Ready, set, go

A video on our family trip to the Edmonton International Raceway, filmed by my son Chris.

Going private again....

I've decided I liked my blog more private and I miss it! With that in mind feel free to add me to Facebook (those who haven't already). You'll be able to see piccies and whatever there.

Last time at the lake this Summer?????

Yesterday it reached 28c and as it could well be the last really hot day of Summer 08 we decided to make the most of it and head to the lake again....it was a nice way to relax and enjoy the nice temperatures! The picture of the water/ sand is actually a picture of the little fishy things in the water - whole schools (???) of them!!! But even though there were so many of them and the water was so clear, they were IMPOSSIBLE to catch!!! Even with buckets! Even with weighting down empty bottles with stones and little bits of food inside and leaving it for 10 minutes! We tried everything to try and catch the little buggers and we couldn't catch them :)

But they were amazing to watch :) The children had fun trying to catch them and watching them swim :)

So lazy....

My day has soooo not gone to plan! I was originally going to take Susannah to the movies this afternoon but then her room was SUCH a mess so I told her to tidy it with Abigail and they took soooo long and then both the boys got invited out and so I decided they deserved to go out and Susannah didn't - so the boys have gone out for the afternoon instead! The girls tidied their room on Saturday supposedly - so how on earth could it look so disgusting by today? I told them that Charlie and Davidson are cleaner than them! I'm sure the workmen were outside listening and laughing!!!! Lol!

Susie, Abigail and Sam have been playing outside all afternoon. The girls went for a cycle ride. Sam has been playing with his bubbles. They've been in the sandbox and just busy playing games outside - Lloyd and I were saying what a great thing the sandbox was this Summer - it has had soooo much use from all the children - even Chris has spent time in that sand box with Sam - so glad we made it so big!

I took down all the hummingbird feeders and washed them out - the hummingbirds have all left now on their journey South for winter.

For the final wash before storing them away, I use a mixture of water, sand and a little bleach. The sand scratches the insides of the bottles and removes all traces of sugar and syrup and mold and stops any mold buildup over winter which can harm the birds next year and just a touch of bleach won't harm the birds next year - I make sure to give them a good clean and rinse before reusing them next year - in clear hot water and then making sure they're cold before using them anyway!

I have three loads of laundry to dry and my tumble dryer isn't working! Lloyd needs to move the spare one into the laundry room tonight. They are coming to fix mine but I need to get the clothes dry before then so I will use the spare one. Then when mine is fixed Habitat for Humanity are coming to get my spare one. The people building our kitchen also build houses for Habitat for Humanity, so we are donating our tumble dryer, oven, washing machine, and couches and also the fridge freezer when the kitchen is finished. So they are coming to take all of that next week. We have a big dumpster coming on Friday as want to get rid of all the things piling up by the workshop and we want to clear out the workshop and the basement and the basement and have so much to get rid of (again). Lloyd has a week off next week so we will spend the first few days doing that and getting the workshop ready for the new wood burning fire so the pigs new winter quarters are ready! We also need to chop wood ready for fires this winter as our stock of logs has diminished!

Work on the renovations continues! They have something out there that constantly beeps - to be honest I wnat to go out there with a hammer and smash it to pieces! Laurence frequently brings me cups of tea thankfully. He will make someone a wonderful husband!

Lloyd and I are going out tonight - I need sugar for my bees so its an excuse to escape for something to eat for a while :) Lloyd went to work late this morning and stayed and had coffee with me first - he bought some new ties last week and wore one of them today. He looked so good in it!!! He had to take the garbage to the end of the road before he left as we had forgotten last night - He looked so good - I told him we had the worlds best dressed garbage man ;) (Terry cover your eyes) I wanted to rip his clothes off there and then ;)

Lol ;)

Have a great week everyone ;)

Me??????

Thank you to Susan for helping me create this amazing likeness of myself online. I think you will all agree this looks JUST like me :)

hahahahahha :)

You too can create a picture of yourself by going to Susans blog 'Being Kylies Mom' - link to the left - and check out Susans post!

Blowing bubbles in the air.........

We had to run to the UFA today for some pig food and a salt lick for the deer, and while we were there we picked up a bulk pack of bubble wands on sale. Sam has had fun this afternoon playing with them and using up the big tub of bubble liquid we had in the cupboard! I love watching little ones playing with bubbles - and I love joining in :)

Pink Lady...

