The Circus House

Some days these kids can ruffle my feathers and drive me nuts!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

With kids home for the February break your best bet to keep them out of trouble is to keep them busy! The kids really enjoyed the Upwards Basketball camp with their cousin and trading Olivia for her cousin was fun for everyone. When we traded kids back and there was no more camp that's when the trouble started.

Carson somehow got gum stuck in his hair and then thought he could get it out with Shampoo in the shower.

I had a newborn coming any minute for pictures so I had to let the gum set for an hour or so. This gave me ample time to survey my awesome Facebook crew and they suggested using peanut butter.

To be honest I was skeptical and thought for sure a buzz cut was in order.

"Why should my hair be the only one to enjoy this peanut butter. Think I will just eat some off my thumb!"

Thank You Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter from saving my sweet red head. Just let sit for five minutes in the hair and then comb out. It was so easy!

And not to be outdone by the mischievous 6 year old is teenager who continues to ruffle my feathers on a daily basis but not usually so literally. While cleaning his room one day I took down his make shift curtain that was a brand new duvet cover that had been nailed to the wall and put his duvet inside. To keep it from sliding around I put safety pins at the four corners.

Dissatisfied with my home improvement he decided to pull the duvet back out of the beautiful cover that was adorned with embroidered butterflies not taking the time to undo the safety pins.

I may have had a mild tizzy fit and thrown the duvet and it's cover into the garage. That is where he retrieved it from not wanting to be bothered to find a replacement, opting instead to create this mess.

How is there any hope for the Circus house when we are outnumbered 2 adults to 5 kids and then they step up their game making a mess even while they sleep. I hope you all survived the February break with your house and mind in tact.

An Original Place

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:48:00 +0000

Swift Current's newest restaurant bar, Original Joes, opened this week. I was very excited when I was asked to photograph the opening night. It was the first job I had got thanks to Twitter! Being a business person in today's social media driven world I was very impressed by how on the ball Original Joes is with their social media campaign, especially twitter. Here is a story about the guy behind the tweets, Jeff Humphreys . If you want to see for yourself, tweet @Original_Joes ask a question or give a review and he will notice. The night I was at Original Joe's in Swift Current he suggested the Fish Tacos and I have to tell you he was right! They were so delicious. I would highly recommend going there for supper and drinks.

What you will find at the restaurant:

Unique decor, tasty food, friendly servers, interesting handles for the beer on tap, big portions, wine, beer, slushy drinks.

What you won't find:
A kids menu, that's right it's adults only Woohoo! You don't have to cut up anyone's meat, order a meal with a toy or have crayons anywhere on your table.

Look at the smile on this mom's face reflected in the No Minor Sign :)

The friendly staff has had a chance to try many of the dishes so they were able to make recommendations.

These fish tacos were delish. Especially the avocado inside.

The fortune teller origami out of the coaster.

Mmmmmm Beer.

Really neat art from around Swifty.

Cute Beer taps.

Disclaimer**** I was paid to take pictures of the restaurant but not to review the restaurant itself. And I did feel a little guilty leaving my older two kids alone and my hubby at the Herbert Rink with three other kids while I ate and drank and visited (aka worked) These are my honest opinions!

Memories of Tijiuan and Brett Wilson's 2011 Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:58:00 +0000

I am so excited to share with you two videos from the very talented Blayre Ellestad.

In September Mr. W. Brett Wilson put together a team of 60 enthusiastic friends, family and business associates to travel to Tijiuna Mexico to take part in this life changing experience. My sales rep Karen and I were two of the lucky volunteers. We went away with a greater appreciation, many new friends and such wonderful memories. I can truly say it was on of the most meaningful things I have ever experienced in my life and I would do it again in a heart beat. Blayre did such a great job capturing what is was like to be there.

Homes of Hope - Making a Difference - Tijuana from Elle & Be - Blayre Ellestad on Vimeo.

Blayre was also at the Garden Party where Brett graciously hosted a fantastic party which raised over $325 000.00 for Dare to Care and anti bullying program that works with schools. So much fun and all for a good cause!

2011 Garden Party

Bronco Birthday Boy!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:48:00 +0000

We spend a lot of time shopping at our local CO-OP and one of our favorite stops is the Deli counter where the kids can flip through the cake book! Well after a year of looking and deciding on a favorite cake, changing his mind more than a few times the day was finally here! When I asked Car if he wanted me to make a homemade cake or if he would like one from the CO-OP it was not a long pause before he clearly let me know we needed to jump in the van.

Here is the dinosaur lava cake!

It's all about the cake. Carson at 5

Carson at 4 when everyone had the flu the week of his birthday and we had to cancel the party and the cake and instead went to the Parts Dept of our local Ford Dealership with donuts!

Carson at 3 with some serious "Soother Teeth!"

With the party in full swing the big kids with their juice boxes and hot dogs are demoted to the living room to eat. I can't believe they are actually sharing one tray.

Chips, friends, hotdogs, cake what more could a 6 year old want?

