1/4 of a Century

Just wanted to wish my Mr. Stannix a very happy 25th Birthday!

My goal for this year: Take more pictures of JUST Mr. Stannix!

(I couldn't find any for this post!)

25 Reasons Why I love you

1. You make me feel safe  2. You make me laugh  3. You're a fabulous dad  4. You're okay with me cutting your hair  5. You like to listen to the same cheesy love songs I do  6. The way you look at me with that twinkle in your eye  7. You comfort me when I need it most  8. You realize how important family is to me  9. You understand me more than probably anyone else does  10. I love the smell of your cologne, it reminds me of when we were dating  11. We have the worlds longest hugs  12. You're a great dancer (even solo!)  13. We have way too much fun together  14. You can make Camilla laugh like crazy  15. The gospel is important to you  16. You're okay with having a "well lived in" house because Camilla is happy  17. You make me want to be a better person  18. You loved your mission  19. Your cheesy humor (yes, I do love it!)  20. Your singing (haha)  21. Your never failing patience  22. The way we can laugh together when something goes wrong (most of the time)   23. You get up super early every morning and work super hard at school so that you can support our family  24. Your determination and love for life  25. The way you plan things out

Our Favorite Fire Fighter!

Yesterday we went to the fire hall to visit our favorite fire fighter! 

Camilla had fun checking out the fire trucks!

Camilla and Daddy

Uncle Mike tried to put his fire fighter hat on Camilla, but she kept ducking out from under it. 

Then we sat in the truck and listened to Uncle Mike tell some intense stories about driving to fight a fire!

It was pretty neat to see the inside and watch all the lights blink.  We also checked out this heat sensor thing that they use to see how hot the fire is/walls are. We got to see all the cool tools on the truck and what they use them for.

Uncle Mike even called dispatch and got them to do a special "Fake call" for us so we could see/hear what goes on. He was a fabulous tour guide! We got to see the workout room, the sitting room, and the kitchen.

My brother Arland came along as well to check out where his bro works! He even got to try on a uniform.

Camilla got a nifty coloring/activity book with stickers. She quite enjoyed herself!

We finished our tour off back with the trucks and Camilla got a picture with her favorite fire fighter! I love the look on her face in this picture, so proud! We had a great tour! So neat to see the inside of a fire hall and what goes on! Thanks Uncle Mike!

Baking Day!

Today has been a pretty fun day! This morning we went over to our neighbors house to play with the kids and bake some cookies for an awesome center piece.  We got up, cuddled on the couch for a bit, watched cartoons, had some breakfast and then got all dressed and ready to go.  I thought it would be fun to put Camilla's hair in pig tails today.  She looks SO grown up!! It's adorable. Our little toddler....

She sat on the bathroom counter and played quietly with her tooth brush while I brushed and did her hair.  It worked out fabulous! The other plus about them being closer to the back of her head is that she doesn't really know they are there.  She doesn't pull them out like she does her clips or pony tails. 

This is the fancy center piece (Camilla really wanted the baby star on the top to eat!). It was my neighbors idea.  I haven't had time to decorate the cookies yet, but you're supposed to decorate them and then stack them and it looks like a Christmas tree.  You can make it with Rice Krispies and even Jello! They look pretty neat.  The best part is, after dinner, you can eat it for dessert!!  Pretty excited to finish it and have some one over for dinner. 

This afternoon we are heading to Uncle Mike's fire hall to visit him at work and look at the big fire trucks! It will be pretty fun! 

Toot-a-loo!

Sun and Snow!

Today the thermometer said it was only -2 outside! Mr. Stannix e-mailed me when he got to school and said it was a beautiful day to take Camilla outside.  

We found her snow pants, put on some socks, zipped up her jacket and found a nice warm hat.

She sat out on the bottom step and waited for me to put her boots on and then climbed up the stairs to the back door.  She couldn't wait! She was happy to get out and play in the snow!

I shoveled the walks with my "shadow" not far behind me clunking around in her big snow boots. It was beautiful outside! I almost felt like taking off my jacket and just wearing a sweater! 

