Simply Jaimie

Wow!! February flew by . . . As most of you know, I got a job as a receptionist during tax season. I am now super busy!! But, I am really enjoying my job and the people I get to work with. I do miss Hannah like crazy and can't wait till April 16th when it is just me and her all day again.  Aaron is doing good. We are officially at are half way mark; in fact, we might even be just past it. It is exciting knowing that there is an end to this deployment, and in just a few months we will have him back. We are so lucky that we get to talk to Aaron pretty often. It is rare that I go a couple days without hearing from him.  Hannah is enjoying spending lots of time with her cousin and best friend, Brynn. It is adorable listening to a conversation between two year olds : ) February also bought some great news for the Craig Family. . . . This past month we became one hundred percent free of our credit card debt!! We had five credit cards ranging from about a hundred...

This week we were finishing up, I will follow God's Plan for Me.  My goal was to have some fun while perfecting the song. A few weeks ago I found this really fun video on YouTube where they use paper plates to teach this song. (click here to view the video) I used this idea with my Junior Primary and they LOVED IT!! We must have sang the song six times while we clapped with our plates!!  Then I spent about five minutes singing the second part of the song, because the children were struggling a little with the words. We added some fun actions which they enjoyed. To finish we sang it all the way through again. I have never heard such volume with my Junior Primary! I am one happy Singing Lady : ) For Senior Primary it was all about The Olympics!! I asked a child at random to pick two numbers. Underneath the numbers was a different winter Olympic sport. Once they matched the picture with the sport with the name of the sport, they received ...

This week we are working on I will Follow God's Plan. I found this really cute idea on Camille's Primary Ideas where they play chutes and ladders. (click here to find all the links) For Junior Primary, I divided them into two teams. One at a time I would call them up to roll the dice and then move their piece up the board. Then we sang the song to the space their piece was at. They loved playing this game and were willing to sing loud after each turn. For Senior Primary, I left them in their classes. We sang the song all the way through and then played the game. It was a race to the finish. We didn't stop to sing the song because I thought they knew it well enough. Senior primary loved the competition and it ended up with my (seven) eleven year old boys winning. Yes, I have seven boys in Valiant eleven!! They then came to the front of the class to sing the song to everyone else. I was surprised how willing they were to sing to the other children. ...

Book Twelve : Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi WARNING : DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK ONE OR TWO click here to read my review on Under the Never Sky (book one) and Through the Ever Night (book two) A full hour passed before the tent fell quiet again. Perry was covered in legs and arms and blankets, so hot that sweat dampened his shirt. The shoulder he'd dislocated a month ago ached beneath the weight of Aria's head, and Talon was snoring right into his ear, but he couldn't remember the last time he felt so good.  Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world. The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together. Meanwhile, time is r...

It's Valentine's Day soon so I decided to fill Aaron's box with some of his favourite things . . . . I put in some pepsi little debbie valentine cakes mini oreos peanut butter hearts flammin hot fries cookies fruit snacks peanut butter m&m's and some new headphones

This package was from Hannah to her Daddy. She picked out EVERYTHING!  she choose the paper, the stickers, and all the goodies that went inside the box. . . . . . this is what we ended up with Hannah choose pink polka dots, snowmen, monkeys, and basketball paper to decorate the box and she loved it!! Hannah calls Aaron "Hunny" which is why the box says To Hunny Love Baby Girl : ) These are the goodies she choose: a doggy jelly bellys hearts filled with chocolate skittles pez legos avengers coloring book and transformers travel kit filled with games and coloring pages I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out, but I think this will be Aaron's favourite box!!

Book Eleven : Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi WARNING : DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK ONE OR BOOK TWO click here to read my review on Shatter Me (book one) or click her to read my review on Unravel Me (book two) I've always known, deep down, who should be leading this resistance. I've felt it quietly for some time now, always too scared to bring the words to my lips. Someone who's got nothing left to lose and everything to gain. Someone who is no longer afraid of anyone.  Not Castle. Not Kenji. Not Adam, Not even Warner. It should be me. The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love" Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person s...

Book Ten : Angelfall by Susan Ee "I'm coming," I call out but only a croaked whisper comes out of my mouth. I try to swim toward her but my muscles are so cold that all I do is flail. Flail and shiver in the path of my mother's boat. "Hush. Shhh," a soothing voice whispers in my ear. I feel the sofa cushions being pulled out from against my back. Then warmth envelops me. Firm muscels embrace me from the space where cushions used to be. I'm groggily aware of musculine arms wrapping themselves around me, their soft skin as a feather, their muscles steel velvet. Chasing away the ice in my veins and the nightmare. "Shhh." A husky voice whisper in my ear. I relax into the cocoon of warmth and let the sound of the rain on the roof lull me back to sleep. It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior ang...

Can you believe it is February already!!? I honestly thought January was going to D R A G but it ended up flying by! Today I wanted to do a quick update on what the family is up to, and how I'm doing on my new year goals. Firstly, I was presented with an opportunity to work during tax season. I decided to take the job and help build our savings so we can do some really fun family trips when Aaron gets home. I am working Monday through Friday from about eight in the morning to five at night. I am a receptionist at payroll plus. This means that during the week I stay at my Mum's house, and then head home on the weekends. My Mum also watches Hannah for me which is really nice. I wouldn't work if my family couldn't watch Hannah. I am not planning on moving back home. I LOVE my house in Oceanside and couldn't imagine giving it up yet.  Secondly, there has been talk about an extension for Aaron. If he does get chosen for an extension he will be home in Dece...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies these are my go to cookies.  they are easy to make and absolutely delicious!! ingredients half a cup of peanut butter half a cup of butter, softened half a cup of granulated sugar half a cup of brown sugar, packed half a teaspoon of baking powder half a teaspoon of baking soda one egg half a teaspoon of vanilla one and one fourth cups of all purpose flour half a cup of chocolate chips granulated sugar for sprinkling on cookies preheat oven to 375 degrees 1. in a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter together. 2. add the granulated and brown sugar, and the baking powder and baking soda. beat until combined. 3. beat in egg and vanilla until combined. 4. beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer - if needed use a wooden spoon 5. stir in chocolate chips form dough into one inch balls. use a fork to make a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie and sprinkle with granulated s...