My Moms

Today is Mothers Day. It seems I the theme of my blogs lately have be tributes to one thing of another and so today it is of course MOTHERS. I am very greatful to have still have my mother - and have her living close by. I know a lot of my friends and family have lost their mothers or have them living in another country. I feel for them on days like this and know it would be hard. I am very lucky to have a good relationship with my mom and don't know what I would do without her.

My mom and I at a wedding fair

She has always been there for me throughout my whole life. She even worked at my school until my sister and I had both graduated. At the time I probably wasn't so thrilled with that cause she knew if I had homework or detention or a test. As I look back on it now though I am thankful that she wanted to take an active role in all parts of our lives - besides it probably helped me get better grades anyway :)

She is very giving - of both her time and her money. Whenever I seemed to get in a jam she was always there to bail me out when I really needed it. Her and my dad have always been very generous in that way. Whenever you need a hand with painting, cleaning, laundry if there was a reason you couldn't do it yourself she was there to lend a helping hand.

She loves her family very much and would be happy if we could all live on a huge property together. Each one having a seperate house but sharing a courtyard with a pool etc..... That actually doesn't sound to bad to me. Since she likes the whole family to be together she always trys to plan a big family holiday every couple of years. This year is Arizona as you know from a previous post and if it is not a big holiday it is camping for a weekend or something.

I love my mom dearly and she is always there when I need a hug or a sympathetic ear. Especially with me not feeling good quite frequently she is always there to listen and understand. She helps me out or brings me food when I am not able to do it myself - she is completely giving of herself to her family even if she is tired and just needs to be by herself and rest.

I love you dearly mom and I just want you to know how much you mean to me and that you are always in my thoughts. Thank you for always being you and loving me no matter what.

A MOTHER'S LOVE

A Mother's love is somethingthat no on can explain,

It is made of deep devotionand of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfishand enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy itor take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgivingwhen all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falterseven though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believingwhen the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beautyof the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining,it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secretlike the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendoured miracleman cannot understand

And another wondrous evidenceof God's tender guiding hand.

~Helen Steiner Rice~

My Other Mom

Me, Scott and Mom # 2

I am lucky enought to also have another mother. She is opposite of my mom in a lot of ways - more laid back and easy going. She likes to do the things with me that my mom absolutely hates, like: shopping, going to garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets etc... So I think I am lucky in that what one mom doesn't like the other one does and vise a versa.

I feel blessed that we get along so well and are comfortable going out and doing things together. Some of my friends aren't as lucky and don't get along with their mother-in-laws. She also raised a wonderful son who I am greatful to have married - thank you for the amazing job you did raising such a wonderful, giving, patient, loving son. I am forever blessed because of it. I thank you too for taking me into your family and making the time to go out and do things with me. I enjoy all of our shopping excursions and sharing in the excitement of finding a great deal.

I just wanted you to know today that I love you and I look forward to you being out of the hospital soon so we can continue our hunt for the best buy!!!

WHEN YOU HAVE A MOTHER.

When you have a mother

who cares so much for you

that anything you want

becomes her desires

When you have a mother

who is so understanding

that no matter what is bothering you

she can make you smile

When you have a mother

who is so strong

that no matter what obstacles she faces

she is always confident in front of you

When you have a mother

who actively pursues her goals in life

but includes you in all her goals

you are very lucky indeed

Having a mother like this

makes it easy to grow up

into a loving, strong adult

Thank you for being this kind

of wonderful mother.

~Susan P Schutz~

Scott and I would just like to wish both of our moms a very HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! We love you both so much and thank you both for being who you are and loving us no matter what.

We hope you both have a wonderful day!!!

A Thousand Thanks

Mother's Day brings to mind

The thousands of things you did for me

that helped make me happier,

stronger and wiser,

because I had you as a role model.

I'm grateful for all the times

you healed my hurts

and calmed my fears,

so that I could face the world

feeling safe and secure.

I'm thankful for all you showed me

about how to love and give--

lessons that now bring

so many blessings to me

each and every day.

Your sacrifices and unselfishness

did not go unnoticed,

Mom.I admire you,

I respect you,I love you.

And I'm so glad you're my mother!

Happy Mother's Day!

