The Straight Way

How much do we LOVE family pictures!!!!

2010-10-03T14:25:00.005-06:00

We finally did it! It's been three years since our last family picture was done. Family picture time is stressful for me. I stew for days before about what everyone can wear. Giving up on the fact that I can't wait until I loose a few pounds. The weather was perfect and the trees where beautiful. It was time! So I posted a few of the good ones on facebook but I wanted to share on here what we actually went through.

Every time we set up another pose Reid would RUN! We would grab him, and bribe him with candy, but he wanted nothing to do with family pictures! I am just grateful that we got a few where he wasn't screaming.

So we got the "running away" shot

We got the "I don't want your stinkin' candy" shot

We got the "Why me" shot.

This is the "you can't see me" shot

and finally the "I'm going to scream until you let me go " shot.

I ended up taking 479 pictures to try and get one worth putting on our wall, and I kid you not, MOST of them Reid is working one of these poses. I am still working on which one we are going to actually use so I won't post the perfect pose yet but it's done and please don't make me do that again for another three years!

Fourteen years

2010-09-27T09:05:00.004-06:00

Fourteen years ago I was living in a whole other world. I was so young, so unsure of myself and so single. I left an abusive relationship to protect my baby. This little baby changed the course of my entire life. He is my hero! He gave me strength when I had none. I did not have the strength to leave on my own but I could do it for my son.

This year I feel so very overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the events of my life that have led me here. Justin coming into my life was probably one of the single most important events of my life. Although his life hasn't been easy, I am grateful that he is my son. I believe that the more work we put into something the more we treasure it. Justin has pushed me to my very limits. I have found more strength in myself by being his mother. I love him so very much and wish him the best of birthdays!!

Bed time favorites

2010-09-22T19:58:00.002-06:00

I (for the most part) love reading my kids bed time stories. And there are a few that come and go, but in our house there are a few favorites that we read over and over. So much so that I usually just use the books so the kids can look at the pictures, I know the words by heart. Both of these books I have read to all of my kids. They have been a reliable constant for the kids all through their lives.

Today I was reading to Reid for bed time and I had a memory of me reading the same beloved books to Justin and Mckay when they were very little.
I would have to do bed time by myself because David was working nights at the time. We would sit on the floor against the wall. Mckay would sit in my lap, and Justin would sit very close beside me. We would usually start with "Are you my mother", and by the time I was half way through "A fly went by" Mckay would be asleep. Very rarely would he make through both books. I remember Justin's little voice as he would name the animals that were chasing the fly.
I think now as my kids are getting older and we are entering teenage-hood there are somethings that I would love to hang onto to remind me that they were cute once and these books are it. I love these books and will treasure them as a major part of my kids childhood.

"I sat by the lake, and looked at the sky, and as I looked a fly went by"

Please share if you have books like these that you love to read to your babies.

This last little while has been hard as I have been in pain almost constantly and sometimes it is hard to be happy about much. Today I have some relief and feel like I need to follow suit with a friends blog and mention a few things I am grateful for.

~I am grateful for friends who get it

~I am grateful for friends who make me laugh so hard I pee .... I mean cry

~I am also starting to be grateful for physio... he makes me cry (it's a good thing he is kind of cute) but he is making me better and better is good

~and lastly I am grateful that bedtime went smoothly tonight

Just keep thinking of summer

2010-09-20T10:40:00.005-06:00

Today I am doing my best to forget that there was snow in the forecast for this morning and just be grateful that it's still just raining. But really this summer we have had way too many cold, dark, wet days and today is no different. So I'll talk a little about what we did do this summer on the few warm days that we had.

When we went to Cardston to visit my parents, I wanted to take David to Waterton. We never in our 13 years of marriage have managed to get to Waterton so I was determined rain or shine I was taking him this year! The weather was supposed to be cold and rainy but we packed up the kids and went anyway. When we got there it was like the clouds parted just for us and the sun was shinning and it actually got hot for a while. I was so happy for the beautiful day. The kids were a little bent out of shape that I didn't take shorts along just in case but I let them play in the lake jeans and all!!

We had a great time just walking around and enjoying the mountains and the beauty that is Waterton.

So instead of looking out my windows at the rain and cursing my back for letting me know winter is coming by it's constant shots of pain, I will just look at my pictures and wait for summer to return.

Muddy Wavey

2010-09-15T08:23:00.004-06:00

We love our new puppy! Waverly has been a great new addition to our family. She plays well with the kids. She goes outside to do her business. She sleeps well through the night, and stays well in her crate. BUT...

She loves to play in the mud. With all this rain we have been getting there is plenty of it. She comes in like this almost every time she goes outside. She is getting very used to having a bath a few times a day to get the mud off.

My girls

2010-09-13T07:11:00.004-06:00

I have my days when I look at my kids and feel a twinge of sadness that they are growing up so fast. But not on days like this...

My girls love to help when we are baking or even just making supper. So much so that they can pretty much do it on their own. Last night they baked ginger cookies for Grandma and Grandpa. And only made a little mess ;)

Good for my reputation

2010-09-08T14:58:00.003-06:00

This morning as my kids were getting ready for school I got a phone call from my wonderful friend and neighbor Maria. She told me she was driving her kids to school because it was raining and if I wanted her to take my kids as well. I was very grateful to her and sent my kids out the door.
A few minutes later Maria calls me laughing hysterically. She tells me that as Abby was getting out of the car, she said;

"Thank you so much for the ride, it is good for my reputation to be seen with the teenagers."

I had no idea that my six year old HAD a reputation and that she knew that there are things you can do to improve it!

Windows Open

2010-09-02T08:06:00.002-06:00

Justin has been one of those children that from the moment I got pregnant with him he has forced me to grow. (not just physically). When he was just two, I knew something was different. He was so happy and then in snap he was sobbing uncontrollably, biting himself and unbelievably sad and angry. His emotions were so dramatic and unstable. I cried myself to sleep many nights praying for help for this little boy.
Over the years we have been through many doctors, diagnosis and medication to try and normalize his moods and behaviors.
We had teachers that would be so willing to work with Justin and me to make is time at school a happy one. His Grade two teacher was one of them. She was so happy to see him every day! She was very huggy and lovey to him. And she always told him that she needed his help because he was such a great helper and she couldn't do it without him. He felt so important and loved there. He actually repeated grade two and got the same teacher for that year as well. She told him that she need to keep him in her class for another year because she couldn't let him go yet and she needed his help with the new grade two'ers. She focused more on his self esteem than his academics. And to this day is still Justin's favorite teacher.

