Macpherson Mayhem

More Pictures from the Past

2011-04-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add a few more pictures from the last few months. Enjoy!

This is our Family all together. February 2011

Stephen and I were able to visit his dad almost everyday. I think it helped his dad get a little stronger because he knew we would be coming.

Everyone was so happy to see Hamish after his mission. I was so excited to visit with my mommy...

And my daddy!!!

This is a great picture. If you haven't figured it out it's Derek. He was so great at the hospital and so willing to play for Grandpa, who was so proud of him and said it numerous times. He also entertained some of the other patients and even took song requests. He has a really good ear so if they were able to sing it to him he could somehow play it on the piano. He really brought the place alive with his piano playing and brightened his Grandpa's day,

I just want to say thanks to our family and friends because this trip would have never happened without all your support. We are praying for Grandpa that all will be well for him and Grandma. We love you guys!!!

Back to the Future

2011-04-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have posted. We are now in April and I don't know where the time has gone. I feel bad that I have not kept up with my blog but let life get in the way. I will look through our pictures and post the fun ones. It will include Halloween, and Christmas. Hamish has returned from his mission and is working at Radial Point. His plans are to go to school in the very near future. It looks like he will be moving to Calgary or somewhere in Western Canada.
Speaking of out west we and I mean my husband and Hamish and Derek made a trip out to Vancouver Island in February. Grandpa Macpherson was in the hospital and we really wanted to see him and spend time with Grandma. He's still in the hospital and Grandma visits him daily. We really wished that we could be closer especially now when Grandpa isn't feeling that well. We visited and tried to cheer him up everyday. I was also able to visit my dad in Port Alberni. He and Karen have taken on the enormous task of fostering. They have two sweet little girls Shannon and Mariah. When I say little I mean toddler and a baby. I'm in awe of them. What a challenge they have taken on at a time when many would be thinking more about retirement. I just love the girls they are so sweet. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love babies - I just want to squish them both.
Now we are back in Montreal and back to regular life. Life sure is busy and full. But I like it that way cause everything I do I love.

Merry Christmas our tree for 2010

Stockings are a big deal in our Christmas traditions

Whoops! I almost forgot Halloween. William was "Windy Man" and Olivia was Artemis- the Goddess of Hunting. Aren't their costumes great!

A new Haircut

2010-09-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've decided to share how great I feel since I got my haircut. I think all that long straight hair was just weighing me down. Everyone I see from the gym to church to my girl guides this evening said how they liked my hair. It's amazing how a simple haircut can change your life for the better. Everything seems easier to face when you feel better about yourself. I remember when I was younger (really young) when my mom or grandma would go to the salon to get their hair styled and curled. We don't do that now - go weekly. If I get there every six weeks I'm lucky. I know how important it is to eat healthy and exercise but I'm also realizing how important it is to keep up the beauty care because it really does add to my whole person. So if you are feeling run down maybe depressed try going to the salon with your girlfriends. I have to thank Rozalie at Salon de Coiffure Rozalie for bringing me back to life. I'll be calling you in a few weeks for an appointment for a new do.

Sorry this picture was the best that I could find of my hair. Notice the nice layers and soft curl all natural of course.

2010-08-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Olivia just loves her new outfit designed and made by her Auntie Cheryl. It's perfect for the warm summer days we are having in Montreal. Don't you love Olivia's new hair style. She looks so sweet.
Here is something else that Olivia thinks is sweet Taffy, the little dog up the street that she checks on Tuesday afternoons. The owners are at work and school and they needed someone to let her out of her crate for a little while. Taffy is very energetic and loves to run in her back yard.

LOOK WHAT I MADE!!!

2010-08-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Olivia and I went to Fabricville and she picked out some fabric so I could sew her a little skirt. I got the pattern from a blog called "Crap I've made". I started around 3:30 pm today and finished around 6:30 pm. It turned out so cute and Olivia loves it. I'm so proud of myself. I really love sewing and creating things.

So now I've got the bug and I want to sew some more. I want to make something for William now. He says I should make him a hat. I think he wants me to make him a baseball cap. I'm not that good. I'm going to have to come up with something else. If you have any ideas let me know. Have a great day.

Palmyra, New York

2010-07-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier in July we went to the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, New York. It is only about five hours from Montreal so we did it in two days. It was a Youth trip but I came along because I teach seminary and we are doing Church History and the Docrtine and Covenants this year. We visited the Smith Homes, Sacred Grove and also the temple grounds during the day friday. Later that evening we went to the hill to wait for the Pageant to start. Here are some pictures from Friday.

The Smith frame home

Barns and other buildings

Into the Grove we go.

Some of my past and present seminary students.

The temperatures were hot and humid that day so it was cooler walking through the Sacred Grove.

