This and That

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! I have been busy baking all day today so far. I have two gluten free/dairy free apple pies, two gluten free/dairy free pumpkin pies and Cranberry sauce all done!
We are having our dinner tomorrow night, boy do I love this time of year! Cooler weather, beautiful colors, yummy flavours, amazing scents and the overwhelming beauty of Autumn and all her splendor.

In the next few weeks here I plan on getting my rear in gear at the sewing machine, so many things to do and get going on. Pilllow cases, Christmas presents (can't say what on here since people who will be getting some read on here!!lol). Also, in the works are the million and one crafts I am going to try and tackle as well...lol. First on the sewing front though, is skirts for myself and Breanna. I really would like some warm wool skirts (since I don't have a wee one in diapers anymore, I can upcycle old wool sweaters for other projects) and Breanna LOVES and I mean LOVES skirts, so I thought I would make her a bunch of simple elastic waist skirts. Oh and I also need to get my window valance made too! I came across some mexican themed cloth napkins at a thrift shop and I thought they would make a perfect window valance. I love the deep reds and earthy colors they have.


26 sleeps until we begin to decorate for Christmas/Yule!! And 19 sleeps until Breanna's 4th Birthday...yes, FOURTH birthday. I know, I feel the same way. How does that happen so quickly?


Um, what else?!?!? Nothing yet from hunting trips. My freezer is weeping....lol. Oh well, I am sure the perfect animal will show itself to Bill and Robert for us to feed our bellies with.

Oh, we went and did Autumn pics last weekend. They turned out perfect, now I just have to go through and pick the best ones for our wall motif. I will post some up here after I am all done.

Oh, aaaaaand!!! I am so freakin' excited!!! There was a contest over at *Boho Girl* the other week, and I WON!!! Oh-my-gosh, I am still so crazy stoked over it...lol...I won a $50 credit over at Boho Chic Etsy Shoppe! Let me tell you, I could've easily spent a small fortune over there and I will be back because there are so many gorgeous, original, splendid, incredible, magical trinkets there!! For now, I chose the Boho Girl Necklace and I will be saving up for This and this and this.... like I said, I could easily spend a small fortune. Funny enough, I have never considered myself a 'Jewelry' type person, but when I know someone has put their love and energy into something and it's original...I don't know, it changes my view! :)

Here's some random pics of recent:

This is what I inscribed on the floor before we put down the new laminate floor

Chaos while doing the floor

Snowflakes dancing on my Borage the other day

Our new fridge and new floor!

Time to Help a Fellow Bloggy Sister Out!!

I have just recently been introduced to this amazing bloggy mama. She has a wonderful idea, but needs help to launch it!
Here, check it out:

Morgan Moore




Blessed Be!!

September............

It has arrived...well, it's been here for almost three weeks now! LOL What a busy few weeks it has been, so many changes.

Firstly, Bill has officially started his new job! He went and got his Class One drivers license the first week of September. He is now working for one person and eventually we will be buying this company and it will be OURS! What a wonderfully, beautiful, and exciting feeling THAT is! Our dream of owning land is VERY near. (much more than it was at the beginning of this year!!!)
It has been an adjustment, since we are all trying to fit into a new routine, but it will all be good as we go.
So far, Bill has been loving driving the BIG truck!! hehe

Also, earlier this month was the adventure of canning! Whew, that is a killer! It is so worth it in the long run, but getting it done is quite the production. So far, we put up 37 quarts of pickles, 22 pints of pears (some with spices like cloves and nutmeg), 15 quarts of peaches (some with spices as well), a couple small jars of Cinnamon Apple butter and a couple of pickled relishes. I was going to do some canned vegetables, but my vision of purchasing a pressure canner didn't materialize as of yet. Phooey! As soon as I can, I will make that purchase. The thought of being able to add canned veggies and meats to me pantry makes me very happy!!
Right now I am in the process of harvesting up some of my herbs from the garden. I have Stevia, Mint, and Wormwood all drying right now. I think over the next couple of days I will harvest some of my Borage and Catnip as well. Oh, and I took down some LemonBalm as well. Some of my other herbs I have brought inside like Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Basil and Parsley. Makes it nice to grab fresh herbs while preparing teas or foods.

