happy 8th anniversary

We had a great anniversary. Celebrated 8 years.

Ray planned the whole night! I was very impressed!!

Dinner, Shakespere in the Vineyard "Midsummer's Night Dream",

and a late night walk to Tims....

I love you Ray!!

our backyard

picking apriots

flowers, strawberries

squash, pumpkin, pototato's.

dresses for kyla

great job grandma on the sewing of this dress. she'll match perfect. she really loves the daisy flowers...she said "look mom they're your favorite flowers"... she'll be perfect. thanks

Marianne, these are dresses that I think she could wear...one purchased one borrowed dress #1 with the coat on...prefer without

dress #1 without the coat on

dress #2 simple with oldschool lace shoulders. It's at MEXX if you want to see it. This is more what I was thinking but replace the white tie around the middle with the red of my dress...

I can bring both and we can decide there what do you think?

mark's wild side

recently discovered the bmx trax. a true pro the first time on the trax...loved it so much he's been back already to show off to dad and his 2nd cousin that's visiting this week.

spiderman is here

The kids at the lavender Farm

The Lavender Farm poem

I had a picture in my head that this related to. It's beauty so hard to describe in words...

A place I met God this last week.

A field of forget-me-nots in my picture, but this lavender was close enough to remember.

I sat, crouched down as she does, only my arms are wrapped around my legs.

It is peaceful all around me, yet out of my peripheral view a war is raging, one we cannot see.

I am little in this huge, huge field.

I wanted to met you in a tree God, but you met me here...

What if I stay sitting? What if I stand?

I sit. I sit in peace. I sit in the quiet. I sit with tiny blue flowers all around me.

Forget-me-not.

The lavender dries hanging in my closet to be enjoyed for days to come...

Book Club

The Peters book club has met a few times now...

The fact that I am now a reader has been recorded in this blog before. I not saying that 'cause I'm ashamed, more shocked if anything. I really appreciate that family here can have something like reading that brings us together on a different level. The more interesting part of the club, even more interesting than the discussion (at least for me) is the variety of books that are recommended each time.

This time around I have read a few books off the list before I have even got the book of choice. This time it is "Fugitive Pieces" by Anne Michaels.

I just broke the 5,500 pages mark of my reading this year which is hard to believe for me. I love it. I love the stories, I love the quiet time, I love zoning out from life for a time to dream and imagine. Actually, there have been a few books this year that I didn't want to dream as real. I wanted the historical fiction book; "The book of Negroes" to be "not historical" at all. The idea that people might have/could have been that awful made me even feel sick. Also, "The Glass Castle", made me wonder if people really don't have common sense sometimes. Could you actually drive in the back of a U-Haul van without seat belts? Then there was, "tuesdays with Morrie", that I absolutely loved. I love the thought provoking questions, the things that make you think about life and who has impacted you...or who you yourself have impacted...and there was this crazy series I read that I won't mention. I can't believe I read it and yet loved the writing and totally got hooked into what was coming next...crazy books with far fetching ideas...yet the story line can make you not want to put it down...

Amazing how stories come alive.

So to all you readers out there, enjoy your books

Our lists: (Some are repeated as people brought them back to the next meeting again)

List One:

1. The Book of Negroes, by Lawerence Hill

2. What is the What, by Dave Eggers

3. The book of the Dun Cow, by Walter Wangerin Jr.

4. Becoming Human, by Jean Vanier

5. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

6. Peace Shall Distroy Many, by Rudy Wiebe

7. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson

8. A Thousand Splendid Sun, by Khaled Housseni

List Two:

1. The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway

2. Exile, by Richard North Patterson

3. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

4. Fugitive Pieces, by Anne Michaels

5. Becoming Human, by Jean Vanier

6. tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Album

7. Little, Big, by John Crowley's

8. What is the What, by Dave Eggers

9. Sword at Sunset, by Rosemary Stutcliff

10. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

11. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

12. The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

13. Son of Laughter, by Fredrick Buechner

father's day

This year for father's day we went camping again. It was meant to be a family camping trip but only us and Ray's parents camped but his brother joined us for the last night. In the morning we took our immediate family (and Dad) to a different hiking trail than we have done the last 3 father day weekends. It was 395 stairs each way but the view was beautiful. There was many different look out points along the way. The stairs this time seemed to go up a bit then over then up again. For the last few years the hike we have done is 184 total stairs which seem more straight upward. The kids did great.

