My crazy, beautiful life

Summer Days

I love summer. Since school has ended we have been enjoying nice days outside! Though I can't really tell you what we have been busy with, we have indeed been busy. And happy! Life is good!!

Taylor had his first day of kindergarten! It was a morning orientation. I talked myself into the fact that he wasn't REALLY off to kindergarten yet, so I was okay with it for the day. It was afterall only for a couple hours. No different than playschool. But in September, when I take him for his first whole day...I don't know what I will do! I'm sure I will cry. And I will miss him terribly. As will two other little girls in my house!

Mya celebrated her first birthday. We haven't yet had a party for her...that is to come once we find a weekend in which we aren't booked!! I can hardly believe my baby is one. I still remember being pregnant. It seems like yesterday! This past year has passed soooooo quickly, and each day the babyness in Mya seems to disappear just a little bit. She is now walking...though chooses to crawl if speed is an issue!  She can sign many things, and can say a few words...all done, tadaaaa, momma, dadda, TayTay, nana (banana), up, on occasion puppa (puppy). She is a climber. Loves being outside! Loves looking at books. And is a lover of ALL animals!! She is losing her dark hair, keeping her blue eyes. In general, she's just a little gem!

Grace...is Grace. My little cutie, but my little spitfire! She received a new pettiskirt yesterday. I have wanted to buy one since before Christmas, but finally bit the bullet and bought one off etsy. Worth it's weight in gold!! She put that dress on and twirled and twirled around like a little ballerina. I'm looking forward to taking her outside to get some photos. And to buying a few more of the cute little things. I LOVE them!!

Though we are enjoying the warm days of summer, we are praying for rain. Our grass that we planted isn't doing so well. And the crops around us are disastrous! And that's an understatement. This isn't a good year to be a farmer. Any type of farmer. Those who rely on crops as their source of income are in a very tough spot. Those who have cattle are going to be hard pressed to find feed for a reasonable price in order to feed them. And there just simply isn't enough pasture. As much as we would LOVE to be full time farmers, we are so happy this year that we aren't. The uncertainty of it all would make me so nervous.

I haven't been all that regular with my blogging these days. And I probably won't be for the summer. I have made a point of scheduling my days, and prioritizing my time, and blogging is something that is falling a little short. Not too sure how many people check out my blog anymore anyways...comments are few. I suppose things haven't been all that interesting anyways. I had thought about giving up blogging altogether  though I enjoy looking back at previous posts and seeing where I was at in my life at a certain point of time. So I will continue with my online journal...if not for anyone else but for me!

Wishing my readers, whoever they may still be...a very happy day!

Bean

So...I thought I'd introduce to you the other members of this family...

Those of you who know me, even a little bit know that I love horses. I was that typical little girl who asked for ponies for birthdays...and when I finally got a horse (or two), I spent hours outside with them. My old friend Jocelyn would come out to the farm, and for a whole week we'd be outside running our own little pony club camp. Riding several times a day, cleaning tack, feeding, watering, grooming, bathing, creating things for our horses. I have such fond memories of those days.

Meet Bean!

Of all my horses, I've had her the longest. She was my showhorse. Some of my proudest moments on a horse were on her. We really were quite the team. I remember at a provincial 4-H show I was in the command class. This class really demonstrates the teams ability to tune into each other perform various tasks. Multiple horse/rider combos are in the ring. Commands are spoken over the loudspeaker. Horse and rider must perform these commands. You get one shot to do it right, AND it must be done within a timely manner or you are asked to leave the ring. Bean was perfect for me. She listened so well, and did things that we really hadn't ever done together before. You see...she was only a three year old at the time. We won that class. And though it may not seem like a huge moment to some, it was a great moment for me! And it was 11 years ago!!

She is as easy going as they come. She has had sooooo much love over the years. I trust her completely...around me and around the horses. She holds a very soft spot in my heart and we visit daily. She's the first one I go to and the last one I say goodbye to. 

She's just another member of the family!!

