Vay Cay

We were able to take a week off and head to montana.  It was a great vacation where we were able to enjoy family, play with cousins all we wanted, shop to our hearts content, eat at delicious restaurants, enjoy great weather, and leave the real world behind.  

I even found these great shoes-  At an unbelievable 24 dollar price!  I'm not sure if that is because people have tried them and hate them or if it is because they are super awesome and I am one lucky girl.  I guess time will only tell.  But I will say they are a lot harder to put on than I thought!

 I was reunited with my long lost friend- target.  I am excited for it to make its way to the Hat.  Yeah, it may not be as good, but anything is better than Zellers.  Am I right?  Or am I right?  But Target is awesome so how bad can it be?

 And we successfully inserted Noni into his own bubble.  He really needs some protection.  He is just a little bit insane.  In a good way.

We all had a great time and we can't wait to go back.  It makes me a little nostalgic for Ohio.  Even though you couldn't get any more opposite, they have the same stores and it makes me reminisce.  

Now back to real life and spring!!!  I hear springtime in Medicine Hat is going to be awesome for the Snells!!!

Room Service

We just got back from a great weekend in Calgary filled with fun memories.
Justin was asked to attend a conference there and was treated to a hotel room and room service.
It was awesome.  We didn't get there until around 9 so we has already eaten but who can pass up some free room service?  We ordered some cheesecake and some fruit, and were treated with some delicious chocolate cookies.

 Twelve dollar cheesecake.  We expected it to be a little bit larger, but it was enough to quench our sweet tooth!

The prince and princess and our room service tray.  Justin and I have never had room service or stayed in a fancy hotel.  So this was a treat for us too.  We stayed up late with the kids and just enjoyed the night.  I think we all had a great time.  Just outside our window was the Calgary Tower.  We were right across the street from it.  Noni had a little bit of a scare looking out the window (we were on the top floor) at the Calgary Tower.  He would not let Justin let go of his hand.  He was so cute.  It was just and unexpected and fun night.  Justin kept saying to Ruby  'Remember this night' and she kept replying 'I can't'.  I hope she does. She has the best memory of anyone I know- so I am confident she will be fine...

And Eldon was there- whether he enjoyed himself or not is still unknown...

Mustaches

I was asked to do a booth at a relief society activity. It was to be geared towards having fun with kids.

It wasn't until I started to plan it out that I realized 2 things.

Number 1:  I used to have fun with my kids all the time.  We used to do really fun things, and life was good.

Number 2: I have been slacking a bit since I got pregnant- a year ago.  I was just so sick, having fun was the last thing on my list.  Life is still good but we really need to get the fun back into it.  

So here I go to 'Carpe Diem'

I love mustaches, I just love them.  Not real ones mind you.  I don't want Justin to actually GROW one.  Please no.  But I do love fake mustaches.  I really do.

My kids tolerate them.  (They love them deep down I am sure.)

I printed out the props- (I found the free printable here)

And we got to work having fun.

 Noni didn't have as much fun as the rest of us.  I guess he wasn't in the mood.  He kept crinkling all the props and after this photo was taken he promptly ripped those glasses in half...  I just turned them into a monacle...  when noni gives you lemons make lemonade- right?

 Ruby was such a good sport!  And isn't she the cutest thing you have ever seen?

 Eldon is awesome.  Look at that little guy- he is SO AWESOME!  He didn't even cry or complain.  He as quickly learned to endure...

This was so fun.  and you get some awesome photos from it for memories later.  We will do this again soon. I just need to find some more mustaches....

Bulk Barn vs the Babies

It all stemmed from my desire for sanity.  The desire to get out and smell the fresh air and to make my delicious granola.  So I took all the kids on a walk to bulk barn and to say it was the worst decision I ever made is definitely an understatement.  I will never do it again.  Never.  Eldy knew right away it was a bad idea and he made sure I knew.  

He cried the whole time unless he was held.  So I had to carry a crying baby  16 pound baby (yes he is 16 pds now) in one arm while pushing the stroller in the other and keeping an eye on my 3 year old who was very curious about the bulk utopian paradise...

