Not-Nice November

Well, maybe I am too harsh. I just felt that November had me running around all the time and worrying about everything. So I will pull down my calendar and revisit the month. Maybe it will force me to eat my words. Doubt it. Here goes...

R had a doctor's appointment and she too has been referred to the dermatologist. Dr. Namusuubu (our GP, who I think is fabulous) thought she might have nummular dermatitis. Google it if you'd like. It is gross, and more common in males aged 55-65. She doesn't think that it is anymore, since it did not respond at all to the cream that she prescribed. So in January Dr. Wasel will hopefully shed some more insight on this weird skin condition she has.

We went to Stirling the first weekend of Novmeber. Wow, that seems like forever ago! My inlaws were pretty busy that weekend, but we were able to see Auntie Erin and Uncle Alan and go to a U of L Pronghorn Women's basketball game and win a pizza for being the most rowdy fans! The mascot came to the other side of the gym for us too. I thought we were doomed because we were on the wrong side of the gym. But with Angelique and her girls, me and my girls, Auntie Erin and Uncle Alan, and Auntie Shauna, we were able to get rowdy! The pizza was yummy too. I will highly recommend "Two Guys and a Pizza" in Lethbridge. Go there.

I fed the YW Remembrance Day Breakfast at our house. It is kind of a tradition I guess. This is the second year I've done it and then we go to a Remembrance Day ceremony afterward. I think the 311 lady told me wrong about the ceremony though. We were there by 11 and it was over at 11:20 am. No moment of silence, no "O Canada," no...well you get the picture. Oh well!

Our Remembrance Day Wreath for the front door. They are her handprints.

This girl loves babies right now. It is so cute. She was sharing her sippy cup of milk with baby Lucy.

See, it is a milk mustache! And beard...

Paul took R and A to a Primary pool party because I am too self conscious in my swimming suit. Now, before anyone reading this thinks that I can't show off my fat self to the ward, it wasn't that. I am just embarrassed showing my fat self off in a swimming suit that is stretched beyond stretched and is getting quite threadbare. I go aquasizing on a regular basis. I don't mind showing off my fancy self in front of others, it is just people I do know that I can't handle!

The first few weeks of November involved A LOT of researching a new truck. Paul was transferred as of 1 November from the completed AHI to the Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital. Our 1993 Nissan was getting pretty tired. It had 279 000 kilometres on it. I think that it would have gone on forever, loyally driving him out to the Fort and back everyday had he only sprung for a new clutch and new tires. But he didn't want to spend that much money on it. So the program "Recycle Your Ride" gave us $3300 for it. That is a lot of money for that. We couldn't sell it for $1500! And so he did the deal on 16 November. From Waterloo Ford. He picked it up on the 18 November. If you care, it is a F-150 XTR 4X4. Red, because that is the colour his girls liked the best. They thought it looked the most like purple. He really wanted a dark blue....

One last ride...

Thanks for the memories!!

He is thinking, "When can I get rid of this thing?" (I was hoping he'd be sensitive and know that I wanted a picture with the truck intuitively, or something. He never even thought about it. I should have known. He is after all "just a boy." (He tells me that ALL the time). Long story short- I didn't get a picture with MY truck.

We also got to watch the girls in Ukrainian dancing. No, we are not Ukrainian, but yes, they are in Ukrainian dancing. They are doing well. A really likes it. R just wants to be a ballerina and wants to take ballet instead. And so I have told her that we'll go back to ballet next year. The Ukrainian costumes are beautiful though, and so hopefully that will help her like it more.

R, the dissatisfied Ukrainian dancer. I am trying hard to help her to like it. These other two are her friends, too. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

Dance is a happy place for this monkey. Her teacher gives her two stickers. One for each hand. And that, is all it takes. There is a video at the bottom of this blog showing all that she can do!

I hosted book club this month. And Celena totally bailed me out. While I was running around doing YWP duties, she came and supplied and got ready all the snacks for the evening. What an amazing friend. And this month lots of people came. I was so happy! I was ready to say to the three of us that were coming to just come over to my house once a month to hang out. Forget the book club. But I am very happy to say that that isn't going to happen. Or not yet anyway... :)

Super Saturday was busy too. I spent most of the day helping out one of my YW on her Young Women in Excellence project. But the neatest thing happened. I didn't know what to do to help her and so I asked a lady in my ward if she'd come and help. And she totally did. And is an expert in the sewing department. And I felt so blessed. I was so thankful and grateful that she came to help me help my YW. It was a good experience.

The Londonderry Ward's Primary Presentation was in November too. R's line was "Fathers are to provide for, protect and preside over the family with love." And she rocked it! (Of course she did)! Scott and Celena and K, Mom and Dad, Nathan and Julie and R and A and Auntie Sonja all came to see the big performance. And then we had good eats at our house afterward.

R's first report card came home. She rocked that too. And I had the opportunity to go to the Student-Parent-Teacher Conference. It was good. And A and I really liked it, too. They had a blast tearing into all things Grade one. Mrs. A and I had to clean the room up afterward, but it was all good.

My friend, who now lives near Medicine Hat found me many, many tomatoes for $20. And her mom drove them up to Edmonton. So all I had to do was pick them up. Long story short, I've been canning. But here is the catch... the big element on my stove broke and so I was canning with three smallish burners. Bah! Anyway, I made three batches of salsa (three flats of tomatoes), two flats of canned tomatoes, and one flat of tomato sauce. Yowsers!

I had to deal with YW in Excellence as well. For those of you who don't know what it is, it is the year end culminating evening where the girls show the good things that they have done throughout the year. It was a lot of work, but we all survived. A little more battered than we were before, but we survived, nonetheless.

Paul was also in charge of putting on a fireside on "Emergency Preparedness." So that was a lot of work too, but, it made me get our 72 Hour Emergency Kits really ready. They are prepared with clothes now and 'real' food and toothpaste and stuff like that. I just wish I had my pants that I put in it. ( I know, I could go and get them out but then it won't be 'ready' anymore). I am gaining weight and those were good pants to not have to worry about that tight feeling. Sigh. Maybe I will have to go back to Superstore and get some more!

One nice thing about November was that it was super warm. I couldn't believe it. It didn't snow and we could play outside a lot. So we did. I made us happy!

Outside fun! In November no less. No snow, and is that greenish grass?!

So I think think those were the big things in the month. It sure was crazy. I was home five nights to help put my kids to bed (out of the weeknights, there were 21 of them) . What a good husband I have!

Anyway, I have sort of collapsed a bit for December and try not to do too much. I will report next month to tell you how that went, although I think I know the answer. :) Love you!!