More work

Random pic of Winnipeg when we got home on the 17th... can't believe it's been 2 weeks!

I can hardly believe it's almost June! Soon school will be done for the year and summer will be in full swing. I remember being told how time seems to moves so much quicker as you get older, but I never believed it till now. May just flew right by!

Sleeping has gotten interesting. Baby is moving a lot when I go to bed. Last night he/she was kicking so much Chuck was able to feel it again, lol. Woke me up once too... hoofed me right in the bladder, lol. Guess baby wanted more room? At least I dont have to get up too often. My dreams are affected as well... they wake me more than anything.

Lately I feel like a workaholic. All I want to do is get things done. I was going to mow again, but things felt a bit wet, and then it's so much harder to mow, so I decided to wait till things dry up again. I'm making daily to do lists... and I'm making them too long. I hardly have enough time in the day before Chuck comes in. I need to stop working myself so hard... but I want to do so much. Weird how that is. Plus, things are taking a bit longer than normal to do. My belly isn't too big yet, but it makes things awkward, and I'm finding bending down more difficult to do. If it doesn't require a lot of "up and down", I'm fine. Even tying my shoes is more akward than I ever remember, lol. Guess I'll be wearing sandals or flip flops in the last month or two! It's summer anyway!

I worked on organizing my crafts today. I have them all organized now in a rollout 5 drawer plastic unit and 6 plastic bins, with some stuff in other "recycled" containers. It took me 3 1/2 hours... I'm so glad it's done. I'm not going to mark it off as finished in my 101 in 1001 though until it's stored in the room designed for it. I need to put the shelves up in my workshop, then I can put the craft supplies in there like I want!

I baked again today... Chuck was asking me to, lol. So, I made some brownies. Funny how after I make something like that, I don't really want to eat it. I wanted strawberries for dessert instead... lol.

Have a great weekend!

#80: Keepsakes

Today I finished up with the keepsakes. I worked on it for 2 hours the 28th, 4-5 hours yesterday, and about 1 hour today... just finishing up everything. I had lots of keepsakes that I just didn't bother going through, just chucking in a Rubbermaid bin. This task involved more than just going through the keepsakes however... since they were located in the office closet, I decided to go through the whole closet and finally get Chuck to trash all the papers in the old binders (some from his high school, others from 2002 when he graduated from the Ag program, there were papers from his 4H program, from his Tech Vok schooling, and so on). So, we now have 5 or 6 large piles of stacked papers ready for the recycling bin... which included various papers from my university as well. I figured most of the stuff there I could look up again online if I needed it.

So, we kept all the binders with stuff to keep from university (and any textbooks) in one shelf area... instead of the shelf plus 3 drawers. Now I have all 4 drawers filled with empty binders, duo tangs, presentation folders, etc. Perfect. I just ran out of binders! :)

With the extra binders, I was able to better organize the keepsakes. All the ribbons and pins went on card stock, I labelled them, and they went into the sheet protectors as well. The binder holds all those items plus some of my old school projects. Some items I had as souvenirs I just took pictures of and now have those items ready to go to a garage sale. Also, any keepsake items that were located in other areas of the house are now housed in that one bin.

I will be placing everything from that bin on a shelf in our bedroom... once the closet has shelves. The closet has been measured, so I know what I need, but now I need to get them. I also figured out what I need for frames for our diplomas, and how I will be displaying them in the office area when we redo the living room to include the office later... whenever that happens... ;)

Anyway, now I'm done! Yes!!

#79: Organizing Cards

Yesterday, the 29th, I managed to finish organizing the old Christmas/Birthday/misc cards that I've been saving for ages. There are 4 binders:

One 2" binder is for Christmas cards prior to the end of 2007, organized into protector sheets. One sheet is for cards prior to marriage, one is for cards from friends, one is from all my acc friends (received in 2007), one is from family, one is for any homemade cards we've received, and one is for photo cards.

Another 2" binder is for Birthday cards prior to the end of 2007. There is only one sheet for Chuck's cards (he didn't keep any prior to marriage), then there are 4 others for mine; one from parents, one from grandma, one from family, one from friends.

The 3rd 2" binder is for "Other" cards prior to the end of 2007. One sheet has Thank You, one has Sympathy cards (from the miscarriage) and Baptism cards (from my baptism in 2000), one for my grad cards, one for Chuck's grad cards, one for pen-pal letters, one for Encouragement cards, one has all cards I gave Chuck, and another for all the cards Chuck gave me.

The 4th binder (1") is going to be for 2008 cards. I just have one sheet in there currently, as I will be finding a different way to organize these cards properly. Right now it holds cards from Easter (from all my acc friends) and anniversary cards.

