Land of Pretend

There's a few things I've been wanting to record about Camilla before I forget them. A few weeks ago we went grocery shopping. Camilla got her quarter and we hit up the candy machine on our way in. That quarter gave her a whole 10 jelly beans and she spent the rest of the time matching the colors to things in the store. "Look, Mum, this one matches the lettuce, it's green!" "Look! This one is the same as the oranges!". That girls excitement and zest for life is definitely contagious. When we finished at the check out she told the lady, "Bye! See you next time!" and then spun on her heels and skipped towards the door. I love that kid.

Also a couple of weeks ago our car started acting up, and we figured it was time to get it checked out. We took it to an awesome little shop that does a cheap diagnosis. The wait became long, and there wasn't much to do in the tiny shop, so we went for a walk across the parking lot to A&W. While Hyrum and I stood in line, I sent Camilla to pick a table. I couldn't see her tiny body over the divider in the middle of the restaurant, but I knew she was up to something from the big smiles on the faces of the Chinese couple sitting a few tables down. When I went over with our order of fries she proudly exclaimed that she had gotten Hyrum a chair! My tiny little girl pushed a highchair across the restaurant and carefully set it at the end of the table for her little brother. I couldn't get over how thoughtful she had been! She never ceases to amaze me!

Today we escaped to the land of pretend where we found robots, cowboys and teddy bear picnics. It was a fun filled afternoon! It's amazing how a simple box can keep a kid entertained. I love that she has an imagination and is able to play pretend. Her and her little brother had a lot of fun together today. When it was picnic time I had to keep Hyrum occupied while she found plates and made "food" for everyone. She's such a thoughtful little hostess. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
 

Peanut Butter Toast

Breakfast - 7:35 AM

 Guess who's happy to have a third bottom tooth?

Summer Afternoons

Yesterday we woke up to cloudy skies and a bit of rain. I dubbed it a house cleaning day and my sister and I made two batches of bread. By the time the afternoon rolled around the clouds had pretty much rolled out. Spontaneity overtook us and we loaded up the kids and went to the Legislature grounds. It was beautiful! Auntie Emma brought her fancy camera and snapped a few pictures of the kiddos. I love the way their baby blues stick out! It was fun touring around the grounds and hardly anyone was there.  When we finally made it to the water, Hyrum was so excited to dip his feet in with his sister. They are growing up so fast!

  Hyrum and Camilla both had a blast in the pools and didn't want to leave. We all came home with nice rosy cheeks and a bit of a tan. It was sure nice to catch some sunshine for the afternoon! I am looking forward to many more visits to the wading pools over the summer!

Morning Shenanigans

Hyrum woke up this morning and turned his boyish ways on full force. After realizing all was too quiet I found him in the bathroom playing in the toilet. He had thrown two baby washcloths in the toilet and was dipping the full roll of toilet paper in the water. I flushed it quick to get him out of the grossness, but I only managed to save one washcloth. The soggy  roll of toilet paper went right into the garbage and I washed his little hands. I released him into the hallway, scrubbed my hands super good, and debated what to do about the second washcloth. As I left the bathroom he had pulled out a jug of oil and was playing with it on the living room floor. Seriously, seconds later! I had to laugh as I put the lid back on the oil and secured the cupboard door with the elastic band.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to how long it will take for the washcloth to either make it through or completely plug our toilet? I called my Dad to inquire, and while I was on the phone Hyrum started peeking into the garbage to see what he could get his hands on. We had a good laugh. Other activities of the day so far include pulling cords out of the back of the TV and trying to put them back in, throwing toys and fridge magnets into the garbage, sneaking into my cupboards, climbing on things he shouldn't, and teasing his sister.

The quietest part of the whole morning was when it was time for his morning nap. We went up to the children's darkened bed room and he laid across my lap while he drank his bottle. He ran his fingers through his hair and he could hardly keep his eyes open. I drew on his face with my fingers, across his forehead, around his eyes, and down his tiny nose. By the time he finished his bottle he couldn't even keep his eyes open. I snuggled him into his crib with Julius and his fuzzy blanket. He must have had a busy morning or something...

The Cookie Theif

After pancakes and a quick shower, my morning started out with Hyrum running to me for safety with his sister close behind yelling, "Give me back my cookie!!".  His little hands grab my leg and hold on tight as he rests his head on my lap. Sure enough as I lift his right hand, I see a half eaten peanut butter cookie.  I give her back the slightly drooled on half a cookie. She said I could give it back to Hyrum to finish and then found some toys to play with. It totally cracked me up!

