Fall really is my favourite time of year. I love the crisp air, the leaves changing colors, star gazing on cold dark nights, Halloween and Thanksgiving. It has been a good Fall. It did snow in September but cleared up a couple of weeks later and now at November 4th, we have no snow and it got up to 11 yesterday so we are enjoying this weather.
Caeleb and Elva went back to school Tuesday September 6th and they have been enjoying it. Caeleb is in grade 3 and Elva is in Kindergarten. We wanted her to have a full Kindergarten year here in Champion - it being a great kindergarten with only 8 kids and 2 teachers (I love the student to teacher ratio).
September is birthday month. LouAnn and Gary came out September 13 to celebrate Chris and Caeleb's birthday on the 14th as well as Caeleb's baptism on the 16th. We celebrated Mary's birthday on Saturday September 15th (her birthday is on the 19th but we wanted Chris to be around for it. On Friday, the Nelson family, Nathan, the grandparents and us went to supper at the Chinese food Buffet in Champion. On Saturday, I took Chris, his parents, Mary and Selman to the temple (They did a session while I look the little ones to a park and the library), and then we went to Waterton and back home so Chris could do some homework. Saturday was stake conference and then Supper at our place (Middletons) and then to Caeleb's baptism at 5:00. I am so proud of my little boy who has made the decision to follow Christ's example in being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost. It is a challenging world out there and I know that as we strive to live with purpose in life by following Christ's example, we will receive an eternal happiness, the kind that doesn't go away.
Monday was LouAnn's birthday and we had watermelon cake and hung out at home. I hope she had a good relaxing day, resting and playing with her grandchildren. Chris had to go back to school that morning and I am getting used to single momming life. LouAnn and Gary left early early Wednesday morning. Caeleb went to bed Tuesday night with a fever and stomach pain. He woke up, threw up a couple of times and was in a lot of pain around 2:00 in the morning, tossing and turning in bed. He wanted to go to the hospital as the pain was not going away and he could not sleep or walk even. I called mom to come over and watch the girls as Gary and LouAnn had just left and I took Caeleb and Selman into Vulcan at 4:00 in the morning. They did blood work and his Nuetrophil count was up so the Doctor suspected Appendicitis (I had a thought that it was that) and he was sent in an ambulance up to the Children's hospital in Calgary while Selman and I followed in the van. Not thinking, I had worn pants with a huge rip in the crotch area so I ended up borrowing hospital pants and wearing them for the next 1.5 days. After an ultrasound and some humming and hawing among the doctors, it was decided that he had appendicitis and we signed up for a study that randomly selected him for either surgery or an antibiotic trial. But he was selected for surgery and he had it at 7:30 that night. Chris was able to miss classes and be at the hospital with us. It was my first time sending a child into surgery and was a little nerve wracking waiting that 1.5 hours to see him again but he came out of it with flying colors and it was a good thing that they took his appendix out as it definitely was appendicitis (is what the surgeon said). Selman and I spent the night in day surgery with a drowsy Caeleb and we were sent home the next day at 1100. He did wonderfully and his recovery was so quick!
For Caeleb's birthday, he wanted warhammer models and to take some friends to the movies so I took him and 2 friends to see Smallfoot Friday September 29th. I thought it was a cute movie and the boys had fun quoting the movie and laughing on the way home.
Chris has been very busy with school and there were a couple weekends were he had an extra course so he could not come home. I have felt like a single mom throughout September and October and I feel very grateful for the help my parents have given me. We have missed Daddy but I have felt busy raising 4 kids and time has gone fast. I love being a mom!!
Nathan and Chris were home for Thanksgiving and we had a lovely turkey dinner at Mom and Dad's house. Our next big family dinner will most likely be at the brick house so we cherished that yummy meal at Mom and Dads. I have had so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. A wonderful, close-knit family, a free country to live in, a good job, a husband who is working hard in school, a beautiful old home to restore and live in and keep in the family. We have been blessed.
Halloween was last Wednesday and Caeleb was Dash and Elva was Violet from the Incredibles movies. Mary was a princess (she wants to dress as a princess every day really) and Selman was the frog Prince. They all looked adorable. We took neighbors Amy and Annabelle in the Van with us and Selman stayed with Mom and Dad. We went to 13 houses and it took 3 hours to do so between driving, visiting, the kids singing lollipop at the houses and getting house tours (te he he). The weather was nice, though it went from light to dark so quickly and we had a blast. It was hard getting Elva up and to school the next day as she was so tired but she did it. Oh, the Saturday before Halloween we went to the Champion Hall Halloween party and dance and it was so much fun. About 50 kids there and my kids had a great time dancing and participating in the games. I love small town living and supporting the community.
An update on the kids. Caeleb has lost 4 teeth now (his upper 2 are out now and it is so cute) and Elva has lost 2 teeth. Caeleb is doing above average at reading comprehension and he was not doing great at it a year ago so it just goes to show that things click at different times in life. He is a good student, doing a lot better at his printing this year and he loves to learn and write books (he is always writing books). He also loves Harry Potter now and just went through stint with Big Foot fascination. Elva is a leader in her kindergarten class - being the oldest - and I think she is a bit of a class clown as she is a funny little girl. She makes me laugh. All my kids do! I do love Elva's sense of humor though. Mary is almost graduated from potty training school. It has been a long slow process starting on and off in the summer but it clicked about a week ago and she has been doing great since the start of November. She loves to talk and voice her opinion. And she loves to play barbies and dollies (she got a doll for her birthday). If I am sitting and feeding Selman, she always says, "lets play barbies" and she brings the dolls to me and we play from the chair. She and Elva love to play polly pockets and so do I. All my kids have great imaginations. They learn it from me I think. Selman started sitting really well 2 weeks ago (mid October). He babbles on and on (lately saying Dadadadada - I don't think he knows what it means though) and he is now loving solid foods. We started feeding him right at 6 months old but he did not seem to like it at first. He loves yogurt! But who wouldn't really. He also likes rice cereal and meaty baby food but is not a fan of avocado or bananas yet (crazy little boy - the rest of us love Avocados).
Mary and Selman and I go to the Champion Legion on Tuesday and Thursdays at 1000 for Play group and Time for Rhymes. It really breaks up our week and I love having a bit of a schedule. We also go to the Champion Library one Friday a month for Winter library club.
Well, Chris is home now for the rest of the semester. Oh, how I have missed him. He starts his student teaching tomorrow at the Nanton Elementary school and he will commute the 30 minutes from home every week day and that is not a bad drive for country living. We are so grateful to have him back in our lives more.
And now, I am starting to look forward to the Christmas season and am itching to listen to Christmas music - but I will hold off for now (though Mom, Camellia and I did make our Christmas turtles a few weeks ago and I had to listen to some then). Lets get through Remembrance day first. I am a huge fan of Remembrance day and feel it so important to remember all those who have fought and died for our freedom. I feel so blessed to live in this free Country and on the farm that I grew up on. Life is good!
Home on the Prairies
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Simple Summer Days 2018
Wow, another Summer has come and gone. It was a simple summer. I liked it that way. We stayed close to home for most of it. We got to know Champion really well. Monday and Thursday mornings from 1000-1200 was Summer reading program at the Champion Library and I think we only missed 2 of them. They made a lot of crafts! We would stay in Champion after as I would pack a lunch and then we would ride bikes and go swimming when it opened at 2:00. We went swimming 3-5 days a week at the Champion pool and would stay in the pool 2 hours at a time playing and laughing and never wanting to leave. The water felt so nice on those hot days and we had a couple weeks of pretty hot weather (middle 30s). Caeleb and Elva have got to be pretty good swimmers this summer. Caeleb did 2 weeks of swimming lessons this year so he is getting really good. After we went to their place for Mountain View Canada day celebrations, The Nelsons joined us the first week in July for swimming lessons and we spent the Thursday night camping at the Champion campground. It was fun but sadly the only camping we did this summer as Chris worked from July 2 right up to the start of school (and is still working 5-10 hours a week while at school) and he has been so busy. What a blessing it has been that he could get hired back on with his old IT company. He worked from home and only had to go into the city on average 1 day a week. He was working in the city the day I took the kids to BMO kids day at the stampede. He dropped me off at the grounds and I braved it with the 4 kids by myself while he went downtown to work. We had a fun day. We got free pancake breakfast and we went to the dog show and the kids really liked that. It was busy and I almost lost Mary in the crowds a few times but we survived and I would do it again. After the movie we went to Max and Sebastian's house (our good friends) for a few hours and I watched all the kids while their parents worked and then we went to a movie (the Incredibles 2). We did not get home until 10:30 pm or so and Chris had to go back to Calgary the next morning early but it was a good day and we had fun!
