Misadventures in Motherhood

The most boringest long weekend ever!

2010-05-23T15:48:00.002-07:00

Cam is on a temporary new shift at work which is 6am-6pm, 6 days a week. We're actually grateful for this because it'll produce some nice paychecks, and this big job should last right up until we leave for New Brunswick. It'll really reduce the stress for Cam of missing work for a week.

Anyway, he had to work this whole weekend, even today (Sunday). Not helping matters, we got a hefty 10cm of snow on Friday, which has chosen to linger and make us even more bored cuz we have to stay indoors. Thankfully, Jeff picked up the girls and took them to the new Shrek movie, while I've been sitting here watching movies online....and sweet Carson is sleeping.

Tomorrow is Victoria Day, and since Cam has the day off, we have a day of quadding planned with Jeff and his girls. We want to make the most of his day off! All this recent snow will make for much mud, I'm sure!

Leah's dance recital is next weekend. They're dancing to "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. Her outfit is soo cute, I'll be sure to post a pic. There will be a pro taking photos next week at the rehearsal, I'll see how pricey that is. Cam said I just have to take my own pic :)

Carson has just changed into a little man. I can't help but always smile at everything he's doing, even when it's trouble. He's such a charmer. Here's some of his vocabulary: Leah, Kelsey, puppy, cup, bubba(bottle), please, thank-you, cat, meow, and many more small things. Just very recently he's starting to (try) to repeat almost anything we say. Except animal sounds(well, he does cat and dog). He just won't do it. Maybe it's beneath him. He likes to sweep and mop, and clean the toilets. And he loves to brush his teeth, by himself.

I can't believe Kelsey's almost done Kindergarten! Her grad is June 3rd. She is excelling at reading. I'm so proud of her. The other day I found her sitting on her bed reading a random book she had picked off her shelf. She just turned 6, and Leah just turned 4. Apparently 4 years olds (this one, anyway) start their sentences with "Didn't you know...____??" But it sounds like din't-cha know? Mom, din't cha know I like spaghetti with butter and parmesan on it? That kind of thing.

Carson is waking up... I'm so glad I don't have to make supper tonight. My student from Japan, Yuka, is making something that has egg, cabbage, shrimp, oil and powder. haha I think she means flour? I guess we'll see.

I signed up for cable since they were offering a great 12 month promotion. Unfortunately it doesn't get hooked up until Wednesday. The Lost series finale is tonight!! Oh well..we'll just watch that online too.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T07:22:00.002-08:00

My 3 little munchkins are counting down the days! Well, not Carson, he doesn't really care. But the tree is pretty cool to pick decorations off of. He just had his first birthday 2 weeks ago. We had some family over for cake. Carson was not interested in his presents at all so Leah got to open them all. Teeth #4,5 +6 are coming through which has made for a fairly miserable week for him.

Last week we all caught a GI bug, starting with me. I am on a mission to inform the world that a "flu" is not puking/diarrhea, that is a gastro intestinal issue. "Influenza" is to do with your respiratory system-- coughing, fever, sore throat, similar to a cold. It's actually my pharmacist's mission, but I am happy to help her out. :) Anyway, I digress. We were all sick. It was awful. We all got it within one day of each other. My parents too, and friends, and brothers and SIL's too. I am thankful that it's over before Christmas, and Cam is thankful that he lost 7lbs.

We had our first get together with Cam's family last weekend. I happily introduced Dutch Blitz to my niece Alysha. None of them had ever even heard of it. Wierd. Christmas Eve will be at my parents place and we're having homemade pizza this year. Weather permitting we will also go tobogganing. Christmas Day is at Margo & Danny's--might also try to slip in some ice fishing once Cam opens up his present :) Boxing Day is my 30th birthday! Warren arrives that day too.

Leah has announced to Cam and I what we're getting for Christmas this year. haha We knew we shouldn't trust her with that kind of info. I'm getting a ring, which isn't actually a surprise. I have been begging for one ever since I lost my wedding band. Cam tricks her into it--he told her that if he got ice fishing gear for Christmas he would take her out on the lake--she started jumping up and down cheering! This all stresses Kelsey out. She tries so hard to cover it up, but to no avail.

I finished the Twilight series- I loved it. Also read "The Wedding" by Nicholas Sparks, it was good. I think I'll read more of his books. Currently I am reading "Monster" by Frank Peretti.

In 3 weeks I'm finally on chapter 3. It's very intense, which I like, but I'm having trouble getting into it. Any book suggestions would be welcomed.

Have a wonderful week!

Jinx

2009-11-18T13:41:00.002-08:00

We're finally all healthy around here. It was a full week of fevers and coughs, all three kids at the same time, and I had a milder case of it along with them. Cam was quite helpful through it, and he never even caught it. I'm wondering if it was H1N1, the whole town seems to have it. Hopefully it's done and over with now.

We cut our cable service recently. I'm really enjoying it actually, the kids and I are being much more crafty (literally), and I'm reading more. We also watch a lot of movies :)

Winter is definitely here, we've had a lot of snow the past few days. I welcome winter this year, I want to get a lot of scrapbooking done.

Carson just dropped down to one nap, much to my chagrin. He is totally miserable around suppertime but the only thing that makes it worthwhile is that he has begun sleeping through the night! I hate writing that to jinx myself. I wrote about it in my journal last night, and of course he was up at least 7 times. But I don't care, I'm gonna mention it here too. He has been sleeping a good 12 hrs at a time. I really notice how much more rested I feel.

New Moon comes out in theatres this week!

11 months

2009-11-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Battle of the bulge

2009-10-27T09:11:00.004-07:00

I'm sitting in bed blogging, with 2 sick children, and not feeling so great myself. I had a horrible night last night! Mistake #1, I stayed up reading "Eclipse" until 1:30am. Actually, I finished it. It was intense enough that I was not feeling drowsy. I hate to admit how much I love this Twilight series. I don't want to join the millions of teenage girls all bubbling about this vampire love story, but I can't help it! I'm hooked. It makes me feel a bit better knowing quite a few "ladies", and even some men that enjoy it too :) Of course, Carson and Leah were intermittently getting up through the night, needing Advil and back rubs. By 3am I think I started to drift off. At 5:56 I was woke abruptly by Carson crying, and then I had insomnia again, so I never did get back to sleep.

Cam and I had a wonderful time in San Diego for my shareholders conference. The week consisted of one 3hr shareholders meeting, and the rest was just pure fun. All the meals were provided, the food was amazing! The wine flowed freely. Our highlights were doing a bike tour on Coronado Island, eating at Candela's there, touring the USS Midway, going to Balboa Park and the zoo. Yes, we did all the touristy things. It was so fun to get away, just the 2 of us. I got to meet up with my cousin Heidi and her boys at the zoo for a bit. It was nice to catch up. Another highlight was staying at the Fairmont in Vancouver on our way home. It happened to be Thanksgiving Sunday, so we ate at the restaurant there and indulged in the Thanksgiving special. It was $55/plate for a turkey dinner! (I'm getting reimbursed from my store). It was delicious...definitely not worth $55 but that made it so much more fun. Oh, and as we're sitting there, at the table next to us is 3 other girls from FSJ. Kinda wierd.

Now I'm going to vent for a minute. I'm really battling with the "last 10 lbs" this time. I'm annoyed with myself. Both times when I quit nursing my girls, I gained 7lbs over a period of a few months. I hated this, but I just cured it by getting pregnant again, and eventually the flabby gut would turn into a hard basketball, and I felt much better. This time, I am on the same track. I weaned Carson in July and I'm gradually gaining weight. My jelly belly is very embarrassing. I do not want to ever be pregnant again, so now I've got to work hard to fix this! I have no willpower when it comes to good food. When I say "good" I mean tasty, as in burgers and fries. And I eat more than necessary. So my goal is to work on portion control, and exercise. I'll try to get on my elliptical trainer more consistently. I think I need to snack more too. For me, if I get too hungry, I really crave greasy food. So a healthy snack between meals is what I'll try. Overall I'd say I eat pretty healthy, but Cam and I definitely give in to our cravings too often. And no more going on holidays with free food and wine. Not good for the body!

Better late than never, I've posted Carson's 10 month picture. He is walking well now. Just about impossible to get him to lay on his blanket, which is why my leg is holding him down! Such a fun little guy.

2009-10-27T09:02:00.001-07:00

From the mouths of babes...

2009-09-27T14:34:00.004-07:00

Leah has been saying some funny things lately. I'm going to post as much as I can remember.

*In Walmart, she was standing in the cart, wiggling and giggling, when she said "God is tickling me!"

*Reminiscing about when she had sore/bleeding gums with canker sores, she said, "I don't have Deuteromonies on them anymore". (I meant to spell it that way, she mixes up the m and n). She had these sores while Kelsey was learning a memory verse from Deuteronomy. Somehow she associates this with her sore mouth.

*Yesterday as I was putting her ballet shoes on before her dance class, she whispered to herself "I'm going to be famous."

*Leah to Cam- "Daddy, when you went to work, you turned the toaster onto burn, and you didn't turn it back. When I made toast (now her eyebrows got really angry), they got BURNTED!" Cam started to laugh, which really hurt her, and she ran down the hall with a quivering lip on the verge of tears.

There's so much more, of course i just can't remember...

Carson is walking! He took his first steps last week at 9.5 months. He can't stand up on his own, so he always needs to pull himself up onto something first, so he's still got some learning to do. :)

Kelsey loves kindergarten! This is an answer to prayer for sure.

Funny

2009-09-13T23:44:00.002-07:00

I took his 9 month pictures at bedtime, and he sure thought something was funny. No chance of him sitting still on the blanket either. What a sweetie.

