Schnell!

I don't know if I spelt schnell right, but it means quick or fast in german. I miss german. I lived in Switerland for a year for you who don't know. I miss it. Anyhoo, this is a quick one so here my list for the day, it's a good one.
Projects I'm halfway through and have little hope of ever finishing:
1. Christmas stockings I'm making
2. Ham soup from left over ham (it's been on the counter all day:-)
3. Katelyns blankie I started knitting a year ago!
4. Katelyns bassinette I really wanted to make
5. a quilt I started about 5 minutes ago (I just picked out the fabric)
6. my Switerland scrapbooks
7. painting our bathrooms
8. organizing our closets
9. making cool magnet thingys for gifts
10. all my christmas baking and once a month cooking
11. be really good at piano

This is just depressing! But hey thats me, I start something, get really excited, then never finish. Boo. Heres some pics to cheer us all up.
This is our dancing naked girl, she just loves grabbing those little toesies.
As of Wendsday of this week katelyn eats real food! If you can call blended banana mixed with mommie milk food. I did a little research and found banannas to be the closest food to mommie milk. In fact, for those that care, cereal was suggested as a first food only because formula feed babies could digest it easier! I know, it's crazy that we just do things because thats the way they are. Her next food is avacado and I'm really hoping she'll eat it. If not I'll give her apple next and then mix the apple with the avacado. It's so fun figuring all these new things out!
I don't know if I'm writing these comments under the right pics, but one of these pics was a sweet sneeze. look at that delicious snot! Thatta girl!

My Girl

I babysat Jill yesterday. Jill is my cousin Cams little girl, shes one year older than Katelyn. I know I mentioned yesterday that they kinda look alike. Jill was letting Katelyn suck her finger, how kind! They got along so well it was hilarious! Today we visited "Great Grandma". Katelyn was a grumpy girl but Grandma knew all the tricks to cheer her up. She cheered me up too with her yummy cinnamon buns and tried to teach me to crochet. Yesterday I set up the little Swedish Christmas candles and Katelyn just loved them, she stared at them for so long, so precious! Oh and she's also wearing some pants that she's had but didn't fit yet. I forget who they are from but they are so so so cute I love them. My little gap girl:-) And this is Katelyns new big girl trick of sitting up. Well since I've just blabbed about baby so much and aparently to some I do that to much I'll give you a very un baby list for today
My favorite cities of all time:
1. Calgary my forever number one
2. Salem for obvious reasons (family), but also 'cause all the old houses are so cute
3. Vienna
4. Zurich
5. Rome
6. San Diego
7. Spokane never even spent time there, we always drive through and I love the old buildings
8. Kelowna because of the lake and the amazing childhood memories

Keep in mind these are only cities, not places. If we got into that it would be different. Oh and they aren't in any order either. Talk to ya later!

Blah

Hey guys. It's been awhile and I thought I'd say hello hello, merry christmas and hows it goin? Today is an extremly blah day, I'm in no condition to be posting something interesting for you to read. But I'm usually in a blah mood when I post 'cause when I'm blah I feel like wasting time on the computer. I actually came down here for the sole purpose of getting Toys R Us's number so I can finally get my butt in gear and order a crib for my ever growing baby. I'm just lucky that she's slowed down a bit the past few weeks. I posted a pic of the crib I'm getting a few weeks ago and if I was a genious or took the time I could again do that cool highlighy thing and you could click and go right to the pic. Miranda was so kind as to even email me the directions to do such a cool thing, and I do appreciate it. Now I'm babling.
I found my lost box of Christmas decorations! Although two boxes of decorations doesn't look like much in our house. It looked a lot different living in 500 sq feet. But I wouldn't trade, I'll just have to get creative and make some super cool stuff. My parents were here this weekend, it was great. My mom flew up a few days earlier and it was so nice to hand out. We drank wine and made Christmas cards. They babysat one night 'cause I had my work Christmas party. It was so much fun. It's so good to get away sometimes. Although I always miss her so much, even now and she's just napping right now. I'm crazy.
Not much else is going on. I took some cute pics of Katelyn in her new sled from grammie yesterday. We were on our way to Brett and Dreas for family lunch, which we hadn't done in a long time. It was so good to be all together again. Katelyn got new shoes last week, they are just precious. I'm going to start going to Grandmas house every Tuesday. It'll be good to spend more time together, and Katelyn will start really knowing who she is, it'll be good. I would post more pics but it's taking too long. My "niece" Rayah was trying to make her little dolly smile, it was a cute pic, but you can just imagine it. I get to baby sit my other "niece" Jill today, fun times, she actually kinda looks like Katelyn, weird. And people get me and Jos (her mom) mixed up a lot, very odd. K, that's it for now! Happy day, and get your christmas spirit out. Jesus was born so we might have everlasting life, PRAISE GOD!!!

