A big day in our household today and I don't think the children even know it. My oldest daughter writes her Grade 12 English Provincial Exam today this is the one we have worried about since grade 7 middle school. She is a wonderful girl tries hard, neat work, gives it all she's got and always sees the brighter end of things , the silver lining. However she struggles with a few learning issues not that anyone would notice but it is there. She has to work harder than anyone to pull off the marks but she does it. And am I worried... Yes and no, her teachers think she will do it pass she thinks she is "so ready for this" so I just go with the flow. She woke up when our alarms go off mine 5:45 am and hers 5:50 am and she tells me " Ayyy I could not sleep last night I have been awake since dad left" not good. Worse thing she might a have to redo it but for it would be devastation she wants to be like everyone else and in truth she is no different than any of them (her friends). We will not know till June if she passes or fails but her teachers will be able to look at it and get an idea.
So I wish her good luck I hope she will do well and put this behind her and move on... Next driving lessons start in February

You know your a red neck when...

 

This is how I wind my bobins for weaving not fancy but it sure works good. 

I have been having trouble hooking up with this blogger so I am a little behind. Sometimes these computers have a mind of their own.
The sun finally broke through later this afternoon and up until then it was dreary, gray and cold. It is funny outside it feels colder than it really is and I have decided I am sick of Winter. My kids are trying to come down with a cold bad coughs, fever.
I have marked February 17 for the day I am taking my oldest daughter to look for her grad dress, I hope it goes smooth and we have to find one that day because we have no time to look for another day to do it. This can only be a short post because I have to head back to the arena. Have a good night.

Just thought I would add to my blog. I very seldom go back over and reread my posts first because I barely have time to get it done once and second the box I write in is to damn small and I get blurry eyes. So grin and bare the errors and look around them. Thanks

Behind

My niece likes to inform me I am behind on my blog but Oh my goodness the days go by so fast and do you know what it is. It is warmer outside and I love Spring everything looks a mess, animals need to be sorted, grain needs to be changed. Have you ever wondered how everything is a mess when the snow melts but you went into Winter with everything clean? I don't get it.
Tonight was a good night kids are Happy, hockey was good, track and field was fun, my oldest son did a little driving, the kids at home kept the house clean the only down fall to it I have not seen my husband but I am sure I will see him Friday night.
Don't you hate it when you know you have something but for the life of it you can not find it. I have a book called Northern Angora I have looked high and low all over it is fairly new or in perfect shape but I can not place it and I really would like to read it again. Sometimes a I am so organized I am disorganized it drives me crazy.
I am sporting a lovely new crochet head band, ear warmer thing it actually was real quick and looks pretty neat as you can tell I am rather pleased with myself. It never fails to amaze me when I can where or use something I have made.
Tomorrow is my lovely Great niece's birthday she is getting to be a very big girl. The Great thing is I mailed her a parcel and it arrived in less than two days right to her door. How cool is that.
Anyways Baby Girl if your mom is reading this she will tell you "We love you very much and wish like crazy you still lived in town so we could share cake with you, many hugs and kisses and give your baby brother a big kiss to"

 
My oldest son 

The moon and star

We took this photo on our way to a hockey game.

I love my new camera I have taken 470 photo's of only three of my hockey players and that is only one ice time each. It has this great button for sports you can just click away so much fun. The funny thing my oldest son saw or actually ordered me to take pictures and he was posing. I even caught it on film when he lost his temper and broke his stick over the net so I took it for evidence when he wants a new stick.
I was sitting in the arena waiting for a game to start and AYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! I forgot my knitting how can anyone sit for 2 hours and not do anything so I quickly phoned home and asked my oldest daughter to get my latest project and put it into the van, my husband was on route home to exchange children. In to the arena comes my husband with a white knitting bag, wool, cookies to go with the bright pink "to Go" cup with hot chocolate for me . Yup he must love me. However in the mean time I started to crochet a thing you where on your head over your ears out of silk and cashmere.
Today it was melting all day sun shining but a cold wind I guess we will wait and see what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow Grad pictures for my oldest daughter so I will drive her into town in the morning. Today I also had to drive the children in for dentist appointments they started before school.

