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!

City Life

We woke up pretty early on our second day in the city a little tired after sharing a bed with Joseph all night. I forgot to bring extra blankets and they only have two single beds for the older two in the second bedroom. Joseph didn't seem to mind one bit and woke up cheerful and excited. 

One thing he's missed about Daddy being gone is mooching his third breakfasts. I spent the morning tidying, keeping the littles quiet and getting dinner in the slow cooker. While Joseph napped we managed to bake a double batch of ginger cookies with what limited baking pans they have at the apartment.

After Joseph woke, we bundled up and ventured out to the trails again. It was a gorgeous day to be out and about in the City!

I let the three kids run free and wild so that they could burn off all of their energy! They enjoyed chasing the gazillion squirrels. Joseph would run after them giggling with glee and then exclaim, "Up...High!" after they would climb the tree. It was quite amusing. 

After spending a good hour at the playground we wandered over to this bridge and snapped a quick shot with the towers and fall leaves in the background. It was nice to be out and enjoy the fresh air! We came home to beef barley soup and fresh homemade tomato herb bread. Our apartment smelled divine!

It's a Beauty

This week the littles and I took off to Calgary because we missed Daddy so much! If you remember a while back I mentioned he would be training for quite some time at the Calgary office. We are three weeks in, with nine more to go! We are definitely loving technology and the ability that Skype gives us to have family prayer each night together, even though Daddy is so far away. On more than one occasion I have cried as Daddy said family prayers from afar bringing the Spirit into our home. One night as Camilla chatted with Daddy over Skype he gave her a tour of the apartment. After seeing the view from her window she exclaimed, "It's a BEAUTY!"

The city lights welcomed us late last night, and the children were in awe as we drove downtown to the little apartment. This was Camilla's view this morning.

It isn't easy keeping the littles occupied in such a small space, but they did pretty good. Since the cleaning lady comes on Wednesday's, we had to vacate the premises for the day. We ended up driving out to High River to visit my little sister.

We spent the morning enjoying a donut at Timmies and then walking around this huge park exploring. This picture was one in a million as Hyrum literally whined the whole way around the lake. I spent most of the morning walking ahead of them, biting my tongue and trying to keep a cheery attitude. This motherhood gig is hard sometimes..

We ended our walk by climbing this huge hill and rolling down a couple of times. Joseph prefers to RUN down the hill which really makes my heart race, but he's getting pretty good on his feet these days. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of our awesome visit with my sister, but we were sure grateful to be able to chill at her place for a while! Getting back to our apartment was a gongshow and I drove around the block multiple times just to figure out where the parkade was. I walked up to our seventh floor apartment feeling pretty frazzled from city traffic and learning to navigate my way around a new city (thank-goodness the van has GPS).

 Eating at the apartment consisted of picnics on the kitchen floor where we could easily wipe up and contain the mess. There was a little table with two chairs, but anyone with littles knows that eating over a carpeted area is a bad idea (especially when the chairs are covered with white fabric). Daddy came home to a warm dinner and excited kids.

After dinner we ventured out to the trails to see what we could see. It was fun to take our time and let the littles explore, climb logs, and check things out.

We made our way around the loop at Prince's Island Park and found a fabulous little playground. I was so relieved to find something like this so close to "home" as we still had two days to keep ourselves occupied. 

The older two immediately went for the swings, pleading with Daddy to push them higher and higher. It was such a fabulous way to end a crazy day!

Golden Hour

It's been a fabulous Sunday. The children were all ready for church nice and early and sat so well through the meetings. I've said it before, but I feel like we are in a really good place right now. Church is enjoyable and we love that the littles get along so well these days. We didn't have to take anyone out of sacrament for a diaper change, potty break, or time-out, we just sat and enjoyed the spirit.

When we got home I pulled Mr. Stannix aside and snapped a few pictures. I've missed that guy so much!

 After dinner, we said good-bye to Daddy and waved as he drove down the lane. When the littles started driving me banana's we set out for an evening walk at the golden hour. The weather was lovely!

We took a different way home, and the littles enjoyed exploring.

It was nice to just let loose and forget about what time it was for once.

I had my mamma snap a quick shot of my growing bump just as the sun was dissappearing behind the trees. I then took Joe in for a nice warm bath while the other two finished out the evening in the sandbox playing beneath the golden rays. Life is good.

Taking it Easy

 When I left home on Thursday I had only packed for an overnight stay. Daddy thought it might be nice to meet up at the acreage to relax for the weekend. We've done a few loads of laundry and threw together a few church outfits for tomorrow. Today we spent the whole day hanging out with Daddy. The kids sure missed that guy this week!

