Boys on Parade

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

2010-12-14T21:26:00.001-06:00

I have read very few books about the Holocaust. It's just too hard to bear learning the horrible stories and experiences. But I do love history and so when I got the chance to read this book, I was very open to it.

The life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is very powerful. A bright and straightforward theologian, he faced the evil Hitler presented head on. Bonhoeffer was incarcerated and eventually executed weeks before the end of the war. Having never known anything about him, I was blown away by his involvement in trying to smuggle Jews into Switzerland and the plot to assassinate Hitler.

Though the book starts off a bit slow (much of the history of his childhood seemed long and drawn out), there is great depth behind the events during the Third Reich.

Definitely a great read and if you love the underdog, you'll be happy to read this. It is a true account of a truly unsung hero.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.

Stained Glass Lasagna

2010-12-12T22:00:00.000-06:00

Saturday night...Oh what a night! I spent the entire evening making 2 things: lasagna, yes but also the noodles that made up that lasagna.

That's right, I made homemade stained glass lasagna noodles! Once the dough was thin enough, I added fresh parsley leaves to the dough, folded in half and ran through the machine again, making beautiful noodles!

And fortunately, the lasagna recipe, which I had never made before, turned out! Only 1 piece left!!

I'll take that as a compliment.

priceless

2010-12-09T12:19:00.003-06:00

A first grader went to school with the following note from her mom:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be perfectly clear on my child's homework illustration.
This picture is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint surrounded by male customers with money.
I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm.
This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Harrington

sew-jahs

2010-12-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow will be the last opportunity to buy Oma Mary blankets, burp cloths, and toddler pillows.

The craft sale runs from 11am to 3pm at the Red River Community Centre in Winnipeg on Murray Ave (near West Kildonan Collegiate).

Please support our last effort to send blankets to Rankin Inlet...at least our last effort through the Oma Mary name.

I have created a 'Sew-Jah's project at Garden City Collegiate where students are sewing blankets for donation to Rankin Inlet, using the funds from the Oma Mary project. (Logo not created by me, obviously, otherwise it wouldn't be this good!)

We need $3600 to send the students to hand deliver the blankets to the birthing centre and meet the mid wives that serve there as well as 7 other communities around Rankin Inlet.

Come out and buy handmade!

Smiles for donation!

2010-11-24T21:15:00.001-06:00

The other day at work someone posted a 'prescription' for positive mental health on my desk. It asked me to write 3 positive things from the day. To my relief, this same note was on everyone's desk, assuring me that I wasn't the recipient of some not-so-subtle hint.

But it got me thinking. How many times do I really think about something good that happened in my day? Being a school psychologist is stressful - I work in multiple buildings, travelling from each daily, carrying all my testing materials, files, and notes, and I'm expected to build great realtionships with the multiple school teams I'm part of, plus remember names and dates and faces for all my case contacts, so that when a teacher talks to me about so and so in the hall, I'm not totally blanking out.

It's not easy.

So thinking of a few positive times during the day would be a great idea! I kept the 'prescription' on my desk and am reminded of it often.

Some of the things that make me smile (and help me stay positive) include my youngest son's way of speaking - he's just learning so everything he says sounds so cute!! And my oldest son is forever asking 'why' and sometimes I just have to smile, because I don't know the answer!

Not only thinking about making myself smile, it's good to think about spreading smiles. Volunteering is a good one. Or brining homemade baking to work is another - my co-workers really enjoyed those baked apple piroski!

You can spread smiles too - Snack Pack has a Smile Campaign right now, where every smile you send on their Facebook page will donate $1 to Food Banks Canada. There isn't a more simple way to improve the lives of so many who use Food Banks.

And it's so easy to do. Go to the Snack Pack Facebook page, Like it, and hit the Smile tab. Once you register, you can return daily for the next 10 weeks to share a smile and simultaneously donate $1 to families that need it. Snack Pack has a $20,000 goal and you can help them reach it!

If you register for the contest, you'll receive a ballot for every smile you share into a weekly prize draw!

Visit snackpackcanada.ca for more info.

I am participating in the Snack Pack program by MomCentral on behalf of Conagra Foods Canada. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Change is hard, but worthwhile

2010-11-20T18:22:00.000-06:00

Wellness.