I am not allowed to touch sparklers........Long story ask me about it sometime.

Do I have anything on my face?

Look how excited he is about this giant jawbreaker and candy.

Big brother can read the cards for you.

This is how Goodie bags at birthday parties got started. She wanted to open presents too!

All is forgotten by the time we get to the rink to watch the Broncos.

Our favorite Bronco Goalie/Santa.

Big fan with colorful hair.

Hey there is Miss K!! The birthday boy is sitting in seat 13 on Friday the 13th.

The kids LOVE Charlie horse.

Hi Charlie.

One of the kids' favorite parts of the game.....Treats.

Bubble gum Ice cream. I finally got her hair brushed but we had to put in the colored hair spray she asks to put in every morning.

And the very next morning Carson I realized that my little boy was all grown up as for the very first time he put on all his own hockey equipment without any help from Mom. One of those bittersweet moments when you are so glad you don't have to do everything for them but kind of sad they don't need you as much.

Still sporting the green and blue hair from the night before.

So the good news was that even with Pat out of town and having to take Olivia to dance and Levi to work that I was able to get Carson to hockey early. The bad news was that we were actually there 3 hours early or some would say at the wrong time :(.

Happy Birthday to our sweet little red head!

Kinsmen

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:31:00 +0000

The Kinsmen are such a great organization, my Dad was a member, Pat has been a member and my brother in Davidson has pushed a plane to Regina and Saskatoon a number of years to raise money for Telemiracle. I was even on Telemiracle 10 with my singing group "Just Friends" we sang The Rose and That's What Friends are For. Olivia and Pat have both also appeared on Telemiracle.

So when the Kinsmen ask for a donation it is an easy sell. We got a call one evening last week that "Stitchy" and the boys were on the way to our house with the "Ugly Car". You can choose to leave the ugly car in front of your house or pay a donation and send them on their way. We were happy to give the guys a check and send it to our neighbors.

At least this year the kids had their clothes on! This is from Last year.

The car from last year's stop.

The Kinsmen will be our male models at the 3rd Annual Lasting Impressions Wedding Show on Feb 26th at the Sky Center in Swift Current.

If Tims Can do it so Can We!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

This week Tim Hortons changed all the sizes of their hot drinks. Just like that, get used to it people the sizes you have always known are gone. And then I thought to myself if Tims can do it why can't we? When I was in High School I was always a size 10. Now that I am done having 5 kids and creeping ever closer to the big 4-0 I find myself a size 14. A number, a label, I am honestly not comfortable with.

I am going back to Weight Watchers and trying to "fix" my size before my monumental birthday. But in the end it is all just numbers. Tim Hortons has proved that. All that is takes to make it so, is to say it is so! Tims says their Extra Large is now a Large and in six months no one will even blink an eye! So be whatever size you want. Why even use these terms. The next time a sales associate in the boutique asks if she can grab you something in your size say, "Yes Thank You, I am a size Fabulous!''

Thanks Tims for letting us know your size is whatever you say it is!

Help Swift Current Youth Win $10 000.00

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:16:00 +0000

Just a quick request if you have a minute go to this website and vote for Swift Current. We have a chance to win $10 000.00 towards programs that keep our youth active.

Thanks!

http://jumpin.ca/

This is the alternative. Passed out after no exercise and excessive lollipop intake!

Three Christmases

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Our cross province Christmas adventure started with driving to my Mom's house. We had a great family get together with a Turkey supper and all the trimmings and then the annual boys take on girls Trivial Pursuit grudge match.

The best part of the evening was when Levi's Uncle turned him into a pretzel! It's a right of passage to try and beat up your uncle and then realize nope you aren't there yet.

Great shot of the Snappy Sock!

Grandma Vanna has to step in to separate the boys.

The kids get their own table. Boys at one and girls at the other! We had such a great time. The best is going to the Senior Hockey game. You get to catch up with everyone in one place!

Then we were off to Foam Lake to spend time with Pat's family. The kids still love to sit on Baba's knee.

I love this picture. Grandma and Grandpa dancing to Boney M in the kitchen while Pat is tending the stove.

Since Levi can't take on his Uncle in Davidson he wants to beat up his Aunty in Foam Lake! How dare she try to take Levi's phone from him!

Pat's parents are retired and planned 5 meals a day! They were cooking for a month to get ready for us. Here was the late night fondue! So Good!!!!

It was a pretty traditional Christmas. Love, presents, food and fun! Our family has traveled every year away for Christmas. Last year we slept in our own house for the first time in 10 years of marriage. This year I realized Levi will only be in High School for 2 more Christmases and then he may be wanting to come home for Christmas himself! The time we spend with cousins, Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents is so important to all of us we wouldn't miss it for the world.

Pat's extended family also gets together twice a year. Once to golf in the summer and again at Ukrainian Christmas. The kids have formed close ties with their second cousins and love celebrating their culture.

This year was a new adventure. There were 45 of us at Christmas and we set up camp at the hall. We slept, danced, ate and lived there for the weekend! It was an amazing winter camp in.

