's only a momentary feeling and I will get through this. Blessings.

Re: Precious Moments (Ruth)

2009-12-25T00:05:00.002-05:00

Hi Ruth!! The precious moments you had asked about in your comment was a limited edition that we purchased through the precious moments website. Mine is packed up right now but I will update this post in the next couple days with the number to help you find it, perhaps on ebay? Have a wonderful Christmas and blessed new year. =)

Craft Update

2009-12-17T13:40:00.012-05:00

I'm still organizing my craft area in the master bedroom. I keep getting distracted with things. I'll start sorting through supplies and then get ideas of something I want to make and the Crafter Monster takes over and the room gets messy with supplies and then eventually I have to put them all back, get things organized again.... and at that point... I don't want to move furniture LOL Hopefully as the binge of Christmas presents is coming to an end and Daniel has some time off coming up I'll FINALLY get it finished.

So ...... I made this little poster that is just above my scrapbook area. It's 12" x 24" and made with paper stuff. I printed the letter onto cardstock with the cheriliney font, traced them onto the cardstock, cut it out, embossed the total front so they are all shiny and a couple glittery (I ran out of the normal stuff and the other powder I had was glittery ;p). After adhesing them on, I went around with a white gellie marker and outlined the letter. I used my martha stewart border and edge punch to do the flower part and tacked it onto the wall with little ladybug push pins. The flowers I bought at the dollar store and adorned them with a little bling.

Wow... so are you still here after that explanation?? Click on it to see it clearer... or better yet come for a visit to admire my work... wink wink Shauna!!! =P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next thing I wanted to share was a going away gift for Mrs. Pearl. She has been Melody's EA for many years and has helped her SO much with her autism and we are so sad to see her leave but wish her well at her new job and as she acclimates to a new city.

Melody and I talked about Mrs. Pearl and the things she loved about her and the things she would miss. So! I made this little accordian folder for her. Melody gave it to her and they shared a big tearfilled hug as Melody read the little tags to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are the teacher presents this year!! They are bookmarks that I had fun making. They turned out so well and below is the little packages they go into.

I'll be posting more pics of things later on (mostly after Christmas) once people get their handmade gifts. Love ya guys!! DeeDee =)

New Pics Of The Kiddos And I =)

2009-11-13T20:41:00.005-05:00

Got the kids pictures done at Sears on Monday. My inlaws got the picture cd so thought I would share a couple of pictures of the kids and I. Look at how grown up my little girl is!!! I can't believe she is 8!!! (((hugs to you all)))

Pics Of Aizen ~ Just For You Shauna!!!! =D

2009-10-28T23:36:00.005-04:00

Here you go Shauna, the long awaited pictures of your future son in law. Make sure Katelyn sees how cute he is getting. These were taken this morning and I just adore his little hat!!!

(((hugs girl)))

Started Melody's Halloween Costume

2009-10-27T23:07:00.003-04:00

I have finally gotten around to getting Melody's halloween costume started. She wants to be a flower this year and I'm going to be a gardener for her class party!! hehe

So, here's the plan... she has green jeans and a green shirt for her stem. I bought some purple fleece and she picked out a red with different coloured bubbles on it. I'm going to sew them as petals and then attach them on the collar of the shirt.

I have the pattern on the fleece and am going to go watch a show with Daniel and start cutting out the petals. Tomorrow night (got a super busy day tomorrow) I'll start pinning and sewing everything together. Thursday afterschool I'll get some pictures of her in it. I'll share those here.

Keep crafty !!!

Pics To Follow When It's Done

2009-10-06T18:55:00.004-04:00

So Aizen has decided that he likes getting into everything he shouldn't in our room. So, I've been working on our room and packing away Ruby's things until he is old enough to not want to take everything apart. I'll be keeping the bins in our closet so whenever I want to see her things I can just pull them out.

With that in mind, I'm reorganizing the entire room. Moving the bed, making a nice big craft nook, oh it's going to totally rock!!! I'll post pics when it's all finished.

Oh and I got the New Moon movie companion on Sunday and it's (said in a sing song voice) .... Awesome!!!! I can't wait to see the movie, I'm super excited that it comes out in just over a month.

Later taters!!!

Wheeeee!!! The Fabric Store!!!

2009-10-01T22:06:00.002-04:00

/does a happy dance !!!!

Got to go to the fabric store tonight and I'm pretty stoked with the fabric I got to buy.

I'm making Melody's halloween costume this year. She wants to be a flower and I bought 2 different kinds of fleece. One is a red colour with different colour big polkadots and we found a matching purple fleece that matches one of the polka dots. She'll be wearing green pants and a green shirt. I'm going to make 2 layers of flower petals, then sew them all onto a collar that will go around her neck and fastened with velcro. I'm also going to make her a little hat if she wants me to. I'll start cutting those petals out in the next few days and making it look super cute.