Camellia and Doug had there little girl on Friday July 20. She was breech and had to be turned before being induced. It was a long day for them but little Evelyn arrived safely. We spent Saturday July 21st going to Lethbridge to visit them and then to Granum for a stake activity. We swam in the lake there, visited other members, ate lunch and supper too that was provided by the Stake. It was fun getting to know some other ladies in Claresholm that have young kids. The kids and I went over to the Claresholm spray park a couple of days this summer and we met up with some of those ladies one of the days. We also tried the Vulcan spray park and the Coaldale Spray park early August ( With Camellia and Amanda and their kids).
Another thing we did this summer was learn to ride bikes. We practiced really hard the first few weeks of July but it clicked for both kids one day when Caeleb's friend Dominic showed him how to ride his bike. We took the bikes to Vulcan one day to ride around the path by the golf coarse but we pretty much kept bike riding to the farm and Champion. We need to get Chris a bike!
Jared and Landon came the second week in August. We went swimming in Champion, to Little Bow beach for a ward party and to Drumheller for about the hottest day of the year (It was high 30s, maybe touched 40?). Chris was able to join us for that so that was wonderful.
Chris and I took a quick Saturday trip to visit Camellia and Doug and so we could go to see the play Newsies in Cardston August 18th. We came back the same night as we had church duties the next day (I am now the second councilor in the primary and there are only 5 kids - but I love our little primary). Newsies was really well done and I sure love to see live theater. We also saw my child friend Gillian at the Nelsons house that day and it was fun to catch up.
Saturday August 25th was the last day the Champion pool was open for the year and so we went to swim as a family of coarse and then we went to the Champion Chinese food buffet after (It is great that the restaurant is open again). The lifeguards let us keep a few floaty toys which was fun and we will save them for more swimming adventures next year.
We Spent Labour Day weekend at Camellia and Doug's place as little Evelyn was blessed that Sunday. We always love to go visit Camellia and Doug at their beautiful paradise home by the mountains and we love their family very much.
Well, that is what I remember of Summer 2018 (I am writing this November 4 in the basement of the brick house as the internet has been set up there and now they have heat there too so it is comfortable). Since we have been living at Micky Middleton's house, we don't have the internet there and it is hard for me to spend time updating my blog. But that will soon change. With a few timeline delays, we are now set to move into our house the end of November (I hope). We are getting so excited and the house is looking great. As for having no internet for the last 5 months, I think everyone should go for a time with no internet in their homes. It is good to live without being so dependent on it at every moment.
Well, I will end this post and continue on with a post about the Fall. But before I do, I want you to know that I am loving the simple life living in the country and I enjoyed our simple summer.
Camellia and Doug had there little girl on Friday July 20. She was breech and had to be turned before being induced. It was a long day for them but little Evelyn arrived safely. We spent Saturday July 21st going to Lethbridge to visit them and then to Granum for a stake activity. We swam in the lake there, visited other members, ate lunch and supper too that was provided by the Stake. It was fun getting to know some other ladies in Claresholm that have young kids. The kids and I went over to the Claresholm spray park a couple of days this summer and we met up with some of those ladies one of the days. We also tried the Vulcan spray park and the Coaldale Spray park early August ( With Camellia and Amanda and their kids).
Another thing we did this summer was learn to ride bikes. We practiced really hard the first few weeks of July but it clicked for both kids one day when Caeleb's friend Dominic showed him how to ride his bike. We took the bikes to Vulcan one day to ride around the path by the golf coarse but we pretty much kept bike riding to the farm and Champion. We need to get Chris a bike!
Jared and Landon came the second week in August. We went swimming in Champion, to Little Bow beach for a ward party and to Drumheller for about the hottest day of the year (It was high 30s, maybe touched 40?). Chris was able to join us for that so that was wonderful.
Chris and I took a quick Saturday trip to visit Camellia and Doug and so we could go to see the play Newsies in Cardston August 18th. We came back the same night as we had church duties the next day (I am now the second councilor in the primary and there are only 5 kids - but I love our little primary). Newsies was really well done and I sure love to see live theater. We also saw my child friend Gillian at the Nelsons house that day and it was fun to catch up.
Saturday August 25th was the last day the Champion pool was open for the year and so we went to swim as a family of coarse and then we went to the Champion Chinese food buffet after (It is great that the restaurant is open again). The lifeguards let us keep a few floaty toys which was fun and we will save them for more swimming adventures next year.
We Spent Labour Day weekend at Camellia and Doug's place as little Evelyn was blessed that Sunday. We always love to go visit Camellia and Doug at their beautiful paradise home by the mountains and we love their family very much.
Well, that is what I remember of Summer 2018 (I am writing this November 4 in the basement of the brick house as the internet has been set up there and now they have heat there too so it is comfortable). Since we have been living at Micky Middleton's house, we don't have the internet there and it is hard for me to spend time updating my blog. But that will soon change. With a few timeline delays, we are now set to move into our house the end of November (I hope). We are getting so excited and the house is looking great. As for having no internet for the last 5 months, I think everyone should go for a time with no internet in their homes. It is good to live without being so dependent on it at every moment.
Well, I will end this post and continue on with a post about the Fall. But before I do, I want you to know that I am loving the simple life living in the country and I enjoyed our simple summer.
Monday, July 9, 2018
New Beginnings
Well, a lot more has happened since I last wrote. Selman will be 4 months old tomorrow. He smiles and even giggles (it took him a while to smile but has been doing quite a bit for the last 6 weeks now). He loves his cuddles and he is starting to be able to lie down on a blanket, kick his legs and be content for about 30 – 45 minutes at a time. He is also discovering his hands and is looking at them quite a bit these days. I wouldn’t exactly say he was a content baby from day one. I feel that from the start he has wanted to be held constantly, but that is lessening a lot more now. His Brother and Sisters love to hold him and play with him and they are a big help for me. Right now he is lying on the floor and cooing away like there is no tomorrow. His little squeaky cooing talk is so adorable.
The BIG news of the last few months is that we have sold our home and we are fixing up the Brick home (Grandma Smith's home) on my parents property. We have talked about this dream of mine since the start of our marriage but it became a reality this last year when Mom and Dad found a good local contractor in November and we decided to make this dream come to life. Someone needs to live in that beautiful 100 year old home and we are lucky enough to be the ones. Chris can work part time from home with his old IT company and he will find a future teaching job in the area. I will keep my 2 day a week job at Rockyview hospital after maternity leave until I find a part time nursing job closer to the farm. Everything seems to be coming together for this Big Change and I know there is a reason for it. We are excited to raise our family on the family farm. We feel so blessed!
Chris started his student teaching in Vulcan on Monday March 19th. Mom took care of Mary that week. I watched all the kids for the first few days that next week (starting March 26) by myself as the kids were off of school then for spring break (we even went sledding that week – I have been feeling so good) and then we came to the farm for the weekend to watch General Conference. I was surprised how well I did by myself with the kids. The next week, Chris was on his spring break so we spent that week painting and getting the house ready to sell. It is hard work getting a house ready to sell.
Chris’ parents came out to our Copperfield home the first weekend in April and stayed for a couple of weeks while Chris was doing his last 2 weeks of student teaching in Vulcan. They were such a big help to me. Gary helped me paint the basement and he cooked some delicious meals (his famous meat loaf) and LouAnn was the official baby holder and snuggled that Selman from dawn until evening and in the night too. I enjoyed our 3:00 in the morning conversations when both Mary and Selman woke up crying. I am so grateful for all the help that my parents and Chris’ parents have given to us! Sunday April 15th was Selman’s baby blessing. He was blessed to be a leader in his family and I think that he will be. I can see by looking into his baby blue eyes that he is full of wisdom and goodness. After the blessing and the rest of church we went to Gainor’s house for pulled pork on a bun and salads and dessert. Thanks to Gainors for hosting the event. Their house is a lot bigger than our Copperfield home (and we were trying to keep our Copperfield home in selling condition). Gainors were there of course, Sister Snow came (she is the lady we have become friends with by driving her to and from church), and Aunt Brenda and Uncle Gord and Todd came too. It is so good to have family get togethers. Family is so important. Chris left that evening to start his last week for student teaching. He came back the Thursday evening for the Copperfield school family dance. Chris’ parents left early Friday the 20th of April and then the kids and I drove Chris down to Vulcan for his last day of student teaching and to show Caeleb and Elva around Champion school. I went to the Friday night Time our for Women that evening with Selman, Mom and Camellia (thanks for the ticket Camellia). It was very spiritually uplifting. Saturday, our family drove back up to Calgary and Chris and I worked hard for the next few days getting the house ready for carpet cleaning on Monday and real estate pictures on Tuesday. Our house was posted on the real estate website the morning of Thursday April 26. We had about 4 showings the first weekend and then I left on the Monday with the girls and baby Selman to stay at the farm so that Elva could start school in Champion on Tuesday May 1st. Caeleb didn’t start in Champion until May 15th as he had a week long living well field trip he wanted to go to in Copperfield and Chris was able to go with him all those days.
