Good Day.....I said Good Day!

My sister Sherry just came up with a great idea! What if we had my yard sale (which is to raise my for JDRF) inside a hall? Then it wouldn't matter what the weather was like, I could possibly have it all set up the night before and I would have tons of space that could hold any amount of donated things I receive from other people. How great would that be! The kids could still have their lemonade stand outside if they wanted, but if it rained it would be no biggie to set them up inside the hall. My Mom is going to make a phone call tonight to see if this is even possible. So cross your fingers people. This would really help me to slow down in the panicking department.

I finally dug out all of the kids summer clothes and packed away their winter things. What a chore! It drives me crazy twice a year. Seriously. I don't know if it has this affect on everyone else or if it's just a personal pet peeve of mine. But I'm glad it's over. My Mom surprised with three totes. This made me so happy in a Martha Stewart kind of way. lol. Now I have their clothes all sorted and labeled. Now maybe I won't get quite so crazy come Fall. ....Maybe.

Now it's on to mine and Jason's clothing. This is not such a chore since we don't really have any clothes. lol. It pretty much consists of packing away my sweaters and doing one load of laundry. I went through our clothes last night and was surprised to find a few things I could sell in the sale - almost a whole garbage bag! Awesome! Now I just have to go through the rest of the house and sort through the things I already found in the basement. I want to be all done with my things before I have to start sorting the things that other people give me. Then of course, there is the whole pricing issue. I'm going to need help with that one I think. Not that experienced in that area.

Oh well,....TGIF everybody! Now that my husband works Mon-Fri I can say that and really mean it!

Pissed!

For the second time since last Summer, someone has insinuated that the reason our family is having "such a hard go" is because we do not attend church. ERGH!! I want to scream!! This pisses me off so much I could just spit. I mean seriously?

I defy anyone to question my spirituality. I have never been more spiritual in all of my life. And that includes when I used to go to church AND teach Sunday school! It just blows my mind,....these small minded people. Just because you don't do the traditional route of going to church, sending your kids to sunday school, etc... people - or should I say those people think that this means you don't believe in God or a higher power. And just what kind of God do they believe in anyway? A God that would punish me by giving two of my children Diabetes? Gee, that must be comforting.

Anyway, I don't mean to babble or go on and on about it. Like Cleanspirit says, it will just perpetuate the bad energy. But I just had to vent for a minute.

There. I'm done. lol.

The Walk For The Cure

As anyone who actually reads my blog must already know, my family is participating in the Walk For The Cure For Juvenile Diabetes. It's on June 3rd in Moncton, to help raise money for JDRF or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Now we are in the business of asking people to pledge money or sponsor us in the walk. To help raise funds I've decided we're going to have a yard sale. I had already been putting a few things away in the corner of the basement, toying with the idea of having a yard sale. I've never done one before. Last year they had a day where they encouraged everyone along the road to have a sale on the same day. I thought I might join in this year. But now that we are doing the walk, I figured this might be a good way to raise a little money for the cause. I've set the date as Saturday, May 19th - rain or shine. Is 9am too late to start? I know that yard sales usually start at 8am, but I'm scared that we would never be ready in time, especially since the kids are participating. Thoughts anyone?

The kids are going to have a lemonade stand at the same time. I guess my cousin actually has a genuine lemonade stand, that she said my kids could borrow. I didn't even know they made such things. It has a chalk board to write their prices on and everything. They'll love it! Thanks Janice! The lemonade is not going to be real lemonade but Crystal Light Lemonade, since that is the kind my girls have to drink. I thought it might help remind people what the money was going to. They also might be selling Rice Krispie Treats or some other baked good. Anything to help add to the pot. lol.

So now I have to go through my house again and see if there is anything else I am willing to sell. A great opportunity to let go of more "stuff". I got rid of a lot during the move, but a little more couldn't hurt. Mom said she has some things over there and Kellie too. I even got a call from a lady from Renous who heard of the sale and wanted to donate her things. It sounded like she might have quite a bit. Kids clothes, etc... She said she was going to tell her whole family about it and see if any of them had things to donate as well. Wow! I feel a cross between total excitement and total panic. lol. Like I said, I've never had a yard sale before and I'm scared of not being prepared. What does one need? Tables, small bills, change, little stickers for pricing, grocery bags to put their purchases in, .... anything else? Anyone who has experience in this, ...if you see that I'm forgetting something obvious, or have an opinion on the time to start, please, PLEASE let me know.