Here are the chefs in the kitchen preparing our appy. Pat's mini pizzas. Don't worry if you missed them there will be another appy along in 5 minutes!

These are so great and easy.

Aunty and Uncle did some experiments with the kids. This one is milk and a couple drops of food coloring. Then you put in a drop of dish soap.

And voila it makes a neat pattern. I wish they always found dish soap so fascinating.

Then they took playdough. Filled it with Baking Soda, a drop of food coloring and added vinegar and made a mini volcano.

There were movies on the wall, cards, cribbageb, old home movies, board games, a flash mob, and then a talent show including Ukrainian dancing.

Now Ellie makes me put Ukrainian dancing on You Tube and she puts on this outfit which she calls her Ukrainian outfit and dances.

After a grand total of 18 hours of driving, 8 billion calories consumed, 298 hugs, countless presents and even more memories we are so thankful to have such great families to share our Christmas Celebration with and we can't wait to do it all again next year.

Toddlers and Toilets

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:58:00 +0000

We often have folks stop by the house and any chance the kids get they will ask them 100 questions. We have put a rule in place that the kids owe them $1 for every question they ask. This week we had an awesome plumber stop by and not only did he fix the toilet he went above and beyond the call of duty and let Ellie interrogate him.

We had a pool going on as to what was the mystery object plugging up the toilet. The guesses ranged from a Hot Wheels Car to a Barbie body part, fork, spoon, DS game. It was kind of like a game of clue. It ended up being Ellie in the bathroom with the........ You have to watch to the end of the video to see what actually was in the toilet.

As you will notice unlike Toddlers and Tiaras my daughter is very natural. No hair brushed, pink Bronco shirt, black velvet pants on backwards and I am pretty sure she has to pee through most of the video.

So I am pleased to present to you Toddlers and Toilets.....

Fab-u-lous!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:46:00 +0000

We did it! Every year we seem to miss out on the birthday celebrations as we are too busy with Christmas. This year we were making sure to commemorate our special Birthday Girl. We made up invitations to let the guests to prepare for a photo shoot and to wear something spectacular and bring accessories. We had so much fun.

Miss K was a special guest of honor and thank goodness because in the middle of all the preparations I didn't have time to do the birthday girl's hair!

Looking like a princess!

This gal is going to be such a great teacher! She is so amazing with the kids. She let them doll her up. She organized the two team dance off and her performance got them the win!

Such energy!

If you have a young lady with a flare for fashion I highly recommend the beauty shoot birthday bash!

I am still picking up feathers but glad we were able to have a special birthday! I recall one birthday party we had planned for her and she came down with Chicken Pox so the invitation read: Please come to the party at 2 pm but only if you have already had Chicken Pox!

I will be sad when she is too old or cool for Birthday Parties. I enjoy them as much as the kids!

Fa La La La La

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:01:00 +0000

At the Circus House we love Christmas! Sometimes though between Hockey, Dance, School Activities, Work and other obligations we just run out of time to enjoy the season. For half a minute we considered not doing Christmas Caroling as just 10 days before we had Pat's birthday party with the whole crew! If I had been thinking I would have asked the big man in red to make an appearance at Pic a Deli in the middle of the Birthday Part and then called it a day.

I just couldn't let a seven year tradition end because once you take a year off sometimes you never go back. Some of the kids in our group don't ever remember a year without a Christmas celebration at the Rokochys. So even though it may not have been the biggest or best organized year ever we still made it happen and hopefully the kids will remember the fun time and not the burnt cookies!

This year we hosted on a Sunday so Chef Pat had the whole day to create his Hamburger and Potato Soup Masterpieces.

The extent of my Christmas baking was invading the chef's space for half an hour to make Cinnamon Logs. Olivia made them into perfect little logs then as I was madly vacuuming I burnt the second batch!

Kiss the Chef Hat went over very well! Even better than mistletoe.

In very last minute style we rounded up a reluctant volunteer that may be more comfortable in goalie pads and a Bronco Jersey than a red suit and beard! What a good sport!

Kelsey always finds the smallest shirt in his closet to wear to caroling.

A very good girl.

He asked Santa for an orange for Christmas.

We enjoyed soup, cookies and loads of fun.

Happy 40th!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Turning 40 is a great reason to celebrate! And that we did in Grand Fashion and it was all a surprise! Since we had traveled to Las Vegas for Pat's dream 40th celebration with a group of 18 people I think we were able to completely surprise him on the day of his actual birthday.

I enlisted a lot of help from family and friends. My great next door neighbor came over to help me hang a tv up.

We met for a birthday drinks at our friend Louis Ds. Then at 6 pm I told Pat we had to go. I had brought along a scarf to blindfold Pat since we were only traveling a block and I knew he would see everyone's vehicles but of course I couldn't find the scarf so Ellie's ski pants would have to do as a blind fold.

I drove and turned left and right and Pat knew just where we were so then I took a detour through the Library and rec center which really threw him off. Eventually we ended up at the restaurant where Pat walked in to a celebration of 65 friends and family!

