Birdie Bag...

Very rarely do I decide to make a project just for me. Sometimes I start a project thinking that I'll keep it but in the end I usually end up selling it. I've had my eye on a few Amy Butler patterns for awhile now and Kim and I finally 'bit the bullet' and decided to make these for ourselves. We each chose our preferred fabric and went to work. This particular pattern by Amy Butler is called the Birdie Sling. It's quite large and could double for a diaper bag if needed, but also sports as a funky beach bag/tote. It's beautifully lined with pockets galore! It takes quite a bit of fabric and uses a lot of interfacing for stability. I think that when I make a few of these for sale for the fall I will do it assembly line style so that it all gets done at once! Kim's already found some fun fabric to start on a few more of these too. Head on over to Kim's blog for a peak at hers....although I love the sunny weather these past few days have been almost unbearable. It's too hot to garden or work at anything so I may just sit and sew while the kids enjoy the pool!

The Big 4-0!

Hard to believe that my man turned the big 4-0 this month....good thing for me that he robbed the cradle;)
Rob is such a laid back kinda guy that this milestone wasn't a worry for him...he still has goals and dreams he wants to see happen but the numbers don't scare him! I don't need an excuse for a party but this occasion was ripe for planning the perfect party! Rob is passionate about farming and even more passionate about John Deere, so the theme was easy enough! Yellow and Green all the way! Instead of doing the huge-blow-out surprise party..which, for the record, we did for his 30th, we went with a casual evening with wonderful friends out on the patio with the bbq fired up. I asked Rob to pick about a dozen people he'd like to party with and that was the guest list. Now, there were a few major players who couldn't make it but we partied into the evening nonetheless. My gift to Rob was a mini scrapbook album filled with all things yellow and green. It was meant to be a tribute to the life he has committed himself to and the integrity that he lives it out with. Farming has been much more difficult for Rob since his dad passed away suddenly 3 years ago, but he carries on because he loves it. So...Happy Birthday Rob! You're are the most kind-hearted person I know. Rob is slow to anger, slow to judge and quick to forgive....He loves the Lord first and foremost and the kids and I are next on the list. Here's a few pics from the special occasion.

Signs of Summer....

Wow....has it really been that long since I've posted??? Ah..summer's here and there's no way I'm going to be sitting in front of the computer when the weather's so nice! So far we've had a great summer, although busy. The kids have been enjoying weeks of VBS, swimming, soccer camp and drama camp....I feel like I've been living in the car! But, next week is lay low week and we'll be getting the trailer ready for camping. One of the best things about summer is the entertaining...now don't get me wrong...I love to entertain year round..it's a very important part of our lives. Rob and I both make a point of opening our home to both our friends and our kids friends, which are often one and the same! But there's something special about summer entertaining...the menu is fun, the decor and scenery are different and it's just waaaay more layed back! So, light the tiki's and fire up the barbee....it's summer time. I love this series of pics. I have many pics of our kiddo's with Ken..one day I'll do a post just for Uncle Ken...but for now here are some pics of Isaac with Ken at one of our Monday night dinners. Ken loves to spend time with all our kids but he has a really special bond with 'bucko' , as he calls Isaac. I know the feeling is mutual....

Good to go...

for another year I hope! I always look forward to strawberry season. They are hands down my favorite fruit..although pineapple is a close second! Local strawberries are so tasty here but the weather always reeks havoc on them. So this year when we had beautiful weather all through strawberry season I had super high expectations for these berries, too high apparently. It seems that despite the beautiful weather we had the berries weren't all that great. They tasted ok, but they were usually mushy and dirty looking. I would pop by the local stands every few days to pick up a basket for us to enjoy for snack and dessert, but was never super impressed. Oh well, what matters is that I got my jam done! My family has an addiction to strawberry jam it would seem. Every year I make jars and yet we run out before the next season hits...and that's along with raspberry and peach jam too! I don't mind jam every now and then on a piece of toast, but the rest of the fam inhales it! My hubby loves it on waffles too. So, 30lbs of berries later, I've got 50 jars of jam and lots of containers in the freezer for smoothies and such. Next I'll do a little raspberry, and then some peach once we scoop up a box on the way home from Osoyoos!

True North Strong and Free....

Proud to be a Can'eh'dian! What a great reason to celebrate! Freedom in a beautiful country. The week started out terribly with a gang-related shooting on our little country road, but after the shock of that wore off we were glad for something to celebrate to take our minds off the sadness of this world. The day started out early for hubby. He had to go check out barns early in the morning and then hook up a trailer and head downtown to get in line with the floats. Rob was pulling a float for his brother, Ken, who is the executive artistic director for a local Christian-based theatre company here in Abbotsford called Gallery7. Ken is super talented and an all around great guy..not to mention single, ahem. I'll pay for that one later I'm sure. Anyway, Ken is all about bringing quality theatre experience to the community and so what better way to make them aware than to have a float in the annual Canada Day Parade! So, while Rob spent a good chunk of the day tied up with the parade, the kids and I packed up to go watch the parade. We joined several families and had a blast watching the fun! Abby loved all the candy, of course, Isaac didn't like the sirens and Livi loved seeing her daddy and Uncle Ken on a float. We cheered our loudest for the Gallery7 float! Rob had to go to work after the parade but we ended up having an impromptu bbq here in the evening with all our friends and then off the the fireworks with Ken. The temperature was perfect! It was a long, but fun day. Happy Birthday Canada!

The Entertainer....

It's so hard to believe that Olivia was our child who refused to sing in public, and would cry and have a tantrum whenever there was a musical concert at school or church. Now, she loves to perform for anyone who will listen. Now, that's not to say that it comes easy to her, but she's overcome the fear. As she got older she seemed to gain confidence from watching others around her. I nearly fell off my chair when she told me she wanted to audition for the school play and talent show this year! I think there are two reasons why she has done such a '180' in her attitude towards performing...first, I think it was just an age thing, second, we sent her to drama camp last summer, via her request, where she had an absolute blast and gained overall confidence in herself. (will post more later on drama camp)
Olivia expressed an interest in learning piano this past year. My Mom is an amazing pianist and she mainly plays by ear so we thought it would be best for Olivia to learn to read music from an early age and then combine it with any 'ear talent'. We signed her up for piano in October and she hasn't looked back! She loves her weekly lessons and her sweetheart of a teacher, 'Miss' Charity. Olivia is constantly asking to learn musical pieces that are above her lesson level. For her year end recital she chose to play 'The Entertainer'. She practiced and practiced without any reminder from me. On the day of her recital she played it flawlessly and we were so proud! Then, we were pleasantly surprised when she was 1 of 3 kids who received an award. She received the award for the most enthusiastic student. Miss Charity announced that Olivia always shows up with a smile, is eager to learn, and is playing above her level by request! Wow, what a booster for her self-esteem! We are so proud of this little lady who is becoming more and more a lady every day. Love you Livi! We definitely think she has some of Grandma's musical talent built into her!