Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Oh my goodness, I have been missing in action for the past month!! I always find tha December is CRAZY busy... christmas parties, shopping, working, and then we didnt have internet at our house for the past week or so. I was going crazy without it!! Here is a little update:

We are at my parents house right now for the holidays. We flew to Abbotsford yesterday and then braved the icy Northern Pacific I-5 to Portland. BRUTAL! It has been really snowy here and they we saying NO DRIVING but we are professional icy/snowy road drivers, HELLO SASKATCHEWAN!?!?! It's nice to be home and relax with nothing to do. We are here until next Friday and then we will head up to James' aunts in Abbotsford and spend the weekend with his family. In Portland they are calling the weather ARTIC BLAST 2008... it's only -3... if they want to see ARTIC BLAST 2008 then they should really come to Regina where it's was -45 one day!

Sommer is doing great! Talking (well, babbling) so much. She turns 14 months on Christmas Day, which is so hard to believe! She new words are "no" and "yeah"... which I find so cute. She loves getting into things and figuring out how they work. She LOVES the christmas tree and the ornaments... which have found their way off the tree and into the toy box. She is in the biting stage right now which is SO FRUSTRATING! It makes me almost scream! When I pick her up from the babysitters I get the daily bite report, ugh! Christmas this year will be fun now that she can open up her own presents. SO CUTE!

I hope everyone has a safe and merry christmas season! May 2009 be a wonderful year for you and your family!

The Big Surprise - Successful!

I pulled off the big surprise! Tuesday night Sommer and I arrived in Portland to surprise my mom and dad (and siblings) for American Thanksgiving :) We flew to Abbotsford where my sister picked us up and then drove home with her and Kevin. My mom could not believe it when she came out to help carry in the "heavy bags" from the car. She kept saying "No way!! No way!!! Sommer!!" What a fun thing to do for a grandma who doesn't see her grand-daughter that often. Even more special is that we will be down here again in 3 weeks to celebrate christmas! We also surprised my grandparents who were visiting from Orlando as they were in Portland for the holidays too. On Thursday there was 20 of us celebrating thanksgiving in Salem, OR, some of whom had never met Sommer before.

Sommer is being REALLY clingy here. She loves grandma and Aunti Kristi and sometimes Grandpa too. But Uncle Kevin - that is a different story. She gives him high 5's and that is about it. She has really taken to screaming (more shreiking - but not crying) when he goes near her... it's pretty funny to watch!! Good thing he has a good attitude about it and thinks that it is funny too. She doesn't like me to be out of sight which makes things difficult. I can't go to the bathroom or take a diaper outside to the garbage without her crying. Usually she is fine but this is a new place I guess. Slowly we are getting better... we will probably be fine by the time we are to go home.

Tonight Kristi and I went to see 4 Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reece Witherspoon. Totally recommend it - 5 stars, 2 thumbs up, probably best movie I have seen in a while!! It was super funny, held your attention, and had a happy ending. Better than my last favorite movie (The Break-Up) because the ending was actually good. It is the type of movie that I would go see again if someone wanted to see it.

Today was Black Friday here in America - like Boxing Day in Canada. If you think about it Black Friday makes WAY more sense than Boxing Day because everyone could use the "deals" to purchase their christmas presents instead of shopping after they have received all their presents. I really think Canada should incorporate this hoilday/tradition... it only makes sense! I didn't go shopping though because there was nothing that I needed and not to mention that with our dollar so low it was probably MORE expensive to shop in the USA! But there were some good deals out there that's for sure!

I should head to bed here as it is already 10:30 pm (12:30 am in Regina). I have another long day tomorrow with a Winterhawks hockey game in the afternoon. We are having a great time down here with family and now will look forward to returning for Christmas!

POOP! (WARNING T.M.I.)!

On Monday Sommer was feeling under the weather. She was acting normal and playing fine but she had the poops. (THERE MIGHT BE T.M.I. COMING.....) She woke up in the morning and I took her downstairs to play while I made her some eggs for breakfast. When I was done the eggs I picked her up and put her in her highchair... I looked at my hand and it was COVERED in POOP! She started screaming in her chair and I tried to calm her down while washing my hands. I went over to her, picked her up, and poop was EVERYWHERE! I am talking highchair, diaper, down her legs, spilling OVER her diaper, up her back... EVERYWHERE! I didnt know what to do... it was like my mind totally blanked! I set her down to stand on her own but all she wanted to do was sit! Bad idea... it spilled all over the floor. Now I have a dog trying to smell everywhing, a baby covered in poop screaming... and I am standing there like an idiot wondering what to do next!! So I took her upstairs (praying that it wouldnt get on my carpet) and plopped her in the tub (diaper and all). Figured that was the easiest place to clean it up. UGH! After cleaning her up in the tub, cleaning the tub, and getting her dressed I went downstairs to tackle the highchair! That took forever! Luckily the rest of the days diaper changing sessions were not that eventful... but still gross. It was the type of day that you think, "why cant you pottytrain a 12 month old!?!"

I am hoping to get some christmas shopping and decorating down this week and next! I am so excited to decorate for Christmas... I dream of decorations :) I am thinking of putting the tree up next week just to get in the whole christmasy mood! I have no ideas what to buy for Christmas presents - except for James. That I have already thought of... now just to go and do it!

I should get to work here! Have a wonderful day!

Baby Fever Has Hit AGAIN!

I got that loving feeling - BABY FEVER HAS HIT AGAIN! I feel like everywhere I look there is someone who is pregnant or has just had a baby. And now I want one. I am dreaming of that smell - that newborn in swaddling blankets with milk on its tounge smell. Is that really a smell? It's a wonderful smell to me! Sommer would be 21 months if I got pregnant right now. We had always said that we would have our babies 2 years apart so 21 months sounds perfect to me!

