Photo Idea!

I've Finally figured out how to do This:

Now you don't have to scroll through ton of large photos....Instead I can make a mosaic like this! I always wondered how bloggers did this, and I tried to reshape photos and put them next to each other...but it Never worked....and then it Dawned on me! Picasa!! U make a mosaic save it as a photo and Tada!!!  Now I have a whole bunch of ideas! I'll develop this one and hang it above Sequoia's bed :-)

Fall

We finally had some fall weather this weekend....rainy and cold....Big sister had a friend over so we played board games, watched Blair Witch Project(as Halloween is 'round the corner so you have to watch scary movies - according to hubby)

Actually, attempted to watch it...but it was too scary for the girls so we switched to Ice Age, a family Favorite! It was fun, Sequoia loved watching and playing with the girls too!
I spent part of the Saturday babysitting two adorable girlies I use to watch! 

It was great to hang out with them again, never a dull moment with those two! Love 'em!

Also on Saturday our car broke, blah...Jeff figured it's a fuel pump...and he will be replacing it!

It's sure awesome having a mechanically inclined husband who can fix the car for the fraction of the cost the "real" mechanics would charge us!

Now Sequoia "news"...This weekend she discovered her Tongue and she's been sticking it out every chance she gets, which is pretty much most of the time! Its hard to take pic of it as she keeps moving all the time but here is one!

 She had her 1st Head Bonk this weekend...she was sitting and toppled over...she cried for a bit and then she was fine, didn't even get a bump on her head! Yep, just a 1st out of many to come I'm sure

She is sitting better every day! Here she is outside this morning..we were playing in the leafs

awww my baby looks so big here!

Oh and I finaly managed to snap a photo of her Teeth! here they are!

I am STILL taking photos with my phone...**sighs**....Charger still MIA

Indonesian Chicken-Lentil-Veggie soup

I have to write this recipe down so I don't forget how I made it. 

That's my problem when cooking...I usually make things up as I go, and use whatever I happen to have in the fridge/pantry but I don't write things down and can never remember how I made a dish we really liked....so now I'll be writing it down Here!

The only thing that makes this soup "Indonesian" is a Epicure spice...It's my Fave at the moment!

"Bring something truly unique to your next Asian-inspired meal with this blend of garlic, citrus, and chili flavors. Kosher/ No Sodium"

• In a big soup pot brown some chicken in olive oil - can put whole pieces or diced 
• Add onions, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, zucchini - let it all cook in a covered pot
• Add enough water to cover all the veggies and some salt
• Add lentils and cook until it's done!
• Add more water if needed
• At the end chop some fresh dill and parsley and add to the soup
• To finish add 1 tbs of flour to thicken it just a bit and that's it!
• Oh yeah the most important thing - Add the Indonesian spice at any time!

Charger is still MIA so can't take any photos :'(

Growing like a weed!

Our little Sequoia is Little No more! She is growing fast!

Not a tiny lil peanut anymore (sigh)...People refer to her now as a "Big" baby...It's a bit strange to hear that because for the longest time she was in 10th percentile for her weight, but she is catching up nicely.

She is 5.5 mths old, around 16 lbs...she is Strong, likes to stand, moves a lot more now, she is almost sitting on her own....she can scream Loud if she wants to...Personality is kicking in!

She is smiley, sweet, happy, goofy little thing who loves people and has a smile for everyone...she is very observant and curious.

It's exciting to watch her grow and change every day, but a bit sad too...I don't want her to grow too fast...my lil baby :-)

Now if I could just find that battery charger so I can charge camera batteries and post some new photos....

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving weekend was great! Friday was nice and relaxing...Did some errands in the morning and then Sequoia and I visited Crystal and Aluna in the afternoon....we had a nice chat over crackers with smoked oysters and Guinness...Yes, I said Guinness...I am as surprised! 

