First Day

of Kindergarten.
So you think he looks pleased???
They had building toys, which are Alden's favorite! If he can build with it, he loves it.He loved his teacher, Mrs. Bergman. She read the CUTEST story called the Kissing Hand.
All about a little raccoon who is nervous to go to school.

He was super excited. And it was a good day. Tomorrow is first full day.
So strange that I have a child old enough to go to kindergarten. But so good.

Now that we are aiming for a routine and schedule around here, I am hoping to post more than once a week again. :) With craft ideas, family fun ideas, projects we do, funny things the kids say. Excited?

i know

that i've got a good marriage because...
1. although we have different likes and tastes, we support each other in them.
2. we don't fight.
3. it's with my best friend.
4. we have strengths where the other has weaknesses.
5. even though I am a sleep deprived new mom, I can stay up talking with Regan til 1 am just cause we love to talk to each other.

It was a great long weekend with Regan home.
The kids enjoyed it too.
We went to Heritage Park on Saturday with Sean and Val and kiddos. Had two couples over for cards and treats Saturday night. Enjoyed a leisurely Sunday dinner with friends. Went to the zoo today.

And I even had a little time to scrapbook with the new September Scraptivity kit.



(GREAT photos on this last one by my wonderful friend Heather.)

I'm blessed and I know it.
And I'm grateful!

Tomorrow we are on to Alden's first day of school!
There will be photos! And hopefully no tears (from either of us!)

the past weeks we've been...

having friday night parties at Bowness park before dad left for three weeks for a Peds rotation...

practicing our fire building skills....

learning about roasting marshmallows...

learning about smores
eating hot diggity dogs
playing chase and swords at the park....having pillow fights on mom and dad's bed...
practicing our smiling...

playing in the sandbox turned pool
having picnics in the kitchen...
shooting a wedding..... (more on my photo blog)
and just surviving until Regan comes home.

Got a flat tire that I found Saturday night (and no spare on our van) so we are house bound and at the mercy of friends to help us with getting the tire fixed, picking up milk since have none, etc.

It's been interesting and challenging (I hate asking people to help me with so many things!) since Regan started his rotation in Medicine Hat. And we are only down one week.

Good thing there is lots of this around here now...

Crafty Time

Some cards to share that Lucy and I made a couple days ago.
Supplies: Cardstock, OLD SEI Vellum, Heidi Grace & Studio G stamps, white thread.


Supplies: Cardstock, Making Memories & Fontwerks pp, Scraptivity stamps, white thread.

Supplies: Bazzill Cardstock, Chatterbox pp, fabric paper, Stampin' Up stamps, ribbon, crayola pencil crayons, CM circle cutter, Basic Grey Notch & Dye Tool, white thread.
Supplies: Cardstock, Making Memories & chatterbox pp, Scraptivity & Gel-a-tins stamps, white thread.

And we had a doctor's appointment.
6 week check up.
Eli weighed in at 10 pounds 11 ounces and 22 inches long.
He's getting big.
I was thinking after they said his size about how big Alden was at birth.
10 pounds 6 ounces and 22 1/2 inches.
So hard to image that since Eli seems like he has gotten so big. :)

And he had a 5 hour spurt of sleep at night. FINALLY longer than 2 hours.
We'll see how it goes tonight!

My three kids

Alden.....

• is getting excited that Kindergarden is coming soon.
• is a really really good helper with Eli and Lucy
• gets diapers, turns on the mobile, and entertains Eli as much as possible
• LOVES playing with Sam our neighbor boy and calls him his best friend


• is getting very tall and even more skinny (which is hard to believe possible!)
• his body shape is reminding me of mine and my little brother Justin when we were his age.... scrawny legs and body and big knees and elbows
• has recently discovered math and is constantly asking what various number combinations are. I taught him how to add using his fingers and he is in LOVE with this new skill
• recently learned the pattern in counting numbers (that after 20,30,40 it turns back to 1,2,3,4 etc)
• just finished reading the Spiderwick Chronicles Book 1 with Dad at bedtime
• unfortunately is now scared of the dark :(
• loves to read the scriptures at night
• rotates sleeping from the top bunk to the bottom bunk
• loves to ride "his" bike which is actually Lucy's but it is way easier to pedal than his real one
• still loves all things Thomas and cars
• is getting to be a real whiz on the computer
• loves to type letters in Word
• filled an entire notebook (of about 150 pages) of drawings in 2 hours in a drive to southern Alberta
• loves make up stories from his dad
• is finally eating lunch most days after only eating two meals a day for about a yaer
• gave a talk in church yesterday about the Holy Ghost
• loves to listen to books on CD and tape (we do it in the van while we travel) and has now listened to Charolette's Web, The Castle in the Attic, the BFG, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, George's Marvelous Medicine and more)
• puts away his own clothes (and makes his drawers a COMPLETE mess!)
• is such a sweet boy and a pleasure to raise!

