A Very Neglected Rebel

I brought my very neglected Canon Rebel to one of Amelie's riding lesson's, like 3 weeks ago.

One of the reasons for such neglected is that it's been replaced by the phone camera...
And that:

-It is Bulky, and comes with accessories I might forget (like the battery!)

- My phone is always with me and convenient

- I can upload photos & vidoes instantly from my phone to the web! 

How can you compete with that!

But I do love photos from the bigger better Camera.

I want a phone that will take pictures like these!
(My Note, so far, has the best camera)

Isn't William cute with his winter coat?

 

I even like this last blurry shot!

A New Day - A New Begininning

New beginnings.

Tender life springing forth.

Mother Nature renews herself, never faltering. 

A beautiful miracle.

Like the cycles in nature, we too have new beginnings.

Because every day is a new beginning.

A chance to start anew.

A fresh start.

A redo.

Heaven knows we need this.

Because we are perfectly imperfect.

Life is truly amazing.

Truly beautiful.

Photos taken with my Note phone

Saturday Finds, Fun and Productivity

This past Saturday, we accomplished so much!

I like Saturdays like that! A lot!

Mike went and ran with Chloe.

He also went to help some friends move close to us.

And he cleaned the garage.

We washed the 2 cars, in and out.

I did some yoga, made waffles, vacuumed and picked up the whole house,

to make room for my new mustard Rug!
I found the right style, color, and the right price!

We took Amelie and her new friend, Issy, to the 'Arts in the Park' festival for a couple of hours.

People performed and sold their art.

 Mike got me a belated Valentine gift; this flower ring.

A young Colombian Girl had a booth there, she creates her own Filigree Jewelry.

Some people are so talented!

 Amelie and Issy learned a short dance form a very fun energetic Indian Dance Teacher.

We finished the day watching the movie  'OZ' with Amelie.

What a Fun, Filled Day!
Just Perfect!

My only regret was that we left Chloe home when we went to the park Art thing!

Other 4 legged friends were there... I wasn't sure we could take her... :(

New Barbecue & Awesome Beef Fajitas!

After more than 2 years without one, I finally found and got a small Barbecue! 

I found it on Amazon. 

I really did not want some big monster on our porch.

This one is the perfect size for our family.

It's also a table top one.

Mike had gotten an electric grill that I used once.

I did not like it.

(That reminds me, I need to sell it!)

Since Justine is not around to assemble everything I need her too, 

she has been replaced by Emric.

He did a great Job! 

(There was not much to assemble on this project!)

Anyhow, I would like to come up with something to cover the gas tank, it's an eye sore.

After Emric assembled it, 

I made the most delisious Beef Fajita Sunday dinner from 

The pioneer Woman's blog.

I put 1/2 the brown sugar, 1/2 the red pepper flakes, 

I used corn tortillas, and a blend of Mexican cheeses 

instead of queso cheese. (I forgot to buy some)

Anything with Cumin is delicious!

Cumin has to be one of my favorite spices...

Relief Society Birthday Dinner

Every year, the women in our church celebrate 

the creation of our Sisterhood organisation - the Refief Society. 

Usually, with a dinner.

This week we met and had a great time! 

We were arranged at birthday-month-tables.

Being in October, our table was of course decorated with Halloween stuff.

- Not my favorite, mind you - 

But it was kinda cute! Loved the witch feet coming out of the Cauldron pot.

The food. Awe... the food was outstanding!

We had Cafe Rio pork with all the trimming!

So Yummy!
I had to have seconds...

We had a sweet uplifting spiritual message from one of the Sisters.

Then we played a couple of games.

2 groups - All in a circle

We threw a big beach ball to each other with questions written on them, like:
 - Where would you like to live if you could live anywhere in the world?

 - What is your favorite Disney princess? - Celebrity? - Movie?
- Sweet or Salty?

As we got the ball we would read the one on top and answer it.

Then we each wrote 3 things about ourselves, people might not know about us on a piece of paper.

We crumbled it up and threw it to the table next to us. 

They did the same and we had to read the paper we got and all guess who it could be.

My 3 facts were:

* I've lived on 3 continents.

(Europe, North America, and Australia)

* Even though English is my second language, I have spoken it more than my native language.

* I went spur of the moment hang Gliding

(in Australia here)

Easy to guess, right?

In all a very fun evening!

I realised too, that I am really starting to feel comfortable within my sisters.
You'd think! After 2 years!

Even if I still don't know half of them...

Those things just take time...
And effort, and some reaching out, and opening up, and serving, and accepting,
and being yourself, and finding common interests, and being a friend, and loving...

For a slightly deep down introvert, it's easier said than done! ;)

Emric's Eagle Project

Emric chose to do his Eagle Project at the local animal rescue shelter.

Which has been 2 years in the planing, mind you! 

I can't express how excited I am that we are doing this!

