Bloom where you are planted

I have had a few thoughts on my mind lately and I want to record them so I can read back on them later.
I have been thinking a lot about life, about the stage of life I am in and truly reflecting on all the different stages of life we will experience. As I mention in darn near every one of my posts or in nearly all my conversations, life is crazy! I feel as if the purpose of my life is merely serving a constant revolving door of needs. I find myself, in the low moments, wishing and waiting for tomorrow. A tomorrow where things will be easier, where the kids can tend to themselves, where Robbie will sleep through the night, where John will be done teething, where Nola will just listen when I talk to her, where I have the energy to exercise, where Doug didn't have to work so much, where money and time is abundant. I am waiting for a reprieve.

I have the blessing of spending time with lots of different people, all in different ages and stages of life. And what have I come to learn? Everyone is waiting for a reprieve. Kids are in school? Now you are trying to find a job or something to fill your time. You now have lots of money? You may be alone since your partner has to work tons to make that money. You are retired? Your health is declining and don't have the energy to do all those things you dreamed of in retirement. No one has it made, no one has it easy. Life is a challenge, for everyone.

At first, this may seem like a 'downer' thought. You mean, I am never going to reach that destination? Where everything in wonderful and easy? In this life, no. You don't reach a destination, it's all about finding joy in the journey.

I entitled this post 'Bloom where you are planted' as that is what I am focusing on. I can struggle and wish my time away for hopes of something better, or I can tend and nourish the soil around me and bloom. I can find the joy in this stage of life and flourish. How? Through the love and atonement of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He blesses me with perspective and perseverance, with confidence and conviction to take control of my life, my heart and my mind, to boldly face my challenges and embrace them. It is though the Saviour that I am able to feel true joy, even when things look grim.

My testimony burns deep within me. Jesus is the Christ. He is my Redeemer...He has redeemed my soul. I love Him and will praise him all of my days. If you are waiting for a reprieve, turn to the Lord, for he has taught us that His 'yoke is easy and burden is light.' We can find rest and ease in the Lord, of this I truly testify, in the name of my Almighty Saviour. Amen.

Kids are hilarious!

The kids have been playing so well together lately! One of their most favourite things to do is to watch a movie and act it out. This morning they are watching The Croods and acting out the hunting scene. It is awesome! That take a ball and pretend it is the egg. They run around in circles, jumping, throwing, catching, falling, just like the Croods characters. It's adorable to watch! The were also jumping off the couch into the water like the Croods. Robbie even sinks to the bottom like Grug and then runs away from the big cat. Haha - I love it! They are also really loving Ice Age 4, so they play that too. Last week while doing laundry, I was Captain Gut and they were my scurvy crew :) We made the laundry walk the plank down the stairs :)

Life with three little ones at home is totally and completely insane. I honestly and truly relish in these sweet moments my children give me, for they are what fuel me to keep putting one foot in front of the other and remind me how precious this time of life is.

'Release the baby!!!!'

12 month stat!!

Weight: 20lbs 8 0z

Clothing: 12 months

Diaper: 5

Teeth : still just two on the bottom, and four on the top. Poor guys has been working really hard trying to cut some more, but they haven't made an appearance yet.

Milestones/What's new:
- walking. He has realized that he can get around faster by walking than crawling, so he is off! It's so cute to watch him toddle around
- homo milk. Good bye formula!!

Loves:
- walking. You can just see how proud he is of himself - it iw written all over his face.
- as always, eating. He is ALWAYS happy when he is in his high chair with food. Lately, he has been really digging frozen peas and frozen blueberries, they probably feel great on his sore gums.
- his cuddle blanket from Nana and Papa. Nana and Papa have gotten minky cuddle blankets embroidered with the kids names for eahc of the kids over the years. Johngot his for his first birthday and he just loves it! He sucks his fingers and rubs the blanket on his face :)
- being chased. He laughs so hard he falls over - its adorable!!
- dancing! EVERY time there is music on, he stands up, bops up and down and claps! I love it!
- watching Nola and Rob dance.

Mommy loves:
- his crazy curls. They have been extra curly lately and it just makes a cute baby even more irresistable!
- he changing looks. He is looking less and less like Nola and Rob, and more and more Grandpa! It's just amazing to see all the kids similarites and differences.
- listening to him over the mointor. When he wakes in the morning or from his nap, he is happy to play in his crib for a while. Right now, I am listening to him.... 'do, do, doooo!' 'Bah' Haha, so cute!!
- as always, snuggles. I could cuddle this kid for hours on end.
- watching him with Nola and Rob. They are starting to play together and I LOVE it! Last week, they all wrestled in the play tent together. Doug and I coule hear the three of them giggling and it was one of the best meoments of motherhood so far.
- wearing him in the hiking back pack when we walk to preschool. He jumps up and down and laughs! He also peaks around my shoulder. Too cute!