I also got fabric for 2 of my christmas presents. So now I just have to sew those up, I also got to buy matching thread .... yes I get excited about matching thread LOL

Melody's Ortho Appointment

2009-09-28T16:29:00.002-04:00

Melody had her first orthodontist appointment today. She did really well and we did as much as we could to reduce her anxiety. The staff there were fantastic and very helpful. We'll be waiting until the rest of her baby teeth have fallen out before we proceed with her braces and possible head gear. We'll be going every 6 months to monitor progress and see how bad her overbite is and that the crowding doesn't get any worse.

I had a hard time in there and had to take some clonazepan. I can't handle the little suctiony thing they use, it sounds just like Ruby's breathing machine. I wanted to bolt so many times and not deal with it. It was so hard and I had to just deal with it and put my acting into practice and fake that it wasn't bothering me. I wish I could get over this hurdle and just function and be okay with it. All in time I'm sure.

I'm Planning Christmas Already

2009-09-16T13:58:00.002-04:00

Have you started planning Christmas yet? NO?? Why not!?!?!?!?!?! I have to since it's going to be a homemade (for the most part) Christmas again this year. I'll post pics of things when they are done but won't say who they are for b/c I don't want them to know. /giggle

Has It Been Over A Month ?!?!?!?!?!?!!

2009-08-27T01:34:00.001-04:00

Has it really been over a month since I last blogged. oops!! my bad for not keeping up. It's been a fun and busy summer for us. School is only a few weeks away. Let's see where should I start....

Melody passed her Swimmer 2!!!! a few weeks ago. For you old schoolers that would be our orange badge. I'm so proud of her, she has worked so hard and had to work up her endurance for doing 5-10 meters of front crawl. I can't wait until winter to put her into swimmer 3 and see how she does with that.

Daniel and I went down to Sick Kids Hospital a few weeks ago and dropped off 2 bins of hats for the PICU, bereavement and cancer ward of the hospital there. I have prayed over each of the hats as they were made and I hope it can be a small blessing to the children and families that will be receiving them.

Aizen is a diaper houdini!! That kid does NOT like wearing a diaper. He is so often yelling for me and there he is, half naked, wondering what to do. He has also become my adrenaline junkie/daredevil/let's give mommy all her grey hairs while she is still in her 30's!!!!

Not much to report for Daniel and I. Same old, same old.... playing LOTRO, crocheting hats, getting addicted to new reality shows and loving times with our kidlets.Well, I need to go do that sleep thing. If I forget to post, please send me an email... nudge, nudge Shauna!! (((hugs to you all)))

Flowers For Ruby's Grave

2009-07-22T22:01:00.002-04:00

Melody picked out these flowers for her sister's grave while we were on vacation. We visited Ruby everyday that we were in Muskoka. It was hard to go and see her knowing that she was only buried a few feet down from her footer stone. I cried a few times and shared about our vacation with her when there. Click on the image to make it bigger to see the prettiness of the flowers Melody picked out.

I'm Sucked In

2009-07-09T12:10:00.002-04:00

So, for a while I've been debating on whether to read the Twilight series or not. On Sunday, while at chapters I decided to get Tee Shack for the trip up to Muskoka (we were all getting a book for our time up there in case it rains). Daniel let me know that they were having a buy 3, get the 4th book free. As he was saying that I saw the Twilight display, and thought ... why not!!

I got the first 2 books (Twilight and New Moon) because they were the only ones in paperback. I just can't get into a novel that is hardbound. You just can't snuggle up with it while getting into a comfie position on the couch or a big armchair.

Oh my!!! I am SO addicted. It's only Thursday and I finished new moon last night...... =D Twilight was done in one day and a very late night. LOL

So if you like vampires, werewolves, suspense and a bit of romance, I'd totally recommend this book series.

Super Sweet Pic Of Ai Ai

2009-07-06T11:15:00.003-04:00

This is a picture my father in law took of Aizen when we were over there celebrating Melody's birthday in May. I just love the angle and it's such a sweet picture of my super inquizative little guy.

Happy Canada Day!!

2009-07-01T13:57:00.003-04:00

HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
CANADA!!!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!!! We are having a great holiday so far and our dinner is just waiting to be grilled up. We have beef, pork, chicken and veggie kabobs ... as well as oatmeal burgers and regular burgers. We've got a veggie plate ready to be eaten and we're just waiting on our friends Jeff and Sarah to arrive for some fun. Perhaps they will bring their ferret Dexter!!

I'll post some pictures later after our day of fun!!!

Here is a post about why we celebrate Canada Day.

