Waiting & Working

Here we are, getting so close to having baby #4, and all the nesting urges have struck. :) 

I did lots of organizing around the house before baby was to come, and filled up afternoons with baking with the kids, or other progressive duties. :) Trying to be ready... 

Waiting for the cookies to be baked. 

Me and my puppy after bathtime. 

Sickness & the Olympics

 Another round of the stomach bug hit us...that was nasty. 

Just when the laundry is caught up, here we go again. 

 Poor Laura was so done in. 

 Poor Erik. 

 Katy was a good nurse. 

 Have to say I did love the cuddling time I had with her when she was sick. 

When she's healthy it's go, go, go. And pull out food from the cupboard. All day. :) 

So, even though I wanted her all better, I enjoyed my moments of quiet with her. 

And yes I'm pregnant. :) 38 weeks I think. 

This little girl didn't get sick the same time as the other two.

She's getting quite good at coloring, and right now, Strawberry Shortcake is what she likes to color. 

James eventually caught the stomach flu from the kids... and I got it a few days later. 

But the timing for him was perfect - was mostly on the weekend - totally wiped him out. And the Olympics were on, so in between doing some work, we got to watch the best day for the Canadians - the day we won Gold in Curling, and Women's Hockey. :) (and in a few other events)

What was funny was that I saw someones Facebook status saying "I wonder how many Canadians called in sick today so they could watch the Olympics" - haha... at least James didn't fake it. 

The Men's Curling Team

Playing dress up. :) 

Exhausted after the Women's Hockey Team won Gold. :) 

Laura just has this thing for daddy and cuddling up with him. 

Cutie Bug

Love Never Dies.... (Valentines Day)

A few pictures to remember our Valentines Day...already so long ago

The kids and I had made a glittery heart garland for some decor. 

It was pretty, but I am a firm believer that glitter belongs OUTDOORS, and should only be used in the summer! 

Katelyn made a sign - "Happy Valentines" to hang on the garland.

When I came into the kitchen on Valentine's Day morning, I found these once-beautiful roses on the counter with a card from my sweetheart. :) Such a lovely surprise, as I hadn't expected anything. They were so gorgeous and lasted for a long time...but of course, I didn't take a picture of them alive.... but did get one one they were good and dead. :) 

We had decided not to do anything extra special on Valentines- just have a good time with the kids. But as James was coming home from work he called me and mentioned that Diane and Brad had made and now canceled a dinner reservation as their plans had switched to somewhere else, and we could drop the kids off at their place as Shantel was babysitting their girls anyways, and go take their reservation. :) So, in 20 minutes, I got ready quickly, and the kids, and off we went for a fun evening together. :) 

The dinner (at Kirby's) was nice - a Valentines Buffet, and we enjoyed ourselves. Then, since Home Depot was next door, we finished off our date with looking at some home reno stuff. It was nice, not to have to take the kids in while we're looking at taps and such. :) 

Then, picked up the kids, enjoyed a smoothie at D&B's, and home again jiggity jig. :) 

Snippets of the Girls

 On one of our sick days that we've been having the last couple weeks...Laura fell asleep on the couch. Too cute. 

I let Katie play with my old paper doll collection during nap time once in a while. She loves it. 

Lots of memories in those bent up dolls. And they're off for another round of being loved on. 

 And those sweet stocky feet of Laura's.... I love them in stripes.

 Reading a book after some type of change. 

My fuzzy wuzzy chummers. 

Finger & Toe Painting

Katelyn is my craft motivator ....my beyond-normal-to-all-things-safe-pusher-girl.

Which I'm glad about! It just takes a bit more prep work, and clean up work. :) 

So when she wanted to do finger painting, I said yes, but not til Daddy was home on Saturday.

Which would've worked out great, but daddy got sick, so while he was resting, I couldn't say no to those excited eyes who were waiting for Saturday morning to do this simple craft. :) So we did it.

 It ended up not just being finger paint...

 They had so much fun. :) 

 Didn't really feel Laura needed to be in the mess, so she colored on her high chair. She wasn't feeling the best that day anyways. 

 We made homemade paint with cornstarch, salt, sugar, dyes and hot water - worked okay. 

Then it was bath time for them all, and I cleaned up, after shattering a glass all over the floor. We'll just call that pregnancy clumsiness. :) 

Then it was nap time.

Laura always looks so sweet going to bed...all kids do. 

Just glad they're mine.

With John & Ashley

I was so glad when Ashley wrote me and said they'd be coming up to our area in January...and I dearly wanted to snag a visit with her in between all the other visiting they were to do. :) Thankfully, her and John, and cutie Joshua, were able to spend a morning and lunch with us. I so loved to catch up abit, but time was too short, and they had to be on their way... 

 Such good memories of times together in Alberta...traveling out east to her wedding, and connecting online. This woman amazes me. Seriously. She goes through whatever God brings without complaining and murmuring, leaving me, and countless others encouraged and super duper challenged. 

And Ash brought me a few Trader Joe hand grinder spices - which I was quite thrilled about!!! 

 The threesome right before they left. :) 

The kid's enjoyed getting to know Joshua and playing with trains together. :)

So glad we got to keep them for a bit. 

Erik turns Three!

Our little guy turned three in the middle of January. 

He was pretty excited. His first birthday where he really got the whole birthday thing. :) 

 Enjoying his breakfast in bed. He stayed in bed until I brought him his cheerios and such like. I didn't think he'd wait, but he did. 

 Working his new finger from two to three.

His day was nice but mostly quiet. Some fun things in the morning, naptime, and then time for his little party in the evening. Rob, William and Mark (with Amir) came for supper which was crepes with a bunch of different toppings. Simple but nice. I had had a busy afternoon trying to make his cake a tractor, so I was glad supper was simple.

  Erik got this baseball and bat from Uncle Rob, so now we're ready for spring training.

 Playing with his two tractors. The John Deere from Oma and Opa, and the Massey or whatever it is, from us - garage sale pick up a while ago. 

 Uncle Rob taking the packaging off the bat. 

 The tractor cake - and it actually looked like a tractor...was worried it would look like a train, as most of my tractor drawings do. :) 

 The pleased boy. :) 

 Isn't he just handsome? 

 We played "Musical Chairs" with the uncles, which was just great for them. 

 Love this shot of the two of them battling it out at the end. 

I still want to get a picture of him with us new treasures, but it just hasn't happened yet. :)