2009-09-13T23:43:00.001-07:00

A ballerina and.. girl with attitude.

2009-09-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hiking in the Beatton hills.

2009-09-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Kelsey

2009-09-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

Leah's first day of preschool. I'm distracted by that clip in her hair, but she couldn't imagine going to school that day without it :) She also dressed herself, so I didn't bother telling her that her shoes were on the wrong feet.

2009-09-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

My lovely family.

2009-09-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

Cam and a ghostly Jeff working hard.

2009-09-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Leah with her favourite person.

Who needs sleep? Well you're never gonna get it...

2009-09-13T22:38:00.002-07:00

Those are lyrics to a song by one of my favourite bands- the Barenaked Ladies. And it's also the theme of my life. The last week reminds me of Carson's first week of life, he can barely go 2hrs without crying in the night. Often every 45 min. I'm slowly going crazy, and I'm getting better at just ignoring it, because at this point there's nothing else to do. So while I'm still waking up several times, at least I'm not getting up several times. It's not a blood curdling scream, just a sleepy wail. Actually the last 2 nights were a tiny bit better. I'm trying to look at it from a positive perspective. Some people have ALL there babies do this. Thankfully, this is my first experience. He's very happy in the day, especially since he's cruising. He quietly makes his way around the house exploring. The bathroom is definitely one of his favourite spots as of late. Loves pulling the toilet paper and playing in the water. Trying to teach the girls to keep the door shut.

No renters downstairs yet. Cam and I were seriously considering selling the house last week, and we were actually excited about downsizing. I called the bank because I knew there would be a fee for getting out of our 5 yr mortgage too soon. Turns out the penalty is $26, 675. Ridiculous, almost humorous! No thanks. We'll stay here. I'm enjoying the freedom of the house to ourselves for the moment, too. We're just budgeting more carefully, at least until January when we should have some students!

Kelsey starts Kindergarten in 2 days. Is that word German? What does it even mean? It just looks so silly now that I'm staring at it and repeating it in my head. She'll be all decked out in her Disney princess backpack along with all the princess accessories.

Leah is in preschool 1 day/week, and also ballet/tap lessons 1/week. Kelsey is expressing a lot of interest in gymnastics. I might register her in the next session after Christmas.

I'll add some pictures to show what else we've been up to. I want to get to bed and continue reading "Twilight". I'm hooked.

Oh hungry?

2009-09-03T08:03:00.003-07:00

I think I may have found something that makes Carson sleep better. It has worked twice now, but I know that doesn't warrant it as "fixed". I've been feeding him more before bed, a banana, or cereal, on top of his bottle. Seems so simple, I don't know why I hadn't thought of that. I also just feed him more altogether throughout the day. He is one hungry, growing boy. Anyway, he has had 2 really good nights, not needing to feed again until 7am. He still wakes up, but I've been ignoring him, and he usually falls back asleep within a couple minutes. Last night he was very upset at 3am, I couldn't ignore it, so I gave him his soother and he was out til 7am. This is improvement. I hope he'll sleep through the night soon. Oh, and he also has his first tooth, FINALLY! I'm sure it helps to have that pesky pain out of the way.

We're all fighting some kind of mild flu/cold around here, even the renter. I took Leah to the doctor on Monday because her gums have been red and swollen since Saturday, fevering, and sores on her tongue. She couldn't eat, definitely couldn't brush her sensitive teeth/gums. Turns out to be a good ol' case of herpes simplex. Her first outbreak of coldsores, and it should be the worst one. Poor kid. To know that she'll suffer from that like me ( I get canker sores a lot, especially from stress), I feel for her. Doc gave her an anti-viral and it's almost healed.

We're in transition. Only 1 girl living downstairs at the moment, and she's leaving in 2 days. I've had an ad out looking for renters but there's barely a response! Sometimes we really regret moving into this house. It was a bit of a rushed decision (our realtor had made a BIG mistake by making us sign off the papers to our old house, guaranteeing us that our offer had gone through on a different one. But it hadn't. Now there was a bid war, and we lost, and we had to be out of our house in 3 weeks). So we bought this house and we love it, but it's at the top end of what we can afford. 3 weeks after moving in, Cam gets laid off from his job at Points North, going back to ArcTech, thankfully!, but also back to $1000 less per month. So now we do rely on renters to keep us in this house. We've been blessed to be in connection with Maple Education, who has been supplying us with Nigerian students, even 3 at a time. But right now, they don't have enough students to share with us:) Can we hold out til January (when there will be students), should we sell and downsize, wait for a renter? These are the options. We're praying about it. Last night I got a reply from a female teacher from Kelowna needing a room to rent, which is an answer to prayer.

The kids are all up now, and impatiently waiting for breakfast. Here goes another day.

8 months!

2009-08-13T00:35:00.003-07:00

He can pull himself up onto things now...still doesn't have great balance though. Here he is watching daddy and Kelsey bike riding.

This too shall pass....right?

2009-08-09T22:27:00.002-07:00

Man, Carson has been really grumpy lately! I've been saying it must be teething for the past 2 months, and still no teeth! Last week he was fevering for 4 days, had diarrhea, and now has a horrid diaper rash that's not going away. I guess that's something legit to whine about. My pharmacist suggested using an anti-fungal cream, since it's likely a "yeasty" rash. I'm trying that now, so hopefully it improves. Poor guy. But other than that, he's just generally unhappy when he's awake. He follows me around the house whining/crying. Doesn't like to be left alone, or even out of sight. At night he has been waking up every 1.5-2hrs. I just go pop his soother back in his mouth and he's good for another short stint, and I repeat. I don't feed him until after 5 or 6am. I'm glad he always goes back to sleep, but when I get up that often, I'm just not getting sufficient rest. The last few nights, I haven't been able to get back to sleep. He was sleeping through the night a few months ago....what gives? In this respect, my girls were much easier. They were much more content. However, when we're uptown or visiting someone, he's very happy. Maybe he hates our house.

He is fully weaned now, and today he is 8 months! I forgot to take his monthly picture, maybe tomorrow.

We went down to Whiterock for our vacation this year and had a fabulous time! Yikes, was it ever hot. I loved every minute (except for trying to sleep with no a/c). It was far too hot for Cam, he was always seeking out shade. Kelsey and Leah were like that too...actually whining about the sun. ha. Not me. We spent quite a bit of time at the beach, and I got some great shopping in! Spent a day at Stanley Park with the kids. There was a 2.5hr wait to get into the aquarium, which doesn't fly with 3 kids, so we took them on the miniature train instead, and to the spray park. Was a big hit....and cheaper too :) Our friend Brennan and his girlfriend Kirsten were great hosts. She has a 4 yr old son, Dougie, who the girls had a lot of fun with. We also went over the the island for 2 nights in Nanaimo. Some friends from FSJ were there, staying with their dad, so we got to stay with them.

I'm the proud auntie of a new nephew, Samuel Christopher. A real cutie. I'm having a shower for Hannah here next weekend.

7 months!

2009-07-14T16:22:00.001-07:00

2009-07-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

He won't stay on the blanket for long!

2009-07-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Where did June go?

2009-06-30T08:00:00.004-07:00

Summer seemed to leave us as quick as it came. The last couple weeks have been cloudy and windy, but I guess I shouldn't complain. No snow at least.

Kelsey graduated from preschool a couple weeks ago. She is/was so excited. All the parents watching her walk down the aisle was unnerving for her though, she was trying to hide her face. I'd post a picture, but the look on her face breaks my heart. Didn't seem to phase her for long though. As soon as she was out of the limelight, she was having a great time, and she speaks highly of her experience.

I'm so amazed at the growth I've seen in her over the last year. It doesn't take her long at all to join other children at play. I also like how she talks about her shyness and she can choose to be brave to do something out of her comfort zone. Another big thing she did recently was give up her blankie. She has been very attached to one particular blanket since she was about 10 months old. The poor ol' thing is barely holding itself together. Grandma has sewn it up numerous times. I've been warning her that we'd have to put it to rest soon, keep it somewhere special so it doesn't fall right apart and have to be trashed. Last night she decided it was the night. We stuck it in her treasure chest of special knick knacks, and I let her pick a new blanket to sleep with out of the closet. My big girl.

Cam and I got to be part of Mantracker on Sunday. If any of you haven't seen that show, I recommend you watch it. It's on OLN. A man on a horse (and his sidekick) tracks a team of 2 people through the wilderness. The "prey" have a map and a finishing point they have to make it to in an alotted time. We were not on the tv show, but there was a local game here. What a blast! A lot of work was put into it and a lot of people were there. We were on a team of 4 people. We trekked between 11-12km, and we never got spotted once! We spent a fair amount of time in really thick brush, and got our feet soaked walking through swampy marshy stuff. Very hilly, rooty rough terrain. I'm losing at least 1 toenail, but 3-4 of my toes are very tender. This was 2 days ago and I can barely walk today! Oh, my hips, and calves, and ankles...I'm a hurtin' unit. I was really paranoid about bears since we had been warned many times of tons of bears in the area. No one on our team had any protection, not a knife, bearspray..anything. Cam had brought his defender, but saw that no other teams were carrying guns, so he left it in the van. God answered my prayers and we didn't even have a sighting. Would have been fun to see Mantracker at least once though, just to get that adrenaline rush. Turns out our trackers were watching the wrong team for awhile (there were 4 different teams out there, wearing different coloured armbands). By the time they realized it, we had made some good distance. Great weekend.

