beginning to look a lot like December

I FINALLY spent a few minutes playing around with photo editing and collages!  Of course I should be doing 103 other things, starting with washing dishes and then making the cookies for the kids' teachers that I told them I would.  At 10:40pm the night is still young and that is how I roll!  So, I wanted to share my first attempt at collaging (not really a verb, but you know what I mean). 

family picture follow up

I felt like the blog needed a change of look.  The black background seemed hard for me to read sometimes.  Might just be my age ... yet another sign of getting older (or a sign I should get my eyes checked).   One can never be sure about the TRUE signs of aging!  Take yesterday for instance ... in my attempt to exercise in morning at the local track, I pulled a muscle in my hip and gave myself a Charlie Horse that lasted for at least 5 minutes ... in public of course!  Then last night I ran myself a bath, went to check on the water level 10 minutes later, and I had forgotten to plug the drain :(

I just wanted to share the new family photo that I was deliberating about a few posts ago.  I am SOOOO happy with how the pictures turned out.  Melissa did such a fantastic job considering the subjects she had to work with!  The family picture is a 20x30 canvas.  It is a smaller than the previous picture so I had to do a little re-arranging in the living room space to make it work out.  This is how it turned out:

sorry about the glare :(

a little Pinterest touch!

Yes, I still have my fall decor up!  That is on my list of things to do this week - change up the decor to fit the season!

My office project

11x14 wall plaques (photography by Melissa)

Just love how this turned out ... I bought Damask wall stickers to put behind the fabulous photos since these are plaques that don't need a frame.  By themselves the pictures didn't really pop out on the new white wall in the office, but now I just love it!  I mean REALLY love it ... I go in and look at it about 5 times a day.  Ha!!!

New wall paper for the office

 I will follow up with another post on the office project when it is finished more finished!  And, the Oreo cream cheese truffles are almost gone.  I guess I better exercise now ....

school

Yes, it is December and Christmas break is around the corner, but this post is about "Back to School". I continue to stick with my mantra of "better late than never". So, this finds me at my lap top with my second cup of coffee and the after effects of a delicious cream cheese truffle that I received from a cookie exchange on Saturday. Really wish I hadn't tried them :(   I did exercise today for a few minutes so MAYBE I burned half of it off already.  One can always hope.

Back to the topic of school:

• Samara - is in a grade 5 in a 5/6 split class this year.  She still mostly loves school but being 10 going on 16 is adding some challenges.  She is still in piano lessons and is back at gymnastics and now basketball has started up again.  She is also doing some reading with a grade 3 boy once a week (not her brother)! 

• Keithan - is in grade 3 this year.  He is in indoor soccer this year.  It is 2 nights a week and since he lives, breathes and even dreams and talks in his sleep about soccer (true story) it is a great motivational tool for getting homework and reading done.  

• Rhett - is in grade 1 this year.  He isn't in any after school activities, thankfully.  He just had a birthday on Friday so he is waiting for his birthday party.  He wanted a bowling party or a skating party but when he has a mom who leaves  things until  last minute he will have to settle for less unless he wants to wait a month or two for his party.  I am hoping the weather holds because we have great snow for a tobogganing party.  Still working on that idea.

• Grady - is in Preschool this year.  He LOVES it, but I understand he and his new best friend have had a few time outs on the time out chair!  The teacher has never mentioned it to me but he brought it up once ... and now I ask almost every time ... and yes, it happened again.  Good thing they don't have report cards in Preschool!!  They must be minor offenses ... one can always hope (again). 

p.s we are looking forward to Grandpa and Grandma's visit on Christmas break.  

odds and end(s) of summer

• On the way back from the anniversary party (referring to previous post), we stopped to see Grandma O. While visiting her we were front and center to some firetruck action. So much so that Samara, Grady and Rhett's shoe were featured in the local paper!  I'm not sure where I put the clipping or I would have scanned it.  Samara enjoyed her "moment of fame";  the photo showed her hair covered side profile and the back of Grady and there were no names printed.  However, she was in the paper, just so you know!

