Trick or Treat

 Halloween was super low-key for us this year. We were super glad that Daddy came home early on Friday to enjoy the evening with us. He asked if I had started dinner yet and when I replied, "No..." he said, "Good!".

 We took the kiddos to Wendy's to kill some time and then headed back and did a couple of the blocks in our neighborhood with our cow, horse and pirate.

 Just as we were heading out, it started spitting rain. It was definitely a bit warmer than previous years where we fought with giant snowflakes and crazy wind. The rain still chilled me to the bone by the time we made it home. Joseph enjoyed all of the decorations. Mike and I chuckled at all of his words and excitement. All night he shouted things like, "Ghost!" "Wooowwww!" and would make funny fake scared faces. He's such a character.

The older two were absolute pros this year going door to door and remembering to say thank-you each time. After only one block, they thought their bags were full enough and wanted to head home. We didn't stay out long, but they sure had a lot of fun, and came home with a lot of loot. A couple of houses passed out giant chocolate bars and juice boxes to everyone. I was totally surprised! Back in my day, that only happened when you went trick or treating in the country.

Happy Halloween!

In the Middle

 I have been thinking a lot lately about our dear sweet middle man. There are moments where he is on the sidelines a bit while I teach Camilla Kindergarten and Joseph demands my attention. But I never hear him complain. This morning, both boys snuggled into bed with me quite early. Eventually Joseph made his way down stairs wanting breakfast, but Hyrum stayed behind for a few minutes of extra cuddles. Sensing my frustration with the early start to the day, he wrapped his arms tight around me and gave me the biggest hug! He has such a loving way about him. After breakfast he was playing with his little brother, and I just couldn't believe how grown up he looked! I made sure to snap a picture so that I could smile at it later. I sure do love this kid and his gentle spirit.

Ward Halloween Party

Tonight was our Ward Halloween Party. I wasn't entirely sure what the kiddos were going to dress up as, but a quick trip to the dollar store solved all of our problems. Camilla picked out some fairy wings and Mr. H fell in love with a pirate hat. Joseph's afternoon smoothie face gave me the idea for his lumberjack costume, and then we were off!

 Before we joined our friends I snapped a quick shot of them outside the coatroom. 

 The primary and youth group provided a ton of great activities! Hyrum had fun making a spider cupcake and then eating it. 

 Joseph really wanted a "wowy pop" and was quite pleased when he went fishing for a candy bag and retrieved one. Nothing else in that bag mattered except his "wowy". 

 Before this little lady found her friends, we hung out on the sidelines eating some of the delicious treats brought by everyone. 

I absolutely love this face that Hyrum gives me!

Annual Pumpkin Carving

I have been a little lazy in my Halloween preparations this year. I'm going to be THAT mom who throws together costumes last minute. I'm still not entirely sure what we are going to be for the ward Halloween party Wednesday night...

I was glad when our friends called us up last week to see if we wanted to do pumpkins with them tonight. It's become kind of a tradition to get together with this awesome family each year to carve pumpkins and eat treats. We sure love the time we get to spend with them!

 For some reason our kiddos weren't thrilled about getting messy...

 With a lot of coaxing, Mr. H got his hands dirty!

 We also were super lucky to have Daddy with us for a few more days this week while he does some work up here.

 I love these people! And I extra LOVE having Mr. Stannix home for a few extra nights.

 Joseph got pretty into it at the end, just when we were ready to carve.

 I let him "scrape" away at the inside of the pumpkin with his little spoon for a few extra minutes.

 I love seeing my kiddos work together on things.

 When we were finished I made the littles pose in front of the pumpkins. They weren't too thrilled about that...

We enjoyed some apple pie and yummy bread for snack before the Daddy's took off to the Oilers game. Lucky ducks. By the end of the night it was evident that the children had a little too much sugar! The energy in the room was ca-razy and Mr. H was starting to put on a grump. We said good-bye to our dear friends and I got everyone ready for bed. After prayers were said, teeth were brushed, and heat bags were distributed, all three of them fell asleep without too much fuss. I managed to tidy up a bit and organize myself for tomorrow. I think it's time for me to head up to bed now too!

Apple Pies

 Last week my Mum got a few cases of Mac's for some baking and invited me out to make pies with her. My Mum's pie crust is to die for, and I still can't duplicate it very well. We spent a few mornings putting together pies for the freezer.

 

 The first day we made a grand total of sixteen pies. We cooked up four of them, and ate three of those that day. 

 Pie for lunch anybody?

 Today we made eight and I was lucky enough to bring those home to my freezer. We hardly put a dent in the apple boxes, but it was a good start! I probably peeled over one hundred apples, and I have the stained fingers to prove it! I loved being able to work with my mamma in the kitchen and learn the art of her pie crust! 

