Change

Well, seeing as the boys are getting too old to have this blog be about them, I've set up a new blog.  There, I will probably post about as often as I did here, but at least I won't feel the pressure to make it all about them.  See you in the flip side!

www.belleybusiness.blogspot.ca 

Coal?

Today Stewie was trying to be helpful!  How sweet!  One of the boys was misbehaving, so he checked his stocking for coal!!  Do you know which boy?

Over an open fire...

After his visit to the fridge, Stewie aimed for a warmer activity.  Do you think this is better??

His marshmallows were nice and toasty!  

C-c-c-c-cold!

Stewie was missing the cold of his homeland, so he decided to sneak in here...

I'm surprised his teeth weren't chattering!  Kaleb has decided not to talk to him for a few days...how dare Stewie prefer coke??  I, on the other hand, am very proud!  Coke beats Pepsi every time!  What do you think?

Stewie

Let me introduce you to Stewie. 

We've adopted him.  He needed a home, so we gave him one.  The only thing is,  Stewie is not used to living with people, you know, full sized people.  Sometimes he gets in to trouble.  Especially because he is nocturnal and we are sleeping at night, so we aren't able to guide and teach him in the ways he should go.  I'd like to share some of his shenanigans with you.  But, shhhhh!  We don't want him to be embarrassed, so don't tell him about this blog series!  

Visitors from another....province!

This ragged looking duo showed up at our door, camping gear in car, for a short stay.  And what a blessing it was!  It was perfect timing to distract from the funeral and loss.  I love having friends that

 are more like family!!  Friends you can not feed, not entertain, and yet they still come back and welcome you back with open arms!!  There were no big special moments, just the easy comfort of good friends!!

The Birthday Boy!

It's Gaetan's second birthday of 2013 today.  Seeing as we celebrate twice, I've always wondered if he is now 86??  He looks awfully good for an 86 year old!!!  

What to say about the birthday boy?  We all know he is hard working, industrious, a good provider, a good dad, a loving husband....

But did you know... He can also be a wild man??  ( and though I've only heard him yell twice, I appreciate his occasional wildness :))

He has good lungs, but an even better heart, in both ways.

I have never known him to be prideful, he is the humblest man I've met.  Of course he doesn't think so, that would be contradictory.

All in all, he's one fine catch!  We are SO blessed that he was born 43 years ago!!

Oh, yeah, and if you think the cake looks good check out my food blog later today for the recipe!  It is my new favorite cake! I will definitely be making it for thanksgiving!  Mmmmm!

Summer Crafting

As is the usual for me, I've been dealing with my feelings of sadness and loss by crafting.  It's particularly bittersweet knowing creating was a connection I shared with Nicole.  So, as I strive to return to "normal", I share with you my summer crafts.  

This is my favorite addition to my decor, our summer to do list.  I wish it were under glass so I could actually check things off as we do them!!!  And here it is in the full setting:

Here are a few other little things I have put together.  Summer has always been a hard time for me to decorate, not sure why.  This year I feel I have found my groove, or sort of anyway!!

Last but not least, these three frames above the table still contain my spring pictures.  Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do for summer?

Vermont!

We are visiting Grammy for the week-end.  It's nice and quiet, and not too hot! In the evening we have watched movies, had ice cream and oohed and ashes at the sunset.  Relax au max!

Gaetan and I have also been able to chat about our plans for the fall, him being on disability, and the boys being in school.  We both feel a load is off now that we have a plan!!

The end of wisdom...

Kaleb had all 4 wisdom teeth removed 3 days ago.  Once he was frozen it took all of 15 minutes to actually cut the gum, cut the tooth, pull the pieces out and stitch the gum closed.  While waiting, Kaleb was pretty nervous, but afterwards, with the help of some drugs, he was giddy with relief!! 

Blogging on the go!!

I feel bad for not keeping up my end of the family blogging.  With 3 teens my life is busy but not as entertaining as when they were younger.  But the guilt and an iPhone blogger app have made me feel that I should give blogging a try again...so here goes nothing!!!

The Big Day!

Tomorrow the boys and I begin our foray into "Couch to 5k".  I am really excited to try this.  Excited that my boys are into the idea.  I am also nervous.  Nervous that it will be over doing it for one of us.   Nervous that it will be all me dragging the boys.  I am covering this venture in prayer and trusting that God will do with it what He will.

If you want to check out "Couch to 5k" here is the link: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Nothing much going on...

