kid's, life and the whole crazy thing

Olympic Celebrations

2010-02-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

So on Sunday we joined in the celebration of the Olympic Torch Relay. There were thousands of people who came out to enjoy the afternoon. This is the closest our kids will come to experiencing the Olympics aside from what we will watch on TV. Seeing the torch was cool and the crowd went wild when they lit the cauldren on stage. The Olympics is a pretty huge deal here in BC, it seems like so long ago we first found out we were going to host the 2010 Winter Olympics and now we are only 3 days away. Go CANADA Go!!!

Madison turns 10!

2010-01-26T09:38:00.001-08:00

Seriously, where does the time go? I think that every time one of the kids has a birthday and of course I think back at all of the special moments and milestones that have happened and I truly can't imagine life without them. Madison is definately added to my life in so many ways, she is funny, smart, a good big sister and strong willed all of which make her MADISON.

There are a few pictures from her birthday for you to look at. She wanted a sleepover this year so that's what we did. There were 9 friends for the party and 7 for the sleepover. They were crazy, loud and up til midnight.

On the Sunday we had a family dinner to celebrate Madison's birthday and by mom's birthday (they are 2 days apart). The cake you see here was made by my dad's wife, Corinna and it is Hannah Montana/Miley. She did a great job on it! All in all it was a good birthday celebration! Here's to another great year Madison! love ya tons! mom & dad

Let's Decorate the tree

2009-12-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

The pictures are out of order but you get the point, it's time to put up the tree. As we do every year with the exception of last year (real tree) we pull out the tree and assemble it. As the tradition goes, Joe puts the tree together with the help of the kids, fluffs it out and puts the lights on. The kids and I then finish by putting the decorations on. Once that is all done Joe puts the star on, but my picture doesn't have the star on yet. Another year, same tree, new memories. Merry Christmas everyone!

My crazy little stampers...

2009-12-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

The day before I had Joe's aunt and cousin out making Christmas cards, so the next day everything was in the kitchen still. The kids had no school that day, so I broke down and let them use my ink and stamps to make cards. Let me tell you this was a big step for me to let them use my stuff, but they did an awesome job. Wyatt was a maniac stamper creating a blizzard with the snowflake stamps. Madison was a little more careful with her stamping and wanted to fill the whole card up with stamps.

Look what I can do!

2009-12-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is Riley's newest trick, aside form going up and down the stairs. She is a climber, on the chairs. She has managed to knock a chair over once when she was on it, but do you think that keeps her down? of course not. She like to get on the chair and bounce which of course causes the chair to tip over! If Wyatt is at the computer she of course has to climb up behind him and bug him, as in turn the computer off as he is playing a game. Of course he loves that, what brother wouldn't LOL!

Halloween Night

2009-10-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids before we went out trick-or-treating. Riley is a little fairy, Wyatt is Batman, Madison is Hannan Montana and the geeky nerd is my niece Taylor aka Bertha. Aren't they a cute bunch? This was Riley's first Halloween and she seemed to really enjoy it right down to doing a scary laugh when at people's doors, it was too cute. The kids had lots of fun, it was a great evening, no rain and not too cold. Now they have all come down from the sugar high and have crashed in their beds until morning.

2009-10-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Just some quick posts of an afternoon at the park with the kids. Not just any park though, it was the skate park. Wyatt has been asking to go there with his skateboard so we decided why not. Of course there were lots of big kids there doing their tricks so Wyatt just watched for a while until he got up the nerve to try it out himself. This is the first time he has been to the skate park and I think he was pretty proud of himself.

Here's Madison and Riley enjoying the swings together. Riley giggles whenever you give her a push it's so cute.

September Birthdays

2009-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here we have some pictures of Wyatt and Riley at a birthday celebration we had at the end of September. This was just a small family gathering to celebrate Riley, Wyatt and my dad's birthday all of which are in September. I don't have any pics of my dad, I guess because he wasn't blowing any candles out, oops! The cakes were made by my dad's wife Corinna, she did a great job with them! Riley really enjoyed the cake as you will see in the one picture it is all over her face.

Our new glasses

2009-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well, both kids got their new glasses yesterday, so what do I do get a picture of course. Madison has had glasses since she was 5 and these are a first for Wyatt. Madison has been wearing hers, but of course Wyatt is a different story, he needs to get used to them I guess.

Wyatt is 6!!!

2009-09-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wyatt trying on daddy's new hardhat, doesn't he look like he's made for rebar!? I guess we'll give him a few more years before we put him to work, lol.
Here he is on his new Ripstick that we gave him for his birthday. It's all he has talked about for weeks. It is the latest skateboard that the kids use, it just has the 2 wheels and they have to wiggle their bodies to keep moving. He is quite the pro at it already. As Joe says we gave birth to Bart Simpson. Wyatt woke up this morning at 6:30 and the first thing he says is "can I go outside on my ripstick?" Uh-no it's a little early don't ya think? The next pics are some other shots of him riding.

Riley turns 1!!!!!!!

2009-09-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a year since Riley came into this world to our family. She has been a welcomed addition to our family and we could't imagine life without her. She is her own little person now with such a big personality. She is probably the busiest out of all 3 children and she is the first one to walk before her 1st birthday. Here are a few pictures taken on her birthday, what a big girl! Happy Birthday baby Riley, we love you!!!!

