Party Prep!!

So my oldest son is having a birthday next week, but because his birthday falls on a weekday, we are having his party this weekend. I think I might be biting off more then I can chew....we are having about 10 little ones (parents are all coming, thank god!!) over for cake and games, and the weather doesn't look like it wants to co-operate! It suppose to be Spring now, but this past weekend the temperature dropped like crazy and we got some wet snow! So now, it looks like I am going to have all these little ones in my house to play for 2 hours!! My house....very tiny! (Look at first post of April!) Keeping my fingers crossed for beautiful, warm, dry weather for his party!

He loves Toy Story, his favorite being Woody the Cowboy, so I decided to do a "Round-Up" theme for his party! I'm hoping to find some inexpensive cowboy hats and bandannas for their favors, may be checking out the local Dollar Store for those! We are hoping to do a Pin the Tail on the Donkey game and maybe a couple of other ones, like a roping the cow game and pony races, mind you , most of those games will work the best if they are done outside!!

I am planning on making his cake for him, and since I've been experimenting with Fondant and different recipes, I have big plans for his cake. Taking my inspiration from Woody's clothing, I am hoping to do a cake with the bottom layer in a cow print (like Woody's vest), and the top tier in a yellow with red stripes (like Woody's shirt), then I was going to write out "Happy Birthday" in blue (like his jeans)! I even went so far as to draw it all out and color it in with my pencil crayons!

I have to admit I was kind of lazy and didn't do up invitations for this one, just posted an Event on Facebook...this would have been a great time to do a very Western themed card, but maybe I'll save that idea and do that for thank-you cards instead!!

Retiring "Frankie".....:(

I'm a little sad these days. My poor car, "Frankie" as she has come to be known, is no longer running very well. She's been sick for a long time and it's gotten to the point that she is costing more to repair, then what she is worth.... financially that is. But she worth a lot to me.....emotionally.

She was my very first car, I've been the only owner and have had her for 10 years....nothing spectacular, just a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. But she was mine! She meant independence and freedom, new adventures and new memories. I remember the day I drove her home from the dealership, all by myself! I had my favorite CD on in my new stereo...at the time I think it was Sarah McLachlan's "Solace", and I was driving down the highway with the biggest grin on my face with the song "Vox" loudly reverberating from the back speakers. I was such a proud momma in that moment, and I can remember it like it was yesterday.

She has been back and forth across Canada on a few different occasions and has never failed me. My mom and I came to Nova Scotia the year after I got her and we loaded her up with all the possessions of ours that she could hold and started out on the week long drive to move us from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia. My mom, just recently ending a 20 year marriage, and me, a new high school graduate staring at a new unsure future. Months after our arrival in Nova Scotia, she would take another drive back across Canada to Saskatchewan, with my mom and dad so that they could try to work out their relationship. I got a phone call shortly after that 4 of my friends had been killed in a terrible car accident and I flew "home" to Saskatchewan. After 3 weeks of tears and sleepless nights, my mom and I headed back home to Nova Scotia in my dear Frankie. She has been in Nova Scotia ever since.

She was there when I met Jonathan, and we used her for our first dates and adventures to beaches, and long drives on the shore. We spent hours sitting in her and talking, getting to know each other, falling in love with each other. She was there the day we got married, she picked up the flowers for our bridal party, and brought my groom to our wedding location. She brought us, the honeymooners, home as a married couple for the first time. She was there as we went back and forth from my mom's place, to our new home, and helped transport renovation supplies, and later on, our possessions as we moved into our new home.

A couple of years went by, and she was the one to take us back and forth to Dr.'s appts. and after 9 1/2 long months, she brought home our first born son. Two years later, she would do it all over again as we welcomed home our second son.

Age started taking it's toll on her, as well as the salty roads and salty ocean air. Rainy days were not friendly to her and the cold and dampness of the winters chilled her to her bones as much as it did us. She has a bad case of the "rusties", and has had brake work and transmission work done several times.

I feel like I'm betraying her and failing her by buying a new vehicle, but I know that we need something more reliable, to handle my growing boys and make us feel safe. She's been a great member of the family, but it's time to say good-bye to her.

I'm gonna miss her! :(

Spring is here...let's hope it stays!

Easter weekend has just passed, and we had nicer then normal weather (at least for this time of year). It was +20C everyday and we were able to get a good start on the backyard.

We've been living in this house for almost 7 years now, and are just getting around to fencing in the backyard. With 2 dogs and 2 growing boys, it was time!! We are very cramped for space inside, so it made sense to go outside and improve out there with the weather finally nice! Of course as I say that it starts to rain and is suppose to stay that way for the rest of the week! At least it's not snow! (Shhhhh....I didn't say that out loud!!)

Like I said above, our house is very small. It's a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom house...with 4 people and 2 dogs living in it. It's what we can afford, so it's what we have, but it is in desperate need of work. The 2 exterior doors need to be replaced, as the sills are rotting out from under them, and the ants seem to be enjoying that. We have replaced some of the windows, but there are several more that need to be gone, not to mention the mold that has appeared in the bathroom due to lack of ventilation.

We are hoping the weather stays nice so that we can get some renovations done this year and make our VERY small house as user friendly as possible. We hope one day to sell and purchase something where my husband and I can have our own bedroom, and not have to sleep in the living room! I tell everyone that "It's like Loft-style living, except....not."

I complain about the inside of this house an awful lot, and I know it gets to my Husband, but I really can't imagine living anywhere else at the moment. It needs some work and we are willing to do it, and our view is amazing! It's just gonna take some time...after all, it's been 6 years and we are just starting really!