Our afternoon was filled with mowing the lawn and playing outside. Just before Daddy came home we turned on some music and had a dance party in the living room.  I tickled Hyrum and loved hearing his belly laugh, then he attacked me and started blowing raspberries on my cheek. Camilla and I held hands and danced really silly which made her laugh really hard! It was a great way to finish up the afternoon.

Doesn't Roll Like it Should

How you can tell you have a child who's potty trained...

Convocation

Today we spent the day celebrating Mr. Stannix and all of his hard work and effort over these last five years. Going to school and taking care of a family definitely isn't an easy feat. I am so proud of him for all he has accomplished! The day started out rainy and wet, but we decided to brave the weather and shoot some pictures early in the morning with the family. The rain cleared up and the sun even came out for a little bit. It was fun to tour around the campus and see the building where Mr. Stannix took most of his classes. A big shout out to my sister for being our photographer for the morning!

Our family, Mom Stannix, Sister Faith

Our little family of soon to be five!

 Not only a graduate, but a proud Daddy! 

 Hyrum wasn't a fan of the cap at first.

 Mr. Stannix and his Mom.

 It's been a long couple of years, but worth every second! So glad I get to work side by side with this guy every day! Couldn't have asked for anyone better!

So happy together!

This picture totally melts my heart. 

 By the end of the morning Camilla's dress was so wet from puddle jumping that I literally could ring the water out of it. She was pretty cold by the time we got back to the car. I picked her up a pack of smarties to give her an extra boost. 

 After we all loaded up in the car we went out for lunch at Red Robins. Mr. Stannix was shocked when I ordered something other than a normal cheese burger, it was still a burger though! We had an enjoyable time together celebrating!

When we got home we changed the kiddos out of their dress clothes and into something warm. Hyrum had a bottle and happily went down for a nap. We had someone awesome volunteer to watch our kiddos for the afternoon while we went to the ceremony. It was nice not having to worry about them for the afternoon. 

The ceremony was excellent. After watching 600 grads go on stage I knew there was no way our kids would have sat through it! When it was finished we made our way through the crowd and finally found Mr. Stannix so we could snap a couple final pictures. Being the thoughtful guy that he is, he asked if I would wear his cap for a picture. He knew that this could have been me had we not decided that starting our family was more important at the time. I have never regretted that decision and would never change my job as a mother for anything.

Barefoot Dancing

A rainy afternoon last week brought dancing.

I enjoyed hearing my children giggle as we twirled and twisted.

It helped pass the time before dinner.

The Morning of Juice

After getting in late last night, we slept as long as possible this morning. Camilla woke up and came across the hall for a cuddle. After a few minutes she slid out of our big bed and went upstairs. No one was awake yet. Soon I brought Hyrum upstairs for his morning bottle and found Camilla like this...

"This juice is sooo yummy, Mum!"

She must have been REAL thirsty when she woke up.

My Best Friend's Wedding

 Today one of my best friends got married! It was lightly spitting rain just as we pulled up to the park for the ceremony, but it stopped just in time. Everything was lovely and perfect, but I wouldn't expect anything less!

After the ceremony we had the afternoon to kill before the reception that evening, so we went to the Big Moo for some ice cream and then bummed around Sylvan. It was beautiful and sunny all afternoon.

 

Ice cream (or any kind of food really) make me one of the happiest pregnant ladies around! Mr. Stannix cat napped in these awesome chairs by the lake for the afternoon. He looked pretty handsome if I do say so myself! 

 The reception was at a lovely little Hall near Ponoka. It was so cute inside. They had breakfast for dinner which was pretty fun! Again, everything was planned out so well. The party favors and center pieces were darling and a lot of work went into it all. There was even a basket of hairspray, gum and odds and ends in the bathroom. We left the kiddos with Gramma and Grampa, so Mr. Stannix and I had a night out to ourselves. 

We even busted a few moves on the dance floor. It's been a while since those YSA dances! It was fun to see Mr. Stannix dance like old times. I love dancing with that guy. He led me around the dance floor, dipping and twirling me around. It was the best. I felt like the luckiest lady ever. 

 

Instead of a wedding cake there were these darling cupcakes! They were so pretty I almost didn't want to eat them, but they tasted delicious! 

Before we left I wanted to get a picture of the three of us together. We did a lot together growing up! It was fun to get together again for the evening!

 

 I am super happy for this lady!