What A Life: Halloween

Well, my boys scored this Halloween! My husband sent me the pictures of the candy piles. Yes, unfortunately I missed Halloween this year. However I did get to attend pumpkin carving with my youngest in his class room and we also carved our own pumpkins at home.

During my time away while feeling a little sorry about myself for missing out on this Halloween, I came across a quote that perked me up a little.

An entrepreneur lives how most people won't so that later they can live like most people can't.

By always keeping in mind our goals, it makes it easier to dedicate the time and  effort to the task at hand to reach said goals.

What A Life: Back To School

Well this year both of my boys are in school full time with Patrick in grade one and Jerome in grade three. They do grow up so fast. On the down side I am back to making lunches everyday and only a few weeks into it, Jerome is already sick of sandwiches. They are both adjusting to school life well, although Jerome is not impress with the homework.

What A Life: Out With A Bang

For the last week of summer vacation before the boys go back to school we camped at the track. The boys got to ride their dirt bikes. They loved it! It was great to enjoy some quality family time before the hectic schedule of school starts again.

What A Life: Acadian Day

Did you know that August 15th is Acadian Day? Probably not, not very many people out west know. I am of Acadian decent, with my boys being born and raise in Alberta, they will never be truly expose to my heritage so I decided to do what I can.

For years now, since visiting New Brunswick during Acadian Day we have been celebrating it with the boys at home. We have been making acadian food and having our own Tintamare. A Tintamare is basically a noise parade. This is what a Tintamare can look like in the Maritimes.

Of course there is not that many Acadian in my area, in fact I may be the only one. So instead we invite our friends and neighbours to join us. This is what our Tintamare looks like.

So although you may not be an Acadian, Happy Acadian Day!!

What A Life: Movie & Arcade Fun

My sister and my nephew visited us one Saturday morning. We decided to take to the boys to see movie Turbo. It was cute, and right up the boy's alley. That's their kind of movies.

The movie theatre also had an arcade. Well now these boys where in heaven. To top it all some of these video games paid out tickets to redeem for various prizes.

What A Life: Mining For Gold

My boys love watching reality TV. Not the drama kind like Big Brother, their favourite is Gold Rush Alaska, Mantracker, The Amazing Race, Truck Universe and so on. They like them so much that it's become part of the play time as well.

We have had a pile of gravel for a while and the boys have been mining it for years now. We don't dare spread it out any more, they are having so much fun with it. Over the time they have added a "wash plant" aka the hose. They have also started panning for gold in the puddle using a pie tin for a gold pan.

It's been serious business, they have also found a lot of loonies and twonies in there (thanks to Nana).

What A Life: Melanie's Dance Move

Kids always view their parents as old people, and their parents age is the base of when someone becomes old and can no longer do the cool stuff. Somehow we had gotten on the topic of dance move, and more particularly doing the worm.

When I told my boys I knew how to do the worm they of course did not believe me. So we cleared a patch in the living room and I proved them wrong. Priceless! This was a year or two ago, but today I came across a video Adam had taken of my mad dance move.

What A Life: Raj

At the beginning of this year my sister had her 30th birthday. She hated it. So of course, we made a big deal about it.

We had a surprise birthday party, Big Bang Theory themed. We also made it a costume party and I decided to go as Raj. I purchased dark foundation and drew on sideburns with my eye-liner. It really freaked my kids out.

It was a good time and my sister survived turning thirty.

What A Life: Hay There

Well I hope your summer is going well and that you are taking advantage of the nice weather. The boys and I have been having a few picnics at the park after their swimming class and a few trips to the local skate park. So far, they do not seem to be missing school.

Adam is getting pretty busy with farm work since it is haying season. The hay we harvest goes towards feeding our cows during the winter. So the more hay bales we get, the better. It's a bit of a stress when winter is still going strong but the hay is all used up. So I would say it's a pretty important time for the farm.

For you guys out there who did not grow up on a farm (like me) there are really four stages to haying season. Cutting, drying/raking, baling, and moving. So first we have to cut the hay. This is what Adam is doing in the picture. Then the hay needs to dry, in this stage we rake the hay when and if necessary to dry the other side or to combine rows together to make the bailing process easier.

Then it's baling time, the hay gets rolled up into big hay bales ready to be used when we need them. The final stage is moving them. They need to be stacked together in an area that will be convenient to grab when feeding the cow without been accessible by the cow. Because otherwise the cows will eat them. You'll be amazed how far a cow can reach through a barb wire fence. So the bales can not be too close to the fence either.

