Rainy Day Fun at Port Kells Nurseries

We've gone to Port Kells Nurseries several times over the past few years for photos with Santa and visiting their Pumpkin Patch.  Although it's generally best to go on a rain-free day, there are still many covered areas which make this a great location to head to on a less-than-stellar day! Did I mention that it's free?!

Adventure at the Capilano Suspension Bridge

Our family purchased an annual pass earlier this year to the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver and have gone five times already.  It cost us just $104.00 for our whole family and that one time fee allows B.C. residents to go all year long–note that kids under the age of 6 are free!  I've already written about all there is to do here and just wanted to share what the boys and I got up to today.

Thankful Thursday

What a perfect month to be practicing gratitude.  Not only is it the Canadian Thanksgiving but things are not the easiest in the Chapman household these days so...trying to maintain perspective.

This week I am thankful for:

Foster Family Month

October is Foster Family Month here in B.C. and we are just one of the 2,500 foster homes in this province.  What does a foster family look like? Probably just like yours. Well, sort of.  There is likely a higher noise level, more appointments, bigger emotions and a few more kids.  But, there is also an abundance of love, laughter and empathy.

Purchasing Furniture Online with Wholesale Furniture Brokers

We have been in our home for ten years now and are slowly investing more money into things like our furniture and quality of belongings.  Some items we purchase in store and others we peruse online. We recently ordered several products online from Wholesale Furniture Brokers in Kamloops and were pleasantly surprised all around.  

Five Marriage Tips From His Perspective

One of the many things I have learned over 11 years of marriage is that Gary and I differ in how we feel loved and how we believe our marriage is doing. Although we have a solid foundation, we've had to stretch and grow a lot over the years and I'm thankful that we've both been willing to invest. I asked Gary what tips he would give to women to understand their men better and this is what he came up with...

Five Marriage Tips From His Perspective:

Thankful Thursday

Time to practice gratitude, folks.  This week I am thankful for:

Five Fun and Free Family Activities

We have four kids which means our family is loud, energetic, and busy.  It also means that there can be quite a cost involved with feeding, clothing, educating and entertaining them.  One way that we are able to save money is by providing numerous family activities that don't cost us anything.

Here are five fun and free family activities that we enjoy:

How Being a Parent Changed My Perspective on the Classroom

I am a teacher and I have been one my whole life; I used to set up a "classroom" for my four younger sisters and teach them whether they were interested or not. Over the years I would share all about my favourite topic–body systems–on family trips and around the kitchen table. Learning was fun and I wanted others to embrace it alongside me. After graduating from university with an actual teaching degree, I got started right away. I thought I knew how to teach kids and I did–to some extent. I knew how to present the material, answer questions, and connect with the students. However, coming from a family of five girls in which not one of us struggled academically and all thrived in a traditional school atmosphere, I don't think I had a true picture of what the variety of classroom struggles might be beyond social issues that most teenagers deal with. My academic goals had to been to work hard, get good grades, get a degree, and finally, get a solid job. And that is...good. But, what are we really working towards? What is the reality of the students in the classroom today?

Willow View Farms Pumpkin Patch {Abbotsford}

Fall is not only beautiful but there are so many fun activities to take part in!  I love visiting pumpkin patches with the kids because there's something for every age and it's such a festive atmosphere–we go to a few every year.  To start the season off we went to Willow View Farms in Abbotsford this weekend.  Admission is free but there is a cost for the wagon ride if you decide to take it.  The highlights for our family were: the decorative cutout signs, picking a mini pumpkin each, feeding the goats and chickens, and eating some delicious apples!