Getting things in order

For our vacation in January took some doing...especially for Shayne and Bailey.

In November I had talked to all the kids teachers at P/T interviews and informed them that we would be gone for the first two weeks of January and that I would be asking for the kids homework. All were great and said "no problem".

I mentioned it again on the last Tuesday of school and it was a good thing as nothing had gotten into the office for the kids by this time. The principal came out of his office and said that he had sent a memo out but had not received anything. The secretary, while I was standing there, sent out an e-mail.

I called the school on the Friday - the kids last day of school - and confirmed that there was stuff for the kids.

Shayne and Bailey both arrived home with books in tow...along with brown envelopes full of homework.

What a wonderful Christmas vacation they will have...two weeks of school work to complete before we leave.

New renovations started in the house

During my cleaning spree before Christmas, I had mentioned to Doyle that it would be so nice if the hallway going into the backroom from the tv room was wider - just in passing mind you.

It was only around 2 1/2 feet - way narrower than the norm...so in some ways it was hard to move stuff around back there.

Anyways...I went to town one day only to come home to this:


The entire wall of the spare room was gone...the wall to my storage room at the top of the stairs was gone...and part of the tv room wall was gone.


And what the heck were people thinking "way back when". Look at the ugly wallpaper we found under the beautiful pine slats on teh wall.


OMG - I started a monster. I really did not want this started before Christmas with all the other stuff we needed to get done. And I had thought that the kitchen was our next project...guess I was wrong.

But it got done...or as done as possible in the time frame. We have to finish the walls...put up doors on the storage room and then widen the doorway into the backroom.

I have to admit it is really nice to be able to walk through the one doorway straight when carrying things. And the ability to get into the storage room is much nicer from this direction.

Doyle was also able to utilize the shelving unit that his dad made us 10 years ago when we were living in the mobile home.

More pictures to come once it is complete.

Computer woes

It was a horrible start to December. My laptop crashed. Sort of.

It would freeze up after shutting down...which I thought was weird. When starting up again...all the lights on the keyboard would come on...you could hear the cd drive kick in...and then NOTHING.

I took it into Computer Geek Squad and they played with it and all was well.

For a few days, at least.

Then it started again. It didn't matter what I did...it was just dead.

Doyle took it into work and one of his co-workers took it apart and THE PROCESSOR DIED. So that meant a shopping spree to get a new one.

In the meantime, my tower was now acting up as well. Numerous programs would no longer function and my new "much loved" high speed internet connector could not be read by it.

I tried to download all new drivers and all the security stuff from microsoft but being on dialup meant that the computer was out of commission for hours at a time. And once all those were downloaded, NOTHING worked. So then it was off to do a "system restore".

I bought a new Toshiba Satellite laptop and LOVE IT. The keyboard is fantastic...and it is sooo LIGHT. I took the old laptop and the new one into Geek Squad and they hooked them up and did a data transfer. So far so good...nothing missing.

Once that was done, my tower has gone into them to be fixed as well. If all goes good with that one...I will take in the really old one and get it done up for the kids.

More job interviews

Well, the job interviews continue.

I had three interviews with "Staffing Agencies" in late December.

They all sound promising...with ideas on what type of job I would be good for...and having some to send my resume out to right away.

I did inform them all of my vacation plans in early January and all are willing to wait until I get back before really pushing my resume...so that is good.

A couple of the potential jobs that they are pointing me at sound really good...so I am excited...and hopeful.

Photography course arrives - Dec 08

YIPPEE - I am soo excited.

My first lesson from the New York Institute of Photography has arrived.

I am now reading through the four lesson books and will be taking them on my vacation with me in January. I won't be able to complete them as I won't have my computer to do the dvd's but it will be good to try to put the lessons into practice as I take pictures.

Oops...guess I should have mentioned in my last post that I am going to work on catching up on my blog in order of date.

Busy times

OH BOY...Did I ever get behind again.

I am going to be doing some serious backtracking to get my blog caught up and I hope I don't miss anything.

The month of December was hectic for us as usual with all the birthdays in the family as well as getting ready for Christmas.

This year, I got a headstart on the shopping and thought I had everything done...but alas...i didn't.

I also went the extra "mile" or more in cleaning this year...for my Mom.

Mom's health has not been good. She was diagnosed with COPD last February and has been struggling to get her medication in order so that it is working the best way it can for her. She has also been trying to exercise etc. She has also quit smoking - I AM SOOO PROUD OF HER FOR THAT ALONE!!!

Her doctor's have recommended that she try to not be around cats (due to allergies) and smokers. Well, in my house that can be hard as I have to smokers living here and we have three hosue cats.

I bought a small steamcleaner (carpet cleaner machine) and set to work in early December cleaning EVERYTHING. I did all the carpets in the house - even the small kitchen rubberbacked rugs...and then started on the furniture. Every piece in the upstairs of the house that could be done got done.

Needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED by the end of the two weeks. But very proud of myself for setting the goal and in attaining it.

More family pics

Here are some other shots that we did not get printed:

Family pics

We went on Sunday, December 14 for our very first family pics. Shameful considering Doyle and I have been together for 19 years. Most of them turned out really good.

The Family:

Doyle and I with the three still living at home:
The 5 kids (Mark, Luke, Melissa, Shayne and Bailey)
Mark and Autumn:
Doyle and I:
Melissa:
Shayne:
Bailey:

Horses and the winter

I am now debating what to do about Lucky. She has one blanket on...maybe will put another one on her tomorrow and bring her into the inside outside pens for a couple days. See how she handles the cold.

I am trying to feed her really good...but she is being really finicky this winter it seems. She is getting her senior feed, beet pulp, calf manna, hot water and oil twice a day. But she doesn't seem to want her night time feed. Most of it gets left. She has also gone off her hay....wanting only the leaves. I am hoping that if brought in to a small pen where she has to eat what is there...it will perk up her
appetite.

Everyone else is handling the switch in temps really well. Molson and Hyde have gone through a 1200 lb round bale in A WEEK. While Molson really doesn't need to eat that much, Hyde did. He is now nice and round top to bottom front to back.

The rest are on 30 acres of knee deep grass and all are looking like they could drop a foal any day - even the two geldings. LOL

I am going to try to get pics of everyone but am scared to take my good camera out when it is this cold.

Winter has arrived in Alberta

It is officially FREEZING here in Alberta now.

We had a really nice run of fall...right up until mid week (Dec 13). The temps
started falling really strongly yesterday.

Started out at -2C yesterday morning...by late this afternoon it was -30C (before factoring in the windchill).