After that it got harder and harder. Teachers were less willing to listen to what I said. They were the teachers and I was just the parent (with no degree). Justin would miss recesses and gym class because his homework wasn't done. He had notes coming home saying he needed to care more and make an effort in his school work. He was in trouble more and more and he was becoming more and more frustrated.

By grade five, he didn't have any friends. They had all passed him mentally, socially and emotionally. He fought me more and more about about going to school. There were days I had to physically push him out the door. During his grade five year I found a child psychiatrist that listened to what I said and was understanding. He signed Justin up for a four month program starting that next September. It was a school program that they ran out of a hospital. The classes were small (I think there was 8) and they had teachers that were trained to teacher children with learning disabilities and metal disabilities. It was great!! He was given a proper diagnosis by his doctor that worked with the kids at that school almost every day. His confidence was going way up. I couldn't even believe the amount of work HE was doing! Things were going so well, but I knew that this program would end in December and that come January, he would have to go back to "normal" school.

For the whole four months I was in meetings with teachers, principals and the school board trying to find a better program for Justin. I did not want him to be thrown into the main stream again.

Unfortunately, they told me that funding for special programing had been cut and that NO SUCH PROGRAM EXISTED and that we were just going to have to make the best of it.

After the new year, Justin went back to school. This time he had a stack of paper work from the "hospital school" explaining all his limitations and giving tips on how to work with him so he can succeed. Just a few of these things were "Don't give him home work", "He has very little reading comprehension skills so verbal instructions would be best for him", and "please provide him a reader and a scribe".
He had a little aid time but nothing else and after a week and a half I could not get him to go. He felt lost and didn't know what was going on half the time and he was beginning to be bullied. He cried every day wanting to go back to the "hospital school".
I pulled him out and for the rest of that year I (very unsuccessfully) home schooled him.

Grade seven was mostly the same. I tried again to find a better program for him only to be told again that NO SUCH PROGRAM EXISTED and that he needed to stay in his community school.
So I will spare you the LONG drawn out details of that year. Just know it was more fighting with teachers who were not willing to read the reports from the "hospital school". He was in trouble all time for not doing homework and not studying properly so "it's your own dang fault you got 12% on your science test"!
Then the school called social services on Justin because of his "acting out". But that is when everything changed!!!

(crying)...

The social worker came to the school and spoke to Justin and I called her later that day. After discussing many things that he disclosed to her about what was happening to him at school, she encouraged me to pull him out and she would help me find a proper program for Justin.

So in March (or April , I can't remember) I pulled him out of school yet again and spend the rest of the school year just trying to keep him busy. (Remember I had the twins then too)
I spent a lot of time on the phone with the school board and with the help of the social worker we found the PROGRAM THAT DOESN'T EXIST!! And funny enough it's in our community.

So with all frustration and anger aside, I am so unbelievably grateful that a window has finally been opened. This program is wonderful. It has just a few boys ranging from grade seven to nine. They teach the boys proper social skills, life skills and helps them gain an understanding of basic academic skills that they will need in the real world. This program is aimed at kids with high anxiety as well so they understand that a full day is a lot so it ends at 1:30.

I am sorry that this was so long, it could have been so much longer. I guess for me, I just couldn't give up on my sweet boy. He has such a good heart and he was getting so frustrated and angry that I felt like I was loosing him! I am grateful for people who invest their time in children with special needs. They have a place in this world and have so much to offer if you give them the right tools.

Oh thank goodness they're back!!

2010-09-01T14:32:00.003-06:00

I feel like I need to start this post by expressing how much I love my kids. I love these guys so much it hurts. They love me despite my temper. They get my sarcasm and humor. They have made me grow more than I thought I ever could. And they are my everything!! AND they are back in school!!
Honestly this summer was so long/cold/boring and hard I thought I was going to loose my mind!! Today I breath a sigh of relief to see my babies go to school and just plainly have something to do.
As some of you know I have been struggling for the last two years to get Justin into a program that would allow him to be him. To be surrounded by people who understand him, and love him for who he is. People who will be patient with him and be there for him so he can learn in the best possible way he can. And for two years people would look at me like I was on crack when I would ask them if there was such a program. At the end of the last school year (after I had pulled Justin out of main stream school yet again) I made contact with the right person who pointed us in the right direction to get Justin in the right program!! So this year he starts grade eight with 8 other boys (in grades 7-9) all dealing with social anxiety and learning disabilities. They are all going at their own pace and Justin is encouraged to work and do what he can and is given the tools to succeed!! I could not be happier!! He came home today at 2pm because a full day is just too much for kids like Justin (I swear I have said that to so many of his other teachers and they just think I'm an idiot!) and the boy is so happy. I could just cry...
Oh and to make this all the more better, this program will follow Justin all the way to grade 12 so I don't have to scream at another teacher EVER AGAIN!!!!!

Here are shots of my babies, so happy to be going to school this year!!

Abby grade 2. She can't wait to talk more in french and tell everyone about her puppy!

Emma grade 4. She can't even handle how excited she is to have Mr. I! He is the coolest teacher EVER!! (ok in case you haven't guessed, these are her words)

Mckay grade 7. Is excited for school and wants to get straight A's for all of Jr High (this is a great goal that I will be more than willing to encourage) Also schools great but he just can not wait for dance to start!!

Justin grade 8 (gasp) Is so excited for school, and taking the bus and the group home (I'll explain later) and being on a bowling team.

And this is who I get to hang out with all day. We have trips to the gym for me, swimming lessons for Reid and running around the back yard with Waverly. Life is great!!

Summer stuff

2010-08-20T18:47:00.004-06:00

One of the highlights of this summer (for me anyway) was taking the kids to my cousins farm to go riding. If anyone knows anything about Emma, Abby and Mckay is that they LOVE animals. So they were thrilled when I told them we had been invited to go!

Here are my three amigos. Abby had help at first, but it didn't take her long to get confident enough to go it alone.

Here is my little girl showing that horse who's boss! She loved it!

