a couple more pictures from our trip

Well I have had people asking for pictures that I had taken while in Honduras. Here are a few that I will share for now. I have to do a video, and should really be doing that instead of blogging. The video will be on here too, so until then a few hi lites.

Prior to leaving, I told Destiny you are going to want to get your hair braided while we are there, don't even think of asking. Well all the little girls that we were with got theirs done so I could not say know. Her hair actually looked cute. She still has it in and she loves it.

The hot springs we visited after zip lining down 18 zip lines.
I know why they save the hot spring until last, to wash the perspiration off your brow.
( zip lining is a whole other post )

A day trip that we took to a group of little islands to snorkel and site see.
This little island is home to approx. 100 original tribes people.
this guys is filleting our lunch for us.

Little girl on the island

kids crowding around to receive gifts that we had brought.

this was a bit scary to start off with. I was crowded by a group of kids and adults alike until a couple of the elders came out and helped me get to this area that separated us from them and we were than able to hand the stuff out without them grabbing at us or our stuff.

desolate island that we stopped to snorkel. the kids found it way more fun to catch and play with hermit crabs.

hermit crabs

Destiny playing water volley ball

hotel staff

another neat thing about this holiday is that the flight crew was able to stay in Honduras for the week. they were put up in our hotel so we got to know them and hang out with them for the week. This is Tony in this picture with the kids. He came with us on our snorkeling adventure.

He was a great guy, and our pilot
Well this well have to hold you over for now. Will share more soon.

Honduras, now Home

I have been told to describe it as "unbelievable".

I think that most stories however are believable and actually if you forget about all the

sickness, I think we came away with some pretty good memories and if nothing else "stories"

I am not going to get into it all tonight, but we are glad to be home, thankful for the new friends we met and will have cherished memories from a country that is working hard at developing a land that works for tourist and locals alike.

I am working at putting together a video for the kids classes and when I do, I will share it with you along with the funny stories..

Good to be home, and thankful for all we have. Crystal.

Winter Holiday

Gone to Honduras with the kids. Be back next week.

prairie wonder

Well I celebrated Destiny's birthday with a party on Friday. The kids were off school and we decided to invite her friends for 4 hours of "High School Musical" fun. My friends all asked me if I was crazy having a 4 hour party, but it went so fast. Stacey stayed to help me and it was great.

Destiny's Cake

This was my fist attempt at using marshmallow fondant, well fondant of any kind really.

I think it turned out ok. My cake is a bit lacking in originality but the "HSM" theme is there.

If you would like to try your own fondant I got the recipe here

Grandpa Jack got both the kids sparklers for their cakes. They loved them. Destiny blowing out her Candles. Only 2 boy friends ... ... ok really? your 9....

Everyone got their Picture with the birthday girl and then Michelle and I cut them down and put them in frames for everyone to take home. they all turned out so cute. Lilly was in every shot the girls were in.


Besides doing a word scrabble, bingo, picture taking, eating.. they also did dance routines.
I had printed out the words to two of Destiny's favorite HSM songs and set the music so that we could have a dance/sing off.. Girls against the boys.. It was amazing. I wished I had my video ready. The boys had an amazing routine, the girls sang there hearts out.. it was great.


Saturday Night
we got together with some friends. 9 of us went to
this restaurant
It was amazing food. I loved it.

This is a picture of the desert that we got. Brad took this shot on his phone.

I wish that I could describe how good it was.. just nummy will have to do until you can experience it yourself.. If you go, call me.. I will go again.

Thanks Mr. Rycroft for the suggestion, I will put it on my list of fav's..


Are you lost?

Jim took this picture out our back door this afternoon.

The kids and I were on our way to hockey and I noticed this moose on the other side of the hi way from our farm. We stopped to watch it for awhile and when we left we phoned Jim at home and told him that a moose was on it's way to our house and we could already see the horses going a bit crazy.. Jim said the moose went the entire perimeter of our land and then went west.. What a funny site out on the prairie.

what a whoot!

Just finished Destiny's cupcakes to take to school tomorrow. Thought I would share.

Her birthday is going to be High School Musical theme. This is just something different for school. Basically for my benefit because I am into owls right now.

happy birthday my baby girl..

Sunday Gourmet

Well I am not sure if you can call it gourmet but it sure was good. On Sunday, we came home after Hayze's hockey game ( they were defeated 6-4) and had brunch. I made a triple stack of pancakes made from my new pancake molds I got a Williams and Sonoma.

These molds make a hollow centre when stacked so that you are able to

fill them with whatever topping of filling that you desire. I put warmed up apple pie filling in ours and let it over flow on top. I then put grated old cheddar cheese on top, I loved the sharp taste with the sweet.. Kids didn't have the same feelings about the cheese.
A couple of things to consider when doing something like this. I think metal cookie cutters would work to make shapes. You would just need tongs to remove them prior to flipping.
Key tricks, batter has to be quite runny, molds have to be hot prior to pouring batter in to them and they need to be greased well in between each pancake. Pam works great.