James took the 2 year difference literally - meaning the next baby should be born in October as well. WHAT?? That's not what I meant at all... I was talking approximately. Who wants all their kids born in the same month? Althought it would make for easy remembering on the dads part, it would also make the moms job oh so busy! Planning 2 or more birthday parties in the same month!!?? That would be asking for trouble! And what if they were born on the same day??

As some of you know I am a HUGE Jon & Kate Plus 8 fan! The show that comes on after them has also got my attention lately - 17 kids and Counting (with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar). They have 17 kids and are expecting another one!!! HOLY CRAP! I dont have baby fever THAT bad... I think all they have to do is think about having another child and POP - it appears! I dont need 17 kids but 4 would be nice! If they all were as easy as Sommer was that would be awesome too... my precious angel (atleast she was today...).

I have been blessed with such a good baby that I have to pray that the next one will be the same. Some days Sommer does try me and does press my buttons but usually she is wonderful :) Although she has now learned what a temper-tantrum is we are working on calming down and asking for help from Mommy - I know, I know, she is only 1 but you can't start too early!!

Well I should stop dreaming about babies and pregnancy and get back to work... if I dont get any work done I am not going to be able to convince "the boss" that we need another baby. So congrats everyone who is pregnant or just bringing home that precious little bundle. I am jealous!

Princess Auto vs. HomeSense

Princess Auto vs. HomeSense.

I hate Princess Auto. James loves Princess Auto. I can honestly say that I dont think there is a more boring store than Princess Auto. James would disagree. He would say Homsense. I love HomeSense. How someone can find HomeSense boring is beyond my imagination.

HomeSense

I could spend hours in HomeSense, heck, I could spend hours in just the picture frame section of HomeSense. I especially love HomeSense at Christmas time with all the decorations - shiney, twinkling, and bright decorations. They have such great deals - 60-80% below retail price (according to their slogan)!! The throw pillow department is 4 isles long and don't even get me started on the furniture department. I can always find a piece of furniture that I long to take home with me. I usually drag James in there to look at mirrior or a rug that I want to purchase but need his "final approval". He complains the whole time but I have learned to ignore him... usually leaving him sitting on a chair in the previously mentioned furniture section.

Princess Auto

Princess Auto on the other hand is full of boring objects. James said if he could spend 8 hours in one store it would be P.A. What the heck could he do there for 8 hours!? I can barely last 8 minutes or even 8 seconds. The past 2 times we have gone to the store I have choosen to stay in the car - leave me here, don't be long! He usually comes out after 25 minutes with special treasures that he talks about the whole way home while I pretend to listen and dream of the new things being unpacked across the street at HomeSense. I watch the people going into the store - Grease Heads I call them - but James says it's just people who love to "work with their hands". Guess I am not one of those people. The place has everything from livestock equipment to snowmobiling... it's a mish-mash of weird odds and ends that only a man could make sense out of.

Maybe I will get him a gift certificate to Princess Auto for Christmas with a piece of paper granting him 8 hours free to waltz around the shop... OH! the treasure he would find! OH... the treasures I would have to "pretend" to be interested in when he returned. There is no comparison between Princess Auto and HomeSense... HomeSense wins hands down :)

Returned to work!

Today is the day! I am back at work now - 24 hours a week! I put exclaimation marks in my last 2 sentences but really I am not that excited :( I have loved only working 2 afternoons a week, my 8 hours of freedom sometimes. But Trademark needs me as they are very busy! I am now working 3 full days - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am going to enjoy my Mondays and Fridays off! Many people would love to only work 3 days a week and I have to remind myself that. I am blessed to be able to work for my husband's company.... there are some perks to sleeping with the boss, haha.

While I am at work Sommer is at a new babysitters. This lady - Tanya - is amazing! She has her education degree, is a mom to a 4 year old and a 1 year old, and is so loving and welcoming. The minute I met her I was excited for her to watch Sommer. She takes them outside to play in the yard, to the park, does crafts and has yummy meals for them. She is just great! Sommer cried when I dropped her off this morning so my heart was breaking. James texted me and asked if I had called yet to check on her - mainly because I think he was missing her - and I told him no. I cant bring myself to call incase something is wrong... but if something was wrong I'm sure she would call me.

I should probably get back to work here before one boss calls to check on me (or ask what's for dinner) and the other boss returns from his lunch meeting....

Karen Kingsbury

My mom got me hooked on Karen Kingsbury novels and I look forward to each new one that comes out. With great sadness last night I finished the final book in my favorite 3 part series on the Baxter Family. Being a 3 part series I feel like I have travelled and got to know this family so well and I am sad that it has come to an end. I started off reading the 5 book Redemption Series, moved on to the 5 book First Born Series and just finished the 4 book Sunrise Series. WOW - 14 novels dedicated to this family. If you haven't read this series you are really missing out! Truely amazing :) All her books are amazing actually. She is such a talented and gifted writer. Check out her books - they are life changing!

Happy Birthday Sommer!

Well it happened. Sommer is 1! So exciting and emotional all at the same time. She is so cute!! Today she finally had enough hair to sport the birthday bow :) I have been dying to put one in her hair and I am so glad that it could happen on her birthday. We had a pretty low key day with pancakes for breakfast (James made Sommer a Mickey Mouse pancake), went and did some shopping, had family (and Conrad & Sheena) over for a bbq and then the girls headed to Winners! She got spoiled of course by family... she has more than enough toys now! I put her to bed and kissed her good night... I feel like today she is no longer a baby, welcome toddler! She walks, talks, and has hair. WOW! This year FLEW bye.