By Joanna Fuchs

Have a great day and Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there.

My Grandpa

Jake Janzen - My Grandpa

Today is my Grandpa's birthday. My mom has planned a BBQ for later this afternoon to celebrate. It is always fun getting all of the family together. Who knows maybe I will have some pictures to post after the event.

Emerald is the symbol for enduring love

My grandpa has always been a special part of my life. He was always there at every school function and every important moment of my life. We would eat dinner over there once a week when we were little. I always enjoyed playing the board games or RACK-O - and he was always ready and willing to play. One of my best memories is playing in his shop with the scraps of wood and the smell of fresh sawdust. When I think of my Grandpa that is one of the first things that comes to mind.

My Grandpa was a carpenter so it was natural for him to have a shop. He has made many things for me over the years, a desk & chair, hope chest, cabinet, shoe rack, table etc..... the list goes on. He has made sooooo many things over the years for soooo many people. He was always giving of his time when it came to carpentry. He volunteered at MCC a lot fixing furniture that would come by donation or building it into something else if it was not fixable.

The second thing that comes to mind is BEAR HUGS. Whenever we come over he always greets you with the BIGGEST bear hug ever. He has done this for as long as I can remember. There are so many memories I have that involve both of my Grandparents that I could go on and on for days. I just wanted to say that I love you very much Grandpa and I wish you a very Happy Birthday with many more special memories to come.

A man can have no greater fame than to be loved and admired by his family. Happy Birthday to a Grandfather who is loved and admired for so many reasons.

I love you Grandpa!!!

So as you know from my previous post yesterday was our 5 year Anniversary. Since you already know what I got Scott I thought I would show you what he got me as well. He came home with a huge bouquet of flowers and a card. Inside the top of the flowers was a ring box. It is the most beautiful ring (next to my wedding ring of course). He said the ring was called the journey ring and it was to symbolize how far we have come in our marriage so far - soooo sweet right?

The Bouquet

He had also made dinner reservations for us at Greek Islands and had asked the owner to bring in my favorite wine just for us. My favorite wine is a B.C. white wine by Gerringer Brothers - Auxerrois 2005. The owner came out and talked to us for a bit and then came back to us with a dessert with a candle in it and sang Happy Anniversary. Scott was a bit embarrassed cause he said he didn't ask the owner to do that :) After that we went to see a stand up comic - play at the Fringe Festival in Abbotsford (the tix I gave him in his gift). It was a wonderful day and a wonderful anniversary. Sorry I didn't have my camera with me so no pictures of the yummy dessert.

"The Journey" - a bit of a close up eh?

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Day - Enjoy the sunshine!!!

Love, Marriage and the Man of my Dreams

Five years ago today I married my wonderful husband Scott. Yes, that's right. Today we are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary and our 7 year anniversary of being a couple. May 11, 2002 was one of the happiest days of my life. Todays blog is about love, marriage and the man of my dreams.I have never known anyone, other than family, to love me so unconditionally. He is always there for me no matter what I am going through. He is so understanding when it comes to my illness and I couldn't have asked for a better husband. I know that he is not perfect and and neither am I but I know I want to be by his side, to hold his hand, to wake up with him in the evening and kiss him when we go to bed at night. I vowed then and I vow now to hold him close to my heart both now and for the rest of my life.

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
Written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right:
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

I Love You Scott,

How do I begin to tell you how lucky I am
to have you in my life?
I'll start by saying what an honor it is
for me to be your wife.
You're my best friend in the good times
and my rock in times of sorrow.
You're the reason for sweet yesterdays
and my promise for tomorrow.
I never thought I could feel this loved
until I became your wife.

You made this year and every year
the best one of my life.

Thank you for being you!

Love always, Cherie

So the following is the traditional chart of what to give for a gift depending on the anniversary year. I have listed it here for those of you who may have an anniversary coming up.

