a bit sad and perhaps peeved....(edited..now a wee bit happier)

...so remember me saying how I had a layout of the month over at scenic route. Well because of it I won a prize pack where I could choose a paper line. Well it came today.....along with the COD charge of 20 something bucks(pack was valued at 17 dollars..grrrr). Nice prize huh..I ended up paying all the taxes and brokerage fees and taxes for those brokerage fees to get it. I was truly caught off guard when the UPS guy came to the door saying I had a delivery but it will cost me. If I was really thinking I should have not excepted it and had it redelivered. Though it was scenic route sitting in my hands...so real hard to part from.I may just send off an e-mail teling them perhaps they should let the international winners know that they will have to pay all their brokerage fees to receive a prize pack.

edit: I did end up sending Layle an email telling her about the COD charges and she apologized telling me the girl who usually sends out the packs has moved away and she had to have someone else do it, and she was not familiar with the process.I do hope they work things out:)

Are you all ready?

for christmas that is....I am not even close! I think I have my gifts finally bought for John(it was difficult this year,even though he says he wants nothing, I have to get him something and even that one something was hard to think of) Now I more or less just have a few gift cards to pick up and I should be done. It is snowing like crazy out today so I think I will try and get all my remaining gifts wrapped and hopefully finish up with some of the housework. The basement is once again destroyed....ughhh...Ab has a friend over(sleepover)and I swear they played with every toy possible....so they will be busy today picking up.

I am a little bummed out because my darn laptop decided to die out on me. We are hoping John just has to wipe it clean and reload everything. I am just hoping all the photos come off ok..my bad for not moving things to my external drive for safe keeping.I have over a years worth of photos not saved other then on my laptop:( And the biggest bummer is that I was working on a few christmas presents digitally and that was axed. I am still hoping to get my christmas phot card done for family. Thankfully I have photoshop on this old laptop of ours. I just need to try and get the photos on it now(pain in the butt process since I first must load onto a destop and then copy to jump drive so that I can put them on this laptop).

Christmas day is still up in the air as to what all is going on. I am hosting the dinner, but I am not to sure of the exact numbers right now. My grandfather has been in the hospital(long term wing) for some time now, so we thought we would all visit him christmas morning and then my grandmother could come to my place in the afternoon and enjoy a nice dinner with the entire family. Well she is now trying to get my grandfather out for christmas(which in my opinion is the worst thing really) which would mean some of my family would be over at her house then. I am not too sure if this will all hapen anyways because the entire family must be on board because someone must be there at all times. It takes 2 staff to care for him at all times, and my grandmother thinks she can do it on her own. If he comes out I think it will just be stressful on everyone including him. The staff said they would set up a nice area in the lounge for all the family to celebrate. Which I think would be a nice calm time, with staff around at all times to help with my grandfather. I guess we will know more as the next few days come along. I really hope it does not become stressful and chaotic..but with my famiy you never:) Well I must go and make waffles for everyone(Ab's friend requested them..she remembers them from her b-day party.

MERRY CHRISTAMS

Merry Christmas from my groovin family to all of yours! Enjoy!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

why..oh why...

do I do this to myself. It is how many days till christmas and I am feverishly trying to get a calendar put togehter so it can be processed online. I was racking my brains on doing something and I finally came up with this....and then dh says well yeah, that is what I thought you would do...grr..he could have made that clear a few weeks ago. And worst of all is I was just going to insert a few pics in the layouts they have..all clean and simple, but oh no dh wants it all fancy and scrapbook like. He just figured it would be as easy as taking my layouts I have already done..um no...since they are 12x12 and this is 11x8.5. Ugh..so now I sit here bug eyed at the computer. I have 4 done so far...take a peak...

Mondays...blech!!!

I really loath Mondays, and especially this one to boot! I am exhausted this morning. I always feel so rushed with having to get up and back into the routine after having the 2 days off. Trying to make sure you have everything prepared...lunches made, papers signed and all pieces of winter clothing found. Things will be pretty busy around here this week also. I will be cleaning to try and get the house presentable for christmas. We have a dentist appointment to go to tommorrow afternoon, school christmas concert on Wed night and then hopefully I can get out to the mall Thursday night to finish up my shopping. Then I will have to wrap all those presents. I am tired just thinking about it all..lol.

I had a busy, yet nice weekend. Friday night started with me picking up Rach and going out with her for a night of shopping. We had a deliscious dinner at Moxie's(I love that restaurant) and then we toured the mall until closing. It was a very enjoyable evening...it was also nice that the mall was nice and calm. Can't wait to have a second date with Rach;) After dropping Rach off I went into Walmart since it is open 24 hours and I walked around it for almost 3 hours just taking my time...I never have that since I am usually rushing because I only have a short amount of time, or dragging a child along with me. I must say I really did not find to much there, but it was nice just to be able to take my time:) So I got home about 2 in the morning. I was then up fairly early SAt and did a bunch of running around(banking, more shopping) then crashed for the evening. I actually sat down and did a digi layout(which took me forever..I really should of been in bed instead of doing it). Sunday consisted of going through my baby stuff and passing what I could on to my sister. She brought some dresses for me to try on for New Years and I found one. A very body fitting black satin dress which is gorgeous,but I will definitely be watching my diet till then and will definitely be doing a bunch of squats to tighten up the derriere;) I also got my hair cut...the one thing I am hating about a shorter style is that I really have to keep up with trims....but I really do like the style.

