Good News!! (but a little more work for you...)

Remember my very FIRST blog?

• The one that holds all of my archives from March 2005??
• The one that I was not able to post to after November 2006 because blogger wouldn't allow me to?
• The one I made "private" for privacy reasons??

Well, I am pleased to announce that after 3+ months, blogger has heard my cries for help! I am able to publish my posts on that blog now!! The major plus will be I will have all my archives in one spot...and, more importantly, I will feel safe & secure in bloggerland once again. I have seen one too many scary & threatening anonymous comments lately on some of the blogs I read and they reminded me once again why I switched my blog to private a while back.

I really am not trying to confuse & lose my readers! Hopefully this is the last time I have to change my blog address. If you are a *NEW* reader of my blog and I have not yet invited you to read Under Our Tin Roof then please send me an e-mail and I will send you an invite. I love meeting friends through blogging, so I hope to hear from you soon!!

If you have ANY questions at all, or if there are problems with signing in to www.underourtinroof2.blogspot.com - where I will continue blogging, please let me know. Thank-you for your understanding! I look forward to you joining me as I continue to blog!!

My e-mail address: amberfly00@hotmail.com

(please note: those are two ZERO's after amberfly)

Celebrating Life

The article below is my submission to the blog challenge sponsored by Art Bookbindery, "Empowering Writers to Self Publish."

Original post date: January 2, 2006

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My precious Hailey,
Days like this I want to remember forever.

I love how you walk over to me and lift up your arms and say “mum mum mum”. When I pick you up you wrap your little arms around my neck and rest your head on my shoulder….not just for a quick snuggle. You are still for longer than usual and when you are satisfied, you want me to put you down so you can run along and continue playing with your toys. Days like this make the tough days seem miles away.

I love how while we are playing on the floor you climb on me and rest your head on my back. How you talk in your “I love you” voice and rub my hair with your hands. I love when you come to me and put your baby soft cheeks close to mine and open up your mouth to give me a kiss. Times like this make me feel so loved and appreciated—it’s like you are thanking me over and over for being your mom.

I love the sweet giggles that I hear when you are being playful and the teasing way you hold out a toy for me to take and then pull it away. I love your silly squinty eyed smile that you turn around and give to Daddy & me while you are pulling CDs off the shelf. Or when you walk out of the room and poke your head back around the corner to see if we are watching. When we make eye contact and start coming after you, you squeal with delight and walk away fast, with your hands up and waving in the air…the fastest getaway you know.

I love when we hear Daddys truck pull into the drive way and I tell you “I think Daddys home” and we go to the window so you can look out. Your big inquisitive eyes open wide as you watch for him to come into view on the sidewalk. Then your eyes light up and a big smile comes across your face as you see him. I put you down on the floor and you make your way to the enterance door. When Daddy opens the door, he crouches down and you walk up to his open arms and he picks you up and you give him your biggest hug, and rest your head on his shoulder as he hugs you back.

I love the way you snuggle with me when you are tired and drinking your bottle at the end of the day. Your big blue eyes staring up at me and one of your hands reaching up towards my face. I love the way you take your one little pointer finger and reach up so carefully to feel my eyelashes, or to play with the strand of hair hanging down, or to just trace your hand lightly over my face. As your eyes start getting droopy, I love leaning down and rubbing my cheek on your forehead. Times like this make the long sleepless nights worth it all.

Hailey, I thank Jesus for blessing me with a beautiful daughter like you. 10 months ago when I had my 1st look at my sweet sweet baby girl, I could never have imagined the joy you would bring to our lives. Days like this I want to remember forever.

every kids dream

This past weekend Raquel, mom, Auntie M & I went to the Wonderful Wedding Show. It was a really informative & productive day, as Raquel booked her photographer there and found numerous other ideas & vendors for their big day. It was at this event that I learned about the Winnipeg Baby & Kids Show coming up on February 10th & 11th. OH.MY.GOODNESS. It looks like SO much fun!! Elmo & Sponge Bob are going to be there to meet and greet, but Hailey's not really into either of them. In all honesty they'll probably freak her right out. BUT, the part that she WILL be pumped about it the performance by the Backyardigans!!! I'm just trying to get Erik as excited about this as I am!! It looks like there will be plenty to do and see at the show - educational seminars, play structures and inflatable bouncy rooms, and many exhibitor displays with free samples & coupons. As I was browsing through the list of exhibitors I found Babymoon Ultrasound - a place in Winnipeg that offers non-diagnostic 3D/4D ultrasounds. I didn't know there were services like this! I mean, I don't think I'll be booking a $300 ultrasound package or anything, but it was fun to look through their website and see what they have to offer!