The best surprise was that his Mom and Dad had driven all the way from Foam Lake and were there at the restaurant waiting. He had no idea!

Kelly and the staff at Pic a Deli went out of their way to make a fantastic meal and make the evening very special!

My awesome friend Kristen got the cake and made a great photo collage of Pat's bull riding in Vegas!

And what better way to end the night with a little spa pampering. Shaving off the old Movember moustache! It was a night to remember.

Pitch Party

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:54:00 +0000

W. Brett Wilsons' Pitch Party in Saskatoon was a first class event! The night was hosted by the W. Brett Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence. It was a very interactive night where students were encouraged to network with other students and business professionals. It was nice to be there and answer questions, offer help and be approached to come and speak to students in a classroom setting. Being on Dragons' Den has opened doors not only to do business but to speak and motivate others to follow their dreams!

Two of my favorite ladies hard at work. Karen, my sales rep, who flew in from Calgary for the event and my awesome Mom who came in from Davidson to support me like she always does. I have dragged her to many and adventure!

We were right beside the Lemonade Stand. The Lemonade Day is a program which encourages youth entrepreneurship.

A fantastic centerpiece by Fire and Ice Creations of Saskatoon.

The lovely ladies of Breast Friends Cookbooks from Foam Lake SK.

The Snappy Socks Booth all finished.

We were ready to make a "Pitch"

Fellow Dragons' Den Deal makers http://www.buysoapnuts.com/

Bryan of 320 solutions.

The Frog Box Saskatoon Franchisees

Neeichie Gear The 3rd Place Winner of the Idea Challenge

The beautiful ladies with beautiful jewelery from Hillberg and Berk.

Brett stopping in for some Lemonade before heading up on stage.

Brett talking with the crowd. He is such a warm and natural speaker. Lots of knowledge and laughs to share.

Karen and I are so lucky to be partners with Brett. More than an investor he is a mentor. In the past year he has shared so much with us we are truly grateful!

Magical Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:49:00 +0000

It's your birthday! We called into Magic 97 and you won Birthday of the day! The prize for birthday of the day is a Gift Certificate to Sputergotch Toys!

After the party and before the shopping spree we better have a nap!

Receiving the Magic Ticket!

Yippee!

A quick coffee at Urban Ground. I promise we are going to the toy store right away!

Cheers.

Follow me Ellie it's in here.

Tada we made it!

Happy Faces

I need a cart!

And Away We Go!

Take it for a test ride.

A few treats for mom and dad and some Baba stickers.

The wiggle car. This is what she picked from Grandmas and Grandpa and Magic 97.1/Sputtergotch!

The staff is so friendly and helpful!

Now if we could just get them out of the store. Dad is leaving.

They make a great window display.

I think this will be come a birthday tradition. Off to Sputtergotch to pick a special present!

Update from Snappy Socks

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:36:00 +0000

The amazing crew at Dragons' Den lead by producer Molly caught up with Snappy Socks at E Children in Calgary where we taped our "Where are they now segment?"

Where we are now is a very long way from the day I auditioned in Saskatoon in February 2010. Less than 2 years ago I showed up at the audition with 2 socks that I had bought the night before and somehow convinced the producers to have me, my family and our product idea to never lose socks again come to Toronto and be a part of Dragons' Den!

In the time between when we got the phone call from Colin at Dragons' Den in March telling us we were invited to come and pitch to the Dragons and when we arrived at the studio in May I put in a lot of long hours sourcing, researching, testing, registering and producing our first real prototypes for the packaging and product of Snappy Socks. The day we arrived on set we had come a long way in development but still had no sales.

We dressed the kids up in outfits that matched the five Dragons. Twitter pictures from the taping before we arrived helped us to match up Carson, Ellie and Levi with exactly what Robert, Kevin and Jim were wearing.

The kids lined up with each of their Dragons. Colin nicknamed them "The Mini Dragons!"

We were so excited to walk a way from the Den with an investment from Saskatchewan's own Mr. W. Brett Wilson. A lot of deals don't make it through Due Diligence but we shared a sigh of relief when 3 days before our show aired in February 2011 the money came through from Brett as promised. I have learned in the time since we have been at the den that we are the luckiest family to have Brett as a business partner. It is true what they say that he is "The Dragon with a Heart" and that he doesn't just invest in a business he invests in the people.

The experiences we have had because of Brett's generosity have gone above and beyond the investment of money that he made in Snappy Socks.

Here is my amazing sales rep Karen with me at our first ever display in a store!

The crew from CBC arrive to tape the update.

Everyone is so happy and good at what they do!

The producer Molly deciding the flow of the shoot.

Brett arrived to lend his support!

Some of the E Children customers became part of the shoot. Such a cute baby!

Having fun with the socks!

That night we were invited to Brett's home to be a part of an annual charity fundraiser he puts on. The event raised over $300 thousand for Dare to Care a anti bullying program.

It has been great sharing the experiences with the amazing ladies from Foam Lake that created The Breast Friends Cookbooks that were also on Dragons' Den last season. One of the 10 ladies is my fantastic mother in law!

