Fur-apeutic . . .

I have a definate love/hate relationship with my 2 dogs.  Hate may be too strong of a word but definately a love-annoyance thing going on.  Ryley, the big black one is a BABY, through and through.  Always looks pathetic and guilty and is constantly attempting to climb on your bed and the couch, thinking he's a stealthy ninja and noone can see him.  Like the other morning i am up early for a pee and typically dont turn the lights on - when i was finished and climbed into my black sheets, there was a far more hairier than Michael creature in my spot.  I seriously had to SHOVE him off as he was NOT going anywhere.  If he could talk i think he would have said "snooze you lose" . . . !  Ryley has a problem with barking at the door - at every little sound he hears and it drives us all completely CRAZY.  I have watched the "dog whisperer" and "end of my leash" and attempted all things that seem to work for the "experts" in under 20 minutes.  Spray bottle, interupting, crating, making chhhhhh sounds, remaining calm, screaming to shut up (that was my own personal technique), and all attempts have come up with nothing but a loud, terrifying to anyone entering, BARK!!!

Then there is Tilly, Till Bill or Tils as we like to call her, she is our little one year old shitty-poo.  She wiggles and wags her tail all day long.  She is a bit shy and OF COURSE she BARKS incesantly whenever Ryley barks, not on her own but only when he does, so we get double the trouble - and I am at the end of MY leash with the two of them on this issue.  Anyways, Tilly is cute and a bit shy but also VERY spicy and keeps Ryley in check - she may be an 1/8 of his weight but that is not a concern for her or Ryley.  If Ryley would even attempt to come within 20 feet of her food dish, you will have a storm of black and white fur hanging off the lip of poor Ryley looking as though "what, what did i do, i was just walking by".  He listens to her, like any good male and pretty much does what he is told.  The funny thing is, they love each other.  The first time Tilly went to dog daycare (Ryley had been going there weekly for a year already), we asked the workers how Tilly did her first day.  They indicated "great! but Ryley stood outside the small dogs kennel crying for his sister until they let him in to play"... big baby.

Like all of us who own pets, we cant help but find the stupid little things they do so cute and we fall in love with these hairy creatures ... me included.  At one moment I am a raging lunatic saying that they are GONE, GONE TOMORROW and then the next minute I am out buying them new toys or up at 3am taking Ryley out with the runs after he ate an entire box of gingerbread cookies . . . and felt bad for him and his tummyache, all the while saying "stupid dog".  On the days that I have had ENOUGH of the 2 dogs, 2 cats (and five children :-), I am reminded of this . . .

Several years ago, before mike and I were married, our children attended "divorcecare for kids".  At the end of the year they brough home their little workbooks of all the "feelings" activities, etc that they participated in throughout the term.  Mike's daughter had hers at her house and mine had their books at our house.  NONE of the 4 children were in the same small group, all had independant leaders.  As I was reading through their duotangs I came accross a page that said, "List the people in your life that you could tell ANYTHING to."  All three of my children, as well as mike's daughter, along with the names of their mom, dad, etc etc, listed the names of their pets.  It makes me teary to think that these fury beasts have brought such private comfort to all of our kids during some of the toughest times in their lives.  So i look at Ryley's "puppy dog" eyes, and Tilly's wiggly backside and can't help but smile and be thankful  . . .

for my friend Jenny Mernickle . . . :-)

MJ

I know, I know, who needs to hear anymore about Michael Jackson...well, it's my blog and I get to blog about whatever I want :-)  I love Michael Jackson and I have always loved him . . . basically I have always "had his back".
Did I mention I love MJ . . . bordering wearing King of Pop t-shirts and stuff :-)  well almost.  Albums, videos and great memories of Jr. High dances, air-band Thriller competitions, fun wave your lighter moments to "we are the world", and shoulder pads in everything, will have do suffice.
  When I went to see "MJ: This is It" it just confirmed for me all the things I felt about him. 1. The most eccentric person on the planet,  2. soooo talented and still "worked it out" at 50, 3. completely misunderstood, 4. tender, tired and tormented, and 5. possibly one of the most broken and lost souls that ever lived.

I wish things hadn't gotten so screwed up for him, I wish his children still had their daddy, I wish I could have been at his "this is it" concert.  He will be missed.

Thank you Mr. Stein . . . I like this alot.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. 12/18/05


My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. ?I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house inMalibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). ?We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

the Headache

So . . . after some more evaluation on my reasons for a week plus in Grumpville, I have come to a conclusion of sorts.  I have had a gnawing/nagging headache for at least 10 days.  It's not the pounding or migraine kind, but just there, annoying, hormonal maybe, and it goes to bed with me and wakes up with me . . . sort of like a husband :-) ...  kidding!  I have been taking Advil by the Costco-sized bottle and NOTHING . . . then I read an article about how painmeds can actually give you a headache after long-term use . . . seriously? 

