I managed to finally finish all the bonus levels on my game Liong: The Dragon Dance from BigFish – a Mah-jong game. One of the bonuses of having the hubby home. He DID make it home late last night – yet another chapter in the saga of the Reinsch-Johnson family. Ken left for home right after his last meeting (not thinking to call since all the people he saw have their phone lines through Shaw so – FREE LONG DISTANCE IN CANADA…..anyway) only to end up in an accident. Luckily no one was hurt and the van has no visible damage. And even better – NOT Ken’s fault. A woman sped her car through an intersection forcing Ken and a truck to slam on their brakes. The police came and she gave everyone her insurance info so here’s hoping we don’t have to use it! So even though he got a decent headstart the accident slowed him down… a little over 3 1/2 hours after the time consumed by the accident and report he got home – cranky but in one piece. The drive home was stressful leaving him with nothing but the accident and our lack of follow through on a promise by the government… speaking of which:

So when the government fails to fulfil a monetary promise for the 3rd time in 2 weeks for a process that has taken 2 months to do a 2 week wait period are you allowed to become an independant country unto yourself and declare war? Now I know that is foolish (after all where would I get the army…. although 4 kids…) but it is the feeling behind the situation to a “T”. Thurday apparently came and went and NOTHING… Ken called and the form we did when we had the first big delay was no reconciled or something. I do realize that it is not the entire body of the government letting us down (and from what I hear we are not the only ones with the same issues with this division) but it sure feels like it. After all if I were to offer someone 100.00 on an exact date I would hand it over. You don’t dangle cash in front of a family of 6 that is needed and then go – oops I mean NEXT week. So we are REALLY down to the line and I am hoping that Tuesday will be THE day (please keep a positive thought, prayer for us) and then I can work on NOT hating the system… so much.

I have to admit I got spoiled this morning – after breastfeeding Trinity I got to go back to bed and SLEEP IN! Until 11:30 in fact! And then a nice long bath. So it was not until noon that I got anything done which, big surprise, was starting yet another batch of applesauce and a tray of apple leather. The boys still cleaned up all the icky apples and then played outside. What a restful morning.

Sean joined  us for the afternoon. The guys are watching a new series Ken downloaded – Legen of the Seeker based on some books Ken had read. Trinity has finally forgiven Sean for not seeing her the month and a half we were in Minnesota so they have been having a great time hanging out together again. She is in a much better mood today –  I wonder if that is because Ken is home now or that I sent her to bed early last night.

New Game - Toss the Cheerios!

Today was another warm day so the boys were VERY happy to play outside in sand and pool. Neither Ken nor myself was very interested in venturing far from the house so no trip to the park. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice and sunny and we can head off to the park or just on a walk. Summer is quickly coming to a close and it feels like there is still so much to do! I would love to do so many things but I have such a list for next year.

Splashing in the Pool

I am a little overwhelmed with the bounty that is what Ken came home with from our friend Kathy’s. As she does not currently have time to bake and such she sent home the majority of her supplies and their containers. Things like flour (white AND whole wheat), sugar and a vast variety of spices. This is going to stretch our budget even further as now I have more than enough things to make the desert items we love. I hunted down a recipe online for oatmeal applesauce cookies (I know again with the applesauce – but we have it so lets use it!). I figure I need to find my sugar cookie recipe and maybe splurge on some more icing sugar and use the sprinkles that she sent as well! My plan is to make vegetable soup on Monday that will see us through quite a few meals using up the celery I can’t get the kids to eat (carrots and potatoes are on sale at H&W this week). Of course with some noodles. While cleaning up the apples that fell off the trees in the storm last night I have more than enough for two more batches and Ken picked some off the other tree to try. (they bruise horribly when they hit the ground and I am too short to pick them so the past week I have been unable to get nice enough apples to cook).

Proof Ken is Home - and That I Put Him to Work!

All of this of course happening when the weather has WARMED UP again! What is this? We are in CANADA… summer is supposed to be short and all that and all of a sudden we are nearing the end of August and the weather is nice? I am not complaining but what a surprise. So I am going to take full advantage and pitch the kids into the backyard while I make as many different foods as possible with what is in the house. Maybe for one of their homeschool activities we will make something together. Now I just need to find recipes  that call for whole wheat flour.

I am hoping on a nice sleep tonight and then a relatively simple and worry free Sunday – or at least that is what I am shooting for. At least Ken is home safe and sound!

Emanuel and Dog! Creativity at its Best 🙂

So today was mostly taken up with a trip to the Muttart Conservatory.