At one point he even stuck his whole arm in the sesame seeds.  I did my best to scoop out what he had touched- like that is even possible.  At another point he reached into a bin and grabbed an m&m and started to put it in his mouth.  I quickly told him he couldn't eat it because we hadn't paid for it- so he started to put it back in the bin.  So I quickly told him he couldn't do that either and eventually relented and told him to just eat it.  Talk about mixed signals....  At least he was kind enough to share half with Ruby.  Ruby as always was an awesome help.

  Luckily she can hold the bag while i scooped, it was a little hard to do it all while I was holding Eldon.  Don't worry, she was rewarded with any candy of her choice.  She choose some weird banana candy that turned out to be incredibly delicious.  Noni got Swedish fish.  We survived, barely.  So bulk barn and the fresh outdoor air are complete opposites in my mind.  Sanity versus insanity.  The point- we will be walking as much as we can and we will avoid the bulk barn like the plague (at last when I am by myself).  I really like the bulk barn under normal circumstances, I will just have to go with back up next time...

(Can I just say I think my kids are awesome?)

Sanity

What I like most about winters here are the chinooks.  They make winters bearable.  We have been enjoying an extended chinook (or dare I say the end of winter is nigh?) lately and it has truly helped with our sanity.  We enjoy the crazy amounts of mud and large puddles.  It is awesome.  Ruby and Noni love it, and I love it.  It just feels good to be out in the fresh air again.  Eldy is getting used to it, he sleeps through it mostly.  When we are outside I can feel the sanity return to my veins.  And I forgot how much I love mud and puddles.  I am looking forward to blue skies and warm weather but for now we will take the slight chill and the mud.

DC Finale

To finish off our time in DC we fit in all that we could.
(I thought this funeral home was awesome- farewell bacon.)

We saw the Lincoln Memorial (the reflecting pool was under repair- so no reflecting for us)

Notice Ruby in the front of the photo- what a cute head.

Who knew Lincoln was so BIG in real life?  This is a true to scale sculpture- right?

We saw the Washington monument-  (don't let that water fool you- it is NOT the reflecting pool)


Kim was very disappointed in the disrepair of the reflecting pool.

We saw the White House (front and back)

(Why do I look like such a nerd in this photo?  And why is Noni not looking in ANY of these photos?)

Ruby trying to break in. She didn't get very far before the secret service was on the scene.  (Just kidding- she got all the way in, I couldn't believe it)

And we walked some more.

We made Justin watch the kids most of the time.  He did a pretty good job- If only he could figure out how to hold hands, carry Noni on his back, AND push a stroller.  Next trip I guess...

When we were all done in DC we headed to Georgetown for some cupcakes.  I had been looking forward to them ALL weekend- then we got there and the line looked like this.  (Out the door and ALL the way up the street- a good 2 hour wait)

So we skipped the cupcakes and just got a passing photo.  It is just as good- trust me.

All in all- it was a great time.
My favorite place to visit was the Washington DC temple.
And the Lincoln memorial was a close second.

It was fun spending time with friends and I always love an adventure.
After DC we headed back to NYC- to do a little more exploring!
I love NYC.  There just is nothing like that place.
The traffic was horrendous this time- but we still made sure to enjoy ourselves.
We did a lot of exploring of Long Island as well.
More to come on that in the future!

Niagara At Night

We went home for my sister's wedding.

We decided that the best and cheapest way for us to do that would be to drive back into Canada and fly out of Ontario.
We wanted to fly out of Waterloo and visit old friends there but all the flights were booked so we chose the next best place- Hamilton.
Not once did we think about whether or not this was a really GOOD idea.  Turns out driving 5 hours to stay overnight and fly REALLY early the next morning wasn't the WORST idea... though it wasn't the best either.  Turns out flying into Toronto on a Sunday afternoon and then driving 5 hours that same day (because Justin had to work the next morning) through a blizzard WAS the worst idea.
We did survive and were even able to see the Niagara Falls a way we have never seen them before- at night.
It was really cool and Ruby loved it.

They shine some colored lights on the falls at night and they are really pretty.  It was deserted as well- just us and the falls.  Definitely a new way to experience it.  Super misty and wet (as per usual) but luckily it wasn't too cold so we were still able to enjoy ourselves.