I'm really hoping to make it to the Convention Center for this show! I know Hailey would be in her glory running around in a place like this...maybe afterwards we'll even take her to McDonalds (barf.gag.ewww.) for her 1st time ever!!

I think it's funny that she's never really been to McD's! When she was 3 weeks old we went there after one of Erik's hockey games (but she didn't have anything to eat!) and one other time she had chicken nuggets from the drive thru - but she's more of a Red Lobster/Applebees kind of girl, hee hee!

Ag Days in Brandon

A couple of months ago our hubbies pleasantly surprised Sherri & I with the idea of going to the Brandon Ag Days together. It's not too often that husbands scheme & plan mini "vacations" like this, so we were rather excited. On Wednesday morning we picked up Andrew, Sherri & Emma and made the trek out to Brandon. We stopped in Portage la Prairie for lunch at Subway and the girls fell asleep for their much needed naps about 1/2 an hour outside of Brandon...typical! We went straight to the farm show and wandered around until the voice booming through the loud speakers told us it was time to leave. Emma & Hailey had the time of their life seeing all the BIG combines, trucks & tractors & being able to sit in them and press all the buttons to their little hearts content!! They were really well behaved little farm girls and loved looking at everything!

the 4 of us

While their Daddys were googling (googling = approx. 45 minutes spent in one spot) over the brand.spanking.new. Gleaner combine on display, Hailey & Emma took the opportunity to have a little picnic. Mmmmmm, goldfish directly on the farmer-walked carpet in the middle of a booth. The best kind of picnic! Hailey pouting because Emma got into the cattle trailer ahead of her. HELLO? Is there not room enough for the both of you? It's pretty safe to say that once May roles around Hailey is going to have some major adjusting to do!


The girls especially liked putting their greasy paws (& foreheads!) on any sparkling clean window they could find. Hailey took it to the next level and actually started licking the windows on a few occasions. They were just THAT clean...and I guess it was hard for them to believe tractor windows could be that clean so they had to make sure they were the real thing!!After we left the show on Wednesday we could hardly check into the hotel & get in the pool fast enough for Hailey & Emma. "Swimming with Emma" had been hyped up for quite some time in our house and Emma apparently knew what was coming too :) and the fact that her swimsuit was left behind at home by accident didn't stop her for one second! We ordered pizza in for supper and Andrew & Erik went out in the evening to get some Dairy Queen icecream to bring to their pregnant wives :) It was taking them a really long time to get back to the hotel so we were starting to wonder what was up. They eventually did come back, with 1/2 melted Sundae's in hand and it leaked out that the DQ they went to was in the mall and there were sidewalk sales going on so they looked at a few things (well, Erik looked at hockey sticks & shoes, not sure about Andrew).

Ready, Set, JUMP!

All cozy!




Sherri & I are such troopers...the next day we went back to the farm show and stayed there the entire time with our men. Even though the mall with the sidewalk sales was just across the street!! The girls (this time I'm talking about ALL the girls, not just Emma & Hailey!) grew weary of the farm show after a couple of hours of Day 2 and were SO relieved to hear the magical words "I think I've seen all I want to see." We went out to Applebees for a late lunch before heading home. All in all it was a great couple of days away!!!




"a little help here Mommy??" I think Hailey thought me helping her climb the ladder up to the combine was more important than taking the picture, hee hee.

Hailey Mercedez

I know that Haileys Grandma Jo & Grandpa who are out of the country are probably getting sick of my last post (and a few others - ahem, SUZANNE, no I am not STILL eating bacon & chocolate milk!!) and wondering where the pictures of their granddaughter are staying!

Well, here are a few pictures of Hailey today, dressed in her Sunday best.

Looking so tall!

Hailey spotted a nail that is too long. Seriously, she always lets me know when it is time to clip her nails! She's just like her mamma that way - when they go beyond the finger tip they are FAR too long!!

This is what happens when you try too hard to get a nice smiley face...





just one silly picture after another!

just throwing this out there...

• Isn't it gross that it's nearly 11pm and I can't stop eating Maple Leaf Turkey Bacon and can't get enough chocolate milk??

Long Distance Kisses

Listening intently to her favorite far-away-voices!

Last night Hailey got to make a special phone call to her Grandpa & Grandma Jo. They have been gone for over 2 weeks and there are about 6 weeks left (but we aren't trying to keep TOO much track of that...) Hailey is funny when it comes to the phone. She was completely pumped to call them, but then when she hears their voice on the speaker phone it's hard to get a word out of her. I decided to take some pictures so that E's M&D could see what she looks like while she is talking to them. The facial experessions tell it all! Hailey was listening so closely to our conversation that she fell off the chair and smoked her chin on the table on the way down. She didn't really cry at all - I don't think she wanted to miss anything!! Towards the end of the phone call last night Hailey was feeling more comfortable and was breaking out in song - Jingle Bells and the Toopy & Binoo theme song were her songs of choice. Enjoy the pictures Mom & Dad!

