Fighting the Winter Blues

This Christmas season has been a hard battle for me, I've been trying to stay positive for my family's sake but yesterday I had a melt down.

It's been a combination of things that have been effecting me. The darker/colder season, being house bound more, an interruption of schedule (no school/work) my free time being invaded, hormones from birth control, the lack of extended family, Anna's regression of potty training, lack of sleep, every second holiday season I'm in the hospital and this is a second year and I'm waiting for something to happen.

Luckily my melt down happened on the day my councilor visits, so she helped me talk things out and then I could talk with Mike about what is happening with me. I knew what has been happening to me and I understand why I feel this way and that is half the battle. I just have to remember to take time for me to do things I enjoy and not worry about the small things: every second year, Anna's potty accidents, and schedule changes. Just breath!

Merry Christmas

The stockings are hung, Pop and cookies are left out for Santa, the children and all snug in their beds... and now it's time for this Santa to get to work! lol

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

The busy week is over!

Man oh Man!! What a hectic week it has been.

It started with baking cookies on Friday

Saturday was a relaxing day for the whole family, Rupert and Oscar sleeping together...
... Mike and cuddly little girls.

On Sunday, Santa came to town. Girls and I waiting for him in the hall

First year Ivy wasn't (too) scared of Santa!

..and I want chocolate, barbies, new clothes and...

Monday was busy with baking cookies for the school bake sale.

Tuesday I helped make and serve hot lunch at the school while they practiced for the Christmas concert.

Wednesday was Anna's 4th birthday, we had Mike's Family over for dinner and cake and then we all went to Ivy's concert afterward.

Ivy, Mike's mom and Dad K&S, and Uncle F.

Grandma P, silly B-day girl Anna and Ivy.

This is the stage for "The Pirate's Christmas"

Ivy (center) with her pirate classmates

Both schools (K-3 and 4-7) all together.

Buccaneer Ivy (left)

Ivy's Teacher made a Gingerbread house that was raffled off.

Anna and K watching the raffle

Thursday was the last day of cooking/eating club and we had a cookie exchange. Then Anna and I went to playgroup and made cookies, last playgroup till the new year.

On Friday we had an early B-day party for Ivy and her friends, I thought this cake was fitting the "Pirates" theme!

Ivy and her friends (Anna too), some friends didn't make it but I'm kinda glad because the boys were quite the handful, Ivy told me that next year she only wants to invite girls and I agreed!

Ivy and her best friend Connie.

Today, Saturday, we went to GF and shopped till Anna and Ivy dropped!

Tomorrow we are going to relax!

I am not ready for Christmas, it sure came fast this year but I'm not going to worry about it too much, whatever will be will be!

So, So Cold!

I curse you Arctic air! -20c this morning, -22c yesterday! Way too cold for December. Hard to believe that we are colder than the northern part of BC, strange how weather works.

We got an estimate for a new furnace, will set us back about $3000 with parts and labour. less then I was expecting, wish we were doing it a few months back and right before Christmas! But that's Mike for ya, procrastinator!

Anna was nice enough to share her cold with Mike and I. I've been having coughing fit's early in the morn, wrecks me for the whole day. Mike just came down with it Sunday, so I guess I gave it to him, can't blame Anna I guess.

Lots of stuff happening at school, hot lunch, bake sale, Christmas concert and I'm in the middle of all of it! No free time for the next week of so. AND the girls Birthday's are coming up....aarrrgg I better feel better soon so I can start prepping! Trying to keep my spirits up but I really wish we could skip Christmas this year, so not looking forward to it....Yet!

Gyno update & weekend

The histerscopy on Friday went well, uterus is nicely pink and smooth with no abnormalities. Procedure was fairly painless, less then a pap smear....and then the Doc says I need to take a biopsy just to make sure.....OUCH!! Felt like a hard pinch that doesn't let up for 12 hours!! Actually the pain did let up after awhile of sitting around at my Mom's but came back when driving back home, all those twisting corners..... I seem to be recuperating all right, had some spotting and discomfort, feel awfully bloated though, hope that feeling goes away soon.

