Picture HAPPY catch-up

It is way past time to catch up.  I'll start small and make my way back.

 

Happy Halloween!

Marilyn sent Quinn this cute princess tutu so of course she had to wear it.  She was the star of the day.  Love her.  Deakon had so much fun dressing up, party at school, parade at school, hitting the end of the church party, and then trick-or-treating.  I have never heard "This is the best day ever!" so many times in one day.  A friend in our ward threw a kids Halloween party and Nixon, Quinn, and I went while Deakon was in school.  It was a blast.  Quinn loved all of the new faces and balloons and Nixon was so happy to run around.  High for us was the kid's Zumba dancing.  Very fun.  When we got home we were telling Deakon about it so naturally we put on some music and had a dance party.  After dinner, we met Kyle at Ron and Doreen's for some pictures and trick-or-treating.  It was FREEZING outside so we sent the boys and Quinn and I hung out chatting with Doreen.

 Quinn turned 1!  Yay!  Aiden, Papa Ron, and Quinn all have birthdays within a week so Bret and Eva hosted a birthday party.  I was in charge of dessert and although I had a bit of trouble making the stupid strawberry cupcakes that I wanted, it was fun.  Yummy burgers and good cake :)

 She was so cute.  We love her to bits.  She kept trying to share with me and even gave me a kiss in the middle.

 Labour Day weekend we went camping!  Haven't been camping since the hail storm and were a bit apprehensive about how it would be with 3 kids and cold nights.  It was... SO MUCH FUN!  We couldn't get enough.  Made promises to go again many times next summer.  The boys slept in one tent and Quinn and I in another.  We went to Radium, BC.  Drove to Invermere and played by the lake, took a swim in the hot springs, and played with Grandma and Papa and Bret and Eva and Aiden.

 Laughed all weekend at Bret and Eva's tent.  Hahahaha.  Ali Baba's tent:

Time to get ready to get Deakon from school.  Need to do a post about him starting Kindergarten and Kyle's new job at Audi!  

Remember when?

Remember when you worked to lose 10 pounds in 4 weeks and you are looking in the mirror thinking, "Where the heck did it come off?"  and you ask you husband and he says, "Uh... maybe your face?"  and you reply, "Really?  So my face lost 10 pounds?" and he says, "I guess" and you kind of want to deck him in the face, but you don't because you are thinking maybe he is right???



I do.  It happened last night.

Grumpy late night early morning chit chat

I work 7-11 at night.  After a super long day that started early after not getting a very good sleep, I can't help but grab a drink with caffeine on my way.  I get through my rooms quickly and then realize I have 15 or so extra minutes so I start flipping through a magazine in the break room.  I swear every magazine has some tragic story of something happening to little kids (murdered, kidnapped, abused) and I swear I CAN'T NOT READ THEM... and then I CAN'T STOP THINKING about them... and feeling sick about it.  Drive home, check on my kids three times to make sure that nobody stole them while we were dining in the backyard on vacation in Mexico or tossed their tiny little bodies in a field a mile away.  Then I lay in bed for an hour trying to think about anything else and know that the large coke zero is working overtime tonight.  Finally fall asleep to wake up at 2 for no reason and then at 4:45 with a sneaky little 5 year old scaring the living daylights out of me.  HE IS SO WHITE.  It is really like seeing a ghost.  Then up for the day at 6:15 with Quinn.  Deakon is up at 7:00.  On the dot.  He has a clock that changes color.  We have been doing a reward system getting him to stay in his bed all night.  10 days=a toy.  First $2, then $5, then $10.  Now we have progressed to the 10 days in a row.  Miss a night= starting over.  He missed last night, obviously.  He was upset that his other stars were crossed out.  First sign of how our morning has been going.  Then we argue over what we do and don't have for breakfast and why he can't get on the deck to see if his friends (the super annoying neighbors who stay up way later than 11 at night) are awake by yelling "william" over and over at 7:05 in the morning.  Strange that I forbid this today.  Quinn back in bed 7:30.  Nixon wakes up within minutes of Quinn going down.  EVERYDAY.  Why does this bother me so much?  Nixon walks into the kitchen and immediately starts getting into the popsicles and throws a huge tantrum because he can't have one for breakfast.  Deakon has been up for 40 minutes now so therefore he believes it is time for a snack.  Not just any snack- "a good one" meaning a treat.  Not happy when I tell him no.  Nixon hears this and starts yelling cookie over and over and then spills the box of mini wheats.  Those are probably the worst thing to have to clean up.  All those stupid little mini wheat fall offs.  I try not to yell.  Give Deakon the "get out of this room" look and he takes off downstairs to play PS or watch Netflix.  I am embarrassed to write that.  Embarrassed because my 5 year old knows how to work the TV almost better than I do and he can't even read.  Also embarrassed because until Quinn wakes up from her nap after 9 everyday... this is the only way I survive the mornings.  I am not a morning person.  Can you tell?  So how do I cope this morning?  Duh, more caffeine.  Which eventually makes things worse and me more tired, and THEN I get something on my way to work and then read a magazine at work and then stay up late and do it all over again. 

