Christmas Eve

What an absolutely wonderful evening!!

For the first time ever, we had Christmas at home this year. Everything about it was totally wonderful! For Christmas Eve, we hosted a little get together with some friends. Sam, Melissa and the girl came over. Ian, Myrium and Astrid, some friends we met through Sam and Melissa, came too. We had a feast! Melissa and Myrium are AMAZING cooks!! Melissa made a hot dog Christmas wreath, which sounds pretty ghetto, but as you can see from the picture it is a work of art! Myrium made homemade pavlova which was to die for! We all ate them until our stomachs hurt!

We re-enacted the Nativity, which was a highlight from the holidays for me. Nola was Mary, Doug was Joseph, John was baby Jesus, Melissa, Elizabeth and Robbie were donkeys, Eleanor and Astrid were Angels, and Sam and I were the wise men. Myrium acted as the manger for a wiggly baby Jesus :)

After, all the kids opened their Christmas jammies and we set a little theatre up for them down stairs to watch the Grinch. Us adults were going to play games while the kids watched the show, but once we got downstairs, we all settled down for the movie. It totally put us all in the Christmas spirit! Not long after the movie started, the kids started to get riled up and turned the theatre into a bouncy house!! We brought them up to try to quiet them down with a Christmas book, however that back fired. All the kids were screaming out the words to the 12 days of Christmas!!

It was the most perfect evening. Christmas is about being with the people you love - both family and friends. I hope we can spend time with our dear friends every Christmas :)

Christmas Cookies!

Part of our Christmas traditions is to make a ginger bread family. WE had so much fun!

John these days

John

Age: 15 months

Favourite things to do
- make mischief!!
- open all the cupboards and take things out. In the kitchen, he loves to pull out the muffin tins and mixing bowls. He doesn't play with them once they are out, he just leaves them in a big mess for Mommy to clean up :) In the bathroom, he loves to pull all the toilet paper out of the cupboards and throw it into the toilet or the bathtub, again leaving a big mess for Mommy to clean up. Downstairs, he likes to pull all his diapers and blankets out of his drawers. Yet another mess for Mommy :) The plus side? I always know where John is!! Follow the trail!
- run around. This kid does not stay still. He is off running in every which direction. The only time he will sit still is right before his nap or before bed and that honestly only lasts a few seconds - not exaggerating. He is a man on a mission!!
- drink his bottle. Lately, he has been packing his bottle with him everywhere. We were only giving it to him at bed and nap time, but now he wants to pack it around all day. I should probably break that habit....
- snuggle his blankets. He packs them around and rubs them on his face while he sucks his fingers. So darn cute. He'll thow them on the ground and lay on top of them too.
- eat. This kid has a monster appetite!
- head butt. Thanks Doug, for teaching him this awesome trick...

Favourite foods
- pomegranate
- cottage cheese
- oatmeal

Random tid-bits
- he is cutting his two bottom molars
- he is infatuated with his penis. Do I dare record that? Yes, because it is hilarious. He will be in the tub and kick his legs like crazy, stop suddenly and play with himself. Then repeat that over and over for the duration of the bath. When changing his bum, you'd better be quick 'cause his hands will be down there quick!
- he scrunches up his nose when he is being cheeky.
- he will walk in circles around the church for the full 3 hours. I can't wait for nursery!!

Best friends
- Nola
- Mommy
- Daddy
- ....Robbie? I don't know...he
usually just attacks Rob.

Mommy's favourite things about John
- his wild curls and big blue eyes. I know Papa wants me to cut his hair, and maybe I should, but it is just such a big part of who he is to me! My Dad said 'Those blue eyes and curls are going to get you into and out of a lot of trouble.' So true!!!
- his busy personality. Some days, I wish he'd slow down a bit or just sit with all the other babies his age at church, but he is exploring and I LOVE it. He is learning so much - turning nobs, opening doors, shaking things, making new noises, breaking things, trying to fix things. It really is an amazing thing to witness.
- his split-second snuggles. They really are quite rare and I cherish them. He will climb up with me, lay his head on my chest and suck those fingers for a few seconds. As quickly as they start, they are over and then he is down running again.
- watching him eat. When you pull the cottage cheese out of the fridge, he will clap for it! He has a healthy appetite and gets right down to business. Surprisingly, he doesn't make to much of a mess even though he completely feeds himself. He is usually cleaning than Robbie at the end of each meal.
- watching him play in the bath. He kicks his legs and laughs his head off!

