Wonderful End to Wonderful Weekend!!!!!!!

This is the way our weekend ended!  Absolutely PERFECTLY!!!!!!

What a wonderful weekend!  We went to Winnipeg on Saturday to run some errands, get Raymond's car cleaned, see family, play games, and for me to attend the Harvest of Love, our annual Stake Relief Society Service Project! 

The Harvest of Love was incredible.  We had a lot of service projects on the go, tying quilts, tying fleece blankets, making quiet books to take back to our individual wards and branches, assembling school kits, and make lap blankets for geriatric patients.    I spent my time fringing and tying fleece blankets, with my lovely friend the Wendylady!!!!!!  We had a great visit!

I also managed to get some more baby stuff!  We now have a play pen, and a baby contour changing pad!

I got to meet Aunt Jane and Aunt Judy, two of Raymond's aunts on his dad's side.

Today was Fast Sunday in Dauphin, we had a wonderful turnout!  I think there were 30 of us, which included 3 past members who've moved to Prince Albert, the Solomon family, President Beaumont's sister Helen Cramb, and our High Councilman Brother Anderson!  It was a wonderful day, followed by branch correlation, and then a spectacular drive home through the beautiful fall leaves!!!!!!!!! 

We had Fish Tacos for supper (thank you Sister Wiley for showing me how to make them so many years ago!)

Phase Ten was a close race, I caught up, and almost won, however, I just couldn't find a 3 or 7 for the last round, and I had 4 of each!  It was a great game!

Followed by our bonfire!  It was wonderful.  We really haven't used our firepit too much this year, but it was very enjoyable!  Especially as the embers began to glow. 

Changes...

Things are never dull around here that is for sure, something is always changing lately, which is good, I'm not complaining, it is just interesting how there is always something going on!

The newest change would be at Church I guess.  For the next little while anyway, we get to sleep in a bit and don't have to leave at 7:30 for our 1 1/2 trek to church!  Yeah!  How long that will last... who knows, as I said, change is the only constant!

Last week was our Branch Conference!  Of course the Stake was out, and probably doubled our attendance!  President Robison and his counselors President Oler and President Baronins, and Brother Cormack.  Sister Finken and Sister McGinnis were there for Primary,  Sister De Guzman (Romy) variety was there for Young Women, and Sister Beaumont, Sister Cornia and Sister Yuell were there for Relief Society.  Marvin came along for the ride with Karen, or so I thought! 

Imagine our surprise when they released our newly called Branch Presidency and Elders Quorum Presidency.  Then add to my surprise when they called Marvin Beaumont as our new Branch President!  For about 10 seconds I was like... okay who is the real new Branch President, and then it sunk it, that this was indeed in fact for real!  It was crazy!  So now we have President Beaumont, Brother Jay Fox and Brother Drinkwater in the Branch Presidency, and Brother Ben Fox is the EQ Pres, with TJ O'Sullivan and Matt Kostur as counselors.  Everything else has stayed the same for now!

I'm excited for President Beaumont, I'm excited that his wife will be joining him!  I'm excited for the new changes this will bring for our branch!  It shall be good!

The only thing I'm not excited for is getting to talk again, I just spoke the last weekend in August, but of course President Beaumont didn't know that, when he called to ask me to speak!  :)  After he finished asking, he was like let me guess you just spoke two weeks ago... and I'm like actually I did!  :)  He laughed!  It will be good!   

Looking forward to see what comes next especially for Raymond, who was released as 1st counselor and as EQ secretary... 

Weird feeling...

First Day Back

Okay so maybe it was just because it was day one, but being back at school yesterday was such a weird feeling!  Even a bit depressing.  I don't have a classroom, I don't have anywhere to store my stuff, I don't have my own class...  I feel a bit like a duck out of water.

I'm blessed not to have to prep much, I guess I'm going to be teaching a few classes, and I'll be working in the Grade 7 classroom with my former students from last year!  :)  Anywho I never realized how boring the first day of school actually is for any other adult in the room. 

On  a brighter note it was so good to get back and to see the students, and my colleagues, and to hear of their experiences over the summer.  The students have grown for the most part, and the Grade 5s are so little!  It is crazy! 

One of my Favorite Summer/Fall Activities!!!!

Bonfire

One of my favorite leisure activities in the spring/summer/fall is to build a bonfire in our firepit!  I love our firepit!  It doesn't quite look like this, but it is close enough!  I shall have to start taking my own pictures soon!  :) 

I love cooking a tinfoil dinner over the coals, and then enjoying it once it is cooked!

My other favorite thing to do with a bonfire is to roast marshmallows!  For the most part, I like them black, but every now and again I am patient enough, (yes I do have a small measure of patience... on occasion, that I can brown a marshmallow quite nicely!)   

Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of bonfires this year, not to sure why not, it isn't like we haven't been here!  Anywho, I think it is now on the menu weekly until it gets too cold!  :)

Last year, I had a dream!  My dream was to have a bonfire on Christmas Day...  the weather was even perfect for it, unfortunately I was super sick, and it didn't happen.  Perhaps if someone comes for Christmas, I may get my Christmas bonfire.  The key is someone to come and visit, who would enjoy staying inside with our new baby!    :)  Oh mom, what are you doing for Christmas this year?

Today turned out to be a great day to do a bonfire, although I did have to talk to the clouds, here is what I told them...

"Dear Dark Clouds, When I planned the menu for this week, I included tin foil dinner's for this evenings supper to be cooked in our firepit, this means, you really need to come back like tomorrow or the next day when I'm not cooking in the firepit! Thanks in advance for your cooperation!!!"