I managed to go through the cards and trash a number of them. If I didn't know the year, had multiple cards from that person, the card had no extra writing in it, or some other reasoning, I would trash it. The Christmas cards were pared down quite a bit, mostly because many of them were just a basic card with a name in them. So difficult for me to get rid of any, to be honest. However, the method I've used for organizing so far lets me pare things down even further later on if I decide to change my method. :)

That's my blurb on that. It took a lot of time. I started organizing on the 27th, ignored it on the 28th, and finished on the 29th with trashing and labelling. Now they are back upstairs in the bedroom, where I plan to put all our keepsakes eventually... when we put shelves up in those closets!

Till later! Whew! One more down, 99 to go...

Thoughts on Dreams

"I am the vine; you are the branches" John 15:5

I've been loaded with all sorts of strange dreams/nightmares lately. I've always had rather vivid dreams, many super strange, many realistic, most full of color. My latest dream really spoke to me again. It was of another miscarriage scare.

I've had many like this to some degree during this pregnancy, and I'm not suprised. Each one has been the same in one respect. I see blood, I get upset, I pray. The earlier ones were filled with more panic and "Lord, you can't let this happen" type feelings, but the prayers were very real, praying I won't miscarry, praying for protection, then knowing deep down I was keeping this baby. Each time I would then hear God say to me "don't worry, this is just a dream" and then to prove it He'd wake me up.

Anyway, I've had many dreams in the last while of being alone. Not that there is nobody else in the dream, just that they aren't there for me, or I can't get ahold of them, or I can't call out to them for some reason when I need help, or something of that nature. My other miscarriage dreams were of me at home. Not this one. I was somewhere 'uncomfortable'. I remember seeing a lot of blood, wanting to call Chuck but being unable to, asking for others around me (all faces I recognized, knew and loved) to pray for me and having them say "its too late", or "your overreacting" or pretty much ignore my need for prayer completely. While one such person was going on about some problem they were having with a game of theirs, I completely ignored them and started to pray on my own... knowing deep down that I couldn't in fact be miscarrying. I got a confirmation kick, and woke up once again.

Now all of this may just seem like strange ramblings of weird dreams. I believe it was something more. While in devotions this morning, God asked me a question that I felt was directly linked to my dreams of the last week. "Am I enough?" I had to think about it...

I was scared. God has blessed me richly with my family and friends, a loving husband, and a little baby. Admitting to myself that God was enough was like saying it's ok to take all these people away from me. I thought about it, and it took awhile to realize that yes... God IS enough. In fact, everything I have is because of God. If He chose to remove people from my life, I'll be ok. If my whole world fell apart, I'll still be ok... because He is enough. Granted, I don't want any of that to happen, I'd feel terrible. However, the realization that even if it does, I'll still be fine, is actually quite calming.

I'm learning more and more to trust Him. He's been giving me so much to think about in our times together, and He's teaching me to trust. If I have doubts, that's fine, as long as I bring them to Him and allow Him to show me His truth. He loves me no matter what. I'm His. He created me perfectly, exactly the way He wanted to. I just have to trust Him. Nobody else will be able to help me with the things I am currently facing. Nobody else knows exactly what I need. So, I need to pray, to listen, and to trust.

If only it was easier.

Shopping

This last weekend was great! I love garage sales, and went to a couple on my own on Thursday. I found a number of baby things and got them for cheap. I got a few undershirts for baby, some tupperware spoons and forks (2 each, 25cents total), 5 pair socks, a hat, some burp cloths with bears on them, a carseat winter cover with velcro flap (it has farm animals on it... so cute), nursing pads, and a few gender neutral clothing items for just over $8.

On saturday I went to more garage sales with hubby and got a couple more items for under $1 total. I was also asked to be the "pregnant lady" in a photo shoot by a friend of mine. I'm not sure what the shoot was for... lol. All I know is I was supposed to look pregnant (which isn't too hard now) and wear a pink shirt. Then we went to Shoppers which was having a sale and a 20x the points offer when you spend $50 or more. We got a set of Safety 1st baby monitors for 1/2 price (on for $25 from $50) that had two recievers. It's very basic otherwise, two channel options, battery recharge light, volume control, that sort of thing. Nice set. Then we also got the Safety 1st 30 piece hospital set for $20 (reg $40). I heard the thermometer in the set isn't too great for a baby, so we may have to purchase a different one, depending on how we feel this one works. In all, I'm pretty happy with those purchases. As a bonus, I got an extra 10,000 Shoppers points! That equates at least $15 free... depending on the points level.

