the kenyons

Ophelia 2009

2010-02-07T08:27:00.009-07:00

Can I say LARGER THAN LIFE ?!?!

Seriously this girlie is adorable ... she has these lovely soft blonde curls and these uber-pinchable chubby cheeks, when she grins or laughs it is like the sun's warm rays ...

and it is a very good thing she is so stinkin' cute because she is really a stinker!! We started calling her Bruiser, but I think we will have to stop so it doesn't become a self-fulfilling prophecy. She has no fear - she runs as fast as her little legs can go.
She jumps off the couch.
She climbs ~ chairs, barstools, window sills, shelves, fireplaces, anything she can! (Although she has yet to get out of the crib - which is great for me!)

Kellan rocked her world ~ she had no idea what hit her! She went through a rough stage then ~biting, hitting, screaming, hair pulling ~ her main targets were Kellan and Keidis. Keidis would curl up into the fetal position on the floor sobbing and Fea would stand above him grinning as she whacked him over and over with wrapping paper rolls, dress up shoes, you name it, she hit him with it!! She has improved, now it is only the occasionally nibble on Kellan's exposed toes and the few-and-far-between sucker punches to Keidis.

For all her roughness, she is still a little angel, sweet and happy, she sings twinkle twinkle with actions and hugs and kisses her brothers and sister and still LOVES to cuddle!!

p.s. all these photos were taken by my wonderfully talented friend Debra at debramoorephotography.ca

Kellan 2009

2010-02-07T08:14:00.007-07:00

This little guy is the sweetest little man ever to be. All of my babies have had wonderfully sweet temperments, but Kellan - seriously, the kid never cries ... he just grins and laughs all the day long!

He started out big ~ 9 lb 3 oz ~ and has never looked back. I just weighed him and at 4 months old, he is 18 lb 8 oz (just above the 97th percentile on all the charts). He is just one big boy! He sits in the Bumbo chair and the exersaucer - both of which he was ready for at 2 months due to his sheer size.

Being big at birth is not always pleasant for mom in the moment ... but there are some benefits - like sleep ... within the first week he was giving me 6 hours a night. Fantastic! Basically he has stuck with that. (Must have been the tight-like-a-burrito swaddling). In the last few weeks, he has taken to putting himself to sleep too ... I just put him down in a soft comfy blanket beside me on the couch at around 8 and out he goes ...

His life is pretty simple ~ eat ~ sleep ~ play ~ roll (from back to front) ~ smile ~ giggle ~ sit ~ cower in fear from Ophelia ~

He is a joy!!! We are so grateful to be blessed with him in our lives!!

Ophelia turns one!

2010-01-10T10:18:00.003-07:00

Here is our sweet girl turning one:

Yes, this did happen in March 2009 - I told you I was behind!

our year in cakes

2010-01-10T09:59:00.004-07:00

I am going to slowly catch up, not too much detail though, as I haven't written in months aside from the new baby announcement!

Here is Ophelia's one year birthday cupcakes:

Kaya had a Faerie party this year:

This is an angel food cake for Auntie Trish's birthday:

Corn on the Cob cupcakes for Father's Day - don't ask why, I just saw them in a book and wanted to make them:

Oh Canada - apparently I was on a strawberry kick this year:
I am looking for Keidis' Diego cake right now ... hopefully I will find it as I sift through a year of photos! so that is it for now.

Kellan Thomas Kenyon

2009-10-01T12:10:00.001-06:00

born Sept 30 2009 at 5:37am
9 lbs 3 oz

here he is at age 2 hours.

Notes on an Unhurried Journey

2009-09-29T14:06:00.005-06:00

Notes on an Unhurried Journey

When we adults think of children, there is a simple truth which we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn’t getting ready to live; a child is living. The child is constantly confronted with the nagging question, “What are you going to be?” Courageous would be the youngster who, looking the adult squarely in the face, would say, “I’m not going to be anything; I already am.” We adults would be shocked by such an insolent remark, for we have forgotten, if indeed we ever knew, that a child is an active participating and contributing member of society from the time he is born. Childhood isn’t a time when he is molded into a human who will then live life; he is a human who is living life. No child will miss the zest and joy of living unless these are denied him by adults who have convinced themselves that childhood is a period of preparation. How much heartache we would save ourselves if we would recognize the child as a partner with adults in the process of living, rather than always viewing him as an apprentice. How much we would teach each other… adults with the experience and children with the freshness. How full both our lives could be. A little child may not lead us, but at least we ought to discuss the trip with him, for after all, life is his and her journey too.

-Professor T. Ripaldi

my sweets, living each moment, (in this particular one, playing with photo booth on the macbook).

waddling

2009-09-11T08:12:00.002-06:00

I have another post ready to go, I just need to find the pictures I wanted to include. But in the meantime, I thought I would give you a funny image - I was watching Ophelia toddle down the hall with a rather full diaper ... as she waddled back and forth on her way from one adventure to the next I realized that I am walking exactly the same way these days. So we waddle together :) (only 3 weeks to go until due date!!)

reminiscing

2009-09-06T17:10:00.003-06:00

I was sitting here with Ophelia as she fell asleep on me and spent a few moments remembering these types of moments with each of my babies. I wanted to write it down so that it doesn't get forgotten and this seemed like a good place.

Ophelia is a snuggler. She cuddles up with her face buried into your neck - she likes the feel of skin, not clothes. On me, she sticks her little hand under the collar of my shirt or into my cleavage (this can be a tad embarrassing). It is so lovely to be close and spend just a few minutes snuggling!

Keidis was also a snuggler, but less so than Ophelia. One of my favourite things about Keidis and sleeping at this age was that he was VERY easy to put to sleep when he got tired. It was quite hilarious actually. All you needed to do was get him settled on your lap, put a blanket over his head and he was out like a light. Literally, once the blanket was covering his face he was out. Thirty seconds flat!

Kaya was not really much of a snuggler, except when she was ready to nap. I recall her cuddling herself around my belly when I was pregnant with Keidis. She liked to lay ACROSS my belly, not up and down, and she was also very particular about where she put her hand. It went up my shirt from the bottom with her hand resting on the skin of my belly. I loved it, although it could also be quite embarrassing as well.

Oh how I love my babies.

ultrasound

2009-07-10T13:14:00.003-06:00

Ok - so we are 28 weeks now and haven't really announced it anywhere ... so here it is, we are having a BABY!
I plan for this to be the last :)
Here is the ultrasound ... these are probably the worst quality of the 4 kids so far and didn't really show a whole lot, but here they are:

I think the top right was to show the spine, the bottom left the hand and the bottom right is the profile.
We are due Oct 6, according to the ultrasound and are counting down as we just hit the last trimester!
Hurray!

our action-packed summer

2009-07-05T07:16:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I will post some pics from the last few months gradually ...
it is not the camera that is dead, it is the rechargeable batteries, so I just need to remember to buy some new ones ...
anyway, summer is officially here, it is hot out, kaya is out of school, I am no longer doing my SelfDesign work (even though I work from home and pick my own hours and all that, it takes a toll, you know??) and so we are free as birds!

Kaya has decided that we are going to be busy busy busy and I really want to get out and play with the kids, so we have set a little schedule for ourselves, plus we have lots of fun activities planned:

- granddaddy enrolled kaya and keidis into day camps (2 weeks worth) so we have those spread out through the summer ... I opted to have them in separate weeks so I could have some one-on-one (well along with Ophelia who is always around!) with each of them.
- Mike has a flex day (meaning a day off) every other Monday, so when Kaya is in day camp, he will take Keidis out for a day (to Science World, Aquarium, Granville Island, etc) and then when Keidis is in camp, he will take Kaya ... some valuable unstructured, full-access daddy time!!!
- we are going to go camping at mike's mom's place on the August long weekend.
- we have memberships to Science World and will hit that a few times.
- Our Parks and Rec guide has tons of free stuff going on, so we will be going on several of those outings, including the Surrey Nature Centre, Surrey Museum, Historic Stewart Farmhouse, and lots of library programs.
- we live right near the beach, the mountains, and the forests, so I am hoping to get to several beaches and parks in the area this year, including Centennial Beach, White Rock and Crescent Beach, maybe Kits or one of the West Van beaches, Stanley Park, Peace Arch Park, Crescent Park, Grouse Mountain or Seymour, etc
- there is a weekly playgroup with some ladies at church on Tuesday mornings at homes or spray parks.
- there is a spray park up the street with a massive playground and we will be meeting some of Kaya's kindergarten friends there regularly.
- the library has storytimes on Friday for all ages and so we will go to that each week.

phew!! it sounds busy, but I think we will have LOTS of fun and I will be able to just enjoy my kids :)

your blogs

2009-07-05T07:13:00.002-06:00

ok - so if you blog and you read my blog, could you send me your blog website to my email?
nikki.kenyon@gmail.com

Our hard drive crashed a while ago and as I am finding out all the things I am missing, one of them is my list of bookmarks, including the blogs I follow! I put them in a different place this time, so I won't lose them, but please, there are some of you out there who I have lost and would like to find :)

please
n

broken camera

2009-04-26T20:27:00.009-06:00

Our digital camera is broken - the batteries go off and on and I am having trouble getting pics off ... we have Ophelia's birthday pics from March 5th and we have some other fun things on there that I can't get off ... so here is an update of what we have been up to recently and then I will include some pics that we took with the built-in camera on the laptop, so that I can appease the masses looking for new pics of Fea.

- Ophelia turned one!! What?!? how did that happen?

- Kaya has learned to ride her bike without training wheels ~ pics on the camera :( I am amazed, it was scary for me and she had a few crashes but she is basically there now. Keidis also took his training wheels off, but his balance is a little less stable and he rides so hard and fast that his crashes are more significant - we have to replace a pedal on his bike so far :)

- Mike is currently recovering from kidney stones - he had one that sat there for over a month and so had it removed after a week of severe pain because of it. YUCK! Seriously, who ever thought that something 6mm in size could cause a man so much grief?!?!

- we planted our garden - it is about 10x10 plot and we have potatoes, ca

rrots, tomatoes, peas, spinach, chard, onions, garlic, strawberries, p

eppers and sunflowers (for Kaya) - we shall see how it goes! We also got our compost up and running. Very exciting!

Here are the pics of Ophelia from the camera on the top of the laptop. She started out cranky (she is recovering from a cold) and ended cranky with some lovely smiles in the middle :)

update on monthly challenges post

2009-04-05T20:49:00.003-06:00

So some people have been asking me to give an update about my post in January regarding my monthly goals.

