A Sip of Humor

During devotions with the children today I asked the question: "Why did God create Mothers?" Our 6 year old Emily sat up straight, flipped her braids and very excitedly stated: "I know! I know!" To which I replied: "Go ahead, tell us why." Her response: "God made Mothers because if there were no Mothers, life would be messed up. You could do anything you wanted to, even steal. God had way too much monkey skin left over so he had to make mothers out of that! That is why God made mothers and your monkey skin is very soft Mommy!" ((LOL)) Needless to say, we had a lesson on creation right after that! Haha

And the winner is..........

As you all know the Twins were in competition as to who would be the one to loose their first tooth. The winner is..... EMILY!! She lost it at school today and was very excited when she got off the bus proudly proclaiming "LOOK MOMMY, I LOST MY TOOTH!" Alex was a tad jealous but he is determined that his will come out today too. ((LOL)) The funny thing is, that his tooth that's loose is the exact same one Emily just lost! Must be a twin thing!

A Sip of Humor

It's been a rather quiet but productive day in Storeyland. Today we got some yard work done, organized some things and took some time to reflect on the sacrificial price that was paid so that we could live in a free country. However, there was a bit of excitement too.


The Twins discovered that they both had their very first loose tooth so now they are in competition as to who will be the first to lose theirs. It was very amusing watching them wiggle and wiggle their tooth all day with very little results. Emily is currently in the lead so Alex quickly informed us that he "needed a pair of plyers" to pull his out! ((HA... HA)) Only time will tell who the winner will be but for now... the race is on!

A Sip of Humor

Last Tuesday, Hubby and I picked up the kids from Cadets and were driving through the base heading home when we came upon a stop sign. We were waiting patiently for the traffic to pass when all of a sudden Emily exclaimed, "Oh, Mommy and Daddy look at that!!!! Someone buried the choo choo train!!" We didn't have a clue what she was talking about until Rachael pointed out the steam pipe sticking out of the ground! Much to our amusement, Emily thought that there was a train underground and the only thing showing was the exhaust pipe! As we drove drove away all you could hear was bubbles of laughter rippling through the van!

Today's Prayer

A Mother's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet,
Far from the daily family riot.
May I lie back and not have to think
About what they're stuffing down the sink,

Or who they're with, or where they're at
And what they're doing to the cat.
I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)


To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)
Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)

And that I need not cook or clean
(goodness, I've got the right to dream)
Yes now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,
But as I look around I know,
I must have lost them long ago!

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~

Overheard in Storeyland

~The Twins singing, "I'm a Little Snowman"~

While driving along after school one day, the Twins started singing a song they learned in preschool. They were really getting into it and of course their voices got louder as they belted out:

"I'm a little snowman short and fat

here is my button, here is my hat....etc"

Needless to say... after about the tenth time shouting it, Rachael had had enough. Raising her voice over the twosome melody she said firmly, "OK Emily and Alex. That's enough.. STOP singing!" To which Emily promptly replied, "We can't. It's not even us singing, it's a tape!"

She then proceeded to continue the song even louder much to to the dismay of everyone else who just wanted some peace and quiet! (I quickly realized we're lagging in this 21st century...we still have a tape deck in our van!! LOL)

Bloom Where You Are Planted

I have a confession to make and it might shock you!!! I do not have a green thumb, actually its rather fleshly colored. (Tee hee) Anyhow, it is the truth though. I am not a good gardener. I tend to get impatient waiting for things to bloom and grow and half the time I don't have a clue if I am yanking up weeds or gorgeous flowers. I have decided I should stick to planting tree's and creating rock gardens. The less maintenance the better. All though, part of this problem is due to the fact I am so thinly spread that I don't have a great amount a time to devote to tending to a garden, the other issue I have is lack of knowledge. Every spring I get the urge to plant and create a beautiful flower garden but I seem to have a problem not knowing where to start. I always find it amazing how fast the tree's and peoples gardens bloom out with all the spring blossoms. We have already mowed the lawn a few times this month and have had some awesome weather. I've got a start on a tan already and summer hasn't arrived yet LOL. I love being kissed by the warm rays of the sun especially those first warm days after a cold and dreary winter! I am sure those little blossoms asleep under the blanket of snow feel the same way!

We planted some trees this month. The children had a blast helping Hubby and I make our yard look more beautiful and do something positive for the environment. They also create a nice hedge and once the fencing is done between them, our property will be more visible to potential future buyers. While they were busy planting, I was busy doing something I really enjoyed -taking pictures of it all!