We got an offer after about 10 showings – less than 2 weeks on the market. What a blessing as we thought it would take several months. It is a buyers market and the average is about 45 days to sell. After a few little hiccups and another stressful week, the final contract was signed with a closing date of June 1 at noon. That did not make for a lot of time to get things packed and ready but we did it. I spent most of the time at the farm with the kids while Chris packed. Nathan helped pack and clean (Thank you Nathan!) and he moved to his new home in Ranchlands on June 1. He has lived with us for the last 7 years and we will miss him (he is Mary’s best buddy) but change is good and it was time to move on. He is a great Uncle and we hope he stays close friends with his nieces and nephews.
For Mothers Day the boys sent Mom, Camellia and I to Banff for 2 nights at a resort place. We are so spoiled and had a lot of fun. We went to lake Louise and hiked half way around the lake, we ate at Boston pizza and had Chinese food, we walked around town and talked and talked. I love my girls getaways! Thanks boys. Meanwhile they took the kids swimming and to Chucky Cheese so the kids had a blast too.
We were so lucky to have Middletons let us stay in Micky’s old house and to just pay utilities (we are only about ½ km from the brick home that is still being fixed up and should be ready in September) and we moved most of our stuff on Monday May 21st. Our Mahogany ward friends were so helpful as we loaded the moving van that day. We are going to miss that ward. Our new ward helped us unload that day and we are excited for new adventures with the kind people of our new ward and our kind neighbors on our road.
On May 26th, we headed to Fort Mcleod to do the Wilderness run. This year, I jogged 10 kms (a very slow jog) and Mom and Chris walked it. I was trying to prepare for it but between having a new baby and moving preparation, I did not have a lot of time to prepare. But I did jog the whole thing and I plan on doing even better next year.
Caeleb and Elva have been adapting well to their new school. There is only about 100 students from Preschool to grade 9 but the big kids help the little kids and there seems to be a unity within the school that I love. I love small schools. Caeleb and Elva like their teachers and have been making new friends. They have had many adventures already from swimming every school day in June at the pool across the street from the school, a field trip for Caeleb to camp Chestermere to go kayaking, bottle rockets and sling shots (Chris was able to go), a Zoo trip for Elva with her Kindergarten (I went along with Mary and Selman and we got to see the new Panda exhibit), 2 track and field days for Caeleb (he does well with long distance running). The kids also did T - ball and coach pitch this year organized by volunteers from the community. There was a practice on about 6 Wednesdays during May and June and 2 tournaments - one in Champion and 1 in Milo. This is the first sport Caeleb and Elva have done - well, I guess they did Soccer for a couple of weeks a few years ago and Elva did ballet for half a year. They really enjoyed it and we had fun watching them. The last day of school for Elva was Thursday June 21 and for Caeleb was Wednesday June 27. We picked Caeleb up from school a little early that day, went to Lethbridge to order our Kitchen for the brick home and then travelled on to Mountain View to visit the Nelson family for a few days. Nathan came and joined us there as well. Our family went to Waterton for the day and was it ever a beautiful day. No wind and not too hot or cold. Perfect! It was interesting to see all the burned out places in Waterton but it really is as beautiful as ever. Friday was spent with Chris and Doug putting the brick on the Nelson fireplace. They were really focused, spent all day doing it, and did a great job. We celebrated Canada day on Saturday as July first was Sunday. Mountain View had a talent show, games and beef on a bun. Mom and Dad joined us for that. We came back Saturday afternoon so that Chris could go up to a games night with some buddies in Calgary.
This last week has been spent in swimming lessons for the kids with the Nelsons joining us for the week. Monday was Moms birthday and we had a parmesan chicken dinner and cake for dessert, Mom got a birthday calendar, and we sent off a floating lantern which the kids loved. Camellia and I got our hair cut in Vulcan on Wednesday and Thursday we camped in town and spent the afternoon learning to ride bikes, going to the store for a treat, to the library, swimming, playing with cousins and town friends, making smores and enjoying this lovely little town. After the last swimming lesson on Friday, we met Mom and Dad at little bow for a picnic and early afternoon swim. While the first part of this week has been cooler and rainy, the last couple of days have been hot and dry. Today is a low key day. Chris has been working hard all last week doing IT stuff for his old employer (it is a blessing that he has this part time job), so we are spending the day catching up on house chores and relaxing.
The BIG news of the last few months is that we have sold our home and we are fixing up the Brick home (Grandma Smith's home) on my parents property. We have talked about this dream of mine since the start of our marriage but it became a reality this last year when Mom and Dad found a good local contractor in November and we decided to make this dream come to life. Someone needs to live in that beautiful 100 year old home and we are lucky enough to be the ones. Chris can work part time from home with his old IT company and he will find a future teaching job in the area. I will keep my 2 day a week job at Rockyview hospital after maternity leave until I find a part time nursing job closer to the farm. Everything seems to be coming together for this Big Change and I know there is a reason for it. We are excited to raise our family on the family farm. We feel so blessed!
Chris started his student teaching in Vulcan on Monday March 19th. Mom took care of Mary that week. I watched all the kids for the first few days that next week (starting March 26) by myself as the kids were off of school then for spring break (we even went sledding that week – I have been feeling so good) and then we came to the farm for the weekend to watch General Conference. I was surprised how well I did by myself with the kids. The next week, Chris was on his spring break so we spent that week painting and getting the house ready to sell. It is hard work getting a house ready to sell.
Chris’ parents came out to our Copperfield home the first weekend in April and stayed for a couple of weeks while Chris was doing his last 2 weeks of student teaching in Vulcan. They were such a big help to me. Gary helped me paint the basement and he cooked some delicious meals (his famous meat loaf) and LouAnn was the official baby holder and snuggled that Selman from dawn until evening and in the night too. I enjoyed our 3:00 in the morning conversations when both Mary and Selman woke up crying. I am so grateful for all the help that my parents and Chris’ parents have given to us! Sunday April 15th was Selman’s baby blessing. He was blessed to be a leader in his family and I think that he will be. I can see by looking into his baby blue eyes that he is full of wisdom and goodness. After the blessing and the rest of church we went to Gainor’s house for pulled pork on a bun and salads and dessert. Thanks to Gainors for hosting the event. Their house is a lot bigger than our Copperfield home (and we were trying to keep our Copperfield home in selling condition). Gainors were there of course, Sister Snow came (she is the lady we have become friends with by driving her to and from church), and Aunt Brenda and Uncle Gord and Todd came too. It is so good to have family get togethers. Family is so important. Chris left that evening to start his last week for student teaching. He came back the Thursday evening for the Copperfield school family dance. Chris’ parents left early Friday the 20th of April and then the kids and I drove Chris down to Vulcan for his last day of student teaching and to show Caeleb and Elva around Champion school. I went to the Friday night Time our for Women that evening with Selman, Mom and Camellia (thanks for the ticket Camellia). It was very spiritually uplifting. Saturday, our family drove back up to Calgary and Chris and I worked hard for the next few days getting the house ready for carpet cleaning on Monday and real estate pictures on Tuesday. Our house was posted on the real estate website the morning of Thursday April 26. We had about 4 showings the first weekend and then I left on the Monday with the girls and baby Selman to stay at the farm so that Elva could start school in Champion on Tuesday May 1st. Caeleb didn’t start in Champion until May 15th as he had a week long living well field trip he wanted to go to in Copperfield and Chris was able to go with him all those days.
We got an offer after about 10 showings – less than 2 weeks on the market. What a blessing as we thought it would take several months. It is a buyers market and the average is about 45 days to sell. After a few little hiccups and another stressful week, the final contract was signed with a closing date of June 1 at noon. That did not make for a lot of time to get things packed and ready but we did it. I spent most of the time at the farm with the kids while Chris packed. Nathan helped pack and clean (Thank you Nathan!) and he moved to his new home in Ranchlands on June 1. He has lived with us for the last 7 years and we will miss him (he is Mary’s best buddy) but change is good and it was time to move on. He is a great Uncle and we hope he stays close friends with his nieces and nephews.
For Mothers Day the boys sent Mom, Camellia and I to Banff for 2 nights at a resort place. We are so spoiled and had a lot of fun. We went to lake Louise and hiked half way around the lake, we ate at Boston pizza and had Chinese food, we walked around town and talked and talked. I love my girls getaways! Thanks boys. Meanwhile they took the kids swimming and to Chucky Cheese so the kids had a blast too.
We were so lucky to have Middletons let us stay in Micky’s old house and to just pay utilities (we are only about ½ km from the brick home that is still being fixed up and should be ready in September) and we moved most of our stuff on Monday May 21st. Our Mahogany ward friends were so helpful as we loaded the moving van that day. We are going to miss that ward. Our new ward helped us unload that day and we are excited for new adventures with the kind people of our new ward and our kind neighbors on our road.