My husband is my biggest support and is 100% behind me following my dreams!

Brett arranged for my Mom and I to attend a conference in Vancouver with Ellen DeGeneres and our socks along with other Dragons' Den products were part of the Swag Bags for the speakers. We were guests at the Saskatchewan Premier's Dinner and on Tuesday we will be going to his Pitch Party at the University of Saskatchewan. The most rewarding experience of all has been flying to Mexico as a group of 60 people to build 3 homes for deserving families through Homes of Hope. It was life changing.

My sales rep Karen, Brett and I after we have handed the keys to the home to the family.

So that is how in 30 months a dream, 2 socks and 1 audition with Dragons' Den has changed our lives! We went from 2 socks to 50 stores across Canada!

Karen and her family have been amazing. Here they are picking up our first order of socks with their sons and trucks! None of this would have been possible without her and her family believing in what Snappy Socks could become!

Karen has given up space in her garage for socks!

I can't even imagine what the next two years holds for us but I am very excited about the future! I have enjoyed sharing my story while speaking to business groups, students and at conferences geared towards women in business. Please feel free to check out www.snappysocks.ca and join our facebook page. Snappy Socks on Facebook

In Training

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:12:00 +0000

I called my Mom the other day to tell her, Thank You, I was sorry and that she was right. For what she asked? I simply replied for everything!

I took Levi down to SGI to get his Learner's License. He had completed nearly 2 months of in class studying and has been on the planet for 15 years so that qualifies him to get behind the wheel of a car. I have never seen Levi so motivated to go to school as you were only allowed to miss a couple of driver trainer classes before you couldn't get your license. They taught them about the rules of the road, what the signs on the side of the road mean but not how to even start a car. We left the office with his temporary license in hand and he climbed into the drivers seat. He had no idea how to operate the vehicle and they have left it up to me to teach him. A 15 year old who I can't get to rinse the toothpaste out of the sink is now in charge of a moving vehicle. Hey SGI how about you hand out a bottle of Valium for the parent with each new license issued that would make everyone in the car a lot less stressed out.

As I moved into the passenger side of the car I realize it is just a metaphor for everything to do with parenting a teenager. I have spent the last 15 years raising the baby, taking care of his every need, knowing where he is and who he is with every minute of the day, driving him to and from play dates, sports activities and to work. Now it is time to let go a little and move to the passenger seat to let him start driving, the car yes but also in his life. To trust that you have done a good enough job that even when you are not behind the wheel that they will make good and safe decisions. For the first year I get to sit beside him and teach him. Sometimes through encouragement and sometimes through yelling brake over and over. He is not just learning to drive I am trying my best to learn to let him.

He is on his own but as my friend Karen always says there is still a soft place to fall. We are there to help him progress, allow him to make mistakes and challenge him to a little better each time. What he tells me about a being a new driver is that he can't drive us home if we have been drinking and he tells me any ticket he gets will be written to me. I am not sure if he is right but I don't want to find out.

And I have to do this four more times! I am not sure where in my master plan of life did I ever think I would be potty training and driver training all at the same time!

So to my parents again I say Thank You for letting me drive your car and for all the times growing up you said to me some day you will understand. Now I do!

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:37:00 +0000

The kids waited a long time to finally carve their pumpkins!

Scary face.

Yummy Pumpkin guts.

Dr. Rokochy performing surgery.

Smiles all around.

Some after school Trick or Treating. Kelsey knew it was a good idea to take a pillow case to hold the candy. What no one told him was he wasn't supposed to take the pillow case of my pillow that was on my bed!!

Make way for the princess.

Carson has to check out the skeleton's eyeball.

I am not sure if she was dressed as a nerd or her Mom in grade 8! Short pants and she even drew zits on her face.

My fall princess.

Thank goodness for helpers.

What a great house to stop at. We got candy, mitts, a blanket and coffee with a special treat for mom!

Super Mom. The best part was when I went to pick Levi up from work wearing this costume. He was pretty pumped!

A little warm up and candy break.

Some great decorated houses.

Hold on a minute Carson is looking for something. He wins the prize for the smallest costume! I think Kelsey wore it when he was 3!

It was worth the dig! Love when you get a full size chocolate bar! Right after this Carson crossed the street and tried to steal another kids' Gator that they were cruising around Trick or Treating in !

Good thing Kari loaned us a blankie! BRRRRRR.

I remembered at midnight as I was laying on my pillow that had no pillow case that we hadn't blown the candles out outside! Wheeewww! Good thing I remembered!

Do you ever just leave a bowl of candy outside your door when you are stepping out? We do.

We had to drive over to Miss K's house for our special candy bags which included bubbles and Kool Aid! Thanks Mrs M!

And especially for the special treat for Mom and Dad. Lazy Daisy Birthday cake in a to go container! What a great night!!!