Back to School 2009

2009-09-08T14:26:00.001-07:00

Ahhh, it's that time of year again... back to school! Wyatt was excited about it, Madison not so much. I guess for Wyatt it's the idea of grade 1 and being at school all day, we'll see how long the enthusiasm lasts. Madison is always leary about going back to school saying grade 4 is going to be too hard, but she makes it through every year. I took a few pics of the kids this morning showing off their new clothes (thank you grama!) and backpacks.

Here they are all dressed and ready to catch the bus to school.

She walks!!!

2009-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Here's Riley taking her first steps. She is walking lots now and getting pretty good at her balance. She is the first of the 3 kids to walk before her 1st birthday. Look out now, here comes trouble lol.

Family Celebrations

2009-08-24T08:12:00.001-07:00

Here's the happy couple Clay and Tammy. Tammy is Joe's younger sister and her and Clay decided to tie the knot after many years together. The wedding had a Hawaiin theme with a pig roast for dinner. I have never seen a full pig being roasted before it was neat to see.

This is Megan, Joe's niece out from Regina with her mom Debbie. Megan was one of Tammy's flower girls. Here she is with Riley.

Riley and I sharing a moment while wedding photos were being done.

Here is Joe with his sisters, Debbie and Tammy.

I was able to get a nice photo of the kids together.

This picture was taken just before the ceremony took place. Wyatt had been on the teeter totter with one of the other kids and was accidentaly bounced over the handle and hit his head on one of the screws causing a gash in his forehead up by his hairline. We made it through the ceremony with a few bandages holding everything in place and then Joe took him to the emergency room to have it checked out. They came back about an hour later during dinner with Wyatt proudly displaying 2 stitches. WE are so lucky it missed his eye, he did have a scratch above and below his eye though.

Here is Aunty Debbie bathing Riley in the kitchen sink, she got quite a kick out of having her bath in the sink.

Here are the cousins all in their jammies piling up on Megan.

Meet Jack

2009-08-08T22:59:00.001-07:00

This is Jack our samoyed husky, we have only had him for 2 days now. Joe's brother moved into a new place and they were not allowed to keep the dog so we have taken him in at our home. He is 7yrs old and very calm and relaxed. As you can see he is one big puffball who weighs a bit more than he should. We have been walking him lots already, he loves going outside. Wyatt and him are good buddies already, Joe is also another of Jack's favorite people. Madison is a little unsure about the dog, she has never really been a big fan of dogs. Jack isn't sure what to think of Riley at this point, I think all he sees is this little person coming at him full throttle so he just gets out of her way for now. Our cat Blackie hasn't officially introduced himself to Jack yet, he is still trying to figure out why this dog is in HIS house. I'm sure they will be just fine together, Jack likes cats.

Beautiful Ending...

2009-07-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is what I see tonight as I look out from our balcony on the back of the house. It is calm, peaceful, relaxing and beautiful. Just what I need after a full day out and about with the kids. They are all in bed and I take a few minutes to relax and cool down outside and this is the picture I see. The views here in BC are amazing and it makes me happy that I live in such a beautiful place. Stop for a moment and check out the view from your perch, you just might be pleasantly surprised.

It's been a long time...

2009-06-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

I know I have been a bad blogger, wow 2 months since I have posted anything. I guess my excuse is I have been busy? with moving, kids and life etc... We are all settled into our house here in Chilliwack, the kids survived 2 months at a new school and have many friends in the neighborhood to play with we hardly ever see them. They both enjoyed taking the bus to school, enjoyed the year end field trips they had. Madison went to Science World and the Trans Canada Waterslides. Wyatt went to Dinotown and Bowling, both of which he enjoyed. Riley has changed alot in the last 2 months, she is now 2 weeks from 10 months. In the last couple of months these are the things she has accomplished: rolls over, claps, waves, gives high-5, has 2 bottom teeth, crawls everywhere including up the stairs (hasn't figured out how to get down the right way), and pull herself up to a standing position whenever she can, let's just say she is a busy girl right now. I don't have a whole lot of pics to show but I will post some updated pics of the kids for you to see.

Joe's Birthday, doesn't he look thrilled!

Riley with the Birthday balloons

Birthday sparklers, so much fun!

Bathtime

Wyatt getting on the school bus, he is the one in front.

A day in the park.

New House

2009-04-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is our new house that we are moving into May 2/09, only 10 days to go!!! We are actually just one street away from my sister and her family and my mom is also living in their basement suite so we are all within walking distance. The kids will take the school bus starting in September, for May and June I will be driving them to Abbotsford so they can finish out the school year with their friends. The house is really nice, 3 levels, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and a yard big enough for the trampoline and swing set. I will miss the huge yard we had in Abbotsford and the gorgeous deck though. I was kinda sad about changing the kids school and not being with their friends though. I know they will meet new friends and everything will work out great for them though.

This is the view coming in from the front door. To the left is the den (which will be my craft room), the powder room and the living room. To the right is the door to the basement, stairs going up to the bedrooms, and the kitchen. The laundry is off the kitchen going out to the garage and it has lots of cupboards in it which is fantastic!

Here is a shot of my craft room, I just don't know how I am going to fit everything in LOL!! It has great natural light which will be great!

Here we have Madison and Joe in the kitchen. There are tons of cupboards which is great of course. We have the island in the centre and to the right there is a desk and the door to the laundry room and out to the garage. Between the kitchen and living room will be the eating area. For some reason I don't have a pic of the living room, I thought I had taken a picture but I guess not, oh well!

