The Tall Ships

 When we were thinking of taking a vacation out East a few months ago somebody told us about the Tall Ships that were going to be in Nova Scotia in July. That pretty much settled it, and we decided we had to check them out on our way to visit Mike's family. It has been so worth it! Ships really are amazing things!

Mr. Stannix and I each got a bracelet for the day so that we could board the ships and check them out. We took turns and brought one of the children on board with us when we went. It was pretty neat to check out the inside of the ships and go below deck and see the dining areas. The first ship we boarded was The Bounty. It was our favorite ship! I loved the old sails and old look that it had.

The second ship we boarded was The Peacemaker. It was built the same year I was born and takes about 20 people to crew. Hyrum had fun walking around and peeking out at the ocean.

When we finished looking around we got someone to snap a quick family picture of us infront of it. I just can't believe how cool the lines and sails are and how intricate everything is.

When we finished at the harbour we walked up the big hill back to the hotel. The stroller gets pretty heavy after a block or so of straight up, and Camilla wanted to walk anyways. It gave Daddy 25 less pounds to push up the steep hill, but it took us a while to catch up to him. It's so funny that downtown Halifax is built on such a steep hill.


We got back to the hotel and changed and then crossed the toll bridge for afternoon church in Dartmouth. We had planned on going to the 9:00am Ward, but when we woke up it would have been just starting. I think we all needed the rest. We checked out temple grounds for a few minutes after church and then went back to the Hotel for the afternoon. The Halifax temple is just like ours in Edmonton. It was fun for Camilla to notice that. After naps we took off to catch Sunset at Peggy's Cove.

To Be Continued

Jet Lag

When we booked our flights a few months ago we thought it would be smart to book a Red-Eye flight so that the children would be able to sleep through it. It worked out great for them, but we didn't get nearly the sleep we needed. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:50am Saturday morning from the Edmonton Airport and was delayed until almost 2:00am because the airport was on Red Alert. We had to wait for the lightning and rain to let up before we could board our plane for take off. By the time we got on board the children were pretty tired. Camilla snuggled up in her seat with her little pillow and watched the lights out the window. Hyrum cuddled into me during take-off which was perfect. They dimmed the lights just as we started heading out to the runway. As soon as the Boeing 737 picked up speed Camilla exclaimed, "We're flying Mum!". She was thrilled. Everyone around us got a cute chuckle at her little voice as she chattered away during lift off.



Hyrum was awake for the first hour of the flight and sat on my lap pointing at the mini TV screen in front of him. He was in pretty good spirits considering how tired he was. After the seatbelt sign went off we made him up a bottle in hopes that he would fall asleep. I bounced him in the bathroom during some turbulance and then got stuck between the drink carts and couldn't make it back to my seat. Mr. Stannix and I nodded in and out for the rest of the flight with our children sleeping around and on top of us. At one point I apologized to Mr. Stannix for hogging the arm rest and he just smiled and looked to his right where his other arm rest was completely covered with a sleepy little girl. We both giggled quietly.  

Soon the sun started to come up. I was really jealous of the passangers on the other side of the plane because the orange glow was just out their windows. I love sunrise and sunset on the plan, so gorgeous! Camilla woke up for a few minutes and checked out the puffy clouds, then nodded off again. Both kids slept through the landing. Because of the late take-off, they were holding our next plane for a few of us. Mr. Stannix grabbed our carry on bags, I carried Hyrum and a sleepy Camilla followed close behind. Her legs were so tired, but her mouth was moving a million miles an hour. She hurried to keep up to Daddy, swaying and adjusting her tired legs as she went. It was super cute. Hyrum slept through the next take off and most of the next flight from Toronto to Halifax. Camilla was still super tired and fell asleep sitting up. We finally landed and got our rental car and took off to find some lunch. It was a busy morning and we were all pretty beat.



We found a place to stop for lunch in Dartmouth. Just as we parked Camilla barfed up goldfish crackers all over herself and her seat (none on the car thankfully). I think all of the commotion and lack of sleep had finally caught up to her. Luckily I had packed a change of clothes in the carry on for each of the kids. She spent the rest of the afternoon carrying around a plastic bag for security and feeling motion sick. Hyrum had enough of sitting and protested his carseat like nobodies business. Finally we got everyone in the car and settled and we took off to find our Hotel for an afternoon nap. We got to cross one of the two toll bridges from Dartmouth to Halifax. It's neat because you roll down the window and throw a loonie into a basket and then the gate opens and you're allowed to cross. It was such a long, neat looking bridge.



