More Stuff

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. For me, I have realized it is so much more than one day. It is at least a month! It's the one time of year people step out of their narrow focus of Me-World and try to share joy.
I'm also really feeling convicted lately about the lengths of our joy sharing. We aren't going far enough. We are getting so caught up with giving STUFF to each other (seriously, how many of us already have too much stuff?) that we are not helping the truly helpless. I even catch myself running through the mall getting last minute gifts, walking past the World Vision booth with it's orange-hatted volunteers, "too busy" or "too on budget" to stop. Horrible. I feel so convicted about this. If we put all of our billions of dollars we spend buying more stuff towards the truly needed, think about how the world would change.

A good article that got me thinking is here. Read it in it's entirety or don't read it at all. It's not that long.

I read a quote once (I can't find it now) and it was along the lines of, "If I stop buying things today, I could never possibly use up all the stuff I have right now." If you never bought another piece of clothing, could you wear out your clothes, all of them, until they were unwearable? Sheesh we have our priorities so messed up here, and it seems almost impossible to get out of the mindset of entitlement.

Here's to working on a change of heart, when the other part of me is thinking that I don't want to think about it!!

Jamison's Birthday Bash

My little guy is officially one! And I'm officially amazed it's been a year already. We had a heck of a bash! Lots of family and friends and yummy food. We did a potluck style dinner, I made sure we had a few basics, like big pots of chili, buns, and the plates and cups and drinks. Then everyone else brought amazing things and we ATE! I wish I had a picture of the spread.

I did a dessert table that had brown paper bags (I have a thing for brown paper bags) with colourful ties on them, cake pops, marshmallow pops, cupcakes, and chocolate moustaches. I had lots of fun!

The ties on the goodie bags actually were very handy for organizing them, I did purple ties for the girly bags, yellow ties for gender neutral, green ties for little boy and blue ties for older boy.

We did the party at David's grandparents church basement, which has a full kitchen, lots of space and benches and tables, perfect! I also set up a bunch of my toys from home to do a children's play area that I enclosed (not totally successfully) with benches to contain. And I also set up a table with sugar cookies I made, and plates and candy and icing for the older kids to decorate.

Jamison actually loved opening all his presents, it was too cute. Can't beat this enthusiasm!

One of my favorite parts of the party, my chocolate moustaches! Jade and I totally have the best movember 'stache!

Welcome Fall!

Well I have conceded. It's no longer summer.

We welcome fall in our house by going to our old road and hunting for chestnuts. It's like an Easter egg hunt, but without the chocolate.

Amaris has developed a rather interesting 'camera smile'. Yes, it's this little gem here:

Hmmmm. What can I say about that. She smiles like this almost every time I ask her to smile for the camera. Hilarious!

Mister Mister

My little guy Jamison is 11 months old now. I can't even believe it. I was reading through my blog and there is post after post with pictures and updates on Amaris, and poor Jamie has nothing.

Let me give the LD (that's Low Down for you less gangster people out there).
He is the most amazing baby. He rarely every cries or whines. We joke that when he does, it's just to keep in practice incase he ever needs it. He is a whirlwind of activity and never stops, he crawls almost as fast as I can walk. He eats more than Amaris does at every meal. He weighs almost 23lbs. He has strawberry blonde hair and dark dark pond water green eyes.

He laughs like everything is a joke, he clicks his tongue and pops his lips and waves like crazy man all the time. He is very verbal and 'talks' all the time, he has an incredible deep and raspy voice and it melts my heart. He says "Oh wow" and "Oh boy". And he says "Daan" for all done. I think he may be saying Mama too, but it's hard to tell what just sounds are and what they know they are saying.

Pinterest

There's a growing phenomenon in the blogging community, and I'd have to say, it's worth the buzz! It's Pinterest. And it's cool. At first I didn't understand the hype, but suffice to say after spending awhile on the site, I'm hooked!
It's such a super place for inspiration. Here's what I'm digging on it:
*Yes, it's all baby related. I'm nearing completion on Amaris' room, and just starting to get idea's for Jamison's nursery.*

LOVE the bright open windows, and dreamy breezy curtains. But the realist in me points out, would baby ever nap with all that energy streaming in!?