We miss you & love you!!




This is a typical response from Hailey when her Grandpa or Grandma Jo ask her a question.

Long distance kisses

To finish off the weekend we went out to Red Lobster last night. After Hailey chowed down on Lobster/Artichoke/Spinach dip, Garlic Biscuits, french fries & popcorn shrimp (our little seafood lover, we are so proud!!) her kids meal was completed with her scoop of ice cream for dessert.

<--- Me & my lovely sister

In other "news," the apple consumption has slowed down a little in our house. Hailey has enjoyed them as much as I have, although my record is 3 in one day and her record is 1/2. I don't know when the Pink Lady apple season ends, but it will be a sad day indeed. Not only for me, it sounds like I have gotten a few other people hooked on them too ;) Delicious!!

Pocket Farkel

Yep, you read correctly....Pocket Farkel.

best. game. ever.

Mike & Martha introduced us to this dicing game and it is a lot of fun! The game (which consists of 6 dice) comes in a film container, so it doesn't take up much room at all!

Has anyone else played this game? Or heard of it?!?

Bird Cage & a few other things

BIRD CAGE!












Hailey got her 1st "real" hair cut today. I have trimmed her hair numerous times in the past but today after being at the hairdressers with Raquel, Mom & I from 10:30am - 1:30pm she wanted her turn in the chair too! Luckily there was time before the next client, so Hailey got her bangs trimmed and quite a bit taken off the back. She sat perfectly still and was so proud that she could join in the fun of sitting in the chair! Then she begged for a color & highlights like the rest of us, ha ha...right! I have never seen a 22 month old with dyed hair, but unfortunatley I'm sure it's happened to some toddlers poor pure head of hair!



Just a few more things...

• Hailey has been doing really well at going to the bathroom on the toliet. We aren't making HUGE headways yet, but progress is being made none the less. I am just waiting and wishing for the day that she will tell me when she needs to go - instead of me sitting in the bathroom with her every 30 minutes or so, but I am not getting worked up about this. It will come eventually. For now I am just happy that she isn't scared of the toliet and does have something to flush down every now & again. How CAN'T she be excited to sit on the toliet when each time she sits on the toliet (whether she goes #1 or #2 or just tries and nothing comes out!) she gets to choose a sticker to put on her Dora Chart!! Hailey is all about Dora right now and I found a really cool printable chart here. I know Patti will probably be printing one for Hannah, if she hasn't found this site already ;)
  
  
  
• Erik & I have been planning for quite some time now on spending a week in Louisianna at the end of the month to help with working on homes that were hit by Hurricane Katrina. His parents are project directors at this site for 2 months this year. Erik has joined the group from our area that goes with MDS to areas hit by disasters for the past 5 years and I have gone once before. Due to a number of circumstances I decided to give up my spot to someone who would be able to help out a lot more than I could for the week. I have been having quite a bit of pelvic pain lately and I knew the 30+ hour drive and then working for the week would be alot to handle for me right now. It was a tough decision - there were even arrangements for Hailey to spend some time with her Auntie Kristy & Uncle G for the week - but I decided it was best to opt out this year.
  
  
• Speaking of Kristy, check out her blog for some info about her *new* space on the web.



• My saddness about missing out on the MDS trip was soon turned into excitement about an opportunity for a play date with Janelle & Kamryn!! The flights are booked and Hailey & I are packing up and spending a few days in SK in a couple of weeks! Hailey often points at Kamryn's picture on the fridge and says "Kamryn! Airplane!! Mommy come too!" Needless to say we are both really excited and looking forward to our visit with these fine blogger friends of ours ;)
  
  
• While shopping the other day I went into a store to use some of my Christmas money to buy some knitted slipper-socks that I have been eyeing for a while now. Within the 5 minutes I was in the store I got complimented on: the shoes that I was wearing, the slipper socks I was trying on, my purse and my name. It wasn't just "hey, I like your shoes" it was long, drawn out compliments for each thing. Sales-people can sometimes be pushy & annoying but Erik & I just laughed at this unique experience after we left...I guess I know where to go from now on when I need an ego boost!
  
