I know I'm a little late with this but here are some of the pictures from Jason and Alyson's wedding.

They looked great, and make such a cute couple.














The rest of the family all looked great too. Isn't this a great family picture??



I've never thought that Jennifer and James looked alike before, until I saw this picture. What a resemblance!



I even managed to pull Cameron away from the creek long enough to pose for a picture. He looked like such a gentleman. The other three men in my life took off to look at trailers. The other picture is James, Cameron, Nathan, and Joseph. Boy cousins as Cameron says!



And this is why Cameron didn't want to go to look at trailers! He had the best time.



Uncle Bruce snuck away from the pictures to look for fish with Cameron and Nathan.

It seems that in the past 18 months I've gotten out of the habit of scrapbooking everyday. I used to try and sit down each day to do a layout ... even it if was just a quick one. Well, I don't know what happened, but I just kinda lost the momentum and now I'm lucky if I do something once a week. I really need, and want, to get back to it. I have soooo many pictures that are waiting to be done and I just keep adding to the pile. (I guess that in that regard, it's a good thing that I'm not digital or I would have even more.) I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I'm blogging now, and so are some of my family and friends and so I've been caught up in that.

Anyway, some people have been asking me to share some of my recent layouts so here are some of them.

This one I did for the Design Team at Cherished Scrapbooks. We had to do something with "5"

I really enjoyed working on this one. Isn't he such a handsome young man? I don't take as many pictures of Matt anymore because he doesn't like doing a lot of the stuff we do now. He's either at home, or waits in the car.

More later. I'm off to take some boys to their piano lessons and the grocery shop. YUCK!

We did it.

We finally purchased a new trailer. It took a little longer than I had anticipated, but we put in an offer yesterday and finalized the deal. Our only real criteria was to get a trailer that we would all be happy in and have our own space in. We settled on a Hornet. It has two bedrooms. One for us, and one for the boys. They have their space and we have ours ... and we can come together in the middle, LOL!

The boys have a dinette in their bunk room (which will fold down to another bed) so they can sit in there and play games and work on their warhammer and stuff. That will be a big improvement over me having to ask them to pack up their stuff everytime we eat a meal. And we have our own bedroom. I can actually go in and close the door have some privacy.

Here are some more pics that I found on the net. The trailer is the same, but ours has blue upholstery.

Hopefully we will get it in a week and we can begin our camping season. Not only are we moving trailers, but we will move campsites at the same time. The site we're going to is a little more private. We will be busy the first few weeks there trying to get it all set back up the way we want it, but we are really looking forward to it.

He's going to be a man soon.

John and Cameron have been very busy together installing a new satalite dish. Since the basement is finished, this proved to be a bigger task than they had anticipated. But ... Cameron was up for the task. He and John had to do some rewiring in the basement which meant going up through the ceiling, around walls, through unfinished area. Cameron worked beside John for two days to get the job done. He was happy. He was doing what he loved best, with his favourite person.

The last part of the job was for Cameron to squeeze in behind the wall, taking the wire to where the TV was on the other side. He was so up for the challenge. He loved it. John had him all taped up so as to keep the insulation from getting onto his skin. It was about this time that mean Mom came downstairs and announced that it was 10:30 on a school night and that he needed to get into bed.

Cameron looked at me and said with determination, "Mom, I'm gonna to be a man soon!"

My boy's gonna be a man soon!

Today is the day that Jason and Alyson get married

I've been in the wedded bliss frame of mind in the last couple of days. I'm happy to report that I am happily married to a great guy and we both plan on staying that way for a very long time. Our marriage is, in no way, a perfect one. (I don't think I've seen a perfect marriage yet) We've had our days when we wanted to stangle the other but we know that we are committed to what we started in November, 1987. During all the stressful times (and there have been many ... and still are) we know that we always have each other to lean on. I love him, and he loves me. It's a love that continues to change, evolve, and grow stronger each passing year. (I won't say day, because there are some days that I wouldn't admit to loving this man LOL!)

So, the question is how have we managed to stay married and in love for almost 20 years? I followed the following advice to keep my man happy (and please try not to spray your computer screen with coffee as you're reading this and trying to picture me doing these things):

How to Look After Your Husband
(This was passed on to me as a "genuine extract from a 1950 Home Economics Book". It may have been changed a little, but it does reflect the general feeling of the time.)

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return from work. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives.

Touch up your make up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work weary people. His boring day may need a lift.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are his little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up school books, toys, papers etc. and then dust cloth the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order and it will give you a lift too.

Minimize the noise. Be sure there is no noise from washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

Don't greet him with complaints or problems. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared to what he may have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair. Have a cooling drink ready for him. Offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a soft voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him speak first.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead try to understand his world and pressure, his need to be home and relaxed.

THE GOAL: try to make your home a place of peace of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Uncle David is here

...well, he was. LOL! He arrived in Ontario yesterday from Washington, DC (well, they actually live in Fairfax, VA) for our nephew's wedding. The boys were fairly excited that he was on the way. Cameron tried to strike up a deal with me that he would be able to stay up long enough to say hello to him. He arrived around 8:45 last night. Even though he was exhausted after a long, solo drive, he managed to stay awake long enough to chat and catch up for a while. Spencer was quite interested in seeing the Crossmen DVD and the white water rafting DVD (or maybe it was the food that was in front of the screen that kept him there.)

The best part was that it was just the two of us. That doesn't happen very often. I was able to enjoy some undivided attention from my brother. While I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of my family over the weekend, this was a nice quiet visit ... just the two of us.

Now he's off to visit our Grandmother who is quite ill, and then to London to see my parents until the wedding.

What a beautiful weekend. The weather was gorgeous and I had my family around. What more could I ask for??

