Trick Or Treat

Happy Halloween! We had a fun-filled day. After getting up, eating breakfast and getting dressed, the kiddos and I headed to a little party with some friends. It was a great morning full of costumes, crafts, creative lunches, and caramel apple dipping. Camilla went as a bag of flour this year. It was Daddy's great idea! We were going for creative and original, and it was that. Hyrum was a tiger for his first ever Halloween. For lunch we had Monsters (apples, PB and marshmallows), Mummy dogs, and ghosts (cheese strings). We then dipped mini caramel apples. Everyone had a lot of fun!

For dinner, Hyrum had carrots. I thought the orange color was appropriate. I can tell he doesn't love them, but because it's food, he eats them anyways. He'll eat anything!

Soon it was getting dark and we started getting costumes back on. Some friends came over to jump in our leaf pile before trick or treating.  Camilla did a great job of showing her friend how to be brave and jump. Then we decided to go out with them since they were already here. We took off for a spooky night on the town. The kiddos did great considering how cold it was. The wind didn't help, but at least we didn't have any snow! Our first stop was this decked out house (it made the paper).

Camilla was super good at yelling, "Trick or treat" this year. She had so much fun! She was patient at the door while other kids got candies and remembered to say "Thank-you". After a few houses, the "trick or treat" changed to "more please" and I had remind her how to properly beg for candy. 

When the girls got cold, the Daddies went and got the cars and we made our way home.

I had to snap a picture of our little man on his first Halloween. I wish I had done it before we went out. The crying and rubbing of the face on the way home wasn't so good for his nose and stripes. It looks more like war paint than face paint, but the kid is still cute!

I couldn't believe the loot that Camilla got. I'll be sure to take care of the three large chocolate bars so she doesn't get a tummy ache! We missed the few trick or treater's that come out in our neck of the woods. Mr. Stannix's night was made when a couple kids knocked on our door near the end of the evening. They each got huge handfulls of candy. I love that man.

A Spook-tacular Bubble Bath

After dinner the other night we had some serious time to kill before bed. Everyone had late naps, so the usual bed time wasn't going to happen. A friend of mine did this a while ago, so I thought I would give it a try. Daddy filled up the tub with nice warm water and bubbles. We added a glow stick and turned out the lights. Camilla was a bit scared at first, but once we got her in, we couldn't get her out! I can't wait to do this again with more glow stick colors. It was the perfect Halloweenish thing to do for a cold October night.

Pumpkin Carving Creations

Last night we went over to the Wolsey's for dinner and pumpkin carving.  Last year Camilla slept through pumpkin carving, so it was fun for her this year. She is such a girl though and would not get her fingers gooey at first. No matter how much fun we told her it was, she hesitated and would just make sound effects as she popped her hand in and out of the pumpkin without touching anything.

Finally, Daddy scooped some pumpkin guts onto her hand. The strings and seeds were cool at first, but soon followed by a request to wash her hands. Maybe next year she'll get into it.

Hyrum was all boy. He sat in the middle of the table ripping newspaper and trying to get his fingers on some pumpkin guts. At one point I'm pretty sure his hands made it to his mouth. Pumpkin is healthy right?

Taylor spoiled Camilla with a treat, and then she went hunting in the pantry for another one. We all chuckled as Taylor guided her to the Halloween treats on the second shelf. Mr. Stannix spent the evening perfecting his pumpkin. It looked pretty cool! Camilla called it cute, I thought it looked perfectly scary!

Jessica roasted up the pumpkin seeds with oil and salt. They were delish. This was my first time ever doing that. 

Jessica and Taylor made an awesome Owl pumpkin. We had a blast with them. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Then it was time for the moment of truth. The pumpkins were lit and brought out to the front step. They looked SO GOOD all lit up on the step. I love Halloween! Sadly, I'm still trying to come up with costume ideas for the kiddos on Monday. Hopefully something great pops into my mind soon! We're running out of time.

