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Forecast for the weekend....

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Tomorrow we head off for our 12th annual trek to the Cape Breton Highlands. I was checking out the weather on Son#2's Ipod....a sea of rain. Rain Thursday, Rain Friday, Rain Saturday, Rain Sunday . But guess what it doesn't rain in the Highlands. That's my story anyway and I'm sticking to it. No rain baby no rain. DH will join us later cause work is heating up and well good thing cause it looks like it's the only thing heating up for the weekend. God is good. I figure if it rains like it says it is somebody must be praying pretty hard. Mama packing up the umbrellas - out.

It's a squirrel party!

We are finishing up our last minute stuff getting ready to head off to Ingonish. We had squirrels living in our trailer for the winter. The little critters had quite the rodent party frolicking from drawer to drawer. Eating whatever was left in the trailer that they could gnaw their little buck teeth into. Oh the nut shells it was like a Sunday morning at a bar in downtown Halifax that served shelled peanuts. I had visions of this guy and girl squirrel whooping it up all over our trailer. They even ate one of my wooden spoons and the poop...everywhere. I have been two days washing and disinfecting everything. We know there was a boy and a girl because well they had babies. DH was cleaning out a drawer and I tried to warned him there was "something" there. "No there isn't"! Oh yes there is - two deceased baby squirrels. Apparently when they aren't putting their stupid nuts in my cars carburetor they are making whoopee in my trailer and chewing up my stuff. So I said it once and I'll say it again..."squirrels gotta die"! Mama out.

Stuck then Unstuck!

Yesterday I told you about our stuck trailer. Oh it was stuck bad at the bottom of our driveway. Now usually...who am I kidding I always have an opinion. This time I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut, stay in the house and mind my business. I went to church this morning and just prayed when I got home all would be well. It's a great way to go through life sometimes. Just tell yourself it's all ok and then viola sometimes that is exactly what happens. I had visions of the whole Ingonish thing being simply us camping in the backyard. I thought I'd post a couple of pics. DH rocks he got it unstuck. Ingonish here we come! Mama sleeping a bit better tonight...out.

Oh How the Time Has Flown

This is my nephew Billy Joe and his new wife Leanne. We went to their wedding tonight. It was in Hubbards and was one of the nicest outdoor weddings I've been to in a while.
This is Jenna their daughter isn't she a beauty! She is my great niece. One of the nicest parts of the wedding was when during the ceremony Billy-Joe and Leanne included Jenna and said a vow to her that they would always love and honor her. They even gave her a little ring too. It was so touching. The wedding was in a barn. All I know is the next house I buy is definitely going to have a barn no question. What a great spot for a party. They roasted a pig. I tried to ignore the fact it was walking around this morning and it had a spit shoved up it's butt!
Did you catch that I'm a great Aunt. I know I know you think I'm too young for that. I am but there are some sweet kids in our family. This is Cameron. Cameron is going to be finishing up his final cancer treatment in November. I've told many of you about him and in fact I've had some of you have prayed for him. One handsome dude! One fighter. God is good and we are trusting that this last treatment will be his last treatment!
These are five of my great nephews. My nieces all had boys! Must run in the family because I had two, my sister had three, my other sister had one and here are five more! Gotta love them.
Little Blondie's. Family is so important I am discovering. Time flies by and before you know it these little ones are growing and growing. I guess that is to be expected. I didn't get a shot of my nephew Jamie's daughter. Mmmmm...not sure how that happened? I'll have to get her the next time around. I had a great time tonight because I got to see so many of my siblings and their children and their children's children. I don't know if I say this enough but I love love love coming from a large family. We aren't perfect and we tick each other off at times but that's ok that's to be expected that's normal. I'm up early for church tomorrow. I'm playing at two services in the band so I'm going to call it a night. DH has our fifth wheel trailer stuck in the driveway...don't ask. I have all the confidence in the world in him that when I'm finished this blog it will be out and pointing in the right direction...otherwise instead of Ingonish we will be camping in the backyard. Ho Hum. Mama out.

Oh the Humidity!

