SNELLDOGS

Rainbow Rice

2012-02-23T13:32:00.003-05:00

We are at our wits end- we are tired of winter here. It isn't too cold and there isn't any snow but it is still too cold to spend all day every day outside. Which is what I would do if I had my choice. Not because I'm an outdoorsy person- because let's face it- I'm not. I guess it depends on your definition. I like the outdoors but I would never be able to survive if I was left in the wilderness alone- even if they did give me a knife. Though I did spend a whole summer outside selling cherries from a truck- I got the best tan EVER- I have never looked so good. (I do not condone tanning and if you saw the state of my almost translucent legs you would know that was true) I just like the sun on my face, I like the fresh air, I like walking or biking places instead of driving, I like the TV to be off and the breeze blowing in my face (not the lethbridge breeze mind you), I like smelling like the fresh outdoors, I like being active and most of all I like to see my kids being active.
Life is better when we can be outside. That being said- I hate the cold and I won't hang out outside if it is cold. So we have been coming up with fun things to do inside and taking advantage of the warmer weather when we can. Sometimes it is a true test of my imagination and lets face it- the imagination of pinterest.

We recently found an activity that has captured the attention of my children like nothing else does these days. I like to call it Rainbow Rice- or miracle rice. They will play with this stuff nicely for an hour- after that it gets a little crazy and rice ends up everywhere. But an hour of attention keeping fun play time- that is a miracle. I am a firm believer in rainbow rice. Super easy to make and super results!

Just take a couple of cups of rice (no need to be exact) a few drops of food coloring and a tablespoon or two of rubbing alcohol- mix it around in a bag and shake it up. Lay it out on a cookie sheet with some waxed paper underneath- put your stove on the lowest setting pop it in until it is completely dry (don't forget about it and go out for a girl's night like I did... Though nothing bad happened... Justin ended up turning the oven off) and play with it. A warning though- your house will smell like rubbing alcohol- just open the windows....

Ruby and Myers mixing up the colors.

All the colors waiting to be dried....

And the end result. We just layed out a blanket and when we were done we just gathered up the blanket and dumped it back in the container. There were some rice casualties and I am still finding rice everywhere but- it is pretty minimal.

And they loved it so a little leftover rice is fine by me...

My Loves 2012

2012-02-14T21:20:00.001-05:00

Well, it is Valentines day- 9 years ago today Justin proposed!
I am not a major Valentine's Day girl. I just am so run down after the Christmas and New Years holidays that I don't even feel like I have caught my breath and Valentine's Day is upon us.
Ruby and I did take time to make a heart garland and a few glittered hearts to celebrate.
I thought it would be appropriate today to share with you my list of things that I am loving right now.
Since it is the day of love after all.
I love Martha Stewart glitter- seriously is there any other glitter that is as beautiful? I think not. Ruby and I love it. Myers is banned from glitter until a later date- he likes to eat it and get it in his eyes. We only use glitter when he is having a nap... But lets face it, I am always looking for an excuse to use glitter...

I love my plate wall. Yes it may be a little old ladyish but I still love it. I am always looking for great plates to add to it. It is going to be epic and beautiful!

I am loving creating and learning right now. My new sewing books that I got for Christmas are among the many things that I love. I can't wait until I make the time to actually sew for myself. I have so many things swirling around in my head....

I am seriously obsessed with the new mad hatter line from Shabby Apple.
This dress takes my Valentine's Day breath away.

I also really love this. There are no words. I found it via Pinterest. I also really love pinterest. I am going to make something like it soon.

I love hard work, exercise, and a clean house. I just wish I was better at all of them.

I love green smoothies and healthy eating. I love home cooked meals.

I love talking to my mom on the phone and getting caught up on all the goings on.

I love how Noni loves his papas. Both of them. He just really loves them. It might have something to do with the wrestling but he definitely has a special place in his heart for his papas.

I love mail and packages.

I love memories, and reminiscing about the good times. I just wish my memory was better.

I always love getting random texts or messages from my sisters. It makes me feel loved and missed.

Ohio. I am loving Ohio. It has lots to offer and great friends. Justin loves his job- and that is always great. It has taken some time but I do love it here.

I love the promise of spring on the horizon. I love spring. I love sun and warm weather.

I love thrift stores- especially out east. There is always some sort of wonderful treasure to find....

I love Ruby's desire and knack for learning. She amazes me every day. Right now she is working on reading- she has a few books she can read and we are working with her. I love to teach her and to know that the things that she knows I have taught her. I love to hear her in primary answering questions. That is where I truly get to see what her little brain absorbs at home and what she learns even when I don't think she is learning anything. I am always amazed.

I love all that Noni is. He is a little bit of a DESTRUCTO- at least that is what we call him. He can be a little bit crazy- ok A LOT. And he gets into everything. But he is so sweet and wonderful. He never likes to see anyone sad or upset and if you are he will be the first there to hug you and kiss you. Though, lets face it, he is the one who causes the tears about 75 percent of the time- (at least for Ruby) but he is there to make her feel better after.

I love Justin. He is wonderful and my most favorite person. I love seeing him come home after work. My heart and spirit lifts when I hear the garage door. And not just because I am about to go crazy from all that being a stay at home mom entails, but because I like him. He is fun to spend time with and he makes me laugh. Every day.

I love family. And I love you all. Thank you for being part of my life- for the comments and the messages and the letters and the love. I guess that is what Valentine's Day is for me- a time to really pay attention to the love that I receive and give throughout the year.

Falling asleep on the job

2012-02-04T08:44:00.001-05:00

Sundays are hard days for us. Justin has to be at church 2 hours early for meetings and has to stay for about 2 hours after so that leaves the kids and I to get ready and come home and get lunch- that is enough to make any day hard.... But Myers also ends up missing his nap. It is always a toss up trying to decide if I should get him to sleep or just stay up until bed time. If I get him to nap too late then he won't go to bed at night but if I don't put him down for a nap normally he takes matters into his own hands and he ends up like this.

Sleeping on the job. It always amazes me when he falls asleep like this. Isn't he just so cute?

Impromptu Candlemas of 2012

2012-02-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

Candlemas- I love Candlemas.

