Cousins

Two of my aunts came down. My cousin brought her two boys with her (one being little wee Troy, stay tuned for pics of that adorable boy), and My Aunt and Uncle brought my 2 cousins, that are muchyounger and my kids love to play with. So all in all it was a fun day out at the farm tonight!

We had the slip and slide, the jumpoline, the bbq'd food. We enjoyed our evening out there, and are going back out today for some more fun in the sun (since it is supposed to be ridiculously hot today)

Camping

We had our first experience with camping this week. Jared's aunt and uncle came down and got a campsite out at Alameda Dam. So we spent Tues, Wed out there. Tues night both Jared and I's phones (aka alarm clocks) were dead, so we had no choice but to come into town for the night so that we could get up for work. The kids stayed out with Tracy and Cindi & Joel.

The kids really enjoyed it! That makes me so happy b/c we have one more tenting experience this year, and a camper experience too!

We had the perfect campsite, it was huge with lots of running space for the kids. I have really been slacking at my photo taking, and having to work during the day didn't help. So here is one cute one of Paige eating a marshmallow. The kids LOVED all the food; marshmallows, smores, hot dogs, junk food. They were in heaven , and hey I can't lie I enjoyed all the food too!

Blog Stalker

HAHA, I read a couple blogs today that were talking about "blog stalking", and I have came to face the fact that I, too, am a blog stalker. I get bored, and will click links through my friends pages which directs me to people I have never seen in my life.

So on my boredom days, I click away..visiting I don't know how many blogs! It's kind of creepy yes, but at the same rate, a lot of the blogs I read I really relate to in someway or another. Sometimes the blogs are about parenting, or about relationships, or food or photography. And it really interests me.

The bad part is, I feel like I know these people and would say hi to them on the street, but they don't even know I exist hahaha.

I thought facebook was bad for creepiness, I have proved to be a big creeper myself, no facebook necessary!

My name is Crystal, and I am a blog stalker!

I just want to add that I am not TOTALLY creepy. I just like reading the blogs, and relating to them. I would never comment rude or obscene comments on their blogs nor would I actually "stalk" them in REAL life. I just read the blogs, that's it , that's all!

My blog list on the side...ya I know like 2 of those people. The rest are just interesting blogs. haha i know , sad!!

Ladies Day

On Saturday I headed down to Minot with Monika, Michelle & Tanya. It was such a fun loving day with the ladies. We had some good food, some even better shopping and some even BETTER laughs.

After leaving at 8:30 in the morning we barely made the border on the way back and were't home until almost 10!! We were wore out by the end of the day.

Sorry no pics of the day.

After the long day shopping Saturday, Heading to Regina for the game yesterday, and then rushing back today for swimming lessons and then bolting off to Minot again to take my dad to the airport I would say I am a little bit tired. (kudos to me for the greatest run-on sentence EVER haha).

So tonight, we are getting the kids off to bed, and veggin while watching the movie "21".

Have a good night everyone.

Swimming Lessons

With me working & having my stitches in I haven't gotten the chance to really take pics of the kids at swimming lessons. Hopefully on Friday I will get some more pics taken.

The kids have came so far in swimming lessons, jumping in , dunking their heads in water. They are just like my little fishies.

Here's a couple of pics of Paige for you to enjoy:

My mini-photogapher

Dominic has been quite interested in taking pics. With me taking my photography course, he's even more interested. So while we were at the Rider game I let him have at 'er and take some pics for me.

Quite cute. He took pics of the field, My brother Lance and his friend Barkley and of my Aunt Marie taking a pic of him. And many many more, but I choose not to upload the millions of pics haha

GO "D"

Dom made the 2 1/2 hour trip to Regina with me to go check out the Riders play the Argonauts. This was his first game in the 2008 season. Odin also came with my Aunt Marie and the two boys had a blast playing together.

I informed Dominic on the way up that we yell "go 'd' " at the game. So he was nice and practiced up by the time we got to the game.

He took pictures of the cheerleaders , gave Gainer a high five, and even got a new Riders T-shirt.

Meanwhile Paige got to go to Gramma & Grampa Stephens and get spoiled all by herself for the weekend.

Dominic & Paige

Lookin' at pics like this of my kids, I just can't fathum where the time has went!! They are getting so big and so beautiful.

