The heart is tender...

Our friends, Scott & Ashley - Scott & I were very good friends in years past & have maintained some contact through the years - through Ashley mostly.

They have 1 child. Her name is Sarah.

Sarah is a very special little girl. She was born with a lot of physical limitations & has had a lot of pain & termoil in her short 2 1/2 years. She has been in & out of Children's Hospital frequently & has struggled to do a lot of things that you & I take for granted.

There is a very special bonding, a unique kind of love that forms from the unconditional love & service given without expectation of receipt. This is the love Scott & Ashley have for their little girl. It transcends & amazes those who are priveleged to see it... even in small glimpses. We have had those glimpses.

Though, they would argue that Sarah gives more than they could ever ask for, they have spent all of Sarah's young life dedicated to caring for this special spirit. And though I am sure they have struggled at times (who wouldn't?) have always been positive & SO loving!

I have believed for some time that we are called to have certain challenges (and blessings) in life because it is the only way for us to develop the character traits that Heavenly Father would have us develop. I have often admired the strength of character that some people have. I very quickly feel inadequate & selfish, as a parent & a human being when around people with such traits. Scott & Ashley have these traits... they are some of the most loving people I have ever known.

Yet, I cannot imagine being called to endure the things this family has been required to.

Last Sunday morning, without warning, & during a happy & healthy period for her, Sarah passed away in her sleep.

I spent the morning at her funeral. My heart is very tender, as a result.

Yet again, I am in awe of the dignity & strength of Scott & Ashley as they gathered their family & friends to honor & celebrate Sarah's short time with us.

It was a beautiful service & an incredible tribute to a sweet angel who brought her parents the blessing of truly unconditional love.

I wish I had gotten to know her better. My thoughts & prayers are with Scott & Ashley as they try to heal from such tremendous loss. And yet, I know that they are so amazing... the love they have for each other & their extended family, will help them to heal... until they can be with their sweet Sarah again.

I hope I can be of some help as well. Though somewhat overwhelmed in my inadequacies at the moment, I will do what I can.

Goodbye for now, Sarah.

Something new....

First new thing:
Graham got a new job!! Woohoo! It is a temporary contract through the end of January teaching Grade 9 & 10 French. Here's the really cool part... the principal called him personally, said the job was going to be posted & asked if he would be willing to apply for it. That is the THIRD time that has happened for 3 different schools (and obviously, 3 different principals) - I am so proud. Most TOCs (teacher on call - or "substitute") just go in, do their job & leave. Something about my very talented husband leaves a lasting impression - it can only lead to good things.

We had made a conscious choice when Graham finished school & started TOCing that we were in a position to be "picky", so to speak. There is no reason for him to JUMP on the first contract that comes up. I know what it is like to get up every day & go to a job you HATE, or with people who are... unenjoyable, shall we say? - I do NOT want that for Graham. And so he has the option of "scouting" out the schools by TOCing at them - meeting department heads & principals... "schmoozing" - so when the right job comes up, he will be a shoe-in...

Looks like everything is going according to the plan :) I am SOOOO proud!!

Second new thing:
My very generous in-laws have blessed my children with a new set of bunk beds! They came tonight to help set them up & provided bedding as well (Princess for Averie; Cars for Evan) - the kids were SOOO excited!! Not sure how Evan will fare on his own tonight... he has shared a double bed with Averie since he came out of the crib. I suppose we will see if we get many "visits" tonight.

Evan & Daddy take apart the old double for going into storage

The room with NO bed...

Daddy & Grandpa assemble the new bed...

Ahhhh... I remember many bunk bed conversations like this one with my sister :)

We LOVE our new bed!! Thank you, Nannie & Grandpa!!

Taking the plunge...

We have finally done it!

I couldn't handle the MANY TEDIOUS hours spent photo-editing on our very obsolete computer. It was a great computer & served us well the last 6 years... but we were asking it to do things & run programs it just... well, wasn't meant to do. I was starting to DREAD photo editing & it's a MAJOR part of running my photography business... but staring at a spinning hour glass on the screen for 5 minutes plus PER picture.... is enough to make a person go CROSS-EYED when a wedding is a couple HUNDRED pictures to edit.

So, we finally bought a new one... and it is FABULOUS!! I got THREE newborn shoots edited in one evening last night!! WooHoo!

Now we enter the only tedious & dreadful part of a new computer... transfering the GIGS upon GIGS of photo files over to the new hard drive (Hense, why Evan doesn't have a slideshow yet - see previous post) - it is proving to be a little more challenging than we had anticipated but should be done soon.

So, onward & upward... here's to better time management!!

My Darling Boy

Today I celebrate Evan...

