Hudkins Reuinion: Part I

We arrived home in the very early hours of the a.m. Now that we are all caught up on sleep, the van is unpacked and the house somewhat organized, I figured I'd sit down for a few minutes and write a recap of our awesome weekend with family!

On Friday night after Mr. Stannix got home from work we loaded up the kids and drove to the Hudkins family reunion. Camilla was only a year old at the last reunion we attended and then we missed the next one because we were in Halifax. It was fun to get together with everyone, even though numbers were few!

After we arrived, unpacked and set up camp, we all went down to check out the zipline. Daddy caught a nice sized frog and Camilla named it Douglas. She played with it for a little while and then released it back where we found it.

Daddy took Hyrum down the zipline a ton of times!

Joseph also got in on the action and giggled his pants off the whole way down. It was pretty darn cute!

The little second cousins spent most of their time on this cute little playground. Joseph learned pretty quickly how to climb up and got so good that he could even do it with a cookie in one hand!

On Saturday a few of the men-folk had an awesome game of horse shoes.

Grampa and Mr. Stannix both managed to get a ringer!

A few of us enjoyed being spectators. Joseph clapped and exclaimed "Yay! Yay! Yay!" every time he thought something awesome happened.

The location was so fun and rustic. I especially loved this front deck and since Mr. Stannix was looking so handsome, I couldn't resist a picture!

There was a lot of playground fun! The swings were a huge hit!

My heart totally melted when I wandered over to check on the kids and found Hyrum pushing his buddy on the swings.

After some afternoon water fights this little dude was due for a new outfit. 

Then he pulled me over to the swing set for a little while.

Love these two cuties!

I had a nice visit with my mamma on the front deck.

And it was super great to see my sis again!

After dinner my Dad organized a hair fight, it was epic.

Love my boys and my Gramma!

When the sun started to set we got our littles ready for bed. Tenting proved difficult for the first night and Camilla and Joseph didn't fall asleep until almost 11:00PM. Eventually I gave up laying with them and left the tent. I came back a few minutes later and listened outside while Camilla sang "I am a Child of God" and "Hinges" to Joseph to try and help him sleep. It was pretty cute! I love her little singing voice!

Hyrum got to have a sleep over in Gramma and Grampa's cabin for the first night, but loved sleeping in the tent the next night!

Joseph ended up stealing my mat, so I slept on the ground the first night. Not the best sleep I've had in a while, but I did sleep!

Little Baking Boy

 "What are we making Mom?"

 "Oh, Cookies? YAY!"

Nightmare Before Christmas

Last night I had a really bad dream. It was Christmas morning and snow covered the walks outside. I was the first one awake. I came downstairs and turned on the tree lights only to realize we had forgotten to wrap the gifts! The children woke up seconds later and a deep sadness filled my heart at the realization that they would be walking into the livingroom only to see that there were no presents, and no stockings. Mike came down with them and we couldn't believe that we had forgotten to wrap the presents! I went upstairs and lifted a blanket that was hiding a few little gifts under a desk and discovered that we had only bought presents for Hyrum. To make matters worse, my parents were spending the holidays with us and would wake up to no Christmas! Mike and I whispered for a few minutes about going to Walmart, pretending Christmas was actually going to be tomorrow instead of today. The children went outside to play and my parents reassured us that this was completely normal and even happened to them a couple of times! That's when I heard Joseph clunking around in his room and woke up. I may have let out a little laugh as I climbed out of bed. Can you tell I'm a tad stressed about having a Christmas baby? Goodness.

Today I had my monthly visit with my Midwife. All three of the children joined me and behaved very well. I love the little room where these visits are held. I sit on a big couch while Camilla and Joseph squish on a chair to my right and Hyrum plays with toys at my feet. My midwife sits in an office chair by the window in the corner and we just talk for a whole half an hour. Camilla told her all about how she likes to help with the laundry and dishwasher and my midwife was almost in tears laughing at the comedic way that Camilla describes everything. We went over my ultrasound results and talked a bit about nutrition. We finished off the appointment by checking my blood pressure and having a listen to baby. I stretched out on the couch with Camilla standing at my head, Hyrum by my tummy and Joseph climbing up over my legs. One of them got to turn on the doppler and then they each took turns helping her find the heartbeat. Joseph was so excited when he heard the racing heart and I will never forget the look on his face. It is such a great experience going to these appointments! I love that the littles can be involved with baby and be excited too!

Camilla drew me the cutest picture today of our family. I think she made Daddy look very handsome and I love the way she drew my baby bump.

Monkeying Around

 Today we enjoyed a nice afternoon bike ride over to a little pond. We watched a mommy duck while her babies followed all in a line. The children would giggle when each of the ducklings would take a dive under the water, following their mother as they swam. When we got home we sought shade under the tree in our front yard. It was hot out! The older two enjoyed monkeying around in the tree with a little help. It wasn't until we came inside for a homemade smoothie that I realized there was a heat advisory for Edmonton. Oops. Still, it was nice to get out and enjoy nature a little bit!