It was 37 degrees with humid ex today...98F so of course today was the day I decided to clean the house and get caught up on some laundry. Yes that was wise. Lets move and bend and turn on the dryer all day! Yeah that's smart. The only good thing is I think I perspired oh about 25lbs off of myself. Not really but mercy at one point sweat was rolling right down the middle of my back. How's that for a visual. I remember once a great lady rebuking me and saying "Julie...boys sweat - girls glisten. Boys get hot - girls get warm". I don't think this women had entered into the land of menopause. Oh yes I did glisten from head to toe. As a matter of fact I'm sure they saw me glistening from the airplanes flying overhead. I went to the hardware store tonight and hung out around the portable air conditioner. I convinced myself for a nano-second the $599.00 plus our beloved 13% sales tax was worth it but I snapped out of it as my body temperature lowered. I'll be in Ingonish soon in my air conditioned trailer. I will not be back any time soon. Maybe Fall when this heat is over. I am not a warm weather girl. I'm a spring if it isn't raining, Fall if it isn't raining and winter if it isn't freezing raining type of girl. This is not for me. I wonder if skinny people mind the heat like us over weight, 40 somethings? Those are the chicks who are glistening those are the yummy mommies...whatever! Well I'm going to attempt to go upstairs now and take my new $19.99 Honeywell fan with me. That's the difference between a stay at home Mama and an executive Mama. If I was still an executive I'd be unpacking the $599.00 air conditioner right now but the new stay at home Mama is glad to have the fan and a baby girl that appreciates the sacrifice. Oh she'll appreciate it because I'm already practicing my speech...yes I am. Mama- glistening in the night air - out!

Movie Night

Son #1 treated me to a movie tonight. I think he just wanted to get me out to a 3D movie so he could see me have multiple heart attacks with the little black 3D glasses on. The movie was good don't get me wrong but there was a couple of times in the movie I nearly landed in his lap. I tried putting the glasses up...I was ok it was blurry but that's how my nearly 44 year old eyes see now anyway. "MOM put the glasses down". "Fine". It was a good night though and good for a laugh. I love being treated by my kids. I figure they could treat me every night of my remaining lifetime and still owe me two million dollars but they are worth every penny. As crazy as it gets at our house by times I thank God always for my children and the blessing they are. Don't get me wrong they are a pain in the butt however I was the biggest pain in the butt that ever lived with my parents. No wonder my poor mother has every conceivable ailment that was written about. I know they must tee hee about my frustrations some times because whatever I am receiving I know what I gave them was way above and beyond anything I might be experiencing. My DH would still say I'm a pain in the butt but that's tough he has to live with it hee hee. I wish someone had told me what you dish out you will probably get back I might have behaved better. Oh well too late now. All and all my kids "today" are doing fantastic and today I am going to bed with a smile - Mama out!

The New Cleaning Lady

If I had to describe my house right now I'd call it a house of horrors. What a stinking mess. I had a brainwave yesterday to purge some stuff. Well you know what that means. The stuff you go through gets pulled out and placed from one end of the house to the other as you decide is this a toss, keep or toss item. Add to this a 2 1/2 year old that decides to help by dragging said stuff from one end of her world to the other. Add to this a nineteen year old that is sending me over the edge with laundry that he finally decided to pick up off the floor in his room and dump it in the laundry room. Add to that a days worth of dishes because I've been out since 2:00 and the teenagers are minding the house. I am now sitting at the only spot in my house literally where there is room to place something. I need to go with my DH tomorrow morning to do pics for him so I won't be home until about 10:00 so add to the mess more dishes and said baby who is now feeling better running through the house like a loon bag. Let's just say a wreck my house is a wreck. I have a window of three hours tomorrow to get it ship shape because we all know that it's about this time that dear old aunt Edna decides to visit for the first time in ten years and wants to surprise you and just shows up on your doorstep to which you have to click off the lights, crawl on your belly to the door and pray its closed and then lay in the fetal position hoping she goes away and won't walk in. I had someone cleaning my house on Fridays for years but well that was when I had my job making the big bucks....I had a terrible realization today....I'M NOW THE CLEANING LADY!!! Serenity now. Mama ignoring the mess for one more day and off to bed oh and p.s. don't come visit because well I won't let you in.

On the Ragged Edge!