The summer is BIG on birthdays in our family & I guess I felt I should add to the chaos, as my first two babies were both born in August. 17 days apart... well, 2 years & 17 days apart to be more precise.

I still remember vividly my pregnancy with Evan. It was quite a bit different than with my girls. More, well... enjoyable to be honest. I don't know why... didn't have hardly any nausea, didn't gain any weight (in fact, the week AFTER Evan was born, I was THIRTY - that's right 3-0 pounds lighter than I was at my first prenatal appointment with him) - So I didn't have so much of the "weighed down" feeling. I desperately wanted a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) with him & so went 12 days overdue... at the end of August... with gestational diabetes... did I mention I was desperate???

But it was not to be... I was DEATHLY afraid of being induced again (plus, they generally won't induce for a VBAC - increases the risk of uterine rupture - ICK!), so I wanted to see if I would go into labor on my own...

TWELVE days overdue & he had not even DROPPED! I think he would've hung out in there till he was 15! lol

On the plus side, because he didn't drop, I stayed relatively comfortable... even with the aforementioned situations, I had no swelling & don't recall being overly hot, except on a couple of occasions where I doubt not being pregnant would have helped.

And so we did a "last minute scheduled c-section". Basically, I went to the doctor on Thursday where he expressed his concerns & felt we had reached the limit of what was "safe" & "best" for me & baby. When I agreed that it was probably best to get him out, he said "How about tomorrow?" - So we went home & waited for the hospital to call. When they did, they wanted me to check in at 5pm. We arrived & got comfy... luckily we brought a portable DVD player & some movies, because we waited... and waited... we started to wonder if his birthday would actually be that day, or the next... they finally came to get me at 10:30pm.

My sweet baby boy entered the world at 11:35pm - 8lbs, 6oz & 20 inches long... perfect :)

In his first year, Evan gave me the wonderful experience of the "hospital stay in pediatrics" - TWO of them actually:
Stay #1 -
Age: 5 WEEKS old!
Duration: 4 days
Reason: A "mystery" virus that presented with symptoms eerily similar to meningitis. VERY fussy, with fever, then developed a rash on his "trunk"-chest/stomach/back, & back pain. Oh ya, that was NOT fun!
Endured: getting an IV, catheter (to test urine), LUMBAR punture (ya, that's a SPINAL TAP!) & 4 days of IV antibiotics while we waited for bacterial culture tests to come back. Nothing like a stay in pediatrics to make you VERY grateful for generally healthy children.
That first day in emergency was one of the worst days of my life as a Mom. (I'm actually tearing up now just thinking about it) It actually was more than I would have thought I could handle before becoming a mom. But somehow, when our babies need us, Moms can dig down to that special place of strength to be strong for them. That is what I learned from that experience. I am stronger than I thought I was...

Stay #2:
Age: 9 months
Duration: approx 39 hours... give or take
Reason: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
Endured: Being in isolation (all nurses & doctors were fully masked, gowned & gloved to enter our room), round the clock oxygen treatments (first every 2 - then every 4 hours) - medication is given through oxygen so it is breathed into the lungs. Ya... a 9 month old with a oxygen mask over their nose & mouth, blowing stinky air right in their face - every 2 hours...
Let's just say, I sang a LOT of "I Am A Child of God" in those hours - it was the only thing that would soothe him enough to stop screaming during a treatment.

Once again... I am stronger than I think I am.


Evan has taught me so many things. He is so sensitive. If I am too harsh with him, it pretty much sends him off the deep end. I have learned well the benefit of disciplining in softer tones.

He is my "bluff caller". You cannot threaten Evan with something you won't follow through on. He's sees through it in a second. It goes like this:

Mommy: "Evan, do you want to go to bed?"
Evan: "Um... yes."
Mommy: "Well, er (realizes it's 3pm & a nap now would REALLY mess up bedtime)... just don't hit your sister!"
Evan: "I want to go to bed."
Mommy then walks away & is followed by Evan...
Evan: "Mommy, I want to go to bed."

Oh ya... just like that! Can you feel the rage??? It would only be upon being placed on his bed & me walking away that he would suddenly change his mind & decide he didn't like this plan.

And so, I have learned to have integrity with my son - say what you mean & mean what you say.

My son is ALL boy - even being the middle between 2 sisters... he is over the moon about trains, tractors & automobiles... particularly race cars. He can hear the faintest of train whistles off on the horizon - and airplanes too high in the atmosphere to even glimpse... neither escapes the finely tuned ear of my son. But Mommy calling him to the dinner table when he's in the SAME ROOM?? Questionable... depends on what we're having :)

Evan decided he would wait for a LONG time to talk (like 2 1/2 years!!). I say he decided because it MUST have been a conscious choice... he was taking it all in... didn't want to "demean" himself with baby talk I suppose. He was quite content with signs either he or I created (My favorite was his sign for "pirate" - cover one eye with my hand & say "Arrrr" - came up with that one on his own!) or to let his older sister talk for him - which she was also happy to do... in fact, we are still trying to break her of that habit now that he IS speaking.