This year we happened to be in Alberta around the time that Candlemas should be taking place. So we thought- why not? And we had ourselves a small celebration of the holiday that has grown to mean so much to us. It wasn't our usual 'cram 500 people into a house that holds 10' party but it was enjoyable all the same.

We made 7 pounds worth of crepes and ate every last one. They were delicious.

My personal favorite is banana, chocolate pudding and whipped cream.

Delicious.

The kids loved Candlemas too!

I mean really? Who doesn't?

There I am, eating my signature crepe...

And close up- you don't want to get too close- it can get ugly...

Can't leave out the founder of Candlemas!! There he is in all his glory... Along with a couple of newbies!

And of course- the Candlemas talent show. I wrote a little ditty myself- as I tend to do. It turned out ok- we could have used a little bit of practice and some cameras and phones that had sufficient memory and battery. I don't know if the full rendition got recorded or not.

But just for your enjoyment, and so I won't forget it- here it is.

It is sung to the tune of Bruno Mars' song- Just the way you are.

Oh, her size, her size, make the plates look like they're not shining

Her pears, her pears, fall perfectly without her trying

Its so beautiful, and I'd eat it every day

Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me

And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I taste ok, I say

When I see you crepe, there's not a thing that I would change

Cause you're amazing, just the way you are

And when you pile, the whole room stops and stares for a while

Holy crepe you're amazing, just the way you are(yeah)

It’s crisp, It’s crisp, I would eat it all day if she let me

This half, this half, she tastes so heavenly

It's so beautiful, and I eat her every day

Oh, you know, you know, you know, I'd never ask you to change

If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same

So, don't even bother asking if you taste ok

You know I'll say

When I see you crepe, there's not a thing that I would change

Cause you're amazing, just the way you are

And when you pile, the whole world stops and stares for a while

Holy crepe you're amazing, just the way you are

I should have been a song writer- I know... You should see my other Candlemas renditions. It is probably one of my least known passions....
You can see one of them here, and here. Sadly I don't have a video of the time we did Wicked the Candlemas Musical- but take my word for it- it was LEGENDARY!

Niagara At Night

2012-01-25T21:21:00.001-05:00

We went home for my sister's wedding.

We decided that the best and cheapest way for us to do that would be to drive back into Canada and fly out of Ontario.
We wanted to fly out of Waterloo and visit old friends there but all the flights were booked so we chose the next best place- Hamilton.
Not once did we think about whether or not this was a really GOOD idea. Turns out driving 5 hours to stay overnight and fly REALLY early the next morning wasn't the WORST idea... though it wasn't the best either. Turns out flying into Toronto on a Sunday afternoon and then driving 5 hours that same day (because Justin had to work the next morning) through a blizzard WAS the worst idea.
We did survive and were even able to see the Niagara Falls a way we have never seen them before- at night.
It was really cool and Ruby loved it.

They shine some colored lights on the falls at night and they are really pretty. It was deserted as well- just us and the falls. Definitely a new way to experience it. Super misty and wet (as per usual) but luckily it wasn't too cold so we were still able to enjoy ourselves.

It really is moments like the- small memories that we make together that I love. We could have easily bypassed the falls, we have seen them before, but we didn't and it may have been a little bit of a pain, and kind of annoying when all we wanted to do was get to our hotel room and rest, but it was worth it and it always is. I just love moments like this. Stories to tell.
They had a lot of other fun things going on there too- they had a Disney themed Christmas light show that you could drive through- Ruby also loved that.
All in all it was worth it, and it felt nice to be back in familiar territory.
I am always amazed at the beautiful wonders of the world and I really enjoy nothing more than sharing these special memories with my family.

Noni The Warrior King Turns TWO

2012-01-11T16:53:00.000-05:00

Myers turned 2 while we were in Alberta- I can not believe it!

We knew that Justin wasn't going to be there so we made sure to celebrate it with Justin before we left.

Here is Noni in all his half naked glory.

That kid seriously loves to be naked.

He was pretty lucky this year he got to celebrate his birthday 3 times with 3 different desserts, mini cheesecakes, ice cream cake, and this monster cake I made him. (I saw it on pinterest- that site is awesome!)

I did run into a few mishaps- like the cake being lopsided- but I think it only added to the full effect.

Myers loved it.

And of course what is a birthday party at Grammie's without a hot chocolate party?

To my little Noni,

You will always be my little Noni- even when you are fully grown and have children of your own. (Though lets face it- I can't even begin to imagine you all grown up) I don't know how the name stuck I never thought it would but it has and I love it and I love you. You are a wonderful, sweet little boy. You are always the first to comfort Ruby when she gets hurt, though that is normally because you are the one who caused the hurt in the first place and are therefore the first one on the scene. You do love to bug Ruby and she, for the most part, loves it. My most favorite thing that you do is when you hug me around the neck so tight and say 'Love Mommy'. It just melts my heart. You have the sweetest little face and the largest round eyes. I love your craziness and your love for battle-axes. You weild a sword well my son. I love that your head seems to be a quarter of the size of your body and that when you get really tired it seems to be too heavy for your body and you go into tripod mode (your head and feet on the floor and the same time). You tend to go into destructo mode around 4:30 and don't come out of it until bed time. You do not like heights and hate being thrown in the air. You have recently gotten into putting your hand into your diaper and so we have had to take drastic measures and put you back into a onesie. Those are really hard to find in your size. You will copy every thing that Ruby says or does and are so darn cute when you do it. I love to hear you talk and to watch you learn and grown. You are not afraid of any one or any thing. You will take anyone on in a wrestle and I often see you taunting the larger kids... You are solid and are definitely built like a rock. You are a rough and tumble boy and I am loving every minute of it. I really love you.

Clay Making

2012-01-10T15:22:00.005-05:00

My new favorite thing to do with Ruby is work with clay. This is a picture of the nativity Ruby made last Christmas (when she was 3.5) I am in love with it.

She loves to work with clay. From left to right they are the shepherd, sheep, cow, Joseph, baby Jesus and manger, Mary, donkey, horse, wise man, and on top the angel and a star. I love the eyes. She loves large eyes- and if I had a close up of baby Jesus you would see that he has one large eye and one small eye. I love to see her create things with her hands- she loves it too.

This year I made nativities to give away for Christmas. I made 14 of them in total.

My little army of Josephs and Marys.

