Teenager in the house !

Son number one turns 13 today.........


OMG,where Oh where does the time go ?

A Layout.......

......for Friday.
Been a while but I have one since I managed to scrap 2 pages this week.....go me :)


So glad my neighbour planted these along our border so I could enjoy them too.
Just had to scrap them for my flower album plus I got to use pink :)

Short and sweet post today.
Not much going on around here,just the usual everyday stuff.
Hoping for some sun this weekend.

Walk to the top

A couple of weekends ago we decided to walk to the top of Rigaud Mountain.We've lived out this way for 6 years and I can't believe we've never known about this way up !
We've gone up the way of the ski hill before but I didn't know about this pathway until Ad went with a friend labour day weekend.
It was the perfect day,sunny but not too hot.
I'm sure it will be even prettier in another week or so when all the trees are turning.
It was a quarry until a fatal accident in the 1930's when they stopped,so there are these sections of boulders to cross every now and then......


Since I had the camera I basically took a ton of pictures like this,only with different coloured trees.....

We opted for the extremely steep but shorter way to the lookout point....

It doesn't look that steep but trust me it was !
The view from the top was wonderful,with such a clear day you could see for miles.
A nice man took our picture.......

We stopped to eat the lunch we'd brought with us and admire the view for a while and then we headed back down which took a fraction of the time it had taken to get up........of course !

My mum is arriving tonight for a couple of weeks,lots planned that basically includes roping her into making my sofa covers with me :) so I'll see how good a blogger I can be......don't hold your breath !!

Look......

I actually scrapped :)
I've been busy doing lots of little bits and bobs around my house and generally settling into the whole back to school routine.
I've wandered into my little scrap space countless times over the past few weeks but done nothing,it was making me very sad.
I asked Patti to give me a little challenge,see if that would help.
It seems it did.........

Nothing earth shattering but it felt good just to do something.
The challenge was to scrap a page on myself or Stuart and I with new products.
I used new AC stuff,I love that little birdie paper but the obsessive compulsive part of me is disturbed by the rows of upside down birds !!!......it bothered me so much after looking at it for a while I nearly didn't use it but decided if I didn't it would probably sit in my stash forever untouched :)

I even have another one on the go !

Other stuff,I haven't felt very bloggie recently but I hope that's changing couldn't believe it had been so long since my last post..
I'm not a big TV watcher but very happy that Dexter's back.......Californication's back.......... True Blood is repeating from the beginning which I missed first time around but since Julie lent me all the Sookie Stackhouse books,which I devoured since they were fun and a little trashy,I feel I must watch :)........Another is Six Feet Under,starting in October,another one I missed getting into so all that should satisfy my meagre TV viewing.
October is fast aproaching and since it's been a while patti and I have decided it's time for another photo a day challenge........it will have a theme but nothing as hard as June's but that will be on my other blog !

Ok stuff to do.........including making a more seasonal header :)

Lots to do

We've visitors arriving tonight for the weekend and a corn roast to go to and lots of other stuff to fit in as well.....that means today is looking busy

• Go for a run (it will be my first one since June 29th,aiming for a slow 5 Km!)
• Sand repair to wall in the living room(ready to paint next week)
• Paint wall in the kitchen(best not to ask about this one :) )
• Put on a load of laundry and put away yesterdays 2 loads !!
• Make 2 batches of pizza dough
• Nip to store to get forgotten groceries
• Change and make up beds
• Set up the tent
• Clean bathrooms
• Vacuum whole house
• Hopefully all will be done before Ol comes home because then we have homework to get out the way.
  
  Oh and somewhere in there the chimney sweep is coming too !
  
  No scrapping for me this week :(
  
  Wasn't feeling very bloggy this week at all,maybe next week.

ETA: I hate to post with out an image so here's Oliver and chippie last weekend.....



I actually managed a 6KM run although I was nearly a minute a kilometer slower than my previous pace but at least I got myself back out there and it made me feel better.

Ok I'm up to number 5 on my list,back to it.

A layout for Friday.

It's been a couple of weeks since I managed to post something on Friday.I had hoped I'd have time to scrap this week,what with the kids back at school but I haven't,despite having a stack of the new American Crafts papers sitting on my desk tempting me:)
Next week though hopefully,I will get into more of a routine and actually create something.
I'm missing scrapping,a lot.
Anyway this one I made a while back,it's one with all my photo a day photo's from June.


It follows the same idea as all the others ones I've done for the photo a day photo's,if it isn't broken don't fix it,as they say !

