Live it!

October is almost here...

1  1/2 hours left here where I am.

I love October because it is the very best month of the very best season for me. Halloween is the most fun and I always look forward to that. October also means Thanksgiving in Canada... haywagon ride in the wilderness with family and a stocked cooler, turkey and dressing, fall clothing, chilly hikes in the woods.  This October we are again holding our annual Halloween party for the kids. It has been a tradition that started when Keaton was 10 months old celebrating his first Halloween. I remember I was so excited to have a baby to dress up for Halloween and we had a house party and had all our friends. Over the years the party has grown in numbers and we now hold it at a local Dance hall. The kids all dress up and some of the adults (Shaune & I do) and it is just a fun time.

(note: the digital kit I used to make this quick invitation is found here: at 2peas and is designed by Jennifer Pebbles.

This year we are using our party as a clothing drive for something obviously near and dear to us. We are collecting new clothing at the party for the Orphanages in Vietnam. I have several boxes full of clothing that friends and family have donated and we will be getting it over to the children in the orphanages in the coming months. If you know me or our family and have young children (and live in our area), you are welcome to join us. Please just email me and I'll give you all the details ( [email protected] )

Hockey Begins

Today Keaton started Sr Tikes Hockey. And his mother forgot the camera at home ;)

He rocked it. He is so fast and is getting so good at the skills too. His power skating in the summer has helped him with this I think. He is the tiniest guy out there but has such enthusiasm.

Shaune is helping the coach out this year and was out on the ice with all the kids (there was at least 40 boys and girls out there). Keaton thought that was really great to have Dad out there helping out.

Next practice I'll take my camera ;)

Campbell's Orchard

MacIntosh Apples are my favorite... they aren't sweet, a bit tart actually and so delicious this time of year. Kerri invited Chloe and I to go over to Campbell's Orchard for a visit on Monday. The day was beautiful, so sunny but not TOO hot. Chloe loved this place, especially the pigs & the hay she could roll around in. Adison & Chloe are so good together and had a great time. I brought home some MacIntosh apples and some Royal Gala's. Tasty little snacks since I'm trying to diet right now.

Home from Vegas

Missed the family like crazy - 6 days is tooooooooooooooooo long. Thanks to Shaune and my mom for taking care of my babes while I was off 'working' in Vegas... I love you so much for being so wonderful.

Vegas was Vegas. You can't help but have fun when you are in such a flashy, busy, 'unique' place. I loved being with our group of girls and we had a blast during show hours and after hours dining at nice restaurants, shopping and walking the strip... camera's in hand.

I took my little point and shoot camera this trip and had fun snapping photos here and there. Highlights of the trip would have to be:

1) seeing Becky, Kelli, Tracy, Jenn B, Jen Lessinger and the Creativity group. Fun bunch!

2) The social house restaurant. A repeat of last year's dinner there - we loved up the sushi and it is such a nice place to just chill and talk under the Vegas sky. Jen G - thanks for hanging with us and putting up with all the raw food in your face. I cannot believe I ate eel. YUCK!

3) Walking the strip on our final night there. We missed the New York New York rollercoaster by like 2 minutes but oh well. Loved sitting out under the Paris hotel's "Eiffel Tower" for a big honking drink that Jen L and I shared :)

4) My 2 favourite things I saw at the show (excluding what we had at our booth) was the Simply Renee Clip it up storage racks... I bought one and can't wait to set it up. Also, the Quik Cuts "Revolution" die-cut system... had to have one and bought it. Cannot wait to start using it.

5) Autumn Leaves had some fun new products out. The Mod "Whirligig" collection is really cute and the AL "Manhattan" collection had a real sophisticated look to it and featured our first double sided papers. The Calendar is shipping and I saw a copy of it... gosh, it gets better every year. The projects and photography and set up this year is amazing. Our new stamps are always a hit.

6) Becky and I found the pool late on the last day of the show. We chilled out there on some chaise lounges for a couple hours til we needed to head to the airport. It was so peaceful and pretty there, did not feel like Vegas :)

6) the food. Too much good food. Treadmill, here I come!

Best part of the trip is always getting home. Hugging my family. Being with them again. Working away from home is a nice treat but it is not something that is easy for this mom to do. It does, however help me truly appreciate what I come home to. I have a wonderful family!

I flew the red-eye home again. Ugh. Left at 11:30pm and got to Toronto at 7am this morning. Needless to say, I'm beat. Shaune just ran into town to get Chinese food so we can just lie around tonight and CHILL. Best kind of night after a busy trip.

A few photos:

Becky, Tracy and Kelli outside our hotel

Kelli and myself at The Social House at Treasure Island

 

Me and buddy Jenn Bertsch... love you!

We stayed at the Mirage this time, I liked it.

The convention was held at The Venetian - nice hotel!

Some of our gang = Becky, Kelli, Jenn B, Jen Lessinger, Kim

Our view of the Paris Hotel's "Eiffel" tower ... we stopped and had a drink underneath it.

