Seven Sunday Monday Blessings: Oct 8

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Because it is Thanksgiving, this is the holiday version of Seven Sunday Blessings!

This week, I am thankful:

1.  That my niece and nephews traveled safely from Toronto to join us for our family's celebration on Sunday, along with their significant others.

2.  That Gary's brother was able to switch his shift and come home as well with Gary's dad.  The kids adore him and he kept them entertained all weekend! :)

3.  For Cory's Ode to Nonna's Pasta Sauce... well done, C! :)

4.  That we all gathered together, healthy and (relatively) whole to spend the day together.

5.  For homemade pumpkin pie.  Yum...

6.  For seeing my dad.  It's been a while and although he has lost some weight and seems frail to me, it was nice to see him still spry and engaged at 84!

7.  For The Game of Things.  And bike with kegs.  And dead bodies.  And dy-no-mite!  (Sorry, inside joke...)  Fun game, but can make you snort gin and tonic... Just saying!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian friends and family - wishing you all the blessings and happiness you deserve!

Cheers,

P/S:  Don't forget about the following challenges on my blog for a chance to win (deadlines in brackets):
It's a Sketchy Challenge (Oct 31/12)
Leave Your Legacy (Nov 30/12)

Thanksgiving traditions

I know we're going back but I just realized that I posted my traditional What I'm Thankful For post, but didn't touch on any of our annual traditions!

Every year, with the exception of my mom's last one, we celebrate Thanksgiving in Erin with Gary's family.  We follow several traditions each year: 

* my mother-in-law makes her famous brussel sprout soup (the best evah!)

* walks on the Bruce Trail

* Erin Fall Fair

Ever year, Erin celebrates Thanksgiving with the Erin Fall Fair.  Each year, we bundle up (unless it's raining) and head to the fair to spend ridiculous amounts of cash on ride tickets, clear out our sinuses with the offending stench of farm animals and stuff ourselves silly with carnival food, including but not limited to caramel corn, cotton candy, caramel apples and slushies.

This year, Aili was disappointed as she was not tall enough to go on any of the "big kids" rides and she was limited to the dragon mini-coaster.  As you can see, her spirits are just crushed... *rolls eyes*

This year, Connor braved the Free Fall - I was supposed to go on it with him but at the last minute, decided to take photos instead.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

If you've never heard of Free Fall, it's a tall structure with a circular setting of seats around the base.  You're strapped in and cables pull you up...

to the very top/

And then.... it drops you!  You free fall for about 4 or 5 seconds, until uber-magnets kick in and grab onto your seats and slow it down.

Connor loved it!  Well, maybe not LOVED - tolerated, without losing his lunch, may be a better term.

On the walk home, I snapped this fun photo of the kids:

Connor looks so cool and handsome in his shades.  Aili's out of focus, but I love her expression of glee!

Giving Thanks

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.

~Theodore Roosevelt

 
Another year, and I have so much to be thankful for...

 
I am thankful for the love of a man who is like no other.  He is sweet and kind, patient and giving.  He loves me through all of my moods and is a wonderful father to our children.  He is supportive through all of my endeavours, regardless of their outcomes and is my biggest champion.  After 12 years, my heart still flutters when he kisses me and my knees go weak.  I will love you forever and always.
 
I am thankful for a son who is always loving and kind, despite his bouts of willfulness.  His creativity and artistic talent is only outshined by his exuberance and enthusiasm.  He is handsome, funny and smart - and one heck of a swimmer, to boot!

I am thankful for a daughter who is strong and independent, although I may not appreciate it all the time!  Her girly-girl tendencies and contrasting tomboyish actions at times allow me to enjoy the best of both worlds with her.  She is beautiful, funny and smart - and loves shoes!!

I am thankful for my extended family.  We have an incredibly close relationship and their support means the world to me.  I know that not everyone shares a relationship with their siblings as I do with my sisters and I thank my lucky stars everyday.

I am thankful for my scrapbooking.  It started as a hobby almost ten years ago and has developed into a slight obsession.  I am so very thankful for the wonderful friends and incredible opportunities this passion has brought into my life. 

I am thankful for the gift of Life, so that I may enjoy all for which I am so very thankful...