Patty's Wild 40th Adventure!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:02:00 +0000

We are so lucky to have a group of friends in Swift Current that are just like family to us! Together we celebrate, console, heckle, do hockey drafts, splurge groups, Christmas Carol, Easter Egg Hunt, coach hockey together, cheer for the Riders ( a few for the Eskimos) together, pass around babies, dogsit, babysit and a million other things that families do. When Pat put out the call for our friends to come with him to Las Vegas to celebrate the momentous occasion of his being on the planet for 4 fabulous decades 16 brave people canceled work and called the grandparents to babysit and we were off on an Epic National Lampoon Vegas Vacation!

The morning we left we all signed a pact that said there would be no spousal disputes and that there would be no pictures put on the internet so for this reason I am protecting the groups identity :) Everyone knows that Patrick's very best friend in the whole wide world (or at least under the sea) is Sponge Bob so I secretly bought Walmart out of their entire stock of Sponge Bob shirts and delivered them so everyone could wear them the morning we were leaving! Yay Patrick Starfish.

Patty Patty Party Planner had champagne waiting in the room for us all to toast to a great weekend to come!

The logical thing any man turning 40 should do. Climb on a mechanical bull. Be sure to sign the waiver first!

We have one "real" cowboy in the group be he didn't coach Pat that you are supposed to put your non dominant hand in the rope. Pat had a bruise the size of his whole inside thigh from this wild ride!

Nothing screams cowboy more than a Mickey Mouse Tshirt, plaid shorts and sandals! Ride em Cowboy.

Good Form.

He didn't last long!

And the trip starts and ends with his best friend!

A special Thanks to Grandpa Al and Grandma Charlene for watching the kids while we were gone. I know they loved every minute!

I was waiting for the Lone Wolf speech while we were there about how Pat now had an 18 man wolfpack but there was no speech but I think Pat said it best in his Thank You email to our Vegas Freinds.

A man should be so lucky to have friends such as you guys and even after leaving Las Vegas with near empty pockets I feel I am the richest man alive.

Lancer Chokecherry Festival- Community Spirit!

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:16:00 +0000

Pat and I both grew up going to weddings in the town hall, fall suppers in the church basement, egg salad sandwiches and marshmallow squares, a group of ladies in the kitchen doing dishes and laughing, a group of fellas in ball caps visiting in the corner over a cup of coffee that was poured into a styro foam cup from of a 50 cup stainless steel urn. A simpler time when generations would get together and the kids would run and play and the dance floor chasing balloons until someone would come out and put dance wax on the floor meaning it was too slippery for kids to run and play it was time for some two stepping and waltzing.

There were no cel phones or portable DVDs or Ipads to entertain just good old fashioned visiting, eating, dancing and later a midnight lunch so you could eat again. If you really needed to make a phone call there was a rotary dial phone in the kitchen and you may have only had to dial 4 numbers to get who you needed.

That is the feeling I got when we took the kids out to the kick off to the Lancer Chokecherry Festival. There is just enough chill in the air to make coming into the hall even that much more welcoming. As the door swings open you can hear the laughter and smell the chili and homemade buns.

The girls.

The boys.

Dad and his helpers doing the draws for prizes.

Mini me.

A hall full enjoying coffee and Carrot Cake for dessert.

Winner Winner!

The boys took it upon themselves to hold the door for everyone and say Goodbye!

I am so glad that Pat works in so many unique towns. Their traditions become part of our yearly traditions and we look forward to this lunch every year! I know our kids will look back fondly on our road trips when Mom pulled them out of school!

Gnocchi

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Have I mentioned before that my husband LOVES to cook? The latest hit at our house was when Pat cooked Gnocchi. He boiled it in a pot of water. While it was boiling he fried butter and onions then put the cooked Gnocchi in the pan with the butter and onions and served as a side dish with Steak.

Pot of water with a bit of salt and oil so they don't stick.

Butter and onion.

Introduce the Gnocchi to the butter and onions! " Hi Nice to meet you!"

This was DELICIOUS. We all agreed it tasted just like little bites of perogies! The kids loved it.

And if you are having a bad day this video will probably make you laugh! I love this guy!

ShaToBu Review

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:31:00 +0000

I love online sites that give Moms a place to connect. Being a stay at home Mom or a work from home Mom is such an amazing, important, rewarding job but without a great group of friends to share stories and ask advice it can be lonely. That's why I love the Yummy Mummy Club there are articles on everything from Sex and Relationships to Haloween I have even written a few articles for the site myself. They also have great contests and giveaways. When they were asking for ladies to test a body shaping hosiery I was in!

The product is called Shtobu for Shape Tone Burn. Among the reasons I love Shatobu was it was invented by a Canadian, a female and chiropractor. I really related to Dr. Denise Perron as she talks about developing a product and tweaking, changing, using family as guinea pigs as I have just spent a year and a half going through that getting Snappy Socks for the ground.

As you will see the thing that makes the shapers and tights different from others is that they were designed with resistance bands so that wearing the product during your everyday activities has been proven to burn 12% more calories in a day than without.

A few weeks ago I received a package in the mail with these cute pink packages.