On May 26th, we headed to Fort Mcleod to do the Wilderness run. This year, I jogged 10 kms (a very slow jog) and Mom and Chris walked it. I was trying to prepare for it but between having a new baby and moving preparation, I did not have a lot of time to prepare. But I did jog the whole thing and I plan on doing even better next year.
Caeleb and Elva have been adapting well to their new school. There is only about 100 students from Preschool to grade 9 but the big kids help the little kids and there seems to be a unity within the school that I love. I love small schools. Caeleb and Elva like their teachers and have been making new friends. They have had many adventures already from swimming every school day in June at the pool across the street from the school, a field trip for Caeleb to camp Chestermere to go kayaking, bottle rockets and sling shots (Chris was able to go), a Zoo trip for Elva with her Kindergarten (I went along with Mary and Selman and we got to see the new Panda exhibit), 2 track and field days for Caeleb (he does well with long distance running). The kids also did T - ball and coach pitch this year organized by volunteers from the community. There was a practice on about 6 Wednesdays during May and June and 2 tournaments - one in Champion and 1 in Milo. This is the first sport Caeleb and Elva have done - well, I guess they did Soccer for a couple of weeks a few years ago and Elva did ballet for half a year. They really enjoyed it and we had fun watching them. The last day of school for Elva was Thursday June 21 and for Caeleb was Wednesday June 27. We picked Caeleb up from school a little early that day, went to Lethbridge to order our Kitchen for the brick home and then travelled on to Mountain View to visit the Nelson family for a few days. Nathan came and joined us there as well. Our family went to Waterton for the day and was it ever a beautiful day. No wind and not too hot or cold. Perfect! It was interesting to see all the burned out places in Waterton but it really is as beautiful as ever. Friday was spent with Chris and Doug putting the brick on the Nelson fireplace. They were really focused, spent all day doing it, and did a great job. We celebrated Canada day on Saturday as July first was Sunday. Mountain View had a talent show, games and beef on a bun. Mom and Dad joined us for that. We came back Saturday afternoon so that Chris could go up to a games night with some buddies in Calgary.
This last week has been spent in swimming lessons for the kids with the Nelsons joining us for the week. Monday was Moms birthday and we had a parmesan chicken dinner and cake for dessert, Mom got a birthday calendar, and we sent off a floating lantern which the kids loved. Camellia and I got our hair cut in Vulcan on Wednesday and Thursday we camped in town and spent the afternoon learning to ride bikes, going to the store for a treat, to the library, swimming, playing with cousins and town friends, making smores and enjoying this lovely little town. After the last swimming lesson on Friday, we met Mom and Dad at little bow for a picnic and early afternoon swim. While the first part of this week has been cooler and rainy, the last couple of days have been hot and dry. Today is a low key day. Chris has been working hard all last week doing IT stuff for his old employer (it is a blessing that he has this part time job), so we are spending the day catching up on house chores and relaxing.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Welcome Baby Selman - March 10 2018
Baby Selman has arrived and we are loving every minute with him! We love family names and so Selman is after my Selman side of the family (I am excited to tell him about his Great Grandma and Grandpa Selman) and Gary is after Chris' dad. Here is his story...
I had my 39 weeks and 2 days doctors appointment on Thursday morning March 8th with Dr. Fahey (she was Elva and Mary's OB as well). My visiting teacher took Mary and Elva had an all day field trip at the Leighton art center. I had been feeling stressed with Chris needing to do finals and assignments and get ready to start his practicum on March 19th in Vulcan which would put him an hour away and living at the farm if the baby came late (due date was Tuesday March 13th but I was thinking he would come later and my tentative overdue induction date had been set for Friday March 23rd). I talked to Dr. Fahey about my stresses and we had a good talk and even a good laugh (it is fun to talk to her). But after another sweep (my 4th one) at the end of the appointment, she looked at me seriously and said that I looked like I felt there was something wrong with baby and that I could be induced the next day if I wanted too. I said I would think about it and left her office feeling caught off guard and confused about that sudden comment. That confusion turned into anxiety throughout the afternoon and evening and I decided I would go to labour and delivery triage the next morning just to make sure baby was okay and to get a second opinion of things.
So the next morning, my friend Laura watched Mary while Elva and Caeleb were in school and I went to triage for a non-stress test at 9:00. Baby looked fine and the doctor on call eased my fears and did yet another sweep (my 5th one in the last 2 weeks). She said my waters were bulging and that maybe she would see me that evening. I naturally thought my water would break that day. I went home and Chris let me get an hour nap in the afternoon. I had contractions on and off about every 15-30 minutes for most of the day and evening. I fell asleep with the kids at 8:30 pm and then went to my bed around 9:30. At 10:30 pm, a contraction woke me up so I felt like "maybe things are starting to happen." I tried to sleep for the next few hours but was not able to get much rest. At about 12:30 am, I felt a little gush of something and went to the bathroom to check it out. Low and behold, quite a bit of blood and a big red clot. "Oh, darn." I knew what bleeding could mean as much of my pregnancy with Elva was with a chronic placental abruption. So I quickly woke up Chris saying "we need to get to the hospital now!" Thank goodness for Nathan watching the kids! Thank you Nathan!! I got my hospital bag but could not quickly find my purse so we left it. Chris was running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off getting his things together and I was like "hurry up!" We would have ran red lights but luckily the 5 minute drive to the hospital was mostly green lights. Chris hurried me up to the 7th floor in a wheelchair as I was still bleeding and they got us in right away in triage. They hooked me up to the monitor and baby was okay (sigh of relief). The Nurse started IV fluids and Dr. Wilson saw me soon after. He checked and I was 3.5 - 4 cm dialated. He was not sure if it was a placental abruption but they kept me on the monitor to make sure baby was okay. I was still having regular contractions about 8 minutes apart so after we were reassured for some time about baby, Chris and I got up and started walking around the unit to see if we could get labour going faster. The bleeding had almost stopped at that point. They found me a room and moved me there at about 2:30 am. I tried sleeping the rest of the night but I was still have contractions about every 8 minutes apart for 30 seconds (I was timing them) and I could not sleep well. They were not very intense but they kept me up. Dr. Wilson came in at 8:00 in the morning and told us that he was not going to send me home due to my history of bleeding and the fact that I was due the coming Tuesday. He wanted to induce me so he broke my water (Labour and Delivery is the messiest, wettest unit in a hospital I tell you) and then I was allowed to order breakfast and get up and walk for a while (just wasn't allowed to walk off the unit). My Nurse hooked me up to a Pitocin drip at 9:15 (2cc/hr) and then I was on continuous baby heart monitoring after that. She upped the Pitocin drip every 30 minutes by 2 cc until I was at about 7 cc/hr (I guess the limit is about 11 cc/hr for most inductions but I did not need that). They do have a portable baby monitor so Chris and I walked around the unit some more. We walked around the unit about 8 times in total during my stay. The contractions got stronger and stronger and by about 1030 I had to stop to breath through them while walking. I bounced on the birthing ball for a while and then found the most comfortable position was leaning against the bed while standing and gripping on to the rails of the bed. Chris spent from that time forward fanning me with a book to help me feel like I was getting more air. I did not want to get into bed as I had found it paralyzed me in a way when I was in labour with Mary and I could not cope well with her labour. Chris called my church friend/Doula Leiah at about 11:00 as I was needing extra support by then (I had wanted a Doula to help me for this labour and I was lucky to find one in my ward). Leiah was there at about 1130 and she took charge and did hip squeezes as the contractions came. The hip squeezes really helped. The contractions were really intense at that point and there was not much of a break in between them. I was quietly moaning through them. The doctor wanted to check me at 1200 and I really did not want her too as I was scared that I had not dilated more (I had been slow dilating with Mary and it had been discouraging) but I let her check and I was super happy when she said I was "a good 7 cm". I could have done a dance I was so happy (okay, maybe not do a dance at that point). I decided to take a shower after that which was kind of awkward with everyone watching (well, it was Leiah, Chris and the Nurse though it seemed like more people were in the bathroom than that - my memory is hazy about some things as I was in la la land with pain at that point). I was needing help to get into the shower while hooked up to the IV and baby monitor and having contractions but heck, I am a nurse, I don't get embarrassed anymore. To be honest, the shower did not help but it helped pass the time for about 5 minutes and it was a change of scenery. When I got out, I leaned against the bed for another couple of contractions and then felt like I could not hold myself up any longer and I felt like I might fall down. Leiah says that wobbly legs is a sign of transitioning to 10 cm so that must have been it. I did not want to get into bed but really did not have an option at that point so I ended up kneeling in bed facing the head of the bed and holding on to the rails. A few minutes later, about 1225, I felt I had to push. Actually I really felt like I had to have a bowel movement and maybe push my rectum out in the process (a little graphic I know).