Relaxing at the Temple.

The Hill

We found some seats and then Olivia, William and Dad climbed the hill for a different perspective.

They were hot and exhausted but they made it!!!

The pageant characters mingled with the crowd before the sun went down. The show couldn't start until it was dark. The costumes were awesome.

Olivia and William both enjoyed the show.

Chickpea Tacos

2010-07-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Yes you read that right. I have found this great recipe using a can of Chickpeas that makes a delicious taco filling. First I sauteed onions, celery, and red pepper together. The recipe said green but I had a red one that I need to use up.

Then I added some spices and yummy salsa. You can make it as spicy as you like.

Then you add the can of chickpeas.I mashed them with the potato masher just a little.

Then you can go ahead and put your tacos together and enjoy. if you look below you will see that I have typed out the recipe. I hope you will enjoy them as much as we do.

Kevin Nealon's Chickpea Tacos
1 small onion
1 T. olive oil
1 celery stalk chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 15-19oz canned chickpeas
5-8 T. salsa (I add more)
1/2 tsp. gr. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili pwdr
dash of cayenne
9-10 taco shells
In large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and green pepper until softened. Add chickpeas, salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Stir and cook until warmed. Mash chickpeas slightly with a fork for better texture. Fill shells evenly with mixture from saute pan. If desired top with any of the following chopped tomatoes, shredded soy or rice cheese, low-fat guacamole, shredded lettuce, hot sauce, or salsa. I added veggie cheese and my homemade soycream.

Olivia's Guitar and Rally Day

2010-05-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Olivia has been saving her money for a while. She checks on two dogs in our neighborhood, Taffy and Riley. At first she wanted to buy a new DS but then she decided on a much better purchase.
A friend in our Church ward, Julie has been teaching Olivia guitar. Olivia had been telling me that she wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Julie was so kind to come over and share her talent with Olivia. Olivia was using her dad's larger guitar but her hands were too small to stretch and reach all the strings and frets. So Olivia decided that instead of the DS she would buy herself a new guitar - her size. She even got to pick the colour - Blue of course.
Olivia is doing great at guitar. She has a great memory for the chords and she is excited to learn from anyone. Even one of our missionaries, Elder Burris showed her how to pluck a primary tune. I think she is going to do great,she even loves to practice.

Another fun happening in Olivia's life was the Girl Guide Rally Day on May 15th. Here's a picture of her and some of the other Guides riding on the Montreal Metro.

This was a special event because it was celebrated in major cities all across Canada that day. Girl Guides is a 100 years old in Canada and we were going to celebrate. I had initially signed Olivia and myself up to attend the rally in Montreal but for some reason it did not get there before the deadline and we were not able to go. Olivia was so disappointed because her best friends Erin and Emily were going and some of the other guides from her unit too. She kept asking me that week "what are we going to do on Saturday? I'm going to be so bored!" Then Sue, (one of the guide leaders) phoned me, so excited, because two of the girls had backed out and we were in. We were so ecstatic!
The Rally was amazing they had all these locations in the city we could visit. We had transit passes and maps. Our girls chose China Town, The Old Port and the Redpath Museum on the McGill Campus. We had so much fun in China Town that we didn't have any time to do the scavenger hunt in the Old Port so we just ate our bag lunch and bought Beaver Tails. We kept running into other groups while we were walking around and travelling to our various destinations. The girls had a paper where they could cross off the groups that they met. We were Campfire #2 but we ran into tent, turtles, foxes and many others from all over Quebec. Sadly I don't have any pictures of us at the Old Port but here are some from the other places.
Taiwan Museum and Temple was so interesting.

Chinese Water Garden!

Redpath Museum - here we were so exhausted but we had all these fun things to find and search for it was a great time.

The final stop was the Ville Marie School. There we met up with lots of Guiders the room was full to the brim with Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders....etc. We had birthday cake, saw a fun fashion show of all the Canadian Guider uniforms and sang some campfire songs. Then it was one final metro ride back to our cars and meeting for pick up with the parents. Our feet may have been sore but our hearts were happy. It was a great day, one that we won't forget for a long time.

William sees the light!!!

2010-05-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

William has glasses now. He says "the world has never been clearer". He is nearsighted and we didn't even notice until this year. He kept telling me that he couldn't see things that were farther away then five feet in front of him. Dad finally took him to the optometrist and he got these great glasses. He's so handsome in them - don't you think?

William's Keva planks have arrived so here are a few pictures of what he and Olivia have built with them.

This contraption built by Olivia is called the Cascade.

