another update...

Turns out it was my fault they almost got kicked out of AB House lol.....Lloyd headed back outside to snap a picture for me...and because they weren't with the group when they headed back in....they almost weren't allowed IN!!!  hahahahaha!!  Anyway they were allowed in and all was well and I got my picture....

So this is AB House......looks like a bad version of Montana's lol!  and trust there to be a cop car outside ;)   hahahaha

No that was NOT for Lloyd and Chris ;)  

So they've been to AB House and had something to eat and had a look round and now they have some free time so have headed straight for Starbucks ;)  

Lloyd says it's chilly.  12c but damp and chilly.

Gotta love Albertas dry cold :)   

scones....

To have with whipped cream and strawberry jam this evening.

Yum!!

Update from Vancouver:

Lloyd and Chris are now at Alberta House....they get a buffet there, get to relax and look round and then get free time etc in the area before heading to the medal ceremony this evening...no food can be taken in to Olympic events but they were given $100 to spend on food etc etc at events as well as the free buffet etc at AB house...

I asked Lloyd to take a picture of Robson St expecting it to be of all the Olympic fun....and he snapped the pic above (???????)  I told him it wasn't very 'Olympicy' and suggested he take one of AB House... he said 'later and that they nearly got kicked out'...haven't heard anything since so I have no clue what happened lol......

watch this space.....

Certainly sounds like a fun adventure :)

They did go and see the cauldron this morning :)  so they are getting to see a lot of the sights there which is good and sounds like they are having a great day :)  

Just one of those days....

Todays has been one of those days when I have been very glad that I am the kind of person who laughs  more than cries when things go wrong - who sees the cup is half full.....who looks on the bright side.....because there were moments when I thought I really should have stayed in bed knitting!!!

lol!

At 38 you really SHOULD have outgrown doing STUPID things!!!  Like you really SHOULD have learned that using a magic eraser to remove hair dye stains from your face is NOT a good idea!  It can cause facial BURNS!!!  Yes folks, do NOT do this at home hahahahaha OMG!!!  I now have a rather fetching red skin burn down the left side of my face.  Oh my - what WAS I thinking????

I'll tell you what I was thinking...I was running late.....I was in the bathroom having dyed my hair...a reddishy colour that my darling hubby had chosen.....what can I say?  He has the hots for Amy Adams lol.....actually NO - he has the hots for Disney Princess types in pretty dresses with soft squeaky voices who smile and laugh and speak gently at all times and who are very girly  (what on EARTH is he doing with ME????)  lol!  Anyway, where was I????  Oh yes...so I dyed my hair...and half my face...and my ears...and not all of it came off in the shower...and I arranged to meet Val for breakfast....and you just HAVE to look your best for all the truckers at the Esso.....so I needed to get this dye off of my face so I was looking around my bathroom for something to use....

.....and there was this brand spanking new magic eraser just sitting there.....saying ME...USE ME.....I get scuff marks off of walls...I can get dye marks off of faces.....

f*ck that stuff burns!!!!

Learn from ME  - don't do it!!!

Breakfast was fun - as always.  The staff come over and tell us how great the kids are...I think there is something wrong with the staff there....they either have sensory issues (deaf dumb blind) or they're just after really BIG tips.....lol cause the kids drive me and Val nuts lol!

And we're about to leave when Sam starts playing with the cream pots and one EXPLODES all over Val......hahahahahaha  - have to say that I LOVED the fact that it missed me completely and covered just about everyone else in the place!!!  :)   karma for the burn maybe lol!

I'm thinking about making scones - so I bought whipping cream and I'm going to eat them all myself with tons of cream and jam.  Not sharing.  NOPE.

The pictures above are of Explosion boxes that Val made at our friend Joannes house this week.  It was Joanne that I met at Kidz Quarterz on Tuesday.....actually you may remember Joanne as the creator of Hank - my zucchini boyfriend from the scrapbooking crop last year :)  Joanne is very creative :)

Anyway - Vals explosion boxes are gorgeous and of course none of you get to see them because her blog is private so I am showing them off here :)  

I would post the pictures Sam took of Val today but she'd probably kill me :)  

routine...

Every night Lloyd arranges his clothes on his valet or whatever it's called in the bathroom - so he can get dressed quietly in the morning and not disturb me - he leaves for work sometimes before 6am so he likes to be really quiet.  Last night he didn't have a suit hanging there, but instead he had jeans and a shirt, ready for his trip to Vancouver.......my phone was charging in the bathroom so I grabbed it and snapped a picture...part of me had this feeling of panic in case his plane crashed or something awful - I just wanted this last image of his clothes hanging there - carefully placed by him :)  yep I know - I'm crazy!!! ;)  

phone snapshot from Vancouver....