Oue Ice Sculpture is getting so big it is amazing. I really wish you could see it the pictures just don't do it justice.

The sun was shining so beautiful so my dog and I went for a walk and it was very cold, a very cool wind. It was nice to go outside for a walk instead of just to work not that I consider my chores work it is just that I sit so many nights in an arena I will be buggered if I start gaining weight. Tonight there is 5 ice times and guess who has them all...It would be wonderful to get a lot of knitting but damn I get side tracked my mind wanders, I veg into space. It is the darn purl stitch I hate it and on my shawl the row back is a purl stitch. It truly drives me crazy:)
All is well here not too much new, our weather has warmed up and I have pussy willows on my tree out back they are absolutely lovely maybe I will photo them for you all to see.
I am planning my spring projects when my dad goes for a trip to Bridge Lake I am planting trees along our drive way...What a great surprise. Anyone who doesn't know I am being sarcastic he hates it when I get new projects going but I really believe he actually likes them but just grumbles. I am also in need of new goat feeders and grain feeders so I must look into that too.
This Spring Lambing and Kidding will start in the beginning of March I would of bet a million dollars I had thought it to April. So I must get the barn ready for that too. Every spring I watch these movies on lambing to get myself ready for any troubles we try to not have to call the vet and between the children and I we are pretty good saved a few babies, fixed a few pro-lapse, pulled a few. Must run talk to you all soon.

The Emu named MUE

Isn't it good to accomplish a lot in a day. The last two days have been busy I have had supper cooked and ready to eat by 4pm as soon as the children get off the bus they can eat, the house is clean, outside chores are done , back deck is full of wood. The lunches ready and I have even had 5 minutes each to use my loom no more than that because I can't sit still for very long. The really cool thing is everyday when I get up I get to do to all over again. Why because some how my house gets in a disaster zone when I am out of the house every night! Go Figure!
I have done the concession three times in less than a week I always seem to be filling in for someone, so not too much knitting going on. I am working on a shawl which I am having a great time screwing up all the time. I can't seem to do it right and it is not hard I am blaming cold hands which makes me loose my stitches.
My middle son brought home a certificate for being on the Principals list so it has the honors of being on the fridge. One man at the arena told me he hangs all his (two kids) certificates on the wall at his home. Oh my gosh if I did that we would need our own hall just for those. I do display them until the next ones come in.
Every thing is rather peaceful in the Barn yard (I hope I have not jinxed myself) now that my ram is moved out to the far side of the property life is rather peaceful however; I have not gone out yet he may be running around the property when I go check :)
I hope everyone is well enjoy the day.

  

Not too much going on here other than the usual rat race. The days blend with routine. It is quite amazing how fast days go my day flies by and before you know it, it is after school time and then hockey. I will say I am looking forward to hockey slowing down in a few months but at the same time I should not wish my time away .
I am starting an Angora shawl it is beautiful wool it is pure white and I would like to add either lace ribbon or beads to it but I am not sure if I can figure out how to do that. I am a long way from figuring that out yet. It is not the best project to work on at the arena I really should have just a simple project because there is so much distraction. For instance trying to stay awake until 10 -11 at night so I can drive home :)
My oldest daughter is graduating this year so we are now getting into gear for a grad dress anyone who has shopped with her will know I need good thoughts, prayers, pitty, shopping with her is a long haul picky, picky, picky... Maybe my sisters will come do this. Then they have the Grad jackets etc which they all hate but they still are ordering them go figure. Grad photo's next week she tells me she heard it is around $200.00, Wal mart is only a few dollars but no one heard me. I will keep you posted in the Grad run it starts real soon. I must run and find more kids for the breakfast table. Have a Great day

My children are truly special.