Tie Dye Cupcakes

2010-05-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Olivia and I made these cute cupcakes yesterday. We wish that our family were here to share in these yummy treats but sadly we live too far away so we shared them with our Homeschooling friends and my Brownie pack.
MY DIET TIP OF THE DAY - BAKE IT! then TAKE IT! out of your house.
I love baking so I can do it now and not feel guilty.
We divided white cake batter evenly between five bowls and added food coloring to make the different colors. I used the four neon colors and then made an orange with red/yellow mix. For just simple grocery store food coloring they really turned our vibrant.

Afer mixing in the colors came the fun part. We dropped some of each color into each paper cupcake. We did it quickly by doing each color one after another. Go Olivia!

Everyone enjoyed them cause they're colorful bright and just oh so cheerful!

Stephen's Surprise Visit

2010-04-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Stephen was lucky enough to go to a conference in Monterey, California. He was all prepared to go but didn't receive the okay until the Thursday before the week he was to leave. It was no problem packing up and leaving. He was ready for a little California sunshine.

The conference was great especially the location with its beautiful beaches and warm breezes. But the highlight really was that Stephen rented a car and drove to see Hamish. Elder Macpherson was at that time in the southern most part of his mission which happened to be only about two hours from Monterey.
Enjoy the pictures.
This was a rare opportunity for Hamish to have his dad visit his missionary apartment. I wonder if he cleaned before Dad came.

Hamish is on a biking mission so he is really getting both spiritually and physically fit!!!

THAT'S ONE PROUD PAPA!!!

A Chocolate Fix

2010-04-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

I found this great recipe for a chocolate lava cake. You make it in a mug and cook it in the microwave for less than a minute. Mixing this up is so easy. I'm WARNING you though, you might find yourself making this too often. It's great for when you are really craving something chocolaty and homemade.

Try it you'll love it!!!!!
INSTANT CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE
2 T. sugar
2 T. flour
2 T. cocoa pwdr
1/4 tsp. Baking pwdr
3 T. (soy)milk
1 T. oil
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping T. of choco chips
1.In a mug, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa and baking pwdr until well mixed. Add milk, oil and vanilla, whisking just until smooth and no lumps. Add choco chips and mix a little more.
2.Place the mug in the microwave and start with about 40 secs (my micro is 900 watts and it takes about 5o secs). The exact time will depend on your microwave. The cake is still cooking for a while so let it sit for about 5 minutes. This is really good with ice cream.

Microwave Cake

2010-04-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

I tried to microwave a cake in my new silicone cake pan and it worked out great. Bonus was that it only took about 9-10 minutes. It looked so nice Olivia said we should show it on our blog.

Olivia and William are always excited to share my successes in the kitchen. I do like to experiment and it isn't always to their liking so it's nice to see them this excited. You can never be sure what I'm going to do next. But I always try to keep things interesting. Microwave cake was one of my more successful baking adventures.

Happy 14th Birthday William

2010-04-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

William had an amazing B-day weekend. He had his two friends come and visit from out of town. They spent the time just hanging out playing video games and just doing the boy thing. They arrived Friday the 26th of March evening and William B. left Sunday morning and Austin left Monday evening. I didn't take pictures but the boys went bowling which they mostly sucked at. William B. got the hightest score and sadly the birthday boy had the lowest. They also went to see the movie How to Train your Dragon which they said was awesome.

It was awesome hanging out with his buds. And now with summer coming they will be able to get together more often. It's hard to believe that he is 14 already the time is going so fast. William is a great kid who loves to read and play video games all day if I'd let him. Sadly I'm a mean mom. He's very keen on these Keva planks that we played with in San Diego so I'm ordering him some. Check'em out!!

Random Things

2010-04-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

How great that it is now Spring. The snow has disappeared and left the ground bare and yellow and the trees naked waiting for spring buds. This past weekend we have enjoyed such warm weather that we know that summer is on its way. We are all filled with hope.
As I looked through my pictures that were downloaded I just couldn't help noticing the silly ones that Olivia and William often take. I wanted to share some of them with you hoping to bring you a chuckle or at least a smile.

The Epic Doll

2010-03-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

I had the most amazing time in California. It was such a gift to be with my little sister Cheryl. It seemed that we went some where different everyday. The weather was wonderful especially because we were coming from snowy Montreal. For two weeks I got to wear capris and flip flops in February!!! I can never thank my mom and Jasmine enough for this time we had to be together. They were there for the first week with us as we crazily visited all these places. We were able to stay for another week and still Gary and Cheryl had us doing so many things. I was just happy to be able to be with them especially Madison, Sydney, Thys and Kendall. These have to be the most adorable kids. Madison so sweet and motherly, welcomed her cousins with open arms. Sydney she's so crazy and she loved William - a little too much. Thys always has a smile on his face weather he's behaving or up to no good. I just wanted to squeeze Kendall she's so adorable and loves her mom so much. Kendall gave me more than hugs though because I came back to Montreal I brought her cold. So here are some more pictures of our time in California.
The San Diego Temple was so beautiful. Families are forever!

