I'm fiddling around with my blog today, looking for a new look that works for me.
So, if as you visit today you notice something weird going on :) , don't worry it's just me lol.
Easter Sunday Service
3 weeks ago
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Recipe: How to Make Brown Sugar
I am sooo excited. I needed some brown sugar for my cabbage roll sauce and didn't have any :(
I was definately not running to the store to buy any since I started reading this blog.
So I went on the internet and found this fabulous recipe (tip?) and wanted to share it.
Light Brown Sugar
To 1 cup granulated sugar, add 1 Tablespoons molasses. Stir together until evenly mixed with a fork.
Dark Brown Sugar
To 1 cup granulated sugar, add 2 Tablespoons molasses. Stir together until evenly mixed with a fork.
Too cool eh? Yup, I'm a dork :-)
I was definately not running to the store to buy any since I started reading this blog.
So I went on the internet and found this fabulous recipe (tip?) and wanted to share it.
Light Brown Sugar
To 1 cup granulated sugar, add 1 Tablespoons molasses. Stir together until evenly mixed with a fork.
Dark Brown Sugar
To 1 cup granulated sugar, add 2 Tablespoons molasses. Stir together until evenly mixed with a fork.
Too cool eh? Yup, I'm a dork :-)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
What We Did Today...
Today is a school day.
However...
We skipped school today :)
Remember the poem I posted earlier? The one about spending more time with your kids?
It was a good day!
We made suncatchers for our yard, went to a homeschool potluck with some good friends, met up with some old friends, came home, made some hummus and homemade chewy pretzels and then zonked out on the couch cuddled up to watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
some of the designs waiting to dry
Simon playing with his shadow
Amy painting
I think every homeschooling family needs one of these days every once in a while. I'm glad I got that poem today.
Take some advice from me. Go give your kid a hug and tell them how much they mean to you. They aren't going to be living at home forever and these days are just passing by too quickly.
However...
We skipped school today :)
Remember the poem I posted earlier? The one about spending more time with your kids?
It was a good day!
We made suncatchers for our yard, went to a homeschool potluck with some good friends, met up with some old friends, came home, made some hummus and homemade chewy pretzels and then zonked out on the couch cuddled up to watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
some of the designs waiting to dry
Simon playing with his shadow
Amy painting
I think every homeschooling family needs one of these days every once in a while. I'm glad I got that poem today.
Take some advice from me. Go give your kid a hug and tell them how much they mean to you. They aren't going to be living at home forever and these days are just passing by too quickly.
aack! Where are the kleenex!
That's what my friend Ann-Marie said after I emailed this to her this morning.
I've decided to post it here as well so that I know where it is whenever I need a reminder to slow down and enjoy my children more. I received this poem this morning and it just about tore my heart out with the conviction that my children will not always be little and time is running out to enjoy them as they are right now.
For My Child
Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face
and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear,
and smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry,
and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink,
and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer
off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles..
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble
when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy
you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to
be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made
where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't
stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us
both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys..
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story
about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the
porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours,
and miss my favourite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your
hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given
me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for
their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting
their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and
fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer
senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter,
a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you,
and ask him for nothing, except one more day...
I've decided to post it here as well so that I know where it is whenever I need a reminder to slow down and enjoy my children more. I received this poem this morning and it just about tore my heart out with the conviction that my children will not always be little and time is running out to enjoy them as they are right now.
For My Child
Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face
and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear,
and smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry,
and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink,
and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer
off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles..
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble
when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy
you one if he comes by.
Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to
be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made
where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't
stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us
both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys..
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story
about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the
porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours,
and miss my favourite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your
hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given
me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for
their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting
their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and
fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer
senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter,
a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you,
and ask him for nothing, except one more day...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Amy's 13 Today...
so now we have a teenager in our home. How did this happen? It really, truly feels like only a couple years ago we brought her home. I remember the day she was born so clearly, I remember bringing her home, and I remember the days after just her and I learning about each other while Jay was at work.
How can it be that the tiny little girl of yesterday is now this incredibly bright, beautiful young woman?
We had a wonderful weekend with her Grandma Anita and 'honorary' Grampa Cam who drove all the way from Barrie on Friday to spend her birthday with her.