This is just a shot from the upstairs landing looking down. There are 2 bedrooms to the right, bathroom behind this view, one bedroom to the left and the door you see goes into the master bedroom. Every room has a great view and nice big window to see it.

Look, Look, Look

2009-04-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

Look at what I discovered can be done in Picasa 3, isn't this totally cool?!? You can select certain pictures and do them up as a collage. There are a few different choices for doing the collage and different sizes. This would be great for scrapbook pages where you want to highlight a month or year in review. I took pics of the kids from the last few months and put them all together for this one. If you don't have Picasa 3 it is a free download and there are so many things you can do with it, this is just one example. Anyway enjoy the pictures!!!

A Day at the Park

2009-04-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

We took the kids over to the park to let them run off some energy. Here are Madison and Wyatt on top of the big climbing rock at the playground, of course once they were up there it was "dad, mom help us down we don't know how to get down" They did manage to make it down on their own.

Strike a pose kids! Ya gotta love those cheesy grins when they know the camera is on them lol!!!

Riley enjoys going in the swing at the park.

Joe and Madison fightin over the soccer ball.

Wyatt our soccer player, even wearing his soccer jersey from Brasil compliments of Grama. He has never played soccer on a team, but I think he would do quite well.

Riley at 6 months old

2009-03-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here she is 6 months old already, time sure goes quickly.
Let's see at this stage she can: sit up
makes lots of sounds
plays with hands and feet
sleeps all night most of the time
eats baby food and cereal
loves her baby cookies
starting to hold her bottle
moves herself around on her back
squeals in delight
has the belly laugh
she is 20lbs and 28" long
wears 6mths - 12mths clothing already

Riley is a pretty easy going baby, although she does have her moments but what baby doesn't, right? Madison and Wyatt lover her to pieces and love to entertain her and make her laugh. You'll notice in these pictures she's not smiling. Everytime I get the camera out and she sees it she just stares into it and so I rarely catch a smile on camera.

2009-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

We have never been out to the Hope slides so Joe suggested it one sunny Sunday for a drive. Do you think we even thought about snow or cold weather there? of course not it was beautiful sweater weather back at home. Needless to say we didn't stay too long but the kids had fun in the snow. It was up to Wyatt's waist when he would sink in it. I guess we will have to go back in the summer when it is warmer and we ca venture out a little more.

Madison's Party

2009-03-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a long time since I updated so I will start back in February. Madison celebrated her 9th birthday at Twister's Gym with some friends from school. This is the third time she has had her party there, she loves it but do you think she would join gymnastics? of course not! lol It is a great place for parties if you are looking for somewhere to take the kids. You book it for 2 hours, get an instructor to play with the kids on the equipment and a room upstairs for food and cake. Here are som pics of Madison and Wyatt enjoying themselves. I have plenty of pics of her friends playing but I don't have their permission to post the pics.

I've been tagged

2009-01-29T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I was just over checking out Jen's blog and discovered that I have been tagged. What you need to do is "Click on the fifth folder in your Pictures file and post the fifth picture - then tag five other friends!" I recently put all my pictures onto disk so I don't have many pictures on my computer right now but here it goes. Big brother Wyatt (he is also posted on Jen's blog for this tagging) showing Riley how to play with the toy she recieved for Christmas

Have a great day!!!

New Blog

2009-01-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Why not check out my new blog www.time2stampwithpatti.blogspot.com I have started a business blog that is all stamping. You will find samples, and information about Stampin'Up!. I will also be offering cards and card kits for sale soon. You can also find retired stamp sets for sale and other Stampin'Up! promotions.

I will continue with this blog as well, but it will be family oriented for those of you who want to check in every once in awhile.

Have a great day!!

Madison turns 9!!!

2009-01-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

Well, today my baby girl turns 9 years old. It seems like just yesterday she was still our baby. She has grown up so much, even in just the last year. Just thought I would share a few photos of her as a baby and then a couple taken today as we celebrated her birthday.

This photo was taken at 4 weeks old. Love the hat!!!!!!

This picture is about somewhere between 6 and 9 months.

Taken January 16, 2009

After blowing out the candles!

A WHITE CHRISTMAS

2008-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

WOW!! can we say that's alot of snow? We got our white Christmas here in BC and broke all kinds of weather records. The kids loved all the snow, they were out a couple of times during the day playing and rolling around in the snow. We have about 2 feet of snow in our yard, the trees look beautiful covered in the snow and as I sit here typing this it is snowing outside again. It's funny though as I was taking these pictures I was out in a t-shirt, where else in Canada in the middle of winter with this much snow can you be outside in a t-shirt? no where I suspect. I guess now we are just waiting for the rain that is coming next week to wash this all away. The first picture here is actually our spare car completely covered in snow with only the side view mirror poking out. I hope you were all able to get out and enjoy the snow!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief look into Christmas at our house. The kids were up by 7am and were very excited to see all of the gifts Santa had left for them. They were very patient in waiting to open them though. We had to feed Riley first, then wake up the in-laws and all the time Madison and Wyatt patiently waited. It was funny, after Wyatt opened his first gift he gathered up the wrapping paper and was headed straight to the garbage can to straighten up right away.

Here's Riley with her first Christmas gift. It is IgglePiggle from a new kids tv show called In the Night Garden. She seemed to really enjoy it and was trying to hold it and put it in her mouth.

