Definitely No -33 This Year!!

...but last year...a whole 'nother story! Around this time last year, we were sitting in our living room up in good old 108 Mile and wondering - hoping, praying - whether our little one would decide to arrive anytime soon!

It was a freakish freezing winter that had at least 2.5 feet of snow settled on the ground and the highways, an ice rink, and it was -33 degrees! Needless to say - no time was a good time to have this baby, in Jim's eyes! We had a 60 minute drive to the hospital, which is stressful in any stage of labour!!

Knowing, from previous experience, that no stage of labour is long for me, Jim was even more on the edge...at this time last year!

But - that's all history - and tomorrow (after all the hubub of a joint party) we'll have come full circle on a year with our beanie baby! WOW! Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE Surprises...

...especially when there for...ME!!!

Totally unexpected,

not asked for,

early,

and beyond what I was even imagining!
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When you think you're

simply going out for dinner!

And our anniversary is

a few weeks away!

Our drinks arrive and

for some reason

I think we should toast

so we do...

"to us!"

and then...

he reaches into his pocket and says

"for you!"

Yes...

I love them!
Surprises,

for me,

from Jim!
Love them!

Wanna take a peek??

Before

After

Happy ME!!

Have a Happy Thursday!!

,lhg''lf g (W)eieeeeeeeeeeeeeee

...Karys' two cents!
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So - Hi! Fancy meeting you here! Man, life sure has a way of sucking me in!! And - as is evident from my posting - Blogging gets put way back in...the linen closet!

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Anyhow - here we are already in December, where I find myself trying madly to prepare for: Avery's 1st birthday, Karys' 3rd birthday, our 5th anniversary, and...making another attempt to try and mesh the reality of Santa AND Jesus in the mind of a three year old:) Needless to say, we're off and running this month already!

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Foregoing all things regarding a schedual relating to my posting, I'll simply let you in on a bit of what's been going on around here in the past week:)

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There's been a few "firsts"...

Never-before-seen...
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Karys crashing out of sheer exhaustion! Not that she doesn't nap, but when she happens to miss her's for the day, we usually put her down earlier. That day, she couldn't wait! And because I happened to be away that day at a Conference, Jim took it upon himself to document this moment!

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Being crafty...the easy way:)

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My friend showed me this "build-it-yourself-already-baked" Ginger Bread House the other day! She wanted to make one with her daughter and I knew Karys would enjoy it too! And she did!

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And...here are the girls and Gram helping Daddy set up the tree! And...before you go making all those judgements about how sacrilegious it is that we have a fake tree - I figure, they have no idea as of yet! May as well take the help while I can! And we're living with my Mom, who already owed this plastic variety of Christmas cheer! Maybe when we are in a place of our own and the girls are a bit older, we'll venture out to find "the perfect tree!"

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And...another first...Avery helping in the decorating process!
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Trying to decide where to put the bobble!

Yup - that's where you put it!!

And of course - the obvious tree-decorating attire!

Who doesn't where their bathing suit and tu-tu while hanging their festive bobbles?

Trying to spread the wealth!

They all like to be together...right?!

Can you tell an almost three year old handled this decorative placement??
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So...that's about it for now! We're in the process of planning for a joined birthday party for the girls this weekend and extremely glad for the fact that we have the liberty to do this! We acknowledge that this will not always be welcomed by the girls and anticipate celebrating their birthdays separately in the future! But...again...I'll take the help where I can get it!
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I'll leave you with two videos displaying the girls getting into the festive spirit...
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Avery, fully walking...

and Karys, fully ballerina!!

One last note...I just came back from swimming with Karys and it was so funny when I was explaining to her that the Eagle she was looking for was over in the Kiddie pool and not where we were - in the hot-tub! She seemed to understand what I was saying, but still had a look of confusino of her face! And then I understood why, when she said to me, "Mummy, I wanna go over to the Mitzi pool!" I said "kiddie" but she heard "kitty" and thus requested to go over to the "Mitzi pool" - which happens to be "cat" in German! HA!

I thought it was pretty funny!

So...there ya go! That's us...in a nutshell!

Hope you are just as swell as us these days!

Just Wondering...

...how you would respond?
When someone
tells you something
that completely THRILLS them,
but you have a reaction
that is seemingly
180 degrees opposite?!
When someone shares something
with you
and they are expecting a reaction
filled with shared
happiness/excitement
and all you can muster is
"Oh...really?!"
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How do you respond
when it's in their best interest
to be
happy
and
sad
all at once?!
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Just wondering...
and venting...
and trying to figure out...
what to say!
Sorry
for the blah-ness
it's just me
feeling
blah...
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Tommorow's a new day
Here's to new days!!
Thank you Jesus for new days!

A Walking, Talking, Smiling Machine!

Well - let's see if there's anyone still out there!! I can't even remember when I posted last!

Ah well - today's a new day! And today I am posting! Things around here have been going great (read: so busy I can't recall anything super bad, so it must be good!)