Also new this year, Alex has begun traditional highschool. Not actually going to school, it's just through correspondence, but a change nonetheless! So far he is finding it okay. Of course, he hates the math! LOL
Matthew has also joined us this school year, not that life is all that different than what he is used to....lol. Everyone has been enjoying their new books as they have arrived in the mail. The Easel has been a big hit as have the art kits....all my little artists!!!

We have also had a couple of Birthdays so far too!! Mine was on the 12th...the big 34!!! haha Don't feel any different and could careless about my age, just a number in my opinion! Kayla also had a birthday on the 15th, she turned 10!! Can you believe it??? It seems like just yesterday I was talking abut her being a toddler on this here blog!! WOWSA!

Past that, we have just been enjoying the sunshine and warmth as much as possible before the cold, winter season has it's hold on us.

This upcoming weekend is yet another busy one, Bill and I will be ripping up the current flooring on the main floor and laying down some beautiful light wood laminate! I am so excited, I LOVE the color!!
Also, on the 27th our new fridge will be arriving!! HURRAY!!! Finally, I will have a second fridge, it's not a large one (that will have to wait until we move) but I still love it, here check it out Our New Fridge yup, pretty stoked!!! The when we move we will put our current one back in it's place and then just take this new one with us and use IT as a second fridge at the new place. It is going to make my life soooooo much easier! I will actually be able to stock up on things like extra soy milk and buy eggs in bulk!

And last, nothing yet from this season Hunting. Bill has only been able to get out twice and yesterday he almost had a doe, but she wasn't quite lined up enough for a good shot. Hopefully next time. I am really looking forward to getting the freezer stocked with some good deer meat.

Well, having said all that...time to go and get dinner on the go here!

Blessed be!

Let's Talk About Teeth!!

Wanted to share this very quickly! I have been meaning to do a post all about oral health and dental care.

Since we have changed our diets for the better we noticed something else changed...our dental health! You have heard (or read anyways) that the children's dental health has been quite amazing in recent times. meaning that we have not had cavities for quite some time. I was astonished at that happening because I did not expect it at all, it was a pleasant surprise and I was certain that the fact that we changed our diets was a direct connection with the change in dental health. Sure enough, with more reading and research, it's TRUE!

The best video I can find that explains it in the most clear and concise fashion is this one below. It's just over 15mins, but it is worth every second of time. Grab a glass of water or an herbal tea and watch this video!!

Blessed be!

The 100 days cough........

Or Whooping Cough as some may know it. It appears that we have another wave of it circling around here, there, and everywhere. Of course, mass media immediately blames the un-vaccinated for a re-surgence of infections. If you follow and believe everything the mass media feeds you and follow what your local health authorities feed you, then you may not wish to read on because this is anything BUT!

However, if you want to know the truth and understand what this is really all about, then read on! I used to believe all the garbage and blindly followed whatever the current BS being spewed from health authorities, but now, I have researched the truth about what is really going on and not the biased opinions and bogus research compiled from none other than the pharmaceutical companies pushing the vaccines!!

The thing is, a lot of pro-vaxers claim that those of us who do not vax are dumb and un-intelligent and even neglectful and should be charged as such (true story and have actually been told that to my face!) but the truth is, EVERY.SINGLE. non-vaxer I have met or talked to, has researched and read more about how vaccines are made and how the body responds to them and their statistical effectiveness (or lack thereof!) than most people. I have been reading and researching for almost 8 years now, and I am convinced that routine vaccination is not only not effective but dangerous. Of course, you can hold your own opinion and that is fine, all I would ever encourage someone to do is read and research the TRUTH and come up with your own conclusions.

So, back to the topic at hand here since it is being smeared and fear mongored all over the place...Whooping Cough.  I don't care what kind of hype goes on about it, there is NO evidence what-so-ever that would ever convince me to subject myself, or my kids to that shot. Instead, I firmly believe in boosting their immune systems with healthy foods and vitamins and creating an environment (their bodies) inhospitable to the virus. Should we contract it, I know of herbs and remeadies to ease it's symptoms and above all things, relying on good nutrition to help the body fight.