Madison recieved a Hannah Montana tour bus from gramma for Christmas, which she was very excited to get. She played with it most of the day, with her various dolls from Hannah Montana, High School Musical and Camp Rock (all disney tv movies). She is also decked out in Hannah Montana pj's. It was a Hannah Montana christmas for Maddi, from the pj's to the socks, watch, clothes, nintendo and play station game, but she loved it all.

Riley and Joe taking in all the action of the kids opening their gifts.

Have you ever seen such a sight? Our in-laws dog Murphy, sniffed out her gift and then proceeded to unwrap it her self. It was quite funny!

Wyatt is playing Santa handing out gifts to everybody. He was happy with all the gifts he recieved. There was Optimus Prime the transformer, magnetix, nintendo games and a hot wheels track.

2008-12-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

This first picture is from the beginning of Novemeber. Riley is almost 2 months old.

It's bathtime for baby, she loves having a bath no complaints whatsoever.

Joe has Riley propped up between the pillow while she listens intently to him playing the guitar.

This last picture was taken Nov 29/08 only 11 days away from 3 months old. She has grown so much over the last 3 months. Riley has grown 3" and is now 24" long, she weighs in at 15lbs and just last night she slept from about 9:30 pm to 6:00am Woohoo!!! She is a great baby with lots of smiles and coos. It seems like she is trying to pull her self into a seated position when she is in her swing or car seat.

Halloween

2008-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

I know I am a bit behind but here it is anyways...
We have Miss Hannah Montana, Mr Ironman and our newest little kitten. Aren't they cute??? Madison and Wyatt each dressed up for school parties and then we took all 3 kids out trick-or-treating at night after dinner. I must say Riley did very good for her 1st Hallowe'en, she slept through everything, I'm sure she will do better next year! The kids got lots of candy, in fact we are still eating it almost 2 weeks later!

Here we are the night before Hallowe'en picking our pumpkins out at the Apple Barn. What a great place to go for pumpkins, there is lots for the kids to do there. They are still open on the weekends until Dec 20, we may have to go in December to see if they decorate for Christmas.

BACKYARD FUN!!!

2008-11-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

We have a huge maple tree in the backyard that leaves lots of leaves on the ground, so of course it wouldn't be fall unless the kids made the leaf pile and played around in it.

Wyatt like any little boy can't resist digging in the dirt, and what better way to do it with these great trucks...a birthday gift from grampa.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WYATT ...

2008-11-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

Wyatt turns 5!!! I can't believe he is 5 already. We celebrated with a Transformer cake and his favorite gift...his skateboard!!! It's almost as big as he is.

SHOP ONLINE NOW! AT STAMPIN'UP!

2008-10-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

That's right online shopping is now available at my Stampin'Up! website. You can go to my website anytime you want 24/7 in the privacy of your own home and order your stamping goodies. The link to my website is just to the left on this page. You will see the shop now button in the top right hand corner under my name when you go to my website and that will get you started. If you prefer to have an in house party or workshop instead you can contact me about setting that up for you. Happy Shopping!!

More baby pictures

2008-09-13T22:40:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pics of Riley, with Madison, Wyatt, and daddy. Thanks to everyone for there well wishes, gifts and for the visits we had while in the hospital. My mom was a big help to us while we were at the hospital, shuttling kids back and forth to school and the hospital, thank you mom!

RILEY has arrived!!!!

2008-09-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures to start with. The first one is the nurse prepping me for surgery, you know the I.V., blood pressure, temperature etc. It was so cool we were able to watch the C-section being done on the big screen TV they had in the operating room. It was like watching a medical show on TV. When they pulled her out of my stomach it was the most amazing thing. Apparantly we were the first ones to be able to watch a delivery that way.

Here is little Riley minutes after being born. She weighed in at 8lbs 15 ozs and was 21" long. We call her our little runt as the other kids were 9lbs 15ozs, 23" and 9lbs 14ozs, 22" long.

Here is proud papa tending to his newest little one while they finished up with me in the O.R.
I look a little rough here but I guess that is to be expected after giving birth, right?

Here is a close up of our newest little angel RILEY MARIE GUNDRUM.

Baby Book

2008-09-06T22:18:00.001-07:00

Here is the card and baby book I made for Joe's niece to celebrate the birth of her second daughter in a year. The book is made with 12 x 12 double sided paper folded to make the pockets. Then you insert a card with a tab at the top that you can use to put pictures on and some journaling. Each page can be used for each month of baby's first year with a couple of extra ones at the back. A book like this could also be used as a calendar to list birthdays, anniversaries etc... If you are interested in the instructions for this book you can email me and I will get them to you. Thanks for looking!!

First Day of School

2008-09-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the first day of Kindergarten has arrived for my baby. I can't believe Wyatt is in school, it seem like he was just born. Enough of my sniveling though he did great! He just went for 1 hour each day this week to get used to it I guess. He was a little disappointed he didn't need his backpack, snack or inside shoes this week. "Mrs. Martens said we don't need to bring our backpacks, inside shoes and snack until next week mom"

The first day I stayed with Wyatt and we did the tour of the different areas of the school he will be using. First was the Kindergarten room where they recieved a cookie and licorice (maybe that was a ploy to get

them back the next day LOL. We also visited the computer lab where Wyatt was right at home playing the games they have. The library was another stop and the gym was a big hit, he didn't want to leave.