Once he decided to talk, it all came at ONCE - words - sentences even, colors, numbers, letters(phonics, too!)... left us dumbfounded!! You just can never tell what they're taking in if they won't repeat it. Evan was our giant SPONGE.

Evan is a sweetheart. He is our quickest to use his manners, even with his sisters. Yesterday, he knocked some of his ice cream out of his bowl & immediately blurted out, "Oh! Sorry!" to the ICE CREAM! lol In the spring, when Evan gashed his forehead & needed stitches, as he was being held down on the table to receive said stitches screamed repeatedly "No thank YOU, No thank YOU!!"... then when all was done & we were leaving the office, turned & said, "Thank you, Doctor."... much to our doctor's amazed amusement :)

I try on different occassions to take just one of my children with me to run errands - try to create a little one-on-one time... therefore, it will usually end with a treat of some kind. When it is Evan's turn to have Mommy to himself, he is VERY concerned that Averie get a treat too. So, he will very thoughtfully try to pick out something she will like.

I will sometimes offer him 2 of something just for fun (ie. a licorice for each hand) - he will promptly go give the 2nd one to Averie - without a second thought.

Evan has been an incredible addition to our family & I am SO grateful for all of the lessons I have learned from proudly holding the title of "Evan's Mommy".

I love you, Buddy!

Everything comes down to...

Warning!! This is a blog entry that only Moms can TRULY appreciate.
Those with a weak constitution when it comes to body functions, may wanna skip this one :)...

I'm starting to wonder if the pediatrician in ER is going to start knowing me by name.

This particular incident was one that sort of creeps up on you, as apposed to the "surprise" incidents that land you in the ER with your children.

It always amazes me when we have babies how much our lives suddenly become about body functions... namely poop & pee. Yup, I said it.

From the minute their born, we're counting them, charting them, watching color & consistency as a means of making sure everything is "functioning" the way it should be. Usually within the first few weeks any of the kinks are worked out & you fall into a fairly regular routine.

Well, in the last 48 hours Brynlea's diapers were suddenly "changing" from her usual yellowish green (she gets about 50/50 lactose-free formula & breastmilk - so that's normal) & getting gradually darker & more "tar-like" until this evening she had one that was EXACTLY like meconium (new baby's first poo) - now she's my 3rd baby & I could not recall ever having a 5 month old with meconium diapers in the past, so I did what I always do...

hit the internet! University of Google, I call it :)

The results I got on the internet talked of black diapers being caused by "partially digested blood" and could be a sign of internally bleeding. YIKES! Now I'm worried! So, I head to my next resource... the BC Nurses Hotline - or the "prevent the ER nurses from calling me an idiot" hotline... they confirmed what the internet said - that she should be seen right away & I should bring the last diaper with me.

So, after a quick Priesthood Blessing from Daddy, off we went to the BRAND NEW Abbotsford Hospital (which is wonderful by the way!) - they have a "pediatric" area in the ER where the curtains are funky colors & they have these like screen covers over the overhead lights so when you lay down on the bed & look up, you see this...

This is seriously the ceiling above Brynlea's bed! I took it with my cell phone camera. Pretty nice, eh?

Anyway, back to Brynlea... so we spent 3 hours in the ER. Brynlea got the once over & they ran a test on the "specimen" which came back negative for blood. They concluded it could've been something I ate, which passed through the breast milk (ie. blueberries- this is a very big possibility) - I never thought stuff like that passed through breast milk, though! Strange...

However, as stressful as being in the ER with your child can be, it was all I could do to hold in my giggles because THIS scene from Scrubs kept playing in my head...

Sunday Morning Trauma

We ALWAYS have busy Sunday mornings... I usually don't have my husband with me in the morning as his church responsibilities usually have him in meetings most weeks before church.

I was lucky enough (due to a slight misunderstanding about which meetings had been canceled) to have him with me today.

We decided to give the kids a quick bath so they would be squeaky clean for church. I had quickly bathed Brynlea & had her laying on the bathroom floor, as usual, to dry her off & get her dressed. Graham came to prepare the bath for Averie & Evan & stepped over Brynlea to turn the tap on when suddenly Brynlea let out an enormous scream!! Her hand was still wrapped in the towel & Graham had accidentally stepped on her tiny fingers!!