Tough word to describe. I find it intimidating, and scary, actually. Am I well? Not in the not-sick way, but in the definition of true body wellness, am I well? I don't think so...I'm not sure any of us are. We are often stressed, underslept, eating on the run, or inactive. Our lives are full of things that are fast, helping us to have more time, but we use that time to fill with more things to do. Seems kinda backwards? Convenience just made us more productive, to the point of being unwell in some or all areas of life.

I'm bad for this. I have trouble finding balance. Between exercise, work, and hobbies, I have a hard time making sure that I'm not so exhausted from all my work that I can't enjoy my kids. Finding moderation in life is a skill I'm still working on - especially when thinking about wellness.

I'd like to make some changes to our family, and I've been thinking about this for a few weeks (prior to posting this). And actually, have changed our regular weekly routine of ordering pizza on Friday nights with the fam to making our own pizza one week, and this week making a big pot of homemade stew (thanks Jamie Oliver!) I'm happy about this choice - eating out every Friday, though convenient, just makes me feel gross after. Don't get me wrong, I love pizza, and probably would eat it every chance possible. But it doesn't add to my wellness, does it?

So in addition to making an intentional effort at more homemade cooking (rather than just heating up premade stuff), I'd like to see us play outside more with the kids. Now that the snow has arrived, this is a perfect chance! I thinking setting 2 realistic goals is good for now - no sense setting myself up for failure with a list of 20.

If your family is interested in making some changes related to wellness as well, check out Quaker Journey to Wellness at www.quakerjourney.ca . You can win weekly and monthly prizes too! They also have a Facebook page, which is worth a look.

Set a few goals and make it happen!

This is a participating post in the MomCentral Blog Tour for Quaker Journey to Wellness on behalf of Pepsi Co. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

I love to stumble!

2010-11-17T22:36:00.000-06:00

I just love surfing around finding stuff online...it's seriously like going down the rabbit hole!

So, trying to make up my wishlist for Christmas and stumbled upon this little gem:

Area

A small textile company in New York that specializes in simple Scandinavian design (yes, there's a fabric named Elin) for bedding.

I'm definitely adding something from here to my list!!

the story of stuff

2010-11-16T19:09:00.000-06:00

Interesting video being shown to kids all over North America (Part 1 of 4):

And the critique:

Berns & Black - my fav!!

2010-11-13T21:29:00.001-06:00

So, for that last few months, I have been going to Berns & Black, a salon in a heritage building on Main Street in Winnipeg.

I started there on a whim, all because I heard they had an organic line with no parabens or sulfates. Good news for anyone who colors their hair! I have been using it regularly and have truly never been happier with my hair color and cut.

Plus it's great to into the exchange district - just love it there!

Kitty (appropriately posed) is the co-owner and the person I see. She's awesome!

Berns and Black is also home to the very talented Scott Ramos: (not that I'm looking for a cut with clippers or a low fade....)

Here's Kitty on CBC news just prior to opening the salon.

Lest we forget....

2010-11-10T23:24:00.000-06:00

Here is a treasury I made on etsy recently. It's in rememberance for our present and past members of the military.

call of duty irony

2010-11-09T20:21:00.001-06:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops

released Remembrance Day week.

I'm not sure I like it.

Then again, is there ever an appropriate time to release these violent video games?

My husband just reminded me, as he returned from purchasing this monstrous game,

that every Call of Duty game is released this week in November.

hmphf.

Canada Remembers

2010-11-08T22:23:00.000-06:00

thank you.

From Russia with Love

2010-11-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

Today was a new venture in the Wiebe kitchen. Oma and I made our first batch of apple piroshki, a traditional Russian (and delicious) dessert. They are time consuming but melt in your mouth in seconds!

These little treasures are fun to make and look like littel gifts, tenderly carrying baked apples.

Then, they are iced and ready to devour, in big or little bites, which ever comes first!

We were only sad we could not share the experience with Heather, who couldn't make it today!

Next time!

New York City: Day 4

2010-11-02T22:03:00.001-05:00

One of my favourite shows of all time is Seinfeld. I made this a 'must' on my list when arriving to New York: going to 112th and Broadway to have my picture taken in front of the restaurant that served as the facade exterior for Monk's Cafe in the show.

