The pile is growing by the hour. It is sort of crazy how fast things come out of the house and how much junk is in there. I don't know if you can see Ray in the left corner but it's almost chest height.
This is coffee break time. Lunch was outside on our patio today and now it's infront of the two houses. I tried making the Tim's coffee from a can but obviously not as good as going to get a real one so I've been told. Thanks to all 9 guys who worked today and the 10th who came with his van to take the pile to the dump this afternoon. Yeah for family and friends. I can't show pictures of everything but there was alot accomplished today. Wall gone, flooring out, bathrooms gutted (Karl did a ton of work with that wall of tile in that bathroom and it took 3 of them to remove the bathtub). Ceiling smoothed out and patched, kitchen painted, and a lot of electrical work. Anyways, we appreciate all the big and small jobs that everyone did and it's looking very different already. 
end of first day the living room wall is part way gone and the kitchen cupboards have been removed!! YEAH for starting a day ahead of schedual!!
This is the front enterence with nice old smelling carpet. Remember this is the same layout as our house but in reverse. The house smells a bit but I'm sure glad they didn't leave us a mess to clean up before the renos started. The kitchen was the first to go - Thanks to Ray getting the extra day off Friday. The first impression is - smelly, dirty, cat hair everywhere, old and ugly.
We are SOOO happy dad has flown in to help with all the work and lookforward to all the help on Saturday with many others coming.
mom.Some of my other favorite traditional treats are peanut butter fingers, vanilla dipped sugar cookies and poppycock. Why is it that we put all the good treats all at one time of the year? We should spread it out during the year so we don't all get a sugar high at the same time of the year. Just a thought.
There are many traditions in every family. Some having to do with food, some with gifts, or when they're opened, some with celebrations. I love it all. Even family tension could be considered a tradition - think about it...what would a holiday be with a family gathering if someone didn't cause tension at least at some point. Not to be taken the wrong way, nor saying anything about either family I'm involved it, just a thought.
As Christmas comes closer many things come to an end for the season. This fall I have been very involved in a Ladies morning out called "Take-A-Break". The committee has been a blessing of new friends, supporters and spiritual leaders. Last summer I went back to our church in Winnipeg and was sadden to know that even though I have lived here for two years I still felt like Riverwood was my home church. After prayer and discussion I realized it was my own personal involvement that makes a church feel more like "home". I was asked to be on this committee and knew that was God's calling. I knew very few of them before starting and now it feels like we've known each other a lot longer. There are around 70 ladies that come out every Thursday and my role has been the speaker coordinator. That alone has been fun and a challenge not knowing many people. I meet with the speakers before hand, and again for coffee the week before and the morning of their talk for prayer. The ladies are all in small groups around tables and that also was good this year. My table went for coffee the other night to get to know each other better outside of the Thursday morning discussion time.
Mark had a NOAH'S ART party at school. For the second year in a row Ray took the kids to the school's Halloween alternative that night. As much as we don't like this holiday the kids can at least get to dress up and go to the school's party. This way there is some candy too but not a whole lot. Somehow I didn't get a picture of Mark's caterpillar costume or Kyla as a Rabbit. She was an elephant first then decided to be a Rabbit instead for that day. I was so happy to get the Mouse costume from Dad last summer for my childhood cabbage patch kid. Here Kyla is an elephant holding her little mouse.
Although I can't say I was OK when the whole scenario occur ed, I can say that I am doing much better, and getting use to the little pixie hair cut on Kyla. It did take care of the bangs issue which we weren't sure how to deal with. Neither Ray or I like the look of bangs cut straight across the forehead so this worked well. Ray likes that there is no need for pigtails for him to do. She is still the same Kyla and as cute as ever. I probably never would have done it this short if I had the say, but it really does look good on her. She proudly tells people that "brother gave me hair cut" - obviously not affected the way I was. 
On Sunday night, while having a games night at Karen and Terry's house our kids were suppose to be sleeping. An hour later we hear them coming up stairs. Mark immediately told us he cut Kyla's hair to help her get the hair out of her face. The innocence in his voice " just think mom, now you don't have to put pony tails in her hair anymore!" There were no words to describe my total disappointment. I guess the biggest thing was that I had set a goal not to cut Kyla's hair until she was 3 years old. There was not a reason for my goal, no Samson and Delilah reason at least, just a goal to see it grow naturally. Amazingly enough there was relief under all my tears that no one got hurt; no ears cut off, not eyes poked out. We came home after having a talk with Mark about the importance of ADULTS cutting hair, it is never OK to cut your own hair nor anyone Else's without an adult helping. The next day we went to the kids haircut studio "Beaners". If you have one in your area I think they are the best invention ever for kids hair cuts!!
while the hair dresser quickly and effectively fixed her hair. She was so tolerable about Kyla turning her head, moving from one seat(ride) to another. The Beaners place has 4 different mall type rides that the kids sit on while getting thier hair cut. Once the cut is done they provide a dish full of quarters for them to ride the Hippo, car, duck, or motorbike. There is a ball pit in the middle of the shop for kids waiting or siblings to play in. The older kids - Mark's age and up have different seats - more typical to hair dressers but there are TV's with playstation (Curious George, ect...) for them to play while getting thier hair cuts. Also they have a few TV's around for a movie to be playing try to keep the kids looking forward.
