What A Wonderful Day!

Today was a "ME" day meaning I got to leave the house with no kids and could do whatever I want for as long as I wanted!! So my good friend Annette and i left our girls and headed out to Langley for much needed shopping and talking!! We went to Children's Place(kids clothing store) where they had everything 40%off!! Great deals!! I walked aways with pairs of jeans two for each of the girls. At 9bucks a pair you can't go wrong. I thought i would buy more there but there just wasn't anything i really wanted there. The girls don't really need clothes right now and i am not one to buy for next year as i really don't know which size to buy them and like John always says, "you buy this now and next year you'll find something else you will like and buy that too"! so ya. Annette however just bought her girls stuff for next winter! We then headed over to Old Navy after we munched down on burgers at Wendy's and chatted awhile. At Old Navy I did purchase clothes for Janae for next year so I thought i was safe with size 5....NOPE! Janae tried them on and two out of the three things she can probably wear in fall and the dress i bought fits her now perfectly!! I know i know my children are giants. I havne't tried on any of the clothes I bought for camryn so i am just hoping they will fit! I had to buy her bigger jeans as she is growing out of the 18-24 gap jeans i have for her now!yikes
I came home around 2:30 and then made dinner and went back out to Zellers and Walmart to start buying everything I need for camryn's parties this weekend, yep two parties, a friends one Saturday and my family Sunday!! I didn't make it to the gym today...lame i know it has been rediculous this past week, need to get my ass in gear again as i was able to buy a new pair of jeans today that were a size smaller and in normal people size and not plus!!!
I just finshed my first coat on the living room in the basement suite. When i am done down there i don't want ot paint for a LONG time!!
So that was my wonderful day all to myself.
Thanks John for letting me get out of the house and spend your well earned money i really appreciate it!
Thanks Annette I had a great day with you and we should do it more often!! Apparently our men are able to handle four girls and still get to visit!! ya for a good playdate for the girls today, john said kris came over around 10 am and left around 12 and the girls just played in the bedrooms while our husband talked!! Shows that they are capable to watch the girls!!haha

Winter Wonderland!!

Here is what we have been doing the last couple of days seeings all of our family gatherings have been cancelled cause of the snow and the fact that you can't get down my parents drive way. So i guess Christmas will have to wait til next week.

Camryn's Birthday Celebrations begin

My baby is 1 today!!

Proud daddy holding Camryn Marissa

Janae meeting Camryn for the first time Christmas morning!

She is finally here!

one week old

one week old, she never looked like a new born, she came out so huge that she looked more like three months old fromot eh start!

Sister love. I hope and pray that my girls will be as close as me and my sister are.

Cutie Patootie!!

No longer my baby, Camryn is 1 today!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY CAMRYN!!!!

Last year at this time i was still in labor, it wasn't until 9:10am that camryn came into this world. It is amazing how time flies when you have children. This year has just flown by for us. Camryn was a special Christmas gift to us last year and no Christmas will ever be as wonderful as the one Camryn was born. She is a wonderful baby, content and a great sleeper, we couldn't have asked for a more easy going and smiley child then Camryn. I said to John well Camryn is one time to try for number 3!! yeah right!!!

Last year was special cause Camryn was born and this year Christmas is special cause it is Camryn's first birthday and if you look out the window the amount of snow out there is unbelievable. We don't have white Christmas's out here in abbotsford very often so it is pretty special.

I am going to post some picture of Camryn throughout this year.

Camryn was born weighing 10lbs 12 oz and now weighs at the age of 1 26.5lbs.

We love you so much and are so glad that you have come into our lives. We look forward to watching you grow, speak and run around this coming year and are so glad that God gave us you to guide you and love you. Happy Birthday Sweety!

i have been tagged again!!

These are the flowers i recieved from remple brothers after i had Camryn. It is kind of funny cuase john didn't tell his work i had a baby and the office only found out in the middle of January. It happend on a day where john and i had this huge fight which i cant even remember why and i thought these were "i am sorry" flowers. but apparently not!!haha

I was tagged last time by Heather and this time I was tagged by Annette. And seeings i have already posted my fifth picture i thought i would do what i saw other poeple doing the fourth picture in the fourth album

i was tagged

here's the 5th picture in my 5th folder. This is Camryn just home from the hospital! this one did not make it into the scrap book!

I tag Sarah, Annette and Larina

Rolo Cookies

Rolo Cookies
yeilds 9 dozen

1 cup shortening (i didn't have any so I used margerine instead)
half a cup butter softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
4 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons of baking soda
1/8 teaspoons of salt
rolos( I think i ended up using about 4 rolls of rolos. don't use the bag of mini rolo's that you can buy it just doens't give it the same chewyness inside. i had a hard time finding rolos, i found them at zellers but had to use jumbo rolo's for half the batch which i cut thoes ones in half!)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1.5 inch balls. Push a roll into the middle and then roll in yoru hand again to make sure the their is no rolo showing.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and surface cracks. remove to wire wrack for cooling.