Just when I'm on a roll in blogging world...almost a month passes between posts! 

Well, Taylor is done school for the year. He really enjoyed this year, and so did I. I met a lot of new people...more than I met in Leduc and I was on the board there! But despite the fun, I am a little glad it's doen for the year. Two and a half hours isn't quite enough for him to be gone. Not because I want him out of the house, but because by the time I got home from dropping him off and put the girls down for a nap...there just wasn't a lot of time to get things done in between.

The kids have started swimming lessons! They are loving it. Grace has always enjoyed the water. Taylor has been more hesitant. I am amazed however at how confident he is getting in the water. He is swimming all over the place, and has a constant smile on his face. Grace can't wipe the smile off her face either and I love to see them enjoy an activity so much. I was just sitting on the sidelines and watching the lessons with Mya. That wasn't working. All Mya wanted to do was crawl into that pool and go swimming. So, two days a week I am in the pool playing with Mya while the other two are in their lessons. A little daredevil she is!! She crawls up the slide, and slides down and climbs up and then tries to swim away. WITHOUT ME! She is definately a little fish.

Things around the farm have been happening. We finished the railing around our deck and I am really pleased with how it looks. And while I was afraid the railing would make our deck look small, this isn't the case. We also managed to plant our grass seed, and I am so happy to see the little bit of rain we have this morning! I'd be happy with a good solid three day drizzle...not only for our grass but for all the crops around us. It is just sooooooo dry! This weekend I'll be planting my garden and my bedding plants. Hopefully we'll be cleaning out shed and cleaning the bbq as well!

I've been busy with pictures. I'm loving every minute of it and am so pleased that I  decided to take the leap and begin! I am noticing improvement with each and every session. I have signed up for a course the end of summer and am planning on going to either Vegas or Arizona this coming march for a conference. I am nervous to be potentially going alone but I am so excited to network and learn and bring it all to the next level. This has fit perfectly with my family, and what I stand for. And I thank those who have been supportive of this endeavor! I've had a lot of help from family, and a few friends and I'm appreciative of that.  So thank you!!

And now for a picture that Andrew took of me while we were camping. I don't make it into many pictures these days, so I'm appreciative of any that I have. No matter how I look!

The great outdoors

Well, this past weekend was spent in the great outdoors. We went camping with a great group of friends out at Wilderness Village, and aside from a few moments, the only time spent inside was when we were sleeping. There e is something about being outside in the fresh air, surrounded by family, good friends and the laughter of children that is refreshing to the soul. I feel rejuvenated.

Aside from Mya, we have all camped before. But the kids all had the greatest time. They played...HARD! I think Taylor was on his bike more than he was off of it this weekend. Grace just had fun playing at the park, digging in dirt, looking for strawberry plants and lady bugs. Even Mya was in her element. She really enjoyed crawling around in the dirt and the sand. And I got to see the kids with constant smiles on their faces...all laughing infectiously at their many different experiences. To me...everything about the weekend was indicative of what life is really about!! 

The only picture I was able to get of him. Because literally...he was on his bike ALL weekend.

Grace, loving every minute of the park! 

And Mya, loving the sand. We borrowed this one piece suit and it was the greatest thing...everything just slid off her. I think she should live in it!!

This weekend was exactly what I needed!

Mya

In a month and a few days, my baby girl will be turning one. I can't believe it! This past year has gone by so fast...and I'm told that as the kids get older and get busier in extracurricular activities, the time goes by even more quickly!! Wow!

At 11 months, Mya will stand on her own. She has taken a few steps on her own, but doesn't do it frequently because she's a BIG chicken! We try to get her to walk...she looks at us and smiles and then sits down! When she stands on her own, she throws her arms up in the air and says "tada". Love it! She can say puppy, and pants like a dog each time she sees one. She loves being outside...getting dirty is great fun. She is doing well at not putting too many gross things in her mouth! She loves to be chased. She loves to wrestle. She loves all food! She hasn't turned her nose up at anything! She has a lot of character, and is madly in love with her big brother. I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual! Unlike her siblings at this age, she isn't interested in baby einstein. She's much happier to play with all her toys and will do so independently quite well! She loves baths...swimming is pretty fun for her too! She's simply a joy to have around! We are all so very blessed to have her in our life!!