Went camping at Charlie Lake the weekend prior. It was a rainy/overcast weekend but it was okay. The heater in the tent trailer wasn't working, so night #2 was FREEZING, literally. I think I can honestly say one of the worst nights of my life. I was so cold, and I was so concerned for Carson that I put all my effort into keeping him warm. He was far too cold by himself in his playpen, so I brought him into bed with me. Kept blankets on him, but he didn't like them touching his head, so I'd hold them up with my arm (ouch). What a night. Leah got some kind of bug bite that over 2 days made her eye turn purple and swell shut. The bite was on her forehead. Took her to ER on the Sunday morning but the doc wasn't concerned at all. "Just a reaction to the bite". I wonder what that was.

Carson is now creeping around! It seems so early to me. He's 6- 1/2 months. My girls didn't do that until 8 months, later for Leah! Time to get a baby gate again. He is so discontent to sit still. It's driving me crazy! Not sure if he's teething or something, but he's had some randomly cranky days recently. Loves to eat solid foods, sweet potato and avocado in particular. He's also on formula now too. I've gradually been weaning him. Not done yet. He weighs 19 lbs and is 27".

Had a ladies' get-together here last week for the church. Only a handful of people RSVP'd, so we had to guess at the amount of food to make. It wasn't a potluck, this time the church gave us a budget to supply all the food and make it seem like a treat for the ladies. My 2 girlfriends and I prepared all the food. We had burgers and salads and fruit and black forest cake. Was a good night.

2009-06-30T07:37:00.002-07:00

Niomi, Tina, and myself, all prepared before the ladies showed up.

Kelsey at the park. Cam was experimenting with different angles. I really like this one.

Carson and I waiting for breakfast. This was our friends trailer that we ate in that morning.

Carson's first camping trip. The kids all love being in the tent trailer. Leah's giving him some snuggles before bed.

Sitting up alone...one of my favourite milestones.

Update

2009-06-11T16:08:00.009-07:00

Summer has finally arrived in Fort St John! This has been a beautiful, hot week. Time to whip out the ol' pool and start running through the sprinkler.

Some highlights of the past month:

Kelsey learned to ride her bike without training wheels--big achievement. She is so excited! We've gone on a couple fairly long rides as a family and she keeps up well.

Cam surprised me with a new grill for our barbeque. Not a new barbeque, just the grill that is placed inside. Our old one was totally charred and left gritty yucky things on our food, so he built us a new one at work. It is shiny stainless steel. The picture does it no justice. He is so talented and creative. Can you tell what it says?

Carson is 6 months. I can hardly believe it. He has really changed recently--he's starting to show me how busy he'll be. He can't quite sit up, only for a very short time before toppling over. Lunges for everything infront of him and shoves it in his mouth. I find that he can't sit still. Even when I'm holding him, he's constantly squirming or reaching for something. He's been sleeping really well too. We've got a great routine going (I hate writing this in fear that it will change). He sleeps from around 8pm-6-6:30am, then has a quick feed and back to sleep for a couple more hours. I feel so great. I sleep in as long as I can and as often as I can. Here's his 6 month picture. Looking back, I notice that Leah seems to show up every time for some of the shots. Carson seems to enjoy it.

I guess this was more of a picture blog, but there's not much news here. Cam is working late tonight, (which we're thankful for) and I'm having a couple girlfriends over to watch a movie.

Oh I forgot to mention that Cam's brother is letting us "store" his Bowflex here. We're really excited to be able to work out at home together. So far, so good. We've done a few now and haven't lost our motivation yet :) I hear Carson babbling in his crib, gotta run.

2009-05-20T22:59:00.002-07:00

I had a really nice Mother's day. Cam and the girls surprised me in the morning with a gift of perfume, which I adore. Then they cooked me scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. After church we had crepes with strawberries and whipped cream, which I had been craving for some time, and then we went on a bike ride. Nice day, except for when we went to Dunvegan Gardens, and the kids got super whiny. Leah sat on the ground the whole time picking rocks out of her sandals (wouldn't keep up with us), while Kelsey complained of hunger. Then for a minute they would fill the cart with little trays of flowers which they weren't supposed to and we'd tell them to put them back. And of course everyone had to pee. But hey, if it wasn't for them Mother's day wouldn't be special for me!

Leah turned 3 a couple weeks ago. The terrible 2's have rolled over into this new year. :) She still throws a lot of tantrums and I think they're even louder now that she's 3. I unfortunately had to spank her just before bed on her birthday. She had poured out the entire contents of her shampoo bottle into the bath and I was very annoyed. This is something she does far too often, and she doesn't listen! I'm tired of buying shampoo every time I run to Walmart, and finally her shampoo sits up high out of her reach.

My girls have not been playing nicely lately either. It seems as though they're fighting and crying more than anything. I hear so much inaudible sobbing. "Leah hit me/punched me" is a common one. So is "Kelsey didn't let me do it" or "She says I can't". Leah gets physical when she's mad, and Kelsey plays mind games. lol Tonight when Leah wouldn't get out of the bathroom, Kels told her that there were bears out there, or something like that, which freaked Leah out. Fun times.

Bought some new running shoes hoping they'll inspire me to jog.....nothing yet.

We're doing the "Fireproof Your Marriage" 6 week bible study at our house on Wednesday nights. 5 couples are here. We're 2 weeks in and it's really great.

5 months

2009-05-17T23:42:00.003-07:00

My sister is so funny!

5 months old and rolling over!

2009-05-05T17:16:00.001-07:00

This is the "real" us. I'm telling mom she doesn't know how to take pictures, while Cam tells Leah to look angry.

Here are the posers.

2009-05-05T17:05:00.001-07:00

Leah and Uncle Jay pretending to be mad.

Trying to feel the baby move.

Trying

2009-05-05T16:49:00.002-07:00

I feel overwhelmed with stuff to do. A mother's job is never done! I've been slowly trying to declutter the house, but to no avail. It appears the piles are just moving. Piles of stuff really stress me out. I can't fully relax until everything is neat and tidy, and not just look that way. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, feeding Carson every 3 hrs, oh yeah, and the girls that deserve some attention too!

It has been really nice outside lately so the kids and I have had fun catching some rays. Cam's work didn't get any slower so we're thankful. I'm staying on at the pharmacy just covering shifts whenever needed.

We had a great time in Edmonton for Easter. The kids loved the waterpark, especially the wavepool.

Carson is crying, I best go. He's not feeling great. If he has the same sore throat that I have, I really feel for him. He sounds really hoarse. I'll post pictures.

5

2009-04-21T23:58:00.003-07:00

Kelsey turned 5 today. I told her that she could pick whatever she wanted for supper and I would make it. "Kraft dinner". I encouraged her to think of something more special, something that is really her favourite dish. She was very adamant that there is nothing better than Kraft dinner. So that's what we had...with hot dogs too. But Kelsey wouldn't have a hot dog. That wasn't on her list. I like 5. It's going to be fun.

4 months

2009-04-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Spring Break

2009-04-01T22:14:00.004-07:00

Thank goodness March is over and welcome spring! I went for a walk today and it was so refreshing. The kids and I strolled down to Tim Horton's and enjoyed chocolate dipped donuts and chocolate milk. Even Carson seemed to enjoy himself as he got plenty of smiles from sweet elderly ladies. There are still huge piles of snow everywhere, but they're surely melting.

Cam and I have been feeling very stressed with our finances. His work has slowed down dramatically, but thank God he hasn't been laid off. That's his worst fear right now. So far they're keeping him busy, even if it's cleaning, small jobs, etc. Made for some small paychecks last month but we made it through. I've been trying to cut back on our spending, especially groceries. One way we're saving is by baking our own bread. I'm actually really enjoying it. Once a week or so I try to do up a big batch of bread/buns for the week. Cam likes to help to so it's something we're enjoying together. Bonus! Also, I'm babysitting part-time for a friend from church. It's very convenient as she lives just down the street from me. I'm caring for her 8 month old son which can be more challenging than I anticipated with a baby of my own, but all goes well. It only gets a little hairy when both babies are hungry/cranky at the same time. How do people take care of twins, let alone multiples? Yikes. I'm also picking up a few shifts at the pharmacy in the next couple weeks which will really help and I'm looking forward to it. I kind of miss it.

On a brighter note we're taking a little holiday and going to Edmonton over Easter. I booked the hotel a couple months ago, and recently we've been debating whether or not we should even go because of the money situation, but we're going to do it. We decided that we really need this break and it will be fun for the kids. We're budgeting it very well, and hopefully our income tax cheque will be in by then for an extra boost. Leah's super-stoked about going to Chuck E. Cheese even though none of us have ever been to one! We received a coupon in the mail for that place, and Leah was sold instantly just from the picture. In my head, I picture a very chaotic, noisy restaurant full of kids hopped up on pop. I'm preparing myself.

Even amidst stress, I feel that our life is so full of richness and blessings. I don't want to take anything for granted.

3 month pictures

2009-03-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

2009-03-05T13:44:00.001-08:00

I feel guilty that I've only been posting pictures of the baby, so here's a picture of my girls taken today. This is a typical afternoon, they're having quiet time in their room listening to an audio CD of "Cinderella". Good kids.

Routine

2009-03-05T13:12:00.003-08:00

Life with 3 kids sure is more challenging than 2! I was rarely on time before, now it's unheard of. I still have to schedule my day around Carson's feeding times. He eats every 3 hrs, and still needs a nap between each feed. At night he's sleeping 6-7 hours. This is great. I feel good as long as I get at least 4 hrs of sleep in a row. He seems to wake up at 4 or 5am consistently, so this week I'm playing around with his bedtimes a bit to see if he'll still sleep that long. Tonight I'll try putting him down around 8:30pm. He is almost 3 months old. Kelsey and Leah were both sleeping 10hr nights at 7-8 weeks, so I might've been a bit spoiled with them.