  

Count your blessings

I just looked at a Blog about a little girl who battled cancer so bravely and she has now passed on. It totally broke my heart and I feel sick and so sad. We must take every day as a gift and not let little things bother us they are little things in our short lives. Children are amazing they are so brave so full of spirit and they are truly the most precious gift in our lives. Please take the time to enjoy every moment bad or good with your children or if you have no children take the time to recognize other peoples children around you. Please make wonderful memories and spend time with the people who are important to you. Take Care and Best Wishes

Those of you know me know I say "I don't have bad luck I take the scenic route" well again the scenic route has struck again. Our furnace has not worked for three or four years my husband has tried on and off to get it to work but it fails to go and blows the breaker and out goes the pilot light. (propane furnace) We always put it off of course we always seem ready to fix it around Christmas time. So finally I phone the fixer people and a week later still I have not heard from them so I phone someone else they are here in two hours and go turn on the propane and guess what it lights beautifully nothing wrong with it. So he decides to go over it and check it and ask me when did we last have it maintained well never, I told him "we don't go looking for trouble"... Why rock the boat. So after he tells me off about that, he finds a problem quite an important one with a coil copper wire that sits in the flame and open and closes something as a safety device it shuts down. Honestly I didn't really care as long as it was fixed quick they charge by the hour.
So tonight we go to track and field and hockey it is already at -20 and the truck heater is not working. Now I am over paranoid so I usually leave the window open a bit in the truck but I thought this is silly it is too cold so I locked the truck and I ran back into the school and came out an hour later. The truck would not no matter what we did un-lock, everyone was leaving and the last two trucks pulled out they were my middles son's assistant coach and another dad from his hockey team they came back and tried to help they could not fix it, we phoned my husband woke him and he told us what to do ...Nope nothing. So the one man is new in town and owns the only car dealer ship we have he phones his tow truck worker and we wait and nope he can't get in either, 40 minutes later they get it.
Thank God for these men with no hats and no gloves. My children and I would still be at the school with no way to get in the truck, my other son was waiting at the arena with no ride. Now on top of feeling, dumb cold and I don't really know these people other than to say hi to.
My van is in the repair shop getting fixed for two days and it is not his repair shop...Guilt ...Guilt...Guilt. WELCOME TO MY SCENIC ROUTE!
Now during all this my youngest daughter was not in a proper coat she said she had one but it was a thin nylon jacket for summer, a lesson well learned and my lovely winter gloves were locked in the truck.

Just a quick note to check in a busy day here today I am suppose to be off spinning today, school meeting for my middle son's school learning agenda then a full evening of hockey. I find it hard to head into to town and be there for the day.
Yesterday was dreary it was like night time an unreal amount of wind and rain it is crazy how the weather is jumping around. On the way to the school bus down at our neighbors a huge tree broke off landed across the road a green tree not bug kill. So we were quite clever to get around it my poor van didn't quite like that 4 wheeling part off to the side in the snow. The wind was so bad very unnerving my youngest daughter was up most of the night scared and would not go to school I tried to make light of it but that is hard to do when the tree's are leaning, blowing and crashing.
In my barn area I have the Angora goats, sheep and Cashmere goats all separated into different pens sometime yesterday they broke one of the gates down either the sheep were rubbing on it or the ram was fighting through the fence and it had landed on my young Angora buck I bought last fall and he was stuck under the gate in all the rain snow and wind. I heard crying I went to look and ran to help him he had been there awhile he had trouble standing and looked pretty sad when I put him in the barn. So now today I should go give him some medicine and hope he is okay.