The finished product. This is of course the small version but I have made the 'extended' version in the past. I like giving these to people I love. They are inexpensive but take lots of time so they are full of heart- and super cute if I do say so myself.

Stay tuned for the clay cake toppers I made for my sisters wedding!

The Perfect Day

2012-01-06T17:57:00.004-05:00

It finally snowed here- though as I write this post all of the snow has melted leaving the grass green and luscious once again.

But while the snow was here we did our best to make the most of it.
We dressed up in all of our gear- though we had to remove layers since it was SO GORGEOUS outside!
We did get a chance to make a snowman- which is the only semblance of snow left.

Ruby made the head- all by herself and the eyes.

I love the eyes. They really just make the snowman.

Ruby insisted on a snowball fight.
I tried to warn her about my uncanny ability to undoubtedly hit her in the face with a snowball, she wouldn't listen.
And I ACCIDENTALLY hit her in the face with a snow ball.
I ACCIDENTALLY got Myers too.
They are just moving around so much while I threw those snowballs.
I will say there is nothing more fun than throwing snowballs at my kids. They love it- and lets face it- I love it.
They take it pretty good when they get smucked in the face (by accident) and we just have a good time.
It was fun.
BUT just between us- I'm glad it melted and I hope it never comes back.
There- I said it.
If Ruby knew she would not like that I said that- she is a huge fan of snow and can not understand my dislike for it. She is constantly trying to convince ME that winter is MY favorite season. It isn't the snow so much it is the weather that usually comes with it.

Removing all the gear- it is still waiting for another use- and Ruby is still waiting for another snow fall....

My Grandpa, Ross Eldon Myers

2012-01-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

Grandpa and Grandma June 2011
My Grandpa's funeral is today.
He passed away on December 24, 2011.
We were at a friends house enjoying Christmas Eve festivities when we got the news. I was shocked, to say the least. I knew he wasn't doing well- and hadn't been for a while, but still I was shocked. I was convinced that he was invincible.
My Grandpa was a great man. He had his own quirks and weaknesses but everyone does, and who wants to dwell on moments like that? I believe that only the good need be remembered. And he had a lot of good- that could and does and should inspire a lot of people.
Today is his funeral- and I am missing it. I am here in snowing Ohio, but my heart is in Calgary.
Cheesy, I know, but true.
Since I am not there and won't be able to participate or hear any of the services I thought I would put together a Eulogy of my own. From the eyes of a granddaughter.

If I could only use one word to describe my grandfather it would be service. He served his whole life. He served in the Korean War. He served as a prominent member of the legion. He served in AA. My grandpa didn't have an easy early life by any stretch of the imagination. He left home at the age of 16 because things weren't great at home. I think of that and my heart breaks. No one should feel the need to leave home at 16- no one. But he did. He served in the Korean war and worked as an 'EMT'- from the stories he told I imagine it was like the ambulance on the front lines. He saw a lot of sad things and had some incredible stories. He used to come to the YMCA and talk to the children that I work with about his experiences in the war. Incredible. It was incredible for me to hear the stories that he told. He was a hero- any person who can fight in a war is a hero. But this was MY grandpa- and he was a HERO to me. Those were special times for me, times I will forever cherish. My grandpa was an incredible wood worker, he had a great talent and he liked to share that talent with others. Once in school I had taken an industrial arts class and I had decided to make a hope chest. There wasn't enough time left in the semester for me to finish so we went to my grandpa's and dad, grandpa and I put our heads and hands together and we finished it together. It wasn't a monumental moment but it is a cherished memory. I remember one Christmas we were setting up the tree at my grandparent's house (we spent every Christmas there) and we didn't have an angel to put on the top or it was broken, or grandpa just wanted a new one (I can't remember which, like I said this is from the memory of a granddaughter- so that means some of these memories will be how I remember them, not how they really were....) so we headed out to the store to find a new angel to put on top. Grandpa made sure that it was an angel and that it was a pretty one. I think it was that moment that I knew that grandpa believed in heaven, that was a good thing for me to learn about him. I remember the Christmas he made us all doll houses. All of his granddaughters- and he had a lot of grand daughters. At the time I was enchanted with the magic of it- waking up Christmas morning to see the lights on and the room filled with presents and doll houses with our names on them placeds around the room. At that time I didn't think much about the work and the love that went into those houses, but I guess that is why we have memories and why we reminisce, we learn from them. Golf carts and summer days remind me of grandpa. He used to own a golf cart and would take all of the cousins out for a ride together around the block. That was awesome, my absolute favorite memory of him. I remember stampede breakfasts at my grandparent's house, the neighborhood, friends, and family would come over and we would celebrate. I remember the smell of his car, minty. He always had candy for us. I remember his office that he had in the basement. That was the best place to play- I love the typewriter that he had, it was really fun to play with. My grandpa loved dogs, I will always remember Zipper and Pal... I remember him in his uniform, he looked good in it. He always stressed the importance of Remembrance Day and I never really got it. I do now. I remember going to his Legion (no. 275) and sitting in the front row and listening to the ceremony on November 11. He was always glad to see us there and I always felt proud to be his granddaughter. We would visit the family homestead in the summer, it was special going there with grandpa and having him tell us stories of his childhood however good or bad they were. Family was important to him, memories were important to him, and visiting was important to him and he made sure everyone knew it. My grandpa celebrated 51 years of sobriety while he was still alive and was very active with Alcoholics Anonymous. My grandpa overcame many shortcomings in his life- and he conquered them. My grandparents were always housing someone who needed there help. Now when I say always, I mean it. Ever since I can remember there has been some stranger living in there house that just needed some help, just a few months to get on their feet. I like knowing that my grandpa (and grandma- because lets face it grandpa couldn't have done it without grandma's permission and help) is that kind of person. The kind that doesn't focus on your shortcomings, or your moments of ridiculousness but is willing to give help when he sees the need. He taught, and is still teaching me as I reminisce and grow older, much about service and love. My grandparents supported us any way they could- and were at all the important events that they could be at. I know my grandpa loved me- as he would say 'Love you just the way you are.' My favorite photo of my grandpa is the one hanging in his bedroom (beside my favorite picture of my grandma) it is of him as a young handsome man. I really want a copy of that photo.
I am grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I am grateful to KNOW that I will see my grandpa again one day. I am grateful for him and for his example. I just wish I could be in Calgary right now, doing the fun part of getting together with family to remember. Isn't that the great thing about funerals? Getting the family together and enjoying each other's company?