Happy Birthday Sommer - Mommy loves you!

I am a Mom

October 22, 2008

Exactly one year ago today was my due date.
WOW!
I remember how impatient I was to meet her, my daughter, my Sommer.
I just checked her in her crib, all snuggled beneath the MANY layers of blankets, fast asleep.
My angel, my precious daughter, the light of my life.

She has changed me - I am not who I was a year ago.
I am softer, more tender, less harsh.
I pay attention to the small things in life - like the sounds of little feet
I kiss hurts, wipe tears, smile.
I am a Mom.

This past week I have been once again overwhelmed with the fact that my baby is turning ONE. I keep thinking to myself about where the time has gone. I feel as though I did not cherish enough of the small things and did I write enough stuff down to remember later on. People always told me to cherish every moment/memory because before I would know it she would be turning one, well the time is just around the corner and I am on the verge of tears.

Honestly, it seems like yesterday I was writing her a letter begging her to come out! Hard to believe that was a exactly a year ago tomorrow! I can remember so clearly how bad I wanted to see her and find out her personality. Man, does she ever have a personality!

The video above was the first video taken of Sommer about 1 hour after she was born. James and his parents were in the NICU watching Sommer and marveling in how cute she was. James was such a proud Daddy, he just couldn't get over how "cute" she was. One thing that amazes me was her ability to suck at such a young age... I really wish I could have been there in her first few hours to breastfeed her. Hopefully my next baby will have a safe delivery and be able to spend the first hours of their life in my arms.

One another note - Sommer learned to walk last weekend! So much fun :) She had never stood before on her own and we were sitting in James' sister's living room and all of a sudden we looked and Sommer was standing there. I took her and balanced her while James called her - sure enough she took 6 steps to him! By the end of the weekend she was walking from person to person or object to object. This weekend she is getting much better. She has a bit more confidence now and will walk all over the place. Yesterday she figured out how to stand up from the floor all by herself. So here comes trouble :)

We are at James' parents house this weekend in Outlook. We came to get our piano from them and also to attend an alumni Basketball game (which James' is playing in) at his high school. Every October they have a Home Coming weekend for alumni and present students. Tonight there will be fireworks, so I am excited to take Sommer! We will get her all bundled up for the event... she probably won't even care.

Hope you enjoy the cute video!

Ugh - Sasktel

Sasktel - Why do you only do "all day bookings" in White City? I dont want to stay home all day waiting for you to come and hook up the phone! I hope you come on a rainy day....

Birthday, Bobcats, and Big Girl Chair

Yesterday was my birthday - the BIG 2-4! Haha. I can remember when I was 19 I thought that 25 years old would be when I made it to adulthood and you are mature. HA! I am 24 and have been married for 4 years and have a daughter who is almost 1... I think I have made it to adulthood but maturity... that one is debatable and depends on the day (and possibly who you ask). Excuse the horrible birthday picture - ugly!

Baby Brandan Bobcat! James family (some of them since there are 6 kids, Mom and Dad) came down to watch his sister Christie Anne (holding Som's hand in the pic) play in a basket ball tourny at U of R and also celebrate my birthday. Sommer felt so important when she was standing with the team. She even stretched with them - too cute!

Sommer LOVES auntie Christie Anne. Christie Anne has been lucky enough to see Sommer lots this fall, something that doesn't usually happen.

Grandma Cheryl (James' Mom) loves Sommer and teaching her new things! She is the one who gets credit for teaching Sommer to clap and will probably be the one who gets Som to walk! Sommer hates walking for me - why walk when you can crawl as fast as a cheatah? She could totally walk if she wanted to but she is a speed crawler and is too busy for the walking stuff. But I'm not too worried - like her hair, walking will come eventually!

Sommer LOVES uncle Sammy!! She gets the biggest smile on her face when he comes into the room and speed crawls right to him. Uncle Sammy can do no wrong. He is so good with her too - I love seeing their friendship and bond get stronger each day :)

My Grandma (the one who lives next door) is going on a cruise this week (for 3 weeks around Rome, Spain, etc.) and will not be here for Sommer's birthday. She wanted to get Sommer a little leather recliner and searched EVERY WHERE but could not find one. So sad! She did find Som a little chair and Sommer LOVES it! She doesn't know how to get in it yet and get's very upset when she wants to sit in it, so hopefully she will learn soon. This morning she sat in her chair and drank her milk - she is growing up too fast!

Where did the year go??

I just can't stop thinking about how fast this year has gone... it is consuming my mind lately and I just need to write it all out. It honestly seems like yesterday that I was praying for my baby girl to come, although scared of how she would come out, I really wanted to meet her. I wanted to know what she looked like, how she would act, what kind of personality she would have, all those wonderful things that I have now found out. I can remember feeling so grumpy and huge... my belly hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurt... I just wanted to feel normal again. And here I am... almost one year later missing those times. Am I crazy?

I can remember jumping at every twinge I felt in last couple of weeks of my pregnancy... maybe this is labour! People would tell me, "Oh, You'll know labour" and I when I finally went into labour 3 days late I thought, "OHHHH!! THIS IS LABOUR!!" I can remember driving to the hospital while having contractions, getting set up in Rm 1, and what the whole labour was like. So scary and exciting at the same time. What I remember most is when Sommer finally came - that last push when they said, "It's a girl!" Instant Love! I looked at that squished little face, squinty eyes and thought "Gosh, she is so small!" 6 lbs 5 oz... perfect size. I remember her being in NICU and just dying to have her in my arms. Thinking that a mother needs her newborn with her and how hard it was for her to be down the hall from me. The first night together was long - but a bonding time. WOW... all these memories... precious moments that I will cherish forever.

