Jam Packed Weekend

We chilled......

We went for a 4-wheeler ride.......

We hung out in the hay.....

We watched some farm machines in action......

We visited Burwalde Woods......

We had a nutritious snack with Grandma V and Auntie "Arween".......

We loved on Ruby........

We flew a kite.......(it was fun....really, it was.)

We chased the kite.......

We watched the kite.......

Our time left at home seems very short and we want to make the most of every moment. I think we did that this weekend.

Oh Ruby.

Ruby, if you weren't so darn precious I wouldn't miss you as much and saying good bye to you wouldn't be so hard. Just stop it, would you?

Pink Booted Farmer

Morning Rituals

I can almost do my morning ritual with my eyes closed. I walk over to my Black & Decker Cup at a Time, put 2 heaping tablespoons of finely ground Columbian Light & Lively (Bill grinds my coffee for me...what a guy!), pour in a mug of cold, filtered water, push the on button and wait for it to brew in all it's glory.

Drew's ritual is a little different, but he probably can do it with his eyes closed as well. Every morning he sits at the computer, goes to purolator.com and enters the tracking number (which I'm sure he has memorized) to see if our Visas are en route to Winkler.

Here's a big shout out to Purolator: "VISAS come! VISAS come! VISAS come!".

I'm from Winkler and I'm proud of it!

War Wounds

Bill is the toughest guy on the block. As he tells it, he was carrying a 'wog that was a wittle bit too heavy and dropped it on his weg'. It must've dropped pretty hard cuz it left a nice 3 inch sliver (more like a small twig) stuck in his thigh. AJ tried to pull it out but it wouldn't come, so off we went to the E.R. in Julie's Ambulance (thanks for the lift, Jules).

Bill was not only tough, but also incredibly brave. The doctor tugged and tugged while Bill tried his best not to cry, but the pain was just too much. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore and started shaking and crying. The sliver wasn't going to come out easily. The doctor decided to freeze it. She stuck a needle right into the wounded flesh......this is when I started to turn very pale.....then she cut the skin around the sliver so she could pull it out. When it came out we were face to face with a bloody 1 1/2 inch piece of wood that had been lodged into Bill's muscular thigh. Brave Bill said, 'it doesn't hurt anymore'.

Lesson learned. Today Bill was at the farm loading some more 'wogs' and told me, "I only pick up wogs that I can handle." Let's always remember that, okay Bill?

boot camp ready.

We're twice as ready for PNG today as were were yesterday. Bill and Jester got their 'boot camp' haircuts and we found out our work permits have been approved.

My real picture of the day would have been Jester's #2 diaper. He must've eaten some green play-doh yesterday cuz it looked like we could've taken it out of the diaper, slapped it on the table, and rolled it out to make a snake or a snowman all over again.....but that would've been so inappropriate.

Breaking 'em in

These are the sandals I bought for going to PNG. I was thinking about our family moving to Ukarumpa today and that it's a lot like breaking in a pair of new shoes. It's exciting to wear a new pair of shoes, but often there are a few sore spots. I've considered to start breaking in these shoes now, but part of me just wants to wait until we get there...... break in our new life and my new shoes at the same time.

Fargs Extravaganza

My 'rents took the entire family to Fargo, ND for the weekend. Bill has not been this pumped for a long time. He was just all around pumped and for good reason....swimming, a ferris wheel, Nana and Papa, Ruby, C&C, and a mini fridge all at his disposal all weekend long.








Here's Papa and Jester at the pool. They're very excited about the waterslide. I just need to say it.....You guys look GREAT.















Bill and Jester had perma-smiles at the pool. This is them warming up their toes in the hot tub. When I was little I used it for something else........when I was little, okay?













See? The smiles don't end. Even Drew couldn't stop.











Here are the boys playing in "Agra Falls". I didn't have the heart to tell Bill it actually wasn't Niagra falls.... only a giant mushroom that doubled as a water fountain.








Jester and Bill loved chillin' out in the room. The juice was flowin'.....and rarely stopped.


Oh Ruby. A.k.a. Rubes, Rubster, Bunks, Bunker, Bunky, and Sweets. And check out her hot mom.




There he is in all his glory..... the Man. The man who made this weekend possible. On behalf of Bill, Jester, Drew and myself I'd like to sincerely thank him and his lovely wife for all they do for us. The weekend at the Ramada will forever be etched in our memories.