It seems to be going relatively well ... I think in the future, I would give myself 6 weeks at a time to work on a challenge because life gets in the way and I don't get time to be a diligent about the goal as I would like, but it is going okay.

January was cooking and I got into a real groove with meal prep and planning according to the allergies ... I have added a new dinner every two weeks to the repetoire since then and have added a few different snacks that the kids can have. Admittedly, we have fallen off the wagon with eating well - after a few bouts of stomach bugs, strep throat and some vacation time, we have not got back into eating allergen-free ... time to start again. I borrowed my SIL's meal planner (it uses a hockey card holder - very clever - each meal fits in one of the pockets and on the front is the meal name, on the back the location of the recipe (which book, etc) and the ingredients, so if you turn it over, you have a ready-made shopping list - BRILLANT!!) ~ it has worked wonders (the camera batteries are dead so can't post a pic!).

February was cleaning and I got into a real rhythm and managed to have the dishes done, counters wiped and floors swept EACH night before I slept - this is HUGE if you know me :) and then I created a semi-regular schedule of when things would like the bathroom, vacuuming, laundry would get done. Having a bit more trouble sticking to that one!! and again, all that sickness and time off didn't help me to stay on track, but now I know what I CAN do and what works. A success I think!

March was gardening and we got a good start - I enlisted my family and we have started our composter, LOVE LOVE LOVE it - our garbage is WAY down!!!! and we have dug up the garden plot, it has some BIG blackberry roots in it and so we need to get right down in there and now that the weather looks to be improving, I hope to get out there just a little each day or every other day to start setting up rows and mixing compost, vermiculite and soil into the plot to get the plants going in healthy dirt! There are tons of worms and bugs in there - which is a great sign and I hope we can get the kids involved in this as much as possible!!!

I just checked April and it is food storage and 72 hour kits - looks like I know what the next 4 Family Home Evenings will be :) I want to do a fire plan, collect all our 72 hour kits into one space and continue to grow our 3-month regular food storage long term will have to wait!!! For cubs this week we are going to the Bishop's Storehouse in Langley (this is a place where you can buy bulk items of grains, dehydrated goods, beans, etc - you pack it or buy it packed for you) and so I am hoping to kick start myself that way. I heard or read somewhere that April and October are good months to check out your food storage and emerg preparedness because they fall around the regular General Conferences held by our church and that works as a good reminder, plus it is a good time to do a seasonal change of gear inside them ... good thing I picked April as my month :)

so there it is - I do think that 6 weeks would be the perfect length and I did toy with that idea at the outset, but I had so much I wanted to do :) next year I will pace myself - who knows, one day I won't have to add cooking and cleaning to my list!!!

family pics

2009-03-08T20:52:00.005-06:00

So we have a good friend, Debra, who always takes lovely photos of us, here are some we snapped after church in February. She bought the girls (her daughter Clara, and Kaya and Ophelia) these matching dresses at Christmas - they are adorable!

Her website is: www.debramoorephotography.ca ... check it out!

the sweetest girls!

the happy family

the happy SILLY family

this one highlights Kaya's missing bottom teeth :)

a tea party

2009-02-01T19:58:00.002-07:00

Kaya got a tea set for Christmas, so a few weeks ago, we had a family tea party with fresh baked bread (in my NEW bread machine - rice/quinoa bread [gluten-free] for the allergies around here) and some hot chocolate - yum yum!!!

(Kaya was slightly excited, can you tell?)

Come by for a tea party anytime!!!

Fea - 10 months

2009-02-01T19:48:00.006-07:00

Keidis has pronounced Ophelia "Fea" since day one. It has become her official unofficial nickname. The big news is that Ophelia walks - she started 5 days before she turned 10 months and hasn't looked back. She also FINALLY got some teeth - she started teething 2 weeks ago and has now cut the front four since then. I wondered if she would ever get them!!! She continues to be a delight and we love having her around - she is so fiesty and knows what she wants, when she wants it ... and makes sure Kaya and Keidis don't invade her personal space too much! These pictures are after a busy day fort-making when all the blankets, pillows, and stuffies were in a pile ~ all around her!

monthly challenges

2009-01-05T10:40:00.002-07:00

So I am sitting here with Kaya home from school. We helped dig out our neighbour from her icy driveway only for her to get stuck at the bottom. Meanwhile I watched vehicles sliding up and down our little hill ... I figured that we were already a half hour late for half-day kindergarten, so we stayed home to be safe and because by the time I got us out of our driveway and Kaya to school, I would have to turn around and do it all again. Not to mention all those other crazies on the road. We decided to stay home and the neighbour who is stuck at the bottom of her driveway is going to send her daughter over to play inside and out!

So I thought I would blog. Conveniently enough, the camera batteries are dead, so it will just be my ramblings ... lucky you! Feel free to skim if the details are b-o-r-i-n-g!

I had a friend who had a friend who did something I liked (got that?) and I am borrowing her idea. Basically the idea is this ... I am constantly coming up with things that I want to do better, be better at, or just have time and energy to focus on. What happens is I make up this gigantic routine incorporating ALL the things I want to improve on and then I just end up failing at all of them. Instead, I have decided (based on this friend of a friend's idea) to focus on one thing for a month - become an expert of sorts in one area. Then when I think to myself, "man I need a cleaning routine", I can do my best while reminding myself that I am going to be a cleaning expert next month and I will work on developing the habits and routine then. So here is my plan - I am putting it out there so that I will be accountable. Also, some of the things I am going to work on are things I will likely share.

January - Gourmet Chef
Since we are dealing with allergies in the family (mostly mine and Keidis') and we are jumping back into a routine, I thought I would start with cooking ... I am searching through recipe books, blogs and internet sites to find recipes that are mostly gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and corn-free. It is a challenge to say the least. I will post the menu planner that I have started, thanks Jen, and will share some of the recipes that I discover as we venture into the world of beans and rice - both very safe for us and something we are eating a lot of lately!

February - Cleaning Queen
Ugh! I am the worst housekeeper ... I REALLY struggle with this and I am trying to do better, so here we are. This is in February so I can get it over with! Plus I want to establish a routine/system that works. I am going to check out FlyLady (you can google it) and see how I do with that. I am going to try and be realistic AND keep a cleaner house. Two big goals for me in this area - dishes done (includes counters wiped and floor swept) EVERY night and cleaning up spills as they happen.

March - World-Class Gardener
I am VERY excited about this one. I had a pitiful little garden last year - just bought a bunch of starters of all varieties and planted them to see what happened. We had lots of swiss chard (a good one since Keidis can't eat lettuce) and I want to do spinach (another lettuce alternative). We had sweet peas that the kids picked off the vine, but not many grew and they got eaten by bugs lots. We had some jalepenos and cherry tomatoes that worked and strawberries. I would like to actually research what grows well here and how - through books, internet and visiting gardens in the area, start a compost, dig out and build some boxes, put in good soil and then plant and grow veggies and perhaps have a wee herb garden. I am doing it in March so I can plan and get the boxes built. I do recognize that this is just to get started and the work will continue into the fall.

April - Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Guru
This is one I am feeling a bit urgent about. Especially since some food storage needs are going to change based on the allergies. I plan to update and complete our 72-hour kits, build back up our 3 month storage and make a plan for building up and actually storing our long-term food storage.

May - Skilled Scrapbooker
I want to develop my skills and organize my photos and be creative, so how better to do this. I may attend crop sessions at scrapbook stores, or have my own with friends. I will use this month to read scrapbook mags, look at samples on the internet and go nuts!

June - Organizer Extraordinaire
Closets, cupboards, paperwork and filing, toy storage and more are all going to get revamped. I plan to open, explore, and purge what I can. I hope to create systems for paper that comes into the house, artwork and school work by the kids, etc. This is not just a one-time clean-up, this is to develop a plan on how to keep our space more organized all the time!

July - Outdoor Enthusiast
Kaya is done school. I am off for the summer. We live 20 minutes from the ocean, 2 minutes from parks and a water park, 5 minutes from an outdoor pool, 15 minutes from forested trails, 1 hour from gorgeous mountains. We are going to get outside 4 times a week, if not every day (and not just me sending the kids outside, I want to play with them out there!!!).

August - My Own Personal Trainer
I want to get my behind in gear and get fit - I can control my eating and I actually lost about 15 pounds in November just by eating proper portion sizes. I can maintain that and actually work on the jiggle factor if I get myself into a routine - we have YMCA memberships thanks to my Dad and Cheryl and while we use them weekly, I would like to get into the habit of attending much more consistently.

September - Cake Decorator
I have been making cakes, getting tools and practicing monthly for the last year. I am going to keep that up and then in September I will actually take a class or two and get some more skills. I will practice with fondant and piping and making flowers and such. I am looking forward to this month. (A great one to come on the heels of my getting in shape month hey?)

October - Event and Holiday Planner
I am gearing up for Christmas and the next year's holidays. I will make plans and organize birthday and holiday things so that I don't have to stress. I would also like to do a Christmas card and picture for the first time in 4 years and prepare myself for birthday cards for the following year - it sounds lame, but we are seriously the WORST card-senders, letter-writers, special-day-acknowledgers ever and this is something we think about doing better every year! I would like to focus on our Christmas routines and create some meaningful memories ... including service to others, family and extended family time, and so on!

November - Family Home Evening Specialist
It is time to create a chart and thoughtfully plan our weekly family nights so the time is meaningful and fun! Each week we set aside Monday night for family night. We take turns planning activities, we use the time to have lessons and discussions on things that come up in daily life - tonight we are talking about helping with chores, other topics have been being kind, learning about $$, learning about how to treat babies, scripture stories, and others. We try to do some fun activity too, a game, baking, a craft, or we just skip the whole organized mumbo jumbo and watch a movie together or go to a baseball game or out for dessert. Lots of fun and I would like to get it together so that everyone has a chance to plan something each week and help out. I would like to add some things too that we can do monthly or every few months, like a show-and-share, a VIP night (like a we-love-daddy night), a service activity, and others.

December - first 2 weeks - Baker
I want to play with my baking this year, make some fun truffles, and other goodies to give away/share. I have LOTs of recipes to try.

- last 2 weeks - Book Lover
Ahhh - sweet release - I will have 2 weeks (well - I want 52 weeks, but let's be reasonable) to read as much as I want, in all my spare(ha!) moments. I have many books I want to read and being in a book club keeps me motivated to do it on a regular basis, but my list is growing and I want some time designated for jammies and books!

