Fun lunch

I'm sad to say that we are still without a camera! We didn't want to buy another cheap one and we have lots of things on our to-buy list. Many of which have to do with the beginning of school year stuff. I wish I could post pictures of our fun lunch.
My kids don't love sandwiches and it frustrates me because it is so easy and cheap. Macy usually eats the middle of the sandwich; I've discovered that she really likes tuna fish but not tuna sandwiches. She prefers it on crackers. So I have been thinking about doing this for years. We got out our set of 101 shapes that I got from Wal Mart many years ago. Each child picked their shapes. Then they chose peanut butter and honey or jam. Brynn chose toast with butter. Fine with me.
I think Joel ate almost two sandwiches. Macy ate nearly a whole one and Brynn had three pieces of toast. Hurray for a good lunch! The only drawback was the crust waste, which might have been why they ate so much sandwich. I refuse to let it be ok to not eat crusts so I helped them find shapes that filled the bread a little better. I got comments such as, "you're such a fun mom," "this is so much fun to eat dinosaurs," and "can we do this everyday?"
There will be a post with some pictures of our time in Spokane coming in a week or so. We used my mom's camera while we were there. I'm just waiting for her to send me the cd of pictures.

Summer travels

Sorry everyone who checks my blog. I've been on the computer for an hour trying to upload photos. Dial-up internet just won't do...
Here's an update and I'll attach photos some other time.
We (the kids and me) left Stan and our current home on the 26 of July. We spent almost a week in southern Alberta visiting family and friends. First stop was Medicine Hat. Spence, Jenn and Kali Torrie were kind enough to invite us to stay with them in their cute little house. They have a large backyard that the kids loved playing in. The next stop was Grassy Lake where we stayed with more Torrie family. I went on a killer bike ride with my sister-in-law. Farm roads=lots of bumps=shakin adult syndrome. My bike does not have shocks. I was riding the same speed as I run. My arms and head were aching by the end. Brynn and Joel spent 3 hours on a baler. Way more than I could do. Go Torrie kids! It must be in your blood.
The next few days were spent in Lethbridge with my good friend Jolynne. the kids were amazing and had so much fun together. We didn't leave the house with them for 2 whole days. They had fun playing house, in their backyard creation, climbling the tree, and jumping on the trampoline. Jolynne and I had fun hanging out, and cleaning and organizing her "suite."
On the first of August we traveled Spokane, Wa, where we will spend nearly the whole month of August.
Life is exciting. Two friends are getting married in the next month or so, kids are in swimming lessons, and we are at grandma and grandpa wright's house!

Jasper Getaway

Stan and I went to Jasper in the middle of June to have a break from the kids and to remind ourselves that we are still friends and we like being married. It was awesome. We didn't do too many exciting things. We stayed in Hinton, just outside of Jasper because it was way cheaper. We went into town and walked around the townsite, had a yummy lunch, and sat in the Miette Hot Springs for 2 hours. We were supposed to go on a hike but we were both so tired and I was having shin splints in one of my legs. It was so nice to just be lazy and talk. We probably had the most fun talking. We don't make time to do that enough. We are committed to having outings like this at least twice a year. Everyone who is married needs to do it!

This is me in a wildlife preserve, provided by the city of Hinton for people to enjoy. They built boardwalks all through the marshes so you could see a beaver's habitat and other things. It's really peaceful and nice.

This person's house had several antennae on the back. We walked past his driveway to find this ghostbuster car. The sign on the side says "Our service takes you out of this world." Notice the antenna on the car. We thought it was funny and wondered what kind of business he runs. (Also in Hinton, AB)

This was our bed and breakfast. Nice suite, lots of room, very countryish.

These mountain goats or whatever they were, were licking underneath the backs of buses, all taking turns. Interesting.

Happy 4th of July

Our friends were nice enough to come over and party with us and take this picture.

Who wouldn't come for such a yummy dessert. I created this all on my own. It was delicious AND healthy!

Look at my baby! She is growing up. She loves this swing that she got for her birthday.

My pretty girls. Sometimes they are really glad to be sisters and to be cute together.

It's Independence Day!

July 2005

This was in Great Falls, July 4, 2006

This was July 07, Pleasant Grove, UT

2007, Utah (rare picture of Stan with facial hair!)
I can't believe Macy was that size one year ago. They grow so fast.