Picture of the Day

I'll be forever grateful to my dad (and mom) because he gave me the best Christmas present ever (A little early, I know). It's the camera of my dreams. I've been snapping pictures constantly since he gave it to me. Here's the biggest shout out to Marvy for the present! THANKS! HOORAAAAAAY!


My brother challenged me to post a 'picture of the day' while we're in PNG. I've decided to start already since I'm so camera happy. It may not be every day, but I'll try my best. I'll try and post a picture that best captures my day.....



Here is Bill only moments after having (and I kid you not) an hour and a half long temper tantrum. I know. It's hard to believe for me too.

Coming soon! Fargs Extravaganza.

Take the Poll

Take the Poll on the right. Vote as many times as you like.
If you aren't feeling sad I just might get mad.
Our days are numbered here in Winks. That really kinda stinks.
All my friends I will miss. Before I leave I will give you all a big fat kiss.
Jester is awake now from his nap. So I must end this really cool rap.

Captain Sam

This weekend I went on a little cruise aboard the Christabel. What a great little ship with a hunky captain. Aye Aye Captain was all I could say.

The rest of the crew was a little crazy, colorful, and one guy kept pressuring me to repent (God bless his soul). All I can say is PTL for Captain Sam Ironheart.

Tip of the Week

This one's for you, Crystal. You inspired me and brought me back to my blogging roots. It was more guilt than conviction, but hey, whatever motivates the people.

From my kitchen to yours.....

Wash while you cook. I try to fill up my sink with hot soapy water before I start baking or cooking. I'm about 75% more likely to wash the dishes this way. It's a great way to stay neat, clean, and motivated in the kitchen. Go get 'em Tiger.

Brotherly Love

Bill has the flu. There's been stuff flying out of both ends. I'm praying for a plug.

Along with the flu we've been hit with an infestation of brotherly love. Yesterday Bill woke up from his nap before Jester. Jester was sleeping peacefully when Bill took it upon himself to wake him up. I had a stern lecture with Bill. "Bill, you have to let Jester sleep until he's ready to wake up. Why did you wake him up?" Bill said, "because I love him." What do you say to that? Bill just couldn't wait for Jester to wake up. He had to be with him that very moment.

Jester had his revenge. Bill hit the hay quite early last night. Drew and I were hanging out upstairs when Jester disappeared into the basement. Drew went to see what Jester was up to and well, he had climbed up onto Bill's bed and was laying right on top of Bill hugging and kissing him. Bill was a little annoyed and said, "Jester, can't you see I'm trying to sleep? Sheesh."

Brotherly love is a beautiful thing.....even if you lose a little sleep over it.

Farewell Old Friend

Bill lost a close companion today. If farewells can ever be happy then this one was. You know how you just know when a season of friendship is supposed to end? When the friendship served it's purpose and now it's time to move on? Well Bill knew. It almost seemed like the whole process freed him up a little. It was a little liberating for him even though he'd never admit it. Bill, I'm proud of you. Farewells aren't easy and yet you carried yourself with such poise and grace and integrity. Here's to 3 years of great 'suckage' and great memories.

Christmas Prep

Jolly Jester was super pumped when our Christmas tree arrived. He's all about the real tree idea. He's right - it's worth the shedding needles and the chore of watering it everyday. It's really a small price to pay to have a real live tree in your livingroom.

Bill and Jester are all about Christmas baking. Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' in that old fashioned way like a decorated sugar cookie. If you are priviledged enough to eat one of our custom decorated cookies I can't guarantee that there won't be some saliva on it.

There was some discussion going on at the table as to what is the right amount of sprinkles to put on the cookie. Bill was adament about it. You can't be stingy on the sprinkles. Jester on the other hand says it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Bill then accused Jester of just saying that because he personally wanted to consume any sprinkles that we didn't use for decorating. Ya know, I think Bill was right. Jester did consume a large amount of sprinkles.

We all know that snow removal is a big part of the Christmas season. Bill loves getting out there to shovel the driveway. Bill has this amazing quality to be enthusiastic and optimistic pretty much all the time. This really helps him out in the snow removal department. I know most people have a 'bahumbug' attitude towards shovelling.....But not Bill. All I can say is treasures in Heaven for Bill, treasures in Heaven.

As for Jester.....Well, hopefully he'll get treasure in Heaven for watching Bill shovel.