I'm super stoked about the sales we saw at Old Navy. I got two ribbed tank tops (one white, one blue/green), a pink tank (with adjustable thick straps... nice), a blue top with cap sleeves (it has white trim... real cute) and a pair of white really airy pants (kinda seethrough... we'll have to fix that) for a total of $40. And at Thyme... they want $45 for one tank top! I like my sales. I need to go through my clothes again and pack more items away as I can no longer wear them.

Yeah, so that may all sound super boring, lol, but I'm so excited about it! I just find it so funny how lately I want to go shopping for purses and shoes... things I never cared for in the least! Oh, and other accessories like jewelry and scarfs, hair things... I don't know. It's just plain weird! Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll say I hardly wear the stuff. My fave pair of shoes has been my runners, and for the longest time I'd have one purse and only buy new when it falls apart. Now I'm actually wearing some of the fun flats I bought last year, and longing to step into my cute heels... lol. It's crazy.

Anyone up for shopping?

#42: Create Recipes blog COMPLETE

Yeah! I finally did it! I started the 23rd and managed to finish it up today. Now all my recipes are on one convenient blogspace. I haven't done much to organize them yet except by the date I made them (dates are posted on the title), but eventually I hope to add different categories for easier browsing. Since there are currently 15 recipes total, I don't think it's necessary yet. I will post when I've done it though as the list of recipes expands... which I'm hoping it will. I also put a poll on the site, so take a look. It can be found here. I hope to update the poll monthly for now... perhaps biweekly or weekly depending on how many answers I get.

I'm just so excited to finally have one of my 101 in 1001 list items completed!

EDIT: I have now added "Pages" that sort the recipes out in 4 segments: Sweets and Snacks, Meals and Sides, Healthy Recipes, and Breads and Muffins. Some of the recipes will "double up" as they fit in more than one category.

Back to 101 in 1001
Visit Sab's Cookbook

Yardwork

I've been itching to get yardwork done... but I'm afraid I won't be able to do much this summer. Being pregnant really takes the breath right out of me. I mowed the lawn today, and it was much more difficult than I remember it ever being. I will need to take care of a lot of the garbage on the yard... much of which was knocked from the trees during the windstorms during winter... the remainder being dragged on the yard by the dog. Hopefully I will be able to at least do some yardwork... at least enough to keep the yard in decent shape... but I probably will need Chuck to do the pushmowing. I'd try to do it in two different time slots, but I hate only half finishing and having to go back. Sigh.

Otherwise, I really want to level out certain parts of the lawn as it will make mowing easier later (right now it's terrible), and plant grass... maybe even sod as planting last time didn't work... I still have dirt in many areas. I want to fix the fire pit too so we can use it again... and remove annoying branches and dead trees. Planting hedges would be nice as it would "clean up" certain edges of the yard and require less mowing between trees and clipping with scissors. All will make my job easier... but require so much work first. And money! I can't believe how much dirt costs, lol. I don't think I'll be bothering with flowers or a garden until I can get this stuff done.

Anyway, that's my thought on the day. Hope you all have fun planning your yards and working outdoors once again! This weather is beautiful!

#18: One of 5 dairy meetings

This is one part of item #18 in my 101 in 1001 list.

May 21, 2008
I went to a dairy meeting with Chuck in Saint Claude. It included a tour of a Dairy Museum which I found quite interesting. The butter churns, milk/cream seperators, model of the largest dairy in 1930's, pics of farms in around the area, etc, all very interesting. The men working there had lots to say, one used to work in a butter "mill", and showed me the pasteurizer and the way they cleaned it, how it worked, etc. Also the huge butter churn in there, and how they packaged the butter in boxes. It was quite interesting! I'd suggest going if you are ever in the area. The farm tour was also nice. It's great to see other farms and how they do things in their own barns, their feeding systems, etc. Then the meeting went on to talk about averages in different variable and fixed expenses, reasons some had really good or bad numbers, and so on. The conversation was great, and it's nice that I can actually join in on some now. The farmers are all very informative with so much to tell you. I love it.

101 in 1001

I saw Crystal's 101 in 1001 list in her blog Pearls and Peridots a while back and decided I'd love to do one myself. So, I did!

Doing 101 tasks in 1001 days is kind of like doing New Year's resolutions... just larger tasks over a 2.75 year period, which allows for better planning for things like trips and large renovation projects. I thought it sounded great, so I'm doing one! Not only that, but I love lists and goals.

Click here for more info.

My 101 in 1001

I will italicize the items that I'm currently working on.