Canada Day Weekend!

We have such a fun BUSY weekend!  Saturday morning we got up early and met up with Ron and Doreen to head out to the middle of nowhere to go quadding.  We are lucky to have a hookup and go a few times every summer.  Deakon had so much fun, Nixon cried every time he was on and every time I was on.  Poor kid didn't understand why I would take off into the trees and be gone for 20+ minutes.  We left around noon so we could get all 3 kids to take naps.  Deakon slept the longest (3 hours!) and we were so glad because we had a late night planned.  At 5 we headed to a Mexican themed birthday party for a little boy in our ward.  Showed up to find out that the birthday boys mom had her baby (she was due on the 29th) just before noon and was on her way to the party!  She's a rock star.  It was fun to meet her BRAND new baby girl, who just happens to have a great name.  Amelia (Millie) - which was what my grandma was called (short for Mildred) and Ruth as a middle name- my middle name :)   The party was fun- Mexican food, treasure hunt, pinata, cake.  We left from there and headed south to join more friends (the girls/boy I watch and their parents) at a 4th of July party!  They had already finished dinner when we got their but they had games, music, a HUGE bonfire, and fireworks.  We got eaten alive by mosquitoes, but had such a great night.  I was absolutely in love with the country only music.  Did a little line dancing... alone.  A bit awkward when 100+ people are hanging around.  I really thought some one would join.  We headed home after 11 and fell right into bed.

Sunday morning (CANADA DAY!) everyone slept in and we were late to church.  Got there just before sacrament meeting ended and I set up for Primary.  Played hockey with the junior and battleship with the senior.  They loved it. It was a good time... even if I forgot that it was a new month and I was supposed to be teaching them a new song.  Oops.  After church we had all the kids nap again because we have a late night planned again.  Headed to Ron and Doreen's for a BBQ.  Bret, Eva, and Aiden and Conrad (eva's dad) and Kari (eva's sister), John, Natalie, and Little John (week younger than Quinn) were all there.  It was HIGH energy with 6 kids 5 and under.  They were all nuts and of course my kids were cranky from having a messed up schedule.  We went home to change and headed to another friend's house to roast marshmallows and hang out.  Around 10 we headed south to Bragg Creek for fireworks... showed up and saw that they had CANCELLED them.  Guessing because there was some thunder and lightning (no rain...).  We were disappointed.  Mostly because we had kept our kids up again for nothing.  The boys took it well.  We got out of the car and played at the park until it was dark (11 PM).  Headed home and into bed.