We went to little cousin Sylvia's 4th B-day party on Sunday. Tons of food, half was good, other half was too strange to try, lol. I always find it strange that no other kids are invited, just my girls and the cousins, All the other guests are 50+

** Vent Warning**
Martha was telling me that Danny has been protecting Ivy at school, defending her against bullys......this was news to me, Ivy usually tells me (tattles) about everything. Ivy said she has no clue what Danny was talking about. Then Monday night Martha calls me to tell me Danny told her that he beat up a kid and he had to go to the hospital and she wanted the teacher's name so she can find out the details. 2 mins later and they call to ask for Principal's #. I asked Ivy what happened at school and she said nothing happened.....Now I'm puzzled! Why is Danny tell these stories and Why doesn't his parent's know his teacher's name nor the Principal's name?? I'm upset that Danny is telling stories about my daughter and I'm curious to know how his parents are dealing with this. He can not continue to tell these tall tales, soon he'll be bold face lieing....actually he does lie and steal but soon he'll be even better at it and be causing huge problems!! Can you say BAD Parents!!!

Bath time fun

My Silly girls having fun at bath time.

Fall photos

Picture time again! Took me forever to upload these photos, Blogger and I are having issues.

These are shot's from our trip to My Dad's in the Cariboo and Vancouver, the photos are backwards from our actually trip (one of those issues with blogger) but no worries, it doesn't matter.

My Brother Rob and his Fiance Jamie had a cake for my b-day, the girls helped me cut.

Jamie and Little Cam, he's quite the handful
Anna and Cam playing Rob's guitar
On our way from the Cariboo to the coast we traveled through the Fraser Canyon and had a few pit stops.

Ivy holding some huge maple leaves, we brought them home and dried them.

Me, Anna and Model Ivy at the view point at Jackass Summit

Murphy Lake at my Dad's Ranch

Girls and I looking for shells on the beach.

Snail shells, hundreds...or dozens of them! Doesn't my hand look good, the scars barely show, fingers just look bent, can't believe it's almost 2 years since my accident.

Grandpa helping the girls finding shells

These shots are from before we left for our trip, when we weather proofing the yard, garden and house.

Oscar sneaking rabbit food, he is soooo strange.

Ivy and I sorting potatoes.

Our basement that Mike is digging by hand. This is about under our dinning room looking east to the back door. The stairs to the basement are in the back.

And this is the opposite view, from about the chimney looking west, the bare dirt is almost to the front of the house. The bricks end about under our dinning room window.

Ivy showing off a weird potato, looks like a snowman with a little bump for a nose.

Anna peering around the back porch.

We've been leading busy lives these past few weeks, Mondays and Fridays seem to be our only days home. Weekdays are filled with school, playgroup, story time, volunteering, PAC duties, shopping, errands, dance and baking. Weekends we either travel to bigger cities or visit family.

This week I've been getting ready for the city's annual Christmas craft and bake sale. I sell baking and candy while K sells craft items that she and Gr.P make over the past year. I'm hoping to find some nice presents for the extended family.

Gyno appointment

Had an office visit with a new (to me) Doctor in K-Town last week. He gave me a few options to thing about and booked me for a Histeroscopy, which is a fancy term for: check out my uterus with a camera. If that procedure finds no problems then the Doc highly recommends Endometrial Ablation and tubal sterilization(tubes tied) because to have the ablation it is very dangerous to get pregnant.

As those who know me know, I am a big scaredy cat. The thought of have surgery is terrifying for me and I hate making decisions. I do not like being on hormones to control my heavy periods, I can not be off them though and be constantly bleeding and in pain. Mike and I do not want any more children but I (and Mike) do not want to permanently close that door.

Arrrgg, what to do! I don't know!

Halloween

All Hallow's eve! My favorite time of the year! We didn't have much time to decorate and prepare for Halloween this year, but on our way home from Vancouver we stopped and found some pumpkins in Keremos.

(Click on pictures for a closer view.)

Girls posing with the pumpkins, 2 orange, 2 white and 2 white/green gourds.

Ivy Loves her "Ghost" pumpkin, Anna and Ashley (Friend's daughter) are in the background.
A mini jack-o-lantern that we grew in our garden and the front bush covered with mini ghosts.
Our front yard with Ashley, Ivy, Anna and Rupert.
Anna all set for Trick-or-Treating, dressed as a Unicorn.

Ivy as Snow White and wearing make-up.

Anna's pumpkin all lit up.

3 more Mini pumpkins that we grew.

Ashley's and my Jack-o-lanterns

The infamous Jacob as Superman.

Ashley and her Dad Corey at the bonfire the City puts on at the ballpark.

Mike, dress as a logger, roasting a wiener at the bonfire.

The girls, high on candy and having a blast watching the fireworks and running with friends.

This year the girls went to more houses and I was surprised how many gave out safe candy for Anna's Galactosemia Diet. It's nice that there is a lots of variety out there these days. Anna had no qualms with giving up the chocolate bars and cheesies and she didn't even want to trade for safe candy, "that's ok Mommy, you have it" Wow, how did I get such a great, smart Girl!!