We got to our hotel and they let us check in early. We unloaded everything and went up to the room for naps. Mr. Stannix turned on the TV for our sick girl and she eventually zonked out amongst the fluffy pillows on our big bed. Hyrum sat on the couch and watched and then eventually crashed. When we all finally awoke it was dinner time. We thought we would check out Peggy's Cove and headed in that direction. We stopped for dinner at Jack Astors Grill. I had a classic burger and a miklshake and Mr. Stannix ordered the Salmon (it was delicious). Sadly the children didn't touch their dinner, and Camilla still felt like barfing. Hyrum, however, really enjoyed my milkshake.



When dinner was finished we decided it was too late and dark to head out to Peggy's Cove, so we just went back into Halifax for the evening. The kids were pretty tuckered, so we put them both in the stroller in hopes that they would fall asleep and headed down to the harbour for our first look at the tall ships. Everything was lit up and people were everywhere. The ships looked so cool! We spent the evening cruising around the harbour and looking at each ship. Some of them even had pirates dressed up on board. At the end of the night we made the long trek up hill and back to our hotel room. The children tucked into their beds no problem, and Mr. Stannix and I weren't far behind!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today we are taking off on a big plane to Canada's East Coast.
I have packed our bags and cleaned the house top to bottom.
I bathed the children and then we still had a few hours to wait until it was time to leave.
Mr. Stannix put a movie on for the kiddos and they chilled in the livingroom for a while.
Worked like a charm!



No Qualm

qualm  (kwäm, kwôm)

n.

1. A sudden feeling of sickness, faintness, or nausea.

2. A sudden disturbing feeling: qualms of homesickness.

3. An uneasy feeling about the propriety or rightness of a course of action.

I woke up on Sunday night with a really sore tummy. I was nauseous for most of Monday and then it finally hit me Tuesday morning. Hyrum was up nice and early so I tried to rest my eyes on the couch for a few minutes before the whole house woke. Camilla joined us very soon and then Mr. Stannix could be heard showering. I felt so awful, and stayed on the couch as much as I could. Mr. Stannix took care of breakfast for everyone (banana muffins) and then visited with me before going off to work. Just before he left he said, "I have no qualm if you want to stay on the couch all day". So I did. Except for when I had to get up to get Hyrum off the kitchen chairs, table, computer chair, piano bench, and TV stand. He's such a little monkey lately. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom with a crying little boy outside the door. It was a sad morning. Disney movies played and replayed and no one got dressed. I whipped up some grill cheese for lunch and we all sat at the table to eat. Camilla sat down, picked up her sandwich and in her best Thumper impersonation she said, "but it sure is awful stuff to eat". Her blue eyes twinkled and she had the cutest little grin on her face. It made me smile. We chatted and giggled while we ate and then went and got dressed.

In the afternoon a dear friend and her sister came by and volunteered to take the kids to the park for a few hours. They brought me the yummiest juice ever. It was so refreshing and energizing. I was able to nap for a bit while the kids enjoyed some fresh air and freedom from the living room. It was so thoughtful and I am so grateful that they came by!

Mr. Stannix came home to a war zone. The children's books were strewn around the living room, blocks were scattered around the carpet and blankets were made into makeshift tents. He smiled and greeted me with a kiss. He took Hyrum upstairs with him while he changed and Camilla and I hung out downstairs. Before he left for Young Men's he told me he was just going to drop off the treats he was bringing and that he would be home soon. When he got home he spent the rest of the night cleaning the kitchen for me and watching the children. It's not easy to give up ice blocking for a kitchen full of dishes. He didn't complain about it once either. That's love.  I was so grateful for his sacrifice and service. He's super man in my books. I got all achy just after supper and could hardy move from the couch. After a popsicle and a warm bath I went up to bed for the night.