So, perhaps I need to ween my addicted self off the Advil, drink more water, add a little potassium (along with the Vitamin D) and I may have found the problem and solution to my "grumps".  Hopefully . . . "it's not a tumor" (said with an austrian accent of course) . . . haha!  I know, not funny.

Grumpville

I have been stuck lately, stuck in a place called GRUMPVILLE . . . this is not an actual location as in edmonton or frankfurt but more of a state, a state of mind.  I have been trying to evaluate all the reason why i seem to be stuck there . . . in grumpville . . . and yes there are alot of "excuses" i can muster up, mostly legit mind you.  For example, perhaps the H1N1 germs have worn me down, perhaps 5 tweens/teens get on my nerves on occassion, perhaps the lack of organization at home currently is enough to send anyone to Grumpville, perhaps animal hair on surfaces that there should not be hair is the cause, just perhaps I need a little vacation, perhaps it's the fact that my car is in the shop and it will be a $600 bill, perhaps it's the ongoing extended family drama, or maybe i just simply need more Vitamin D.   Whatever the excuses or reason, I am thinking at this point that my husband and children don't really care and they would like the "balanced one" of their home to "snap out of it"!  So, I have given myself TODAY to come up with a plan . . . I will go for a walk this afternoon at which time I going to write out 5 things for each member of my family that I am thankful for or appreciate.  Once everyone is home from friends, soccer, dance, etc, we will all sit down for a late supper tonight, I will read my thankful list.  There is no other option . . . I must leave Grumpville today!  I will let you know how it goes...

2 years!!

I was in shock this morning to find out it has been 2 years since i had last blogged - how do you possibly catch up on 2 years of missed blogging!! i do think it is an amazing way to journal - to get a bit of feedback on your life - and to just vent, and i am really good at venting. Perhaps it would be easier on my husband if i went back to blogging . . . anyhoo - this is my exciting first blog back in a long time . . . we will have to see where things go :-)

MY RAINBOW

Well . . .life is in full swing at the Simchuk residence. Mike and I were amazed when we realized that we just celebrated our 4 month anniversary. This was a bit shocking as we couldn't believe that our wedding day was ONLY 4 MONTHS AGO! Is this true? It feels like 4 years ago! Wait . . . not in a bad way . . . in the "we feel very comfortable" way. We have very quickly adjusted to life with 7 of us, and 2 cats and 1 bunny . . . and the future prospect of a dog -yes, we are NUTS!

Seriously . . . i am not sure what one expects when you put two families into a blender . . . I think you can get a bit ucky mess . . . or . . . you get a family of people with all personalities, different backgrounds, different disciplines, different strengths and weaknesses . . . and they make up a beautiful, colorful "RAINBOW!" The dictionary indicates the rainbow as "a brightly multicolored arrangement". Doesnt that sound to beautiful!! For a black and white person like myself, this is sometimes stretching and yet most times a very wonderful experience! I have loved becoming a wife again, I love being a step-mom (and a mom of course), and I love that we have been adjusting well. It is not without struggle and perhaps we are still "honeymooning" a bit . . . but "color" is definately GOOD . . . and rainbows are certainly one of God's most beautiful creations!

what we've hopefully learned . . .

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can‘t dance well. Just get up and dance.
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she‘s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes; and it‘s up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

a little giggle

It takes 46 muscles to frown but only 4 to flip 'em the bird.

Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.

What do you mean, my birth certificate expired?

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think.

Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers. - Homer Simpson

Advise please!

Well . . . we made it through our first week of "back to school" - yippee!! The kids all got off to their 3 different schools, Levi managed to find his way on the ETS, Colton and I made it to his school with out being late, and the girls got off on time without any issue - pretty good start to a crazy year ahead. Our driving schedule will be very hectic for the next year with football, dance, piano, bible study, cadets, swimming lessons, soccer, tutor and the like. Mike and I will really have to committ to finding time alone to spend together and also time with the kids . . .making use of driving time with them can be fun too.


Any suggestions/tips/advise, things that work for you to stay sane . . . from all my organized friends would be great. How do you manage all the driving, house cleaning, LAUNDRY, working, family time, etc . . . I need all the help i can get!!

"laugh til it heals"

Do you every just laugh so hard that you have tears pouring out of your eyes, you cant breathe, your laugh gets quieter and quieter and the pressure building up in your head is making your temple viens pop out? Today I had one of those laughs . . . it was at the expense of a good friend mind you . . . but it was FABULOUS . . . it hurt, i couldnt breathe and i laughed so hard i started to cry . . . i LOVE when that happens . . . thanks HODGE for the cheap therapy!