I quickly grabbed her up off the floor & when I first looked at her hand, I thought her fingers were bleeding! Turned out that they had already started bruising, especially between her fingers, & she had a blood blister on one of the pads of her fingers :(


I did a few quick checks to make sure nothing was broken & she stopped crying within a minute or so.

Unfortunately, I don't think my husband's recovery will be as quick. I am writing this some 13 hours later & he is still devastated!

I don't know who to be more sad for - Brynlea or Daddy!! :(

The Ordeal for New Toys...

Okay, brace yourselves... this is gonna be a long one...

It really begins a few weeks ago when I was perusing Ebay, as I often do, to drool over portrait studio equipment I have really LONGED for... for some time now. When Graham & I got married, our primary financial goal was to get him through school... that has been accomplished. Now it is supposed to be MY turn. I don't think the money got the memo... :)

I haven't had a lot of demand for "studio style" portraits as people usually hire a "photographer" to GO somewhere & get some more unique pictures (for weddings & family portraits), otherwise you could go to Walmart or Superstore for their $9.99 deal of the month (not that I think my portraits are equivalent - WAAAY better :) - but it's hard to compete with a price point like that).
However, in recent months I was asked to venture into a new portrait realm... maternity.

I've only done TWO sessions, but the bookings & inquiries from those 2 sessions are amazing. I think it's because it's not the kind of thing you go to Sears for & most photographers charge a small FORTUNE.

I also have seen a huge increase in the demand for my Newborn Portraits...

If you knew what I used as equipment to get those pictures, then you'd REALLY think I was talented!! Let's just say, it borders on "white trash" to be going to a shoot & using your duvet cover as a backdrop! LOL

So, now we've been trying to figure out the timing for making the rather large purchase that acquiring this "proper" equipment can be. But my pride is such that I was going to have to start turning down jobs for strangers that were being referred to me, if we didn't get it.

Tangent finished... now back to Ebay...
So, I'm drooling away over a couple of lots on Ebay which include (I'm just gonna use technical terms here, if anyone wants more clarification - message me) 2 continuous light double flashes with umbrellas & stands (& heavy duty carry bag) & a 10' x 10' backdrop stand with 2 - 10' x 20' foot backdrops (& heavy duty carry bag) - the prices are pretty decent but as you can imagine, the shipping is pretty brutal (not exactly small, light objects)...

when suddenly *GASP*... Does that say "shipping from Vancouver, BC"?!?!

...A few emails back & forth later & we had come to a VERY reasonable price for BOTH items & I could drive out there (it's actually in Richmond) to get it (NO shipping) & they would even let me look at it before I bought it! WOO HOO!!

Therefore, today's plan was as follows...
A) Get up, get everybody ready, load all 3 kids in the car & leave house by 9:15am - quick stop at bank machine for the cash & head out to Richmond for 10:30am meeting time at warehouse to get "new toys".

B) After seeing & hopefully purchasing equipment, make a stop at my mother-in-law's (AKA - Nannie) work to say Hi - cause we would be nearby & I'm just a GREAT daughter-in-law ;)

C) Head home & hopefully be there in time for a late lunch...

A little ambitious?? Perhaps, but I've done worse than that in a day before... heck, I've traveled to my mom's in Olympia, WA (about 3 hours away) by myself with the 3 kids a couple times before, so what's a piddly little 50 minute trip to Richmond??

*************

Problem #1: We sleep in. Do not ask me WHY but when there is something to be done in the morning, before I go to bed, the conversation I have with myself (in my head - I'm not totally nuts) before I jump into bed goes something like this:
"Should I set the alarm?"
"Naaa, the kids have only slept past 8am like 6 times in their LIVES."
"Ya, besides I don't really know how to set the alarm anyway" - Graham is still out of town remember...

So I am of course SHOCKED to wake up this morning & roll over to see it is 8:50am!! So, the rush is on to get everybody dressed & out the door - Forget breakfast! We'll hit Tim Hortons drive thru on the way!

So we back out of the driveway at about 9:38am - not too shabby! We turn out of our complex & get to the first intersection light when I realize...

Problem #2: I left my bank card in my other jeans which are in the hamper in my bedroom! So, I drive around the city block back home, park in front of our place & run in to get it... on the way out I grab the stroller which I realize hadn't been reloaded in the van yet. On the road again by 9:45am... alright we might be a couple minutes late, but still ok...

Problem #3: We arrive at the drive thru (have I mentioned how much I LOVE drive thrus??) bank machine, only to be told by same machine that I have exceeded my daily limit for withdrawals with this request... daily limit?! Hubba WAAA? GREAT! Now, I have to turn around & drive halfway BACK through town & go INSIDE my bank with THREE children to get the money... I probably should have just packed it in then... Have I mentioned how MUCH I wanted this stuff???
At the bank, the kids were fine, but I was the NEXT person in line & watched THREE staff close their wicket (I think that's what it's called?) right after helping their current customer... must've been break time - GRRRRR- until FINALLY I get some service & my money... back on the road...

