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!

Welcome Home

Last night we picked up Daddy at the airport after two weeks of being away. The littles were super excited to have that guy home! Joseph followed him around and hung off his leg all day and the other two delighted him with their new tricks. We sure missed having him around!

Tonight he offered to do up the dishes while I gave the boys some much needed hair cuts. My kitchen hasn't looked this good in a long time! I am looking forward to a night cozied up on the couch catching up on a favorite show with my favorite person. It's so great to have him home!

Late Night Chats

It's just after 9:30pm when I make my way to the kitchen to finally make myself some dinner. I had just finished tucking the older two into separate rooms for the night after the idea for an indoor "camp-out" went south. The phone rings, it's Mr. Stannix again, I'm pretty sure he misses us! We talk while I crack eggs into a frying pan and pop some toast into the toaster. After being away for a week the food is scarce and the milk is sour, so this is the best I could come up with. A few seconds later and I am startled by a sound on the other side of the kitchen. Camilla has made her way downstairs, and patiently waits until I'm done on the phone. After listening for a few minutes she figures out that it's Daddy and asks politely if she could talk. Of course I say yes! I get out a plate and butter the toast. She skips into the kitchen, hands me back the phone, and sits down at the table. We say good-bye to Daddy so that he can eat his dinner and dig into our plate of spicy eggs. Camilla delights me with conversation, and even though it's late and she should be in bed, I let her talk and talk. I watch her smile and tuck her short blonde hair behind her ears while she tells me stories and I realize how much I've missed her! 

After we finish our plate we each take a huge drink of water and I give her a hug good-night. She doesn't want to let go and tells me how much she wishes she had someone to sleep with her. I smile and try not to roll my eyes. This will be the tenth time I've come upstairs to tuck her in for the night. It is then I realize that she has missed me too and is needing some Mommy time. We walk up the stairs hand in hand and tip-toe back to her little tent. I lay down beside her on Hyrum's pillow (he is fast asleep in my bed). She tells me how she has a hard time falling asleep and how her eyes don't shut for hours! Being a Mamma, I know exactly what to do. I run my fingers through her hair, massaging her head as I go. Soon her eyelids begin to get heavy. I softly draw on her face with my finger tips, across her forehead, around her eyes and up the bridge of her nose. All of those features that were once so tiny have matured so much. I quietly lay beside her, studying her profile as her eyes drift shut. Soon her breathing becomes deeper and her head turns to the side. I tuck my arm around her little body, give her a little squeeze, and stay for just a few minutes longer.

I leave the tiny tent, grateful for the extra few minutes I got to spend with my girl. I could have easily sent her up to bed while I tended to the dishes and clutter, but I'm so glad I didn't! I come downstairs and turn out the lights on the mess in the kitchen, and then Mr. Stannix calls again and we talk until bedtime.

"What is most important almost always involves the people around us"

~President Thomas S. Monson

Weekend Getaway: Whistler

After a nice, scenic drive, we arrived at our gorgeous accommodations in Whistler. We dropped off our stuff, drove the rental car to Avis and walked back to our hotel. The first thing we did was take a nap in our nice air conditioned room. Mr. Stannix had to wake up just before dinner and head to the first part of his training. I slept right on through to 8:00PM. This trip was mostly about seeing Mr. Stannix, and also mostly about catching up on some much needed sleep!

Mr. Stannix was busy with courses from 8AM-5PM, so I usually spent my days doing a lot of sleeping and a little bit of exploring. I'm pretty sure the last time I took two naps a day was when I was very little, and it felt awesome!

 While Mr. Stannix spent most of his day here...

 I loved exploring the little shops! I found some awesome fleece Christmas jammies for the boys that were buy one get one. A deal I couldn't pass up! Hyrum has been wanting footy jammies since he grew out of his last pair, so I think he will be extra excited!

 On our last night together we discovered a cozy little Mexican restaurant tucked away in the corner of Whistler. We both love Mexican food, but were extra surprised when we got the menu (cactus on an enchilada, what?). It turned into Mike googling images on the restaurants website to help us decide what to order. Our waiter was Mexican and even spoke Spanish to us (thankfully I know a bit). It was a super fun experience.

 Gotta love that authentic Mexican stuff!

 We had big plans to go on an evening hike, but neither of us were really feeling up to it, so we just walked down to Olympic Plaza to check things out. And you can't go to Olympic Plaza without taking a picture in the rings!

I loved exploring at night since most of the heat had gone. Usually by then a nice breeze was sweeping through the village to cool things off. We finished off the night with a favorite TV episode and I packed up some of my stuff for my long day of traveling the next day. I sure do love spending time with that Mr. Stannix of mine! I can't wait for him to come home!