Then we visited this amazing Children's Science museum in San Diego where the children could actually participate in the experiments.

On both days we visited the Disney parks we wore our Canadian Olympic t-shirts. The Olympics were happening right then. It was so cool we stuck out and a lot of people commented positively. It was also great because we could see each other really easily.

As you can see in this next photo I need a better camera. This is grandma Snyder in Minnie or Mickey's house. She's eyeing all their cleaning supplies and thinking about how she can get her next job to be in Toontown.

How exciting to pick our own oranges. If you look back in our blog you will see that we went apple picking not too long ago. How cool is this!

One of the best places we visited was Newport beach. Again the weather was perfect and because it was February there were not the crowds.

And then after a walk on the pier we had some ice cold Lemonade. Thanks Uncle Gary it was delish!

I am so blessed to have such wonderful family that live in these great places to visit. I love making memories like this. I'm so looking forward to having Cheryl and Gary bring their family to Quebec and visit us. I really miss them. Thanks Grandma and Jasmine. We love you.

Olivia's Day at Disneyland

2010-03-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Disneyland was awesome. It was better than any amusement park I've ever been to. My favorite ride was probably Indiana Jones and Autotopia. In Indiana Jones it looks like a big boulder is going to crush you and just when you think you might go backwards the ride takes you right for the boulder. In the last second you go under and barely miss being flattened. Autotopia you get to drive your own car. Jasmine came with me but let me drive. I wasn't very good at first but then I got the hang of it. It's a good thing I have to wait six years to get my learners permit. William on the other hand didn't even know you had to steer and he was bumping all over the place. It looked so funny to see us all driving.

I liked downtown Disney with all its stores. I got a Mickey ears hat with my name stitched on it. We stayed all day until it closed and our feet were so sore from walking and waiting in lines. But at the end of the day just before leaving we ran into Mickey and Minnie and I got their autographs. I would love to visit Disneyland again and this time bring my Dad.

Another great thing that we did on this Californian vacation was go and visit the American Girl store. Thank you Aunty Cheryl for driving all us girls to LA to see this store. I have the Samantha doll and even though they no longer carry this doll I was able to get her some great new clothes. Grandma bought Sydney, Madison and I AG t-shirts with matching doll shirts. The store is huge and it even has a doll hair salon and restaurant where you can eat with your doll. I'll always have fond memories of visiting the American Girls store with my cousins.

William's CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE 2010

2010-03-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

The day after we arrived in California. We went to "California Adventure". It was awesome. We were there with our cousins and Jasmine and Grandma Snyder. All day we went on ride after ride. The weather was perfect and the line ups weren't that bad. Some of my favorite rides were the new Toy Story, California Souring,and Tower of Terror. I also went on the roller coaster "California Screamin" it was intense. There was no slow start your roller car was rocketed from the very beginning. My mom even went on it even though she had her eyes closed most of the way. Olivia, Madison and I went on it twice.

California Adventure and Disney were so incredible because of the detail in all the areas and rides it really is a world of its own. Thank you Aunty Cheryl and Uncle Gary for taking us to these great places and letting us stay at your home and also for introducing me to O'Hanna. You have to go there for me - I miss it sooooo much. I also want to thank my sister Jasmine and Grandma Snyder for this great adventure.

Halloween

2009-11-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

So I have a few minutes right now. I do have a zillion things to do but I really want to share these pictures. I can't believe it is already November 11th.
Happy Remembrance Day everyone.
I am grateful for those who have served our country in past wars and for those soldiers who serve today. Olivia, William and I have been studying world history for the last four years and we are now reaching modern times and soon will begin to study WW1. The kids hate war and through our studies they have learned how wars have touched every continent and nation in the world. It seems, us humans can't learn. So I'm just saying thank you especially to the ones who gave their all - their lives.

Let's talk about our Halloween. About two day's before Halloween I had the children carve their pumpkins. It's a tradition in our house that all the kids carve their own. We go online and choose a free pattern from the many sites. Then it's upstairs to the dinning room table to carve. The gross part is cleaning out the pumpkin. I was nice and cleaned out Derek's.

The carving was not easy and took patience and some skill. They have been doing this for a few years now so they are all professionals.

And finally we see that their hard work has paid off. Perfect Pumpkins!

Amazing Pumpkins ready for Halloween night.