Hard to believe that Sommer has so many firsts in her little life. I remember each one: first smile, first laugh, first roll, first crawl, first time nursing, first bottle, first baby food, first table food, first word, first time standing... so many. I have a wonderful book by my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury, called "Let Me Hold You A Little Longer" where she doesn't talk about all the firsts, rather she talks about all the lasts. It made me think last night when I was reading it... what about all the lasts Sommer and I have had. The last time she slept in a bassinet, the last time she swang in her swing, the last time she rode in a bucket carseat, the last time she nursed, the last time she was swaddled. WOW! I can honestly remember each 'last' we had... just shows how much she is growing up.

Sommer is a blessing to us and each day I thank God for her. We love our angel :)

Looking Forward To The Weekend!

For some reason today felt EXTREMELY long. My morning started off with waking up at 8 am when I got up, I woke up Som at 9 am and headed out to the church at 9:45 for our first Moms group! My playdate friends had been meeting at houses and in the park but today we met at Living Hope Alliance Church where there is TONS of room for us to bring friends, etc. It was awesome - 13 of us Moms and 15 kids! Such a great way to spend my Friday mornings :)

This afternoon was pretty low key with Som napping 2x and me cleaning up the house... I feel like I am always doing house work now that we have moved into a bigger house. I couldn't keep my 12oo sqft house clean, what made me think I could keep a 2000 sqft house clean???? Oh well, I feel so much better and can function clearer when I have a clean house. I also made 3 suppers this week!!! That's probably the most I have EVER made in 1 week. For those of you who know me you understand that is a VERY big accomplishment because cooking is a weakness of mine and something I have been trying to work on. I wish I could get some cooking lessons... just some tips on making family friendly meals that are quick 'n' easy!!

Lately I have been more tired than I have never been! Even more tired than when Som wasn't sleeping through the night or even more tired than when I first brought her home from the hospital. Maybe 11 months is harder than a newborn - man, can an 11 month old move fast!

Sommer learned the stairs yesterday. She can motor up them no problem! We have also taught her how to come down the stairs on her tummy! It's too cute to watch! She is really good at going up them but going down she sometimes forgets she is on the stairs and get's a little over confident but I have always been right by her so she hasnt fallen yet. This evening I was in the upstairs bonus room area and James was suppose to be watching Sommer and the football game. As I am putting toys in the box I see this little (and beautiful) face peek around the banister... she had escaped from her Dad's watch and climbed all the stairs on her own to come and visit me... needless to say, we will be purchasing a baby gate ASAP!

Well, I feel as though I am rambling... better sign off and head to bed! Good night friends!

11 months and growing!

` Sommer and I started Starfish swimming lessons at the Lawson! She hated every minute of it. The water was so cold in the kid pool so I am sure that the water temp didnt help. The past 2 classes she has had a bad cold so we put swimming on hold but we will return to the water on Monday night! Hopefully the heater will be turned back on!

Sommer has discovered the toilet paper and she thinks it is such a fun game to unravel and play with the roll. I am sure that it is fun to make such a mess... now if she could only learn to clean up after herself.

We got new side tables for the basement. Sommer loved the little wrench that came with it and wanted to help her Daddy put it together. She is really good about not putting things in her mouth so she would bring me all the screws that James had put on the floor. If you notice in the above picture she is holding the wrench and was turning it on the screw - A girl after her dad's own heart!

Again, a bare bum little Sommer helping Daddy put together the bookshelf in the basement!

Sleepy Sommer

Sleepy Sommer... she is still sleeping! The past week she has decided that she will sleep until 10:30 -11:00 am, and that's after going to bed at 8:30 pm! Who is the teenager?? So you probably think that I too am sleeping in, nope! I am getting stuff done before my little angel wakes up. I think it's a good thing that she is sleeping so long because she is sick. She has a never ending runny nose, which has been with us for as long as I can remember (teething??), battling the tailend of a cold, and now has Thrush! UGH! I am so glad that we are no longer breastfeeding because I hear that thrush is painful while breastfeeding. The other day I looked in Som's mouth and it looked like she had milk all over her tounge. I didn't think anything of it because honestly I didnt think you could get thrush when you were "older". Yesterday her milky tounge was still there so I took her to the doctors, knowing in my head it was thrush, and yup, we were told it was indeed thrush. So here's to antibiotics 4x a day and plenty of probiotics like Yogurt. Well, I hear my angel calling "Mama!" from her room. Best get her ready for the day... at 10:45... and give her round 1 of her meds....

Home sweet home!

We are done! On Friday we finally moved into the new house after 2 years in the making. I could hardly believe I was sleeping in the master bedroom. Slowly we are starting to feel more at home and the boxes are making their way into the garage. When I look around I am not overwhelmed with what's left to do but there are still little things that can be done. There are no pictures of decor items out so it does feel kind of cold. Hopefully I can find some energy to start putting things in their new places.

We ordered our new furniture in May so that there would be nothing backordered or missing. When it came in June they told us that our bedroom suite was damaged so they had to return it - no big deal, we weren't needing it for another 3 months. On Friday, 10 mins before they were to deliever it, we got a phone call saying that the bedroom suite was damaged AGAIN, in fact they used the word "smashed". How can a bedroom suite be "smashed"?? So they delivered our bedroom suite, minus our headboard, footboard, side rails, and armour and our new leather couch & loveseat. After inspecting our loveseat I notice that there are scratches on it... ugh! So another 6-8 weeks until the furniture is all in the house.

