Monday is my 27th Birthday.
Tuesday is Olivia’s 1st Birthday.
We decided to have a joint party Sunday. Tomorrow.

I have my house all ship shape and ready to go (minus a bit of cleaning in the downstairs tv room). I do however need to cut out and decorate our birthday cake. When Orlund saw I’d purchased the cake mix he asked me “you’re going to bake your own birthday cake?”. Yup. Didn’t want to ask anyone else to do it, and besides I wanted to bake Olivia’s birthday cake. I baked the cake yesterday, Gabe helped, so it’s cooled off and ready to be cut and decorated. I usually try icing the cake way to soon and it just runs off. I wont have that problem this time. I am planning to cut the cake into the shape of a 1. Then ice it with instant pudding, and decorate. The icing will be interesting as instead of mixing it with cool whip we opted out of buying a big tub, so I’m going to make the icing different. Wish me luck! I’ll need it! Icing a cake is always very VERY messy for me! I don’t get how people do it without having to shower after (okay a bit exaggerated, but not by much).
We are only having family over for our party, so only 10-11 adults and 4 kids. That’s all! crazy!
As I sit here typing, in my nice freshly cleaned living room, Olivia is sitting in the toy box tossing all the toys out into the living room… the opposite of what I just did! At least it’s easy to clean up again.
I’ll post pics. Promise.
I’m also doing a cross stitch for Olivia’s birthday. I was hoping to have it done by the party, but I think I’ll have to give it to her on her actual birthday.

I’m excited for the party. For the pizza (trying something different, hoping it’s easy). For the family visits. And for the wonderful naps the girls will have tomorrow

God Bless you and hope you have a fabulous day!

Well, January had a sluggish pace to it. And the begining part of February hasn’t fared much better. However, I’m getting back on track. Whenever my mom heads home I automatically go into a gloomy phase. It’s not fun and I really get bogged down. This lasted for the last week she was here, I find I just have no motivation except when it comes to doing things with her. However she is safely home in Thailand now (with my dad). I miss my morning phone call with her ~ yup, we talk everyday as soon as I get up when she’s in Canada~ but I’m pressing onward. I mentioned to my mom about my sluggishness and she helped me pick out some vitamins that should help me out some.
The boys are back from their vacation, today was the first day back to work. Now that the sun is shining I just want to play outside. It’s still to cold to just throw their jackets on though…and well to get 4 kids and myself into snowsuits to go outside but not play in snow isn’t what I call fun! As we played downstairs this morning, I realized I was bored… It’s hard to find things to entertain the age group, no correction, it’s hard to entertain Gabe. He doesn’t do ‘girly’ things or anything he can pretend is girly, and just wants my undivided attention. Today when all the kids were up from their naps and Gabe was at preschool I realized just how easy it is to entertain the 10month, almost 2year and almost 3year olds. I have a bunch of idea’s for summer, but not for this time…. gotta get creative!
I find it is easier to keep on top of the house when I’m busier. I’m even getting some of my “to-do list” checked off! I’m still feeling sluggish, but the sun is definitely helping, And if I just keep going then it seems to help too.
I know I’ve been posting a lot about me, and my laziness sluggishness lately, but I’ll post some new stuff about the girls next time ~ promise! Now it’s off to bed for me. Good night all!

Olivia is done her Antibiotics ~ YIPEE! Her poor bum rash is just about all better too (rash was in turn due to the Antibiotics), My mom told me an old remedy I would have never thought of ~ Corn starch. Olivia is feeling good and back to her old self.

Joy is fighting a cold. I tried to get her into the doctors today or tomorrow, however they are booked full. She has a real rattle when she coughs, but I think it’s loosening up.

I don’t know what days or times I work next week. I just know it’ll be a lot and I hope they call me so I can plan ahead. I like being organized and planned out. Orlund is working like crazy, lots of overtime and by the sounds of it he’ll be working every weekend for the rest of the month…guess I might get some stuff done on the weekends.

My mom and dad are flying back home tomorrow (as in Thailand home). Mom wont be back until around Christmas… I can’t think of it. I know tomorrow will be a long day.

