2006

When I look back this past year, i honestly wonder where the time went. We have done more in this past year then we usually do which made it fly by extra fast.

The first week of January, are house was filled with a wonderful gift from the kids cousin. CHICKEN POX! The kids were covered from head to toe but survived!
Januray was the first full month of our house being on the market. Very frustrating having people through it everyday and crappy offers. Brandon has a tough market (unlike Winnipeg) and you need patience and time which we did not have.
This month also marked Aidan's 4th birthday. We celebrated by having a big pool party at a local hotel.

Steve was not working at this time as he was still on paternity leave.
February marked my 25 birthday (although I am sure I am at least 35!) and we ended up taking our house off the market after two months. We instead decided to rent it out and keep it as an investment property.

March rolled around and we were packing like mad! Steve was moving to Winnipeg to live at his sister and brotherinlaws place while I stayed put till the end of March. We had renters lined up to move into our house on April 1st but we had yet a place lined up in the city. Steve was part time working in the Canada post downtown plant.
We started serious house hunting but felt very intimadated by the bidding wars. We had made three different house offers and finally found a place. The place we did buy we bought UNDER market price because it needed ALOT of help. We decided because the place needed so much work we would rent for two months while we worked on the house.

April came and went, we moved into our townhouse in Windsor Park and May 1st we got the keys to the new house.

May was spent working hard on the house. Ripping it apart and putting it back together. Steve also started full time nights. It was a hard long month as we spent every spare moment working at the house.



May 26 marked Liam's 1st birthday. We were able be in our new house and had a party there to celebrate.

Summer came (and went just as fast!) We bought an older tent trailer and made good use of it taking some trips up to Falcon Lake and St.Malo. We also spent lots of times at the paddle pools, the beach, tinkertown and across the street at the park.


August, we took off for a couple days to Edmonton. The kids had a blast at the hotel and at the West Edmonton mall. It was a quick trip but alot of fun and they still talk about it.
August also brought a new position on for Steve at work. He became a supervisor in UTS (urban transportation service) at the Canada post plant. This job was a change from the 'monkey' job that he had but a good challenge and he enjoys it.

September brought Cassidy's 3rd birthday! Hard to believe she is three already. We had a small party here in Winnipeg and then went out for another party in Brandon. She was defiantly spoiled with two Sleeping beauty cakes and lots of presents.
September was also the start of a new school for Aidan. He started at Springs Christian Academy preschool and loves it. He goes every tuesday and thursday morning.
Fall was uneventful. We stayed close to home and started getting the house ready for Christmas. The start of December, my sister Jamie and her family were able to come from BC so we could meet our new precious niece Keziah. We had a great family gathering together and early Christmas. It was also the same time my Aunt died very suddenly and went home to be with Jesus. It was nice that my entire family was home and able to attend the funeral.

Christmas was a little less stressful this year. We didn't have to travel anywhere since we had Steves side of the family gathering at our place.
The new year has come and we are thankful for the way God has orchasetrated the move to Winnipeg. How he has found us a great church close by and a place to live. As most of you know, I hated this house for a long time but am learning to enjoy the work we have done. We are also thankful for the way God has moved Steve up the ladder at Canada post very quickly and still continue to pray that this whole new position thing will get sorted out. We are thankful that we are finally adjusting to the city. A year ago I would have never imagined driving downtown and now I do it almost everyday without even thinking about it.
Although our kids can drive us crazy, we thank God for them and are blessed God choose them as ours.

We look forward to what God has in store for us in 2007. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SNOWED IN!!

Literally!! We just got over 20 centimeters of snowed dropped on us in the last 12 hours. So insane!! Last night at supper time, I left to drive to pick up Steve. The roads were terrible and I was being cautious. As i got off the disreali overpass and turned left on main street, i fishtailed and ended up doing a complete 360. Yes, during rush hour traffic. Thankgoodness for a red light holding up the oncoming traffic. I ended up in the same position and continued driving. The kids were all asleep soundly in the back and didn't remember a thing. I then made Steve drive home. I hate driving in Winnipeg in winter!!
So this morning Steve was late for work because he had to dig his way out. He shoveled himself out of the entire back lane but he made it. As you can see from this picture. I can not open my front door.


And this is out the back door. Crazy!! It is supposed to be very very mild this week so I am sure we will lose alot of it.

Christmas is over!