Happy Five Months Katelyn!

So so sorry it's been such a long time! This past weekend I had an open house for Mary Kay. That's right folks I sell Mary Kay. I've taken way too much time off from it, it's time to do something with it. So I had to open house to kick my butt back into gear. That's what kept me occupied last week. I had to clean and cook yummy food and remember stuff about makeup and set up my inventory and call people to make sure they would come and christmas decorate to get people in the mood. Right now I'm eating a christmas orange, a cinnamon sledge (a family christmas classic) and drinking eggnog. It's glorious. I love Christmas so much. Did I mention I put up my tree? Actually the one I put up is a fake (please don't be mad Flee) we'll get our real one later.


This is new born Katelyn, doesn't look to happy yet. I can't believe how much she's changed. Look at the "Welcome to the World" post from June or July for more cute new born pics. If I was really good I could just have that "welcome to the world" highlighted and you could click it and go right there, but only my bro does stuff like that.

We took this pic while trying to get a family shot done. What a cute bum, I look like I'm about to eat her, sometimes I want to just nibble her up she's so precious!
Wow, it's hard to believe how fast her life is whizzing by. My list for today will be: New Things Katelyns learned the past few days
1. screaming, oh joy what a beautiful sound
2. almost able to sit, another week or so
3. pooping, oh wait she's always been really good at that
4. she's mastered rolling from her tummy to back
5. she's learning to laugh better everyday, so cute!
6. being babysat, what a good girl, and what good babysitters!
7. her new lip pursing spitting sound, very hard to explain
8. ok you know what, she's little I can't think of 10 things, so that's that!

I'm looking forward to a nice week at home to get the rest of the lingering boxes unpacked and make Christmas cards, yay! Which reminds me, I'll need some of your addressess. Trav and Laur and Terry are ones I can think of right now, oh and Aims, but she only looks at the pictures and doesn't read stuff so I guess no christmas card for her. K, I'm gonna jet, love you all. Ciao!

Prayers

I'm just bumming around today lazy as anything and not feeling up to my regular wifely/motherly duties. Normally I love making supper and take most of the day to do it. Pasta is always my lazy day meal and let me tell you, we're definitly eating pasta tonight. However, reading my Google Analytics reports has definitly encouraged me to at least post something today. I love you all my faithful readers! I don't know half of you I'm sure, but you are so encouraging! I don't know if you understand what it's like to just be home all day everyday. Don't get me wrong I absolutly love it, I could stay in my house forever and never run out of wonderful things to do, but being connected to the outside world is I donno, it's something. It's like coming home and your eyes immediatly looking for the blinking red light on the answering machine. Maybe you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, although I'm sure some of you do.
Anyways, my list today is:
Things I'm praying about:
- my family, always my family
- what God would have us do about Africa. This is a long story I'll get into it more as I need to, but right now we're just open to what God may ask us.
- praying that the house would sell
- We started praying for different things going on in the world because of our worship service on Sunday, it's such a good habit to get into
- that I could start being REAL with the people around me
- sometimes I just don't say anything I just cuddle up to God and relax in his arms. Holding Katelyn like that makes me realize how much God wants to just hold us his children, it's wonderful.
- trusting God with our finances, for some reason this is always a hard one for me.

