Mickala was one of the "Magi" in our christmas production at church this past weekend and Makenna sung in the choir. They did amazing! Nothing biased here! (hee hee). I havn't been able to figure out how to get my camera to take pictures of the kids in the church sanctuary with out the red/ glassy eyes.

This is a special post for Mickala for a school project...here's some more pictures from here there and everywhere in between. Hope life is good for all of you friends and family who still check in on the Blog. Cheers!

m









Yes it's been a while since I posted last so I'll try and update you on the summer.

Darren and the girls went to the Kootenays to visit Justin and the family. They had a big family dinner and went to see the new Harry Potter movie. (It's been a Harry Potter summer - especially for Mickala). They camped on a lake and it sounds like they had a great time (even if they all missed me :) )

The girls went to a week long camp for the first time and seemed to really love it...they are hoping to go back next year...we'll have to see if we can figure out a way to pull it off!

They also did a couple weeks of day camps at the local rec center and seemed to like it ...they really liked the Girlz Camp week!

Makenna's Bithday was a very fun event! We had a beach party at a small beach in town and it was probably the most relaxed I have ever been at a party! Everything was ready ahead of time and we just had fun! We made wood wall hanging flipflops, played Surfer, Surfer Shark (very fun!) and swam. Darren made the cake. The majority of the gifts were Web Kinz. Lots of fun!

Then we went to PG for a week and had a great time visiting Diane and Shannon - but the highlight was the "shop till the stores were not open anymore and stay in a hotel with a pool and yummy breakfast in Kamloops!". There was also a big Barbie event while in PG...some wedding or something...it was a very big fancy affair!

This last weekend we actually got to go on a mini vacation all together....we went to Oliver to camp (in a tent...and survived). The main reason was to see my Auntie Kathy and Uncle Bob who staying in Oliver until they return to Yuma for the winter. It was a great weekend! We hung out at the beach (I got a small sun burn)...went to Omak for the day on Sunday ( I'm hoping to maybe go back for a little x mas shopping :) ) We ate yummy corn and peaches, played Hillbilly Golf, saw our own private air show of old war planes flying and laughed lots! it was a great weekend! Did I say that yet?

Well I'm off to bed! Night.

July 13 th already!!! Darren and the girls are off to the Kootenays for a few days camping and visiting...it's a little weird to have them gone without me but I already had a previous commitment for a retreat with a course I have been taking.

The girls have been to camp for a week (where they knew no one else) and had a blast from what I hear. Mickala went tubing on the lake and Makenna made some very precious ceramics (which she promptly gave us as gifts when she got home - overall it was a good time for them both.

Next week they are in a church run "day camp" in the mornings and with grandma and grandpa in the afternoons - I'm so grateful they love hanging out with their grandparents!

The picture is of the spectacular sunset last Saturday nt. It was taken at a fundraising dinner for the orphanage in India where he was adopted by a Canadian family. There were 3-4 bands, East Indian food (catered by Spoonstruck - Yumm!), silent auction and items for sale that were made at the orphanage (check out my new purse!). It was a very spiritual evening. Couldn't help but see God at work. I believe he raised between $8,000 - 9,000 in the one night! Pretty darn amazing if you ask me!

We'll I'm off to enjoy my day off.

Here's a pic from our last nice warm beach day. Mickala was away at Guide camp (and had a blast!!!) and we got to go to the beach.

Well it is starting to feel like summer might just be around the corner. We set the pool up a couple of days a week ago and it has been cool ever since.

Work has been very busy...we have had to evacuate to a hotel as the house I work at has been flooded. It makes it very interesting to be in a hotel room where everytime we move we need to move a wheelchair to get into the fridge, bathroom, bedroom or living room...it's a little cramped to say the least!

Tonight Mickala's class did a special song/ play at school with pot luck dinner. The play was great and it was very nice to see all the parents. The hard part is seeing how all the kids are growing up!

Tomorrow is sports day at school and I have taken the day off to go help! I love sports days! It's so cool to get to see all the kids being kids!

I'm hoping to get the invites for Makenna's Birthday out by the end of the week. Yes I know my daughters b-day is not until August...but if I don't get them out now then everyone has plans come August.

I'm not sure if I have blogged about my working out...I'm loving working out at Curves. I am working at bumping it up to four times a week and took the "Advanced" segment today. I'm also hiking once a week with a friend from work and one day with either the family or a friend.

Well the kids need my help to get ready for school tomorrow...have a great day everyone!

Since I last posted we have been away on another little "Adventure"...we went to the big town of 150 Mile House to see Darren's Brother and family. It was a great weekend! Darren's mom and sister's family also came. We went ATV'ing, hiking m(caving), did some fireworks and just hung out. The girls loved hanging out with their cousins, Darren loved hanging with his brother and nephews and I loved all of it. Here's a few pictures.

I know I have been whining lots over the winter months...but now spring is here! I have a new job and things are feeling way better! And I LOVE FRIDAYS!