The products in include shapers that range from mid thigh to knee and from your waist to a high waist that goes up to your bra line. They come in nude and black. The tights come in black, steel and brown and also have regular waist or high waist. The tights also come in footless, with a ribbed or diamond design.

So here is my review. For starters I will let the pictures do the talking. Let me just say this was a first for me to NOT retouch pictures of me. Hopefully it is obvious but here is my before wearing a festive peach workout top that I thought would enhance the look of Martha my Muffin Top who I usually try to hide!

And then here is the same shot with the Shatobu Shaper on. Goodbye second set of Boobies. We have successfully muffled Martha so she isn't hanging over my dress pants!

From the back. Now I know why your elbows are behind you. If I had to look at those everyday I would cry. No wonder my kids think they are funny and pinch them.

My fabulous friend Deb helped me out with the photography! We had a few giggles in her back yard. I think it looks much better! This is with a body shaper and the high wasted black tights.

Here is what I would usually wear out.

Here is where the tights come to and you can just see the flesh toned shaper underneath.

I would definitely wear the tights and shaper when going out or to work. I found that as I have an umbilical hernia the shapeware had an added bonus of supporting that area. Usually when I am wearing a dress I would wear this style of a tight underneath but other tights I have worn in the past would sag down to my knees. Being a tall girl can create a challenge for getting tights to stay up so in the past I have worn the tights with a pair of my husband's boxers overtop It worked ok but to be honest it freaked my husband out. Well the Shatobu tights stayed up all by themselves. They fit right under the bra to shape nicely and there was no creeping down at all.

In general I would recommend this product to a friend. With having five kids and running two businesses I don't always have the time or energy to get to the gym, so anything I can do while running errands around town to increase my muscle, burn calories and smooth out my back fat is my new best friend.

This was my first product review but I am pretty sure for the sake of full disclosure I am supposed to say that Shatobu provided me with the product for no charge and asked for my honest opinion. Other than the free shapeware I was not financially compensated for my review and now when you goggle my name and look at images there will forever be a record of me with back fat so that just shows you how dedicated I am to helping all of us look better ;).

Here's hoping you have ave a wrinkle free, muffintop minimizing day!

The X Factor

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:38:00 +0000

I Love Reality TV. You would think a week of sick kids home climbing the walls would be enough reality for me but I can't wait until supper is over and Mom takes control of the remote! Tonight we watched two episodes of Risky Business that we had taped. A big thumbs up to my business partner Brett Wilson. Then we watched Dragons' Den and tweeted along #cbcdragonsden. As a family of 7 it is hard to find something we all agree on watching, and by the end of the day I can't take one more episode of Two Kings, Suite Life on Deck, Max and Ruby and Barney which are all conveniently on Video on Demand! What ever happened to Saturday morning cartoons when we woke up at the crack of dawn to get our fill for the week!

Another show we are hooked on is the X factor. Is it just me or does Makenna of the duet Makenna and Brock look just like Amy Poehler? Maybe I need some sleep. Have a great night. They are both adorable and talented.

Take Your Kids to Work Days

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:28:00 +0000

15 Years ago when I started photography I did so because I wanted to stay home and raise my son. Over the years I took the kids to family reunions, cap and gown sessions, classes, workshops all where I was working. Eventually as they began to seriously outnumber me I began taking them to a sitter when I was shooting and realized that was a much quicker and more efficient way to work. I recall one incident where Carson hurled an empty milk jug at one of my husband's colleagues right in the middle of her head shot in my home studio. I would always think, It is only going to be 15 minutes surely they will watch TV for 15 minutes and I can do a quick shoot!

A few weeks ago I dropped the kids off at school and the sitter, got dressed in real clothes including pants that had a zipper and went out for a birthday lunch with friends. After lunch I drove to Elmwood Golf Course to photograph the beautiful 18 hole golf course for their website. As I was opening the shed to drive out the golf cart I was thinking the kids would really enjoy this but if I put it off any longer it won't get done until the snow flies!

I shouldn't have put that thought into the atmosphere because I didn't have the lock open and my cel phone rang. It was Kelsey, "I don't feel good." So I closed the shed and drove to the school to get him. Well if I have one I might as well get the other from the sitter so off we went for our adventure in photography!

My happy assistants. Not sure he looks real sick. The fresh air must be doing him good.

Beautiful flowers on the course!

I love picking her up from the sitter she is so happy to see me. The kids all see and adult coming and the rush to the door to see who it is. Then like a game of toddler Bingo one of them realizes that it is their parent and they are here to get them. "It's my Mommy!" That's right we have a winner!

Wait for me you crazy driver.

There is wonder everywhere even in a golfcart tire!

Such a beautiful course

Not the day I planned but a great time together!

A gentleman to open the door for me.

We didn't quite get all 18 holes done before the kids were getting off the bus so I had to head home to meet them so I had to go back and photograph the last 3 holes so back we went again. It was kids dress like teachers and teachers dress like kids!

He is so helpful showing me where the tee off box is!