So far this is winning. Love the bursts of orange and gentle neutral base.

I so totally just brought a bunch of driftwood home in the truck this week for the purpose of hanging some type of mobile off it. Love this! And what a swell crib.

How darling is this idea? A baby footprint growth chart, doubling as super cute wall art!

Small Rant

Wow, talk about been awhile! Like three months awhile!
When I'm lying awake at night unable to sleep there are a few things I think about blogging. The big one is, I have a BIG, UGLY, horrible story about Jenner Chevrolet in Langford, B.C. and the 'service' there. I keep meaning to contact Better Business Bureau, or post a google review (I tried, but it didn't post for some reason, maybe it was too long and too full of colourful language? (Just kidding about the colourful language, but it was long)).

Anyways I'll post the longer version later when I feel like getting nice and worked up, but right now just to get the word out there, NEVER GO THERE WITH YOUR BUSINESS! They lied to our faces, double dipped from our pocket and our warrenty coverage, lied to the other dealerships trying to help us, GM head office, and tried to steal our papers proving that they were doing shady business! Sickening.

I can only imagine how many people went through the same thing and never found out they payed for something that Jenner also claimed from the warrenty coverage. Hello 'dollar dollar bill ya'll' for the employees. Sad faces for the customers.

David's Birthday

So I spent a week of cleverly hiding the planning of David's 27th birthday. I don't know what possessed me to do a surprise birthday, but I thought it would be fun. It was, but the anticipation and planning was a lot of work! So this is what David did, he went out shooting and firewood cutting with his boys. The photos are taking forever to get in the right order, so just accept the jumbled mess that was the jumbled day of his birthday!

David and his mom with the kids.



Oh Amaris, and the smushed window face.

David Jr. shooting, and my Dad, David Sr. having a turn.

Bear and Jesurun and the two trucks full of wood.

My beautiful table. Mind you, it looked better before all the mess of people eating happened.

Want to learn how to make the tissue paper pom poms you see in the pictures? Check it out!

Calm Before the Storm

It always blows me away how calm can turn into mayhem so easily with two small humans in my life. Take today for example, I am sitting on the couch, feet up, writing to-do lists (my personal therapy) and trolling through the internet for birthday ideas for my almost 27 year old hubby. Kids are calm, Jamison is playing on the floor, Amaris has taken care of her potty needs and is reading a book while sitting on her toilet. Life is peaceful, productive even, in the sitting with my feet up sense of the word.

Queue the storm/mayhem/crying/spilling/mess.

Within about 15 seconds life went from the above to the directly above mentioned scenarios. I hear a BANG of something crashing to the floor, followed by a hiss (yes I was weirded out too from my couch cushioned spot) then silence. For about 10 seconds. Then the freaking-out-age. I run over to the toilet and Amaris is COVERED from head to toe (literally) in soda pop! We had stacked left over coke on the shelf in the kitchen (yes her potty was in the kitchen) and somehow, this is still a mystery, it fell off and exploded at her feet. And I mean EXPLODED! Her book, her hair, her body (she was also sitting on the potty nekked, that's how we roll) the pantry cupboard, the shelf, all the canned goods, her potty, the floor, the garbage can. Imagine shaking a can of pop and then water gunning it out onto the kitchen and your kid. That was the scene before me. Sigh, say goodbye to a calm morning.

Anyways the ensuing mayhem ruffled Jamison's feathers and so he decided to join in the crazy. So the only thing Amaris hates more then being covered from head to toe in pop is the bath. Which continued her joy as I turned on the water and threw her in as I raced around trying to deal with the 8 month old in need of a nap and the sticky rain in the kitchen.

All in all the world is back up right, the kitchen is cleaner then before the great pop explosion of 2011. Thanks to my Dad for saving my butt and scrubbing the shmeck while I dealt with meltdowns 1 & 2. I love my family.

Naan Pizza with Curried Chicken and Asparagus

Thought I'd share a new delicious recipe I found in a magazine. I got the magazine 'House and Home' a 2009 issue from the library and the returned it after writing down the recipe. Then I took all my ingredients out of the fridge and freezer and went to get my recipe - it wasn't there!! And trust me you can NOT find this recipe by googling it. Anyways I found my recipe again and though the Internet should have it, since it doesn't already.