He's 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-28T13:27:00.002-04:00

Grade 3 Here We Come!!!!

2009-06-24T19:01:00.001-04:00

Melody passed grade 2 with flying colours. Straight A's and B's!!!!! I'm so proud of my little girl. She has had to overcome some major obstacles this year with her asperger's but she is doing SO well academically.

So, come September she will be with Mrs. Elworthy again. I wonder if she will be in a split 2/3 class again. I adore her teacher and can't wait for her to start her new year after a wonderful fun filled summer.

Tomorrow is her last day of school and she has a half day. Melody is both sad and happy at the same time.

WAY TO GO MELODY!!!!!!!

LOVE this website!!!

2009-06-20T15:18:00.002-04:00

For the past month I have been gathering ideas to keep Melody entertained for the summer. Nothing is worse than hearing the "I'm booooooored!!" (sorry mom I must have driven you nuts as a child hehe) I was directed to this site from one of cmf mama's and it has wonderful ideas for children as well as other stuff. I've gotten so many great ideas to keep the kids entertained throughout the summer. =)

So go check out How Stuff Works !!!

Ahhhh The Kitchen Is Organized!!

2009-06-11T10:34:00.002-04:00

Ahhh my day is so much better now. Dad came over and helped get the kitchen hutch downstairs, anchored it to the wall and now it has my little herbs on the top, baking ingredients and pots and stuff on the bottom. Dad is going to make me a pot rack and then I will have even more room for baking stuff to go in the bottom. Oh! and I forgot that I have little baking stuff in the drawer, like spoons, measuring cups etc.

Once I get some batteries in the camera I will take some pics of it. I can't wait for Sarah (my newest buddy!!) to come over later today so we can do some cooking for the kids and our men!!

So what have you been up to today? Anything new and interesting?

Happy day my friends. ((((hugs))))

Ahhh Getting My Reorganizing Fix

2009-06-02T19:41:00.002-04:00

Anyone else ever feel the need to move furniture around and try to make things working better in your house? I sure do!! It's one of the things that I am always doing, moving furniture, boxes, you name it so that it works in a more functional way for me.

Atm it's the kitchen. I simply (still) don't have enough room for everything and it's driving me batty. So the once homeschool hutch turned diaper change area turned craft nook turned homeschool nook v.2, is now coming back into the kitchen to be used to hold pots, baking ingredients, bento stuff and whatever else I decide I want to put in it.

Anyone else doing any reorganizing? I'd love to hear about it!!

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY MELODY!!!!

2009-05-25T13:17:00.012-04:00

It's my baby's birthday!!! Well, she's not so much a baby anymore, she's 8 YEARS OLD!!!! Whooooo hooooo!!! Here are some pictures over the years.

2001 ~ 1 day old in her isolette at the Special Care Nursery (NICU for all my american friends)

2002 ~ 1 year old:

2003 ~ 2 years old:

2004 ~ 3 years old:

2005 ~ 4 years old:

2006 ~ 5 years old:

2007 ~ 6 years old and ready to drive!!:

2008 ~ 7 years old:

2009 ~ almost 8 in this picture:

I hope you had a great birthday weekend and I can't wait to see how much bigger you look when you turn 9 next year. Speaking of tall!!! This child is up to my shoulder at only 8 years old!!!!! She's so going to tower over me in the next few years. LOL

Mmmm A Herb Garden

2009-05-21T23:22:00.002-04:00

I started my herb garden today. In a few weeks, I will have lemon basil, dill, chives and sage in the plastic egg carton that is now filled with soil. I can't wait to track the daily progress of these and use them in some yummy recipes!! Yummy!!!

Lotro Screenshots

2009-05-15T01:21:00.008-04:00

I was going through some screen shots on LOTRO (lord of the rings online) that Daniel and I play, so I thought I would share some of my favourite ones. I play a elven level 60 champ named Meridee who is in the kinship Auth Daug Noss on Landroval. I lubs my kin.

OH MY!!!!!!

2009-05-15T00:45:00.003-04:00

Aizen got caught red handed eating out of the green bin today! He has started his coffee addiction early... that's right he has coffee grinds on his mouth and my mom caught him and Of Course!! had to get pictures of it. I love the look on his face in the 2nd picture, isn't he adorable?

The coffee grinds are starbucks as well. hehe

They're Home

2009-05-15T00:40:00.002-04:00

My mom and brother were finally able to get back into their apartment tonight. Daniel drove them down and I assume they are settling in. I can't remember if I blogged about it but there was a fire at their apt. building in mid March and they have been with us since.

The kidlets have enjoyed having them here and Melody had a hard time falling asleep, she misses them so much already. It will be a big shock to Aizen tomorrow when he finds out they aren't here.