My Start Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
My End Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Environment
1. Start recycling program in house (finished 1/08/2008)
2. Start composting (finished june1/2009)
3. Clean up garbage in ditch by house (finished april22/2010)
4. Put up a clothesline to use in summer (did June3/2010)
5. Go for a nature hike (finished nov8/2009)

Family/Relationship
6. Set a monthly date night (follow through 4 months) (finished may9/2009)
7. Go to the zoo (did may10,2009)
8. Picnic in a park (did Aug2, 2009)
9. Visit a museum (finished Sep6, 2010)
10. Visit The Forks with another couple and purchase something there for fun (done jan17/2010)
11. Go camping with another couple (finished 17/08/2008)
12. See a live concert(finished 22/6/2008)
13. Watch a ballet/musical (did may9, 2009)
14. Work on a puzzle together (done jan3/2010)
15. Have a candlelit dinner (feb 13, 2010)
16. Have our own “sleepover” in front of TV (did Dec24, 2009)
17. Play a new game together (finished january2009)

Farm/Business
18. Go to 5 Dairy/Farm meetings or seminars 5/5 (21/5/2008, 28/8/2008, 4/2/2009, 4/12/2009, 13/1/2010)
19. Start using printable cheques on AgExpert (finished aug24/2009)
20. Learn how to work the AgExpert Payroll, and do so (done 12/mar/2010)
21. Do farm historical analysis for 2008 (feb 10, 2010)
22. Set up a mini “farm plan” method to implement each year (finished 30/4/2009)
23. Start family farm meetings (to occur quarterly) (done jan12/2010)
24. Clean out garage/storage behind/above garage (done jan17, 2011)

Financial
25. Put at least $300 in savings each month for 4 consecutive months (finished 15/01/2009)
26. Start an RESP (finished may 2009)
27. Track cash spending... 3 months at least (finished 7/08/2008)
28. Save up for new washer/dryer (finished 28/02/2009)
29. Create a coupon-managing book (finished 12/06/2008)

Giving Back/Community
30. Bring baked goods to someone (5/5) (feb 14, 2010)
31. Donate to at least 3 organizations(CRFC 12/6/2008, UM 2/2/2009, 30F 3/2009)
32. Help with a play (finished Nov 28 2010)
33. Donate to a food drive (did Christmas 2008)
34. Make Christmas shoe boxes each year (2/3) (finished early Nov 2010)

Health/Fitness
35. Have one full month of no sweetened beverages (feb 12, 2010)
36. Set up a weekly workout routine and follow (2 months) (finished 1/1/2009)
37. Track weight/fitness goals (2 months) (finished 1/1/2009)
38. After birth, get back to pre-pregnancy weight (finished 13/11/2008)
39. Try 10 new recipes (finished 12/1/2009)
40. Go for walks together twice/week for 2 months (finished 21/07/2008)

Hobbies
41. Update blog at least once/week for 2 months (finished 23/07/2008)
42. Create a recipes blog (finished 26/05/2008)
43. Make 10 homemade gifts (finished 24/12/2008)
44. Finish wedding scrapbook (finished 5/8/2009)
45. Edit 3 more wedding pics(03/06/2008, 28/8/2008, 17/3/2009 finished!)
46. Start a scrapbook for 2003-2008 (did 5/9/2009)
47. Bake a wedding cake (finished 27/11/2010)
48. Finish writing second book(finished 27/8/2008)
49. Finish publishing first book (finished 06/2/2009)
50. Publish second book (finished 26/1/2010)
51. Create website for published works (finished 28/5/2010)
52. Redo children’s book and publish it (done 15/Mar/2010)

House/Home
53. Repaint upstairs hall (finished 17/06/2008)
54. Finish upstairs hall trim, banister, and add trim extras to stairs (finished 17/04/2009)
55. Baby room: paint, put in rug, trim, furnish, decorate (finished 19/09/2008)
56. Put up workshop shelves (finished 2/7/2008)
57. Redesign how to renovate main floor and basement (finished 21/12/2009)
58. Renovate office
59. Put up dining room curtain (done 30/12/2009)
60. Make kitchen curtain (finished feb4,2011)
61. Display 5 more photos on walls (finished 23/01/2009)
62. Fix fire pit area (done Sept9, 2010)
63. Level out yard (finished 24/07/2010)
64. Remove dead trees from yard, (done Sept30 2010)
65. Plant hedge around yard (did 19/5/2009)
66. Grow a garden (finished July 2010)
67. Re-varnish/stain deck (finished Aug10, 2009)
68. Carry out new cleaning plan 3 consecutive months (finished 19/08/2008)
69. Wash carpets
70. Have a garage sale (finished 11/7/2008)