Naan Pizza with Curried Chicken and Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus (app. 15)

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

3/4 cup tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup plain yogurt

salt

6 Naan

1 cup (or more depending on preference) monterey jack

(I used a bit of mozzarella and a bit of mixed monterey)

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

Place asparagus in a large salted pot of water, boil 1 minute, then plunge into ice water. Drain when cool, pat dry, cut into short lengths you think would be good to chomp on in bites.

Fry onion in butter, add chicken, cook till golden, add garlic and curry powder, cook 30 seconds or so longer. add tomato sauce and water, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stir in yogurt and salt.

Heat oven to 400F, place naans on baking sheet, top with chicken mixture, add asparagus, sprinkle with cheese, bake 6-9 minutes or until cheese melts.

Garnish with cilantro, serve with wedge of lime for delicious squeezing flavour.

Serves 4-6 people depending on how hungry your eaters are, David eats two himself and I only eat one.

Enjoy!

The Potty Dance

So we've started potty training officially as of yesterday. We are going cold turkey on diapers, with the exception of naps and nighttime (until she starts getting the hang of it).
The 'method' we are using is the three day potty training technique. So far so good, we're on day two (although it's only 10:23am) and there has been one little dribble yesterday I could hardly even call an accident and that's it! Otherwise 100% potty-rific success!
We even took the potty with us on the trampoline yesterday, and outside to garden. Ah to be two and sit on the potty in the garden.

Hope you're having a wonderful long weekend, we're headed to the rodeo today! I'm sure we'll be hearing nothing but talk of cows and horses and cowboys for the next three months after this (you think I'm exaggerating - I'm not!).

Cute potty image found here

Best Pumpkin Loaf EVER

So since I shared one of my favorite lemon loaf recipes (here), and one of my all time favorite zucchini loaf recipes (here) I thought I'd share my new favorite pumpkin loaf recipe. Seriously, so good, I die (can you overdose on pumpkin?).

pumpkin bread

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

3 cups granulated sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray three (medium/smallish) bread loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and sugar. Sift in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.

Beat gently until batter is smooth, then gently add chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated. Pour batter into loaf pans until halfway full.

Bake in preheated oven for one hour or (depending on your loaf pan – see note) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing.

Optional: You can also lightly butter the tops and dredge with powdered sugar.

note: if you don’t have small loaf pans, you can use two medium or one large loaf pan. just be sure that the batter only comes halfway up the sides of the pan. you should also increase the cooking time a few minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Thanks to Elizabeth Bryant over on her blog "Lizzy Writes" check out the recipe section for some great ideas!

xoxo

i carry your heart

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

e.e.cummings

my hippie

lately life has revolved around getting outside.

and convincing mommy or daddy to stay outside

even at the end of a 65 hour work week

and still wearing work clothes

♥

the greats

(One of my favorite photos right now!)

It was so nice to see my grandparents (Amaris and Jamison's great grandparents) during the wedding. They drove out from Alberta (along with my aunt and uncle and cousin) and it was so great to have all the family around!

Yup that's right, my Grandma can still break it down on the dance floor.

My Dad and his Mom (cue: 'Awww'). Can you believe tihs women has like a gazillion grandkids and two great grand kids?

hot air wall art

So I'm thinking of making my own wall art. My walls are sadly empty. I'm thinking somewhere along these lines:

Too cute eh? Maybe for Jamison's corner? I can't really call it a room because it isn't one, since it connects the bathroom, Amaris's room, and our room. Poor kid it's more like 'Jamison's Hallway area' but it sure beats him sleeping in our room still!

images found here, here and here and here

life so far

Life has been baking cookies,

wearing cool things on our heads,

(and trying new things with our taste buds!)

And posting a few wedding photos!

Okay there are better pictures. But Jamison needs to be fed and we've all been sick all week, so this is all I'm posting!

Erin and her maid of honor, Allison. Beautiful picture!

And me and my man of honor, David. You should've seen the faces he made in the other pictures!

Annnnd a really cute pictures I need to rotate somehow? Can you even do that in blogger or just in Picasa before you post? hmmm annoying!