I hope things go well for them and little details get sorted out and stuff. I hope they can get back to normal life easily again and that they will come and see us again soon.

Love ya mom and Phil =)

Future Starbucks Junkie

2009-05-14T00:40:00.004-04:00

Aizen loves to carry around empty cups and bottles. He will have a full out fit if he sees a starbucks cup and you don't give it to him right away. So, here he is with his washed out cup, happy as a clam, look at that content little face!! I see a future starbucks junkie in the future, he's already addicted to the oatmeal raisin cookies. /giggle

My mom took this picture of melody and I think it's just stunning, she's such a pretty little girl!!

The Twirly Skirt !!!! and Happy Mama's Day =)

2009-05-11T00:33:00.003-04:00

It's a bit late but HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!

Here is the twirly skirt I mentioned in a previous entry. She is SO happy and has been spinning in it for days. =D

And yes Shauna!! I can make Katelyn one, just send me her waist size and how far it is from her waist to the middle of her calf. You pay the shipping, I'll do the sewing?? =)

Now I'm On A Sewing Binge

2009-05-08T21:59:00.003-04:00

I am learning that I go in cycles with my interests. I get really focused on one thing and do it in excess until I am tired of doing it, move onto the next one and then the cycle repeats itself. After awhile I come back to the original one and right now it is sewing.

In the past couple of days I have made a twirly skirt for Melody (I will get a picture of her in it soon, just finished it last night) and 3 grocery bags. I still need to get pictures of those ones as well. I'm not allowed to buy any more cute fabric until my current stash is gone..... whah!!!! cry!!! booo!!!!! /giggle

I am learning all kinds of new things as I sew my bags and I am getting better with my sewing. I put a new little list on my side bar of the things I want to get accomplished craft wise this year.

So, what have you been up to that is crafty?

Spring Skirt For Melody

2009-04-29T18:27:00.004-04:00

I am using up my scraps of fabric and made a strip fabric style skirt for Melody. You pretty much sew up scraps side by side, then add a bottom, top and stick an elastic in it. Super easy.

Took a couple hours because I don't have a serger and had to using the pinking sheers and iron all of the seams. Boy, I sure do dislike using the iron, but it's totally worth it to see the results and how great the seams look when the skirt is finished.

I'll be making some more skirts and am having fun working through my stash of fabric. I have some other projects on the list and I'll get to those when the kidlets give me some time to get sewing.

Happy day my friends!!

Baking Binge!!

2009-04-22T00:42:00.003-04:00

I've been on a baking binge the last 2 days. Yesterday I made some yummy oatmeal banana muffins and applesauce cake. YUMMY!!!!! Today I made peanut butter cookies, coconut muffins and oatmeal coconut cookies.

Half of them are in the freezer for another day and our family is enjoying the rest. Melody is mad because she only gets one treat a day and wants to eat them ALL!!! /giggle Aizen loves muffins and had saucer eyes when I handed him a whole one. He quickly shoved it into his mouth and started singing. He shortly realized he couldn't put it all in his mouth so he took it out and started taking bites. Simply adorable.

Happy Birthday Sweet Ruby

2009-04-16T01:14:00.003-04:00

Today would have been Ruby's 4th birthday. It's hard to believe that this is the 3rd birthday without her. I wonder what my little girl would be like. What would she look like? Would she have long beautiful brown hair like her sister? Would she be into dance, athletic, artistic, smart? Who would she continue to look like? Would she know her abc's or 123's yet? Would she have ever talked?

I'm sad thinking about another birthday without her, I just want my baby girl back. It sucks that I cannot have her here with us. She is spending another birthday in Jesus' arms instead of mine.

I'll post later today and tell you how her day went but until then....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET RUBY!!!!!!!

We Found J-Town!!!!!!!

2009-04-15T19:08:00.006-04:00

I am in Bento HEAVEN!!!!! Daniel has a customer at Harknett who tipped us on a little place called J-Town that is near us, super cute little Japanese shops, man, did I have fun. We went today to check it out and primarily to see if they had a good price on sushi rice (and they do!!!) and for bento boxes. Everything we bought at the stores was only $40.00 !!!! We got a lot, whooo hoooo!!!!! I even recognized a few kanji symbols on the packaging.

What is a bento box you ask? Bento is like a lunch box that has a few different boxes stacked on top of one another that you put your yummy food in. It is typically served cold and you can do all kinds of combos, the more creative the better. I was reading on a blog that it is quite popular for moms to be a bit competitive on how kawaii they can make the bentos look. They often have little characters or scenes made out of food. Just google bento and you'll see some very cute things.

Melody wanted a bento box for use in grade 3 and for her birthday. Well we found the cutest little 3 tiered bento box for her lunch and a single click one for her snack.