Here's my boy taking a rest at the end of a fun-filled hour. I think Wyatt ended up napping a couple of afternoons this week because "school tired me out mom".

And now on to Madison. All dressed up, such a growing girl she is in grade 3 this year, hard to believe. She wasn't too excited about going back to school because "grade 3 is going to be too hard mom". Once she got to school everything was fine though. She has some kids from last year in her class again and no homework yet so it's all good. They were doing division on the second day though, eek! So now that the first week is done we are slowly getting into some kind of routine again, although that will probably be a little harder this week with the arrival of baby. Oh well, we will make it through!

Madison had to do a few poses with her most important Hannah Montana backpack.

Hope all of you with kids in school had a great first week! Here's to the next 10 months.

RETIRED STAMPS FOR SALE!!!

2008-08-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

The following are some retired Stampin'Up! sets that I have for sale. Sales to Canadians only, cash, cheque or money order accepted. Stamps will not be shipped until cheque has cleared the bank. Please email me if you are interested in any sets and I will give you the shipping costs at that time. If you are local to Abbotsford you can contact me about picking them up at my home.

pgundrum@shaw.ca Happy Shopping!!!

Very Punny $15 You're Neat $10

Figures of Speech $20

Polka Dot & Paisley $15

Smorgasborders $15 Party Punch $15

Polka Dot Posies $20 Too Terrific Tags $15

Crayon Kids $25 Beyond the Basics $7

Sweet & Sassy $15 Love Without End $20

New House Card

2008-08-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family recently bought a new house, so I was able to put my Neighborhood stamp wheel to use with this card. The card idea is from pg 72 of the Spring/Summer Stampin' Up! catalogue I just changed the colors from that of the sample. This stamp wheel is currently available in the new Fall/Winter catalogue on page 79. There is so much you could do with this stamp.

Birthday Card

2008-08-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

This birthday card I CASED from Renee's blog Stampin' For Sanity. You will find her sample here http://reneevs.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html. The card is for my niece in Regina who just turned 1yr old in August. I used old olive as the card base, layered with rose red and then soft sky designer series paper. Stamps used were from All in the Family and Family Accessories.

Sample Cards

2008-08-12T00:16:00.001-07:00

These next 3 cards I did up as samples for someone who wants some make 'n take projects to do with some other ladies at an afternoon tea. The first card uses the Best Kind of Friend stamp set from the Spring/Summer catalogue. It is not listed in the Fall/Winter catalogue but it is still available to you.
This is the second sample using the A Tree for all Seasons from the Spring/Summer catalogue but still available for you to order.

My last sample uses the newly retired Ronald McDonald House Charity stamp set Just Like You from the Spring/Summer catalogue. There is now a new Charity stamp set in the Fall/Winter catalogue called Say It With Scallops. Stampin'Up! donates $2 from every sale of that stamp set to Ronald McDonald House Charity. I CASED this card idea from a wonderful stamping blog but I can't remember which one it was:( Any way I really liked the card, the only thing I changes was instead of using the hodgepodge brads, I used regular brads instead.

STAMPIN'UP! NEWS

2008-08-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know I joined up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator back in the fall of 2007 mainly just to get the discount on stamps that I love to create with. I enjoy cardmaking as well as scrapbooking. Well lately I have been thinking, maybe I should try and make some extra income doing something that I enjoy. My blog has been focused on family stuff only, but I may add some stamping projects every once in awhile just to mix things up a little.

Anyway the point of this post is to let you know about some fabulous promotions Stampin' Up! has going on right now. There are quite a few such as a brand new catalogue full of amazing product as well as outstanding samples of what you can do with stamp, ink and paper. You can browse the catalogue through the link in my sidebar and if you are interested in any of it or would like to host a workshop or obtain a catalogue feel free to email me at pgundrum@shaw.ca and I would be more than happy to help you out.

A few other promotions that you will find in the sidebar include select brand new stamp sets for 15% off. This is the first offer of it's type that Stampin'Up! has offered to customers. This would be a good time to start building your collection at discounted prices. This promotion is from August 11 - September 30.

You can also view the Fall Sampler which has other promotions going on over the next 6 months of the catalogue. More information can be found by clicking on the picture. Stampin'Up! has also ventured out into the area of HOME DECOR. They are self-adhesive vinyl elements you can place on your walls, mirrors, picture frames just to name a few, the possibilities are endless. So if stamping isn't your thing this is another option for you.

Lastly, there is a great deal on if you are interested in becoming a demonstrator with Stampin'Up! For $119 you can purchase a starter kit focused on stamping, home decor or scrapbooking what ever interests you. This is a limited offer valid from August 11 - October 11.

Now that I have rambled on you can go check everything out if your interest has been piqued. Have a great day!

Baby update

2008-08-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

So here is a little update on baby's arrival. I was scheduled for a C-section on September 11, but the Dr. called today to say he needs to reschedule for the 10th instead as he has changed his surgery day with another Dr. so he only does surgeries on Wednesday. Boy, was I glad they didn't make the date later that wouldn' have been good news. So that means only 29 days to go, WOOHOO!!!

The following photo was taken at 33 weeks, I look like I could pop any day! I know I look totally impressed don't I.

Latest Addition to the Family!

