To Whom It May Concern



 

(I have a few impatient friends that would be glad to fill in the blank for me)

 

 

So......I know.....it's been awhile.  And all of you type A++'s are just antsy waiting for me to post again.  Don't you have something better to do with your lives but wait for me -- you're type A- friend???  Well....you are all in for a treat because I have just spent the ENTIRE AFTERNOON downloading photos onto this post (it takes a long time somedays) to share with you.

 

Our summer started with A LOT of baseball.  Both Daria & Carter went to Provincials in July with their teams.  All was good though because we love baseball AND we love our kids, so the two go great together.

We experienced a rain/hail/wind storm on July 2nd that blew trees down, tipped over our play structure and sent our barbeque on a tour around our back deck.  As we watched from the window in the middle of the night, it didn't occur to us to head to the basement.  In the morning, our neighbour's yard was practically destroyed.  YIKES!!!  We went later to help them clean some of it up.

 

We spent a weekend in the city with all the "girls" in our Hildebrand family.  So much fun to watch them all growing up so quickly (sniffle sniffle).

We surprised my Mom with a 60th Birthday Party with 25 of her closest friends & family.  She had NO IDEA, which was awesome because we totally thought she would have figured it out.

 

Our family worked like dogs on the hottest days this summer to build 3 new bins on our yard.  Most of the kids helped and we recruited some amazing friends to help as well.

We went camping about 4 times (2 more times than last summer).  Yeah!!!  Actually, the camper is still set up in the backyard and being used by friends again this weekend.  Love it.

We went on our annual Peace Garden tour with my family.  Always a wonderful day walking together, swimming & eating......and always ice cream for dessert.

At the end of August, we spent a day at the Corn & Apple Festival in Morden.  Ron's mom celebrated her birthday the same weekend, so Ron gave her the ultimate gift........sharing a ride with her on the "Spin Out".  She was so excited and all the grandchildren (& their friends) watched as their cool grandma rode their favourite ride.

Asha enjoyed the big Pirate Ship for the first time too.

Carter got to ride his motorbike A LOT with friends of our's from New York.  Their family lives just down the rode and the boys spent hours on the fields between their house and our's.  We will miss them!

We finished combining our fields of "hailed out" wheat & canola (see description of storm above).  Daria even learned how to drive this year (I may be out of a job soon).

And then it was back to school.  All 3 kids go to different schools this year. That's going to be different.......but positive & exciting!

Asha - Grade 3

 

Carter - Grade 7

Daria - Grade 9

 

Come back soon (don't count the days though, Lisa-s)!!!!!

 

{from the farm},

j.

 



unveiling of my new baby...finally

i recently purchased a new camera.
a canon 60D. 
i love it!
getting ready for the next big photography event (crop and cruise 2012 -- hawaii).
i even sewed a new camera strap, which i will share another day.  funky!

having lots of fun photographing my kids at baseball games, swimming, around the yard & special events such as my nieces graduation!!!

lots to share in the next few days.....it's been waaaaayyyy too long!

later gators {from the farm},
j.

something new

....got something new on the weekend.
Can you guess what it is?

{from the farm},
j.

cowboy up birthday girl

Today Daria celebrated her 14th birthday. 
She is the one who made me a "mom" for the first time.
She is definitely a spark in my life and I feel completely blessed to have the priviledge of being her mom every single day.


We celebrated on Monday by going out to her Auntie Buffy's farm and riding horses.


I hadn't realized that Daria had never riden with her auntie (what a neglectful mother I am).  My younger sister is an Animal Health Tech at a Vet Clinic and a pro with horses.  I totally stand in awe of how good she is with them.  She always has been.  I've tried.....really, I have......in the past......to (pretend) to love horses, but I just can't get myself over the fact that they are huge & powerful & beyond me.  But, Buffy.........she's the perfect one to teach Daria how to ride.

So.....we went for the afternoon and Daria & Buffy had a fantastic time riding in the pasture.  Buffy even had Dare doing some barrells.......all-be-it very slowly.

I love this photo of Buffy with one of her horses, Sue.  What a beautiful moment.  There is something in Buffy that lights up whenever she is around animals.  This is definitely something I wish for for my children too.

This, on the other hand, is totally staged.  Buffy had to go back to the house to get another set of reins (I won't share with you "why" b/c I promised her).  Anyway, she asked me to hold onto Sue....yes, just her lead rope, so she wouldn't go anywhere.  I think I prayed the whole time that Sue wouldn't even move.  She's HUGE!!!  And, frankly, although I think she is one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen.............I'm a little intimidated by her.  I'm more into the size of, let's say.......St. Bernards & Great Danes (that's my limit)......oh, yeah.......and little horses named Roger.

So.............thank you, Buffy, for giving my daughter the love of horses, and a birthday she will never forget.

{from the farm},

j.

new stuff

i recently went to one of my favourite shops (just an hours drive away) and purchased some new scrap products.  i didn't even get a chance to put them away.  they went straight onto these two layouts.  i added a few older products that i had in my stash (can't pick favourites, y'know), and VOILA.......

title: Back Then
journaling: i remember you sitting here when you were younger; a bruised knee, or swinging with excitement.  It now seems a lot easier back then.  Now...it's a time out, hormones or alone time.  When you're ready.....come talk to me.

title:  There are times
journaling: always love the lovin' times.


enjoy your day.
{from the farm},
j.

have birds.....will fly.