I also found some super kawaii (cute in japanese) rice molds. One that you can make 2 triangular ones and the others are of 2 little boys and a bear. I am squealing with excitement at how much fun this is going to be!!!!

We also went to the little grocery store there and picked up a few items. We got sushi vinegar, a bamboo sushi mat, rice crackers with nori snacks and I got a red bean paste rice ball. That may sound super odd to you but it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!

So here are the pictures of what I got in terms of bento box stuff.

The yellow one is the 3 tiered bento box, the small pink and white clicky, and the rice molds:

Rice molds:

The close up of the bear and boy rice molds:

One of the containers has a divider that you can take in and out. So, those are the 3 boxes with lids. It is all held together on the side with a little clip system. Typically bento boxes are held together with a fabric elastic around them, but Melody will be 8 when she starts grade 3 and this seemed to be the best idea for her.

The snack bento clicky.

Can't wait to start posting pictures of bento stuff we make on the weekends. Sinora!!!

What's Happening On Your Monday?

2009-04-13T16:06:00.003-04:00

We have had a chill day so far. We've been doing some reading, computer games, car races, egg tossing (plastic ones), cleaning up of rooms, toy area picker uppage, some cooking, ball tossing, and lots of other things.

I need to do laundry, get the dishwasher loaded and vacuuming of the kiddos rooms. Anyone wanna come and get the laundry done for me, I have no energy to get that done today. /giggle

So, what's happening on your Monday? Anything fun? Interesting?

Happy Easter

2009-04-09T15:52:00.002-04:00

Another year has come around and I am reminded of my daughter not being with us again. Easter is hard for us. Ruby was born Easter weekend of 2005 and there is always that reminder now that she will never spend another Easter with us. She is a very lucky girl and gets to spend her Easters with her Saviour, the reason why we celebrate Easter.

I want to encourage you to really think about why you celebrate Easter this year. Are you chasin the bunny with eggs in hopes of chocolate or are you thinking of our Saviour who came to this earth and died a horrific death so that you could spend eternity with Him? It was an amazing sacrifice for Him to be seperated from Abba and live through constant persecution to become a sacrifice for my life and sins. I don't think that I could do it.

If you don't know Christ and want to spend eternity with Him, it's so very simple. All you need to do is pray and accept Christ into your heart, get yourself hooked up with a good church, read your bible and strive to live a good life that honours God. It may be hard at first and you may have to give up some things that you really love, but I tell you it's worth it. Think of the alternative, a life without Christ in hell. I don't what hell will be like but I know it's not with Christ so I tell you it's going to suck no matter what it is. Life is not easy as a Christian and you are constantly tempted and it's not an easy life, but it's so worth it, I promise you.

Have a Happy Easter and try to think about the sacrifice God made by having Jesus come here to die for us. If you really think about it you will realize just how amazing it was. Love you guys. =)

What Part Of Spring Are You?

2009-04-07T00:09:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy doing the quizzes on blogthings.com and this one I felt was appropriate since I have about 2 cm of snow in my backyard..... lol.... it was spring.... last week haha. Take it and let me know what one you are. =)

So this is what part of spring I am:

You Are Blooming Flowers

You are an optimistic person by nature. In even the darkest times, you are hopeful about the future.You feel truly blessed in life and can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotions.You have an artist's eye. You are always looking for beauty in the mundane.You have a good sense of aesthetics, especially when it comes to shapes and color.

Sealing Ribbon Edge Video

2009-04-05T16:30:00.003-04:00

So here is the post I promised about sealing the "V" edge on the ribbon, enjoy!!

Melody's Newest Bow

2009-04-02T14:25:00.002-04:00

Here is the newest bow to Melody's collection. It has 5 layers and it matches a shirt that nana bought her. It was a lot of fun to make and I think that I have found a way to seal the edges when doing a "V" cut on it so that it doesn't look funky. I'll be experimenting and post my results later on today and I'm thinking of doing a little video to show you. =)

Aizen's New Hair Cut!!!

2009-03-15T13:43:00.004-04:00

Aizen looks like a new boy!!! I buzzed his hair today while doing Daniel's and he sat through it and didn't fuss at all.

I've been wanting him to have a little boy haircut for a long time but just hadn't found any time to sit down and do. And you know toddlers, you can't get them to sit for more than a few seconds. I can see it now.... Aizen running around the house with just a diaper on, mommy chasing him with the clippers, the giggles and laughs, little chops of hair done looking like he had done it himself..... yeah right!!!

I also did it because lately it's been causing me a lot of pain to look at him. He looks SO much like Ruby from the behind and I would burst into tears when I looked at him. I miss my little girl so much and so the hair needed to change. Well here are the before and after. Isn't he handsome??