It really is moments like the- small memories that we make together that I love.  We could have easily bypassed the falls, we have seen them before, but we didn't and it may have been a little bit of a pain, and kind of annoying when all we wanted to do was get to our hotel room and rest, but it was worth it and it always is. I just love moments like this.  Stories to tell.
They had a lot of other fun things going on there too- they had a Disney themed Christmas light show that you could drive through- Ruby also loved that.
All in all it was worth it, and it felt nice to be back in familiar territory.
I am always amazed at the beautiful wonders of the world and I really enjoy nothing more than sharing these special memories with my family.

Gettysburg

About 2 weeks ago after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with friends we hit the road and headed out to Gettysburg, PA for a little adventure.  After paying about $20 in tolls, taking the craziest windy roads ever, us all getting a little car sick (which is saying a lot for me), and Myers crying for about the last hour on and off because he couldn't sleep we finally made it.
We got into the hotel, declined the meatballs we were offered, and went to bed.
We woke up the next morning with both vigor and vim and were ready for our historically enlightening adventure.
And historically enlightening it was.
We had been told to watch the Gettysburg movie before we went, and though it was a little bit painful to get through (it is like 4 hours long), we were glad that we had.  I mean who needs a book when you can watch the movie?  Am I right?

 Meeting Abe Lincoln himself.  He really is as honest as they say....  He said I wouldn't look very good in this picture because the sun was in my eyes and my hair looked weird and I tilted my head like a crazy person.  He was right.

 Once Ruby figured out that he was a statue and not an actual person she warmed right up to him.

 The field where the famous 'Pickett's Charge' took place.

 Little Round Top  Justin and I both have a special place in our hearts for Colonel Chamberlain (he had a really big part in the movie and he seemed like a pretty stand up guy).

 High Water Mark of the Confederacy.

The Cemetery at Gettysburg  

This was where the famous Gettysburg address was given by Abraham Lincoln.

 This was how we ended up carrying Myers most of the day.  He had had enough.

 An actual Holly tree.

 Myers was pretty excited.

Gettysburg was a truly humbling and sobering experience for me.  Many men died in that battle- and though I am not American my ancestors were.  And it was a pivotal point in the civil war and a pivotal point in MY future.  And yours (lets face it- whatever happens to America affects us all).  I have great respect for those who fought and lived and died for their country, and state and beliefs.  The point that I found interesting while we were there was that no one was portrayed as the 'bad guys' and the 'good guys'  It was just americans who had died and were being honored and remembered for their sacrifice.  There was a great feeling of sadness there.  I learned a lot about American history and it felt good to increase my knowledge in that area.  We bought the cds to listen to in our car while we drove through the various sites.  It was the best idea ever.  We could decide what we wanted to see and where we wanted to go and how much we wanted to listen to.  We were able to learn lots from them and enjoy ourselves.  I love these mini adventures that we are able to have together.  It builds memories and bonds and knowledge.  All good things.  It also builds patience.....

Random Randomness

It is my birthday today, and since it is my birthday I get to do whatever I want.  So I am just going to post a whole bunch of random things that I have been thinking about lately or that have happened to me recently.  Things to remember as I get older (as my memory goes...)

1. Random acts of kindness, however simple, really do brighten a person's day.  Remember that time about a year ago when someone I didn't know bought me that wallet?  I think about that ALL THE TIME.  And every time I think of it it makes me feel good.  Recently I was grocery shopping with the kids by myself (which was my first mistake...) and I was loading the groceries and the kids into the car when a lady passed by and asked me if she could return my cart for me.  Such a simple thing, yet it has left a lasting impression.  I really didn't want to return that cart (though I would have) and she saw a need, a simple need, and she filled it.
 
2.  Accept these simple acts of kindness with kindness and gratitude.  Recently the kids and I decided to do our own act of kindness for our neighbors.  We were waiting for a ride somewhere and were outside playing while we waited.  It was garbage day and everyone still had their garbage bins out, now hauling the garbage bins in is probably my least favorite thing to do, so we thought that we would bring some of our neighbors bins in.  The first house went well so we headed to the second house.  We were met half way by a very bleary eyed neighbor who was a little suspicious.  He couldn't be convinced that we were just doing something nice for them.  He thought we were campaigning.  Because I always see a woman in her yoga pants and 2 kids campaigning... (but that is beside the point...) I left after our brief conversation feeling awkward.  But I learned that it is ok to be grateful.

