I am still around...

Wow, where does time go?  It has been ages since I last posted here.  I've just been busy with life and even though I stopped in many times to write a post I just didn't do it.  Call it lazy, busy, bored, not that into it I"m not really sure.  I think mainly because I just don't have a lot to write about that when I do get in here it's like "what do I post?" 

I am starting to babysit for my daughter next week.  Everett has turned 1 today (Happy Birthday Ev) and that means it is time for mommy to head back to work.  Actually, she took a weeks holidays already so she extended her mat leave.  So I will be spending most of my days over there and not so sure how much computer time I will have after that, coming home and getting dinner ready and doing anything that needs to be done here at home before heading to bed.  It will be fun spending time with Ev though and on monday, wednesday and friday I will also have Hannah too.  Not sure if I will be watching Keira after school or not but really when you think of it her daddy will be home anyways by the time we get home from school most likely.

Krystal has started working at a new job which for the most part I think she enjoys it!  Seems like a good place to work and she has gotten lots of perks with the job which is GREAT too.  Good luck Krystal!  You will do awesome!

As for my knitting, I"m working on a pair of Thigh High Socks for my daughter (shhhh dont' tell her...lol) yep she picked them out so she knows!!!  They are going well, although I question whether I will get them done being I'm slow and not always knitting when I should be. There are other things I wanted to knit as well but unlike Kandice I can't seem to be working on more than one project at a time. 

Our trip to Tennessee was the best!  We had such a great time and absolutely loved every part of it!  The cabin was unbelievable, beautiful and large.  The kids loved it and the first time Keira spotted a bear lurking around our cabin she reacted as a little girl would....she went running into the cabin screaming that there was a bear outside, which of course got everyone out on the deck checking it out and sure enough there it was looking up at us!  At the time mommy, nana and grandpa were just getting back to the cabin from the grocery store so we missed her initial response but got to enjoy the bear anyways. 

We toured Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Cade's Cove and saw lots of bears.  The guys got out fishing with no luck unfortunately but enjoyed it just the same.  We shopped at the outlet mall or should I say the girls did and the guys shopped at Pro Bass and of course enjoyed that.  They took the kiddos so that the mommies could enjoy relaxing shopping time.  Then Kandi, hubby and I all bought new cowboy boots.  Love that store...Stages West!!! Awesome array of boots for every member of the family and the lady that waited on all of us was great!  We also did the Ripleys Aquarium in Gatlinburg, which was really cool.  Everyone loved it as well.

We are planning a very large family vacation in Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg area for August 2013!  So looking forward to that trip.

I have a few pics I will try to add here later from our trip.  Have to see if I can do it right this time!

where did the summer go?

So, it's Sept 1st and the last long weekend of the summer is upon us.  Wow, where did the summer months go?  Seems like we just got started and here it is almost over.  The kids are getting ready to head back to school on Tues and moms and dads getting ready to change back into the daily routine that will keep them on their toes for the next 10 months. I know my granddaughter who is heading to grade 2 this year is looking forward to getting back to school.  My other granddaughter has been attending pre-school all summer long and will continue on starting Tues.  I can only imagine the excitement in that household (they all live in the same house) when Tues morning rolls around and both of them are getting ready for school at the same time and possibly heading out the door together as well.  Won't that just be the cutest?

So we had a beautiful summer although it took a while to get it started.  We had heat like you wouldn't believe for the month of July and several storms that ravished areas around us.  Of course the biggest one hitting Goderich (previous post).  The girls experienced their first bigger storm at the trailer that managed to send them running to the concrete building that is the public washroom for our area of the park.  The lightening from this storm had to be the worst I have ever seen.  It was scary.   Part of Cambridge got hit that night with an F1 tornado which of course isn't as severe as Goderich but still it affected a lot of people.

We are all looking forward to our trip to Pigeon Forge, TN to the mountians.  We have rented a cabin for a week and are so excited to hit the road and start our adventure. 

Hope you enjoy your long weekend, stay safe and have lots of fun. 

A week of destruction, sadness and loss for Canada

	Why is Goderich called Canada's Prettiest Town? Legend has it that a relative of Queen Victoria once visited Goderich and told her what a beautiful town it was, whereupon Queen Victoria stated, "Surely that must be the prettiest town in Canada!"

A very sad day on Sunday for the town of Goderich.  A tornado ripped through the downtown core and obliterated almost the whole town square.  I'm not sure if you are aware of what the town square looked like before the tornado but to see it after the fact you would wonder if it is the same town.  Here are some pics of before and after.

Look at all the beautiful trees surrounding the court house

and after the tornado ripped through!

It is hard to believe when you see the damage is destruction throughout the town that only one person, a man working at the salt mines was killed.  I worked in Goderich for 6 months and visited there often when we lived in Kincardine.  A favourite place for us to go was The Bedford Hotel and eat at Paddy O'Neils.  Looks like it has been very badly damaged as well.

A look here will give you an idea through photos what damage has been done. 