Oh Happy Day!

Something wonderful has happened. I've been meaning to blog about it but I've been too busy and quite frankly, too happy to take the time to write a post about it.

Jason got a job!

Today was his first day working in the Doaktown mill.

Woo-hoo!

He had responded to their want ad a month or so ago. Since then he has gone for testing, an interview and a pre-employment medical. And then Thursday, the very day that our medical benefits ran out, they called to ask him to start on Monday morning. Thank you God!

So in three months we should have medical benefits again. Plus they don't usually run their mill on the weekends, so that means Jason should have every weekend off! I think they usually work a week of days and a week of nights. Monday-Friday and Sunday night-Thursday night. But I think their night shift actually ends at something like 3am, so it's not even a full night. So in the summer when we want to go camping, we could still go if Jason was working nights. In fact it might even be better, because we could leave so much earlier on Friday. I think they even close for holidays, I'm not sure. If they did, they would be amazing! I definitely know they close down for Christmas. That was always a concern at Weyerhaeuser, the whole working Christmas thing. Jason had to do that one year and it really sucked.

This whole Monday to Friday mentality is new to us. He always worked 4 on/4off. We were lucky enough that he didn't have to work nights, just the odd time covering for someone. It was nice having him off some days during the week, for doctors appointments, etc... But it was also sucky that sometimes when everyone else was off (ie/ long weekends, holidays, etc.) that he had to go to work. I'm excited that now our whole family will be on the same schedule, since the kids are in school and when I work it's at the school. Weekends will mean so much more to us now.

Right now his job is on a "call-in" basis. But they told him that everyone else who is on call-in is working full time hours. So I pray that he can work full-time too. He is keeping his EI claim open just in case. That way if he only gets two days work one week, he may be able to get EI to cover the other three days.

I hope he is having a good first day. I know it is silly, but I miss him. He's been home since the middle of February, so we got used to having him here with us everyday.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Today Jason and I have been together for 17 years! That's right...17! And yes, I am only 32 years old. Jason too. I was in grade 9. Him in grade 10. And no!...this is not a shame! Tonight we are actually going to go the movies alone. Sans children. Imagine! That is, assuming the weather cooperates.

I wanted to do a meme for this occasion. This is the only one I could find. It's more for a wedding anniversary, but here it is anyway.