He weighed 14lbs 13oz last week at his immunizations. That was with his clothes on so he's actually slightly lighter. That put him at the 97th percentile! 23 & 3/4 inches long. At least he's proportional. :) He has rolled over a few times because he really hates being on his tummy and he thrusts himself over in anger! I don't really count that as rolling, but today, he rolled over twice in a row and it seemed very deliberate. I grabbed the camcorder, then he didn't do it again.

Kelsey's really coming out of her shell lately. She's doing well in preschool, and when we're shopping or walking she'll wave at strangers and then look at me grinning, hoping for my praise/approval. She's also in swimming lessons and she has to go in by herself. She just loves it and is always RIGHT beside the teacher following every little instruction and proudly showing how she can do it. So fun to watch.
Leah is excited to go to preschool. I think she has learned a lot of stuff from Kelsey. She just knows a lot and says big words like "distinguished". She and Kelsey play great together, but Leah's mood can change in a second if things don't go her way. She loves to throw objects on the floor dramatically and run to her room and shut the door. She's also super affectionate. I definitely get the most hugs/kisses from her, and she tells me she loves me several times/day. So sweet.

We're thankful Cam is still busy at ArcTech. The work seems to really have slowed down in the oilpatch around here, and Cam gets worried when he sees people coming in his shop looking for work. They've had to lay 1 guy off so far but Cam's high enough up the chain, that shouldn't happen to us (I hope).

I am so done with winter. I am getting tired of being stuck indoors playing "Sorry" and "Memory" and "Perfection". Please bring the grass and heat so we can go outside!

I'll leave you with some pics of my chubby boy.

2009-02-26T12:50:00.003-08:00

Here are Carson's 2 month pictures. I had his immunizations yesterday and he was 14.5 lbs and 23 3/4 inches. Growing well! Along with the last post I had posted his 6 day old picture on a blanket, and his 1 month one as well, but I didn't label them. I had a hard time picking out which blanket to use because he has about 20 blankets that I love! But we'll stick with this special one from Grandma G.

A Baby Story

2009-01-28T15:04:00.011-08:00

< This is my last pregnant picture. Cam took 2 different pictures of me like this and they were both from terrible angles, but whatever, I'm still posting it. :) My whole story started on Sun Dec 7th when I felt some "trickling" while at church. I was a bit concerned of what was going on. There was definitely no gushing as portrayed in the movies of water breaking. I called the mat ward that evening to ask the nurse what she thought I should do. She told us to come in and get checked. So we packed up the kids and brought them to my mom and dad's. The nurse was an older woman with an English accent and she was so funny and kind. Sure enough, it was amniotic fluid that was leaking, and I was shocked to find out that I was also 4cm dilated! I was told that I wouldn't be going home and my labor should be starting soon. They set up a bed for Cam beside me and gave me some sleeping pills and then we waited...I couldn't sleep because I was so anxious. I was totally expecting to be sent home but since I had to stay I really thought this would be it. When I woke up at 5:30am and felt exactly the same I buzzed the nurse in and told her nothing was progressing. She was disappointed that I wasn't having this baby because her shift ended at 6am. They gave me a pass to leave until 12 pm. At that time I would see Dr. Watt and he would assess the situation. (My main doctor, Dr. De Bruyn was on Christmas holidays, so I was seeing Dr. Hamill, but just by fluke--he was gone for 4 days, so now I had a 3rd doctor!) Dr. Watt told me that I should go into labour naturally within 48hrs after rupture of waters, so he sent us home. If I didn't go into labour overnight, I should go back and 8am and be induced. That night I tried drinking raspberry leaf tea, which is supposed to induce labour. I had some painful contractions that night, but nothing more. So in the morning we packed up the girls again and brought them to mom and dad's. It was exciting this time because I knew they would meet their new sibling shortly. At about 9:30 am I was finally hooked up with IV's and the induction had started. This is when the picture was taken. Every half hour the nurse increased the amount of oxytocin. My contractions were becoming more frequent and painful, but VERY gradually. I remember mentioning to her, "I thought this would go faster". At noon I got served lunch of tomato soup, and seriously, mid-bite, I had a very painful contraction. It was a long one too. And then within 2min I had another one like that, but even worse. The next hour was a whirlwind. Right after that first painful cont., the nurse told me I was 5-6cm. That disappointed me. Dr. Watt was downstairs having lunch so they called him up. Within minutes he arrived and told me I was 8-9cm! I wasn't surprised because I was in horrendous pain. I wanted something for pain but it was too late. He suggested the gas. I tried it for about 3 contractions, but it didn't help and the mask on my face was making me really irritable. (Actually Cam tells this funny story of how after using the gas mask I touched my face and asked him, "Is my face puffy?" He laughed at me and said it wasn't, then I laughed too). I had the urge to push and everyone was yelling at me not to push and to breathe like this, he-he-he-he. I remember trying to relax and remain loosey-goosey, but that is so ridiculous. My body was writhing in pain and I must've been extremely tense because I was so sore all over the next day. Anyways, finally I could push and 15 min later he was born. I was the first one to notice he was a boy. I was so excited! I needed a couple stitches, but everything went well. He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz, 19 inches. 1:07pm on Dec 9th. I hope this picture isn't too graphic--it's one of my favourites because he's truly brand new there!

Cam spent the next hour phoning everyone with the good news. Kelsey and Leah came shortly after. They were a little unsure about a baby boy because they really wanted a sister. Leah is very loving and is constantly mothering, more like smothering him :) Kelsey was happy to admit that she loves him as soon as we all got home from the hospital. She always puts the soother in his mouth and likes to help change diapers. She actually finds it very stressful when he cries.

Gotta run, I'll post more about the home life another time.

2009-01-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

2009-01-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

38 weeks

2008-12-02T18:17:00.002-08:00

This is my 38 week shot. I'm not feeling like a beached whale, although I know I'm big. I'm 42" around the waist, which is very comparable to my last 2 pregnancies. I was 40.5 with Kelsey, and 42 with Leah. I am feeling done with this pregnancy now though. Simply getting around anywhere is increasingly difficult. My hips and pelvis are sore when I walk, and sleeping is very uncomfortable. On Friday when I looked in the mirror I did a doubletake, because I was sure the baby had dropped. My belly just looked different suddenly, and that's also around when I noticed pain in my pelvis which could be more pressure from the baby? I don't know for sure though.... the books say except for first pregnancies, the baby drops at the onset of labour, which might mean I didn't drop. Thankfully time is still going fairly fast for me. I'm keeping busy making my Christmas cards and I still have shopping to do. And the kids are distracting too. :)

I'm done work now and I've slept in until 9:30-10ish for the last 2 mornings, which hasn't happened for months! I'm going to enjoy that as much as possible before I get back into night feedings and early mornings.

I appreciate Cam...he's been going to work at 6am each morning and banking the first 2 hours each day so that when baby comes, he'll have at least 2 paid days off.

Please enter my baby pool, the link is at the top of my blog page. I'm severely outnumbered by boy guesses! The winner will get something, probably a gift certificate for coffee or something easy like that.

Tigger and a butterfly

2008-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Daddy letting the girls shoot paintballs

2008-11-16T21:58:00.000-08:00

2008-11-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

2008-11-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

36 weeks

2008-11-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

My sweet Leah

2008-11-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

Chugging along

2008-11-16T21:00:00.003-08:00

I'm so tired of seeing that last title, I have to update this. I'm going to be thrilled with a boy or girl, of course! I'm 36 weeks pregnant now. Feeling really good. This baby is very active and likes to keep me up already. If I had to guess right now I'd say I'm having another girl. I feel and look the same as I did with my last 2 pregnancies. I hear lots of girls say they felt so different when they were carrying boys vs girls.

2 weeks ago I got a stomach bug that Cam and Kelsey had, and it was so miserable. Throwing up was so hard on my body that my chest was sore for 2 days afterward. I spent most of that morning in bed and was so impressed with how helpful Kelsey was. She got herself and Leah breakfast all by herself. She made toast, and I'd just call out from the room "Don't burn your fingers in the toaster!" Am I a bad mom? She loved being in charge.

Luckily I haven't had a cold yet, I hope I don't get one. I'm debating getting the flu shot. The province recommends it for pregnant women, yet some doctors don't. There hasn't been enough research done on whether or not it affects the baby....so for now I'm not doing it.

As of September we've got 2 new room and boarders here. 2 more Nigerian girls. They are wonderful help. Very quiet though, it's been a challenge getting to know them. Kelsey and Leah are finally really comfortable around them.

I'm making my Christmas cards this year, and I'm working 2 days/week unitl the end of November, so time is going by quickly so far. We're still leading the youth group, but we're also quitting that at the end of the month. I want to have a break from it with the new baby on the way. I found it a real challenge always having my kids with me at youth group. They're very distracting and demanding.

I'll upload a few pictures from the past few months...my next post will probably be of the new bambino!

Hoping for a boy!

2008-06-26T16:06:00.003-07:00

Right off the top I'll share my most exciting news that I'm pregnant again! I'm sure everyone knows already courtesy of Facebook. Had a bit of a complicated start with some unnecessary bleeding that was on/off for 5 weeks, but everything seems to be going great now. At my ultrasound I was surprised and pleased to find out that I'm due a month earlier than my own calculations. I am 15 weeks along so my new due date is Dec 13th. I'm really praying that's correct or my pregnancy will seem so long.

Next week Saturday Cam and I are going on our summer holiday. We're heading down to Vancouver Island for a 3 day chartered halibut/salmon fishing trip in Ucluelet. Our friend Brennan is coming with us as well, and we'll be staying with him at his place in Whiterock while we're on the mainland. I can't wait to go. My mom will be keeping my girls. She's not sure whether she'll stay home or hop along and spend a few days at the coast. I'm looking most forward to eating at The Olive Garden and doing some maternity shopping. We're still trying to figure out exactly what to do with our students here during our trip. We're not supposed to leave them alone, and I'm having trouble finding a house sitter.