Below are some links for your further reading, most of all, don't let fear be the reason your vaccinate. If you chose to vaccinate your self and your children, do it with the full knowledge of what your risks are and what exactly vaccines effects on your body will do. I only advocate the truth and I will tell you this, like a good sales pitch, companies will tell you what ever they need to so as to get your business, and Pharmaceuticals are NO different.

Whooping Cough Vaccine Failure

Whooping Cough-Under diagnosed

Whooping Cough Outbreaks

Proof that Vaccines Didn't Save us
(look at this one carefully, there are plently of charts that show, REPEATEDLY that illnesses from the viruses and bacteria were ALREADY on the decline and in most cases YEARS before the vaccines were even introduced. Not only that, there are charts that show how illnesses like Measles and Mumps occur even in HIGHLY vaccinated populations.)

I'll leave it at that for now, but please educate yourself on the truth before you vaccinate and fall into the slew of garbage spewed by fear mongoring mass media.

I also have other links located in my sidebar under *vax info*

Blessed be!!

Summer Fun!

Well since the last few weeks of summer are upon us, I thought it was time to get some more pics up here from our summer!!

Enjoy!

What Do You Think?

After hours of painstaking agony, okay not THAT bad, but it sure felt like it!! I managed to get my blog all back in order!! Yay me!!! My awesome, wonderful, incredibly talented daughter helped me out too!

I'm not sure what had happened, but for some reason my blog background disappeared..GASP! I know right? I tried to upload and install all different kinds of backgrounds and templates from my favourite place (leelou blogs) to no avail. Not one of them would work, so I had to search out a new blog template.

It's a bit of a nightmare trying to install one (shush, it IS and don't argue with me!!!) but we figured it out, errrr, Alyssa mostly figured it out, but hey, who's counting?!?!lol

So alas, here is the new digs, I like it! It's not quite the Autumn theme I was hoping for, but it will do until I feel like ripping, tearing, enduring another template update. In fact, right about now, I would rather have a root canal done without any anesthetic!

On a more happy note, I have been having the most wonderful time with my neighbours!!! I have to say that I have the best neighbours anyone could ever ask for and I am very thankful for them!

Um, what else??? Hmph, OH! I pulled up a huge bunch of awesome carrots from the garden today as well as some radishes and beans!! I would have more tomatoes but a certain daughter continues to snitch them off the vines every chance she gets!!!

Well, my eyes are about done with staring at a computer screen and I can here some distant rumblings of a far off thunderstorm....probably the last few we will be getting around here this year! Some of the leaves on the Poplar trees already have some specks of yellow in them!!

Blessed be!!!

Happy VERY Be-Lated *~Lammas~*

Gosh! Wouldn't you know it, late again...lol. Actually, we weren't even here for Lammas, we were away on holidays! We went to Kelowna for a week camping! UGH, the campground we stayed at was an absolute NIGHTMARE and I would never in a million years recommend it to anyone...BUT, that is another post all on it's own!

Then, when we came back, the next day Mariah ended up with some nasty stomach bug for a couple of days...ugh...then Matt got hit with some headache/fever illness that he just got over the other day. WHEW! Now, Bill and I are in the process of healing from this weird headache bug...so annoying.

All in all it was awesome to get to see family and friends out there, hopefully we can make it out that way again next year!! Although we plan on staying somewhere different, that's for sure!! Bill's step brother and his wife graciously offered us to 'camp' on thier property, so I think that is what we will do!! They are such awesome people, I am so happy for Bill's dad to have married Ellen and been blessed with wonderful family in the process. Nobody can ever replace Bill's mama, and EVERYONE knows that, BUT, having been blessed with Ellen and having someone special like her to enjoy this stage of life is truly amazing.

We also were able to make our way out to Penticton to visit other family out that way, Auntie Elaine and Uncle Mike! WOW! Let me tell you, these folks have it GOING ON! They have completed changed their lifestyles and diets and LEMME tell YA, it shows! They are extremely active, eat VERY healthy and have lost weight.  I am so proud of them and what they have done, it just shows that changing your diet and lifestyle has enormous effects on you...for the BETTER!