Their swimming lessons are going great. Dominic is a totally different swimmer than when he started last Monday. Dunking his head under the water and such. Haven't really gotten any pictures yet. I was either working, or in the water with them. BUT I will!!

Jared's mom has been down here helping me out with swimming lessons, and watching the kids while I am at work. And then on Friday my mom and sister came down to see the kids in swimming lessons. The kids were overjoyed to have so much attention for the day. Then Paige decided to go back to Indian Head with my gramma, and Dom stayed here with me and Jared's mom.

I got invited by the Ladies (Monika, Michelle & Tanya) to go down to Minot with them. It felt so good to make a trip like that with just the girls, we had a really fun day, and acted like giddy school girls I enjoyed every minute of it! Didn't get home til 9:40 that night, so it was a long shift that's for sure.

Today , Dominic and I are off to the football game. He is so excited, he already has his Rider gear out and ready, and can't wait to paint his face. More pics and more blogs to come!

2nd dose of Serving....

Not really sure where I first saw this recipe..online somewhere, probably amongs my "blog surfing".

Bacon Cheeseburgers!!

Fry 1/2 pkg of Bacon (cut into small pieces first or after, whichever..I cut it up first).
Cut up 1/2 onion
Grate ...I dunno , I'll go with 1 cup of cheddar cheese
I used 2 lbs of hamburger (this way it made a large batch)

Mix your raw hamburger, onion and drained bacon.

For spices I used Epicure Beef and Steak Rub, and (my kick) the Epicure Red Bell Pepper Flakes, just sprinkle them on (amount depends on your family's taste..)

Mix in the grated cheese and grill!!!

Definetly not a low fat recipe by any means, but so very tasty!!

Serving.....

Actually I don't remember the technical name for what I made!!! But it was delicious and so simple (which are 2 key elements on the days I work).

To make this "Mexican Macaroni" bahaha not even close to what it's called, but I'll go with it.

Fry 1 lb hamburger while boiling ..(this is where it gets tough b/c I just wing it) I dunno 2 cups of Macaroni. When hamburger is cooked, add
1 jar of Spaghetti sauce,
2 Tbsp of Chili Powder,
(I added Epicure Red Bell Pepper Flakes too, b/c I am on a kick with them right now!!)
Add your drained & cooked Macaroni.
Stir in about 1 cup of grated cheese (again totally guessing on how much).

Mix all together, and serve PRONTO!!

This pic doesn't do the flavour and taste any justice, but it was just remarkably splendid. I loved it!! and so did the family!

Back to Normal ??!!??!!??!!

Whatever normal is, we're back to normal. The kids are back from Gramma's house, but things are different around our place. Swimming lessons started this week! And seeing as I can't go into the water & have to work part time (and I have Paigester in the moms & tots swimming lesson), so Jared's mom is down for this week to help out with that. How lucky are we? It is so nice that she is able to help out so much during the summer (she is a teacher, thus has summer's off).

The kids came back home Saturday night, and my gramma had to come watch them until Jared and I got home. B/c the football game was delayed an hour my dad and I didn't get home until after midnight. and Jared was STILL working. He worked a crazy amount of hours last week (not getting home til 10, 1030, 11, 1230) and that is leaving for work by about 6 am. ROUGH.

So when the kids got up Sunday morning they were exstatic (spelling??) to see me!! It was so nice, I just wish it would've lasted longer than 5 minutes haha. Then the whining started and the fighting and ya it was a LOVELY day.

The Rider game was an AWESOME game. We were SOAKED before it started, and my bandage covering my stitches started to peel up. THEN on Sunday I had a bright idea to mow the grass in the middle of the afternoon in scorching heat...and ya that bandage was really wanting to come off! FUN!

The kids are wanting to be outside enjoying the heat and sun, and here is me wanting to be a mole in the nice cool house. It's hard to go to the pool without someone else with me, b/c I can't get in the water with them. And ya know what, I am just making excuses. I could go in the deepest end of the paddling pool and it wouldn't touch my stitches/bandage...So goal for this weekend: GO TO POOL LOTS!!! (working around the rider game of course, that the kiddos are going to come with me to!! They are going to have so much fun!!!)

Forgot my camera at home for the 1st swimming lessons :( and seeing as I was already running behind, there was no going back for it! Friday I don't work and will be taking them again myself, so I will get pics then.