~Hubby getting ready to dig another hole!



~Reuben mowed the grass while Daddy dug

the holes!

~The Twins helped Daddy put the tree in the hole!

~Time to spread the mulch!

~Alex & Emily carefully water the trees!

~The almost finished result!

*You can see our neighbours garage in the background of this pic.The tree's help to section off our properties. Our plan is to put fancy fencing in between each tree. We opted for that instead of just a fence. We can't wait until it's finished!*

As I stated earlier, I personally do not have a green thumb and even plastic plants don't survive me! HAHA.....Well actually, it's more like they don't survive my rambunctious children. I'll never forget the time I bought a real, gorgeous tropical plant for the house. I was diligent in watering it and caring for it. To my surprise despite my ungreen (is that a word LOL) thumb it was growing so beautifully, until one day Alex decided to give it a 'haircut and use the stems as a microphone! I was so sad to see all the lovely green leaves on the floor and determined in my heart I'd never pay over $60 for a plant like that again! Even though, I got a little upset, it was hard to stay angry and discipline him for it because he was so cute at explaining why he did it. I did manage to capture a picture of him singing into the limbs of the plant. :-)

~Alex singing into his new "microphone"

after he gave the plant a "haircut"!!! Kids are so creative eh?

Even though I don't have the coveted green thumb, I do love flowers, plants and tree's. When we bought our house a few years back, there was a gorgeous flower garden in the front of the house. Needless, to say I tried my best to weed it but unfortunately, I don't think it was just weeds I was pulling out of it. I tried googling gardening tips and pictures of the difference between weeds and actual plants but I didn't have much luck. So, I just pulled everything out with the intention of replanting. The only plant that survived my antics was a beautiful flowering bush in the middle of the garden. It's a small tree that blooms out vibrant red blossoms and I have no clue what it is. I love it though. It's so pretty. My decision this year about that garden is to turn it into a rock garden around this beautiful tree so that the tree can stand out and not be cluttered. It has grown a lot over the past 3 years and is taking up a lot of room in the flower box. One thing I have learned though through this experience is that most plants do bloom where they are planted.

You know, our life is often like a garden. Sometimes, we allow weeds such as sin, anger, bitterness and hatred to grow choking out the beautiful person that we really are. We can often get to a place where we are not content with what we have and long to be planted in someone else's garden. However, keep in mind that you and I are right where God wants us. He has planted us in these specific spots for a reason. Every day as his plan for our lives unfolds, he desires us to bloom so that we can touch the lives of others and lead them to Christ. He wants us to bloom where we are planted and if we allow that to happen, we will live a life of joy, peace and happiness.

~Jeremiah 29:11- "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." ( The MSG Bible)

Overheard in Storeyland

While bathing the children the other night, Emily was the last to get in the tub. Meanwhile, I was running around getting everyone ready for bed. All of a sudden, I heard giggling so I stood outside the bathroom door to investigate the cause of such bubbly laughter. Hannah went in to brush her teeth while Emily was still bathing but got distracted by squirting lotion all over Emily.

"More...More, it's not working!' Emily demanded then fell into another fit of giggles as Hannah put more lotion on her.

"There that should take it out if you just rub it in!" Hannah encouraged with a fit of giggles.

"No, I need more," Emily insisted "I am still full of WRUNKLES!" (aka wrinkles)

Immediately I figured out what was going on...Emily had soaked in the tub so long she was wrinkled up and the girls figured lotion would take them out!!! There was so much lotion that I had to drain the tub and give her another bath. To them I appeared to be reprimanding them for getting into the lotion without permission but on the inside I was laughing. There truly is NEVER a dull moment in Storeyland!

A Sip of Humor

Our 4 year old daughter, Emily was listening in on a conversation about baptism between our 7 year old daughter, Hannah and myself. Hannah has been expressing a serious interest in taking this step in her relationship with Christ. While teaching Hannah about baptism, I explained to her that the purpose of it was symbolic in that when we are baptized God washes all our sins away and that our dirty heart becomes clean etc. A little while later, Emily crawls up on my lap and says, " Mommy I want to be baptized!" to which I replied, " That's great Emily, and why do you want to be baptized?" (I wanted to be sure she fully understood the purpose of it) "You know," she insisted rather seriously, "to wash away my SKINS!" Needless to say, I laughed so hard I was practically crying.