The sun was shining bright and we had fun!

Camilla only ventured out into the deep snow a couple of times.  Mostly, she just stayed on the side walk and played.  Near the end she enjoyed sitting down in the fluffy white stuff and then even was brave enough to lay in it!

We made a fabulous Camilla snow angel.  She liked waving her arms around and kicking her feet! She kept laying in the same spot and doing it all over again.  It was pretty funny! 

Before she got tired, she was loving running up and down the freshly shoveled walks.  She would go all the way to the end, and I would watch her from the front step.  She would then say "DOH!" (which is "GO!") so I would say, "Ready, set GO!" and she would take off running down the walk.  She had too much fun!

After about an hour of taking in some fresh air and feeling the warm sun on our faces, it was time to go in.  The chicken noodle soup is almost ready and I think today I am going to make it the same way I used to get it growing up, with a scrambled egg and some soya sauce.  Nothing better than a hot bowl of soup for lunch on a winter day.  Then it will be nap time and tidy-up-the-house time. 

One more month until Christmas! I can hardly wait!

Sneak Peek

Me as Dobby, and "My Wheezy"

Mr. Stannix will definitely post an update about our fabulous party, but here's one pic from our awesome night! Sadly, there has been very little blogging lately.  A nasty flu hit our house on Monday night and I am still recovering.  I wasn't able to eat for over 24 hours.  I was really worried about the baby in that time because, well, pretty sure it isn't good to go that long without food when you're pregnant.  Mr. Stannix came home yesterday and sent me to bed.  I gladly obliged.  He took care of cleaning up the house (which included my mount everest of dishes) and putting our baby happily to bed.  What a great husband I have.  I woke up to grab a freezie because I was starving and super thirsty.  We snuggled a bit on the couch to transformers but sadly weren't able to finish it.  We both were early to bed, and Mr. Stannix caught the dang bug in the middle of the night.  Luckily, he made a speedier recovery than me, and was off to school this afternoon for his classes. My body ached all night and my back has never been more sore.  I didn't get a whole lotta sleep until I moved to the couch early this morning.  This is one nasty bug I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Kept some chicken soup down at lunch and am taking it very easy today.  Here's hoping tomorrow is a way better day!!

A Slow Morning

We've had a super busy weekend as you may be able to tell by the picture.  Camilla looked absolutely zoned out and tired at breakfast this morning.  I don't know where she found her hat, or why she is wearing it like that (and at breakfast for that matter) but it totally looked hilarious. She was just super tired this morning, we were all a little slow getting going and off to church.

This last Friday evening we had a huge Harry Potter party with a bunch of great friends! It was a lot of fun, and we have pictures of everyone dressed up that we'll share in a later post.  (I think Mr. Stannix is planning on doing a little write up..)

On Friday we ran errands in preparation for our party and enjoyed a few special moments.  First, my brother babysat Camilla while we made a Costco run.  We took advantage of being kid-less and made it into a Hot Dog date.  Costco has a delicious Hot Dog/Drink Combo for cheap cheap.  That was our date.  Next, we enjoyed holding hands as we crossed the Wal-Mart parking lot to pick up some odds and ends.  Although those may sound like simple things, they really were special to us!!

The Orange Box

Camilla went through our recycling today and found her new favorite toy, an orange box.  She's been playing with it all afternoon.  Putting things in it, closing the lid, carrying it around, opening the lid, sorting things into it, putting it in different places.  It's been fun to watch her! Who knew something so simple could entertain for so long! Maybe, for Christmas, I'll just wrap up a bunch of boxes for her!! Just Kidding. 

Meanwhile, we've had a frustrating electrical difficulty since breakfast.  Apparently the grill, microwave and toaster can't all be plugged in at the same time, even if you aren't even using the microwave... I've tried every breaker and none of them will turn it back on.  How frustrating! The poor people upstairs are going to have to reset everything when they get home.  My bad. Other than trying to fix that, I've been making preparations for our Harry Potter Party tomorrow night!! Last night Mr. Stannix and I made up some Butterbeer (non-alcoholic of course) to make sure it would work and it was stinkin' delicious! Camilla has been chilling with me, helping me clean here and there and picking up her toys, and of course, playing with her awesome orange box!