We got an awesome middle of the night thunderstorm once again. I came back upstairs from a potty break in the middle of the night just in time to watch Camilla crawl up onto our bed and snuggle into the middle. I curled up beside her, brushed her hair out of her face and gave her a quick back rub. She was back to sleep in no time. She's not a fan of thunder storms at night. Every time we have to share a bed with a third little body I realize how small a double really is. I do enjoy those snuggles with my girl though. They are far and few between. The cool breeze coming in the window was just what our warm old house needed to cool off. As Camilla slept the fan blew her blonde hair around a little. She enjoyed the coolness of our room for the rest of the night.

This morning I am still recuperating. I'm feeling a little better but my stomach has that post-sick achy feeling. I think we'll be taking it easy for one more day. We fly out on vacation on Friday and there's so much still unchecked on my to-do list. Laundry, dishes, packing, mowing the lawn, and making my house sparkly clean. Yesterday we told Camilla there were three sleeps left until we fly on the air plane. She held up her three fingers and said, "Hey! That's how many I am!". Such a smartie that one. Two more sleeps!!

Sense of Humor

Last night before bed, I prayed to have a sense of humor as I went about our busy Sunday. Everyone woke up nice and early and we enjoyed toast covered in my Mum's raspberry jam and a bowl of strawberries. We made it to church early and found a bench to sit. After the opening song I had to have a sense of humor when Hyrum decided to make car noises while playing with his toy car. I should have known not to bring that one. I had to have a sense of humor when he threw his car two benches up and then crawled through everyone's feet to retrieve it, resulting in him getting stuck under a bench and freaking out. I had to have a sense of humor when he chucked a book into the lap of a person sitting behind us. Man that kid has a good arm. I had to have a sense of humor when Camilla threw her body backwards and hit her head on the bench. I'm sure everyone heard the "clunk". I had to have a sense of humor when I went to pick Camilla up from nursery and she hugged her brother with a choke hold from behind. She sure does love him. He patiently waited until she let go and then happily went on his way. It made me laugh. I had to have a sense of humor when I woke up from my Sunday nap with a wet shirt and Hyrum's sweaty body snuggled next to mine on the couch. Being a Mum sure is wonderful. Today I am glad for my sense of humor and the way it allowed me to see things differently and enjoy my children to the fullest. It's definitely better than praying for patience.

After church I got Mr. Stannix to snap a quick picture of me and my growing belly. I am just about six months now! It's going by so fast. Yesterday I started thinking about Halloween costumes and other things that I need to get done before baby comes. I feel like I have to think that far ahead because of how fast this pregnancy is going. My original due date was the end of October but was pushed to mid November after my ultrasound so I just feel like lots is up in the air. Sometimes after a crazy day I wonder how I will ever be able to do it with three! At least I have a few more months to figure it out!

Kicks and Giggles

Yesterday morning we went for a long walk to the library and the mall. When we got home Hyrum was fast asleep in the stroller so we decided to play outside and let him get a good nap in. Camilla and I enjoyed a freezie on the front lawn and lots of giggles and snuggles. She kept making funny faces for the camera which made us both laugh. I love her laugh!

This morning while Hyrum was up snoozing in his crib my girl and I had some time together again. A few days ago she got to feel the baby kick for the first time and now she will ask me all the time to feel the baby. We spent a few minutes quietly sitting on the couch while the baby kicked and turned. Camilla would get so excited at each little movement. She guessed it would be a boy, but then decided she would like a baby sister instead. She then told me that she was really excited for the baby to come but that the baby can't come to the park because it will be too little. Then we snuggled next to each other on the couch and she continued to talk a mile a minute to me about the baby and how it will soon come and how she wants to visit it at the hospital. It was such a sweet moment.

Look Who's Three

 Camilla is loving life as a three year old! She told me she wanted an orange cake this year, so orange icing it was! Gramma and Grampa Hudkins surprised us by coming to visit for the afternoon. We all went to the spray park to cool off for a bit. Grampa helped Camilla ride her tricycle all the way to the park and enjoyed pushing them in the swings. Sadly, I forgot my camera.

