A great start with our break...

For the first five days of Spring break our second oldest son came to visit. It was really nice. I made a ham and salmon dinner and we all celebrated his twenty second birthday. The salmon was glazed in mayonnaise topped with a pepper steak spice. It was devoured!  

Then as soon as the sun came out we went to one of our favourite destinations. Victoria! We walked the break water out to the light house! 

"I love Dad"

Seen below is just a few of us. We only had ten of our kiddo's in Victoria. It's weird for me. Our large family is becoming smaller and smaller. I have always found that adding plates at the dinner table was easy but taking away confused me. Funny, we definitely don't have an empty nest but our nest is never full unless we're all together! Go figure!  

And now that some of our kids are getting older, they get to venture off just a little bit further.

"Hello down there!"

"The glue"

Nineteen years we have been together. We have been through a lot and we're still keeping things together.

Update - we are living day by day. With his spinal damage he's in chronic pain constantly. Some days his left hand can't grasp anything while his thumb clicks. Strange things. We are still waiting for answers onto why there's blood in his urine. Every day is a new day, some days better then other days. His memory and speech has been affected, sometimes words just don't come out right however we chuckle about it because it's the least of our worries. Life is just too short, so we're definitely making the best of it!

I love this picture below.....eight of our kiddo's just hanging out and being "cool" 

We live in paradise!

Every time we visit Victoria, we have dinner at Red Robin's. Without fail, Red Robin's has great service, the food is fast and it's always a pleasant experience. And every time we receive positive comments. 

One of these days I will start posting recipes as promised!

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years" 

Abraham Lincoln

Happy Spring Break!

Minion Easter Eggs!

Rice Crispy Baskets!

Devilled eggs with garlic, hot sauce and sesame seeds!

Have multiple birthdays? Popcorn goodie bags with hidden treats inside! Accommodates any age!

Now these two little rascals love licking up the brown sugar when I'm making cinnamon buns! They're little tiny crow people searching for shiny tasty objects! Beware!

It's our Spring break! Yay! I'm so excited to enjoy our time off! We are going to plan day trips according to weather. We plan on geocaching - our new outdoor hobby! Our second oldest son is coming to visit (it's been two years) I'm planning a family dinner celebrating his twenty second birthday! We do unfortunately have some hospital tests (for hubby) in hopes for a few more answers. We have some dinner guests coming "yay" I LOVE to cook for others! We plan on attending "Koba's great big show" live! Featuring the Backyardigans, Max and Ruby, Franklin and Mike the Knight! Then it will be Easter! Stay tuned, we will have lots to share and definitely including food ideas and recipes!  

Meals come with routine and structure!

Mango salsa chicken with Italian glazed carrots and basmati rice was spectacular! For me ( I don't eat meat) I made mango salsa salmon and honestly these dishes are at least $14.99 minimum to purchase in a restaurant. Speaking of restaurants, our favorite restaurant to take our family is Red Robin. Red Robin has never disappointed us. We always call in and give the restaurant enough notice that approximately fifteen of us (or more) will be coming in. Every time it's been perfect. Every time I have had strangers comment on how well our “group” is and I always smile, thank and correct that it's our children. Proud I am. How do we sit and function without much chaos with twelve plus and some special needs children? It starts at home. Routine and structure. Routine. Routine. Routine. Dinner is always served between 5-6pm. 6 pm is getting on the late side. We all sit down at the table together. Every breakfast, lunch and dinner. Manners are expected. Correction happens immediately. I honestly believe if you allow a child to eat anywhere, to watch television, to not have any manners – you aren't doing them any favors. Public outings would be chaos. “Please and thank you” are always reminded. Asking for seconds is waiting until the cooks have eaten. Dessert is served when every one is finished. Our children don't fight over where they're going to sit because I have prevented that long ago, all our children have their own designated spots. This includes the seating in our vehicles. Prevention before it happens is key. When we go to Red Robins, I choose their seats accordingly. Drinks are always after their meal. Every night we have two assigned dish washers. One washes and one drys. I have also eliminated any kitchen squabble during this time because it's one at a time during their chore. The dish list is visible for every one to see which eliminates who's turn it is. For our teenagers (that sometimes are with their friends) I stated that you have to be here by 5pm for dinner or you miss out. Unless they're working or have a valuable excuse. I know I sound like I'm running a prison however I'm parenting a large complex family that needs this type of structure and routine. This is how we are happily coming together on a daily basis and on how we can go out for dinner. It starts at home. Funny.....many people ask about the flack I must get with some of our children hating their food and demanding something else. I know what our children hate and I won't torment them by forcing them to eat stewed heart, liver and onions. For example, some love spicy hot food and some don't. I do however cook tons of variety and I believe that their taste buds need to try new things before making these decisions. I often hear our children saying to each other, “This isn't a restaurant” So they know what I serve (at home) is what's on that nights plate. I'm proud to say that all of our children mostly like everything, and they're experimental. We are also very lucky that none of us have allergies or any extreme texture sensors. You know, as much as I make most of the menu decisions, I include our children too. I ask, “What would you like tomorrow if I could cook it?” Favorite surprises are always fun. I also will teach one on one cooking. I get a bit claustrophobic in my kitchen so another rule is, if you're not working in there, please stay out. Food....it is the number one biggest time, money, physical and emotional aspect in our lives and we have to structure it well. Not only am I very glad that I love to cook, I am happy that there is structure and routine around it. If I haven't written this before, this is a little inside peek on how we function as a larger complex family around meal time. What are you cooking tonight!? 