John, you are one!! It is a little bittersweet - definitely more sweet than bitter. I love seeing you grow, seeing you becoming your own little self. You are a beam of sunshine not only to your family, but to all those you meet. I cannot count the amount of times we have been stopped in public so strangers can 'oooh' and 'ahhh' over you, and melt over those big blue eyes and your bright smile. I love you John. Thanks for being my little person.

Halloween party!

On Halloween, we went trick or treating with some friends and then we all came back to our place for a little party. It was so much fun!!!! We played the donut game, where the kids had to eat them off the strings without using their hands. It was hilarious! Euan had it figured out - he would use the wall! Haha. That kid is awesome. We played pin the eyes on the monster and we bobbed for apples. It was an awesome night for friends, family and fun. Happy Halloween!

Robbie Duff is 3!!!

Robbie loves

- dinosaurs! He always wants to wear his dinosaur shirt, watch his dinosaur movie and when we play make believe, he is ALWAYS a dinosaur.
- motorbikes! He has multiple motorbikes and he plays with all of them! Often, he will take dinosaur for a ride on his motorbike :)
- playing by himself. When we are in a group of children, often you will find Robbie off doing his own thing. He is not shy - not at all - but he is happy to live in his own little world and play his own games. He will sing songs, dance, scream, jump and play off in a corner and be as happy as a clam.
- chocolate. No word of a lie, Robbie's third word was 'Choc-it' and he is still bananas about it. Now, when he eats it, he always says 'Mmmm, it's de-yishis!' When he wants a treat, 9/10 times he asks for chocolate :)
- singing. When we go for a wlak, we like to sing songs, and boy, does this kid sing his little heart out. I cannot understand anything he is singing, but he belts it out. I love seeing him enjoy music, as it is such a big part of who I am.
- snuggles. He still does not consistantly sleep through the night and quite often needs a snuggle. To be honest, I dont mind. I crawl into bed with him, or he into bed with us, and he snuggles right in. Sometimes, when he is not too tired, he will rub my back, or hold my cheeks wheil we cuddle. He is so tender :)
- cucumbers, chicken nuggets and french fries. It has not been until I have been (trying) to feed Robbie that I realized how easy I have it with Nola in regards to eating. She will eat anything, and Robbie will not.
- books. It has taken the whole 3 years, but now Duff will snuggle in a read a book with e. I am in HEAVEN!! I love reading to my children, and finally it seems as if they love it too.
- JP from Kids CBC. He saw it once and then did not stop takling about it for weeks! Now, we try to catch it whenever we can.

Interesting things about Robbie

- he is moody. LIke, unbelievably moody. It switches frmo happy to sad, giggly to screaming, awake to tired, content to cranky, in the blink of am eye. It can be tricky, as you never really know what you are gonna get, but luckily his moods swing enough that he doesn't stay foul for too long at a time :)
- he is not obsessed with anything. With Nola, for example, she LOVED Elmo, then kitty, then puppy and now unicorn. She loved certain shows and food, and wouldnt stray from them. Roobbie changes from day to day. One day, he will play with dinosaurs all day, then the next, he will have no interest. He doesnt care for any particular show or activity. He does consistantly like chicken, fries and cucumbers, however there are many days he will not eat them. One day he'll eat salmon, rice and beans, then the next day or week, he will not touch them. Like I said, you never really know what you are going to get with Rob.
- he is so tender. As mentioned before, he can just be so tender and gentle. He loves being close and being held. I have even worn him in my Ergo carrier recently, because he just wants that close contact. I am the exact smae way, so this totally works for me :)
- he loves his siblings. It has taken him quite a bit of time to get used to having John around, but now whenever he sees or hears him, he gets a huge grin and yells 'JOHNNY!!!' Him a Nola are like PB and J. They are little best friends. They play so well together, its unbelievable. They play games, make believe, colour, cook and sleep together. Seeing their closeness is so magical.