3. I just learned about this Beauty Redefined campaign.  I think it is a really great thing and I hope that I can raise my children to feel good about themselves ALWAYS.  And to know that the media should not define what is beautiful and worthwhile.

4. I found what I think is the best Christmas advent that I have ever seen.  I saw it on Delia Creates.  It is the box advent on there- Every night I will fill it with something we will do or read or get the next day.  Every day is different and I don't have to do too much prep.  I just sit down for a few minutes the night before and determine what would be best for us to do the next day.  I love it.  And I know Ruby will too.

5. We are going to get our first Christmas tree ever.  Not because we don't celebrate but because this will be the first Christmas that we spend just us.  It is exciting but if I am being honest I am already missing family...

6.  I have been super busy making presents and ordering presents online... One of my favorite things about living in the USA is the shopping.  I have gotten so many amazing deals.  As an example- recently I went to Old Navy when they had a special for 75% off all outerwear and I had Old Navy Bucks.  I bought 2 winter coats for me, 2 for Justin, a pair of running pants, 2 skirts and a maxi dress all for 60 dollars.  I saved 350 dollars that trip.  It was amazing.  I felt like an extreme couponer and was on a 'shopping deal' high for days!

7.  You've had them fried, scrambled, hard boiled, and poached but have you ever had them baked?  One of Justin's many experiments- but this one went wrong.  Very wrong.  Baked eggs are a no go.  Weird, hard, inedible outer crust and weird texture.  The pictures say everything.

We look happy here- its all a ruse.

You eat them and that film is left behind.  In this picture I'm using my teeth to scrape the egg out of the film...  classy I know...  It's a little creepy but cool at the same time...  They tasted fine but like I said, they had that weird film.  I would never recommend baking your eggs...

8.  I love pinterest.  Such great ideas all in one place.  What could be better than that?  I am making this for our christmas tree skirt.  I will also be making all of our decorations- since we have none.  I can see a lot of our advent activities being based around making decorations.  I am thinking of stringing fresh cranberries as garland- does that even work or do they just go bad?

9.  I am grateful that there is no snow on the ground for my birthday.  It was my one birthday wish- and it happened!  Ruby and I are definitely having a little disagreement about snow.  She claims she loves it and she CANNOT believe that I don't.  She is constantly trying to convince me that I like snow.  It makes me laugh.

10.  Two things that can always make me feel better- a clean house and exercise.  A clean house always feel better than a dirty house.  If ever I feel super lazy or gross I know it has to do with the state of my house.  So I 'get up off of that thing and (clean) till I feel betta' (that is a real song- it doesn't say clean it says shake it- does any one else know what I am talking about?  I don't know what song it is but I think it is pretty widely known.)

11.  I love INSANITY.  The work out.  Justin and I have been doing it for 4 weeks straight.  It is just good to have a common goal and motivate each other and do something together.

12.  Justin meet Justin.

Justin took this picture at Elder Beerman (a department store here) with a Justin Bieber billboard.  It made me laugh because he came in the car trying to convince me that he met the Biebs.  Not only is the flash bouncing off of J.Biebs but he is looking a little flat AND I watched him take that picture through the window of the store.  It was awesome, especially for all the people watching the 30- something year old taking a picture with the fake Justin Bieber.  I love that man of mine...

I am now 28 and have embraced it surprisingly easily.  I look forward to what is to come in this life of mine.

Cleveland Zoo

There is so much to catch up on.
I guess that is what happens when you neglect the blog...
Anyway- here is our trip to the Cleveland Zoo!
That place is HUGE- it was really fun!
We were there for 4.5 hours and we still didn't see everything....
But we saw the really cool stuff.

 Like the Reindeer fighting...

 And the seals!

 And the sharks- which were incredible awesome...

 We even got a little note from fellow Canadian friends (we assume...) They saw our license plate and left us this note one our windshield!

The end to a perfect day....  And once again.  I love Cleveland.