Yesterday Kyle had the day off of the holiday.  Everyone basically slept in.  Quinn woke up at 7.  Brought her into bed with us where she passed out again until 9:30.  We never bring her into bed with us, but it was fun to get some extra snuggles with the baby.  Kyle got up with kids and I layed in bed until 10:30!  So nice. Got up so Kyle and the boys could mow the lawn.  After that was done he had to return to mower in his truck.  I ran to the bathroom and could hear Nixon having a fit because Kyle was leaving.  The boys were out on the deck so when I was done I finished feeding Quinn.  After about 5 minutes I realized I could only hear Deakon's voice talking to the neighbor kids.  I stuck my head out and asked where Nixon was.  All the kids responded with "He was on the sidewalk.  Probably went to the park"  My head about blew up.  I left Quinn inside and ran to the park behind our park.  No Nixon. Ran to the front yard.  No Nixon.  Ran back inside to check the toy room and bedrooms.  No Nixon.  Called Kyle.  No answer.  There were several people outside doing yard work so I started running around asking everyone about my lost little boy.  I kept my cool until after asking the 3rd person and then started to lose it.  Called Kyle again. And AGAIN.  FINALLY he answered.  "I LOST NIXON!"  His response, "I HAVE Nixon.  I sent you a text"  I was so relieved and so mad!  I made it clear that next time I would really like to be told in person.  Kyle has NEVER taken Nixon in the truck because it involves moving car seats.  Something that Kyle hates.  Turns out the text was never officially sent.  Apologies were made.  After that fiasco, we had lunch and then headed to get slurpees.  I ran to the store (ALONE... nice!) and then Doreen showed up unexpectedly to weed our yard.  I need to put a picture up.  We have a secret garden up in here.  New flowers show up weekly.  We ended up inviting Ron and Doreen to have supper with us and then we put our cranky, screaming, crying kids to bed early and I headed to work.

Today we are watching kids and they must be tired too because it has been a quiet 2 hours.  All 3 babies are in bed.  

Deakon's Birthday and some house pics

Lots of pictures from Deakon's St. Patricks Day Birthday party and the inside of our place:

 View from the living room to the kitchen:

 Kitchen from the dining room:

 The entryway.  I LOVE it and HATE it.  Love the size, hate the white tile:

 From the front door, up or down:

 From the living room down the hall.  Main bath on right, 3 bedrooms at the end.  Quinn's, toy room, and master:

 Dining room from the kitchen, deck outside of the doors:

 Basement family room:

More of Deakon

"i wish that our bathroom was so huge that when Nixon and Quinn got older our whole family could pee at the same time. wouldn't that be awesome?" 






'its time to have fun. and if you push someone you have to say sorry..... FOR PARTY ROCKIN'

Deakon

Tonight during bedtime, Deakon told me a story he make up:


Once upon a time.  Mom, Dad, and Deakon were laying in your bed in the morning.
Deakon said, "Mom, can I get up.  I'm so hungry"
Mom said, "NO!"
Deakon said, "Pleeeeeease"
Dad said, "Be quiet or get out"
Then everyone was quiet.  Then Deakon went to watch cartoons.  THE END




Nice story, right?  OR... true story?  For the record... it was before 7 AM.  I do not do before 7 AM.


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Deakon: Quinn! you have lots of boobies.
Me: What does that mean?
Deakon: You know... booby traps


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Deakon: Mom, Nixon keeps tickling my nipples! (as he points to his armpit)


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Angi: "he doesn't know what an Asian is." Deakon: " yes I do, it's a ninja"


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Doreen sent this to me a few weeks ago and I wanted to put it somewhere...

Hi Angi:

I wrote this down one night in my school notebook when I was babysitting so I wouldn't forget it & I just came across it tonight.

Nixon & Quinn were in bed & Deakon was staying up just a little later because he is 'older'. We were doing puzzles together. Here's how the conversation went .....

Deakon: Grandma, we're good at doing puzzles aren't we.

Grandma: Yes, we sure are Deakon.

Deakon:  Because we're best friends.

Grandma: You bet we're best friends.

Deakon: We're best friends forever, aren't we Grandma?

Grandma: Yes Deakon we sure are.

Deakon: Even when we're all in Heaven, we'll still be best friends.

I think that's one of the sweetest conversations I have ever had in my life.  I don't recall Kyle or Bret ever saying something like that to me. I hope that you will keep it because I sure will.

I love you FOREVER Deakon.

Love

Grandma Doreen

Playing Catch-up!

So... it's June.  Not sure if you've noticed.  Time has flown these past few months.  What's new with us???

-Went to Utah over Mother's Day to see my parents off.  It was a good trip.

