Creating Christmas

My absolute favorite time of year; Christmas.
To me its the most selfless time of year. A goal to make everyone around you feel the spirit you feel. Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. And being so Thankful for everything you have.

Some of my Favorite Christmas memories...

Mandarin Oranges. The smell of them reminds me of Christmas morning. A strange thing to have on a Christmas Memory list I know, but the memory of rushing into the living room to open our stockings first thing Christmas morning is just one of my favorites. And how EVERY year there was a mandarin orange in the bottom of the stocking.

Egg Nog. An acquired taste. You either love it or hate it. I chose to love it.

Slumber parties. Christmas Eve me and my sisters would all sleep in the same room. Not much sleeping actually got done. Instead we sat there all huddled in our blankets reminising about previous Christmas' and what we thought we were gunna get that year.

Santa's Anonymous. I remember every year in Elementary school we would color Teddy Bear cutouts that would get sent to the malls after. A description of a needy family or child would go on the back and then get hung on a tree. People can then pick a teddy bear and buy a gift for that person(s). Im so happy I was apart of it.

Christmas Carollers/Decorations. Something we dont see enough of anymore. I used to love going to the malls at Christmas. Not for the shopping but for the atmosphere. The halls were filled with lights, garland, streamers, bells, trees, nativity scenes and carollers. Christmas music echoed down the hallways. It just felt so Christmas.

Advent Calendar. Not those cheazy cardboard ones filled with stale chocolate. Im talking about the one we had as a kid. Home made with tiny pockets that were filled with tiny glittery ornaments. I remember as the days pass I would put the ornaments back in the pocket just so I could take them out again.

The Nativity Pageant. An event I anticipated every year. I was in it for many years as part of the 'crowd'. I loved getting all bundles up in my winter gear then all dressed up in 'rags'. It was neat to be able to pet the llamas and the sheep.e We would get to roast marshmellows while standing around a fire 'behind the scenes'. I would get my fill of hot chocolate and apple cider then head back to the chapel for pizza! (some nights)

The Nativity Scene. By far my favorite part of setting up Christmas decorations. I loved arranging it and then just sitting there admiring it. White porcelain figures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. The Little Shepard Boy, the Three Wise Men, the Angels, the Animals....all surrounding a wooden barn placed on a blue satin sheet.

Turkey Dinner. A given with all holidays but for some reason its just so much better at Christmas. It must just be the atmosphere. Or maybe it was those big red goblets that came out every Christmas. (which are now in my possession)

The Tree! Not those ugly fake manufactured kinds. No, im talking a REAL tree. The ones that fill your house with the sweet smell of fresh pine and not nasty toxic plasticy fumes. I loved decorating it as a family. Every year the same ornaments, until they got broken, and at the very end the tinsel. My Dad had a specific way of doing it. Gently draped over his hand picking up only a few strands then strategically placing them on the tip of nearly every branch. He would hand us a small clump and direct us on how to put on tinsel properly as if he was deemed 'tinsel expert'. When we were done we would catch him going back to the tree and fixing any spots we did that werent quite right.

There are many more memories of Christmas I love. Listening to my Mom sing Christmas songs in the choir or even just hearing her over the crowd, Going to Grama's house for more spoil'n, the adventure of finding or making that perfect gift for a friend or family member, Christmas cards. The list really could go on but i just wanted to write down a few that stand out when I think of Christmas.

Today the kids and I set up the Christmas lights. I loved how excited they were getting. They can't wait until tonight so we can plug them in. They are especially happy about the GIANT Santa Claus Nana Jevne brought up for them. We even started our decorations inside and turned on the Christmas tunes! I have so many plans for Christmas I honestly think it will be impossible to get them done but im going to try my best! My goal for this year is to spend next to nothing on Christmas (only using what I have) so we are making stockings, a Nativity scene, and a million Christmas presents! Not to mention all the yummy treat making I want to do! Im so excited to get the kids involved. Hopefully I can get Evan in on some of it too!