  

 
Inside our Ice sculpture 

 
Our ice sculpture spitting water 

It is amazing how fast the days go by already Sunday evening and school starts tomorrow and I am so not a school lover. AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY Lunches, homework, nasty girls, teachers I hate it all. I could live in Holiday Mode all year long and I also hate to share my kids. It has been so wonderful having them home...Sigh
I worked outside all weekend trying to figure out the moisture problem in the rabbit house so I hope what I have done will work.
I bought my middle daughter a new lap top on Sat. She is having fun figuring it out. She also will get her glasses on Monday afternoon we have put off buying them because this will be her third pair and she is yet to be able to wear any of the previous pairs.
My middle son "got a goal, did a good hit and laid someone out" that was the phone call we got today. A Mother could not be prouder:) My oldest son came first in every game in his tournament but they lost in the final game. Both boys are on route home now. My middle daughter time keeped (not sure if that is a real word or slang) for 3 hours on Sat. 3 hours on Sunday and she did not get paid so we will see if someone pays her my the end of the month.
Today was a very warm day a lot of ice melted it will be interesting to see if it gets as cold as the weather man is telling us will happen. Have a nice night.

 
Having a cuddle 

 

All finished made with thick and thin knit and purl. 

My van is need of work something to do with a water pump, gaskets, in-takes and out-takes and to make a long story short they need it for two days and how am suppose to haul 6 darling children around with NO VAN...Men!!!!! My van is having a horrible shaking issue with it's motor.
Today I managed to get two more rabbits done and I counted and I think I still have ten more to do. Way too many rabbits. My visiting goats left today and their owner gave us a lovely box of chocolate coated Macadamia nuts from Australia they are very good.
We are on our last tournament then all three will be done so we have a full weekend ahead of a lot of traveling quite far in different directions for games tournaments and time keeping.
Today we separated the sheep from the goats just to analyze see who is eating well and grain them for a bit. However I bet the weather changes and I will have to put them all back. I think as soon as my oldest son comes home from hockey after this weekend we will be moving the ram I can't feed by myself I have to go through the pen and the kids will all be back in school. All though the process of moving the sheep the ram got called many, many, names and I threatened to mount him in m,y Living room poor guy he probably does not even know he is awful.
Anyways off to bed talk to you all soon

My New Year spinning

 

Finished scarf which I gave to my mom. 

Hi a busy day we had here. Today I worked the whole day outside first by trying to find sand and dirt to put on our horrible driveway which is a sheet of thick ice. It is absolutely crazy out there. Then I clipped 7 Angora rabbits, cleaned cages cleaned out rabbit house, had a goat delivered to be bred with my buck. Then it was off to hockey 4 hours now we are home and my children are not looking to sleepy.
My husband is not home from taking our truck to Kamloops to get fixed something to do with a Piston if the logging truck has one of those and it was more serious than he thought which it must be if it after ten and he still is not here yet.
I have finished another Poncho this one is the yellow wool in thick and thin and mohair with orange trim very warm and pretty cool.
I love bribery making deals whatever works with a 16 year old boy. My oldest son would like to a going back party down the road tomorrow afternoon so all homework must be done and his room spotless clean enough for company. So guess what he is doing... He is cleaning his bedroom right now, he is loud keeps talking to me but he is cleaning :) Oh happy day.....
Anyway must run have a great night

Happy New Years

Happy New Year to you all

What a wonderful holiday one sure could get use to this quieter way of life. However it is not meant to be back to schedules, running and day books. We had a nice New Years some of the children stayed up until 2 am 3 am and slept in until 10:30 am. As you tell by the time of this post I can not sleep. I went to bed by 9pm and I was awake by 11:30 to my very obnoxious dogs fighting, barking, crying AYYYYYYY!!!! Good thing they are cute. So I had to get up go outside and bring them in and try to keep them quiet so they would not wake anyone up. So now I am wide awake had a cup of tea and did a load of laundry, sent some photo's to my mom, started to make a online book through Walmart with my photo's, cleaned my desk, made a grocery list and a to do list for morning. On the knitting front I finished a hat made out of chenille(not sure on that spelling) finished my scarf and gave it to my mom, so now just a few more unfinished projects and then I am sure I will start a new one. Anyways must be off take care.