We even ate there. It was super busy and there were a ton of rules printed in the menu

- no ordering off the menu

-if sharing an entree, there is a surcharge

-cannot combine items, each is separate

It is a true diner. Had signed posters and Seinfeld memorabilia all over the walls. Very sketchy bathroom.

I love churches in New York - they have such stamina, character, and immensity. This one was near Columbia University, which is gated and has security out front. I guess they don't want just anyone walking into a class! If you're paying $40,000 in tuition alone for one school year, you don't want others to get a class for free!

Here is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Need I say more? It was my most favourite place. I could spend hours in there all over again. This was the Egyptian temple section. It is the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt. This was a real temple donated to the US after they assisted in Egypt after a major flooding.

Beautiful.

Our last stop in NY. This is Times Square at midnight on a Saturday night. The shops were open! I bought a Yankee's hat at Foot Locker and 2 pairs of jeans at Forever 21 at 12.30am! Crazy!

There were cops everywhere. And a command center with a huge camera on an arm that could move around.

This was on our last train back to our place at 1am. Station was packed and we never felt unsafe. We were certain we were on the right line and going in the right direction - fitting for the final leg of our journey. So we took a picture to celebrate our mastery of the subway system.

(And thank goodness we were right this time!)

After getting home and falling asleep around 2am, we were up at 5am to get ready for our shuttle pick up back to Laguardia airport.

I hope that make the journey to NYC again. I love that city!!

New York City: Day 3

2010-10-26T20:53:00.002-05:00

Much of my experience with NYC was through the deep and decaying subway system.

While far from glamourous, it's cheap ($2 per ride) and gets you pretty much where you want to go. We had no worries about crime or theft even late into the night during our stay because there were more people late into the night on the subway than at 6pm to get home! Of course, we didn't go into the Bronx or Harlem late at night, though we did end up in Brooklyn by accident! We lost count how many trains we got on because we were often realizing we got on the wrong one. And when we did get on the right one, it was in the wrong direction. OOPS!

Day 3 - Tourist and Shopping Day!

We first went to Rockerfeller Center. This is the first opening scene of "30 Rock", one of our favourite shows.

We were hoping for tickets to Jimmy Fallon or David Letterman, but neither did their shows on Fridays so we were out of luck.

The Rockerfeller Concourse is where I bought my boys official NYPD t-shirts (rather than more toys to add to our ever-growing pile). They really loved them!

We also stopped to see the New York Public Library, but I was disappointed that the classical architecture was covered up for restoration!! These steps have often been used on the 'court' scenes of Law and Order.

At least we had our photo taken with Fortitude, the second of two lions guarding the front entrance (Patience is the other lion on the south side of the entrance).

The entrance of Saks 5th Avenue. There really are that many cabs around. And yes, you just stick your arm out and hail one. Unless there's a taxi stand around, then you need to get in a line.

A little serenity was nice with all the shopping we did.

We stopped for lunch at Toasties, and had a really great sandwhich.

Lunch was followed by more shopping and dinner at Ideya in Soho. It was Latin Bistro and so amazingly good. They had these banana chips served with sweet salsa for an appy...so good!!

Finally, after a long day of shopping and walking, we headed off to bed.

Day 4: Upper West Side, Central Park, and the Met!!

New York City: Day 2

2010-10-24T19:28:00.001-05:00

After a late night of chatting, we didn't wake up until a little after 10am. This is a record for me personally, since my little toddlers usually wake me up by about 7am. We excitedly showered and dressed. This was a big day because my friend Y was going wedding dress shopping at Kleinfeld's! This is where "Say YES to the Dress" is shot. We had an appointment for 1.30pm and good thing we left our place early because twice we took the wrong train and had to double back.

We arrived just in time and sure enough, TLC was there that day...though we weren't asked to get filmed. But, Randy Fenoli did help her sales associate suggest some accessories!

He's just as exuberant as on TV!

The 1 hour appointment ran over and Y fell in love with a dress way over her budget. Believe me, the dress was absolutely amazing on her and she was just gorgeous. While I was being pulled into the emotion of her possibly buying this dress, and so was she, more sensible thinking prevailed and Y decided to think about it.

Follwowing the head spinning experience, we had some lunch at chickpea, very cool place with baked, not fried items. Loved it!