Lloyd has taken my camera with him today but he also snapped this with his iphone and sent it....no clue what or where it is...maybe on the way in to the hockey match this afternoon????  He's there now....he's emailing me from the hockey match back and forth and is having a great time :)  says he's taken lots of pics and hopes they aren't blurry :)  

lol

Arrived....

Lloyd and Chris have arrived safely in Vancouver :)  

When Lloyd phoned, Chris was having a snoop around the Olympics store at the airport and they were about to head off on the bus to their first venue....

I think they arrived at 8:45 Vancouver time and the temp there today is supposed to be around 10c or 12c....depending on which forecast you watch ;)

Friday fill ins!!!

1. Johnny Weir is the diva of the Olympics lol.
2. Today my husband and Son are at the 2010 Olympics.
3. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud unravelled.
4. YELL 'Go Canada' if you get an urge.
5. Having sweet dreams about Springtime being right around the corner.
6. What does it take to find the perfect thermal travel mug that is BIG???
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with the kids and a movie tonight and also watching the medal ceremony to try and spot Lloyd and Chris in the audience (lol), tomorrow my plans include checking Lloyd and Chris's flight home trying a new recipe in the crockpot and trying a new activity with the kids and Sunday, I want to enjoy taking Chris to the theatre!!!


Find your Friday fill-ins HERE

Another GOLD Go Canada!!!!

Go Christine Nesbitt!!!!!  

Gold in 1000m speed skating!!!

Go Canada!!!  :)

This puts us in third place because France has less Golds and silvers :)  and one less medal.....

A gold tomorrow would be good - Lloyd and Chris will be at tomorrow nights medal ceremony in Vancouver....would be so great to have a Canadian on the podium!!!

For Rhona.....pancakes!!!

In case anyone missed Sharon posting this in the pancake post...here is Sharon's recipe for American style fluffy pancakes:

The Very Best Sunday Morning Pancakes

2 cups all purpose flour

8 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

pinch of salt

In a large bowl combine flour, b. powder and salt. Make a well in the middle. Add milk, eggs and oil. (the recipe says to use an electric mixer for 5 mins.) I mix together, then run my immersion blender through:

 let batter sit for a couple of minutes. Stir through once before cooking.

Cook your pancakes!

(my daughters like chocolate chips added (at the final stir though!)

Thanks Sharon!!! 

Yes!

We're heading to the mountains for Lloyds birthday in March....just a mini break but it will be nice to be back amongst the mountains again.  

The pics above are from google images....

While I was baking.....

Lloyd was baking his bread....two loaves of wholewheat...he left it to rise while we watched a movie and then baked it before we went to bed.  Mmmmm yummy home made bread for Abby, Sam and I for lunch today :)

I should add that although I say Lloyd makes this bread.....he almost ALWAYS has help from Abigail - or Sam.....usually Abby.  and if you ask Abby how to make bread she can tell you step by step...quite often they will make their own little loaves and Lloyd will let them rise and bake them along with the big loaves....

We gave the bread machine away at Christmas time - it was taking up space and we really didn't need it. I love watching Lloyd make bread by hand....watching it rise in the warmth of the cupboard under the stove.....and it's so nice seeing it come out of the oven.  Nothing like it :)

Banana Bread....

I made it yet again last night....and in one loaf I added some shredded coconut...and in the other I added coconut AND chopped walnut (as well as the white chocolate chips and milk chocolate choc chips).  Both loaves were a  big hit.  I left the walnut out of one loaf because Laurence isn't keen on nuts in his cakes....but both cakes were a big hit!!!  Still very moist and yummy!  This is definitely the BEST recipe for banana bread I've ever tried!!!  And so sooooooo easy!!!  I don't even follow the order any more - just throw it in the bowl, mix it together, throw it in the pans and bake....perfect every time.   Disappears FAST!  Yum!!  :)

We spent the morning outside.....

The children played on their sleds and Abby played on her new play snowboard.....Sam played with the new digger that we picked up at the thrift store on Tuesday (we were soooo happy to find that there!!)  and he had great fun digging in the snow...then he played on the steps for ages for some reason....I cleaned up after the dogs and filled all the bird feeders....just enjoyed being outside.....watched the children...took pictures - but only with my phone....we're going for another walk in a little while so I will take my camera then probably....but this morning the children just wanted to head outside and play straight away so thats what we did.  

It's so gorgeous outside this week once the fog disappears!!  They said last night that we have had 28 days of fog since January 1st!!!  Normally we have had 7!!!  Wow!!!  Weird!!  

Definitely wasn't foggy this morning :)

crochet blog.....

THIS is the blog that originally made me want to start to crochet....I wanted to be able to make her ripple blanket....with it's gorgeous stripes and colours.....and it also probably has something to do with my blanket that I grew up with.  I'd like to make projects for my Grandchildren...faster projects....seeing that I haven't finished the quilt I started for Laurence when he was a baby lol.....