My Baby is 3...Happy Birthday!

Happy Happy Birthday to you Paige!

Paige is:
-in love with babies (real or dolls- like OBSESSED!!!)
-loves her sister
-has the goofiest laugh
-so sensitive
-gives the best hugs and kisses
-loves ballet!
-can write her name
-learning her letters and sounds
-loves her cousin Jaxon
-such a good swimmer
-loves her "sassy" (blanket)
-getting so big!!!

We love you lady! You definitely make our family fun...we love your little personality and your goofy sense of humor. Happy birthday princess!

I can't wait!!!

I hope this is what I look like tomorrow night...I am so prepared! haha
I will get those door busters that I have planned and it will be so much fun!!!



This year I am going to Great Falls, MT with 2 of my sisters and I can't wait! We will have a blast. Love me some good sales and the thrill of shopping with craziness! haha



I think I have "O.C.D" = obsessive christmas disorder

This is where I have really got some great tips for surviving this crazy tradition: http://youtu.be/IqG6WYJAM2I

So proud!

I am so proud of Elle! She went to the dentist for a filling and did AMAZING!!! Now we have 3 more to do...


Way to go girl!

Lest we forget...

I am so grateful for the men and women who fought for Canada. We are so lucky to live in a free country that is beautiful and safe. I love CANADA!!!
I love teaching my children about the poppy and why today is important. I will never forgot how lucky I am....I hope they don't take it forgranted.

Jared had to wear his formal "ones" today .... He's smoking!!! Haha

Thank you for Dinner!

I just would like to give credit to Pinterest this week for providing fun, new, and delicious dinners for my family. It's so easy to use, with pictures mind you, and they have anything....

For example....Elle wanted pancakes (as always) and Paige wanted Pizza.....typed it into Pinterest and TONS of pizza pancake recipes came up!

AWESOME!!!!

Halloween'ing!!! BOO!

We have done ALOT of Halloween'ing this last week. It all started with:
CARVING OF THE PUMPKINS...

DRESSING UP THE KIDDOS...

ATTENDING SCHOOL, BALLET, AND A PARTY IN OUR GEAR...

And ended by spending a fun night out on the town! haha. The girls perfected TRICK OR TREAT'N by practicing for the last few weeks. They were so good this year. It was really fun to watch! We had a spooktacular Halloween....and now onto Christmas! Yah! (Is tomorrow too early to put our lights and tree up? haha)

A lot of catching up...MILESTONES!

Wow! I can't believe how fast the last few months have gone. Lots of milestones have occurred with the girls...both are in BALLET (and LOVE it). I was a little worried about Paige and how she would do with listening and not letting her "free spirit" get the best of the teacher instructions, but she is doing amazing and asks to go to ballet almost everyday. Elle is doing really good too and is making friends this year in her class. She loves to practice with Paige throughout the week to perfect the different things that she's learned. haha. She is a natural leader.

Elle started PRE-SCHOOL at "Bee Happy School". She goes 3 mornings a week and is so excited to be at school. She loves that there are 9 girls in her class (no boys haha) and has made some really cute little friends. I think she is becoming a little social butterfly. We love having all the crafts around our house that Elle has done beautifully....she is so creative (constantly making books, gifts, cards, pictures). She loves her teacher Mrs. Hamilton!
BIKE RIDING! Elle has worked really hard this fall and can now ride a 2 wheeler! She's amazing...it took a little bit to get brave enough not to worry about falling, but now she's so good. We are so proud of her! Paige has finally figured out how to peddle on her tricycle when we switched her to a bike with training wheels- she is actually doing pretty good. It's a good thing Paige is pretty good at just going with the flow. haha. They will have lots of fun riding bikes throughout the winter in our undeveloped basement so they are ready for spring.

Fall ZOO trips to enjoy the crisp weather before it makes us stay indoors. We had some good friends from Utah come up and visit for a few days, so we went to the zoo and had fun watching our girls play together again. Miss you guys!

Falling for Fall

There are so many reasons why I LOVE fall...the colors, the crispness in the air, the feeling of beginning, the gratefulness that you have for warm weather, the darker evenings...I really could go on and on. haha.

Autumn is not reliant on the temperature of the air outside. It is not dependent on a turning of the leaves. It is definitely not just a precursor to a long cold winter….it isn’t just about decorating with pumpkins or crows or black cats.

Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.

The simple daily rituals of homemaking, baking, nesting, decorating and preparing for the winter holidays ahead create a sense of peace with what we have right in front of us.

ABC's of Me!

A. Age: 26

B. Bed size: Queen- I don't really like being too far away from a quick little cuddle!

C. Chore that you hate: Scrubbing the tub/shower. I hate leaning in and getting my clothes all wet and aghh. I’m getting angryfists just thinking about it. Thankfully I have a husband who will tackle this job!

D. Dogs: I wish I wasn’t not-so-secretly grossed out by the hair/slobber/smells. They’re cute though and my kids LOVE them!

E. Essential start to your day: Brushing my teeth

F. Favorite color: Red! I love it as an accent pop of color- you know like that really nice, deepish red!

G. Gold or Silver: Oh, I love both! I’d probably say silver though.

H. Height: 5’5″

I. Instruments you play: I've played trombone, french horn, and the piano- I'm not really that good at any of them though.