I am so glad the holidays are over and I can take my decorations down and get my house back to normal. We had a good holiday so far. Since we celebrated my side of the family at the start of the month, there wasn't as much going on which was nice.
Christmas Eve, Steve only worked till 4 and then we went to the Christmas Eve service at the church. They had a live nativity scene and had a really neat service. It was just good going to church all together again.
Christmas eve night Cassidy ended up throwing up all night which gave us all a rotten sleep and we were pretty tired on monday morning. But she was over it in the morning. I think she just had too many sweets the night before. We opened all our gifts that morning and the kids enjoyed the morning by playing with all there treasures.

Aidan's train table


Cassidys dream house (if you look at the front of the house, there are windows and a door painted on)


Liam's little people



We then hosted the Christmas celebration with steve's side of the family on Christmas day. It was hectic but we all survived and the kids had alot of fun. We opened more gifts and ate more food and had good fellowship.

Liam enjoying their new aquadoodle

The kids in there new outfits from Grandma and Grandpa that they got in China town on there Montreal trip. Cassidy would not take hers off.




Now for other news, Steve's job is now up in the air again. Last week, he got some news that his they made a mix up with the new shifts and hiring so everyone had to bid on shifts again. We were pretty frustrated and upset but since he is now permanent, he knows the worst position he will get will be mon-fri 11am - 7 pm. I am not crazy about this shift.
But then, things changed again and he may get an even better one, which we hope to know by friday.

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours!

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Aidan's Christmas Concert

Last night, Aidan had his very first School Christmas Program. He was so excited and has been waiting for this for weeks now. This was the first time we have ever been to the Springs Christian Acadamy School Christmas Concert and I must say they go all out and do an amazing job. The concert was alot fancier then I remember any of my school concerts being.

Aidan and his class started out the evening with a wonderful randition of Drummer Boy and Jungle bells. Aidan was more interested in watching the big screens behind him that they are all on rather then singing. I didn't bring my camera cauze we brought the video camera to tape instead.

The kids got all dressed up for the event. Here is the one of very few pictures they actually all sat still for me.

Princess Pictures

I took a whole load of pictures of Cassidy yesterday in her Christmas dress.

My big boy

So all this talk about other people and keeping there kids in there beds made me decide not to procrastinate and move Liam into his big boy bed. I knew we could really use the space in his bedroom, since the boys have bunkbeds. So, this morning I took down his crib and set up one of those crib bar things on the bottom bunk bed. I put him in there about 1/2 an hour ago for his nap. He cried a bit, but soon was fast asleep. Because this bar was so big, I think he doesn't realize he can get out. Hopefully this means bed transition will be as easy as the other kids. Does anyone know of anyone in need of a good crib?? I am EXCITED to get rid of it!

Christmas is fast approaching, as you can see from my ticker above! I have been done shopping for a long time now but we are still working on Cassidy's gift. You see, Cassidy has been eyeing the barbie house in the Sears wish book but I figured by the time I furnished it and bought it, it would cost a fortune. so. . . I got an amazing deal from a lady here in Winnipeg. She sold me a gigantic homemade barbie house, complete with furniture and 3 suitcases of barbies and clothes, barbie jeep, barbie horses etc. . . All for a cheap price. The only thing is the house needs some remodeling. Just some repainting and new flooring which worked out great because we have lots of stuff leftover from remodeling our house. So Steve installed laminate in the living room, linoleum in the bathroom and carpet in the bedrooms. Yesterday, I painted the rooms. Now the plan is for Steve to cut doorways into the rooms and build some little stairs going up. And then we have to figure out how to get this giant, heavy piece of furniture upstairs!! LOL! When we are all done I will post some pics to share our masterpiece!

As for other news, Liam recieved his first hair buzz the other day. Steve usually does it but I did it this time. He liked the vibrating feeling on his head and sat great the whole time.

Steve is counting down the weekends. Two more after this one and he is a free man on weekends and evenings. I dread the weekends and try to keep us busy as much as possible. I even took the kids shopping yesterday (on a saturday in December,) yes, I am crazy! I can't really do play dates with people because they all have husbands home at this time. So that is very frustrating! Today, we went to Mcdonalds play land for a long lunch. The kids enjoyed playing with the other kids there. Liam is rather frustrated because he is a little too young to play in them yet.

That is about all for news around here, I hope to do a photo shoot with the kids in the next while when I get the time.

my new addiction. . . .

