Tag Archive | raspberries

Sunday in Review

Sunday has been a relatively quiet day in comparison to the rest of our weekend. We started out slowly and skipped church (shhh but with two trips out of town and all the ups and downs we figured it would be best). The weather for once was on our side so after lunch we packed everyone up and headed off to the splash park. Nothing fancy but the kids were kept busy and 2 out of 4 wet for at least 30 min.

At Prince Charles Park

At Prince Charles Park

Running Through the Sprinklers (Zander blue)

Running Through the Sprinklers (Zander blue)

Emanuel made one run through and decided it was too cold. So he came over and snuggled on the bench and enjoyed watching his brothers. Trinity is a bit too small for the water pressure so wandered around the edge pointing and laughing and chattering away.

Our Brown Eyed Boy

Our Brown Eyed Boy

After fun at the park we headed over to H&W for more watermelon and the beginnings of what I need on the 3 days Ken is gone. We found some seasoning packets to try on our beloved potatoes as well as some strawberries for a pretty decent price. I figure I will attempt to freeze some and save them for the winter instead of risk them going bad. They will fit right in with all the frozen raspberries we have in the freezer right now (of all the things I am going to miss about this place when we potentially move April of next year  the raspberry bushes are going to top the list!).

The next big activity for yours truly is going to be dealing with what we think are now ripe apples in the backyard. Neither tree is overly sweet but they are ABUNDANT! I found a recipe online that uses the slow cooker and you can add the sugar at the end (something we have to limit in Trinity’s diet) so I am going to give it a go. My slow cooker is large so the 8 apples it calls for are not enough. That, and the apples that ARE on these trees are not overly large, so tomorrow morning nice and early, Ken is pulling the ladder out of the garage and will will pick a nice large bowl full. If it all works out I will be freezing the applesauce as well and with the amount of apples on these trees giving it out to EVERYONE we know! So be warned if  you live close enough to receive food!

Apples From Our Backyard

Apples From Our Backyard

As you may know if you read this blog often that I have a great and upbeat friend in the city that I chat to often. Her name is Ada and she moved here this February to be with her husband who is also a friend of ours – Nathan. During all the difficulties we have been going through she has been here being optimistic and chatting. She has been a sympathetic ear, a sounding board, a confidant… a true and wonderful friend. And this weekend I figured I would give something back. So I had Ken sit down and design a stitch for her – something relatively simple but with meaning for her and Nathan. The words are in her native tongue (Cantonese) and mean Husband and Wife… I am hoping that it is something she can enjoy and maybe bring her some luck in the up coming week! I am definitely going to post the pattern once Ken figures out the best way to do so. He created the heart from scratch and minutely altered the script we used (the L’s looked like weird T’s). I used black DMC 310 for the words and Kreinik Very Fine #4 Braid 002 for the heart. I used a random dark grey for my initials and the date. Thanks so much Ada!

Husband and Wife

Husband and Wife

I also finished up the mini project I bought at the dollar store. I am definitely going to go back and get a couple more to save, though the small piece of linen is a little fiddly to work with and the way they write out the chart a little misleading when you are looking for the center. I think I may try it on a piece of aida… maybe even as large as 11 count just for the fun of it. I pinned the unfinished edges in and Ken ironed it for me so I could stitch it to the mesh bag the kit came with.

Little Girl Stitch

Little Girl Stitch

So not the most productive day but I do have some completed projects and plan on working on the number 9 and making caterpillars with the boys’ names on them tomorrow. I am not going to set up too much for the boys to do since this week is supposed to be nice and warm. My goal is to get the number 10 done before the end of  the month and we are almost there! I also plan on the boys doing one Christmas gift project, in fact Ken and I were debating doing the Borax one before he leaves for the 3 days. Thank goodness the boys LOVE crafts… and playing outside!


Bumblebees, Ice Cream and a Bright Red Shawl

First off to put everyone out of their misery for today – no call in regards to Ken’s meeting – yet… so you can imagine the state himself and I are in. Waiting waiting waiting ALL DAY! It was not until 5:30 that he felt we could get ready and head out to do our few chores. Talk about FRUSTRATING! So we shall see what happens tomorrow and of course I will share the results!

But before I discuss today I have to talk about late last night… or early this morning really… we got a phone call after midnight – which is unusual in and of itself – from ESTHER! That is right our very own globe trotter calling us on the phone ON her airplane ready to take off for Grenada! So of course I slipped into full mommy mode and had to make sure she knew she HAD to keep in contact, have fun, study hard, keep safe… the list goes on and on and on. It is hard to believe she will be gone for a YEAR! This does lead me to the next important thing. For the upcoming year I am going to do something special. For every special occassion, every odd moment I am going to bring along the red shawl Esther forgot her on her last visit. When I told her it was forgotten she mentioned that she would be at Muttart with us through her shawl (if you check back there are pictures with it) so for the next year she really will be there with us. Keep an eye peeled, you never know when Esther will “be” with us!