La Target Boutique

Me and my G.F.'s headed south over the border to G.F. Our first stop was Target. We were all hungry for lunch but sometimes you must sacrifice to shop. Even my 8 month pregnant sis was willing to sacrifice eating lunch and head straight into Target and that says something. It speaks of a deep commitment. Target, we pledge our allegiance to you.

If only me and my G.F.'s could stay overnight in G.F. That way we could devote an entire day to strolling through Target's isles. But no, we only had 12 hours. And Target could only take a portion of the time. It felt so unfair. I almost felt like I owed Target an apology.

So we stormed through Target's doors. We collaborated. What was our strategy going to be? It had to be precise and efficient. Then we got sidetracked by the $1.00 display. Crystal found some gift bags (and took several minutes deciding which color to buy), Heather found some cool wooden toys for the twins, Tiffany looked just plain ol' overwhelmed, and me? I headed straight to the gift wrap. You can't go wrong with a roll of gift wrap for $1.00.

I can hardly even remember what happened after that. Once in a while I would randomly bump into one of my G.F.'s while wandering through Target. "Oh hey!" we'd say to each other, "Check this out!" or "What do you think about this?" or "Should I get this?" or "You should REALLY get that." We tried to forget about the duty we would have to pay at the border. We tried REALLY hard to forget about that. And we did.

In total we spent a glorious 3 hours in Target. I felt a little rushed. I didn't get to experience everything Target has to offer. But hey, 3 hours is better than no hours.

Here's a big shout out to my G.F.'s who made my Target experience in G.F. so much fun. YOU ROCK G.F.'s !!!

Lisa Answers Some Questions

1. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be and why?
Bothwell Cheese. It's the thing I miss the most when I'm away from home. And it's kind of expensive, so it'd be a little easier on the pocketbook.

2. If you were an animal what would you be and why?

A Sea Turtle. I'd have the best of both worlds....some land and some sea...plus I'd live for a long time and I could tuck my head into my shell during awkward situations

3. If you could only describe yourself using three words, what three words would you use?

Compassionate, idealist, honest.

4. If you could be a super hero who would you be and why?

I'd like to read people's thoughts..... Could you imagine? Everyone would be so much more approachable because they couldn't hide behind their insecurities anymore. But I'd filter out any bad thoughts they'd think about me of course. That could get hard on the ol' self esteem.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Oh man, walking around for a day not realizing that one side of my nursing bra was undone.....and the time I shnartzed on a walking path but I didn't realize it was a walking path. Then later that day the 18 people I was with walked right over 'the spot'. That's a great one for Seventeen magazine.

6. What is one of your biggest pet peeves and why?
when tension fills a room...it's just so darn awkward. And insensitive people....it sucks when people get hurt, ya know?

7. Out of red, green, blue, yellow and orange which one is your favorite color?
BLUE
If you chose red what is one of your favorite hobbies?
If you chose green what is your favorite place?
If you chose blue what is one favorite memory?
If you chose yellow what is your dream job?
If you chose orange it’s a wild card and you can tell us anything about yourself!
One favorite memory of mine......climbing the agricore grain elevator with Drew. I've never been so scared in my life, but I was too in love to know better. I was on top of the world....in every sense of the word.

7 Burning Questions for Bill

7 burning questions for Bill:

1. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be and why?

Farmer Joel's Corn.....it's gotta be the best corn in the whole world...sweet as sugar and the texture...oh, it's all about the texture.

2. If you were an animal what would you be and why?

A brown cow. Then I could make all the chocolate milk I could drink.

3. If you could only describe yourself using three words, what three words would you use?

Optimistic, enthusiastic, and determined

4. If you could be a super hero who would you be and why?

"Fertilizer Bill"....I would grow the biggest corn and strawberries you've ever laid your eyes on.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

I let one rip in front of a bunch of dinner guests. It was one of those moments where you're not sure if it was too obvious and you need to say 'pardon moi' or if you can just pretend that nothing happened. I did the latter.

6. What is one of your biggest pet peeves and why?

Bread crusts.....and getting 'the wolf'. It truly is an itch that cannot be scratched. Dick Dick told me to use Gold Bond. It's the only thing that works for him.

7. Out of red, green, blue, yellow and orange which one is your favorite color?

GREEN

If you chose red what is one of your favorite hobbies?

If you chose green what is your favorite place?

If you chose blue what is one favorite memory?

If you chose yellow what is your dream job?

If you chose orange it’s a wild card and you can tell us anything about yourself!