Our Big Girl

When I took the camera out at lunch to snap this picture, Camilla looked right at it with the most hilarious grin and said "cheeeeese"! It was adorable. 

We have recently gotten rid of the tray on her high chair and pulled her right up to the table with us to eat.  She enjoys this much more than being in her own little space and loves being a part of everything. 

Camilla has also recently started nodding her head yes to things.  It's her new favorite thing to do.  It's the cutest thing to watch. She is now understanding the difference between yes and no.  I asked her if her lunch was yummy and she nodded her head dramatically. She also likes to nod when she chews.  Quite funny.  Today she learned how to touch her belly and say "full" when she's all finished eating.  Or I will ask her if she wants more, and she will shake her head and say "no". 

It's so exciting to watch her learn all these new things, but also, sad.  It makes me miss my tiny little girl.  She's so grown up now and independent! Yesterday she even started telling me what she wants to eat.  At breakfast she said something that sounded like grape, so she had some grapes.  Then a few minutes later, she wondered over to the table, stood on her tip toes to look on top and saw the strawberries (which she loves) and said "stawb".  I'm enjoying the fact that I can understand her and that she is learning to communicate so well. 

When she dirties her diaper she tells me right away (sometimes even before she does it).  "Po-Po" and she'll start heading to her room for a bum change.  I just can't believe how grown up she is now!!

Anyways, just a quick update on the kiddo! I'm off to eat my lunch and start a baby blanket!

Chillin' Out

Wouldn't it be fun to be this small?

Chocolate Making 101

This weekend was yet another fun packed weekend.  On Saturday, some cousins/aunts went to my Gramma's for chocolate making.  It was great to get together and learn some tips and tricks.  I must say, it was a lot more work then I thought it was going to be, but so worth it!! I left my camera at Gramma's or I would have had some pictures up sooner.  

We kept the finished product on my Gramma & Grampa's bed.  The room was kept nice and cool.  This isn't even HALF of the chocolates we did.  We alternated dippers and rollers, took lots of breaks for some of Gramma's yummy stew or chili and home made bread, and worked a full day.  Whenever we were almost done a tray, we would have to yell "TRAY" and my fabulous Grampa (who was the only man in the house) would come and kindly switch it out for us so we could keep working hard.  He was a trooper!!

 My cousins found some stellar transfer papers!! We thought we would try it out this year, and it totally worked! These are the cherry-almond flavor.  When we take them off the paper they have a nifty design on the bottom to help tell the flavors apart from each other.  Such a neat idea!

Gramma's table was filled with fondant, cornstarch (for rolling) and A LOT of melted chocolate.  My auntie Sylvia is pretty much a professional. Her chocolates looked so good you almost didn't want to eat them...almost. We had lots of laughs and lots of jokes as we went to work.  I think every body lost steam around 4:00 or 5:00 PM though.

By the time we finished, my Gramma & Grampa's bed was loaded, as well as the dresser, and the long table, and a table in the living room, and the top of the TV cabinet.  Grampa counted and said we did 35 trays with an average of 70 chocolates per tray which equals over two thousand chocolates!! YUM!  We had so many flavors! We did almond, cherry-almond, cherry, peanut butter, coconut, peppermint patties, caramels, orange, lemon, chocolate, dipped almonds, and also some peanut brittle and muck-ups (made with the left over chocolate and nuts) and I'm sure I missed some...

I went to pick up my share today and I can't wait to taste test again with Mr. Stannix tonight!! If anyone is interested in a good fondant recipe check it out here, and some amazing tips here.

Near the end, you can tell we got a little bored.  We came up with a hilarious version of the 12 days of Christmas.  It was a blast!