Olivia's design

William's creation

Derek remembers Pousse (Puss)
Derek's pattern was the simplest but it was an important one for our family and our neighbors. Their cat Pousse had gone missing and still has not been found. Pousse and Cola were always over at our house trying to get in - especially Pousse. Derek decided to dedicate his pumpkin to the memory of Pousse. The neighbor was touched and later that week brought Derek a beautiful poster of Pousse and it is now on his bedroom wall. We don't have any animals so the kids love to borrow the neighbors or friends. Derek was often called upon to watch the cats when the neighbors went out of town. So he loved that little Pousse.

I hope everyone's Halloween was great. We had a quiet evening and really not very many children were out. Olivia is the only one that went out trick or treating from our family. She was a Hula Dancer with a turtle neck on because it was a bit chilly and hey! we live in Canada. She looked adorable and she was happy. It's funny because Olivia was a hula girl and the next day Jasmine flew to Hawaii (from Victoria) for a week. More on that later. William stayed home and gave out candy to the trick or treaters. Olivia and I went out with the neighbor kids. Brandon, Thomas, and Dayna were adorable in their costumes and eager to collect candy. We just walked around the block and everyone's bag was full. It was windy and cool so we had Hot Chocolate when we came home. Of course the candy was poured out on the floor and sorted into the "I love it pile" and the "I hate it pile". The latter was given to her brothers. So everyone was happy!

Olivia all ready for Trick or Treating

Dayna, Olivia, Brandon, Thomas

We are all so jealous of Jasmine. Hawaii is so beautiful, sunny, warm and it has Cousin Deb!!! She is a blast to be with because she always makes you laugh. Jasmine had an amazing time and I'm sure she is already planning a return trip. I am happy for Jasmine that she is able to travel now and see a little of the world. She's home now so I'm sure we will be able to see her pictures on her facebook page. So that's all for today everyone. It took me too long and now I have to figure out what to have for dinner. I know grandma and Jasmine are having my veggie enchiladas because they phoned for the recipe. Hmm, that sounds like a plan maybe something mexican would be good.

Fun Hair do

2009-11-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I found this great blog about doing girls hair in fun styles. The instructions were great and included awesome photographs. We tried a few of the styles but now Olivia doesn't seem that interested in doing them anymore. I really wanted to practice a little more but she says that she wants to cut her hair now. Oh well, what can you do? Here are a few pictures taken of one of the styles we did.

Isn't she a beauty. It's hard to believe but Olivia will be turning 10 in December.

Stay tuned for the coming Halloween and Pumpkin pictures. I'll be posting them as soon as I get Steve to download the pics from our camera. I so love being able to share these pics with you all. Please leave a comment because the kids love to read them. It lets us know that someone is reading our blog. We love you family!!!!!

Jilleen's Birthday

2009-10-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I had a great birthday yesterday. It was a very busy day starting with chocolate cupcakes at early morning seminary. A big thank you goes to Julianne Chapman who prepared the delicious treats for everyone. Later that morning Merlene and Allison took me out to brunch at Dejeuner. I had a delicious veggie omlette and potatoes and fruit. It is so nice to just be with friends and talk. Allison is getting married soon and before you know it she will be gone to Utah. I cherish the time I spend with friends. This picture is of Merlene and I, Allison took it. Hey! she (Allison) got out of a picture.

After brunch it was home for a few and then off to an orthodontist appointment for Olivia. In the new year Olivia will be getting braces just like her cousin Madison.

Then it was back home to get ready for our Brownie and Girl Guide enrollment that evening. It was so much fun to see all those girl's happy faces. I have eleven Brownies this year - it is so great. Elizabeth Hines is the other Brownie leader and she organized the ceremony for the girls. I love working in this Unit the Brownie and Guide leaders are so layed back. We keep it simple and really try to focus on the girls. They are so positive and happy to be in Brownies it really is a pleasure to work with them. I'm always greeted with "Hi, Happy Owl!!" Here is a picture with me and my Brownies.

It was a big day for Olivia too. She became a Guide. She has been so excited learning her promise and law. Now she can start earning some of the badges in the guide book. She has made some great friends and has had some great times. She especially likes to sing at the closing campfires. The Brownies will often join the Guides at the end of their meeting for singing it is a lovely way to end our meetings.

Olivia and Erin enjoying the Guiding good times.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Stephen and I at our joyous Thanksgiving celebration. We were so happy that we could share it with friends and family. As our family grows smaller - We miss you Jasmine and Hamish!!! - we just keep inviting others in. It's hard to be here in Montreal without any family but we have made some great friends through the church. I wish that we could invite all our friends but our house is just too small. So our guests were the Malo family- Bob and Mary and their children Jenn and Mike. They are a zany bunch and seem to fit well with our family. Our other guests were the Chapman crew- Roger and Julianne and their living at home children Trent and Kirsten. They have just moved into our ward from Minnesota(?). They have traveled all over but their original home is in Utah. Julianne teaches early morning seminary with me. Also we had a bonus guest, Barbara, brought by Jenn but I'm sorry I don't know her last name. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of the food because there was turkey and all the trimmings. The dessert was delicious too with pumpkin, banana, and coconut cream pies. We were stuffed. All the families brought things and we created this beautiful Thanksgiving Feast.