I guess those are the big things. I could get into the funny little things, but you might just think I'm crazy. Although our Chiropracter was very encouraging today and said God totally likes our crazy little things we pray for and wants to bless us in those ways too. He said he prays that God gives him good ideas and he does, he shows him bone alignments and different adjustment 'n stuff. I guess that could be a bit unnerving coming from my chiropracter, but I just think it's cool. So maybe God will show me cool scrapbook layouts and give me yummy recipies. I know some of you will totally agree (Christine:-) and others will think I've gone loopy, but that's ok. Not everyone thought Jesus was normal either. Wow I'm in a weird mood. Could be the pot of chocolate fondue sitting in front of me with multiple finger dip marks in it, that could explain the way my tummy feels too. Anyhoo, love you all and thanks again for reading. I never thought my little 'ol blog would have this much attention. If you look at the archives (and please don't) the first couple were written solely for the intention of my family reading them and thats it. But you're all so so welcome here! Talk to you soon!

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

Hope you all have a super fun day! Katelyn looked so so so cute in her makeshift little costume. Of course while we were in the states I saw baby costumes everywhere. but I guess people in this baren waste land don't dress up their babies, so she was a fairy, which is a highly unsafe costume for a baby. The bonus is she can be the same thing again in 5 years, once she learns to not suck on her wand and is past the point of poking peoples eyes out with it. Matthew and I were a knight and maiden, although he is missing his "helmet" gloves, boots, and the costume, much to his dismay, didn't come with a sword.
My list today is: Yummy Things I've Cooked Lately:
- squash soup
- homemade bread
- amazing stew and biscuits
- fondue (all three kinds!)
- teriaki steak
- noodle rolls
- swiss steak and gnnocci
- strawberry shortcake (which is kinda cheating 'cause I'm planning on making it tonight)
- Spatzlie and pork chops
- Banana Loaf (I made my own recipie and it's both healthy and delicious, my fav!)

remember to keep telling me where you're reading from, I love getting comments, thanks!

Two in one day!

Heres a pile of the rest of the pictures I had wanted to post earlier. I'm not gonna comment on them 'cause I already have literally three times and I just feel repetitive. But since I'm here again heres another list.

Places people read my blog from:
Canada
-Sexsmith
-Prince George
-Calgary
-Kelowna
-Cloverdale
-Halifax
-Montreal
-Spruce Grove
-Kamloops
-Abbotsford
-theres a lot more these are just a few
USA
-San Francisco
-Kerman CA
-Salem
-Portland
-Everette
Europe
-Droitwich
-Bristol
-Sandridge
-Ibendorfle
-Annonay
-Stoke Prior
-Redditch
Other
-Osaka

The reason I know this is 'cause my bro signed me up for Google Analytics. It shows me a pic of the world with dots on places my blog is being read from. I love it. Oh man, I used to be obsessed with peoples comments, still am. But now I love looking at this and wondering who is reading my blog. please please leave a comment and let me know who you are and where your reading from! Thanks! I must go feed my very unhappy child. Don't think Daddys too impressed either, oh man I'm obsessed!

I'm crying

Well I literally just wasted my entire morning. Picassa sucks! I posted (or attempted to post) three different entires each with pics and each with a lot of writing. None of them worked. So no pics and a very bitter girl writing are all you get. One thing I mentioned was that I'm going to start posting a list. If you know me well you know that I love lists and so I would like to share my lame love of lists with you so you can see whats on my brain these days. My first list is
Things I'd like to do before Christmas:
1. Start Scrapbooking Katelyns book
2. Have people over for fondue
3. unpack the last of the boxes
4. volunteer at Voice for Life (an anti-abortion awareness group that I've been meaning to work with forever, I have strong ideas on the subject and yet do nothing about it, terrible)
5. go on a hot date with the hubbie
6. make periogies and other good food to have on hand in the freezer
7. make Christmas cards, and have pics and a letter to send with them
8. hang curtains and finish decorating Katelyns room
9. get in the habit of doing pilates every stinkin day, I'm getting a beer belly!
10. learn to use the computer better 'cause I already wrote this list once but since it didn't work I don't remember what my tenth thing to do was, waaaa!