-For the most part we still like our rental (oh... we moved... not sure if I even did a post on that)

-I still love Cochrane

-Still Primary Chorister.  3 years is a long time.  Should I start sucking???  Some weeks I feel like I do and then they tell me singing time was great.  What does this mean?  Less work=better?  I really do enjoy working with the kids, but going through 2 pregnancies and planning the whole nursing schedule twice makes me feel grumpy lots of Sundays.  You know... when they only day of the week I have to set my alarm and WAKE my baby up so that I won't have her screaming during singing time.  Ug...  Ok.  No more complaining.  I will be happy and know that one day I will be able to go to church and just listen.  AND not have a grumpy Nixon or Kyle to deal with.  Crying children=grumpy husband.  No surprise there.

-I quit my small cleaning job and got a bigger one in March.  7-11 Monday-Friday.  I like it for the most part.  Honestly, a big part of why I like it is that Kyle gets to put all the kids to bed 5 days a week.  I don't like bedtime.  I am a pushover.  It takes forever when I do it myself.  FOREVER.  If Kyle is present it is over in less than 10 minutes.  I really miss spending my nights being lazy and hanging out with Kyle, but you gotta do what you gotta do.  What do we gotta do?  Buy a house.  Or something.  SAVE.  SAVE.  SAVE. That's what we gotta do.

-Kyle now works 7-4:30 instead of 8:30-6.  It started 2 days after I started my job.  TOTAL blessing.  Otherwise we wouldn't see each other at all during the week.  Now we have 4:30-7 to be together.

-Registered Deakon for Kindergarten.  Seems crazy... but not too soon  :)  He gets crazy bored during the day. Even when there are kids around.  Even when we are out and about.  He likes somebody to tell him what to do and when to do it.  SCHOOL!

-Nixon.  Oh Nixon.  How I love sweet little Nixon.  Sweet little, sensitive little, screaming little, pushing little, loving little Nixon.  He must be 2 right?  Yep.  He has finally started talking quite a bit.

-Quinn.  Still practically perfect in every way.  We love her so much.  In the last 3 weeks she has started moving quite a bit.  She is sitting and rolling and turning and she loves to push herself backwards on the wood floor.  I walk into the living room and see her little head poking out from under the couch everyday.  She is just so darn cute.  She is eating lots now and seems to be growing even more.

-I've started watching 3 kids twice a week.  It has been fun but DIFFERENT.  Almost 4 and 5 year GIRLS and a 1 year old sweet little boy.  Agreed to twice a week for June and then if I want I will only do once a week.  So far twice a week (tues/thurs) is working out.  It will be nice when all the rain stops and we can spend more time outside.  My house can only take so much playing... and eating... and running around fun.

Ok... gotta go.  It is Thursday after all and the girls and Deakon are now officially done with their quiet coloring and on to... FOOTBALL.  Someone is gonna walk away with a bloody nose.

Until next time!

I'm back....

I was so excited to get out laptop and START BLOGGING... and then we took it back because it was a piece and oh so slow and kept having errors... what brand new computer has errors?  Well... my awesome parents gave us their old one!!!  BECAUSE THEY ARE THE VERY BEST!  Why did they give us their new one?  Roger and Edie's Adventure!    I completely missed the months of working up to the fact they are going on a mission.  They are now officially in the Philippines until next December!  Excited for them, sad for me because I am not planning on going back to Utah until then.  Going to try and do BC next summer for our vacation.  I'll leave you with some new pics... DEAKON is driving me nuts right now.  Told the poor kid he had to wait until Nixon was up to have a snack.