Any mom, with a scouting boy, out there, knows what I am talking about!

Emric is our Cat-Boy.

His project consists of 3 parts.

1. Putting a wire fence around an existing dog coral.

2. Repainting one of the Cat rooms.

2. Making cat toys to put in the many feline cages.

Thursday night.

We did the taping, and prepping of the cat room.

Boys from church, with Mike and their leader, put up a welding wire fence around an existing fence.

The purpose was to keep little dogs and puppies from getting out through the bars,

when 'people' would dump their dogs at night when the shelter is closed.
Little ones would get out and get lost or killed on the nearby roads.

I will not say more on the matter as I don't understand 'humans' who

abandon an animal who trusts them. Mskes me mad!

Our little family, Mike, Emric, Amelie and I

stayed until 10 pm to finish putting on the first coat of paint.

Saturday Morning

We were back at the shelter at 8 am doing the 2d coat, which took no time...

Notice the lovely blue color I picked for the room...

Lots of people and volunteers commented on how lovely and peaceful it was...

I think so too.

A volunteer lady, Sharron, takes care of this room every day. 

She decorates it, cleans it and even has set up a stereo to play relaxing music 

for the poor kitties who have been abandoned 

and who are waiting for someone to fall in love with them and give them a forever home....

(I will go and take a picture of it totally finished and post it here soon)

Sunday Afternoon

We went back after Church to take off the tape.
Since it went really fast,
we stayed and walked some dogs for a couple of hours.
Amelie really has been begging to do that!

A word of advice:

Do not let a 10 year old walk a cute little puppy, if you have no intention of adopting one,
right then and there.
.
After sitting in her lap, following her everywhere,
and basically be a total joy of cuddles and loves,
it WILL take a hold of a defenseless little girl's heart.
You, the adult, will have to take that heart back, brake it and smash it to pieces,
when you tell her we can't bring it home with us.
There is no going around it!
Dad was not there, so again Mom was the heartless one!!!

( He was trying to fix the church's wireless connection, which took 5 hours!)

Mission Impossible

Trying to get Chloe to look at me.

Mission impossible.

Right. Right. Left. Right. Right. Left.

That is all I got!

She only sat there that long because I had treats...

She is ALWAYS on a mission when she is outdoors!

A squirrel. A bird. A bug. A leaf. A human. A dog. A dear. A butterfly.
A dead something. A skunk. Hey no! not that stinky stuff or that one!
Both bad, very bad!

A full Saturday

We got up and left the house before 8am.

We went and put the 2d coat of paint at the Animal Shelter.

We then went to Amelie's diving pool for her Home meet.

And we volunteered for 5-6 hours.

We did scoring for 4 and Mike helped with the computers stuff.

Even Emric came and helped with giving out the rewards.

 After her Swim Meet, we had a 30mn brake at home.

Then we drove almost an hour for her 2d Gymnastic Meet.

By then, I was so glad Mike was driving
'cause I was getting a little tired and was able to take a little nap.

Poor Mike did not feel so good, and after his 60-hour-work-week, he was also very tired.

By 9pm, I just wanted to lay down!
Even if it was exhausting, it was all good.
We were together.

Amelie did very well. 

She took 1st in her division on the vault. 

3rd on the bars.

She fell of the beam :( after doing her practice routine with no problem, just a few minutes before...

A very full day!

This Week

I enjoyed doing yoga outside for the first time this year!

I enjoyed a clean house for a few days

My visiting teachers were coming.

It's amazing how much I can get done when I have company coming,

or when I talk on the phone with a friend!

I enjoyed some yummy home made Greek yogurt. It's so easy to make!

Recipe here

I enjoyed, on my walk, this fancy tire swing. Well kinda, it wasn't very comfy!

I enjoyed taking pictures of mini wonders I encountered along my path.

I did not enjoy the $800 repair bill for Mike's car that broke down.
I had to pick him up and take him to work for 3 days...

I enjoyed, that today, on March 1st, Mike still had a job to go to!
They have extended him for another 2 months, and maybe more!?

Mike and I wrote every day in our little Valentine 'Like Book' during this lovers month!
We have decided to give it a rest and pick it up later.
It was fun.
I was always so exited to look inside, when I would notice the book on my side of the bed,
that ment my man had written something he liked about me! :)

I enjoyed helping Emric finally do his Eagle project!!!!
More on that soon...

I enjoyed clean sheets and a freshly, nice smelling, clean Chloe!
Again, she adorned herself of some very pungent something's-been-dead-for-a-while smell.

I enjoyed cooler weather, wearing scarves and jackets.

Over all this has been a lovely week, very busy, but a lovely week...

Oh, I almost forgot!
I did finish watching season 3 of Downton Abby and was very very very shocked,
in denial, angry, distraught, I just couldn't believe it!
It was not supposed to end that way!
It needs to be scratched and redone!
Seriously?