Weekend

So, we had a blast at Heidi & Derek's housewarming bbq, the kids would've had so much fun there, so much room to run and all these little dogs to chase after haha. I didn't take a lot of pics this night...sorry I slacked.

The next day, my dad met me in Stoughton and we headed up to Regina for the football game. What I should've taken pics of was our soaking wet clothing!!! We decided that (after parking in the Exhibition grounds) that the rain had slowed down enough we could make a run for it to the Lawson and wait it out in there. hahaha by the time we got to the Lawson we were DRENCHED!! but then the weather cleared and after an hour delay, the football game went on!! AND WE WON!! so it was worth the "soaked butt" as my dad said.

A little late...

So I never really posted about how my surgery went. It was pretty uneventful, just a day surgery. At 11:30 I went into the operating room and they geared me up to get put to sleep.

That's always the scariest part for me..B/c you're sitting in this big white room, will all these surgical tools surrounding you, a million nurses & these huge alien lights above you.




Then when the anesthesiologist comes in to "put me to sleep", I really start being like ok this is gonna be fine, I am going to be fine. So she informs me that "this may sting a little" which I am fully aware of, b/c I have only had a FEW of these damn surgeries.

Then the nurse looks at me and says "don't worry we're gonna take good care of you" and that was the last thing I remember (between saying Ow ow burning ow ow). I just had this really rude urge to look up to that nurse and say "SCREW YOU NURSE"...good thing I conked out right after that urge haha.


Afterwards, when I got back to my room. Jared was patiently waiting for me. I slipped in and out of "consciousness" aka kept falling back asleep, which (in case you've never had anesthetic and don't know...) is completely normal. At one point I heard one of the nurses tell Jared as soon as she wakes up and can stay awake she can go home. So I fought and fought to stay awake..Finally about 430 we got to leave.

I never found out how surgery went, i never found out if the whole tumor was removed, I never found out how big the tumor was, I never found out how many stitches I had...nothing. The doc didn't even come tell Jared , I was kinda irked about that.

So now I have my stitches in for 12 days (7 down, 5 to go), and go back to see Dr. Sheikh in 4 weeks...speaking of which I better make that appoint.

While I am talking about my oh so lovely tumors. I got booked to have an ultrasound on my upper back (which I can say with 99% accuracy) that there IS a tumor there..but the docs "cant feel it so they don't know what to tell me". I am sorry but I wouldn't be coming in here and saying there was one there if there wasn't, these suckers HURT and I want something done...so ya I am pretty pumped that I get to go for an ultrasound soon and get it dealt with!!

Housewarming

Well day 3 with no kids, and I am still alive!!! I have come to finally enjoy the quiteness of my house, although my feelings of missing my kids have not near vanished. I am sure the second they get home they will. And back to chaos we will go!! haha.

The book I am reading right now (and quite enjoying the quiet time to be able to read it) "Eat, Pray, Love", it is just such an awesome book. And it got me thinking...before I had kids I really had no desire to have that "alone" time, that solitude of just being able to do nothing, I always had to be doing something. And I think it took me having kids to be able to appreciate that. The woman in the book tells of her travels to 3 different countries, and I inspire to be able to do that one day. Just take a year off and just visit other countries. Not to be in a panic "tourist mode" to see everything there is to see, but to be able to just sit back and enjoy my surroundings. I may be 50 before I get the chance to go there, and more than likely it won't be close to a year in length...but someday I will go there, and I will enjoy every bit of my surroundings (and perhaps be like her and take an Italian language course). --by the way, where I am in the book right now she is in Rome. She is a great writer and does a splendid job of explaining what it is like. I can be quite certain that not everyone's experience would be the same as hers, but it is something to inspire to do in my future.

So tonight, my alone time is NIL. After work I am packing up and heading out to Stoughton (where my best bud ,Heidi, moved at the beginning of June) for a Housewarming Bbq. We get to pitch a tent and stay the night (you should see their yard, it's HUGE!!) And the nice thing is , even if Jared works late tonight, he is working right by Stoughton so her house will be closer than driving all the way home!!

Heidi and her fiancee Derek are getting married in the Dominican in January (I am sure I've stated this numerous times before). I am her matron of honor (I think that's what it's called when you're married ...versus maid of honor).