I play in the worship band at church as a fill in. It's a long story I used to play all the time but felt that God wanted me to step back...anyway I digress. I played this morning. After watching The Dark Knight last night I was a bit off going to bed. It has been so muggy this past week. I tossed...turned...tried sleeping at the opposite end of the bed....my feet in my DH's face didn't go over well....two pillows....three pillows...one pillow...I hate the pillows...feet are tingling...oh my mind is whirling....1:00....1:30....2:00....2:30....I must go to sleep....I have to get up at 6:00. Some time after 2:30 I dosed off. I'm really really trying not to take the happy pills. That's not what they are for they are for my terror in the air when I fly. So I am up at 6:00 because I'm somewhat excited about playing this morning. I jumped in and out of a couple of vehicles determining which one is going to cost me less for gas and after I ironed the whole households clothes I headed off to church. Somewhere between here and there my nose decided to bleed. Did I mention I wore white pants this morning. Anyway nothing 10 minutes in the bathroom didn't fix. Of course now the issue is the big ole wet spot. At one point one of the band guys was talking about a girl-friend not girlfriend and said he wasn't sure if she was on the ragged edge or not. Ragged Edge? You know Menopause. That's it! Light bulb moment. I'm on the ragged edge. That is a perfect description and you know what people on the ragged edge are like...EXACTLY. Now picture that person...sticky with the humidity, overtired from lack of sleep, shack cracked with the not so well baby but praising God praising God...I'd rather be on the ragged edge in Canada with my family than anywhere else. God is Good.

On top of Everything Now a Rash!

I didn't post yesterday because we had a yummy yummy did I mention yummy dinner at our good friends Jim and Shelly's house. It was sooooooo good. I ate way too much but hey it's good to splurge once in a while especially when you are with good friends. Emily sure does love her Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Shelly. We stayed just a bit too late and I crashed with a full belly I know I know not wise but oh well. Emily woke up today with a rash on top of the fever on top of the pain in her back and on top of having her bum hurt. We went back to the doctor who wasn't too concerned at first then decided maybe he should check her out. He said "she has a fever" duh yeah that's one of the reasons we are here....four days of it. Her throat was red and one of her ears looked like it might be getting infected. At least now we have antibiotics. Hopefully by Monday she will be on the mend. Pray for Emily she is a trooper but she just isn't herself and I'm sure she is sick and tired of being sick and tired. We want to go and see DH's new Great Nephew but wouldn't dare go near because we just aren't sure what she has and we want to make sure that it is not contagious. We saw The Dark Knight tonight. Good movie but dark...hence the name. It was intense. That's it for today. Mama out!

Still Battling a Fever

I've been out of commission for a few days. Emily is still sick. She woke up with a fever a few days ago. I was a bit spooked because of the whole near death experience she had with the head whack so I took her to the walk in clinic. They didn't think the two were related but her fever is still high and this is the second day. She isn't herself and she whimpered most of the afternoon. Today she seemed OK but by 6:00 her temperature was almost 103. I asked her if there was anything hurting and she said her back. When she went to pee this morning she cried so now I'm thinking she might have a kidney infection or a urinary tract infection. Both I have never had or have I ever dealt with it in Son #1 or #2. If her fever is still there tomorrow I'm going to take her back to the clinic. If anyone out there knows anything about this in babies can you put a comment or email me and let me know what I should be looking for and how does it get fixed. That's it for tonight I'm off to bed early probably to toss and turn but I'm going to give it a good shot anyway. Mama out!

Oh Sweet Babies and Sweet Menopause

I snapped this shot at the beach in Michigan City. Isn't she so cute. Whosdavingo is the brand name of the t-shirts Son#2 is designing. I say that he could use this cutie patootie for advertising! She has such a look in those eyes. It is so humid in our next of the woods tonight. I can see it's going to be quite another night of up late because I can't sleep. I want to know why we were never warned about how menopause would change us. Hot then cold and tingley legs not to mention the whole I want to kill someone one minute and love them the next. I blogged about an accident that Emily had on my Straight from the Heart blog. If you read it you will be happy to know she is doing much better. Actually a menopausal woman is kind of like a two year old baby. One minute they are up and the next minute they are not so up. Babies scream...I scream. Babies can't remember to count to ten or their alphabet and suddenly neither can I. Babies don't pee in the pottie...I almost can't make it to the pottie anymore. Babies are up every four hours I'm up every four hours. Babies drool I think in one of those flashes I'm having I'm drooling. Babies get diaper rash we get prickly heat! Babies toot and giggle...we toot and giggle. Oh...and somethings are the reverse...babies get teeth we lose them. Babies grow taller we are the incredible shrinking women. Babies grow hair we lose our hair. Can you tell I need sleep. So there you have it we aren't going through menopause we are reverse aging just at a very rapid speed. Mama up way past her bedtime signing out.