Tis' the Season Everyone! Merry Christmas!

Just Another Charmer

Mr. HandsomeJacek is 8 weeks old. Wow what a different kid. I knew he was going to be unique. My whole pregnancy with him was different then my previous ones. I also knew that he was going to be an owl. I could tell by the way he moved. During my pregnancy every night at 11pm he would go stir crazy. Kicking, squirming, punching and occasionally a summerasault (an unpleasent experience). That same routine happened again between 4 and 5am, then again at 6am. Daytime movement stuck to meal times. Its amazing how this schedule sticks even after birth. Nearly every night (since birth) Jacek screams and fights between 10:30 and 11pm. Its a rare and appreciated occasion when he falls asleep, and stays asleep, at 9:30 or 10pm. He keeps to his schedule during the day as well. The moment I sit down for a meal, he wakes up and fusses. Its exhausting. I coped much better with this when he was still 'inside'. But slowly that routine is fading and moments of sleep are becoming more frequent. (I got 5 hours in a row the other night!!!!)

Jacek is going to do great things, I can already tell. He was smiling and cooing when he was only days old. He was able to push himself into a strong standing position within weeks. Hes found his hands already and I can already get giggles out of him when I tickle him. Hes even managed to roll himself half way over once. These are all milestones that took weeks and even months for my first two to achieve.

We recently had a check up for him a couple weeks ago he weighed in at 11lbs 9oz. And he was only 6 weeks old. Im sure we've soared past the 12lb mark by now.

Here are some pics of him over the past few weeks.

Great, another one just as charming as the other. Dimples and everything. Girls will be flocking to our house when they are older.
11lbs 9oz!!!


The midwife team. Anne, Theresa, (me and Jacek), Helen, and Taina. We took 2 pics and Taina managed to close her eyes for both of them!

Checking out Zuli

Cuddle time with Dad. aka. Short break for Mom.

Sleeping while deep in thought and basking in the sun.

the most peaceful sleep, is a Babys sleep.

Day of the Dead

Well, We did our Halloween a LITTLE early this year. We were invited to attend "Trunk or Treat" at the LDS church here and thought that might be a better option for the kids this year. They had a blast.

I had to think of something easy for their costumes this year because time is just something we havent seen much of this year. I came up with Sugar Skulls. What a perfect occation to honor the 'Day of the Dead' celebration. So I did a quick hunt through Value Village and came up with little outfits for each of them and picked up some face paint.

The Transformation

Naveah was the hardest to paint. She had a hard time sitting still because she was SO excited to get her face painted. I took her into the bathroom to show her after and she kinda shuttered a bit and I almost thought she was going to freak out. But then she shrieked "MOMMY! I look pretty!, SO CUTE!" haha Thats my girl. (for any of you that know the sound of her cute little high pitched voice, you'll know just how adorable that sounded"

Kael was amazing. He couldnt WAIT to get dressed up. He has been talking about it since we picked up his costume. Though sometimes, and im not sure how, he confused "sugar skull" with "sea monster"...??? Yah I dont get it either. Anyways, You'll see here that Kael was super happy to get his face painted, and he got straight into character right after he saw the first picture. He went monotone. He was scared to smile because he didnt want to wreck the make-up. haha. And Im not sure what it is, but he SURE does look creepy.

Their face didnt turn out as well as I hoped they would have. I remembered too late that I didnt have anything to APPLY the face paint with. So I ended up using one of my eye shadow brushes I never use. Not the best for small detail. But in the end, they still looked great!

On the way there. It was hard to keep them from rubbing the side of their faces all over the carseats! munching on a treat while waiting for the trick or treating to begin.

Enjoying some of their loot in the back of the truck.

Miss Naveah


Mr Kael

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's a Grand 'Ol Time!