On the first day of chocolates my family gave to me
A grampa switching out trays
On the second day of chocolates my family gave to me
Two pregnant mommies
and a Grampa switching out trays
On the third day of chocolates my family gave to me
Three aching grammas, two pregnant mommies and a grampa switching out trays.
 ***

On the TWELFTH day of chocolates my family gave to me
Twelve fondant flavors,
eleven calls from husbands, ten nimble fingers, nine cheating tasters, eight absent children, seven times five trays, six breaks for napping,
Five tonnes of sugar -- four kinds of chocolate, three aching grammas, two pregnant mommies and a grampa switching out trays.

  Thanks to all who organized, hosted and participated! It was a blast! I had a lot of fun learning from some serious pros! Sadly, I forgot to snap a picture of me in my awesome hair net, and apple apron to share with you all! HaHa But here's one of my kiddo in a hair net from our fondant making day!
Future baker perhaps?

Off to grab the lasagna from the oven and get some dinner on! Looking very forward to the Christmas season!!

Galaxy Land

Yesterday afternoon/evening we decided to adventure out to Galaxy Land.  A bunch of friends have been telling us that kids under two are free (as well as their chaperone(s)).  We thought it would be fun to take Camilla there! We had a blast! 

Riding on the old car..

Being scared with Daddy on the Balloon Ride, similar to a ferris wheel.

On the Carousel with Mum.

Sharing some Orange Julius with Daddy, her fav!

Pretty much after every ride, she cried because she didn't want to get off.  While we enjoyed some dinner and our Julius she was recalling her fun evening and making horsey noises and chatting up a storm! She had so much fun. Then while Mr. Stannix was in HMV we decided to look around the pet store.  She saw another little girl in there a little taller than her and said "hut!" and ran over to give her a little hug.  It was cute (luckily the little girls parents thought so too, and weren't like "uh, what is your kid doing?") She also found another girl in the mall, significantly taller than her, and went up to give her "huts".  It was a great afternoon/evening out. We then came home, and cleaned up the house for the weekend.  Mr. Stannix was great and put Camilla to sleep while I ran an errand.  He also did my dishes and took out the garbage! My brother came over and we made up two giant bowls of popcorn and sat down to enjoy a movie.  

Today brings chocolate making with cousins (definitely a write up to follow) and hanging out with friends! Very looking forward to it!

Damsel in Distress

This morning I woke up, snuggled my girl, got her a Bubba, turned on her show, and then went back to the bed to snuggle with Mr. Stannix.  There is no school today, so I get to spend some extra time with Mr. Stannix.  I was laying there, eyes shut, listening to Camilla in the living room.  It was really quiet, and I figured she was just drinking her Bubba and watching her shows.  A few minutes later I hear some grunting and complaining, she was frustrated about something.  I thought maybe she was trying to climb up on the couch or something.  I kept listening...She kept getting more and more frustrated and more and more vocal about it.  I thought I should go check things out and make sure she was okay.  I went out into the dimly lit living room and found my little girl sitting on the floor trying with all her might to pull something off her foot.  As I got closer, I realized what the problem was...

I knelt down beside my little girl and tried to tug her Bubba off her foot...it was STUCK!  A part of me couldn't help but giggle.  How did she get that on there!?  She was still in good spirits, so I swept her up and took her into the bedroom to show Mr. Stannix.  We got a little chuckle, he called for the camera.  Camilla wasn't happy with all the waiting and really just wanted the Bubba off ASAP.  It was a lot harder then you might think to get that thing off her leg.  It was really, really stuck! Poor kid.  Still wondering how she got it on there so good.

A few minutes later we giggled, gave hugs (or "huts" as Camilla calls them), and kisses.  She then started to relate her story to us and was talking about her toes and babbling about something.  I said, "Was your Bubba stuck on your foot?" and she made a big grunting noise and pretended she was pulling it off her foot again. So funny.  What a little goof.

We then had breakfast together.  It was wonderful to sit, eat waffles, drink juice, and chat.  I then gave Mr. Stannix a hair cut.  I had a fabulous little helper who was combing Daddy's leg hairs.  What a fun filled morning.  As I blog, Camilla is "shaving" her whiskers with Daddy and brushing her teeth.  She likes getting ready with Daddy in the morning.  I certainly love when he's home!

Happy Friday!