1. Where/How did you meet? We were in high school together, so everyone pretty much knew who everyone else was. But the first time I actually met him, I think, was the summer of grade 8. 1989. Wow! Sherry, Michelle D. and I walked to Blackville. We were all at the rocks together during the Ron Pauley tournament. At that time, Jason did not seem interested in me at all. :(
2. How long have you known each other? probably 17 1/2 years.
3. How long after you met did you start dating? 6-10 months after we actually spoke. lol It was Saturday, April 14th, 1990.
4. How long did you date before you got engaged? Geez. Like 7 1/2 years!
5. How long was your engagement? We were never formally engaged, per say. No big proposal or ring.(I never wanted one) We always knew we would get married. Just a matter of time. And one Christmas, Jason just said, we should get married next December. Let's do it. So I guess you could say we were engaged for 1 year.
6. How long have you been married? 8 1/2 years
7. What is your anniversary? December 12th, 1998
8. How many people came to your wedding reception? Hmmm. Don't really recall. I know that we had quite a lot of people invited. Both of our families are big. But there were a lot of empty seats too. I'm gonna say 80?
9. What kind of cake did you serve? It was marble cake with that rolled out white icing. I remember that our cake topper, which was just plain matte white(no color), looked like it was made out of the icing. It matched perfectly.
10. Where was your wedding? We got married in St. Andrews Anglican Church in Newcastle. That cute little one across from the Opera House. Our reception was at the Kins Center or the old town hall around the square.
11. What did you serve for your meal? Turkey. What else? lol.
12. How many people were in your bridal party? Just two. A maid of honor and a best man. I always liked the idea of this. It seemed more old fashioned that way.
13. Are you still friends with them all? Yep. Christina was my maid of honor. She is my first cousin. We talk several times a week. Vance was Jason's best man. Also his first cousin. Don't see him quite as often as the old days, but just spoke with him yesterday.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? Not at all. We were all smiles. And giggles. lol
15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Hmmm. That's a hard one. They're all special to me. Maybe the ceremony itself? Rings, vows, etc...
16. Any funny moments? Nothing stands out as a crazy memory. Maybe me constantly reminding Gary, our chauffeur for the night, to toot the horn, while we were driving around with the tin cans kicking behind us. Or running into the Nite Owl to show the girls my dress. Or in the limo, Vance revealed to us that he had his middle name written on his palm to remember how it was spelled for the wedding register.
17. Any big disasters? Nothing much. I didn't get to decorate the church myself because we missed the allotted time that the church was open. So Gary put up our pew markers. I had quickly made little reserved signs just using bristle board and black marker. They were supposed to just sit on the seat to reserve them for our parents. It seems like Gary actually taped them on the outside of the pew with the nice pew marker. lol. Plus Jason's car did break down that morning. Surprise, surprise. He had to work on it all day but he still got to the church on time. So not really what I would call a disaster.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Moncton. Woo-hoo!
19. How long were you gone? I think it was just two nights. Honeymoon suite, Crystal Palace. Heart-shaped tub and all.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? I don't know that I would change anything. If possible I might have gotten my hair done by someone else. Not that I didn't like it. It's just my hairdresser at the time was going to Fredericton that day so I had to get my hair done quite early in the morning. I was so tired from decorating that I would have slept in but couldn't. Felt very tired at the reception.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? If you were lying on the bed, I'm on the left side with Jason to my right.
22. What size is your bed? Finally we have a queen!!
23. Greatest strength as a couple? I think that we do well in the communication area. We seem to talk things out and not let them fester too much. We also respect each other which I think is necessary in a healthy relationship. And we know how to fight. lol. Not that we do it alot or anything. But everyone fights and when we do, there is that line that we just won't cross.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Last Summer? lol. I'd say parenting in general. Trying to balance the parent stuff without losing the couple stuff.
25. Who literally pays the bills? I'd have to say mostly Jason. Not that I don't do it too but because he worked in town, where the bills are paid, he would just pay them on his way home. lol. Plus he's a human calculator while I'm the type that has to write everything down.
26. What is your song? Depeche Mode's - Somebody. Sounds crazy, I know. For like 14 years, we didn't even know who sung that song. It was on a blank tape in one of Jason's old cars, when we were teenagers. His brother had bought a car from someone and that tape was in it when he bought it. We used to listen to it all the time. And it wasn't until I had a computer that I googled the lyrics and discovered it was Depeche Mode.
27. What did you dance your first dance to? As Time Goes By. This is from the my favorite movie Casablanca, which Jason and I have watched a zillion times. We probably would have danced to Somebody, but at the time we didn't know who sung it. lol.
28. Describe your wedding dress: Very titanic. Empire waisted. It originally had these long lacy sleeves, but they were not me at all, so I got them cut off and replaced with little cap sleeves. Thank you Sandy!
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? These tiny white ones surround by lots of greenery. For the life of me, I can't remember the name which is really bugging me right now. It's on the tip or my tongue. May come to me later.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? Nope. Although we used to talk about secretly putting something really originally on them. Where the other person doesn't know what they say until after the ceremony. But it never happened.

This is what my hubby made this morning. Yummy! Isn't he just the sweetest? lol.

You gotta love those days when is life is good. And today is one of those days!

Shuffle up and deal

No school today. Cancelled. We're supposedly going to get some snow but so far.......notta. Preschool was cancelled too. Abby was going today because tomorrow is Good Friday. So now we are all home together for five days. Pretty cool. This should give us some time to catch up on some much needed sleep. Things always seem better after a good night's rest.

Tuesday, Jason, Abby and I went to town. Jason's income tax cheque finally came, so we could finally pay Mom back the money we had borrowed to buy the van. Plus we also paid off the table and chairs. So now they're officially ours. One down.......

Tuesday night was our PSSC meeting. After that we ran into the Irving to get a coffee and rented a movie. The Holiday is absolutely wonderful. I loved, loved it! I love Nancy Myer movies! I laughed. I cried. I loved it! Did I mention that I loved it? Definitely one to own. Can't say it enough.

Tomorrow night is poker night here. Nothing says Good Friday like playing poker. Not sure yet who is all coming. Nothing big. Pretty much just family. But hey, if you're interested.......drop in.