Halloween

This year was a fun trick or treat night and the kids were of course very excited too. After carving their pumpkins (which we grew in our garden) we were ready for a night of non stop candy collection! I love how the twins and eventually Kate too think halloween is so great because most days when you ask for candy, you don't get it. But this night you walk up to almost any adult, ask for candy, and they give it to you! How completely exciting. I remember one year when William was little, put his costume on again a week after halloween and tried to go out asking for more candy, too young to understand this is a once a year gig.

Trouble with toddlers

Our favorite little toddler has become our resident wall artist...daily! It is such a treat to walk around my house and see her artistic creations all over my walls, chairs, couches, cupboards, doors...just about any old surface you can think of. All I have to say is thank goodness for steam cleaners and magic erasers!

Apples...apples...apples

We did the annual apple juicing day again this October. This year Nathan and Adam went to Creston B.C. and picked up about 8700 pounds of apples, then hauled them to Edmonton. We brought the kids for the first time, and they made themselves 'useful'.

Over all it was another great year with friends making the best liquid gold around.

Conversations with William

Today Nathan and I were finishing some odd jobs outside and William was playing with his army men and tanks, when he asked Nathan if he had ever fought in a war. Nathan and I just looked at each other and smiled, then Nathan said to Will, "Yes I did Will, I shot down fighter planes. They gave me an Ironman suit so I could fly." To which William responded, "Really...did you survive?" Nathan and I just looked at each other and tried not to laugh. Nathan told William that he did survive, and Will was glad for that. Nathan then asked Will how he knew that Nathan had survived, and Will said, "because they gave you an Ironman suit!". Later William was talking about soldiers that fought in the war and survived, he said they were called vegetarians, and they were heroes. Emma later called them veterinarians. We did correct them on the veterans word, although I whispered to Emma that they won because they only ate vegetables.

School is in

The month of september is almost over. Life now has more routine which I do kind of miss over the summer. I now have only the twins and Katelynn with me during the days, which is really quite nice. It makes me look forward to when the twins are in school, although I will miss their laughing and business when that time comes.

Fun at home with Michael and Allison...and Batboy and Batbaby

Mountainview and Waterton

In mid August we were able to meet up with all of Nathan's parents, brothers and their families in mountainview for a week. We rented out the Mountainvew inn which is a big house that fits all 30 of us. It was so fun to be there with all the family, and let the kids play with all the cousins.

Canoeing in Cameron lake and Jedi Will

We went into Waterton a few times. First canoeing at Cameron lake, then hiking bears hump and playing in the townsite and renting surreys for the kids. We went into glacier national park one day and went to Macdonald lake. My sister in law Jen and I went up to Ft. Mcleod on Saturday and did a sprint triathlon as well. That was really fun. Finally on saturday night we had a family dance and celebration of Joy and Phil's 40th anniversary. What a great relaxing week. It makes me wish we all lived closer together, we sure love our family!

Group at bear's hump and a Family chicken dance

A little hoops time... Mike and Alli at Macdonald lake

William's Baptism

William's big day came July 23 2011. We were very excited to have almost all our family come join us to celebrate this special occasion. Uncle Phil even drove out all the way from Saskatoon to be there for Will. Leading up to this day William kept talking about how he was going to have all his wrongs washed away, and he would be clean. Before his baptism Nathan asked Will what this meant to him, and Will said that when he gets baptized it means he can go in the treefort (at Uncle Jason's). Laurel and Emma sang a duet for the musical number and Grandpa spoke about the Holy Ghost. All in all a great day. I am so grateful for my children and the gospel.

Summer Vacation

We pulled the kids out of school a little early this year to go down to Utah for our summer vacation. We stayed in Park City which was beautiful and had a great time. Let me chronicle the event for a moment.

Day 1: get up at 4:15 am, put the kids on the toilet and then in to the van...stop to let Laurel throw up before putting her in the van (yes that was a great start to the travel day). Drive all day, stopping at border because we were "randomly selected" for them to search our van which is so crammed full of stuff you couldn't touch the floor, and stopping for potty breaks and food breaks multiple times. Finally getting to our destination 16 hours later! Yikes what a day...