Massey Ferguson....

...and a cute one that I wanted a picture of ;)

Hayrides and mni donuts!

And no the mini donuts were NOT from 'Porky's (lol)!!!!

Tractor Pulling

Today we went over to the Strathcona County Vintage Tractor Associations Tractor Pulling Show to watch the tractor Pulling - the guy on the tractor is the founder of the Association - he is originally from Wales!!!! we watched him pull on his tractor - he did quite well! There were several women pulling on their tractors too! Sam LOVED the show - and Lloyd did of course! We had hay rides and mini donuts and there was a silent auction and all kinds of things going on there.....it was held at a beautiful acreage and the weather was gorgeous!

Lloyd admiring a renovated old tractor

Our wedding caterers....

We were at an event today and we saw this food van there....we didn't buy anything from it as it smelt really greasy...but it may have been really GOOD food - who knows lol! But on the side of the trailer it said that they do wedding catering!!!! We thought that was hilarious so we started joking to the kids that we're going to get 'Porky's' to do the catering at their weddings!!!!

Imagine telling people!!! You know, you're telling everyone about your childs wonderful wedding celebrations and then they ask you who is doing the catering and you respond with 'Oh, Porky's'!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!! I mean, it just doesn't sound right does it????? ;)

Garden developments

This is how our garden is doing so far.....the strawberries are now done for the year. We have a LOT of tomatoes that are SLOWLY turning orange....we continue to water them. They need more sunshine.....they are still very green. The golden beets are doing well - not quite ready. Carrots doing well....again not quite ready....Lettuces doing very well - I think this type is called butter something or other......

Pumpkins and squash just need growing time now and we continue to water them. The pumpkins will need to change colour but the squash - how do I know when they are ready? Are they ready yet? I can't even remember what I planted lol! I only took a picture of a little bit of everything for ya but I didn't take a pic of the tomatoes which I still have to do and I must have forgotten to do......and we have so many! They did really well :) Can you spy Sams little peas growing around the squash?

Playdate!!

Yesterday the girls had some friends over for a playdate! It was supposed to be a day at the splashpark but the weather wasn't warm enough :( so we ended up playing here and Susie and her friends played paintball in the woods and went on the trampoline and played in the water and generally just hung out and watched a movie were just 'girly' (and annoying - omg girls are so ANNOYING and loud and giggly and screechy and did I say LOUD and ANNOYING????????? Boys when they come over are quiet but girls are just loud and annoying!!!!) but Abigail and her friend were lovely and did crafts and played Polly Pockets and were sweet and lovely!

We had a picnic outside and it started to rain so we took another big blanket outside and put it over our heads like a tent and carried on with our picnic in the rain and that was good fun :)

Two of the girls Mom is a friend and she stayed for ages chatting with me which was nice and they all wanted to meet my bees and our new pig and see the renovations and I was chatting with her about Abby going to school and her new diagnosis and their house move and everything so she was here a good couple of hours or so which was really nice.

We opened up the hives and everyone tried the honey and loved it :) The second time we opened up the hives it was cooler and damp and the bees weren't too happy and it was more 'dramatic' and sooo funny! Holly thought started calling me the mad English bee lady!!!! But no one got stung and everyone enjoyed the honey and thats the main thing!

In the end Susie and Abigail were invited to go on a sleepover to the girls house for the night - Abigails VERY FIRST sleepover EVER so of course Abby was very VERY excited! So she packed her bag (would have packed for a month if we'd let her!) and off she went on her her sleepover thrilled to bits! She phoned at 9pm not to say goodnight but to ask if she could sleep an extra night! Lol! She wasn't missing us. I started asking her if her friends had left some shoes at our house and she was obviously bored with talking to me so mid way through my conversation she asked to speak to her dad.......he was all sad talking to her because she is growing up too fast and he missed her (lol) and he was moaning to me about how fast they are all growing up (lol) but it was so quiet and so easy at bedtime and this morning no mess to clear to up and no chaos and noise :)

No one phoned at all so at 1pm I phoned to ask if I should pick them up and they are having a great time! So they are staying for the afternoon and will call when they need picking up!

So I'm Mom to one for the day! Laurie, Susie and Abby at sleepovers. Chris at a friends! So just Sam and I here! And the workmen!