So that is it, that's my plan ... we will see if it makes it easier for me to accomplish my lofty goals if I don't try to start them ALL at once :) I have others I would love to add too, they will have to wait for another year (like interior decorator, seamstress, painter/art-eest, furniture builder, etc) and I assume some I will have to tackle each year (like cleaner, cook, organizer, personal trainer, etc). This is just a beginning!

overwhelmed

2008-12-19T10:12:00.002-07:00

wow - november and december have just flown by ... in november we lost one of my step-dads, he passed early in the month ~ I have discovered that there are a lot of details and paperwork to dying. After catching up from that busy time, my mom from Alaska came and stayed. After catching up from that (well, truthfully, i think i haven't yet!) it has been December ... and we haven't stopped basically since it started. I feel like I haven't taken any time for me or for mike or for my kids ... we are just go go go and for sure, I think I haven't taken time to think of others out there who don't have as much as we do and very importantly I haven't taken time to consider the reason for the season ...
Kaya this year is trying to figure out the Santa thing ... she asked Mike whether he is real and Mike said "what do you think?"... Kaya said, "no - how would reindeer ever fly?" ... I know that reindeer fly in her imagination ~ we have fairies and dogs and ponies that fly all around our house regularly, but for some reason this is how she has decided that Santa isn't real ... now, Mike has never been one to uphold the belief in Santa (on the otherhand, if I didn't believe in Santa, I wouldn't get presents from my mom, to this very day:) ) - I don't think though that he has ever said to her that Santa is not real ... we have talked about gift giving from Santa and others and how it is a symbol of the real gift from Jesus ... anyway, there is a lot of focus on the secular side of Christmas with her being at school and I am realizing right now that we need to focus a bit more on what is important about Christmas. I am surrounded by good examples of selfless people ~ we have friends on their way to Mexico to build houses for less fortunate people over the holidays ~ my brother gave my dad a donation to the Salvation Army and a 4-hour bell ringing shift for his December birthday ~ a couple of families I know are giving donations to KIVA as gifts to others, the recipient of the gift gets to decide who to sponsor. I want to follow these examples ... I feel like I have been so focused on just getting by and dealing with allergies and major colds (right now Keidis, Ophelia, and I are wicked sick!) that I haven't gotten to what is important.
Thank goodness today is the last day of school for Kaya for December and that Mike is on holidays for the next 2 weeks after today. Maybe I can be the mom I want to be, the wife I want to be and the friend/neighbour I want to be. So I am starting today ... I just phoned the missionaries and they are coming over at 7 a.m. Christmas morning to open presents with our family ... I am going to get them stocking stuffers and small goodies and they can have a less lonely Christmas morning. That might be the only service-oriented thing I can manage this year, but it is something right? The rest of my time from now will be spent on renewing my relationships with Mike and the kids and with myself!
I am grateful for the season, for the opportunity to teach my children about our Savior, for peace in my life and in my home, for an amazing husband who loves and supports me, and for 3 beautiful babies who light up my life!

aller-GEEZ!!!

2008-12-04T13:00:00.003-07:00

So both Keidis and Kaya have always been stuffy, snore terribly, and have constantly drippy noses ... Kaya gets "allergy shiners" - dark bags under her eyes - and Keidis gets wicked eczema. The MD told us to put them on allergy meds for 6 months and see what happens ... FORGET THAT!!! I asked about determining specific allergens and he said he was sure it was environmental or airborne (dust, grass etc) ... I have heard around the block that it could be digestive, so I took them to a naturopath. We left the appointment with a list of foods to avoid for each of them and we will see what this does ... it feels much better to me than medicating them for the rest of their lives. The issue is that this is really going to be a ton of work - it is inconvenient and expensive! Here is the list:

Kaya - corn, oranges, soy, peanuts

Keidis - oranges, eggs, corn, milk, apples, peanuts - and 3 biggies ~ cheese, wheat, lettuce!

you read right, he reacts to lettuce ... normally with a 3-year-old, this wouldn't be an issue, but Keidis eats salad hand over fist ~ he chooses salad over pizza and fries EVERY time!

So I am now on a quest to find foods and recipes ... if you have any good wheat-free websites or bread recipes, or deal with this on your own, I would love any and all suggestions.

We have figured out that we will continue making salads with chard, beet greens, kale, and spinach. We will move to rice noodles, crackers, and flour sometimes. We will use almonds instead of peanuts for all that sort of thing. As a family, we are just going to cut out cheese period (except goat feta). Our plan is to make these changes all together, so that we are just eating what everyone can eat. Mike and I will be tested in the next 2 weeks so we can make a FAMILY lifestyle change :)

so that is my current stress ~ although I am relieved at this point to be doing something productive that doesn't involve medicine every day.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-23T09:27:00.005-07:00

We went on Kaya's first field trip to the Aldor Acres Pumpkin patch. Kaya's good friend Gracie came in our car with her mom and I also brought Keidis and Ophelia. We gathered in the front, entered and got on the tractor hay ride to take us to the field. We picked our pumpkins (which we carved Halloween night and I forgot to take pictures of them) ... the pumpkins had to be a size so that the kids could carry it all the way back to the tractor and lift it up on to the tractor in order for them to keep it ... Kaya picked the biggest one she could manage, by was she struggling! But she wouldn'tgive up and came home with a Mama-sized pumpkin :) Keidis' was nice and dainty, just right for him :) Afterwards, we went to the petting zoo - oh what fun!

On the Hay Ride with Gracie!

fondant

2008-11-23T09:22:00.002-07:00

This is my first experiment with fondant:

Made this for Thanksgiving Day with Mike's sisters and family.
Not bad for my first go!

ABDC tour

2008-11-23T07:43:00.005-07:00

I went with Emily Leavitt and Candise Christensen to America's Best Dance Crew's Tour in October. It was SO AWESOME! In my secret life, I have always wanted to be a B-Girl and so it has become a bit of an obsession of mine ... I watch how-to vids on youtube at home all the time and then practice ... so my children think that dancing consists of stalls and breakdancing :) I am sad and pathetic and I act like I am 12, but it is so much fun!

This is part of the Mamalicious Crew representin' on the block ... as you can see, I have challenges with my hardcore face!!! I practice that too :)
This is the first stall we learned (thanks Jenn Vanderhaegan Merrill) for teaching me this one way back in the day!

This is the Mamalicious Crew on Halloween, Jabbawockeez style (they are the BEST crew ever from ABDC!!!!)

Now to pictures/video from the event :)
This first one is Jabbas - notice the boy band tribute in the middle :) also the lights made it hard for the camera to keep focused. And some times Candise got a bit excited and the camera started shaking!!!

And here we are on Thanksgiving Day(leaving all our families behind to go to a dance concert and scream like we are 15!

Representin'!! (I am looking slightly more hardcore here!)

Mid-scream :)
Word!

Kindergarten

2008-10-19T20:33:00.003-06:00

this is my last catch up post!!!

my baby is no longer my baby! Kaya started kindergarten this year and I am grieving not having her at home with me! She is super happy and loves to go each day. I have attached pictures of our first walk to school and her first time sitting at the carpet. She had Mrs. Jones to start with, but then was switched to Mrs. Ilett's class - this was quite traumatic - she had become quite attached to Mrs. Jones. She survived however BUT Mrs. Ilett goes on maternity leave in 6 weeks!

Some funnies from that first day ...

Mrs Jones said " we are going to the good morning song. do any of you know it?"

some randow child "how am I supposed to know it, this is my first day ever!!!"

Mrs Jones was calling out a child's name and got no answer - this had happened a couple of times, the kids were quite distracted and nervous at their first roll call:) She said "so evan didn't answer, are the parents here?"

another random child said "yup, they are."

Mrs Jones said "I know there are parent's here, but are evan's parents here?"

the same child said "Oh, I don't know, but my mom is here and her name is Irene and she is wearing a green shirt and black pants. she works at a dentist's office."

I am certain he would have continued to go on and on had Mrs Jones not - in the skillful kindergarten teacher manner - redirected the child and moved on!!!

in clearwater

2008-10-19T19:18:00.003-06:00

Mike and the kids went to Clearwater at the end of August for a weekend while I was at a conference with Ophelia. They had fun with Gramma Lynn, Papa Don and Ashley and Kelsey. The took a trip out to some waterfalls near where they live. Here are some pics of the visit:

keidis' birthday

2008-10-19T19:07:00.005-06:00

My BIG boy is now three!

He has very much entered the independent "me do it" stage!

He is happy go lucky and has a great sense of humor!

We had family and our neighbours over for his party. He wanted an ice cream cake so I made an ice cream bombe - layers of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and chocolate ganache and fudge laid into a round freezable bowl - so yummy!!! I really love my sweet sensitive guy - he is so cuddly and has a very thoughtful and gentle side. We love having you in our family, Buddy!

my friend karyn says ...

2008-10-05T21:47:00.002-06:00

she always says that if you are going to start scrap-booking or journaling, you need to start NOW and work backward ... so that is what I am doing since this is as close to a journal as I get these days! The two posts below this are for the last couple weeks and then I am going to do the end of august and the beginning of sept later ( i will, i promise!!! ).

the weekend to end breast cancer

2008-10-05T21:16:00.002-06:00

so all year long we have been walking and fundraising and walking and fundraising to be able to participate in the 60km (about 38 miles) walk around Vancouver and downtown. In order to walk, you have to raise $2000 which is a VERY daunting number.

These are our air-brushed tats - NICE!

We walked 35 km the first day and 25 the second. They fed us lots of snacks, lunch, gatorade and water. Then dinner was at the camp - where I did NOT sleep (I wasn't prepared to do that with Ophelia after having walked for 10 hours that day). Bif Naked performed (recently diagnosed as well) and the food was yummy. The next day we walked the last 25 km. I ended up walking with two other ladies on the second day - one was amazing on the trails (most of it was pavement and when we hit the trail, she took off!), one was amazing up hills -seriously she just flew up them, and I seemed to thrive right at the finish - I dragged them across the last couple kilometres ... I wanted to get in there as fast as I could!!!

The closing ceremony was totally emotional, they put all the survivors in pink shirts and parade them into the stadium and after walking 60 km and being the overly-emotional girl that I am - I was done for!!!

A big thanks goes out to all my donors, Cooper's foods and Harvest meats (for donating to hot dog sales which pushed our team over the top), Uncle Animal who raised 1700 or so for our team, and my dad and his wife who cooked us dinner on Friday, took the kids overnight on Saturday and fed us again on Sunday night.

Post-60 kms, waiting for closing cermonies ... and just a bit tired.

So I have 2 heros of that weekend ... one is Mike - who on the first day, tagged along - meeting us at all the rest stops with all THREE kids, just so that I could feed Ophelia periodically. So he entertained 3 kids ages 5 and under downtown for 10 hours!!! the next day he literally followed us around stopping at each pit stop (not as big as the rest stops) which were about every 2-3 kilometers, driving Ophelia (again so I could do the feeds) and some of our team members when they took breaks!