The kids were lucky enough to have visits from Grama Powell (but we missed Grampa) AND Nanny and Papa Blu within a week of eachother! Its been a LONG time since we've seen them and it was great to have a visit. Grama Powell got to stay a week. That was how I was able to get so many projects done (kids' bedrooms). The kids had so much fun with her. They read books, sang songs, went for walks and went to the park several times. Naveah got lots of cuddles under the 'Grama Blanket' and Kael showed off his building skills. It was cute to hear Naveah call for her. It was never just 'grama' it was always 'grama pow-wull', and Kael enjoyed educating her on Transformers, Space ships and Oil Rigs. They loved running downstairs every morning and waking GRAMA up to play while I continued to sleep. It was so fun to have her here. The kids were spoiled with attention. They were even lucky enough to get a visit from their Aunty Weezie who came up to give them an 'Aunty Weezie sqeezie' and meet baby Jacek. My only regret is that I didnt take more pictures of all the fun we had. Sorry Mom :( Next time hopefully I wont be SO tired and ill take double the pictures! Hopefully Grampa can be there too!

Aunty Weezie Squeezie!

Our visit with Nanny and Papa Blu was short but sweet. We were lucky enough to get to Celebrate Thanksgiving AND Papa Blus Birthday! The kids had lots of fun with them too. They enjoyed going for walks to the park and coloring in the giant coloring book Nanny brought them. We only had 2 days for a visit so we tried to cram in as much as we could. Outings were kept pretty short cause by the time we were all able to get out of the house it was close to nap times. Also, we were short one seat for everyone to come along so the only way we could all hang out together was to just stay home. However it provided great opportunity for Evan to work on the basement. We were blessed with fantastic weather while they were here so we enjoyed Saturday evening sitting outside. The kids helped me build then their new pirate ship to play on, Evan BBQ'd dinner and got a fire going in his 'steal of a deal' firepit, and Nanny and Papa got to sit back and enjoy the grandkids! I made a Turkey dinner on Sunday for Papa Blu's birthday. It was the smallest Turkey feast I have ever prepared. But Delicious none the less. The kids had so much fun with them while they were here and we wish their visit could have been longer. Naveah loved coloring with Nanny and would go running to Papa when ever she was 'in trouble'. Kael couldnt have been happier when he got to 'rough house' with Papa! And he was very appreciative when Nanny pulled out a 'Cars' coloring book! Both of them especially loved their Bear Rides to bed from Papa Blu!!! Cant wait to see you again!

Bear rides to bed are one of my favorite memories, hopefully its one is one of theirs too!
Probably the only picture ill ever get of him smiling like this....mind you he also looks like he is going to threaten me with that fork....hmmmm

Almost There.

Our desicion to grow ended up expanding in more ways then one. You should all know by now that we recently welcomed our Third child. Jacek. Moments after getting pregnant Evan received the opportunity of a life time. Area Manager of the new Red Deer shop with Amaritech Electric. It wasnt a hard decision to make. Evan and I were both unhappy in Calgary and beginning to face to a 'tough reality' and we took this as a sign to move forward together. As excited as I was for this huge change, I was nervous. I know full well that with a 'new beginning' you must first face the storm. This year has brought more trials, heartache, and struggles than many years pressed together. When I sit back and think about everything we have been through I still wonder about the purpose. I find myself asking "why" a lot and still can not find the answer. I dont know if I will ever figure it out. The only thing I can do now is look forward, move on and hope things get better from here. I can honestly say that Im grateful this year is almost over.

Our New Start...

We took possession of our new house August 30th, 2010. Only 11 days shy of my due date. Anxiety was high but mixed with excitement. How was the rest about to play out? We stayed in our new house for 2 nights. The first night was amazing. I was relaxed. I enjoyed just sitting on the floor against the wall in the living room listening to nothing. The knot in my chest seemed to relax and I could close my eyes without becoming dizzy thinking about the dozens of trials we faced to get here. Nothing, for the first time, felt wonderful. But it was only a matter of hours before stress nuzzled its way back in while I wondered what would happen if I was to go into Labor in Red Deer. So we decided to head back to Calgary and wait it out. This brought on another fountain of tension and anxiety but I was firm in my decision to have this baby in Calgary with my team of midwives. And then, 5 days later, he came. On September 5 fianlly, we could say we were going Home.