Wedding Anniversary Gifts - Traditional

1st - Paper
2nd - Cotton
3rd - Leather
4th - Fruit, Flowers
5th - Wood
6th - Candy, Sugar, Iron
7th - Copper, Wool
8th - Bronze, Pottery
9th - Pottery, Willow
10th - Tin, Aluminum

11th - Steel
12th - Silk, Linen
13th - Lace
14th - Ivory
15th - Crystal
20th - China
25th - Silver
30th - Pearl
35th - Coral
40th - Ruby
45th - Sapphire
50th - Gold
55th - Emerald
60th - Diamond
75th - Diamonds, Diamond-Like Stones, Gold

When I was trying to decide what to get Scott for our Anniversary I checked the good old traditional anniversary chart. Fifth Anniversary is WOOD. Silverware if you look at the modern chart. I started thinking - What could I get him that was made out of wood that he would like? I couldn't come up with anything. So instead I opted for a card and lottery tickets. - Paper - once a tree = wood. I am reaching right?

So I opted for the above gift choice. A nice bottle of red wine - cause that is what he likes to drink - I prefer white. Three different cigars to add to his collection, a card, a box of mixed chocolates,two lottery tickets and tickets to a play for tonight. The play is called the Naked Newfie and is at the Matsqui Centennial Theatre.

One Cigar from Nicaragua

Two from Cuba where we had our Honeymoon

Humidor # 1 of 2 in his collection

2 Strawberry Creams, 1 Armadillo, 2 Hazelnut Creams

From J&B Candy Shoppe in Old Downtown Abbotsford

If you haven't been to J&B Candy Shoppe it is definitely worth a trip - it is really nice and has tons of fresh yummy treats. So this is the end of my 5 year tribute to ;ove, marriage and the man of my dreams.

Have a great day everyone!!!

Maylene

Friends are special people. We can't pick who our family is but with our friends we have a choice. They can be as diverse and unique as we choose them to be. Our friends can often also reflect the different stages and choices we have made in our lives along the way - both good and bad.

Today is my friend Maylene's Birthday. I wish she was here or I was there so I could celebrate with her. We met at IKEA 5 years ago. She seemed sweet and shy when we first met. The sweetness stayed but the shyness quickly disappeared. We have been friends ever since 2002. She has a wonderful sense of humor, a beautiful smile and the best hugs ever. She always knows how to make me laugh. She got a great job opportunity with IKEA and moved to Burlington, Ontario. I miss her dearly. When I came to work I always knew she would make me smile. She always had hugs for me everyday and I loved it - I miss your hugs Maylene!!!! Since I can't be there with her today - this blog is a tribute to her and friendship.

Allison, Me and Maylene

(look how short all of our hair was)

A Friend Is...

A friend is someone we turn to

When our spirits need a lift,

A friend is someone we treasure

For our friendship is a gift,

A friend is someone who fills our lives

With Beauty, Joy, and Grace

And makes the world we live in

A Better and Happier Place.

Author Unknown

Halloween at IKEA

Me, Maylene and Allison

Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Maylene and Me - My Birthday

A friend is one who knows all about you and likes you anyway. -- Christi Mary Warner

Maylene and Me at her going away party


A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. -- Unknown

The only way to have a friend is to be one.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYLENE - I miss you!!!

Some people come into our lives and quickly go...

Some people become friends and stay a while...leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts... and we are never quite the same because we have made a friend!!

Give your friend a hug today!

Yummy Banana Nut Bread

Good morning everyone - I thought I would start off the post with a picture of some fresh tulips that came from my mother-in-laws garden. I didn't have a lot of time to do a super interesting post today so I thought I would share a recipe with you that is quick, easy and one of my favorites. I made two loaves last Monday. It freezes well and makes a nice quick breakfast in the morning. Enjoy!!!

Nothing beats the taste or aroma of baked banana bread. It's just like mom's but much, much easier.
Prep Time:15 min Start to Finish:3 hr 25 min
Makes: 24 slices 1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 regular size)

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix - the secret, quick ingredient
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
2. Stir bananas, sugar, milk, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in Bisquick mix and nuts. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool 10 minutes.
4.Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.
5.Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 day.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 170mg; Total Carbohydrate 18g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 8g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices:

Storage tip:
This bread freezes well and is great to have on hand when company drops in.Success For the best flavor, be sure to use bananas that are very ripe. Planned-Overs Extra banana bread? Make terrific banana bread French toast. Dip bread in egg mixture, and cook in skillet 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. It's great with maple syrup.