Dr. Zachariason and resident were called in and I had to turn around in bed which was hard and I was dreading that as I did not want to be on my back. I remember asking if baby was coming as I just really felt I had to go to the bathroom at that point. I don't think I was that loud but I was definitely making some weird noises. 3 contractions with pushes later and Baby Selman was born. They immediately put him on my chest and it took a couple of minutes for him to give a good cry but no one was worried and he did well. When he was coming out they said he looked like he had a lot of hair (but not nearly as much as Mary). The nurse said he was a big boy and he weighed in at 8 lbs 6 ounces but that really did not seem a lot compared to Mary. What a handsome little boy he is! I had a 2nd degree tare like I did with Caeleb and Mary and so I was stitched up after the placenta was delivered. They did such a good job and I have not felt it since (with Caeleb it was a different story - so pokey and uncomfortable). Things went so well and I feel so blessed that I was really only in active labour for about 2.5 hours. The doctor did say after the placenta was delivered that she thought it was an abruption that caused the bleeding. But baby was never affected by it and it turned out so well. I did bleed quite a bit after and the doctor had to clean things out by hand (which was a weird experience but not nearly as painful as they said it would be and I did not need the fentanyl and laughing gas they offered me). The Doctor and Nurse said I was tough but that part really wasn't that bad. My hemoglobin only went down to 100 and I believe that my healing has been so fast due to the interventions that the doctor took. We stayed in the hospital until 1:00 Sunday afternoon. Mom, Dad and Camellia brought the kids to visit baby Selman on Saturday afternoon and they were immediately smitten by him. Chris stayed overnight with me. The rooms are so big and new and comfortable and it is nice to have a bed for a partner. We came home to supper provided by Camellia, Mom and a lady in our ward. We were also brought supper Monday to Friday by families in the ward. We are so grateful for all that has been done for us. I have felt so wonderful ever since baby has been born. Just tired of coarse as Selman is not the greatest sleeper (none of my kids have been great sleepers) but otherwise I feel really really good. In fact, I went to church yesterday with Caeleb, Elva and Mary to teach Chris' primary lesson while he stayed home with baby Selman (he does good with taking a bottle and with nursing). I also took Caeleb, Elva and their friend Sydney to the play Annie on Saturday while Chris watched Mary and Selman. Paul and Kamille's daughter Kyndal was in the play and she did great! Mom and Dad took the girls for half of last week - Thank you so much! I had Monday and Tuesday just baby Selman and me while Caeleb and Chris were at school. Wednesday - Sunday have been busy with the 4 kids but Mom and Dad took Mary again yesterday (Sunday) evening and will have her until Friday. Chris is down at the farm as well for Student teaching in Vulcan. I really feel so blessed to have baby Selman here safe and sound. I know I write a lot but I feel like every unique experience of when Heavenly Father sends a child to a family is a miracle and an amazing blessing and I want to remember everything about this experience. We feel so blessed to have Selman Gary Watters in our family.
I had my 39 weeks and 2 days doctors appointment on Thursday morning March 8th with Dr. Fahey (she was Elva and Mary's OB as well). My visiting teacher took Mary and Elva had an all day field trip at the Leighton art center. I had been feeling stressed with Chris needing to do finals and assignments and get ready to start his practicum on March 19th in Vulcan which would put him an hour away and living at the farm if the baby came late (due date was Tuesday March 13th but I was thinking he would come later and my tentative overdue induction date had been set for Friday March 23rd). I talked to Dr. Fahey about my stresses and we had a good talk and even a good laugh (it is fun to talk to her). But after another sweep (my 4th one) at the end of the appointment, she looked at me seriously and said that I looked like I felt there was something wrong with baby and that I could be induced the next day if I wanted too. I said I would think about it and left her office feeling caught off guard and confused about that sudden comment. That confusion turned into anxiety throughout the afternoon and evening and I decided I would go to labour and delivery triage the next morning just to make sure baby was okay and to get a second opinion of things.
So the next morning, my friend Laura watched Mary while Elva and Caeleb were in school and I went to triage for a non-stress test at 9:00. Baby looked fine and the doctor on call eased my fears and did yet another sweep (my 5th one in the last 2 weeks). She said my waters were bulging and that maybe she would see me that evening. I naturally thought my water would break that day. I went home and Chris let me get an hour nap in the afternoon. I had contractions on and off about every 15-30 minutes for most of the day and evening. I fell asleep with the kids at 8:30 pm and then went to my bed around 9:30. At 10:30 pm, a contraction woke me up so I felt like "maybe things are starting to happen." I tried to sleep for the next few hours but was not able to get much rest. At about 12:30 am, I felt a little gush of something and went to the bathroom to check it out. Low and behold, quite a bit of blood and a big red clot. "Oh, darn." I knew what bleeding could mean as much of my pregnancy with Elva was with a chronic placental abruption. So I quickly woke up Chris saying "we need to get to the hospital now!" Thank goodness for Nathan watching the kids! Thank you Nathan!! I got my hospital bag but could not quickly find my purse so we left it. Chris was running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off getting his things together and I was like "hurry up!" We would have ran red lights but luckily the 5 minute drive to the hospital was mostly green lights. Chris hurried me up to the 7th floor in a wheelchair as I was still bleeding and they got us in right away in triage. They hooked me up to the monitor and baby was okay (sigh of relief). The Nurse started IV fluids and Dr. Wilson saw me soon after. He checked and I was 3.5 - 4 cm dialated. He was not sure if it was a placental abruption but they kept me on the monitor to make sure baby was okay. I was still having regular contractions about 8 minutes apart so after we were reassured for some time about baby, Chris and I got up and started walking around the unit to see if we could get labour going faster. The bleeding had almost stopped at that point. They found me a room and moved me there at about 2:30 am. I tried sleeping the rest of the night but I was still have contractions about every 8 minutes apart for 30 seconds (I was timing them) and I could not sleep well. They were not very intense but they kept me up. Dr. Wilson came in at 8:00 in the morning and told us that he was not going to send me home due to my history of bleeding and the fact that I was due the coming Tuesday. He wanted to induce me so he broke my water (Labour and Delivery is the messiest, wettest unit in a hospital I tell you) and then I was allowed to order breakfast and get up and walk for a while (just wasn't allowed to walk off the unit). My Nurse hooked me up to a Pitocin drip at 9:15 (2cc/hr) and then I was on continuous baby heart monitoring after that. She upped the Pitocin drip every 30 minutes by 2 cc until I was at about 7 cc/hr (I guess the limit is about 11 cc/hr for most inductions but I did not need that). They do have a portable baby monitor so Chris and I walked around the unit some more. We walked around the unit about 8 times in total during my stay. The contractions got stronger and stronger and by about 1030 I had to stop to breath through them while walking. I bounced on the birthing ball for a while and then found the most comfortable position was leaning against the bed while standing and gripping on to the rails of the bed. Chris spent from that time forward fanning me with a book to help me feel like I was getting more air. I did not want to get into bed as I had found it paralyzed me in a way when I was in labour with Mary and I could not cope well with her labour. Chris called my church friend/Doula Leiah at about 11:00 as I was needing extra support by then (I had wanted a Doula to help me for this labour and I was lucky to find one in my ward). Leiah was there at about 1130 and she took charge and did hip squeezes as the contractions came. The hip squeezes really helped. The contractions were really intense at that point and there was not much of a break in between them. I was quietly moaning through them. The doctor wanted to check me at 1200 and I really did not want her too as I was scared that I had not dilated more (I had been slow dilating with Mary and it had been discouraging) but I let her check and I was super happy when she said I was "a good 7 cm". I could have done a dance I was so happy (okay, maybe not do a dance at that point). I decided to take a shower after that which was kind of awkward with everyone watching (well, it was Leiah, Chris and the Nurse though it seemed like more people were in the bathroom than that - my memory is hazy about some things as I was in la la land with pain at that point). I was needing help to get into the shower while hooked up to the IV and baby monitor and having contractions but heck, I am a nurse, I don't get embarrassed anymore. To be honest, the shower did not help but it helped pass the time for about 5 minutes and it was a change of scenery. When I got out, I leaned against the bed for another couple of contractions and then felt like I could not hold myself up any longer and I felt like I might fall down. Leiah says that wobbly legs is a sign of transitioning to 10 cm so that must have been it. I did not want to get into bed but really did not have an option at that point so I ended up kneeling in bed facing the head of the bed and holding on to the rails. A few minutes later, about 1225, I felt I had to push. Actually I really felt like I had to have a bowel movement and maybe push my rectum out in the process (a little graphic I know).