Adjusting...

I cant say the adjustment from Two to Three has been easy. So far there hasnt been much chance to settle in and make our roots as we've entertained company almost the entire time we've been here. Thats not to say however, that we havent appreciated the help and the company. But quite honestly we are happy the company has stopped for a while so we can focus on us and getting our family structured again.

The kids are loving their new home. They love their rooms and the parks. They love helping with little projects around the house and helping Daddy work outside. Its been nice to finally get some warm weather so the kids can take advantage of their new playhouse in the backyard. We still have more hard days then great ones. Im having a hard time juggling the amount of projects we are trying to get done with children, chores, organizing, unpacking and everything else that comes with a move. I feel bad for them. I wish days could be twice as long so I could fit everything in. Jacek isnt a great sleeper. Its only been the last few days that ive woken up in the morning feeling like I actually can get out of bed. Evan is so busy with work. Early mornings and later evenings followed by never ending at home projets makes for one tired Dad. I still am quite impressed with him though, and slightly envious, that he can still have so much energy to give the children. I love watching them play together. Its always full of happy shrills and laughter.... that is until somebody gets hurt. But exhaution is finally starting to let up and today I was happy with the thought that we are almost there. I want more than anything to just reach that place of contentment.

Here are some pics of projects and improvements we've done so far...still many more to go.

Naveahs room, before and after....

Kaels Room. forgot the before picture, but wasnt far off Naveahs room. I also recovered his bedframe.

The Basement. Before and After. Still more after pics to come. This is just the new carpet we put in. Its shag, though its hard to tell from the pictures.

A Thank You

A great BIG Thank You to my Midwives, Theresa and Anne, who were the midwives that attended the birth. Also to Helen (student midwife who assisted in the delivery.) And of course Taina who was also on my 'team'. You have made this birth an incredible experience for me.

Anne

Theresa and Helen

Theresa

And of Course Melanie, my doula friend. You are awesome. Thanx so much for listening to my ranting and complaining this ENTIRE pregnancy! You have been a great support for me, and you were awesome at the birth. (sorry I didnt labor longer so I could have REALLY put you to work! haha jk)

After the birth, Evan and I went across the street to Best Western and booked a room so we could get some rest. After a couple hours it was time for Kael and Naveah to meet their new Brother. Evan went and picked them up from Nana and Papa's house and brought them to the hotel. Kael was quick on noticing that the baby wasnt in Mommy's tummy anymore. He walked over to check out Jacek then put his hand on my tummy and said "you have a little tummy? not a Big tummy? Baby came out of your tummy?". I couldnt help but giggle. How cute it was to see them with him. They were so gentle with him, kissing his head and holding his hand. It was a short lived moment as the excitement of being in the hotel was hard for them to resist running around and checking everything out, but it was still a cute moment none the less. Naveah has taken to calling him "my Baby" or "my Jacek" and is constantly smothering him in kisses. She always wants to hold his hand and is the first to go running to him when he starts crying. "Baby Okay?" she'll ask me.

Kael, I can tell, is still learning the whole 'Baby making process'. He is always reminding me that the baby isnt in my tummy anymore. We had to go meet the midwives again 24 hours after Jacek was born to do his blood work. When we pulled up to the clinic I laughed when Kael then said "Oh! we're at the midwife? They going to put baby back in your tummy?". Kids really do say the darndest things. Kael is such a big helper. He always wants to help me with Jacek and is always asking if he can hold him. Hes quick to run and get me a diaper or wipes when I need one and has a hundred and one questions to ask me about him. Hes so curious. I cant wait to see all three of them grow together.

Meeting Jacek at the Hotel

Naveah fixing his hat