Your continued prayers for my mother-in-law and our situation are appreciated. So far there is no word on the surgery date being moved back up. I will keep you posted though. She gets a day pass today to get some things done that she needs - like a hair cut and color - we girls need to look good you know - as well as some other things. Scott has the day off today to help her as well as take his grandfather to the doctor and get him some things he needs. Have a great day!!!

Life's Blessings

GRANDPARENTS

Few can bring the warmth

We can find in their embrace,

And little more is needed to bring love.

Than the smile on their face.

They've a supply of precious stories,

Yet they've time to wipe a tear,

Or give us reasons to make us laugh,

They grow more precious through the years.

I believe that God sent us Grandparents

As our legacy from above,

To share the moments of our life,

As extra measures of His love.

~Author Unknown~

My grandparents and my love

I don't know if any of you are still lucky enough to have your grandparents around. I am lucky enought to still have one set of grandparents who mean the world to me. They have always been there throughout all of the stages of my life and I can't imagine my life without them.

I love all of my Grandma's cooking and especially her baking. I especially love the pickles that she makes. Two years ago I got all of the canning supplies etc... and set up a date for her to teach me how she makes them. It was a lot of fun - Grandpa was even there trying to learn a little himself. I think I made a dozen jars of pickles and what do you know - they tasted just like Grandma's. I even went home and made another 15 jars on my own - yes I love pickles and I wanted to have a good supply on hand. If I have time I will probably make some more this year.

The next thing that I would like to learn from my Grandma is how to make her famous buns. They are the best tasting buns ever. No I am not biased - that is just what I think. I have already told her that I would like to learn. She is gonna try and make a smaller batch to figure out the quantities to teach me. Her batches are normally huge so she is gonna try and cut the amount down for me. Grandpa wants to learn with me again - never too late to learn right?

This past Sunday, my Grandparents came by for a short visit. I know they just really wanted to come by to see how I set up their furniture in my room. (See yesterday's post) They loved the way I decorated the room and made a special place for their furniture. Now they usually never come by without a little something for you. This time Grandma had brought me a bunch of rhubarb. She had already chopped it all and put it into containers ready for me to freeze. She was disappointed that she couldn't find her tape to label it for me - too sweet. Now I can make another batch of rhubarb platz since the one I made last week is gone already.

I thank God for my grandparents and how blessed I am that they are still a big part of my life. If you still have your Grandparents, tell them how much you appreciate them today. If you are a grandparent - know how much you are appreciated and loved by your grandchildren.

MOTHER-IN-LAW UPDATE: She has been scheduled for her open heart surgery to remove the pericardium. The date has been changed to the day we are supposed to leave on a much needed family holiday - your prayers are much appreciated that the date can be moved back up so Scott doesn't have to change the dates of his flight and be here for his mom's surgery.

Have a great Day!!!

What's Old is New Again

My spring azaleas

I am a hoarder, I come by it naturally. My Grandma is a hoarder, my Aunt is a hoarder so it was only natural for me to be one too - it runs in the family. It is not just that we like THINGS. It is the fact that all of these little things have a story or a memory attached to them and it is hard to let those things go for fear them memory will be gone as well. Call me crazy, call me sentimental but that is just the way I am. I am sure there must be more of us hoarders out there.

Recently my grandparents decided to downsize. Their townhouse had become too much for them to look after. The hardest part about moving into a smaller place was that she would have to get rid of a lot of her her "memories" we'll say. Now, I felt for her during this process. I know how hard it is for me to give up things - even little scraps of paper. She had the first pair of curtains she had ever sewn for their farmhouse - holes in them and all. We were like - "what do you need these for?" - but it was the memory. Many, many more things were sorted though and all of her little "memories" were being put into boxes - MCC, garage sale, garbage & save.

She had this old bedroom suite. "It was the first real bedroom suite they had ever bought together when they were married", she said. For years now it had been the furniture in the spare room - it had made way for new bedroom furniture that my grandpa had made, so it was natural for the "old" furniture to be moved to the guest room. Grandma loved this bedroom suite but they were not going to be able to bring it with them because the new house didn't have a guest room anymore.