  
• My pregnancy is continuing to go well (and fast!). We are just over the 1/2 way mark!! I had a routine ultrasound on Dec.19th and it was really fun to take a sneak peek at the little life growing inside of me. They wouldn't tell us if we were expecting a boy or girl, but the profile of the face looked quite boyish to me!! I have been having a bunch of Braxton Hicks contractions lately...it was funny because the first day it happened right in the morning when I woke up and I was thinking "this can't be braxton hicks already!" but then I got a pregnancy-update e-mail that very same day that said "you may start to experience some b.h. contractions now..." So then my mind was put at ease that it wasn't entirely too early to be having them! Those e-mails sure are accurate, hee hee!! Hailey felt the baby move the other day. I told her to put her hand on my stomach so she could feel the baby kick. I don't think that was the right wording though - she felt the baby move with her hand, but I guess since she thought it was "kicking" her (usually a negative thing, right??) she moved her head back and headbutted my stomach! It was so unexpected and it actually hurt me!!! Erik & I were shocked, and don't really know what to make of that whole experience.
  
  
• Today as I was getting out something out of the freezer I noticed something a little strange. There, in the freezer, was one of my new Christmas CD's that I bought last month!! I only listened to it in the car on the way home the day I bought it and it had been missing ever since. I knew it would turn up eventually - but I never thought I would find it there!! I know Hailey didn't do it, so I must have put it in there with the food I bought that day. Well, on second thought, I think I'm going to try to blame it on Hailey :) And to that she says:

"Uhhhh! Mommy - how could you??!"

A Verse to Start the New Year

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me.

For you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long"

Psalm 25: 4-5

~~~~

This verse really struck me the other night.

Whatever 2007 holds, I want to be walking with the Lord

as He TEACHES, GUIDES & gives us HOPE.

New Years @ The Cabin

After saying good-bye to Erik's mom & dad who are down in Louisiana for 2 months (!) with MDS, we were off to spend Dec.30th - Jan 1st at Erik's grandparents cottage with my Dad, Ty & Stef, and Raquel & Darcy. My mom had to work, so unfortunately she had to stay behind this time around. The weather was absolutely AMAZING and had lots of fun running around on the lake. The temperature was hovering around 0 one day and the sun was shining. Almost tanning weather ;) The first night we were there we woke up at least a foot of light & fluffy snow covering everything! It was so pretty!

Stef, Hailey & Ty all snuggled by the wood stove, trying to keep warm. Since the cabin doesn't get used much in the winter all the power is turned off between visits. It really was colder inside the cabin than outside when we first got there. It took a good 3 hours to be able to take off our jackets & start to feel warm. Hailey's little nose was so cute all bright red, but I really felt sorry for her shivering & saying "Mommy, colddddd, Mommy!"

While we were all shivering inside, Erik was the smart one - doing stuff outside. Through a frosty window you can see Erik snowblowing paths on the lake - he makes trails from the cabin onto the lake and then to each fishing hole. He had to redo all of his paths the second day after the dumping of snow we got! He has fun doing it though, so I don't think he minded too much.

After it was warm enough to feel our fingers S,T & I started a game of Phase 10 to help pass the time of feeling frozen.


It's so cozy reading at the cabin -- feeling the warmth from the wood stove and hearing the crackling of the fire is the best!!














Raquel & Darcy showed up around 11pm and ordered everyone to go into the living room. They came in holding their hands behind their backs. Ice Caps for everyone!! They were so delicious - and tasted as if they were straight from the drive-thru window. They kept them the perfect temperature on the 1 1/2 hour drive to the cabin.

The path to the only functioning bathroom at the cabin. Thankfully there are special "rules" for going pee at night...it was a little harder for my bulging-bladder-pregnant-self to wait until night each day to use the bathroom but I did ok. The cabin has no running water in the winter so Erik has to flush the inside toliet manually with lake water every morning. What a nice guy!

Hailey taking a close look into the hole - waiting for the big one to bite!





It's hard to tell, but they are in the little fort they built for Hails.

Christmas socks!!


Care to guess whose feet these are??











R & D making new tracks













Stef & Erik during a heated game of Dominoes.







Hailey found the sand toys in the boat house and found out they work just as good in the snow! Her hands stayed surprisingly warm outside - I was worried about them being too cold. When I finally took off one of her mittins to check, they were toasty warm!
Ty made this game of tag in the snow. You can only run on the lines he made. Does anyone remember what this game is called?? We used to play it in elementary school. Darcy got quite the workout running with Hailey in his arms. She was squealing with delight the whole time though and loved being part of the action.

More games - Pictionary in the snow. Here is my kite. Dad's snowman

Awwww, Erik's romantic heart -- I secretly imagined that he was writting this in the sand on some far away beach, but a beautiful day on the lake is a close second ;)

We celebrated Stefanie's birthday on the 31st with candles in the Mexican Casserole I made for supper.

Hailey running out to check one one of the holes. She loved being out on the lake, and got right in there!!

"Yep, looks ok Daddy!"

Scooping out the slush...

Oh yes, and just in case you were wondering, Ty was the one wearing the fancy socks. Who would have guessed it??!

(they were Stef's socks...thank goodness!)