We have Lexis back with us now that we have moved into our house. It's great to have our dog back and we did miss her. We decided that she has to wear dog slippers in the house so she doesn't scratch the hardwood like she did at our old house. At first she pretended that she didn't know how to walk, haha, but after realizing that we were not taking them off she "learned how to walk" and has accepted them. She looks soo cute!!

I will post some pictures once everything is set up :) Feel free to stop bye anytime!!

Introducing Mara Ruth!!

Welcome to the world beautiful Mara Ruth! Our niece has arrived 2 weeks early but the timing could not have been better! I talked with Jen on Thursday evening at 5 pm because I wanted to get the McCullough Family Cook Book emailed to me so I could print it off. Jen said she was having some cramping but nothing out of the ordinary and that she was ready for this baby to come. I said it would be awesome if the baby decided to come over the long weekend as James' parents were already planning on coming for a visit and we could easily hop in the car because we were having a pretty laid back weekend. Jen phoned us at 7 am the next morning to say that the baby girl arrived... I could hardly believe my ears! I kept saying, "Seriously?? No Really?? I just talked to you before I went to bed!!!"

Her water broke at 1 am Friday morning so she had a shower before leaving for the hospital which would be a 40 min drive into Winnipeg. They left for the hospital at 2 am, arrived at 3 am, was pushing by 4 am and had the baby at 4:30 am! What the heck??? How come people are soo blessed with good, uneventful labours?? I would have loved to have that labour instead of my 15 hour labour!

So we went out on Sunday morning, arrived around 3:30 pm and went straight to the hospital. As soon as I got to the room I got to hold my precious niece Mara, and Sommer started bawling! So I went over to her and she wrapped her arms around my neck and cried, "Mama! Mama!" So I ended up giving the baby back, holding Sommer and then taking Sommer to meet her little cousin. In the end she was fine with me holding the baby but it did take a few minutes. Gave me a little insight to how Sommer would react when we bring our next baby home.

Mara was out of the hospital by noon on Monday so we were lucky enough to spend the day with them before driving home around supper time. We thought it would be a good time to leave because we would be at Brandon around 8 pm, grab some supper and stretch, and then put Sommer in her car seat and she would sleep the rest of the way... WRONG! Sommer cried from Brandon to Indian Head! The longest hour and a half of my life. "Mama! MAAAAAMA! Mama mama mama!" I would crawl to the back but that would make her so mad because she just wanted out of the seat. So in the end we drove in complete silence hoping that she would forget we were there and fall asleep. My poor angel!

Well, the baby is adorable. The mom is doing great! And our family can't wait for another baby to arrive!! If I was okay with having children in the spring/summer I would totally try for another but we do too much stuff in the summertime that I dont want to bring a baby along for. So, here's hoping to another fall/winter baby!




Our house had a major mix-up yesterday when the wrong carpet was shipped and installed. I know, BRUTAL! James didnt notice until the were completely done the upstairs which was very unfortunate. I came home and almost cried because I do not like the carpet that was installed. What makes it so bad is that I dont HATE the carpet but I dont LOVE the carpet... I just dont like it... is it liveable, PROBABLY.... I went to the carpet place early this morning to clear everything up. Our carpet (the right stuff) is sitting somewhere in Winnipeg so it will be shipped on Friday and we pray it will be installed on Monday. The Granite Guy hurt is back yesterday so our counters will not be installed until tomorrow, so everything is being pushed back a couple of days. Yes, unfortuantely we will not be in to our house until sometime next week. My sister comes on Wednesday so she may be helping us move into the house instead of helping me decorate. But I figure what's 2 more days.... ugh!

Soon enough we will be back to living in our own house and not living out of boxes in the basement of Garnet & Sharon's house! If only it was this weekend.....

Is the house finished yet???

So this house REALLY needs to get done soon because I am not sure if I can take living with the grandparents for too much longer! Okay, so we have only been here a week and it's not that bad but they get up sooo early! Sleeping right below their room is a morning nightmare because they LOVE to walk around with their shoes on in the morning - and by morning I mean 6:45ish. Sommer is in the room beside us and I often lie there and pray that she will keep sleeping through the clomping that's going on above my head. Why - someone please let me know - WHY people walk around in the morning with their shoes on!!??

The house is almost done. The kitchen has been installed, the hardwood floors are finished, the travertine tiles have been laid in the bathroom/laundry room, and today the masonary guys are putting the stack stone on the fireplace. The carpet is being installed on Tuesday on the 2nd floor and in the basement, the granite will be in next Wednesday and then the baseboards are going in on Friday! OH MY GOSH!!! The cleaners are booked for Friday and moving day should be the next weekend :) I feel like this has been the longest year and a half of my life and the end is finally in sight. Ill post some pictures soon!

Kristi, my sister, will be here on Sept. 10 -16 and I can hardly wait! She will be the first person to sleep in the new guest room - you should feel honored Kristi! I can't wait for her to come and help me decorate and watch Sommer while I unpack boxes... I hate unpacking!!

I should get running here and clean up the basement since my grandparents are having company over to watch the football game this evening. Ill post later when I have more time :)

Happy long weekend!!

Sommer - My helpful packer!

Sommer sitting in the empty kitchen.

Lovin' the sprinkles she found in the box!

Unpacking the box she found on the floor!

Happy 4 year Anniversary James!