Back to work

I was back to work today really for the first time since my trip to Odessa. I'm praying about going to China in January or February to visit the orphan villages there run by the Phyllip Hayden Foundation. A friend's daughter wants to go and I'm thinking if she goes I may use the opportunity to go with her and help her get settled in. I have to pray about it though. I'm contemplating perhaps looking at taking a team with me I just need to contact Tim in China to see what the need is. Also later on in the year I want to also go to Uganda to visit the Watoto children's village as well. I need to understand why these villages work so we can replicate it when we begin to construct our own villages. Anybody interested in going to either of these places...start praying and we'll see if God opens the door for it to happen. It's always more fun to travel in a group!

Back at It

We finally made it to our own church service today. Not that I haven't been to church just not ours. The music was great and the sermon thought provoking. It is odd in the summer though because I didn't really know a whole bunch of people because of all the services meshing into two. We did see some good friends though we hadn't seen since I left for Odessa which was awesome. I'm playing the next two Sundays which is awesome too because I haven't played in so long. Hopefully it won't show. Well it's late, and I'm wiped so this is Mama with a short short post down and OUT!

What a Blessing

Did I mention that my good friends Jim and Chris built us a wicked awesome shed. Oh yah way over an above what I expected which is stupid because they are the most awesome builders ever and why wouldn't I expect that from them. What a difference just to have a place to put a lawnmower...hey this thing is so big we could put ten lawnmowers and still have room left over and it even has a window...just because I wanted one. God has blessed us with incredible friends that are always there for us no matter what. We spent the day digging up plants. This place is like a jungle. Someone and not me had the brainwave here to plant about 5 of the most invasive plants on the planet on this property. As soon as I think they are gone about five more of the crazy things sprout up elsewhere. Goat wart is one of them. Evil Evil plant I'm sure brought from Satan himself to choke off and kill anything beautiful from God. I am almost winning the battle. What is it with the tall dandelions? The short ones are bad enough but all of a sudden big mutant tall ones are everywhere. I am so tempted to spray...oh...don't get your knickers in a knot you environmentalists....I won't but oh how I miss the days of pesticides and green lush yellow flower free lawns. I know we were growing a third eye but at least it was green grass and not yellow flowers we were seeing with the third eye. Mama going to bed to rest her aching back out!

Dolls, Dolls and more Dolls

I survived my mammogram. I knew I would. I did however forget that not only do they flatten you front on but then want to flatten you side on too. The poor little technician was about four feet tall. She almost needed a foot stool and certainly her arms could have been a few inches longer. It was kind of funny because she kept saying look up not down. I wanted to look down I was fascinated that you could squash yourself like that and sideways too! I went to my favorite hangout Guy Frenchies waiting for my business to fluff back up again and found a big ole pink container full of Barbies all shapes (well only one shape) and a "boy" barbie and baby barbies. Clothes and accessories. I scooped the whole lot up for $2.5o. Too bad they didn't make an overweight Barbie. You know like the Dove models - not 120lbs but look fine and realistic. Not the perfect Barbie shape but maybe a Barbie with a muffin top and some stretch marks and while their at it what about some varicose veins. Sorry Sorry you have to admit it though it would be funny. So Emily and I sat down to dig out the girls. Before I knew it an hour had passed, Emily was long gone but I gave each of the girls a new hairdo and co-ordinated their outfits and lined up the shoes. Emily loves them! Hee hee. In four short months I've gone from running the Atlantic region of a busy propane company to playing Barbies by myself at the kitchen table. Gotta love it! Much less stress if they bug you just put them in the pink box! Update on Son #1. He passed his medical and is good to come home tomorrow. It's a done deal now he just has to wait to hear when he starts. He's hoping September. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement. Mama off to pack up the Barbies for the night!

Tomorrow is Mammogram Day!