2008-08-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

No, it's not the baby yet! How many of you thought those were the pictures you would see here? We inherited a kitten from my sister for now. He is about 10 weeks old and was named Blackie by Wyatt. He has fit quite well into our home and the kids just love him to death. They fight over who gets to hold him, sleep with him and all that fun stuff. Blackie is good with the kids as well. So I told Wyatt, there now you have a brother and he said "awesome".

A Day at the Beach

2008-08-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the day out at White Rock with Joe's brother Rod, wife Cindy, girls Janet and Jade and their 2 dogs Dory and Murph. They just moved down from NWT so this was a first visit to the ocean for some of them. The weather was great and the kids had lots of fun playing in the sand and finding sea treasures as you will see in the following treasures. Joe's sister Tammy, Clay, son Dominic and their dog Roxy also joined us at the beach. It was a great family outing!!!

A BUSY JULY!!!!

2008-07-31T00:43:00.000-07:00

Well, July has been a busy month around here. I have added a few posts showing you what we have been up to this last month starting with the kids learning how to ride their bikes with no training wheels all the way back to Canada Day.

We took the kids training wheel off one evening and by the next afternoon they were both pros at riding. You can see Joe helping the kids out at first and then they are doing it themselves. I think the last picture says it all...they were so proud of themselves and so excited!

SUMMER FUN!!!

2008-07-31T00:27:00.001-07:00

Our 2 little fish!!! They both love the water and had such fun playing in the pool. Both have had some swimming lessons but us taking them to the local pool and having the little pool in the backyard has helped them with their swimming as well.

FAMILY NEWS

2008-07-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

On July 6th we were unfortunately informed that one of Joe's nieces was killed in a car accident here in Abbotsford. Jenilee had been working with Joe for about the last year placing rebar so this news hit him quite hard as they had rebuilt a relationship over the last year. She leaves behind her mother, father, three younger sisters and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. There is a beautiful memorial set up at the site of the crash and the city has started work on straightening out the road where the crash took place. R.I.P Jenilee March 13, 1988 - July 5, 2008.

Something positive that came out of this tragedy is the fact that all of Joe's siblings and both parents all made it out to Abbotsford for a reunion of sorts. They came from as far as Regina, Northwest Territories and as close as Hope and Mission. It was great to see them all together again after so many years and myself and the kids met some relatives for the first time which was wonderful. It was a very impromptu reunion, but one that was needed! :) Here are a few pics from our time together.

Mom and Dad with the 5 kids.

Joe and his siblings.
Madison and Wyatt with 2 of their many cousins on Joe's side of the family.

Joe with his sister and her daughter from Regina.

CANADA DAY

2008-07-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the family waiting for the Canada Day parade. The kids are all decked out with their tattoos. This has become an annual event for us for the past 5 years. After the parade we head over to Rotary Stadium for the family fun day, which the kids love!

Wyatt waiting patiently for the parade to start, doesn't he look thrilled?

Another thrilled child waiting patienly for the parade to start. You have to get there at least 1/2 hour early if you want to get a decent seat, so then you have kids asking when is the parade starting? But when they see the first sign of the parade they are happy.

Here are a few highlights from the parade. I don't take as many pics as I did the first couple years because it is usually the same stuff every year and how many pics do I need? right? We have the fire trucks, the horses, the cheerful clown (I think this lady comes every year) and of course the kids favorite float...MCDONALD'S.

Moving right along, here are some highlights from the family fun day at the stadium. There are bouncy castles, mini golf, slip and slides, arts and crafts and story time to keep the kids occupied. It really is great entertainment for the day and it is free. During the day there is also entertainment at the main stage and at the end of the day is the much anticipated fireworks display. Good fun had by all and what a long day!

Trampoline Tricks

2008-06-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

Madison in mid-air doing her flip.
Wyatt doing his flip, he only learnt how to do this in the last wekk or two and is so proud.
Joe has even got in on the action, he taught Madison how to flip last summer.
Here they are taking a bit of a break.
The kids absolutely love it when Joe gets on the trampoline with them.
As soon as he is home from work they harass him to get on their with them.

Sportsday for Madison and Wyatt

2008-06-28T22:28:00.001-07:00

Madison waiting with her team to go to the next station.
Madison in the pink hat helping her team with the tug of war. Her team won both times they were up at the tug of war, Yay!! go blue go!!

This was the first station for Wyatt, freezies and painting.
In the gym being pushed down and around the cone.
Here's Madison mid-air doing her flips.
Relay race time. You know Wyatt's Lightning McQueen shirt helps him run faster than ever! :)

The traditional sack race, Wyatt was really good at this one it must be all the time he spends on the trampoline.

Wyatt's Preschool Graduation

2008-06-28T22:09:00.001-07:00

Here is Wyatt having some playtime before the kids did there little performance. I thought this was a funny shot of him through the magnifying glass.

Here are Wyatt and some of his classmates singing one of their songs for the parents. They were all so cute singing for us.

Here Wyatt is getting his little certificate from his teachers Mrs. Jackie and Miss Amy in the background. I can't believe my little guy will be going into Kindergarten in September. He has grown up so quickly, but he is totally ready for school. He has learned so much being in daycare and preschool, not to mention having Madison teaching him things. His big thing now is trying to spell different words with the fridge magnets. He is pretty good at it sounding out the words and when you ask him how he spelt the word he gives you the individual sounds of each letter instead of telling you the letter.

Yay!!! its treat time. One of the moms made these really cool pinwheel cookies. They were a big hit with all of the children.

