I'm still here!

Oh my goodness 6 months between blog posts, I think the longest in 7 years I ever went without blogging was 6 weeks. I've never been so busy before and the hardest part of it all is knowing I've just had to let some things go. Blogging is one of them. But instead of doing orders or emails right now I'm gonna do a quick update and not spell check anything... ha!

Always on the swing!

She carries a stuffy everywhere...

Running to Levi after he got off the bus!

The best of buds... He's an amazing brother

Dave: is still at base, thankfully! We've been terrified about his job the last few months with all the cut backs and some big changes.  Because he's not busy enough, I decided to put his talent to good use! So he now makes wooden teether's for my business + helps with a lot of tracing and cutting soother clips and bows.

Me: My little hobby has now turned into a full time business. I've hired two seasonal employees to help with the christmas rush. We're in 15 stores and entering 4 more this christmas season. It's become more than i could ever have dreamed but we've got even bigger plans now. Our goal is too build a cnc router that will cut all my bows and our wooden teethers. Saving us time and creating another side business on the job, that would allow dave to quit his job and us do this full time.

Levi: GRADE ONE! Im always flabbergasted at his little brain. He's reading way above his grade level and they've created some new challenges for him to keep up his learning. He's got an amazing teacher this year. He did tball this spring and has swimming lessons starting up soon.

Will: Pre-k for 3 year olds. He LOVES it and plays so hard he falls asleep every time on our way home. He's extremely social so he loves all the attention and really is loving, learning his numbers and letters. He's even started writing his name. He's such a little spit fire and still our cuddliest kid.

Lucy: after out car accident in july we both started seeing a chiropractor and its helped tons with her ear infections that we didn't need tubes in her ears, yay! She's 16 months old now and busier than the boys ever were, I didn't think that was possible. She gives us a good run for our money. We call her our silent hurricane. She's started saying a few words and signs a few things with us. Shes obsessed with animals and loves to do animals sounds.


Well there's a quick update, I'm hoping that things will slow down in January that I'll be able to add some more real updates.

The last six months.

The boys are outside digging in my garden and I'm ignoring it, and Lucy is sleeping. Daves down in Lethbridge working on our house. It's quiet and all the emotions are hitting me. For a person who loves to share pictures of what we're up to in life and be open about that I've kept some things pretty close. 

Life's been hard lately. It's been in so many aspects of our life that it's tiring. Marriage, money, health and more. It's been one thing after another and it's been hard to catch our breath. I've always felt like I was a strong person. The last six months I haven't felt strong at all. I've needed sisters and friends more then ever. I've had to rely on people for help and it's something I've struggled with. I like being independent. I like when my friends or sisters call me to chat and pour out their hearts to me. I don't like having to be that person. 

I don't even know where to begin... I guess let's start with being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a few months ago. I started feeling like I'd be spraining parts of my body for no reason. I'd wake up and my elbow would be so sore and tight that I couldn't use it for a few weeks. I'd be extremely tired. (Partly from a baby who doesn't sleep due to so many ear infections). I started becoming really sensitive to pressure. Like a tight hug hurt or kids climbing on me hurt. I'd been getting massages to help with shoulder pain I'd been having but I'd be sore for days from them. Like it bruised my whole back. After tests and Drs appts and X-rays and ultrasounds we got the diagnosis. The next step was how I wanted to go about treatment. During all these tests I also learned I have extremely low iron and thyroid contributing to other things. So after researching and talking with my dr were trying vitamins and a few very low doses of meds to see if it'll help. I've always taken my health for granted and so it's been hard for me to have days where I couldn't do the stairs because it felt like my ankle was sprained. The medication seems to be helping. Although I'm still having flare ups it's not every day. 

The Lethbridge house. Seriously this is a the biggest source of stress lately. After our tenant failed to purchase the house, long story short she didn't sign a new lease so we had to kick her out. Holy is that ever stressful. She refused to email, call or text back for over three weeks.  Since we don't live there it was so hard not knowing what was going on. After she finally left the house was cleaner then we expected but there was more damage then we thought. We had to replace walls, subfloor and all the carpet. Plus so much more. Dave has worked so hard to get it ready for an open house this weekend. We still have so much to do. I'm nervous we won't finish before then but, it is what it is. // MY FAMILY. Oh goodness we could have not done these last few weeks without them. They have been more help in more ways then they realize. Everyone dropping what they have in their busy lives to help us. Dave and I are so grateful for them. There is no way we could have done it without them. We can't wait to get new tenants in there!  It'll be such a relief! It's been such a huge  financial stress on us. I've never seen Dave so stressed before, it's been so hard to let him go do all the work while I'm home with the kids. The house is been a very hard lesson to learn from. We've made a lot of mistakes and it's been hard. 