 

We went for a nice long walk, talked and enjoyed the Fall leaves. While Grampa Mowed the lawn Mr. Stannix and I hung out on the grass catching up.

 



Hyrum snapped a picture of us!

The boys both got rides while Grampa mowed the front lawn. They were pretty tickled about it!

The evening brought a date at DQ for Mr. Stannix and I and a few rounds of cards with the family. It's so nice to be together.

Spontaneous Travels

 A few days ago I decided we would take a little trip to the acreage after all of our appointments in the City were done. This morning I tidied the house and secretly packed a bag of clothes for an over night stay at the acreage. Camilla knew something was up the moment she saw the bag which made me smile even more. We took off in the early morning to my Midwife appointment. The children all played well and Joseph stuck by my side until it was time to listen to the baby. I love that my Midwife gives him a special job and that he gets to be a part of this whole process. He loves listening to the baby and feeling my tummy.

 

After my appointment we grabbed a quick bite to eat, rolled the windows down low and headed for the highway. All of the littles fell asleep within fifteen minutes so I got to enjoy some quiet time to myself. I love this drive in the Fall when all of the leaves are bright shades of yellow and red and the smell of the season is in the air. The scenery was breath-taking!

 

We drove passed farms, beautiful fields (some harvested, some not), farm animals and gorgeous ravines.

The littles were vibrating with excitement as we pulled into the subdivision and they have been happily playing ever since. The change of scenery was exactly what we all needed! Grampa deep fried some chicken for dinner and it was scrumptious! 

 

After dinner we hopped in the van and headed to Twin Lakes. We spent the evening exploring and stretching our legs in hopes of tuckering everyone out for bedtime.

We walked the boardwalk out to the floating dock and watched the trout jump out of the water for their evening meal. The kids were super into it! "I just saw a fish's TAIL!" they would say. We had to keep a pretty close eye on Mr. Joseph or else he would jump right in!

We let the littles decide how long or short to stay in one place. They really enjoyed watching the fish jump, so we stayed there quite a while enjoing the view and smells of Fall.

Next we made our way around the lake to the boat launch, picking up all of the flat skipping rocks we spotted along the way. Camilla filled her whole shirt and was quite excited!

Hyrum would wind up for each throw which we all thought was pretty hilarious. Joseph picked rocks by the fist full and threw them all in at once. He could have stayed there all night long. Camilla tried so hard to skip her flat rocks, but didn't have much luck this time. I then showed her that even I wasn't good at skipping rocks and it helped her feel a little better about life.

As we skipped and threw rocks some thunder rumbled in the distance and we figured it was time to make our way back to the van.

Joseph loved his shoulder ride! We made our way home, got everyone jammied and talked with Daddy for a little while. I feel so much more relaxed and happy now. I love getting out of the city every once in a while! Thanks for letting us visit Gramma and Grampa!

Treasures

I've been thinking lately about how great it is to be a parent. I love watching my kids learn and experience life with wonder in their eyes. Joseph for instance has mastered jumping and makes sure to jump off each big rock, bottom step, couch, bed, or chair. It's so funny watching how proud he is when he lands on two feet (after my heart stops racing). Hyrum is really into pretend play and engaged himself in various imaginative games this afternoon while his brother and sister napped. The other day after listening to him and his million pretend voices even Camilla asked, "how does he even DO that?!" It's so great watching him develop his imagination. Camilla is really into drawing and coloring lately. She is constantly bringing me little cards and notes with my name on them which I proudly display on my fridge. When it gets too full, I usually take them up and hide them in a shoe box under my bed. The drawings I get from my children are things I treasure dearly. As my shoe boxes have filled almost to the brim, I realize that I won't be able to keep some of these drawings forever, so I wanted to make a post of some of the most recent artwork around the house. 

 A family picture (including baby)

 Camilla and her pet penguin "Flipper"

 A very colorful painting

 A bear she painted for Mr. H

 Camilla and I out for a walk (I especially love my rosy cheeks)

 She drew this as a thank-you after I took her to buy a new "pet" at the dollar store with her chore money

 Camilla and I again (Loving the way she draws hair now-a-days)

 A picture of her favorite stuffed cat so that I never forget what she looks like.

 Spring Flowers

 Camilla and I

 Camilla being the egg champ last Easter (love her newest obsession with stars)

 Hyrum rarely sits down to draw or color, but when he does he produces some real gems. He gave this one to me tonight and I still crack up when I look at it. It's a picture of him giving me a flower because he loves me so much.

This is also a Hyrum drawing. These are far and few between. Left to right we have Hyrum, Me, Joe, a very tall Daddy, Camilla and her favorite puppy "spots".