Playground

We had a fun time at our playground. We spent 2 and ½ hrs there and made some new friends. (and some mommy enemies – dumb brits) hope you enjoy looking at these pictures. And if your wandering why Amanda isn’t in most of them, then you don’t spend enough time with Amanda to know, the girl don’t stay too still.

whats the weather outside?

You know how in TX we have that saying “if you don’t like the weather just wait 15 minutes”? well I after being here a while I have to say I think that saying is WAY more true here than in TX. The weather here goes from nice and sunny, to cold and windy, to over-cast HOT, to a bright rainy cold... ALL IN 1 DAY!! (??) I NEVER know how to DRESS when leaving the house! I think we’re going to have to put up a pole in the back on the car and keep our wardrobe there cause we tend to come back to the house and change our outfits 3 times a day. It’s ridiculous! And figuring out how to dress the kids is starting to feel more like an ASAT test, and only my close family members know how that went. And yeah I know everyone’s thinking “just watch the news to figure out the weather” but I flip around and then find “Cake Boss”, and decided to stay indoors. Besides, I have a true gold system that’s worked way better than any green-screen-dancer-with-a-stick (I was talking about the weather guy here) so what’s my system you ask… I place my hand on the window. If my hand feels cold – we put on the warm clothes, it’s a fool proof system. but that’s not working. I’m now taking my brilliant system up to the next notch, I open a window. I know advanced right? But that’s not even very true to what’s going on cause most of the time we don’t feel the wind-chill factor. So we step outside on the front porch and I realize, we’re not dressed right for the weather. And it’s not like I can look at what other people are wearing, cause you’ll see someone wearing short-sleeves and shorts, and someone wearing winter gear, no one knows what to wear. We’re all walking around sweating, freezing cause no one knows just what to wear. This place just doesn’t make much since. We tend to do HALF of our dressing outside on our front porch. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m a moron! But only you know the truth to that my friend.

Leafs changing color

It is SO beautiful here with the trees changing colors for the fall! I LOVE IT! I find that the trees are what distract me the most when driving around here. But it’s nice when I’m the passenger and I can just zone-out to look at all the beautiful colors. So lovely! I wish yall could be here to see the colors. It’s so pretty. It’s not even FULL FALL here yet, the trees have just been slowly changing colors for a few weeks but it’s going to get even prettier soon. I know yall would love to see them too! It’s too bad TX doesn’t get colors like this.

Tinkerbell movie

We’ve been excited to watch this movie for a week now. The newest tinkerbell movie! Amanda and I watched all these free clips on the internet and have been talking about fairies for days now. We’ve been waiting to watch this movie together. I love fairy movies. I’m very happy they’re doing the other tinkerbell movies. The movie was great, we both loved it. And at the end it shows a small clip of the NEXT tinkerbell movie (it’ll be out a YEAR from now), I’m bummed when they get you excited about another movie that’s not even close to coming out yet. All well, the time will pass right? Amanda and I are having a fun time looking for fairies everywhere we go now.

Jehovah Witnesses

Oh man, I’m still having a shaking, on the edge of tears feeling in my heart. And “why?” you may ask, it’s all because a set of Jehovah Witnesses came to my door.

In the past I’ve had Jehovah Witnesses come to my door before, I’m nice to them, I’ve invited them into my home, and I’ve made breakfast while talking with them and I’ve told them that while I appreciate them telling people about Christ, I wasn’t interested in the books they wanted to give me or bible bashing about points of belief, but I’ve always told them that if they ever wanted to talk about Christ they were welcomed into my home. I didn’t have a good of an experience with these men.

These guys were 30-something and 50-something and the 50-something guy was the one who talked with me. More like quizzed me and interrogated me.

When they came to my door I always polite. I say they were carrying a bible and I asked the first question “Are you Christian, so am I” “what religion” “I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints” he didn’t say much to that, he just jumps into what he has to say “what do you think will happen to the earth?” “oh, well let me tell you…” I then give them a water-down version of the earth having to go thru the same process as man, baptism with the flood with Noah, and then fire of spirit when Christ comes again, and then the earth will be glorified and made whole” They wide-eye pull out a scripture talking about it being a place for all of us to live forever. “man shall inherit the earth” I told them I wasn’t sure if this was the place we would live with God, only that I knew the earth will gain it’s own glory as we will after death and that we will live with God if worthy, weather this WOULD BECOME the celestial kingdom or not, I wasn’t sure. He of course says “well if you read the bible you would be sure of things”.