Keidis held his sign upside-down and all the walkers cheered as they walked past my sweet family!!

Our team, minus Trish (taking the picture) and Tamsen (who couldn't make it due to major move and who we missed dearly), PLUS Jamie (who was bravely walking SOLO and we very much enjoyed).

My other hero of the weekend is Jen, Mike's sister. She is the reason this all started and one of the people in my life affected by breast cancer. She finished treatments (mastectomy, chemo and radiation) 8 months before, was prepping for reconstructive surgery in 2 weeks and still walked 40 of the 60 kilometers! She has been truly inspirational to me!

I am so glad I did it! I am already signed up for next year - although I swore before we got there that I wouldn't!!! I did get a nice training T for signing up though! I am pleased with the $$ raised (1600 walkers raised 4.1 million bucks for breast cancer) and that I was able to complete this crazy physical challenge! WAHOO!!!

salt spring

2008-10-05T20:22:00.002-06:00

we had a great visit with friends Debra and Gerry Moore on Salt Spring Island on the weekend of the 13th. We went to the fair and quite enjoyed visiting.

okay so the face painter she went to wasn't my favourite - they both asked for butterflies and hers was this big black thing all over her face and keidis was this dainty little butterfly. Kaya was happy to be painted up but when she first looked in the mirror she made a wee little "what the heck?" face!!

And my favourite picture (how come the back shots are always so cute) - here they are with Clara - one of the Moore kids!

Thanks for having us, Debra and Gerry and family :)

One reason I LOVE the coast!!

2008-08-17T13:29:00.008-06:00

Ok - so this is about 4 months late, these pictures were taken at the end of March! I absolutely LOVE spring on the coast ... I have 3 favourite types of trees (wierd, I know!) and 2 of them are my favourite because of their blossoms in the spring -

the magnolia tree has really large gorgeous flowers ... you can't really see them in the picture, but they are about the size of my hand.

and of course the cherry blossom tree with its delicate little buds.

There is something I love so much about the shape of this tree - I just can't explain it!

Bon Voyage Tamsen and John

2008-08-17T13:20:00.003-06:00

In July, we said goodbye for at least 4 years to Mike's sister Tamsen and her family.

John is starting dental school in Boston and so they will be on the east coast for quite some time. We had a family gathering with Mike's other sisters, Jen and her family and Trish.

For some reason I didn't take any photos of Tam and John, but we did manage to get one of the cousins. It will be good to get another photo of all the cousins the next time we are all together to see the changes!

For my cake of the month, I made a tooth cake since John is going to be a dentist!

We wish you luck and we will miss you all. And Happy Birthday to Tamsen and a Happy Anniversary to Tam and John too!

Happy 30th Uncle Peter

2008-08-03T11:07:00.004-06:00

This is a shout out to my little brother ... he turned 30 last week!!! Uncle Peter is the third in an illustrious line of Uncle Peters. Here he is with his niece and nephew.

They really love spending time with him and talk about him often ...

Peter is over 6 feet tall and this is wonderful to Kaya. She is always talking to Mike (who is NOT over 6 feet tall) about it ...

"Daddy, Uncle Peter is MUCH bigger than you."

"Daddy, Uncle Peter is very strong, right? Stronger than you."

"Daddy, maybe one day you can grow up to be as big as Uncle Peter."

"Daddy, Uncle Peter is a giant ... and you are not."

And one day we were talking about ants carrying pieces of food and how, compared to their body size, it was like us lifting cars ...

Mom: Do you think I could lift a car?

Kaya: NOOOO! (laughing) But Daddy could ...

Mom: No, not even Daddy can, one person can't lift a car, they are too heavy.

Kaya: Oh, well then, Uncle Peter can for sure!!!

It is a good thing Daddy has a well-developed sense of self :)

In all seriousness, we love you little brother and are very proud of you!! Happy 30th!!!

Shopping on Barbie.com

2008-07-06T23:17:00.003-06:00

Ok - Kaya loves to play the computer and recently she has really enjoyed Barbie.com. I DO NOT LIKE Barbie.com. Almost all the games are about looking good, getting ready for a night on the town, do my makeup and my hair, and the music is so utterly annoying!!! Anyway, the other day we were talking to Kaya about Barbie.com and encouraging her to play other kids sites instead. This is how it went ...

Kaya: why don't you like barbie.com?

Mike: well, all the games are about how you look and about changing clothes and hair and makeup and body size to look good, and we don't want you to think that those things are the most important things.

Kaya: Oh Dad, I don't listen to Barbie, I am happy with how I look and with my body size!

Did I mention that Kaya is the queen negotiator? She listens to my arguments and then makes logical suggestions to get around them!

Anyway, so I still don't like the incessant music on Barbie.com, but she does play it occasionally since she continues to ensure me that she doesn't think it matters how you look.

So today we were logged on to amazon.com looking some things up. Then Kaya got on the barbie site and was playing away. Later in the day, Mike checked his email and got one from amazon.com saying "thanks for your order". After checking with me to see what I ordered (Nothing!!!), he went in and found out that there was a Surf's Up Barbie ordered for 18 dollars and she is due to arrive in 2 days (prime fast shipping was selected, luckily for free). So Mike called Kaya over and asked her if she was looking at this barbie, and she said "yes, I was trying to print it." She somehow managed to order the barbie from the Barbie.com site through our amazon.com account, which was still logged in and has a credit card on file. She has NO IDEA that this is coming in the mail! Mike tried to cancel it and it said that since it was superduper fast shipping, we can't cancel the order. Looks like I know what Kaya is getting for Christmas this year!!! Well, actually, we may try to return it since we can buy the same doll for $5.99 at Toys R Us! We have been laughing all night about it. The moral of the story is to make sure you ALWAYS log off of amazon.com.

She Rolled!

2008-06-24T09:31:00.003-06:00

Mike was cleaning the toy room with Kaya and Keidis while Ophelia was laying on the floor on her back. Kaya and Keidis were helping Mike put videos back on the shelf and Ophelia was just wiggling and talking on the floor. Mike turned his back on her and while Kaya was watching, she rolled herself from back to front! Kaya was VERY excited, Mike turned around and there she was on her belly! Hurray!

**note: I did wonder if Kaya had rolled her, but Mike said she was right in the same place handing him vids when it happened!**

A Ballet Birthday

2008-06-15T20:56:00.007-06:00

So Kaya wanted a ballet party for her birthday - "no boys cause ballet is just for girls, mom!".

We created these lovely invites - notice her printing and help ... I really had to let go of my need for the perfect cute invite ... and now when I look at them, I think they are perfect!!

notice the IMVITED :)

The back said "you are invited to a ballet birthday for Kaya Kenyon on May 3rd at Kenyon Dance Studio (with our address and a clever description of activities). Please RSVP to Nikki (head instructor)."

We had ballerina cake (which I made!) and made tutus and danced and played hard for 2 hours. Here is the final picture of all the ballerinas ... note the little one in the black leotard!

Left to right: Keidis, Janae (from downstairs), Isabella Officer, Kaya the birthday ballerina, Sarah MacDonald, and Emma Rolfson.

ophelia - 2 and 3 months

2008-06-15T20:51:00.003-06:00

at 2 months:

at 3 months:

This is our girl - she is so sweet and so happy ... she rarely cries, just giggles and grins. I call her my sweet pea and that is truly what she is! In fact, when she wakes in the morning - she doesn't cry, she just wiggles and grunts until I come in and then I get this beautiful smile!!! We are SO glad to have her in our family!

ophelia pics - one month

2008-06-15T20:43:00.005-06:00

Here are some pics of our youngest beauty ...

At one month:

At 6 weeks:

i am working on it.

2008-06-08T22:54:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that I am working on posting some pictures. The camera has been in the van for the last couple weeks and now that I finally went to get it, the batteries are dead. Thanks for you patience - just to preview, I have some of Kaya's ballerina birthday (with Keidis in a tutu), and of course pics of our sweet Ophelia - who just hit 3 months old!!!

thanks for your patience :) who knew having 3 kids would keep us SO busy - HA!

yesterday

2008-04-25T08:19:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, at about 3:00, it occurred to me that we might actually be getting the hang of this family of 5 thing ... Ophelia is 7 weeks and I am managing to get a regular amount of stuff done, as opposed to less than regular - if that makes sense.

On Wednesday, we went to playgroup at 9 (and we were only 10 minutes late - amazing these days! I can barely seem to get us all ready and out of the house by 10!) We played games, we painted with watercolours, EVERY room in the house was tidy (notice I didn't say clean). Mike had to work late, so I bathed Kaya and Keidis, made supper and did bedtime routine almost all by myself with all three of them (he did come home in time to cuddle and read stories). I even managed to get a fair amount of work done.

Yesterday, we got ready for the day, did laundry, went for a 3km walk to the veg/fruit store (I was pushing anywhere from 20-90 lbs - depending on who was walking or in the stroller - and I had 11 lbs of Ophelia strapped to me), the entire house stayed tidy, we made blueberry/banana bread, played games, coloured and drew (drawed? can't wrap my head around the correct way to say that right now), and I worked. Not to mention the house was vacuumed (admittedly, that was not me - I love being a Young Woman's 10-hour service project).

I am sure that I have been feeling this way because for the previous 11 nights, Ophelia has slept at least 6 (sometimes even 8) hours at a time!!!!! The other 2 never did this for me at this age!

Well, that was yesterday - I should know better than to think or say out loud that I am feeling like I am getting into the swing of things. Last night, this sweet girl didn't go to sleep until midnight (she had been up since about 6:30 and was cranky because she was tired but fought sleep every step of the way). She was really gassy and woke up a few times between 12:00 and 1 a.m. so I just laid with her. I went back to bed at 2:45 and she was up at her usual 5:30 (which isn't so bad when she goes to bed at 10 p.m.) - then she was up again at 7 and is now just drifting back to sleep. Please know I am not complaining - my other 2 didn't give me 6-8 hours regularly until at least 6 months or so (and Kaya was closer to a year). So I am grateful to know it is possible and will work on getting it back :)

I am just saying - yesterday, 'tis but a sweet memory!

made me laugh

2008-04-20T11:38:00.002-06:00

a bit longish, but quite funny!!