Even I got a little ride with Reid. He was so scared to get on (although not scared at all to be around the horses) But as soon as we got going he didn't want to stop. I was even trying to get him to say "giddy-up"!

There's my little man. His job was to keep the gate closed and smash the chain on the bars really hard! He had a good time.

FYI - Justin had a blast with two other little boys, running around the farm and looking for dead animal bones. He wasn't interested in the horses at all!

I am alive!

2010-08-20T08:54:00.002-06:00

Truly I don't really know how to pick up after such a long time without blogging. I don't think I could ever catch you up with everything that has gone on here since the last blog entry. I could just some it up with "those were probably the hardest months I have gone through in my entire life".

The twins as most of you know are no longer with us. We are still very sad and miss them very much! I will not try and explain all the reasons why, but just know it was the hardest and best decision we have ever had to make. We know that they are happy and doing well. They will soon be coming here for visits twice a month so we can remain a part of their lives. I am very grateful for this and can not wait to see them again!

So I look forward to school starting again so I can pay more attention to things like my laundry and my blog ;) I hope to use the next few posts just catching up on our summer. Hopefuly I still have a few readers... I know it's been a long time.

Stay tuned for more...

He Stays!!

2009-08-20T20:16:00.002-06:00

So I went to court on Monday. It was really quite scary to be in the same room as Reede's birth mom, grandma and big sister. They didn't know who I was so that was good. When I got in the court room Reede's family were in a deliberation room talking about whether they wanted to really go through another messy trial or just consent to the PGO with out a fight.... And they consented!!!! We were done before lunch!!!
I am so happy it went so well. So his visits also go from once a week at grandmas house to once a month supervised at the social workers office!
So far things are looking good. I have been told that grandma threw a fit when they started talking about us adopting Reede... so when it comes time to cross that road it might be a bit messy. But I will take what I can get for now. This is a huge step in the right direction.

My Rant

2009-08-13T14:21:00.002-06:00

Have you ever felt like life as we know it is not as stable as we would like to think? Have we looked at our children and REALLY thought about what they mean to us?
This Monday and Tuesday is Reede's big trial, and I am starting to feel the pressure of what that could really mean for him, for me and my family. Reede is our baby. I picked him up from the hospital when he was three days old. I have loved him and cared for him these last eighteen months as if he was my own.
Next week, our fate is no longer in our hands. It is up to the Lawyers to present the facts, and the Judge to understand, that the best thing for Reede is to stay with us. I feel that fear of the unknown, and also understand that maybe there is a plan... but what if that plan isn't the same as my plan.
I have been invited to go to the trial and have decided to go. This will be a first for me. First time in a major trial, first time seeing Reede's family. How do I feel about that? I don't know. I am scared. I feel like if i breath in too deep that I will explode! I can't bring myself to think about what would happen if the judge ruled in favor of the birth family. Although I have had nightmares about it all week.
As soon as I know anything, I will post.

The cuteness that is Reede

2009-07-07T11:42:00.000-06:00

My first 100%

2009-06-22T16:04:00.002-06:00

So as you know, I am in school. I am very happy that I get to redeem myself when it comes to my high school marks. I was always too busy being "cool" to care too much about what I got for marks. So now as a 31 year old I am looking at school in a whole different light, and the fact that I am getting good marks makes me so happy!!
Last week we were given a writing exam. For the exam, we had to write a letter or poem to a major historical figure.
Today we got our marks back and I received 100% and my teacher wants me to publish it! Not sure if I'll do that, but I am happy that even he thinks it's good. So this is my poem.

Dear Jesus… I am lost

Dear Jesus, From the day I was born I was taught about you.

The manger, the star, the cross, the tomb,

every part of my life, had something to do with you.

So easy it was as a child to believe.

Now, as an adult… I am lost

I was taught of miracles you performed

Healing the sick, the blind, the lame.

Feeding the hungry and raising the dead.

I was taught that you could do the same for me if I just believed…

Believe in what?

How hard do I have to believe?

And if I do believe “hard enough”… then what?

Oh, how easy it was as a child to believe,

when life wasn’t so hard.

Now as an adult… I am lost.

What was the point?

If you did do those things, how does that help us now?

My Mom says, “hunny, it’s to give us hope”…

Hope for what?

2000 years ago, you healed ten lepers.

What does that give me hope for?

How does that help me now?

As a child , the stories were beautiful,

so easy to believe.

Now as an adult … I am lost.

The world is full of

Sickness

Death

Fear

Abuse

War

Lies

Hate

Are we not believing hard enough?

Where are your miracles now?

Now that I am an adult and no longer see with the eyes of a child… I am lost

Like in all good fish stories,

The fish always gets bigger every time the story is told.

Is this how it is with you?

Were you just a man, who loved to help people?

What is story and what is true?

It’s just not that simple anymore and the fish is too big for me.

So now as an adult, what do I hang on to?

What do I believe in…

Dear Jesus… I am lost

Ukrainian Village

2009-05-24T19:29:00.004-06:00

Ok so I am officially really busy!! I am now going to school, and still trying to balance all my other roles in life... So my blog is really far down the list of things to do. So right now I'm taking a break from homework and posting some fun pics from our family day!

Today we went to The Ukrainian Village. It was a super hot day, and we all got a little burnt. It was so fun there!! We learned about the Ukrainian people who came to Canada, and how they lived. We had a nice picnic and had a horse and cart ride.

Catching up

2009-04-02T19:54:00.005-06:00

Here are some pictures that I took this week.

This weekend was Amelia's Blessing Day! She was so cute in her dress her grandma made. And for a baby she was a pretty good sport for pictures :) I think that will be the last of the easy photo shoots, because she is so close to crawling. So here are a few pics from that day...

Emma had a dance festival today. This was for Jazz. She has her Tap festival on Saturday. I was so proud of her! She smiled so big and danced so well. I wish I could take pictures of her on stage but I risk disqualifying her group if I do. This is her and her friend Brya, before they went on.
Ok last thing. This is what you get when you have a independent, hungry five year old, who can't find any clean cereal bowls and doesn't have a helpful Mommy...