Hard to believe 4 years ago tonight I was lying in my bed thinking "I am getting married tomorrow". Now I am to awake to sleep because my mind is racing and all I can think about is how much has changed in 4 years. When we started out as a young married couple, James 20 and me only 19, I don’t think we fully understood what all we would accomplish together. Sure, we had dreams and goals but so does every young married couple. We wanted to finish university, get jobs in our specialized fields, have children, buy a home... but look where we are now. Some of the things we deemed important have changed, our outlook on life has been modified, but our values and beliefs have remained the same.

We both decided that University - as great as it is for some - was just not where we needed to be and we decided to pursue careers in the areas we were passionate about. For me that meant following in my grandmother's footsteps and becoming a Realtor - Helping people find the houses they love and assisting others in selling a place where memories lie. For James it meant opening his own consturction and home building business, being able to build a home he was proud of for our clients. God gave us similar passions and we are very blessed to be able to work together and value what the other person brings to our family company. 4 years ago our company was not something we even imagined, today it is something we both are proud of.

Four years ago we were not thinking of having children anytime soon. Today we have a beautiful 10 month old daughter who is the light of our lives. Her determination in learning new things comes from her Daddy while her firey attitude and short patience unfortunately comes from her Mommy, her beautiful features come from both although most people say she is a spitting image of James. The responsibilities that come with parenthood are sometimes trying but always rewarding and neither of us would trade it for the world. We both value family and know that we want many children because children are our hope for the future. They are the pride of their parents and we can not wait for our family to grow.

My husband has big goals and even larger dreams and I honestly believe that he will reach every one he sets in his life. He accomplishes everything he sets his mind to, I don't think there is something he can't do. His determination in accomplishing everything he starts allows his dreams to become reality. The love he has for his daughter is unconditional and heart melting - Sommer has grabbed hold of her Daddy's heart strings, the bond they are creating is unbreakable. He is a great provider for our family and works very hard to allow me the opportunity to work part time so I can spend quality time with our daughter. The sacrifices he makes do not go unnoticed, each day I am reminded how how much he loves us.

4 years ago I married my best friend and set out on a journey together. Today we are continuing on that journey - joined by a daughter and dog - excited to see what God has planed for us in the years to come!

I am a superior housewife!

I am VERY surprised that I scored Superior on a 1930's houswife test! Seriously?? To be honest I dont think I am a superior housewife. I HATE cooking so much... it's honestly something I dread doing. If I had lots of money I would hire a chef to come and cook supper every night. I can do breakfast (Fruitloops work for me!) and lunch (Mac n' cheese is great) but for supper I will stare in my pantry and see nothing that works. Last week I cooked 3 meals for us and this week I have cooked 1... dont even ask me what's for supper tonight. My mom is always on my case to get me to cook, she is a good cook and always had supper on the table - where did I go wrong???

As for cleaning, that is something I can do no problem. I love to organize and straighten my house. I heard that the state your home is in can say a lot about a person and I believe that. Decor is important to me and I love it when my house looks good. Now, I am not saying that my house is always clean because it's not. But I do like it when it is... I always feel so good when it is straightened. That doesnt mean I dust and scrub my floors - oh no - it just means that everything is "tidy" not spotless.

Laundry is my constant tug-a-war... I dont mind doing the laundry but I HATE putting laundry away. I wish I was Kate Gosselin from Jon & Kate Plus 8. She does the laundry and then has someone come and fold it and someone else puts it away. Now I dont have 8 kids but still, if someone would come and put my laundry away my life would be grand! There are times where we have lived out of the laundry basket for weeks and weeks... it's not that hard to put away!

I am a good mom I would say, I love taking care of my child. I like to take care of my husband but I also thinks he takes care of me. Sommer is my responsibility, I am the mom in the house. I make sure she has stuff to eat and milk to drink, she always has clean clothes to wear. If she is up in the night then I get up with her and I also put her down to bed every night. James helps out by changing her diapers or feeding her food and he is a great help. He never complains when I ask him to do something and does so willingly. I don't expect James to get up with Sommer in the night because he has to work the next day and needs his sleep - I stay home and therefore can handle the night time needs. I put Sommer to bed every night and that is our bonding time. I rock her to sleep in the chair and give her a bottle, it's something I don't want to give up. James can put her to bed if I am not home and she will go down for babysitters too, but bedtime is my special time and usually I miss it if we dont have it. Luckily I have a great husband who loves his daughter too, parenting is a shared role in our family but I think that I oversee the department.

Well, I better get back to my housewife duties! I guess packing falls under this cateogory today...

A rest from packing!

I hate packing!! But Im also cheap and will not pay for movers so I have to suck it up! Yesterday I took Sommer over to the babysitters so I could have a full afternoon of packing. My grandma and I packed up all the home deco stuff, the living room (minus the furniture), the hall closet, the main bathroom, and the guest room! Now I just have to do Sommer's room, the master bedroom and bath, and the kitchen! Ugh, the kitchen... I dont even want to think of how much work that will be!! I honestly didnt realize how much junk I had laying around the house, in drawers and in closets... stuff that I have never seen before! We will be making plenty of trips to the bins to through a lot of garbage! Last night my grandparents watched Sommer while James and I tackled the dreaded storgae/furnace room which has been the room where we put stuff that we dont know what to do with... it's all cleaned out and everything is stacked in the back entrance. Now to tackle the garage...

Our house is being painted this week and then all we have is flooring, baseboards and final fixtures!! Oh and the Kitchen cabinets but those only take a day. I am excited to go over and see the paint that I picked out spur of the moment... actually I am nervous but James said it looks fine.

Well I should get packing while Sommer naps. Have a good day!

Sommer LOVED her little splash pool that we got her! She had her toys in there, apple juice, no shirt on - life was grand!

