Candy land

I've got a new post that needs your opinion on my photography blog...
check it out and leave your thoughts!

click here

Blakelee's blessing

We had Blake's blessing this weekend. We were happy to have family and close friends come enjoy the evening with us.
For those that don't understand...As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we don't believe that children need to be baptized. They are not to be baptized until they reach the age of accountablilty (8 years old). However, when a baby is born there is the opportunity to say a special prayer on behalf of the baby, in which they are given a name by which they will be known on church records (same as legal given name), and ask Heavenly Father for blessings on the baby for their life. It is not a requirement, but a wonderful blessing.
Here's a picture of Blake in her blessing dress...

While my Sister Sleeps

I saw this book at the library and thought it would be a good novel to read (yes, I judged the book by it's cover). I didn't expect it to be such a thinker, but it was! Here's the authors summary...
At 27, Molly Snow is the youngest of three siblings. Feisty but hard-working, she has always been overshadowed by her older sister, Robin, an elite marathoner who is favored to shine at the upcoming Olympic trials. When Robin suffers a heart attack during a training run and fails to regain consciousness, her family is devastated.

As Molly's parents fold under the heartbreak and her brother retreats into the cool reserve that is threatening his marriage, Molly is the one left standing. By default, she is thrust into the role of family spokesperson, not only with friends and the media, but at Snow Hill, the family's hugely successful tree and plant nursery. More crucially, Molly becomes her sister's voice when Robin can' t speak for herself. In the process, she finds her own voice.

While My Sister Sleeps is more than a coming-of-age story. Taking place over six days, this novel explores a family in crisis, peeling away layers of relationships to expose one startling truth after another. Mother to daughter, sister to sister - it is a story of rising to a challenge and making hard decisions, then loving enough to let go.

I really enjoyed reading this book and pondering the issues raised, some of which are important to me, having seen these types of situations from the nurses perspective. Wills and living wills...do you have one? I am a firm believer that EVERYONE should have a living will (a personal health care directive for what you want done in case you can't express your desires and assigning someone to make the decisions for you that knows what you would want done). yes, I have one. Another issue raised, organ donation...did you know just because you check yes to being an organ donor on your ahc card, it is still up to your family to make the decision! make sure that they know what you want done (better yet, but it in your personal health care directive/living will).
This book helped me see the family side of things. So many times I don't understand why families have such a difficult time making decisions when the outcome seems so obvious (brain dead is brain dead, there's no coming back and no real quality of life). I hope that I've been a caring, understanding nurse in situations I've been in, and I hope that this eye opening book will help me even more the next time I am caring for someone's mother/father, sister/brother, friend.
I really think that you should all go to the library and read this book...

Father's Day

This is what we did for dad and grandpa's...

monday's list of things to do...

For anyone that knows me, you know that I make lists for EVERYTHING. It's the only way I can survive without forgetting something...like wipes on an outing to the park, or someone's swimsuit on vacation, or milk on a trip to Safeway! well, I've got a list of things I need to do this week, and I thought if I posted the list it would make me more accountable. (and maybe I'll work on the list rather than spend my time on facebook). so, here goes...
sweep and mop the floor (sweeping could be done after every meal, but i aim to get it done at least once a day).
laundry (it nevers ends!)
dishes (another task that never ends, my goal is to have dishes done each night before i go to bed so i'm not having to do them every morning)
pay bills
clean off the table (it seems to pile up with everything...bills, flyers, hair clips, movies, pictures, leftover seeds, and anything else you can think of)
thank you notes
update simple moments website
get kids haircuts
return books/movies to the library (maybe even watch the movies i borrowed)

I'm sure there's more I need to do, but we'll see how long it takes me to get this done. For now, I'm going to have a shower while the kids are sleeping (can you believe that all 3 are sleeping at the same time????)

Reading list

Here's just a list of some of the books I would like to read this summer...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte(I'm reading this right now and we're discussing it in book club this week)
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Stolen innocence by Elissa Wall
Any other suggestions? Ever read any of these? What did you think?

Flowers and vegetables

I've tried to plant a vegatable garden every year for the last 5 years. Some years are better than others. I've had to leave a few gardens behind when we've moved. In Okotoks we used a community garden plot. I've stuck to vegetables, because, if you know me at all, you know that I can kill flowers (any house plant) with out even trying. Last year, in an attempt to increase the "curb appeal" of our house (we were selling) I planted some flowers, and managed not to kill them! This year, in our new home, I inherited some perenials (are those the ones that you don't have to plant year after year? I never know). They grew all by themselves! It's nice to not have to worry about them (I'll have to look into what needs to be done in the fall so they keep coming back). I even planted a few annuals (the ones that need to be planted every spring?). and planted some strawberries too. We weren't sure if the garden plot would be great for this year (there were some trees blocking the sun), so we took advantage of an empty, irrigated field and planted peas, bean, tomatoes, onions and beets. Chris cut the trees down in our yard, and we ended up planting more vegetables in the backyard...potatoes, lettuce, carrots, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and some herbs. I'm excited for the harvest in the fall!

I don't know what these are, but they're pretty.


pretty sure this is one of my zucchini plants.


Garden butterfly.


these look like pansies, they came up all by themselves (I always thought pansies had to be planted year after year).


my strawberries are already blooming. i love strawberries!


I really don't know if this is a flower or a weed, but it's cool!


peonies (i've got one with a pink tinge on my table, beautiful!). these were covered with ants and my mom told me that they need the ants to bloom. i looked it up online, and that's not true (but many people believe that).


poppies??


Pansies that I did plant.


I can't remember what they're called, but i planted purple and white ones.


Iris'. they weren't blooming when i took this picture, but I love when they are blooming.


orange pansies. ryker picked these ones (his favorite colour is orange)


my garden girls. kayla loves to play in the dirt (mostly she eats it)


blake is happy to sleep in the sun! (for now)

I'll try to remember to post pictures of the vegetables as they grow.