We'll take what we can get

2009-03-26T15:51:00.004-06:00

Winter can be long and hard. For my kids the moment the sun is out they want to be outside. Well last weekend we had one such day when the sun was out long enough to melt the snow off the side walks. This was apparently enough for my girls to feel it was summer. So I went outside to check on my girls, and this is what I found.
I got a few strange looks from the "good parents" on our street. I'm the bad Mom who lets her kids outside without coats on... and in short sleeves!! Clearly (from this picture) we have a long way to go before it's T-shirt weather. After I took this I sent my girls inside to put on there coats...(to make the neighbors happy).

I might have gotten a little carried away...

2009-03-20T16:57:00.000-06:00

Today I was looking at Reede and decided that his hair was getting way too long. If I wanted, I could have put little pony tails in. So I thought I would just cut a little off the back and sides... then I decided to take just a little off the top. Then I kept looking at the top and I just wasn't happy with it. So I took a little more... then I decided that it would look smoother if I just used the clippers (can you see where this is going yet)... Ok so I went a little shorter than I originally planed. Actually it's more like a buzz. He looks super cute... but here is the bad part. I kind of didn't ask his birth Mom, if I could cut it. And that usually is what they like us foster parents to do first. But in my defence I really wasn't going to go this short. Anyway I will give you a before... middle... end shot.

See it was out of control, something had to be done.

Really I should have stopped here.

So he has a visit tomorrow morning, do you think they will notice...

Reede's First Birthday

2009-03-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

So Reede's first birthday was kind of a gong show. He had two birthday parties in one day. He had spent the morning at his Grandmas and had a party with his "other family". So by the time he got back home he was tired. Problem was, he had a house full of guests that were ready for a party! So as soon as he got here, we got him to open his presents. He wasn't 100% interested. But he played a little. And even gave a few smiles.
But by the time we got to the cake, he really didn't care how excited we were about his birthday. All he wanted was a nap! I don't even think he ate any of his cake. He just smeared on his face, threw most of it on the floor and was begging for his nap! So his party really only lasted 30 min and we put the poor kid to bed.

He looks so impressed hey?

Introducing!

2009-03-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Reede Beaver!!!

This is our foster son. Most of you know of him, but many of you have never seen him. I don't know why I didn't think of a private blog earlier! Now I get to share him with my friends and family. So I grabbed just a few of my favorite pictures from his first year of life (not an easy thing) to share with you. This little man feels very much like a part of our family. The chances are great that he will stay with us forever. We will know more at the end of the summer...

This is the first picture I ever took of Reede. He was 3 days old. This is at the hospital.

One month old (above)

Reede sitting up for the first time.

With his cousin Amelia
Christmas
He has discovered my only cupboard without a child lock, and the bottom two shelves on my book shelves. He is just starting to find out just how much trouble he can get into!

Soon I will post some pictures of his first birthday. You have no idea, how happy it makes me to be able to show him off after all this time! I love this little man!!

Adeline, Our little Angel.

2009-01-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

There is no way to put into words how I am feeling. I think it will take me a while to process everything that I have been a part of in the last two days. The part that I do understand without a doubt is that we have loving, compassionate Heavenly Father. I know that sweet Adeline is with Him now. And I love my sister and her family so much and admire their strength as they have been going through this.

Dyane's Blog

NILMDTS -The first of many beautiful professional pictures

All I want for Christmas...

2008-12-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Emma lost her two front teeth, and now we have an excuse to sing "All I want for Christmas, is my two front teeth" over and over again. So here is our girl with her lovely gap, and greatfuly her adult teeth are close behind so she will be back biteing apples in no time.

Early Christmas!!

2008-11-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you Linens N Things for going out of business!!

I have been beating and mixing everything by hand for over a year not wanting to waste more money on another crappy mixing machine. Dave and I decided to go check out Linens N Things because we heard they were closing. And low and behold, look what we found!! Merry Christmas to me!

Halloween, Rodeo, and Teeth!

2008-11-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ok I know I'm a little late getting my Halloween pictures up, but late is better than never! This year I saved my kids from going through the old costumes and making them use their imaginations. I asked them what they wanted to be, and I bought them the costumes. This is a first for us I think! Justin has been a vampire many times, so this time we went all out and I think he looks pretty dang scary! Mckay was a storm trooper from the Clone Wars movie. He didn't like the cheep helmet that came with the costume, so he used his paper route money to buy the cool helmet that talks. Emma, was a cute little witch, and for weeks all Abby wanted was to be a pumpkin, so greatfully we found one. Who knew it would be such a hard costume to find. So here are my cute kids all dressed up.

Today at Justin's school, some of the rodeo guys from the CFR were there. Justin was one of the few lucky kids who were picked to visit with these guys, and this is what he came home with...A signed shirt, a really nice cowboy hat, and about four or five signed pictures, and a bandanna. He felt pretty lucky to get all that! I gota say, we have been very lucky to have Justin in such an awesome school! So after a long hard couple of weeks, we finally have some teeth to show for all the hard work. This little guy really doesn't enjoy teething, and by the looks of things it is going to be a slow process. But he sure looks dang cute with his new pearly whites!

What do you do when your baby turns five?

2008-10-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

... Just make her feel like she is the most important girl in the world!

Today was Abbys fifth birthday party! I can't even believe that she isn't my baby anymore. Sometimes I hate how fast they grow up...

Anyway, we had a fun party for the girl, there was cake, friends, games, and of course presents! She had a great day!

This was actually on her birthday, she got a Hanna Montana Guitar with a microphone.

Family Pictures

2008-10-08T19:56:00.001-06:00

This was one of those rare events where the whole family was together. So of course we have to try and convince nine over tired, grumpy/hyper children who stayed up way to late the night before for the wedding, to smile for the camera! Well at least no one was crying...
So here they are, all of the grand kids so far! We still have Dyane due in Feb, and who knows what the future brings (Did I mention Steve and Janelle just got married) ;)

Happy Grandparents! Life couldn't get any better than this!
Ok I didn't wear makeup, or do my hair for this... This is why I stick to taking the picture. Here's my family!

The Wedding of The Year!!

2008-10-08T19:28:00.000-06:00

On October 27, 2008, My baby brother got married! So we welcome to our family Janelle and Zack! Janelle was the most beautiful bride, and Steve didn't look half bad either ;) And their boys were just adorable!
So I took over 200 pictures and thought I would just share a few. The first picture was actually part of the wedding, just before they exchanged rings!