Swinging at the campground play area!
We had so much fun on our Trademark Weekend.
While the boys went golfing Auntie Sheena and I took Sommer to the park!

Someone loves the swings!

Sommer also loved the slide!

At the bottom thinking - can we do that again!??!

Thanks for coming mom and dad!

My mom and dad left this morning at 5:20 am back to Portland. We were very lucky to have them here with us for a week and now my house is so quiet. Sommer got very spoiled with her grandparents. My mom taught her how to give high fives, we worked on sign language (she knows "more", "all done", "hi", and "bye"), went to the lake, and out for supper to Regina Beach. I love it when my parents come to visit us here in Regina, it's nice to show them what we have been up to and where we spend our time. Unfortunately our new house wasn't complete but they got a great idea of what it looks like since it is at the painting stage. Next time they come they will have their own suite downstairs so they don't have to shower amoung Sommer's bath toys and sleep in the room beside her. They spoil Sommer so much but it can only be expected when their granddaughter is so cute! My sister is coming to visit in a month (Sept. 10-16) so I am aiming for then for our house to be done.

Jeremy and Sheena have moved out of the basement so we have the house to ourselves. It makes me less stressed to think that half the house is ready to move since there is nothing in the basement that has to be taken care of. Now if I can get the upstairs packed I will be off to the races. I took down the pictures in the living room and kicthen/dining room today so my walls are starting to look bare. I hate packing so much but my mom told me that it is going to take a while to get this house in boxes. I can only imagine how long it will take me while having to entertain Sommer!! Luckily she can go to daycare when I need to pack so I will have to power pack during those times. Yesterday my mom and I cleaned out all the closets and put unused stuff into bags for the Diabetes Foundation Clothing Bins. I took 4 industrial garbage bags full of old clothes ovr to the bins so my closet will be much easier to pack now.

I should get some packing in now that Sommer is napping. Thanks for reading my blog and keeping up with my life!

Melissa

Allergies and what not!

Man, I hate allergies! I had never had them before I got pregnant but last summer was my first experience. Now this summer they have returned... and it seems that Sommer is suffering from them as well. While James and I can take Aerius or Claratin poor Sommer is suffering with only a vicks humidifier and many warm baths. Poor baby!

Sommer is crawling around now and has 2 teeth. She just turned 9 months last Friday. My baby is getting so big!! Her crawl is hilarious, haha, with one leg in the crawl position and the other in a bear crawl... the bear crawl leg pushes off... too cute! Ill have to get it on video and post it here for you! to watch. Each day is an adventure with her and she is always doing new stuff.

Our new house is ALMOST ready! Currently we are at the trimming stage so my brother in law Sammy is busy doing his job! He is a wonderful trim carpenter and does really good work. He lives here in Regina so we spend a lot of time together. Most times he showes up at our house around supper time and "claims" he didnt realize what time it was, oh well, someone needs to watch out for him. He is exactly (almost to the day) one year older than my little brother and since my bro lives in the U.S. I enjoy having Sammy around to spoil.

My parents are coming this week!! I am sooo excited! Once again they were coming to see our house which once again will not be finished. They are bringing me my new vehicle (2005 Pathfinder LE) which I am also looking forward to having here. While Mom and Dad are here we are going to my great grandma's 96th birthday party, to the lake for the weekend and out to Regina Beach for Fish & Chips. What I am probably most looking forward to is having them stay WITH us. The last 2 times they have come to visit we have not had an extra bedroom for them but since we put the house on the market we turned the office back into a guest room. Now they are officially coming to visit us and even get to host them!

Well I should run here! Just wanted to check in and let you know what we have been up to! Have a great end of July!

Family Photos in Orlando!

The Boda Clan! Celebration in Orlando, Florida!

Grandma & Grandpa with their grandchildren & great grand-daughter

4th Generation Picture!

The Williams Family!

The McCullough Family

Weekend at the lake!

Ice cream with Grandma!

Hanging out with Daddy on the beach...

Kisses in the hammack!

Feet in the water...

Boat ride on Saturday!

Hanging in the hammack!

Sommer did not have a good weekend at the lake! She decided that she does not like sand and does not like the lake water. She was fine in the boat, just fell asleep but cried for 3 hours straight when we sat on the beach. Finally she exhausted herself soo much that she fell asleep in her play pen for a half an hour or so. You couldn't stand in the water with her, you couldn't stand on the sand with her... she just wasnt a happy camper!

Monkey in the crib!

Here is a video of Sommer playing in her crib! A little monkey she is!!

SOLD!

It has sold! All conditions have been removed and we are moving August 23!!! AHH!! Yes, that picture is an old one (since there is now on the ground and now there isn't). I want to take a picture with Sommer outside on the front lawn by the sold sign but I am waiting for the sold sign to be put up (by me.. haha). Thanks for all your prayers throughout the selling process. We look forward to our new house in Emerald Park now!

Too cute!

Yesterday we went out for supper (You should know by now that I dont cook!). Sommer was fussy so I sent her out to the car with James while I stayed behind to pay the bill. I really wanted James to have to buckle her into her carseat (which is no longer a bucket carseat- she is now in a big girl carseat) because I wanted him to realize what a PAIN it is to bend over and do up all the straps! We are looking at SUV's right now and I want James to get me one sooner rather than later so I figured this would be a perfect opportunity. When I came out of the restaurant I was happy to see that James was sitting in the driver seat chatting on his cell phone. "Great!" I thought, "he had to buckle her in!!" But when I opened my door, I found someone buckled into MY seat! SHE WAS SO CUTE! She looked at me like she was saying "Get in the back Mom! Let's roll!" So independent she is getting... one day she can sit like a big girl in the front but until then in the back she goes!