Thinking of Having Kids?
Do this 11 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Tele tubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Ophelia Jane

2008-04-13T11:30:00.008-06:00

Here are pics of our gorgeous girl:

the injury

2008-04-13T10:55:00.002-06:00

Keidis bailed hard on the slide on the ferry and split open his chin, which bled profusely and ended up with steri-strips holding it together for a few days until it had healed over - I think this will be his first REAL lasting scar!

big kids

2008-04-13T10:47:00.002-06:00

I forgot how it happens that when you have a new baby, your older babies all of a sudden become HUGE. A few days after Ophelia was born, I was changing Keidis and I noticed all of a sudden that he was very big, thick, heavy large (and he is a small kid!), but in comparison ...

It is great fun to be a big sister or brother!!!

And it is wonderful to be a little sister too!

big belly

2008-04-13T10:44:00.001-06:00

This is pre-Ophelia ... about 2 weeks before ... some of you were asking for one of these!

i don't know

2008-04-13T10:42:00.003-06:00

Kaya came running into the kitchen with a sense of urgency. "Dad, Dad, guess what!?! I have an idea!" So Mike says, "What is it?" Then the classic response, "I don't know yet, I will think of one!"
Ahh my girl!

playing catch up

2008-03-30T21:18:00.008-06:00

So right now, I am working on catching up with things that have been put off ... one of which is blogging ...

So here are some things we have been up to in the last 6 weeks ...

Holidays:

For Valentines, we went to a Valentine storytime at the library and made heart-shaped men at home afterward.

For Easter, the kids stayed at Granddaddy's and Grandma Cheryl's where they got a basket of goodies and the next day did a plastic egg hunt ...

They went (again with Granddaddy) to the YMCA and did a hunt and some crafts and came home like this:

We also made these YUMMY chocolate marshmallow eggs for Family Home Evening. We got the recipe from Roberta Wheeler in Whitecourt ... Here is the recipe and the process ...

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

4 Tbls cold water

dash salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

Soften gelatin in cold wate and add boiling water, stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add the salt, sugar, and vanilla, mix on high speed for 10 minutes. Make a small indentation the shape of an egg and the size you want in a pan of flour. Pour some of the marshmallow and let set for 1 hour. Turn and coat the other side with flour, then dip in chocolate.

Once marshmallow is ready, make egg impressions in a tray of flour.

Then pour the filling into the impressions ... it is harder then it seems to keep the filling INSIDE the impressions :)

Once they are all poured, let sit for at least one hour. Then dip in melted chocolate and decorate wit sprinkles ... would be fun to decorate with icing and tips!

Here are the happy helpers!

Helping out

2008-03-10T12:12:00.008-06:00

Mike's sister Jen came and took the kids on Friday (Mike had to go back to work for that day - his contract only gives him 7.2 HOURS off for the birth of a baby - they give 5 days for a honeymoon though! - in the end, they gave him a sick day for the second day off, but he had to work on Friday. Don't even get me started!!!)

Anyway - Jen took the kids on Friday and kept them overnight and they attended a Block Party at Jen's the next day - they played VERY hard outside all day and returned home exhausted and sleeping! Hurray for a break for me :)

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH JEN!!!

Here are some pics of them on that chilly day (the other two in the pics are cousins Adrianna and Eli).

Ophelia Jane Kenyon

2008-03-07T23:04:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures.

baby is here

2008-03-06T21:43:00.002-07:00

Welcome to Ophelia Jane Kenyon, born yesterday, March 5th at 11:40am. She weighed 7lbs 8 oz and is super sweet.

I am on the Mac which doesn't seem to like blogging (particularly adding photos), so I will add a few later on (like by tomorrow).

imagination

2008-03-02T10:05:00.002-07:00

So with 2 weeks left before this babe comes (we are due march 17th), my back is beginning to act up ... I guess I was foolish to hope that the accident I was in when I was pregnant with Keidis wouldn't affect this pregnancy, but thankfully, I have only been hurting for the last couple of weeks. I am basically able to sit, stand, do anything for about 15-20 minutes and then I HAVE to lay down to rest my back ... It makes it tough to get anything done which is why I won't be posting too much until babe comes. Here's hoping it comes SOON!!!!

I just wanted to share a piece of our lives from yesterday. Kaya came out dressed in pink princess shoes, a pink fluffy skirt and a a cape. She put her hands on her hips (Wonder Woman style) and said "I am Julie Anne America". Then for about half the dayI had to call her that to get her to do anything - come to the table, go to the van, etc. The rest of the day she cycled through various personalities always returning to Julie Anne America. She was also Cinderella, the Harmonica Fairy (who has to play her Harmonica in the toy room and NO where else!) and Kaya the Snow White Princess ... needless to say we got great mileage out of the dress up box yesterday. As a note, Keidis played the Prince, the King, the Queen, and Snow White - all of these identities were assigned by Julie Anne America.

Sorry I have no pics, I have to go lay down now!!

Shameless Solicitation

2008-02-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

This post will serve 2 purposes, one is to show my hair as it has grown out (I have been asked countless times) and the other is to explain why it is significant.

So last year, Mike's sister Jen found out she had very serious breast cancer ... the long and short of it is she had a double mastectomy and removel of 11 lymph nodes, 6 rounds of intensive chemo and then 5 and half weeks of radiation. This ended just before Christmas and she is now doing fine, recovering her energy and looking forward to a long healthy life!!!!! In the summer, she had to shave her head as the chemo was starting to make her hair fall out. Her sister, Trish, raised $1200 through her work by shaving her head. But Jen had to shave her head before Trish was able to, and somehow, when talking to her on a Thursday night, I commited to doing it at the same time as her sometime that weekend - how that happened exactly I am not sure :) but I only had 2 days to think about it, so it went okay!!! Regardless, here are a few pictures of the hair-growing-out process ... this first one is just a few days after (sometime mid-June) ...

in November ... (in need of a haircut!!)

February 2008 ... (took it myself, so it is not a great photo).

So now the point of this tale ... in September 2008 (about 6 1/2 months away), Mike's sisters (Jen, Trish, and Tamsen) and I are walking in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. This is a 60km walk through Vancouver. We will do 35km the first day and 25km the second day. All of the proceeds go to funding Breast Cancer Research. This event is the celebration of Jen's recovery, in celebration of the three-year anniversary of another special lady in my life being free from breast cancer, and it is for a great cause. Each participant has to raise $2000 to enter the walk ... a big number, but I am sure I can do it!

If you are interested in learning more or making a donation, please see our team site and click on my individual site for more info.

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2008?pg=team&fr_id=1255&team_id=48547

Thanks in advance ... this means a lot to me and our families!

Gung Hei Fat Chow

2008-02-10T11:49:00.001-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

We went to a Chinese New Year's Party on Friday night and had a ton of fun. There were 6 couples, no kids :) and we ordered Chinese food ... how can it get better. The best were the homemade deep-fried wontons made by the hostess with the mostess, Emily Leavitt. They were so yummy.

I made my cake for February - it was box cake, but the decorating was my challenge :) Since we were celebrating the Year of the Rat, that was the theme of my cake.

For fun, we played a game called "Crazy Rook". So for those of you familiar with Rook, you use the same cards, but it is different in many other ways. There are 3 tables (a loser table, a middle table and a head or winner table). Each person gets their own score sheet and each hand has different rules, like playing "Rock, Scissors, Paper" for trump OR pick three cards from your neighbours hand before you start play OR deal and play straight from the table (like war, you don't look at them you just play them as they come up). You move tables if you win and you change partners each round. Sounds complicated, but very fun :)

We had a great time and it was nice to get out :) Thanks to the Leavitt's for organising it!!!

Just some random stuff

2008-01-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some of the pics sitting on our hard drive.

This one is of Kaya and Keidis with Mike's Grandpa. We went to visit him just before Christmas. Nice to connect and I think, although he doesn't say much, that he likes seeing the grandkids. Note the smile on Keidis' face - he is pulling this one these days whenever you say "SMILE"!

This was taken the same day, it is so sweet! They are getting so big! Can you believe I register Kaya in Kindergarten tomorrow! My first baby going off to school :S not sure how I feel about that. I told her she could stay home with me and we could homeschool - she promptly put her hands on her hips and told me "Mom, you can't make me stay home!!" So I guess it will be off to kindie in September!

Here is a cake I decorated, from a Kraft magazine - don't look too carefully at the lines, they are NOT straight! One cake a month for practice - I am sure to get better eventually :

Anyway, that is all for now. I will be posting more shortly. Got my FLIP video camera and am hoping to post some vids in a few days!
xoxo

Uhhh ... has Christmas already passed?

2008-01-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

So here are the kidlets in front the EVER-CHANGING TREE ... They helped decorate, we put all the breakable ornaments up high and the rest down low. Every day the ornaments down low change places ... sometimes all the bears are together, all the balls, all the snowmen, etc, ... sometimes all the red ones are together, the green, the blue ... sometimes they are on the tree skirt having tea parties or playing at the park ... it changes every day! You might notice the big gap in the branches just above Kaya's head ... that has been fixed several times, but the tree has actually fallen down about 3 times and I just got tired of re-fluffing our out-of-the-box tree every time it came down due to excessive pulling on an ornament!!

They are in their Christmas eve jammies (we open our jammies on Christmas eve and read the Nativity story in them before bed time).

Here are Daddy and kids in front of the fireplace - all in Christmas jammies ...

And just a few pics of the present opening ...

updates on my challenge

2008-01-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

Here are some views of the areas I have successfully cleaned up and sorted through!!

Here is the top of the fridge!! (see the post below for the messes formerly on there!)

Here is the window between the kitchen and living room ... I put little candles there to remind us not to put stuff there.

Here is one bookshelf - again, don't forget to look down below to see my improvements!

Here is the craft shelf ...

And the three bookshelves that are all together ...

I also have done the desk, but forgot to take pics of it. Really, the only thing left is the top of the desk and the sewing/project/craft table and we are DONE!!! Wahoo! ten minutes a day makes a huge difference!

a challenge

2007-12-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

In the program I work with, I have a few teen learners and each week there is a learning challenge presented for them - I have found myself partaking each week for fun and for interest. This last one was really good for me ...

The challenge is (and I make it to any of you who have a desire) to stop and think about what stops you from reaching your goals (in learning or in any other area). We often have blocks about doing particular things and we need to stop and figure out what it is that stops us ... it could be procrastination, or time management, or organization, or fear, or many things ... Once you have figured out a goal that you have not been meeting and have discovered what it is that stops you ... set down a plan as to how you are going to overcome the obstacles ... and how you are going to be accountable to ACTUALLY doing it.

So in response to this, some people said they wanted to work on their writing and will spend 10 minutes a day in doing so and asked for someone to give their writing to for feedback ... some people said they had fears of meeting new people and asking for help/mentoring/etc and so set a timeline to phone a particular mentor they have wanted to work with and then will report back the results of the conversation, and so on. So this is my take on this challenge:

I have quoted this directly from my response to the challenge and am putting it out there because the more people that know about it, the more likely it will be that I will actually complete it!!!