Lucy Ann...

• is in LOVE with holding Eli
• announces a million times a day, "Mom, isn't Eli so cute!"


• is still adjusting to the idea of having a baby around and now constantly follows me around the house. When I exercise on the treadmill she sits on the floor beside it, she waits outside the bathroom door, she lays in my bed with me, etc.
• loves to help in the kitchen and has to stand on a chair RIGHT beside me
• would sit and be read to ALL day if I would
• loves all things Dora and Princesses
• can completely get dressed by herself. Including putting on her pull ups. (She wanted to go running the sprinkler, so she went up to her room, opened her drawers, got out a swim diaper and swim suit, completely undressed herself, put on the swim diaper and swim suit and then after playing got all the way dressed in her clothes and pull up. With NO help.
• and yet, absolutely refuses to use the toilet, claiming she is too little to do that and needs diapers or pull ups. No treats or bribery of any form encourage her to go at all
• wakes up every morning and asks for a clean pull up as soon as she pees
• is in love with seeing dogs and asks to pet everyone she sees
• loves our neighbor Isabell and asks to play with her and asks for make up stories about her and Isabell as princesses
• loves Nursery at church
• is STILL so noisey in church. Talking constantly.
• has no filter at all. Whatever she is thinking comes out her mouth
• has to pick out her own clothes and asks for the same shirt every day. Cause it says I love Canada. Then announces for the whole day that she lives in Canada. And asks where various people live
• loves to do crafts with mom and on her own. Yesterday we stamped, cut and glued during Eli's nap to make cards.
• loves to iChat with Grandmas
• wishes that she could live at Grandmas' house like her cousin Ali
• calls the museum the magazine and often askes to go
• still throws a mean fit
• is obsessed with bug bites and owies
• loves play food and little people
• still asks what Eli is eating at every breast feed. We told her Mommy Milk that is only for babies so she brings her dolls to me for milk
• sleeps with a little group of friends - puppy, bunny and sheep

Eli at 6 weeks old....

• is still feeding every 2 hours
• is smiling at his momma while breastfeeding
• is wearing size 2 diapers
• still fits into most 0-3 month clothes
• has not lost any of his hair
• sleeps best when you hold him
• loves to stare at faces
• gets a little over loved by Lucy and most of the time he doesn't cry
• ends up sleeping in our bed too often cause mom falls asleep while feeding him
• has no schedule at all except in the afternoon he has a sleep from 2:30-4. Other than that who knows when he is going to sleep or want to eat
• has the loudest diaper explosions (as the kids call it) you have ever heard.
• has blue eyes just like his dad and brother and sister
• likes tummy time and takes his naps that way
• can hold his head still and up for about a minute
• is so absolutely cuddly
• is trying to learn to take a soother (well his mom is trying to make him)
• is finally not screaming during his bath but sitting very very still
• loves to stay up late
• loves to watch his mobile in his crib and the fish in his bouncy chair
• has a smile that lights up his whole face, but you really have to work for it
• is a really happy baby unless he has to poop or fart

and me....
I'm enjoying this daily.

Link-ity Link Link Link

The reunion was good. Lucy ended up sleeping the house with me and Eli. I was pretty sleepy the next day, but as of lately that is par for the course around here!

Some blogs and sites that I love that I wanted to share.

1.Soule Mama A momma named Amanda. She has this book which as I am reading it sounds a lot like my childhood. All the things she does with her kiddos, my momma did with us. Not all of them. But a lot of it is so second nature to my way of thinking cause of my mom. And yes all of my siblings are creative.

2. Simple Mom i love this site. Great ideas about being a momma. I just found it recently and I'll already hooked!

3. Pioneer Woman I looooove her site. The cooking - fabulous. The writing - witty. The photography - amazing. This whole site rocks!

4. Sew Mama Sew Love this blog for all things sewing. I mean how cute is this??? I totally want to make one for my kiddos!!!!

5. Decorative Country Living I think this is a whole site full of eye candy. I'd love to buy beautiful things for my home (when I get one) from here!

6.Let's explore I love the fun ideas on this site. And I really wanna order some of the cool-io things in their shop!

7. Jennifer Really enjoying her scrapbooking style lately. It's so happy and bright. And so are her kiddos and pictures.I have lots of scrapbooking blogs I love... but this one is fairly new to me and I love it!

What sites are you a big fan of??

Can you believe it's August????

First off, today is Regan's 30th Birthday.
And I wanted to say happy birthday to my love.
I am so lucky to have this guy in my life.
And I know it.
(An old picture... but he doesn't let me take so many of him....)


It's a new kit over at Scraptivity today.....
This was a fun kit. I've never tried gliding before (that's the gold stuff) but it is cooooool! Totally messy but fun!



And a page with one of the FABULOUS photos that Heather took of Eli and me...