Big Announcement!

Just wanted to make a BIG announcment:

NO I'M NOT PREGNANT AGAIN!

Sommer is getting 2 teeth!!!

She has been SO MOODY lately to the point where I am getting frustrated because I can't put her down for 1 minute. She has also been waking up crying at night for no reason and the only way to get her back to bed is to sleep with her in the guest room. Yesterday I put my finger in her mouth and there were little bumps on her bottom gums. She wouldn't move her tounge for me to look in her mouth so when I was feeding her cereal I took a sneek peek! Yup, 2 little white teeth are starting to come up! WOW! They aren't all the way through the gums but you can see them just under the gum line. She is getting way to big! Crawling and teeth... where has my newborn 6 lbs baby gone??

A real gift from God!

This picture was taken of a baby at 21 weeks gestation... This baby was diagnosed with Spina Bifida and needed to be operated on prior to birth. A doctor in the USA operated on the mother, having to remove her uterous to do so, made an incision in the uterous but could not remove the baby. On 20/20 when they interviewed the doctor he said that when he made the incision this tiny arm and hand came out and grasped his finger. AMAZING! It was as if this tiny unborn baby was thanking the doctor for saving his life! Today this baby is a healthy boy!!!

This little hand shows just how special pregnancy and birth is! This mother was only half done her pregnancy and look how definded and perfect this little arm and hand is. Littles ones are a gift from God and every day I thank Him for the special daughter he gave me!

Farewell Gma & Gpa!

Today my grandparents move out to Emerald Park... the house beside us will no longer be theirs and for the first time in 2 years we will no longer be neighbours. What a weird feeling it will be to not have them beside us. I can no longer call on Gma to watch Som while I shower or watch Som while I unpack the groceries from the car or to run to their house when I need ice or milk. I know I sometimes complain about the lack of privacy but in all honesty it works out quite nice having them close. We now share a backyard with complete strangers so Lex is off to live with Gma and Gpa in E.P... we can't have her pooping in the new neighbours backyard or scratching at their back-door to be let in. I almost dont want to go outside because it's no longer our shared backyard and I just may have to say "hi" to the new people, the ones who are living in my "grandparents house". Our house has a conditional sale on it, we are just waiting for the new owners house to sell, so hopefully it's not long before we join them and return to being neighbours. Until then... I will smile politely at these new neighbours and probably will not spend much time in the backyard...

Good Monday Morning

Seems like time just gets away from me and next thing I know it has been 2 weeks and I haven't blogged. I remember when I was so diligent in this task and would have it updated daily. Now with a 7 month old (yes, Som turned 7 months yesterday!) I hardly have time to do a thing.

Our house has a conditional offer on it! Now we just wait for the people who bought our house to sell their house. I listed there house so I am pushing to sell it fast! It's a beautiful home with many upgrades, in a perfect location, so I don't think there will be any trouble. Just a matter of finding the right person... which can be hard for a very impatient person to do! We went to our new house yesterday and snooped around. We went looking at new furniture on Friday at Kozan's and picked out lovely stuff. Yesterday we made sure it would all fit! I couldn't decide what to do with the "den" at the front of the house as we were going to make it an office. But we decided to not have an office at home because it is too tempting for James to work when he is "done for the day". So yesterday we decided to make it a piano room as we now have a beautiful piano from James' parents. It will look wonderful in that room!

This is another busy week for us around here. It seems that with warm weather comes kaos in our house. So much is needed to get down on this house and on our new house. My grandparents are moving on Thursday to their new house in Emerald Park so we will no longer have them as neighbours. Lex is going out with them as there is no fence between our houses currently and we don't want her pooping in the new neighbours backyard. So we are dogless for a few months until we join them out in EP.

I am really getting excited for our summer vaca to Orlando on June 27! It will be so much fun! My mom's whole family (39 of us, if I am not mistaken) will be down there for 10 days! My parents have rented a house for our family which will give us a nice break from being with everyone 24/7. Sommer will love the warm weather, pool and hopefully get her first look at the ocean. My camera will be busy snapping pics the whole time we are gone.

Well, I should start my day here as Sommer finally went down for a morning nap. Hope everyone is doing well!

Mother's Day Weekend!

This was my first Mother's Day! I feel like I have been waiting for this day for some time now and it was finally here. Last year I was told that I could not celebrate it, as I was not "really" a mother yet. But this year I am. I love being a Mommy but I will admit that it is a tough job. Sommer and I have been sick with a cold (she gave it to me!) and I have just wanted to lay down and sleep. But there is no break for a mom! Since Sommer has had a cold she has not been sleeping well and some nights she was getting up 4x.... but I made it through. I have the greatest job in the world and I am so honoured to look after such a lovely little girl!

James (& Sommer) bought me new diamond earrings for Mother's Day! I absolutely LOVE them! Yes, he does spoil me! (But I LOVE it...) Now, what will I get him for Father's Day!?

Sommer found a new favorite thing to do at Grandma Cheryl's house... she figured out how to open the cupboards and take out the tupperware. She spent HOURS hanging out in front of the cupboard and it kept her very occupied. Too cute!

That's my baby... snotty nose and all. I LOVE HER! Notice that her hair is growing in??? What a cutie!

Emerald Park!

Soon we will be moving to Emerald Park! So far we have been framed and windows and doors have been installed. We are waiting on plumbers because the ones who were suppose to do it have backed out of all Emerald Park contracts. Ouch! Hopefully things will be figured out soon and we will be on the ball. We were suppose to move in one month but that is not happening. But it's great to see the progress coming along!