"So I have many many things that I want to do for learning and growth. No matter what I choose, I always come up against the same challenge/stumbling block (although usually there are others as well). This is it ... I am terribly disorganized!! Okay, now let me clarify that - there are areas of my life where I am extremely capable of being organzied (to the point of doing it obsessively almost :) ), my work for example ... or any other area of my life where I have to be responsible to someone else really. My problem lies in organzing my STUFF and my SPACE to make my home conducive to work in. Basically I live in CHAOS and would really like to change that to organized chaos, if that makes sense!
I just want to be able to have a place for everything and to have it all together, so when I want to work on furniture refinishing, I have a place to do it and a place to put my unfinished projects (another issue for another time ...) OR when I want to sit down and read for interest or fun or learning or a goal or whatever, I want to be able to feel like I can and not have to worry about the stack of papers gathering on the counter/table/desk and I want to be able to know where my book is in the first place :) I also want to be able to sift through it all and keep what is important and useful and remove the rest ...
How can I do this ...
- I will take pictures of the problem areas in my home and post them for ALL to see! (this will be scary so watch out!)
- I will make a little schedule for myself to sort through and organize each of these areas (which I will post and report on)
- I will find places for everything and if I cannot find a place for it, I will find a new home (away from my own) for whatever it is!
- I will set 10 minutes a day to work on this general project of organizing, sorting, selecting, etc.
- Iwill be BRUTAL in my decisions of what to keep and what not to keep. (If it were up to me, I would keep everything that enters my home and if my husband made all decisions, we would get rid of EVERYTHING!) So by brutal I mean for me and thus I will be a bit more picky in determining what holds enough value to remain in my home."

So there it is ... I have taken pictures, see below, and will post my success pictures when they occur!!!

This is the supply shelf in the same room with the bookshelves and project table below ....

This is a cubby in the kitchen ... before ...and after!!!

The computer desk inside and on top!!

This is the window between the kitchen and living room - it tends to collect STUFF ... I have no after pic of this yet, but I have put some little candle holders there to remind me NOT to stash stuff there.

And the notorious top of the fridge stash :)

Thanks for keeping tabs on me :)

what happened to november?

2007-12-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

We were down for the count for a few weeks in november with stomach virus, colds, etc. and then we traveled to Vancouver Island (ahhh - it just feels like home there!) to do some lawyer stuff for the accident I was in 3 years ago and to visit many great friends and family.

I will just throw up some pics here.

This is my most recent cake - it is a present (obviously) ... made it for friend Rhonda's birthday - surprise parties are still fun even when you are 30! and she was so surprised - got to visit with old and new friends (like Eloise who lives in New Zealand and we haven't talked for YEARS and it was like no time had past and some of the chickies from my old home ward in White Rock, besides Rhonda - Christina, Emily, and Kelli) ... good times had by all!!!

Ok - so we moved here partly to get away from the snow ... but this last weekend we got about 8 inches - see our car as Mike swept off half of it.

Here are the kids with the snowman they built with daddy - obviously having a fantastic time!!!

I am not sure if you can see the grins on there faces, but they were having a blast.

Seriously though - that was 2 days ago and today as I look out the window, there is NO snow ... nothing, nada, zippo!! The rain has come and it is all gone - poor snowman - we changed the words to the song ...

"Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman, Once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall ... in the RAIN he melted, melted, melted, In the RAIN he melted, small, small, small!" The word "rain" is supposed to be "sun" in the song :)

So there it is, some fun for now!

catching up

2007-11-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

I will keep adding more to catch up!!

So this is a cake I made for a halloween party (saw it once made by Faith in T.O.). I have decided that I really enjoy making cakes and I am going to make a challenging cake once a month. Okay - by challenging, I mean hard for me :)

And below is the pictures of them taken after they have licked a beater with icing on it ...

Can you say sugar rush?

"More, pwease, MOM!"

pictures finally

2007-11-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures at long last!

This is Kaya and Keidis dancing to Raffi or Disney or some other equally exciting music - this is one of our favourite past times.

And obviously having a good time :)

This is the Sonics game mentioned in the previous post ... I forgot about the camera until it was over! So the players are gone and the fans are almost gone - oops!!

This is Kaya the witch (for the second year in a row) and Keidis as "Sukerman!" (as he says).

I bet you didn't know that Superman wears a black and orange witch hat as part of his superhero outfit ...

More later.

busy busy times

2007-11-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

So we have been quite busy the last little while ... some fun things we hae done

- went to granville island to explore the kids zone (kinda like Chuck E Cheese with a big climbing gym), the local art scene (lots of fun shops with handmade goodies, art, sculpture, etc, and chased pigeons - Kaya was amazed that she could walk toward them and they would just move out of the way and she would just be surrounded "Look, Mom, they make room for me!!" said full of glee!

- continued to go to Kaya's ballet classes where she is the life of the class, of course!

- Mike and I went on a date to the Seattle Supersonics home opener, they played Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash had a great game as he of course was one of the reasons we went down there - how can you be so close to where Nash is playing and not go see him, thinks Mike! Nash posted a double double with 18 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds. What a guy! Actually, he is quite amazing to see in person BUT he needs a haircut, again! It was actually really fun and we will be heading down again this year to see them play - apparently they are leaving Seattle soon, so we have to take it in while we can. Big thanks to Mike's sister for watching our kidlets so we could have a great time!!

- we just got a new minivan - I have officially become a minivan mom - it was bound to happen. It is really nice and easy to get in and out of and Kaya really loves that one of the sliding doors on the side is a power door, so it opens and closes with the push of a button - her jaw drops every time it happens.

these are some good highlights of the last 3 weeks, the bad include: all of us down with a cold, then the stomach flu (only 24 hours in and out), and now Mike has some sort of lung infection, but it has mostly been good and we are surviving.

I have been trying to put up pics from our camera (I am working on our Mac and haven't yet figured out all the intricacies of it yet) - so I am going to post this and try again from our PC.

It's been a long time!!

2007-10-28T21:29:00.000-06:00

Hi my friends and family

It has been a long time since our last update ... life got a wee bit hectic, but we are now back in the routine ... sort of ... here is a family update and then one on each of us ... I can't find the camera cable to plug it in and download pics, so for now this will have to do!

Our Fam:
We have moved!! That is one of the big things that has been happening for us. We moved from Whitecourt, AB to Cloverdale, BC (east side of Surrey - about 20 minutes from the beach!!). We are now closer to most of our family, including my brother, my dad and one of my moms (in parksville). Plus, we are now close to Mike's 2 sisters Jen and Tricia and his other sister Tamsen is moving to Victoria very shortly, so we can reconnect here! This doesn't include countless friends and extended family ... we are thrilled to be here and (sorry my northern friends) away from the snow and cold - we will go trick-or-treating this year in the rain not the snow!

Another major event for our family is that we are having another baby in March 2008. This will be number 3 and we are all very excited. Kaya has put in her order for a baby sister named Sarah (after her best friend in Whitecourt). If it is a boy, she would like it to be called Lincoln (after her future husband in Whitecourt - this is a great story by the way and I will share it in a later post!).

So now for a brief run-down on each of us.

MIKE: He is working as a Mental Health Therapist at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in the Adolescent Day Treatment Program. He basically does individual, family and group therapy for kids ages 13-18 with mental health issues (they go to school in the program, so they are fairly severely affected). He just got a bike and is riding 30kms every day to and from work - we even got him biking "tights" to go with the gear and keep him warm in the rain. He is looking at getting a group of guys together to play basketball one night a week and is keeping busy being a FANTASTIC dad and husband!

KAYA: What can I say, she is the life of the house. She has so much energy and is now just starting to like it here ... she was VERY homesick for her friends and her room in Whitecourt and is just starting to be okay with them being so far away. We got to the YMCA at least once a week where they have a drop-in gym and have lots of space to run, play, scream and meet other kids their ages. She is also enrolled in ballet on Mondays and it is so stinkin' cute to watch 15 little girls in tutus and slippers run around and think they are the most graceful ballerinas around (some are, but unfortunately for Kaya, she got my genes and isn't quite as full of grace!). She is REALLY into drawing and each day her drawing skills improve (as she produces probably 20 pics a day!!). She gave a talk in the Primary presentation at church (in front of 150 people) today and did it all by herself, with no prompting ... she also sang really loud in all the songs, so loud that you could FOR SURE tell when she didn't know the words :) So sweet!

KEIDIS: He is my strong and easy-going little man. We feel like he has turned a corner in his development: he is now repeating everything you say and will use words I didn't know he knew. He even strings a few together into sentences, although Mike and I maybe the only ones who understand what he says (well, Kaya has taken on the role of interpreter - but she just says that he wants what she wants!!). He is enjoying the outings at the YMCA and is so friendly and easy-going with other kids. He has a great little personality and is so cute ... watch out girlies for when this boy gets older!!

ME: Well, I am trying to survive the move, 2 kids, being prego and working. I got a job with a program called SelfDesign Inc and I am a Learning Consultant for families who homeschool. It is online and I do it from home. It is great to be challenged and think in terms of my training and to be able to do it on my own time frame. My main work of course is being a mom and it is the toughest and most rewarding work I do. I am looking forward to having a baby and doing this again, although some days after bed time, I wonder what I have gotten myself into :) Being at home on the coast is wonderful and we have gone to the beach quite a few times since we have been back. I have connected with old friends from when I lived in White Rock and some from Victoria. I have just now started to feel settled here with work and home and routine and so I am going to try and connect with some more of you!!!

So that is it for now ... I will sign off. Thanks for your patience ... some of you have been patiently waiting (or not so patiently waiting as the case may be) for me to get on with it ... I will endeavor to find the cord, so I can put pics of my haircut, a pumpkin cake we made (a la Faith) and the kids costumes, as well as other stuff that comes up - probably not Mike in his biking tights though :)

xoxo

running through the sprinkler

2007-07-22T18:12:00.000-06:00

The kids pool and sprinkler have been our favourite things lately, beside the riverslide (a manmade waterslide that resembles a slow rapid river that the kids tube down - we love that! I will take my camera next time we go).

I will take more of these. They love it - we got a Discovery Toys frog from Grandma Ann that shoots water and balls and we have so much fun - usually Mike and I end up way more wet when we are playing with the kids.

fun family home evenings

2007-07-22T18:01:00.000-06:00

So we have been doing some fun things for FHE. We have gone bike riding (we got Keidis a trike at a garage sale), gone to the park and Dairy Queen, gone to the lake. We made masks one night and then they wouldn't put them on. I was very sad because every time I got one on one of them, the other would have theirs taken off. What a gong show! Eventually they did and I got my one picture.