The littles loved being at Gramma and Grampa's and played so nicely together while we rolled dough and peeled apples. It was so nice to visit with everyone and to be able to help my sister with some wedding stuff while we were there! And the miracle of miracles, my kids all slept until 8:00 this morning! I love when the Acreage works it's magic. All that fresh air and running around seemed to tucker everyone out nicely. Thanks again Gramma and Grampa!

Off to Work

We are chillin' at the Acreage for a few days!

Today after Grampa left for work, Joe thought he should

go to "wuk" too.

He pulled on Grampa's shoes,

put on a hat and headed out the door to explore.

Sure do love that kid!

Taking Time

It is pretty late, and I probably should be in bed instead of blogging. The last of my children finally fell asleep though, and my mind is full of little moments from my day that I don't want to forget. Our day started early this morning and went non-stop until just a few minutes ago with babysitting, fulfilling church callings, feeding the littles, and baking twelve loaves of bread tonight (for a RS activity). By 8:00am this morning, I had already cried my eyes out a few times because I missed Mr. Stannix, I was super tired, and we couldn't even manage to make it through family prayer without the boys fighting. I took a good ten minutes to feel sorry for myself, then said a prayer and got back to work fulfilling my mommy duties and loving my children. 

At some point this afternoon Camilla was looking for a favorite stuffed animal. I really wanted to help her look, but I had to finish a few things first in preparation for the evening. A couple of minutes later she came upstairs with a huge smile on her face and the lost stuffie in hand. "I said a prayer to find it, Mom! And it worked!" My heart melted. One of her favorite primary songs as of late is "I'll Seek the Lord Early". She can sing it word for word, and had been humming it all afternoon. She told me how she had been singing that song in her head and it made her think of praying. It was a proud Mommy moment for sure.

Auntie Naomi kindly watched the littles for me while I baked bread with the RS sisters upstairs. We had such a good time visiting and eating warm bread! By the time everyone left, it was pretty late. I thought for sure the kids would zonk out as soon as their little blonde heads hit their pillows, but it was not so, not for Joseph anyways. Every night when I put this guy to bed I wonder to myself how he makes me feel so grouchy, yet makes me laugh all at the same time. I love the way he has to flip his little pillow over each night before he can fall asleep. After the 20th time I put him in his bead, he told me he wanted his "warm" which is his heat bag. I warmed it up for him and tucked it by his toes where he likes it. Next, he needed "More Wa-wa Mommy!" I filled his sippy, and tucked him in again. This time he patted his pillow, asking me to lie with him. I ran my fingers through his hair and all around his face until he got sleepy. Then I watched him as he drifted off. Once his little body relaxed, he melted into me and began to breath deeply. I snuggled into him, my hand across his tummy and wished I could just stay there forever.

It's so easy to forget how fast they grow. I don't usually like to get my kids in the habit of me having to lie with them to get them to sleep, but I do cherish those moments, once in a while, when we get to snuggle to sleep together. My body was so tired and welcomed the stillness of the night.

Hide n' Seek

Thirty Weeks

Today is the thirty week mark! It's so hard to believe that I've only got a few months to go! Baby is pretty active now and I love feeling it kicking and wiggling, even in the middle of the night. It's such a reassuring thing. Sometimes my days are so busy that I forget to notice those tiny movements and end up in a panic until I sit still enough to feel those comforting movements inside me. I think that fear of loss is something I will never get over.

I have been getting lots of exercise with our visits to the City. After a long day of walking and exploring it is often hard for me to move much at night. Sometimes I feel huge and out of shape, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! I am so grateful for a healthy body that keeps moving along despite the challenges. 

 I love my midwife and the visits that we get to have. It's so great to talk to someone who really seems to care. I love that they call me after a blood test to let me know that my iron levels are low and then give me all of these ideas to help. It's so nice to talk nutrition and have someone keep me on track!

I fall asleep each night with a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity to welcome another baby into our family. I am so looking forward to those tiny feet, the quiet night time feedings, and the new baby smell. Mr. Stannix has shared with me a few times this week how excited he is to have another little one in our home. I am so grateful for him and the way he takes on his role as father. Hyrum always tells me he can't wait to have another baby. I can't wait to see these three when they meet new baby for the first time. I am sure they will love him or her as much as I do already!

Higher, Mommy! Higher!

 Joseph has started saying lots of words and even puts two or three of them together. He loves the afternoons we spend at the park! He always chases the squirrels as we explore and then when they run up the tree he goes, "Up, high! Ree high!" It's so fun listening to him talk away and get excited about things.

