Crafting at Vals...

Yesterday I went over to Vals house for a few hours. Val and Caroline were scrapbooking which they do every week, and I joined them to make a few ATC's. The children played together. It took a while for Sam to warm up to the idea of playing with a group of girls but in the end it worked out really well and I had a lovely time :) Thank you Val!!!

I managed to get the ATC's done for two swaps that I'm in at Swapbot, and I started a third....

a sneaky look...

....at the kitchen....and yes this weekend I will update the renovation blog BIG time!!!!!

This is Lloyd making us some sandwiches late last night as we didn't have time to have dinner last night. I had the camera with me as we had been to the dance recital with the girls, so I snapped a picture or two! As you can see, I still have my lovely carpet of cardboard :) protecting the hardwood!! And the workmens garbage bin for all their bits of building rubble etc and whatever (they also have big recycling bags as they are fussy about recycling everything lol)!!! Their huge vacuum and other things.....oh and the lovely blue tape around my windows etc...and the glow from my grow op ;)

Still waiting for counters, lights above the island, tile, cupboard doors (with and without glass) - door panels for fridge and freezer and dishwashers....and for the painting to be finished so we can unveil the floors ;) Oh and the pot filler to be put on!! Oh and some handles and finishing....

For Karen...

Not a great piccy as I snapped it quickly last night with my iphone, but here is your coffee machine ;) and today it got wired and plumbed in.......

Now to read up on what it's capable of!!! The guy from Miele talked me through a little of it but then said the best thing to do is read the book that came with it!!!

cool veggie Pizza - recipe for Lynne!! :)

1 can refrigerator crescent rolls (croissant dough/ pillsbury dough)
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
cheddar - grated.
Dill
Finely chopped raw vegetables (peppers of different colours, broccoli, carrots, sweetcorn, cucumber - and we do one pizza with onion and one without so I actually use 2 tubes of jumbo crescent rolls)

Spread crescent roll dough on pizza sheet or cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Blend together softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dill weed. Spread the cheese mixture on top of cold crust.

Sprinkle a layer of each vegetable over cheese layer. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the vegetable layers. To serve, cut pizza into squares with a pizza cutter.

Cool Veggie Pizza

Last night I made a big Cool Veggie Pizza for Susannah to take to school for her class - they are doing a project on healthy eating and so this was a healthy recipe for them to try! I also made a smaller version for the workmen and today I put it out for them before I left to take Sam to school, and told them to enjoy it with their lunch! Denis had brought his two Sons to work with him today (they are on Spring Break so earning some extra money working for Dad) so it was the perfect day for me to serve up some extra lunch goodies!

Turns out the Cool Veggie Pizza was a huge hit all round! There were only 10 students in Susannahs class today so everyone got to have seconds and several people asked for the recipe (teachers included)!! And the workmen and boys all LOVED their lunch :)

The pictures I have added are old ones I have used before as I didn't take any last night! I don't have this oven any more - its actually sat outside on the grass right now lol! With my fridge!!

I am loving my new oven......just looking forward to having counters that will be so much nicer to use than the horrid boards I have right now ;)

Back to Pre-K.....

Sam went back to Pre-K today....he was happy to be back in class once he got there but when I told him last night that he was going, he didn't seem too thrilled! He said his arm hurt too much (????????) hahaha!!

He had a great time though and we sneaked a look at him through the window before class ended, to see him enjoying circle time!!

While Sam was in class, Abigail and I hit the pool again and enjoyed two hours of swimming after a date slice in the food court :) yum :)

More appliances...

Our Miele appliances were delivered this morning.....so now we are just waiting for the freezer to be replaced (it was damaged on delivery) and for our counters (two weeks or so they say) YAY!!!! We do have the damaged freezer at the moment as it does work - the damage was cosmetic only.

We have dishwashers now though at last woohoo (no more washing up in the bathroom for ANYONE) :) and the speed oven and best of all the COFFEE MACHINE!!!!! :) Yay - it makes frothy milk for lattes and hot chocolates and it can make all kinds of coffee's from espresso's to whatever you want! It grinds the beans for you and takes the water from the distiller direct :) Only problem is, is that its computerised like the new oven so its going to take forever to understand - like the oven!!! hahahahaha I am LOVING my new oven but its taking a while to get to learn all it can do!

Concentration....

Abigail doing her math this morning......