I miss the 4th of July Celebrations. We usually try to do our own. A couple of years ago we went to Great Falls, Montana to celebrate. We'll probably do that again in the future. They have a great celebration there. Whatever we do, we are trying to make it an important thing in our family to remember both sides of the family and celebrate the big holidays that are different (ie. 4th of July and Canada Day, and Thanksgiving).
Here's the National Anthem:
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
I really like this verse:
O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

History: In 1814, about a week after the city of Washington had been badly burned, British troops moved up to the primary port at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. Francis Scott Key visited the British fleet in the Harbor on September 13th to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been captured during the Washington raid. The two were detained on the ship so as not to warn the Americans while the Royal Navy attempted to bombard Fort McHenry. At dawn on the 14th, Key noted that the huge American flag, which now hangs in the Smithsonian's American History Museum, was still waving and had not been removed in defeat. The sight inspired him to write a poem entitled Defense of Fort McHenry; later the poem was set to music that had been previously composed for another song by a Mr. Smith. The end result was the inspiring song now considered the national anthem of the United States of America. It was accepted as such by public demand for the next century or so, but became even more accepted as the national anthem during the World Series of Baseball in 1917 when it was sung in honor of the brave armed forces fighting in the Great War. The World Series performance moved everyone in attendance, and after that it was repeated for every game. Finally, on March 3, 1931, the American Congress proclaimed it as the national anthem, 116 years after it was first written.

God Bless America!

O Canada

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

As several of my blog readers are American, I wanted to share some things I like about Canada, my life here, and some thoughts about health care (since people often ask me about that). Today is Canada Day, similar to Independence Day in the U.S.
First of all, living here has given me an appreciation for my roots AND for Stan's.
I am the first to admit that I grew up a prideful American, believing the U.S. was the only place to be and that it was the best place to be. Thanks to some very loving Canadians and my experiences here, I can proudly say that Canada is a great place to live! (Don't laugh you Americans). You don't know it until you experience it but take advice from someone who has been where you are and try to open your eyes a little. The two countries are similar in lots of ways. As far as everyday living, it feels the same. Gas is more expensive though, and groceries!! I've been here long enough(5 years) that the lingo that I once thought strange, sounds normal and I have to think about the fact that Brynn is going into 1st grade (They say Grade 1 here.)
I'm grateful that my children will all be dual citizens and have the choice to live or go to school either country with ease. Happy Canada Day!

This is from Wikipedia. Health care in Canada is funded and delivered through a publicly funded health care system, with most services provided by private entities.^[1] While the Canadian government calls it a "public system,^[2][3] it is not "socialized medicine".

Health care spending in Canada is projected to reach $160 billion, or 10.6% of GDP, in 2007. This is slightly above the average for OECD countries. In Canada, the various levels of government pay for about 70% of Canadians' health care costs, which is slightly below the OECD average. Under the terms of the Canada Health Act, the publicly-funded insurance plans are required to pay for medically necessary care, but only if it is delivered in hospitals or by physicians. There is considerable variation across the provinces/territories as to the extent to which such costs as outpatient prescription drugs, physical therapy, long-term care, home care, dental care and even ambulance services are covered.^[4]

Considerable attention has been focused on two issues: wait times and health human resources. There is also debate about the appropriate 'public-private mix' for both financing and delivering services.

Also from Wikipedia is a comparison between US and Canadian systems, if you are interested. (I also did a research paper on this very subjects 4 years ago).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared

Ladiesfest

My posts have been less regular. We have been borrowing a camera but we don't have the cable so I don't have any recent pictures on my computer. Words will have to do for now.
I ran in the annual Ladiesfest race in Lethbridge for the 3rd year in a row. It was a fun experience. I have been training so hard for this race and really wanted to improve my time and finish without being dead. I'm happy to report that I accomplished both goals! It was a great race. Beautiful day, my legs felt good, I was running at a great, comfortable pace. Two and a half weeks ago, I got shin splints on one leg. I didn't know what it was but I was very discouraged and wasn't able to finish my training program as I would have liked too. The Lord was so good to me and allowed me the duration of the race to feel so good and to have a great experience. I was completely lost in my own world the whole time, listening to great music and thinking about life ahead of me.
I love running! It is one of the best things I've discovered to do for myself that really helps me, in a number of ways. I love being with my sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law is amazing!! At 61, she is in great shape and loves to compete. I'll have to post pictures when I can get some up.
Another blurb of thoughts. For any of you who know me, I'm really into learning about financial planning type stuff, getting out of debt, planning for the future, enjoying life along the way, etc.
I came across a talk on type at the library and I lOVED it! If any of you are interested in that, this was a great one.
It's called Smart Couples Finish Rich. I highly recommend it and I can't wait to talk with Stan more about it to help us get our goals in place, again.
We are having ANOTHER rainy day today but it is a blessing as our house was stifling hot after yesterday's 29 C.