It's pretty odd to say that, given everything that IS going on. We are in the midst of major work in our house, trying to sell our house, trying to find a house, dealing with the usual and not so usual problems of multicore myopathy, and in our extended family: pregnancies, cancer, liver failure, distance (either a 12 hr drive or a 3 hr drive or a 5hr drive), and moving. All in all a lot on our plates. And I would have to say that is the cause of feeling there is not much to talk about. I guess I could talk about the character traits God is growing in us (patience, perseverance) or the medical side of our lives (the 15 doctors and the waiting and the procedures and the tests). But what I would like to be able to use this blog for is as a place to share the good in our lives, to remember our blessings and the things that are going well. So, here I go with a few unexpected blessings....

These three boys, who have been fighting a lot of late, have been forced to live in one room,and have reached some kind of truce and found a common enemy in the opposing team on NHL 2012. So much so that we are debating having them live in one room in the new house...seriously!

This bad picture (I can't open the freezer all the way because of all the boxes) is of 20 meals, ready to be popped into the crock pot so I can concentrate on other things and don't have to think about dinner for a month!! I have been wanting to try this for a long time. It is working beautifully. In the next couple of days I will post the recipes to my food blog.

These are my running shoes, I have not run in about a year. Our frustration with multicore has led us to begin running, well the boys and I anyway. We want to be ready for a September Muscular Dystrophy 5K run. We are using "Couch to 5K" and are SO excited. I know this will benefit us in many ways: we will feel healthier, we will feel more relaxed and we will feel as though we are doing something about this disease that is affecting our family.

Portraits - 2009 models.

We tried taking portraits in this wonderful location this year. Beautiful. Unfortunately we hit on a cloudy, foggy , cold day. So, although the people co-operated nicely, the weather almost defeated us. I think these pics will turn out alright with some touch-ups. What do you think?

This past week-end...

...what do you think we did?

WARNING: content may be disturbing to some readers.

For the second time EVER I am posting some gross pictures. But there is a good story to go with it, so bear with me! Josh ran (or rather hopped) up onto the deck crying he had hurt himself. I looked down and saw a white stripe down his heel. Oh no I thought, not more stitches, but when I looked closely I realized he had striped off the tan. And then it started bleeding, and bleeding. As I was trying to stop the blood flow he was arguing with Ethan about who caused the injury. Josh claimed Ethan slamed the gate on him and Ethan claimed Josh had hit the hockey net. Kaleb's solution was to go investigate!! I laughed. What was he going to find to prove either story? As Gaetan and I looked at each other and laughed, Kaleb ran around of the corner of the house yelling triumphantly. In his hand something dangled. He found the skin:

Where was it? It was on the gate. Unfortunately I missed the picture of Ethan's face at being caught.

They're In!

I am about to unveil the pictures Christine took at my dad's 60th! Are you ready?

That's my mom and dad! Nothing more to say about that.

This is the only retouched photo. At least half the work of a photographer comes after the event, cropping and touching up.

The cutest 1950's kids!

Their proud parents.

Jitske. 'nough said.

Aunty Vera and Uncle Tony. What's missing in this picture? The fake VERA tattoe with a heart on Uncle Tony's left arm.

I love that boy!

I sometimes lovingly refer to him as my first child. Jonathan was born to OUR mother when I was 9, he was cute and cuddly and my real live doll. Now he's all grown up (27!!) and I love to watch him play with my real (and other "stolen") children. I guess I make it a habit to steal people's children. In a nice loving way of course, and I almost always return them upon request. Yesterday, Jonathan played hard in the pool with my boys, splashing, swimming, throwing, being rough. Then he joined us at the table and held Lily (a pretend child of mine, her mother and father are so sweet to lend her to me sometimes). I love watching him interact with her and make her smile. Someday he will have lots of children for me to steal away. Until then I'll just sit back and enjoy this...

Things-of-the-past yet to come!

We had a 50's theme party for my Dad's 60th birthday last Saturday. It was a backyard BBQ. It was so much more fun than I anticipated. (I think most of that was who it was planned WITH ;0)) Christine came over to hone her photography skills "at an event" and her pics looked GREAT on the camera, so I can't wait to see them on Thursday IN PERSON. Here is a preview of what's to come. These were taken by my Mom's friend Jitske (also a very talented photographer), and cropped by yours truly. I don't want to give away TOO much!

Birthday boy man and his lovely wife.