Happy Mother's Day

I have had a busy mother's day working outside. And it has been nice. But that isn't the reason for my post. Today...my post is all about my mom.

My mom and I have always been close. Like all parents should, she has stuck by my side through my better moments, and through my less than stellar moments. I talk to her each and every morning, and my day doesn't feel complete until we have had our little chat. Sometimes we chat about this, that and the other. Other times our conversations have much more depth.

It wasn't until I became a mom myself that I realized just how much I am loved. If my mom loves me even a quarter as much as I love my kids (and I know she does), then I am a pretty lucky girl. 

So...mom...thank you for all that you've done for me in the past, all that you continue to do for me, and all that I know you will do for me in the future. You have been a great mom and friend to me, and I love you so very much!! Happy Mother's Day!!

Tea with Taylor

Taylor's playschool held a mother's day tea. I was able to find someone to watch the girls for a couple hours, and devote my complete attention to Taylor. This is something I haven't been able to do for awhile. It was blissful. He pampered me. He massaged my feet and painted my toes. He did an absolutely beautiful job, and he did it with such joy and pride! He served me iced tea and ice cream. He sang me a song. I fell even more in love with my little boy at this little tea!

He gave me a poem, that I will design to be framed...because somedays I seem to need these little reminder!

Dear Mom:

Sometimes you get discouraged,

Because I am so small. I always leave my fingerprints 

On furniture and walls.

but everyday I am growing.

And I'll be grown some day.

Then all those tiny handprints,

Will surely fade away.

So here's my little handprints

Just so you can recall,

Exactly how my fingers looked

When I was very small.

I love that poem. As I celebrate my 6th mother's day tomorrow, I am amazed at how quickly the kids are growing. I was looking at Taylor's hands, remembering when they were simply pudgy baby hands. Now they are the hands of a little boy. And before I know it, they will be the hands of a man. And so I am going to try to cherish each fingerprint the kids leave in their lifetime...the clutter of toys, all the laundry, the pitter patter of little feet, the laughter, the tears and the accomplishments. One day those footprints will be a sweet, but distant memory and I will long to have the challenges of motherhood back. I pray that my kids always know just how much I love them. That they know they may turn to me for anything. That they know that I can be counted on. Quit simply...I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be blessed with my three amazing kids!

I'm a soccer mom again

Well, Andrew has been gone since Friday and I've been on my own with the kids. It's been a pretty good weekend thus far...though I could use a bit of a break! We have managed to stay busy.

Friday, Joanne and I headed to the butterdome craft sale. Yep...I attended the madness (it gets VERY busy) with three kids in tow. And it went well. All thanks to this...

Sandra loaned me her sit and stand stroller, and I am really on the fence about selling my travel system and getting one of these. It's perfect for Taylor and Grace right now. Grace sits in the front and Taylor either stands or sits in the back when he gets tired of walking. Mya goes in the snuggly. Soon, Mya will go in the front, and Grace will probably ride on the back 90 percent of the time. It IS handy. But it is also 250 dollars. Which I'd have no problems spending if I was planning on having other kids. And if I hadn't already spent four times that on strollers. But Gosh it's handy. I just can't decide.  Anyways, thanks to this stroller I was able to walk through the craft show with success. I didn't buy anything though...just go ideas about all the projects I could do. In my spare time!

A playdate at Mcdonald's playland and then home to pick rocks finished our day on Friday. Oh...and a trip to triple flip where I purchased FIVE adult Roxy articles of clothing for A HUNDRED BUCKS! This included a dress AND a jacket. This was a big score for me and made my day.