Joel's birthday

Joel's cupcakes that he requested.



Joel has been asking me for a "big boy" bike for a long time!! Stating many times that his "tricycle has grown out of me." I'm so glad we waited to give him his new bike. He was so excited and is still so excited that he has a new bike. He also got a t-ball set and we haven't been able to use it much yet. Our yard is too small and the ball goes right over the fence. He can hit it really good. He was excited to be at grandpa's farm for his birthday.

Adventures in Calgary

Stan travels to Calgary once a month to do some work and this time we decided to join him. There's lots to do there so me and the kids wanted to have some fun while he was working. We've had some free passes to the Calgary zoo and wanted to use them. As we were preparing to go to the zoo, Macy threw up. Thankfully it was an easy clean up but she was feeling miserable and kept crying. Our choices were to continue on and go to the zoo or try and see if we could check into our hotel early. We decided to go to the zoo because the other kids were really looking forward to it. We prayed that Macy would settle down, sleep and feel better. The Lord answered our prayers and Macy did sleep pretty much the entire time we were at the zoo. The kids enjoyed seeing the animals, even though most were sleeping, eating yummy ice cream cones, riding a little train they have there, AND...taking pictures. (notice there aren't any pictures with this post). I decided to be a nice mom and let Brynn have the camera for a few minutes and take some pictures. She's a responsible girl and so I decided that would be ok. Well, we were viewing the dinosaurs and a nice waterfall and she wanted to take a picture of the beautiful waterfall. I instructed her to stand in a certain place to get the best view. She ignored my suggestion, took off running to the spot she wanted to be at, tripped and the camera flew into the water, never to be seen again. I was blessed with an understanding heart and a lot of patience and assured her that the camera was replaceable and I was glad that she didn't dive into the water. Needless to say, we have no pictures of the day. She felt really bad.
Brynn's favorite part of the zoo: the baby animals and feeding the ducks
Joel's favorite part: chocolate ice cream cone, and with some questioning, he kind of liked the animals too. The train was fun too, he said.
My favorite part: Getting some sun and having the kids be happy and well behaved.
There's more to this adventurous day. We arrive at the hotel, only to find out that the pool is closed. We only chose this hotel for the pool. I couldn't reach Stan as his meetings were running late. The man at the front desk informed me that I could only cancel the reservation if I did it right then. Since I couldn't talk to Stan, I decided to check-in. The kids really wanted to go swimming and we were wondering what we would do. Stan saved the day by getting us out of our reservation and going somewhere that had a great pool. The rest of the evening went great! The kids had fun. We spent the rest of the weekend in Grassy Lake with Stan's family and we celebrated Joel's 4th birthday. I'll post as soon as I can get the pictures from Stan's mom's camera.

Dance

One of her favorite dance poses

Isn't she cute?

This post is coming from someone who grew up playing sports and thought dancing was for sissies!
So, my 5 year old is in ballet and had pictures taken last week at her class. I am so disgusted with the whole process. Here's my spill about this particular dance experience...
So, her costume is pretty low on top. Some of the moms were wondering if they measured wrong but since most of the girls are having the same problem, it must be the way the costume is supposed to be. Putting make-up on her was a little odd, even though I know it's part of the costume. I also never wore make-up until I was in high school and the most I ever wore was on my wedding day, so much so that Stan didn't hardly recognize me.
My next beef is that it is costing our family $70 to attend her dance recital. I pay $40/mo for her tuition, paid $60 for the costume and now I have to spend a fortune to go see her dance for 2 minutes in a huge theatre, where they show other things such as Les Miserable and Phantom of the Opera. I don't think I'm keen on this dance studio. It's a little much for me. Please send comments. How do I deal with this? Brynn really likes ballet and would like to do more but there's got to be another way.
On the other hand. Brynn had the time of her life and was so cute as we slicked back her hair and put make-up on. She felt and acted like a princess. She floated around the house showing her dance moves and insisted on her dad taking several pictures.

Scripture Study

I often have a challenge staying focused on scripture study when I don't follow some sort of program. I just finished reading the Book of Mormon and needed some new direction. So I decided to start reading Preach My Gospel along with my scripture study to give me focus. It has been awesome. I'm sure it will help keep me on track and boost my knowledge and testimony of the principles of the Gospel. Maybe it will even help me be a better missionary!

These pictures are random from the last couple of weeks.

Me and the kiddos

Isn't he cute? Boys who have 2 sisters. He often asks for pretty things to put in his hair. He did this by himself, maybe Brynn's help.

I love this face.

I love you, Mom!!