So this weekend marks the official end of summer,I can't believe we're at Labour day weekend and it's September already.
It's looking like being a busy one for us,I hope there's some relaxing time in there somewhere.

Oliver's beginning to settle into his grade 2 class.The biggest thing for him has been getting used to the fact he has 2 hours before his brother arrives home.he misses him.Once the homework starts I'm sure the time will go faster for him.
Ad has done OK this week at High School but I find the whole class set up and schedule a little odd,it's certainly different from my high school days and I know it's taking Ad a while to adjust to that.One week at a time I think.He seems to like all of his teachers and his science/technology teachers first language is actually English she told them......hey one teacher I can at least communicate with :)

Have a great long weekend :)

No way !!

It's official,I have a son in High School.......where has time gone.......a few weeks away from having a teenager,gulp !!

Adam's first day was actually yesterday but it was only half a day and I had baseball to blog about and take my mind off it.

We had a day together over the summer,where I dragged him along shopping for fabric,cushions that sort of thing.
Just to torture him !!
We went to Starbucks for a coffee and hot chocolate and I asked how he felt about High School,since he's been quiet on the subject.
He was fine.
The size of the school didn't bother him.
The close to an hour bus ride did a little.
The biggest issue was none of his friends were going.
I told him if you value the friendships you have you will find a way to continue them.
I also reminded him that he made friends easily,and whatever instincts he's had over making those friends to keep following them.
We left it at that.

So he came home yesterday.
I grilled him the moment he was in the door !
So far so good.
His maths teacher is his home room teacher,she seems nice.
He got his first choice of Drama as his option.
His class is all kids in enriched English(remember he's at French school)
The funny thing is there is a girl in his class,that has been in his class since grade 2......at least there was one friendly face !
The bus ride was not so bad...I'm not sure if that was because it wasn't as long or because he was sat with a group of girls :)
He said the school was crowded....... and 2 grades weren't even there.

Today is his first full day.
I am going to take myself out and run a load of errands so I don't think about it too much because I am sure I will pounce on him again as soon as he comes through the door around 5.30.
I'll probably be greeted with,it was OK.........I'll know OK means good and it will be like pulling teeth to get anymore info than that for now,I was lucky I got as much as I did yesterday.


I can only imagine the change that will take place from this photo from one 5 years from now when he leaves.
We'll see how the week plays out.

Where have I been ??

Since last Saturday I have been lost in a haze of baseball.
If I don't write it down now I will forget.
Stick with me I am not a great writer.......it's a long post with no photo's !!

It's been crazy,coupled with all the usual stuff and getting ready for back to school.
I've drunk more take out coffee than I should and eaten so irregularly I've forgotten what a decent meal is at a decent time of day.
It was like groundhog day !
So 8 of the last 9 days have seen us in Lachine(a 90km round trip) 3 of those days beating rush hour traffic........4 of them freezing our butts off wondering if it really was August still!
The plus side was I was at least sitting each night with one of my bestest pals,Carine,so we could at least joke about it and have a fun time.
If you have no interest in baseball I'd just given up reading now !!

We lost a game last Sunday(7-6) so that meant to stay in we had to win every game because loose 2 and you're out.
We had most of our players give or take 1 or 2 every game.
Tuesday we win.
Wednesday we win.
Thursday we win.
Friday we win taking us to the finals.
Our opposition hasn't lost a game,so even if we beat them Saturday we have to play again Sunday to determine the winner.
This may be little league but there are rules regarding use of pitchers,number of innings,amount of rest,a pitcher can't catch in the same game,all that sort of stuff.
It's normally not a problem.
When you've played 4 nights in a row it is ! The up side to playing so much ball.......they were playing like a team should play.......and with each game they wanted to win even more.

So Saturday,lovely cold wet August day........everyone expected the game to be cancelled..........we played.
Us,the parents were wrapped in blankets under umbrella's......some were wearing winter hats and luckily one brought a huge flask of hot chocolate !!
We were winning,13-4 I think,when the game took a turn and all of a sudden it was 13-11 with 2 on base, 2 out..........when that ball was caught in the out field,the kids went berserk all running out and charging on W and so did we,jumping around in the stands,forgetting we'd sat there in the freezing rain for close to 3 hours.