I'M BACK!!!

well . . . it officially 3 months late but i am officially back . . . i have many many things i could blog about but i think i will just give a recap on the last couple months, so here goes:

April 30: last day of work for a few months
May 1: right-hand Carpal Tunnel Release
June 12: left-hand Carpal Tunnel Release
June 28: Audra-lee came to Edmonton :-)
June 30: moved out of condo and into our place
July 7: GOT MARRIED! (and got some!!!)
July 9: Lulu the bunny died (funeral same day)
July 12: Audra-lee went home :-(
July 14 - 21: went on Honeymoon to Puerto Vallarta
Aug 3-5: Camping
Aug 7: went back to work
Aug 11-25: cleaning part time at the church (DONE NOW)

*during these months mike and i also rennovated our place, we still have alot to do but we are breaking for the rest of the summer . . . we have been enjoying our time with the kids, not so anxious to get into the new schedule with the 5 kids BUT i am sure we will fall into step quickly.

It is fun to be married again, it is great to be having sex again, it is interesting getting to know everyone better, it is weird waking up with someone, it is strange to be in this house sometimes, it is great to come home and have supper made (HAHAHAHA-ya right), it is a whole lot of laundry to do for SEVEN people, it is frustrating to have lost 3 nose rings in the last month, it is exciting to think about our disney trip planned for christmas, it is scary to be a step-mom (monster), it is fabulous to have someone love you, it is wonderful to get regular cuddles and smooches, and it was good to get this whole blog thing started again!!

Love you all . . .

LULL . . .

since finding Facebook I have been in blogging lull . . . i will post something VERY soon as I do have a lot happening, so . . .

Y'ALL COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR!

mmmmmm . . . yogurt

i was enjoying my evening snack . . . a bowl of fat free vanilla cherry yogurt from dairyland. it really was delicious and it made me think of how much i really love yogurt. i love the kind that you have to stir with all the fruit stuff at the bottom, i like the creamy ones, i like that there are so many fat free selections, i like the little cups and the big tubs - there is so much to love about yogurt. you can also mix a big flavoured one with a plain one and get more of the good culture that comes in the plain - your kids wont know the difference.

there are so many good flavours out there so i thought i should share my top 3 . . . let me know yours . . .

1. Key Lime (the kids favorite too)

2. Cherry Vanilla (lucie introduced me to this delight)

3. Raspberry (fruit on the bottom)

YUMMY!

DISNEYLAND here we come!

Today we started our garage sale - it has been a zoo - people really like junk - who knew?? the weather has been perfect, nice people coming by and lots of fun. We have gotten rid of well over half and the first day is not yet finished so we are excited . . . albiet its probably the cheapest garage sale people have been to - we just want the junk gone!

The proceeds are going towards our trip to Disneyland in January so all the kids have been working hard to make this weekend happen - we think their hard work will have paid off - a job well done everyone!

Edmonton Weather - ARGHHHHHH!

well, today is the 19th of April and YES, these pictures were taken TODAY! HELLOOOOO, its SPRING PEOPLE, hasn't this gone on long enough . . . .

2 better than 1

. . . I have heard that one of the most stressful times in a relationship can be during renovating. Well, Mike and I are renavating the house right now - together!

We are gutting the kitchen (we have hired out for the major kitchen part), putting in new cupboards, countertops, fixtures, fawcetts. We are putting laminate throughout the upperlevel, new flooring in the bathroom and laundry room. New vanity, fixures, fawcetts in the bathroom. We are painting the kitchen, dining area, master bedroom and bathroom. We are also purging our 2 homes in preparation for a garage sale in 2 weeks - I cant believe how much s*** we have (pardon me but that's exactly what it is). Today we did alot of painting and cleaned out Mike's shed (o h m y l a n d s - what a nightmare!). But it looks FABULOUS now!

Mike starts coaching soccer here right away (Madi and Sydney's team again), I am having my first surgery in 2 weeks, I am still trying to plan some kind of a wedding celebration, football starts soon, colton is in badminton for a month or so longer, and I am going to have FIVE children soon!!!!!! We are very busy but surprisingly sane.

In regards to the most stressful times comment at the beginning . . . yes, it has been stressful, but overall, we have done really well. Mike and I work very well together and the kids have been great! We are looking forward to making the house "our place"or as I would like to say "vanessa-ize" it a bit, it has desperately needed a womans touch.

So . . . we have ALOT to accomplish in a very short time but we get to do it with together, TWO is totally better than ONE!

Engagement Pics

THANKS BRETT FOR TAKING SUCH GREAT PHOTOS - WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!

Expressive Therapy

You know how there are alternative therapies like where you scream and yell on the top of your lungs to release whatever it is that is bottles up inside you? . . . I think it is classified under the umbrella of "expressive alternative therapies".

I am thinking that there may be some benefit to this "expressive therapy", cause today I would like to be VERY EXPRESSIVE . . . I am not sure how those around me would react, and I think my children would definately need some kind of therapy afterwards, but . . . it really does sound very comforting at some level . . .

. . . unfortunately in my world, there may be someone called in to perform an exorsism . . . .