We went for a bit of a trip off the beaten path to see the some of the old remains of a water system. (as seen below). The pinoneer who built this and lived here was pretty smart for his time.

This is the pinoneers home... after the hike we wandered around

and walked through the garden and the labrinth...sort of felt silly since it's flat, but if you follow the path you will walk a mile.

As extended Peters family members joined us we played at the beach for most of the afternoon. It was a great get together and send off for Uncle Levi and Auntie Shelley, and Avery as they leave this month. We cherish the weekend with everyone together. (I guess we were missing 6 from the total of Kelowna Peters). In total I counted 37 people at the picnic.Aunt Louise got the kids playing a great game of "Duck, Duck, Goose". The fun part of watching was that there were a few that haven't quite learned how to play yet.

moving / renos again

Some people think we are crazy to start all over again but here we are. Exactly one year after moving into our newly renoed home we signed the papers to put it up for sale(march1st) move day approaching (may7th) we sold and prepared for it all over again. It was not our intention to do this one year later. We had actually aplied for a building permit to make an addition on the back under the deck but we were denied.

Before Pictures:

green stained old carpet going up the stairs...

The kitchen to be taken out...The YELLOW bathroom that will be taken out...YUCK!!

This time we doubled our square footage and now have room to do respite and give the kids a playroom. The plan is to stay here for awhile...unless God has other plans. Can someone keep us accountable??

This time around was a lot harder. We were living in the mess unstead of next door. We were offered rooms at Gramma and Grampas and took them up on it for the first weekend...thinking we could handle it we moved back home (in heinsight we should of stayed longer!).

My Dad came to help again and Dad Peters was here too. We had many hands the first demo day and periodically friends and Ray's brother poped in and helped too. very apprecated!!

This time we also didn't want to kill anyone's body. After Ray being in the hosiptial earlier in that week due to stress we really wanted to take breaks and take our time. The problem is, once you are in reno mode it takes a lot of convincing to get these guys to slow down and take the naps they need and the family time here and there.

Ceilings and walls painted, electrical updated, kitchen torn out & put in, flooring layed upstairs, dishwasher put in, wall paper removed upstairs, light fixtures updated in kitchen/dinning room and hired the carpets to be layed. I'm sure there was more but that was the major stuff...

And the kids love the new playroom...

oh, and I planted the garden.

Thanks for helping everyone!!

The boys' new look!

The men in my life were off feeling the breeze today! ...Male bonding!

Recently Ray bought a new toy for himself...and a helmet for Mark so he could come too.

He found a very well taken care of 1987 Kawasaki 454.

He came home with the biggest smirk on his face and a gleam in his eye to tell me what he had found.

A friend of ours (Dan) bought a sports bike last year around the same time that Ray sold his old bike...I'm happy for the tent trailer that replaced the old bike but I have known all a long this man loves the idea of owning his own bike and it was only a matter of time for him to get another one. Now they're both working on another friend of theirs to get one too....I think there might be a brother who would love to join if he could...(too bad he had to sell his off a few years ago)

The two guys went off riding the other day and and came back with proper jackets at least. (heard about a great bike sale)...At least I feel better knowing he's protected and being as safe as he can be

Mark has been waiting his turn to ride on the back and now loves it too!!




(neighbours friend Chris's bike is in the background, not Dan's who Ray goes riding with)

Here are my Proud Bike owning men!

Mark turned 6

I finally got around to printing and downloading some pictures off our camera. Sometimes we get so caught up in the digital world that we forget that we have to do a few more steps. We use to just develop the pictures. Now we have to download them and develop them. I guess there are lots of positives for the digital camera idea but now I've gone on and on about something so minor...