Oh Johner's, I just love you! My wild child - busy and full of life!! Thanks for being my little man! I love you!

Robbie these days

Robbie

Age: 3 years and 4 months.

Favourite things to do
- 'spuggle', which means snuggle. He is the cuddliest little boy on the planet! Many times per day he asks for a 'spuggle' - whether at home, at a friends, at church, or anywhere else. When he does snuggle, he cuddles right in and usually we finish with a squeeze and a HUGE kiss.
- being a monster. This is the patent Robbie way to play - he runs after everyone pretending he is a monster. The funny thing is, if the role is reversed and you chase him like a monster, it will terrify him. Haha - he can dish it out, but he totally cant take it.
- tubby time. He, like Nola, loves to play in the bath. They would be in there for hours if I'd let them!
- play spiderman. He loves all things spiderman! Although he loves him, he has yet to be convinced that spriderman is indeed a good guy. If you tell him he is a good guy, he will persist that he is a 'boo-guy', which means bad guy.
- pretending he is a puppy. It's funny, because Nola likes kitties which automatically meant Robbie must love puppies. If you ask Robbie if he likes kitties or wants to play kitties, he will tell you 'No, Nola kitty. Robbie puppy'. He will crawl around, ruff and pant like a puppy. He has a stuffed puppies that he loves as well - Harley.
- Frozen, or as he calls it 'Let it go'. The other night, he took one of Nola's dolls to bed and called it 'Let it go princess'. I could hear him in his bed singing the song :) He LOVES Olaf and will sing and act out the song Olaf sings on the movie.
- playing with Nola. He is a pretty easy going play mate and 99% of the time he is happy doing whatever as long as he is doing it with Nola. Often, Nola leads the play and he gets right into it - playing whatever kind of character she suggests and following her lead. When he does try to lead the play, Nola is so supportive! Watching them play is a light in my life.
- reading books. He will spend much time on his floor in his bedroom looking at books. Usually, he doesn't want me to read him the books, he just wants to look on his own.
- play Donkey Kong with Daddy. We got a wii ages ago and just pulled it out when we moved to the new place. He asks EVERYDAY to play Donkey Kong with Daddy. It's so cute because Doug will just give Rob a remote while Doug plays and Robbie thinkg he is playing with him :)

Favourite food
- eggies
- homemade tortillas and buns
- cucumbers
- oatmeal
- chicken and fries
- juice
- cereal. Any kind of cereal, he'll eat it.
- rice

Not-so-favourite foods
- carrots
- lettuce
- macaroni and cheese

Best friends
- Daddy
- Grandpa
- Papa
- Uncle AJ
He thinks all these men hung the moon :)

Random tid-bits
- he very rarely wears pants. He is usually running around in his pull-ups
- still not potty trained.
- he is 'scared' of everything... this past week he has been scared of the tassles on his toque and his chicken nuggets.
- he just started Primary at church!!! My little sunbeam!
- he loves to pick his nose.

Mommy's favourite things about Robbie
- his snuggles. Oh my, Robbie's snuggles cure all that troubles me in my life. He is so loving, so tender. His love is real and raw and you can feel it so deeply. Sometimes, if I am feeling blue, I crawl into bed with him and just wrap up in his love.
- his kisses. He gives me massive, wet kisses straight on my lips. I know that mouth kisses are not for everyone, but I LOVE them. Robbie will hold my cheeks in his hands, look me straight in the eyes and kiss me. It melts me heart!
- watching him play with Nola. They really are best friends. I hope their relationship can last, but if it doesn't, I am certainly going to relish it while it lasts.
- watching him eat. SO FUNNY! He starts with a utensil of some sort, but usually always resorts to his hands. He doesn't sit in his booster chair, he sits perched up on the edge of it. While eating, he grunts and you can hear him breathing. He gets COVERED in food and is a massive mess at the end of every meal. I cannot tell you how many times Doug and I pause mid-meal to watch him and chuckle.

My Robbers, you are my ray of sunshine. I am truly blessed to be able to be your Mom. Love you Duff!