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T11:08:00.002-05:00

(Take note of the tree skirt- I finished that yesterday and I love it!!!)

Things we love this Christmas season:
Amazon Prime (free 2 day shipping on almost everything) how will we ever live without you?
Packages and letters in the mail
The green grass- yes I said Green- there will be no white or brown Christmas here- it looks like summer out there! It may not be as warm but I will enjoy it as long as I can.
Our REAL beautiful Christmas tree adorned with mostly homemade decorations and a new tree skirt.
Each other- we are grateful to be together and healthy and happy.
The real reason we celebrate Christmas. Though Santa is fun we have really been trying to focus on Jesus Christ this season. We have made a point to talk about different parts of the Christmas story every day and read books that focus on the nativity. It has been a special Christmas for us all. We watched these videos yesterday together and the kids loved them. (Though Ruby had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that they were just actors and it wasn't the real Joseph and Mary. She just thought they were being being video taped like she always is. We had to explain to her that there were no cameras back when Jesus was born... she couldn't believe it!)
Friends that we have made here that make it a little easier to be away from family at this time...
Simple traditions that are passed down- things like decorating the Christmas tree, making the house dark and turning on the Christmas tree lights and laying under it- just enjoying the beauty and wonder of Christmas.

Things we will miss this Christmas season
Family- of course. It just isn't the same without everyone. I keep thinking about what everyone is doing back home and wishing that we could be there too. Luckily it won't be too long until we are back visiting.
Snow- I know I was just bragging about the green Christmas that we are having- but lets be realistic- how can it really feel like Christmas without snow?
TOFFIFEE- Cannot find the stuff anywhere. How can it be Christmas if I don't have toffifee in my stocking? I know that they sell it down here (they actually spell it toffifay down here) but they must not sell it in ohio. So if anyone hears my plea- buy me a pack of toffifee and I will come and get it in January! (while I was writing this I looked it up on Amazon- they sell it, of course, 15 pieces for 10 dollars- does that seem right?)

We would just like to say Merry Christmas. Thank you for all you have done for us and for all the packages and love that we have received. We are grateful for this time of year to celebrate the miracle of Christ's birth and the magic of Christmas.

Gettysburg

2011-12-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

About 2 weeks ago after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with friends we hit the road and headed out to Gettysburg, PA for a little adventure. After paying about $20 in tolls, taking the craziest windy roads ever, us all getting a little car sick (which is saying a lot for me), and Myers crying for about the last hour on and off because he couldn't sleep we finally made it.
We got into the hotel, declined the meatballs we were offered, and went to bed.
We woke up the next morning with both vigor and vim and were ready for our historically enlightening adventure.
And historically enlightening it was.
We had been told to watch the Gettysburg movie before we went, and though it was a little bit painful to get through (it is like 4 hours long), we were glad that we had. I mean who needs a book when you can watch the movie? Am I right?

Meeting Abe Lincoln himself. He really is as honest as they say.... He said I wouldn't look very good in this picture because the sun was in my eyes and my hair looked weird and I tilted my head like a crazy person. He was right.

Once Ruby figured out that he was a statue and not an actual person she warmed right up to him.

The field where the famous 'Pickett's Charge' took place.

Little Round Top Justin and I both have a special place in our hearts for Colonel Chamberlain (he had a really big part in the movie and he seemed like a pretty stand up guy).

High Water Mark of the Confederacy.

The Cemetery at Gettysburg

This was where the famous Gettysburg address was given by Abraham Lincoln.

This was how we ended up carrying Myers most of the day. He had had enough.

An actual Holly tree.

Myers was pretty excited.

Gettysburg was a truly humbling and sobering experience for me. Many men died in that battle- and though I am not American my ancestors were. And it was a pivotal point in the civil war and a pivotal point in MY future. And yours (lets face it- whatever happens to America affects us all). I have great respect for those who fought and lived and died for their country, and state and beliefs. The point that I found interesting while we were there was that no one was portrayed as the 'bad guys' and the 'good guys' It was just americans who had died and were being honored and remembered for their sacrifice. There was a great feeling of sadness there. I learned a lot about American history and it felt good to increase my knowledge in that area. We bought the cds to listen to in our car while we drove through the various sites. It was the best idea ever. We could decide what we wanted to see and where we wanted to go and how much we wanted to listen to. We were able to learn lots from them and enjoy ourselves. I love these mini adventures that we are able to have together. It builds memories and bonds and knowledge. All good things. It also builds patience.....

Our First Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T11:22:00.001-05:00

We have been married almost 9 years now and have never had our own Christmas tree. Never really had the need to- we have always gone home for Christmas- and when we were living in Waterloo it was normally 2 weeks before Christmas until a week after Christmas so no need for a Christmas tree.
Well this year was different since we weren't going home at all- so we headed to the best tree buying place EVER and got our Christmas tree at Brunner's.
Ruby had the job of picking the perfect Christmas tree, and she took her job VERY seriously.

She finally decided on this one. The most beautiful tree there....

They tied it on the roof for us and we were on our way to hot chocolate and pie. It was such a great experience and so fun for everyone. I love Christmas.

We headed home (after hot chocolate and pie) and decorated it with the 5 ornaments that we had. We had to buy lights on our way home but didn't get enough (as you can tell in this picture). I headed out later that night to get more. We have since strung cranberries and made many more ornaments to adorn our tree...

How many other people have Rapunzel decorating their tree?

Random Randomness

2011-12-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

It is my birthday today, and since it is my birthday I get to do whatever I want. So I am just going to post a whole bunch of random things that I have been thinking about lately or that have happened to me recently. Things to remember as I get older (as my memory goes...)

1. Random acts of kindness, however simple, really do brighten a person's day. Remember that time about a year ago when someone I didn't know bought me that wallet? I think about that ALL THE TIME. And every time I think of it it makes me feel good. Recently I was grocery shopping with the kids by myself (which was my first mistake...) and I was loading the groceries and the kids into the car when a lady passed by and asked me if she could return my cart for me. Such a simple thing, yet it has left a lasting impression. I really didn't want to return that cart (though I would have) and she saw a need, a simple need, and she filled it.