Dr. Zachariason and resident were called in and I had to turn around in bed which was hard and I was dreading that as I did not want to be on my back. I remember asking if baby was coming as I just really felt I had to go to the bathroom at that point. I don't think I was that loud but I was definitely making some weird noises. 3 contractions with pushes later and Baby Selman was born. They immediately put him on my chest and it took a couple of minutes for him to give a good cry but no one was worried and he did well. When he was coming out they said he looked like he had a lot of hair (but not nearly as much as Mary). The nurse said he was a big boy and he weighed in at 8 lbs 6 ounces but that really did not seem a lot compared to Mary. What a handsome little boy he is! I had a 2nd degree tare like I did with Caeleb and Mary and so I was stitched up after the placenta was delivered. They did such a good job and I have not felt it since (with Caeleb it was a different story - so pokey and uncomfortable). Things went so well and I feel so blessed that I was really only in active labour for about 2.5 hours. The doctor did say after the placenta was delivered that she thought it was an abruption that caused the bleeding. But baby was never affected by it and it turned out so well. I did bleed quite a bit after and the doctor had to clean things out by hand (which was a weird experience but not nearly as painful as they said it would be and I did not need the fentanyl and laughing gas they offered me). The Doctor and Nurse said I was tough but that part really wasn't that bad. My hemoglobin only went down to 100 and I believe that my healing has been so fast due to the interventions that the doctor took. We stayed in the hospital until 1:00 Sunday afternoon. Mom, Dad and Camellia brought the kids to visit baby Selman on Saturday afternoon and they were immediately smitten by him. Chris stayed overnight with me. The rooms are so big and new and comfortable and it is nice to have a bed for a partner. We came home to supper provided by Camellia, Mom and a lady in our ward. We were also brought supper Monday to Friday by families in the ward. We are so grateful for all that has been done for us. I have felt so wonderful ever since baby has been born. Just tired of coarse as Selman is not the greatest sleeper (none of my kids have been great sleepers) but otherwise I feel really really good. In fact, I went to church yesterday with Caeleb, Elva and Mary to teach Chris' primary lesson while he stayed home with baby Selman (he does good with taking a bottle and with nursing). I also took Caeleb, Elva and their friend Sydney to the play Annie on Saturday while Chris watched Mary and Selman. Paul and Kamille's daughter Kyndal was in the play and she did great! Mom and Dad took the girls for half of last week - Thank you so much! I had Monday and Tuesday just baby Selman and me while Caeleb and Chris were at school. Wednesday - Sunday have been busy with the 4 kids but Mom and Dad took Mary again yesterday (Sunday) evening and will have her until Friday. Chris is down at the farm as well for Student teaching in Vulcan. I really feel so blessed to have baby Selman here safe and sound. I know I write a lot but I feel like every unique experience of when Heavenly Father sends a child to a family is a miracle and an amazing blessing and I want to remember everything about this experience. We feel so blessed to have Selman Gary Watters in our family.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Baby is Almost here - Also catching up on Christmas 2017
Well, I need to catch up on Christmas 2017 before baby arrives. It is about to get even more busy around here with another little one. The kids are excited to meet little boy (well, I don't really think Mary understands too much about it).
When we got back from Victoria the week before Christmas, I went right back to work the next day and worked 4 days that week. Chris was busy that week finding us a new vehicle and we were blessed to find a 2012 Kia for a little less then what they gave us from insurance for our totalled Mazda 5 (we got about $10000 for the Mazda). It is just the right van for us, we love the extra room and we have felt many tender mercies by getting this newer vehicle.
Thursday December 23, we went to the Nutcracker Ballet (see the last post) and on Friday December 22 we went to the Nativity Pageant at Heritage Park which is tradition. It was a cold night but we enjoyed watching the true meaning of Christmas.
I worked Saturday evening as well as Christmas eve Sunday. They were busy but good shifts and even though it is hard being away from the family when I work holidays, I like the spirit at work during the holidays.
On Christmas morning, the kids woke up about 6:30 and opened their stockings. We had Sister Snow ( a lady in our ward that we drive to church) over for a breakfast of crepes. At about 1000 we opened our gifts. Caeleb got some minecraft lego from Santa and Sterling and some Warhammer models from Daddy. Elva got a baby Alive from Santa and her and Mary got doll strollers from the Nelsons. Mary got a barn playset from Santa and the girls also got a Barbie pool. The grandparents got the kids coloring supplies which we love and new ornaments for the tree. I got Chris a Warhammer book and he got me a calendar. I know I have missed lots as it felt like we got a lot as usual. I will try to come back and fill in the gaps.
We took Sister Snow down to the farm for Christmas dinner and she came back with Nathan that evening. Elva had the flu that day and the poor little girl slept most of the afternoon but she was better by the next day. The kids acted out the Nativity on Boxing day and we had a little Smith family program. We played games that day and watched movies and hung out inside as it was a very cold week.
The day after Boxing day we went to Camellia and Doug's house to watch the kids while Camellia worked and they went on a date to the Temple. It was still very cold out but we did get out to do a little sledding while we were there.
We cleaned the church the Saturday before New Years Eve and after church on New Years Eve, we had a couple in our ward and their twin 15 year olds over for supper, appetizers and to play the game DC superheros. The kids were in bed around 9:00 that night and we stayed up until midnight.
I picked up a couple of extra shifts in January and went on vacation time/maternity leave February 5th (that was my last shift). I probably could have worked longer (I was only 35 weeks at that time) but my scheduler suggested I take my vacation time and I have been feeling very pregnant with ligament pain down below that is affecting how fast I can move.
Also, we are getting our house ready to be put on the market at the beginning of April so we are starting to paint and declutter and organize. And the kids have been keeping me busy with school and life - this last week Mary has not been sleeping well and has been keeping me up at nights. I am writing this at 3:00 in the morning and I think it is pregnancy that is keeping me up right now - just can't sleep.
So, I fell 3 days ago on Wednesday Afternoon February 28th. It was silly really. Mom and Dad took Mary for the day as Chris was down in Vulcan spending a day at the elementary school he will be student teaching at in a few weeks. I walked Elva to school and I took her skating at the rink by the school before going to kindergarten. She wanted to go sledding down the small hill at the park there ( I took Caeleb and Mary sledding there the last Monday) and I agreed to go down with her once. I did not realize there was a jump at the bottom and we got some good air and I came right down on my pelvic bone. It was very painful and hard to get up but I hobbled Elva to her class and then Ellie's dad (that is Elva's best friend at school) drove me to the South Hospital and I spent 4 hours there making sure baby was okay. It was very hard for me to move after this fall. Chris picked up the kids, then picked me up at the hospital and I rested that evening (thanks Chris) and have been taking it pretty easy since. I had an appointment and Ultrasound (to see if baby was okay with the fall) the day after, Thursday, and thanks mom and dad for coming to watch the girls that day. Today, Saturday early, I feel a lot better. We even went to the Home and Garden show (amidst a snow storm) yesterday and it was good to walk and walk and walk. I was tired after but hopefully it will move baby along (I have also tried spicy indian food which I crave these days and pinapple). The kids love the Home and Garden show and all the free treats. They made little tool boxes at the Home Depot exhibit and they got lots of candy.
Well, I best be getting to bed again as it is after 3:00 in the morning on Saturday. I am not feeling any contractions - just a little cramping on and off the last few weeks). I will be 39 weeks this coming Tuesday and I feel like baby may hold on for a few more weeks. I guess we will see. I am due Tuesday March 13 but I have an induction date set for Friday March 23 at 2:00 (Chris should be able to make it back from Vulcan by then) if baby does not come before then. It is a little nerve-wracking as Chris is very busy with homework now and he starts his student teaching on Monday March 19th and will be living at the farm - but I guess it is just an hour and 15 minutes away and it will all work out. I am excited to meet this little boy (the ultrasound on Thursday showed he weighed around 8 and 1/2 lbs so he will most likely be a big baby boy). I will just enjoy the last of this pregnancy and will meet this little one when he is good and ready. I feel so blessed to feel him kicking around inside. I just want him to be safe.
Well, I best get back to bed soon. I will keep you updated on what happens in the next few weeks.
When we got back from Victoria the week before Christmas, I went right back to work the next day and worked 4 days that week. Chris was busy that week finding us a new vehicle and we were blessed to find a 2012 Kia for a little less then what they gave us from insurance for our totalled Mazda 5 (we got about $10000 for the Mazda). It is just the right van for us, we love the extra room and we have felt many tender mercies by getting this newer vehicle.
Thursday December 23, we went to the Nutcracker Ballet (see the last post) and on Friday December 22 we went to the Nativity Pageant at Heritage Park which is tradition. It was a cold night but we enjoyed watching the true meaning of Christmas.
I worked Saturday evening as well as Christmas eve Sunday. They were busy but good shifts and even though it is hard being away from the family when I work holidays, I like the spirit at work during the holidays.
