Tis the Night before Christmas...

and not a creature is stirring.........

So, the gifts are under the tree, the kids are snug in their beds and I am excited for the big day tomorrow. It'll be fun and a white christmas to boot!! My first white one in the 10 years here in Canada - yay!

From our family to yours - MERRY CHRISTMAS.

All the Way from California

For the last little while we could hear those barking sounds as soon as we went outside the house, and we had no idea where it is coming from and what they were.

Well, turns out that a bunch of California Sea Lions made Cowichan Bay their home for the winter - how cool is this? Basically right at our front door LOL. They are huge, loud and extremely stinky, but it was fun to walk down to the bay and see them for ourselves.

And of course, no trip down to the Bay without visiting the Udder Guys Ice Cream and Candy Store :)

Child Labour???

My kids were home the last couple of days - they both came down with a nasty cold and we all decided it was better to have a pj day and chill at home. As it always goes however, after a couple of hours on the couch watching tv, they both perked up and felt sooo much better. And because I was busy scrapbooking, I told them that if they would do a few extra chores around the house, they could each earn some serious $$. Now that got them going LOL.

So, I told them that the bathroom needed cleaning, the kitchen cupboards could use a good scrubbin' and the fridge - oh boy, did the fridge ever need some attention.

So, off they went and they did it all LOL. I think we have to have those kind of sick days more often :)

December's Project

I managed to whip up a super fun little project for December ladies - looking forward to seeing you at class again. For sign up, please email me at sbell99@shaw.ca
I have 10 spots available, first come first serve :)

Cost: $20

Morning class:
Thursday, December 11th
9:30am - noon
Paper Crate

Night class:
Friday, December 12th
7:30pm - 10pm
Paper Crate

And here some individual pictures of the frame, little gift bag and card (click on pictures to enlarge)

Another blog candy

And I am loving it!! Check it out here:
http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2008/11/whiff-of-joy-blog-candy-from-katharina.html

And on another note - I just bought the best christmas gift for my kids! They are gonna freak. Haven't told hubby yet - because I know he is gonna freak too LOL.
I am not gonna tell you what it is - gotta wait til christmas. I am soo friggin' excited LOL.

Happy Birthday Liam

I don't know where the time went - but my little baby boy is turning 8 today. Happy Happy Birthday Liam - we love you :)

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On another note, hubby dug out some old video tapes from when the kids were little - and all I can say is Holy Moly!! It is sooo awesome - I laughed, I cried and seriously wish I could turn back time. They were so little and so cute and so darn funny!! If you have some videotapes - get them out and watch them again! Great entertainment for the whole family.

100 Things Blog Go-Round

I found this on Erica's blog and it looked like a lot of fun, so I decided to play along.
I did 54 out of the 100 - not bad :)
If you wanna play, just copy and paste the list to your own blog and highlight in some way which ones you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Held a praying mantis
9.Climbed a mountain
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumpe
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Anthony from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Blog Candy

that I would LOVE to win:
http://franmade.blogspot.com/2008/11/blogoversary-candy-time.html
Go and check it out :)

Pick of the Patch - November Kit

The November kit at the Patch is fun fun fun!! Papers from Pink Paislee's Vintage Moon Collection are great to work with. Here is what I did with it.

November Project - SOLD OUT

Hello ladies,
This great flip/stand-up album will be our November's Project - and please note - the colours shown here are not the same than in real life. The lighting is just not the best lately, I tried with flash and without, not sure which ones were better. But these pics should give you a general idea of what we will be doing.
I have 7 spots available, so this will be a first come first serve. I have set up 2 classes, one in the morning and one at night - please let me know which ones you would like to sign up for.
Once I have your sign up, I will give you more instructions as to what size pictures you will need to bring. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Night class:
Friday, November 21, 2008
7:30pm -10:30pm (maybe earlier)

Morning class:
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
9.30am - 12.30pm (maybe earlier)

Location: The Papercrate in Cobble Hill (Valleyview Center)
Cost: $28

Happy Halloween

Be safe and happy trick or treating!!!

Blog Candies

Oh, and who doesn't love them???? I know I do - so here are a few - go and check them out:

Kreativ Kristin from Norway
Rach
Danny in Germany
Anni from Germany
Regina from Germany
Jill has some great stuff too.

That's it for tonight :)

Annual trip to Oldfield Farm

Today we went for our annual visit to Oldfield Farm in Victoria and again - it was awesome.
Here are some of my favorite pics:

















Can't wait to scrap them all :)

New card

I am soo into card making right now - I am loving it!!

I made this card based on a sketch that can be found right here:

http://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ - they post a new sketch every Tuesday and this week I thought I might just give it a try. I can't believe how cute and gorgeous all those cards there are. I am having a blast checking out all the german blogs out there- so different and sooooo nice!

Blog Candy from Germany

great blog and really cute stuff - she will accept international posts - so go and check it out:
http://stempelelfejayjay.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-candy.html

10 years ago....

....today I arrived in Canada.
I arrived after a long and painful flight straight from Thailand with my new man, 8 months pregnant, 9 backpacks, a bunch of cash and and the firm belief that we could make it work.

I still remember as it was yesterday - the fear of the unknown but also the excitement of a new life.
Stepping out of the Vancouver airport to meet my new sister in law Debbie.
Driving to her house in White Rock, looking at the landscape and thinking I am in an {all american} movie.
Meeting my Mother in law at the airport.
Being welcomed with open arms.
My very first Thanksgiving dinner with my new family.
Endless hours of trying to follow the conversations around me ended with me being completely exhausted.
The excitement of seeing a bakery only to be disappointed to find that the sweets were nothing like back 'home'.
Being too shy to ask for the Salami at the Butcher.
Laughing my butt of when my MIL ordered "Potatoe Skins" at the restaurant.
Being totally shocked to see a map of the world with Europe not being in the centre.


It's been 10 years and it hasn't been easy all the time.
Getting to know my husband (as silly as this might sound), having a baby without any (close to me) family or friends, overcoming cultural and language barriers, making friends and losing friends and the never ending attacks of homesickness'.

And here I am now- still getting to know my husband, still raising a family without much extended family around us, still trying to overcome some of the differences between me and my fellow canadians, still making and losing friends - but it's so much easier now. So so much easier.
I can now not only order salami at the butcher, I can also get into an argument with him LOL.

It's been a good 10 years - and I never once regretted making the big move.
We made it all work. And I think we did a pretty damn good job.

Blog Candy...

.....can be won right here - some really cute stamps, check it out.

2 boys, 1 tube and the river

Life is good :)