Why can't I keep this place clean?

Ahh, the pulling out stage... Abby goes around all day from cupboard to drawer to bin and clears them out, leaving chaos in her wake. Josiah, who doesn't really like things messy, has grown accustomed to the whole situation, and I see him periodically, sweeping the living room floor with his hockey stick, making room for a game by brushing all the debris aside. It's a system that seems to work for them...and then I wonder why my house is always in disarray.

Jann Arden concert

My friend Sarah & I went to the Center for Performing Arts in Vancouver on Tuesday night to see Jann Arden. Oh man, it was stellar! Plus, the whole experience of going into "the city" for the night, leaving the kids at home, and laughing and talking with a good friend made for the perfect girls night out.

This was the 3rd time I've seen Jann perform, and I'm never disappointed. Sometimes I think that maybe I've built her up too much in my head, and her concerts aren't as great as I think, and then I see her and I remember, "Nope, I was right. She's fantastic."
I took these pictures at the concert because Jann said I could. =) After her first song she told everyone, "You can take pictures of me. I don't know what they told you when you came in, but I don't mind. Put them on You Tube. Send them to your friends in Sweden. Spread the word." You could see all these little screens on digital cameras pop up throughout the crowd. =) By the way, Jann has lost a lot of weight over the years, and she's looking super!
The fact that Jann is a fantastic live performer is reason enough to go see her, but coupled with her great sense of humor and ease on stage, the whole show is amazing entertainment. My friends Tasha & Beckee both went to see her a couple of weeks ago when she was in Winnipeg and have their own great reviews on their blogs, if you're interested. =) (See "Doerksens" and "Smiths" to the right.) Also, my camera pales in comparison to Tasha's so check out her pics! One of the things Beckee said that I must repeat is that almost all Jann Arden songs remind me of where I was and what was happening in my life when that album was new to me. (Beckee says it much more eloquently, by the way...) So, on top of everything else, I find Jann Arden concerts an emotional trip through my memories. Kind of like a personal soundtrack.

If you're even a tiny bit of a Jann fan, I highly recommend getting to see her in concert the next time she passes through your city. You won't be disappointed.

Mom & her babes

This picture was taken the day after Mother's Day. Let me tell ya, it wasn't easy getting both of these monkeys to look at the camera and keep their fingers out of their mouths and noses... This photo is a small miracle. The children on my lap are big miracles.

window gazing

Last week I took Josiah outside to play with some of the neighbour kids while Abby stayed inside with Dwayne. After a few minutes I could hear a little banging on the window and we looked up to see Abby pounding for Josiah's attention. She was so excited to watch him play. But, she got more excited when she was able to grab the curtain string, which we usually have tucked up out of her reach. You can see the look of surprise and glee as she enjoyed a moment with the forbidden sting...=)