He was about to jump to something else but jumped in to ask the next question, I then asked “tell me what you believe happens to man when he dies because I know I’m very specific on that in my religion” He turns to pages telling that all men fall asleep and have a unconteousness. (sp?) “so you’re saying that the spirit of man disappears after death?” “yes, in a way yes” “well I’m sorry but I KNOW that not to be true” “well as you see in the scriptures that is what’s written” “well I’m sorry you only read 2 verses, there are a lot more scriptures there, and I KNOW that there are scriptures that you’re not reading that support otherwise. Besides we know that even science supports the fact that matter cannot be created or destroyed only changed, if we were to be born having a union of body and spirit and then be temperately separated after death only to have the spirit completely disappear, then what IS there for Jesus to rejoin at the resurrection, WHERE is that spirit coming from? It cant just be made up, otherwise your not talking about a resurrection but a first birth, what would be the point of resurrection if the spirit gaining it hadn’t lived yet?” I see him starting to flip to argue and I jump in “I would like to share with you a message of what I know to be true, I KNOW that after death the spirit doesn’t disappear but goes thru a process of teaching and learning, otherwise all those people who have lived without knowing Christ could never have a chance of knowing what they’ve done of earth wasn’t right and that they’re unprepared to rejoin God” “you show me where in the Bible it says that” “I’m sorry but I’m not going to Bible bash with you” “well you just show me where it says that” Now I’m having the regret that I don’t know my scriptures like a notzy. “I’m sorry I don’t know exactly where” he then flips and read of course “all men must be prepared to explain themselves no matter where or to whom of the things they say to be true.” I look at him and said “I’m sorry, I’m 25, I’m still learning where all my key points are in my scriptures. But even if I could, this isn’t right, I can not pull out my scriptures to show you what I know to be true when I feel this. You are causing a shaking in my spirit and I know that’s the Holly Ghost telling me this is not right, and the scriptures do say that unless you have the spirit present you can not teach! I can only testify to you of what I know to be true and I know that we do not disappear after death.” “well you’ve never come to our door to tell us so, and we’re here not to share this message with you” “I support missionaries all around the world who do go to doors, and if you’d let me, I’d be more than happy to give you their number and you can ask them all the questions you want” “well, we’ve come across your missionaries before and none of them have ever said anything about this afterlife a time for the spirits to learn that you’re talking about. But I tell you what, we’ll give you some time to go thru your scriptures and we’ll be back another time and you can show us in the bible where it says that.” I didn’t really say anything, but my face was showing a hurt discouraged look. I’m not sure if I said anything. I think we said goodbyes.

I don’t want to talk with them again. And now that they’re gone I’m left with this horrible feeling on the verge of tears just feeling sink in my heart. I DID NOT ASK for this horrible spirit to be in me and my home. I don’t want to bible bash OR search my scriptures so I could do anything like that. It’s not right, but I’m still here feeling disappointed in myself that I wasn’t able to use my scriptures to show my beliefs. I feel like I’ve let my religion down, but I still don’t believe it’s right to bible bash. Even if I DID know where EVERY SINGLE scriptures was that proved ANYTHING, nothing converts a person other than spirit, and bible bashing will never bring the spirit.

Our own little Ace of Cakes

I know your confused with the title when you see BLOCKS not CAKE here. Derick and I LOVE to watch cake decorating shows. (cake boss, of Ace of cakes) it’s just SO AMAZING to see what these talented people are able to make out of CAKE! we just love to see what they come up with. and it’s funny that lately when derick and I sit down to watch these shows Amanda gets her blocks and says “I’m going to build a cake too!”. She builds up a design and presents it to us at the end of the show as her own cake. I think she’s got a real future building castle-cakes!

Tangrams 2

This is another tangram design we’ve made together. The funny thing was that when she felt “done” she made a “ring-ring” sound and said “oh there’s the bell, time to clean up” (LOL!) little squirt!

Shoe-tastic!

We bought Amanda some fairly good but simple water boots and snow boots. When we were at the store and she pointed to a set of boots that had a lot more glittery and sparkly and over-priced and asked if we could get those pretty ones, I just said “don’t worry hun, we’ll take these shoes home and make them special”. We came home and for craft time we pulled out some sparkly jewels I’ve been saving and we glued them onto her boots, what do you think? I think Fancy Nancy’s making an impression on me.

Tangrams

I’m homeschooling Amandas Pre-school year and I was so excited to get to work with Tangrams again. I LOVED working with these as a kid, I still do. I think they’re such a great tool for kids to work with. They teach shapes, colors, angles, size, mathematic skills as well as artistic ones. This was our very first Tangram design together. Amanda did most of the work while I helped her some. Isn’t it a pretty design? Then again, all tangrams usually do come out looking pretty.

cute hair look for boys

I am SO waiting for this Darcy-like hair-do look to come back in style ! I think little boys look so cute when their hair combed forward from the crown of the head. It leaves a feather like look around their face, I think it’s so cute.

Got milk?

