May Days

May Days...

One of the girls preschool aides (Mrs. Low in fact!) invited us out to their house to ride their little pony! It finally got dry enough that we could get out there without riding in a mud hole, so we went and fit in a ride before it rained AGAIN! The kids were in heaven. Kate especially LOVES horses and has been asking when they could go riding for a long time! 

 In Heaven!

 

Zach almost looks too big!

Even Addie got a turn! She LOVED every second and was mad at me when she had to get off! Maybe we need a pony...need... ;)

And this was a picture I sent to Justin to show him...OUR CEMENT IS ALL POURED!!! Weve been waiting for this day for 8 months! Wishing away winter so we could get our cement and basketball court in. THIS IS SO EXCITING! I am glad our Sprinter gave us enough of a break that we could get it poured! We also had another worker doing trees and paving stone and a fire pit! And then we put up our trampoline and our basketball hoop. And our garden is growing lots of strawberries...its so wonderful and functional and we are loving it! 

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 I had to go take Zach out of school for a few minutes when the cement was perfect for tiny handprints. Justin wouldn't come home for work or I would have done ours too!

 

My neighbor saw my kids picking me dandelions in the back field and told them to go pick his tulips in the front instead!!! Little did he know they are my favorite! I love them! Perfect for my pretty green vase inherited from Nanny. Funny thing is that I just found the EXACT vase at our town bargain store for $2.50! Ha ha! But mine if from my grandma so that makes it that much more special. :)

 

And we had to enjoy the good weather and walk home from preschool!! Not the girls favorite thing to do, but I love it!

And I cut bangs!! I've been thinking about doing this for over a year, but just never did. Well, I was finally more than ready for a change. They are fun! Especially since I have my hair up a lot. Fun for summer...protect the forehead...make it sweaty...that's the not so fun part.

And with the hair down... oo la la.

25 weeks! Mount Everett POPPED out in the last few weeks...feeling huge, hard to sleep, heartburn city. He better have hair. ;)

Day trip to Waterton with Papa and Bama. I've never seen Cameron Falls this full! It was incredible!

And there were tons of mountain goats everywhere!

Curled Kate's hair...she's so beautiful and has gorgeous locks.

Braided Addie's hair! She always asks for Anna braids (from Frozen) and sits pretty still while I braid them for her.

We planted the big garden over at Justin's parent's house and have strawberries in the center boxes and raspberries along the edges, but we wanted something for the kids to start learning on, so after Family Home Evening one Monday we planted beans with them. I am so happy my husband is into gardening! It takes A LOT of work, effort, and TIME, but it really is a cool thing to do.

 Addie causing all kinds of possible mayhem.

 

:)

 

 Aww...Sisters. An impromptu stair hug. Addie's so into it! ;)

And Zach had track and field day on a beautiful day in May. The girls got to come watch and even got to get a treat at the snack bar...freezies that were half the size they are!!! So glad there is a white flavor for Addie. :) Save on the laundry later. Zach did very well and I can't believe I don't have a picture of him with his ribbons?? 2 first place ribbons, one for the 50 meters and the other for the 100 meters. He shocked me. I didn't know he was that fast. They raced 4 boys at a time and he won both times! In the 200 meter Grade 1 boy race he got 6th! Good work boy!

Mother's Day 2014

I can't lie...days before this I totally forgot it was Mother's Day coming up. I had to apologize to my own mother that I didn't send anything because I really didn't know!!! Whoops! And Justin's mom was up in Edmonton, so we didn't have her down here to celebrate, so it was ALL ABOUT ME this Mother's Day, and I soaked in every minute. ;) I got breakfast in bed, a nap, an amazing dinner I didn't lift a finger for, and an unbelievable chocolate cake with fudge icing from SCRATCH?! My man can bake. :)

Delicious and fresh breakfast in bed. That is bananas, strawberries, and blueberries with some yogurt on it. SO YUMMY! Especially when you eat it on buttered toast. :) It's always fun to see what the kids make at school for Mother's Day.

 

And look what else I got for Mother's Day. SERIOUSLY?! It's May 11!! Ugh. So yucky. Pretty sure it had melted by the time we got out of church and then it was lovely. So gross to wake up to though!

I know the quality of this picture is bad, but when I came across it on my phone I couldn't delete it, because it is so much of what being a mother is to me. Addie took it. I must have been doing something on the computer and holding my little shadow Addie on my lap. Feet propped up, in our comfies...her relaxing with me. I am so lucky to be a mom. It isn't easy or glamorous or always fun, but it is the job I always looked forward to and that I am trying to embrace and enjoy each day. There's ultimately no where else I'd rather be. 