Making Note

Things have been crazy at the Stannix's. There's never a dull moment as we navigate our way through each Summer day exploring and enjoying the warm weather. Sadly, the blog has gotten a tad neglected and I haven't taken many pictures as of late.  Usually while I'm making dinner I will glance around the kitchen to survey the damage from the day. Baking dishes line the counters, the peanut butter is still open from lunch, crumbs dot the floor and craft supplies is scattered on the table. Without that Mr. Stannix of mine my kitchen wouldn't look nearly as awesome as it does at the start of each day. Sometimes something as simple as washing the floor or doing a few loads of laundry is all I manage to get done between playing with the kids and making sure everyone's bellies are full. Sometimes after dinner I will throw a handful of marshmallows in front of Joseph just so I can enjoy my dinner before I wipe him up.  It's all about survival around here! I am super grateful for those moments in the day when things slow down a little and I am able to jot a few funny things down and enjoy my kids on a different level. They are so fun and getting so big!

Camilla is so grown up lately. She is such a big help and loves both of her brothers so much! We recently moved Hyrum's carseat to the back of the van because she really wanted someone to keep her company back there. She is so good about helping him get in and out of his seat so that I don't have to climb back. They will often hold hands while we go down hills and talk non-stop. She uses the word "Ma-zillion" to describe a lot of things. She will say something like, "Mom! There's a mazillion mosquitoes out there today!" When I ask if I've told her yet how much I love her she replies, "You've told me that a mazillion times!" She also says "snook" instead of "snuck". "Sorry Mom, I just snooked a cookie," she will say. Sometimes I will come up to tuck her in and find her dressing all of her teddies in her t-shirts so that they can have jammies too. She is really excited about the upcoming family reunion and has been trying to keep her room extra clean until we leave. A few nights ago she came down and told me she had made a bed on the floor so that she didn't have to mess up her bed. "Don't worry Mom, it's really comfy! But, don't tell Daddy, I don't want him to freak out! He will want me to sleep in my bed so I have good dreams." I went up to check her late and she had fallen asleep with a little blanket folded as a pillow and a light baby blanket over her legs. It didn't look all that comfy, so I put her on her bed and covered her with another (much larger) blanket, just so I wouldn't mess up her freshly made bed. There's also been a few times this last month where she's gotten dressed after we tuck her in so that she doesn't have to do it in the morning. She makes me laugh so much!

Hyrum is getting more independent each day. He can now go to the bathroom without a stool or potty seat (this is huge people)! He was also pretty proud that he could wash his hands without a stool. One night before bed he was driving his car through the carpet and said, "Look mom! I'm dwivin' through a field!" He also likes to play tricks on me and tried to make me think that he peed his pants. He giggled pretty hard while telling me it was just the spray bottle. "Psway....b-b-b-b psway," he said as I tried to help him correct his pronunciation. He loves to pray and asks every single time if it's his turn. It ended up being quite the argument between the older two, so now we've assigned each person a day and that seems to work pretty well! His prayers are getting pretty long these days and always so thoughtful. Nature still fascinates him and he is constantly chasing bugs and exploring outdoors. I'm pretty sure his "love language" is touch, and when I forget that, he quickly reminds me by rubbing my arm at dinner or giving me random hugs throughout the day. Even at three years old, he enjoys his snuggle time. I love his tender little heart and desire to do right.

Joseph is such a big boy now! I looked at him probably a hundred times today and said, "You are getting so big! Please stop growing!" Then I would scoop him up and smother him in kisses while munching his chubby cheeks. This boy continues to be an early riser and some mornings I wake up with him at 5:30am and wonder how I'm going to find the energy to make it through the day. When my eyes first open I am greeted by his smiley face and then he clicks his tongue a few times to let me know he's hungry for breakfast. It doesn't matter what time we put him to bed, he is almost always up before 6:00am. He usually enjoys a full bowl of cheerios before the other two make their way downstairs and manages about three breakfasts each morning. He's starting to talk a lot but still has some funny words for things. He calls a fork a "bok" and a spoon a "bok". When something is finished he will exclaim "Bug-guck!" which means all gone. He has also adapted this "Bug-guck" to be anything he doesn't quite know how to say. He is obsessed with buckles and it takes us twice as long to go places these days. He still can't work his seat belt, but he sure spends a good chunk of time trying before he lets us just do it. He loves when we accelerate or round corners and will always say "Wahoo!!" Sometimes when we are driving he will wobble his head around and say "whooooaa, whoaaaaaaaa". He hums for his car sound effect while he lies on the basement floor and drives his toy cars around. One day I asked someone if they could do something and Hyrum jumped up, raised his hand and shouted, "Me!" Joseph proceeded to mimick him a hundred times because we all thought it was so funny. Throughout the day he will come to me and say, "Daddy muck" which means "Daddy's at work". He still puts his finger on his nose when he says, "Shh" but I'm sure he will grow out of that all too soon. Whenever Camilla puts his baby dolls to sleep he will look up at me and say, "Shh". He loves babies lately! We had friends here this weekend with a little baby and he was fascinated. He liked to pat the babies head and give kisses. Watching him do these things makes me all the more excited for our little one to arrive in December! He's going to be such a good big brother! He sings himself to sleep lately and I love standing outside his door listening. Often Hyrum will fall asleep long before Joseph and we will walk in to find Joe standing above Hyrum's head or sitting on the edge of Hyrum's bed looking out the window and singing to himself. It's pretty cute.