May 2006, sometime near Joel's 2nd birthday

This is Dec 05, making Brynn 3 and Joel 18 months

I'm ashamed to say that this is the most recent picture I have of my mom, except for one she sent me with some other people while she was on her mission(July 06-Jan 08). (I found one from May 2006). These pictures show a big part that I love about my mom. She is great with kids. It seems to me that she especially enjoys the younger ones, but loves them at all stages. She helps remind me that they are only little once. When we visit, usually one or more can be found on her lap or near her, reading books, doing puzzles, or playing. She is a great grandma. But today is Mother's Day! There are too many things to list or mention that I love about my mom, but I will try...
-She has a positive attitude and is always looking on the bright side, reminding me that we can't control what happens to us but we can choose to be happy or choose to be sad, mad, discouraged, etc.
-She has a strong testimony and has related several times her love of attending church. She told us when we were young that she can't remember a time not wanting to go to church. I wish I could say the same! I've since repented.
-She is patient. Dealing with me as a teenager and child would give anyone patience. I was just different and very independent.
-She is loving. This kind of goes along with the above about being patient. She loves her family especially. We never had to wonder if she loved us. She told us often, showed us by her service to us and her actions toward us.
-She is forgiving. Since I've gotten older, I've learned how forgiving she has had to be with all of us kids and other people. She doesn't let her feathers get too ruffled, even if she does worry about things we or she might have done.
-She is my friend. As before mentioned, I was kind of a nasty teenager and didn't really appreciate my mom as a friend. Once I decided I was going to take charge of my life and my testimony (somewhere near the beginning of my senior year of high school), a friendship began to developed and has blossomed. It is still blossoming. What a blessing to have such a dear friend in my mom!
I hope everyone takes the time to tell their moms just how special they are.

Good-bye, my good doctor

I received word today that my doctor's office has been permanently closed. Over the last few years, he has been battling some charges against him and they finally closed up shop. What a sad day for me, worse for him, I'm sure. I've only had him as my doctor since I moved to Edmonton in November of 2003 but he has helped us in a huge way. He is the only doctor I've had that I really respected and trusted. He delivered both Joel and Macy and has seen all of us through different health-related issues. He is the most kind-hearted, caring, gentle, service-oriented doctor I've ever known. It was obvious that he loved his job, helping people.
Gratefully I don't have to be the judge of whether or not the charges against him are accurate. All I know is that we had a great experience with him and he will be a part of our memories and I will miss him.

This was before Joel was born. He and Stan had a great time chatting while waiting for my labor to progress.

This was after Macy. We didn't get a very good picture of him this time.

The shoe girl

Macy loves shoes. Many times throughout the day she goes to the shoe rack and brings me shoes wanting to put them on. Mostly to go outside, I think. She always wants to try everyone else's on too.I just like this picture of her. She looks like such a little kid.

A fun pyramid after Family Home Evening. (Notice Macy's toothbrush, she LOVES to brush her teeth)

Bye, bye soother

Macy has been my only child to have a pacifier past the newborn stage. She loved it and so did I. She really was soothed by it. It was easy to put her to bed, to nap, and keep her quiet in church. However, around a year, she began waking up at crazy early morning hours. I didn't know what else to do so I took her soother away. It was so easy!! She only cried one night and I wasn't here. I have only missed her having it in the car. For some reason she screams no matter where we go. Our trip to Washington this summer should be interesting!

Christmas morning, it's attached to her jammies.

With Brynn at about 5 or 6 months

This is her at one day old

I just noticed today that the blossoms are finally blooming on the trees and all the snow we had brought green grass. It's starting to look like spring up here!


Brynn took this picture of our nice weather we've had recently. Not too warm but warm enough to be outside and play. Finally!!!

This was part of the snow we got from the big storm a couple of weeks ago. We were depressed.