A Lunch Date

On Wednesday Daddy and Camilla went on their very first Daddy-Daughter date. He came home from school and wondered if we should go out for a H-A-P-P-Y M-E-A-L. Yes, he spelled it out, if he had actually said it the requests for fries and "mcdoughnuts" (that's how she says McDonalds) would have never ended.  I had a few things to do, so I sent them together. Such a lucky girl to have such a great Daddy.

If You Were Wondering

Just in case you were wondering what goes on at the Stannix's 

on a typical chilly, cloudy,

Fall afternoon.

On the Couch ~ 5:05 PM

On my Bed~ 5:06 PM

In her Bed~ 5:07 PM

As for me? 

I enjoyed the peace and quiet and the smell of dinner cooking in the oven.

The Rest is History

Mr. Stannix and I have been together four years today. The first time I spotted him was when I moved away from home and started attending fourth branch in Red Deer. The first Sunday I was there, so was he, up on the stand, ready to give a talk. I couldn't stop looking at him, and he amazed me with his knowledge of the Gospel. It wasn't until mid October of that same year that my journal pages began to be filled with the name, Mike Stannix. The very first time he wrapped his arms around me I had my eyes closed. We were playing grounders at a park with a bunch of friends, and I was "it". Butterflies filled my stomach and I was suddenly falling for his spiky hair, brown jacket and the smell of his cologne.

 In mid October, Mr. Stannix asked me to go to the Halloween dance the following Friday with him, as well as set me up with someone for a group date that evening (funny story). That morning we had a two hour chat at the LDSSA table on campus at the college. He was so easy to talk to and we talked like we had known each other for ever! I had this "list" of qualities that I wanted in my future husband. I would make a new one each year at the end of my journals. I had been doing this since I was 14 years old and was pretty sure I knew what I wanted. As I matured, so did my list. It started to focus more on important things and values than it did physical characteristics. The more and more time we spent talking with one another in our free time at the college, the more and more I found the qualities on my "list" in my new friend.

I would often go early to church because I enjoyed playing the big piano in the chapel before tons of people showed up. One Sunday I looked down at the benches and noticed a spiky haired boy bent over reading the Book of Mormon and listening to me play. He showed up early to church every Sunday following. One Sunday, he told my roommate that he wished he could put me in his pocket so that he could pull me out again whenever he needed uplifting. She was sold, and thought I should definitely go for him.

On Friday, October 26th 2007 we had our very first official date, and became an official couple (Mr. Stannix moves fast apparently). As we were dressing up in our costumes for the dance he asked, "Would you ever consider being in a relationship with me, like steady dating?" I looked at him, and thought, and sorted through what I was feeling and finally replied, "Well, yes.....? Are you asking me out?" After saying "Yes" I asked him why he thought to ask me out before we even went on our first date!! His reply, "Honestly, you're amazing and...I feel the spirit around you. You make me happy. It wasn't a matter of 'if' I was going to ask you out, but 'when'. So why not now?" The next little while was full of fun dates and good memories.

Whenever Mr. Stannix and I would walk together around campus he would sweetly offer to carry my books for me. We only ever bumped into each other in the Library or during institute when we were at school, but outside of school we would spend almost every waking hour together. He would leave messages on my machine singing "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, or tell me "there's only one thing better than looking at the stars, and that's looking into your eyes". He also did a mean job pranking my car in response to a date I asked him on.

He was the perfect guy for me. One time, when he was walking towards me through the gym at church, he literally made me go weak in the knees. You think people make that stuff up and it only happens on movies, I beg to differ. I always thought that it is important that the people we're around make us want to be better. One of Mr. Stannix's friends  told me that she thought he had a new sense of life when we were together. That was true for me as well. He made me happy.

We spent lots of time together and got to see each other in every kind of situation you could imagine. On the first of December we shared our first kiss, in the back of his best friends car (also a funny story). We were all driving home from a wedding reception together, it was late, and the stars were the only things that were shining outside.

Soon, I love you's were being exchanged and the topic of marriage came up more often. I say more often because I'm pretty sure it came up a lot even when we were newly dating. He would always hint at it, or slyly talk about it. On Saturday, January 12th 2008 he asked me to marry him when we stopped our quads by a frozen pond. When we arrived home, my mum had a heart shaped cheese cake on the go. They knew, he had asked my dads permission the night before. Dad told him that if he could beat him in a game of Mario Kart, he could marry me. It was pretty much a given because my Dad is no video gamer.

