I have been tagged!!!!

ONE HUNDRED THINGS ABOUT ME...

1. I am only 5'1''
2. but tell everyone I am 5'2"
3. have two beautiful girls
4. by two different men
5. seperated for 4 years in August
6. with Roger for 3 years this past June
7. natural hair color is community brown
8. have blonde eyelashes
9. have Celiac disease
10. have one sister
11. she is pregnant and due in November
12. have one brother
13. have a beautiful neice named Emily
14. I am the oldest
15. did not pick out my girls' names either
16. had the opportunity to skip grade 2
17. didn't
18. was an exchange student in 1989
19. lived in Australia for one year
20. came home with an accent
21. graduated a year behind my friends because of being an exchange student
22. lived in England and Scotland for a year
23. taught in the school system
24. can sign
25. taught both girls to sign
26. owned a home
27. drive a 2002 Windstar Van
28. never NOT had a car payment
29. just finished paying off a $4000 debt in 10 months!
30. work at Moxies on weekends
31. as a waitress!
32. and make enough money in tips to buy groceries each week!
33. scrapbook
34. need a ruler to draw a stick man though!
35. creative
36. poet
37. get bikini waxes
38. pluck my own eyebrows
39. the thought of outliving my children frightens me
40. have a will
41. have life insurance
42. have RESP's for both girls
43. made less than $15,000 last year
44. live in a co-op townhouse
45. recycle
46. compost
47. have a veggie garden
48. used a sling for Quinn
49. breastfed
50. love my mom and dad
51. never been on a "holiday" (like Hawaii, Mexico, etc)
52. want to buy a trailer to camp in
53. want to bike on the small Islands around us
54. sing all the time
55. avid reader
56. web blogger
57. in love with a man with numerous tattoos
58. who taught me appearance is not important
59. I taught him the importance of family
60. he loves me unconditionally
61. and I him
62. love my girls beyond comprehension
63. love my girlfriends
64. wish I lived closer to Annamarie
65. am going to New Brunswick to meet Sheri and Mel one day
66. online friends got me through the first months of Quinn's life
67. and my diagnoses with Celiac
68. take about 10 photos a day
69. am 35
70. and my partner is 30
71. and it is great
72. am the only one that drives
73. but I drive fast
74. hate driving in downtown Victoria
75. love a cold glass of Sangria, especially in Quesnel with my mom
76. love BLTs
77. have short hair
78. love shopping
79. but only at second hand shops
80. and still only buy brand name
81. straight iron my hair
82. hair is naturally curly
83. could count to 10 in French before kindergarten
84. barely can do it now!!!!!
85. still have all my "Little House on the Prairie" books
86. would love to have lived in the swingin' 20's
87. love Planes, Traines and Automobiles
88. love all kinds of music
89. thought the 80's were gay
90. even though I graduated in the 80's
91. Hayley's fave dress-up dress is my prom dress
92. Would like one more kid
93. but really want one more girl
94. would be bare footed more often if I could
95. hate nail polish
96. never had a facial
97. love the ocean
98. love a medium rare steak, salad and veggies
99. don't clean my house (Roger does)
100. didn't realize I was so diverse!!!!!

Tagging Annamarie and my cousin Missy!

Bountiful Harvest

This is one day's pickin' out of the garden! The zucchini alone is about the size of a small baseball bat. Gotta find a good gluten-free zucchini chocolate cake recipe!!!

Cowgirl X

These are my old boots, believe it or not, from when I was a baby. I should look through my old baby book and scan a photo of me wearing them! Quinn adores them, she even wants to wear them out, regardless of how hot it is, or what the outfit of the day is.
I honestly believe that she is saying "me, this cute, this pose?" She was really hamming it up for the camera this time!!!!
Dancing Queen, so do you think she has all the moves? She really gets into the music when it plays. Could not resist throwing this one in!

Just to catch up....

Once again I am having issues with blogger uploading any photos, so I will bore you with the monologue to catch you up on our lives.