And we are off for the weekend to a family reunion. It's a camping one... but Eli and I will NOT be camping. We'll drive back to the inlaws to sleep instead. In the future, but not quite yet!
Have a great weekend!

Around our house today....

Alden is learning about computers and how they work....



Lucy is feeling sick with a fever. The Tylenol has finally kicked in and she is now moving around and finally eating something.


And the littlest man is sleeping... surprise, surprise (it's not nighttime so he is zoned out!)


And Susie - you asked to see the picture Regan told you about....
I'm a bit embarrassed to show it...
you'll see why in a second.
Regan took the two oldest on a walk on Sunday and they stopped at the playground. Lucy was standing by the teeter-todder and Alden didn't realize she was so close, and he got on it.... so her face met the board rather hard.
After Regan took the picture, she asked to see it and then started to laugh cause she looked so funny. When she saw it today she told me that her face was funny and covered in blood. And that she got in on her sweater. That was what made her sad, not the pain.

About me

Some things I have learned about myself lately.

1. It's come to my attention that people *gasp* don't think of us as a young couple. When did that happen?? I'm not one of those people who has ever worried about getting older. You can ask me how old I am. I don't mind. Even when I'm older. Ask me. I don't care. While driving home from church I asked Regan when we made that trek into the middle aged crowd. Cause we are both 30 now (well Regan is next week) or cause we now have 3 kids. He said probably both.

2. Quite a few people have asked me how it is with three kids. And I've been thinking about it this week. Since I am really starting to go stir crazy just sitting around at home breastfeeding all day. I like to get things done. I get it from my mom. I need a to do list every day. I need to accomplish things. So I've gone out of the house with the kids (and been chastised by a few older ladies about having such a small baby out of the house already). And almost every time has been a bit of a gong show. And you know what, it's not Alden. He's been so good and helpful. And it's not Eli. He's sleeping away. It's that tricky little two year old daughter of mine who likes things her own way. So I don't know if it is the three kids that is hard, or the fact that I still have a two year old who hasn't grown out of her tough stage.

3. I've had two kids before this. But I forgot how much time breastfeeding takes. How it seems for the first while that that is all you do. I've always enjoyed breastfeeding and it has always come quite easily to me. (Which I am very grateful for) but I just forgot the time. I've taken to reading books while I feed Eli. I'm finished two (one Jodi Picoulit and one David Baldacci). And halfway thru another one. (The Historian). And the amount of diapers we go thru around here each day is amazing. Between Eli and Lucy - I spent a lot of time wiping bums. :)

And since a post without pictures, here are some newly scanned pages.

Eli and Lucy

Some new pictures of little Eli.






And a few of you asked about Lucy's ER experience.

The night before little Eli decided he wanted to stay up til 1am.... so in the morning I was a little groggy.... anyway I was downstairs and Lucy was upstairs by herself. She came down eventually and ran upstairs to change Eli and found a bottle of Tylenol 3's open and spread all over the floor.

I asked her how many she ate and she said none..... so I thought I'd just watch her and see what she did. Fast forward an hour and she pukes twice. But she still says she didn't eat any pills and that she feels great.
I really needed to go to the grocery store and she had stopped puking, so we went. Got things into my cart at the store and she pukes all over them. And some lady was absolutely disgusted with me. She rolled her eyes and was like "well okay then"

Lucy starts getting really sleepy in the van. Red eyes. Staring into space. Come home (quickly) call my FIL and he says I should call poison control just to be safe. They tell me to go the ER.

So Lucy, Eli and I spent 6 hours being "observed" and having her blood taken waiting for results. The amounts were so low that they sent us home.

The classic Lucy part of the day?? She sat perfectly still while they took her blood. The nurses commented on how she did better than some adults. But then had a great big freak out at the hospital cause she wanted to stay (since she got to lay on a warm bed and watch tv all day.) That is my girl.

Happy and thankful.

We're happy.
Happy and thankful.

For Heather, who took lovely pictures of Eli. Who brought a huge basket full of books, magazines, diapers, chocolate treats, outfits and a wonderful dinner.

For Andrea who hosted a baby pool and sent lovely gifts from the lovely kind ladies at Scraptivity who sent wonderful gifts both scrapbooking stuff and cute outfits for Eli.

For Crystal, who is as generous as her daughter Heather, sending baby gifts and books for both Alden and Lucy too.

For the Pilling family, mailing a Nova Scotia shirt for Eli and stickers for the other two.

For dinner every night for a week brought from Karen, Stephanie, Heather, Kim, Phil & Lisa.

For my neighbors who have been checking on me and letting my big kids play at their houses. (Especially on days when we have an 5 hour ER visit from Lucy finding the Tylenol 3 with Codine.)

For a weekend with most of my whole family in Radium. Where everyone else went to the pool and had fun and I slept, read and held Eli.

Many times I think people are way to kind to me. Way more than I deserve.
I am extremely grateful.
Grateful for Alden and Regan.
And grateful for these two.