We stopped at Loehmann's and Century 21, for some discount designer shopping, which was in the financial district right in front of ground zero. These smoke stacks are always going, representing the twin towers.

After a full day of shopping until closing at 9.30pm (in the rain no less), we stopped at Lantern in Manhattan for dinner at 10pm. It was the most amazing thai I've had in a long time. And a very cool atmosphere.

This was the best papaya salad ever!

Day 3: Tourist day - Rockerfeller Center, 5th Avenue, Macy's and dinner in Soho

New York City: Day 1

2010-10-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

The night before I left for New York, my kids were both up late. Since Dave was out like a light, I went to both of them several times. This did not help my lack of sleep: I had gone to bed at 11pm with the intention to get up at 3am to make my 5.10am flight. I actually really enjoyed the time to go to them late into the night because I knew my time with them was ending soon! and also, I don't sleep well the night before a flight so staying up was okay with me.

My mom so graciously agreed to pick me up at the awful hour of 3.30am and drove me to the airport. Security was just fine and I got ready to board my flight.

I was extremely anxious about this flight and did not enjoy the turbulence. But I arrived at Toronto Pearson with no reason to worry. US Customs agents, however, were not so pleasant. I was treated relatively well (compared to some of the minority couples in front of me) and was approved for entry to the US on my flight to arrive in Laguardia!

Also nervous on this flight but when I started seeing familiar movie and tv scenes from above, like the 50 blocks that Central Park spans, the financial district, the brookly bridge, I was so excited I couldn't stop smiling...which is weird when you're by yourself!!

After collecting my baggage, I checked my text messages (that goodness for cell phones!) and saw that my friend's flight was delayed. After waiting around for 1 hour (the excitement started to wear off) but was soon remedied when I finally saw my friend in the distant crowd and we arranged for a shuttle drop off to our accomodation!

Well, after 2 hours on the 'door to door' shuttle ride, which also takes other passengers who are supposedly in the surrounding area as you (ours were all over and we were the last to get dropped off), we finally arrived at Menno House! at 4pm.

There was a little problem though: the doorbell wasn't working and we were locked out with no one answering. Keep in mind we had all our luggage and we didn't have the cell phone the manager. So we decided to roll down to the nearest restaurant to eat for the first time that day. We shared nachos for a snack.

We were frantically looking up hotels and trying to figure out what to do next. Maybe we need to stay at another place, maybe we go back and try again?

Fortunately, good sense prevailed and we returned to Menno House. Someone was just going in and we hailed them from down the street. We finally got it all arranged and got settled in our new home for the next few days.

It's clean and cheap and in Midtown.

We got on the subway, got lost, and finally had dinner at Cha Chas in Little Italy, which wasn't that great. We definitely would not go again...although the gelati was really good.

After a few hours of walking, flying, and chatting, we finally headed to bed.

Day 2: Shopping and Kleinfelds!

Corporate Responsibility: Free2Work

2010-10-11T21:16:00.001-05:00

It's really hard to know who you are supporting when you make a purchase.

For instance, I don't shop at Wal-Mart - it's been years since I have shopped there. They are one of the worst companies to their employees (e.g., pressuring the employees NOT to unionize, taking life insurance claims out on its employees and when Wal-Mart enters a city's area, it eliminates similar jobs in other stores that ACTUALLY PAY MORE THAN WAL-MART DOES).

But I don't know a lot about every single company - it's just too hard to keep up.

Free2Work has developed a rating system for many publicly traded companies to help inform our buying decisions. They rank things like public information about supplier labour conditions etc. So you can search your favourite brands to see how they rank, hopefully before you buy.

Example: Moms, did you know Carter's gets an F ???? Because Carter's doesn't make any public intention to use acceptable labour standards and suppliers, it is very plausible that a child is making the onesies we are puttin on our own babies.

No thanks.

give thanks

2010-10-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

It is the weekend.

It's the long weekend.

It's the long weekend that I am thinking long and hard about what I have in my life.

A very caring (and currently ill) husband - my best friend. He listens to my inane complaints, is patient with my obsessive cleaning, and hears my frustrations. He also has the good sense to remind me to focus on the good things in life.