My students are all done school now for the summer. They've been really bored so far and we're only 1 week into the summer :) The boys have work experience starting soon so that will help bide some time. Coming from a city that has 32 million+ people really makes Fort St John seem boring! I'm not sure whether they'll be with me until Sept or next Jan. I find out for sure in the next few weeks. This experience for me has been very challenging, but rewarding. Cam and I are gaining experience at raising teens! They have adjusted very well though. Sometime I forget that the food I make is completely foreign to them. They never complain, they just eat. And of course I love the extra income it provides for us. On the other hand, I would love to be able to make a baby room.

Kelsey and Leah are now 4 and 2. They finally play very well together. Ever since Lauryn and Brooke were here (a major highlight of our year so far) my girls have played a lot of "house". They learned lots of fun new things from their cousins. Leah is potty-training. She's doing okay. I think it'll be awhile yet til we're done though. Best method for her is to always be naked. As soon as she's wearing a pull-up or underwear, she just won't use the potty.

This week we're working on getting our driveway ready for concrete. My goal is to have it done before our fishing trip. And hopefully when we get back we can get sod and have a lawn...we'll see what the money situation is then though.

2008-03-11T14:49:00.002-07:00

This is what both bedrooms and the bathroom looked like before...Cam did the mudding in this room (with Kelsey), then we hired someone to do the other 2 rooms cuz we ran out of time. I'll take a pic of the bathroom when Cam's done putting the baseboards on.

Enough cold already!

2008-02-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

We just got back from taking the youth group to "Youth Alert" in Sexsmith, AB. It was our first time going on a trip and it was great! Sid Koop was the guest speaker and I really enjoyed his teaching. One of the highlghts of my trip was having open q & a time with him and other youth leaders. It was also a good time of getting closer to some of the girls.
The weekend was FREEZING. On Saturday none of our vehicles would start. A kind man boosted our van, and from their we boosted the other 2 vehicles.

2 weeks ago today our room and board students arrived from Lagos, Nigeria! The time has already been a blur. We've got 2 boys, Patrick and Tope, and a girl, Dami. The boys stay downstairs, and Dami is in Kelsey's old room. I had to put Kelsey and Leah together in a bunkbed which I was quite stressed about, but they both love it.
They've already graduated in Nigeria, but they're completing their grade 12 in Canada so that they can go to college/university here. It's called the Foundation Program. Coming to FSJ has got to be the worst culture shock.
Dami's very helpful with cooking and cleaning. The boys even had their first experience shovelling our driveway last week. They offered to do it because school was out cuz of snow day. I was giggling to myself because they came in about 3 times to warm up and add more clothing.
They're going to be here until the end of next January, which I'm sure is going to be an absolute joy.

Tomorrow I'm having a ladies supper for the women from church. I'm looking forward to it. My project today is to sort all the kids toys and hopefully send a couple bags full to the Salvation Army. Our basement is a constant mess of toys that never get touched.

2008-01-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

2008-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Sleigh ride with the youth group.

It was bound to happen eventually...

2008-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

...everyone told me it would. Kelsey cut her own hair. She came running to me so proudly exclaiming "Mom, look what I did!" I was in shock, and I gasped and said "NO no no you can't do that!". Then she started bawling because she felt so guilty. It's actually not so bad though. You can barely tell. Thank goodness her hair was so long.

We celebrated Cam's 30th birthday a couple weeks ago. We went tobogganing and then had some friends over. I bought him the game "Settlers of Catan". We've been a bit hooked on that lately. It's fun.

We've been working like mad trying to finish the 2 bedrooms and bathroom downstairs. We've got 3 high school students from Nigeria coming to room and board with us! They arrive on Jan 29th, and we've got tons of work to do. We've hired some help to do the mudding. They should be done by tomorrow, then I can get painting. On Friday the carpets are being installed. Then just doors and trim, toilet and sink, and furnishing the rooms. It seems impossible, but I know we can do it. We have to. :)

I'm really excited but a bit nervous too. Not sure what to expect, and I've never cooked for 7 people on a regular basis!

Since last October Cam and I have been youth leaders at our church. There are 3 other leaders too, which has made it quite a flexible and enjoyable experience.

Still alive!

2008-01-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've been so bad at blogging. If anyone checks this anymore, I'm grateful to you for your patience!
I'm in recovery from a joyful and busy Christmas/New Years. I'm glad things are starting to slow down a bit. I'm embarrassed that I only got 1 picture this entire holiday season! I don't know why...the only picture I have is of all 4 grand-girls at mom and dads on Christmas Eve.

We moved at the end of November. I hate moving, and the weather was very cold making it even more annoying. The new place is great though. It's a bit bigger and in a much quieter neighbourhood. My favourite things are : my bigger kitchen, en suite in our bedroom, and attached garage. Love it. The basement is semi-finished meaning it's dry-walled. There are 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom down there. Cam started mudding one of the bedrooms the other day in hopes that in the spring we can get someone in for room and board.

Cam got laid off from his job the week before Christmas which came as a bit of a shock. We knew it was slow at work, but we kept hoping they could keep him busy. He immediately called up a friend who works on the service rigs, and got a job, but that job didn't start 'til January. In the meantime, his former boss from ArcTech phoned up and offered him to come back to work because he had heard about the layoff. That was the biggest blessing ever!
So Cam had his first day at Grimes today. I'm curious how he liked it. His shift is 8 days on 2 off. He still comes home every night.

Next week is Cam's 30th birthday and I've been talking about planning something for almost a year, and I still don't know what to do!! I hate planning events. He wants to go tobogganing and have a wiener roast. Sounds simple but I don't know why I can't pull it together... this shift work is a bit tricky because he doesn't always get weekends off.

My New Years Resolution is to keep my blog up to date!

2008-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

2008-01-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

2008-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

2008-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

2008-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Recent pictures

2007-09-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Kelsey helping me make bread and butter pickles. I was impressed with my cucumbers from the garden this year. Also grew the pickling variety and made dill pickles and dill carrots this day.

Leah @ 16 months.

Kelsey's first day of preschool. She was very excited until we got there!

Today as I was blogging Kelsey was "bugging" me telling me all the things she wanted from the Wishbook, and she wanted me to look every 10 seconds. I finally gave her a pen and said "Circle the things you want and I'll look at it later". I guess she wants everything. She made circles and even some checkmarks (I remember her mentioning an item, then saying "Check"). Cracks me up.

My girls. Kelsey was laughing because Leah wouldn't stay still and was crawling on top of her.

A novel

2007-09-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'll start off with our holiday.
Cam and I left for Whistler on Wed the 29th of Aug. We flew to Vancouver. Our rental car was laughable. A tiny Toyota Yaris with no A/C. I forgot to take a picture of it. Every time we were in it for more than 1/2 hr-- bad headache. I don't know what that was about. We were driving down Granville Street during lunch hour so we stopped for a bite. We found this cute, small place called Cafe Crepe, and they were DELICIOUS! We each had ham, cheese and egg crepe. MMM... on our way home through Vancouver, we actually spotted 2 more of those cafes, so it must be good :)

Spent 3 nights in Whistler. On the second day our friend Brennan came up from Whiterock to go mountain biking with us. The most stressful part for me was actually getting the bike onto the chair lift because you had to be fast, and the bike was heavy! No embarrassing moments, Cam and BK usually gave me a hand. For the first run we took a green run. About half way down there was a bear and 2 cubs standing right on the trail! It was cool to see but it freaked me out. The only option was to take a blue run which was on the other side of us, but really that wasn't an option for me 'cuz the green run was hard enough! So we managed to detour around the bear, getting too close for my comfort. It looked a lot like a grizzly but it may have been a brown bear--we don't know for sure. She wasn't at all bothered by us, but my heart was racing for a few minutes after.
The next few runs we did blues/greens. It wasn't so bad after all. Towards the end of the day I took off early and shopped by myself so that the boys could do the more technical stuff.

The next rainy day was zip lining. It was a real rush. We got to do 5 different zip lines. On the last one they teach you to go upside down. I think I just barely made it upside down before I flipped myself back up. I was too chicken! Cam had fun although he was the only guy on the tour (excluding the guides). He felt outnumbered, and figured the women were way too chatty.
After that excursion we had a couples massage in the Artesia Spa in the Hilton.

We had one fancy supper out which was way out of our league. We went to Araxi which was recommended to us. It mentioned on the window that it was also voted "Vancouver's Best". So we knew it would be good, but we felt a little out of place. We had a very serious waiter who offered me several kinds of water (mineral, sparkling..) I don't even know the difference so I said, " I just want water!" Made me feel better when I heard a man at the table behind us ask for tap water. Cam enjoys beer, but there only seemed to be wine, so he was put out by that. I think they must have other drinks, they just weren't on the menu. But everyone in there was dressed up, sniff the cork, swish the wine around in their mouth. Ha! We're clueless about that stuff. The food was amazing though, I had the best steak I've ever had. Cam had tuna that was great too. Very expensive restaurant, so if you like wine and fine dining, I'll recommend it as well :)

By Saturday we had already blown the budget for the whole trip, and we had 2 more nights to go. We left Whistler and spent 2 nights in White Rock. Brennan's building has a 1 br suite that they rent out at $10/night for guests! That saved us a lot of money. Thanks BK. We watched the "Bourne Ultimatum" and spent a day at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Overall it was a very fun, restful trip. I did miss the kids terribly though.