I am not a huge beer fan...I can have a few sips of some light beer here and there...but generally don't like the taste...Until I tried Guinness...the Darkest beer of all! Until then I thought that's gotta be the strongest, thickest....BEER-est beer out there and there is no chance in hell I would ever try it...

But on Friday I thought "Why not, I'm already eating smoked oysters, so what the heck, bring on the Guinness!" 

Long story short; I really liked it! It does not have the strong, sharp beer flavor like I thought...au contraire, it's very smooth and flavorful. So yeah, now I'm a Guinness drinking gal! Plus its good for you when you're breastfeeding!

Saturday morning we his some Yard Sales! Trying to squeeze a few more before winter.

Got some good stuff this time: pants, baby toys, oh a rebounder aka Mini Trampoline!! Apparently bouncing on it for 20 mins a day is the BEST workout you can possibly have! We got it for $5!!

How awesome is That! And I finally found my perfect house coat...It's dark gray (one of my fave colors!) Has a hoodie and is super soft! I am ready for cozy Winter mornings!

Saturday afternoon we went to Alisons for dinner! Ham, potatoes, mashed yams, stuffing, green beans were delicious!

Plan for today(Sunday) is to go get some fall decorations....Pumpkins, corn stalks etc and decorate outside...I already have an idea how!....and maybe play some tennis....watch a movie tonight...so we'll see that pans out...

Continued....

Yep Sunday we found this new U-Pick Pumpkin Patch! They even had corn stalks and gourds!
So we got our stuff and came back home to decorate....Here is what our front door looks like 

This is an old wicker rocking chair we found while out walking one night...I'm planning to spray paint it some funky color at some point, but they way it is now it's perfect for fall pumpkin display

On Monday afternoon we went to crystal's for a wonderful turkey dinner! Food was delicious....We played Cranium afterwards and had a blast!

Here is the sweetest moment I captured ...Sequoia was tired and she finally fell asleep in her daddy's arms....awww

Afterwards we went to visit Ross and Mary Anne...had some more turkey and stuff there...met whole bunch of nice people...They seemed to be fascinated by Jeff and my story...

And on our way back home from home we saw Northern Lights!! How awesome is that....That's my 2nd time Ive seen them....No spectacular colors ...But you could see this illuminated strip accros the sky...it was beautiful...

And that's it! That was our Thanksgiving weekend! Filled with family, good friends, good food, laughter....Good times!

Thanksgiving weekend plan

It's almost Thanksgiving weekend!! And so far we have two dinners to go to...Saturday is at Alison's...Monday at Chris and Crystal's.

That leaves Friday and Sunday totally Open...Hmm what to do...what to do? We are having spectacular fall weather...cold, crisp mornings/evenings but warm and sunny days...

I'd like to go for another hike somewhere new!...Maybe have a picnic lunch at the beach...

Or maybe not go anywhere and just drink lots of Peppermint tea and have a relaxing weekend at home...Play it by ear...

I did it!

Long story short I've been Afraid of canning! 

I thought it's just too complicated, you have to add too many weird ingredients, takes forever to do...I always wanted to, but was too much of a wimp to do it...

So few days ago Jeff and I discovered this little plum tree...it was full of fruit, and we didn't want it to go to waste so we picked 2 bags of plums. 

I don't about you but I can't Eat that amount of plums in a short period of time! So naturally I decided that this will be the day when I will can something!...Plums! And so I googled a really easy plum recipe and did it! I only have 2 jars as I wanted to test it and see if I can do it right....And I did! 

Lids sealed, and everything! And not only that, I even made a little jar of plum Jam, GASP! 

I am so proud of myself right now! Canning Virgin No More! (photos coming when I get my camera back)

Milestones...

Few photos from this week taken from our blackberry...

Getting Too big for her bouncy chair...she is Sitting in it!...You are Not suppose to be sitting in it you silly 5mth old baby! Not even suppose to be sitting at all...But she does :-)

Sitting by herself(not in a car seat) in BOB the Stroller!  She looks like she isn't quite sure about this whole "sitting by herself" thing...Oh and notice how she is holding the bar with her Toes!/ She was born with these long monkey toes!