Problem #4: We arrive at Tim Hortons drive thru & find out the only flavor of filled Timbits they have is... lemon. This is devastating information for my children, who whine for a few seconds, then settle on chocolate glazed instead. Why do they even MAKE lemon filled donuts??? Gross!

Finally, we are on the road & manage to ACTUALLY leave Abbotsford!! Uh oh... it's already 10:10am... DEFINITELY going to be late... oh well, she'll be making a sale - it'll be worth it for her... hopefully...

The drive goes relatively smoothly, aside from continuously squelching the road rage that comes on when you know your going to be late for something - I mean, COME ON! Doesn't that stupid cement truck driver KNOW I'm late!?!
Until...

Problem #5: We are about 10 minutes away from our destination when I hear "Blearcgh... SPLAT" from the back seat. OH MAN!! Averie got car sick!!!! She has had issues with this in the past (like when she was around 2 years old!) but has not had an incident in like a year and a half... somebody up there is hating me today!! - Oh & for the faint of heart, let me remind you that the only thing she has eaten this morning is... that's right - CHOCOLATE glazed donuts!!

So I tell her to hang on for another minute until we get to Lansdowne Mall. I pull in by Zellers, get her out & clean her up as best I can (we always keep a roll of paper towel & a large container of baby wipes in the van - thank GOODNESS!), get the stroller & everybody else out & head in for a change of clothes... it is 11:15am!!!

Problem #6: Evan is 2, well almost 3 but he can be a REAL challenge in certain situations. Heading into a department store after an hour & a half stuck in his car seat & without a cart to contain him is DEFINITELY one of those situations. Lets just say he barely made it out of Zellers alive!!

And we had to make a potty stop, change Averie's clothes... back on the road again... it's 12 noon. Eeeep. Well, we came all this way... I am going to meet with SOMEBODY & get my stuff!

Problem #7: I got lost. Not really lost but that SUPER annoying kind of lost, where you KNOW you're in the right place... all the numbers say it should be here, but its NOT here. Now I know what you're thinking... ripped off by Ebay person - fake address, but I haven't PAID for this stuff yet! Makes no sense!
I finally think I find it after about 15 minutes of driving up & down the same small patch of road a dozen times or so. Get the kids out, we all walk into this sort of office building...

Problem #8: I don't speak Chinese. Or Japanese. Or any of the other languages that might have made someone willing to answer my questions about the place I'm looking for. I finally walk up to a woman who is standing near a desk & reading the paper.

"Excuse me... could you tell me where GL Distributing is??" Nothing. Literally, you would have thought she was deaf. Didn't look up, in my direction... nothing. I'm a little dumbfounded & not sure what to do when she looks up.
"Oh! Were you talking to me?!"
"Um..." I look around the lobby that is completely empty except for me, my children & her.
"Yaaaaa...."
"Sorry, I thought you were talking on a phone."

Okay, I guess I can understand that - at least I don't have to punch you now.

So she tells me I am in the wrong building, but just one door down - we are FINALLY there!!!

It is 12:45pm. Oh ya. It was THAT kind of morning...

The girl I was supposed to meet is gone, but another person shows me everything & it's great so I BOUGHT IT!!! YIPPEE!!!

We stop in for a visit with Nannie just as Brynlea completely LOSES it! Poor thing was SO sick of her car seat :( So she gets a little break, a bum change & a bottle while we visit with Nannie for a bit. Everybody at her work loves & fawns over the kids so they get a bunch of attention & then we head home.

Of course, the drive home is completely uneventful (besides a stop in Aldergrove for gas & slurpees) & we get home around 3pm.

I unload the car, IMMEDIATELY set up my equipment *giddy giggle* - and took these pictures...


Needless to say, I am excited about the possibilities... and dare I say, it was worth it???

Enjoy the Silence

Aaaaahhh.....
The kids are in bed FINALLY & I get to enjoy that most melodious of sounds to my ears.... nothing.

Don't get me wrong, I am quite the connoisseur of music & enjoy many different kinds for different reasons. It has a definite therapeutic nature in it's own right....

Many evenings, my hubby will get confused by my sitting silently in the rocking chair & ask if I want him to turn the TV on, or pick out a movie for us to watch... I do enjoy those things, too - especially with a cuddle on the couch...

"No"... I hesitate... "Just a few more minutes of quiet first"...

After a long day, when my children are all finally settled like little angels on their pillows... nothing compares to sweet nothingness :)

It is one of the MANY reasons I am SO excited for our Temple that is being built in Langley. There is such peace at the Temple... such beautiful silence. It is rejuvenating to the soul in a completely different way than even peaceful, or meditative music can be.