I used one pan just to keep the molds hot in between.. I wish I had a large griddle so I could cook all three at once rather than one at a time. These ended up being a long process and my kitchen actually looked like a bomb went off before I was done.
It all ended well and they were excellent. We all loved them and they are on our list to try again.

We serve sausage with them.. got me thinking you could just put the sausage in the middle and pour your syrup right on top. Kind of gives new meaning to "pigs in a blanket"

My helper.. like I mentioned the kitchen took a beating this morning.. I was prepping for this

potato soup, and making brunch at the same time. Destiny was a great help at keeping us on top of the dishes because when we finished the soup, we started making her cupcakes for her birthday.. Which is tomorrow. I hope to send cupcakes to school for her and then bake a separate cake for her party on Friday. Please, please try the recipe for potato soup on Amy's blog. It is so good.. I called it "potato skin soup".. It tastes just like them and it is so nummy..

Destiny trying to beat the winter weather. I think we have all had enough of this cold.

She looks so cute in her Hawaiian outfit..

To bad we are going to Honduras for our vacation..!!..

I am sure they will let her were it if she wants to..

I realized today that I never shared with you the "Santa Hats" that I made for Destiny's Christmas ringette party. They turned out adorable and I wanted to show them off..

I got the idea from here

We had so much fun making them. I did however have the dilemma of how to make them stand up. We didn't have any styro foam and Jim couldn't find any in town so after the kids hands were full of sticks I got the bright idea to use a 2x4. Hayze drilled the holes for me and we were lucky enough to get the perfect size drill bit and they stood up nicely.. The girls loved them and ate every last one.

Boys and their Toys

Jim bought himself a new toy yesterday. A Heel o Matic

This toy will teach Hayze how to rope and let then both practise using the quad to pull it around.
The good part is that there is no long horns getting out in the middle of the night and Jim won't have to feed any cattle.I think both him and Hayze are really excited about it. Click here to watch a video of what it can do. Destiny's paint horse is currently at the feedlot getting rode, I think the boys are thinking that they would like to rope off of it.. We will see how that goes over.

All this "cowboy" stuff made me remember that I hadn't shared with you the spurs that Twylla got made for the kids for Christmas. They are so nice. As you can see they have thier names on them in silver. Twylla has explained that they will beable to grow with them as well. The gentleman that made them will adjust them as they grow. We love them.

Now if it warms up, we can all go play with the plastic steer.

Christmas In the Rockies

We Celebrated another great season with the staff in Canmore this weekend.

We stayed at the Wind tower Hotel and had two beautiful suits for the girls.

It was a fantastic time. We shopped, went to a locate establishment, went for a fabulous supper at he grizly paw (local micro brewery) and spent the evening in our hotel room playing some very fun games.

The pictures are just a taste of what it looked like.

12 of us were able to make it for the weekend.

we missed the rest of you.

the local "establishment" where we played pool in the afternoon

The Grizzly Paw let the games begin.

Tanya and Karli put together some amazing games for us to play.

They had planned 27, we only got through 10.

Can you see the "twist" on connies ankle? Yes we had to do that with flippers on.

You did not want to get a question wrong playing this game.

Tanya supplied us with this glasses for the night. What a whoot.!

They were clean, I promise you.

Week long Celebration

Well it all started a week ago today.. 10 year old birthday Celebration.

Brad and Kody Hammond took Hayze and Jim to the Flames game for there birthdays. ( kody celebrates his this Saturday) They had an amazing time and the Flames won. The boys got to watch the warm up and then Curtis Glencross's mom took the boys down below to get thier jerseys signed. ( Hayze got his jersey for his birthday) They than sat in some "big wig" seats that Brad had arranged and enjoyed an evening of great entertainment. What a great photo.. Can you see the puck? Kipper can!
Glencross in the warm up.
His mother Robyn is a business partner of a friend of mine.. talk about being 'hooked up'
THANK YOU so much for taking time for the boys

The biggest Flame fans there that night.
GO Flames Go!



Then came the actual birthday... Tuesday, Hayze had to stay home from school because he hasn't been feeling good. I took him to get a massage and an Chiro adjustment. And he relaxed for the better part of the day.. until he opened his gift and got some money.. He had started to save up for a I pod Touch and now had enough money.. so on a snowy, sick day.. we went into Wal-Mart so that he could buy "all he wanted" for his birthday.
This thing rocks.. I love it..
Needless to say on his birthday there was no fancey supper or birthday cake.
Today he seems better and I made supper and some cupcakes to celebrate.. and finally sing
"Happy Birthday"


These were the cupcakes I decorated for him.

I just used wasx paper to make a stripe down the middle of the high balls and then dipped them in sugar sprinkles. The number on top is on a chocolate waffer and printed with more icing.

The chalk is two candy's together and a hole pushed in the top.

I loved them.. they turned out so cute.

Destiny delivered the dessert tonight for the sing song.. woops.. just a little accident..

great for a big giggle.. and thier is nothing better than that..

Happy Birthday Buddy.