Somehow she moved from pink mat all the way over There!

2nd Vancouver Trip...

This time we wanted to visit Whistler, so we headed up the mountain as soon as we got to the city....there was some dirt biking event going on there so it was full of young people...I imagined it was gonna be a bit more snobish...but it wasn't...it was gorgeous, vibrant...they had a band playing some reggae tunes on the street....so we picked a cafe with a patio and had some nachos and beer...Loved it!

Before we left I said to Jeff "I hope we see a Bear on this trip, haven't seen one in a long time"...And law of attraction worked and we saw a momma bear Plus 3 cubs on our way to whistler!

1st Vancouver Trip...

We went on a few road trips this past summer! Twice to Vancouver, to Kootenays....Van trips were for Jeffs job training, so every day when he was done we went and squeezed in some sightseeing! WE Love that City! Just the whole vibe, the energy, people, even traffic!! Crazy,  I know...But its just a nice change from a quiet lil town we live in...Here are some photos from our 1st trip to Vancouver...That was hhmm....sometime in February....I was still preggers back then...

 

We took the scenic route on our way there...hoping to see some Bighorn sheep, but no such luck. We did go through few old gold mining towns...very cute!

This is the hotel stayed at in North Vancouver....such a neat lil place right on water! Building has 3 levels....top one is the hotel....middle is the mall...and bottom is the market....and outside is a nice sitting area with a gorgeous view of Vancouver skyline

Just some tugboats that were parked in front of the hotel

 

Stanley Park visit

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.... 

Chevapi at Balkan House..._Chevapi is famous Bosnian dish ...and before going to I've found this lil restaurant just so we can go and eat it! Its was ok, not nearly as good as they make in Bosnia...but it was good

That's my silly hubby - trying to freak me out with his "crazy stare" lol

And last but not least - BC  Lions stadium. We cant go to Vancouver and not visit the stadium. That just doesn't happen when you have a football fan in the family! (Jeff!)  

Off to Fintry...

Off to pick Big Sister up from school soon...and then to check out Fintry Park (& waterfall!!) 

There will be NO photos...I lent my camera to a friend so she can can take some "Trash the Cake" 

photos of her 1y old...I feel like I'm missing a Limb! :-/...

But I'll "steal" some photos off internet and show you were we went! Haven't  been there before so I'm excited...

Oh have I mentioned there is a 150 stairs to climb to get to the waterfall viewpoint!/ 

Not  so excited about that one.... 

Don't forget...I have 16 extra pounds to carry  aka Baby! But I'm sure I'll feel great about doing it...once we are at the top!

Update: Fintry was great...Beautiful area....lots of history...pretty waterfall....Oh and whoever said there are 150 stairs - LIED! There are close to 500 stairs to climb to get to the top of the waterfall! But it was worth it!We all had fun as we always do when out exploring the nature...This was Sequoias 1st hike as well...I carried her in her Snugly...so she was able to look around and see everything...she loved it...After coming back down we went on to explore old buildings of the Fintry Estate....There is an old barn...round milking house...They are in a pretty bad shape...and I don't understand why local authorities aren't taking care of these old historical treasures? Only house thats in a good shape is Manor house....there is also meat packing house...pretty scary, haunted looking place...Whole place has a weird vibe, maybe because its so old...maybe cause it was cloudy out...but it felt slightly eerie..

Hmmm...Not much happening here...We are having a Gorgeous weather still...They call it "Indian Summer". Temperatures are in mid 20s...Sunny...Can smell fall in the air...Leafs are slowly changing color...Evenings and mornings are chilly...I love this time of year...Feels cozy...