Nola these days

Nola

Age: 4,nearly 5! She will turn five at the beginning of March

Favourite things to do
- dance! We love to listen to records or to grooveshark and dance around the kitchen and living room. Whenever she watches a movie or TV and music comes on, she is up and dancing! She reminds me so much of her big cousin Ami - Ames danced to everything when she was little. Heck, she is still dancing now and she's almost 10 :)
- play animals. Her favourite animals are kittens and unicorns. One of the funniest things she does is when we are in the van, she cheers on her imaginary kitties who are running outside. There have been many times she has asked me to open the window so the kitties can jump into the van. A week or two ago, she counted all the way to 100 so all the kitties could get in the van! She also likes to pretend that she has baby kitties in her tummy and she delivers them in the night time. Last night, she had 100,000 kitties. I am not joking.
- Tarzan. Why? I am not so sure. She still is a die-hard Tarzan fan. For her birthday this year she wants a Tarzan birthday party! She likes to strip down to her undies and pretend that they are her loin cloth...
- Frozen. Last week, Doug and I took the plunge and finally watched Frozen with the kids. When it first came out in theatres, I took Nola, but about half way through she said she wanted to go home, so we never saw the whole thing. I have to admit, that movie is so cute and the music is great. And how refreshing is it the see a movie which teaches that true love isn't always about Prince Charming?!?! Nola, like every other child on the planet, loves the music and turns everything into snow and ice around the house.
- some other favourite movies recently are The Croods and Wallace and Gromit.
- play-doh.
- note pads and pens. She LOVES them! If you ever wonder what to get Nola, a note pad and pen always deliver. She packs them around the house drawing pictures, making notes, whatever! She has one pad she calls her iPad, and another she calls her field journal.
- stickers.
- angry birds.
- make toast at Grandmas house.
- tubby time. I bet my kids have a playing bath every single day. Nola and Robbie bathe together and they have SO much fun!! I usually have to add more hot water 2 or 3 times per tubby session.

Favourite foods
- cheerios, in all their varieties. Multi-grain, plain, chocolate, apple cinnamon - you name it!
- homemade buns and tortillas.
- cherry tomatoes.
- chicken nuggets and fries.
- orange juice.

Not-so-favourite foods
- marshmallows.
- potatoes, in all their varieties.
- pomegranate.

Best friends
- Eleanor Irwin.
- her cousin, Eva.
- Grandma.
- Mommy :)

Random tid-bits
- we just cut 6 inches of her hair off. It's at her shoulders now and she will not stop sucking on it. She also sucks on her coat.
- if she loves you, she will call you a stinky pants :)
- she is trying to steal my snuggle blanket. Every time her snuggle blanket (which happens to be my old snuggle blankets) get worn, she sneaks in and tries to steal mine. Little turkey.

What Mommy loves about Nola
- her heart. Even at such a young age, she is so compassionate, empathetic and loving. Her family and friends mean EVERYTHING to her. If her brothers or one of her friends is crying, she will do everything she can to try to make them feel better. I remember one time, Eleanor was crying because she wanted to play with the wand Nola had. When Nola realized that, she gave it right to Eleanor. When I asked Nola about it, she said 'I saw Eleanor crying about the wand. I don't want her to be sad, so I'll play with something else.' She had a huge smile and her face and went along playing. This is who she is - caring and loving. She teaches me so much!
- her imagination. She has a wild imagination that I just LOVE!! She tells such elaborate stories and plays such wild and detailed games. She has no inhibitions when she plays - what a gift!
- her dancing. Watching her is just pure joy. She had great rhythm and really gets into it. On slow songs, she sways and spins. On fast songs, she jumps and flails. No matter what, she is just feeling the music, and that makes this Mama's heart very happy.
- her singing. She loves to sing, and we sing together. She cant wait until she is 8 and she can sing in the choir with me at church. One special experience I had was at church the other day. For weeks when Nola would come home from church, she would sing little bits and pieces of a Christmas song she was learning in Primary. The Sunday before Christmas, the Primary sang this song during Sacrament meeting. Nola knew all the words and actions and she sang from her little heart. I bawled my eyes through the whole thing.
- cooking together. She is my kitchen helper and it is awesome. I love cooking with my girl!
- snuggles. When we snuggle, she usually pretends she is my kitty. I named her Twinkle and she uses this special kitty voice to talk to me. She wants me to get her a scratch on her back and in her armpits (serious) I love these moments.

These are special days with my Nola girl. I love you baby!!!!

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!!!!'