Food, food, food, food, FOOD!

Feeding a large family is actually simpler then you think!

In many of my future posts I'm going to explain how....

These are home made monkey pork dumplings!

Chinese New Year 2016! Year of the Monkey!

 The above picture is how our assembly line starts!

The below picture is how a Monday morning could look!

 I believe in learning to cook everything. I believe in "not liking something" but first you have to open up your taste buds and try it!

The below picture is my home made smoked salmon and avocado sushi! 

 For years and years I was cooking only four sandwiches at a time. Just recently I purchased a large skillet AND now I can cook twelve grilled cheese at the same time! Sometimes purchasing BIG pays off! 

 Sunny days equal lazier outside picnic days!

 Cinnamon buns are a favourite around here and they're always larger then my hand!

 A Canadian traditional is always easy! Ham, glazed carrots and mashed potatoes! 

 Very routined and organized. Dinner is at 5 pm every night. Every one eats mostly the same foods and sits together at the dinner table. 

 Hohnstein famous garlic cheese sticks! Did you know I put garlic in everything? In fact I'm craving some garlic popcorn!

 When you have lots of people to feed, you need to think about your time. When I cook eggs, I whip up dozens and I will bake with different meats, cheeses, you name it - the kitchen sink....then once cooled, I cut into squares. Easy. Makes great sandwiches! 

 Noodles are a favourite. Endless dishes!

 And of course the crock pot times two! I make a lot of East Indian curries, and Dhals over Basmati rice. 

 Now I don't drink wine. However......I have heard a glass of wine helps with cooking. True? I do know if you cook shrimp or prawns in Sambucca - it's excellent! And seen below, our one son is smiling because he loves to devour my cooking! I think that's a toast for me!

Stay tuned.....I will start adding full recipes and explain how I manage feeding our family seven days a week!

A change is happening......

I'm looking forward to a healthier life for us all. My husband's MRI results were good considering the spinal damage. There wasn't anything alarming (new infection pockets) and the specialist doesn't know why his inflammation levels escalated. He's recovering from his recent knee surgery and he will be completing a physical and seeing a urologist for the blood in his urine. Otherwise I'm starting to feel hopeful and more at peace with our life. "I think" 

However I am getting cabin fever. Continuous hospital and medical appointments, adding some grocery shopping doesn't touch the void of enjoying the outdoors and all the activities that we used to do. So I'm keeping optimistic that soon a healthier life will allow us to become the family we once were. We are all feeling that lifestyle where illness controls and isolates us from the rest of the world. Change is needed. 

While spring is in the air and March is fast approaching I've been antsy waiting for my University application approval. I've been thinking about future hikes and adventures. That the future is ours! I have six enrolled into summer camps. I am hoping we can manage camping again. As much as I shouldn't expect, I have expectations of a healthy life. To conquer goals and to move forward like we always do. 

And because I've found myself obsessing over my husband's health, I have decided to change up my blog. After this post, there will be a new look, a new title and writing style. Thank you for following all these years and supporting us.  