J. Job title: Mama/wife/RN

K. Kids: Elle & Paige...oh I could eat them they are so cute, but dang sassy! haha

L. Live: SE Calgary (Copperfield)

M. Mother’s name: Joan

N. Nicknames: Lainee, Woolfy

O. Overnight hospital stays: Oh hmm. Once for my adnoids removed when I was 7 (snoring issue!haha), concussion when I was 14, and twice for the births.

P. Pet peeves: Shoes left right in the path of walking, being late, & smelly breath.

Q. Quote from a movie: “Big Gulps, huh?… Well, see ya later!” -Dumb and Dumber

R. Right or left handed: Righty.

S. Siblings: 5 (4 sisters and a brother!)

U. Underwear: I bet no one can guess- haha!

V. Vegetable you hate: cooked tomatoes

W. What makes you run late: Having to get other little people ready as well as myself.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth and elbow (it was chipped??)

Y. Yummy food that you make: frozen cheesecake (to me dessert is the best types of food)

Z. Zoo animal: Gorilla's

Wow! That was fun. I hope that my kids will be able to one day read back on this and feel like they knew me a little bit better. Come on try it...

My Baby is getting BIG!!!

WOW! That's my baby!

It's exciting, silly, and sad all wrapped in one....my baby is getting so BIG!!! She is getting so big, learning new things, copying her sisters every move, and becoming a little person with the most hilarious, spunky personality. She is so sweet and so tough all in the same moment. haha. We definitely laugh when Paige is around. We love you (even with those 2 1/2 year old moments)!

This is sorta old news...but we are so proud of Paige! She gave "Santa" her binky a month ago and hasn't looked back since. She loves her baby that was left just for her....It makes me sad, but so excited that we have had no diapers/pullups for 6 months and no soother now. My girls are getting big and becoming little ladies! I. Love. Them!

A lot a bit of Summer! Part 1

We have been busy this summer...lots of camping, playing, swimming, suntanning, picnics, parades, and memories! We've had so much fun and can not complain about lack of sunshine.

I'm really going to start with June, since that is when the partying started. We were BUSY! Ballet recital, sisters wedding, spray parks, picnics, zoo trips, West Edmonton Mall trip and lots of working to bank vacation time for July and August. haha.

We had great weather at the beginning of July here in Calgary while we celebrated July 1st and stampeded like no other (the girls loved having pancakes everyday for 10 days and LOVED seeing Princess Kate). The Okanogan was a little bit later of a start with the heat, but once it came- it came!!! We had a blast laying on the beach and playing in the sand for a grand total of 4 weeks this summer! SPOILED!! I know! haha. Some of our highlights from the trip were: the Enchanted Forest...the girls LOVED it (It was the cutest, most enchanted places ever. haha. We will definitely have to stop again next summer), feeding the ducks, taking walks down to the beach every morning to pick raspberries, and playing with cousins.
There's a few too many pictures to capture the first part of summer!
This is part 1:

I could use a WIN!

I really could use a win right now! Go and check it out here! I hope they pick me to WIN!!!

A little bit of Awesome!

I have so much to be grateful for today...

1.Jared woke me up this morning after getting home and we snuggled till little girls jumped in wrestling!
2.My kids didn't whine so much today!
3.I saw Elle give me the biggest smile over chasing her around the house!
4.Paige didn't have any accidents in her pants!
5.The sun was shining!
6.Both girls crammed on the big swing at the park and we looked up at the clouds!
7.I have the bestest friend in the world who sent me a very inspirational book to read! Thanks!
8.Supper went so smooth!
9.The peaceful look on both the girls faces as they sleep!
10.My kid enjoy eating healthy food!
11.Jared is sending me to Edmonton to be with my sister as a break this weekend!
12.My flowers in my garden are coming up!

I am so blessed! Life is AWESOME!

Mom!

Motherhood. What a priviledge it is to be called a mother. It was a fabulous day. I love my mom and the things that she taught me- it has made a huge difference in the way that I am a mother to my own children. Thanks Mom!! I love you.
I look up to so many mothers- my own, my grandma, my mother-in-law, my sisters, my friends. What an amazing adventure it is to be a mother! So to all those mothers out there- Happy Mothers Day!

"Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us" -Sheri L. Dew

I think dreams really do come true...

It was an amazing day.The weather was beautiful.

The girls looked adorable.

The food was incredible.

I got spoiled!!! I LOVE my birthday...I LOVE my new bike!!!
Thanks Jared, Elle, and Paige for making my day amazing.
I love you Jared for remembering my dream to have a new bike.

Here's some pictures of the other Easter things we did this weekend:

Just a short little thank you to the Easter Bunny- thanks for bringing WAY too much candy and allowing us all to now be in a sugar coma! See you next year...we can't wait.

Mexico we miss you!

Other memories that we are missing while being home:
-the food just being ready when your hungry (that coconut ice-cream has found it's way into my dreams more than once this week)
-the asian al a carte desserts (we went almost every night for appies & fried ice-cream and bananas)
-the mexican salespeople on the beach
-snorkling for seashells and the shelves in the ocean
-climbing the rock covered with baby crabs
-Jared dancing with me on the balcony (My Milk Shake Brings All The Boys To The Yard)
-boogie board races
-winning both RIFAS (bingo) games - scored the girls some sweet piggy banks
-face timing the girls and showing them the ocean, pool
-our romantic curtains blowing into our room, the ocean waves crashing, and the sun shining thru
-Usiel (our Mexican buddy/mop boy)
-all the drinks I could think of served to me by the pool/beach
We missed the girls are were excited to see them! What a fun vacation- we'll miss you Mexico!