20 Questions about DEAKON!

Found these annual birthday questions on Pinterest.  Link here


20 questions : answered by Deakon

1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. What is your favorite toy? Nintendo DS
3. What is your favorite fruit? All of the fruit
4. What is your favorite tv show? Power Rangers Samurai
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Mini pizzas
6. What is your favorite outfit? Jeans and T-shirt
7. What is your favorite game? Dead man, dead man, come alive
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit Snacks
9. What is your favorite animal? Tigers
10. What is your favorite song? Go go Power Rangers
11. What is your favorite book? Robert Munsch books
12. Who is your best friend? Mateo and Bruno and Brielle?  (uh... first time I heard Brielle in there)
13. What is your favorite cereal? Marshmallow kind
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? play baseball
15. What is your favorite drink? Berry juice with Sprite
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? My stuffing (he hollowed out a teddy bear so he could "tickle" the stuffing while sucking his thumb)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? French Toast
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Wings on my birthday, Fish for Sunday family dinner
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A hockey player

Numb

Numb.  That is the right word.  The word to describe how I have felt for days.  Saturday, Sunday (except during primary.  I have honestly been praying that I will either change my attitude and have a better experience in my calling as chorister or be released.  Primary was fantastic.  Decided super last minute to teach the kids sign language to a song and they loved it.  And I loved it... anyway) Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I haven't gotten anything finished.  I start things (loading the dishwasher that doesn't get started, loading clothes into the washer that never seem to make it into the dryer) and then stop and stand there.  Thinking.  Holding back tears.  Breathing.  Numb.  I'm not going into details.  They are personal.  I just know that somebody that I love very much is going through a very serious and hard trial.  I feel useless and sad.  But mostly I feel numb.  I talked to my mom last night and just like moms do, she made me feel better.  I took the rest of the night to worry and pray and stress and then I cried myself to sleep.  This is all I could do.  I will continue to do what I can, but I need to wake up and start living again.  My family needs me.

I love you.  You know who you are.  So much.

A night in Banff with the FAM

In January we were invited to Kyle's Uncle Bryan's birthday get together March 1st.  It was a no brainer that we would attend especially because Kyle's Nana was coming along with other family from Ontario.  Kyle hasn't seen any family from ON since his Dad passed away and I haven't seen anyone since we were there in Aug. 2008 so we were both excited.  We decided to leave the boys at home with Grandma Doreen so we could actually visit with everyone.  It is so amazing how some families make you feel so welcome and comfortable right away.  The Gerries are one of those families.  There was no awkwardness or wishing we could get out of there ASAP.  We kept saying that we wished we had the boys (not REALLY) only because we didn't want to leave.  Quinn was adored by all which was fun.  I was the lucky one to sit next to Nana at dinner and across the table from the birthday boy!  :)  Happy Birthday again Bryan!  #65.  Nana told me all kinds of stories about when the boys were babies and gave me some good advice.  She is incredible and Kyle and Bret love her so much.  She and Papa Joe raised 5 great boys and I am so glad to be part of the family.  Only regret is that most of them live in Ontario and we live here.  Boo to that.  We took some pictures but sadly my camera doesn't do great in dimly lit rooms so they are a bit grainy.  Happy to have them though.

Bret, Nana, Kyle, and Quinny:

Bret and Nana:

Had to put this one of Kyle on because he is wearing the face that Quinn has on 80% of her awake time.  That nice "deer in headlights" look:

Nana and Uncle Brad:

Brad, Bryan, Nana, and Randy:

Wish I could remember everyone's name... and of course Kyle isn't here to help me out.  Should I try???  Hmm... Brad, Eva, Aiden, Bret, Micheil, Bryan, Darren, Robyn, Nana, Joe, Jessica, Patrick, Randy, Chris, Sandy???  Don't judge me.....  This wasn't quite everyone at the party, but pretty close.

Micheil, Bret, Nana, and Kyle:

The Cochrane Gerries and Nana!

Great Grandma, Grandson, and Great Granddaughter (with the deer in headlights look of course)

Thanks for the good times Gerries.  Please come back soon so we can play more!

Guess what I got...

So after an evening of up and downs (mostly downs...) we finally have a new laptop!

I can't wait to fill you in on all of my most interesting and secrets thoughts.  I know you have missed me.

Kyle has been hogging all the new laptop time while I finished my homemade (eh...) invites for Deakon's very first big birthday party in 2 weeks.  A St. Patrick's Day party.  It's going to be epic. 

Now off to bed so I can get up with the kiddos tomorrow.  Kyle has to work 3 out of 5 Saturdays this month.  Totally sucks... but the St. Patrick's Day party planning commitee will enjoy the overtime pay. 

Thanks Kyle.  You're the best!