Justins 12

2008-10-08T19:09:00.000-06:00

Ok so I have a bit of catching up to do. It's been a busy month. First we start with my baby turning 12!! I have been wishing that all my kids would stay little forever, but I think it's time for me to except the fact that my kids are getting big!
We had to split Justins celebrations into two days. First (just before we left for Lethbridge) we let him open our present. He got a DS, with the Zelda game. He was pretty happy about that. He wasn't very happy about 30min into the drive when his uncharged batteries died and he had to wait tell we got to Lethbridge to charge his batteries...

Then he had to wait two days untill his actual birthday, and after the wedding, to have his cake and other presents. I'm not sure why I am pointing at the cake... this is the only picture Dave took. So we take what we can get :)

So next Sunday Justin is going to become a Deacon. It will be a great Mommy moment to see my little man passing the Sacrament on Sunday. I might even shed a little tear or two, but I won't let him see that. ;)

Abby's first day of Kindergarten

2008-09-05T16:35:00.000-06:00

So it's offical, all my kids are in school. I feel old. Abby was so excited, but she was worried about leaving me. She gave me a big hug this morning, and said "Mom, I don't want to leave you. You will be lonely" cute kid, she's worried about me. I told her I'd be ok and would find something to do while she's gone. So here is my baby on her first day of school!

August 12...

2008-08-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

Is a great day to add two more Straight babys to the world!! Welcome...

BABY OLIVIA... 7lbs 13 oz, born 5am(ish) Congrats Matt and Jessica

AND... BABY AMELIA.. 8lbs 9 oz born 6:46am, congrats Paul and Annelise

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-06-08T19:20:00.000-06:00

I just gota say... I feel loved! I have had such a wonderful couple of days. It all started on Wednesday when Dave took me out. We started with dinner at the Keg (yummy.. Cesar salad, Prime rib, mashed potatoes...) After that we spent some time at West Ed, where Dave bought me a gift certificate at Ricki's and some flip flops. After wandering the mall for a while he took me to the Varscona Theater, down town. There we watched a play. It was a fun romantic comedy. I was really impressed that he thought of something like that. It was a really great treat! After that we went to BP's for dessert.

The last couple of days consisted of using my Ricki's gift card to buy a really nice Sunday outfit. Going to Indiana Jones with my kids, going out with my girl friends, (another really fun night of diner, shopping, movie). I also got the book "Twilight". I am excited to get into this series. I know I'm a little late getting into this compared to some, but I'll catch up :)

Then this morning I woke up to this...

Yes this is my front yard, where four of my crazy friends had way too much fun! I heard that one of my neighbours just stood outside and watched them do this. The sign on the window says Mel's 30!

After taking these pictures, I came in the house to have a wonderful breakfast of french toast, bacon, eggs, and juice. Dave and Emma made it. Then we got ready for church, where I have the joys of being in the primary! All the kids sang me my favorite primary song instead of the normal "Happy Happy Birthday".

There really is so much more that has happened but I will spare you more of my ramblings. ;) It really has been a great birthday, and thanks everyone for all the love. Here's one last picture of me in my new outfit infront of my crazy house.

Saying good bye...

2008-06-03T10:03:00.001-06:00

... to my twenties. I got to tell you, I'm feeling a little sad about this. I've been trying to think of things I can do to try to get me excited. So we are planning this big party for me and a couple friends who are also turning 30 this year. But then we find out there is a ward party planned last minute for that night. Then I try to plan a nice Saturday (the 7th) with Dave, and then I find out this weekend is the father son camp and Dave probably won't be home most of Saturday, (and I'm sure when he does get home he will be exhausted).
So now I'm just going with the flow and what ever happens, happens. So I have been thinking about the last ten years and what I've gone through and I thought I would share some.
-I finished High school with two babys when I was 20
-We moved to New Brunswick and back when I was 21
-We got evicted from a basement suit in Calgary when I was 21 (you know people said we would one day look at that and laugh... I still don't see the funny)
-I had my first baby girl when I was 22
-I worked for 9 months at Ricki's and Lethbridge when I was 23. (Loved that job)
-Dave finished university when I was 25
-We moved to Stony Plain and had our last baby when I was 25
-I became a foster parent when I was 28.
-At 29 I became a Doula.

So just a sneak peak at my 30's...
Teenagers...
Kids wanting to drive my car...
Missions...
High School...
Boys wanting to date my daughters...

OH MY.... Sometimes It would just be better if we didn't grow up :)

New deck

2008-06-01T19:44:00.001-06:00

This is our old deck. I don't know how well you can see it, but it was cracked, old and falling apart.

Abby really enjoyed watching the guys working. She spent most of the day like this.

And this is our new deck, well it's more of a patio now. It's nice that it's open to the yard. I look forward to many days sitting on the deck this summer!!

Melanie Needs...

2008-05-31T20:24:00.000-06:00

Ok this one is fun Janay! For those of you who don't go on Janays blog this is a fun thing you should try. Type "(your name) needs" in the google search bar, and see what it is you need! Do it... you will like it:)

Melanie needs to add some sparkle and colour back to her wardrobe... Yes I would have to agree with this one...

Melanie needs help in the morning. Wow this is almost like getting my fortune. My very own google palm read :)

Melanie needs a video camera. I tell you this google thing is amazing.

Melanie needs to bite some chumps. Um ok, I think I've played long enough.

Piano Recital

2008-05-24T20:58:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Emma, Mckay and Justin's piano recital. This was there first recital ever. I was so proud of them. They had only been taking lessons since January and they all finished their whole piano books! They did so well and received many complements about their natural talents. I hope that encourages them enough, to practice for all next year!

April Showers?

2008-04-22T10:03:00.001-06:00

Ok Holly, we are moving to Texas... make room :) This sucks, it's snowing so badly, the kids don't have school today. Even Dave didn't go to work today. And the worst thing... it's still snowing!!

It's happend...

2008-04-17T16:41:00.000-06:00

My kids are starting to catch up to me!! Mckay and I have the same size feet. Dave took the boys to get new shoes yesterday. When they got back from the store I noticed how big their feet are getting. So I tried Mckays shoes on... and they fit! I am really not ok with this. Before you know it, they will be taller than me (which really won't be hard, I'm not that tall).

Should We Worry??