Birthday day included breakfast out, apple picking, birthday shopping, Big Apple pie and lots of music and jamming. Our house was rockin' on Fri and Sat...sorry to the neighbors ;-) but when you get four very musical persons together in one house, look out! Jay on bass, Cam on guitar, Si and Amy on drums and keyboard! It was so much fun and soooo noisy...lost count of how many Advil I popped but it was all worth it!
Amy and 'HG' Cam
Jay, Cam, Anita and Simon
The apples were amazing, the branches were so heavy with them they were drooping and looked like huge clusters of oversize red grapes! We have been going to the same apple orchard since Amy and Simon were babes, we love the woman, Barb, who owns it. You are always guaranteed a warm welcome and deeeelicious apples. They don't have a website, but if you are looking for a nice, family run apple farm, Wells Apple Orchards in Waupoos is for you.
Friday afternoon, Amy's very good friend stopped by to drop off a gift (how sweet of her) and ended up staying for the day and dinner. The girls had a great time and boy can that Katie eat! We rotisseried 2 chickens and I think the child ate one all by herself heehee.
Actually she had a good excuse. She'd spent 4 hours that day practising at the local dojo with her Sensei's sensei, Yamanaka Shihan. What an honor for her and what an exhausting experience. I guess I can forgive her eating a whole chicken lol!
We finished the day off with a visit from Katie's mom and dad and much laughter.
Amy and Katie
Katie hamming it up :-)
Jeanette, Michael and Amy
Happy Birthday to my little girl. May this be your best year yet with many, many more filled with happiness, laughter and joy!
Oh, on an aside, check out Jeanette's website. She's a local singer/songwriter with a big heart for women's issues. Lovely lady, awesome talent, fantastic friend :)
How can it be that the tiny little girl of yesterday is now this incredibly bright, beautiful young woman?
We had a wonderful weekend with her Grandma Anita and 'honorary' Grampa Cam who drove all the way from Barrie on Friday to spend her birthday with her.
Birthday day included breakfast out, apple picking, birthday shopping, Big Apple pie and lots of music and jamming. Our house was rockin' on Fri and Sat...sorry to the neighbors ;-) but when you get four very musical persons together in one house, look out! Jay on bass, Cam on guitar, Si and Amy on drums and keyboard! It was so much fun and soooo noisy...lost count of how many Advil I popped but it was all worth it!
Amy and 'HG' Cam
Jay, Cam, Anita and Simon
The apples were amazing, the branches were so heavy with them they were drooping and looked like huge clusters of oversize red grapes! We have been going to the same apple orchard since Amy and Simon were babes, we love the woman, Barb, who owns it. You are always guaranteed a warm welcome and deeeelicious apples. They don't have a website, but if you are looking for a nice, family run apple farm, Wells Apple Orchards in Waupoos is for you.
Friday afternoon, Amy's very good friend stopped by to drop off a gift (how sweet of her) and ended up staying for the day and dinner. The girls had a great time and boy can that Katie eat! We rotisseried 2 chickens and I think the child ate one all by herself heehee.
Actually she had a good excuse. She'd spent 4 hours that day practising at the local dojo with her Sensei's sensei, Yamanaka Shihan. What an honor for her and what an exhausting experience. I guess I can forgive her eating a whole chicken lol!
We finished the day off with a visit from Katie's mom and dad and much laughter.
Amy and Katie
Katie hamming it up :-)
Jeanette, Michael and Amy
Happy Birthday to my little girl. May this be your best year yet with many, many more filled with happiness, laughter and joy!
Oh, on an aside, check out Jeanette's website. She's a local singer/songwriter with a big heart for women's issues. Lovely lady, awesome talent, fantastic friend :)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Recipe for a Great Anniversary
Family, friends, good food, and good entertainment.
Teehee...curious?
Si and Jay working on a model
Amy in her usual fashion cleaning ;P
(okay, I realize that calling KD "good food" is stretching it, but smothered in hot sauce it's actually "pretty good")
Met a friend for some entertainment
at the local high school....
Then we finished off the evening with one of my favourite movies,
All in all a lovely anniversary. See all the fun you can have when you're broke BUT in love with your life?
giggle...
p.s. Do we say p.s on blogs? Anyways, "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" is on the agenda this afternoon.
Teehee...curious?
Si and Jay working on a model
Amy in her usual fashion cleaning ;P
(okay, I realize that calling KD "good food" is stretching it, but smothered in hot sauce it's actually "pretty good")
Met a friend for some entertainment
at the local high school....