Aizen ~ TOTAL Adrenaline Junkie

2009-03-13T23:56:00.003-04:00

I didn't realize until I was watching the video back that you can't move the video "clockwise" like you can a photo. lol.... so to watch this video just prop your head to the right and it will look all good.

Aizen is my total adrenaline junkie baby. He LOVES to be tossed around and Daniel was doing this with him, by accident at first, but Aizen loved it so much that he kept leaning back for more. Enjoy!!

Melody Is Feeling Better

2009-03-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

.... just what the title said. She is still congested from all the fluids in her ears but she is happy and perky. I like having my little girl back. She has gone over 36 hours with no fever and we are continuing with the antibiotics. She goes back to see Dr. Patterson in 2 weeks to make sure her ear infection has cleared up. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for her, I couldn't have gotten through this time without you. Blessings. =)

I Made A Bow Holder & Melody's ER Visit

2009-03-03T23:55:00.004-05:00

This stuff happened on Monday, I just realized this post is at 12am on Wednesday. hehe

Melody has been pretty sick since Thursday evening. She had a fever that lasted the weekend (well technically she still has it) and Sunday she starting vomiting. Yesterday, she got really splotchy on her skin and something was very off. She went from vomitting once an hour to ever 20-30 minutes for 3 hours.

So, I took her into the ER with my father in law, Daniel stayed home with Aizen. They had him register her and we went straight to a room. Guess what room we went to?? The room that they resuccitated Ruby in. Boy was that hard, it turned out to be a good thing in the end. I got to look at where everything was and process what might have happened and how they knew where everything was. I was able to control my panic attack. I thought if it is urgent enough for them to get her into this room, then I need to deal with being in the room so she can get the care she needs.

The doctor we had was fantastic with her. Melody has an anxiety disorder and she was Terrified to get an IV. She was Very dehydrated. So, the doctor worked with me on this and she was given a drug to make her really dopey and sleepy. They also used a cream called Emla at my request. It basically numbs the skin so that you don't feel the needle going in.