On Christmas morning, the kids woke up about 6:30 and opened their stockings. We had Sister Snow ( a lady in our ward that we drive to church) over for a breakfast of crepes. At about 1000 we opened our gifts. Caeleb got some minecraft lego from Santa and Sterling and some Warhammer models from Daddy. Elva got a baby Alive from Santa and her and Mary got doll strollers from the Nelsons. Mary got a barn playset from Santa and the girls also got a Barbie pool. The grandparents got the kids coloring supplies which we love and new ornaments for the tree. I got Chris a Warhammer book and he got me a calendar. I know I have missed lots as it felt like we got a lot as usual. I will try to come back and fill in the gaps.
We took Sister Snow down to the farm for Christmas dinner and she came back with Nathan that evening. Elva had the flu that day and the poor little girl slept most of the afternoon but she was better by the next day. The kids acted out the Nativity on Boxing day and we had a little Smith family program. We played games that day and watched movies and hung out inside as it was a very cold week.
The day after Boxing day we went to Camellia and Doug's house to watch the kids while Camellia worked and they went on a date to the Temple. It was still very cold out but we did get out to do a little sledding while we were there.
We cleaned the church the Saturday before New Years Eve and after church on New Years Eve, we had a couple in our ward and their twin 15 year olds over for supper, appetizers and to play the game DC superheros. The kids were in bed around 9:00 that night and we stayed up until midnight.
I picked up a couple of extra shifts in January and went on vacation time/maternity leave February 5th (that was my last shift). I probably could have worked longer (I was only 35 weeks at that time) but my scheduler suggested I take my vacation time and I have been feeling very pregnant with ligament pain down below that is affecting how fast I can move.
Also, we are getting our house ready to be put on the market at the beginning of April so we are starting to paint and declutter and organize. And the kids have been keeping me busy with school and life - this last week Mary has not been sleeping well and has been keeping me up at nights. I am writing this at 3:00 in the morning and I think it is pregnancy that is keeping me up right now - just can't sleep.
So, I fell 3 days ago on Wednesday Afternoon February 28th. It was silly really. Mom and Dad took Mary for the day as Chris was down in Vulcan spending a day at the elementary school he will be student teaching at in a few weeks. I walked Elva to school and I took her skating at the rink by the school before going to kindergarten. She wanted to go sledding down the small hill at the park there ( I took Caeleb and Mary sledding there the last Monday) and I agreed to go down with her once. I did not realize there was a jump at the bottom and we got some good air and I came right down on my pelvic bone. It was very painful and hard to get up but I hobbled Elva to her class and then Ellie's dad (that is Elva's best friend at school) drove me to the South Hospital and I spent 4 hours there making sure baby was okay. It was very hard for me to move after this fall. Chris picked up the kids, then picked me up at the hospital and I rested that evening (thanks Chris) and have been taking it pretty easy since. I had an appointment and Ultrasound (to see if baby was okay with the fall) the day after, Thursday, and thanks mom and dad for coming to watch the girls that day. Today, Saturday early, I feel a lot better. We even went to the Home and Garden show (amidst a snow storm) yesterday and it was good to walk and walk and walk. I was tired after but hopefully it will move baby along (I have also tried spicy indian food which I crave these days and pinapple). The kids love the Home and Garden show and all the free treats. They made little tool boxes at the Home Depot exhibit and they got lots of candy.
Well, I best be getting to bed again as it is after 3:00 in the morning on Saturday. I am not feeling any contractions - just a little cramping on and off the last few weeks). I will be 39 weeks this coming Tuesday and I feel like baby may hold on for a few more weeks. I guess we will see. I am due Tuesday March 13 but I have an induction date set for Friday March 23 at 2:00 (Chris should be able to make it back from Vulcan by then) if baby does not come before then. It is a little nerve-wracking as Chris is very busy with homework now and he starts his student teaching on Monday March 19th and will be living at the farm - but I guess it is just an hour and 15 minutes away and it will all work out. I am excited to meet this little boy (the ultrasound on Thursday showed he weighed around 8 and 1/2 lbs so he will most likely be a big baby boy). I will just enjoy the last of this pregnancy and will meet this little one when he is good and ready. I feel so blessed to feel him kicking around inside. I just want him to be safe.
Well, I best get back to bed soon. I will keep you updated on what happens in the next few weeks.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Fall and Winter adventures - Boston and Beyond.
Well, the end of 2017 was very busy and full of amazing adventures. We spent Canadian Thanksgiving weekend at the farm and then I worked the Thanksgiving Monday - I traded with someone who wanted it off. Halloween was cold and rainy but the kids did get out for some good trick or treating in their costumes. Elva and Mary were Fairy Princesses and Caeleb was Aragon from Lord of the Rings. I love celebrating all the holidays with my kids and I do like Halloween (I like watching kid scary movies like Casper, Hocus Pocus and Goosebumps).
The kids and I spent November 11 at the farm making turtles. Camellia and Dad went to the Remembrance day service in Champion. Chris and I went to the kid's school Remembrance day assembly the day before. One guy played bag pipes and a teenage girl played the last post on her trumpet. I feel it is so important to Remember those who have sacrificed so much so that we can have our freedom. I hope my kids never forget to honor Remembrance day.
I had a tough shift the end of October where I had to send one of my patients to the ICU. I know I can not put the blame on myself and it all happened so fast (she went Septic) but I have a tendency of putting blame and stress on myself. That shift set me back and I was feeling discouraged. But I keep going back to work and I have had plenty of good shifts since then and I realize that there will always be more good days then bad and that I need to keep trying and trying and never give up. However, after that shift, my amazing - wonderful sister Camellia thought I needed some get away time and so she found a cheap ticket to Boston and sent me on my way there for 5 days - Thursday November 30th to Monday September 4th. Thank you so much Camellia!! On Thursday my flight left at 9:00 am and I flew from Calgary to Montreal and then ran through the airport to get on the plane to Boston. I arrived in Boston at 5:30 and my cousin Sarah picked me up at the airport. It was so good to see her and her family. Their house is beautiful (she is great at decorating) and the whole New England atmosphere is so appealing. We spent Friday touring downtown Boston, walking through the oldest park in America, walking many parts of the freedom trail, eating Cannolis in little Italy, learning about the Minute Men in the revolution, visiting a lot of ancient cemeteries and touring Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord.
Saturday, Sarah and I got up early and left the house for New York City at around 6:30 am. We went with 3 of Sarah's friends (her friend in Rhoda Island drove) and we were in New York around 1100. We drove by the Temple and took some pictures. We got some yummy cookies at Lavina's bakery. We parked a few blocks away from Central park (Cost was $53 for 12 hours) and we walked to the park from there. We did a Pedicab tour of the south 1/2 of central park (it was $30 per person if I remember right) and it was fun to have someone tell us about where the movie stars lived around central park and about the history of some structures in the park. We walked by the Plaza hotel (it was too busy to go in) and took the subway all the way under the strait to Brooklyn. We ate a yummy chain burger place in Brooklyn and then walked the Brooklyn bridge back to Manhattan (it probably took 45 minutes to walk the bridge and there were LOTS of people). We saw the statue of Liberty at a distance with the sun setting - it was beautiful. Then we took the subway north to Grand Central station and ate some banana pudding at a bakery called Magnolia. Then we did a lot of walking - walked to Macy's department store (lots of fun Christmas displays), past the Empire State building, to Saks department store (there was a fun light show on the side of Saks) and St. Patricks Cathedral across the street. The streets were so crowded! And it even got more crowded as we ventured into the Rockefeller plaza to see the big Christmas tree there. Then we walked another block or so to see the lights and crowds at Times square. We got pizza at Rays pizza which is near there. And I had to get a $2.00 hotdog (hotdog stands on every block). We then walked back to the Hotel that we parked at and left around 9:30. We got home around 1:00 am. I enjoyed my one day in New York. The shocking part of it was the crowds. There were many times in the evening when I thought I was lost from my group as the crowds pushed us in different directions. I am thinking that is a Christmas thing. I am so grateful that I have got to cross New York city off my bucket list!
Sunday, we went to 9:00 church and then took off to Rockport and Gloucester Mass. They are right on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. Gloucester is where the movie and book "The Perfect Storm" took place and Rockport is where much of "The Proposal" was filmed. It was my first time to the Atlantic ocean and I loved seeing the villages, beaches and lighthouses in the area.
We watched the LDS Christmas Devotional back at the Cole home. Sarah dropped me off at the airport around 6:30 the next morning and I flew to Toronto and then to Calgary (with a 2 hour delayed flight in Toronto). What a wonderful trip it was. It was so good to see my cousin and her family. But it was good to come home and see my family. I missed them. I am grateful for Mom and Camellia from watching Mary and Elva and for Chris and Nathan for watching Caeleb.
We celebrated Elva's birthday Wednesday December 6th after work (I am a horrible mom and was in Boston on her birthday December 3rd). We had a free pass to the flying Squirrel so we went there to celebrate and the kids loved that. Elva got a Barbie car and 2 barbies for her birthday (One from Aunty Camellia/Nana and Papa).