2008-04-14T20:24:00.000-06:00

Since it's Mckay's birthday, I feel the need to pick on him a little. Mckay has a great personality! He loves to make people laugh. He also has a thing for dressing up. I know Mom and Dad have some crazy ones of him too. Anyway, enjoy!

Mckay's 10!

2008-04-14T20:18:00.001-06:00

Mckay has been saving his paper route money to buy himself a Nintendo DS. Dave and I had decided to just let him do that and not buy it for him. So I sent Dave out today to buy Mckay a baseball glove or a wallet for his birthday... and this is what he came home with. Needless to say Mckay is thrilled, I was shocked and Justin was Jealous. Happy birthday Mckay!

Princess Party

2008-04-12T14:02:00.000-06:00

Warning: Lots of pictures! Ok so the party is over. Cake is eaten, gifts are open, and Emma is happy. That is why we do this. Emma was Princess for the day. All her friends made her feel very special. Dave recorded the girls singing lots of songs, then we burned each girl their own CD with their songs. And this first picture here of all the girls went on the cover of the CD case.

I cut out little sandwiches with cookie cutters.
A lunch fit for a Princess!

I took five pictures of Emma and her cake, she was being so crazy, this is the best we get. You get the point though.
It was actually hard to find a place to put the candles so the barbies hair or arms wouldn't catch on fire.

Big group hug/dog pile.

After all the girls went home, Emma broke out one of her new presents. The "Fairy Princess Game", the boys were kind enough to play with the girls. Unfortunately for them, I took pictures. :)

Emma's Seven!

2008-04-11T18:24:00.000-06:00

Today is Emma's birthday. This morning we got up early and made her a special birthday breakfast of breakfast sandwiches. Tomorrow is her big "Princess Party". But she got to open one present from us today. She got her very own jewelry box. She LOVES it!! She keeps going upstairs to her room every five minutes to go look at it. She is hoping that tomorrow she will get jewelry to put in it. ;)
PS. She just got home from dance pictures when I took this, so she is made up a little more than usual.

I Love Bumbo!

2008-04-10T17:44:00.001-06:00

This is the latest purchase I have made for our little one. Although he is only two months old, this fun little chair lets him sit up and get a whole different view of the world. He loves it!! Unfortunately you only get a picture of the chair...

Ok well maybe this one will do.

Mckay's cub car

2008-04-05T09:39:00.001-06:00

Mckays cub car this year was a '66 Mustang. Paul helped him to make it.

I Need My Glasses.

2008-03-19T20:04:00.001-06:00

Cathy made it here safe and sound last night. We didn't tell the kids that she was coming, so it was a great surprise this morning when the kids woke up to their Grammie in the kitchen!! There were lots of hugs. After we got the older three kids to school, Abby had Grammie all to herself. She followed her around doing laundry, and dishes. Then Grammie decided to go to her room to read her scriptures. Well when Abby saw what she was doing, she ran down the stairs to find me. "Mom I need my scriptures"! So I got her some. Then she went to Grammies room only to find that Grammie needs glasses to read. So Abby came back out to me, "Mom I need my glasses so I can see!"

Love you Dy!

2008-03-16T21:12:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when I leave my kids alone with Auntie Dy. There are at least 15 more pictures like this on my camera. What a bunch of crazies!!

My little Star

2008-03-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

Emma was asked to be part of a Road Show play. Tomorrow night, they will preform along with eight other wards in our church. We went to the dress rehearsal tonight. The play is a spin off of The Princess and the Pea. It was really cute. Emma plays the flower girl for the wedding.

Emma, with Princess Hystaria from Whatsthematta.
The Whole cast.

Happy Birthday Dave!

2008-03-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dave!!

My Working Men (Boys)

2008-03-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

Justin and Mckay got a paper route. Today was their first day on the job. We were all excitedly waiting the arrival of the fliers and everything so they could sort, stuff and bag the news paper. So the first day went well, with no major disasters. Dave went with them to deliver the papers, but we are hoping they will be able to do the route by themselves after a while. It's hard to believe I am old enough to have kids that can get a "job".

Blog Draught Over

2008-03-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have something to write about. I have been waiting for something exciting to happen to us so I could put it up here, and it finally happened. About three weeks ago Emma was complaining about something hard sticking out if her mouth behind her tooth. So I check it out and it ended up being an impatient adult tooth deciding to find another way out. You see Emma is almost 7 and she still hasn't lost a tooth (until now). So we told her to start making her baby tooth as wiggly as she could and try to pull it out or we would have to take her to the dentist. So she did it! almost 7 and finally lost her FIRST TOOTH!!! And she pulled it out all by herself!

Good Match

2008-02-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

"Who cares of a cold when there's such a man..."

Juring my traditional blog stalking, I came across this quiz.. I have been on a major Jane Austen kick the last little while and have re-rented all the movies. {Why I do not own them is a good question}. I couldn't emagin being anyone else!

You are Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a bit too brutally honest. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately.

Take quiz here

Kid Free Weekend!

2008-02-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

This year for Christmas, one of the ladies that I visit teach gave me a coupon book. In that book their was a coupon for one full weekend of free babysitting. So this weekend I cashed in on that coupon. I droped the kids of at there place friday after school. Then Dave and I set off to see if we could even function without an kids for the whole weekend. Of course we did the going out for dinner thing, and rent a few movies thing. Then on saturday morning our table came, and that was fun setting it up. Then we headed to the mall!!

For the last five years I have wanted to go on the "Worlds largest indoor rollercoaster" I have had a few opportuities but the people that I was supposed to go with, always chicken out (Kenny). So my wonderful husband stepped up to the plate. So this (for any of you who haven't seen it) is my new favorite ride of all time!!!!

Finally!!

2008-02-11T20:06:00.001-07:00

Ok so I decided to post some pictures of my terrible table and chairs that have now been retired. It is the only way to make you fully understand how really exciting this new table really is. Now I must worn you the pictures you about to see are really bad and not for the faint of heart... remember, we have been using these to eat. But no need to feel sorry for us any longer.... because we have moved up in the world and all our chairs match!!