It took 4 hours to hydrate her and 1200 mL of iv fluid. She was like a different child after being hydrated. She is doing Great today. She still has her fever. She ended up having a double ear infection. =( She played spore, wanted to do homework when she heard it was coming home, drank lots of water, had crackers and rice pudding. Please continue to pray for her. She is still congested and feeling bleh but her spirits are up.

~~~~~~~

So, yesterday morning while she wanted my company I decided to make her a bow holder for all the bows I have been making lately. THANK YOU MEL!!!! for all the ribbon, it has come in SOOOO handy. So this is what it looks like and Melody helped me pick out all the little buttons and where to put them on the main part of the yellow bow. I can't wait for the alligator clips to arrive in the mail so that I can attach them and when it gets nicer she can wear them.

I used a wooden dowl on the main ribbon with the buttons to make it straight and not floppy and glued on everything else. The heart, flower and butterfly were bought at Michael's awhile back and we jazzed them up. It was a lot of fun to make.

I See A New Addiction Starting!!!

2009-02-28T16:50:00.002-05:00

I am addicted to making bows!!!!! It first started with the korker bow I made Melody for Christmas time and now I have started to take it up again after a hat making binge.

One of my friends (Melanie) on CMF sent me some korker ribbon and other ribbon and I've just recently wanted to play around with it. I have found some free and bought a few tutorials on boutique bow making. Here is the one I found most helpful. It's a little store called Little Tootsie Boutique on YouCanMakeThis. It has LOTS of pictures and really easy to understand instructions. It has like 90 pages of instructions for around $8.00!!!!! I like that because I am a visual learner.

Korker bows are a lot of fun and you really can't mess them up to make them look bad. The other bow that I folded isn't perfect but I'm pretty proud of myself for not giving up on it and the bow turned out really pretty.

Melody picked out some ribbon a bit back and asked me to make the korker bow for her birthday.... it's 2 1/2 months away!!! I love that kid.

Mr. Skametti Face

2009-02-21T22:01:00.002-05:00

When Mel was younger she would called spaghetti, skametti. I have had this odd thing with Aizen where at home I can't handle him being dirty, food on himself etc. I get very anxious when he does and I wonder if it has to do with my germ phobia. Something to go into more detail when I see my therapist next. I've been feeding him for the past 19 months so he doesn't get dirty.

I figure the best way to get over this is to just sit there and watch him get dirty. Well, here is my Mr. Skametti Face, do you think he enjoyed dinner?

Went To Mums And Cubs

2009-02-21T21:50:00.003-05:00

Huge praise for me. I went to the Mums and Cubs group at our church on Friday for the first time with Aizen. This is a really big step for me in my recovery. Since having my breakdown I have developed a few anxieties, one of them being a social anxiety. I know now that I have always been an introvert, you would have never know had you known me, but I was. I was the life of the party, the one to make everyone feel welcome, the out going and fun loving person. I had put that mask on to truly hide the small child inside who was craving the attention of someone, anyone who would give me positive attention.

I've always felt very inadequate and I'm dealing with things that my dad said to me when I was younger about not fitting in or never being able to have normal relationships because I wasn't worth it. I have always felt like less of a mom when around other moms who had it together. I have come to the realization that there is no mom who has it all together and the ones who seem to are the ones hiding the most.

So, I went to the Mums and Cubs group and I enjoyed myself. I saw a few familiar faces and met some new people. I had so much anxiety the days before it and am glad that I "forced" myself to go. I almost didn't at the last minute but I know it was a spiritual attack. I'm looking forward to going back next Friday and forming some new friendships. I really do want to be social and for Aizen to have little buddies his age. I need the fellowship of moms who can support one another and not judge, compare or belittle anyone because of their life circumstances.

Huge step in my recovery and a very positive one!!

Kid's Craft Nook Organized!!

2009-02-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

Got to organizing the kid's craft nook this weekend. Melody has free reign over the crafts and recently has been just shoving stuff back into the nook cause there really wasn't a designated space for it. So, I got busy while she was at a birthday party. 3 trips to the dollar store and here it is. Click on the picture to see what is contained in each of them. I'm going to leave them labeless so that i can rearrange as needed. Now... to finish organizing my craft nook upstairs!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T23:43:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to wish all my friends a happy and blessed Valentine's Day. I hope everyone has a good day. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

It's My Anniversary!!!!

2009-02-13T02:44:00.005-05:00

Today is a happy and sad day for me. The sadness is that I share my wedding anniversary with the day my daughter was taken off of life support. It's hard to believe that on this day, 9 years ago!!!! I was walking down the aisle to get married to my sweetie.

I dreamt about what my wedding would be like from a very young age. I look back at it and I would have spent a TON of money on that day if I did what I wanted as a child. Our wedding was wonderful, special, romantic and tailored to fit the two of us.

We have been through a lot these past 9 years. There have been so many things that we have faced that would have broken up many marriages but we have stayed together and are so much stronger and united through it all. I love Daniel so much and I am so blessed to have him in my life. I praise Abba for bringing such a wonderful and godly man into my life to walk beside me through it.

I can't wait to celebrate more anniversaries and one day I'll be sitting in a porch swing with my helpmeet, holding his hand and remembering our life together.

Here are a few pictures of our wedding. This first one of me walking down the aisle is my favourite picture that has ever been taken of me. There is one of the ceremony and us newly married.

Roo's Going Home Anniversary

2009-02-12T00:30:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that this day is here again. It is our second year without our precious Ruby. I think about it and has 2 years really gone by? Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday that I was holding her in my arms as they took her off of life support. I can vividly remember singing to her and encouraging her to go home to Jesus as my tears dripped on her face.

There are so many things I wish that I could be doing with her right now. I know she is safe but my heart just aches wanting to hold her again. She would be a very different girl than the one who died. She would have changed so much. She would be talking, learning her abc's and numbers, getting ready for kindergarten, cooking and baking with me, taking care of her little brother, pestering her older sister, making snowmen, learning to read and so many other things.

