I Miss My Mind the Most

Merry Christmas to all!

Holy smokes, I can't believe i haven't blogged since my birthday... where has the time flown?
My sister is out to visit for Christmas and while catching up with her, I've realized all the things I haven't had time to blog about.  I'm hoping to get that caught up with soon. 
As for right now, all the presents have been wrapped, the tree has been trimmed, Santa has been called for (literally, we 'rented' Santa for Christmas eve!!) and now all there is to do is make some delicious food and enjoy the company.
Paige and Nolan both took part in their respective school christmas concerts... I have photos and video clips of both which I am downloading as we speak... I'll update with links shortly (here is a link to Nolan's concert clip). Can you find Paige in the photo to the left?  Click on it to enlarge. (more behind the cut...)

Happy birthday to me...

Yahoo I'm thirty three this year!! Why am I so damn happy??? Because up until today I thought i ALREADY was THIRTY THREE!! 
Last night I mentioned to my hubby that I was going to be 34 and he said "What??  I'm only 33 so that means you are turning 33, your birthday is after mine!"

I don't know when I got screwed up, but I have been 33 in my own mind for at least 6 months.  Obviously I was practicing some 'bad-birthday-math' back then or something (all my math is bad come to think of it) next year I will leave the "age figuring" to my facebook profile- it was correct the whole time!

What a special day it was too, First thing in the morning I was kissed awake with a happy birthday from the handsome hubby, which was nice because I probably would have totally forgotten about it (which has happened).  Then the kids jumped their Birthday slutations out on my bed.  After I had been awake for a while I was pleasantly greeted by my neighbor Laurie and her daughters holding a piece of berry cake with a glowing candle in it!  Then I was serenaded by the birthday song and hugs were handed out, it was nice.  I also recieved a lovely package of lavender vanilla bath salts and a lovely card.  Thank you so much, I'll think of you every time I soak in a tub with it (the salts, not the card...).

I got a phone call from my Mom (heart) and a little later my Dad (Love ya dad!) who is working his cold butt off- all the way up north in Fort McMurray!  My sissy called too and we had a good chat about her greying hairs... too funny.  Unfortunately our conversation was cut off my a damn JW knocking on my door- he wasn't so happy to hear that I wasn't at all interested in hearing about his bible.  Ticked me off that he brought his 3 year old little girl with him so I couldn't tell him what I really though....  anyway I just pretended that God sent him to wish me a happy birthday and that cheered me up.

Then my day just got better because I was treated for lunch by my friend Suzanne!!  I know she took a special break for lunch from her busy day which was so thoughtful.  She also gifted me a new coffee mug in my favourite colour green, some simmering wafers in delicious scents, egg nogg mix (gotta love the nogg!), and some lemon dill dip mix- it was all just too much.  Thanks Suz, you always know how to treat a gal.

As if my day couldn't get any better, My in laws took myself and the whole family out for chinese food at a restaurant we'd never been to and it was SUPER lovely.  Everyone laughed, and chuckled and had a good time.  Nolan was heard by the entire restaurant saying "What the HECK?!" to his bowl of jello and Paige had fun turning the lazy susan in the centre of the table.

Afterward Paige and I retreated back to Suzannes house to share in some birthday cake with her daughter who shares a birth DAY with me!  I really luck out- I don't think I've needed to purchase a birthday cake for at least 3 years... I always share Elizabeth's!  Thank to Elizabeth also :0)

Now I just completed making 4 dozen cookies to share at a cookie swap tomorrow.  I should have done it last night but I didn't forsee my birthday being such a busy day.  Silly me.

THank you everyone for making me feel special today.  I know it's just a day like every other day but sometimes a person just likes to have a reason to feel important.  Birthdays are as good a reason as any.  Don't get me wrong, I do love presents but Great friends and family are all I'll ever need!

I love you all,

Hugs and goodnights!

~jen

living in a winter wonderland... for a few hours anyway.

Ready to go to the hill!

 This weekend had graced us with a deluge of the white stuff- school was even canceled for the day.  You wouldn't believe that it's already, nearly completely gone.  Today, It warmed up to 13 degrees celcius and rained like crazy, and that's all it takes to make snow disappear.  Paige was ecstatic, she was able to play outside, build a snowman, go tobogganing with her dad and brother and wear her ski pants.  We even put up our Christmas tree and decorated the house, and i think we are finally getting into the Christmas spirit around here.  It's about time, I've got some serious shopping to do.

The other night Ken brought home a movie, it's a musical that you've probably heard of, "Hairspray".  Very cute and funny little show with a serious message embedded in it.  Anyway, Paige got whiff of the music and has since turned into a Hairspray MANIAC!!  She watches the movie about 2 times a day and now knows the words to just about every song as well as most of the actors lines!  It's so cute to see her singing along and trying to dance the moves.  This is perfect timing, because I bought her a faux ipod nano for Christmas and hope to also buy the Hairspray soundtrack to put in her stocking (which I will then put on her little mp3 player) she's going to burst!  Oh lordy, I nearly forgot... I wrote a notation in my day timer, "MP3 Player Arrived yet???"  so that when I saw it I would remember to check my tracking number... Paige nearly read the entire entry on her own.  She only got hung up on the word MP3 and Player because she thought it said "Paige".... I was sweating bullets trying to explain that away.  She wanted me to read it to her and explain what I had wrote!  Too dang smart for her own good!

Nolan was really gung-ho to play in the snow this weekend but his mittens were not the best and his hands got really cold.  The next day he was tired and not really interested in the snow as much. But Ken told me he was a real trooper out at the snow hill, he walked up the hill over and over again and the snow was up to his hips- so it wasn't easy!  Yes, we did eventually buy the child a solid- water resistant pair of mittens, so don't fret. 

I did a photo shoot for the owner of my Gym (where I rarely ever go).  She has an adorable little 4 year old girl with luscious chocolate brown hair.  I took only HALF of my usual amount of photos (don't ask me why!) but I got a lot of cute ones and the client LOVED them.  I'm so glad it all worked out, I always get paranoid even though I know the photos are good... I can't help it.  Another great thing I noticed is that I have started to develop a processing style that doesn't take as long as it used to.  So I can process 15 shots in less than three hours which is nice.  Hopefully that number gets smaller with each shoot I do in the future. The less time I spend on processing shots (fixing lighting, exposure, boogers etc.) the more photo shoots I can take on at a time!  Next shot is a staff shot for Suz's work- I'm looking forward to it.  A group photo will be fun.

When the snow started falling I started knitting!  Well not real knitting, but using my 'knifty knitter'.  I bought some great Patons yarn called 'Twister' at a liquidation store, in colors 'extreme twist' and 'fruit loops' (see chart here).  It took me about 5 hours (give or take an hour) to make the scarf for Paige with 'extreme twist'... but it was fun, and when the weather is blowing, there is no place I'd rather be than tucked up by the fire place with something to keep my hands busy other than bonbons.  I'll post a photo as soon as I take one!

Well people I should hit the sack, tomorrow is a school day for sure and both my kids will be attending. 

Hope you are all having a good day!

~jen