The Entrance

This local attraction has 4 different pyramids and in each one is a different grouping of plants. Included in the displays are also sculptures which are for sale (I was less than enthused personally with the one of the man in a red speedo!).

Statues in the Pyramid With Cactus etc.

Seriously... Man in Speedo!

It wasn’t too busy, though the tables and chairs in the main cafeteria like area were full of day camp kids. We took our umbrella stroller for Trinity and meandered through each section taking a TON of pictures. Gavin brought his camera along and graciously let his brothers take pictures with it as well. I plan on having them go through all of those pictures tomorrow morning to print off and make a little book of flowers. Though with the massive amount of pictures Gavin and his brothers took I may just have to make the book half the size of the Summer one. I am not sure what captions I will include, though I am debating going the route of colours and numbers.

Our Baby Girl

Zander and Gavin Taking Turns (Gavin green)

Even Trinity was entranced and had to explore on her own two feet! Apparently other people find her as cute as we do as there were compliments directed at our little Davine gift!

There were a total of 4 pyramids and each one was so unique. Two had more of the flowers and colour, one was cactus and such and one was actually growing in opposition of our seasons, so right now it was in winter while we are in summer!

Vivid Greenary!

Purple Blossom

I Love the White in This One

There was one flower Ken said I HAD TO take a picture of for his friends… are you at all surprised? I wasn’t!

For the Guys

There were some amazing features in a couple of the pyramids. There were moments where looking through the camera it really felt like you were somewhere exotic and amazing. And the smells were so lovely, the warmth of the area… it was all marvelous!

Waterfall

This Face Was AMAZING

There in Spirit Right Miss E?

Mainly I just couldn’t stop taking photos of things! It was so much fun! Trust me I have PLENTY more where these came from.

Blue Blossoms

Tiny Flowers Close Up

Red From the Cactus Area.

Of course I had to get pictures of each of us with the kids. Should have gotten one done with everyone but there was too much to see and the boys were so NOT sitting still.

With Mommy (Zander blue)

With Daddy (Gavin green)

AKA Humouring the Wife

I really enjoyed the feature pyramid (it changes from time to time). It had a New Orleans sort of feel to it with music piped in and everything and quite a few nice little areas to sit and take pictures. So of course… we did.

One of the Featured Area's Photo Spots

Wishing Pond

There were outside gardens as well that anyone could access. So of course we had to check those out. Though the kids and Ken tired of them way before I did. I hate to think of the time they spend weeding!

One of the Outside Gardens

Note the Tiny Fly!

This morning could definitely be considered a success… this afternoon started off rocky but improved drastically. A trip to the bank to deal with a gift from a dear friend has us waiting 15 days for clearance (oh dear oh dear – though Ken will be checking on that via phone in the morning) so the drive home was a little mellow. However things improved! Not only did the government FINALLY come through BUT so did an email we were waiting on. I am hoping to be able to share more in the near future when given clearance but suffice to say things perked up around here! Add to that an email for me saying I got a $5.00 online gift certificate for indigo.ca for a survey I filled out a while ago and I am feeling the love.

The reality of the house is not all sunshine and roses, after our VERY busy long weekend I am looking at 3 or 4 FULL loads of laundry to fold… not my favourite job but I am the only one who knows which clothes are which boy’s. As well as wanting to start the “mystery stitch” for Ken’s friend Fydo… colours are chosen – black DMC and a lovely grey – DMC 535 that Ken chose himself. I won’t be posting pictures of this one without permission as it is a personal logo but I figure I can bust it out tonight! I am still “working” on Ken to get the patterns I CAN share up on the site. Ken is also going to give it a go at making our own alphabet so that we can do truly personalized patterns. Maybe eventually even take requests? Who knows! I figure if we are going to be making them up on the computer anyway this could become something I could do on the side and maybe even eventually make a little spending money on. Though I am not holding my breath!

Teepees are on hold for tomorrow, 3 little boys could not listen long enough to get the backyard cleaned in a timely manner so we ran out of time! I figure first thing in the morning they will do that project (I will definitely post pictures of the finished products). Since tomorrow evening is hanging out with Chris and Chris I doubt we will be straying too far from the house but you never know!

With all the news and emails etc etc going on today we are planning on having a picnic on Monday at the larger park (once we ensure there are no events going on there at that time) so if anyone is interested in joining us we can always make it potluck! I found the cutest pictures of hedgehogs having their own picnic for the boys to colour to go with the event. I figure that ties things in nicely and opens up the opportunity to talk further about picnics in general.

