HAPPY DAYS!

Today is happy birthday to my big girl Hayley!!! I can hardly believe it's been 7 years since our first born entered the world. It was a GORGEOUS day the day she was born. It was 25 degrees outside and everyone was out enjoying the sunshine. Quite a contrast to today when it's only 0 out!!! Hayley was born at 8:45 in the morning. That night, there was a huge blizzard so Steve skipped school and hung out at the hospital with baby Hayley and me. Lets hope that this year, there is the opposite effect. I will take 25 degree weather tomorrow please!!!

It is also Steve and I's anniversary. It has been a glorious 9 years. I apologize to all women out there who missed out but I'm pretty sure there is no husband as wonderful as mine :) I'm pretty lucky to have snagged him.

It's been wonderful having mom and dad here. Unfortunately it is spring break and so I have all 4 at home all the time and it's this time they chose to be difficult but what can you do. They've had fun with grandpa and grandma so thats good.

No other news so I will leave you with a few pictures.

I was so proud of this cake. My first attempt at a nice cake. A tea party for my little lady.

The girls and their snow bunny.

A great picture of grandma and our mommy's girl!

Chelsea's way of playing uno.

Congrats!

Today is my husband's anniversary. No not OUR marriage. His other one. The work one. He has been at his job for 10 years now!!! Can you believe it??? He got a Ball watch from his boss to commemorate the occasion. So now, Steve should always be 'on the ball' hahahahahahaha. Funny enough, that is where the expression came from.

For you history buffs:

From Wikipedia - In 1891 there was a collision between Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway trains at Kipton, Ohio, which occurred because an engineer's watch had stopped. The railroad officials commissioned Webb C. Ball as their Chief Time Inspector, in order to establish precision standards and a reliable timepiece inspection system for railroad chronometers.

So....to be 'on the ball' would be to be on accurate Ball time.

The last 10 years have flown and the company have grown exponentially. Will be interesting to see where the next 10 take him.

What else to share.....my friend Charlene and I joined curves for two months. We got a groupon. We figured instead of eating out on our Monday nights out we would excersize instead. We shall see if we see any results from it. Its a fun night out anyhow.

This country is the perfect example of why global warming is a spoof!!! -35, -34, -32.....these are the temps we are seeing BEFORE the windchill. So it's more like -45, -44, -42....I am starting to get cranky. Plus, I think the city of Edmonton has misplaced it's sanding trucks. I was out last night, and could almost see my reflection in the street, and didn't see 1 single sanding truck! Anyhow, I live here and it's always cold in the winter so I will jsut deal with it.

Interesting question this week. Why is everyone I meet, including strangers, telling me they hope I'm done having kids?? Are my kids that bad? That ugly? Who cares if I want more? That's noone elses business is it? Plus....makes me want to have 3 more to spite them (even though we are DONE for those wondering.) Just found it odd (extremely irritating) that this week I've had so many people make weird comments like that to me. May I share the verse in psalms:

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: etc.....

My children make me happy. If I want to be extra happy....I will be :):) Plus....remember now people.....I am still in my youth. For another 10 months anyhow.....

Our house appraisal went through. WOOHOO!!! So that's a relief. Now we can renew our mortgage on the house and know that even if one day we sell we will still make money on it. I can't tell you how excited we are that our monthly payment is actually dropping!!!!

Okay so my life is busy but really uneventful so I will let you go back to doing something interesting. Wish I had pictures to show you but I haven't taken any for several months. Guess I better get back on that.

Love Steve, Jen, and their litter of little people

The new me

So some people have said they haven't seen a picture of me lately. So here it is. I've done really well losing those last 10 pounds.

MISSING!!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN???

Hia name is Stephen Campbell but he goes by Steve. He's approximately 5'10'', brown hair with scattered blond patches, blue eyes and different colored eyebrows! He has a wife and 4 offspring who haven't seen him in well over 2 weeks. We think someone with his likeness comes home at night to sleep, but we can't be sure because he's gone before we are up (and no we don't sleep in too much. We're usually up by 6:30). We need him home. His children miss him terribly.

Sigh....most of all we need him home because I got the van stuck in a snowdrift. AGAIN!!!

I will not complain

I will not complain

I will not complain

I will not complain

at least he has a good job

at least he has a good job

at least he has a good job

at least he has a good job

okay thats it.....we're moving to Australia. I need my spouse back.

The good the bad and the ugly...

Lets start with the bad and get that out of the way:
1. We had ice damming that caused water to run into the ceiling and down the wall of the back entrance, and now we have to replace said drywall, repaint and re-stipple. The result? Lots of $$$$$ out the window.

2. The septic backed up. The septic guy promised he could fix it. 315$$$$$ later he tells me he actually can't fix it. I'll have to call a plumber. Just about dumped HIM down the septic tank. ARGH!!!!

3. The city of Edmonton doesn't want to clear the ruts out of the city streets reulting in the 3rd!!!!! Time we've blown the power steering hose bottoming out on the snow packed streets!!! ARGH!!! The result? More $$$$$$$$ we DON'T have!!!! I may send a bill to the city of Edmonton.