2. Accept these simple acts of kindness with kindness and gratitude. Recently the kids and I decided to do our own act of kindness for our neighbors. We were waiting for a ride somewhere and were outside playing while we waited. It was garbage day and everyone still had their garbage bins out, now hauling the garbage bins in is probably my least favorite thing to do, so we thought that we would bring some of our neighbors bins in. The first house went well so we headed to the second house. We were met half way by a very bleary eyed neighbor who was a little suspicious. He couldn't be convinced that we were just doing something nice for them. He thought we were campaigning. Because I always see a woman in her yoga pants and 2 kids campaigning... (but that is beside the point...) I left after our brief conversation feeling awkward. But I learned that it is ok to be grateful.

3. I just learned about this Beauty Redefined campaign. I think it is a really great thing and I hope that I can raise my children to feel good about themselves ALWAYS. And to know that the media should not define what is beautiful and worthwhile.

4. I found what I think is the best Christmas advent that I have ever seen. I saw it on Delia Creates. It is the box advent on there- Every night I will fill it with something we will do or read or get the next day. Every day is different and I don't have to do too much prep. I just sit down for a few minutes the night before and determine what would be best for us to do the next day. I love it. And I know Ruby will too.

5. We are going to get our first Christmas tree ever. Not because we don't celebrate but because this will be the first Christmas that we spend just us. It is exciting but if I am being honest I am already missing family...

6. I have been super busy making presents and ordering presents online... One of my favorite things about living in the USA is the shopping. I have gotten so many amazing deals. As an example- recently I went to Old Navy when they had a special for 75% off all outerwear and I had Old Navy Bucks. I bought 2 winter coats for me, 2 for Justin, a pair of running pants, 2 skirts and a maxi dress all for 60 dollars. I saved 350 dollars that trip. It was amazing. I felt like an extreme couponer and was on a 'shopping deal' high for days!

7. You've had them fried, scrambled, hard boiled, and poached but have you ever had them baked? One of Justin's many experiments- but this one went wrong. Very wrong. Baked eggs are a no go. Weird, hard, inedible outer crust and weird texture. The pictures say everything.

We look happy here- its all a ruse.

You eat them and that film is left behind. In this picture I'm using my teeth to scrape the egg out of the film... classy I know... It's a little creepy but cool at the same time... They tasted fine but like I said, they had that weird film. I would never recommend baking your eggs...

8. I love pinterest. Such great ideas all in one place. What could be better than that? I am making this for our christmas tree skirt. I will also be making all of our decorations- since we have none. I can see a lot of our advent activities being based around making decorations. I am thinking of stringing fresh cranberries as garland- does that even work or do they just go bad?

9. I am grateful that there is no snow on the ground for my birthday. It was my one birthday wish- and it happened! Ruby and I are definitely having a little disagreement about snow. She claims she loves it and she CANNOT believe that I don't. She is constantly trying to convince me that I like snow. It makes me laugh.

10. Two things that can always make me feel better- a clean house and exercise. A clean house always feel better than a dirty house. If ever I feel super lazy or gross I know it has to do with the state of my house. So I 'get up off of that thing and (clean) till I feel betta' (that is a real song- it doesn't say clean it says shake it- does any one else know what I am talking about? I don't know what song it is but I think it is pretty widely known.)

11. I love INSANITY. The work out. Justin and I have been doing it for 4 weeks straight. It is just good to have a common goal and motivate each other and do something together.

12. Justin meet Justin.

Justin took this picture at Elder Beerman (a department store here) with a Justin Bieber billboard. It made me laugh because he came in the car trying to convince me that he met the Biebs. Not only is the flash bouncing off of J.Biebs but he is looking a little flat AND I watched him take that picture through the window of the store. It was awesome, especially for all the people watching the 30- something year old taking a picture with the fake Justin Bieber. I love that man of mine...

I am now 28 and have embraced it surprisingly easily. I look forward to what is to come in this life of mine.

Cleveland Zoo

2011-11-29T17:05:00.000-05:00

There is so much to catch up on.
I guess that is what happens when you neglect the blog...
Anyway- here is our trip to the Cleveland Zoo!
That place is HUGE- it was really fun!
We were there for 4.5 hours and we still didn't see everything....
But we saw the really cool stuff.

Like the Reindeer fighting...

And the seals!

And the sharks- which were incredible awesome...

We even got a little note from fellow Canadian friends (we assume...) They saw our license plate and left us this note one our windshield!

The end to a perfect day.... And once again. I love Cleveland.

I Start Walking Your Way, You Start Walking Mine....

2011-11-29T11:47:00.001-05:00

It was a magical moment when we headed to Hershey, PA to meet up in the middle with some long lost friends....

Our first stop was Wendy's of course. What is a 'Snughes' adventure without Wendy's? Nothing I tell you- NOTHING! Plus we were famished. Fries and a Frosty- is there anything better in this world?

It was a quick trip so we didn't waste any time- we headed to the Chocolate World and took a tour of the 'factory'. There were singing cows and candy at the end- so it was pretty awesome. Plus it was free....

CANDY! (Which no one particularly liked- stick to what you know Hershey, stick with what you know...)

Stuck the kids in with the stuffed Hershey kisses- they didn't want to get out- and who can blame them?

Used the memorabilia, that we didn't buy, to cool us down...

And did our best to get all the kids in one picture together....

Met the Reese's Peanut Butter cup mascot- a dream come true!

We also headed to the amusement park- which was fun- for most of us... Ruby discovered she is more like her dad than me- she got sick from the ride- no actual puking but no fun after that either... We headed to Dunkin' Donuts for some hot chocolate while Mark and Henry finished up the fun having.

We also did some Hershey exploring- I love the light posts!

Trying to decide where to have our last meal before the dreaded good bye...

Houlihan's it is!

I think Justin's face says it best. We had a great time in Hershey but mostly because we had great company. (His face does say all of that, doesn't it?) My favorite time was when we were just able to relax and hang out- order a little wendy's and watch a little modern family- while the kids were sleeping. Just laugh and joke and have a good time. And as an added bonus Kim and I were able to get a little bit of post Thanksgiving shopping in, which was nice. We are just glad to have such great friends who are willing to drive 5 hours to meet up and have some great times and make some great memories. Until next time Hughes', hopefully it won't be too long.....