Chocolate Oatmeal Sandwiches

You can basically use any oatmeal cookie recipe for this but i will write the recipe I followed out of the Taste of Home Cookie magazine. I have fallen in love with Taste of Home magazines!!!

Chocolate Oatmeal Sandwiches
2.5cups of butter softened
1.5cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 cups quick-cooking oats
2.5cups all purpose flour
half a cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla/ Combine the oats, flour, cocoa,baking soda and salt; gradually add to the cream mixture adn mix well.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart(i would recomment using an icecream scooper for this to keep them all the same size and shape, i did not use it and so mine didn't look as neat.) Bake at 375* for 10 min or until set. remove from wire rack and cool.

For the filling in a large sauce pan melt chocolate chips butter and milk together. remove from heat, beat in vanilla. spread on the bottom of half the cookies and top with the remaining ones!

This one is For Larina...hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie!!

So I found this new recipe that i decided to try they are pretty amazing cookies. The guys at john's work were in love with them and could not get over how HUGE they were. Here is a picture of these mouth watering cookies. i will also post a picture of my rolo cookies that are just a delight to eat, soft chewy and delicious!

1st Christmas Dinner and more

So this past Sunday we celebrated Christmas with John's family. I know it is kind of early but John's sister and her family are going to hawaii right over Christmas til January sometime and so this seem to be the only weekend that worked. Next weekend is john's brothers wedding receptions so we were very limited on days! The girls or should i say Janae enjoyed opening her presents as well as Camryn's. This year we decided us adults were not buying anyone gifts we all just bought for the nieces and a small gift for the parents. It was nice cause it was pretty pricey the years before. John's mom attempted to do a gift exchange game with gifts she had purchased but it wasn't much of a game as there was nothing you wanted to steal!!hehe, we all agreed we would do it again next year but we would each bring a gift!! Janae and Camryn got a few toys, books and each a couple shirts and outfits. the adults all got money!! So here are some pictures from the gathering.
Today we headed out to the Minter Garden Country Garden train. It is in Chilliwack on Young Road and is about twenty minute drive from Sumas Exit. It was super cold out but the girls were very well bundled and way more bundled then any other kids that i saw. The train was a miniture train that you stradle Camryn refused to sit still so john decided he woulnd't go on the ride and just walked around the garden with her. It is 3 bucks to walk around, and five bucks to ride this mini train or ride on a carriage pulled by a tractor. Janae loved it. THe ride isnt very long, we were there for about 45 min and then realized we had no formula and figured we should book it home before camryn freaks out. It was a great evening and here are some pictures. THe jacket Camryn is wearing I bought today a please mom and I bought it big so that it could maybe fit her next year but i think i have to bring it back cause it just doens't work now being that big and it was pretty pricey. Oh well i was desperate for a jacket today, tomorrow i will head back out looking for a good jacket for her.







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This Sunday is our church's Christmas service. in the morning the little kids are singing and then i have made up a bunch of Christmas crafts for them to make during the service, i am super excited about this and hope that i will not be disappointed as i know that a lot of times you get pumped up about something and then it just doesn't meet up to your standard and i am hoping that is not the case! I am going to post some pics so i am done writing. If i dont' post before Christmas i want to wish all my readers a very merry christmas

December News and a proper blog!

The first week of December i decided to make a batch of gingerbread cookies. This was a huge risk because both girls were awake and Janae would want to help and be in there like a dirty shirt and Camryn would want me to hold her and whine the entire time. But thankfully Camryn sat in her highchair the entire time eating and playing with toys while Janae and i together made cookies. You will be happy to know that I made janae put clothes on before she started helping me. I was getting camryn ready and Janae stood on a chair in the kitchen telling me she was ready to help and there she was BUTT naked!! ya i highly doubt anyone would want to eat any of the cookies after i posted a picture!!haha. Anyways I really enjoyed my time with Janae. I do a lot of baking with her and sometimes i find myself yelling at her the whole time for the fact that i dont want a huge mess to clean up cause i only have 15 minutes! but this time i didn't care and it was such a wonderful time, makes me excited to do sugar cookies with her this week sometime.


On Friday John's mom invited us over for dinner and also to come and make a beautiful gingerbread house which made it on my kitchen table (how lovely!) My sister in law Hilary and my two nieces Missy (19years old) and Nicole (15 years old) came over as well to help with the decorating. This is the first year doing altogether. It was a little boring as they just followed the gingerbread house off the box, no creativity was needed here! haha. Janae had a blast helping decorate and also eating the candy. She did pretty good with not eating to much. Camryn sat and ate crackers and watched after I gave her a package of gummy candies to suck on which she was able to bite through adn slobber over all the candies(oops!, we didnt' need hedges anyways!) we had a great time doing it I just wish it could have stayed at Oma's cause i really don't like the tackiness of gingerbread houses! It is not my style!