Stay tuned for more oh so exciting items to list, yipee! My life makes me laugh, I love being a housewife! Ciao!

Me and Computers don't mix

K I'm bitter it's official. I tried to post about 15 pics and I only got 4 so never mind my last entry. I'm to tired to deal with it now, but I'll put the rest of the pictures on later. My bro tried to sell me on the idea of this new Picasa nonsense, I am so not impressed. I'm going back to my lovely one that came with the camera. Night for now

House 'n Stuff

 

 

 

 

Here are the long awaited pictures of the house. I just did them all at once from a new program so I don't know what it will look like and I can't see my pictures so I don't remember what I was gonna say about them. Oh and did I mention that this is about my 20th attempt at posting these so I've already talked about these snaps a few times and it was erased, arggg. Anyhoo, I guess they're pretty self explanitory. Note my awsome pantry! Yea I love not having shelves. Wow I sound really grumpy right now, sorry. I'm not actually it's just coming across that way. I guess that's it for tonight ciao! 

I have a headache

I've been slacking! I had to have a break from the computer this week 'cause I was neglecting everything else. I've actually cleaned a lot and played with Katelyn a lot because of it, so it's good. It's been such a good week just being home again and getting all settled in. My quest has been to find and buy a crib. Katelyn has about 4 inches left in her little bassinette, I'm running outta time!


This is kinda what I'm looking for. But I won't talk about that anymore 'cause Ryan informs me that my blog is all babied out. I almost agree. Honestly it's just my life though, I love being a mom and thats just what I do. I also really love my house (I'll have pics of it once I put them on the computer) I don't mind cleaning 'cause it just makes it look so nice. I love cooking lately. Last night we spontaneously went to Tims and Arias (Matthews sis) and Matt and Ashley were over. We made sushi and noodle wraps with peanut sauce (thanks for the recipie Laur!) and oh man it was just so fun. I also love making cards lately. Both my cousins that live in town started selling Stampin up

It's a blessing and a curse. I can't wait to get pics printed and start scrapbooking baby stuff. Opps there goes that baby talk again. My mom is really into it and makes beautiful stuff.
Anyhoo, thats a lame attempt at being interesting. I have such a headache (could it be from playing Dr Mario for the past hour, no!) Keep reading I'm bound to be interesting in someway someday. Catch ya later. Oh and can I just mention that I've been reading your blogs lately (those who have them) and I love that too. Like I said, I spend way to much time on the computer. And that's not even going into ebay!

Theres no place like home

Hello everyone! We got home Sunday night and it's been a scramble trying to settle back in here. We're selling the other house we built and still finishing our house, it's crazy. So far our internet has worked well, so we will see how long that lasts. The tech that comes out to fix it knows us pretty well now, that's scary! It's dangerous for me to have internet, I'm totally becoming addicted to ebay! And I wonder why I don't get anything done in my day!


I have to drink my Izze while I post these long awaited pics, it helps put me back into trip mode. We bought a few to bring home 'cause we don't have them in Canada, waa. Flee go to Fred Meyer and get some, they're so good!


This is one of Matthews best friends Scott. He lives in Portland now and it was so good to spend time with him. He spoiled us and made us the most amazing pizza ever, thanks Scott!


I always gotta get a cute bath one in. I just can't get enough of the cute towels my bro got for her. The other one is a duck, and he has a matching one in his size, too cute.


K just ignore the travelling mom look in this pic and focus on the cutie little girl. I'd been in a car all day, the sun was in my face, and yea I don't have any pictures of me. I figure since this is my blog 'n all I should at least try to appear on it from time to time, even if it is a terrible pic.


Katelyn did so good on this trip. I was a little worried 'cause she just cried the whole time we were in Calgary a couple months ago. She adjusted to every new place and didn't get too tired of her car seat. What a good kid we have!