I’m thinking of starting my own business…. It’s not one that would bring in tons of money (or I don’t think it would), but it’s a few crafty things I like to do, and figure why not sell them? I’m not going to reveal them just yet…I need my mom’s help with a little bit so we are doing that tomorrow (nothing like the last minute eh?). I enjoy making the crafts and look forward to experimenting and seeing what all I can create.

I have enough crafts on the go that I shouldn’t be doing this business yet. But then when wont I have crafts on the go? I’m sewing aprons (one for my niece’s birthday next month), still working on Joy’s scrapbook (ugh), Still working on my mom’s cross stitch, I have to start (and then finish) a scrapbook and a cross stitch for Olivia. But all I can think about is the business stuff. I really need to sit down and just get it all done.

My house needs a good cleaning. Mostly just the dusting, vacuuming and removing of fingerprints. But non the less it needs doing. And Orlund’s brother and sister-in-law are hoping to stop in tomorrow, so I really need to get my butt in gear! Wish me luck! I rather play than clean, but we all know ~ the sooner you clean and get it done the sooner you can play… My mom used to always use that line on us when we were kids, never figured it’d be true when you are an adult too!
God bless you all and hope you have a good night!

Our year in review. (of what I can remember).

We had our second Daughter. Olivia Margaret.
I started Flylady.net. Or in other words I’ve worked my butt off at trying to get my house in the shape I want it to be in.
I’ve started Blogging more.
We started to go outside more (to the park etc) and I’m really enjoying the time as a family. We plan/hope to do it even more this year.
Orlund planted a garden, and it was beautiful. And the produce from it was scrumptious!
We switched our Mortgage to a different bank and cut off approx 6years!
I switched from looking after one little girl to watching two little boys.
We’ve already started to out grow our house, but we hope to be here for 5 years (2 years down).
We will need a mini van by the time our next child arrives (not pregnant, but we plan to have more kids eventually). Our car is already on the ‘way out’ so to speak so we would love to get a van sooner than later but will wait until we are at least pregnant.

Things I plan to accomplish this year ~

I plan to read my Bible Daily, for myself and also for the girls (aloud for them).
Don’t talk about people. I always try not to talk about others, but I find I get sucked into it and feel bad after. So I’m trying to not. It’s not easy.
I don’t want to think so negatively all the time, I find I’m constantly putting myself down.
Always have my house ready for drop-ins (as in clean).

There are a few others however they are more personal.

So that’s that. good bye 2010 and I am already loving 2011.

Hi. I have a new post…I’ve even started writing it…I want to post it…

However I have some Christmas shopping to do (Christmas in January with my family as Mom is home! YIPEE).
I still have to finish Olivia’s Christmas gift (just hand stitching)
And a house to get clean…………along with finishing Joy’s Scrapbook….

But I promise ~ I will post soon!

For now I leave you with a cute picture of my littlest squirt.

Well, it’s done good enough. My house is/was in shape enough to have someone just stop in and want to look through it. I say it WAS because, well it’s in need of some loving right now (mainly vacuum and kitchen).
Saturday night was spent with Joy vomiting. fun. poor girl. I think it’s awful watching your kids in such pain and you can’t do much of anything to help. So Saturday night was a bust, no work accomplished. I did get the house finished from what I’d listed last time (during the day). Except my dining room table.

Taken Saturday morning... just 'cause we're so cute!

Well Sunday we decided to stay home from Church and just take it easy. Joy watched lots of tv and kept asking to go to Church. Poor girl. She would have had so much fun watching the kids put on the Christmas production. Sunday night Joy got sick once more (oops gave her milk!). Monday I had the boys. I tried and tried to call their home to inform them that Joy was still a bit sick…but I couldn’t get through. They arrived I informed them she was sick, and then after 5 minutes they came back and picked the boys up to go play at a friends house. It was a good thing they did. Orlund came home sick. And I started to feel sick as well. Monday night, I was vomiting. Not cool. Orlund was trying to put the kids to bed, and I was nursing Olivia between my visits to the bathroom. So he took his mom up on her offer to come and help out for the night.
I have to say, due to me doing this ‘operation party’ my house was in a good state (especially since I was sick). I was almost tempted to tell Hazel to look in my linen closets. LOL. They are so clean! But at least I wasn’t worrying, on top of being sick, about what my house looked like. She spent the night, and it was awesome that she did. Olivia got up at 4:30am to play…. So Grandma played with her in the living room while I finally got some much needed rest!  up until that point I’d spent the night in the bathroom getting sick, or trying not to, nursing Olivia, or sitting in bed trying not to get sick… it wasn’t a fun night, however once Olivia was with Grandma I finally zonked out and slept good.
Tuesday was spent napping, bathing and relaxing for me. Orlund and his mom did up some dishes and kept the girls busy. Joy was still recovering and Orlund was doing much much better.
I took today off work so I could just ensure I’m rested up enough before taking the boys on again. I don’t want to exert to much energy before I’m completely better or it’ll just set me back some. I have tomorrow off then the boys on Friday.