We went to farmers market today. Love it...I use to go with my mom all the time when I was little...We got zucchinis, carrots, squash, pears, parsley etc. Was looking for eggplant to make MY Eggplant Parmesan! (I say "My" because I invented a slightly different recipe...Instead of just eggplant slices...I add slices of zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes...made it the other day and it was De-licious! Couldn't find any eggplant....bummer.  Love seeing all the different kinds of people there as well...Young, older...kids...hippies...."organic" people I call them....You know long hair, no makeup, organic clothes wearing, totally natural type of people...It's a refreshingly colorful and vibrant atmosphere. There were also a few musicians today as well. They add a lot to the whole Farmers market "scene" Trying to eat healthier these last few weeks...More veggies and fruits and less meat and processed foods...It already feel great!

Sequoia is getting over her very 1st cold....she did great! Even when she is sick she is still smiley! She got crabby few times but that's understandable...Feeling much better now...

A friend sent me some photos of my parents! She was walking by their house and she snapped a few pics!
Im Not gonna put up those but here is a better one of my mom & dad!

Not the best quality but good enough. That's our famous Balcony!  And its famous because everyone LOVES coming for a visit and sitting there...Its on a main street, 1st floor of our building...Great location...It's just a great lil place! I use to jump off that balcony ...lol..just for fun...Or if forgot a front door key I'd climb in and wait for my parents there to come in and open the door, one time my dad and I painted it this dark gray color...We liked it but everyone else Not so much...so I see that they went back to nice yellow!....I can't wait to go there for a visit after all these years and to take Jeff and Sequoia w me and show there where I'm from!! Show them my Tuzla and whoooole Bosnia and croatian coast where we usualy go for our summer vacations! I know they will fall in love with it! You just can't describe it...you have to go there and  visit all the beautiful places, meet all the friendly people, taste the food, drink homemade rakija....(that's plum brandy!)

City of Tuzla - My home town

I wonder what  it will feel like to go back after more than 6 years...Hmmm....I'm sure it will be very emotional experience! Cant wait!! Fingers crossed we get to go sometime soon! Here are some more photos of my hometown...Enjoy!

 Here is what a fellow blogger wrote about Tuzla:
"We arrived to Tuzla by night, it was hot somewhere in the 30+ centigrade and as we drove through the streets I quickly came to realize what a lively and young city this was. Young people walking around, filling the streets & hanging out at local 'go to' spots. "Tuzla" is the Turkish name for salt and was given this name due to the tremendous amount of salt found underneath the city and is home to Europe's only salt lake (Pannonian Lake) which are frequented by some 100,000 people yearly. After Sarajevo and Banja Luka Tuzla is the third largest city within Bonia and Herczegovina with 120,000 inhabitants.

Years of extracting salt from underneath the city have made Tuzla's city center sink,  it is quite interesting to see when looking from up high. In the early morning hours on a small side street we walked to find farmers selling their produce on the street; fresh cheese, milk, tomatoes, cucumbers, all for very little. We purchased some fresh kajmak which is a delicacy made of milk fat (about 60%) and I don't think we could have been happier. Our days seemed to revolve around delicious food, good company, history and beautiful architecture things which we will never forget.

I also happened to breeze through on the hottest day through Hamet's Bazaar where I bought books by a local author Meša Selimović who was born in Tuzla as well as Ivo Andric and some others. I'm really excited to get into some reading on my train rides in the next few days. I hope you are enjoying these posts as much as I'm enjoying my time being a part of this amazing culture" 
Visit her blog here: http://fleurish-fleurish.blogspot.ca/2012/08/tuzla-by-day-tuzla-by-night.html

Love how this blog post took it's own turn...I had no clue what I wanted to write about...But I'm glad I got to show you a bit about where I am from.

Noisy!

Here is our lil' Sequoia!! This is what she does every morning as of recently! She squeeeeeeeals in delight! at 6 or 7am!! Best alarm clock ever! lol

Mission Impossible!