As aluded to in my title, Avery's become quite the busy-bee! She just recently turned 11 months and has been on the go with finding so many new things to do!! This is her just finding her feet! For a while before this, she'd simply been standing up in the middle of a room...and just standing! Then it turned into the experimental step here and there! And here she's finding her feet! Love the hair do??? Yup - that's after a day in pig-tails! Avery's of course!

And here she is sporting her Christmas jammies just the other day! Still a bit top-heavy, but definitely getting the hang of things!! And a quitter she's not - as you'll see with how many times Jim stands her back up in her attempt to walk to me!

We are having so much fun with her! She is saying a lot more these days too - not signing anything yet, but waving bye-bye and saying "Dada," "Muma," "ff-ff" for Dog, and "hoT" for the fireplace - emphasis on the "T"!

She's beginning to become much more interested in finger food/ anything that we're eating and...believe it or not...is still napping at least 3 times a day!! She's 11 months old!! I'll surely take it while I can, but it's funny because our daily routines (and I use that term very loosely) hasn't changed since she was a newborn, with the amount of sleeping she does!! I guess that definitely aids in the fact that she's such a happy baby!

I was looking for something yesterday, digging through all of our boxes, and came across the journals I keep for the girls! "Oh right!" I thought, "I guess I had better update those, it's been a while!" Well, being unsure as to how long a "while" was, I looked back in Avery's to see the last time I wrote in hers and it was...June!! Argh...I hate falling behind in things like that!! I get frustrated with myself for not making the time to sit down and write something...even something short! Especially for when they get older and will undoubtedly be comparing the number of entires they each have! I don't think I ever missed a month of Karys' until Avery was born! Trivial I suppose, but a frustration nonetheless!

So...here's this week's love-list...picture form!!

.:1:. More photo-shoot treasures!!

Our Girls!

.:2:. Cuteness

.:3:. My Girl!

.:4:. Sharing freshly smoked salmon!

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.:5:. Early morning family ventures - still in jammies, buh-buh's in hands!
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.:6:. Zonked-out fashionista! She insists on waering them "upside up!"
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.:7:. My #1 Helper!

.:8:. Enjoying the final product!!

.:9:. Our Family

.:10:.
~Have a great weekend!

Fall Family Fun!

Well...what a week! And it is only Wednesday! I must say, "I am sure glad I have made it this far!!" Not that it is anything too major in the realms of "accomplishment," but I am simply not used to working at a paid job...period...let alone a full day! So, when I was asked last week to put in 2 full days this week, I jumped at the opportunity, fondly remembering the days of old!
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Note to self: the "days of old" were back when I didn't have to children of my own demanding every minute of my attention when my "day" is over, and "making dinner" turned into "fend for yourself"! Ha...that doesn't really work for an almost 3 year old and an 11 month old - it's even a stretch to say it works for Jim:)
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So...this week has consisted of 2 "full days" of work and with Rememberance Day thrown in between...why not plan a 4:30am wake-up call to get ready for setting out to Abbotsford for the day?! We certainly couldn't pass up the chance to see "Oma and Opa!" Or "Old Omap and Old Opa!" So...off we went with the girls...still in their jammies...to the ferry...and then off to Old Oma and Opa's! It was a great trip and we are so glad we went, although rather sleep-deprived!
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Anyways...back to the reason for my posting...Fall Family Fun...my sister did a photo shoot for us the other week and I have been wanting to post the pictures for a while now, but haven't gotten the time to sit down and choose from the 200+ pictures she took!! Anyhow...now I have...so here they are:) I am slated for another 4:30am wake-up call in the AM to set out for a 2-day seminar in Richmond! So...don't mind me if there's little referencing to the pictures - simply posting in my sleep!
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Enjoy - and...if I'm "on the ball"...stay tuned for a "Friday's Love List"!

"Look at her run! One day I'll do that too!"

Peek-a-boo!

So...have a great rest of the week! Blessings to you and yours!

Friday LoveList...Forgotten!

Whoa - life has taken over!!

These days it has been

seeming to simply...

consume me!

Work is demanding a lot

and then when I get home,

all I want to do is spend time

with my girls!

And then Jim gets home and...

you ALL know how it goes!!

And yet,

somehow,

you ALL

still have time

to post!

WOW!

You amaze me!

Seriously!

Because, for some reason...

I can't do it all!

And this...

is this first thing

to get crossed off

my list of things-to-do!

So...here I sit,

without my day-plan ready

for the morning!
But needing a place to vent,

a place to pour out

the overflowing consciousness

of my never-ending train

of thought!

Aren't you lucky!

Having to sit thru this

seeming endless,

confusing,

stream of babble!

Lucky!

I am...

Lucky!

Really! (or blessed!)

Blessed to have what I have...

be a Mum to 2 beautiful girls...

married to a wonderful man...

know what I know...

live where I live...

friends who love me...

a Mum who cares...

incredible colleagues...

health...

minimal concerns...

and a God who knows me...

loves me...

cares about what matters to me...

and knows how it will all turn out!

Amen!