(Here's pictures I sent to Dave) 

Here's to learning and growing from these experience together. 

Spring time.

I

It's spring and we've been soaking up every minute we can. It's so beautiful in our yard when everything turns green. It's crazy the transformation from a year ago to now. Dave has put so much work into this place. 

Dave teases me cause I always get so excited when the deer come into our yard. Last night we had like 18 or so. 

We have these trees with giant blossoms on them and it just fills are our yard with so much white. It's beautiful. 

The boys have lived outside pretty much for the last 3 weeks. 

(Such a goof) 

Went for a walk and Lucy fell asleep. Mission accomplished. She's had so many ear infections the last two mo this that its such a battle to put her to sleep and her schedule is way off. Hopefully this last round of antibiotics will work and we can get a routine going again. 

Dave and the boys slept in the tent and lasted till about 2am when the air mattress went flat. Time to buy a new one! The boys still loved it! 

April Showers.

Its been raining the last few days. The kids have enjoyed it so much.

We're loving how green the acreage is getting. 

the acreage.

With everything going on with our Lethbridge house, its been so heart breaking to think of the possibility of leaving the acreage. I knew we'd love it when we moved out here but didn't know we'd love it this much. I love our evenings of all being outside working on the yard. I know in 10 years this wont be fun for the kids but for now, they love being out there with us and its so special. Last night I had to run into town and as I was driving down our driveway it was covered with pheasants and deer. Its been a year and it still seems so surreal that this is our new normal. 

Easter

We did Easter on Friday morning this year, so the kids could open up their baskets and see they got a hotel stay too! Of course it was such a busy morning getting out the door that day I didn't get any pictures of them opening their baskets, oops. We did just a really small basket since they'd be getting to go sleep over at a hotel and go swimming. So the boys got stuff for the pool! Lucy got some clothes.  Levi also got some books, I can't believe how well he's reading and how fast he's picking it up!

Leilani hosted Easter this year and it was so fun! The kids had a blast. She did so much for them. Scavenger hunt, easter egg hunt & easter egg decorating. 

We decided to try out a new hotel since it had a bigger waterslide, once we checked in and got to our room it was so far away from everything and only had an outdoor entrance. Plus it was so gross, so after cleaning up as best as we could Lucy's car seat explosion we checked out and headed back to our other hotel we like. Ahh it felt so much better!

Once settled into the new hotel we tried to get the kids to go to sleep. Will didn't crash till 11pm... oh vay! 

After a yummy breakfast the boys were so ready to go swimming! Also Will wore a swimsuit, he just hadn't changed yet.. 

 The water wings and goggle we got the boys were the smartest thing we ever did. They were so independent and happy!

They had so much fun, it makes the lack of sleep worth it. I think it'll have to be a new tradition to just do a small trip for Easter instead of big easter baskets. 

And I found this gem Dave took of Will on our way home... ha! 

8 Months - Lucy

I just had to double check if I already wrote this post, because I swear I just wrote one. Time is going way faster then I can believe and this post is 10 days late.  

I was working at my desk and looked over and saw lucy doing this with her blanket. A ver good representation of her personality these days. She loves peek a boo. 

16 lbs 13 oz (still!)

4th ear infection, on the wait list for tubes in her ears.

pulled up on furniture for the first time this week

still haven't found a food she doesn't like, she's an eater

She started sleeping better but the poor ear infection interrupted that, ouch!

one of my favorite things lately is how bashful she is. I'm thinking she'll be our shy kid. she tucks her head away when someone she doesn't know talks to her. she loves to cuddle and falls asleep easily cuddling with Dave. 

Lucy has started this fake little laugh. Almost like a sympathy laugh at our crazy antics to get her to laugh. And this onesie is a pretty good representation of how we feel about her teething. oh vay!

Oh goose we just love you so.

Will - 3

We had intentions for a big birthday party with lots of family for Will. But we got some news on friday that was hard to handle and I knew with how hard things have been lately plus that I couldn't do a huge 30+ dinner. 

So we did have plans of just doing a pizza party and opening gifts on his actual birthday with just our family. So we did that and invited the Roberts' to come join us. The kids all had a blast and Will thought it was fantastic so thats all that matters.

Will got lots more trains to add to the ones from Christmas, hockey stick, birthday money, books & some pirates to go with their ship. I know he loved them all because he woke up at 5am the next day to play with them.

Im sad and excited he's three. Sad he's getting so big but happy that he now gets to do lots of things he's been wanting to do! He's now potty trained and registered for preschool! He can now go into the ikea play place and play soccer this year. Three year old dreams.

Your our little ball of fun energy, your hilarious and sensitive.  Will we just love you so much!