Another Storeyland Update :)

Even though it is windy and chilly out today, it is still a beautiful day. Wow, time goes way too fast. I actually wrote a bit each day in October but didn't have a chance to publish it, so instead of having a bunch of blogs for you to read I am posting them all into one starting with the first of October, then I will create a single one for today :)


October 1st:

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! I got to have lunch with my brother and his wife. I really enjoyed myself and what a fantastic way to spend the morning. Time just went way too fast though! I needed to be back by dinner to pick up the Twins. That brief three hours away from them goes super fast. Amanda and I enjoyed our girl time together and I guess my brother who left a bit early was outnumbered by us girls as usual LOL I still haven't figured out the puzzle he gave me as I left! It's a brain teaser for sure. Amanda, thanks for such a wonderful morning. I look forward to our next "date" ;-)


Today was a catch up day for me. It seems the more I do, the more there is to do. I decided to make homemade biscuits and chili. Guess I scored brownie points with the kids tee hee...They loved the hot butter brushed biscuits. Then Reuben and Rachael rushed off for their first night of Cadets. I am so glad that they wanted to join this program. It teaches self-discipline and many other great attributes that are beneficial to children in today's society. Hannah, the Twins and I did some baking tonight which diminished pretty quickly. My children just love to bake. I also ordered Reuben's cake today too. He wants a knights castle. I can't believe his birthday is on Friday. Where does the time go?

October 2nd:

Oh my goodness, it took me forever to get the kids out the door this morning. Reuben almost missed his bus and the twins just wanted to watch cartoons. They just didn't want to go to School today. However, I wasn't about to keep them home, I knew that they would be wanting to go after the cartoons were over. Sure enough, as soon as I dropped them off they were practically pushing me out the door. I had a very busy morning. I almost forgot to pick them up. We headed into Freddy where we had lunch with Daddy. Oh the twins loved that. They just love going to get Daddy from work. They always want to run across the front lawn and look at the Ducks but it was raining so we stayed put. We had fun looking for presents for Reuben this afternoon. The countdown is on...he turns 11 tomorrow!


October 3rd:

11 years ago today, God blessed us with a baby boy and he was also referred to as our miracle child. I was told I'd never have children but God is a healer and he chose to heal me. I'll never forget the day Reuben was born. My word, I ate like 6 fudgescicles before my water broke LOL. Not much wonder the child loves chocolate :) Our lives got richer on this day 11 years ago. To our fantastic son we want to say....

Happy Birthday Reuben!!!

Love Mommy, Daddy, Rachael

Hannah, Emily and Alex

We love you and

We are very proud of you!!

We asked Reuben where he wanted to go for his birthday supper and we were secretly hoping he would choose a nice restaurant but instead he chose McDonald's...so much for a yummy Chinese dinner LOL. Instead we had to settle for burger and fries. We did let him open a present from us and Nan & Pup. We saved one for his party too. Unfortunately, he has to wait a week for his party but he still had a great time afterwards we went shopping. He of course wanted to spend his birthday money. Needless to say, the children were tired by the time we got home.


The weekend was busy and in there somewhere was a tiny bit of family time. I wasn't feeling well and so I spent a lot of time resting. The children had a blast and even got to roast marshmallows over a bonfire with hubby. I am so thankful that I have him and that he does fun things like that with the kids. He even got some yard work done too.


October 6th:

Do you ever have days when things just don't go as planned. I am so disappointed that my plans had to change for today. Instead of spending time with a great friend, sipping tea and swapping parenting woes....I was home experiencing more woes! I noticed one of the kids marked all over the stools with Permanent marker. Where they find these in the house I don't know because I thought they were all put up high in the cupboard. I think I have an artist on hand who is practicing his A's. He tries to write his name on many things. One time it was my shoe, another time the inside of my shoe, the walls, the table, the cupboard etc. It reminds me of the time when we first moved to this area, we were renting a house and Reuben wanted to make sure his friends could find his room. So, he drew blue arrows from the front door all the way across the kitchen, dining room, foyer, up the stairs to his room. On his door and on his walls. For the longest time it wouldn't come off and we would just say to his friends who came looking for him.......just follow the blue arrows LOL

Storeyland Language

Over the years we have developed our own language mainly derived from the children as they tried to talk. Once in awhile just for fun we use these words to bring a smile to our children's faces :) Here are some words from our language:

Martian Lois: Marshmellos

Penking: Painting

Reuben wanted to go swimming at the SPCA: YMCA

Bummie Flies: Butterflies

Meh toe in Tee: still not sure what this means LOL

Spissssgettie: Spaghetti

Shipwreck: Goulash

Larryboy Casserole: Kraft Dinner with tuna and veggies added to it

Leg pits: Behind your knees

Piddle: Pillow

Mary Cake and Actually: Mary Kate and Ashley

Dummy and Maddie: Mommy and Daddy

Baby Dollie Boochie Girl

Baby Dollie Boochie Boy

~♥~Our Nicknames~♥~

Reuben: Reu, Ben, Reuben Dueben, Roo Roo, Reuven (Shanelle & Jazzy's name for him), Ruby. Rube, Buddy, Bud, Woody (Grammies name for him)

Rachael: Rachy, Rachy Dachy, Rachy Pachy, Lorraine, Ray, Ray Ray, Little Princess (Grammies name for her)

Hannah: Hannah Banana, Banana Girl, Hannie Bananie, Hannie, Honey, Ha Ha, Han, Hannah the Rockstar & Hannah Montanna (friends from School call her that), Tweety Bird(Grammie's Name for her)

Emily: Emma, Emmaleetle, Maleana, Emmie, Em, Jordan, Lee Lee, Lilly (Grammies name for her)

Alex ( his actual first name is Dwight): Ali, Boo Boo, Alexander Booty Boy, Bootsie, Buddy Boy, Prince Ali, Zander, Cutie Pie (Grammie's Name for him)

Joanie: Jo, Jojo, Joanifer, Dish Cloth (LOL) Mommy, Mama, Mom,

Conrad: Con, Darnoc, Tea Towel, Daddy, Dada, Dad

*This isn't all.....to be continued....

Kids are FUNNY!

On the weekend, my inlaws gave us some veggies from their garden. One little tomato got left behind in the van and rolled under the seat. Today, after coming home from Preschool... Emily spotted it. She picked it up gently and brought it close to her face and lovingly said to it, "Aw, you poor tomato all alone. I'll take you to your friends. Do you want to walk?" (I was shaking with laughter and trying to hide it from her because she was being so serious and I didn't want to ruin the moment.... for some reason she forgot it needed LEGS. ) She gently placed the tomato on the ground and waited for it to start walking. With a sigh, she picked it up after a moment and said "Aw, that's a shame you can't walk!" Carrying it gently into the house. I just couldn't laugh silently anymore, it was too funny!! LOL

Storeyland Update

Thursday, Sept 25th

What a day!! First of all, the walk with the Premier was today. Rachael and Reuben were chosen to go on the walk in Fredericton with Premier Shawn Graham and other MLA's. Rachael took the camera and captured some unique pictures. They both came home excited and happy that they went on the walk.

We had a quick supper then headed to the airport to see my sister off. She and her girls are moving to AB to be with her fiancee, Jackson. What an emotional day! I have a headache and my face is all puffy from crying so much. Michelle, is my little sister but she is also one of my best friends and during the past 3 years we grew even closer. Always spending as much time as we can together with countless trips to Tim's or watching movies. Her girls are very close to our children and we've gone on a few road trips together with them. I am so very happy and proud of my sister for taking this step but it is still hard to see them go. Thank goodness for technology for she's only a button away but still that's not the same as hanging out together. I MISS her already and she hasn't even reached AB yet! I am sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear from her............

Sept 29th, Today

We have heard from Michelle and they are doing great. They are on vacation in the Mountains!! I am so happy for you girl! I know that you are content and excited to be there! The previous was a blog I started on the day she flew out....

We went to visit Mom & Dad Storey on the weekend. The kids had fun picking apples in the rain. We did some baking then headed home. We spent the evening preparing for Hurricane Kyle who was due to hit us Sunday night, however all we got was a tropical storm. Thank goodness it had lost it strength as it moved across the Maritimes. Nothing was out of place this morning when we woke up.

God has given us a beautiful day today. The leaves have really turned color and the sun is peaking through the clouds. I was happy to hear from an old friend this morning. After all....Old friends are the Best Friends!!!

The twins have made house cleaning such a challenge today. they started by dumping all the girls hair bows on the floor and spreading them over the house. Those tiny elastics are such a pain to clean up

:( Then, they overflowed the sink in the bathroom as I was trying to clean up the kitchen. I got there in time to see a roll of toilet paper and 5 little tooth brushes floating in a million bubbles in the sink with water rolling down the sides. Two little children soaked from head to toe. Sometimes, I really wish I could be in 2 places at once and have several arms. Yet, even though I get frustrated with them....inside I am smiling. I know this too shall pass. They are growing up so fast and I cherish every moment I have with them even the messy ones :)

Storeyland Silliness..A Sip of Humor!