So this pretty much sums it up! Thais baby must have forgotten how to Nap! What happened!? She use to be a great napper! Up and alert for a few hrs and then asleep for 2+ hrs...well, NOT in the last 2 days! yesterday she was up pretty much whole day....and this morning she woke up at 6 am...I tried getting to sleep a few times but no such luck...so here I am blogging away while rocking her w my foot...while she is in her car seat on the floor lol


Update! Look who finally fell asleep!!!

Ok, now to eat some breakfast.....at 11:18am!

Major Update!

So my last post was sometime in January...so 8 months ago...ugh, I really have to do this blog "thing" more often! I want to write down whats new...everything we do so we can go back one day and read it and see photos...Kinda like a Diary...just Better!

Ok Soooo.....Big thing that happened since last post is that our baby girl Sequoia was born on April 29th!!! Just one day after her due date! And after 33hrs of labour 8lbs9oz baby! Pretty big they say!...

 

  Sequoia, few hrs old

 

 4mths

Healthy, happy baby....She is 4mths now and is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me...I can't stop looking at her!...She is amazing little girl...she smiles all the time(she gets that from Me hehe)....laughs, giggles, squeals early in the morning(not crazy bout that one lol)...is amazingly strong for a 4 mth old...Has 2 teeth already...She is alert, curious, friendly, loves people...
I knew I wanted to be a mom, and was ready for it...But I could have never imagined that I would Love it so much! Ok, I gotta say....it wasn't all lollipops and rainbows at the beginning..It was hard...it was a Huge adjustment..I was exhausted, trying to learn how to breastfeed...dealing w all hormonal changes...It aint pretty! But everything is back to normal now! I feel like my old self and enjoying every single minute of motherhood.

This is my sweet hubby Jeff! Best daddy ever! I knew that even before we had Sequoia tho....I saw how he was with his older daughter Sienna...I met him when she was 5 and now she is almost 12! He is caring, funny, goofy....always ready to play...run around the park, do things that make her laugh....Just what type of  dad I wanted for Sequoia! <3                                                            

                And she is a Big sister now! - Sienna holding Sequoia few hrs after she was born!

This beautiful young lady is Sienna! Sequoia's Big sister and my stepdaughter! She is funny, smart, caring...and loves her lil sister! My heart melts every time I see two of them together! Sequoia has the biggest Grin on her face when Sienna walks into the room! and Sienna loves looking at her....carrying her around...playing w her....I was ready for some type of jealousy outburst at some point...because she was the only child in our house for almost 12y(she has older brother and sister from her moms side)...and that would be totally normal...having a new sibling is a huge change..But nope! She is as happy as always...I guess it was a good timing for her to have a baby sister...as she is becoming a young adult and is out of that baby stage herself. I fell so blessed to have these 2 amazing children in my life!

 Gramma Ceil and Grampa Bill came for a visit from Toronto when she was only One week old!! I am so Glad they did!! They were enormous help in those 1st few weeks!! They are amazing!!

And then after G&G left Auntie Barb came for a visit (from Toronto as well)....I love this woman! She has a special Way of doing dishes, and I was happy to let her do it her way while she was here!...She can be Bossy at times - But its Nice-bossy and I know its because she loves us and I don't mind her bossiness at all! Oh and she makes KILLER chocolate-Everything!! She loves chocolate and loves making desserts!...Only thing is I wish we all lived closer!  :-(

2011

2011 has been great for us!!....So many great things happened! Jeff graduated, we got married....Jeff got a new job....we got a car!...and last but certainly NOT least...we are expecting our baby sometime in April!!! So life has been exciting around here!! We are having a Girl! Awwww! And she is doing Great! Moving and kicking so much! Love seeing my belly go up every time she moves..Funny and cute!Christmas was awesome as well... we decided Not to go with HUGE shopping thing this time....Just didn't need it! And it's ridiculous how much pressure people feel around this time...Nothing wrong with small and homemade gifts! And it was very stress free..We felt like we already have everything we truly Need...health, family and friends....and a healthy baby on the way! What More could we ask for! I'm looking forward to what 2012 has to offer...If it's nearly as good as previous year...I'll be happy :-)