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!

Rushing Days

 Another day has come to an end. My piano keys are covered in nutella finger prints, baking dishes line my counter top, my floor is laden with crumbs, and stacks of folded laundry are covering my couch. Last nights bed time frenzy caused for a lot of pondering and slowing things down today. I probably put Joseph back into his bed at least a hundred times over the course of three hours, which naturally caused me to lose my cool a bit. Bed time ended in tears for both of us, and I've been thinking about it ever since. I realized that I have been in a hurry to get things done (like brushing teeth, jammies, stories) just so I could have time to myself at night. I've caught myself hurrying things along throughout the day as well, for no real reason. As I've been thinking about this, I've just felt really really silly because honestly, I have ALL the time in the world! Why am I hurrying my way through some of the most precious years of my life? As I was scrolling through motherhood quotes on pinterest, a few caught my eye and I stuck them on my fridge to remind me to slow down each day, and to be cheerful while doing it.

 And so today, we took it easy. When we were out running errands, I worked really hard at not hurrying everyone along. We took our time at the library picking out a gazillion new books, and I even managed to laugh when I had to chase Joseph right out the library doors where he was trying to "return" a book in the slot that he randomly selected from the shelf. I took time to have meaningful prayers with them, to pull them in close and kiss their little faces all over. I sat and watched patiently as Joseph giggled and played with the ladybugs that were hiding in the carrot tops I dug in the afternoon. I watched from a distance as Camilla and Hyrum played kindly together in the sandbox. I smiled as the sun glimmered through their blonde hair while the wind whisked it up and down. I memorized their little smiles and I captured the moment in my mind for later.

Camilla has grown and matured so much! As I tried to coax Hyrum to come to the dinner table, she cheerfully jumped off her chair and tickled him to the table. I love her creativity and ability to be a peacemaker. She is really coming along with her reading and loves learning new words and trying to spell things. She has memorized her days of the week and always knows what day it is, and what is coming up. She is still really into My Little Pony and her stuffed animals. She is awesome at getting herself dressed in the morning and making her bed. She has also said some pretty great prayers this past week thanking Heavenly Father for at least five things each time. She really has a strong desire to do right and to do things that will please her parents. Her memory amazes me and makes me realize the importance of FHE lessons we've had in the past. I couldn't have asked for a better first child. She is super forgiving as I make my way through this motherhood gig one day at a time. She loves to talk and tell really animated stories! She also loves her swimming lessons and has really come a long way in the water this year!

Hyrum is quite the character. Often the things I say go in one ear and out the other. He spends the day in his own little world of sound effects and make believe. I'm pretty sure Santa is going to bring him some dress up clothes so that he doesn't have to use the Sweet tarts box as a sheath for his sword anymore. He has started to enjoy play time with his little brother and it's so fun to hear the two of them do sound effects together. He is full of awesome dance moves, and loves to strike ninja poses while we are out and about. He also loves to play with my hair, it's cute. Today he was riding his bike while standing up and he was quite proud of that. When he got tired he came over and sat beside me on the back driveway. I snuggled him in close and we had a little moment. He is still my little tender-heart and I am constantly having to remind myself to take time to cuddle and hug him throughout the day, because he needs it!

Joseph is really becoming his own person lately. Last week when we were in Calgary Mike pointed out how much Joseph is changing and developing his own little personality. When we go for walks he is usually running ahead making super hero flying noises with his little lips and pointing his fingers side to side. He still loves jumping and climbing! On the plus side, he has learned how to get off the trampoline without just running over the edge. His speech is really developing! He talks a lot about Daddy and how he's away for work and when Daddy comes home he will say, "Happy, Home". It really is sweet. He is always happy when Daddy is home. One of my other favorite things he says is "WOWEE" when he wants a lolli. He is putting together two and three word sentences, and acts out a lot of what he says. Bed times have become rough and most nights lately he will pat his pillow after I've tucked him in which is his way of asking me to lay with him. It really melts my heart, but I know it can't last forever, especially after baby comes. For the last three months or so he has been waking up multiple times a night. I'm not sure if it's just a bad habit now or what, but it sure is exhausting. Despite being up half the night, he still starts his days around (or before) 6:00am with a smile on his face. He is due for another hair cut since it's starting to poke in his eyes lately, but Mike and I just love his curls in the back.

I am grateful for General Conference this weekend. It has truly been a time for reflection and goal setting in the Stannix home. I am so glad that I can start out fresh each day, striving to be better than the last. And I am super grateful to be a mother, even though it's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. As I sit back and re-evaluate my priorities, take the time to slow down and really enjoy my role, life is wonderful. I love love my kids and feel so blessed!

Happy Weekend

After a week away our breakfast choices were limited, so toast and nutella it was! 

Our family is spending the weekend watching General Conference.

 

You can join us by clicking HERE.

Happy weekend!

Peter's

Today was our last day in the city. It also happened to be the coldest day of the week. The older two kept pestering Joseph causing him to shriek, and I knew we had to get out of the apartment despite the cold. We took a load of stuff down to the van and put on every jacket and sweater we had stashed in the van. We then took a very long morning walk over the red bridge to the trails on the other side of the island. Other than a few cold fingers, it turned out alright! After naps and lunch we headed out to the park again for the afternoon. Thankfully it had warmed up a little bit, and the sunshine helped keep our cheeks warm. 

Hyrum occupied himself by collecting sticks and sword fighting imaginary people. Joseph giggled and chased the squirrels up the trees. Camilla just enjoyed being independent and having some room to explore on her own as I watched from afar.

After our visit to the playground we found these fun climbing trees on the way home. Camilla and Hyrum were both pretty good at scrambling up on the low branches. Joseph had a tough time keeping up, but enjoyed being with them anyway.

After Daddy got home from work we loaded up to head home for the weekend. On our way to dinner Mr. Stannix pulled up this huge hill to give me a good photo op of the city as the sun was starting to set. Farewell downtown!

On our way out we made a quick detour to Peter's Drive-In for some dinner.

I sat with these crazies while Daddy ordered us up some food.

It was so great to be out with my handsome man again!

Despite the huge size, we got each of the kids a bubble-gum shake.

 

They were pretty tickled about that! We then made the long drive home as dark set in. Since everyone fell asleep on the drive home, we carried them in and tucked them right into their beds for the night. It sure feels good to be home!