That's it for pictures for now. I'll take some of our house this week and put them on here. We're still doing the finishing touches and of course we don't have decent furniture or art yet. That just gives us stuff to look forward to.
Anyhoo, I just wanna tell you all a bit about our trip. I did keep you updated at the beginning so I'll pick up where I left off. I don't remember where I left off.... Did I talk about the Renewal Center? I think I did. It was great, ahh yes I remember talking about the wonderful orange shag. When we got home from there we all went out to McGrafs Fish House (sorry Roland if I spelled that wrong). We had decided to go up to Nathan and Erins the next day, so we had to get some serious hang out time with everyone before we left. It's always hard to leave. We feel like we have so much time, but things just fill up so fast. The food was to die for and it was so nice to just be together one last time. Then we were off the next day to the hills south west of Portland. Their house is just wonderful, we love staying with them. We get so spoiled. I remember posting something while we were still there saying how nice it was. We had such a great time with them. Clara is just so precious. We got to go shopping at so many amazing places. It was torture not being able to bring everything home with us. We just didn't have room.
On the way home we stopped at my aunts in BonnersFerry. It was so good to see them and she hadn't seen Katelyn yet so that was good. We got our last taste of delicious food that we can't get in Canada (Papa Murpheys) and then we were on our way. Oh did I mention that we got a 1.14 liter or Baileys for 13$ at the border, yeah we were pretty happy. After my aunts about an hour down the road we stopped at my grandparents for a bit. Again it was just so good to see them and let them see their great grand baby. After that about another hour down the road we stopped to see my other aunt and Uncle Doug and Norma. It was pretty late by this time, leaving from Portland and making tons of stops and finally staying over in Cranbrook. But even so we thought it a good idea to stay up 'till two with Doug and Norma. It was hilarious! We had some pretty good laughs. Norma spoiled us rotten with good food. Man, we are just so blessed! The next day we went to my parents about 4 hours down the road. For some reason this was just the longest day ever. We were starving we we got there and so grumpy. The next day we had late Thanksgiving with my bro, my best friend Amy, and Heather and dear dear family friend that is back from Scottland right now. The food was just unbelievably good and the company.... well it was almost as good. Ok just jokes, the company was the best part. Finally on Sunday we were going home, another terrible long day in the car. I think Katelyn was pretty sick of it by this point. She seemed so happy to be home, I wonder if she would really remember it?
My feet are freezing and my Izze has long since expired, so I'm off. I'll be back! Ciao

Family Adventures

Well our journey continues. We're now staying with Nathan and Erin near Hillsboro (where my mom used to live, weird eh?) This is their little girl Clara, she is so precious. It's been so fun to be with her. Last time we were here she was so shy with us. Now we can hold her and she can tickle us and yea all that fun kiddie stuff. We always feel so spoiled being here. Their house is absolutly goregous, and they are such good hosts. Oh and did I mention that Erin is 9 months preggy? Yea she's crazy to have house guests.
This last weekend we were staying in a cabin by Silver Creek Falls with the whole fam. The cabin had a very interesting "conversation pit" in the middle and six rooms coming off of this "pit". The common area was covered in orangy brown shag with insulation under it so it was comfy, well I guess that was the idea anyways. Nine month preggo Erin had other thoughts about how comfortable this was. Yea it was sketchy, not to mention all the kids and babies we had all over it. Hmmm could that be why Clara is a bit sick today, who knows. Other than the odd "pit" the weekend was incredible. It was badly needed for Matthew and I. It was a chance to fall on our knees once again and admidt how dumb we are. God is so good and forgiving and it is so amazingly freeing to just say yes to him. We're excited.
In other news Katelyn is changing so much everyday. She's rolling from her back to her side, almost to her tummy! She's spent time in jolly jumpers, exersaucers, all kinds of big girl things. If we had tried to do this trip a few months ago it just wouldn't have worked. She has slept in so many different places and just adjusts so well now. It's amazing to just watch her take it all in and keep growing and learning. Wow, I love her.
Just wanted to keep you a bit updated. We forgot our cable thingy for our camera so I'll have to wait 'till we're home to put more pics of our trip, sorry. Love you fam and friends!