As my mom was telling me about her having a hard time letting it go - an idea struck me. I had always loved that furniture - its shape and design - and I had a spare room that was not really what I had wanted it to be. I measured up the furniture and it would all fit in the room nicely. Grandma was happy it was going to a good home where she knew she could still visit it. It worked out great for me because Scott's mom needed a queen size bed for her spare room - so she took ours and I began to make room for the new bedroom.

I had wanted to do a room with a retro-modern twist as that is of course hot right now. Since the set was from the late 50's early 60's I knew I wanted the main color story of the room to have that retro aqua blue color. I found the perfect bedding at Costco and the paint colors were chosen from there.My color pallet for the room consisted of 4 colors - a lot of people said "you used 4 colors in a room?" but as you can see from the photos they all combine together nicely with just subtle changes in color but all in the same tones. That is what is important to remember - you can add more colors just stay in the same tones.

Bedding from Costco

I used Benjamin Moore colors. The base of the 3 walls and the ceiling was CC-90 Natural Linen. The inside frame of the window seat was HC-142 Straton Blue. The stripe across the wall was HC-143 Whythe Blue and the accent wall behind the dresser was HC-140 Prescott Green.
Most of the colors I end up using in my house come from either the Historical colour Line or the Designer Collection.

The right hand side of the room when you walk in. I opted for a grouping on top of the tall dresser. I combined a retro looking lamp I found at Home Depot with a mirror (a Debbie Travis from Canadian tire) and a green colored bowl (retro find from Value Village)

I used a more modern bedding (Costco) with a hint of Chocolate brown in the Lotus flower pillow (Drinkwater - Vancouver). I had been looking for a vintage Eames Era metal wall hanging for above the bed but they are hard to come by and if you find one they are usually a couple hundred dollars so I opted for the one you see (Homesense) I liked it cause the leaves mimicked the pattern on the duvet cover. Scott even hooked up a bed massager to it - he said it would be like the old hotel beds but you don't have to put a quarter in this one. :)

A close up of the headboard accented with three small tea light holders (IKEA) on top of the headboard. In the shelf I rescued an old clock from the garage sale pile to give it a little extra old world charm.

This is the window seat where I added the darker shade. Floral pillow with a hint of brown (Homesense) Brown vase with silver dollar plant (IKEA & Homesense) As you can see Mowgli and Riddick are also enjoying the new room. Riddick is sleeping on another project of mine. An old chair I picked up at MCC for $5 that I am going to recover in the fabric you can see draped on the chair.(Fabric from Fabric land)

Here is the left hand wall of the room. I picked up a clearance table runner in the same blue(Homesense) and added a decorative old platter with a chocolate brown candle holder in the center (both from Homesense) Since the dresser and mirror were so short I felt that it needed something above it. I found this brown Iron piece with hints of the blue green throughout just to give it a little extra umph! (Homesense)

Last but not least I added a vintage ceiling light I found at MCC for $3.50

As you can see, I pulled some old style elements into the room along with a few modern elements to tie it all together. Homesense is an awesome place for pillows and accessories at awesome prices. You have to frequent the place to find the best deals but it saves you money in the long run. You get expensive looking accessories for at least half the price of regular stores and they get new stock a couple times a week. Just goes to show you can re-do a room and have it look pricey without it costing a fortune - you just have to hunt around till you find the right things.

There you have it - what is old is new again. What things are you going to breathe new life into? Hopefully you are insprired to take on a new project. If you have any other questions etc. about the room feel free to ask. Have a great day!!!

Just one of those days.....

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel blah? Like nothing you do seems satisfying and you have a thousand of things you should be doing but just can't seem to do them? Well that is me today. I don't feel especially well, I have some hives today and just can't motivate myself to do much. So instead of boring you to tears I will tell you about one of my recent thrifting adventures.

As many of you know I enjoy bargain hunting - always looking for that special buy. Those of you who are like me know that when you find a really special item, or something you have been searching for at a great price - it makes your day!!! I always enjoy a good sale and the hunt is just part of the fun.

I happened to be at MCC like I am quite often and was looking through the furniture area. Not that I needed any furniture but you never know when you might see something that catches your eye and gets your creative juices flowing. This was one of those days. I saw this set of four dining chairs. They were priced at 4 for $60. I loved their shape and form. They were in fairly good condition but definitely would need recovering to restore them to their original greatness. Plus the seat cover was burgundy and wouldn't match my decor. Now I looked at those chairs for quite some time. Took one down from the shelf - sat on it - put it back. I started to walk away but something kept drawing me back to those chairs. They wouldn't let me leave them there. Below is a picture of the shape and style of the chairs - just not as new.