So there we go, haying season. This is probably also the time of year where we are the most vulnerable to mother nature. The weather will dictate when it is time to hay. The rain will stop your progress. Hay doesn't dry well in the rain ;)

So if you are a fellow farmer, I wish you a good haying season. If not, enjoy your summer and pray for dry warm weather.

What A Life: Barr Family Second Annual Dingy Dug Out Race

Tomorrow will be the Barr Family Second Annual Dingy Dug Out Race. Wow, that's a bit of a mouth full to say. It is exactly what it sounds like. My sister in law as bought five dingys that we will race on the dug out. With all the rain we have had lately, the dug out will be nice and full.

Here are a few pictures of last year dingy dug out race.

Notice in this last picture that the cows came to see what all the excitement was about. We also had this event in April and were all freezing cold. I glad that this year we waited for summer.

This is the entry in Jerome's school journal about the race. He was in grade one at the time.

Well I hope you have a great Canada Day tomorrow.

What A Life: Summer Time Wishlist

School is almost over and before we know it, it will be summer time. To make the most of it, the boys and I sat down and made up a list of what we wished to do during the summer. Here is what our list looks like:

• Camping at the track
• Playdates
• Fishing
• Pool
• Sylvain Lake
• Gopher Museum
• Royal Tyrell Museum
• Calgary Zoo
• Gazoo
• Banff
• Dirt bike everyday
• PicNic in the field
• PicNic at the Bergen store river
• Yahatinda
• Calaway Park
• Play at the playground
• Chuck-E-Cheese
• Movies
• Skate Park

Most of those items could actually be done any day with no real traveling. We can pick as we go and cross off what was accomplished or do it again. This is our summer goals and they are written down and displayed where we can see it. Very much the same as all our other goals.

What A Life: Babies Left At My Door

So I'm a mom again, I had babies abandoned at my door and I have adopted them. That was a few days ago. Today they are three days old. One boy and one girl. My kids have named them. The first is R2 and the other is D2. Did I mention these babies are kittens?

So I went to the vet and pet store and got kitty formula and medicine syringe. I've been feeding them every 3-4 hours. So far they are doing good. Their eyes are still closed and from what I read they won't open until they are eight days old.

Also according to my reading, they will start walking when they are three weeks old. Although at three days old, they are still able to go anywhere they want to go by crawling. I've been keeping them in a laundry basket, but they are already almost climbing out of it. So a big thank you to my sister-in-law who gave me a big cage she was currently wasn't using.

So now you know how I have been filling my day and what I will be doing for the next little while.

What A Life: Cashflow Fun

Last night we hosted a Cashflow 101 games night at the local community hall near our house. Many of the people attending played for the first time. It was great to watch them discover the potential of this game. You start off the game with how most people live their lives. They have a job the provides them with the income they need to cover their living expenses.

The goal of the game is to become financially independent and have your assets produce the income you need to cover your expenses. Succeeding this takes you our of the RAT RACE and puts you in the FAST LANE.

If you are living you life following the regular pattern of covering you expenses with your JOB, what would happens if suddenly you could not work? You would then go to you ASSET to cover your expenses (savings, RRSP, Etc) the problem with using your assets is you will eventually run out. You would the have to turn to your LIABILITIES to cover the expenses (Credit Cards, Line of Credits, Etc) eventually you wouldn't be able to borrow yourself out of your obligation and you would then have reached BANKRUPTCY.

Now look at the pattern for RETIREMENT; it looks an awful lot like the beginning of the bankruptcy pattern. Scary!!

That is why we feel learning to become financially independent is so important. It would be great not to have to worry about running out of money in your retirement.

So here we where last night learning to become financially independent.

What A Life: Gopher Hole Museum

A few years ago, we discovered an Alberta hidden gem; the Gopher Hole Museum.

Yes you have read that right. There is a small museum in Torrington Alberta that has displayed of dioramas with stuffed gophers in a variety of scenes. It is hilarious!! The boys and I have visited that museum every year since we have discovered it. They have albino gophers, black furred gophers and the regular gophers.

There is even "hate mail" displayed from different animal activist. Now don't worry all of this gophers where found as road kill and then stuffed.

If you are ever in the area, it's worth the stop.

What A Life: Working Cows

Late post today, sorry about that. We were vaccinating our calves today and taking part of the herd out to pasture. It was a full day's work. We were lucky to not be rained on.

First we had to take the cows in.

Then separate the calves from the cows.

Run them through the chute and vaccinate them.

Our boys were the young helpers this year.

And the bulls had a testosterone face off.