Patiently Waiting

2008-02-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

So most of you who know us, and have been to our house at all in our 11 years of marrige, know that we have always had a crappy kitchen table. Every table that we have had, we saved from a premature trip to the dump. When we get it, it isn't completely falling apart yet. We have done the deck chair thing for a few years. Right now our dinning room set consists of, three folding chairs, one wooden chair, and two wooden chairs with padding and foam (yes Nicola, you would die), falling out of the cushions. Needless to say we have been long over due for a nice table and chairs. So we finally bought this set three weeks ago and are patiently waiting for them to get here. Hopefully this week!! So although it is not in my kitchen yet, I thought I would share my excitement with you while I wait.......

Guess Who Else I Saw!!

2008-01-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, this is William Joseph. If you don't know him, click on his name... listen to the music, and love him! He is the most talented piano player I have ever heard. He has opened for Josh Groban and Il Divo. He is now touring on his own, and has been working with David foster recording his second CD due to come out in a few months. The concert was great!

Six Star Cub

2008-01-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday Mckay and a few other cubs in his group were recognized for earning all six stars in the cubbing program. We are very proud of Mckay. He has worked hard to earn all these badges and continues to earn more.

Standing in the middle of the cub circle getting saluted for earning his six stars.

We Want A WII

2008-01-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

This year, friends of ours got the Nintedo Wii for Christmas. We love the wii! This is Mckay playing with his friend Cora. He was actually pretty good. It was so fun to watch and play!

2008-01-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

Abby's friend Ayva had a birthday party at Build A Bear. For those of you who don't know how this works I will run through the process for you. First you pick from about 20 different animals. After the painful process of deciding which one they want, they take their animals to get their fluff put inside...This is Abby, pushing the peddle that controls the fluff machine.
Then after you make a wish on a small heart and put it inside your friend, they stitch up their back. Then they take their friend to get a "bath". Air shoots out of the taps and they use brushes to clean up their friends.
I'm mad that I forgot to take a picture of all the clothes that they can pick from to dress their friends.... just believe me when I say we could have been there all day trying to pick an outfit. Abby decided to dress her new friend hippo as a fairy. She named her Rosella.
This is the group of kids who all came along for the birthday party. And the reflections of all the Moms taking the picture in the mirror.

Anyone out there?

2008-01-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

So I've been writing in this blog right, and I'm starting to think to myself... "self, maybe no one actually looks at your blog". I'm thinking this might be a good point. So this is a shout out to any family or friends who may stumble across this blog, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT! You don't have to be a "blog" member to do so. It would just make me feel better about myself really. I really like putting up new post and filling people in on our lives but really if I am just writing to myself and no one actually looks at this blog... well I don't really need to fill myself in on things that are happening to me... right? So if there is anyone out there.... just say hi. :) Thanks!

Guess Who I Saw?

2008-01-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ok so I didn't actually talk to him, and really I didn't even see him up close... but I DID see him! And I heard him! This weekend I went to the Michael Buble concert with Joelle. It was actually my Christmas present from her. I am still floating on a happy cloud! It was the best concert I have ever been to. He is so funny, so hot, and his voice is so yummy!!

Skating

2007-12-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the kids skating. We were supposed to go as a family on Boxing day but I got really sick, so we had to wait. There is a great little lake down the street from our house where the kids can skate for free. This was Emma's first time ever skating. She did really well, and she fell a lot too... she has a great big bruise on her elbow today from one of her falls. Justin did a lot of roller blading this summer so that really helped in his skating.

Christmas PJ's

2007-12-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is a small glimpse into our crazy Christmas. Hope every one has a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Journey of a Shepherd

2007-12-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Justin and Mckay had the oportunity to be shepherds in the Nativity that our church puts on every year. It's really quite the event. Hundreds of people come to see it every year. This time it was even on the news. They put on five shows in two hours. It was really neat to watch my boys in it this year.

Justin bowing to the baby JesusThis is Mckay in the yellow and brown

Nativity Sets

2007-12-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last night Joelle and I went to a church in Edmonton that was displaying over 400 different nativity sets. It was really neat to see all of them. I of course didn't take pictures of all of them, but I did take some.

This one was a cake! The whole things is done with icing. This was the main reason we wanted to go to thins thing, is we heard about a nativity done with cake.

Ok this one was one of my favorites... I thought it was so cute. Where do people get these things?

This one was done with stained glass.
HEHE Sheep!

Christmas Dance Concert

2007-12-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is Abby and her best friend Avya just before the dance concert.
On stage after they preformed.
Abby got a rose after she danced.

Christmas Beauty

2007-12-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Emma went Christmas caroling with her school choir. I didn't get to come with her but, this is her all dressed up. They went around to different old folks homes to sing and visit with all the Grandmas and Grandpas.

Trimming the Tree

2007-12-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

We finally got to set up our tree today. I had to use it as a prop in our church Christmas play, so we have had to wait until now to set it up. We are so excited about Christmas, and this year we have two foster kids to add to the fun! So here are some tree trimming pictures.

Look what I found

2007-11-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was going through a box of old keep sakes. I didn't know I had these. I had a lot more but I thought I would share just a couple. Can you find me or Joelle?
This one is from kindergarten. I am on the front row, third from your left. The cute blond :) Joelle is in the middle third from your right.
This one is grade six. I am in the front row, second from your right. Joelle is in the back right in the middle. (in the sexy purple sweater)

Christmas Crafts

2007-11-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a Christmas craft night at the church. We were working with wood, making signs. I have quiet a few wood signs around my house already, but I didn't have any christmas ones. So now I do...

It started a year ago...

2007-11-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Dave and I started training to be foster parents in September of last year. Since then we have had the joy of taking care of many wonderful children. We have had a set of one year old twin girls, a 16 day old baby, and many one and a half year old boys. Last Friday we got our 10th foster kid, and his sister will be joining us tomorrow. I just felt like sharing this info, because it is a very big part of our lives, and because of privacy laws, I can't post pictures or names on here.

I think this year we have all grown in many different ways. My kids have learned that they are very lucky to have the family that they do, and that some kids are not so lucky. I have learned to love more, and understand more how hard it must be for our Heavenly Father to send his children away to parents that do not make the best decisions. I have also fallen in love more with my husband, seeing how he treats these children and loving them as if they where his. So although this has been the hardest thing we have done so far as a family, it has been the most rewarding.

Thanks for reading this, and letting me share with you a part of my life that is so very important to me.