We went to a nearby lake and OH-MY-GOSH, it was amazing! Crystal clear water, silky smooth sand and gorgeous sunshine. It was a wonderful day. We headed back to their place for dinner and I swear, I have never seen my kids eat so much!! But, it was truly awesome. I cannot wait until we can see them again, it was such a refreshing and upbeat visit and I was sad to see it end when we left.

Now, I cannot believe it's already the middle of August!!! WOWSA, this summer has blown past!
My garden is coming along nicely, although my cucumber plant is is a sad state. Unfortunately, the person I left in charge of watering mis-judged the amounts of water needed and thought that some rainfall would suffice.....*sad face* and I came home to a dead cucumber plant, a dead strawberry plant and an almost dead pepper plant. So far, it appears that I may be able to save a very small portion of the cucumber plant, but no where near enough to harvest any cukes this year. The pepper plant seems to be doing okay, but the strawberry plant is long gone.

In the next few weeks I will harvest my carrots and radishes and hopefully some tomatoes (I have cherry and beefsteak) and some more Kale. Hopefully my Broccoli and Cauliflower will start to get better, as well as the Brussles. Hopefully my raspberries will really start to ripen as well!

In September I plan on going to the Harvest sale tp purchase the big stuff for canning! I plan on doing Tomato sauce, pickles, jam/jelly, peaches/pears, applesauce. Then I am also getting a pressure canner so I can can even more goodies like beans and meats!!
I am sooooo excited!!lol I feel like the only wife around who asks for appliances for holidays...lol. No earrings or jewelry for this lady, uh-huh, I am over-the-moon thrilled with a pressure canner!! haha!! I am asking my mom for a juicer for my birthday/Christmas too, I cannot believe how much I miss my juicer (it died a few months ago) sad day indeed!

Also with the approaching Autumn season is SCHOOL!!! I have been in the process of setting up the programs and 'wishlisting' the books and curriculum the kids want. I LOVELOVELOVE this time of year for that. Actually, I just love books in general!!lol This year looks pretty exciting with everything the kids are interested in. So far, we have some Hunger Games novel studies, art stuff, The Lightning Thief, Animorphs, Smurfs, Witchy goodies, Baking, cooking, gardening, self reliance activities, weather goodies, science experiments galore, solar and lunar activities....the list goes on and on!

And yet MORE Autumn hustle and bustle...Bill is officially going to hunt this year!! WHOOHOO!!! He has been busy getting his bow all sited in and get some practice shooting going on. The older boys are actually getting in on it too, they love bow shooting! They won't actually hunt any animals this year, but they hopefully will join Bill on some hunts and get to see what it's all about. Next year, hopefully, will be MY turn!! I am so excited!! How awesome will it be in the future for Bill and I to go on romantic get-a-way weekends hunting!!! YESSSS!!!! I love it!!

Well, that about wraps up what has been going on in my neck of the woods so far this summer!!
I will probably get back into more blogging when it starts to cool off, right now, we try to get outside as much as possible and soak up as much sun as when can.....gotta build up the vitamin D stores for winter!! ;)

Here's some pics from our belated Lammas celebration. We had a wonderful time with a good BBQ (Celtic Salmon and baked beans, baked potaotes and tons of fresh veggies) roasting marshmallows and good company!!

Blessed be!!

Magickal Graphics

Happy Be-Lated Summer Solstice/Litha!!!

We are still trying to get outside and be able to have a fire and roast some marshmallows to welcome the Sun! The weather has not really been cooperating with that though! It's been a bit rainy so far this evening, but maybe we'll still make it out there!

Bill built me a wonderful other garden plot on the other side of yard. It looks really great! Right now in there I have planted some cauliflower, broccoli, Kale, strawberries, borage, tiger lilies, and some raspberry bushes! The other garden has carrots, radishes, tomatoes, catnip, beans, anise, summer savory and peas! Random containers around the yard and other spots have more raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, herbs and flowers planted! I can't wait for everything to really get going! We also planted two apple tress as well...I am really looking forward to those maturing!