P.S Yesterday, I called Camilla a mooch, because, well, she sorta is. And she was mooching... And so she walked around bobbing her head very matter-of-factly and saying "much", "much"...And continued to"much" off people. 

Picture of the Day

My sis found this picture on her computer the other day and edited it and sent it to me.  

I love it for the same reasons she loves it! 

It definitely captures a moment.  It shows my goofy, cookie-stuffed-in-mouth little girl giggling on my shoulders with her wispy hair, and the absolute joy I get out of being a mum.

That was a fabulous day of snapping pictures.

Oh the memories! 

In a Heartbeat

It's amazing the relief, excitement and anticipation that can be found in a heartbeat!

Today was the monthly visit to the doc's.  

I was extra excited for today's visit though because I would get to hear our growing baby's heartbeat for the first time!  

With Camilla, I looked forward to this visit as well, only, the doctor that I went to couldn't find her heartbeat and I got a little freaked out!  

Luckily, I went in the next day for a second opinion and that doc found it no problem!

This is why there was relief found in hearing the heartbeat today.  It meant all is well with our growing little person.  The visit was quick and good. She found the heartbeat right away! Sadly, there was no mention on whether it was high or low.  Mr. Stannix and I were hoping to be able to take a guess as to if it's a boy or a girl! Guessing is fun!

Camilla did really well!! She waited quietly and munched a cookie while I was chatting with the doctor.  

I decided to take another belly pic to add to this baby's collection.  I promise, I look bigger in real life!! (haha).  For me, it's big.  I really don't gain much with my babes.  

Looking forward to the ultrasound now!

Two of a Kind

The other day Mr. Stannix decided to join in on the fun and get hummus all over his face too!!

It was cute! Camilla got a kick out of it!

The best part was when, instead of just washing it off, he asked me to get him a cracker...

No hummus going to waste here!!

That's my man...

They are definitely two of a kind...

Camilla Finds Her Whiskers

This morning was a fabulous Saturday morning.  Camilla didn't wake up until 8:45, and didn't cry until 9:00, which is when I'm guessing her teddy took a dive out of the crib.  I went in and got her and brought her into the bed with us for some snuggles.  Her head hit the pillow by Daddy and she turned and looked at me with her finger on her nose and went "shhhh".  She jumped around for a while, turned, giggled and then had a bubba.  Later on, when Daddy woke up, Camilla was thrilled! She went and snuggled and kissed him and played with his whiskers.  She giggled every time she touched them! After it all, Mr. Stannix asked Camilla "Where's your nose? Where's your eyes?  Where's Daddy's whiskers?"  Instead of rubbing Daddy's whiskers, she rubbed her own! It was totally cute!! We had to get her to do it again on camera...

She put her hand in that fist shape and even rubbed Mommy's chin to try and find some whiskers! She's such a hoot! I love lazy Saturday mornings.  I don't think we'll all fit in our little double bed on Saturday mornings next year though!

Last night Mr. Stannix and I had a quiet Friday night.  Mr. Stannix says he suffers from "Friday Night Syndrome" which is when you think you should be doing something SUPER fun on Friday night.  So, we went and grabbed a bite to eat and cruised through Wal-Mart.  We bought Christmas advent calendars, ya know, the one's with the chocolate for each day.  I got so excited for Christmas with all the candy and decorations that were out!! We picked up some Candy Canes as well so we could have our first mint candy cane hot chocolates of the season.  After Camilla went to bed, I got into some comfy Jammies, snuggled up next to my  Mr. Stannix with our yummy hot chocolate and enjoyed watching "Oceans Eleven".  It was great to get some free time with Mr. Stannix.

Today, I get to play with Camilla and tidy the house.  The weather still hasn't decided if it's going to be nice or not today.  Only time will tell! Hopefully we can hit up a park today because Camilla was making our kitchen floor into a slide this morning. "Weeee". Super funny!

Happy Blogging!!

Little Moments

Peek-a-boo

Yesterday I was up very early.  I don't think I've been awake that early in a very long time.  I was rewarded greatly though with many sweet little moments throughout the day.  

