Cruisin'

Mike, my Dad, Camilla, Hyrum, Joe, and Fin all headed off to Calgary this afternoon! Their flight leaves early in the morning, so they thought it best to go down the day before and run a few last minute errands. The kids are so excited about this trip! They had no idea it was happening. We told Camilla she would miss the next week of school so that she could let her teachers know and get her homework, but the rest of them had no idea until yesterday. They are starting their adventure with two days at Universal Studios and then a Caribbean Cruise where they will hit up some islands and enjoy a few excursions. 

I am looking forward to a quiet few weeks filled with baby snuggles and time with the littles. There will be no errands to run, no sports to get to, and no evenings filled with things. The children who are home go to bed relatively early which gives me evenings to myself to watch a few chick flicks or knit or do whatever I please. It's a win-win really.

Hyrum made sure to get one last snuggle in with Cooper before they left. 

We are sure going to miss them all!

Shopping With My Girl

With the big kids being home from school all week, my big girl and I took the day to go shopping! Mike booked a surprise trip this week for the four oldest, him, and my dad, and I knew Camilla needed a few things before they left. We enjoyed walking around the mall together and some yummy greek food for lunch! I love hanging out with my bigs!

 

Sunny Saturday

Today we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and lunch with our friends and a whole lotta sunshine! It was such a beautiful day spent visiting and watching the kids play together. 

 

Worth it

The morning snuggles and smiles make the long, sleepless nights so worth it! This little boy is growing up so fast and feeling heavier in my arms already. I am soaking up each and every moment with him!

These little grins absolutely melt my heart!

When Daddy got home from work, he took over for a bit so that I could get dinner going for everyone. 

We were blessed to have our good friends come to our house for the weekend! We haven't seen the Wolsey's since May, and it was so nice to catch up! All of the kids have grown and changed so much! Before bed, I made everyone squish on the couch for a quick picture.

Once the tiny people were in bed, we left the two girls in charge and went out for date night! I am grateful for the kind of friendship that just picks up where it left off, no matter how much time has passed. We sure love these guys!

 

The Outdoor Rink

This morning was an egg washing day. I love seeing these dozens of freshly washed eggs on my counter. I am excited to add a few more colored egg layers to the flock in the spring.

This afternoon, Hyrum asked to walk over to the outdoor rink with a friend. Some of the other boys joined them between piano lessons while we did our two hour wait in town. Hyrum was sweet enough to tie their skates and help them when they needed it.

Big kids are so fun! I love watching these guys grow and plan activities that they enjoy. They are wonderfully independent and free spirited and I love being their mamma!

Valentines Day

This morning we enjoyed a relatively slow and quiet morning. I have a huge desire to clean and organize, but Cooper has other plans. He just wants to be held and fed all day. He spent a lot of time in the ring sling and the arms of anyone who would hold him.

Mr. Stannix came home for dinner with flowers for all of the special ladies in his life. I got the most gorgeous bouquet of roses, Lily got some carnations for her bedside table, and Camilla some orange Gerbera Daisy's. 

I grabbed a picture of Lily and Daddy together before bed, and a picture of the teen after a basketball game.

I am grateful that basketball season is winding down and looking forward to the week of school coming up! We are all so tired and could really use the break!

 

The Mini

Early this morning Coop was crying, so I scooped him up and he nestled into my neck for comfort. His cries were quickly soothed and he promptly fell asleep, safe and snug in his mammas arms. 

This is one of the greatest privileges of being a mamma, being able to soothe and console my babies, at whatever age and stage they are in.

After a quick feed, we loaded up to take Daddy to a client meeting in Red Deer. He needed an extra driver since he was going to be bringing home his Mini Cooper today!

He has always dreamed of owning a Cooper, so it was fun to see that dream become a reality for him. When the kids got home from school and saw it in the driveway they laughed. "I'm even taller than it!" said Hyrum. "It's soooo tiny!" exclaimed Fin. I still haven't driven it, but I sure can't wait!

 

Cooper: One Month

Cooper is one month old today! He has become a pretty solid little guy this month. He does one nice stretch of sleep each night and spends the rest of the night snuggling mamma and nursing. He's been to more basketball games than I can count and slept through most of them. 

He's recently started interacting more with all of us and we all love watching his eyes widen as he discovers new things. He loves being held by all of his older siblings and doesn't spend a lot of time on his own. 

He is one of the squeakiest babes we've ever had and is always moving, stretching, squeaking and grunting. We adore him and wish time would slow down!

Donut Making

My sister is out visiting for a bit and she brought her trusty sourdough starter along so that we could make donuts. The kiddos convinced her to make a double batch, so we were cutting, rising, frying and glazing all afternoon. I believe we ended up with over a hundred donuts and donut holes to eat. They were delicious, and we may have all eaten until our tummies ached. I sure am grateful to have such a fun sister!

 

Lacombe Tournament

 Today Mike, Joe, Cooper, and I drove Camilla to her basketball tournament in Lacombe.  It was a beautiful early morning drive! Hyrum held down the fort at home with the littles and Gramma and Grampa helped out with meals for the day.

The girls played well, considering they were missing a few of their key players. Camilla ran hard and gave it everything she had, as per usual, and was able to get more baskets than she ever has in a game before. She was recently switched to point guard, and is doing so well! She is good at seeing the whole court and finding her lane.

In between her afternoon games, we took a trip to Red Deer to test drive a Cooper that Mike has had his eye on for a while.

I nursed the baby while the boys took it for a quick spin. They said it was a lot of fun! 

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We come back next week to pick it up!