Great Wolf Lodge

Wow, we had a fantastic time at Great Wolf Lodge!! The kids had a blast swimming, playing in the lazy river, Fort MacKenzie water area, wave pool, slides... you name it!! JA was thrilled to meet Lori Love whom she spoke with on the radio to win our trip to the GWL!

Here's a few photos for you :)


JA sliding on a kids slide


Just before we left, we got a photo with the talking tree in the lobby. The lobby was impressive with howling wolves, a HUGE Christmas tree, a real gingerbread house to eat in, lots of fun while you wait to check in!


Sophia enjoying the slides, and not complaining about 'perma wedgie' :)


Zachary LOVED the slides, kiddie, intermediate, and all the big ones he could get on!


Zachary sliding


Catching some waves!


hanging out in the kids area


totally exhausted!

Winter Wonderland!!

WOW, we were expecting a storm yesterday, and woke up to a few centimetres of snow on the ground. No big deal. However, apparently, it was freezing rain earlier this morning!! So church was cancelled. Then it started to snow. Michael has shoveled the driveway/sidewalk 3x today, and has shoveled my Mom out twice already! (Have I ever mentioned how much I love how well my husband treats my mother? :)).

Anyway... we did brave the roads and went to my in laws for lunch and visiting. The kids went bundled up, and played in the snow there for a bit. My FIL took them for rides on the big shovel! What a hit!! We played at home outside some this afternoon before supper as well. The kids had a great time shoveling, Michael replaced our burned out headlamp, and then we went in for hot chocolate and fresh cookies!! YUM!

Here are a few photos from the day!


JA and my FIL


Zachary and Sophia on their ride.


general winter fun


Sophia's first snow angel!


JA's snow 'boy' as she couldn't move her legs she said, so therefore no 'skirt'


TASTY!! LOL "We can eat these snowflakes, right Mommy? They haven't been on the ground!!" (Zachary)


Shoveling, can you see them amidst all the snow falling?!

So it was a good time... too bad it didn't happen on MONDAY to have a snow day!! :)

Wrapping Up The HOlidays Promotion

Stampin' Up!'s new promotion called Wrapping Up The Holidays started on Friday and is good through December 15th. Here is a list of what is available and the prices. Items from the current Holiday Mini Collection listed are the only Holiday Mini items extended while supplies last. All other Holiday Mini items will be available until November 30th.

Check out the following or look at the online brochure here!!


Orders may be placed on customer and workshop orders.
This offer includes a variety of products designed to help simplify preparation for holiday gift giving with a number of timely offers. These are:
Item Number Description Price
112409 Holiday Tag Bundle $5.50
110380 Tags for All Stamp Set* (20% off) $33.56
110264 Designer Gift cards* (30% off) $6.27
109862 Chocolate Chip satin ribbon* Buy 1, get 1 free!**
109863 Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon* Buy 1, get 1 free!**
112410 Tin 3-Pack $13.50
110147 Celebration wrapping paper* $24.95
110228 Hand Selected Accents & Elements (25% off) $11.21

There is no limit to the number of items you may purchase, but Holiday Mini items are available only while supplies last.



The Holiday Tag Bundle includes 15 of each of the following pieces:


* Whisper White card stock

* Real Red textured card stock

* Soft Sky Prints Designer Series Paper (Dotted Diamond pattern)

* Real Red twill tape


The pieces for this bundle make 15 cellophane bag toppers that are perfect for neighbor or teacher gifts. These pieces are from the Holiday Glitz card kit.

The satin ribbon offer (buy one, get one free) is good on both the Purely Pomegranate and Chocolate Chip ribbon. You may select any combination of ribbon for your free ribbon. For example, you can buy one Chocolate Chip and choose a second Chocolate Chip or a Purely Pomegranate ribbon for the free ribbon.


The Tin 3-Pack contains three empty Accents & Elements tins. These tins have never been available for purchase separately.I'll be placing orders through out this promotion so please let me know if there is anything I can get for you!



And Remember, until November 30th, there is still FREE shipping!

Neige?!

I woke this morning, too early... but the tink tink tink on my bedroom window woke me!! Freezing rain. Ugh. Yucko. But it had snow mixed in!! Snow, this early... so strange. I got the kids snowsuits out (which we have been graciously freecycled!)... but JA was too sick to go to school today :( Sore throat, fever, etc. *sigh* So I got Zachary into all his winter finery (ok, so his hat was really Sophia's! LOL) and got him off to school. It was wet snow. But this afternoon, JA was feeling some better (meds really work wonders!), and all three kids went out to play for half an hour. We still have a mountain of leaves to bag up... ick.

So I'm tracking the weather all the time now...watching for snow, temps, and wether Mike is done with riding for the year. Should be fun!!

