JUST A LITTLE MORE...

Just a quick post to show you some more of the presents I recieved for Christmas. Hannah got me a nice belgian waffle maker. You can probably guess what we had for breakfast on Christmas morning - yep, waffles. Naomi got me a very nice jewellry box. Just what I wanted.

Josh worked very hard and made this beaded barrette. It is gorgeous.

I really was spoiled this year.

AHHH!!!

So, the orgy of greed is over for another year. All that's left is to stuff our selves silly. As usual, I look forward to surprising the kids with things they really want, but never think we will get them. This year Josh got an xbox 360. He was not expecting it at all, but was very excited. It is something he has been saving up for. (Brian looks just as excited as Josh!)
We bought the girls each a t.v. and DVD player. Again, something greatly desired. They will be very handy when they are living in Whitehorse. Sometimes they just like to lie in their beds watching a movie. Actually when they are sick they have to stay in their room, so a t.v. can be a real sanity saver. We also got them ipod docking stations. All in all, they were all very spoiled.
I bought Brian a very cool Greek mythology chess set, a fishing rod rack and a storm proof lighter among other things. I think I was the most spoiled of all. Brian bought me a cappuccino maker and my favorite gift of all - a set of golf clubs. Not just any golf clubs either, but the set I really wanted. Now I can't wait to get out golfing - maybe I will have to settle for some snow golf to tide me over the next few months. (Start warming up Sonya, the game is on!)Of course, no Christmas story is complete without mention of Oscar. On Christmas Eve we decided to let the kids open one gift. However, we didn't want Oscar to get into present opening mode yet. So, we put him outside and opened the gifts, then cleaned up all the evidence before letting him back in the house. When he came in I was playing with some bubble wrap - this was very intriguing for him. He knew we had done something, but couldn't figure out what was up. He was very alert and waiting for something to happen, but we managed to keep out secret until Christmas morning. Then of course he went nuts for his stocking.

Brian's parents and brother's family sent money for the kids. So, I combined the money and bought them these fancy name-brand sweaters. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.

I think the Mom-of-the-year award is still up for grabs, I should be getting it this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas.

This was posted by someone on SparkPeople: A New Years wish for you.

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address!

I'M FEELING GREAT

This morning is the first day of our Christmas break. YAY! Wouldn't you know it, I woke up bright and early as usual - 5:15am. I decided to start off right and I pulled out my runners and set up my treadmill ready for a run. I determined ahead of time that I would do 8km. A lot of this whole exercise thing is just a mind game for me. When I got to about 4km, I was ready to quit. The lactic acid build up was getting the best of me. I decided that I would just push to 5 and that would be it. But when I got to 5km, I said to myself it is only 1.8 miles left. I am going to make it. And I did!!! 53:50. That is more than 2 minutes faster than last time (56:06). Now I feel great. I will probably crash on the couch in about 5 hours.

EXPANDING MY REPERTOIRE

As the holidays approach I am always on the lookout for exciting new recipes to try. It is the one time of year when I bake. I didn't realize how deprived my family was feeling until I saw them delve into the baked goods. One of the recipes I have discovered is the following, melt in your mouth goodness.

Cream Cheese Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 1/2 tbsp cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp lemon zest

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Add milk and lemon zest. Mix. Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls, or roll into balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 12-15 minutes.
I usually place a chocolate chip in the centre (white chocolate for Brian). Half a glace cherry would be good too.

Enjoy!

I also discovered this picture on my camera - the beginnings of my very delicious fruit cake, made with real fruit, not just candied, dyed rutabaga.

CHRISTMAS BAKING

I came home from work today and had the time and energy to do some Christmas baking. It seems that all the previous baking I had stored in the freezer has been gobbled up by some very big, hungry mice. Hmmm. So, it was time to refill the freezer. Then I decided that no blog is complete without some pictures of food. Therefore, I grabbed the camera, much to Brian's enjoyment and took pictures of the cookies I baked. I made sugar cookies and glazed them as per Sonya's recommendation. They are delicious and look fancy without being overly sweet. Notice the empty spot where the mice have already started in. I also made some of Josh's favourite - nanaimo bars (over the top sweet). It is my Mom's recipe - far superior to the ones you buy from the store.

EARNING THE MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD

I am always joking with my kids that I am trying to earn the "mom of the year award." I think this time I've really done it. Our old dishwasher just wasn't doing it's job anymore. We had bought it second hand when we moved to Ross River, the converted it from portable to built in. We finally got fed up of having to rewash everything, so we bought a new dishwasher. I chose a very nice Fridgidaire. Unfortunately there was a delay between taking out the old, installing the new and getting the new d/w wired in. Today was a very happy day for all of us. No more washing dishes by hand. The electrician was in town and did the wiring for us. So, at last the kids can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I won't be pestering them to do the dishes after supper. (By the way the picture is from the catalogue, not from my kitchen.)