Summer seems to be flying by. We have had a real heat wave on the Island, and a lot of poeple are easily irritated by it!!! One thing we can pretty well guarantee is that no matter how hot it gets throughout the day it will cool down at night. After all - we live on an Island, surrounded by water; breeze all the time. One would think anyhow. Not lately. It has been HOT! I love it mind you, and realized a long time ago, that it will not last, so take advantage of it while it is here. We have spent a lot of time at the water park, in the backyard pool/sprinkler system and inside doing crafts and imaginary play. I have spent some time catching up on my scrapbooking, clutter removal and enjoying the fact that I am home throughout the week.

I am in the midst of deciding whether or not to take on another daycare child. I really want to be at home, but need to make the money for the family as well. (oops, that sounds as though Roger is not doing his bit - he is and then some - my money is all the extras that we want!!!) I know that I do not want to work every Sunday anymore as I am missing out on doing things as a family. So I have decided throughout the summer to take Sundays off, work on Thursday nights and then hopefully in September have one more child to offset the income a bit. I am home anyhow - might as well have lots of kids around. It won't be so hard then either as Hayley will be in school for full days.

Well, off to fill my children's bellies, and then fill the pool for them. Hopefully soon I can show off the newest photos.

Sisters hanging out!

On Tuesday, Jen was awesome and watched all the kids while I went to the Dr's for my one year check up since I was diagnosed with Celiac. They had a blast playing with all Amanda's toys, Jen read many a book to Hayley and Quinn and Amanda hung out. I am soooooo very lucky to have Jen, my life is enriched by having her in it!

The appointment was very encouraging. This time last year, my body was not absorbing any of the nutrients in the food that I was eating, and I was basically starving myself. One year of maintaining a gluten-free diet, taking a multivitamin every day, walking and listening to my own body has done wonders. For the first time, I am not anemic - my iron and hemoglobin levels are registering in the "normal" range, my calcium is up, magnesium is good, thyroid is behaving itself, and the Dr is very optimistic that a gluten-free lifestyle is exactly what I need to do for the rest of my life to maintain the health that I have fought to get back. If I wanted to, now would be the optimum time to have another baby. I am in 100 times better health now than I was when I became pregnant with Quinn. Also, statistics are not on my side. For every year that I wait to become pregnant, my chances of passing on this genetic autoimmune disorder increase by 10%!!!!!

So, now Roger and I have some heavy discussions to have. He would really like one more, but only if it is a boy!!! Hahaha - just joking. In all honesty, I would like one more too, but we need to make sure that we can afford it. The smell of a newborn gets me every time......

Just wanted to share my very great news with everyone - maybe we could all pour a glass of wine at the same time and toast my health. Any excuse to have a yummy glass of wine with all my friends, whether they are near or far.

A day spent at the waterpark

Hayley is gearing herself up to go.......she still is not super keen on the water splashing at her. If you just leave her be, and let her do her own thing then she is more brave than ever!
Hayley and Lily. They met in kindergarten, and pure coincidence Lily lives right next door in the neighbouring co-op housing! It was a great friend to meet, especially since her little friend Erin had immigrated to Ireland right before school began. i have come to know the family and Jen is a great friend to us!

Quinn eating her chocolate cupcake. It was Jen's birthday and to celbrate, Nuria made cupcakes for everyone. Quinn especially loved the purple icing!

This was about as far as Quinn would venture in the water park. It was quite windy that day and the spray was annoying her. She is a true water baby in the pool in the backyard, but wasn't so sure about it spraying everywhere. She had more fun chasing the kids around. It is so cute to see her want to be a part of what the bigger kids are doing, yet she is always about 15 steps behind. She doesn't care though, she is too busy laughing and observing what they are doing!

A huge excitement!

We just arrived back from Sooke, where Roger's dad lives. He gave us the most exciting news....after a terrible six months of radiation and chemotherapy, he is CANCER FREE!!!! He had cancer of the joint that the esophogas and larynx connected (bad non-technical person that I am) and because of where it was located, it was in-operable. He endured months of travelling back and forth to the Jubilee Hospital where chemicals were pumped into his already ravaged body, skeletal at 98 pounds - but being the stubborn French man that he is, managed to come through with honors. His catscan and MRI were clean today, and so his mission now is to QUIT smoking (yes, he still is) and to continue to eat and build up his strength. We are so elated. To see him so excited is encouraging as well. We had pizza, a few beers and ciders to toast his health, let him hug the grandbabies and Hayley, then let him off at the Legion so he could continue to celebrate with his friends. Yahoo!!!!!