I can hardly wait for the day when it's been a rough one & my hubby walks in the door after work & I can say, "See you in a couple hours, I'm going to the Temple." wow.

I grew up in a relatively large family (I have 4 siblings) & until I lived by myself, never really had an appreciation for silence. In fact, it scared me a little. I guess we always appreciate that which we lack most.

Aaaaaaahh.... I'm going to stop typing now... too noisy :)

Mom's Losin' it!!

My children are bored... I'm bored.... Daddy's out of town, the weather has taken a turn for the worse & the pent-up energy is starting to rear it's ugly head...

When my children get bored, especially my son, they tend to get physical. Basically, a wrestling ring erupts out of the floor in my living room...


Some of Evan's classic "take downs"



Now normally I don't mind this sort of thing, except that it almost always ends up with one or both of them crying. A poked eye... 2 bonked heads... quite frequently accidental, but Averie does have a tendency to tire of it faster than Evan & this can cause conflict as well...

I, in an attempt to keep my own bored brain occupied, am attempting to complete some much needed photo-editing for my photography business - but quickly remembering why I usually do this while Graham is home and/or my children are in bed.

Patience is running thin... it could be a LOOOOOONG 2 days....

Serenity now.... serenity now... :)

Comments Anyone??

K, you know who you are....

I know people are reading this, because when I run into people, I am getting comments about it in person, but no one is leaving any comments on here!! I need some feedback people!

If you're snoopin in on my life, let me know what you think!

Otherwise, you're just being sort of voyeuristic... kinda creepy actually...

JUST KIDDING!! :)

... about the creepy part... not the leaving comments part... :)

The Anticipation

It's day 1 - the first day of 3 that I will have to endure without my hubby, Graham.

In our church, he holds the volunteer responsibility of Young Men's President (similar to a youth pastor) - over the youth program for boys aged 12-18. Our church's youth program employs the Scouts program coupled with our faith developing program called Duty to God in order to help the boys develop into well-rounded, great men. I have a great love & testimony of these programs working together to change lives & help boys become incredible men.

It is because of this testimony that I am willing to (though with some trepidation) be left with my children a few times a year while Graham goes on various youth retreats & camps, to support these youth - be a role model for them, build relationships with them & give them character building experiences.

I often think that the anticipation of my husband leaving is worse than him actually leaving. What I imagine happening in his absence is often much worse than how it actually goes. I like to believe Heavenly Father is blessing us for our sacrifice & therefore, my children do actually behave quite well while he's gone.

This week he is in Manning Park on a youth retreat... which means he doesn't have cell phone reception. It is also the summer & my husband is a teacher... which means all of us (especially my kids) have gotten very accustomed to having him around.

I often don't realize how much I truly ENJOY being with Graham. He is my absolute favorite person in the world. He entertains me so much with his funny ways. When he isn't here I really do feel the difference. Quite frankly, I get bored. I love my children SO much, but of all the people I have called "family" in my lifetime, Graham is the only one I chose. Because I'm not frequently given the opportunity to do so, it always surprises me how MUCH I miss him when he's gone.

So, the anticipation of his leaving usually makes me somewhat nervous, but now I get to anticipate his return :) Absence doesn't necessarily make the heart grow fonder, but it definitely gives me a good reminder of what a great man I married & how much he contributes to our home.

In younger days...

Daddy's Girl

I feel like Brynlea is getting the shaft when it comes to my blog these days. We are so busy in the summer that she spends most of her time in her carseat! (Whether it is in the van, or the stroller)...

But she is growing like a weed (almost up to 14lbs) and will be 5mths on the 20th. Even at her young age, she is quickly developing a real affinity for her Daddy (can't say that I blame her! :))

She definitely gives him the lion's share of smiles & gets very excited when he is talking to her. She follows him around the room with her eyes when he's around & like our other children, I have no doubt that her first word will be "Da-da".

He has a variety of nick names for her, including "Bryn-bryns" & "Brynigers" but it doesn't seem to matter to her what he calls her - so far...

Here's some Daddy-Daughter time I caught in pictures:

Party Time!

For the last 3 years , we have had a joint birthday party for both our children at Cultus Lake. I do really offer to do other things, but it's always what they WANT to do...

A BEACH PARTY!

Last year we had a hiatus on account of weather, but we more than made up for it this year!! It was an AMAZING day! So hot you either had to be at the lake or in air conditioning! :)

I, however, committed the cardinal sin "trifecta" of being mother, blogger AND PHOTOGRAPHER... and got so frazzled & swept up in hostessing the party events I took almost NO pictures!