Thanksgiving Tree 2011

2011-11-28T21:11:00.001-05:00

I saw this at a friends house and decided it would be a great FHE idea and something to help us remember to be grateful.
Presenting our Thanksgiving tree of 2011. (This will now be a yearly tradition)

Thanksgiving, isn't it a little late for that, eh? That is what my Canadian friends are thinking right now- am I right?

Well it seems weird to me to but when you are in America you do as the Americans do.

So we completely skipped over Canadian Thanksgiving and jumped right into American thanksgiving.

Hence the Thanksgiving tree in November.

All I did was cut out a tree like shape from packing paper (Ruby thought it looked like a mushroom) and then cut out a whole bunch of leaves from various fall colored paper.

Then we spent an evening talking about all of the things that we are grateful for and wrote them on the leaves. Noni and Ruby placed them on the tree and now we have a constant reminder of what we are grateful for. It can lift a person's spirits just looking at it. That is why I like it.

It can also scare a person half to death when they see it in the dark (it resembles a person lurking in the dark out of the side of your eye)

I am grateful for the constant reminder to be grateful, sometimes I need it. It is important to remember to be grateful for the things in our lives, and I am.

I feel blessed and grateful.

At this time I am grateful for family and friends.

We had a great time getting together with all the 'orphan' families (those who don't have any family living out here) and celebrating thanksgiving. There was so much food and laughter, it felt like family and it was great.

After dinner, instead of lining up for black friday specials, we headed to Gettysburg and Hershey to meet up with the other thing I am grateful for- old familiar friends. (The friends aren't old, just the friendship)

More to come on that soon!

Cleveland Rocks II

2011-11-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this city. I don't know why- it just has charm, and it isn't crazy crowded.
I like it.
So we took another trip to experience more of the city that is Cleveland, Ohio.
You can see our other trip here.
This trip brought along a few surprises.
Including our chance to meet Carlisle Cullen. (He has a real name but lets face it, it was hard enough for me to remember what his movie name was....)
We were heading to the terminal tower that overlooks the city when low and behold in the same mall was an autograph and picture taking experience with Dr. Carlisle Cullen himself.

Myers was super excited about it. He's a huge twilight fan- I mean what almost 2 year old isn't?

There he is!

And here he is closer.

And signing autographs.

We didn't get to actually shake his hand or get our picture with him (that would have cost $40) but we were among the admirers, though technically we aren't admirers... But we posed as such. I enjoy myself some twilight but not enough to pay for a picture and an autograph...
And then we got sufficiently bored and headed to the terminal tower...

It was awesome! It just recently reopened after it was closed because of some scares from September 11.

We all had fun taking turns pressing the buttons in the multiple elevators we had to take to get all the way up there. It reminded me of when we went up the Empire State Building- though less supervised, less money, and definitely less people. But both were awesome in their own right...

All the way up to the 42nd floor! Myers looks super impressed.

Part of the view...

I like this picture- she looks super cute. We were trying to point out a limo that we could see by a church down there- she couldn't find it. You know how hard it is to have a child find something that is only 2 feet from them- well imagine a tiny little limo that is who knows how for from her. We eventually took a picture of it and then pointed it out in the picture and then had her find it in real life. To this day I don't know if she found it...

The crooked river.

Even Scrooge, E. signed the register. Who knew he was from Germany? You can thank Justin for that!

Next stop was a childhood dream come true. The actual house that A Christmas Story was filmed in. You know- 'You'll shoot your eye out!' or ' Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra, Ra Ra Ra Ra'. And if you don't know then you should...

My family will love the picture below. That is the actual 'I can't put my arms down' snow suit. I thought it was brown!

There it is- the house! Ruby was really excited to be there- though she hasn't seen the movie.... yet!

The LEG LAMP!

Hiding in the cupboard!

Serving the turkey!

Randy's hat.

The Red Rider BB Gun. I never would have shot MY eye out with that thing. I'm pretty much a BB gun shooting genius!

Justin's just plain awesome.

Careful or Ruby will shoot YOUR eye out!

Token Leg Lamp Picture. If I had endless amounts of money AND liked really ugly things I would have bought one....

It was really a fun day. Lots of memories and lots of dreams come true....

Who needs Disney World when you have Cleveland?

HEAD

2011-11-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

In Justin's adult life I have only known him to be truly afraid of one thing.

Styrofoam heads.

I can only blame his sisters for the lack of Styrofoam head decoration in our home.

(Everyone has Styrofoam heads adorning their halls right? I feel totally left out of the Styrofoam head craze...)

On All Hallows Eve we received a 'guest' in the mail.

In the form of a Styrofoam head.

It looked like this:

And it creeped us all out.

I did not expect the amount of creepage that I felt.

I thought it was all just a simple joke that would be funny and then the styrofoam head would go away and we would all laugh and that would be it.

But that head has a way of haunting a person and finding its way back into your life.

The creepiest part is the fact that it has 'I FOUND YOU' written on its head.

That creeps everyone else out too, right?

I will admit I am a bonified 'scaredy'. There is no other way to describe it.

Justin showed a little bit of fear whether fake or real suppressed 'I was terrorized with this head by my sisters in my youth' fear it doesn't matter. I jumped right on that band wagon.

We quickly threw it down the stairs (into the basement that we NEVER enter, not under ANY circumstances- because of said fear) and quickly close the door.

We discussed what we would do with it- I wanted to get rid of it so Justin said he would run down and get it and then we could get rid of it. So he opened the door- and about 4 steps down- there was the head.

It had landed right side up on its neck and was looking at us through those opaque white eyes- just willing us to come closer.

SO.... we shut the door again.

And laughed nervously.... (the kids were around and we don't want them to have unnecessary fear of the head)

We did eventually get the head and now it has a dwelling in our garage.

We just can't seem to let it go.

Where do you find a styrofoam head anyway? What if we needed it some day?

I know you are laughing at us right now- but beware!!!

Maybe one day the head will find you.

Yes I am mostly speaking to you Aymie DAVIS!!!!