My favorite place would have to be the farm. Tractors, dirt, corn...what more does a guy need?

I tag Crystal, Jester, and Lisa.

Jester's Been Tagged

Jester's been tagged by Crystal and boy is he happy about that.

Here are the rules: You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.) When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post and then choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

C......cuddle time. I'm soft, round, and I love to cuddle.

H.....Hero. I'm Bill's hero

A.....Anger management...something I need to work on. I'm not proud of it.

N.....Never stop havin' fun....except when I'm angry (see above).

C.....Curls. I've got some pretty sweet curls going on. My mom keeps threatening that she's gonna cut them off, but I enjoy the attention that they give me. Please comment below to support my 'save Jester's curls' campaign.

H.....Hero. Yeah, I'm pretty much everyone's hero.

O.....Oversize. I'm big for my age, but I've come to accept it. Sometimes it gets me down, but I'm learning to accept the way God made me. Besides, some kinds of food are just way too good to pass up, don't you agree?

Jester tags Noah & Ari.

Bill's Been Tagged

Bill's been tagged by Heather. Here are the rules:

You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.) When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post and then choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't' forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

P........Party Animal....nuff said.

E........Extremely Handsome.

T........Talkative.....yeah, I can talk your ear off.

E........Extremely Handsome.

R........R&R...gotta have it. All work and no play makes Bill an unhappy boy.

Bill tags Crystal and Charis

High Heel Virgin

I've never owned a pair of high heels until now. It's not like I didn't like them. In fact I think high heels are hot. But I never thought they were my style. They didn't suit me. I'm growing up I guess. I never thought the day would come, but I'll admit it - I'm starting to like womanly clothes and accessories.

Yesterday I went on a shopping trip with my favorite shopping partner, Crystal. We were in Sears. There was a 'surprise' sale going on. Bill needed some new shoes so I went hunting for him. Well, Crystal thought I needed some new shoes so she went hunting for me. She went into some back room. It was dimly lit and full of racks of shoes...you know, the leftovers. She comes out with a pair of heels. "Here Lise, try these. Size 10!" I tried them on. It was like Cinderella trying on her glass slipper. They fit perfectly. And they were actually pretty cute. The sale price was $14.99, but with the surprise sale you could take off another 40% if you had a Sears card. We didn't have a Sears card, but if you signed up for one then you could take the 40% off plus an additional $10 off your purchase. Crystal signed up for a Sears card and then used it to purchase my first pair of high heels....they were free when all was said and done. It was meant to be.

I got home, anxious to show my new heels off to Drew. I was a little nervous. I'm turning over a new leaf in the fashion department. Would Drew like it? I thought I should practice a little. I walked around the kitchen with my heels. Heel, toe, heel, toe. This was a lot tougher than I thought. Bill and Jester were snickering at me from the living room. Bill pipes up, "looks like you're REALLY trying. Try not to look like you're not trying. Those heels lose their effect when you try so hard." Sheesh, how would you know Bill, I thought. I heard Drew's truck pull in the driveway. I slipped my high heels back on and posed as womanly as I could by the door. He walked in and I said in my most high-heeled-woman voice, "Hello lovah." Let's just say the high heels went over very well (as long as I stood stationary).

This is a big shout out to the BEST shopping partner a girl could ever have. Crystal, you are the full package. We know each other's tastes. We're honest with each other - You can tell me, "those jeans make your thighs look huge," and I appreciate it. We don't ever split up when we shop. We love each other's company. We both laugh whenever we see the store 'Sirens'....wee woo wee woo wee woo. We encourage each other to buy the right thing. We give out compliments freely and really mean it. I can't wait to do it again. Love you, sis.

How about 'dem apples?

Jester is....clownish, cute, chubby, bright, talkative, redheaded, curious, emotional, boyish, hungry, thirsty, energetic, giggly, wiggly, adventurous, fearless, book loving, healthy, quarky, rebellious, sweet, friendly....did i mention chubby? I love you, man. Just counting my blessings.

Canning Confessions

I was introduced to the world of canning about 5 years ago. It's taken me until now to realize what sort of darkness is lurking around in my heart.....I hold on to my canned goods with clenched fists. I do not want to share my canning. The thought of having to share my canned goods makes my heart race a little....I get a little panicked. I would consider myself a pretty generous person, but when it comes to this I'm like scrooge mcduck.