I had a weak moment a few months ago. Now don't get me wrong I absolutely understand the value of a mammogram that's why I'm going to have my second one done. However, the second is significant because the first time I went I didn't know exactly what to expect. I couldn't book locally so my hubby drove me to the mobile exam clinic in a remote country location. The mobile exam clinic was simply an RV parked in the mall parking lot where women went to have their boobs flattened. So now that I know what I'm in for I'm not really looking forward to it. That's why subconsciously I booked it so long ago perhaps hoping I would forget it. No such luck DH took the message off the phone - concerned look - "do you have a mammogram tomorrow"? Ahahahahaaaaa....they confirmed the appointment! Now the joke after the last one was he was going to haul our 5th wheel down to the local mall and hang out a shingle. His concern this time I'm sure is..."do I have to drive you"? This is one of those things I guess I'll drive myself to. I'm blaming Eve for this one. Actually I blame her for all the crappy stuff us women have to endure. Periods, painful child birth, the whole submit to your husband thing and I've decided I'm adding mammograms to the list. Some day when I am in heaven I'm going to give her the old palm to the forehead and say "girl...were you stupid or something...do you realise what we had to do". All joking aside this being a mature mama has stuff like this involved. When I was in my twenties and a Mama all I worried about was what little outfit I would look good in and the boys and I did our thing. Now well between the support bras, support hose, support undies, mammograms, regular check ups, sleeping pills, cold sweats, hot flashes and twitchy legs, and that was just last week - Poor Emily will be going through puberty but I say good luck because what I'm going to be going through will trump that baby! Mammogram day...oh happy day. I should say in all seriousness that we are blessed to live in a country where these are available and I know too many family members and friends that have been dealing with this insidious disease. So for them I will endure this because what they have to endure is 100 times worse than this. If you know someone who has had breast cancer or is current suffering from it why don't you take the time today to just say a prayer for them. In my case I think of Linda a good friends wife who is back battling her second bout of this cancer. Pray for her and her family. So here at home Mama's enjoying her pain free boobs while I can. Mama out and soon to be all out!

I'm Finally Back Home

Well my friends....hope you hung out on my Straight from the Heart blog while I was travelling to the Ukraine and to Indiana. It really was an amazing time. I won't rehash all that's taken place because you can read it all there. So if you haven't gone to that site the address is on my favorites or you can just type in www.straighfromtheheart.typepad.com. Good news today from Matthew our oldest son. Remember he wants to join the Canadian Air Force. Well he has been away since Sunday for flight crew selection. It's a pretty gruelling set of tests to determine if he can be a pilot in the Canadian Air Force. Today was the big day to find out if he passed or failed and well....HE PASSED....YAHOO! We are so very proud of him. There were fourteen applicants trying to qualify and he was one of only three people who were chosen to pass. God is so good. We prayed big time for him. We wanted him to be calm, cool and collected. We really placed it in God's hands because it is so difficult to pass that we figured if he did then it's meant to be. He now goes onto the aviation medical testing part of his entrance. The last hurdle for him. I'll keep you posted but we are thrilled for him. If you could say a prayer for him for this last part of the testing I know he'll feel it (hee hee in more ways than one)! It has been his dream since he could talk and to see it possibly come true is exciting. Andrew turned seventeen today. Where has the time gone. I felt for him because sometimes it seems he is constantly sharing the spotlight with Matt but he's such a good kid he understands. Birthdays are big deals at our house and he just wanted a small family thing so that's what we gave him. Emily's glad to be home. Mercy she was a fuss bucket the other night when we got back. She had a wild temper tantrum at 3:00 in the morning. I sat with her for quite a while and contemplated bringing her to bed with us because I was so so tired but I didn't give into the urge and decided...she's dry, she's fed, she's cozy....she's just having a hissy fit so I kissed her told her I loved her and left. Let's just say her voice is still gruff today because of the screaming temper fit she had but we persevered and she finally went to sleep. Parenting is not easy sometimes. Our instinct is to always coddle and cuddle and make everything perfect but there are times and that night was one of them that wasn't going to work and it takes some tough love. Story ends that she survived, we survived and she's back to her normal self loving her bed time and relaxing at the end of the day. It was a tough couple of days for her all the driving we did. Two good news stories for our family. Mike's neice had a baby boy - Aiden too exciting first great grandchild he was born prematurely so if you can remember him in your prayers they would surely love to have him come home. My sister got baptized on the weekend. I'm so proud of her! I have been so excited to see how she is growing in the Lord and I can't wait to see how God's plan for her life begins to unfold. That's it for now. Mama out at home and loving it!