• We made it back to the cabin for some fun with our good friends and neighbors. 

• We attended a few minutes of the 2nd annual race the base event ... but it was a bit rainy and I didn't want to get my camera wet!  Phil auctioned off some Ferrari and Camaro rides, as well as some BMW rides which were a harder sell!

• We did go to our local beach this summer ... twice, I think.   This is proof of one such occasion.

• Neighborhood fun

• And, last but not least ... we had a fun 4 mile nature walk at the provincial park.   I should say most walked, some ran, some limped and some were even carried at times! Can you imagine carrying 90lbs on your shoulders and racing down a path full of tree roots?!  Well, I saw it with my own eyes and everyone survived.

I feel like I overused the word fun in this post.  I apologize for that.  It is a little late and my imagination is not running wild.  I do love summer though and looking back at these pictures brings out my fun in the sun nature!  Right now we have an abundance of snow and I've already shoveled more times than all of last year ... not so fun joyeous. 

40th Anniversary Celebration

40 years ago (plus about 2 months) my mom and dad were married. 

Why the daughter of a farmer would choose to get married at harvest time is beyond me 
(... I guess it was before me)!  And, my dad was a custom combiner!!

As the wife of a farmer, the sister of a farmer and the sister of a market gardener, this celebration of 40 years of wedded bliss was planned VERY quickly on VERY short notice in the midst of harvest.  I still can't believe how well it all came together, considering!  I am sure that if it was not harvest time then Alyson, Carla and I would have planned a Martha Stewart  or Pinterest worthy anniversary party!! Ha ha ha!

Sorry, I'm still laughing!  

 Anyway, it was GREAT to be home and GREATER to celebrate this special anniversary for 2 special people.  Thank you to everyone that came and shared this day with us.  There were about 100 people and since my catering skills are rusty (as in never used before) I overestimated a bit on the food side of things and had enough for 200).  I wonder if it will keep until their 50th? I'm going to start planning :)

I love this quote: "home is where our story begins"

I feel blessed today because of the choices my mom and dad made, which is the start of my own story, and a part of my children's story ...

Pre-party celebration for Carla's birthday

cake for Auntie made by Samara

dual purpose cake!

cousins

Grounds prep crew

foremen

labourer

The party

the whole Woods family

missing from the photo:  Auntie Marion and Auntie Joanne

the still happily married couple

??  maybe he was adopted

almost normal family photo!

Two things I need to mention:  

1. The above 3 photos were used by permission from Michelle S.  There were no copyright infringements!
2. Most of the stress in the short planning of the whole event was in the slide show preparation.  There were a few equipment difficulties at the last of the last minutes.  But, thanks to my dear sister in law's hard work and the pressure she eventually put on my dear adopted brother, it all came together in the end.  Copies of the music/slide show are available for purchase.  I'm KIDDING ... but it was awesome ... and I'm still waiting for my own copy! 

one more thing ...

new cabin:  the beginning of more family memories; can't wait!!

A week of FUN!!

Wake boarding 101

Rhett: the first willing student

Keithan: the persistent student

Samara:  the eventual student

Kate: the cheerful student

Alex: the soon to be professional student

Naomi: the brave student

Jill:  the serious student

Boys who love boats

Lake entertainment 101 and 102

1.  target shooting

2. roasting marshmallows

3. making a little noise

4.  swimming

5. boating (primary choice of many)

6. playing in the sand

6a: castle building

7. tether ball (sometimes bawl)

8. inventing your own game

9. relaxing

10. monopoly deal on a rainy day

Banana Boat Making 101

1. prepare

2. cook to perfection

3.  enjoy

All the participants

This was such a great week that I cannot even put it into words!!  I guess that is why you had to scroll through so many pictures.  I wish I had taken more.  Oh well, you get the idea ... and I have enough to help when my memory fails me!  Just reviewing them now I noticed I did not put any skurfing photos in this post (if that is even how you spell it).   Whether or not I spelled it right I even tried it myself and I think I could eventually enjoy it!  I hope this meeting at the lake becomes an annual tradition, that is all I can say.