Emma's Watching Day

2007-11-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so this actually happend two weeks ago but I just got around to down loading the pictures today. This is Emma's fourth year of dance and it is unreal to see how much she has learned since last year. It is so fun to watch my babies grow up and improve on their talents. Here are some pictures from watching day.
Emma and her best friend Brya. They have been in dance together since their first year.

Wedding Pictures

2007-11-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

So it was a beautiful day!! All went well. The girls were beautiful, Annelise was a dream and Paul was grinning ear to ear pretty much the whole day. Oh and the cake...ROCKED!!! sorry, got a little excited there, but hey I have to toot my own horn a little :) There was only one thing missing and you know who you are... we love you and missed you today.

Wedding Cake

2007-11-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

I know that this may not excite you as much as it excites me, but I am so excited about this wedding cake!! Paul and Annelise asked me to make their wedding cake, so that is what I've been doing all week. I was so grateful to a friend who told me not to try and do it all in one day. Now that I am done I think I would have died had I done that! So tomorrow is the Big Day, and I am done the cake. So I thought I would share some of the process of making it with anyone who cares :) After tomorrow I will post pictures of the cake all set up!! I just hope it doesn't fall over or suffer a major disaster in transport...

Ok so here is the finished product. I think for my first attempt at a wedding cake it turned out pretty good.

Abby's Watching Day

2007-11-05T20:16:00.001-07:00

Today was Abby's watching day for dance. This is such a happy day for me because I only get to watch 2 or 3 practices a year. So I really enjoy it. This is her second year in dance, and it's so neat to see how much she has learned since last year. It's so amazing how fast she has grown. Anyway here are some of the pictures I took.

Exercises at the bar, I think she is doing a "shuffle step"

"Jump out Jump in" Abby is front left. Her friend Ayva is front right with the cute leg warmers. And her other friend Hunter is in the back. (Friends from church)

For the last 15 minutes of class they do ballet. They are so cute doing their little twirls.

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

Dyane and John came over this year to take the girls Trick or Treating with my kids. We told the kids that they had to wait until 6pm to start. They were all dressed up and ready to go by 5pm. It was the longest hour in history while we all watched the clock waiting for "the Dads" to say they were ready to go. So at 6pm on the dot the kids started on there route around the block with Dave and John in toe. So an hour later they all came back with bags full of candy!! Oh the joys of Halloween. It was also a very nice day, notice no snow and no winter coats!

Justin's a Scout

2007-11-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Now that Justin is 11 he has moved up from Cubs to Scouts. He has worked hard to memorize the Scout Law, Promise and Motto. Last Tuesday he was invested into Scouts officially! Of course I forgot to bring my camera!! So I guess we will have to wait until the first awards ceremony to take pictures of his Scout group.

Pumpkin Carving

2007-10-29T20:07:00.001-06:00

Today for Family Home Evening we carved our pumpkins. It's funny because every year is starting to be the same... Mckay always watches from a distance and every once and a while runs out gagging because he thinks the guts are gross. I think it was two years ago that he actually threw up. Of course Dave does his best to gross out the kids. Emma starts out a little scared and cries when she first gets the "guts" on her. Then ten minutes later she is up to her elbow inside the pumpkin. Justin gets bored and starts throwing seeds and guts at everyone. Abby supervises the whole process and I take the pictures:) I gota say, I love every minute of it!

Notice Mckay is sitting as far as he can away from the table:) Abby wasn't too sure at first this time either.

Dave doing his best to gross the kids out. Poor Abby.

The finished product! Mckay and Abby don't mind them when all the guts are scraped out :)
It's a little blury but here they are all lit up, ready for Halloween!!

Abby's Preschool Halloween Party

2007-10-26T16:01:00.000-06:00

Today was Abby's Halloween party at school. It was so fun because I happend to be the parent helper today too! So I got to stay for the whole thing. The kids had so much fun. They made skeleton pictures with Q-tips. Spider webs and colored pumpkin pictures. They did a costume parade around the building that the preschool is in. They went down the halls shouting "Happy Halloween"!! They were so cute! Abby dressed up as the Island Princesses, Rossella. She also brought her matching barbie for show and tell. Everyone told her what a beautiful princess she was. I had one mom come up to me and tell me she thought Abby was the most beautiful girl... I gota say I was a little proud of my sweet Abby. Anyway enough bragging, here's some pictures...

Daves school and Yummy Baking

2007-10-25T10:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Dave's first day back to school for his second year electrition program. We had put his name on a cancelation list because when he tried to enroll for school, he couldn't get in untill March. So we are very greatful that he got in so soon! So now that he's back in school , we have to be careful with our money. So I decided to do some baking to do my part... plus it's really yummy. Although I did get a little over excited and took the picture before I frosted the cinnamon rolls. It just looked so yummy I thought I would share.

Cross Country Running

2007-10-24T10:07:00.000-06:00

This year Justin, Mckay and Emma ran in cross country. Emma's age group had to run 800 meters and the boys had to run 1000 meters. Justin doesn't really love running so he did just one race. Mckay and Emma did three. I was very happy that most of the time they placed in the top ten, thats with around 20-25 runners. I've got to hand it to them, there is no way I could do that. I was very pround of them!! There are more pictures of Emma... it was her first year of running.

Emma is in the light green shirt behind the girl in the red. This is the start of the race.

Still running after 800 meters.

Showing off her ribbon. She got "participation, 4th and 9th in her three races.

Mckay at the end of his race. He got 9th in this one then 9th and 6th in the next two.

I was very happy that Justin did one race! He really does hate running.

New Blog

2007-10-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

Ok so I've been putting this off just like Nicola has been putting off joining"facebook". I've been wanting to start a new blog but as soon as I decided to start we got a new born foster baby. Needless to say it's been a crazy month! So I will do my best to catch you up on the latest, and will do my best to keep you up to date.

So I will start by catching up on the last two birthdays. Justin turned 11 in September. He is so excited! Here are the only pictures I got from that crazy day...

Abbys fourth birthday!

Abby had a princess party, I actually made an effort on this one and made a castle cake.

Little side note... Abby (before her birthday) would tell me over and over again that when she turned four, her baby would come out of her tummy and she could get married in the temple. Oh the things little ones say! Well now she is four and no such event took place... and she is yet to talk about her "baby" since she turned four. Anyway here is her pictures...