Truly a very sad time for the Town of Goderich.

On another sad note we lost a truly great Canadian this week.  Jack Layton, leader of the NDP party in Canada.  I've never much been into politics but Jack Layton had a way of talking to Canadians and getting their attention.  In 2011 Layton became leader of the largest Official Opposition in 31 years—and the first formed by New Democrats. With 59 Quebec MPs, Layton’s team emerged not only as a credible government-in-waiting, but as a force for Canadian unity.

He had hopes and dreams of one day becoming Prime Minister aof Canada and I believe he could have done it!  Two days before Jack Layton passed away he wrote a letter to Canada, not just any letter but a very strong letter of love and encouragement for us to become better people and work towards a better Canada.  If you haven't already read the letter you can find it here.  Even during his last days he was thinking of Canada and her people.  We should find encouragement in his strength and work to make Canada a better place for all.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

Great Back to School Giveaway at my daughters blog...

What a great giveaway just in time for school.  It is open to Canada and US.  Check it out and enter, you may win this great prize!

http://gethealthymomma.blogspot.com/search/label/Giveaways

Click on the comments link to take you to the entry section.

Almost the long weekend!

Do you have any plans for the long weekend?  I know it is only a civil holiday so not all get it off but just wondered if you do, do you have plans?

Of course my favourite place to spend any weekend is at our trailer.  So to have a long weekend at the trailer just makes it that much better.  They are doing helicopter rides which should be fun.  I'll be watching from the ground. Not sure a helicopter ride is something I would want to do...call me a scaredy cat but it's enough to just get me on an airplane without feeling sick and scared.  LOL!!

As far as I know i'll be heading up tomorrow.  Just have to stop and get some food and other items that we will need up there.

Today I babysat my grandson Everett.  What a handsome little dude he is...here is a picture of him while he is sleeping and then a picture when he woke up from his 10 minute nap.

I swear he wakes up from his cat naps like he has just had a 2 hour nap. 

We had fun playing with the toys, singing, playing patta cake and just spending time together.  He is such a mommy's boy that he doesn't let his mommy out of his sight for long and after about 40 minutes realized mommy hadn't been around.  Silly boy!  Sure is a handsome little man don't you think?



Knitting

Knitting is one of my favourite past-times as is crocheting.  I've worked on many things over the years as I posted in a previous post.  Sweaters, socks, blankets, wraps, barbie doll clothes, hats, cocoons for babies, christmas items, dishcloths and much more.  Right now both Kandice and I have been working on items to put into a craft sale at the trailer next summer.  We have both been making dishcloths but have other ideas to work on as well. 

My grand daughter Keira is waiting for some barbie clothes which I have just started working on again.  I have really slacked with these things while knitting dishcloths but I have decided I need a change from the dishcloths.  So now Keira will get some new barbie doll clothes very soon.

I enjoy reading blogs and tweets from other knitters which provide hints and tips as well as free patterns.  Kandice got me started with a subscription from Knit Simple for Christmas and along with that the company also sent me a Vogue Knitting subscription as well (to make up for all the trouble we had with the subscription).  I've really enjoyed the magazines so far and they have even sent extra once in a while so I'm able to share with Kandice too. 

I find knitting to be very relaxing although there are times when I question why I bother...especially when I just can't make any sense of the pattern for whatever reason.  Kandi has just started knitting less than a year ago but I tell you she has a great knowledge of knitting and patterns.  She has taught me some new things and tries (lol) to encourage me to take challenges with my knitting.

Today, I plan on sitting with my knitting after I get some housework done.  Enjoy your day no matter what you may be doing....

summer is here

It's hard to believe that summer is here and the kids are out of school as well.  Where did that school year go?  We have been spending some time up at the trailer but have had some other commitments as well on some weekends that we have been doing as well.  This weekend coming we have a family pool party at my sisters.  Guess what I forgot to do though?  LOL...I forgot to bring my bathing suit home from the trailer last weekend.  Not sure yet but maybe tomorrow the girls and I will all go up for the day, spending some time at the beach while up there.

I've  been following the Casey Anthony case over the few years (on Nancy Grace) and recently catching up on it since the verdict was brought down.  I CAN'T believe that she is going to be free on July 13th.  NOT GUILTY?  What were they thinking?  The jurors say that the prosecution didn't prove without a doubt?  OMG, I would say that there was lots of proof.  They got this one dead wrong that is for sure.  The jurors believe she lied to the police throughout the search for her daughter and found her guilty of that but what did they think she was lying about?  I believe she knew all along where her daughter was so yes she was lying.  I just don't get it at all.

Are you going to watch Big Brother this season?  I've never gotten into the show but I know my daughters watch it (at least one daughter does for sure but I think they both do???they can correct me here if I'm wrong)  I was thinking that maybe I would try to catch it tonight and see if it is something I would want to watch for the season.

I'm looking forward to the new season of Biggest Loser which doesn't start until Sept...and Greys Anatomy!  I guess that time will go fast enough without thinking about it...lol!