Esther in Spirit... Keep and Eye Peeled

Esther in Spirit... Keep and Eye Peeled

Now for today… hmm lets see, slept in since I stayed up late with Ken while he grumbled about waiting on the meeting. Spent said day waiting for call that has not come yet… cleaned, picked raspberries, cleaned, made a loaf of bread in the breadmaker… oh and we did this great paper plate craft!

Bumblebees! First painting the plate yellow the night before, using a marker to draw on black stripes and then hot gluing googly eyes and tiny pom pom noses, taping a triangle of black construction paper on the back for the tale we finished it off with wax paper wings. The boys were ecstatic with the bees asking if we could make ladybugs (wait til you see TOMORROW’S craft!) and now there are requests for butterflies AND caterpillars! I already have ideas for the last one…

Painting the Plates Yellow - 2 coats (Zander left)

Painting the Plates Yellow - 2 coats (Zander left)

Stripes and Paper Stinger

Stripes and Paper Stinger

Completed Bees

Completed Bees

Today was an AWESOME mail day! A stitching friend on a Canadian egroup sent me a stitching magazine with patterns she felt related to my blog! The only one she was hunting for and couldn’t find was in regards to my first ever bus trip – I so need to design something for that one! I am so excited not only to get to work on one of the patterns but that someone cared enough to do such a wonderful thing. I write this blog mainly to get a piece of myself out there, to share life and maybe even start conversations with people. To know that I actually had someone think about it and me is just TERRIFIC! So the pattern I have chosen to start is called “Follow Your Heart” and once I get a quick gift stitched up (if Ken EVER gets me the pattern) I am going to get started. It has more than a couple of stitches I have never done before which is exciting!

Speaking of stitching the dragon is coming along nicely. I am not going to post any more pictures of it since it IS a Christmas gift but it is really taking that dragon shape. The stocking IS still calling to me sadly but I am sure there is enough hours in the day for all my projects to be satisfied… eventually… and maybe if I don’t sleep?

So a special treat for the family. I splurged and got us a tub of ice cream… only $6.99, the boys had been asking for weeks if they could have ice cream and I figured with how well we are doing at staying on budget and keeping close to home and all the things I have had to put off that this was an earned reward. In order to make EVERYONE happy I got neapolitan so even Ken was happy. The nice thing about a tub of ice cream is it lasts so much longer, small dishes every once in a while and we are all happy.

Mmm Ice Cream and Parts of Tomorrow's Bug Craft (Zander left)

Mmm Ice Cream and Parts of Tomorrow's Bug Craft (Zander left)

Personally I am hanging in there. There are little things that get to me – the lack of CHOICE when it comes to things like eating out (there is no room in the budget) or going luxury shopping (again no room) BUT on the other hand I am noticing little things that make me feel GOOD much much more. Today Trinity was saying “hi” all over the place, to the point where she was sitting with the play phone saying “hi hi hi” into it and smiling. She also spent most of today wandering around with a spool of ribbon letting it trail behind her. The boys were SO excited about their bugs and now are requesting even more varieties making me have to do more research for crafts which I love. The raspberry bushes were not hugely bountiful today but there are TONS still to ripen. And best of all I got hugs from all my kids who just had to tell me they love me while Trinity came up to me many times making kissey noises and leaning forward to get her favourite kiss on the forehead. So while stressed I am blessed. (Rhyming ugh!) Now if I could just find a way to have the house clean itself….

Static Cling!

Static Cling!

A Pink Dress, Warm Day, Sewing and a Well Earned Nap

Sundays here are often busy, especially the past couple months but today we managed to keep it a little more low key starting the morning with going to church. Of course this meant Trinity was all dressed up in a *gasp* pink dress (yes yes pink in MY house… but no one gave me a dress in this size in my beloved blue…). I think Ken is finally coming to grips with the fact that baby girl dresses often look MUCH better on the wee ones  than on the hanger. Though he SWEARS Trinity makes the dress look good and that is the ONLY reason why it does. All of this of course led to pictures. Which OF COURSE I will share the best of the best here!

Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink

Brothers 3 (Zander left)

Brothers 3 (Zander left)

So Does NOT Look Like a Baby Anymore!

So Does NOT Look Like a Baby Anymore!

This being the first time we have gone to our church in more weeks than I am willing to admit I made sure I was doubly prepared with activities for both Trinity AND the 3 boys. In fact I have two toy bags that are always packed just for situations like church or trips. Not to mention pieces of bread and a sippy cup of water for Miss T. The boys chose their usual – colour wonder paper for the win and we made it over the halfway point into the sermon before calling it a day and removing the kids from the santuary. Trinity was running laps in the back row and the boys were getting antsy. Our church sends the kids to Sunday School before the sermon so these summer services when it is not in session are hard. Thankfully sign up for Sunday School is mid September. I figure we will put the twins back in but hold Emanuel back one more year. To put him in now he would be in the class with his brothers and more of a distraction than a fellow student. That, and he still has a blast in the preschool toy area in the basement and plays with the other kids his age who are brought down there with their parents.