Learning
71. Start to learn to play guitar by fiddling with it 20min/day for 10 days (finished jan 2011)
72. Try knitting one item (finished June24/2010)
73. Take a dance class (sept-nov 2010)
74. Learn to do yoga (finished end 2008)
75. Design/create a digital scrapbook kit with 4-6papers and 6 elements (finished Feb4,2011)
76. Learn to play ocarina (done jan18/2010)
77. Take a cake decorating class (done 22/mar/2010)

Organizing
78. Organize craft supplies into “seal-able” boxes, and store (finished 3/7/2008)
79. Organize old cards (finished 29/5/2008)
80. Go through keepsakes, store properly (finished 30/5/2008)
81. Organize Deep freeze with deep bins (feb 11, 2010)
82. Create daily to-do lists for one month straight
83. Work out a one-month meal plan (finished 28/8/2008)
84. Put all necessary computer files on disks, organize/label them into binders (finished sept8,2009)
85. Organize warrenties/guides into binders (finished 27/07/2008)

Spiritual
86. Have a Winter Family Day... (finished Feb3 2011)
87. Read through the entire Bible (finished 11/May/2009... within a year!)
88. Do 3 separate 1-week TV/movie/internet fasts (tv June 2-8 2008, tv/internet April 5-12 2009, tv/internet Jan11-18 2010)
89. Sing special number or be in worship team 5 times 5/5(Finished!! 13/7/2008, 16/10/2008, 22/2/2009, 3/5/2009, 12/7/2009)
90. Go to a prayer conference (feb 2, 2010)
91. Go to a worship service (finished earlier, but blogged for nov28 2010)

Just For Fun
92. Host a Star Wars Marathon/Party (finished 30/8/2008)
93. Host a Nintendo Party (finished Nov5, 2010) also click here94. Host a bonfire (finished Oct1 2010)
95. Go to 3 different local festivals/fairs (3/3) (finished Aug28 2010)
96. Go to 3 restaurants we’ve never been to (3/3)
97. Read 5 new non-fiction books (5/5)
98. Go to an anime convention (finished 17/07/2010)
99. Visit the library (finished June 2009)
100. Get a massage
101. Create another 101 in 1001 list (finished Jan25, 2011)

98 down, 3 to go

Hooray

I'm so super happy! I got a lot accomplished today... including a 101 in 1001 list, which I will post later, but I managed to clean the house and do the laundry like normal, and we made burritos for supper. But that's not why I'm so thrilled! Leroy was able to get the pictures off our SD card! So, I still have all my pictures! They are currently on photobucket and can be viewed here.

Anyway, that's my hoorah of the day! Hope you all have a great day.

Midday Mini Meal

Today I had my first "craving". I REALLY wanted a Cesar salad and bread sticks from Pizza Hut... didn't happen. Anyway, I then saw a breakfast sandwhich and wanted that... probably wanted something biscuit-y or something. Anyway, I didn't feel like making biscuits, so I wanted to find something else to make.

I wanted something with veggies and egg... (and biscuit). So, I scrambled an egg and added 1/2 cup of veggies (cauliflower and broccoli), added a piece of cheese, and ate a slice of toast... with a 1/2 glass of milk. One serving veggies, one of breads, one of milk, and almost one of meats. Pretty rounded out snack/mini meal, I'd say. I just hope I have enough room to eat supper in 3 hours.

I noticed something else... baby loves to move a lot when I first wake up, and when I'm about to go to bed. Time changed once we got home as we are going to bed "later" and getting up "later". So, baby starts moving earlier in the evening and morning. Its kinda funny.

Another thing, I'm trying to work on my writing again. I visited my Aslans Mane page and looked at my interactive story once again, surprising myself. It's been a long time since I wrote it, and I forgot how many different scenarios I put into it. If you want, give it a read at http://aslansmane.bravehost.com/Interactive%20Story/story1.html. I also updated my baby wish list which is accessible through the link at the top of my blog (just click on the lily pie ticker).

Hope everyone has a great day.

Post-Trip

We're home. I'm glad to be home. Trips are great but it's always wonderful to get home.