Here we are making popcorn balls that smell so sweet. Actually, here I am making them and here they are eating them :)

We love our family time on Monday nights!

the weather

2007-07-22T17:49:00.000-06:00

So I have complained about the long winters, but I love the summers. Hot is good after 8 months of snow drifts. I also love the thundershowers. Usually. I have to admit that some of them have been so huge and close that I have been a little scared. We are apparently in tornado country and there was one a while ago 2 hours south of us and we had CRAZY weather because of it. Here is the rain coming down about a month ago. It showered like this everyday for all of June.

Oh! You can't even see how hard it is raining. Look carefully! It seriously was raining so hard it knocked down our garbage cans. I was not going out to rescue them.

The only other problem with long winters, wet springs and hot summers is the BUGS!!! and apparently Kaya reacts hugely!

This is about a minute after the mosquito got her on her inner thigh (I know because I got the mosquito).

it's been a while

2007-07-22T17:41:00.001-06:00

So we have been very busy! at the beginning of June, we went down to Lethbridge for Tamsen's daughter's blessing. The kids had fun playing with cousin Aiden and the family out in Raymond at Mike's dad's house.

It had been a lot of driving for the kids (and us) as we had only just got back from our trip to Vancouver and Mexico, so the kids had had it! They still managed to smile for us though!

Here is Keidis in Aiden's cowboy hat - note the fan - it has been SO hot here!

We have loved the time we have spent with family and friends in the past couple months.

no time

2007-07-12T20:34:00.000-06:00

i just wanted to up-date you all that we are doing fine, having fun in the sun and are keeping busy ... so busy that i haven't got pics up yet on teh blog, but I will shortly!!

funny things we say

2007-06-28T09:03:00.001-06:00

My camera batteries are dead and I have been meaning to charge them for weeks ... i am putting them in the charger as we speak ... instead, I will tell you some of the funny things we have heard in our house.

So we are trying to establish some independence in Kaya - she has always been super independent, but she has this issue with the "potty". So she CAN go all by herself, but everytime she has to go, she wants one of us to "help" her. This consists of her doing it all and either Mike or I watching - basically keeping her company. It is a bit frustrating as I know she can do it all alone!!! The other day I was making meatballs and so my hands were gooey up to the elbows (I am not the neatest chef) and she had to go. I convinced her that I couldn't go because of the raw meat all over me and so she would have to go alone ... "Okay" she says - I thought "Wow, that was easy". She immediately turns around and grabs Keidis and says "You can help me!" Kind of defeats the purpose, but I thought it was cute!! I did have to go in though when I heard her say "Okay, Keidis, here's the toilet paper, you can wipe my bum." AAGGHHH!!!

Another sweet thing was when we were about to have our weekly Family Home Evening last Monday, Kaya was having a bit of a temper tantrum ... I can't remember why she was so upset, I just know she was. When it was time to say the prayer, she said "Please help me not to be cranky and for mama to have a patient time." So sweet!!

Anyway, it is always fun!

me - hee - co

2007-06-14T19:20:00.000-06:00

Wahoo! We had a blast out in Mexico. We went to Vancouver on Friday May 11th, stayed at Mike's sister Jen's house with her family. Our kids had great fun playing with their kids. Mike attended a workshop for work their on the "Co-Morbidity of Anxiety and Depression" - whatever that is. We had wonderful visits with my dad and family, my brother and his girlfriend, who is so much fun - i really like her, and my way back roommates, Heidi and Sarah. It was so nice to be able to visit.

Mike's other sister Tricia took the kids while we were in Mexico. We left on Wed morning and came back Monday night. While Trish worked, my mom in Parksville looked after the kids. My children didn't even notice we were gone. Until we came back of course!

Then we headed to Vancouver Island so we could do a lot of visiting. Fun times! There is something about that place ...

Anyway, here are some pics that we have from our stay just outside Puerto Vallarta, at the Royal Decameron All-inclusive. So fun! (the comments on the pics are below them)

This is the view of the adult pool from our room - that is right, no children allowed, just what the doctor ordered.

Somewhere in this picture there is a lizard about a foot and a half long, it is like Where's Waldo? can you see it? they are great in camo!

I was worried our camera wouldn't do justice to the colour of these flowers, but they were truly this vibrant! (just a little out of focus)

Sunsets over the palapas.

The night sky from our room looking toward the little fishing village of Bucerias.

These trees have branches that grow right into the ground. And I forced Mike to pose.

And here we are. Happy and tanned (a little pink actually) and well rested (and truth be told, missing our kids quite a bit) on our last day there.

just to clarify

2007-05-31T20:20:00.000-06:00

just wanted to note that i think the lake (in the post below) which is near us is very beautiful. The "ugghh" was for the fact that there was ice on it in May. yuck!! - i do appreciate the beauty of it - just didn't want y'all to think that I am ungrateful for the beauteous surroundings :)

more odds and ends

2007-05-31T14:24:00.000-06:00

This is what the lake looks like up here at the beginning of May ... ugghh!! We went for a weiner roast with some other families at Carson Pegasus (a park where you can camp on the lake and have fires and fish and stuff - fun).

I have more to post of this and also of the trip we just took, but blogger is having trouble uploading pics. and since i don't have all day just to sit around and wait for it ... i will have to come back later.

odds and ends

2007-05-31T14:15:00.001-06:00

So it has been a while ...

here are some more of kaya's birthday pics, just randoms ...

Here are some make-up dos and don'ts by kaya:

adventures with cheetos and lip gloss

and this is what happens when she has been way too quiet in the bathroom. She came out saying, I got dirty, I got dirty. I asked her how and she turned around and said "mom's makeup" and there it was!!!

Kaya's 4th birthday

2007-05-06T14:17:00.000-06:00

So we had our dinosaur party. It was great fun! We made dino egg invites - I will post a picture of those in a bit. We had a pink little foot cake (from Land Before Time) as per Kaya's request. She made her guest list. My Cub pack had made pinatas last week, so we made little paper mache dino egg with small dinosaurs inside. Then the kids who came painted them and did some colouring. We opened the gifts, had some lunch and broke a big dinosaur egg pinata - the party was on May 5th after all - which is Cinco de Mayo - you really have to have the pinata. Here are some pics.

Keidis helping to open presents.

Pink Little Foot Cake - made mostly by Karyn Butler, assisted by me.

Here are the kids colouring, waiting for the hot dogs. She invited Beth, Sarah, and Brittney Butler, Alaina Kuehn, Lincoln Jones, and Jayne Vos (and Ashley and Sammy who couldn't come).

Kaya's presents.

Kaya loves her cake.

Here's Kaya swiping at the pinata - I had to put some tape on it so the weight of the treats wouldn't tear through the egg. That's what I get for having eight-year old boys make my pinata (oh those cubs - yes, I am a cub leader - Akela actually!)

And here is Mike taking a break after putting the new swing set together - thanks to granddaddy we now have something to do in our back yard. It is so exciting!!

That's all for now!

Oh yeah, by the way, it snowed on May 4th - did I mention how much I love long winters?

play time

2007-05-01T15:21:00.000-06:00

So here are a few pics of Kaya and Keidis playing in the sun! Today it is 12 degrees Celcius (for my US friends) and so we have been walking and riding bikes and doin gall sorts of fun outdoor things. The only toys we have right now are the balls you see in the pictures and shovels and rakes with which I pretend to tend the grass and garden spots - I am suppose to be gettng them ready for planting (which doesn't take place up here until the May long weekend).

Keidis likes to sit on the potty on a regular basis, could he be telling me something? I am not ready, but maybe he is ... it will have to wait until after our vacation!

i cannot complain anymore

2007-04-25T14:20:00.000-06:00

The SUN is SHINING and SNOW is GONE!!

ok - well almost gone, in corners here and there you can still find a pile. But grass is sprouting, i am keeping my eye out for the first blossom and I am ready for this weather. The kids and I have been outside everyday this week (walking, playing, at the park and biking) and I think we will do it until it snows again ... I've got to get my fill before it ends :)

here is an up-close-and-personal of me and the kidlets. I am trying to get us together for a family photo, but can't seem to get it together.

Also, here is a picture from March that I just got in an email today. It is Jenie Jones, Sheri Dew and me.

This one is Jenie, Sheri, Wendy Nelson (as in Russell M Nelson's other half), me and Karyn Butler.

I posted these because Sheri and Wendy are 2 women that I respect and admire greatly, and as far as church goes, they are my claim to fame :)

hugs and kisses - go and enjoy the sunshine!!!

ta da!!

2007-04-23T08:44:00.000-06:00

Here it is ... we have found the camera batteries and we are back in business. wahoo!!

These pictures are so sweet!! Our kitchen looks so great!

So Mike ripped out paneling and drywalled, then he ripped out old lino and did laminate (which now runs into the living room as well and matches the laminate we did a few months ago in the back of the house). The cupboards came down and new ones went up, then he tiled the countertop. We added the cupboards on the right of the stove (used to be a 12 inch cupboard - now it is 36 inches). We switched out the pantry and got a new stove (fridge was new 6 months ago out of necessity). Took down the fake wall above the upper cupboards and added light above the window. Then Mike trimmed it all up. And I am so thrilled!!

This is the extra cupbaords we added!

This is our pantry and fridge - doesn't take me long to collect stuff on top does it? :)

more kitchen ...

Remember the falling-over faucet?

This is Mike's first try with tile. He is amazing!

So there is our kitchen - all done - just finishing things - vents in the floor (we have already lost one bouncy ball down there), filling and and repainting nail holes and stuff like that, but it is totally functional and usable.

So can now get back to real life and will post as we get stuff done.

xoxo

dead batteries

2007-04-17T20:19:00.000-06:00

So the kitchen is mostly finished ... just touch ups left. (which I might have to do myself if I want them done!) Mike did an amazing job - I love having a handyman as a husband. :) but I think he needs a break now!

Alas, the batteries on our camera died, so I need to find the charger before I can post pics of the beautiful new kitchen or before I can post the other pics I took this week.

will do later!
ttfn

sorry

2007-04-12T12:03:00.000-06:00

Just an apology about the grammar and spelling mistakes. I am typing this with my kitchen basically in my bedroom as well as my computer and my children on my lap and so proof-reading went out the door - just a note - the little girl didn't go "through" the weight - she "threw" the weight (see below). You can find the rest of the mistakes. Kind of like "Where's Waldo?" How many can you find!

just some pics

2007-04-12T11:52:00.000-06:00

The kitchen is still in progress. Lots of fun. Mike has been ahead of schedule the whole way and so it has been a bit of a break at night time for him. Big day today - the floor will be finished and then all the cupboards are almost installed and he can start on the counter. He has to redo the plumbing as well under the sink - it was messed up!! So the complete overhaul is coming along.