I had to take the keys out of the cart every time to make sure we didn't end up with a runaway cart. Hey it's not my first rodeo.

Too bad the snack shack wasn't open. They were being so good!

Driving Miss Ellie.

Always good to stop and the Credit Union and get a balloon. I can't believe it didn't blow away.

Do you work at home or take your kids to work ever? What are your tricks to keep them entertained so you can get something done?

Birthday Burger Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:55:00 +0000

The lyrics of this song keep running through my head!

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene

There is definitely a chance that pandemonium is strolling up my front door.

It has been a busy September getting used to back to school and activities.

Here is Levi's special birthday supper. In our house you get to pick what you would like and Levi always requests Dad's famous "Burger Balls". They are a hamburger patty (which include Pat's secret ingredient bacon grease) wrapped around a square of Monteray Jack cheese. Then browned on each side. Next you saute mushrooms and onions in the burger pan and add mushroom soup and cream. Pour over the burgers and bake for 45 mins.

You have no idea how good these are!!

Doesn't the birthday boy looked thrilled!

Someone has smiles.

Time for the birthday cake. The recipe is in the first Breast Friends cookbook. Chocolate Cake and Brown Sugar icing.

Yay for Birthdays!

I have exactly one more month until I have to give up the drivers' seat to this guy! Ahhhhhhhhh.

Homes of Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Corla Rokochy) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:18:00 +0000

I pulled into my driveway late last night and never before has two days changed the way I look at my home and family in such a way as this weekend I spent with YWAM ( Youth With a Mission) Tijuana building 3 homes for such deserving families! I came away from this experience with a deep appreciation for the blessings we all have and I was so grateful to have an opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people!

Here are some of the images that will help me to remember this life changing experience. Blogger loves to put my pictures in reverse order but I think that gives a unique perspective to the weekend!

The finished home and the family waving goodbye.

The man who made it all happen, my business partner W Brett Wilson and my amazing sales rep Karen! We will talk about this weekend forever!

A group cheer for team Green!

The kids stole our hearts!

A car that was made from the same wood and paint as the home for Emiliano!

The family was overwhelmed with emotion coming into their home for the first time.

The mom told us that she has her husband and children but that now we were all part of her family.

So many happy tears. Our foreman told us to wear sunscreen and drink lots of water so we wouldn't get dehydrated. I had no idea the dehydration would come from tears rather than sweat!!

Opening the door for the first time.

The keys were passed around the circle and each person shared blessings and good wishes and Thanks! Robin works with Brett and put in so much hard work to organize the trip and make sure everything went smoothly that it was so great to see her having the chance to pass the keys to the family.

A bible for the family.

Casey gives the family a plaque to commemorate this special day. Casey was such a skilled builder it was amazing for me as a rookie to build right along side of him and still feel able to contribute.

We call the family over for the group picture and the dedication ceremony.

Such Joy.

Getting ready for the big reveal while Freddy puts the last few nails on the roof. The YWAM staff was so amazing, organized and kind!

Team Work.

The children made their Welcome sign for their new home.

It's me up on the roof!

The finishing touches inside. Close to 24 hours from the time we arrived just the day before to a concrete slab!

We leave the store after shopping for the 3 families.

Everyone was so happy!

I had to bring home a can of Jalapenos and hot sauce for my family.

All tuckered out!

It was about a 10 minute drive to the store.

Getting ready to go shopping.

In the van.

Everyone had a great time on site.

The connections between people were so easy to see. Whether it was their first build or they had built many homes.

If there were language barriers.

The connection between one parent to another knowing that all they really want is what is best for their children and to give them a safe, happy and fulfilled life that is a universal truth.

There was a lot of work to be done and we all jumped in and worked together.

Painting the car.

The kids playing with some of the gifts we had brought them.

New friends.

This young lady was so amazing and inspirational! She was the inspiration for her father to start Homes of Hope as a 3 year old girl when they built the first home.

A bit of steep terrain makes team work necessary!

Starting the second day with a prayer and a cheer!

Riding to the site.

Brett kept us entertained!

The end of the first day. We were sorting all the donations that the volunteers had brought. YWAM would be able to help so many more families with the clothes and supplies.

Celebrating the end of day 1 with the Macerena.

Paint on their clothes and smiles on their faces.

Authentic Mexican supper such a treat!

The mariachi band. Fabulous entertainers.

Leaving the site on Day 1. Really looking forward to coming back tomorrow.

Glad to share this experince with Karen. We have had a number of ups and downs getting Snappy Socks started but we would always say, "Some day we will look back and laugh about this in Mexico. We had no idea this is how we would get there or that we would be going so soon!"

We spent Day 1 on another site and this is the Mom putting up the wall in her new home.

Time for work and play.

The view from the front of the home

Sean and Andrea of YWAM father and daughter sharing their story and history of Homes of Hope.

Our room.

We arrive at the YWAM campus excited for a weekend of friendship, fun and Hope!

This video is for another organization that Brett suports called CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) where he and others talk about their motivations for giving back.