Friends

What would I do without my friends? I have met many friends in all the places I have lived and cherish all of them. Today is the birthday of one of my dear friends in Edmonton. When we moved to Edmonton 4 1/2 years ago, Jolynne Wright was one of the first people I met. I was drawn to her for some reason. She was down to earth, easy to be with and talk to. I felt like we were going to be friends. We are in the same stage of life, which allows us to share many common, daily struggles and joys. Our 3 kids are near the same age and, as they have gotten older, play really well together. We forced our oldest two to play together because we wanted to hang out.
Jolynne is from Barnwell, Alberta, a small farming community near Taber/Lethbridge. She is turning 29 today. She is the 7th of 8 children, one sister,6 brothers. She is a mother of three children, Levi-5, Emily-4, and Sadie- 21 months. She is married to Tim Wright. She is an RN and works in the Newborn ICU. She is our ward chorister and is an essential addition to our ward choir.
Why I love her:
-great with babies and children and possesses the ability to handle chaos
-patient, kind, and loving
-She loves to have fun
-She is very sympathetic
- a great listener
-willing to give her opinion. I love this because you always know what she is thinking. There is no guessing or wondering.
-She is so willing and eager to help. There are so many times that she has offered to take some or all of my kids so I can have a break. If I'm having a hard day with one of them she'll invite them to come over and play so I can re-group. After Macy was born she kept the other two overnight and had them numerous times, too many to count, throughout the days after the family help left.
Things we like to do together:
-Chat- We talk most every day on the phone. Since the kids are older and busier we don't spend as much time together.
-We love to shop together. Thank goodness for the West Edmonton Mall. We have spent many hours there together.
-Run/exercise.
-Scrapbook-although we've only done it a couple of times. It's not a priority at this stage in my life.
-sing. We took voice lessons together for about a year and we sang a song at Christmas time, with one other lady, in sacrament meeting.
-We probably would enjoy doing anything together. These are the things that are most prevalent in our worlds right now.

As you can see from the pictures. I talked her into being my running buddy. She was sure she was going to hate it but she stuck with it and we were able to finish a 1/2 marathon together.

This was our first race together. Canada Day 2005

This was our first 1/2 marathon. October 2005
We look really excited. I didn't post the after shots.Jolynne and her husband, Tim. Fall of 2006.

She is in the process of selling her house and moving back to southern Alberta, we think. I will miss her!

Happy Birthday Jolynne!

Walmart pictures

These are my kids' cute, but fake smiles

These are Macy's 1 year pics. We had to go twice. The photographers aren't usually very good and Macy was extremely uncooperative both times. She's still cute.

Not bad for $7

Injuries AND walking

The picture doesn't show too well but her left eye is bloody. She got elbowed in the eye by her brother. It Looked really nasty so I took her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok and it was. A few hours after we got home from the doctor, her little finger got smashed in the door as the kids were being wild. Macy wouldn't let me take a picture of her finger.

Front Row

We arrived early for the devotional that Elder and Sister Nelson were speaking at. Some men in our company were assigned to help with parking. A good excuse to be early and get a good seat. We ended up sitting on the front row, right in the middle. Talk about being close! It was awesome.
It was such a treat to hear from them. A choir sang the song he wrote "Our prayer to Thee." I think that is what it was called. They did a great job. Elder Nelson is such a sweet man. It was so fun seeing him in a different setting and to be that close was amazing. I feel so blessed that we have a prophet and apostles on the earth to guide us. Here are some highlights of their talks.
Sis. Wendy Watson Nelson:
She opened by sharing a story about her "preparation" to being pursued by Elder Nelson. She was speaking at a conference in Raymond, Alberta and as she was preparing for the event, she had the feeling that something big was going to happen in her life. Something that was life changing. She was humming a hymn before going to the meeting and was trying to figure out which hymn it was. She sang a little to her sister and asked what hymn it was. Her sister informed her that it was Elder Nelson's hymn. She thought nothing of it. Shortly after, he called on her and the rest is history.
-We know the Lord will give us what we need to grow into our true selves
-talked about pre-mortal therapy. She said she believes if we could just see 10 minutes of our premortal lives, it would change the way we live and the way we view our lives.
-D&C 88:33- Receive the giver AND the gift. She told a story she called the parable of the pink heating pad. (If anyone is interested in knowing what it is, let me know).
-Testified of the Lord's timing in our lives and said that He is never late!
Elder Nelson- Talked mostly about families. I was just impressed with how laid back and real he was. He has a big smile and is so friendly.
-Our families are our first priority, spouses first, then children. We are each other's ticket to the Celestial Kingdom.
-Gave this counsel to the women D&C 132:63- we glorify God by having and rearing children. It is the most important thing we will ever do!
-This was the counsel for the brethren:
1. Anticipate her hopes, wishes, the secret desires of her heart
2. Appreciate
3. Contemplate go to the Temple together, Celebrate anniversaries, love, the Sabbath
4. Cooperate work together
5. Elevate treat a person how they ought to be treated and they will grow to become
6. Motivate Help her to develop her talents- give your wife a night off now and then
7. Radiate goodness. provide light of the gospel in the home. Radiate more light than heat. Be the light of her life.
8. Supplicate be a praying people Alma 37:37
Then he said "good luck! I hope this helps."
He quoted a saying about enjoying your babies because they don't keep but I couldn't get the right words. I've heard it before though and it's sweet coming from a grandfather.