Don't forget I update the homeschool blog regularly...no matter what it says in the link on the right lol - if you'd like an invite to that blog then just ask :)

Strippers!!!

Abigail and Sam stripped off the old border in Sams bedroom as we are preparing to paint both his and Laurences rooms!!!

Crown atc's

Atc's being prepared to go.....they need their protective sleeves...a little note to be added......a few more extras and then they'll be off!!

Consider joining Swap-bot and you can receive fun mail in your mail box too :) So nice to open your mail box and find things other than bills and junk mail :) and they have swaps for kids too - Susannah is loving taking part in swaps - she received another swap yesterday!

I spy......

Sam spotted coyotes just now with his ultra-amazing new super-powered binoculars.....they were coming to eat us up!!!

YIKES!!!

Fabby magazine!!!

I bought this magazine last week after reading about it on Kelly Rae Robert's site (Kelly is in it, as is her sister)!!! It's such a great magazine and so inspiring! There is a wonderful article by Tim Holtz that shows you around his INCREDIBLE studio - I was in awe!!! I've never been that inspired by his work but after having a look around his studio, I have to say I was totally inspired by everything I read and saw! I got some great ideas for what will one day be my studio above the garage!

For now, this is where I 'create' - I have to say I love my little area in my bedroom - I love my view, I love that I can lock myself away and have everything within reach so I don't have to get out of my chair to get anything. I love that I don't have too much STUFF so I never feel overwhelmed by it all - I am soooooo glad I decluttered last year and gave almost all of it away to the school and started again from scratch! The school was thrilled and it did me so much good!

Right now I am enjoying collage and trying new things. It's fun :)

The best thing of all is that Susannahs class are now making ATC's and swapping them with another school!!! Isn't that wonderful?????

Fun in the puddles!!

It reached 14c today and the snow is melting FAST - leaving the most wonderful, HUGE puddles for Sam and Abigail to play in! Lloyd worked on clearing out the workshop for a while today - we had a look at the bees (doing well - excited about getting them out soon) and I cleared up some more of the yard after the dogs - I will do some each day as the snow clears. The dog run is clearing nicely and the dogs should be able to go in there as of this weekend!

Lloyd cleared off the sandbox for Sam and he has enjoyed playing in there a bit - we borrowed a great book from the mobile Library last week - a counting book about trucks and at the end of the book the trucks aren't actually huge trucks at all, but tiny trucks in a sandbox!! It had Sam so excited to get in to his own sandbox!! Great timing!!

I wasn't thrilled with my book choices so I think I will take mine back tomorrow night when we go and swap them for some others. I do like going to the book mobile! I think we're really lucky that it comes to our community hall each week :)

Today was so nice - I love it when Lloyd stays home! And the weather was sooooo great! It was the kind of day that fills me with hope and plans for the Summer! It makes me excited for picnics (lol reminds me of Rhonda's Daughter!!) and trips to the park and the lake and just sitting outside watching the hummingbirds and listening to the frogs. Late evenings at Elk Island Park until the stars are out. Swimming at the outdoor pool. Festivals in Edmonton. Splashparks. S'mores by the firepit......

Only a three day week for Lloyd though as he is off Friday and next week a four day week as he will be off on Monday so I guess thats not too bad :) I'll survive :)

Lloyd has gone to see the people about the sound system for the theatre room in the basement now - they have to come out and do the pre-work before it gets dry walled as the dry waller is coming tonight to meet with us. We haven't seen him for ages so it will be nice to see him again!

I have to run and get Laurie from school as he has stayed late for his drama club.

Charlie....

Charlie is LOVING the Spring weather - having us all outside so often, being able to walk about the acreage again - having company, stretching her little legs under that great belly :) rooting for food and treats under the snow and mud and sunbathing in favourite spot again :)

Life is good hey Charlie????

Lloyd had today off so after a trip in to town for breakfast and a run to Canadian Tire, we spent quite a while outside enjoying the wonderful weather again :)

Jasper....

Jasper was missing for 5 days last week - we're not sure if she got locked in to someone's shed or whatever, but she came back on Friday morning around 7am and ate as if she hadn't eaten all week.....she has a scratch on her nose but has no other signs of anything being wrong. She then curled up on Laurie's lap and slept for hours! She's been fine ever since anyway. Crazy cat!

Today Jasper was curled up at the side of the garage enjoying our gorgeous Spring day :)