4. Hayley just got over a really nasty flu just in time for her and Abby to get the chicken pox. They were vaccinated so I'm stumped. Hmmm.....Kylie also got a rash last night. Don't know if it is chicken pox but if it is it's mild as well. Oh well....at least they're feeling fine and it isn't costing money!!!

The Ugly part....me!!! I'm cranky!!!!

OKay lets move on to the good. We had a wonderful weekend in Jasper. Why were we there? It was the first official share holders meeting for Emcee construction and management. Yes a huge congratulations to my hubby Mr. Stephen Campbell for 10 years with the company and now a 5% owner. WOOHOO!!! Perhaps the dividend check can turn my bad and uglies into goods?? Steve has seen the company go from just a few guys doing home renovations to several employees and subtrades doing major commercial renovations and even now new commercial construction!! What a change in 10 years!

Here are the 5 owners. Mark Lindquist is the one in the middle. He is one of the friends here in Edmonton. His sister is married to our cousin Dan Howden. He is the major share holder and only director. The other 4 are partial owners.



Here are some other pictures of our trip. The guys were in a meeting all day Friday so I just hung out with the kids. Swam with Daph and the kids in the morning, gave the kids naps in the afternoon, visited with Tim's wife and their son in the afternoon as well and then there was a company dinner in the evening. Saturday we swam more, went out for supper with Tim and his wife and son and met Mark and Daph and kids there. Then hung out at the street festival for a bit. Sunday was meeting and lunch in Hinton and then on home. It was so great to get away.

Yes it was an outdoor pool. Quite an experience in the winter, but it was fun. It was like a warm bath. The kids didn't mind it anyhow. They liked jumping in the snow and then into the water.

A little cold on the nose and ears but that's okay.

Lunch time. Mommy and Kylie.

Abby with the cutest little bottle of ketchup.

Our room was beautiful. There was a seperate room you can see behind the couch with these sliding doors to block it off if you want. Then the living room had a big wood burning fireplace in the corner.

At the street festival. Kylie playing a game.

Back at our house. The snow was up to their waist in places.

Trudging through the snow. It's fun for awhile. It is wearing a little thin though. I can't wait for spring when I can open the windows, air out the house, go for a long walk....

Steve out for lunch. He doesn't look tired at all hey?

My baby girl.

So that's about all the news around here. I get to play the piano for Wednesday night gospel meeting the last 2 weeks of February so that should be interesting. I think it's been about 7 years since I've done that. I may be a little rusty. It's a bit tricky on the keyboard as I rely on my footpedal and there isn't one.

Wishing you all pleasant spring-like days.

Love the Campbell family.

Routine....isn't it great.

We'll being the blog with a few random pictures because I am too lazy to put them in their proper place :)

Kylie ran into a door on new years eve and split her head open. Looks pretty minor compared to the copious amounts of blood!

Our table at Christmas. Looks like there is no food (it's hiding) the bottles are sparkling juice :)

Putting together lego. Hey it was Christmas....no need to do our hair right?

Have I not updated since before christmas? Goodness. I'm slacking.

Lets see....the greatest news of the week is that Kylie is no longer needing pull-ups at night. Now.....to get Abby on that bandwagon!!! As a past bed-wetter myself, I'm not seeing that happening in the near future so whatever....she'll grow out of it eventually.

I had a birthday this season. My last one ever. I refuse to acknowledge that I will be 30 next year. We had a lovely family supper at gramma, jess made me a cake. Kids got me some neat gifts. It was a nice night.

My sister is really classy :)

Christmas was lovely, boxing day was not so much. There should be a law against 2 parents getting the flu on the same day. It was 'fend for yoursef' day for the kids. My hubby bought me an iphone for Christmas. I love it!! He's still a blackberry sort of guy but I think mine is better :)

The girls and I made this nifty gingerbread christmas tree. It was YUMMMMMMY!

We also got together with the chatten boys to make gingerbread men. These 8 kids did soooo good. They play so well together. They're all 7 and under.

Steve took the girls skating a few times and we spent a day at the waterpark which was lots of fun. Chelsea LOVEs the waves. She would sit down and let them knock her over and then when they were done she'd get up and run into the deeper pool....so I spent most of my time chasing her around.

Now school has started again and so has the routines of life. I'm looking forward to that. Chelsea woke up at 2:30 this morning and cried until I had to get up at 6. IT was lovely. So I am going to go have a nap while she does. Yes grandmas....I did get up and sit in the rocking chair with her don't worry. I didn't just let her cry:)

Steve got an ipad for Christmas so we all fight over that. Even Chelsea has a game on it.

Love you all

Jen

Sooooo tired

What do you do when you are tired AND hungry? Well.....you sleep eat.

Just a few more of the winter fun around here. Didn't get any of Hayley. She was a wee bit cranky today after a big sleepover.