Because I'm working Sunday evenings I have Friday and Saturdays off and am so far loving my schedule. Friday's look like this...get up at 5:20 am (okay maybe could do without the early wake up part) go to the Gym where I meet up with 2-4 friends. Home to have a shower and then drive the girls to school. (This part helps me to feel like I'm being a good mom and spending time with the girls - just because I want to!) Then I head to Starbucks for a Latte and a good book, maybe even meet with a friend for a chat. Then I have a little time to browse the cool shops in that part of town. Then I head off to my friends restaurant and hang out, cut vegetables and learn a whole bunch of cool things! (This is probably my funnest part of the day!) Then it's Friday night....kids are done school for the week, Darren work...we can all hang together.

I LOVE FRIDAYS! I feel so relaxed, a little selfish (but I'm getting over that quickly!) but mostly just totally rejuvenated and blessed!

Here's a little update on me. On Monday I started a new job! I'm no longer working in the office for the stair manufacturer. Being away from working in the human service field has been great for me as I have really missed what I used to do...I realized along the way that I really was passionate about what I was doing. I was just a little worn out and after a break I'm really excited about being back. So I'm back with the same company I had worked with over the previous 11 years. The two ladies I'll be hanging out with are two of my favorite people and that makes it even funner to come back to! I'm feeling very blessed! I'll be filling a maternity position for about a year and a half. After that we'll see where life is at.

Darren has just under two weeks of school left then he'll be done his forth year of carpentry!

The girls are good too - Makenna got a new Web Kinz this week - the Koala and Mickala is still loving her I-Pod Shuffle she got for her birthday...both are gowing up before my eyes!

Good news..Jaylene is coming to town for a concert May the 6th at our church...if your interested in hearing her in person - give me a call or drop me a note and I'll forward the details.

So I'm getting ready to hit the sack! (Yes it is only 715pm but I'm a little tired!) The girls and I just got back from a marathon weekend to Science World with the Guides and Brownies. Yes it was very exciting! 350 girls from about 6 to 13. Up the better part of the night but that is part of the fun. The group of girls in our unit were amazing - I was very proud!

Hello Blogger world.
After re-reading my last post I thought it was time to add a little bit a cheerier note to the site.

I am feeling 100% better. Wish I could have done it without the antibiotics (any suggestions for next time are welcome) but WAY better! It's amazing how being sick for that long just drags it out of me.

So the good news is I got to spend an evening cuddling with my niece (now that I'm not sick!). I have been excercising at Curves 3 x a week and walking with a few friends Saturday mornings and then this Saturday I came home made a healthy lunch then fell asleep in the warm, warm sun on the back deck. Just my kind of day.

I'm still looking for work - but mostly hoping someone is looking for me (hope that makes sense).

I have been trying to get one of my favorite musicians to tour to the Okanagan...it looks like it won't work this time around but I'm hoping for sooner than latter. Check out her my spaces http://www.myspace.com/jaylenejohnsonsongs (my favorite song on this one is Just Be) or this one http://www.myspace.com/jaylenejohnson (my favorite song on this one is Butterfly Girl). I love Canadian music! If you like it let me know and I'll keep you on the invite list.

We'll that's this weeks merry-go-round.

Talk soon.

Yes we are still alive...I know it's been over a month but I just havn't been feeling up to much! Work continues to challenge me along with life in general...I have been fighting a cold for the last three weeks and have now decided that last night was my worst night yet...so today to the doctors I went and home with prescriptions I came...another day snuck away on me but Darren got lots done!

The truck and camper we have had for the last 6 years is now gone and along with the camper a part of my heart...I'm fearful this will be it for camping as sleeping in a tent no longer excites me and the money from the sale of the truck and camper (and them some) has gone towards a "new to us" truck ('88 Chevrolet). The last truck didn't owe us anything but the camper was a place I will always have great family memories of.

Our bedroom is finally a new color! And we even have a creative yet very cool headboard to go with it. Now just the clutter and a few more pieces of trim and it will look like a new room!

Getting the basement ready to rent out by May 1st will be the next big project along with me trying to figure out what to do with my career...Darren also goes back to school for six weeks starting Mar 24 (about) to finish his fourth year carpentry. Most people finish high school, go off to college or university, buy a house start a family....no not us we do it backwards...house, family, school...

We'll I'm off to bed with the hope that tomorrow I will feel better.

Night

I just downloaded some more pictures from my camera and thought I would share...As Christmas gift to each other (with the Martin side) we decided to do another winter getaway. This year we decided Big White. We found a huge condo that would fit all of us. We picked a weekend far enough before the baby would be born that we wouldn't be putting Kim or the baby at risk - after all it was only an hour out of town. But as life would be God had a different plan. Little Sydney came way earlier than expected and Steph and Kim were not able to come as Sydney was still in hospital. We got up to Big White on Friday night and it was soooooo....cold! We went for a short walk around the village and then back to the condo for the start of what would be the longest game of "Life" that has ever been played. The next morning Grandpa Martin strapped on his boots and went skiing. In the afternoon the girls, Darren and Grandma took to the ice and impressed me with their skating skills! Again it was cold but they were troopers! That night we went for dinner at the Swiss Bear - which was very good!! Overall we did lots of relaxing, lots of eating, some more relaxing with some skating, game playing and movie watching. I felt so rested when I got home! It was a great weekend. I think for me the funnest part was seeing my mom on skates - she did awesome!