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2+ weeks...

but I have been productive! :) Not only with Just Cre8 business, but scrapbooking too!

gasp* I KNOW! (said in my best Craig Ferguson voice... and if you don't know who Craig Ferguson is... click HERE and think Drew Carey's boss...)

We celebrated Thanksgiving here this year. Usually, we head up to Gary's parents for Thanksgiving, taking in the Erin Fall Fair while we're there.

Speaking of the Fall Fair, I found these little gems while searching through the THOUSANDS of
photos that I have...

Look how wee she is!!

Okay, so it's a big tractor.

This one actually made the cover of the Erin newspaper - and I think I already blogged about it, but hey, a mama gets to be proud of her first born!


And this is one of my favourites, despite my quirky ponytails, insufferable movie star shades and a distinct suspicion of a double chin... Capturing the look on Aili's face when she placed her bottom on that horse was definitely worth the embarassment!
Back to Thanksgiving... This year, however, his parents were supposed to be in Italy for a wonderful trip that they had planned! Sadly, his mom hurt her back and they had to cancel their trip! I'm so sad - they were so looking forward to it! Fingers crossed that she's well enough to catch the next tour!

So we decided to host dinner. My whole family came, with the exception of my nephew, who was sunning his behind in Cuba (ah, the university life!) and I was well prepared this time, so I actually got to enjoy myself, save a few harrowing moments right before serving, when everything needs to be done! Thanks to my brother-in-law, Bill, who is a whiz with a potato masher! ;)

The 15th brought about another Just Cre8 reveal - November's kits! And though I'm really not happy with the kit photos, as it doesn't do the kits' colours justice AT ALL, the design team has totally ROCKED this kit and has shown a fair representation of the colours and beauty of it!

And a few days, later, we had our 2nd Annual Revive & Rejuven8 Fall Crop! Oh, how I *heart* my Cre8ive Crew!!! They are so fabulous!! If you missed our weekend of fun, I'm sorry to hear it, but you'll be happy to know that the challenges are still up there so you can work along at your own pace!

Which of course, is what *I* was able to do! But first things first, I had to see if I could find my desk and table amidst the mess...

And lo and behold, I found my room!! It's never been this clean so I just had to take photos... because it didn't last long, once I started Cre8ing! :)

First, let me say that the colour of the walls looks washed out in some of the photos. It's actually Behr 410A-2 Cabbage Green (in reality, however, it's closer to Carolina Parake?)This is where it all happens: When you're chatting with me online, or I'm typing my blog posts, this is usually where I am (unless I'm on the laptop upstairs. I love my two 21" monitors - so great to have the extra desktop space when editing photos or designing stamps!! I'm still unsure about what to do above the printer and scanner (on the left)...

I have two ideas: One is to add a curtain rod type thing that will hold my favourite layouts. The other is to do this. I'm leaning more to the first, since I have plans (STILL) to do the second in our foyer/hall.
This is the rest of my L-shaped desk. I agreed to share my room with Gary, so I cleared off one end so he could set up shop there. Don't mind my degrees leaning against the wall in the corner - they're are now on the wall, as of a few hours ago! I love my big whiteboard, too, for keeping track of ideas, deadlines, to do's... but mostly for entertaining Little Miss A! If you look closely, you can see the big green marker streak on the wall underneath the board... :s

The next photo is not a great picture, because of the flash, but this shows my awesome custom-made Skribblz Art on my wall. Ironically, Katrina made this for me as a hostess gift when she and her family stayed with us a couple of years ago... long before Just Cre8 was born! Still need to do some purging to this area, but at least it's tidy! The shelves on the left hold my completed circle journals, favourite pictures of the kids and a beautiful layout that my dear friend, Kerry, did of my mom & Aili, just after she was born. And we've come full circle!I don't dare show you photos of it now though!! That nice, pristine desk is completely covered with scrapbooking supplies!

I will share this little gem though, as I realized that I forgot to post Aili's graduation photo from daycare: Don't you just love those unruly curls?? It was Picture Day on Monday and I managed to tame them into pigtails... but until we get those proofs back, I won't know if they made it through til picture time, or if they managed to escape confinement... :D

Thanks for reading!