One particular morning I was picking the twins up from Headstart when I called for the umpteenth time: "Come on Emily, it's time to leave."

Emily rather persistently: "No, I am having fun. I don't want to leave"

Finally, I started walking away in hopes that she would follow: "But we have to go, Headstart is done for the day. You will come back tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Alex is tugging at my skirt and pleading: "Don't leave Emily, don't go with out Emily."

Soon, I had 2 screaming preschoolers...one wanting to stay and the other not wanting to go with out his twin sister. In an attempt to calm them both down, I know I need to get Emily to agree it was time to go. So I say with a lot of dramatic flair: "Mommy needs help carrying her keys, would you like to carry them Emily?"

"Oh Yes!" She eagerly grabs the keys and tries to unlock the nearest vehicle then on to the next. Bad idea! She is still refusing to get in the van...to which I gingerly pick her up and carry her. All the way she is screaming, " You broke my back!! You broke my back...I am going to put you in a cage and lock you up. I am going to throw away the key because you broke my back!" Meanwhile, she is wiggling to get out of my arms as I am shaking uncontrollably with laughter amid the glares of other parents who are calmly walking their child to their vehicles. Once, I buckled her in, I said: "Emily, hows your back?" To which she promptly replied grinning from ear to ear " Oh, it's fine."

Another Sip of Humor

While grocery shopping with the Twins today, I asked them to help me load the groceries into the cart. Not only did this keep them occupied but I did appreciate the help :) We were working away when all of a sudden Alex yells loudly, "Mommy look! That man NEEDS a TIMEOUT!!" I turned to see what Alex was talking about and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary so I reassured Alex that it wasn't nice to shout in the store and it certainly wasn't nice to be pointing at people. I started loading more things in the cart when Alex yells again..."Mommy, look at that man over there...he NEEDS a TIME OUT!" I turned again almost spontaneously and only saw a couple of men in line behind us..an elderly and a young man just peppered with tattoo's. I was getting annoyed at Alex and a bit embarrassed by his rude behaviour, so I reminded him if he didn't stop HE was getting in the cart. "But, Mommy," he insisted "that man marked all over himself and so he needs to be punished for it." pointing again to the man with the tattoo's. My face was red while everyone burst into laughter to which the man smiled and replied, " Your right, I probably do need a time out for doing that."



This brought to my remembrance New Years Eve 2007 when the twins decorated themselves and the walls with stamper markers. We did put them in a short timeout for doing that but let them play for a bit before we bathed them. LOL

Conversation With the Kids :)

Take your plate to the kitchen, please.

Take it downstairs when you go.

Don't leave it there, take it upstairs.

Is that yours?

I'm talking to you.

Just a minute please, can't you see I'm talking?

I said, don't interrupt.

Did you brush your teeth?

What are you doing out of bed?

Go back to bed.

What do you mean there's nothing to do?

Go outside.

Read a book.

Turn it down.

Get off the phone.

Tell your friend you'll call her back. Right now!

Hello, no she's not home.

She's still not home.

She'll call you when she gets home.

Take a jacket. Take a sweater.

Take one anyway.

Someone left their shoes in the living room again!

Get the toys off the table.

Get the toys out of the tub.

Get the toys off the stairs.

Do you realize that could kill someone?

Hurry up.

Hurry up, everyones waiting.

I'll count to ten then we are leaving without you.

Did you go to the bathroom?

If you don't go, your not going.

I mean it.

Why didn't you go before we left?

Can't you hold it?

What's going on back there?

Stop it.

I said, Stop it!

I don't want to hear about it.

Stop it or I am taking you home right now.

That's it, we're going home.

Give me a kiss.

I need a hug.

To all Mom's Who Lost Patience Today :)

A Sip of Humor :)

This was sent to me via e-mail...thought it was cute and funny..Enjoy :)

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why do we have mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How was she created?

1. Dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. She was made just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?

1. They were made out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why do you have your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related

2. She likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

To all you Mom's out there....Have a fantastic day!!