The trip there was full of... disappointments. We missed our first flight so were put on the next one 1/2 hour later, the computers were down so they messed things up and it took awhile to get us on... (we got to the airport AT the cut off time due to many varied reasons... cost us an extra $300... NOT a good way to start). Then the flight had a stop in Toronto, so it was two flights to Montreal, the first of which made me feel not so good. The other one was fine. Got to Montreal and found out that we needed to get a taxi to bring us to the airport the next morning when we were told we had shuttle service... but it only started 1/2 hour later than we needed it to. An extra $15 cost (not much... but by now I was already upset and crying). Got a rash from flying... how, I don't know. The flight to Dominican had me behind some guy who doused himself in cologne... sickening. I held a towel over my face for most of the 4 hour flight. The movies were nice to watch though. Then, we get to our hotel to find out that we have to wait 4 hours before we can check in... and it was 30C with high humidity making it feel like 40-45C. I felt horrible and wanted to turn around and go straight home.

Things got much better when we got our room though. It was beautiful! We were on the third floor (I don't mind stairs) and the high ceiling made it feel amazing. The A/C was nice. The power went out our first night there however at around 2 am... I noticed cause I had to pee, and couldn't turn on any lights so had to feel my way to the toilet. We kept the room reasonably cool till they had the power running again 18 hours later. It was a major cable that fried. They had the generators keeping the water pumps going and the main area too... on lower power of course. There were a number of people really annoyed, but I think most understood the situation just fine.

The resort was beautiful, the staff kept everything so nice and clean... the beach was gorgeous... I don't like the vendors much, but they didn't bug you if you politely said "no". Chuck got heat stroke our second or third day... but he felt better shortly... I forced water into him. The food didn't agree with us... till we realized it was the cooking oil, so we stayed to the raw fruits, yogurts (no eggs for breakfast), and breads and seemed to do ok. It all tasted great though! Too bad they didn't use canola oil, lol. The pizza was excellent (cooked in a stone oven).

We didn't buy any souvenirs except for one petrified wood item (a sea lion) from ocean world (we went and it was a blast). We saw the sea lion show, the bird show, the shark show (that one was hilarious as the trainers were just so funny. They played on the whole killer shark thing like crazy. They all had one shark in the water that they'd lift on the people who wanted to do the shark encounter, and each had a name. The one guy, during the time they flip the sharks so you can see their bellies, decided to blow on the female shark's belly like you would to a baby, then he "danced" with her, it was hilarious), and my fave, the tiger grotto. The tigers were so gorgeous. I got lots of great pics. They have in the grotto a pool people can swim in that has windows right next to the the tiger pool. The orange one came right up to us and there was literally just a pane of glass between me and the tiger. He was SOOOO CUTE! I wanted to hug him. They have gorgeous eyes!

I also really enjoyed the aviary. My fave part there was the lovebirds, as we were given food and then they would flock to your arm and you'd have 15 birds on you. One was on my shoulder and seemed to think my hat looked tasty, lol. Chuck looked so cute with one on his shoulder too. We also did some snorkelling. They have a "coral reef" in glass that you can snorkel in, and so I snorkelled for the first time ever. It was great! Oh, and all the stuff we did was included in admission which was $55/person. Unfortunetly we missed the dolphin show as there was only one, and we were taken on a tour we were promised would take 20 minutes (40 mins before the show would start) and we got back 10 mins into the show so only caught the last 2 minutes. Sigh. I got to see the dolphins otherwise though!

We managed to join in on some of the resort fun too! They had games and water aerobics every day, and in the evenings a show (one for kids first, then for everyone else). We were part of an "ice breaker" for one of the shows. They got 5 couples on stage to play "rum, rice, whiskey" where when he said "rum", you dance with your partner, then on "rice" you switch partners (and he'd say rice so often so quick you'd hardly find a partner before you were rushing to the next), and "whiskey" means run to your original partner as quick as possible. Last couple together would lose, and the rest would continue. We were the third couple, and when the guy saw that we were still there, he was suprised that I was able to do so, lol. When we first got up in the line he patted my belly and said I'd have to "keep it slow" and not jump around, but to the next girl he said "you can jump though", lol. It was fun. Then there was the morning water aerobics, which I joined in on Friday. It was GREAT! Then Chuck actually joined the fun games that day too! It was a water balloon toss to their team member in the pool. Their team won.

There were a few disappointments, as there always are, but overall a great trip. Very relaxing. My belly grew too. Some of the girls noticed as well. I couldn't wear my non-maternity shirts that I brought closer to the end of the week.

I would post pics but somehow the card isn't working. When we went through security at Puerto Plata, we figure something messed up the card's ability to transmit the data currently on it to the camera... doesn't work on the computer either. The pics are still there as the memory card is full, but they aren't accessible. Hopefully we can retrieve them... if not I'll cry. I have the pics from the flight home... there was no problem in the other security checks!