Kelsey started Preschool last week. I've just got her going 1 day/week to get her started. It went well. She wanted me to stay for about 1/2 hour, then during her craft time she said "You can go now." I was shocked and proud and sad! I had tears as I entered the van and left.
Leah is a real entertainer. I've enjoyed her so much lately. She talks a lot too. I'm sure we're the only ones that can understand it but it still counts! :)

Maybe I'll post more pics of what we've been up to, to spare you from reading more!

2007-09-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Hilton. It was very nice.
Whistler Bike Park. This is at the base of the mountain at the chair lift. Wasn't sure I'd enjoy this activity but it was a lot of fun. I didn't get very brave though!

On the pier White Rock.
The kids waiting for us at the airport. I missed them!

Whistler pics cont.

2007-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ziplining. It was pretty scary and fun. Every time I had to step off the ledge, I'd pray that the guide hooked me up right!

Lots of fun. I'd definitely recommend trying it.

Lots of hot tubbing to be had, and we enjoyed a couples massage as well.

Now what?

2007-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit repetitive when I post the same things on my blogger as I do on Facebook. Sorry if anyone is sick of the pictures!

I'm so glad the Death Race is over! All those months of training and anxiety, then 2hrs later it's all done! It was a good experience. I'm so proud of how each individual person did so well. I was praying so hard the week before that it wouldn't be a hot day--and I know God has a sense of humour because it was raining the whole weekend! Guess I should've been more specific :)
But looking back already, the rain wasn't so bad. I was so hot within the first 3km of my run that I ended up taking my raincoat off and tying it on my waist. My section was almost all downhill. Hardpacked trail with lots of rocks, so the rain made it a bit slippery/technical. I fell close to the beginning and scraped my knee. Slipped many more times after that, but managed to keep my balance. I had a few creeks that I could hop over without getting my feet wet, but the last creek actually became the trail, and I had to walk upstream for 30m or so. The wet feet didn't actually bother me though like I thought it would. Around the 12km mark I could feel my big toenail beginning to lift as I ran. Wasn't really painful at that point, just uncomfortable. What to do but keep on running? 19km is a long ways, I can't even fathom how my dad did 27km and Terry did 38km, because I was so Tired at the end of it, and I didn't even have mountains to climb! I did it in 2hrs 7min.
Now that it's over it feels different at home. I don't have a cloud hanging over me telling me I should be training...but I do want to keep at it. Thinking of doing a half marathon in September. 21km does not sound fun at this point. :)

The next day, our family, and Jeff & Kristy's family, and K's parents went to Miette Hotsprings. Once we were out of the changeroom and into the water it was quite relaxing. I was so irritated in the changeroom with my 2 kids and way too many people everywhere.
Also had a nice dinner in Jasper at our favourite Greek restaurant. Tried to get a motel in Jasper, but there was no vacancy... tried to get a room in Hinton 45 min away...no vacancy.
By this time it was after 11pm. Cam said he wasn't going to set up the tent trailer this late, so we'd just drive home (5 hours away). I was really worried because I knew we were both too tired to drive. We made it to Grande Cache at 12:30am and I was sure they'd still be booked from the death race, but we were so blessed to find a motel with 2 rooms left!

The next thing I'm excited about is Cam & I's little getaway coming at the end of August. To celebrate our 5th anniversary in Sept, we're taking a trip with no kids. We've got 3 nights booked at the Hilton in Whistler. Neither of us have been there. I've got a couples massage reserved, and we're also going to try the Ziptrek, and maybe mountain biking. Who knows what else we'll do? I can't wait. Not sure where we'll be for the last 2 nights, maybe we'll stay in Whistler longer if we're loving it. We're even flying down which makes it seem much more like a vacation than driving all that distance.

2007-08-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's me at the end of my leg. Can't even describe how great it was to suddenly see a crowd of cheering people and know that I was done!

This is right after Cam crossed the finish line. He ran 22km. Our team's time was 15 hrs 59.5min. Sorry Jeff about your closed eyes, but I just like this picture!

The next morning, before everyone went their separate ways.

Sure is handy having an esthetician around when your feet (toes) are in distress!

Felt so good to have our sore muscles soaking in the hotsprings.

Gearing up for the race

2007-07-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

This summer is just flying by! I've been enjoying it so much. I've had lots of time to relax out on our deck and tan and read...we've been blessed with many hot days.

Cam is enjoying his new job. There are some nice perks like he gets his boots and gloves etc. paid for, and he gets an hour for lunch so he always comes home and joins the girls and I. I love that. He will be getting a company truck too within the next few weeks. I'm really excited about that because it's been complicated trying to share the vehicle some days.

Leah finally started walking! 14 1/2 months when she took her first steps. Over the last 10 days or so she has already improved so much! She still crawls a lot though because it's faster. She also says quite a few words. She says kitty, Get down, uh-oh, whassat?, baby, no, hi, up, Kelsey... little words like that.

My mind is kind of consumed with the Death Race lately. The race is this coming Saturday! I feel prepared, but I'm nervous at the same time. It's kind of scary not knowing exactly what to expect. 17km is the furthest I've ran, and my leg of the race is 19km, so I feel good about that. I'm praying that it won't be a hot day though....it's so much tougher running with the sun beating down on you. We're leaving on Thursday, we'll be camping until Sunday. It should be fun with the whole family there (except W &K of course). Miss you guys!
I wish there was a way to take pictures...I don't want to carry a camera and I certainly don't want to take off my pack during the race to look for my camera :) I'll see if I can figure something out. My leg of the race is described as one of the most beautiful so I'd like to show everyone.
My hubby should be home for lunch any minute so I better run! Wish me luck.

2007-07-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

FSJ Airshow--snowbirds.

Snowbirds

Leah-14 months.

2007-07-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

My mom and the girls.

Kelsey fishing with daddy.

Hiking with Cam and Terry.

2007-06-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Carefest.
Had to use the night vision, so it came out a bit blurry. Brad's wife Rebecca played bass for them and she did great!

This and that

2007-06-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Our camping trip from a few weeks ago was fun. Just one night and the girls did great. We even got to have a steak and lobster meal, so that was a highlight.

Cam has got a new job. It hasn't started yet--beginning of July. He'll be working for Points North Contracting. He actually used to work for them before we were married when he was a welder's helper. So it's kind of nice that he knows the management already. He'll mostly be working in the shop in town (which I like).

Other than that, doesn't seem like much is new. Sam Waters Project played at Carefest on the weekend. They did well. Maybe I'll post a pic of Cam doing that as well.

Leah is 13 1/2 months old. She has got 2 new teeth poking through this week finally, but she has a cold to go with it so she's been a bit fussy. No walking yet. I have seen her stand all by herself and then fall down when she realizes she's not holding onto anything. :) That must be a good sign.
Kelsey has a vivid imagination and I enjoy her stories she makes up. Yesterday she was telling me about her scary dream about a red dinosaur that kept stomping and broke the house. He woke up Kelsey and Leah, and she was scared because Cam and I were at the store. But the dinosaur was shy. :)
Doesn't make sense, but when do dreams ever??

I've promised the girls a walk to the park, so I better do it now.

2007-06-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

We're going camping!

2007-06-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is our first camping trip of the year, and the first time we've used the tent trailer! I'm really excited. Should be fun. Kelsey is really looking forward to it--she's been playing in the trailer all week having tea parties, and playing house. She loves it and can't wait to sleep in there.
We're going to Dinosaur Lake with Cam's family for my niece's birthday.

My garden is doing really well. The rain this week has helped greatly. I'm thinking I may have planted too many cucumbers and zucchini in my small garden and I'm a bit concerned that they're going to take over all the space!

I had a Pampered Chef party here this week. I managed to get some really great discounts and free stuff so I can't wait for the shipment to arrive!

Cam's been getting lots of stuff done around the house on the weekends. He and Jay picked out a bunch of huge flat rocks from a nearby rock quarry and Cam made a nice rock path beside our house that goes to our renter's door. We still have to fill it with sand. He also started siding the garage finally! It's over half done now.

Cam is really excited that ArcTech is entering a car in the crash-up derby in Taylor on Fathers Day. They needed a driver and guess who volunteered? Yup, that should be fun. We had to buy a harness and a neck brace for him.

I've been a little down because of my running lately. I feel like I hit a wall at 12km...I can't get past it yet. I'm dreading just pushing myself to go further. Running in the heat is so hard too. I can't even imagine how my dad and bros ran while they were in Florida! I've ordered a new pair of Salomon shoes so I'm sure once I get them in I'll be excited to go for a super duper long long run. I hope. :)

Aren't they nice? Cam is jealous of the 4 shocks on the heel :)

That's more like it!

2007-06-02T16:32:00.001-07:00

Leah trying a Cheezie for the first time...totally addicted.

Enjoying watermelon on a super hot day.

Kelsey and my niece Hayley played outside the entire day.

This is one week after the snow! We have been having some HOT weather here which makes us all happy.

WARNING- the following images may be offensive...

2007-05-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to on Friday before the long weekend. I feel bad for everyone that had camping plans! The snow was mostly gone by tonight, but it's still overcast and rainy. We may go camping Sunday night (weather permitting) but otherwise our weekend is going to be pretty non-eventful. Cam got the flu tonight and my stomach is also starting to feel upset. I work tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be able to take Kelsey to the theatre to see "Shrek the Third". Wishing you all a nice long weekend!