Crystal was kind enough to come over to help me cook up a batch of liquid gold (aka salsa). She was kind enough to bring some extra tomatoes because I didn't have enough from my own garden. She was kind enough to donate her time and the use of her food chopper. And I kept thinking, "is she going to want half of the jars? because I want all of them." Seriously, how low can a human being get? Then in the middle of making the salsa we realized we were 3 cups short of tomatoes. My neighbor and I are on good terms so I quickly went over and asked her if she could spare a few tomatoes from her garden. She said yes, of course, and even gave me an icecream pail to pick them in to. On my way home I stopped dead in my tracks, "I'm going to have to give her a jar of salsa," I realized, "it's the only right thing to do." I even asked Crystal if I should sacrifice a jar to thank my neighbor for her contribution. "Weeellll," Crystal said, "that's a tough one." She knew my dilema. While Crystal and I were chopping the veggies I casually asked, "so do you want half the jars? or are you making salsa for yourself this year?" I held my breath as I waited for her answer. "I'll take a jar or two," she replied. SWEET! I thought. She wanted less jars than I had anticipated. Then I could definitely afford to give one to my neighbor.

I know what you must be thinking. And I hope you can at least respect my honesty. One motto I try and live by is, "Shine some light on your darkness." So I am shining a big spot light on this very ugly darkness. I want to change....and hopefully this is a start. I will diliberately share my canning from now own. I will hold nothing back. I will share until there is no more canning selfishness left in me.

2 Roomies - 1 Roomie = 1 Roomie

I'm down to one roomie. Jester has been our room mate for past 399 days. Yesterday he moved down the hall to greener pastures. Jester was a good room mate for the most part. It started off okay, but once you live with someone for a while you get kind of annoyed with their habits. Sometimes he would call out in his sleep or just start talking to himself. Scared me every time. He is also a habitual night snacker. Seriously, he'd be up at 1 am wanting to order pizza. Me & Drew didn't appreciate this. Who needs a meal in the middle of the night? We didn't say this to him, but we're a little concerned about his waistline. Everyone keeps telling me that he'll thin out, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Bill struggled with his weight too, but not quite like this. Pizza doesn't help the situation. Another problem was that Jester is somewhat of a light sleeper. If Drew or I would go to bed after him we had to be as quiet as a mouse. If we'd wake him up we'd hear about it the next morning. Sheesh.


So Drew and I talked to Bill. We asked him if he wanted to room with Jester for a while. Well, if you don't want to room with him, why would I want to? Bill asked. Good point Bill. Good point. So Bill and Drew got to work in the basement. Bill would have a room of his own in a few weeks. Bill worked harder than anyone. He drilled, hammered, and even tried his hand at painting. He definitely put in his fair share of sweat equity.

On the day of the big move there was excitement in the air. Bill was up early and was waiting for me to rise and shine so we could get on with the move. He handed me my coffee. Get going, mom! Said Bill, We've got a busy day ahead of us. Jester, on the other hand, was a little reserved and withdrawn that day. He takes change hard, while Bill welcomes it.

The move went smoothly. We had a little trouble putting Bill's bed back together, but we finally got it. That night I went downstairs to say good night to Bill. He was already all tucked in with a huge smile on his face. Sure is satisfying putting your own roof over your head, he said to me, I just love the smell of new carpet and fresh paint. Then I went upstairs to say good night to Jester. This isn't going to go as well, I thought. Jester was also lying in his bed. Good night, I said, I Hope you enjoy your 1st sleep in your new room. He gave me a weak smile. I will, he said, but change is never easy for me.

Change is good, I thought to myself as I walked out of his room. Drew and I were excited to embrace this change. I closed Jester's door and went into our now very spacious bedroom. I turned every light on, rummaged loudly through my dresser to find my pj's, and even sneezed outloud just because I could. Drew came running in and did a canon ball on the bed. HEY! he said loudly, HOWZ IT GOING? Then he jumped up and down on the bed and tried to convince me to join him so he could try and double bounce me. I know we're excited to get rid of our roomie, but really Drew, let's try and show a little sympathy to Jester, I said trying to hid my smile. But I couldn't help myself. I jumped on the bed and tried to double bounce Drew before he could get me. YIPPEE!

That night we all had the best sleep we'd had in long time. Jester was a new person in the morning. He was surprised to discover that he enjoyed his own space. Bill slept in longer than ever before since the basement was dark and quiet and wonderful, as he put it. He quite enjoyed that. In the end we're all better off because of the big move.