Because we were up so early, even Camilla was a little sleepy.  We got to enjoy a little cuddling together on the couch while we watched some cartoons on low volume.  

Later on in the morning when we were both more awake, we had some fun tickling.  I just love Camilla's little giggles!! 

While I was feeding Camilla soup at lunch, she started playing a hilarious game of peek-a-boo with me from behind her sippy cup.  It was adorable.  

I also got a glimps of what things are going to be like with two.  I had the opportunity to watch the cutest little boy yesterday.  Camilla was so attentive to him and they played very well together.  He would drop his sippy, and Camilla would follow him around trying to give it back.  She brought him books and toys and was very good at sharing.  At one point, Camilla was playing with a rattle and hitting it on the Coffee Table.  The little  boy thought this looked super fun! He wanted to try, so he found a way to get the rattle.  It was neat just sitting back and watching how kids work things out.  Camilla took a step back from the table.  I could just read her thoughts.  First, she wasn't sure what to do, and looked a little taken back.  Then she saw how much fun the child was having with the rattle and a big smile came across her face.  She marched back up to the coffee table, decided to join in on the fun,  and started hitting it with just her hands.  The two of them played at the coffee table, drumming,  for quite a while together.  

Later in the evening, I had just pulled fresh bagels out of the oven.  I cut one open, smothered it in butter, and sat on the couch.  Camilla came and joined me.  I gave her some little pieces to eat of her own and she loved it!! I looked down at her, with her big, full cheeks of food and she looked back up.  Next thing I knew, my little girl was puckering up for a smooch.  I made my lips as big and kiss-like as I could get them and kissed my puffy cheeked, puckered up little girl right on the lips! 

I was carrying something into the house, and Camilla saw me and said "elp! elp!" and she came right over and hung onto whatever part she could grab so that she was "elping" me.  She's so aware sometimes! That makes me smile.

I'm so glad I get to witness these sweet little moments.  Sometimes, my eyes sting with happy tears just watching Camilla do these things.  I love that I am her Mum and that she trusts me.  What a special gift!  I can't wait to see what a great big sister my little girl is going to be!

Numbers and Water

Yesterday was a catch-up-on-the-last-three-weekends-of-sleep day.  I woke up feeling super drained of energy and had a headache still.  I snoozed on the couch for the morning while my very well behaved little girl hung out in the living room with her toys.  I'm so lucky.  When she went down for her nap, I hesitated, and then decided it would be a good idea to catch some more Z's.  Neither of us woke up until Mr. Stannix got home at 4:30.  I felt a lot more rested.  I woke up craving Subway.  Pizza sub with all the veggies except the icky olives and things at the very back.  Because Mr. Stannix loves me and could see how tired I was, he let me get one, as long as I brought him home a big mac.  Lets just say, I tasted the first half of my sub twice (ew).  But for some reason, was still able to finish the second half.  I guess that's just how much I was craving it.  I blame it on the pickles.

I left the girly with her Daddy while I ran out.  She was so glad to have him home when she woke up from her nap.  He's been getting all sorts of cuddles and kisses.  She loves him so much.  As I was pondering what to blog about today, and looking at pictures, I came across these and decided they would be perfect.

Mr. Stannix was bathing Camilla the other day, and I walked in to a little girl covered in numbers.  Daddy was teaching her about accounting!! This is a regular occurrence in our home.  One time while he was doing homework, she was up on his lap and he was explaining something or other to her about accounting.  It's cute watching them.  Her newest fascination is watching movie trailers online  on Daddy's lap.  I've never seen her sit so still. 

Miss Cj loves spending every second she can with her Daddy. This morning, she definitely cried a lot when he left the house for school.  She really didn't want him to leave.  She even snuggled in when he brought her into the room (her way of bribing us).  I'm so glad I have such a wonderful husband who loves his girls so much.  He works really hard for us and I'm grateful for that.  No matter how busy he is, he always makes time for his little girl, whether it's to bath her, snuggle her, dance with her, or play on the floor with her.  I'm glad I have a husband like that.  Daddy's are so special!