Day 2: Go to church, play at the hotel, play at park in Park City...relax

Day 3: Went swimming. Went to Utah Olympic Park (after having Cafe Rio for lunch..yumm!) and saw some cool ski jumping training. Then went riding down some alpine slides. Then of course went swimming again.

Day 4: Temple Square day. We of course started off the day with a swim which all but Michael and dad did, then on to SLC! Unfortunately Michael was sick all day so he rode in the stroller which meant we carried Katelynn much of the day to keep her from wandering too far. We went to the visitors centers and to lion house for lunch. We saw the conference center and had a pretty good day.

Kate at temple square Alli playing hide and seek

Cooling some toes on the seagull monument fountain...and a tired bunch of kids at days end

Day 5: This day was a rest and relax...and swim again.

Day 6: William's Birthday! and Will was sick...boo. So we went to a little park and played (utah has lots of great little community parks). We bought some mini cupcakes and went to see Cars 2 in the theatre. William was pooped out on the couch by the time we sang him happy birthday.

Day 6: Our final day of play in Utah. Will was feeling better and we went to Cherry Hill water park in Kaysville Utah. Totally worth going to if you have small kids. All the kids loved the pools and slides, and the little kids thought the huge pirate ship was fun too.

Days 7 and 8: We travelled to Yellowstone National Park to camp for a couple of nights...yes I said camp which is something I really don't do, especially with six little kids. But staying a couple of nights in the great outdoors made me think...my favorite place to camp is still the Delta lodge in Kananaskis! It was so fun I think we'll do it every ten years! Just kidding it wasn't too bad. The kids slept pretty well (I think..I was wearing ear plugs, so I suppose Nathan should comment on their sleep), and we did get to roast marshmallows two nights in a row so the kids were happy...and dirty! We also went around Yellowstone in the day to see Old Faithful, buffalo galore, and really pretty landscapes (although the kids were more excited about the ice cream than the landscapes, who would have guessed?!)

School is out!

Near the end of the year the kids have sports day at school. They play many games throughout the day which is pretty fun. the best part comes at the end of the day when the fire engine comes and hook up the hose to the tall ladder on the truck and open it up on all the kids in the school field. All the kids scream and run but they love it! It is pretty fun to watch...from a safe and dry distance.

Father's day

So this is a little late but still important. We are so grateful for Dad (Nathan) and all he does. Lately the kids have spent lots of time with him as I have been catching up hours at work. No one plays with the kids better than dad. I manage, dad plays, and that's okay. I am so blessed to have a husband who is active with his kids and always working to be better with them. He is a great example. Thanks love.

The kids are singing to dad on fathers day...

Vacancy

I started back at work in February and Nathan is playing stay at home dad. He is using some of the time to work on his new business ideas but mainly taking care of the kids and home. I have to say I don't love the switch. It really creates upheaval and I don't like that. I like to manage my house and family life in a smoother way, but there is nothing smooth now. I don't know how families have both parents work and still feel like family is the center priority that they are really tuned in with. Laurel asked me the other day why I have to go to work all the time, and I laughingly said, "because no one pays dad to do the laundry!" He acted shocked but kind of laughed a little too. I don't mind people thinking my job has no worth because I make nothing as a stay at home mom...I miss my full time job as mother.

The twins are four!

It seems like not so long ago my twins looked like this...

Then this...

Then this...

Then this...

Now they look like this...

I can't believe we made it to four. By that I mean, Nathan and I are relatively sane, and the twins haven't been sold to the circus. I remember about three days before they were born I told my sister in law, "these babies will be born on friday, because that is when I have decided I'm done". And wouldn't you know I went into labor on that friday and the twins were born. That is the first and last time they have done as they were asked! Really it has been an interesting and fun ride with these two crazies, but I am so glad I got to be a part of it.

Innocent playtime

I don't really know why Allison has a fascination with tying people up like a prisoner, and even being tied up herself. I recall not so long ago walking up the stairs to see Allison bound and gagged, tied to the bannister. She was just standing there not making a sound, and looked at me as if it were completely commonplace to be found where she was and in the state she was. So I get a little chuckle when I walk down the stairs and see this at the bottom bannister...

Then I wander over to where the kids are playing and see this...

But at least I know there are days they play like kids that won't promote my neighbours to call social services, they play together and share and laugh and generally make my heart smile.