A NEW 'DO

It's not often that I will share a picture of myself. But I had to show you my new hairdo. I went to my hairdresser and told her I needed something new. Here's the result:

BRAGGING RIGHTS

I have been working hard at my running lately. Times are getting better and better. Maybe I will improve with age.
5 Km times:
Tuesday, Dec. 4 - 33:43
Thursday, Dec. 6 - 32:50
Sunday, Dec. 9 - 31:34

A DAY NOT WORTH REPEATING

We just arrived home from our trip to Whitehorse. What an eventful trip it turned out to be. We left home on Thursday right after work. It was almost dark by that time and a chilling -33. But we braved the trek into town being careful to use the brakes regularly so they wouldn't freeze up on us. We picked Naomi up from the dorms and grabbed a late supper to eat in the hotel room. Friday morning dawned cold and windy. But we bundled up. Brian started his day at 8am at the dentist, while I took the truck to the mechanic for some much needed repairs. Then I had my turn at the dentist (and I'm proud to say I had very little plaque build up, especially since I haven't had a cleaning in 2 years). Next the kids all had their turn. It was after 10:30 by the time we were finished there. Then I had to start my Christmas shopping. I walked all over town and kept returning to the hotel with my parcels. It was 3:30 before I had the truck back! I still had most of my shopping left to do. Now I had 1 1/2 hours before we had to head out for supper. I power-shopped. Then we had supper at Boston Pizza (who knew that a pepper shaker could explode over my greasy veggies!) then we went to the ballet! Can you believe it? Josh opted out, but the girls went with us. A couple of Naomi's friends were in it. It was excellent. Then we raced downtown to see movies we have all been waiting to see. By 11:30 we arrived back at the hotel - slightly exhausted. But, that is not all, oh no, that is not all! Saturday was another cold, windy day in Whitehorse. But, being the hardy soul that I am I walked to main street to have my hair done, leaving the truck with Brian so he could take Oscar to the vet. I power-shopped some more and we headed out of town at 3:45. (Earlier than expected!) The truck, which we spent so much time and money getting fixed, is still not working properly, but we continued on. About 70km past Carmacks, a herd of caribou decided to cross the road right in front of us. It was really, really dark out - no moon or stars, just our head lights. So, Brian slows down as quickly as he can. We are swerving all over the road. Brian is just trying to slow down so as not to plow into any of the caribou. We just about made it too, but one stupid caribou decided to turn around and go across the other side of the road. By this time we are only going 20km/hr - just fast enough to hit the caribou and go into the ditch. The animal was long gone by the time we exited the truck, but we could hear it crashing around in the woods - too dark to see anything. No damage was done to the truck, but we were stuck! Eventually due to Brian's great driving skills and my muscular talent, we pushed the truck for about 100 feet along the side of the road until we finally got enough back onto the road. It was a bit of a slow drive home after that - we think the wheels are out of alignment too. But we got home safe and sound. I am definitely not in a hurry to make another trip to town anytime soon.

Here is Brian's version that he posted on his blog:

I hit a caribou on the way home tonight.It was a pitch black night, the darkest I've ever seen. From out of the woods a whole herd of the stupid things suddenly emerged and piled out on the highway right in front of me. I began a series of semi-controlled skids and swerved around the first four or five of the beasts. At that point I was completely surrounded by running caribou.

When I'm bowling I have the uncanny ability to seemingly roll the ball right through the pins without knocking a single one down and it was this ability that saved me tonight. As I was skidding through the center, the herd miraculously began to part like the Red Sea for Moses. For a split second I thought we were going to make it, but then one of the stupid beasts turned and ran right back across the road directly into my path. I cranked the wheel hard-a-starboard and dealt it a glancing blow as I plowed off into the ditch. The sickening crunch of metal against flesh is now forever etched in my mind.

I was pretty sure I hadn't killed the caribou, but I thought it might be lying injured on the highway. As I hiked back to look for the body I had visions of that scene from "The Long Kiss Goodnight"; you know the one where she snaps the deer's neck to put it out of it's misery. However, the caribou had scampered off into the forest where I could hear it thrashing away in agony. Long story short it ended with about twenty minutes of digging and pushing until we could get the truck back up onto the road. I'm glad I've got 4x4.