Tons of Pics

Auntie Felicia got this precious outfit from India. The neck wasn't big enough so she's not even in it, it's just on her for this picure :-) Sept 26


This was at my Uncle Dons house. My cousin Lindsay and her fam are living there right now. Her son Josh is a month older than Katelyn and she could squish him, oh but wait 'till you see my nephew Roland Jr. Sept 28


And heres the little gaffer now! He's three weeks older than Katelyn (who is big for her age and weighs 14lbs) But Junior weighs more than 21 lbs!! This was the first time we'd seen him. Sept 30


Can you guess whos foot is whos?


Is this unappropriate? I had to get a pic of her bath at Nanas house, and she has Uncle Ryans bunny towel, it's so cute, the hood is a little bunny!


Oh my word these bushes right by Erics house (Matthews bro) were so completly full of blackberries (mom I tried to save some for you honest I did). My fingers and sweater were covered! I was obsessive, I kept saying, ok just a few more, just a few more. They were delicious!!


Bitter Beer Face, need I say more?


The first time our little drool face was in "The Bug" aka the exersaucer type thingy. Here legs were too short, pretty cute. Oct 1


My cutie neices Rosemarie (our flower girl) and Judy. Judy's eyes were crossed, it was so funny. This was taken just today, wow I'm good!

And that's all folks. We're having an amazing time here so far. We're not making tons of plans just doing every day as it comes. I want to go to the ocean and shop a bit. But the most important thing is being with everyone we love. It's such a huge blessing to get to spend this much time down here. We always feel so rushed when were here. Family is so important to me and this is just the best thing ever!
We love you all, talk soon! Oh and please comment 'cause I love knowing whos reading, thanks!

Road Trip!!

Hello hello. Well it's been awhile since the wee hours of morning have found me, but now here I am. I honestly thought I would never sleep more than two hours at a time again when Katelyn was born. Thank God I was wrong and in fact it only took 8 weeks until she was sleeping 8 hours. Now she sleeps 10 but for some reason she was up tonight so I decided to take this chance to say a howdy-doo. I'm at my Uncle Dons house in Kamloops on our way to Oregon for a couple weeks. I haven't been here since my aunts funeral in Jan. It's so hard, and yea if I even talk about it right now I'm just gonna lose it, so I'll wait. I'll just leave it at that.
So we're in Oregon until the 14th ish. In some ways it's the worst timing 'cause we're trying to sell the other house that we built. But for the same reason it's the best timing to just get away from it all. I've been more stressed this week than I have been in literally years. But I'm organized so I got everything done before leaving and don't have to worry about much. So far we've made awsome time on the road. We left yesterday at 9:30 and got here for a late dinner. It's been so nice to see my cousins, Linds, Shannon, Curtis, and the spouses and cutie kids. It's amazing how many babies are around now. It doesn't seem like that long ago us cousins were just a bunch of punk kids, and now here we are repopulating the earth. Fun times.
Anyhoo, my bed calls, so I'll be going. I'll be keeping you updated on our adventures. Tomorrow we'll stop and see Matthews aunt Eileen in Seattle and then probably go the rest of the way to Salem unless we're beyond tired. I'm so freaking excited to see everyone! Ciao for now!

I'm officially obsessed. These pics were from last week when we went for a walk in the fridged tundra that we live in. She doesn't like her touque very much 'cause it covers her eyes, it's so funny. She's such a munchkin. The other pics (me, and her in her goofy chair) I just took today. you can kinda see the kitchen which isn't done yet. we still have a few cabinets and side panels to put up. I love my kitchen I don't know why I ever leave it. As a matter a fact I'm gonna go make some dindin for my hubby now, so you know where I'll be. Ciao for now!

I'm a little slow

K so I totally didn't figure out how to line up the text with the photo on my last post (still haven't figured it out) but you get the point. So theres some pics for now of our cutie girl. Love you all and I'm a geek so I'll be back yet today I'm sure, yay!

Yipeee I figured out how to put pics on here all my my self, I'm so smart! Anyhoo, this pic is already a few weeks old, she's already out grown this shirt! Ok, now that I've figured this out I'm gonna put some more on here. Yay!



This was our camping trip this summer, so fun! Theres was tons and tons of raspberries and saskatoon berries everywhere. We sat by the river and Katelyn was great. It was so fun to get out and be normal again.