Thank Goodness for Colour Wonder Paper! (Gavin back)

Thank Goodness for Colour Wonder Paper! (Gavin back)

Post church had us home for lunch and then quiet/naptime where even I had a nice nap. Ken got voluntold to watch Trinity since she took the shortest nap of all in exchange for some quality head and shoulder rubbies after I woke up. Amazingly a day that started out rainy and overcast quickly became sunny and very warm so we pulled out the pool and let them at it. The twins chose to take off their shorts and go just underwear and shirts and Emanuel just got soaked.

Fun in the Sun (Zander green)

Fun in the Sun (Zander green)

With the completion of Fydo’s gift I have finally bitten the bullet and started with the Kreinik blending filament on the stocking and have truly come to love Thread Heaven. For those NOT in the know it is a marvelous creation – a wax type thing in a tiny box (that is lasting forever I might add!) that you run your threads over keeping them from fraying and even tangling less. As in the past evening and today – NO fraying and NO snapped filament! (knock on wood maybe?) Which, while not making me HAPPY to use the rather finicky stuff has made me more… agreeable to it. This pattern calls for the 002 (gold) and 032 (pearl), both of which I have used in many a project. Thankfully Ken should have my newest small designed by us pattern ready for me this evening giving me a bit of a break for the stocking, as I want to take a project with me out on our picnic tomorrow. I just would rather it was a very simple one instead of the more colour intensive stocking.

Speaking of designing, this past Saturday was my Cousin Jordan’s wedding! We couldn’t make the affair due to our budget crunch – the drive was simply too far, BUT I have seen pictures. Their colour scheme was chocolate brown and teal – and a nice lovely bright teal so I am really looking forward to finalizing how I plan on making their wedding sampler. I have sourced out some free patterns – a more Gothic style border, the requested skull I plan on more subtly including and 4 or so scripts for Ken to chose from. All I am missing is some sort of saying to put in the middle. I want something more… quirky than traditional flowery religious saying and am stumped. So if anyone has any suggestions I would LOVE to hear them!

I have also been requested to do a dragon for a friend for Christmas. I am rather excited about this one as way back in 2002 I had purchased a pattern set of dragons for a friend that I have only had the chance to do up one of. There is the nicest set of 4 seasonal dragon heads that I figure I could do up one of. It calls for a bit of the blending filament (002 gold and 045 confetti gold) but I am rather sure I have enough of at least ONE of those and can get the other later. I plan on doing this one up on 14ct. aida. The pattern is part of the Cross My Heart, Inc. company so not AS colour intensive as the stocking though there are some lovely greens in this one!

We finally were able to take the time and finish up our book from visiting Muttart. 28 pictures later and it is all glued together and awaiting some sort of metal loops or something for the top. I am going to have to source out rings now as yarn just doesn’t cut it and I am also planning on making a baby flip photo book for Trinity that calls for one. (I was watching Martha Stewart in Minnesota for some odd reason just long enough for her to do this craft using baseball card sleeves and a shower curtain ring… I plan on using a metal one myself) Not sure where to start finding those but I figure if I ask around and keep an eye open SOMEWHERE has to have them cheap!

Some of the Finished Pages

Some of the Finished Pages

My other completion was a kit for my nephew. As we can’t make it down to see him any time in  the near near future and my mom and her hubby are heading down on their bike next Saturday I made up a little foam kit from some stuff we had here at home already. As you can see just stickers and foam shapes but I figure the boys had a BLAST putting it all together maybe he will too. It had to be relatively flat as it has to fit in the storage on the bike and the envelope still needs to have the kids decorate it but it is all ready to go. This is way more basic than I am hoping to make the Christmas ones but a good start. A wonderful suggestion from one of my online homeschooling egroups was that for the more difficult ones have pictures of the steps and have GAVIN take the pictures. I am totally going to do that! Hopefully people keep sending me ideas as I want to make up as much stuff as possible, even have kits aside for the kids on a rainy day here at home maybe? Simplify things up a bit!

I Switched the Blue Car for Yellow Since Yellow Seems to be His Fav

I Switched the Blue Car for Yellow Since Yellow Seems to be His Fav

So we kept rather close to home for the most part and enjoyed ourselves. it is 9pm and all 4 kids are already sound asleep! Bonus! I still have planning to do for tomorrow’s picnic that Sean is going to join us for (his doctor has extended his time off work two more weeks!) as well as our weekly trip to H&W. Tuesday will be busy with Shaw coming as well as Ken heading out on an errand out of town. (Wish him luck!) With Thursday having a homeschool park date and Saturday a free craft at Michaels (check it out see if your local one does too!) our week is looking nice and full! I figure tonight I kit up the dragon and poke Ken about doing the pattern for the other stitch up for me and then I can feel like I am truly moving along!

And of course… one more flower to share! This one is in the driveway sneaking around with the raspberry bushes that grew up under the fence. And unlike Trinity’s Sunday dress – a lovely shade of my very favourite colour – blue! Enjoy!

No Clue What These Are... Just Pretty!

No Clue What These Are... Just Pretty!