Way to Go Julie-Anna!!

So we got a Sleep Cheap room for next Thursday night. We were happy to just have an indoor pool in November!! It was going to be a great surprise for the kids.

However, a local radio station EZ Rock has a Kids Korner contest every morning at 7:40. We have been trying for a long time to get a win on the contest... some I just don't even try for (like Hillary Duff concert tickets), but lots of the others we do! The month of November has them giving away Family Passes/overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge! So she FINALLY got through on Tuesday morning. The question was "What is a pool rule?" She of course said "No running on the deck!!" So we won family time!! It starts with a pizza party put on by Pizza Hut Express, then waterpark passes for all of us... overnight accomodations, breakfast broadcast on Friday morning (It's a PA day!), and waterpark passes for Friday too! WHOO HOOO!! We are all super excited! WAY TO GO JA!!!

Sickness abounds

Ugh... now Mike and I have sore throats. It sucks rocks.

On another, way more positive note, I rejoinedCurves today!! I went for a free workout. I forgot how much I enjoyed it when I went! Now that the kids are older, no more nursing babies, etc... I have more time to go! I am super excited about it, AND I have friends who also joined, so we can work out together!!

So so tired

Poor Zachary has been sick for 3+ days now. He missed school today. He is sleeping well now though, so that is a total answer to prayer! It was a rough night on Saturday - so thankful for the time change, and the extra hour we got to 'sleep' sorta!! :D Hopefully the boy is ready to go back to school tomorrow. I know I am!! Thankfully, he's not a complainer, and his appetite has been pretty OK during this whole episode. I hate seeing my boy sick (or any kids sick!).

It's a murder, it's a mystery!

It's a murder mystery! Michael and I went out for a super fantastic evening on Friday. It was a Murder Mystery fundraiser for North End Co-Op PreSchoolwhere Sophia goes (and Z went last year). Wow, we had such a goooooood time!! The food was fantastic, the company at our table was fun, and the murder mystery company was excellent! We'll def. do that again I think!

I missed posting JA's birthday

So here are a few photos from her day!

I made this castle cake (thanks for the instructions Mahlah!) It took FIVE 8" square cakes. I used only 4. It was fun, but wow, that was a LOT of cake!





She got lots of great gifts - Polly Pocket Pets, a 20$ gift card from Wal Mart, game, books, a mermaid puzzle, a pack of gum, teddy bear, Bratz doll, and a few other things I cannot recall at this time! LOL!



We had a girly party. The girls all made blue glass bead necklaces, and we made the loot bags. We stamped the fronts and backs (made of cardstock), then stamped a crown and cut it out, then glittered it up! The girls had lots of fun. We served pizza, chocolate milk and of course, LOTS of cake! LOL! The girls each made their own 'circle' pizzas (english muffins!), and Mike kept them all straight so each kid got her own!

So, my baby is 7. Seven?! How did that happen!?! She's in grade two. She's growing up too fast!!

Hallowe'en with the Beaudry's!

Just a few photos of the kids, and our Jack-o-Lanterns. We had a great time trick or treating though!! Lots of good treats (even tho Zachary's can of Orange Crush got a hole in it, and now he's got the cleanest candy this side of the factory!).

JA was a fairy - wore her flower girl dress and pink wings, with glitter around her eyes. (She was already chilly when we left home, so had her coat on for the photo shoot!). Her hair was done up like Barbie in The Island Princess movie.

Zachary was Superman. Mike kept telling him to smile for the photo, and he kept yelling "I AM smiling Daddy!!!" Rolling Eyes at Mike for being so goofy! The mask didn't last long, as it was bugging his eyes, I think it was too close to his face! LOL!

Sophia was Cinderella, also adorned with glitter!



We also carved a couple of pumpkins. JA and Michael scooped them out (I still gotta roast the seeds, YUM!).

JA designed this one (I was telling someone it was a cyclops, and she corrected me "Mommy!! It's only got one eye, remember?!" LOL).



Zachary picked this design. Mike is getting better at his carving every year. A guy down the street is VERY good at it... so we might have a 'carve off' one day! LOL!

He can ride a TWO WHEELER!!

So Zachary learned to ride a two-wheeler this weekend. He's 4 1/2. Oh it was a chore this summer, he just REFUSED to even try!! So when I suggested it on Friday, Michael said "I am taking these training wheels off, and NOT putting them back on!" Well, Zachary just seemed to have ZERO balance. Michael thought he'd never get it. LOL Then he rode about 5 feet on his own before he realized nobody was holding his hood!! :D

So after lunch, he was eager to try again. WOW, he got on, and off he went!! It took a few days to get used to starting himself, but he's a pro now! It's awesome to ride to school to pick up JA, as he is quick as a bunny, and doing so well!

