The Parade of Sails

On Sunday at church somebody let us know about The Parade of Sails that was going to happen Monday afternoon. In all of our research and prep for this trip we somehow missed this event! I was so glad to find out about it, it was AMAZING! It's one thing to see the ships docked in the harbour but it's quite another to see them actually sail and fire their canons. We walked downtown and checked out some little shops and then headed to the harbour nice and early for some good seats. We couldn't have asked for a better view! We occupied Camilla with a lollipop (which she calls a "loo-dee-pop") and Hyrum fell asleep in my arms walking the dock.

The whole parade started out with the U.S. Coast Guard and everyone else followed. At first they just circled around the little island and went over to the toll bridges on the other side of the harbour and then made their way back with their sails out. I took a million pictures of each ship and had to pick and choose some of the best for this post. 



Our favortie ship was The Bounty. It was just so old and piratey looking. I loved the green color and the dirty sails. It moved pretty good!

 Eventually Camilla decided to go back in the stroller for some shade. Hyrum was still fast asleep in his own seat, so Mr. Stannix and I got a chance to snuggle and watch the ships sail by. It was a beautiful day to be at the harbour (I even have the sunburnt knees to prove it)!

 Mr. Stannix got some awesome video and even caught a canon being loaded, lit, and fired. He was the only one aware of it and let me know so that I could get a picture. Everyone around us jumped at the loud noise (and I prayed it wouldn't wake my tired baby in the stroller). It was so cool to watch and listen to. The ships that had canons would shoot them off as they passed by, and the crowd would "ooh" and "ahhh" and cheer. The newer ships would sound their horns and cheer as they sailed by.

Each ship was so different and unique looking. It was fun to see. Camilla was more fascinated with the "ducklings" just off the dock that kept diving under the water for food and grubs. Her little voice made everyone giggle and the sweet lady beside us told me that she "could listen to her voice all day".

Soon all of the ships had come through the harbour and lined up way out in the ocean to get ready to go. I was able to zoom in with my telephoto and grab a shot of a few of them waiting. Hyrum woke up just at the end on the last canon blast, but fell asleep again as soon as we started walking.

The whole thing was such a fun experience and we were there for the perfect amount of time. Any longer than just a couple of days would have been too long. It was fun to see everything and super fun to catch the end and see the parade of sails. I have a whole new appreciation for ships and how amazing they are. I think before this I had only ever seen something like this in movies, and it was neat to see it in real life!  I think we may come again when the kids are all older just so they can see it and enjoy it. Now we are visiting Mike's Nana and family the rest of the week and checking out some awesome beaches!



Peggy's Cove

One of the places that we wanted to go while we were in Nova Scotia was Peggy's Cove. Camilla was finally feeling a little bit better by Sunday Afternoon so we decided to take the evening and check it out. The drive was long and the road had lots of curves and turns. Luckily the kids slept majority of the drive out, they both needed it. When we were getting close we rolled the windows down and enjoyed the fresh ocean air. We walked the kids out on the rocks and sat and watched the waves come in. It was beautiful! There's something about the coast line, the waves crashing in, and the wind blowing through my hair. I was in love.

We thought this would be a cool place for our family pictures this year, so we set up the tripod and took a few self takes. Considering Camilla was wrapped in her Daddy's sweater half the time and wasn't feeling well, I think they turned out pretty good. It's been a fun tradition to take family pictures in different places or with different themes each year. I hope it's something we will continue to do forever. It's so fun looking back and watching our family grow and change.

We lucked out with our background because most people were checking out the otherside of the lighthouse and the coast line over there. We were able to get some pretty awesome shots. Mr. Stannix and his little man were looking mighty handsome. I love when Mr. Stannix wears white, so handsome.

When we were checking out the coast, Hyrum snuggled in with me. The wind made it so snuggly and nice. Camilla wrapped up in her Daddy's sweater and snuggled next to him as we watched the waves crash into the rocks below. I could have sat there all evening long and watched the sun set.

Finally, it was time to make it back to the car. Hyrum walked slowly with me and we climbed up and slid down the rocks on the way back. It was a lot of fun.

After a quick peek at the gift shop and a bathroom break we drove the curvy road back to Halifax and said good-bye to Peggy's Cove just before Sunset.

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!