Today I plan to catch up on the  sewing I’ve fallen behind on. What was I thinking sewing Christmas gifts? lol. I have A LOT to do and I’m running out of time!  I will also decorate our tree. tomorrow I’ll spend time cleaning up etc. For today it’s catch up on the other stuff

(on a side note; This sewing, I’m sewing 3 projects. two are the same just for different kids, and the other project is an ‘easy’ weekend job. So to sew the kids projects I figured I’d need to sew 2-3 ‘sections of directions’ every day. that would take me 5 days to do each. and spend the last weekend before Christmas sewing the other project. Due to being sick I’ve missed out on 2 days already.. and then I found out next week I work EVERY day except Christmas Eve! Guess I know what I’ll be doing in the evenings!)

We all have it. Something we do after a hard days work to relax. To let go of the work day and move into the at home, family mode. For most it is the drive home from work. You shrug off the days frustrations, sort through the troubles, highs and lows of the day and prepare for the evening. Orlund uses the drive home and the time he spends making dinner to do this. It’s our deal. He likes to relax when he gets home as the drive just doesn’t cut it. Cooking relaxes him, provided no little monkeys pester him (to much) ~ I keep the monkeys at bay.

I work from home. There is no car ride home. There is no escaping from the monkeys. I was frustrated, exhausted and over all worn down. Until I started vacuuming. Huh? I can hear you thinking it. Didn’t she vacuum before? Yes I did. However I vacuumed once a week, or before company arrived. Fly lady has taught me to let go of my perfectionism. I don’t have to vacuum under the couches every time I vacuum. My mom also mentioned to me she used to vacuum every day…. it thought that seemed a bit ‘out there’.

I started to vacuum every day. EVERY. DAY. After the boys would get picked up, I would pull out the vacuum and quickly run it through the hall, living room and dining room. Not moving furniture (except once a week). That became my ‘car ride’ home (on days I worked. Other wise I vacuumed every second day). It released all that happened in the day, it caused me to clean the house every day. You can’t vacuum if there are toys tossed across the living room floor. Before vacuuming I’d toss all the toys into the toy bin, throw out any trash and just straighten up. Then vacuum. While vacuuming I can’t hear anything else. It takes me to another land. I relax and can move on with the rest of my day. It cleans up everything, not just the floors but my day and my mood. Since starting to vacuum everyday I’m less moody and less frustrated. I like me a whole lot better, and I think the kids do too.

Well my vacuum broke 3 weeks ago…. I called the manufacturer and they told me it was the filter. I sent Orlund to Walmart that very day. He called me to inform me they didn’t have our filter. I started to cry. I hadn’t vacuumed in a week (talk about procrastination on calling the manufacturer). I NEEDED TO VACUUM! Not just because my floors needed it, but because my SOUL needed it! I could feel the tension.

My wonderful Mother-in-law has lent me her vacuum. She has less traffic. I’ve had it for two weeks and plan to return it on Saturday. We ordered new filters off ebay for our vacuum. Well, I tried a new one, started vacuuming… it still doesn’t work. After I shut if off (after a 3 minute run) smoke crept up the side of the machine…. it’s dead. dead. dead. Guess this Saturday we will be shopping for a new vacuum!

What do you use to relax after work? the ride home? or some other secret?