Which brings us to yesterdays final.
The weather was better,slightly.
We had an almost full team.
Pitchers were good to go.
Play ball :)

Carine's son B pitched a 3 up 3 down first inning,just like that.We came on and scored 3.
Bottom of the 4th we are 5-1 up when they call a 10 minute rain delay.
It broke the momentum and before we knew it we were in the the bottom of the 6th 5-6 down.........1 run to stay in the game and play another inning.
J comes up to the plate.This kid can hit and can run like lightening.I don't remember what the count was but he hit that ball to the out field and made it all the way home.
6-6
7th inning...no scores
8th inning...no scores
9th inning...no scores
into extra innings........this is little league,we normally play 5 sometimes 6 innings !!
10th inning...no scores
11th inning....they score 2 runs.
We need 2 to stay in 3 to win.

Tense is not the word.
No one can sit down we are all pacing and shouting encouragement,well actually were were screaming encouragement,that would be more like it,I'm surprised any of us had voices left.
It all becomes a bit of a blur here.
We score 2 runs.
8-8
We are 1 out with bases loaded,Adam,is up to bat,it's the bottom of the order.

I will be the first to admit my son is no all star baseball player.He gets his sporting genes from me,unfortunately.
But,what he lacks in talent he makes up for in determination,effort and enthusiasm.
He strikes out a lot,more than he hits....but I know he can hit.
Last night that was to his advantage........they swapped the outfield positions.
All I can think is we just need one run.
I don't remember the count,Stuart was coaching first base and said something to him,I didn't hear what it was.
I don't know if it was Stuart's comment or channeled anger from being benched for 3 innings or both.
He hit the ball and you can tell from the sound what sort of hit it was.......that ball was going and it flew between two players and he gets a double,brings two players home.....not that it mattered,we only needed one.

All the kids piled out the dugout onto him and that's all I saw as all of us mums were jumping and hugging and going berserk too.......the end of an amazing,intense crazy 9 days !

Everyone gave it there all.
The kids were tired(we were tired!!)but they played like we've never seen them play.
Sure there were tears of frustration at times.
There was shouting and yelling !
They totally deserved the win.....they sure earned it.
B pitched 5 amazing innings,J pitched 6 amazing innings.
Everyone did what they had to do.
I am so proud of my son for doing what I know many people thought he couldn't.

One dad said to me right after,it couldn't of happened to a nicer kid......and he's right :)

Regional Champions..off to the Provincials we go !!

Woo! Hoo!

A layout

Here's one for the challenge this week on the American Crafts blog.
It was to use 2 Remarks stickers on a page.
I used a journaling tag and some of the mini letter stickers that I have used on virtually every page I made since I bought them.....I even ordered another pack because I knew these were going to be a must have !


American Crafts Supplies:
Paper: Craft fair (Elenore battington)
Backyard (drip)
Spring & Summer (Teapot)
Thickers: Cappuccino
Remarks Stickers: Journaling(coloured)
Letters(Hannah and Henry)
Chipboard: Numbers and Stars

Other supplies: Cardstock:Bazzill.....Scallop Punch:Stampin'Up!

10 Years....

.....today since we arrived in Canada.

I can not believe how fast the time has gone.....it seems like yesterday and yet so much has happened in those 10 years.

Wow ! Really,10 years !

I feel that might be worthy of a layout.

A layout for Friday

Yes,I was suppose to post this one yesterday but my battery went flat before I could take a picture and then I couldn't and still can't get photo shop to work...had to use Picasa.


This was originally for the American Craft challenge this week,hence all the AC product on the page.Looking at it here on the screen,I'm sure it needs something on the black near the letter stickers,I think I'll have to go and rummage and see what I can find !

So at last I found time in between all the other everyday stuff to scrap,I've really missed it and the pile of photo's I have waiting just keeps getting bigger ! Hopefully this week I'll find some more time.I have a clean and tidy space just waiting.

I can't believe that in 2 weeks today the kids will be back at school..........summer has flown by.

Lots to do this weekend,since it is our first one at home for nearly a month,including.........

• catching up on weeding(yawn !!)
• clearing out the garage
• stacking wood in the garage
• having family over (the boys are excited to see their cousins again)
• Strawberry daiquiri's(right Nic !! )
• an alfresco yummy dinner Saturday
• a long walk
• hopefully some time to sit and relax in the fabulous weather that has finally shown up !

Hopefully back next week with another page or 2.

Last weekend

We headed off to meet our friends at their cottage.
The weather was as hit and miss as it has been all summer.
Friday night when we arrived and sat out admiring the full moon over the lake it felt almost Fall like,there was that chill in the air.
The up side to that was it produced an amazing mist the next morning.