Long Weekend

2008-05-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

What do you do to avoid the crowds of the first long weekend? Go camping in your own backyard! That's what we did on the May long weekend. There was no way we would get a spot up at Cultus for the weekend, see we don't plan ahead for this stuff we just do it at the last minute.

Joe is putting the final cover on the tent so we can try and get the kids to bed, but it was still awhile before they would settle in for the night.

Wyatt shhhing us because his stuffed puppy was trying to sleep in the tent already.

Madison in and out of the tent.

We even had our own little campfire for roasting marshmallows and keeping warm.

It wasn't quite a full moon that night but it looked pretty amazing. We were able to do some star gazing as well and I was able to find the big dipper I think. I'm not very good at finding all the consellations up there. It was a nice night to lay out on the trampoline gazing at the stars though.

Fun times...

2008-05-16T20:20:00.001-07:00

The pictures above are from the Community Preschool event that was held at Rotary Stadium last Saturday, May 10. The forecasted rain held out on us, but it was pretty cool. The kids enjoyed some mini golf (there first time and they both managed at least one hole in one) and some face painting. There were crafts, bouncy castles, balloon animals and free lunch among other things there. Apparently this is the 5th year they have done this event.

They say it was 29 here in Abbotsford today and will be the same tomorrow. Quite amazing considering it is the long weekend. Usually the first long weekend is rainy but not this year. So I figured I better get some kind of water toy to keep them cool. It wasn't long before the kids across the fence came over to enjoy the slip and slide too. The kids had tons of fun playing around. I guess tomorrow will be the same type of activity unless we venture out to one of the nearby lakes.

It's a....

2008-05-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!!!! this is what they are telling us but of course there is the precautionary it's not 100% accurate so don't go all pink or all blue. They were accurate with Wyatt's gender so I will go with what they have said this time as well. Of course I had to buy a few pink things when I found out. A couple of sleepers, onesies and some little hats. It's like I don't know to buy 3 month or 6 month stuff. Both kids were 1-2 ounces shy of 10 lbs and they were 22 and 23 inches long, so needless to say they never fit the newborn stuff and barely fit the 3 months.

GENDER???

2008-04-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

BOY or GIRL?? that is the burning question. Unfortunately, I don't know yet. Dr. told me today everything looks good on the ultrasound, but she doesn't have the gender because the lab doesn't release that information to the doctor until the mom is 20 or 21 weeks pregnant. So by the time I go to my next Dr. appointment on the 7th of May I will be 20 wks 4 days so maybe I will find out then, if not the week after. My guess is we are having a BOY, so until then we will have to wait. Stay tuned...

Have a great week!

Baby Update

2008-04-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!!! Thought I would give a little update on the baby. Just had my second ultrasound today due to the results of last week's ultrasound. When I had my ultrasound on the 9th I thought I should be 20 weeks but according to the measurements I am only 16 weeks. Shocker!! So my Dr. had me go back today the 18th I guess to recheck the measurements. According to the tech today I am about 18 weeks which would correspond to the measurements taken last week. Soooo, it looks like my due date has changed from Aug 27th to approximately Sept 21st. Just 4 days before Wyatt's 5th birthday. I will be having a C-section so I will get a definate date of delivery in about a months time. The tech did note the baby's gender today but of course I have to find out from my Dr. early next week, so untill then I will share some pics with you instead. Stay tuned...

If you click on the picture it will enlarge for you to see a bit better.

What's New???

2008-02-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it has definately been along time since I posted here. It will just be a short post though. Just made an update to my blog, can you see what is new?

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW AND MORE SNOW

2007-12-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here is the second snowfall. Joe and the kids got out and built a big snowman. Joe and I had a snowball fight ( I challenged him to one) we had to get out and have some fun in the snow too!

This was the first snowfall of the year and the kids couldn't get outside fast enough. Notice Madison is wearing her pjamas, it is nighttime but they don't care they just want to play in the snow.

Preparing for Christmas

2007-12-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

The kids really enjoy decorating the Christmas tree. Joe puts the tree together (yes it's fake) then he puts the lights on. Once that is done it's the kids and my job to put the decorations on. We put the tree up on Dec 1 this year. The kids are pretty good at leaving the tree alone now, but for the first week they wanted to play with the decorations and move them around.
Look, it's Rudolph. Madison have some fun with the ornaments. Such a joker, just like her dad!
Putting decorations on the tree is serious business you know! ;)
Look at the pretty balls mom. Wyatt really got into the decorating this year. He even has a Lightning McQueen decoration, I guess I should have take a picture of it, oh well.
The final result!!! It looks much more exciting when the gifts are under the tree I think. But can't do that until the kids are tucked in on Christmas Eve, you know when Santa comes.

Happenings with the Gundrum's

2007-12-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been almost 2 months since I posted anything, so I will show you a breif rundown of what we have been up to lately, enjoy!

Halloween Costumes
Madison wanted to be a genie and Wyatt was Superman. The kids both love trick or treating and all the goodies that come with it. If they had their way all of the candy would have been eaten long ago.

The traditional carving of the pumpkin. The kids really enjoy getting their hands right into the guts of the pumpkin. We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year, just good old Save On Foods.

Max & Ruby Live Show

2007-10-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight the kids and I went to see the Max & Ruby show at the Abby Arts Centre. There was dancing, singing and some stories for the kids, they really enjoyed the show. Max & Ruby is a favourite show of Madison & Wyatt's on T.V. It was some good fun entertainment for the kids.