O.k so I really must go off and start my to do list of the week..here is the digi I did though:

TOTALLY SNOWED IN!!

When I say snowed in, I really mean it. John is out there as we speak trying to get the car back in the driveway because it cannot go down our street at all. We have not seen a plow since Monday morning, and that was before this big storm hit. Unless you have a 4x4 you are just not leaving our subdivision. John and our neighbour was shovelling the road just trying to get John out of the road. Our neighbour is absolutely pissed. He is one of our councillors and is appaulled as to how our road is. He says someone will be getting an earful. Bad thing is I will not be able to take Hadley to her last craft class at the library today and Ab has a dental appointment for a tooth extraction early this afternoon..not too sure if she will make that either. So today looks like a day of cookie making and perhaps I will try and get a few gifts wrapped since John can keep the kids away. Hope everyone is staying safe in this gawd awful weather.

16 days and counting..

omg...how did time fly by so fast? Well we had a fairly productive weekend. We started it off by going shopping on Friday night(the mall was empty..it was so peaceful) I really could not get much though since the girls were around, but I did get to scope things out. The girls went to see Santa..he looked great..real beard and all...but Hadley played shy and would not sit with him. Then on Saturday morning we went to Hadley's gymnastic class where family could come and watch(this was her best class yet..I will have photos of it later to post). We then headed over to Ab's school to the holly carnival where the girls played games, they shopped ...mind you all Had did was play with the toys and Ab came out with one gift who was for me, and then she said it was for me and John, and Hadley tried to see Santa again..once agian playing shy...I do not think we will get a photo this year. Then Ab went to basketball and once home the kids from next door came over and we had a pizza makig party. Today we awoke early to brave the snow to go into the city. John and I went to the toy store and got a dent done in our shopping. We then came home to try and see the parade, but decided against it due to being freezing out. Hadley went next door to make cookies and the rest of us went out beside the neighbours house to clear some ice to skate on. Ab stayed out there for about an hour(and I am sure she would have stayed out longer) I had to go in because it was so darn cold. She cannot wait to come home tommorrow to skate some more.
After dinner tonight we looked at the coolest links that Mellisa created for the girls. I do not think Ab's eyes could pop out any more. If there was a doubt about believing before, it was completely gone after seeing this. SHe was so excited she wanted to see what list her friends were on . Here are the girls links:
Hadley
Abigail

..just like BIG sister!

I swear my kids are the biggest troopers around when it comes to the dentist(insert VERY proud mama here :) ) So we just got back from the dentist to check Hadley's tooth. She waited for almost an hour without a peep and then went straight into the office with no problems. She got in the chair and had a quick "ride" and as soon as the dentist came in she was opening her mouth and letting him inspect...the doctor could not even do that to check her throat....so it was a we suspected she injured her tooth (the nerver was broken) and now the tooth is slowly dying. The good thing is that it appears it will not need a root canal(no infection was seen) Bad news is she has a brown tooth and it could get darker. Now we can get a veneer like coating put on for cosmetic purposes..but that will entail a needle to freeze. She is not keen on that idea. So we will see if it darkens any more first and she will be going in next week to see her sister have a tooth extracted, so she can see what it is like to get a needle. I also had the dentist quickly check for cavities and she has on on each side of her lower mouth in the large molars. It is totally expected because like her sister she has very deep crevices in her teeth. So the dentist suggested to start her come in to get cleanings since she was so receptive to the check-up today.

Looks to be a busy weekend starting. Tommorrow is the last gymnastic class till after holiday's and it is a family day so everyone can go in and watch. ANd then there is the carnival at Ab's school afterwards, and then with Ab having basketball. Then on Sunday it is the Santa parade here in town. I also thought we would try and do some holiday baking, and I hope to get into town tommorrow to pick up a few christmas gifts. Oh..I truly suck at the dec. daily. I already missed a day of photo taking. Yesterday the day was full of having tradesmen coming in to fix things with the house. We really had nothing holiday related happen, nor what I though would be as phot worthy..thank god I did not make the album yet...LOL.