Mark turned 6 this year. I just read some of my old blogs and it seems like a lifetime ago that he just turned 5. This last year has been busy but fun to watch them grow and change.

One of my favorite memories of when I turned 6 was the big balloons that my parents and Dad's cousin (Lloyd Bartel) put up all over the wall. I couldn't help myself I had to put some 6's on the wall too.

Mark entered school this year. He entered the world of star wars, Wii, leapster, computers and so much electronics. He's mimicking his play with what he watches. Over all, 6 just seems like a different age. We have to limit the DIGITAL world that he lives in to ensure his brain is challenged and developing in other areas. I would say to balance the digital world we have our craft time as another huge part of our week ( which I don't want to see him ever loose). I love watching these guys create things...sure it's a big mess but that's all part of the fun in crafts. He best reaction for any of his gifts were between the big box of Pearler Beads and the case of tape!! Oh don't get me wrong he loved all of the gifts but those were the funniest to watch him open!! Yep, you got it, Tape. This kid can go through a roll a tape a week if he could. Any craft he makes, it's not complete until he's got tape on some part of it or completely all over it!! He could be a true Red/Green kind of kid if I didn't know him better!!

Mark's birthday party this year was only 5 friends. keep it simple.

They had a MARIO Wii party. A little tournament. Taking turns playing Mario, choosing tracks and racing. They coloured Mario character pictures and watched each other race. The kids seemed to love it. I loved it, super easy!

Mark also loves models. He got a model car for this birthday and a model airplane. Obviously a bit of help was required from Dad but the boys here sat down to work and built the car. He absolutely loves it. I wasn't sure at first, giving a boy a car and telling him it's too fragile to play with...but he gets it. It sits on his shelf and he just admires it. The airplane on the other hand, has been flown a quite a few times in the park. We had to go to the hobby shop to get a new elastic band for the airplane. You should have seen him...I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head...he was overwhealmed with excitement...so much to look at, so many options...too bad it's all too much money. I think I know where we'll be shopping this christmas!!

Thanks everyone for celebrating Mark's 6th birthday with him!!!

The Baker

Our boy is growing up and learning new things. He really loves to help around the kitchen which I love and appreciate. It's been great to see how his father was raised to be a kitchen helper too and regularly puts it to practice and now our son is doing the same...muffins, cookies, waffles, pancakes, or adding ingredients into almost anything we are making.

It was Mark's idea for him to bake his muffins and make a book about it. He takes a muffin and/or yogourt to school for snack almost every day. This way he a apart of the whole process.

He does almost everything. Actually, we've been baking together for years now and I'd say he has a pretty go grasp on the measuring now. I read the recipe and he finds most things. We still need reminders on tsp/ Tbsp. but he's almost got 1/2 and 1/3 and 1/4 and 1 cups all figured out.

One of the messy parts of the job is filling the muffin tins to the correct amount. We've learned not to lick our fingers until the whole process is done and no germs get into our food.

Putting the food into the oven will be an adult job for a while...until you are a lot older! But turning the light and watching the muffins rise is still part of the process.

An adult takes the hot food out of the oven but once cooled, Mark removes the muffins from the tins onto the cooling rack.


The best part of the whole activity is getting to EAT IT!!!!

YUMMY!.

shopping with mom

I had so much fun shopping with my mom for a "mother of the bride" dress. We didn't choose any of these but it was fun to see her in a gown.
I'm really not one for shopping at all but since this was like being apart of my sister's wedding plans I really got excited about being there as mom tried these dresses on.
Currently I'm reading Confessions of a Shopoholic which is also nothing like me. Maybe that's why I think it's so easy to read, I don't relate at all and find it interesting that people can convince themselves of wasting their precious time and money on the idea of shopping!

Thanks Mom for letting me come along with you and enjoy in the fun!!

one we like the most

other favorite