My hubby was manning the video camera, so we have video but I took almost NO stills! I was SOOO mad at myself when I got home! I have decided from now on to "assign" someone else to do photography when I am playing hostess... it's a multi-task I just can't handle...

So, we had some great friends up to the lake to have a few games, break a couple pinatas (one for Evan's littler friends & one for Averie's bigger friends), have some cupcakes & enjoy some swimming & fun in the sun!

The invites - beautifully hand-crafted by my very talented friend, Marcy B. (Thank you, Marcy!)

The only 2 pictures I got of my kids... both before party friends arrived :)

The best I can do for the rest, is this video clip of my kids getting freaked out by sparklers & having "Happy Birthday" sung to them... watch Averie run away from, & both my kids attempt to blow out, the sparklers! Too funny!!
Please note the homemade cupcakes - topped by beach party themed tinted chocolates - lovingly molded by ME!! I AM a good mom, I swear...

Dinotown!

We traveled out to Bridal Falls today to visit Dinotown. I hadn't been there in... oh... twenty years or so but thought the kids might get a kick out of it.

Because of how long it has been, I'm not sure if my memory of it (seeing as I was probably under 10 years old) is distorted from a child's perspective (I remember it being AWESOME), or if the park has, well... been really "mis-managed" is the most diplomatic way of saying it, I suppose...

"Gone down the toilet" - was more what I was thinking.

I believe my children had fun in the TWO hours it took us to do EVERYTHING interesting there was to do at the park, (not hardly worth the admission) but I was sufficiently "underwhelmed" by the whole thing.

Let me give you a run down so you can decide if you would actually want to spend your money there:

First, I remember bumper cars very fondly...


Averie's face pretty much says it all... there were only THREE cars in working order... not a whole lot of "bumping" going on. No staff on hand - you just got in one & left when you got tired of it (for my kids that was about 3 minutes). Pretty disappointing...

Then there was the pedal cars... when I was a child, they were great! Flintstone themed - like a cartoon you could sit in :) Something like this...


Two people could sit side-by-side in them (each had a set of pedals) & you went around a track... loads of fun!
The pedal cars today???

...uh... yaaaaa.... that's basically a 4 wheeled bicycle that I drove with Evan on my knee (while pedaling)... and has a HAND brake... lame, to say the least.

There's a train ride which is pretty much how I remembered it & Evan LOVED...


A little playground with a dinosaur slide...

the rest of the playground is sun-faded Little Tikes play structures... small ones.

A show with Dinotown characters...

My little "monsters" hammed it up on stage before the show started :)

The show itself, left much to be desired. It ALMOST kept my kids' attention, but I think one of the characters was covering for the usual guy & had NO idea what he was doing. Half the time he was being led around by the arm by one of the other characters!!

And, the dinosaur statues are pretty much the same as I remembered:


There is a waterpark, which for us was less than fun, since even though there were large signs stating "ADULT SUPERVISION IS MANDATORY" - of course, the worse behaved children had no one supervising them & I literally had to pull my children out of there for their safety (Pushing & shoving on wet pavement has repercussions I wasn't willing to accept).

There's also paddle boats which were fairly fun (no picture since paddling & holding my 4 month old was as coordinated as it gets for me! lol)

For the most part, the staff were either rude, or looked like they were so bored, they bordered on catatonic.

All in all... if we hadn't taken advantage of a reduced admission rate, I would have been VERY upset. Feel free to experience it yourself, but we won't be going back.

We spent time together as a family which is always enjoyable, but would have had the same amount of fun (or more!) at a free neighborhood playground.

It actually made me quite sad since it is a childhood memory that I wanted to share with my children & poor/CHEAP management has really ruined it. It has not been adequately maintained & you just get this feeling of overall "junkiness" because of it.

Too bad... it is NOT what it once was.

Uniform Fashion Show

In just a few short weeks, Averie will begin her "official" education :)
She will be attending a school that requires uniforms so we have been doing some shopping in recent weeks (Thank you, Nannie & Grandpa for your contribution!)

Here are some of the resulting options she will have in the fall...

White polo shirt with navy pants (the shoes she's wearing in all of these pictures will be her "indoor shoes")
Not sure what's up with the "leg pose" here - she insisted it was what she wanted to do in the picture... :)



White polo shirt with navy shorts


Navy "jumper" with white blouse (& white knee socks)


Mommy's favorite :)
White blouse with blackwatch plaid kilt & knee socks (That's a REAL wool kilt by the way)
SOOOOO cute!

We managed to find her a pair of navy "spanx" or spandex shorts that she will be able to wear under skirts & dresses to be "playground friendly". If I told you how we got this kilt, you wouldn't even believe me... suffice it to say, it came in a bag of hand-me-downs we got from a stranger about 2-3 years ago. Just so happens, it is the same pattern/style as her uniform allows. Crazy!!