So as you can see I finally changed my siggy at the top of this page. I was getting rather sick of them but didn't have the time to make one. As well, I never knew how to make one until now. Those siggys (the animated slideshow picture things) were made by a friend from my message board.
Since I knew I was fully capable of doing it myself. I spent the last few days figureing out how to do it and I finally made my first one, the blue snowflake one! Yes, my computer almost went out of the window a couple times but I did it. I then went a little more difficult with the one on top.
For those who are wondering. I get all my clip art from online. freedigitalscrapbooking is an example of website that offers free downloads. But if you search free digital scrapbooking, you get tons of pages. You need the program Adobe Photoshop to make the pages and then you need Adobe imageready to make them animate. Now, if you don't have either of these programs, if you go here, you can download a 30 day free trial! (but if you want to keep it, you have to shell out big bucks!!)
This is SO much fun! And highly addictive. And FREE! (that is if you already own the expensive software)
If anyone is interested in some step by step instructions for making there very own siggy, I can email you a great tuturiol a friend sent me.

more pics from our weekend

So its monday and we have slowly recovered from the busy weekend. Steve again has been working 12 hour days. It looks as though after his two days off tomorow and wensday, he will be working every day, long hours till Christmas. The money is good so we can't complain. Plus, it is the last stretch of this night/weekend work. He starts January 2 in his new position.

As promised I have loads more photos from the weekend family get together. Because of the time it takes to download them to blogger, I could never share them all so here are a few more.

Friday also marked Noah's first official day home from the hospital. He was in there for over 60 days and I think Nichole was ready to sleep in her own bed. As you can see from this photo off him and his proud big sister Kailyn, Noah has gotten rather chubby. and of course a picture of me cuddling Keziah. Hard to believe the next time I see her she won't be this small anymore.

Micah and his daddy

Here are all the grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa. I am sure surprised they all sat still to take a couple pictures. Grandma bought them all matching outfits for the pictures.

as well, below is a family pic of Jamie and Erik and family.

My brother Joel, Laura and there girls Maddy and Olivia

My sister Nichole, Brad and there kids Kailyn, Josh & Noah




Overall it was awesome that Jamie and Erik could come and visit. It had been several years since they celebrated Christmas with us. We love you guys and miss you already!

just a taste. . .

can you believe how big our family is??

This is just a taste of our Christmas gathering yesterday. . . .when I have the time more pictures are to come! The day was long, starting off with Auntie Martha's funeral and then we all headed back to the Loewen's for a traditional christmas supper (chinese food and pizza) and lots of gifts. The kids were wired when we got home. Aidan was actually up at 5:30 this morning because he was SO excited to play with his presents. So we all slept in while he played by himself.

the last few days. . .

Wow, what a crazy few days we have had.
Saturday, the kids and I headed to the airport and met up with my parents to greet Jamie and Erik and kids. They were incredibly hyper the entire time as they ran around wild at the airport. Liam even tried to take a ride on the big belt that moves the suitcases all around. They arrived safe and sound and were able to spend supper at our house. We then all headed to Boissevain for a few days to visit with them. It didn't take long for the kids to warm up to them and soon Micah and the kids were playing together. My brother Joel and neices Maddy and Olivia came for a visit on Sunday.
Cassidy enjoying some time with her cousins Maddy and Olivia.

On another note, we had some shocking news on monday. My aunty Martha (my mom's sister) died suddenly of a brain hemorrage. Her and my uncle Doug live only a few minutes away from us in the city so we have seen them more often then usual in the last while. She adored the children and faithfuly filled there penny banks everytime she stopped by. She was actually over two days earlier to visit Jamie's new baby. I recently had a conversation with my mom about how we don't know when it will be our last day. Sometimes we feel people are invincable and unless they are terminaly ill we don't expect them to ever die. We thank God she accepted Christ into her heart two years ago and can rejoice in knowing she is with Jesus. Please, all who read this, pray for her husband and family and that they can see God through all of this.

School

One thing that has been on my mind lately is schools. Aidan will be starting School next year and it seems to be stressing me out a bit. Where do I send him? Do I send him to private or public. And which school?
Right now, Aidan is at Springs Christian Acadamey preschool. They have a fantastic program but we are paying an arm and a leg for him to go. Plus, it is a 15 minute drive from our house. Not convienent. We need something closer and more in our price range if it is to be private.
We have explored the public schools close by but I don't hear great things about them. I really would like the kids to have a Christian education. We have a private Catholic school right across the street and have been exploring that option.
Then the other day, at moms group someone mentioned Calvin Christian Acadamy. After much discussion and realizing it is a 5 minute drive, I knew this could be the school for him. As well, the price is affordable and he could have the Christian education we want him to have. And the more kids you have in school, the cheaper it is.
So we will be applying at this school and praying he will get in. They don't look at applications till the new year. I look forward to this all getting worked out.