Imagine a burgundy fabric seat and a little used

I have a dining table at home that I got from my Granny Staley. I have four chairs to go with it but when the table expands I don't have the extra chairs to go with it. We realized at Thanksgiving that extra chairs could come in handy since the family is growing. These chairs, I thought, would make a great addition to the set. I had already bought fabric recently to sew some curtains and recover the current chairs so I figured these could be done at the same time.

Back View

So by now I am sure you know that I convinced myself that I could not leave without them. Yes, they are sitting in my garage right now waiting for me to restore them to greatness. I have a lot of projects that I want to do - it is just a matter of finding the time to do them all. I am sure you can all relate. Before I get to the chairs though, I am in the middle of redesigning my craft room. Yes I have a room all to myself to be creative but the way it is right now is not an inspiring room. So when my room makeover is complete, I will then have access to my sewing machine and table to I can begin to sew the curtains for my dining room and recover all of my 8 chairs. I will post the finshed projects when they are complete. See something to keep in anticipation.........haha.

As I leave you today I am about to try and motivate myself to get cleaning. My mother-in-law should be back to MSA hospital today from having her angiogram and we should get to visit later today.

Have a great day!!!

The Dreaded Shop

The pool at the house we stayed at in Arizona in 2005

Are you like me and your holiday sneaks up on you before you have had the time to lose all of the winter weight that you wanted to shed? Then you have to go out and shop for a swimsuit. This is something I think most of us dread, except maybe when we were teenagers. Then to go out and find a suit to fit our flabby bodies - NOT FUN. Shopping for swimsuits for women is right up there with shopping for a good bra, underwear and jeans - are you with me?

Well, since our long awaited family holiday is upon us in a couple weeks - it is my quest today to find another swimsuit. Am I pushing my luck with being able to find two? I was able to find one a few weeks ago at SEARS with my mother-in-law. I am also hoping to find some shorts and a few summer items to get me started. The rest of my summer shopping will be done in Arizona. Shopping in the States is soooooooo fun. They have such different clothes than we have here and you can usually get them at a better price..........As a shopaholic I am very much looking forward to the many shopping excursions that will take place while we are there.

This is the bathing suit I bought so far

My parents are great and they like the times the whole family can be together and so do we. So, being the generous parents they are they plan a FAMILY holiday every couple of years. They pay for the whole family - all 8 of us - to go on a trip and we just have to provide our own spending money. Too generous I think - but we appreciate it none the less. It allows us to all be together on a trip - something that probably wouldn't happen otherwise. This year we are going to Scottsdale Arizona. In 2005 which some of these photos are from we stayed in Phoenix, Arizona. We all like the heat and since Jamaica is way too expensive Arizona is as good a place as any.

Trina, Sydney and Andrew 2005

Scott and I also love having the opportunity to spend a lot of time with our niece and nephew. It is great to be able to see them everyday which we don't get to do at home. I appreciate that my parents see the value in all of us being able to spend quality time together relaxing. Don't get me wrong - it isn't all roses - there is the occasional temper flare etc.... but the nice thing is that we all have our own rooms. Plus when anyone needs to escape to be by themselves for awhile you are able to do that. This year my mom has found an even more beautiful house than the last time. This is the house we are gong to be at this time http://www.arizonagreatgetaways.com/ The one we are staying at is the one that doesn't have the infra red sauna. Another reason I love visiting Arizona is that I get to visit one of my dearest friends Karen and her family. She was a bridesmaid in our wedding and I don't get to see her very often since she and her husband have moved to Arizona. She and her husband Johnny have 3 adorable children Kohl, Kalysta, and Kiyah. All in all the vacation should be great!!!!

Sedona

Well I am off to do the dreaded shop - wish me luck!!!

UPDATE TO YESTERDAYS POST - My mother-in-law is off to Royal Columbian this morning for an Angiogram and should be back later tonight. This test should show what type of open heart surgery she is going to need. Your continued prayers are much appreciated. :)