Hre are some pics of the kidlets.

Check out th shiner that Kaya got when a 2-year-old friend through a 2.5 pound weight at her! this is a few days after and it has begun to settle down.

One of her favourite things to do it colour and everything she colours is super-multi-coloured.

A little fuzzy, but I had to put one of him on or Kaya was going to get upset - she is my editor :)

RENOS!!

2007-04-06T08:19:00.000-06:00

Here we are at the beginning of renos. Our friends, the Butlers, here in Whitecourt (really they are the reason we are able to stay here!) are going to France and they have so kindly let us stay there while they are gone, which happens to be right when we need it so the kids and I are out of Mike's way. I would love to help Mike but I can't keep my mouth shut and he needs quiet and efficiency ... plus we work in totally different ways ... I need to do one thing at a time - like clean out all the kitchen cupboards and everything first. He likes to do many things at a time, like when I am going along taking stuff out of cupboards, he takes down the cupboard as soon as it is empty, while I move on to the next cupboard. It is impossible for us to work together on this and I KNOW IT!! So we will be taking a hiatus at the Butlers and he will work here all alone!!

Here are some kitchen shots of before. These were taken right in the middle of making supper and doing dishes (see I can multi-task in some areas - just not construction) so don't mind the mess and stuff.

So this is our kitchen sink about which I commonly joke that it is going to fall through the counter top. From the left picture, you can see how the faucet tips into the sink. The right picture shows how it should sit.

It is all rotted under that as the sink is not sealed and the water that spills on the counter just flows to the cupboard beneath the sink.

This is our counter top, which at some point was just green, until someone decided to cover up the cut marks with some of that textured spray paint. When it gets wet, it comes off, which is what you see below. I just scrap a bit more off as it gets wet :) I can't put any food down becasue if I do, it comes up with the paint on it!

These are just shots of the kitchen before so you have something to see after. It will be brand new cupbaords, Mike will dry-wall and lay laminate so it will be revamped!

You can see where Mike has already moved a wall and we are storing the ready to assemble cabinets.

Anyway, now it in pieces and we are just waiting until we can get into the Butlers house. I am doing dishes in the bathroom and trying to keep the kids interested in our bedrooms with all our kitchen stuff in it instead o being interested in what is going on in the kitchen :) Wish me luck!!

April Fools

2007-04-02T21:35:00.000-06:00

So the last week or so has been SUNNY!! wahoo! the snow in our front yard is down to about just below my knees and we have been wearing puddle boots and jumping in massive puddles.

But alas ... it appears I am the April Fool as I really believed winter was over. Not so, my friends, it started snowing yesterday and has yet to stop. We have snow in the forecast for the next 3 days. Did I mention that we will not spend the rest of our lives here in the great white north? :) We will survive and as my mom and nana always say "This too shall pass!"

On a brighter note - we are renovating the kitchen starting this Friday. We are staying at some friends while Mike works non-stop :) I will put pics up of it in the next few days and then you can see that ANYTHING we do will be a vast improvement! I am really looking forward to it - well, to it being completed, that is :)

Kaya has been taking swimming lessons again. She loves it and her favourite part is the waterslide at the end of the lesson. Last week, when it was time to go down, she raced to the top before her teacher had even got out of the pool. This is fine, except that the teacher had yet to turn the water on. So it was just a big, dry slide. I am sitting with all the other moms on the bleachers just watching to see how whe is going towork this one out! We hear her sit and then hear this squeaking, you know the wet suit and legs sticking to the dry slide - lovely! Then we hear footprints and realize that she is now walking down the slide. I did become a little concerned at this point because the teacher was still battling with the other kids and hadn't gotten out of the pool yet. Finally Kaya rounded a curve and all of us on the bleachers could just see her head bouncing along as she was walking down the water slide. This is the point when the teacher (who had NO idea where Kaya was) turned on the water. We hear it and watch as Kaya hears it, turns to look at it, makes a face of terror as it approaches and then suddenly her head disappears. Her little feet were swept out from under her. She got to the bottom yelling "I did it! I did it!" It was at this point that the teacher realized what had happened. Hilarious!! I haven't taken a picture of her yet in her swim suit but it will come shortly.

Here is a picture of Keidis on his car. Notice the cat sticking out the side. He loves that thing. He takes it everywhere. And he wakes up meowing and the last thing he says at night before bedtime is "Meow". Lots of fun!!

stinky cheese

2007-03-20T19:21:00.000-06:00

we are getting sick of winter!! I realized that I have now had 6 months of winter, meaning that there are only 6 months left for the other three seasons ... how depressing! We are hoping to get out of here though in May and head to somewhere childless and hot! Keep your fingers crossed.

As a little insight into the world of Kaya ... lately she has been dressing up and then waving her wand and turning us all into "stinky cheese" ... I am not sure where this has come from or how she thought it up, but it is really quite hilarious. I spend most of my days either as Mama Sharpteeth (from Land Before Time) or as stinky cheese. What a world I live in :)

Here is a picture of Mama Sharpteeth and Big Girl Sharpteeth (Keidis is Baby Sharpteeth and, of course, Mike is Daddy Sharpteeth).

And here is the biggest eater ever!! Wait until he is a teenager!!

2 plates of lasagna later ...

2007-03-13T12:26:00.000-06:00

ok ... so life is not all that bad. When I begin to get discouraged, something good happens to remind me that things are all right.

This morning I saw the most gorgeous sunrise ... reds, yellows, pinks and purples through a haze ( I try to forget that the haze comes from the 2 mills in town!) and I realized that we don't live in such a bad place ... it is warming up and the snow is melting (literally melting INTO our addition, we have a sled catching the water in there right now) and with the daylight savings time change, it is actually feeling a bit like spring. There is life after winter!!

Here is a picture of the Kaya and Keidis playing dress up ... we have to get some boy dress up clothes :)

At least they play well together MOST of the time!

TTFN

what a day!!

2007-03-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

So you know how you once in a while, you have a day that you know is going to be really busy and you know that every thing needs to go just right to make it work? yeah, we just had one of those days ... And you know how on those days, something ALWAYS goes wrong? yeah ....

So yesterday we had mike's work 8-4:30, during which time I was scheduled to go to the park and do some work at home on the computer. then he needed to be picked up and taken to a heart and health fair to staff the mental health booth (as the expert, not the example :) ). During which time I had to take back the library books we had out, and prep for Cubs that night (yes that is right ... right now i am the temporary Akela for our Cub pack at church!) and then swing back and pick him up at 6:40 so I could get to cubs at 7. Then I would leave early (7:50) so he could have a teleconference with some church leaders in Edmonton at 8. sometime in there, the kids needed what they always need, play time, cuddle time, food and naps and bedtime.

So not a lot of room for error. Well ... first thing ... at 6 am, the kids crawled into bed with us to wake us up. in jockeying for position, Keidis poked Kaya in the eye with his toe. This turned out not to be a little toe-poke ... he had actually scratched her eyeball with his toenail. So much of the day was spent consoling Kaya with her puffy, red, swollen eye as we went to the doctor to diagnose her "corneal abrasion", got some antibiotic eye cream (try to get that in there 3 times a day for 7 days) and an eye patch. Great. so we tried the pirate thing, but she didn't want to be a pirate, we drew a picture on the front of the patch ... no deal. It eventually came off and has since stayed off.

When we dropped Mike off at the fair, we went in for a few minutes ... and stayed for longer than anticipated, because a lot of the staff at the fair were mike's colleagues and they were in essence baby-sitting our "gorgeous children" (picture lots of cheek-pinching). At the fair, Keidis was climbing under tables and chairs and ended up with a black eye (which conveniently matches the other one he has from last week).

Coming back to pick up Mike, I was in a rush and carrying Keidis down our front steps, when I slipped and landed smack on my bottom. I am fine despite my bruised ego, elbow and bottom. Unfortunately, when I fell, Keidis' foot hit a stair and got hurt. It wasn't until he woke at 10 pm crying and grabbing his now swollen and red foot that we realized something was really wrong. We iced it and gave him Motrin and went back to bed, as emerg at midnight is never fun. This morning we had xrays and his little foot "could possibly have a broken bone, there is no clear picture of a broken bone, but one of the bones appears to be a bit misshapen and out of place." The good news is that since he is so young, the joints and bones have yet to fuse and so it will heal quickly and on its own with no consequence later on. I am to let him do what he normally does, because babies (unlike adults) won't walk on it and use it if it hurts and is not ready. BUT that means I am not to give him pain relievers to dull the pain because we want him to rest it, which he will only do if he can feel it!!!! AAGGHH!!

Great! Could it get any better? The good news really is that Kaya's eye is looking much better and that it is Friday and it is sunny and it is 9 degrees (that is above 0)!!! Wahoo! so today I am relaxing with my kidlets, waiting for Mike to come home so we can have a good weekend, without doing anything to strenuous for Keidis' foot. I have no pictures to post today, although one of the ladies at mike's office did take one yesterday of my children "groping" the display at the breast cancer booth. She plans to put it in the staff bulletin as blackmail for mike ... some on-going joke at work. But I will not be posting that one. :)

Anyway, we are doing well and hope you all are too!
xoxo

we will try it out

2007-03-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

So in an effort to better communicate and maybe share photos better, we will be trying to keep this current and updated.

Check back regularly to see pics and blogs about the ever-exciting kenyon family :)

the weather

2007-03-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

So flurries are predicted AGAIN! I think it has snowed every night for the last month.

I have learned a few things about living in the snow and cold.

1. When it is -22 outside and you are all sitting breathing hot air inside the car, the windows fog up. Fairly normal and expected. However, it is when you go to wipe away the fog on the windows that you discover the unexpected, it freezes on the inside. So now, you have to use the ice scraper for the INSIDE of your windows!!

2. When you open your car door on a particularly windy and snowy day, the wind can sometimes blow snow onto your dash. Not a big deal. BUT ... when you turn on your defrost, the snow starts blowing all over your car and now you are not only scraping your windows from the inside, but you have your own personal snow storm inside the car.

3. Three and a half feet of snow in your yard does not melt at all even when it is +11 degrees outside.

So there are my lessons about the snow. Can you tell I am ready for spring?

So the kids are really up to their waists

and they are still not touching the ground.

This shovel is 4 feet tall!!