Busy as a Bee

I love the fall. The air gets cooler as the leaves turn such beautiful colors. Children are back to school and life slows down....NOT!!! (LOL) For some reason, I thought with the Twins going to Preschool I wouldn't be as busy however, I find that I am even more on the go. Getting 5 children in the mornings can be a bit of a challenge if the children don't want to co-operate. Sometimes, I feel like I am herding cattle to the bus stop! Then while getting the Twins loaded into the van for preschool something unexpected always come up. Like for instance this morning, I had both all buckled in their seats ready to go when Alex pipes up...I have to go potty and so of course, Emily had to go too. There is always something to do in the mornings and a lot of stuff left undone.


Tuesday night we had our Gr. 6 orientation at HP for Reuben. What a fantastic staff they have and it was really neat to see that Reubens homeroom Teacher was someone I graduated from High School with. We were fortunate to have my sister babysit for us so, we turned this night into a date night. It was nice to relax and chat with Hubby about different things and after we got home, my sister and I were able to have some girl time at Timmies.


I cherish every moment I get to spend with Michelle before she moves away. (I have started a blog about us but haven't published it yet) She and her girls stayed the night and needless to say she was surprised at how busy I was and how fast the day goes with the kids coming and going at different times. There is never a dull moment around here. Even though sometimes I am so thinly spread I feel like I am going to snap, I am thankful that I have this business in my life. For the last year I have been battling some health problems so that only adds to our busy days. What I am not able to accomplish in a run of a day, Hubby is kind enough to fufill the task. We are busy as bee's even when we work together but when one of us is sick, we find it hard to even sit and relax for a moment or two but we wouldn't change things for the world...except maybe my health improving. :)





I can relate to these cartoons as I am sure many of you can! They got me through some pretty stressful days :)

Showers of Blessings

Rain, rain go away

Come again another day

Little children want to play

Rain, rain go away!

How often have you wanted to sing this song in the past few weeks? We have gotten so much rain recently that some of our friends have flooded basements. It's amazing how it just keeps pouring down oblivious to the fact that there are disgruntled parents cooped up inside with bored, crying children. No matter what activities you try to encourage your children to do they don't want to do those things. Whether it's playing a game, playing with each other in their rooms, doing crafts, play with play dough or watching a movie, nothing is exciting enough for my children when it's raining. Why is it on a beautiful day they want to stay inside and all of a sudden those activities hold their interest but when its horrible weather they want to go out?

One particular rainy day, I had set the twins up with crafts. Since they were distracted, I decided to tackle the ever growing mountain of laundry. The older children were at school and I was making it a goal to have everything done before they got home. As I was sorting clothes, Alex decided he wanted to make breakfast. I had already cooked them oatmeal and they ate all of it so I don' t think it was hunger that prompted him to do this. I was focused on my task at hand and about 10 to 15 minutes into doing laundry I could hear giggles and laughter coming from the kitchen so, I decided to investigate.

Low and behold, there they were just 2 1/2 years old making their own breakfast. There was a dozen eggs smashed all over the floor! Emily was in the process of pouring cereal on the eggs while Alex was adding the milk and stirring it. What a MESS!!! I laugh now when I think back but at the time I wasn't smiling. Nonstop for almost 2 years and even sometimes now, I clean a room while they trash another one. There are countless stories I could tell of them. Like the time I came into the kitchen after getting clothes off the line and they were jumping on the counter on JUICE BOXES laughing as the juice squirted out and ran down the fridge and wall. There are times I wonder if our house will ever be normal or halfway decent again. But in the midst of all this chaos, I am counting my blessings. Thankful for all that God has given me and knowing that He wouldn't give us any more than we can bare.

Just this morning, I was more tempted to groan and complain rather than count my blessings. I tackled the downstairs washroom and while I was giving it a thorough cleaning, Alex decided to shine my kitchen floors......with margarine!! Not only that but he shined the stove and stools too. I am not sure if Emily helped him. He blames her and she said that it was him but I only saw Alex in the kitchen. What a mess to clean up. On the bright side, everything is very slippery and smooth now. LOL

I am so thankful that it is not a rainy day today. The twins are now ready to go outside with me for a nice walk. As I reflect on the showers of blessings in my life, I am so thankful that I serve a God who wants to bless us beyond measure. So much so that we can hardly contain it. He gave me a double blessing when he gave me the Twins. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband and 5 healthy children. It would take hours to share the showers of blessings that have come into my life. To many time we focus on what we think we need and take for granted the blessings that have already happened to us. The old hymn says "Count your blessings, name them one by one....Count your many blessings see what God has done!" It will amaze you as you begin to count your blessings just how much God has blessed you with!



"And I will send showers, showers of blessings, which will come just when they are needed" Ezekiel 34:26, NLT