Here are a few photos of him riding, free and clear!







We are so proud!

So, it's my birthday.

Yup. Just my birthday. Nothing special going on today (and nobody really remembered too, which was sad for me). Went to church, had a nap, and we all went to a birthday party for someone else. So I had a meal cooked for me (sadly it wasn't the best I've ever had, catered, so nobody is offended!), and a piece of cake (so no temptation to eat the leftover cake in my fridge!).

Michael bought me a cell phone - a pink flip phone! I have been eyeballing it for many months now. So he saved up and purchased it for me :) What a guy (who is playing with it now! LOL!) Now to get a phone number and whatnot, and we are good to go!!

So, JA had me pegged at 43 for just a moment today... ahem... try switching those numbers sweetie pie! LOL!

This Friday we are going to a murder mystery dinner fundraiser for the pre-school that Sophia goes to. That should be a lot of fun I think! I know the catering that is happening there is fabulous!! :D

So I'm off to scrapbook, since I seem to have found Mo and Jo this weekend! LOL!

World Card Making Day!

It's coming up! It's something new!! Check it out here! What fun! It's JA's birthday that weekend, so unfortunately I will not be hosting an event, but I am still promoting the specials!

From October 4-8, you can purchase any Simply Sent card kit for 20 percent off the regular price!! Here's a list of the kits:

Sending Happy Thoughts 60.76 (reg 75.95)
Friendship Shapes 47.16 (reg 58.95)
Simple Delights 47.16 (reg 58.95)
Sipmle Sent Happy Day 60.76 (reg 75.95)

A New Blog!

I started another blog today, I can see this becoming an addiction, and FAST!! It's all about my business... Stampin' Up! classes, events, crops, and whatnot :) Check it out, and don't forget to let me know if you stopped in!

Stylin' Stamper Blog. I have some card samples from Regionals that I went to yesterday, and my crop news, and a sneak peek at a card for the Christmas card class!!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Ok, so her birthday was LAST Sunday... but my baby is THREE. What happened!? In a blink, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, she's a little girl!! Here are a few photos from her actual day, and one from the camp fire the night before :) we got her some clothes, DORA THE EXPLORER of course! Her absolute favourite! Good thing it was chilly at the trailer, as she wanted to wear it right away!

September - in a nutshell

A very big nutshell that is! LOL! I have pics to share, and stuff to share.

We are all back to school!


First morning on the bus

Julie-Anna is now in grade 2. She's got a man for a teacher this year, and it's turning out to be great! She's in a grade 2/3 split, which felt like such a jump from a grade one only class. She's thrilled to be in class with Presley and Keeley, Caleb and Duncan from her class last year. She's also made a new friend in Dessa, who was in the other grade 1 class last year. She is doing exceptionally well in math (takes after her Dad!), and not so well in spelling this year (hmmm, what happened this summer?!)

Zachary started Junior Kindergarten this year! WOW, what happened to my baby boy!? He was adamant right up until we left to go that "I am NOT going to Kindergarten!!!" I changed my tactics at the last min, and said "are you excited to go to kindergarten?!" He replied enthusiastically "I AM EXCITING TO GO TO KINDERGARTEN!!" We were a bit late, got in just after the bell rang. He went in, hung up his Batman backpack, and joined the circle. His new friend Spencer welcomed him, and he didn't even say good bye! THAT was hard on Mommy!! but he did FABULOUS! The rest of the week (staggered entry, he went on Tuesday, but not W-F) he woke up asking "Is is Monday today?!" I guess he loves school! :D



Sophia started at the Pre-School that Tuesday as well. She was DYING to go to school. You just say 'school' and she says "I'm in Mrs. Foley's class!!" Enthusiasm that just doesn't fade :)

We took one last trip to the trailer in Buckhorn. The last hurrah of summer if you will. We took a quick morning trip into Bob Caygeon. Michael really wanted to go there, because he loves the Tragically Hip song! LOL! We were there for Sophia's 3rd birthday as well. In the afternoon, we found a great park and zoo, and bonus it was FREE!!! The Riverview Park and Zoo is amazing! It has this SUPER GIANT SLIDE that the kids just loved, lots of animals - otters, camels, bobcats, monkeys, cougars, bats, meer cats, you name it, they have it! It will definitely be a day trip next summer. They have a great splash pad there too, but sadly it was too cold for us to play in it.









That photo was just too good to let go! LOL Zachary consistently slid off the air mattress every night before Mike and I headed to bed! LOL

More to come tomorrow... I'm tired. It was a great day today at the Stampin' Up! Regionals in Hamilton... I have cards to share, and stuff to show!!