Lessons Learned

2011-11-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

I learn something new every place I live.
Not just one thing, mind you, but many. Most lessons I learn are based around service. Things people have done for me or service they have offered me. Sometimes the harder lessons are learned- things I really wish someone would have done for me but didn't. I then learn to give that service when I am able. I become more aware of what people in my situation may need, so when I come across it I do my best to offer that service. In fact I more fervently seek out those opportunities to serve. I really believe it is important to serve others and to find opportunities to serve.

Case and point- One such lesson was learned very recently.
We have a pretty big yard which we love to bits. It is full of lots of amazing trees and it is a great place to hang out. The kids and I spent almost every day out there in the summer and the weather has been great lately so we have been spending every second that we can out there now.
That being said- all of those beautiful trees lose their beautiful leaves.
And we decided that we would teach our children work ethic and we would rake the leaves by ourselves instead of having our lawn service do it for us.
Plus it saved us $50. Now before you ask the question- it was totally NOT worth it. If you are ever faced with this decision in your future- just pay the money and save yourself a lot of heart ache and hand ache and back ache (from landscaping duty)....
We had a very short window to get the raking done- the city has a program where if you leave your huge pile of leaves in the gutter they will come and pick them up- they were starting this on friday so we needed to have the leaves in the gutter by then. Because of other commitments (trick or treating and the library) we were left with wednesday and thursday as our only days to do this. Justin got Wednesday afternoon off so we thought that would be a great time to do it. But we are great procrastinators and 'find something better to do-ers' that we filled up that half a day pretty quickly so we were left with Justin pulling landscaping duty solo for about 40 minutes. He did what he could but was more focused on getting a big pile for the kids to play in. Which they loved- but it didn't get the leaves to the front gutter. He also sustained some pretty wicked blisters.
So this left thursday. I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and the kids and I got out there and raked half the yard and it took us about 2.5 hours. Well it took ME 2.5 hours. Lets just say they weren't getting the whole 'work ethic teaching' thing.
But they entertained themselves so it meant I could get to work.
Here comes the service learning part. While I was laboriously working I saw that across the street my neighbor was out on his yard too. With a leaf blower. This guy keeps an impeccable yard. Beautiful. He is always working out there and I wouldn't be surprised if I looked out one day and saw him cutting his grass with scissors and a magnifying glass. But today, this day, he was using a much coveted leaf blower. I kid you not when I say that he had a total of about 3 leaves on his lawn. I swear he was doing it just to rub it in. You know, 'I have a leaf blower, na na na na boo boo...' I know he wasn't intentionally doing it. But in that moment when my hands were aching like they have never ached before, and my back was killing me and my kids were running through the leaves the WRONG way (away from the street), and the trees were shedding their leaves just as fast as I could rake them, the last thing I needed was my across the street neighbor using his leaf blower to blow the 3 leaves out of his yard and the first thing I needed was a leaf blower.
So lesson learned that day: Buy a leaf blower, when we have money, and seek out any woman raking her leaves whilst watching children. I guess the important lesson learned is to SEEK out opportunities to serve. They are everywhere and if we don't look for them we won't find them. I know he didn't intentionally decide to blow his 3 leaves right then (and I'll be the first to say it- I am being a little hard on him). But a valuable lesson was learned (the hard way).
We did eventually get our whole lawn raked - we went out there right after supper when Justin got home to finish it and we raked until way after dark (about 9). I had to give each of the kids a glow stick just so we would know where they were in the yard.
And the worst part of it all- if you looked in our yard you would NEVER know. NEVER. I just don't know if I can do it again. I need my dad to come for a visit- with his rake- or better yet- a leaf blower!
(Turns out I can do it again because I had to a few days later- in total I raked about 8 hours and Justin raked about 6)
Noni loved the leaves so much- he would just dive into them like they were water and then I would cover him with leaves and try not to think of all the bugs that may or may not be in those leaves....

Another lesson learned though- it feels good to work hard. It feels good to do it yourself. To accomplish something. Even though I joke about the leaf blower it really was good to be out there as a family and working. I don't think we get enough opportunities like that as 'city dwellers' and I think it is a very important thing for children to learn. So despite my dislike for raking we will continue to do so, with our kids. And we will continue to seek out service opportunities as well.

In other hard working news-
I also forgot to mention that I ran my second ever 5k race on the 29th of October and I did awesome! I beat my last time by 7 minutes (In my defense that last race was my first and I had done no training prior). I ran it in 27:20 which I was pretty happy with. I know I am not fast- I never have been but I know I can do better so I am looking forward to the next one. Maybe I can train myself to be fast... I am actually considering a half marathon in May!! Any one want to join me? I have no pictures of the day it was too cold and rainy (and a tid bit snowy) for Justin to bring the kids- he still has yet to see me race... Next time he needs to do it with me- we just need to find someone to watch the kids!

Also I am happy to report that, with the exception of a little bit of snow on race day, we have not received any lasting snow. The weather has been incredibly pleasant. Even the other day when we were at the temple I was debating whether or not I needed a coat. I like that feeling in November. Despite other opinions (specifically Ruby) I am NOT looking forward to snow. I am NEVER looking forward to snow. But I suppose if it is going to be cold anyway it may as well snow... I guess the more appropriate statement is that I am not looking forward to COLD. I am NEVER looking forward to cold. It could be warm everyday for the rest of my life and I would be happy....

Oh, Mail- How we love you!

2011-11-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

There has been a high influx of mail in these parts lately and we LOVE IT!

It is probably our favorite thing!

Right now we have been getting Christmas gifts so sadly we have not been able to open them.

So it was quite the treat when Ruby go this money in the mail from Grammie Ruby.

She was pretty excited!

We hopped on the bike as soon as we could and headed to our favorite ice cream shop! I don't know if she was more excited for the ice cream or the bike ride!

We got them their favorite baby cones!! They are so cute and just enough for the kids!

And we actually ran into some friends their coincidentally and so we were able to get an actual family picture!

If we are lucky that won't be the last bike ride of the season....

(For those of you asking how you can make it on the blog- all you need do is send us some mail- we REALLY love mail...)

Fall Fun

2011-11-07T15:04:00.000-05:00

This girl loves crafts.

Every day when Noni naps she asks to make a craft so I am constantly thinking of fun, quick and inexpensive things that we can make.