Mario and the Magic Coat (presented by the Alzheimer Society)
A story about a boy who stumbles upon the magic tricks and suit of a magician! His adventure helps him to learn that the real magic is not in the magicians' tricks or costume, but in his own ability to learn and develop. Magic tricks, music and audience participation take the children on an exciting journey to learn that YOU CAN DO IT if you believe in yourself! The show features Canadian magician Mario Albert along with TV Ontario's Greg Tarlin, known to many children as Jerry The Juggler on The Noddy Shop show.
Highlights
Magic tricks and Illusions
Fabulous Jugglers
Music and sing along
Houdini's Metamorphosis Trunk Escape-Magician escapes after being locked in trunk by audience members!
1 hour, 20 minutes of fun and excitement for the entire family!
Fabulous Jugglers
Music and sing along
Houdini's Metamorphosis Trunk Escape-Magician escapes after being locked in trunk by audience members!
1 hour, 20 minutes of fun and excitement for the entire family!
Thanks Shar for the free tickets ;P
Then we finished off the evening with one of my favourite movies,
All in all a lovely anniversary. See all the fun you can have when you're broke BUT in love with your life?
giggle...
p.s. Do we say p.s on blogs? Anyways, "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" is on the agenda this afternoon.
Friday, September 12, 2008
16 Years Ago Today...
I married my best friend. Sixteen years ago today!
It just doesn't seem possible. A lot has happened in these sixteen years. Some good, some bad, some awesome, some ugly...but I wouldn't change any of it. Why you ask? Because everything that has happened has had a Master author behind it writing our story and I have been fortunate to have my best friend by my side during it all.
Jay and I both moved here to the County from Toronto in '94 after Jay became ill and couldn't stay in the city anymore. We both left our families, careers and everything familiar to us to find a new life in the town my father had moved to many years previously. We've never looked back.
What did we find here you may ask and what did 16 years of marriage see? Even if you aren't asking, I'm gonna tell you.
We found God. First and foremost we found the peace and security we'd always been looking for but never really understood we were looking for. We have peace now in knowing that our lives are not accidents and that we have a purpose here.
I've gotten to know my dad. After growing up without my father if has been wonderful these last 14 years getting to know him, and learning to love and respect him for WHO he is and not just for who he is.
On the same note, I've been able to get to know my sister, who moved out when I was young and I never really remembered too well. My sister is also my best friend. We spend so much time together and there is an honest love and respect in our relationship that I feel extends further than just a family tie.
We gave birth to two awesome children who constantly inspire us, amaze us, challenge us, and drive us nuts all at the same time.
We started a business that helped us to buy our first house. We folded said business and have been searching ever since for that 'perfect' job opportunity.
We found a church family that we love.
My incredible sister-in-law became a Christian and I've had the honour of watching her grow in her walk with our Lord and become an incredibly generous and loving woman. At the same time, I've also been able to watch her children grow up into lovely people. Actually, just between you and me (?), her daughter is one of my favourite people :)
We have made good friends here with the type of people whom we didn't fully understand existed. Good people. Loving and giving people. Funny people. Generous people. People we count ourselves blessed to be considered their friends.
We've made friends with people and we've experienced the pain of watching some of them die. Two of them young, one unnecessarily and one to disease, called home to Glory early. One friend recently just returned to Glory. This man was what Jay and I called our 'spiritual father' when he and his wife lived here. They took us under their wings as baby Christians and helped to feed us the spiritual milk needed at the time and gave us our first spiritual meat. We miss these people, all of them, but thank God for knowing them.
We've seen the birth of nieces and nephews and watched three of them struggle to survive after being born prematurely. We've watched them grow up (with the exception of the newest addition of course) into wonderful young people.
A lot has happened in the 16 years we've been married. So much that I obviously can't write it all here. These are just some of the highlights and lowlights.
I look forward to the next 16 years and seeing what Jay, God and the kids are going to bring to this marriage.
To end this post I leave you with what else, pics of our lives.
My girlfriend took this pic just before I left for dinner with Jay, the night he proposed.
This is us at my dad's in Picton the weekend we told him about our engagement.
What else? Our wedding day.
Our first "apt" after moving from the city. We stayed in my dad and stepmom's basement.