Oh, we did get one real nice free souvenir... found a conch on the beach! Not something that happens often! I cleaned it real good, and we are going to give it an acid wash and laquer so it's good and sealed. It's big... about 7 inches long! I was suprised we could take it home! I'm so thankful I pressured Chuck into going for that walk along the beach on Friday, lol.

Oh, from that tour we went on where we missed the dolphin show, we got a free bottle of... I'm not sure what it is really. It's got wood and other plants in it that you put 1/3 rum, 1/3 honey, and 1/3 red wine into to soak for 3 weeks, then drain and add rum to it, and you sift the rum out to drink. Not gonna happen, but it's supposed to be really healthy or something. So, we brought 3 things back with us from Dominican.

So, that's a brief (ok, so maybe not so brief) account of our trip. We arrived in Winnipeg at 10:45, and were in bed by 12:30 after unpacking everything, getting ready for bed, and an hour drive or so.

The baby didn't move terribly much during the trip until it was cooler (thursday it rained and we were thankful we brought an umbrella, so it was cooler). Mornings and evenings mostly. Baby would wiggle around so we could tell it swiched positions completely from morning to evening, and then during the night again. My belly shape would be completely different morning and evening. Baby is moving a lot now! Guess what? Baby was just kicking really good and I was able to get Chuck to feel it! He's thrilled! Good swift 3 kicks into the front of my lower belly, lol. Awww!

Getting Ready

I'm looking forward to our trip... and it's only 3 days till we leave... ok, less, haha. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to post some links to the place we are staying!

Here are some links to the resort we are staying at,
http://www.applevacations.com/showHotel.do?command=showHotel&display=1&hotelCode=210483
http://hotels.bookit.com/dominicanrepublic/puertoplata/occidentalgrandflamenco/#specials

Here is a link to city info.
http://www.puertoplata.com/id2.html

I've gotten the house clean today, and worked on farm books. I will finish catching up tomorrow so I have less to do when I get back. Yesturday I cleaned the clothes iron so it will work nicely when I do my ironing Thursday, and I sewed our blanket, handwashed the clothes that need it, made the bran muffins for our trip, etc. We need to get ourselves ready for church photos today. Sigh. Tomorrow is laundry day.

Anyway, it's time to make supper! Yes! So hungry already! Till later!

Organizing Blog

I am a member of Organized Life By Design, and on my blog page there I have been writing a number of tips for organization. Staying organized is key to less stress in my life, so I find this site to be helpful. It is full of some wonderful women, all working toward the common goal of organization. You can visit my blog by clicking the link on the left of this page.


I have recently written a few tips there on the following: Garbage cans, Containers, Iron upkeep/laundry, and my most recent is Travel and Camping tips. I figured that since it's May, and camping/vacation season is upon us, I'd post the Travel Tips here as well. Brace yourself, it's a long one!


Travel and Camping Tips

Trips are fun! Need I say more? Hubby and I are taking a trip on May 9th to the Dominican Republic, and we're super excited. I have to say, trying to keep the luggage down may be interesting however. I like to pack light... I hate it when I get home and find out that there were things we packed that we didn't need, or trying to search the room when about to leave our trip to find that wayward item we're sure we packed. I've always been relatively well organized in this area, but since being preggers I've found myself forgetting simple things... so, I made a plan.

Pack Light
This is my biggest tip to anyone going on a trip. Packing light allows you to bring more back home with you. It's also nice to have an expandable suitcase for souvenirs. Also, the less you bring, the less you have the opportunity to lose.

God gave me this idea early this morning while I was doing devotions. Both Charles and myself do separate morning devotions, and then there's our together time in evening devotions. This equates in bringing 2 Bibles and 2 devotional books, plus my journal... lots of space and lots of weight. Instead, what I've done is photocopy the dates of both our devotionals that we'll need during our time away, and used an online Bible to copy the Bible readings we will both need throughout. Then I formatted everything so when printed double sided, all we will be bringing is 10 sheets of paper with my journal… major space saver.

As for clothes and shoes, just bring what you need (many items can be worn two days). If heading to a rather warm destination, wear your largest clothing there and back (normally a good idea to bring at least one pair of jeans and a jacket or sweater). Use travel size containers for soaps. If you have any pills just bring what you need in a small container (or even a plastic bag so you can trash it when the trip is done). Bring rechargeable batteries and a compact charger.

Keep Organized
To stay organized I’m going to make a list of everything I wish to pack with two checkboxes… one for “packed to head out” and one for “packed to go home” to make sure we don’t forget anything. I will also make a separate list for the carry-on bag.