 That evening, we had a low key birthday celebration for her. It was nice to have a quiet little party and enjoy our girl. After dinner we lit the candles and did cake and presents. She got so excited when the sparkler was lit and thoroughly enjoyed us singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Grins from ear to ear all night! The cake got a bit of spit on it in the blowing out process, so funny.

 After candles I got my Dad to snap a quick shot of us and our girly. We sure do love her and feel so blessed as parents to have her in our family!

Camilla had fun opening her presents. We got her a little backpack of her own for our trip next week. Every time she sees them in the store she loves them and says we should get one, so we finally did. She enjoys putting her animals and snacks in it when we go out places. Gramma and Grampa got her a homemade little barbie tent with a fairy tail prince and princess to go camping. She adores it. It was a fun night!

Three Years Ago

Three years ago today we welcomed a brand new baby girl into our family.

She made me a mother, and I am so glad.

It's been a fabulous three years with our miss Camilla.

She is such a joy to be around with her contagious belly laugh,

and zest for life.

She enjoys wearing dresses, but still has a hint of "tom-boy" in her.

We adore her smiles, hugs, kisses and never ending love.

Every time I look at her today I can't help thinking how much she has grown up,

and I get a little teary eyed.

She is such a special girl and a joy to have in our family.

(1 Week Old)

Happy 3rd Birthday Camilla!

Tricycle for Two

 Since our house was a bazillion degrees today, we decided to spend the whole evening outside. Camilla begged Daddy to take her out on her tricycle and the little man and I hung out on the deck blowing bubbles. As soon as he spotted the wheels and his sister riding, he wasn't content to stay put any longer. He toddled after the trike trying to climb on and then Daddy came up with a genius idea.

 "Are you ready, buddy?"

It didn't take Camilla long to figure out how to do it all by herself. After only a few minutes she was peddling forwards and backwards. Hyrum really enjoyed hanging out on the back while she peddled her little heart out. I can't count the number of times she went back and forth in front of our little old house. It was fun to hear them giggle together. Daddy was always close by to help turn them around and make sure no one got hurt.

 They rode and rode until the sun started to set behind the rooftops. As they motored by, Hyrum could be heard making car noises with his lips. It was pretty awesome. Mr. Stannix and I laughed a lot as we watched them go up and down the sidewalk over and over again. I also giggled at the number of people who stared as they drove down our street. We'll just pretend they were wearing shoes and helmets.

Hyrum was so full of it and by the end he started hamming it up for the camera. Love that kid. Finally, Camilla's legs got tired and she couldn't go any longer. She even asked Daddy to carry her to the house after.  While she snuggled into the arms of her strong Daddy, I wheeled the trike back to the garage with Hyrum happily steering. I couldn't get over their bare feet and smiling faces. I loved the golden glow of the evening sun on their sweet skin. It was the perfect way to spend a Summer's eve together. The camera definitely got a work out, and we got some cute videos.

Summer Sun

 Today we woke up bright an early to sunshine and blue sky. My dishes sat in the kitchen and the laundry went undone. We spent all of our morning and early afternoon enjoying the outdoors. Hyrum chilled in the Nicaragua swing for a while eating fruit and crackers while I mowed the lawn. He's such a sweetheart.

When Camilla wasn't taking a dip in the pool she was relaxing on the deck with her feet in a bucket of water. It was adorable! I love the things she comes up with. 

When I finished mowing the lawn we all had a popsicle to help cool us off. I love that I get to spend the day with these two crazies! They are so full of love!

It made me giggle when Camilla finished her popsicle and then asked Hyrum if she could share with him. Like any good little brother would be, he was willing. Those two are so cute together. And when Camilla ate most of it and the last little bit fell on the deck, he was quite content to just suck on the stick.

 I am in love with Mr. Hyrum's baby blues. They are so so blue! Paired with his long dark eyelashes, he's a hard guy to resist.

Soon he found Camilla's rubber boots. I laughed out loud when I saw that he had just one on. It's seriously his trademark move, stealing just one shoe. He walked around all afternoon with just one boot on, until it was time to go inside for naps. Him and his chubby little toes totally melt my heart!

In other news, just a few more weeks until we fly out to Halifax! 

It's all Camilla can talk about. 

"After my brithday, THEN we fly to Halifax!"

We are counting down the sleeps.