2007-05-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

One thing after another

2007-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I was going to write right after I posted that picture on Friday, but I blinked, and now it's Wednesday!
Last night at 6pm I got Leah from her crib only to find her and all her bedding covered in vomit. I had no idea she was sick...then not 10min later Kelsey says her tummy hurts, and she pukes. That was just the beginning of a long night. Leah threw up about 7 times in all (before midnight), and just as I fell asleep Kelsey puked in her bed. Then about half hour later after I just fell asleep again, she threw up in her bed again. I was so tired...I prayed that somehow I could sleep in today and I did! Both girls slept until 9:30am! It seems they're feeling much better too. Leah has a bit of a fever and is sleeping again, but I think the worst is over.

Going back a couple weeks...Leah's birthday party was nice. I had my friends and their kids over for a party on Wednesday afternoon, and then the family bbq/party on Sunday.

Work is going well. I'm enjoying it. I just work Mondays and then 4 hrs every other Saturday. It didn't take me long to get back into it and remember most things. One of the girls called me before my first shift to tell me that I would have to make a retinoic acid inhalation for one of our clients asap in the morning. I was quite stressed because I hadn't done this for a couple years and I was hoping I would remember the right techniques. After a bit of a restless night, I arrived in the morning to find out it was all a joke. Gives you an idea of the fun gals I work with. :)

Running is going great too. I've done 12km twice in the last week which I'm proud of. And they both felt really good, although I'm still a bit achey from my last one. I remember back to 6 weeks ago when even 6 of 7km sounded too hard! It's amazing how your body and mind adapt.

Had a baby shower here on Monday night for Kristy. It was a good turnout. I was a little nervous that my house would be too small and too HOT, but it turned out fine. Thanks mom for all your help.

Better get back to washing pukey laundry...

2007-05-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Rockin the Peace pictures

2007-05-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Super late, and blurry, Iknow. But you get the gist of it! I'm off to work this morning. Have a good day!

2007-04-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Another busy week. I start work on Friday, although Mondays will be my regular shift. Leah's birthday party for her friends will be on Wednesday afternoon.

Both the girls have a cold. They're both in pretty good spirits though, so I can't complain!

Went to RocKIN the Peace on Saturday night. Lots of good bands played. It was really good. Cam's band wasn't in the competition but they played at the end of the night. They were so great!! I was so immensely proud of Cam. He's only played in front of church before so he was nervous, but he did AWESOME!

I ran 7.5km on Thursday, then pushed myself to do 9.5km yesterday. That was hard. Then today my friend Pam asked if I wanted to run with her and 2 other girls. 3 out of us 4 were pushing our Chariot strollers. We were joking that it must've looked like some Chariot advertisement. Anyway, we did lots of intervals, running and walking, but it was super hard for me! It's so much harder pushing the stroller. I didn't even have Kelsey with me! I felt like a wuss! I don't know how far we went..probably 4 or 4.5 km. Actually add on almost 2km 'cuz I ran to Pam's first...no wonder I'm pooped :)

Got to have some good cuddles with my new niece yesterday. That was nice. I'm starving...time to make supper.

Birthdays and babies!

2007-04-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the gift the Cam made for Kelsey...it's a big hit!

We've had a really busy past couple weeks. Sometimes I just want the day to be a bit longer. I start work next week, and I'm actually a little nervous about it. It's really hard getting motivated to go back after a year off!

My sister in law had her baby last week, and 2 days later my friend also had a baby. I love holding newborns. On Saturday it was Kelsey's 3rd birthday. We had a princess party for her. She had been requesting everything Cinderella for quite some time. It was fun. We had about 10 kids here, and their parents and some family, so it was a good turnout. 2 more weeks and I do it all over for Leah!

On Sunday our race team (dad, 2 bros, hubby and I) went for a run together. Although it was a nice leisurely jog for everyone else it seems, it really pushed me! We went 9km. I'm glad I did it but it wasn't an easy run for me. Towards the end my 2 long-legged brothers took off and were out of sight. I did it in 1 hour and 8 minutes.

Leah has a top tooth starting to poke through so she is a bit fussy. I find she doesn't sleep as well while teething.

It was so nice and warm here yesterday that I did my first bit of gardening. I pulled all the overgrown weeds by my tulips. I dug up lots of earthworms while at it, and Kelsey and I had a good time trying to find their other "family members". She really showed a lot of compassion for the worm if it was by itself. It was fun.

The cat came back the very next day...

2007-04-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our cat has just begun going outside since winter is over. It's his first time ever since we just got him as a kitten in Nov. Well 2 nights ago we didn't realize he was outside and left him out overnight. Yesterday, all day, Kelsey and I were calling him but to no avail. I was getting a bit worried, but as I was making supper I heard him meowing at the back door. I was so happy, and so was Kelsey! Poor little thing was all dirty. He is a male, so I'm thinking I should get him fixed now. He'll be a bit of a roamer.

I've been wanting to start up a bit of a journal on my blog to keep track of my progress in training for the race. Unfortunately my training has stopped since I hurt my foot. I think I wrote a bit about it last time. On Good Friday I happily ran 6.3km and then the next day the bottom of my foot hurt really bad. Feels like I pulled something. It was slightly better the following Tuesday so Cam and I went for a good run. It hurt as soon as we started but I just wanted to keep going. Sure enough, the pain became really dull, and I ran 7.4km which I was so proud of. But, as soon as I came to a stop, I realized that my foot was in more pain than ever before! So that's where I'm at. I won't go until it's all better...it's been 8 days, and it has improved, but it's not 100%. I'm really anxious to get out there though because I don't want to backtrack. I've also gained 10 lbs since I quit breastfeeding Leah in the fall, and I'm so disappointed with myself. I just want to get in shape.

Last Friday my friend Jodi took Kelsey and Leah overnight. That was a nice break. Cam and I enjoyed a nice dinner out at Egans, then we watched "Blades of Glory". Funny. I managed to get all my shopping done in preparation for Kelsey's birthday next Saturday. Cam has made her a nice gift...I'll post pics when it's all done!

I have to confess that there is one thing that I just cannot cook. Roast. It's supposed to be easy I know but I just can't get it right. Not to save my life. Either it's overdone and tough, or the next time I go overboard trying to make it tender and it is still bleeding in the middle. This was the case yesterday. So I cranked the heat so I could finish it in time (Cam and I both had plans) and it actually turned out okay. But if anyone has any failsafe ways to cook it let me know and I'll give it a try.

I'm an auntie again to a baby girl which is so exciting! Be sure to check J&K's blog for pictures.

Precious Prayer

2007-04-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is from about a month ago. I think it is so cute.

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

My dear husband

2007-04-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

My husband surprised me on Thursday night with a present--an MP3 player. I was so ecstatic because I have been telling him a lot lately that I would like one for running. He had bought it as a Mothers Day gift but as soon as he got it home, he didn't want to wait 6 weeks to give it to me :) So on Friday morning I was actually excited to go for a run! And listening to the music helped out greatly. Then on Saturday my foot began to hurt and it just got worse over the weekend, I felt myself limping a lot on Sunday. I felt fine while I was running, so I'm not sure what happened. It's quite a bit better today. Cam was so wonderful--on Saturday night we watched a movie and I had my feet soaking in my Dr. Scholl's foot bath. He brought down a kettle of hot water and made sure my foot bath stayed warm, and after that he gave me a wonderful foot massage. Thanks, honey!

Easter was nice. We had dinner at our house on Sunday. My mom brought over homemade perogies and farmer sausage.

Leah is 11 months old now. She has changed a lot over the last month. She says 2 words, "kitty" (pronounced dee-dee) and "uh-oh". Ever since she's been able to move around so well she is so much more content. It is wonderful. She can play by herself for long periods of time now. My little explorer.

My maternity leave is up at the end of April. I have decided to go back to work. I have asked for 1 full day per week and a couple Saturdays per month. One of my friends has offered to babysit the kids at a much cheaper rate than daycare so I think I will take her up on that. It is such a blessing to be able to know and trust who is watching your kids.

What do you see?

2007-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

I spilled my water on the carpet, and Kelsey excitedly exclaimed, "It's a dolphin!". Well, my oh my it certainly is. I had a good laugh over this one.

Peek a boo!

2007-04-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

2007-04-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

My tomatoes and pansies are doing well. Also there are green peppers and cilantro.

Weekend update

2007-04-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

I don't think it's supposed to be this cold in April! It had to be -20 with the wind chill this morning when I went shopping. I do my big grocery shop on the first Tuesday of the month so I can save 10%. I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it though. It's such a hassle bringing both girls...and poor Kelsey has to walk with me the whole time now 'cuz the cart is so full. And Leah, my little monkey, just hates being confined so they were both whiny today. I had to break open a box of arrowroot cookies to keep the peace. :)

Cam and I did get to Grande Prairie on the weekend but we had to take the girls! My friend picked Kelsey up to stay at their place, and within 20 min she phoned saying, "Kelsey just puked in the grocery store." I was so bummed. Since our motel was already booked we decided to take the kids. Wasn't too bad actually. Not the peaceful, serene trip I had anticipated, but considering how they were feeling, they were wonderful.

On Sunday afternoon my mom took the girls for a couple hours so Cam and I could have our "marriage time". In the marriage course, they teach that every couple should do this on a weekly basis (for at least 2 hours). It was so nice. We shopped a bit, then went to Starbucks and just talked for the majority of the time. It was so enjoyable.