Yesterday, Taylor began soccer for the season. I love watching him play. He has so much energy and enthusiasm for the game and I imagine he sports the same smile on his face when he plays hockey (hard to tell under the mask!!) This to me was almost the official start of summer. It was nice to be sitting outside with the girls, basking in the sun. A quick trip to the park afterwards and we were all happy. The rest of the day spent inside made for great night rests all around!!

I stayed up a little too late. I was online...etsy to be exact!

Looking for fabric. My last trip to the fabric store with the kids was a gong show! And I've decided that online may be the way to shop. It works out to be the same price with the dollar exchange and the shipping anyways, plus the convenience of taking my time to look without hearing the kids whine is worth it's weight in gold! Trust me! So I've been oogling over this...

Isn't this absolutely beautiful? These are the exact colors that I have been wanting to do my room in. I find them very serene. So I was thinking a duvet cover, curtains and and some throws? Thoughts? And wouldn't this make a beautiful purse? Or dress for the girls? Or even placemats in the kitchen? Of course I wouldn't do all that, but I'm trying to figure out how to use this so I can place my order! My shopping basket at etsy has hundreds of dollars of fabric in it...I'm trying to narrow it all down. Taylor has been asking for a quilt and so I'm looking for something with bold colors, and graphic patterns. Something that can grow with him...not something too juvenile. This is proving to be a more difficult task than I had imagined. 

Anyways, today I am taking pictures of the kids. They have been "neglected" so to speak in the whole picture taking department and I want to get some good current pictures to make canvases of to hang in the living room.

Oh...and while I am at it. This company makes the dream boxes...another thing I want to get done for the kids rooms although they are pretty expensive...

These custom made photo boxes hold 5x7 photos...100 unmatted photos or 20 mounted ones. And the pictures don't do them justice. They are stunning and one is able to completely design the whole box. I can't wait to get one done!!! The are from the dream album company.

Anyways...happy day all! I'm gonna enjoy the sunshine and I'm looking forward to seeing my hubby!

A trip to the U of A

So, yesterday the kids and I made a trip to the university hospital. Taylor had a doctor appointment with the ear, nose and throat specialist as he will be getting his tonsils taken out in September. His tonsils are really big and affect his breathing when he sleeps...likely why he still NEEDS a nap at age five.

The university hospital is a place that is VERY familiar to me. It holds some good memories, but mostly some not so good ones. I have spent more time there than I'd like to count! I was there an awful lot when I was sick with my eating disorder. I spent a ton of time there when I was in university. My anatomy classes were in the hospital (best class ever BTW). And I spent a lot of time studying there too. And of course, I was there when Grace had her seizures. I know the hospital all too well.

Anyways, while I was there yesterday I ran into a girl with whom I shared a room with when I was admitted for my eating disorder. 11 years ago. And she's STILL in the hospital. I didn't talk to her...didn't want to revisit anything. But I saw her in the bathroom, immediately after lunch, getting sick. And I was really sad. She has spent another 10 years struggling...and missing out on life. I am so grateful for the support I received in helping get over my difficulties. I think about all the things that I have accomplished in 10 years...all the fun that I have had, and all that I have been given in my life. I'm so pleased that it wasn't wasted!

Just my thoughts for the day...

A few things that I have been working on...

I've really been enjoying sewing lately. My mom bought me a sewing machine last year for my birthday and I LOVE it! I am definately a person in need of creativity, and to me sewing is a lot like scrapbooking. I love going to the quilt store, looking at all the beautiful fabrics. And I love the sense of satisfaction I get when something pretty is complete! In the past few months I have sewn four aprons, a stuffed hippo and some booties. I am working on Grace's quilt. I have a ton of projects in mind, albeit not necessarily the time to do any. Anyways, I just thought I'd share a few photos of the things that I have been working on!

This is Grace's little apron!!

Grace's quilt. I have been working on this for a long time because the green minkee is a big PITA to work with!! And I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it's slipping and stretching is driving me crazy!!!

And these are little booties from an Amy Butler book that I made for Mya...and I thought I'd enlarge the pattern to make some slippers for my older two! 

Fun stuff!!