I haven't been into getting up very early this summer,which isn't like me at all.I need to rectify that starting next week,I always have to start something on a Monday !
So Stuart headed down to the lake,while I admired the mist from the cottage.
He took these pictures (should click bigger)within about a 10 minute period.


I'm annoyed with myself for not going down,it looks so beautiful and peaceful and annoyed with Stuart for not dragging my butt down there with him :)

Should be back tomorrow with a layout............yes,I actually scrapped...woo hoo !!

To blog or not to blog......

That is the question.

Right now I am enjoying just hanging out at home with the boys.
Taking it easy....still nursing a poorly shoulder....another reason to stay off this evil computer :)

I'm dying to scrap again........it's been so long.
I have a desire finally to make new slip covers for my much loved but sad looking sofa's.........I think I have at long last found the perfect fabric.I covered one of the sofas 5 years ago and I remember what a huge project with much swearing it was but it needs doing again and sooner rather than later.
In fact I have desire to generally spruce up my entire house,finish all the unfinished projects,shelves,photo's in frames,new cushions that sort of thing....the house needs a pre fall boost !

I'll leave with just a few photo's from our vacation.
The first day we went to watch the Blue Jays play the Red Sox.It doesn't look it from the photo but we had a great view,better than last year.
I was pleased as the roof was open...unlike last year.
The boys loved it,Ad cheered extra loud due to the fact we were seated in a mainly Red Sox area !!
Anyway,a great day was made even better by the fact we won...Go Jays !!

We spent some time at our friends cottage and lots of fishing was done.
Stuart's tackle box is just one big box of goodies to Ol!


It is the season of these.......

Of course I took a ton of photo's of them (again)
My boys were patient with me though and when I turned round one night from snapping away on a walk after dinner I saw this.......


...I think it's my favourite of the trip.

Back sometime :)

One for Friday.

Here to post a layout since it's friday and that's what i like to do on Fridays....


Made this one last month,super simple :)

Oh yes !!

It's Friday...I have had the busiest week ever :)
Yesterday was insane,I cannot believe so much was packed into one day.I have to say my boys were great because we had a lot to do and there wasn't a single moan,once.
They were so helpful too since I am not allowed to lift anything heavy so there they were loading and unloading stuff and even tidied up without me asking..............or maybe I just had a completely frazzled look on my face and they knew if they said anything I was likely to explode....who knows !

Phew,anyway I'm here quickly before another fairly busy morning starts.
Stuart starts his vacation tonight,so 2 weeks of being all together.
I hate the fact he has to take the construction 2 weeks vacation(especially since he doesn't even work in construction !!) but it is great to be able to spend so much time together.
We'll be here,there and everywhere for the next 2 weeks so the blog will not be active although I will try to post a layout once a week.....try :)
Really hoping the weather picks up.

Running.............really missing it.
I did try to go last Saturday since I woke up early but 2 KM in my shoulder gave up and I had to walk 4 KM home..... So I will not run for the next two weeks,making a total of nearly 4 weeks without it :( and hope everything is better and stronger and I can start again.
The official diagnosis is tendinitis in my bicep and rotator cuff.........because the previous twice I only rested it(because that's all I was told to do),it has become weak.So the only thing left is lift nothing heavy,avoid certain actions(like cleaning ha ha ha ha ha !!!)and to rest it,ice it and do strengthening exercises and hope for the best.

OK,a layout..not the one I have just finished because I haven't had time to photograph that yet but here's an older one that I am sure I have never shared here......


Made this one at the end of out cottage scrap weekend last September,it's one of my favourites.

Here....

......but busy doing everything and nothing!
My brother in law and family got here last night.They have made the huge move and emigrated from the UK to Canada.They are only stopping here for a few days until they arrange their accommodation in Ontario.
They have left their 2 kids(and 2 rather freaked out cats !!) with me while they go and sort out some stuff.
So I have a 4 boys running around the house.........I am about to throw them out into the garden !
Fingers crossed the sun will come out..it is supposed to be summer after all.

Hopefully back Friday with a new layout,since I got to scrap a little over the weekend.

Short and Sweet

The weekend's nearly here.....
It officially starts when Stuart gets home and I think tonight we will start it with a couple of these on the deck since it actually feels like summer today !



We are going to have a take it easy weekend,that may include:

• A little gardening
• A trip to the community pool
• BBQing
• A yummy Saturday dinner,since Stuart has a new scallop recipe he wants to cook pour moi :)
• Wine !!
• If it rains.....a little scrapping
• Relaxing
• taking some flower photo's..because really I never tire of this.

As it's Friday and I like to post a layout.......

This is one of my favourites,which I realised I'd never posted here.I made it back in November,love that BG paper.The photo's were rejects from my photo a day for October.

OK,well I'm back off to enjoy the sunshine while it's here:)

A layout.

I haven't scrapped for nearly 4 weeks and the challenge of a mainly red,white and blue layout on the American Crafts blog was tempting me ever since I saw it last week.So with Mum gone and the boys at a friends this afternoon I made this with 2 of my favourite AC papers........



Supplies: All American Crafts:Paper....Travel(Itinerary),The Goods(Bikini),Kids(Red Rover),Thickers....Root beer Float,Rub-Ons...Minimarks,Accessories (Book 2&3),Celebration (Book 2),(Lauren) and Trademarks(Eddie)
other supplies:Bazzill cardstock and Stampin' up punch

Yes,yes I know it's the same sketch I seem to be using for a lot of my layouts recently but with such a long scrapping hiatus I needed something easy.
Don't worry I'll find a new one soon....ish :) Maybe !

I'm going to add some journaling around the edge I think but I've been dying to use this photo for ages.

The weekend (photo heavy !)

We finally got to meet up with our friends at their cottage this weekend.
Saturday was cool and cloudy but Sunday was glorious and sunny,shame we had to leave early,since this was the nicest day we'd had in a while.
I had been messing about with settings on my camera and changed the brightness of the screen but of course I forgot that and still took pictures allowing for the fact they appear darker than they are.
The result...... over exposed and blown out pictures,Oh well,excusing that and the fact I haven't had time to make a montage:

Stuart caught a big bass,which we released although would have made a tasty dinner....


This monster was lurking in the canoe.....


I swear spread out like that it was nearly as big as my hand,I have never seen a dock spider that big.I will never get in the canoe without scrutinising it thoroughly first !!

Our friends are American and being the 4TH of July we lit some fireworks and the kids had sparklers........


Sunday,Adam did a fair bit of this.......


Oliver preferred this.......


And found a friend....


I spent time taking pictures of these by the water's edge......

A rare picture of us taken by Oliver since it's well known I'd much rather be the other side of the camera.....


This was my favourite shot of the weekend,can't explain why but I love it....


Other stuff.
Last week I had to bite the bullet and made an appointment with the physio in town(I don't have insurance which was the biggest factor in putting this off)but my shoulder just wasn't getting better and I was just getting more and more frustrated.Which isn't fun for anyone around me,I can tell you !
That decision made I decided to stop running,ice it up when possible and managed 2 days of no driving (both are cars are manual and the gear changing aggravates it)and it was a little better.
Anyway had the first session so we'll see how it goes,got some exercises to do and he's not too keen on me running for a while........not sure I am able to obey that one but I'll try for a week and ask again !!
Out comes the bike.......and once Mum has gone back we can all bike down to swimming lessons so that's some exercise at least.

I so badly want to get those running shoes back on because I have missed it.I've been using the use the map my run site for keeping track of all my activities and I only just found the elevation feature when you map out a route......it's pretty cool.Well I think so !

Mum leaves Wednesday evening and then I thought I had 5 days before the next set of visitors arrived.Plans have changed it seems so that saves me doing a bit of furniture re-arranging and major cramming of stuff in cupboards.....Thanks Nic :) !!

OK well hopefully back later this week with a new layout...........I really want to get back to scrapping.

Friday

Here already,again ?
That midweek day off has thrown us again.
My lovely pal Carine and her gang came over for a BBQ for Canada day so that was fun,despite the crappy weather.........we did manage to at least sit out and eat,even if it was in the gazebo.I had fully intended to take a whole bunch of photo's but didn't end up even getting my camera out......Maybe the month of a photo a day has worn me out :)
Speaking of which..........


Not a great montage since I tend to take a lot of off center pictures but here's all 30 pictures from June (It should be 31 since one was a 2 photo challenge but I missed a day and never had the opportunity to do it.) They can all be found here.

I didn't get my time to scrap this week :(
I ended up placing all my pages since January in the correct albums......that was a job in it's self.
So,I made 6 pages in June most of those in the first week,which brings the total this year up to 48 pages.
Since it's Friday and I like to post a layout........


This ones from NSD weekend back in May,I decided it was about time I used that paper.

I'm really hoping the weather picks up for the weekend as we have fun plans.All this rain may be good for the garden but it's not fun when you have visitors.