 

Like I said it isn't always glamorous... ;)

(Ouch, Get off my hair!)

Things can get a little shakey when you lose focus...

 ...and it definitely can feel like your arms are overflowing and things aren't always in control...

 

But sometimes, even maybe just for a second, you get it right. I love being the mom to these four.

 

...and to this guy in a few months!

 Baby E at 24 weeks.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Little Miss Adaleigh Jane is 2!!!!!

 

Happy 2nd Birthday to THE MOST ADORABLE little girl around!! It's no secret we are all smitten by our little Addie girl. She really is such a sweetheart. And so soft and squishy and lovey that her recent silly toddler tantrums don't matter one bit. My favorite things right now is how she sings her songs with me at night, her overemphasizing every word, singing silly, how she tells us to "Have a good day" when we put her to sleep, how I can often reason with her to help settle her and get her to take a nap nicely, how she says "Okay," her little jibber jabbering, how she belts out "Let it go, let it go!", her bright eyes and big smile--just like her daddy--truly my sunshine; how she runs to give Papa and Bama or other visitors hugs whenever we see them or leave them, how she calls worms baby snakes, how she loves Uncle Wobbie, and how she laughs at EVERYTHING her dad does...so I don't have to! I really could go on. She has been a fun addition to the family and such an easy going girl, happily along for the ride!

 

I wanted to make her a sun cake since she is our Sunshine. It kind of looks like her!

 For Addie's birthday we went "schwimming" as a family. This girl LOVES water! Loves, loves to schwim. Luckily we could do it in our own private pool at the hotel here in town. Nothing fancy, but she was in heaven!

 

 

 

 

Just one more shot before it's destroyed. :) Makes me happy.

Have her cake and eat it too. It was delicious!! :) 

Figuring out what presents are all about...

A few of The Party People.

2nd present...she knows what this is all about now! :)

A Baby Stella! I think these dolls are adorable and I knew she'd love the magnetic soother.

My big little baby girl. Happy Birthday Adaleigh. You are a cutie pie.

April iPhone Dump

And it wasn't even Mother's Day! I am a lucky mom. :)

Gotta love how electronics bring the family together. :)

Kara seems to capture Addie's best side. CREEPY!!!

I'm pretty good at capturing it too! :) Gotta love a booger bubble!

Kara came with to my violin lessons. My teacher lives on a farm/ranch. The girls all loved the horses and didn't want to leave.

Woke up to this April 26...the worst Sprinter EVER this year. Ugh...

Another of Kara's capture. No child was harmed in the taking of this picture. I just can't get over how bad it looks! She was eating popcorn and coughing at the same time I think. Looks so bad!

 

20.5 weeks?! This belly came out of nowhere. It was an iffy "Is she gaining weight or maybe pregnant?" belly for so long and then seriously BAM! I'm practically due looking. :) It feels bigger this go round, like harder to breathe and not sleeping that well early on. It is #5 I guess...and I am getting older! Almost 30?!?!

Kate did something mean to Kara...so then Kara got to tell Kate how to make it up to her. A foot massage with lotion was the answer this time. HA! Sometimes I love being the Mom, in charge, and watching my children learn lessons. And love it. :)

 

 

April 27, it snowed. A lot. I wore a black dress to church in mourning of our lost Spring. On a positive note it was the wet heavy snow we rarely get, so the kids got to roll it into big balls to make snowmen. Luckily I hadn't packed away their snow gear! 

 

 

 

Addie kept going up to the snowmen, hugging them, and saying "I wuv you Olaf!" ... And eating their raisin eyes. :)

 

 I call this "Snow Tantrum."

I forget why...either because I wouldn't come out and help or because Addie ate the eyes.

 

 

 

My little wahine...she loves this dress. It was one we got for Kate and Kara when Justin and I went to Hawaii a few years ago. Another notable thing about this picture is this is Addie's favorite place while I get ready. Any time she wants up she says "Mommy, uh up-down." Meaning pick me up and put me down on the counter. In my bathroom, in the kitchen...Up-Down. Ingenious!

Addie loves these boots, and these kitty mittens, and the jammies she is wearing actually. A few of her favorite things. Here she is appropriately dressed as she watches her favorite movie..."Frozen"!

Speaking of ingenious, she must get it from her mother. I rigged this up while we drove home from Lethbridge. Save her neck! Looks pretty comfy compared to what it was like before!

And in the same month it snows, we start soccer. This is Zach's first time playing and he is loving it so far. He is doing coach pitch baseball too and loving that even more.

  

We got to see Bama!!! She came for a visit from Edmonton. ;) The kids were all excited and miss her a lot.