AHH - SWEET MEMORIES

One of my favourite things at this time of year is the arrival of school photos. We keep all the pictures in the frame behind the current one. I love taking them out and marvelling at the transformation through the years. I just had to share the kids' kindergarten photos. Wow, we created some beautiful children!

An added bonus: Josh at 2 1/2, when we first moved to Kitimat. Is is already 11 years ago?

SHARING THE SEASON

I thought that since we can't be together over this holiday season, I would post a few pictures of our holiday decor. So far we have put out our decorations and outside lights. Here are just a few of the decorations we have up.

Next weekend we will be putting up the tree - my favourite part. I love pulling out all the ornaments. I like to buy them while we are on vacation, then I recall all the memories while we are decorating the tree.

TAKING A QUICK BREAK

Today, after a long, stressful week, I decided to take a mental health day. I seriously needed a break. So, I phoned in today and told the principal and he was very supportive. I just felt that if I kept on I was going to get sick. I spent the day getting started on my Christmas baking. Sonya motivated me to get going. I bought most of the supplies last time I was in Whitehorse (in October), so it was finally time to put them to use. I started with some Ginger Spice Biscotti, then I made some Ginger Sparklers and finished by making a batch of Mincemeat tarts complete with pastry made from scratch. Mmmmm. I have lots more I want to do, but you know how it is - too much of a good thing. Actually I put most of it in the freezer and left just a bit out. I know very well that the "taste testers" will be eating away at the stock pile, trying to hide it from me. But at least they will be happy.

SKIS for SALE

Here are the skis I have for sale. We bought them for the kids a few years ago, but they never used them. So now for the inevitable - sell them.

JUST A LITTLE HUMOUR

Naomi sent this to me and it made me laugh, so I thought I would pass it along. Even though it says "America", it definitely applies to all of North America. Enjoy!

Spread the Stupidity
Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in America ......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
Only in America ......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. Only in America ......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
Only in America ......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
Only in America ......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.
Only in America ... ...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ....Why the sun lightens our hair,but darkens our skin ?
Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe,why do they call the airport the terminal?

WORKIN' GIRL

We just got news today that Naomi has landed herself a job at:

They just opened a new one in Whitehorse. I guess the old one was just too small. It's a really nice looking store. We were walking past it the last time I was in town and she decided then to put in her resume. So, we hurried back to the dorms and grabbed her resume. The manager really likes her and was impressed with her tenacity. She will be in the stocking department to begin with. She will be working just a few hours a week. She is so excited. Although I'm not sure if the excitement is because of the job or the thought of earning a paycheck.

I NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE MYSELF! (lol)

I feel like a proud parent about this: my plant. I have one plant in my house. I was given a cutting back in June and I kept it full of water (except while we were on holidays) and finally planted it in October. I definitely did not inherit my parents' green thumb (sorry Mom and Dad). Most plants I have wither away and die quite quickly. I can't even tell you what kind of plant this is - help anyone? When we plan what to do with our yard it definitely doesn't include plants. But look at this, my plant is flowering in November! I point it out to Brian almost every day and he is just as amazed as I am.

BEAUTY

This morning I was busy getting ready for work. When I walked in the kitchen and looked outside this sunrise was blazing across the sky. I quickly grabbed the camera and snapped some pictures. By the time we left for work 10 minutes later, the sky had completely changed and wasn't nearly as spectacular. One of the best things about living so far up north is the amazing sunrises we get to see.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Who knew that my kids would still be trick-or-treating at this stage of their lives. Maybe it's because of where we live - any excitement will do. I managed to get them still long enough for a picture before they headed out with their friends for the big haul. This year was a lot quieter at our house. The kids headed out to their friends houses right after school and we didn't see Hannah until 8:45. Josh and his friends came in a couple times during the night. We are not really sure why. I think they just wanted to check what was in their bags so far. The kids at school were very excited. Yesterday the excitement steadily built throughout the day. It was with great relief that we sent the kids home after the carnival at school today. Whew! Done for another year!

PROOF

I thought I would give you proof that I really have been out cutting wood. Someone has to work while Brian wanders around with the camera. LOL.

ONE HARD WORKING FAMILY

Today we went out and got the rest of the wood we will need to stay toasty warm for the winter. We woke up and it was -15. We delayed going for a while just waiting for it to warm up. It eventually did and by the second load it wasn't too bad and we were peeling off layers of clothing. I even had the presence of mind today to bring the camera along. I needed positive proof that Hannah and Josh joined us in the adventure - not very willingly, but they were there, working. We had a lot of very heavy logs that we had to cut into 4 foot lengths just to get them to the truck. Needless to say, my arms feel like limp noodles and my legs aren't much better.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Geez, I'm getting old! 29 again! LOL. We opened presents, etc when Naomi was home for Thanksgiving. Naomi and Josh bought me some Friends dvd's. Hannah bought me a necklace and Brian bought me a new wedding ring.