A very big blessing in the form of two little boys who love me more than anything in the world. And sadly, I don't always have time or the patience for their needs. I hope they continue to forgive me for that. I'm working harder than ever to just sit and enjoy their silly antics, instead of trying to clean around their playful discovery of pen on walls, or tracking dirt into the hall while they dance on their way to find their favourite toy with their shoes still on.

A very rewarding job that I love - I'm so blessed to be educated and placed in a position that I am honestly very happy with.

The confidence that I lack in nothing. I have clothes in my closet to choose from, a car to drive wherever my heart pleases, and a warm house at night. I have more than many people have and I don't want to take it for granted - though I fail at it every day.

My homeland that respects my right to freely believe, say, or do.

Family that makes me laugh, shake my head, and cry all at the same time. Gotta love 'em.

A heart that is full, thanks to the wonderful people in my life.

Back to School

2010-10-04T11:05:00.002-05:00

Here is my second article published in girlworks for the Sept/Oct issue:

Back to School: How to Roll With It

by Chantal Wiebe, M.Ed

September is the beginning of a new school year. No, it doesn’t take a CSI to figure that one out. But September often is a time of many changes after a short summer and a first day back that came too quickly. Depending on your situation, it may mean adjusting to a new school, new teachers, or a new schedule. Perhaps your friends have moved or they’ve found new friends over the summer and you’re feeling left out. Either way, you may be wondering how to cope with it all.

Just for a moment, think of your school as if it were a new television show. Say what? Every fall, television networks release new series, hoping for a successful airing on its first day. At first, we learn the basics - the setting, characters, and general story line. In reality, we’re not learning just the facts, we are getting our bearings in the plot. Similarly, figuring out your place this year will take some risk, and sometimes you’ll just hope to make it to the next episode without embarrassing yourself. Luckily, all your peers will be making the same adjustments so relax. Everyone is experiencing the same anxieties as you.

Like any new TV show, it takes time to get into it. It means watching more than one episode before we’re sure we like it. After a while, we begin to care about the characters and they in turn elicit emotional reactions out of us. Likewise, within a few short weeks, your adjustment will be well underway. Keep in mind that you may stumble along sometimes, like walking into the wrong class, or realizing you have a class with no one familiar. Even so, stay with it. You’ll make some new friends and have some new experiences.

By the time “die hard fan” syndrome kicks in (just like the transformation of ordinary teens into ‘twihards’), our social calendar, homework, and entire life is planned around the next scheduled airing. So will your adjustment to a new school year. You’ll form strong bonds of familiarity and feel more comfortable. It just takes time.

Remember, no one likes change. Humans love habit, routines, and doing what we’re comfortable with. That’s why any big change momentarily causes anxiety. So remember to relax, take your time, and embrace the opportunity for growth. Chances are you’ll learn more about yourself than you expected. And even if you feel others are adjusting more easily than you are, remember there’s life beyond the walls of school and there’s more to life than TV.

City on our Knees by Toby Mac - Review

2010-09-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Growing up a "Christian Kid" meant listening to mostly Christian music and my most favourite band for many years was DC Talk. Like many Christan teen girls, I had a crush on these boys and bought all their albums after first wearing out my casette tape of "Free At Last".

They haven't made a project together in a while, each going their separate ways musically. I recently came across Toby Mac's newest venture as an author and was mildly intrigued. The back states:

"Amazing things happen when people have the courage to live, work, and pray in the spirit of unity and peace. ....City on Our Knees challenges you to take the first step." To be very frank, I was not expecting much - it came across like another popular Christian was trying to make more money in a new arena and I was predicting mediocre content paired with weak writing. In my mind's eye, I saw myself reacting to this book, that it was preaching at me, and telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing.

So allow me to take a moment to apologize to my former teenage crush, Toby Mac. I underestimated the message that you had the inspiration to communicate. Instead of proudly predicting the failure of City on Our Knees, I was honestly humbled.

I nearly finished this book upon first cracking it late one evening.

Toby shares many stories of people who have made a choice, the hard choice, to live out what it means to show love. These aren't just stories of good Christians who've done their "Christian duty" but rather the beautiful stories of ordinary people who've raised money for pediatric cancer, lived meagerly so that African children can attend school, and cared for a homeless drunk. These people took the time when they were late for a meeting, spent their paycheck on someone else, and moved their family to help others. These aren't pastors with seminary degrees, or worship leaders with sparkly smiles. They are people that heard the heart of God in the cries of others, and listened.