I'm amazed at how fast a habit can form with babies. When Leah was sick she wasn't sleeping through the night very well. About 4 or 5 times she woke up at 6:30 and I gave her a bottle. Well, just like clockwork, she now wakes up at precisely 6:30am! This is far too early for me so the first morning I decided to just let her cry. (I held her for awhile and checked on her). I finally gave her a bottle at 7:30, but she cried the whole time inbetween, waking Kelsey up as well. Then this morning she woke up at 5:30. I gave her Advil because I saw a new tooth poking through, but she still had to cry for a bit. Much better than the first night. Hope she sleeps through tonight.
I remember when Kelsey was just over a year, she also started waking up early. But with her I fed her every morning at 6:30 for about 6-8 weeks. I feel a bit wiser this time, and I think I can turn this around now if I start early. We'll see :)

Flu Bug

2007-03-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Leah's flu hopped on over to Kelsey as well. I have honestly never seen anymore throw up more than Kelsey did on Tuesday. It was about 25 times. Poor girl. I've cleaned up more puke and diarrhea then I ever care to again. Leah still has diarrhea too, and it's so frequent that I can barely keep up. As a result she has a horrid diaper rash. Kelsey hasn't had a bite to eat since Monday. I hope that's okay. She doesn't want anything yet, but she is taking liquids. Thankfully they've both been sleeping a lot and I'm sure that's the best thing for them. Kelsey woke me up at 6:20am and said "I'm hungry for lunch now". Ha Thinking she actually felt better I made her special request: scrambled eggs. She was excited right up until I set them in front of her. One whiff and she said she couldn't eat anything.
Cam and I have plans to go to Grande Prairie this weekend while my friend keeps the girls overnight. I have been looking so forward to the little getaway-- I pray the girls are better by tomorrow!

There is a poem that someone read aloud at my baby shower. I remember hearing quite a few sniffles while it was being read, and I still get emotional every time I read it. I'll share it with you: (It is quite lengthy)

Just for Moms or Moms-to-Be

Before I was a Mom

I made and ate hot meals

I had unstained clothing

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom

I slept as late as I wanted

And never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom

I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys or forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a Mom

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on, pooped on,

spit on, chewed on, peed on,

or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom

I had complete control of:

My thoughts, my body, and my mind.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child

So that doctors could do tests or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because

I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces

When I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small

Could affect my life so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night

Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth

The joy

The love

The heartache

The wonder

Or the satisfaction of being a Mom

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

It's gettin' hot in here!

2007-03-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

What a weekend. Our furnace quit working on Friday. Didn't notice until about 11pm when I realized the thermostat temp was slowly dropping. Thankfully we've been having some warm weather. The nights got a little chilly--especially for the girls, so yesterday we packed up and went to my parents for the night. This morning it was 51 degrees in here. The heating guy came and fixed it in a jiffy. It was a clogged filter that made the limit switch shut off so he just had to replace the filter and switch. If I hear that word "CLOG" one more time...!

Leah is sick. It started yesterday morning. We skipped church and decided to have a nice breakfast at White Spot. As soon as we put the van in reverse Leah puked everywhere. Poor girl. We still went for breakfast though :) Continued puking/diarrhea throughout the day. Today she's better, but fevering a bit, and just overall not happy.

Cam and I have been watching a video series "Let the Children Come Along: Preparing for the Toddler Years". We're doing it with a small group from our church. We've been getting some good tips out of it. I'm trying to teach Leah some sign language.

Cam and I watched "Babel" on the weekend. It was alright. We both agree that our stomachs were in knots from stress throughout the whole movie. Does that mean the movie was good? We couldn't decide.
Last night we watched "Wild Hogs" at the theatre. Pretty funny.

Snow is melting like crazy around here! I'm so happy. With that comes wet/slushy/muddy roads. It is so dirty everywhere. Went for a run on Friday and got completely soaked just about up to my knees. I got to a place where there was a huge "lake" of water. The only way to get around it was to climb up the snowbank in the ditch--well, that was pretty bad too. As soon as I stepped in the snow my feet just sank into wetness anyways. Good practice I guess. Thankfully no one splashed me while driving by. It is a good season for that!

Hooray it's officially spring!

2007-03-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

...but not so much for us FSJers. This is a picture of our deck this morning. Not near so pretty as the little bird on the flower! Everybody around here is a little gloomy I think. We're ready to see some green!

Kicked out of my own home...

2007-03-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

...well not really. Cam went out for supper tonight with a couple of his friends. At 8:30 he called and said they were going to the movie. I was totally enjoying my alone time watching "Pay It Forward" on TBS. Suddenly the boys come in and say they rented "Borat" instead and they come sit on the couch and one of them farts! I got the hint that this was "guys night" so I came upstairs and I never even got to finish my movie :( So this is actually a sulking kind of blog.

This afternoon we took Kelsey out to my dad's farm. My parents are going to Florida for spring break and asked Cam if he could check on the cows while they're gone. It's calving time. Cool thing is that a cow was calving while we were there today. I wanted Kelsey to see it, but we got a little impatient. I saw the feet coming out, and then they went back in. We waited a bit longer, then just came back to town.

Last night we had a great time at Jeff & Kristy's. We played a game called "Things..." and you'd have to answer questions like: "Things you would do if you had superhuman power:" After everyone wrote down there answer, you'd have to guess who wrote what. By the end of the night it was just hilarious and ridiculous. Good times.

2007-03-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our clog is fixed! You know it's bad when you gotta call in the big guns, like this truck. Jay actually had to come twice because they discovered the first time that the clog wasn't where the plumber said. Would've been $600 each time...thankfully Jay didn't charge us. By the way, Cam got a full refund from the plumber as well. They were very rude about it.
Now everyone can learn a lesson from this: No more grease down the drain!

I don't feel that much excitement has happened in the last week. We had a bout of warm weather so I did go running twice, 5km and then 4km. Cam has figured that we need to be increasing our runs by 1.5km per week...that means I have to run 6k sometime this week. This one will be a stretch for me! I did go by myself though which I think I enjoyed a little more because I didn't feel the pressure to keep up with Cam. I just need a little "weapon" I can carry discreetly because I am a little scared of getting attacked or something. Thankfully our evenings are getting much sunnier so that will help.

Leah is always changing her schedule to keep me guessing. For 4 days in a row she woke up at 6:30am. Totally awake and happy! I would let her be until 7am when the alarm went off and then get up with her. Yesterday and today she slept until 8-8:30 ish, which is glorious! It's amazing what even an extra hour of sleep can do for me. Twice this week Leah has let go of furniture and stood on her own! Just for a second, and then she'd get that scared look realizing that she wasn't holding onto anything. :) I was excited for her.

My little garden

2007-03-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

I am excited that I got a lot of my seeds started for my greenhouse. I planted tiny tim tomatoes and romas, cucumbers, watermelon and green peppers. For my herbs: cilantro, oregano, thyme, summer savoury, basil and chives. I also did my own flowers for the first time. I did 2 kinds of perennials, columbines and malvas, and then pansies. Can't wait to see some sprouts!

Kelsey bowling and Leah being goofy

2007-03-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Painting updates

2007-03-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Brighter days

2007-03-01T10:48:00.002-08:00

We've had a busy couple weeks around here. 2 weeks ago I decided to paint our basement. For those of you that hadn't seen it, it had dark brown panels and a whole built in closet/storage unit on the one wall which was reddish brown. Yuck. Straight out of the 70's. It is brighter now. Maybe I'll post some before and after pics. Unfortunately we didn't change the carpet (yes, the original carpet), and we are even graced with a carpet wall. This particular wall is green, not shag carpet, but gross all the same. The upside of this wall is that it is a built in scratching post for our cat!

Last weekend Cam and I steam cleaned all our carpets. It just feels and looks so much better in here. In the process, we moved our TV downstairs and rearranged our bedroom. 2 wonderful changes.

Our kitchen sink has been clogged since last Thursday. We tried a few ways to fix it, but to no avail so we had to call a plumber on Monday. Well he was here for 2 & 1/2 hours and he couldn't fix it either! To boot, he charged me $300 for his time. Grr. Cam has been fighting that but the company keeps arguing with him about it. And of course, the plumber looked nothing like Mike Delphino from Desperate Housewives! :) He told us that our drain is clogged with grease, and we'll need to call a steamer truck. $$$$$ Thankfully, Cam's brother works for a hydro-vac company, and he is coming to help us out tonight--no charge! Thank the Lord. I hope this works. In the meantime I have been washing my pots and pans in the bathroom sink. My dishwasher does work, but I have to have a bucket handy to empty out my kitchen sink every time the dishwasher drains.

Cam and I have also been attending the Marriage Course. We're really enjoying it. Training for the Death Race is at a standstill it seems. I just keep waiting for it to warm up a bit. My dad and brothers have been out running though, so I think I might just have to buck up and face the cold! It has been -15 to -20 degrees celc. for the past couple weeks, and it keeps snowing. I think March will bring some spring weather. I'm gonna stay hopeful.

My girls are well. Leah will be 10 months next week. She can move around really good. Not proper crawling, but pulling with her arms. She tries to pull herself onto furniture, but she can't quite do it.
Kelsey has been playing games on Treehouse.ca lately, but I get frustrated because she can't use the mouse properly and she calls me every minute for help. So this morning we had a little Mouse 101 course. She did very well! She still whips the arrow all over the place in fast motion, but she's finally got the idea of how it works. She played a peek-a -boo game, and she knew how to click on "Play again". I proudly watched her do it about 5 times!

Licks

2007-02-24T23:44:00.000-08:00

Well we got a knock on our door this morning from a complete stranger. He asked me very cautiously "Do you guys have a puppy?" My heart instantly sunk and I just knew what he was going to say next. Sure enough, I looked out on the road and saw her little body laying lifeless. Cam and I have been so depressed today. The young man who came to the door wasn't the one who hit her, but he was walking by and just wanted to find the owners. I have been so emotional all day long. I feel bad for always complaining about how naughty she was. Now I'm smiling when I see her chew marks in my boot, Bible, banister, and where she dug a hole in my flowerbed. Just seeing her picture here is making me cry again. We only had her for 2 months.

Recent pictures

2007-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

2007-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00