Today is day #1.
Yesterday I wrote out the lists, today I start executing them.
Today I tackle my hallway. It should be a ‘small’ job you’d think, if you saw the skiff of a hallway we have. However my hallway has taken a beating lately. It has a nifty little nook, in front of the cleaning supply closet, where things can lay without interruption for weeks (if I so decide not to move them). Today I will be removing the hot spot which lays there. In that pile are socks. The girls socks. Clean socks. That nook is where I pile clean and dirty clothes (separately) that need to be taken to the girls room but they are napping or sleeping so I can’t actually go in their room. These socks are the ‘missing my partner’ socks, which in turn really means I need to tackle the girls sock drawer too (but that will have to wait). Also in the pile are some stuffed animals to be returned to their rooms and some extra receiving blankets.
I have two diaper boxes to move from the hall into the girls room. A big box of out grown/seasoned shoes and jackets (also the girls) that I need to properly box up and some how fit into the girls room as well (or perhaps the crawl space).
I will also be going through the linen closet and the cleaning supply closet, they are both in the hallway.

The other room I’m going to do? good question. I’m not sure yet. I am working today so need it to be a room I can do while working (the hallway will have the closets cleaned during nap/preschool time). I think I’ll do the entrance way… I just cleaned this area, however I need to go through the closets shelf and the bench. Mostly they consist of snow stuff etc. Well the boys are here. Off I go!

I love Christmas. I love the snow, the joy, the family and friends.
Last year I found myself missing out. I didn’t have a work Christmas party, Orlund’s work had theirs during work hours. We weren’t invited to any Christmas parties other than our church banquet (which we had to purchase tickets to).  I know why we weren’t invited out, we didn’t have anyone over to our house. And if you don’t invite people over, they don’t invite you either. It’s plain and simple. I came to the realization that we are to self involved. The day’s pass quickly, we are constantly tired, however we need to put in the effort to have friends. I’m not just talking about at Christmas time, I’m talking all year round. Why not have people over for parties? I’m always concerned my house wont be ‘good’ enough, clean enough etc to have guests over. I’m now part of a program called “Flylady.net” she teaches you how to FLY (Finally loving yourself). Sure my house isn’t spotless and I have a long way to go, but she instructs us to let go of our perfectionism and just start enjoying life.

So this year. Today. December 1st. I sat on the cold tile hearth in our living room. The vacuum cleaner which had just been smoking sat next to me. My vacuum is officially dead. I mumbled under my breath “guess I get a Vacuum for Christmas this year”. I started to think of the friends we’ve made this year. How I’d wish to have them over. Orlund has told me that we can’t host a huge party as our house just can’t hold more than a couple couples at a time. I asked Orlund “Do you know if there will be a Christmas party at your work this year?Do you think it’ll be in the evening or at lunch again?”
“I don’t know, why?” he ask
“well I’m hoping it’ll be at night so I get to go to at least one Christmas party this year” I paused “to be completely honest”.
The thought about the fact that this holiday season will be spent at home alone again crept into my mind.I hung my head down, resting on my hands. A cold draft from the fireplace chilled my back, the tears started to well up in my eyes. The negative gloomy thoughts all started to sneak in. What about having a few people over at a time? Who said that? the thought came in, with it a negative response. Orlund said no. Wait, he said no to LARGE parties, what about a few people at a time? I don’t know if I was talking with God or just my inner voice (perhaps one in the same) but I decided to listen.
“what about if we have a few people at a time?” I asked Orlund
He looked up from his computer “sounds good to me! I would love to have people over, I just don’t want to plan it all”

There we go. My Christmas season does not need to be a gloomy one, but one filled with love. And if my house isn’t perfect, my friends wont have a problem with it, if they do… what kind of friends are they? Time to pick myself up and get out of the self pity and do something about it!

So onto “operation party”. First, I clean. I clean, I clean I clean. I have written a list of 13 areas of my home that need to be cleaned (I mean re-vamped cleaning). If I do twoish a day I can have them all done by the time our Church’s Christmas banquet arrives (Dec 7th).  I’ll start figuring out who I want to have over, and invite them! Orlund’s given me the Okay, so I can do this. No one is responsible for me being happy except me. So here I go… Ready to follow along on my path? I’ll try to blog a little at the end of each day to keep myself on track and let you know how I’m doing… Need to do some re-vamping too? Jump on in and do it with me. Write out a list of what you need to do and how many tasks a day to complete it by Dec 7th and LETS DO THIS!