But to me she was a little toddler who barely talked, who hummed her sentences, was spunky and loved to get cheerios from the pantry to eat under the table. She loved to play in the mirror and peek a boo with her purple blankie I made her. She loved to poke at my lips and have me sing, we looked at the stars every night before going to bed and I sung her "You Are My Sunshine" every single night of her life. Even when I was sick or in a bad mood, I would sing that song to her and she would beam. Most nights it got sung a lot, her little eyes would start to flutter as she got sleepy but she would always poke my lip for me to sing it one more time.

I miss my daughter so much that it hurts. Why was she the one who had to die? Why did this happen to our family? I know that God never gives us anything we cannot handle but boy do I ever question Him on that one still. I have had countless opportunites to minister to other grieving mama's. The Lord is like that, whatever you go through is for His glory and one day you will be able to use it to minister to someone in need. I have always been in ministry in one fashion or another and I believe that this is my new calling. First was sunday school teacher, then travelling drama ministry, youth leader and now grief ministry. No one truly understands how a grieving parents feels unless they have lost a child themselves, and I have such an aching and compassionate heart to those who are hurting. I wonder what else Abba has in store for my life. Only time will tell and I pray that He comes back soon so that I can be reunited with my family and other children (I've also had 2 miscarriages that I know of besides Roo's death).

Today we will be doing things to honour her life. It seems so harsh to me to call it a death anniversary, so I prefer to call it her "Going Home Anniversary" for that is where she is, she is home, in Heaven, worshiping her Saviour and celebrating that she has been in His arms for 2 years now. It doesn't make it any less painful not having her here, but I am comforted knowing that if she misses me, she can crawl into her Saviour's lap and be comforted.

I'll be making her favourite cookies. She loved it when I baked Soft Cranberry Cookies, she would do a little dance in the kitchen if she were up. I remember many occasions where she would be about 2 feet away from the oven door, her hands on her knees, sorta squatting, just peering in longingly to watch those cookies bake. Boy, I sure do wish she were here with me now to make them.

I'll be spending some time writing in her journal with her memory candle flickering. I do my daily journal to her so she can be with us in everything that happens during the day. I also use it for therapy and when I just need to get my emotions out about her death or just anything. I love being able to include her that way.

Our family will be going out to Swiss Chalet for dinner. My inlaws were so kind to give us a gift card for there. Her last summer here, we spent a lot of time over at my inlaws in the pool and whatnot; my inlaws would have us stay for dinner a lot and we'd go get swiss chalet. Ruby loved sitting at the table, picking at the chicken and veggies. She loved corn and broccoli and would eat those up before anything else. There were a few times where she was so tuckered out and would just fall asleep in her high chair, oh how I miss that!!!!

Well I am going to stop babbling for now. I made this video a long time ago but thought I would put the link up again for those who may be new to my blog and want to see a short video of her life. Please continue to pray for our family, it's a tough day to get through and I wish with all my heart that I didn't have to do this but I need to. Love ya chikkas!!!

One Room Blitzed!!!

2009-02-08T18:53:00.003-05:00

Guess what I did for 3 hours today???

I cleaned Melody's room (with her help). Oh goodness did her room ever get messy, she has SO MANY little toys that it forever just to sort through them and put them in the different bins. She also has been making crafts with markers and kleenex when she should be sleeping, so those were fun to discover. LOL

It's Daniel's week off from his day job this week, so we have lots of plans for doing stuff around the house. It will be good to keep ourselves busy so we aren't obsessing about Ruby's death anniversary coming up in a few days. Please continue to lift us up in prayer so that we can make it through this sucky time, I don't like death anniversaries... they're well... sucky.

Love you guys!!!

Less Than A Week

2009-02-07T17:59:00.002-05:00

It's so hard for me to believe that in less than a week it will be 2 years since Ruby was called home. Where in the world has the time gone? I can vividly replay our last day with her as if it were yesterday. The emotions aren't so raw and intense anymore, but I still remember those little details.

Please keep our family in your prayers. We are going through a lot atm. Melody will be starting a grief play therapy soon at Markham Stouffville Hospital. Thanks to my therapist they are able to get her in really quickly. I hope that it will be a good thing for her as grief is really hitting her and she is truly understanding the finality of death.

We have a busy week upon us. Daniel is on vacation and we have a house to get nice and clean. We have Ruby's death anniversary on the 12th, our 9th wedding anniversary to celebrate on the 13th and of course Valentine's Day on the 14th. It's a very emotional time for us. Our anniversary is very hard for me now as I consider that the day that Ruby died. She was taken off of life support very early in the am on the 13th.

I want my baby girl here. I want to be getting ready for her to be turning 4 and getting excited about kindergarten. This truly sucks to have to have a death anniversary but I know that she is safe in Heaven with our Saviour. I want her here so badly!!

An Affirmation

2009-01-20T09:40:00.002-05:00

Back when I was on tour with Covenant Players, we performed at a church and on the back of the bulletin was this wonderful affirmation. I've kept it all these years and just now making it so that it can be hung and displayed in our home. It's just so beautiful and I felt that the fig tree would make a wonderful background. Here is what it says:

I will stand firm in the Lord today. Taking a mighty tree as my image, I will see myselfwell rooted in my faith and reaching out beyond myself.
My roots are deep, drawing nourishment from the Bible ~ the word of God ~ the Spirit,and the love of my Christian community.

My trunk is strong, supporting my limbs and branches with the thick growth of accumulated experience. Some rings on my trunk are narrow ~ from the difficult years. Some rings on my trunk arewide ~ from the years blessed with rich personal growth. My experiences allow me to treat others with compassion, knowing the range of their sorrow and joys. When threatening winds blow, my trunk can bend ~ yielding to a storm just enough for it to pass by without damaging my integrity.

My branches stretch high and wide, reaching toward the sky in a gesture of praise. As the tree offers a resting place and a home to birds and animals, so I can offer a refuge, friendship,and love to those around me today.
Today, I stand firm in the Lord. With the nourishment of the Word, the Spirit, and the love of my Christian community welling up in me, I am able to offer God's love, through me, to others.

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