I must admit I feel a little flustered… after things being so stationary at difficult and frustrating and honestly a little scary this whole positive occurrence thing  has thrown me for a loop! For once in a GOOD way. It is funny, on the way home from the less than exciting bank experience I looked at Ken and asked him if he remember the saying: Got helps those who help themselves? I asked him if he thought we were helping ourselves enough or if we had something else to learn about this situation and he had no answer for me. Seems like maybe God did? I don’t have any false illusions that this will be the end of our working hard to get what we want and need but at least this week is working to end on a positive note, a bit of a kick start to refresh our focus and determination. And it is welcome! And needed!

Emanuel, Zander and Gavin... 3 of our 4 Greatest Miracles

Why is that number important you may ask… well today was a good day for our little family! As we had run out of fruit and most of our veggies and the new eflyer was here from H&W we headed over there… and for $17.29 (see told you it was important) we got all of this:

$17.29 Worth of Fruits and Veg!

That’s right this whole pile of FRESH food was under $20.00! Ken walked out of the store bags in hand AND smiling! And the world kept on turning… crazy that! Tomorrow I have plans – for lunch I am making the family pita pizzas using those lovely pitas we picked up today, a can of tomatoe paste we accidentally bought that was supposed to be SAUCE, ham slices and some cheese. Talk about YUMMY! The kids are excited as I plan on letting them help as well! Just don’t ask me about supper – I haven’t figured that one out yet!

So the excitment of the produce store (where farmers send their fruit and veggies of course) spilled over to trying out another new store – Giant Tiger. Looks like a dollar store from the outside really but had a nice grocery section where we were able to pick up ramen noodles (4 for a dollar) as well as replenish the powdered ice tea supply that crazily enough the boys like as much as I do! Of course there was some asking for things – lots of silly items and toys and stuff there as well but I managed to have all 3 boys come out of there without crying and whining! How did I do that – MAGIC – ok ok – the strawberries you see in the above picture really come in handy! As does promising grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch along with big glasses of milk! Go figure!

After lunch I managed to make a nice difference in the mess we call a garage and sort most everything into piles – the boxes to be compacted into garbage, the stuff to go to mom for her to give away AND the rest I SHOULD really find a home for INSIDE. (that will come in time…) The owners of the house are coming by next week – the wife has still not seen the newer carpet in the basement and they want to take some more of their stuff our of the garage so I definitely want to make sure they have clear access to it!

Supper was spaghetti – such a favourite but such a mess! So the boys had to have their post spaghetti apocolypse bath… at least they have gotten better – at this point MOST gets on THEM and NOT the floor or chairs or even the table (how they manage it I am not sure but it has meant that spaghetti is STILL a nekid kid affair – ok underwear or pull up only). After which we headed back the the Legislature to meet Chris and Chris at little after 7pm.

Splish Splash

A little cooler than last time but still GREAT fun. Like last time we started in the smaller pool with the waterfalls bowls in tow of course. We then went over to the deeper pool where we all got nice and wet. I tried Trinity in the boys’ old floaty but she was having NOTHING to do with it! Tons of tears and a face plant later we gave up on that one. Maybe next time when it is warmer.

So NOT Impressed... Next Time Maybe?

Chris and Chris came bearing ice tea and lemonade so the boys were more than happy with the entire situation… of course the fact that they were each promised a strawberry when we got home helped too! I am hoping I can convince Ken to head back there a second time this week… maybe with more friends in tow?

Aunty Chris, Emanuel, Gavin and Zander

I have been working on a pattern Ken designed for me for my sister in law Holly. The part I am working on right now is a bat symbol that I chose to do in her favourite colour purple. I have had these Light Effects threads from DMC for ages that Ken’s mom had gotten me for Christmas one year so am doing it in those. I think the colour number is E155… I plan on doing the saying in black (310) and it is all on a piece of 14 ct aida cloth – white. It has been slow going as to preserve the thread I am using Thread Heaven to keep it from fraying and doing the one strand knotted onto the needle. I hope to get through the bat by tomorrow night and then on to the saying (which I am not yet going to divulge!)… I plan on posting the pattern on the site along with one I made my cousin (Chemist) so keep an eye peeled.

A More... Feminine Rendition of the Bat Symbol!

So all in all a good day… no mini miracle yet but lots of moments of sweetness… and that is worth it in and of itself!

The Whole Family! Emanuel, Gavin and Zander Front Row.