Writing on Stone

It's a tradition. We go to Writing on Stone every single year with our good friends the Allred's and Rasmussen's. We've been going since there was just one baby in our family (and another very close to arriving) see: 2009 2010 2011 & 2012 happened but didn't get blogged (oops). And now we have three babies and it's still just as crazy and fun!

Some of our favourite things to do in Writing on Stone are:

Hair

Watch Movies by the campfire

More hair

Hike the Hoodoo's

Attempt sibling pictures

And sass Mom...just a little...with dirty faces...full of chocolate that 'disappeared'

Anyway, I hope this tradition never ends. It's always a fun way to kick off the camping season, the company is always great, and it's just plain old fun to have traditions!

Just thinking a little bit about dads

You know...it's pretty normal to think about fathers when it's only the day after fathers day. But today I was laying on my bed cuddling with Paige. She's by far my cuddliest baby (who will be 4 in just over a week - by the way). Anyway, I was just thinking about how she's such a sweet well adjusted child...and then I thought about Hailey and how she's just so awesome all the time. And even Cait...who sometimes can be so cranky and hard to get along with (and rightfully so with all her kidney infections), but for the most part she's so fun and silly and lovable. And I just thought how BLESSED I am. I honestly have the best family...and it extends beyond my husband and our three girls, we have the BEST extended family too.

And then I go thinking some more (we cuddled for a long time), and my thoughts turned to Ben and how he's just such a good Father. I feel like so much of the confidence and ease my girls live their life with is because of their sweet and loving father. I'm the soft spot for them to fall (literally haha) - the place where they know their tears will be wiped and their scrapes will be kissed and where they can sit and cuddle for as long as they want. That's my role, and Ben's is that fun, bouncy place they LOVE to be - it's the place where they'll be tickled until they they can't breathe, where they can have pillow fights for hours, and where they'll get teased and joked with but in such a loving way that they learn how to take life a little less seriously and let things just roll off their back. He's just so good at what he does! So good at it. Ben's this quiet reserved guy, he's got a LOT of responsibilities and he never forgets any. Not a lot of people get to really know this guy...and I'm one of the lucky few. My girls are part of that lucky group too. They get to see him when he's silly, when he's serious, when he's quiet, when he's loud. They get to see it all...and most importantly they get to experience that LOVE he's got for them...and boy does he love his girls. Like I said, he's just so good at what he does! He's the type of Dad that teaches his daughters to be tough and independent, stresses the importance of reading and learning, compliments them on their stunning beauty, doesn't let them get away with being brats or mean to others, who will play and play and play with them, and who makes up long detailed stories and dreams before they fall asleep at night. He takes his parenting roles pretty seriously, and they girls know it. They know they can count on their dad to be everything they want and need, and then some!

So then I thought some more and realized that Ben learned a LOT about being this kind of father from his own Dad David. In my short time knowing Ben's Dad I've learned that he's the type of father who takes time to spend with each of his kids - but never makes a big show about it. It's this quiet, simple kind of love. The kind that makes you feel so safe! He skypes with his Daughters who live farther away...and he especially makes sure to talk to those grandchildren of his. I think he's more of the sweet, quiet type like Ben. Ben has really fond memories of farming with him as a child...of sitting on his lap in the combine for hours and hours and hours and just feeling like he was in the best place ever - his fathers arms. David is the kind of father who taught his son everything he knows...which is a LOT. I can thank him for all those handy skills Ben has...and for every thing that gets fixed in our home without a thought. Ben learned that from his Dad. I also see that sense of adventure that Ben has in his Dad. But most important to me is the kind of Grandpa he is to my Daughters. I'm not sure if there is a person that Paige loves more than her Grandpa at the farm (her Grandpa on a mission is in the running that's for sure). But on any given weekend we can ask the girls what they want to do for the day and they will always say "go to the farm". One of the biggest draws to the farm is that Grandpa is always there...and so is his Gator. He will take those girls of mine on ride after ride after ride. He'll let them tag along while he checks on calf's or feeds the cows. He just let's them go anywhere with him and I know there's no place they'd rather be then beside him, safe in his company. He's the kind of Grandpa who will hold the tiny hand of my one year old as she walks across the Barn yard letting her take all the time she needs. He'll even carry her soother in his other hand and keep it safe for later. He's the type of grandfather that always has a knee that's ready for a grandchild to sit and they're always welcome there! One of my favourite things about Ben's dad is that he took the time to talk to Ben and make sure that Ben proposed to me. He was pretty sure his son needed a bit of a nudge, and he made sure Ben did the right thing. And Ben did..eventually. I'm just so grateful for all that David is and for all that he's done for Ben and for us. I couldn't ask for a better Father in law and Grandfather to my children!