Weekend Getaway: Stanley Park

 A few months ago we learned that Mr. Stannix would be away for two weeks while attending to work related trainings and meetings. We decided to drop the kids at Gramma and Grampa's for a few days so that I could go out and visit him half way through. He picked me up Saturday morning at the Vancouver airport. It was such a relief to see him waiting for me at the baggage claim. He planned out the day and after renting a car we were on our way to Stanley Park for the morning. We stopped at a little bike rental place and got ourselves a double bike to explore the park. It had been at least five years since I had ridden a bike, so I was super nervous! I also have a hard time giving up control (even in a canoe right Hun?). We pushed the bike to the street, hopped on, and hoped for the best! We had a bit of a wobbly start and I was scared for my life for the first 15 minutes or so, but we got pretty good! The trickiest part about riding in the back is timing. As soon as Mike started peddling, my peddles moved whether I wanted them to or not, and when he stopped, they stopped. 

 After some awesome navigating by my handsome hubby, we made it all the way to Prospect Point. My tush was pretty sore from the awful bike seat and the bathrooms were our first pit stop (just for me).

 We wandered around a bit, debated getting some over-priced food, and checked out the view.

 Then we snapped a selfie in front of the Lions Gate suspension bridge.

 On the way back we biked the shoreline and enjoyed a glorious ocean breeze. 

I kind of felt like a grandma, but we honestly had so much fun! I can now put another check mark on my bucket list. We finished of our bike ride with lunch at the cactus club and then made our way back to the car for our drive to Whistler.

Gramma and Grampa's

Yesterday was my last day at the Acreage with the kiddos before leaving them in the loving hands of Gramma and Grampa for a few days. They love the extra space to run and explore and love visiting Great-Gramma and Grampa Purdon for their daily chocolate fix. 

Joseph shared a bowl of Cherries with Grampa for his mid-morning snack. He gave a satisfied, "Mmmm!" after each half. 

The three kids also spent some time feeding the little chickens grass.

Joseph helped Gramma refill the chicken's water bucket.

We spent the early afternoon exploring the historic park just outside of town. I had to get a picture with my birthday girl!

We walked the trails and spent a lot of time here in the fort. The older two loved this rope swing! We probably spent majority of our time in here watching them take turns on the swing.

Eventually Camilla discovered the nearby stump of wood. Grampa helped her get it in position and they took turns swinging off the stump. After each turn Hyrum had to empty out his sandals from using his feet to stop. 

After a short nap, Joseph woke up and joined in the fun.

Grampa even helped him have a go on the rope swing and he giggled the whole time!

 Watching him run and explore was super fun!

And a trip to the fort wouldn't be complete with out a teepee.

We finished off our visit exploring the trail and then went into town for a birthday lunch!

After eating two mini burgers and some fries, Camilla got a huge piece of cake. She got a little embarrassed when they sang to her which really surprised me because she's such a social butterfly.

After the meal, Hyrum hopped down and walked around the table. "What are you doing Hyrum?" I asked. "Oh, Just going to give Camilla a birthday hug," he replied. Those two are the sweetest! Thanks again for lunch Gramma and Grampa!

We finished off the day with our nightly visit to the strawberry patch. Joseph got pretty into it this time. I loved watching him carefully pick a red strawberry and bring it to his mouth. Life couldn't be any better in that moment.

We ended up with quite a few strawberries and the littles enjoyed eating them for their bedtime snack. I'm sure this will be a nightly occurrence while I'm away visiting Daddy.

Five Years Old

Our sweet Camilla is FIVE today. She is getting so grown up! Last night as I was tucking her in, I whispered in her ear that it would be her birthday today. She then responded, "Great! Does that mean I will be taller since I'm five?" I love our bed time talks and snuggles. Camilla is an amazing little lady with a huge heart and desire to do good. She is constantly thinking of others and their needs. Whenever I have a short snooze on the couch she always covers me with a blanket. She is a fabulous big sister and is constantly looking out for her younger brothers with her little, "no no no, Joe" or "It's okay, Hyrum, I will help you." If she's ever grumpy or upset it doesn't last long and she will giggle away the tears and put a smile on. She brings so much joy to our little family! 

Happy Birthday Camilla!

Freshly Picked

Dear Mr. Stannix,

Hope you are well. The children sure loved chatting with you on Skype this morning, even if it was a gongshow trying to fit them all on the screen to keep them happy. We left for the Acreage shortly after talking with you. The drive went well and I endured multiple episodes of "My little Pony". Joseph napped for most of it and then when he started complaining I rolled down the windows. Works every time. The weather has been warm, though clouds were gathering this afternoon and the wind came in gusts after dinner. The children visited Gramma's not-so-baby-anymore chickens. Hyrum loved sitting in the pen with them and observing.

We then helped Gramma pick the strawberries. Hyrum liked to pick and eat his and Camilla wanted to make sure they were washed first.  We picked a whole bunch and there's still more to come tomorrow! We enjoyed fresh, juicy strawberries all afternoon (don't be too jealous).

 

I miss you terribly and can't wait to come and see you on the weekend. I look forwad to being in your arms again and spending time together! I am already planning out my outfit so that I can wow you at the airport. I am off to bed for the night though. Love you darling!