Today we skipped church as John's work puts on a kids' Christmas Banquet for all kids under the age of 12. They have crafts (bead bracelets, gingerbread cookie decorating and pipe cleaner crafts), a magician, full christmas dinner including hotdogs and of course SANTA and PRESENTS for each kid. Janae had a blast makeing her pretty bracelet while i made one for Camryn, think i will be buying some beads for Janae for Christmas for me and her to do while Camryn is sleeping. My only concern is if we drop some on the floor and don't pick them all up it is a pretty bad choking hazard! so i have to think about it a little more. Both girls sat with Santa wiht out tears. Camryn needed a diaper change as she was wet and was also wanting a bottle so she wasn't very photogenic but Janae climbed up on Santa witha big smile on her face and recieved her gift! Camryn got this ball giraffe thing which in my opion is junk and will be going to mcc,( I will keep the balls that came with it for my ball popper thing as the balls work in there and we have miss placed some but the stand is rediculous so ya it has to go!) Janae recieved a wonder pets talking and moving stuff animal. Personally and i think most mom's can agree with me that show is horrible, not sure how educational it is but i can not stand that stupid song they sing and it never ends! so this is such a wonderful toy to have in our house, we'll see how long they play with it, just might end up at mcc as well! Usually they get really great gifts from John's work and some of the kids got really cool ones but we didn't luck out this year, whatever. We are still thankful. Well not for the goody bags that contained peanuts. Jeepers people with kids allergies these days i really don't understand why they even risk it, seeings so many companies have gone peanut free it is pretty hard to find candy without peanuts! so theos bags got chucked.




Today we cleaned the house and John finally put up all the fixtures in the bathroom. The other ones had "accidently" been pulled out of the wall which is why i had to putty holes and then decided to repaint the bathroom which by the way will be repainted soon again, just can't stand the hospital green color! So i finally have my towel racks back and can stop finding towels all over the floor in every room. So that was our great weekend and what has been happening this December so far.




Oh ya and i have been busy planning for Camryn's party. My side of the family will be celebrating on Christmas day seeings we will be there anyways. John's family we will be doing in Jannuary as his sister and familya re going to hawaii over Christmas and then we are doing the friends party after new years day! So it is pretty busy, and for something Camryn won't even remember! but i have to have some pics cause i did it for Janae. plus this is agreat excuse to hang out with friends, we don't do that very often. Plus i LOVE to host parties and decorate, make a cake and party favors and go all out so ya it should be fun adn stressful altogther. I do however need ideas for gifts for Camryn. The only think i can think of is a ride on car and a foam chair as she really likes janae's rocking chair but she falls off it when she tries to climb on. Only problem is if I buy a chair for Camryn i have to for Janae too cause she WILL steal Camryn's all the time adn i really don't feel like having that fight with her all the time, i have many other conflicts with her i don't need another one!haha


Oh quick update on the girls. Camryn weighs 26.5lbs! she hasn't quite trippled her weight but she still could in two weeks!haha. She is NOT walking and really doesn't care to. Well she walks just not how normal people do, you tell her to walk she walks on her knees, it is quite hilarious to see, i should really video tape her doing it to remember that! Apparently it is really good for kids to learn to walk on their knees before walking to build strength! She is able to make dog noises and kitty meows when you ask her what noise they make. She does a lot of babbling and is eating well if it is off my plate. She still doens't eat sweet things but the doctor says that is great! She isn't really interested in her bottle so much anymore she has cut down alot and prefers to eat normal food. I hope she transistions from formula to milk easily.
Janae has a brain like a sponge, she continues to soak up and absorb so much information. She is just hilarious so many times. She has become the "stupid" police, meaning she watches everything we say, no more saying stupid around this house!! Just as well anyways. She tattles to daddy on me all the time even after i have said sorry. I am toying with the idea of cutting out her afternoon nap. She doesn't always sleep that great at night but i really enjoy my two hours in the afternoon by myself seeings i usaually have a nap cause i have been up with camryn (nope she doenst' always sleep through the night!) so ya not sure what i will do yet.
So there you have it folks, i acutally had something to talk about that you might be interested in and enjoy reading.

So What do you think?

So computer says that both my girls look more like me then john! haha. I bet if my kids had my brown hair and brown eyes they would forsure look like me a lot more. Most people usually say that they look more like John then me and it drives me crazy! Oh well they look how they look!

Jefremow Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Jefremow Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Girls homemade Christmas ornaments!

So here are the ornaments i made. Seeings i was a little busy last Christmas i never got around to making them ornaments, but they don't know that so i made them this year and will date them 2007!! so i cheated a bit but hey i had to! All the ornaments you see you can purchase at Michaels. Sorry for the horrible pic of Janae;s first ornament, just coulnd't get a decent shot of it!