And then of course there's my dad! What can I even say about him? He's just perfect! He's so gentle and kind and loving and fair! He worked soooo hard my whole life to give us the kind of life he felt we deserved. He never complained about anything but just made sure he did what it took for provide for us. He wasn't the type of Dad that got you in trouble or ever made you feel bad...and because of that I was the kind of kid that didn't do things to get in trouble. You just don't ever want to let someone down who has so much faith in you! There was NEVER a day in my life that I didn't know my Dad was proud of my and loved me. He has always been very vocal with his love and admiration. I KNOW my Dad loves me and that he respects me and thinks I'm great! No doubt about that. He is the type of Dad that tells you he loves you at the end of every phone call (even when  you're 16 and at a friends house). He's the type of Dad who drove me to seminary every single day and sat and waited in the car in the parking lot (in minus 20 weather) until I was done, and then drove me to school. He is the type of Dad that loved my Mom so much (and is not afraid to show it) that I knew I needed to marry someone like him. And I did. He's the type of person that no one (and I literally mean no one) could say a negative thing about him. He's just that good. And of course he's the type of grandpa that my girls adore. He will have tea parties with them and even let them use real food and water. He'll play dolls, and Barbies and Strawberry shortcake and puzzles and so on! He just gets down there and plays with those girls of mine. He'll also play the same song on the piano over and over and over again just to watch my girls dance and spin and twirl. He'll always bring up an extra Carton of juice for my girls at dinner time even though they usually just drink water...and he'll fill their glasses over and over again (my kids are easy the please). But then, he'll sneak them treats from Grandmas hiding spots and the girls just think they are so special because of it. He's just such a great Grandpa! But there's more to him. He's the kind of guy that wants to serve others...and will always find a way. Church callings are always important to my dad. And if he's asked to serve in anyway, he'll give it his all! Serving a mission for my mom and Dad has always been a dream...and although we miss them we're know how lucky the people of Joliette are to have them there. And even though this post is about Fathers, so much of my dad is also my mom. Because he just loves her so much and they do everything together. I feel like their relationship and they love my dad has for my mom has set the standard pretty high. My Dad is the reason I married a guy like Ben, someone who is so kind and considerate and loving. And I know that Ben being such a great guy has a lot to do with how great his Dad is. And then it all comes down to this...I've got some great Fathers in my life! I certainly could not ask for more!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and all my brothers and Brother in laws (some of who will be great Dad's one day), to my Father in Law, my Dad and to Ben! I sure LOVE you all!

My Girls

I get together with a few girls once a month to chat and eat yummy food and we call it 'photoclub'. Which really...it is. We always have some sort of theme to follow that month and then the day of photoclub we all remember we have an obligation and quickly go and snap a few pictures in that general theme. And then of course we race trying to get the pictures printed in less than an hour so we send them to both Walmart and Costco to see who's fastest...and it turns out they're equally as fast. Which then means we have two sets of the same picture to share that night - YAY! and by 'we' I mean 'ME'. I do all that! I'm terrible at remembering to TAKE pictures for photoclub!! But I always pull through...except for the time I printed them and then forgot them at HOME!!

But this month we decided to do a little Mother's Day photoshoot in lieu of  our monthly food/chat fest a.k.a photoclub. We all got together at Tanya's lake and took pictures of each other with our kids. I've never looked better! These girls KNOW my best angles!! I also kind of LOVE the pictures because they are of me and my beautiful daughters - I really have the best life. I will honestly treasure them forever and ever!!

Let's go fly a kite!

It's been a little bit windy here lately. Not even really comparable to Southern Alberta...and clearly nothing that keeps us indoors or that has ruined days. BUT it's been windy enough on and off that the girls have been begging us to take them out to fly kites! Now, in my home (with a husband who works too much) most things fall under the "mom" category, but kite flying is one of those rare activities that is clearly 100% "dad" territory! So one day Ben rounded up the girls, pulled out the kites and took the girls down the block to the green space to fill their kite flying fix! They LOVED it! Every single little second. It was even cold and little bit windy and they still LOVED it!