Saturday was the shower for my nephew (well, for his girlfriend, actually) who's getting married on Friday this week. It was so nice to sit and catch up with cousins and aunts (and uncles who came to drop off the aunts, LOL). I have a wonderful extended family and they are all so dear to me. My sister (mother of the groom) is home from Calgary for a couple of weeks. David (my oldest brother) arrives tomorrow, and Stephen (another brother) will be here Wednesday. Unfotunately they will both be coming without their families, but I will cherish every minute that I get to spend with them.

My parents stayed for the weekend, so we went out for lunch together yesterday. It was very nice. On the way home, Cameron wanted me to take him fishing in the afternoon ... you know, being mother's day and all! Yeah, right! There's isn't much that I won't do for my boys, but fishing is one thing that I leave for Dad. I'll go along and enjoy being with them, and take pictures (of course) but I won't join in on the activity. Not my idea of a fun Mother's Day activity!

Spencer arrived back in Toronto at midnight last night and he said that he had a lot of fun. When we got back to the house he went in to talk to his grandmother. I loved watching him sit on her bed telling her all about the trip. At one point she said that she heard that the he was popular with the girls. He smiled and nodded. I did a double take and said "What?!?!?!?!?!" (keep in mind, this is my shy, quiet boy! ...well, apparently not on this trip!) Any further details weren't forthcoming, so I think they've been locked up in the vault!

Is it Saturday already? That's not possible. I had big plans for this week. I think I must have missed some days along the way.

Both John and Spencer are gone right now. John and his brother Dave left on Monday for England to visit their other brother Geoff. They're there for 9 days. I thought that with John gone, I would be able to get more scrapping done, but that hasn't been the case at all.

Spencer left Wednesday morning for Calgary with the Divisional Youth Band. He had to be at the airport at 5:30 a.m.!!!! That was a killer! I figured with two out of 4 gone, my work load would be cut in half. So? What happened? I have no idea, but the week certainly hasn't shaped up to be what I thought it would be.

I've had some phone conversations and in person meetings at the school trying to help Matt deal with the anxiety that he's been suffering from lately. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful, supportive high school for him. The staff truly is amazing! They are dealing with the bullying problem in the computer class. Apparently the computer teacher is on board. They are going to do one of three things: remove the problem student from the class altogether, have him still take the class but in a different room, or just make sure that he stays away from Matt. They were going to meet with the other parents and then decide what they would do. Which ever way they handle it is fine with me.

We still had some issues this week with anxiety, but yesterday was a great day for Matt so I'm holding my breath, hoping .... praying .....! Such a worry!

I did manage to finish a layout this week for an ad challenge.

This is the ad ...

and this is my layout ...

So this weekend looks like it's going to be a busy one. I have a shower to go to in Toronto. My parents are coming to town for the shower, and staying the weekend. Spencer returns at mindnight Sunday night. He's going to be so bagged for school the next day. I'm going to be bagged too!

Happy weekend everyone. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to you all!

This weekend was National Scrapbook Day. (for those who aren't scrapbookers, this is a day that celebrates scrapbooking - but I think it's just a good excuse to get together and share an addiction, LOL) Well, I didn't scrapbook at all. I really wanted to go to the Thornhill Cherished Scrapbooks store and crop with some ladies from the online forums, but since I was away all weekend last weekend, I didn't think I would even suggest the idea to John.

Instead, we travelled all the way up to Mount Forest for the day to check out some new trailers. What we saw, we liked! The price was fairly good too. Until we actually bite the bullet and buy one, I won't share any pics online, but since Saturday, our thoughts and time have been consumed with this. Hopefully we will have a new trailer on our seasonal site by the time we start up our camping season.

John leaves today for England. He, and his brother Dave, are going to visit their other brother for a week and a half. ...and before you ask, yes, he wanted me to go with him, but it just wasn't feasable as Spencer is also away starting Wednesday with the Divisional Youth Band on his big trip to Calgary. It will be nice for John and Dave to spend this time together.

Things with Matt seem to be easing up a little. He seems to be handling things a little easier. I think we discovered where some of the anxiety is coming from. There is a group of boys in his computer engineering class who are being quite mean to him everyday. You know, some kids are able to ignore it, but Matt can't ... and it's constant. I think I'd feel a little anxious about school too if that was happening to me ... let alone having a disorder which makes it difficult to understand how to relate to others and why someone might be making fun of you. The world can be a very confusing place for him. Anyway, I emailed his computer teacher, but I don't know what good it will do as he's a very old-school type and I'm not so sure that he understands the disorder. I may need to involve his SERT on this one.

The Retreat

OK so here it is Thursday and I'm just getting around to posting about this now. Actually, if you knew how this week was going for me, you'd know that I'm doing pretty good to even get to this today.

The weekend was so much fun. This was the first time that I've had a committee helping me with this and so it was great. They had a lot of great ideas and worked really hard. It all paid off in the end because it was a huge success.

Our theme was the 50s. We had 50s music, Grease playing on the DVD, 50s games, and a sock hop on Saturday night (minus the sock hop part because there was no extra room in our cropping area for any dancing!) On Saturday night, those who wanted to, dressed up in 50s attire. It was hysterical to see what everyone came up with. There was a few in poodle skirt, some in peddle pushers, two mousekateers, Lavern and Shirley, a bad girl, and a bad boy.

Leave it to Carol (my cousin) and I to come dressed like the rebels!

Cathy (who had already changed out of her costume) and Pat setting up for the popcorn and smores. Yum!

Some of the ladies playing a gift exchange game. It was a hoot!

The Committee! Couldn't have done it without them.

All these images were stolen from Michele although they aren't on her blog yet. Thanks Michele!