To make things easy at the airport, all our papers (passports, medical records, tickets, etc) will be placed in a small folder for the carry-on so it’s easy to spot. Also, placing a bright colored piece of tape (nice and big) in various places on your checked bag will make it easier to spot when at the airport… especially since most bags look the same.

While on vacation I like to keep the majority of items in the suitcase so there is less to worry about later. Bring plastic bags to store dirty laundry in. I also create a “bathroom bag”. All toiletries and other bathroom items fit in this bag inside our checked luggage for easy mobility. A first aid kit is handy too… include band-aids, stomach relief, Tylenol, alcohol wipes, medication, salve, etc. This is best on the carry-on.

Save Money
This is key to any trip… make a budget and do not allow yourself to go over! Preparing a budget is easy enough, but it will differ greatly depending on what type of trip you are taking. Our trip is an all inclusive, so the only other costs we will have are meals on the flights and any souvenirs or excursions we go on. For road trips you must consider meals, fuel, hotels, fun activities, shopping, plus any other vehicle related costs.

To save on meals, bring your own! If you are going to hotels, stay at ones that offer a continental breakfast. Share meals. Shop at grocery stores for snacks to bring with you for on a plane as this will be way cheaper in the long run. We plan on bringing bran muffins for breakfast on flight from Montreal to Dominican, and I’m hoping to make some sandwiches for the lunch flight to Montreal from home. Non-perishables will make up the majority of our snacks; nuts, “fruit to go”, granola bars, cracker and cheese dippers, pudding, etc. Go healthy if you can… chips and cookies are great, but you’ll get much more out of a healthier fare.

The Home
I love trips, but there is always this problem when you get back home. You want to relax, but you have to put away your stuff, etc. I try to make the trip home as easy on me as possible.

Clean the fridge
Go through your fridge before you leave and get rid of anything that will go bad while you are gone. Use up what you can in the week before your trip (may mean planning meals), and anything remaining you could give to family or a neighbour to use up instead of trashing it.

Odour Elimination
I always take out the trash just before we leave. If it has to sit outside where there are animals, I make sure it is secure in a garbage can. We’re lucky to be on a farm, so we can store it in an area of the barn with the farm garbage where it will be taken care of on garbage day.
Dirty dishes are another cause for concern. The night before you go, run the dishwasher and wash any dishes. Since we will be eating breakfast before leaving, I will only have to wash the bowls/spoons and put them away that day. Makes leaving easier too.

Other
I like to make sure the house is clean and tidy and there is little to no laundry that needs doing. If so, I organize it into piles before we go so it’s easy to do when coming home. I like to organize our dirty clothes in the bags before we get on the plane home as well: darks in one, lights in another, etc. This way, all I need to do when I get home is empty the right bag on the right pile, and then I can start laundering. I always double check that everything is off (unplug the computer usually too) and the heat/air-conditioning turned down before we lock up. Making a list of things to do before leaving is a good idea as well.





Camping
Many of the above tips can go along with camping as well. However, food is always an issue. Many people tend to bring too much with them, and then there is so much more to put away later, and the chance of spoilage is higher as well. It’s a good idea to plan your meals before you go and consider how much you usually eat. For example, if you are going for two nights, plan the 6 meals you’ll need. One breakfast could be eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. Cut an egg carton and bring only the number of eggs you’ll need for that breakfast, and only bring the amount of hashbrowns you’ll use, etc. Leave the rest at home. Make your pancake batter at home. Mix your dry ingredients and put into a container, then bring the liquids measured out separately (if milk is needed for more than this, bring the measuring cup!). Only bring 4 burgers if that is all you will eat that meal, pack them in a ziplock, and do similar with hotdogs and buns.

We like to go camping often but for short periods, so I have a large Rubbermaid container with all our camping gear in it. All I need to do is grab it, pack the food, toiletries, books/things to do, and clothes, and away we go. It holds a first aid kit, ball, pot/pan/kettle, small broom/dustpan, rope/clothespins, air mattress and pump, hatchet, a small kitchen container (with spices, salt/pepper, cups, plates, cutlery, napkins), etc. All I need to grab to put in before leaving are the lighter (if you have extra, keep it in there), bedding (sleeping bags are stored with the container, as is the tent and large water container), dish soap and dish rag. Again, make a list of what you need to put in the container with everything else, as well as a list of what’s inside so you know at a glance.

I don’t unpack anything really, except removing clothes and toiletries for easy access. I keep everything in the tent (except the hatchet, and the food stays in the vehicle). Makes packing a breeze.


I hope you enjoyed these tips for travel and camping! Enjoy, and have a safe vacation!