Summertime FUN!!!!!

2007-07-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

The kids and I ventured out to the TransCanada Waterslides on Tuesday with my sister and her kids. The weather was great and everyone had so much fun. It is pretty reasonable at only $12 per person with children 3 and under free. It's not as busy as the Cultus slides and they have some nice grassy areas to sit on. Wyatt is such a little fish, I could barely get him to come home. He even went down the blackhole slide with me. Madison on the other hand isn't as adventurous when it comes to going down the big slides. She loves the water but likes to stick to the smaller slides which is just fine by me. If you get a chance to go it is alot of fun for the kids (and adults too!), you just take the Bridal Falls exit and the slides are just past Dinotown (you can kill 2 birds with one stone Ha Ha). Enjoy your summer!

House Pictures

2007-06-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are it has been 3 weeks since we have moved in. We are pretty much all unpacked, just some rearanging to do here and there. You know how it is you are unpacking and just want to get it out of the boxes so you find a temporary spot for some things. I have some pictures of the house for all to see, enjoy.

Moving Update

2007-06-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, here I sit at 10:43 pm on Saturday evening and I thought I would give an update on our move. This will be our third night at our new house and we all love it. The kids spend almost every waking minute outside on the trampoline its great. Joe and I even got on there with them, but Wyatt told Joe to get off because he was bouncing too much. All the playing outside is doing wonders for the kids, tonight they just vegged out on the couch with a movie and not a peep out of them, amazing. They even slept in today on a Saturday of all days until 8:00am (they are usually early risers like 6:30 - 7:00am)

Moving day went OK except we didn't actually get our keys until 6pm when we were sitting in our new home having dinner! How did we get in you ask, Joe ended up getting in through the bathroom window. We had already waited an hour outside in the heat with the movers so desperate times call for desperate measures. We are slowly getting unpacked but I am getting pretty tired of it all,I just want it to be done. Oh well we will take it day by day and get it finished. Sorry no pics to show you yet but I will try and get some up in the next week. Goodnight!

Fun at the ZOO!

2007-05-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I am a little late posting our trip to the zoo, we went on the long weekend. The kids really enjoyed all of the animals. Wyatt especially liked the zebra and the camels. Madison's favourite was the camels too. The weather was great for a trip to the zoo, not too hot but just enough sun for a great walk around. Wyatt kept referring to the rhinocerous as the mysaurus. Enjoy the pics.

Mom, watch me! Mom, mom watch...

2007-05-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

These are the words I would constantly hear, mom watch, mom watch over and over again. Madison has been perfecting the art of skipping for the past couple of months, just check out the concentration. It all started at school with the Heart and Stroke Foundation "Jump for your heart". Madison practiced diligently so she could get up with her group at school and jump rope. Madison and some of the girls in her class even started a "skipping club" at lunch time for awhile there. She can actually do some pretty good moves with that jump rope.

Look what I can do Mom!

2007-05-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is the latest achievement for Wyatt, he can print his name and he likes to draw people. The first picture is our family as Wyatt sees us, how cute is that? The first time he drew people like that Joe and I were watching him and Wyatt was just beside himself, he was so proud of his accomplishment. It is amazing how one day they are scribbling and the next day there are shapes and detail. Just had to brag about it, it makes a mother proud!

House pictures

2007-05-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, all subjects were removed yesterday, so we are official home owners now I guess. Now all the fun begins! I have included the link to MLS to show you pictures of the house, hope it works.

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=&SearchURL=%3fMode%3d0%26Page%3d1%26vs%3d1%26rlt%3d%26cp%3d%26pt%3d20%26mp%3d425000-450000-0%26mrt%3d-1-0-0%26Beds%3d0-0%26Baths%3d0-0%26f%3d%26ft%3dall%26o%3dA%26of%3d1%26ps%3d10%26ptgid%3d1%26aid%3d6813%26MapURL%3d%253fAreaID%253d747&Mode=0&PropertyID=5285534

2007-04-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

So here it goes, I am joining the masses and starting a blog. I figure it will be a good way to keep friends and family informed of the day to day happenings of our life.

I will start with a little update for you. Joe just celebrated his 40th birthday on the weekend. Wow 40! Ah it's no big deal he managed just fine. We purchased our first house over the weekend, now that was a big deal! We still have some details to finish up so hopefully it all goes through without any problems and if that is the case we will be moving in the end of May, woohoo! I am sooo excited.

Madison has her last swimming lesson this week and she is doing awesome with her swimming, she even goes in the deep end. Madison keeps pretty busy between grade one, swimming, art class and just the regular 7 year old girl stuff. She is doing very well in school and for the most part really enjoys going to school.

Wyatt is as busy as any 3 1/2 year old boy ought to be. He spends some of his days at daycare with his little friends learning his abc's, counting, colors, crafts, singing, playing and most important... the daily nap. Wyatt knows that his name starts with a "W", so every chance he gets he proudly points out all of the W's that he sees .

I am keeping busy at home with the general day to day stuff, doing the bookwork for Joe's business and running kids around. I guess the upcoming month will be busy packing, ugh! I go back to work in July for my six month stint and then back to stay at home mom in the new year.

Well, I think I have rambled on here so I will finish this entry for now. I will check in soon with pics of our new house. Until next time...