Dance

So my little girls have been trying out all sorts of hobbies this year...well ok, just Gymnastics and dance. We're trying to expose them to a few different things before we let them focus...if they want to. So the verdict is in, and they seem to have enjoyed gymnastics more than dance. BUT I'm going to try them in a different dance program next year to see what they think.

Anyway, their year end recital was a few weeks ago and my oh my were they adorable! Hailey LOVED every second of it. She was ALL about the makeup and the outfit and memorizing and practicing her moves. She wanted me to take a million pictures of her in all sorts of interesting poses that were beautiful in her 5 1/2 year old mind! And they were in my mind too because I just think she's beautiful! She was so dedicated to her moves during the recital and full of concentration! Definitely made me proud!

And then Paige...she took this dance thing on like she does everything in life: 100% or not at all. You just never knew what you were going to get. At the dress rehearsal she just laid on the stage (on her back) and spun in circles while they rest of her class danced around her. So I KNEW we were going to be in for quite a show on the day of. And she didn't disappoint! At the recital we were happy to see her trying so hard and performing her dance EXACTLY how she was supposed to! And then the best was at the end when they teacher was handing out the year end certificates she just stood there...and then shimmied her tutu up her body, over her shoulders and around her neck. And she continued to just stand there. The teacher called her name, and she stood still. She called again, and Paige stood still. Then her teacher said "Is Paige here?" and Paige piped up "Yep I am!! Right here" And she still stood still. Then the teacher asked her to come over to her to collect her certificate and FINALLY Paige decided to move...after she put her tutu back where it belonged of course. It was sooooo cute and had the entire audience giggling in their seats! And in sweet Paigey fashion, she had know idea that anything had happened. Oh she adorable!

It was a great experience and I'm excited to see how they like dance this year! I just LOVE being a mom of girls!!

Easter

I'm a sucker for traditions and for family! Friends are great and I have some really great loyal and fun friends. BUT family it where it's at! I just LOVE my family and I especially love having everyone so close. Well...of course my parents aren't close by right now, but we still love them all the way in Montreal! One of my favourite traditions is Easter  Every year the Easter bunny sends us a letter...long and detailed of course...with a breakdown of who is hunting for which eggs. There are 12 grandkids and that means over 12 groups of different styled/coloured eggs. Once the letter is read the hunt is ON! The kids run out and search...and that genius Easter bunny hides them according to age (hardest to find for the older kids, and easiest to find for the little ones). It's all sorts of fun chaos! And I LOVE every second!

Cait's Birthday

My blogging is really lacking lately....I'm just feeling so caught up in my everyday life that I'm having a hard time focusing anytime to recording it. So, here I am over a month behind and finally posting about Cait's  Birthday!

Timing was perfect for Cait's Birthday this year. All Ben's family happened to be in town so we had a little get together for her Birthday with a little Easter celebration on the side. It was great. We did a HUGE birthday for Hailey when she turned one, and then didn't do much of anything for Paige. Classic middle child. In our defense we had just put an offer in on a house, left for Holidays out of the country, and sometime while we were gone we had to officially buy the HOUSE! The house we'd only seen once...just three days before. And then we happened to move into that house less than two weeks later! It was a crazy busy few weeks and Paige's Birthday fell right in the middle of it. But we still had a cake, and family and a little party where we got to watch her one year video. A family tradition. So she certainly was not forgotten! And it most definitely loved.

Anyway...back to Cait. So we had fun opening presents...all the little girls in the family LOVED every single second of it! If they could open presents everyday of their lives I'm sure life would be complete. In fact...I should try that once in while...just re-wrap their toys. Genius! So Cait got spoiled! Of course...it's hard to NOT spoil that baby girl!

Then we sat her down for cake. It took her a few minutes to warm up to the idea, but by the end she had us in tears! We were laughing so hard. She just gave the cake eating business her ALL! Two hands on the highchair tray...and face buried into that lovely cake! It was the perfect Birthday and we look forward to many many more with our sweet and silly baby Cait!