Still no news from my sister's autopsy results. This is a really hard part to contend with...even though we have a good idea and probable cause, it's still not complete closure and it's hard to break past the emotional goo and truly become healed or at least begin a true healing path.
It never goes away, of course, we always miss loved ones when they pass away. It will always be more a case of learning to live with that void in your life. She comes to me in my dreams sometimes and when I see her, she looks as though she is a fairy. I am not sure if that is because we both love fairies or that is what she became...at any rate it is comforting to see her in that light!

The kids seem to be healing alright. It's more difficult on the older ones because they have distinct memories of Auntie Kandie coming to visit and babysit them or just coming over and spending the weekend with us. The younger two don't really have any memories, especially Breanna. Which, itself is so heartbreaking. *sigh* Time is the only thing that will help heal and help us learn to live with the void of her missing in our lives.

Lot's on the table for this summer! A trip to Kelowna is on it's way! As is a day trip to Calaway Park (amusement park), the Zoo, Heritage Park and Bill and I are going to the Dinner Theatre for our anniversary this August.

This next year I feel will be a huge transformation. Emotional and physical. I feel that there is a difference that has been brewing and I have been finding my way through this journey. Finding a new soulfulness in my self and shedding old skins and revealing a much calmer and peaceful woman. I am tired of being trapped in a world of rules and it is time to let that go. Letting go is a definite theme. Letting go of fear. Letting go of negative energy. Letting go of hate and anger. Leaving in it's place only room for love and acceptance. Accepting that I cannot change people and cannot be responsible for their actions. Accepting that family and friends will lie, why I do not know, but it is what it is. I always have the ability to chose how I let their actions affect me and I am choosing to let it go. If I feel a situation coming to be where I know I am being lied to or about to be...I can remove myself from the situation physically or verbally.

I am feeling lighter and happier as I go, but it's a long path and journey. Meditation and Yoga are a tremendous help and are a definite part in this change. Allowing myself to be happy with who I am (mind, body and soul) quirkiness and all!! :)

So as I float through this journey I am allowing emotions to arise, I accept them for what they are and then let them go. I am doing no service to myself by re-living things from the past over and over again, even if it was last week. All I can do is be sure to live each day the very best I can and follow my heart with each experience. I can propel positive energy out to the universe and graciously accept it's positive energy in return! I can smile and show kindness. I can accept people for who they are. There are plenty of things I CAN do and it's better to focus on that.

On a completely un-related topic (well, kind of) we are all done 'school' for the year. I say that loosely because we are always learning, it's not like our brains just shut off because it's June!!lol
Next year Alex has decided to take on some highschool classes, all distance learning. Alyssa will be technically grade nine, but we will be doing stuff to help her get geared up for her highschool program the following year as she wants to attend Hair College. Robert is going into gr.7, Kayla Gr.5, Mariah Gr.3 and Matthew will officially join the 'schooling' group in Gr.1!! Yes, baby Matthew...lol....I can't believe it either! Breanna just loves to watch the other kids when they do projects and do their activities!
Alex is doing great working part time at a local grocery store, he has proven himself to be a great worker who is punctual, ethical, and determined. Not to mention the fact that he LOVES his job!
flyer route that they do to help out with the family finances, which is a huge help! I am very blessed to have such awesome kids and an awesome husband to enjoy life with! We have an exciting road ahead of us!

Blessings to you all!!!

Happy Birthday Mariah!!

My wonderful baby number 5 is eight today!!! EIGHT!!! Holy toledo!!lol

It's hard to believe, that is for certain! I can't believe that it has been 8 years of blogging too!!
I wrote my first blog post on New Years Eve in 2003 when I was pregnant with Mariah! WOW!

We went out birthday shopping last night and she was quite thrilled to buy some treasures with her birthday money. We also had a yummy Starbucks treat with Grandma.

Today has been off and on rainy with some sun here and there. We even had a few rumbles of thunder!
It smells wonderful and I am sure all the plants are loving a nice drink!!

Dentist this week too!! Thankfully our dentist books all of our appointments in one afternoon, otherwise we would have a ton of individual trips to make!!

Here's a pic of Mariah's Birthday Cake:

Yummy, Gluten Free
and Dairy free so that everyone was able to enjoy it! I made a strawberry/raspberry drizzle for it too!
Sooooo yum!