A week at home and 3 shifts later and we took off to Victoria at 4:00 a.m Monday morning (a few hours after my Sunday evening shift). The weather was beautiful in Calgary when we left and on the way out to Victoria. And since Chris was in an accident a few weeks before, the insurance company gave us a new Kia rental van for our drive out - free of charge - while our car was in the shop. What tender mercies we have seen!!! We even made it in time for the special Christmas Monday Watters get together. I have always wanted to go and it was fun to visit with family and eat yummy food. Chris spent the week working for the family company ( he is there IT guy). I entertained the kids and had fun visiting with relatives - we went to butterfly gardens - thanks LouAnn - we went downtown to the inner harbour and looked at a gingerbread house competition. We went out for supper downtown for Nathaniel's birthday and we went to the new Star Wars movie.
After 10:00 sacrament meeting on Sunday, we caught the 1:00 ferry. The weather was turning bad and we wanted to get on the road before we hit snowy weather. We slept at Chris' cousin Athena's house in Kamloops on Sunday night and ended up leaving at 4:30 on Monday morning as Mary got up early and was hard to settle. The roads were not great from Kamloops to Golden but we drove slow and got to Banff around 2:00. We stopped there for an hour for a Beaver tail treat (it was the kids first time to Banff and we had to take advantage of this Free 2017 year for national parks).
We got home around 4:00 and went straight to look at a new vehicle (They ended up writing off our vehicle the Saturday before and gave us until Thursday to give back our rental). I worked Tuesday and Wednesday day shifts while Chris went crazy on the vehicle search. We did find one at our local Kia dealership - 2012 Kia van, simple, yet roomy and just what we needed. The money we get for the Mazda from insurance will pay for the Kia and then we got a 3 year warranty on the Kia (as we had lots of fix ups with the Mazda and we did not want to chance that again). We picked up the van on Thursday just in time for Chris and I to go to the Nutcracker Ballet (Michelle gave us tickets as we have watched Max and Sebastian a few times this Fall). I am glad I got the opportunity to see a ballet. It was beautiful. Camellia and I used to go to sleep listening to Tchaikovsky's nutcracker. We ended the night with some wings and bubble tea at a favourite restaurant of ours on 16th ave - Bubblemania.
Well, I best end this now. I will continue writing about Christmas in a bit. I can hear the kids screaming upstairs.
The kids and I spent November 11 at the farm making turtles. Camellia and Dad went to the Remembrance day service in Champion. Chris and I went to the kid's school Remembrance day assembly the day before. One guy played bag pipes and a teenage girl played the last post on her trumpet. I feel it is so important to Remember those who have sacrificed so much so that we can have our freedom. I hope my kids never forget to honor Remembrance day.
I had a tough shift the end of October where I had to send one of my patients to the ICU. I know I can not put the blame on myself and it all happened so fast (she went Septic) but I have a tendency of putting blame and stress on myself. That shift set me back and I was feeling discouraged. But I keep going back to work and I have had plenty of good shifts since then and I realize that there will always be more good days then bad and that I need to keep trying and trying and never give up. However, after that shift, my amazing - wonderful sister Camellia thought I needed some get away time and so she found a cheap ticket to Boston and sent me on my way there for 5 days - Thursday November 30th to Monday September 4th. Thank you so much Camellia!! On Thursday my flight left at 9:00 am and I flew from Calgary to Montreal and then ran through the airport to get on the plane to Boston. I arrived in Boston at 5:30 and my cousin Sarah picked me up at the airport. It was so good to see her and her family. Their house is beautiful (she is great at decorating) and the whole New England atmosphere is so appealing. We spent Friday touring downtown Boston, walking through the oldest park in America, walking many parts of the freedom trail, eating Cannolis in little Italy, learning about the Minute Men in the revolution, visiting a lot of ancient cemeteries and touring Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord.
Saturday, Sarah and I got up early and left the house for New York City at around 6:30 am. We went with 3 of Sarah's friends (her friend in Rhoda Island drove) and we were in New York around 1100. We drove by the Temple and took some pictures. We got some yummy cookies at Lavina's bakery. We parked a few blocks away from Central park (Cost was $53 for 12 hours) and we walked to the park from there. We did a Pedicab tour of the south 1/2 of central park (it was $30 per person if I remember right) and it was fun to have someone tell us about where the movie stars lived around central park and about the history of some structures in the park. We walked by the Plaza hotel (it was too busy to go in) and took the subway all the way under the strait to Brooklyn. We ate a yummy chain burger place in Brooklyn and then walked the Brooklyn bridge back to Manhattan (it probably took 45 minutes to walk the bridge and there were LOTS of people). We saw the statue of Liberty at a distance with the sun setting - it was beautiful. Then we took the subway north to Grand Central station and ate some banana pudding at a bakery called Magnolia. Then we did a lot of walking - walked to Macy's department store (lots of fun Christmas displays), past the Empire State building, to Saks department store (there was a fun light show on the side of Saks) and St. Patricks Cathedral across the street. The streets were so crowded! And it even got more crowded as we ventured into the Rockefeller plaza to see the big Christmas tree there. Then we walked another block or so to see the lights and crowds at Times square. We got pizza at Rays pizza which is near there. And I had to get a $2.00 hotdog (hotdog stands on every block). We then walked back to the Hotel that we parked at and left around 9:30. We got home around 1:00 am. I enjoyed my one day in New York. The shocking part of it was the crowds. There were many times in the evening when I thought I was lost from my group as the crowds pushed us in different directions. I am thinking that is a Christmas thing. I am so grateful that I have got to cross New York city off my bucket list!
Sunday, we went to 9:00 church and then took off to Rockport and Gloucester Mass. They are right on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. Gloucester is where the movie and book "The Perfect Storm" took place and Rockport is where much of "The Proposal" was filmed. It was my first time to the Atlantic ocean and I loved seeing the villages, beaches and lighthouses in the area.
We watched the LDS Christmas Devotional back at the Cole home. Sarah dropped me off at the airport around 6:30 the next morning and I flew to Toronto and then to Calgary (with a 2 hour delayed flight in Toronto). What a wonderful trip it was. It was so good to see my cousin and her family. But it was good to come home and see my family. I missed them. I am grateful for Mom and Camellia from watching Mary and Elva and for Chris and Nathan for watching Caeleb.
We celebrated Elva's birthday Wednesday December 6th after work (I am a horrible mom and was in Boston on her birthday December 3rd). We had a free pass to the flying Squirrel so we went there to celebrate and the kids loved that. Elva got a Barbie car and 2 barbies for her birthday (One from Aunty Camellia/Nana and Papa).
A week at home and 3 shifts later and we took off to Victoria at 4:00 a.m Monday morning (a few hours after my Sunday evening shift). The weather was beautiful in Calgary when we left and on the way out to Victoria. And since Chris was in an accident a few weeks before, the insurance company gave us a new Kia rental van for our drive out - free of charge - while our car was in the shop. What tender mercies we have seen!!! We even made it in time for the special Christmas Monday Watters get together. I have always wanted to go and it was fun to visit with family and eat yummy food. Chris spent the week working for the family company ( he is there IT guy). I entertained the kids and had fun visiting with relatives - we went to butterfly gardens - thanks LouAnn - we went downtown to the inner harbour and looked at a gingerbread house competition. We went out for supper downtown for Nathaniel's birthday and we went to the new Star Wars movie.
After 10:00 sacrament meeting on Sunday, we caught the 1:00 ferry. The weather was turning bad and we wanted to get on the road before we hit snowy weather. We slept at Chris' cousin Athena's house in Kamloops on Sunday night and ended up leaving at 4:30 on Monday morning as Mary got up early and was hard to settle. The roads were not great from Kamloops to Golden but we drove slow and got to Banff around 2:00. We stopped there for an hour for a Beaver tail treat (it was the kids first time to Banff and we had to take advantage of this Free 2017 year for national parks).
We got home around 4:00 and went straight to look at a new vehicle (They ended up writing off our vehicle the Saturday before and gave us until Thursday to give back our rental). I worked Tuesday and Wednesday day shifts while Chris went crazy on the vehicle search. We did find one at our local Kia dealership - 2012 Kia van, simple, yet roomy and just what we needed. The money we get for the Mazda from insurance will pay for the Kia and then we got a 3 year warranty on the Kia (as we had lots of fix ups with the Mazda and we did not want to chance that again). We picked up the van on Thursday just in time for Chris and I to go to the Nutcracker Ballet (Michelle gave us tickets as we have watched Max and Sebastian a few times this Fall). I am glad I got the opportunity to see a ballet. It was beautiful. Camellia and I used to go to sleep listening to Tchaikovsky's nutcracker. We ended the night with some wings and bubble tea at a favourite restaurant of ours on 16th ave - Bubblemania.
Well, I best end this now. I will continue writing about Christmas in a bit. I can hear the kids screaming upstairs.
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