Cait

There's this picture of me and Cait that Rebecca took of us back in the fall when we were doing our family pictures. It hangs on the wall just outside Cait's room. I chose this picture and this spot for a reason. It gives me peace. I can see it from the rocking chair in her room, so each time I rock, cuddle, or feed her I see that pictures and instantly feel comfort. The reason I feel peace when I see this picture is strange though. That day, the day we took pictures, I was exhausted. Exhausted to the point that I literally could not hold my eyes open as the photoshoot came to an end. More pictures had my eyes shut than should have been the case. WHY? Well, the night before our family pictures I was literally up all night with a crying baby. This was normal for us...and not normal at the same.

I'm a strong advocate of sleep training. My first two babies were generally sleeping 12 hours by the time they were 4 months old - and we worked hard to get there. At 6 months it certainly wasn't an issue in the slightest! But with Cait, no amount of sleep training has worked. She either sleeps through the night...or she doesn't. Letting her cry it out doesn't work, rocking her to sleep doesn't work, bottles don't work either. She chooses when, where and how to sleep. And we CAN NOT figure it out. Part of it, actually most of it, is because we know she's in pain most of the time. Kidney infections do that to you. So we cater to her...and that's ok. but sleep, and peace and happiness are sometimes not the easiest thing to come by around here.

ANYWAY, this picture gives me peace because when I look at it, I see an exhausted mom who is tired of being a mom. There's a weary smile on my face...one that I feel is on the verge of tears. It's the face of someone who really needed help and wasn't sure how to ask for it. And so now when I look at that picture and it's been an equally as rough day, I am comforted because I know I've been there before and survived. I've felt that exhaustion...and made it through. And then on the great days (there are lots of those too) I see how far we've come from the exhaustion that day (and many more since) brought us! I celebrate that great day we've had and how awesome it feels to be a mom to this special little girl!

Anyway...Cait just turned one last week. And I've spent a LOT of time reminiscing on this last year and thinking of all the sleepless nights, the hospital visits, the surgeries, the kidney infections, the specialists appointments etc. And then I remember that those tough moments - although many - aren't the strongest memories...they definitely do not define this last year. What I love to remember is her infectious laugh, how she rolled over so young and never stopped moving, how she loved the swing and spent a lot of time in it, how she makes the cutest most perfect baby sounds and just chats with herself all day long, how she'll do anything for a laugh from us, how she started taking good solid steps at 9 months and then full on walked less than a month later, how she will eat anything I feed her, how she LOVES Hailey more than anyone, how she squeals with excitement when Ben comes home from work, how she lets Paige hold her and feed her bottles, how she sometimes just wants me...and will cuddle forever as long as she gets to be in my arms, how she loves to carry a purse and a baby around all day long, and...

just how plain old ADORABLE she is.

We  love her so much and are so grateful to have Cait in our family. In this short year she's taught us all patience, kindness, sympathy, empathy, and most importantly how to love no matter what!

Happy Birthday Cait! We love you!

Cait's One year video

It's a tradition in our family to make a "one year" video for our girls. Besides being a compilation of our favourite pictures from their first year, it's also where we introduce them to "their song". We spend a LOT of time listening to music and finding the song that perfectly describes how we feel about our newest family member. Hailey's song is "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds, Paige's is "surprisingly so" by Amy Seeley and Cait's song is "Lucky" by Kat Edmonson. The girls love listening to their songs and hearing why we chose their song for them. In Hailey's case we just felt soooo lucky to have her in our life. When we had Paige we were worried about how we could possible love another baby as much as we loved Hailey. Surprisingly enough it wasn't all that hard at all, and she quickly became one of "our favourite things". And Cait's song, we're so lucky again. The lyrics I like are "Life is just a dream, lucky you, lucky me". We toyed with the idea of having "We were made for eachother" by Emilie Mover as her song, but "lucky" just felt so much more appropriate for Cait. Have a listen and let me know what you think.


Cait one Year vimeo from Meagan McCance on Vimeo.

Paige's video can be found Here
And Hailey's Here (but the video isn't there anymore...I'll try to re-upload it)

Remember that time in March?

Remember that time in March when your friends called you up and told you to head over to the Ag Center (or whatever it is called) and get those adorable girls of your on a free horse ride? And then you did? Yes, I remember that too...and I remember how it made THEIR day, or month, or even their year! hahaha.

These girls were BEAMING the entire time they waited to ride those horses. And they were beaming during their ride, and especially after!

It makes me thinking that maybe we need a farm with horses, cause you know, I'm so great with animals (heavy on the sarcasm).