 While I pushed him on the swing he copied his older siblings and started exclaiming, "High-oh, Mommy! HIGH-OH!" I giggled out loud as I pushed him higher and higher, the suns rays kissing his toes.

 Hyrum also loves the swings, and it was the perfect afternoon to relax and enjoy the beauty around us.

Miss Camilla is getting so big! She is so full of spunk and energy! I love her enthusiasm and zest for life. We've had a busy week here in Calgary so far. Though it's hard keeping three littles in an apartment, it has been mostly good. I love that I can give them 100% of my time without any other distractions or obligations. It really helps me enjoy these moments more!

Rain Rain Go Away

 Today we woke up to rain. The cleaning lady comes to the apartment very early in the morning, so we quickly got ready and went to the van since going on a walk wasn't really an option. I googled a few indoor play places on Mike's phone and then made the drive across the city to the one I thought would be best. It did not disappoint! We showed up just after it had opened and there was hardly anybody else there! The littles vibrated with excitement as we payed at the front desk. The guy working there asked if I was the only adult, to which I replied, "Yes". He then told me they had coffee if I needed it. I smiled and proceeded to get everyone's coats and shoes into the locker. Imagine how wide his eyes got when I took off my coat and he saw my baby bump. I almost laughed out loud as we made our way into the play part. 

 The place was set up super awesome! I relaxed in a cozy front row seat and watched as the kids climbed up and slid down over and over again. 

 Joseph spent hours on this slide!

 The older two ran around together the whole day, and I could hardly find them to snap pictures. They had a really fun game set up in a dark room. When the game started, these buttons on the wall would light up and the kids were timed as to how many they could push before it ended. Hyrum played 100 games of this! 

I kept a pretty close eye on Joe. When he got bored of the slides, he figured out how to work these fun little racing cars. Judging from all of the smiles and excitement, the day was a huge success!

We made our way back to the apartment in the afternoon. The rain had finished and the sidewalks were dry. We went on a quick walk to the park and the littles ran around some more! I couldn't believe how much energy they still had! We made our way back to the apartment and cooked up some dinner. After that we had a nice early bed time.

Spontaneous Visits

 Since we had already done Thanksgiving dinner twice, we decided to take it easy on Monday! We really enjoyed the fact that Daddy was home for an extra day! We spent the morning with family and then spontaneously got together with friends for the afternoon. We took our littles out to the lake to explore and get some fresh air. Minus the children running off and getting lost for ten minutes, it was a pretty successful trip!

Sadly I only managed pictures of the children. Next time we get together I think a group picture is in order. It is so great to catch up with old friends. We sure do enjoy their company!

Thankful

 Last month when we were out at the acreage we got my sister to snap some Fall family photos. Hyrum got a pretty sweet shiner in Nursery which made them that much better! It's super hard to coordinate three kiddos, but I smile when I look at these because it's just so "us". My kids make me laugh, they are so fun to be around! My Mr. Stannix is super handsome and I love him so much!

I can't wait to blow these up and put them on the gallery wall! This thanksgiving I am sure grateful for this crazy crew of mine and the memories we get to make together!

Thanksgiving

 Today we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandparent's home. My parents came up to spend the day with us too! Gramma cooked a fabulous turkey and we had a pretty great spread of food. Sadly, I didn't pull out my camera nearly enough. 

 While I was stirring the gravy I turned around to see little Joe observing the happenings (and guarding the apple pies) from the tall chairs off the island. He looked too cute!

 Me and my Grampa. I have adored the many times we have run into each other at the temple this year!

Dessert was also a big hit with seconds and thirds of ice cream along with my Mamma's delicious apple pies! We missed seeing more of my family this year, but were sure thankful to spend the day with those we love!

Out and About

It was a nice day for a ride!

Sea Otters

Today was Camilla and Hyrum's last swim class in Sea Otter. They were in a huge class which was split and it ended up being just the two of them with their teacher. A part of me was sad that they missed out making new friends, but it was really awesome for both of them to have pretty much a "private lesson" with a really fabulous teacher. Teacher Kayla really made learning FUN for both of them. She helped them complete all of the requirements while doing fun games and keeping things positive. On parent day their teacher told me how neat it was to teach siblings who were always cheering each other on and pushing each other positively to be better. Camilla has already done one swim class before this, so she was a super big help in getting Hyrum to accomplish the things he needed too. It was so wonderful to watch them high five, or jump up and hug each other after they did something hard. Mr. H still has a hard time keeping his face in the water, so he might get to see teacher Kayla again. Miss Camilla gets to move up to the next class. I am very proud of both of them and excited to see them becoming so familiar with the water!