Chloe's nose...

is all better. Scab is gone and I don't think there will be a scar. Yes, I worried a bit about that. Shaune went and got her Vitamin E & Polysporin and we applied liberally the past week. I took Chloe shopping today - now that Keaton is back in school all the time Chloe and I get to do somethings together. Like shop at Michael's and the Mall. Did I mention Chloe HATES to shop. Usually 5 minutes after we set off she is already asking "Can't we just go back home MOM?" She is a real home body, my girl is.

I took some photos of her today, just b/c she looked so cute  - no other reason :)

Below is the Chloe 'signature fake smile' I'm getting lately from her ;)...

Home from Minnesota

Good ole' Minn-eee-sot-ah!'

It was a good trip. Doing make and take projects over and over for 3 days straight can seriously burn several thousand braincells after a while, but the attendee's were enthusiastic and kind and fun to be around. The shopping at Mall of America was wonderful and I came home with some Lego (of course) for K, clothes and a baby doll for C and a few things for around the house for me. Poor Shaune got nothing. Sorry babe!

Keaton was especially disappointed to hear I had to go away for a few days to work... until I reminded him that the place I was working had a Lego Land. His next response was "When are you going?" The few times I called home to check on things, he always told me 1) he missed me, and 2) not to forget to go to Lego Land. He is lego obsessed right now and I love that so I was sure to bring him home  a few lego treats.

I had a great time hanging with Jen L and shopping with her at night. We both like Sushi and found a great little place at the MOA to try... we both left very happy from that dinner. Tempura vegetables and a variety of sushi... I'm craving it again already. Other than that we shopped a lot and talked a lot and watched Jarassic Park III one night... I'd never seen it before. Margie met up with us on Friday night. It was so nice to see her. We went to the Cheesecake Factory for supper and talked til 11pm or something like that. Could of talked another few hours I think.

It was a great trip but I'm glad to be home. It takes going away once in a while to really remind you of how great you have it at home. I missed the kids and Shaune like crazy & it was great to sleep in my own bed again last night - even though the MOA Hilton bed was tres comfortable!

I managed only 5 photos on my little point and shoot... how pathetic is that. Like I said, we were busy.

Here is Lego Land from above. I took these to show Keaton...

Jen doing the make and take: Probably the 300th time of the weekend ;)

The kids park area with rides in the center of the Mall of America:

It's the First Day of School!

Wow, the summer has come to an end. I won't lie and say I wasn't ready for school to start again :) It was a very busy summer with our new pool and we jammed it full of fun things. I am tired and I think the kids were starting to get bored with me and home. School will be great to get them back on schedule and nourish those big brains of their's. :)

Chloe was so excited to start school this morning. Isn't her dress cute? I used reverse psychology to have her pick it over the pink number she had her eye on. Works like a charm. Shh, don't tell her my secret. The nose... ugh, poor girl. She was climbing on the treadmill (a big no-no) and fell and took all the skin off of her nose. NICE?! Oh well, something we'll always remember from her first year of starting school. How is it possible that she is 4 and in Kindergarten already? I'm not saying I wasn't happy to see her in her class today and in school but its now hitting me (as I sit in this silent house) that she grew up so fast. I'm sure she is busy making friends and telling them what to do. God bless her, I hope she has a wonderful first day of big-girl school.

Keaton - my boy... it is crazy that this is his 4th year of public school. (Here in Ontario they have 2 years of Kindergarten)... he went into the gym this morning and was so happy to finally see who his new teacher was going to be (I forget her name already) when he was called up for the Grade 2 class. I must admit I was happy to see him in solid Grade 2 instead of one of the split classes (Grade 1/2 or Grade 2/3). They are in a portable this year which is odd, but I am sure he feels all big boy about it :) He has friends in his class from last year's first grade and some new kids, including Madelyn McEwen and Anna Davidson. He was happy to see that Shelyn was in his class again this year.

Chloe and Keaton went outside to wait for the bus until 9:20am this morning... school starts at 9:15am... apparently their new bus driver slept in? I gave up waiting and drove them to school much to the sadness of Chloe who was really looking forward to her first ride on the school bus. I promised her she would ride home on it tonight after school was finished. Keaton was excited to be her busy buddy and was all huggy with her, wanting to show her how 'school is done'.

Aunt Betty came this morning to proudly watch the kids wait for the bus. She took a bunch of photos of them and waited patiently along side us, but the bus never came. Oh well.

Update: they just got off the bus. School is dunzo for the day. Big smiles. They both look whiped out. Chloe loved riding the bus home and said her favourite part of the day was recess and playing in the dirt. LOL... and on the swings. That's my girl. Her teacher called me to say she had a good first day and even fell asleep during 10 minute quiet time... and didn't wake up til 40 minutes later. It must of been the fact that she woke up at 5:30am excited and couldn't get back to sleep this morning. Keaton was thrilled with his class and is excited for all that Grade 2 has to offer.