The stories are refreshing and emotional. I truly enjoyed this read. And as Toby concluded, "God can use us right here, right now, but we gotta start somewhere".

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

sailing the ocean blue

2010-09-25T21:08:00.002-05:00

here is my first published article in girlworks:

sailing the ocean BLUE.

by: Chantal Wiebe, M.Ed

Life of the average teenager often feels like a storm at sea. Crashing waves of blemishes, awkward growth spurts, and school expectations can make life’s journey feel like it’s at the mercy of the wind – totally uncontrollable. Add in a few unexpected variables, like a new school or a broken relationship, and suddenly the world seems unchartered, cold, and difficult to navigate. It is okay to feel overwhelmed by all this! And don’t worry if little things bother you too. Something as small as dirtying your favourite jeans (probably while swabbing the deck) can throw you overboard! It is no wonder that many teens feel slightly depressed sometimes. That is very common! Everyone has these brief mood changes, and this is a natural part of the human existence. Think of moods as ebb and flow – they come and go. Often, simple things like talking with a friend, getting outside, sleeping, or getting a good laugh (um, Mr. Bean anyone?) can help boost your mood.

That said, it is possible that minor depressive symptoms could become more severe. These feelings are more intense and last longer. During these times, even Ryan Seacrest couldn’t make you crack a smile! Pay attention to some key things: major changes in sleep habits, appetite, extreme mood swings, and excessive crying. Feeling constantly tired, little belief in your self-worth, and difficulty in concentration might be ways these symptoms show up. Or you may feel nothing – like you’ve hit a seawall with no way around it. While no two people experience depression the same way, it’s important to address these concerns sooner than later. As with other disorders, earlier detection can offer benefits in treatment.

What you need to know:

1. You are not alone.

Depression affects the 8-10 % of the student population. That means in a school of 400, up to 40 of your classmates could be feeling the same way. In teens, girls are twice as likely to be depressed than boys. Cheery these stats are not, but knowing others are like you helps.

2. Get some exercise!

So as if you need another reason to get on a treadmill (besides the afore-mentioned pair of jeans), an intense weekly cardiovascular workout can do amazing things for your mind and state of mood. This is especially true if you maintain your exercise for a while, so don’t give up after the first week!

3. Know where to find help

Look for a lighthouse: talk to a good friend, your parents, or other important adult. Depression is not a secret but make sure you tell someone you trust. You can also talk to your guidance counselor, school social worker, physician, or school psychologist.

Oma Mary News

2010-09-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

My Oma Mary project is providing fabric to 4 high school students in my school division who will sew blankets as part of their voluntary practicum in home economics. We are attempting to have the students hand deliver the blankets to Rankin Inlet this year! That would be so exciting!! We hope to donate more than 100 blankets to 7 communities in the remote North.

If you have blankets (new or gently used) we will gladly gather them and donate them! Just let me know!

info@omamary.com

To provide even more fabric for this donation, I will be selling Oma Mary blankets, burp cloths, and toddler pillows at one of the most amazing craft shows I have ever attended:

Winnipeg Center Vineyard

Saturday, November 27th at 10am - 4 pm

Make it out if you can!!

Here is an example of where our blankets have been donated:

A friend of mine working for MedAir in Congo gave this mom a blanket for her little one!

Appreciation BBQ

2010-09-19T17:11:00.000-05:00

by the looks of this spread, I'd say today is a good day.

we hosted a thank you BBQ for all those who helped us build our house.

it was a good time to visit, say thanks, and enjoy the sunshine on the deck.

And thanks to Purple Peony for the beautiful arrangement!

Now, we get to enjoy the left overs! (which I really do love!)

Angel Food for my Angels

2010-09-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

Yuri and Lev are having the first of two family birthday parties tonight.

On the Menu:

Grandma's Spaghetti

Garlic Bread

Ceasar Salad

Angel Food Cake

Strawberries & Raspberries

Whipped Cream

There is so much to prepare and it really is fun to do.

Letting the rinsed fruit bask in the afternoon sun;

Tidy up the dishes;

Pick up toys;

Blow up balloons -

(Yuri and Lev's favourite part!)

Can't wait!