And cooperate they did!  So I felt I should thank them as well...

"Dear Dark Clouds, it is me again, thank you for allowing me the privilege of being able to cook tin foil dinners outside for supper, it has been a lovely experience! Thanks so much for your cooperation. Until next time!"

So yup this is one of my favorite things to do!  However, I enjoy it much more when my husband is home, and is able to join me outside, but he had a job to do out of town, and it took a lot longer than he thought.  His tinfoil dinner is being kept warm!

Nesting... perhaps!!!!

The last two weeks have seen a flurry of activity in my kitchen!  Last week I made white buns, and white bread.  On Saturday I went on a Becki Home Ecki cookie making spree.  I made 12 chocolate chip cookies, 12 white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, I made lots of M & M cookies, a batch of peanut butter cookies, my Great Aunt Florence's Raisin Cookies, and Gingersnaps.

The gingersnaps made me think of my dear sweet old departed neighbor Adeline Produski, and her granddaughter Kerry!  We always used to make gingersnap cookies in the mornings when I went to visit, and the scent of the gingersnaps took me back to their little kitchen and the delicious smells!

Today, I made 4 loaves of whole wheat bread, and a chocolate zucchini cake!  My mom is on holidays and gave me some zucchini, I have to use it up!

Anywho, it is a good thing I have a freezer, we may need to look at getting another one, as ours is pretty full now, and I should probably make some meals up for after the baby comes, and get my Christmas baking done early!!!! 

Now the next question, when should I put up the Christmas tree?  ;) 

It's Coming

Well my body must know it is time to start thinking about heading back to school.  The last two mornings I've been up super early.  Although today was much better than yesterday!  The 4:45AM yesterday was a little ridiculous, the 5:45AM this morning was much better! 

It definitely seems odd to be heading back to school.  I don't have a classroom of my own this year...  which is a definite added bonus for many multiple reasons

• I haven't had to spend two- three weeks planning for September like I usually do.
• I'll be leaving in mid-November so the students won't have to have a transition to a new teacher!
• I won't have the heavy load of prepping or marking to do for my class.
• I won't have to plan for a sub, since I just got to my third trimester, and my doctor's appointments are going to once every two weeks!  This is such a huge blessing!

Honestly I'm not sure what exactly my job will involve, I just know that I'll be working with the middle years teachers in their classrooms, possibly with small groups, etc, and that I'll be spending a lot of time in Grade 5 because my friend Shannon will be mentoring Amanda, the new Grade 6 teacher who is taking my place, and Ashley, who is taking over the helm in Grade 7. 

Raymond and I had my Staples run last week, however it was more stuff for the house, than for school, we bought some chairs, one for my office/craft room and one for his office, and a drafting chair for his workroom.  We got a cork/whiteboard for the kitchen.   I also picked up some stuff for the Harvest of Love! 

I am hoping to talk to my principal about the 2012-2013 school year, I'd really like to know what his thoughts are, concerning what I might be coming back to. It would be nice if I could slowly plan throughout this year, so that I'm ready for next year!

Raymond has been a huge help with this!  He helped me build shelves in my office/craft room, and I have boxes, and so I'm going to organize my stuff into grades and subjects, and then it is going to stay at home, unless we're working on that unit at school!  He has also carried the boxes inside for me, which is quite helpful, because I packed them heavy!!!!!  Not realizing I'd have a baby bump and can't carry stuff like I used to.... oops.

I'm excited to go back and see my colleagues, and see how their summers were, and what they have been up to!  

Block BBQ

Block BBQ

Yesterday we hosted the first, hopefully annual neighborhood block BBQ!  I wanted to do something to get to know our neighbors, and I thought perhaps, going over and inviting myself in for a visit might be a little, out of taste, and so I thought, if Poplar Drive in Brandon can have a block BBQ, why can't Spruce.  With the idea in mind, I made up invitations, that I delivered around to the 19 other houses on our street. 

Then yesterday, I made a great big huge neon pink poster board to put up on the yield sign to remind people of the BBQ! 

I wondered if anyone was going to show up.  Then I talked to the next door neighbor and he said he was coming and bringing the three grandkids!  Yeah 5 people!  Hip Hip Hooray!  I began to mow the lawn in preparation, and as I was doing so, he came out and started mowing his on his nice ride on, (which I have to say I was a little jealous of, as he scooted around his yard!)  However as I kept walking in a square, I got thirsty, and went in for water.  As I was running water, our neighbour, opened our gate, and with his ride on came into our yard, I thought maybe he was going to do along our shared fenceline or something, and I'm like Raymond, Mr. H is in our yard with his ride on lawn mower...  anyway went back outside, and Raymond came out to move branches, I'd cut down so I didn't maim myself on trees!  Mr. H did our entire backyard in about 10-15 minutes!  Hip Hip Hooray for Mr. H!!!  Then he went on and did the neighbor's yard, explaining that the neighbor isn't feeling very well these days!  What a sweetheart!  I'll have to make him some muffins! 

Anywho, about 5:50PM we started to get things ready outside, and then Mr. H, his wife and 3 grandchildren arrived, followed by a few other people, followed by a few more! By the end we had 20 people including us in our yard, it was wonderful!  They were all like, "Oh this is such a wonderful idea!" "Come on over for coffee sometime!"  "We'll have to get together again!"  "We'll have to do this next year, person on the block who has lived here the longest has to host!"  It was wonderful, and by 8PM, they were all gone!   

What a wonderful way to meet the neighbors!