We were sealed for time and all eternity by my Grandfather in the Edmonton, Alberta Temple on June 26th 2008.

Don't Mind if I Do

Last night we had a fabulous family home evening. Mr. Stannix taught us (well mostly Camilla) a lesson about temples and forever families. It always makes me happy to see Camilla excited for family home evening and learning about these important Gospel principles. We finished off the night with milkshakes, a word that pretty much accompanies family home evening. Hyrum was smacking his lips as he watched us all drink, and then he started to complain. Sadly, he's still too little for milkshakes. He loves his food! He pretty much vibrated with excitement as he reached out to help himself. He's only six months old and already knows how to use a glass! Too bad he can't have any yet!

She Finally Does it!

Camilla couldn't wait to get outside this morning and jump in the leaves. The morning air was cold and crisp, but the sunshine felt warm on our faces as we stepped out onto the back deck. I sent her to play while I tidied up the office. A few seconds later she came back in, brought me my favorite red shoes and said,  "Put your shoes on Mum. It's healthy for you. It's booful out to-mornin'!" I went and grabbed some more jumping-in-the-leaves appropriate shoes and Mr. Stannix's brown jacket and joined my little girl in the morning sun. She was right, it was beautiful out. She finally worked up enough courage to jump all by herself! After she landed in the leaves, she looked up with a giant grin on her face and exclaimed, "That was awesome!"

First Annual Fall Rake Up

Today we held our first annual Fall rake up and it was awesome! We woke up to blue sky and beautiful leaves all over the ground. Mr. Stannix has been planning this for a while now, and today seemed like a great day! 

I love the smell of this season, the sweetness of the leaves, the freshness of the air. We had a lot of fun jumping in the piles that Daddy would rake for us and throwing leaves around the yard.

Soon it was time to "get down to business". The kids loved being outdoors for the afternoon.

Mr. Stannix was surprised at how many leaves there actually was. It took us forever to get them all into one huge pile. Camilla helped load the garbage can, and even used her little blue bucket to cart leaves.

Hyrum enjoyed sitting in the leaves and playing with them. I am so happy he can sit up and enjoy things differently now. Soon it was nap time though and he wasn't as content to sit and watch the cars go by.

Then the pile was finally big enough to have some real fun! Camilla had to work up the courage to actually jump...

In the end, she needed a little help. I didn't realize how bouncy a pile of leaves could be to a two year old, but she came out laughing (and without any broken bones, don't worry Mum).

It's been a while since I've laughed that hard and long. It was so much fun!

 Every time I look at this photo I cringe. Camilla can sure flip high!

I have never had so many leaves stuck in my pants at one time.

After the children were in bed tonight, Mr. Stannix and I chatted in the living room about how wonderful today was, and how we both felt so happy. What a perfect day. I am an extremely lucky woman to have the husband and family that I do. I am full to the brim with joy. We had a blast together today! If you don't believe me, check out our video. I've watched it a thousand times, and each time my face hurts from smiling so big. 

We don't plan on moving the pile anytime soon, so if anyone wants to get in on the action and maybe have a marshmallow roast, come on over!

Dancing in the Kitchen

Today was a busy day. Our house was like a giant revolving door with friends and family coming and going all afternoon. I love days like that! It's so fun to visit with everyone. Camilla's vocabulary is growing everyday and I just love the things that she says and does. This morning she tucked all her babies under a blanket on the couch and sat at their feet and read to them. It was adorable to watch her. Some of my favorite moments from today are from watching Camilla interact with Hyrum. Those two just love each other. I turned on some music while we were tidying the house and Camilla pushed her car into the kitchen. I walked in on her standing on her car, Hyrum's little hands in hers. I giggled out loud as I watched her shake her cloth diapered booty to the beat while swinging Hyrum's arms around. He was giggling too. She told him he was her "best friend EVER!"