Today I will celebrate by going to work, running skipping club and in the evening going to an ambulance meeting. The best part is that Brian and the kids are making supper tonight. We are having pizza. Mmmm! Nothing else exciting is happening in my life. Just getting older and wiser everyday.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I haven't purposely been ignoring blog land, we have just been incredibly busy. We had talked to the local firewood supplier in August and he said the firewood would be here at the beginning of September. Around mid-September we talked to him again. Let's just say when Brian was in Whitehorse he bought a chainsaw which we have been putting to good use. We spent the weekend getting wood. It was definitely good exercise. We can put just over 1/2 a cord into our truck without overloading it. We got 2 loads on Saturday and Sunday. Hannah and Josh were not too thrilled that we made them come, but we figured it would be good for them to get out of the house. Next weekend we will get 2 more loads and that should do it. We had some left from last year and about a cord piled beside the house already. Work, work, work. Anyways, between work at the school, trips to Whitehorse, getting the wood cut up and general daily living, we have been going non-stop. One of these days life will slow down again and we will have more time to relax. A girl can dream, can't she???

SHE'S LEFT AGAIN

Naomi and Brian just left for Whitehorse. It was really hard to let Naomi go again. At least I can take comfort that I will see her again in a couple weeks. We had such a nice weekend with her here. We will really miss her. Oscar was very upset that they left without him. He desperately wanted to go. What will probably happen is this: when Brian gets back tonight, Oscar will go running out to see him, Brian will put him in the truck and let him sit there for a few minutes. Then Oscar will be happy because he will think he has been for a ride. Crazy dog!

NOTES ON NOTHING

Judging from my lack of blogging lately, one would think that there has been nothing going on in my life. However, the opposite is true. I have been very busy and just haven't had time to sit down and blog. Since that last fateful day when we had all that snow life has bounced along at a rapid pace. Last Friday after work Hannah, Jedine and I headed into Whitehorse. I had union meetings to attend and the girls just wanted to come. Hannah drove a good portion of the way - she is an excellent driver already. While we were there Naomi stayed with us. On Saturday I spent the day at my meeting and the girls shopped and just wandered around town. Then on Sunday I shopped before we made the return trip. This has been another busy week at work and I lead skipping club twice a week too. Fun, fun, fun! On Thursday night Naomi came home for the long weekend. They don't have school on the Friday so they were able to come home early. It is so great to have her here again. Oscar is very content to have the whole family around him again too. Now we are just going to have a nice relaxing Thanksgiving weekend (our first relaxing weekend in a long time). Yesterday after work Josh and I made pumpkin and apple pies. Mmmm. We will be having a turkey feast on Sunday. Then on Tuesday Brian and Naomi will be heading back to Whitehorse. Brian is going for a hearing test so will be taking her back. Hannah and Josh have just been busy with their friends and we don't see too much of them some days. So, that is my last couple weeks in a nutshell. Happy Thanksgiving.

IT'S ONLY SEPTEMBER 24!!!

Guess what we woke up to this morning? Is this insane or what? That is about 2" of snow. I'm definitely not ready for this.

A BRAND NEW LOOK

Well, after all the mayhem of getting Hannah into Whitehorse to see the orthodontist, her dream came true. The braces were removed. She looks more beautiful than ever. She is wearing a clear temporary retainer right now. This will be replaced by a proper one in 6 weeks time. I don't think she has stopped smiling all week. (Oh yeah, she also dyed her hair black.)

ROUTINES (AND OTHER MUNDANE STUFF)