Notice the gorgeous centerpiece created by Olivia and mom including place cards. Eat your heart out Martha Stewart.

This was the handsome Young men table. And boy do those boys like to eat!

Catching up with the Macpherson's

2009-10-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I wrote anything on the blog and we have been really busy. We went to a Stake activity that was like an Autumn Carnival. They had lots of fun games and an Apple pie contest,(I came in fourth) and it finished with a potluck lunch including sweet corn that they provided. The pictures don't look that great because of the fluorescent lighting so next time we are going to have to figure out a different setting on the camera. Everyone looks kind of orange - like pumpkins!

Derek was asked to man one of the games.

William loves potlucks!

The following Saturday we went apple picking at Verger Coeur de Pomme with some friends. The apples were amazing,so delicious. I ate three whole apples while we were picking. The day was beautiful so the pictures turned out so lovely. No pumpkins here, except in the field.

Then finally last Saturday Olivia and I went on a Girl Guide Day camp at Wa-Thik-Ane in Morin Heights which is about an hour north of Montreal. Sadly, the weather was rainy but it didn't seem to dampen the girls' spirits. And there were over 200 girls there. I don't have too many pictures of Olivia because I was with my Brownies all day and she is now a Guide. But we were at archery together.

Beautiful autumn colors.

Zombies anyone?

2009-10-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure, but for some reason I can't get the link to come up for this Youtube video so if you just go to youtube and type in plants vs zombies music video you'll get to see it. Olivia and William are singing this all the time. That's why I posted them lip singing to it.

He Likes it !

2009-09-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

So here's a picture you don't see often. Derek actually liking something I make. He's not really into my vegan/healthy cooking so it is so nice when he likes what I serve. I want the kids to eat healthy but it seems at some point they always rebel. I have to say though, that my kids have been really good at always trying something and then in a few months trying it again. I tell them your taste buds change as you get older so you have to retry stuff. Anyways Derek is holding a plate of my Red Bean Coleslaw.

This is not your traditional Coleslaw. The dressing is not sweet, but flavorful, and it has soft kidney beans that work perfectly against the crunchy slaw. I use a bag of store bought coleslaw mix when I make this ---- SO EASY!. In the picture I had put my coleslaw on a mound of greens just for added nutrition but really its best on its own.

Red Bean Coleslaw
1.Combine in bottom of salad bowl and whisk till smooth and mixed. 3/4c.vegan (or regular) mayonnaise, 1/4c. red wine vinegar, 1T. sugar, 1 T. minced fresh parsley (have used dried 1tsp.),1tsp. dried oregano, 1/2tsp. salt, 1/4tsp. black pepper
2.Then throw in 3c.cabbage, finely chopped (or grocery store coleslaw mix whole bag as long as it's not more than 4c.), 1 small red onion chopped finely, 1 large celery stalk,finely chopped, and 1 19oz (540ml) can of Kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Toss this all so that the dressing is mixed through out the ingredients. Just before serving add 1/4c. imitation "bacon" bits (optional).

You should give this a good hour to marinate but if you don't have an hour you can chow down right away. The imitation "bacon" bits are optional and sometimes I just let people garnish their own serving. I hope you will give this recipe a try because it is sooo delicious and it's a great one to take to a picnic or pot luck. Summer is coming to an end and coleslaw always reminds me of summer. Hey! maybe that's why I have made this recipe three times in the last week. Chow til next time.

School

2009-09-12T07:30:00.001-07:00

We have just completed our second week of school at the Macpherson Academy and things are as crazy as ever. Poor William, after that rainy weekend at the fair he came down with a terrible sore throat and finally after three days I took him to a walk in clinic. He had Strep throat,poor kid. So he actually didn't start his school work till this past week. Olivia has been doing great and sped through all her work before lunch each day. She waits for William and I because we do our History studies together. I feel that we are going to have another great year including some great projects that we always seem to put off.

"Oh no, not SCHOOL!"

William's Studies

Olivia's studies

It has always been difficult to fit some of those other things like arts and crafts into our program. William and Olivia both love to draw so it has become my goal to do some more structured art classes. I can't afford to pay for instruction but we will be using the book Drawing with Young children. I have been reading it and am really inspired to actually do it along with the children. So on Wednesday mornings we will be spending some of our school time in ART class. Here are a few pictures that Olivia just did on her own. She loves using color. Enjoy!

