Wish you were here!!!

What a day! 27.5 degrees Celsius. I'm sure glad I didn't work this afternoon. I feel so ALIVE! It is amazing what sun and warm temperatures can do.

I'm sitting here relaxing under the umbrella wishing Ian was home with us and that my sister could bring the kids over for a play date. That would really make this moment perfect.

Not much different here...

It appears we are dealing with the same sick little girl one month after my last post!  I am grateful, in the midst of more illness, that it seems to just be Quinn now who is getting 'knocked out' with infections.  Hailey is almost 4 now and her symptoms are generally pretty mild, or doesn't get the illness at all.  For that I am very grateful.

It is just the regular fever, cough, runny nose.  We are coping at a fairly normal level with a few more snuggles, more broken sleeping, less eating and quieter play.  By Friday though, I was pretty desperate to get out with some friends and had a great 'getaway' from the Isackson hospital for a few hours.


We couldn't be more thrilled that spring has arrived here.  It was +19 yesterday and we had a wonderful day playing outside and working a bit on the yard.  Our backyard is still too wet to rake so that will be a project for next week (or the week after - apparently it is supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow - geesh).

I am very excited for this summer!  For the nice weather, for our 2 week trip to BC, for more days at work and more days playing with the girls!  More than anything though I am excited that I have no babies under 2 yrs and am NOT pregnant.  I'm thinking it will be the best summer in 4 years :)

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).

Making a splash!

"I did it!"

"go, go, go"

"yay"

"Look!  I found it, a rock"

"I did it!"

This was way too cute.  Hailey's second day splashing in puddles.  She picked it up pretty quickly.  I'm looking forward to a whole week of nice, splashing weather :)

When will winter end?

I've been so blah lately, well probably for the past 3 brutally cold months.  Not going outside really affects my motivation.  It also makes me pasty white ;)

I have so many fun projects I could work on, or the endless 'to do' list that comes with house and family but I just don't want to.  I sit at this computer for too much of each day.... or on the couch watching Hailey play/watch tv.  I need spring... I NEED spring!  And so does Hailey because she is even more of a hermit than I am!

Could someone just tell me how many more days until the sidewalks are clear and the weather above -10?  If I know when the end is coming it will be easier to wait it out ;)

May Long Weekend

Well we are still waiting for spring to stick around out here in Lloydminster. It seems that some snow is coming the next couple days but should be 22 degrees by Saturday. We shall see. I would like to plant some things outside without them dying. This past week... well perhaps the last month continues to be crazy. It is so fun having a house with 'projects' to do. Hopefully they don't get old too fast.

On Tuesday we saw Emerson Drive in concert. Right here in Lloydminster too! It was great fun and Bean sure seemed to enjoy the loud music.



On Friday my sister-in-law Cora made the long trek from Calgary to come see us and it was great fun! We wish that more family lived nearby. She helped us out with some yard work and I caught a picture of her in her Farmer Maisie outfit (Ian's borrowed clothes). I must say though that yard work is getting pretty exhausting as I am now 6 months along. I was hurting the last couple days but seem to have recovered.



After the yard work we had a big Housewarming BBQ party with a big gang of friends from the branch. There were about 40 people there (half of which were children). It was great to have so many kids running around. Ian and I have both been feeling that our house is so empty since everyone left. Luckily it was warm enough (though cloudy) to stay outside for the duration. I think next weekend I will be ready for another party! Thanks to all our friends for coming out and making our house more homey!











Ian and I have enjoyed this last holiday break before school is out. I am trying to savour the last 2 weeks I have of sleeping in before I teach full time for the last month. I just know I am going to burn out quick. I just keep telling myself "it is only one month". 25 grade two-ers are hard to keep up with.

The waddle continues to develop as my tummy is growing and the numbers on the scale are actually moving up now at a steady rate (yikes). Hopefully these last 3 months don't involve too much growth. Our little girl seems healthy and strong (still making me feel sick on a regular basis) though she has already grown quite stubborn. She seems to refuse to 'perform' for Daddy or anyone else for that matter. When she kicks I try to get Ian to feel it but as soon as his hand is on there she just won't kick anymore. What a turkey!

Last news of all I recently learned that I am finally going to be an auntie!!!!! And double time. My sister is having twins and we are thrilled. We just wish that they didn't live so far away in Switzerland.

I hope you all had a great long weekend as well..... just can't wait for spring to stay!