This is a pic of their huge house ("manroom" and all) so nice!!

What???

As I said yesterday, my kids left with their gramma until Saturday. I don't even have anything new and interesting to post, they are my life, my excitement. haha and without I am quite boring!!

I am trying to enjoy the "quiteness" of my house. Jared of course has to be working late, so we don't even get to enjoy any alone time together. I was in bed last night before he had even got home...I tried and tried to stay awake by reading my new book (Eat, Love, Pray--awesome book by the way), but come 10 o'clock I was beyond tired!!

So today, I came home straight home from work and decided to cook a new meal. Well it's not that new. It's just chicken and rice. But I made a new sauce. "made" a new sauce AKA used the recipe on the side of the "Cream of Chicken" soup can. It should be yummy.

Tonight's agenda...Well I am too lazy to go out and enjoy the evening, maybe if someone motivated me i'd go for a walk. haha Instead I think I will run down and pay my sitter, watch a bit of tv and then cuddle up with my book.

Sorry not even any new pics to post today!

I guess the one exciting thing, I called and rented us a camper for a week in August. We will be heading out to Clear Lake for a wedding, and who knows what we'll do for the rest of the week, we could really camp anywhere!! haha. I am looking forward to it (don't tell Jared , but it's a good chance to "test drive" a camper and see how well we like it!! tee hee)

What to do...

As parents, I think we all have the moments where we think...oh man it would be nice to just have a day at home with no kiddos. It seems if we do have a "day off" from parenting it is b/c we are busy doing something.

Today I have that "day" ...actually I have that "couple of days". My mother-in-law has been here since Sunday to help with kids b/c of my surgery. It was decided (between Jared, his mom and I) that maybe it would be best if his mom took the kids for a couple days to let me completely recover, and give me a chance to rest and heal.

Well today is day 1 of 4. And I realize that after 4 years of being a mom, I don't know how not to be a mom. I have no idea what to do with myself. I miss my kids already, and can't wait to hear their voices tonight on the phone!!

I mean how can you not miss these kids: ?????????

Surgery

It's all over, for this time a round. I had my surgery and everything went pretty well. However I didn't get told a lot. I believe that the whole tumor got removed, but I won't know for sure until I talk to my doc in 4 weeks.

I am sore and tired, but the pain I was having before is gone...that's the part I was looking forward to!!

Thank you to each and everyone of you that was thinking and praying for me. I love you all!

Blooms

I have slowly been trying to get perennials to fill up my flower beds. Some of my flowers have bloomed. I was anxiously awaiting my lillies to bloom, and they are just as beautiful as I pictured them to be!

Manor Rodeo!!

Today the kids and I headed off with Lizz to Manor for the rodeo. It was such a windy day, but that didn't stop the kids from having a blast.

We first went to the parade and the kids were so excited to see the horses in the parade and the shriners in their little cars..but I think most of all they liked the candy that got thrown to them.

There was a petting zoo and a magician. Dominic didn't want to leave he was having such a great time.

Dom's little buddy Hayden was there with his mom, Barb, and sister Piper. He was riding in one of the class competitions. Afterwards Dominic got to go for a ride with Hayden on his horse. Another highlight of his day.

Paige was just happy to eat and eat and eat all day long. All in all we had a great day with Auntie Lizz, and can't wait to do something like that again!

More work..

I finally did some work on my photography course! As I said, I have an engagement photo shoot to do in August, and thus need to get my butt in gear and figure some things out.

So The other day the kids were my subjects as I played with my settings, and "depth of field". I don't think I have a more favorite subject than them. Every little thing they do is so cute!! For instance, check out Paige and how she is admirally looking at Dominic to try and figure out how he does his "peace" sign. SO CUTE!

Reminiscing.

Today I was reading over my blogs. I've been having a pretty "down" week you could say. And i came across this one entry that me me smile.

Things may get tough in life, but we always have to learn from our mistakes, grow from our weaknesses and stay smiling.

And I will do nothing less than that for me, for my kids and for my family.

So Today...I'm going to SMILE!

Happy Birthday!!!

My 26th Birthday has approached. And it's definetly hit me for reasons I cannot explain.

my present from my husband and kids is i get to pick out my own rider jersey!!