Whoops!

2009-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to change the layout and design of my blog and I am so frustrated. I'm so not good with this computer. I am determined to work this out and learn something. I like to blog about things that are going on in our lives but I want it to look cool too. I've been visiting other peoples blogs and some of them are so amazing. How do they do that? Well I'll just have to keep at it because I really want to do this thing right.

Hey I did it!!! I like the new look - for a while anyway.

Vermont's Champlain Valley Fair

2009-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the Champlain Valley Fair in Vermont this past weekend. It was so fun. The kids loved all the rides and being with their friends William, Matthew and Grace. A big thanks to Miriam for letting us crash at her house. It was nice to be with her in her new home. Which, by the way, is so adorable. I just love Burlington it's such a lovely city. Amy Venu came down too and we were able to sneak out without the kids to a farmer's market on Saturday morning in downtown Burlington. Vermont is a lovely state.
So here are some pictures for your enjoyment

Amy and I at the Farmer's Market

FREAK OUT!!!! This was Olivia's and Grace's favorite ride.

Olivia and Grace BFF's

Amazing sand sculpture.

This is the only picture I have of William M. and William B.

Munching Mums. If you haven't noticed by now it rained the whole day but we still had a good time. After the popcorn I got a funnel cake -- delicious !! Of course anything deep fried is tasty. I looked up funnel cakes online and found a recipe so I may give it a go. Maybe for my birthday?

Ottawa

2009-08-20T07:01:00.001-07:00

Last week we took Derek to Youth Conference in Ottawa. Instead of returning home to Montreal the rest of the family stayed for a little vacation. Our friends the Mitchells had just moved back from Edmonton and we were so excited to see them. It is going to be awesome having them live closer again - we have such fun times.
After the drop off and a quick visit with our friends, mom, dad, William and Olivia headed to the Ottawa's Museum of Nature. It was under renovations but was still an amazing display of God's creations including the Dinosaur. Everyone enjoyed the experience and of course Olivia bought a stuffed toy. (like she doesn't have a million already!!!!)

We actually stayed at the Comfort Inn in Kanata, Ontario which is a town just west of Ottawa. It was very close so getting to Ottawa was very quick and the price was right. The motel provided a great breakfast every morning so that was one meal we didn't have to think about. I'm proud to say that we didn't eat out at all. I planned all our meals bringing food from home and buying stuff at the grocery store in Ottawa. We had sandwiches for lunch everyday and for dinner the first evening we bought a grocery store roast chicken and bagged salad and I had brought coleslaw and bean salad from home. For our first night we ate at Britannia Bay a beautiful beach with beautiful grounds and the water looked so good. Sadly we didn't go swimming there but I'm sure we will return another time. We finally made it to our hotel and unloaded the van. We just vegged out for the rest of the evening. The weather was amazing the whole time. We have been experiencing a heat wave with temperatures reaching over 30C and then high humidity so it felt like 40C.

Friday morning we visited the Canadian Mint. They make the most beautiful coins there. The children were very impressed by the bars of silver and gold. They brought home a holder for collecting the 2010 Olympic games coins. So far Olivia is in the lead with 3 coins. So if any of you happen upon those quarters we will be glad to exchange with you. Sadly, you are not allowed to take pictures in the Mint so we took some fun ones outside.

Later after lunch we went on a boat cruise around the Ottawa river. The guide, Adam was great, pointing out all the interesting buildings and telling us amusing stories. It was also a relief from the city heat to be on the cooling water because we were melting!!!

This is the Rideau Falls they were so cool and by cool I mean the boat got so close we could feel its wonderful spray.

The Rideau canal is amazing to see with the boats waiting for the locks to open so they can go out to the river.

You can't visit the capital of Canada and not go to the Parliament Buildings.

On Saturday we went to the Aviation Museum.

We had a wonderful time in Ottawa it really is a great city to visit with kids of all ages. On Saturday after the Aviation museum we drove around and saw Rideau Hall and the Prime Ministers house. Then we picked up Derek from Youth Conference and headed to the Mitchells for dinner and one last visit before hitting the road back to Montreal. We loved our vacation with all the sun and great places to visit it was a blast!!!

The Mitchells

Decluttering Chaos

2009-07-18T05:26:00.001-07:00

Hello,
Well I have had a crazy week of decluttering my basement. It has started with just won storeroom but one room led to another. I have really noticed how much stuff we have that we don't really use but just have stored away in neat rubbermaid containers. Some I haven't looked in for 7 years, that's when we moved here! I've really decided to stop buying stuff. I'm going to Live Lean. I am going to ask my self myself important questions before I buy things--- Do I have the room? Can I borrow it? Do I really need it? Especially when it comes to crafts and things. I have way too much and really no time to do crafts. I wish I had a camera so I could have shown you the before and after,but the digital is with Stephen in Victoria. I do feel better now but now I have to clean cause the rest of the house has fallen apart. And I guess this means that I will have to work on the upstairs too. Now I have to try and keep it organized. I don't know why but I have a hard time keeping things orderly my life tends toward chaos.