FAMILY

Definitions of family on the Web:

-a social unit "he moved his family to Virginia"; "It was a good Christian household"; "I waited until the whole house was asleep: parents and children; "he wanted to have a good job before starting a family"
-people descended from a common ancestor; "his family has lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower"
-class: a collection of things sharing a common attribute; "there are two classes of detergents"
-an association of people who share common beliefs or activities; "the message was addressed not just to employees but to every member of the company family"; "the church welcomed new members into its fellowship"
-(biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera; "sharks belong to the fish family"
kin: a person having kinship with another or others; "he's kin"; "he's family"
-syndicate: a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities (this is my personal fave, one that makes me laugh at the thought of me and my mom robbing banks together in the sake of the family....) I guess the family that plays together stays together......

So once googled, this is what popped up in regards to family. Today I had the opportunity to rethink what my initial thought on family was and as it turned out, family has taken on a whole new meaning. I won't elaborate, other than saying that I have an "extended" family in which Hayley calls aunty and uncle, another that is Papa Gilles, and "just Marleen". This is the same family that Quinn regards as Papa Gilles and "just Marleen". This is over and above Gamma and Poppy, Nana and Papa and numerous other auntie and uncles. Family can be who you have dinner with, who you trust with your life and child and your best friend. They can be someone that you no longer share a name with, but still see every week, someone that came into your life unexpectedly and you have grown to love and respect, and someone that has been there since the beginning of a memory. Family is someone that has left a lasting impression on your heart so deep that time will not erase. Family is just that - family.

Now you are all wondering what brought on this sudden wave of deep thought - well some things are best left unsaid, for those that know, I am paying tribute to those I am fortunate enough in having in my family. For those that know me best, then they know that I am better at putting my feelings to paper (or in this case - screen) than EVER talking out loud to them. I thank God for my family, in whatever definition mine falls in. Now I will sign off and peek on my two beauties, and snuggle with my family that I call MINE.

A surprise guest

Here is our surprise guest. We were walking along the dock at Fleming Beach and suddenly a sea lion was RIGHT there. He was very cute, you could see his whiskers and the water glistening off him. So lucky to live on the west coast and see this wildlife.

Quinn could spend hours moving rocks, usually from one bucket to another, sometimes from the ground to her mouth. She would not behave on the dock as we were laying on our bellies looking at all the crabs, fishies, and sea life and all she wanted to do was back up and go in!!!! So needless to say, her and I walked off the dock and went to the rock pile. While we were off the dock, Liz, the boys and Hayley still were looking on the bottom of the sea when the sea lion (or was it a seal? Which is the little ones??) swam out from under the dock and poked his head up RIGHT where they were looking. I thought that Hayley was going to fall in she was so frightened!!! We packed up and came home, and Liz and the boys went back, fished off the dock with line and herring, and caught a ton of little fish! They threw them all out, but the crabs were nibbling off their lines and they would bring them up to the dock, let them walk around a bit, and then shoo them back in the water. It was the best - unplanned - summer day ever!

Just a slight lisp...nothing to worry about!

Well here she is, no teeth, but richer than all get out. She can almost put her whole tongue through the gap! Have you seen the trailer for "CARS"? The tow truck is from the deep south and says, "Well gollll-eeee", and that is what we were going around saying to her before they came out! Needless to say, she was less than impressed, and probably breathed a sigh of relief when they finally came out!
Not sure if this one does any more justice to the gap that was created, but she sure looks and sounds cute now! Is this my introduction to the "angst" years? Where their body is in a constant state of change.....oh my heavens, I just thought about that. Does this mean that we both may be going through some changes at the same time? In ten years when I MAY be going through the menopause thingy (I will be 45 then girls), she will be 16. Eeek, hate to be living with us at that time.....god help Roger.

Pool Party - Everyone Invited!!!

Quinn killing herself laughing in the pool. An added adventure for her this summer as she was scared to death of the pool last year. Who could blame her though? She weighed 9 pounds this time last year, no matter how warm you got the pool, she was perpetually cold!!!

Hayley with the drama pose. She always "vogues" out now when I get the camera out. Look up for the next post, which includes her new look - sans teeth!!!!