Mommy loves

- snuggles. Like I said, Best. Snuggler. Ever. When I am having a bad day, I quite often grab Rob and have a nice long snuggle in bed with him. It makes me feel better evey single time.
- his moods. Somedays, he drives me crazy, but it is through his many moods that I get to see more and more of who he really is. He is complex, yet simple. He is happy with his family, he can be entertained with nearly anything, he loves junk food and has a mind of his own.
- watching him run. He is a natural clutz, just like his Dad, and he is hilarious! He will trip over absolutely nothing and runs into stuff all the time. Poor guy, but it is funny. (Bad mom)
- listening to him talk. He has a lot of words, and he knows what he is talking about, but half the stuff that comes from his mouth is in his own language. When he gets excited, he rambles and laughs and makes no sense.
- watching him play. His imagination has no limits and it is eveident everytime he plays. I absolutely love this about him.

Duff, thank you for being my little person. You test and try me, however you also fill me with a love that I can recieve from no other. Canèt wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

11 month stat!

11 Month stat!!

Weight: my poor, third child. I did not weigh you this month, but I promise I still love you!

Clothing: 9 & 12 months

Teeth : two on the bottom, and four on the top, however he has really been working on soe more on the bottom. We have had some looooong nights.

Milestones/What's new:
- stepping! He took his first steps on Sept 26, the day he turned 11 months. He can take about 7 steps without falling now :)
- vocal mimicking. He can repeat 'toot-toot', 'mama', 'dada', 'dodo', 'baba', 'oooh', 'ahhh' and others!
- big boy foods. He no longer eats any purees and is happily eating everything we eat!


Loves:
- eating. I honestly think he would spend all day in his high chair, snacking, if I would let him!
- yogurt. When he eats it, he smiles and saya 'mmm, muum, mmm, muum' over and over again.
- walking. We have spent many hours up in the middle of the night lately, and he just wants to walk! He tries over and over all day long, until he gets tried...then he whines and sucks his fingers :)
- his fingers. He still sucks them, so much that he has actually worn some of the skin off from his finger tips.
- watching the train out our kitchen window. We do not have any blinds yet and there is a window right where is high chair is. We are right next to the train tracks, and when he sees a train coming, he starts clappping and will watch the whole time.

Mommy loves:
- his snuggles. He will cuddle right into me and it makes my heart melt. He'll actually dig his head into my chest at night :)
- even though they have been long nights, I have loved the time we have had together in the middle of the night. We get to play and talk, just me and him.
- watching him eat. He can be so delicate - using his thumb and pointer finger to pick up little bits of food. Some days, he can eat a whole meal without getting a drop of food on him. Other time, he will fill his hands with avacado, and then pull it through his curls.
- bathing with him. John still HATES having a bath by himself, so we have one together. If I am in there with him, he will laugh, clap and splash to his hearts content. Its so cute to watch!

In just 2 short weeks, you will be one John. What?!?! This has been the best year ever. Love you piggy pop!!

10 Month stat!!

Weight: 19 lbs 4 oz

Clothing: 9 & 6-12 month

Teeth : two on the bottom, and four on the top.

Milestones/What's new:
- biting
- temper tantrums
- eating tons of new solids. He eats pretty much everything we do.
- chewing on paper. I swear, he can spot it from a mile away! He has already destroyed many books and note pads. Poor Nola has had a good cry or two over the stuff John has ruined.

Loves:
- putting everything in his mouth. EVERYTHING! This baby is always chewing on something he shouldn't be.
- eating by himself. With every meal, he is less and less interested in eating puree's from Mama! He just wants to eat what we eat, using his hands :) It makes a huge mess, but that's just how he'll learn!
- his fingers. Those things sure are not going out of style.
- Nola being a goof-ball. Nola will be so silly for John, and he will laugh his head off! Still, no one makes John laugh and smile more than Nola.
- cuddles when he is tired. When he is awake and alert, he does not want to be held. However, as soon as his is tired, he pops those fingers in his mouth, and comes in for a big Mama cuddle. I love those :)

Mommy loves:
- seeing his little personality bloom. He has been playing coy with strangers, but it is SO darn cute! He gets a cheeky little grin and tilts his head to the side. He's also started to have a temper, which is very new for John (and Mommy), but I love to see him assert himself. Also to see what makes him tick. Note: taking away the piece of paper he is chewing on, will make him snap. I love watching him learn, change and grow :)

Love you John John!!

Cousins!

As I gave been playing catch-up, I have noticed that April was the month of cousins!! Here are some pics of the kiddos and their family :)

I love love

How I love this man. How I love these pictures. How I love love.

Jan 18, 2008

July 29, 2014

Family photo shoot!

My friend Courtney Ellingson has just started up a photography business, so we had her take some photos last month. Obviously, I LOVE them! Here is my beautiful family :)

March 2014 fav's!