Jasmine visits Montreal

2009-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

2009-05-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 10th which was Mother's Day I made Beaver Tails. I had a lovely weekend and since Jasmine was home I wanted to do something fun. They turned out fantastic. If you are wondering what Beaver Tails are they are fried dough. The missionaries in our ward said they call them scones and I have heard others call them Elephant ears. Whatever you call them they are delicious!!!

Birthday Bash

2009-04-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

It was my 13th birthday a little more than a week ago. It was a great day! I went to the temple that morning with the youth of my ward. It was a wonderful way to start my birthday. When I came home I relaxed had lunch and opened my gifts. The missionaries were over and that is how we got these pictures for my slide show. I loved all my presents and I have already finished reading the Warriors book I received from my brother Derek. The DS game, Mario Party is a great game. Olivia and I can play it together. She has a DS also. I have already beaten the game but it can be played many times over and be just as fun as the first time. I love shooting Olivia with my new Nerf Gun. It has a lot of fancy features and add ons. The Poptarts and Skittles were a tasty and fun treat. I look more fashionable with new T-shirts and shorts. Now if only the weather would cooperate. I'm ready for summer. Later that evening we went to Boston Pizza for dinner. Mmmm, it was so good. We had the Tuscan and the Meateor Pizza. My favorite was the Tuscan. Try it you'll like it. I had a great day to begin another great year.

Parlez Francais ?

2009-03-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

2009-03-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Things are moving along in the Macpherson household. We have been trying to focus more on learning french. We live in one of the best places in the world for that, Montreal. Olivia and William attend a weekly french class with other homeschoolers on Wednesday mornings. The teacher has a website where the children can listen to audio and practice their assignments. They are working on conversation and learning new vocabulary. They are also working on a play that will be performed at the end of the french session. I let them tell you more about that in their posts.
I find it hard to fit all the many things that I want my children to learn. We love History, Science and Math (well maybe not math!) but we can't forget about grammar and spelling. Teaching early morning seminary makes me very tired later in the day. I wake Olivia and William around 5:30 am so they can get up, dressed and fed and even start that school work before I return home from seminary/gym. It just seems we don't have enough time!!!

William's update

2009-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone. This is William. Today I got a letter from Elder Macpherson in the mail. I can't believe my big brother is on a mission. Yesterday he called us on the phone because he was at the airport on his way to Sacramento. It was nice to hear his voice. I love and miss him so much.
My life is busy and fun. This year in school I'm studying Algebra and I find it challenging. Derek's doing Calculus so I have a long way to go. I love to draw in my sketchbook especially swords. I want to learn computer programing like my big brother Hamish. He bought me a book before he left on his mission so I'm starting to work through it. I also like to read and have a list of books to go through. I really want to get better at french because if I want to work here I need to speak french. Olivia and I practice together everyday. It's hard but I'm not giving up. I love making videos with our quick cam. My mom and dad posted one already. The only thing is the quality is not the best. Au revoir mes amies, William.

Do-Nothing Dogs Commercial

2009-03-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

William has lots of fun with our webcam!

Sorry about the sound quality -- the microphone on the webcam sucks!

Olivia's weekend update

2009-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Why I like the weekends by Olivia
NO SCHOOL!!!!!!!! I like school but it's nice to have a break. This weekend we celebrated my dads birthday. He says he's 30 again but I know he's older than that. I got to have volcano (Lava) cakes. For those of you who don't know, they are chocolate like cup cakes with warm melted chocolate in the center. Try them they are delicious. I watched the older Disney movies Escape to Witch Mountain with my mom and dad and today we are going to watch the second movie Return to Witch Mountain. I'm so excited because on Saturday I'm going see the new movie Race to Witch Mountain. I hope I like it. Have a great weekend with your families.

Macpherson Mayhem

2009-03-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog. It is going to be interesting, educational and sometimes silly. After seeing Cheryl's and Cynthia's blogs we were inspired. It was so nice to be able to read them and keep up with what was going on in their family. We loved the pictures and especially the videos. William and Olivia have been making some fun videos so I'm sure we will be posting a few. Of course Hamish's blog was created by him before he left on his mission with all the bells and whistles he could think of to make it so nice. He is the professional in the family but I'm hoping Olivia and William will help me to make this a great place. So I hope you will check up on us often and enjoy visiting our sweet lovable family.