...so excited..must tell all

okay so I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I won a prize over at a forum for having a layout of the day(i had about 4 of mine choosen in the month) for November..so that was a nice little suprise. But today I even got a better suprise! Check it out...my layout was chosen as one of the winning layouts on the scenic route website. Thanks Barb for that little push:) I am sooo stoked since scenic route is like my all time favourite scrapbook line.

a wonderful day...and 21 days & counting

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful day. I received a fun e-card from my girl Katie
I played it several times Katie, and it kept teling me I was too slow..lol...I got a nice shout out from my girl Rach on her blog with a yummy looking drink that look svery much like our drink of choice! Now it appears I need to have a birthday every other day and then Rach will update her blog..LMAO..I am just sassing you hun! Mell also gave me a call and also tried to tell me online that I was dreaming about being 29...what's that all about;) LOL..John came home earlier than I expected yesterday so I was able to go have a shower in peace while he kept Hadley astray(you do not know how much I loved that..very rarely do I have a shower to myself) I also received my scrappy supplies and the rest of my junque swap(it took less time for my stuff from the states to come then the stuff from Mtl...go figure huh). Now it was a good thing that I did get my shower and out of my jammies..for John invited the neighbours over for cake. We had a very nice visit over cake and coffee while the kids played. I got a wireless shutter release remote for my camera and a gift certificate for a spa/salon in the next town over. Oh and my prime rib came out pretty good...a little rare but still delicious. So far I have been taking a pic a day..ok it is now only day 3 in Dec..lol..but I will try my damnest to do it. Now that my scrappy supplies have come..I will be trying to get my album done.
Wel I shall really get my day going..Ab is yet out of bed....yikes..we have 20 mins to get out the door.

...just another day:)

yet another year older...blah..I hate knowing I am now getting older. I remember as a kid always wanting to get older..now I wish time would stand still..just for a little while. I am hating all the grey hair..especially since I must dye it like every 5 weeks(what a pain in the you know what..lol) and these little fine lines are creeping onto my face:) At least I still feel like I am young..and one good thing that comes with age is you become wiser(at least that is what I tell myself..lol) SO today I am going to try and cook a prime rib roast for the first time..little peeved that I am the one who must cook my birthday dinner..but hey what is one to do when dh is out of town for work..he will just have to make it up to me;) I ordered some scrap supplies and said I would have that as a bday gift but it has yet to come. It siad that it was shipped out a week ago yesterday..which worries me some because it was only coming from Montreal..it truly should not take that long. If it is not here today I will be contacting the store and have them fix it(I kind of doubt they got a tracking no. otherwise they would have gave it out once order was processed.)

On a real downer note, I noticed yesterday that one of Hadley`s front tooth is discolouring. She fell about 2 weeks ago and split her lip..well in that she also injured her tooth(broke the root) so now the tooth is dying. Makes me want to cry. So when I called the dentist I was told it will get darker and stay that way. We have to go in for an appointment on Fri to make sure there is no infection. I will not let them keep it that way though. Apparently if the do a root canal and such they can restore the white..so it appears she wil have to go through that. I would not be too worried to do this if she was older, but because of her age she will have that tooth at least another 3 or 4 years. I think we will have an expensive year at the dentist, having to deal with this and then with Abigail possibly getting braces(she only has a few baby teeth left to loose..and most are all loose).

Anyone paying attention to the news and what is going on with our government? I cannot believe it. If the gg goes for this coalition government..I swear she has a few loose screws. I mean what was the point of an election? How much money was just wasted in holding this eletion. And if this happens and it will be a liberal ran colalition..in just a few months the pm position will change hands and no one will have a choice in the new one, because it will be the liberal party that votes in the new one. And one thing I am wondering is what type of deal did they strike up with the Bloc party to have them sign on yet they will hold no seats within the coalition...I think this can be very scary for Canada and our economy. Just look at how our market fell yesterday. It was the biggest fall since 1987..they try to say it was not because of this announcement but I think otherwise..the banks are just a wee bit scared. I see the whole situation as a bunch of kids not getting their way and teaming together just to get it. I mean really..these parties could not agree on anything ever..and now they are saying well we agree to disagree and we will get things done.....REALLY... I really hope things do not come down to this. I will definitley be watching the outcome of this intensely.

..24 days and counting

until christmas...ack...I have yet to really do any christmas shopping. I have picked up a few things, but that is all. I still have to actually sit down and make a list of what I should get. I would really love to get as much as I can online, but they just do not seem to have as many toys nor the sales like in store. What I hope to do is do alot of it later in the evening..I will have to look out for the midnight madness..that and I will go to Place to Orleans..it is just more quiet at that mall.

So I did the craft fair with Mell yesterday and it completely sucked..there was no traffic whatsoever. I sold 4 prints..and 3 of them were to Mell..lol..Here are some pics of the sign I mad and some of the prints.Mell took the reindeers and a young girl bought the skull with blue bow(one of Ab's fave's..so now I have to make Ab a new one).

So my day today consists of cleaning all the bathrooms and picking up in the basement. Then hopefully I will be able to start making some lists and get organized for the holidays. I started taking my photo a day to do up a mini album for the month of Dec(the Ali inspired one) but I still have to do the album..lol..the idea of it was to have the album done and then you just have to take your daily photos and print them out to insert in the album along with some journalling. So I am doing it a little backwards..lol..I just like the idea of documenting the countdown to christmas. Well I shall be off..lots to do.