She was SOOOO excited to try these on & was rather disappointed when it was time to put her PJs on.

Let's see how she feels about them when she's 15 :)

Days like today...

Happy Birthday, Averie!! Yay! I am SO excited for my little girl. This is the first year she has REALLY "gotten" the concept of "birthday" - and has been on pins & needles waiting to be 5. She is ecstatic to go to kindergarten & I am excited for her... really!... I am...

Days like today are strange for me. I'm not sad... sad is not the right word. I have LOVED getting to know my sweet girl these past five years & I love each stage more than the next. I loved her as a baby, but I love her more now... so I don't wish she was still a baby... but...

My mind has been flooded all day with memories... my pregnancy with her, labor (my ONLY labor, I might add :)) & delivery, adjusting to motherhood, all her "firsts" - smiles, giggles, food, teeth, illnesses, owies...

Because she's my first, she has taught me a lot about myself, too. How to trust my instincts - my "mom gut" I like to call it, how to be the mom I really want to be...

On days like today I feel emotional. Like tears are always close to the surface, but it's not because I'm sad... I feel a little fearful I think... I have this feeling like I'm running to catch up with time & all life's distractions are making me lag behind. It's so hard to be living "in the moment" when I'm lagging behind...

Days like today make me feel a little frustrated. I wish I was able to spend all day everyday playing, making memories with, being happy with & ENJOYING my children... what could possibly be more important, right? Yet there are so many distractions... house keeping, earning money, tiredness... none of which really matter in the long run. I know eventually my house will be easier to maintain & I'll get full nights sleep most nights... but it's so easy to lose that time.

On days like today I feel the briefness of it all. I can close my eyes & be transported back in time 5 years, like it was yesterday - and here she is... a big girl... ready to make her own friends & begin her own life...
It feels like I blinked my eyes & here we are...

On days like today, I fear I'm missing it. Too distracted & not enjoying her enough. Not taking the time to be in HER world enough. I need to get on the floor more. Color more, play Barbies more, play on the playground more...

On days like today, I fear regret. I fear looking back when my children are grown & regretting that I didn't take the time to enjoy it.

Today is the time. My babies are growing... & I don't want to miss a MINUTE of it!

On days like today, I am excited for the future! For the young woman my daughter will become & for all the fun we will have together.

On days like to today, I am grateful for the reminder that time passes quickly & we have to fight the distractions &... JUST BREATHE... take it all in and enjoy every minute of it!

I know I have so far...

Splash on Down!

As I am here recovering from what feels like an ever-so-slight overdose of sun, I just have to make a note about what a FUN family day we had today.
Ever since Nannie & Grandpa (Graham's parents) made the big move across the water (from Richmond to Ladner) & happened to let it slip that near there new house is BIG waterslides... Averie & Evan have been DYING to check it out! Averie literally brings it up just about every time we go to their house... well, today was THE day...

To celebrate Grandpa's upcoming birthday, the Forchuk's all met at Splashdown Park & had a MOST excellent time!

It started off a little cool in the morning; especially in the shade... so the kids would usually have a "dunk" in the hot tub between slides to warm up...

Averie & Grandpa on one of their many trips to the hot tub


Averie & Evan warmin' up


Brynlea bundled up to stay warm

But it did get warmer, in fact quite a few of us got a little sunburned (not the kids though). The kids were SO brave & attempted pretty much all the slides they were allowed to. Evan had to warm up a bit to the whole idea & his first few slides, we were sure by his expression as he came down that he would be crying at the bottom, but he would immediately say, "I wanna go aGAIN!".


Here is Grandpa, Averie & Evan going down the "Ramp Slide" - Daddy's at the bottom to catch Evan. If you can't make out Evan's face... here's a close-up...

HAHAHA! It was too funny!!

Averie was quite disappointed that she wasn't able to ride the "Black Hole" tube ride because she's not tall enough yet - ya, I rode it (twice) with Graham; it's a "double" tube ride (one tube-2 holes) & she would have been AIRBORNE for sure! :)

You know you've had a good day when you are as exhausted at the end of it as I am right now *YAWN* So... enough witty commentary... now just pictures for your viewing pleasure :





pretty itty bitties :)
What can I say? Mommy got a pedicure... Averie decided she needed her toes painted... and we COULDN'T leave out the teensy, weensy, cutesy, wittle... ahem... aren't they CUTE?!


Cutie patootie nephew John & his chipmunk cheeks (he can also make a sound remarkably like a chipmunk!)


Nannie & Brynlea - thanks for "baby wrangling", Nannie!