Chariot

The weather has turned and spring is here, or within sight ;)  We have no snow left on the ground but that doesn't mean we are done with the white stuff.  'Spring' in Alberta is such a tease... really I would say we don't really have spring.  It generally goes from winter straight to.... okay, maybe we don't have summer and we just get spring really late.  It is all so unpredictable.  Whatever the weather we have begun to emerge from our home and get outside to play.  It has been so rejuvenating.

We purchased a used chariot last weekend and have already used it numerous times (though we have yet to strap it to a bike).  It is so easy to push around even with both girls in it.  A huge improvement from our ‘tank’ of a double stroller.

Hailey has been really enjoying the freedom she now has, running a bit further from Mom and playing in the backyard by herself as I watch from the window.  She wants to do everything by herself.  I am trying to be patient as that means everything takes a million years longer ;)  She has gotten so grown up, so fast.  With only her third birthday coming this summer I feel like she is already 5 years old (with the attitude and all), but she really is such a sweet girl.  She may not always like to share her toys with her sister… and she may not always poop in the toilet but she is so full of love.  She looks out for Quinn constantly and loves to laugh with her.  She sets the table for us and says the most beautiful prayers.  I cry every time she speaks her sweet words to our Heavenly Father.  She brings the spirit into our home and reminds me daily that I need to be a better Mom.

Quinn is crawling all over the place.  She has abandoned the army crawl for the more efficient hand/knee crawling.  She is trying to climb up on everything and has the funniest personality.  When we tell her ‘no’ she looks up at us with her chin raised really high and her bottom lip out in a huge pout…. She waits till we laugh (because it is seriously so cute and I can’t help but laugh) and then laughs herself and tries to do what we told her she couldn’t again.  She is such a charmer!  She is super tolerant of everything and has been from the start.  She could wait so long to eat before she got upset and can take a good knock without getting upset.  She says ‘dad’, ‘baa baa’ and ‘uh uh’ (uh oh).  We just love her to bits.  I can’t believe she will be 1 in just 5 weeks.

Ian and I are off to Las Vegas in May for our 5^th anniversary.  It is the first trip away without the girls and we are both SUPER excited.  I know I will miss my girls but I also won’t miss them :)  It is definitely time for a break.  I don’t know how anyone can have children closer together than 21 months apart.  It has been ‘all baby’ for the last 2.5 years and it was hard with a non-sleeper and really sick pregnancies.  I’m looking forward to our planned ‘break’ and hope that no ‘surprises’ pop up in the next 2 years!

*Mom you are seriously amazing to have had 6 kids when you were my age… good heavens, that would have killed me!

We are so blessed and need to show our gratitude more everyday.  It is a constant struggle to truly be a ‘good person’ (at least for me – I can’t speak for Ian).