I have spent all week debating what to blog about. It has been such a crazy, busy week. The first week back at school is always like this. This year it has been even more so because Brian has been away. Monday was our first day back and all the kids were so excited to be there. Tuesday a few left because they suddenly realized they needed school supplies. Brian left for Whitehorse after school on Tuesday. He spent the last 3 days in meetings. He is taking part in a new reading program for our school which is designed to help students who struggle with reading. It means lots of trips into Whitehorse, but this year we don't mind because it is a good excuse to go see Naomi. Brian and Naomi have been spending their evenings hanging out together. Last night Hannah left for Whitehorse since she has to see the orthodontist. She hitched a ride in with her teacher. I must say, after the events of last week, I was quite anxious while I waited for the phone call saying she had arrived safely. It is not easy letting go of the kids, but I know they need the independence. Brian and the girls were planning on going to a movie last night. If Hannah gets her braces off today they can't come home until Sunday because they will have to wait for her retainer. In the meantime, I broke down and let Josh have a sleepover last night. Sleepovers are not high on my list of enjoyable moments. I like my sleep far too much. I was thinking about it last night - I never really enjoyed sleepovers when I was a kid either. I think too many things happened. I remember one when I was about 10. We had been playing outside during the day, digging something. I had jammed my big toe with the shovel. At the sleepover that night someone stepped on my foot and there was blood everywhere. I remember having to call my dad to drive over and pick me up at about 11:30 pm. I don't think he was too happy about that. Hmmm, maybe I just have too many bad sleepover memories. So, anyways, I was pretty strict about how late they stayed up. Good thing I trust Josh to listen because I went to bed at 11:00 and have no idea whether they had lights out at the appropriate time or not. But considering the consequence of not listening to me was a very, very long time with no possibility of sleepovers, I am quite confident that he listened. I was planning on sleeping in today, but 6:15 rolled around and my back was really hurting so I had no choice but to leave my warm, comfy bed. My plans for today include getting the house all clean before Brian gets here. I really attacked my cleaning chores last week - including cleaning clutter from the desk, etc, so there isn't too much other than regular household cleaning. That''s about all I have to say for now. Here's a picture just because:

I love this picture. Oscar was almost that small when we first got him, before he got all fat and lazy.

Note: Josh just got out of bed. His first words to me were: "we went to bed at the time you said." Awww. Isn't he great?

Another update: Hannah is now braces free. Brian said she came out of the office with a huge smile. He, however, is not too thrilled at the idea of another night in Whitehorse, bringing the total to 5 in a row. The retainer must be in place though. The only redeeming factor is more Naomi time. But they will complete all their shopping today and should leave Whitehorse by about 9:30 in the morning.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

OUR BABY GIRL

So, we have left our baby in Whitehorse. Here she is getting settled into her dorm room.

Josh and I helped her unpack her stuff. He jokes around about her being gone a lot, but he is really going to miss her.

She had her first day of classes today and is doing fine. She is meeting new people and seems really happy. Of course she is homesick a little bit, but who wouldn't be with me here. LOL. The wing of the dorm where she is has some really nice kids in it. I think they put the rowdies on the other side. It will definitely take a while to get used to her not being here. But as Sonya said, it will be a new normal.

PROUD PARENTS

Today Naomi received a letter from the Yukon Education Minister. This letter was to inform her that she received more than 80% on her provincial English exam in June. Because of her outstanding performance she earned $300 towards her post-secondary education. She had earned an additional $200 last year on her grade 9 Yukon Achievement Tests. We are extremely proud of her. She loves English and plans on taking Honours English at school this year. She reads everything she can get her hands on. She is leaving for school on Monday. Guess what the first thing she packed was? Books! We are going to miss her terribly, but will be in Whitehorse as often as possible to see her.

PERSONAL BEST

Today I ran a virtual 5k race. It is a race where everyone runs it at home and posts their age and times on the site. I have been slowly working up to this since I got home. Last week I was running about 3 1/2 kilometers. This week I really kicked it up a notch. On Thursday I ran the whole 5k in 34:18. My goal today was to run it in under 33 minutes. So, I got on the treadmill and decided to push my speed up a bit. I really pushed the last 6 minutes and managed to finish the 5k in 31:52. A personal best for me!

A FAILED ATTEMPT AT HUNTING

This morning Brian and I arose bright and early and ventured forth on a hunting trip. All was well. We had our coffee in hand while we journeyed down the road towards our destination. The one we had scouted out last week.) The place we were going is about 50 km down our dirt road. We were just pulling up to the turn off and Brian put on the brakes only to discover that we now had a problem with our brakes. It seems that we had no rear brakes. He pressed the pedal all the way down and there was not much there. So we pulled off the road and discovered that the rear brake line had broken off at one side. We didn't want to take the chance that the brake fluid would leak out while we were hunting so we turned around and headed back home. We made it all the way home without stepping on the brakes until we had to stop at home. Thankfully the local mechanic had an extra line so we were able to replace it today - a rare occurrence in Ross River. So, here we are with our freezers still empty and another hunting trip (hopefully successful) planned for next week.

GREAT PICS

Naomi finally downloaded the pictures from her camers and I thought you might enjoy these.

Josh is almost as big as an gorilla, as evidenced at San Diego Wild Animal Park:

He really has a thing about gorillas: Naomi poses with some cacti during a break on our river rafting trip down the Colorado river. We had seen the big tall ones but never stopped for a picture - this was the best I could get.
Hannah showing off her Jack Sparrow look:

Of course they had to sit in the "soak zone" during the dolphin show at Seaworld: