Fairmont Pictures

Well we are home and laundry is started and life is back to "normal" It was great to have 3 nights away and to do some recreational things.
I think the kids really liked it. Skiing is the hi lite of the 4 days away. The weather was so great. It snowed in the morning. not cold just snowing. We spent that time on the bunny hill with the kids. Destiny got off the T bar and took off, arms a flapping and going 90. Hayze had his more of "let's perfect this" attitude and was a little frustrated at first. " I know, Just let me do this" was a phrase that frustrated Jim and I all morning. We had another tailgate lunch and then headed for the chair lift. No looking back after that. The weather was sunny and the powder on the hill made it really easy for us all to stop. by the end, Hayze was hitting small jumps, and Destiny was cutting back and forth on the hill.

Our Budget $480 Total money spent $ 685.51 over $202.51
This was a great experiment for our family. You really don't realize how you nickel and Dime yourself to death when you are spending money.
The amount spent includes absolutely everything from Jim's snuff to Destiny's Cold medicine. We did eat out the last night we were there. We went for a drive to Radom and ate at the DQ. On our way home we got gas and ate at the Huskey. Not something I have done in years. The big expense for the week was of course skiing. It cost us $230.00 for the family, plus we got free passes to the hot springs.
We actually enjoyed our tailgate meals and we cooked our meals in our villa.

We all most got talked into a Time share. I had total anxiety about it and decided not to do it. I'm I ever thankful. So on the way home we stopped and looked at new holiday trailers. Totally something I want to invest in.. Again huge anxiety about having payment on a trailer. The kids are getting excited about camping season and worried about what we are going to sleep in. I will keep looking...
More than camping, they are both talking about fishing. I guess I'm going to have to buy a fishing rod to go with the boat mom and dad gave us last summer. We used it 3 times in Aug and Sept and it is still some of our best stories..

to some it up. It was a great holiday, enjoy the pictures, and if you get a chance to do a "time share" promo at Fairmount to do it.. You save about $750. in rooms.. plus you get $100 free stuff at the gift shop. We got some really cool baskets. big enough to roll blankets in for our newly developed basement.

this weekend, Hayze has two play off games ... they just start this weekend. I think he is very excited.
P.s for those of you that are keeping track. finially pictures of Jim.

We are here!!!

It all seems very nice... we arrived at about 3pm. Stopped on the way at co-op got a few grociers and then stopped at a roadside turn out to have a snack. Checked in when we got here watch a bit of t.v. Went for a drive around the area.. Decided we are going skiing at Farmount ski hill.. The smallest/cheapest in the area. I think it will be best for the kids. After we are done we are going to the hot springs. It is free with our ski pass.
Kids and Jim went swimming tonite and now are playing pool right behind me in the games room. nice facility but we have to drive to the rec. centre. Our room is good. we had bbq sausage and catalone for supper that we brought with us. (budget not going to bad at all. so far)
my minutes on the computer are running out so signing out. ttfn.

Relaxing Coming Our Way

Well this morning we are getting ready to go to Destiny's bi-weekly rodeo. Hayze has said that he will be going in the Barrel race today. I hope that he will .. He wants his dad out there with him and I think that will get his confidence up. He is a good rider just not confident enough.
Destiny.. Confident. Working on skill every week. She loves it so much. I'm glad we have the opportunity to give her the chance to do it. Jim is currently helping Greg and Twylla put bales up in their loft so that we are able to get some more feed for all of our "canners".
tonight I have hockey and because tomorrow is a holiday for the kids I told them they could come with me. Hayze wants to ref. this could be totally interesting. He has never ref'd and we have never played with off sides or any rules at all.. could be interesting.

We are then off for a 3 night stay at Fairmont. I booked it back in November. It feels that it has come really fast. I just showed the kids the pictures of the villa that we are going to be staying in and they are totally pumped. I hope to get some skiing in and some R&R. there is a pool and hot tub. I m going to bring a book off my list and see how it all plays out.
check out this link to find out were we will be www.fairmontvillas.com/villas.asp
I hope to do most of our food stuff in the villa to save money. I'm trying to budget this holiday. I will see how we do. there is a bar b q so I will bring some bar bq stuff and some side dishes, breaki stuff and maybe some sandwich stuff. I'm sure will be stay in budget. wish us luck. We usually have the mentality that we are on holidays and spend what ever. we will see how far $ 480.00 takes us.

We have decided against any of the cars on our list. We test drove the Caliber. Just another car. Nice but.. really just a car. and for $20 + thousand .. We are thinking if we can find one for around $3500. that is good on mileage and in good shape than we would get something like that.
So again, keep you eyes and ears opened for us please.

Have a wonderful few days.. and please comment on the blog. about anything. love to read them and so does the other readers.
twink...

Sadness in our Family

Our 7 month old Labordoodle

Cinnamon

We lost Cinnomon yesterday in a accident.

Me and the kids were outside playing and sledding in the ditch.

Jim came home and we were heading for the house to build a snowman.

Cinnomon andSpur were playing and Cinnomon slipped under Jims wheel.

It was a very sad time at our home for all of us. The kids are taking it really hard..

We were all standing out there trying to save her..

Spur is even sad..

That picture was taken just momemts before she passed.

Our family has said our prayers and I know we will all be fine.

Still tough to lose a pet.

Looking for good Milage

Have you ever tried to budget? We are trying to budget gas... This is a huge expense for us each month so we thought if we purchased a smaller car that we could bomb around in that we could save money. All the hockey trips and hiway driving = over $800.00 a month in fuel for both of us. We want to change that.

Hard to find a good deal these days.. we have been looking for a couple months.

we were thinking the honda flint: it says small looking but big inside.

We also thought the dodge caliber.

I think that we will go look at the caliber tonite. If anyone has any thoughts or knows of a inexpensive car that is good on gas that is for sale , please let us know.

Return from Canmore

I had a wonderful time on the weekend in Canmore.

We relaxed and scrapbooked.. I also squeezed in a little shopping.

Bought some Bear and moose stuff to finish off our new spare room.

contest winner.

I love your New Smile

We had a few contest over the weekend. for this layout I was only aloud to use card stock. No patterned paper, sticker or embellishments. The group voted this to be the best one.

Hayze had a hockey game on Sunday and I went over with Stacey to watch. What a great game. They all really played there hardest. We all battled the roads on the way home, however the snowy view of the landscape made up for the tourist drivers..

Basements reno's continue today. the mud room should be complete within the month and we will once again live is some sense of "normal". Will follow up with some pictures when the mud room closet is complete.

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

If you are reading please comment. It is fun for our family to read them.

Hockey shot

Video taken of my digital camera. Click the small arrow at the bottow of the video to play it.

This is Hayze in Irvine.

He is number 16 with the white helment.

The voices you hear are his father and Michelle's

Emotional Feedback

I am so excited that I am getting comments back on my blog. What I have found out about my friends and family is that their is a lot of readers among us. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. not only have people posted a comment, but they have emailed, phoned and talked to me in person. How fun for me.. I must say, "the five people you meet in heaven" has been the outstanding winner in the reading catagory.

I have also go feedback about the few tears shed over our story about Destiny. How wonderful that she has warmed your hearts as well. She is a beautiful child with a lot of zip and love.
Not to say... she doesn't give her brother a run for is money on ocasion.. (what good sister wouldn't?)

More picture, more pictures, more pictures.
I will include pics very regulary.. how great for me to show off what I like best.. Pictures and playing with them in Adobe Elements. Altering photos is always something I am trying, still not a master, not sure that I will ever be. that is the fun of it.

I am leaving for a scrapbook retreat this weekend. I am going with Stacey and we are staying in Canmore for 2 nights. Check out www.windtower.ca to see were I will be relaxing and scrapping for the weekend. I also get a bonus this weekend. Hayze will be playing hockey in Canmore on Sunday. I will be skipping out to catch the action and to cheer on his novice team.

I will post pictures of any new scrapbook pages I do that I feel are "blog" worthy.
That's it for tonite.

Celebrating Our Family

Feb. 14 2007 marks 2 years since our little Destiny came to live with us.

I seems that she has been in our lives forever yet, funny that I can say that the two years have flown by. It has been a huge adjustment for all of us and as a family can't imagine anything different than what we know right now.

Just the other day she asked " are we going to put my name on the sign on the gate?"

I had to choke back the lump in my throat. It was my plan that when her final papers arived that we would have a "adoption party" for her and do that very thing. That came and went with no todo because the papers just arrived in the mail in August of 2005 without warning.

No court appearances, no visits from addoption workers, nothing. (Was still a very great day in or hearts)

Now as life progresses and we continue on our busy paths her party and the sign have been forgot about ... until last week.

So now I'm proposing that we have a party.. This spring. We need to add our little girl to our family sign ... and to commemerate this I want us all to let a balloon go .. and celebrate our family.

I will let everyone know of the date and I hope that you all will come, help us celebrate a (long awaited) family union that has filled our lives.

What I Learned Tonight

Wow... I Started making a list of books that I needed to read.. It started with sorting a few piles and ended up - cleaning my bedside table and dusting off some books that have been around a few years.
What I learned. Is that I have a lot of self help books that I either have to read or give up. My commitment to myself is to delete from that very long list of books, books I have read or have decided just are not right for this time in my life and donate to a local library. I will complete by the end of Feb.
I'm sure that I can use some as referance point and give the rest up.. Sometimes you just got to go it without the help of the "selfhelp books'
I found a book tonight that I referanced a couple of years ago, called "post adotion blues". In that book I found a beautiful card from Jim.. Just letting me know that he was there if I need him.
Nice I thought..!!! I kept it the book, as it was, as a book mark.
I also just purchased, "the mastery of love".. to find that I already own it.. anyone want to to a book study?
Found a few dovotional books too, Purpose driven life and the journal, and a couple of prayer books for woman that were given as a gift. A great reminder for me to spend more time spiritually ...

I never included on that list all my feng shui and organization books that I referance as well as the 5 books that I have alread decided to give up..

It was a great excercise for me tonight, reminded me of my commitment to my marriage and to my faith as well as cleaned a few corners of my house.
p.s.. found 11 books to return to people.. Not all read of course but have decided to read my own.

why we do what we do?

Well, I have thought about this title for a couple of days. "BEYOND OBSTACLES" I wanted something that will keep me challenged but also keep me free to use the avenue of a blog to write.. Write what? anything.
My interest lye in a verity of places and have considered streamlining, but why? I love all the things I love... Or better stated, I love being in love with the things I love.. I don't alway take the time to enjoy the things that I want to put my interests in but, I still love the idea of loving them.. What am I talking about. If you know me.. You Know.!!!
Dining, Scrapbooking, Taking pictures, playing on my computer editing photos, checking out other scrapbookers blogs and sites, my ipod and all the other things that make up "me" these days. Outside of all these interests I have a fabulous family, and a succesful business with a partner that I adore and work very well with.

How I see this blog being: A place to post my photos, say my lasted piece, or share my lasted idea. Hey, I might even have to bitch every once and a while... I don't journal, though I have tried. I keep forgetting about it.. This is more exciting for me, maybe, just maybe someone might comment on my blog and I would get to read someone else;s "stuff".

My grammer is bad, and my spelling even better... so if your reading and wonder what? just fill in the lines/spaces and try your best.. What the heck, I'm often miss understood.

I did come up with some other titles for this site.. Maybe share with you tomorrow.. I might just need them to title my next post.. have a great day..