Here's a few *new* little feathered friends that I have around the house these day.

I found the yellow (circle) little owl at the vintage store in Morden.  I think I paid about 4 bucks for him.  He's so cute.  It's actually a vase, but I haven't put anything in yet.  Maybe some pussy willows would look good.  :)  The other little fellow was picked up at another store in my travels (forget where though).  They both sit on my orange dresser in the dining room. 

This little guy has a slightly different story.  I had been looking EVEryWHErE for a little "something" to put the pencils in on the piano.  A jar?  A little glass bottle?  Nope....nothing i found was every good enough.  I didn't necessarily have a vision for what I was looking for.  I just knew that I would know when I found it.

And I did!!!

This little beauty was picked up from the same vintage store in Morden.  3 bucks!!!  It's totally quirky but I love it.  And it's doing its job quite nicely.

I want to take some photos of the cool quilting fabric I just got from the States.  Yes......I own quilting fabric.  Do I quilt?

(something like that). 

enjoying a quiet evening {from the farm},

j.

bold & beautiful

I have this set of plain ol' patio furniture, which i happen to love the rattan and we purchased it last year for our anniversary.  However, the dog & cats have done a number on the cushions whenever we are away.
So.....I'm going to recover all the cushions (well, I'm not -- there's someone in our church that does fantastic upolstery work).
I'm so excited to see what it's going to look like.

I've picked the fabrics all out and have them sitting in my office ready to send to my friend.  I purchased the fabrics here and I am loving them.
Here's where I'm using everything:

This fabric is the main [bold] print that will cover all the cushions on the loveseat and chairs.

This fabric will be on the reverse side of all the seat cushions.  Cool, eh? That way I can have some of the cushions be the bold, floral print and the other cushions (let's say the seats) be the green iron fence print.

 This Damask print the fabric that will be on the bench cushion.

 The next 2 fabrics are the throw pillows.

 I'll give you an updated photo when they are all done.

anticipating summer lounging {from the farm},
j.

back at it

scrapped again tonight.

{sigh}.

i visited one of my favourite stores today.

bought new stuff.

it had been a while.

too long.

it felt really good......to scrap; not spend money on supplies (i have too many already).

will show very soon.

stay tuned........be patient with me.

{from the farm},
j.

change

change is good.
i'm definitely the textbook definition of change when it comes to my living room.
i think i change the arrangement every month or so.
it's a joke amongst our family that ron will have his coffee in the morning on the couch and when he comes in later in the morning for coffee again, he's sitting on the same couch in a different spot.
haha.


i {heart} change.


but some people don't......i know.


today i changed the design & look of my blog.
i like the changes.
it's definitely more spring-like.
spring is good.


and recently i changed a little something in my kitchen.
i added some decor above my patio doors.
my sister cut the mdf for me and the vinyl letters.
i did the painting.
ron did the hanging.
i {heart} my hubby.
i {heart} my new signage too.

isn't it true?
life IS uncertain............so, eat dessert first.
why not?


going to do some changes with my camera soon too.
there.....now that i said it, maybe it will happen.
haha.


random thought:
wishing my niece a happy 18th birthday TODAY!!!!
wow.


{from the farm},
j.

forgotten

I've forgotten whether I have shown you these layouts in the past.  Was just checking out some photo folders on the computer and came across these.  Does anyone else ever forget about all the layouts they have created and, after sticking them into albums, they just never get to looking at them again?  That's how I've been feeling lately.  I need to get back into it again.........that is, scrapping.  I've been taking a tad of a break from it -- for no particular reason other than that I've been busy with other things................and there's play-off hockey to be watched in the evening (sorry, krista -- i hope you got a new tv).

So..........here's a few older creations, but still worth the view.

{from the farm},
j.

extra // extra

If you haven't done so already, check out the latest Spring issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  They were super great to us and featured Crop and Cruise in their "Made in Canada" section of the magazine.

And......... if you doing nothing this coming November, why not book yourself into a cabin on Norwegian Cruise lines and join us in our next adventure.  You can read all about it on our website.

 You could be taking fabulous photos like this one.

 And, perhaps be featured on the next promo poster for Crop and Cruise!!!

And...........be influenced by crazy people like this.......(yes......these would be your instructors)!!!!!!!!

So, come on -- what are you waiting for?

{from the farm},
j.

looking outside

I have been inspired by the bhg.com website lately, now that the weather is starting to turn.  My backyard is starting to green, the sky is actually blue and all my winter home decor is officially taken down (yippee).

So......thinking of painting my exterior front and back doors.

And will need to continue to work on our back patio area and living space.  We spend a lot of time outside during the summer.  Would like to spruce it up a bit more this summer.

 love the colour in the cushions and the low seating......okay, AND the lamp shade.

 thinking i need some letters for my back patio too.  :)

 hello........need some sort of heat source as well.  this looks easy.......haha.

 i have the barbeque......the cupboards....need the counter-top and fridge.

would those blinds block out the wind on the prairies?  doubt it.

too many yummy things to look at.

inspired {from the farm},

j.