Fall has been a great season for crafts!

We started out with a book that taught Ruby (and us) all of the chemicals that make the leaves change color.

Chlorophyll is green

Xanthophyll is yellow

Annin is brown

Anthocyanin is purple/red

Carotene is orange.

(in case you were all wondering)

She was so interested in the colors and the chemicals that we thought we needed to go out and collect all the colors and shapes of leaves that we could find.

So we headed out for FHE one day and collected TONS of leaves.

So what to do with them?

Well I brought out the wax paper first and thought that we could iron the leaves in between them and then hang them. Well that was an epic fail- it didn't work and just looked terrible. So I pulled out the trusty mod podge and we went to work.

Ruby mod podged some onto a duotang....

And with the rest we just modpodged them separately and hung them to dry. I had gotten to packages of clothes pins from a lady at church and was glad to find a use for them!

We decided that we would hang them in our window as garland and decoration. Ruby liked to hit them with a ruler- she thought it was fun- and of course Myers wanted to join in on the fun too!

That did not satisfy Ruby's craving however, so we moved onto the next craft the next FHE. Painting glass pumpkins. It was really fun. Look at how serious Ruby's face is- isn't that just precious? I love her.

Myers even got to paint his own-

Until he decided to eat it. He was so fast there was no way to even stop him!

They turned out great and we put a candle in each of them and lit them up for halloween...

The far left is Noni's- we gave him a second chance with the paint- that also did not last very long. Then there is Justin's- he calls him chompers. Then our carved pumpkin (it has a mustache and a round mouth... I know it doesn't look quite right, Justin did it for me...). Then there is mine- I like to call him evil chompers (I have a small obsession with mustache crafts. I think they are cool but they never turn out quite right... If I am going to be honest then I must tell you that I painted another face on the back of my jar and on the back of Justin's, all with mustaches, ALL UGLY. I thought maybe I would be lucky enough to inherit some of my mom's painting skills- turns out I didn't...) and then Ruby's- she was doing great but then got carried away with the black- painting is just too much fun! I still think it is great and it looks a little bit like a spider...

And now for our last fall craft of the season- for it will now be thanksgiving and Christmas oriented crafts- an acorn covered hanging ball.

As well as the mustache obsession I have a decorative ball obsession. I think they look cool. So when we were out walking one day and we came across a gold mine of acorns I just knew I could find a use for them! Ruby, Myers and I gathered up as many as we could and filled our pockets and then headed home. A couple days later I got a Styrofoam ball and my trusty glue gun and the acorn ball was born. Ruby even got in on the fun. I still haven't decided if I am going to spray paint it or not- but a part of me really loves it. Another part of me- not so much. I'm still torn.

Fall has been good to us. I love the falls out here they just seem more real....slower. You can really take the time to enjoy the weather and the leaves and the smells. I fear winter is coming too soon....

Halloweening!

2011-11-03T16:50:00.001-04:00

It may be a little late for this post but I worked too hard on these costumes not to grace you all with their presence.

I now present to you-
The Tangled Family.

We have the King and Queen as well as Rapunzel and Pascal (the chameleon). You can barely see Justin's cape- or mine for that matter. I made them both without a pattern and they turned out pretty good I think! I put the tangled sun on the back so people would know without a doubt that we were from tangled. The kids at the party we went to had no problem knowing who we were!!

Noni wasn't the hugest fan of his costume but we got him to wear it. Coincidentally the day after Halloween I put the costume on him and he loved it so much he wouldn't let me take it off....

Ruby loved her costume and the hair!

We were able to go to a halloween costume and then we headed out to Columbiana for some trick or treating. I went early and just met Justin there. He missed most of it. It was raining the whole time and that face Ruby has in the below picture- that is pretty much the face she had the whole time. She told me later that her head was cold that was why her face looked like that. But she assured me that she had a good time. Myers got REALLY heavy to carry but I had some good friends who traded off with me- thankfully!

Here are a few more pics for you to enjoy. Because I know you are enjoying this!

I had to bribe them with their Halloween candy to get some of these pictures. And that didn't even really help....

We did have a great Halloween and I was really happy with our costumes- it was fun to have a theme! Ruby really dictates our themes now a days. She decides what she wants to be for Halloween and then I work everyone else's costumes around hers. So poor noni gets the reptile. I thought he was pretty darn cute though!

Monster Shirts

2011-10-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

I love Target. I don't think I can say that enough. I love Target. I especially love it when they are having their crazy clearance.

This time I snagged some Monster shirt decals for $1.00. You iron them on in any design you want anywhere you want. Just what Ruby loves. It is quick and easy and really fun! Just what I love!

Ruby picked out the fairy monster. Though she really hates it when i call it a monster.

Here are the pieces she chose to add to her shirt. (there are LOTS of different options)

I let her decide where to put them and I did the ironing.

Here is her perfect placement....

I love it.

I got to make Myers shirt. We went with the pirate monster. I think it is so cute!

There was a little broken heart that came with it. For some reason Ruby was really disturbed by it. She did NOT like the broken heart- so I got out my fabric paint and covered up the heart and added Mom into the center. Every pirate should have an 'I heart mom' tatoo, right? It seems necessary.

Myers loved it. He has never been one to care too much about what he wears (the opposite of Ruby) but he will hunt down this shirt and ask me to put it on him. I love it.

After many washes the iron on has cracked and come off in a few places- but it doesn't matter- it was only $1 and I am pretty sure we got our money's worth!

Glow in the Dark Hide and Seek

2011-10-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

As a kid we used to go out onto the playground at night as a family and play hide and go seek in the dark. It is one of my absolute favorite memories. I mean what wouldn't be fun about it? Flashlights, giggles, scares and family. We grew up in a REALLY small town so the idea of 'Ruffians' was non existent. There are definitely some experiences you can't have when you live in a larger center. So we took the outdoor hide and go seek and brought it inside! It was just as fun. We found these awesome glowing wands at target and also picked up a few glowing necklaces.

It did make it easier to find Ruby when she would not let hers go even when she was hiding. All you had to do was follow the pink light! The kids had a blast though.

East West Conference.

2011-10-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

Justin's poster for the East West Conference. A lot of work and we are super proud of him!