Newborn Amy in our Hill St. apt. For those of you who know whom I'm talking about, this apt. was right next door to the old manse, when Pastor Carl and Sue lived there.
Amy then...
Amy now...
Simon as a newborn...
Simon then....
Simon now...
Amy and Simon then..
The old 'Jay Rutherford Cartage' truck...
Good friends past...
(another friend to be posted once I get a picture scanned)
Good friends present...
Nieces and nephews (an old but good pic)
our newest niece...a little beauty
(two more nieces to be included shortly once I get the pics scanned)
And a pic for all those who wouldn't believe it unless they saw it...Jay the day after we got engaged! Look how skinny the dude was!
Our crazy little family today...
Jay and I happily married today.... Happy Anniversary honey!!!
It just doesn't seem possible. A lot has happened in these sixteen years. Some good, some bad, some awesome, some ugly...but I wouldn't change any of it. Why you ask? Because everything that has happened has had a Master author behind it writing our story and I have been fortunate to have my best friend by my side during it all.
Jay and I both moved here to the County from Toronto in '94 after Jay became ill and couldn't stay in the city anymore. We both left our families, careers and everything familiar to us to find a new life in the town my father had moved to many years previously. We've never looked back.
What did we find here you may ask and what did 16 years of marriage see? Even if you aren't asking, I'm gonna tell you.
We found God. First and foremost we found the peace and security we'd always been looking for but never really understood we were looking for. We have peace now in knowing that our lives are not accidents and that we have a purpose here.
I've gotten to know my dad. After growing up without my father if has been wonderful these last 14 years getting to know him, and learning to love and respect him for WHO he is and not just for who he is.
On the same note, I've been able to get to know my sister, who moved out when I was young and I never really remembered too well. My sister is also my best friend. We spend so much time together and there is an honest love and respect in our relationship that I feel extends further than just a family tie.
We gave birth to two awesome children who constantly inspire us, amaze us, challenge us, and drive us nuts all at the same time.
We started a business that helped us to buy our first house. We folded said business and have been searching ever since for that 'perfect' job opportunity.
We found a church family that we love.
My incredible sister-in-law became a Christian and I've had the honour of watching her grow in her walk with our Lord and become an incredibly generous and loving woman. At the same time, I've also been able to watch her children grow up into lovely people. Actually, just between you and me (?), her daughter is one of my favourite people :)
We have made good friends here with the type of people whom we didn't fully understand existed. Good people. Loving and giving people. Funny people. Generous people. People we count ourselves blessed to be considered their friends.
We've made friends with people and we've experienced the pain of watching some of them die. Two of them young, one unnecessarily and one to disease, called home to Glory early. One friend recently just returned to Glory. This man was what Jay and I called our 'spiritual father' when he and his wife lived here. They took us under their wings as baby Christians and helped to feed us the spiritual milk needed at the time and gave us our first spiritual meat. We miss these people, all of them, but thank God for knowing them.
We've seen the birth of nieces and nephews and watched three of them struggle to survive after being born prematurely. We've watched them grow up (with the exception of the newest addition of course) into wonderful young people.
A lot has happened in the 16 years we've been married. So much that I obviously can't write it all here. These are just some of the highlights and lowlights.
I look forward to the next 16 years and seeing what Jay, God and the kids are going to bring to this marriage.
To end this post I leave you with what else, pics of our lives.
My girlfriend took this pic just before I left for dinner with Jay, the night he proposed.
This is us at my dad's in Picton the weekend we told him about our engagement.
What else? Our wedding day.
Our first "apt" after moving from the city. We stayed in my dad and stepmom's basement.
Newborn Amy in our Hill St. apt. For those of you who know whom I'm talking about, this apt. was right next door to the old manse, when Pastor Carl and Sue lived there.
Amy then...
Amy now...
Simon as a newborn...
Simon then....
Simon now...
Amy and Simon then..
The old 'Jay Rutherford Cartage' truck...
Good friends past...
(another friend to be posted once I get a picture scanned)
Good friends present...
Nieces and nephews (an old but good pic)
our newest niece...a little beauty
(two more nieces to be included shortly once I get the pics scanned)
And a pic for all those who wouldn't believe it unless they saw it...Jay the day after we got engaged! Look how skinny the dude was!
Our crazy little family today...
Jay and I happily married today.... Happy Anniversary honey!!!
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