Carefree Afternoons

Today the kiddos and I enjoyed our afternoon in our backyard. After not really having a yard for quite a while, we sure do love this one! They had fun taking turns running through the sprinkler, and kinking the hose to spray each other. I love Summer afternoons. They are so carefree, sunny, and fun.

After I took this picture of Camilla and Hyrum she asked if it was a good one. I told her it was and then she said, "Good, we always try to look cute so that you don't have to take anymore pictures". That girl knows me too well!

Always Near

My Dearest Camilla,

Tonight you came up to me and asked me why I hadn't played with you all day. It nearly broke my heart in two. There were so many things I wanted to reply, but I wasn't sure you would understand. This morning when you woke, you were welcomed by a warm hug and breakfast on the table. I sat near you while you ate and listened to you tell me all about your dreams that you had the night before. After breakfast I quickly tidied the dishes and helped you and your brothers get ready to go to the park. The morning air was the perfect temperature, not too hot, not too cool. Minutes after we arrived you asked if I could push you on the swings. I gave you a few big pushes and then you showed me how high you could pump all on your own! I pushed your brothers on the other swings glancing over and giving you a big smile and thumbs up every once and a while. It made me proud to see you so independent. When we got home I made you all lunch and sat with you at the table while you each took turns telling me stories from the park. We giggled at Joseph each time he would say "Dup Dup...Bye" when he would dip dip and bite his toast. While Joseph napped I watched you ride your scooter out front, cheering you on each time you went by the house. When you got too hot, we sat in the shade and drew on the sidewalk with chalk. We made your name out of block letters and you colored them in a pattern of yellow and pink. We drank water and shared a snack on the front step while we watched Hyrum finish up on his bike. When Joseph woke up I sat on the edge of the trampoline while the three of you jumped and giggled. And when we got too hot, we came to the basement to eat homemade cookies and to cool off again. As you and Hyrum engaged your imaginations in a new game, I threw in a few loads of laundry and cleaned up the toys you weren't playing with. I may not have been involved in your game of pretend, but I wasn't far away. I'm always near, watching, observing, and helping. In the late afternoon you hopped up on the island and helped me prepare dinner. We made pizza together. You spread the sauce, licked the spoon, snuck some pineapple and ate the leftover ham. While we created, we danced to our favorite song. You love working as long as we are working together. When bed time rolled around I helped you brush your teeth, read you a favorite story and layed beside you for a few extra minutes to chat. I love these moments with you. I hope that as you grow you will think back on these days and remember that your mamma was always near and loved you every minute of the way.

-Mom

Wild Strawberries

I was just going through the tail end of our pictures from the Acreage and found a few of Camilla picking wild strawberries. Gramma showed her where to look and she picked those little berries for quite a while! Such a fun little memory for her to have.

The Next Addition

Today was a pretty special day for me. Mid-afternoon I dropped the children at a dear friends and met up with Mr. Stannix for our date at the ultrasound clinic. I was super nervous and excited all at the same time. The tech began working while talking to us and all I could do was hope for the best and assume everything was okay. Not long after she began, the monitor in front of us turned on and we got to see baby on the screen. I may have cried silent tears as I sat beside my Mr. Stannix in that dimly lit room watching baby move around on the big screen on the wall. He kept catching my eye and smiling at me. I loved seeing it's little heart beating and it's hands slowly moving.  Turns out baby is measuring smaller and they predict a due date closer to the end of December. I get to go back in a few weeks when I'm actually 20 weeks so that they can get better pictures of the little heart. Mr. Stannix and I walked out of the clinic and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Though baby will probably make an appearance close to Christmas, it will mean that Mike will be back from his training in Calgary and we'll be able to be a little more prepared. Sure can't wait to meet this little one!

Sunday Visits

 Today we enjoyed a nice afternoon visit with Nana! She brought Sammy along and the kids were in heaven. Hyrum loves dogs. We've been tossing around the idea of getting a dog for quite a while. It's such a tricky decision for me being that we live in the city and I never had inside dogs growing up. The kids would sure love it though!

I roasted up a homegrown chicken from my parents acreage and it was delish! The kids enjoyed their time with Nana and she left with a few little pictures drawn by Camilla. 

Thanks for the visit!