Keep calm

My husbands knee surgery is over with no complications so far. We are in the early days and we are keeping our fingers crossed for no infection. We don't have the MRI results back yet, hopefully soon we can figure out what's happening with his spine. As he's recovering I've been busy organizing our home. I was curious on how others handle stress. I keep busy. When I'm busy, I don't have the time to over think what I'm stressing about. Today reminded me about when my husband was hospitalized. I literally went through every room in our house and rearranged and organized everything. Like today, while my husband was sleeping, I had homeschooling going, I planned some upcoming field trips, did some home school ordering to replenish a few curriculum items, reorganized three dressers, cleaned our home, and a multitude of other things! By the end of the day (not only did I feel productive) I felt good. I wasn't watching my husband's chest breathe in and out anymore. Nor was I worried about anything. It was an excellent Monday. Sometimes I find myself sharing too much "online" (oops) because it's my stress reliever....
I'm not sure how many of you have experienced living with a very serious sick partner or child, it can be life consuming for everybody involved. Even now as I write (while he sleeps directly across from me) I'm looking over. My definite answer to all this madness is productivity. Honestly, I don't think I've vacuumed so much in my life before and our home is already clean. A friend of mine stated that we should have shares with the hospital because we practically live there at least three to four months out of the year. I was thinking, that's about right. Even this week I have to bring Emily (our daughter) for her hip x-rays to find out if her plates will remain or come out. Which means another admission that I'm not looking forward too. Our poor daughter doesn't understand due to her cognitive abilities, so when she goes in for any surgeries it's a very sad and helpless feeling for this momma. I thought it was hard when our teenager son went for lung surgery after having three pneumothoraxes, however it's nothing in comparison when you have a child that doesn't understand fully what's happening. Anyhow this is our life lately. I'm addicted to David's loose leaf cinnamon Rooibos Chai tea and those little cinnamon hearts and cleaning. Normally "my" happy place is outdoors except that our yard is a unfinished mud pit right now due to illness and all this rain. Usually hiking is my Zen of choice but for now it's several cups of warm tea while plunking along accomplishing tasks I never knew existed! "Make work projects" And you know.... even with all our challenges, I still wouldn't change our life's choices. I might come across completely crazy stressed lately however I truly believe in this quote. "You (I) were given this life because you're strong enough to live it" And I am. My husband is still alive today because he has the will and stubbornness to live. We still are a strong team surviving our journey. We also have many individuals that support us. Our family and friends. Our community. Yes, through our online support networks. So thank you for listening to me, reading, commenting and/or adding advise. I appreciate it more then you know and I hope to come writing with more inspiring stories soon! PS - Happy belated Valentines from our family to yours ~  

I can keep this ship afloat!

It's been a week. Again, I probably shouldn't be writing however when the urge hits (every writer knows) its like a pen meets the paper. Thoughts need to explode. To update my husband, he has had his MRI although we don't know the results yet. I do know..... when his left thumb clicks uncontrollably while having severe pain in his lower spine that something must be up. Especially when his inflammation levels escalated from 6 to 38.5!  We aren't out of the woods. Tomorrow, which isn't tomorrow anymore (Feb 12th) we are going ahead with his knee surgery. He is at high risk at this point and not because of the knee surgery itself but for complications and infections. A doctor asked us recently what's important to us..."Quality over Quantity" One may think this is a hard question but for us it's easy. It's quality. It's a very personal question and for me to write about this can bring up several opinions that honestly won't make a difference. I know for a fact that my husband wouldn't want to live without quality. There is so many things that people are unaware of that are happening. When a man that comes from a history of provision, hard work and values becomes broken to task and can't provide as planned is the worst mentally. You can't loose both. So when you loose it physically....then what? This is why the knee surgery is happening with risk. In fact while you're reading this, the knee surgery is probably over. Which leaves us hoping we bypass infection and that his MRI results gives us more answers. For me.... it's hard. I've always been the organizer, the parent that keeps everything rolling smoothly. I'm not someone that cancels however I have canceled on dates and it throws me off. I feel that I can't express myself. A - because I'm the strong one. B - because I can't add to the stress. C - I go back to A, I am the only one. So daily I watch look and listen. I keep everything afloat. Everything running smoothly on a daily basis. Is it hard on me? Yes. However I'm physically healthy and I have that strength for my family. I'm knowledgeable. I know I can also save a life. So we might not be or never be out of the woods but I can keep this ship afloat. And that's my only thoughts....that I can do this because right now, I am the only one that is. MRSA - Prematurely I feel we will beat you. If not, I guess we die trying.  Too conclude; I will post how we are doing when I can.....and to end, honestly - life is too short, please get out, enjoy it with each other and while you can! (Hugs to all)