This is another weird Canadian-ism. I was bummed to notice when I got here that none of the milk was sold in gallon jugs, but in cartons. So I adjusted to the smaller milk carton ways, no bird feeders made just yet. But I was noticing that EVERYONE else at the stores were walking out with these BIG bags of milk! BAGS!? What’s the deal? I finally asked a mom with her daughter in front of the milk aisle, what’s the deal with the milk bags? How do you use them? She explained and showed me how to work them. Apparently you buy a sack of these 3 mini bags of milk, you place 1 of the bags into this small “milk” pitcher, cut a corner tip off and pour out the milk and then pinch-clip the corner when you’re done… !? … WHAT AN ORDEAL!? Here’s an idea Canada, GET A JUG!! The milk COMES IN it’s own “pitcher” and the “cap” COMES WITH IT and keeps it fresh! What a pain, but it’s cheaper so I’m working with this weird, old-school way of doing things.

Dress code?

This is a most weird thing to me. We went to our new ward and while I had a good time and everything, something really weird stuck out to me, a LOT of women were wearing black suit pants! I thought maybe they were visitors ya know, but they weren’t. Apparently that’s common here. Ladies can wear a skirt or black suit pants, SO weird to me!

Mommy-daughter moment

Amanda and I had a most sweet mommy-daughter moment. After church Andrew and Daddy were taking a nap together and Amanda walked up to me and very calming, sweetly said “mommy can we go up to my bedroom and talk on my bed?” I was taken back half cause of the proper language skills she was using and half cause I’ve never heard her say that anything like that before. “sure hunny, we can go upstairs and talk.” We walked upstairs and laid down on her bed, I’m just thinking, “what is she going to talk about?”. She ended up telling me about her first Sunday class experience in our new ward. She told me about her teacher and new friends in her class, how happy she was, and how she loves her new friends. I was so surprised and happy and PROUD of her talking with me the way she did. It was such a surprisingly wonderful mommy-daughter moment, and it was introduced because of my daughter. How sweet right?

Show-down at high noon

I find it ironic that when I was a kid I moaned and sulked when my dad would pick out a cowboy movie to watch on the TV. I hated westerns. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. And yet I married a man who LOVES cowboy movies as well, and I have to admit they’ve grown on me. And then this morning my kids were re-enacting that common western-drama, and even got their mommy into it. It was so funny, let me lay out the scene for you. I was trying to put away the kids clothes and one of the hangers fell to the ground. Andrew picks it up and started using it as a gun running up to Amanda and me making “pew!” noises at us. Amanda picks up her flashlight and starts “shooting” back at him saying “don’t worry mommy I’ll save you!”. I most humbly recognized my role as the bar show girl who’s skin-deep reputation of honor was being defended by the towns sherif (played by Amanda) from the towns ruffian, bandit-Bart (played by Andrew). I was just trying to put the laundry away, how did I get dragged into this? But as any decent damsel in distress I cheered on my hero in a most awful southern-twain accent, “oh save me sheriff! You awful Bart, you wont get away with this! You’re no match for Sherif Amanda! Save me! Save me!”. They had an dreadful show-down in the towns square and Andrew without any instruction from any of us look a shot to the chest and flew himself face down onto the floor, lay still for a moment, jumped up to give one last shot and then returned to ground quite dramatically and they he laid. Amanda triumphantly hugged me and cheered that we won!

Man, I cant wait to see what they cook up for me to do when we do the dishes downstairs.

2’s a couple, 3’s a crowd, and 4 is just way too many!

We had opened the windows last night to let in some of the cool fresh air, of course around 4 am you start to notice it’s a wee bit chilly in the house. And of course, none of us wanted to be the one to get out of the warm bed to close the windows. But at 6 this morning our daughter walks into our room. We were too tired and cold to get out of bed to send her back to her own bed, so we pull her up into our bed. Then the 1 year old comes down the hall and to my corner of the bed. I pull him up and under my arm. So there we were, all 4 of us, body to body under the covers snuggling to keep warm, half trying to fall back asleep before the alarm went off in less than an hr. we didn’t really get much sleep after that, but if I was to wake up early, I can’t image a better way of doing it. It was a sweet morning just being together like that.

NF: Prince of Whales Hotel

A friend of Derick’s told him that this was a very famous fancy hotel that we had to go by and see it on our way driving home from Niagara. We didn’t go inside, there were a lot of weddings going on, but we drove by and it’s very pretty! You can search it online to see what it looks like inside. very pretty!

NF: Whirlpool

We pull up to take a look of this famouse whirlpool, it wasnt swirling a whole lot, but it was cool to look at all the same. when we pulled up the first thing we saw was this sticker on a car: “Texas born – Texas Proud” that got a smile on my face.


180 degree view

NF: SOUVENIR CITY

Here is another travelers TIP! Save your money on the street and come to the “souvenir City” store. It’s a little farther down the road from the falls, you’ll have to take the car, but it’s worth it. They have EVERYTHING you would want there. We finally found our Niagara Christmas ornament there. And just look at the outside of it. They’ve made larger than life replicas of all the traditional souvenirs, it’s so much fun taking pictures there.