Christmas can begin!!! (Finally)

Ben is on his way home right now and so that means that Christmas can start coming for us. He was supposed to be gone for a week and it has now been over three. I keep on telling Grace that Christmas can start when Daddy gets home, (that way it doesn't feel like it is too far away. Patience is difficult enough for me, let alone a two year old!) I now realize how very important it is to be with the ones you love during the holidays.

So, we got our pictures back from Mandy, and they are gorgeous! She always does such a wonderful job!
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Now I realize that I just posted like two days ago, but I found some new pictures I can put up and there really is no cap on how much I can talk about my children. (Maybe there should be at times...) Anyway, it is starting to feel like Christmas time now! We got a little snow, and Santa's at the mall! Not to mention all the Christmas shows that are on tv, the Christmas music thats on the radio and the city is now decorated! You just have got to love it!

Grace made her first snow angel... although she cried the whole time we did it, she was fairly proud afterward. Weird kid.



My mom had a "Mama-Grace Day" yesterday and took her to the mall. Grace was pretty psyched to see Santa, (as long as Mama sat on his lap with her.) Of course the second she saw and heard him coming down the hall she freaked! According to my mom she started shaking to the point of almost convulsing, and made them leave immediately. So we'll see how round two goes. We got our family pictures taken for Christmas cards as well, so if anyone wants a Christmas card let me know your address and I will get them to you as soon as we get them done.

I took Grace swimming with my Mom's and Tots group a couple weeks ago, and at first Grace was fairly hesitant, but by the end she was running through the water and going down the slide... (with me waiting to catch her at the bottom of course!) I think I am going to try and make a monthly date of it with her!




Ben found out last night that he is going back to work for the next week and a half, which is good and sad at the same time. (Its funny how quickly I get re-accustomed to having him around!) Of course it is only a week and a half and then he is back for like three weeks, so I am certainly not complaining!

On a different note I just want to comment on how blessed we feel. If any of you read my previous blogs you may remember that my Grandpa was not doing very well, and to be quite honest we weren't all that sure he was going to make it to Christmas. Well, my cousin Marty and Ben gave him a blessing a couple weeks ago, (pretty much at the time we were starting to feel pretty hopeless,) and in it he was promised to recover. I took a great amount of comfort in this, and as it turned out he is now coherent, smiling, walking around, (albeit with a walker,) and he is home! I am truly grateful!

It was pretty tough to try and imagine... (or try- as hard as we could- NOT to..) not having our Gramps around. My heart truly goes out to those who have lost someone this past year, because I have to say that I don't know how we would have gotten through the season without him. He and my Gram are the heart and soul of our family center and I think this situation just kind of cemented the certainty of that.

So, this Christmas season, we are mindful of those we have, those we have lost, and the hope that we see through our girl's eyes! Because what is better than Christmas through the eyes of a child!

Christmas is Coming!!!!

Soooo... one of my favorite times of the year is upon us and I am really excited!!! I am so excited for Grace this year, b/c she is starting to get the whole "Santa thing" and is anticipating Christmas! Its funny how, (no matter how much we deny it,) we start to lose the Christmas spirit we had when we were kids! I never realized, and I think it is because I have always gotten fairly excited concerning the season, but I somehow forgot exactly HOW fun it can be. We are gearing up for going to visit Santa next week at the mall, and I am not too sure how that will go over, being as Grace has always had this huge, irrational fear of him. (Although, he is this huge, not to mention strange, old man wanting kids to sit on his lap... maybe I kind of understand where she is coming from...) So hopefully that goes better than last year. We are done shopping, and all the gifts are under the tree, so there is relief in that. (Even if Ben thinks I am super mean for taunting my two year old.) Now all that is left is getting our Christmas cards done and maybe doing some baking! (Oh who am I kidding... eating my mom's baking.)

Ben is home till the new year now b/c his rig got shut down till January... so it is pretty awesome having him around. We even got to go on a double date with my sister and her fiance last week... (Yup, we went to Twilight!)

Here are a few pictures from November... (I really slacked off in that whole department last month...)

Our Family at Brad and Beth's Reception
(Yes, Grace ALWAYS has to have food with her!)


Ben and I outside the Temple
According to Grace she now has to get decked out in winter clothes, so she is usually in full gear when we go out now. Pretty cute.

***Yay for Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***


So... Halloween has come and gone, and it was really fun this year! I was really unsure as to whether Grace would be ok with the whole "trick or treat" concept, being as she is so shy... but lo and behold- she totally got into it! (Might have had something to do with our only going to people's houses she already knows... but baby steps right!) She is all of a sudden really into ballerinas, so we vetoed the original plan of a tomato in favor of a ballet dancer... (albeit one with wings, ah, tit for tat.) She was the prettiest little ballerina I've ever seen anyway!


Attached to her daddy (Of course!)


Her first house!!! (Grandma's house)


She was quite proud of herself!


The last house of the night... Auntie Michelle and Uncle Bob's!


So, aside from our Halloween excitement, I have noticed that in the past two weeks my little toddler is changing. I don't know what is bringing it on, but its so much fun to watch! All of a sudden she is saying these new adult phrases, acting more mature and has even started wanting to play with other kids a lot more. Ok, I realize that the kid thing isn't a big deal for many, but it sadly is for us. Aside from her best friend Sophie, Grace has never really played with other kids, they kind of seem to intimidate her. So my new calling in Mom's and Tots should hopefully fix it a bit, and nursery seems to be helping, but overall I hadn't noticed a huge change, but this weekend that changed...
We went to Grandpa Todd and Grandma Lori's this weekend and their youngest daughter is only 11 days older than Grace. Now usually Calli is trying to play with Grace but she just sits on one of our laps and watches the kids play. However... this time she got right into playing alongside them! I swear, there is nothing cuter than watching 2 little girls whisper and giggle together!

Calli and Grace- getting their blanket situated


In their playhouse




Our little beauty


Other than all of our fun we've had this weekend, life has been interesting. Thanksgiving was a little bittersweet. Great in the sense that we got to see my family and Ben's mom's side of the family, and had wonderful meals with both of them, not to mention great quality time.

First Dinner at my parent's
Kaia was happy (Even if she couldn't have mashed potatoes!)


Daddy and his best friend Grace


Our happy Family


Next dinner- Next day!
Grandy, Ben and Kaia at Grandma Leanne's and Papa Jims


Gisty, Me and Grace


It was also a little sad though because my grandpa has been in the hospital for over a month and we couldn't share the holiday with him. (Or my gram or my aunt Kath who have been diligently by his side every step of the way.) On the bright side though, he is back in Lethbridge now, (from Calgary) and seems to be getting better. Grace does her part in cheering him up, she dances for him!
(Our budding ballerina!)






Kaia giving gramps some love


Gettin' a snuggle from my gramps

Anyway, life is good really, and we all count ourselves blessed to have the life we do! I want to quickly mention my new favorite thing Grace does and then I will end this longest blog ever! She used to listen to me say prayers at night, but I realized that she is perfectly capable of saying them herself, so we have been working on her saying them herself. She is doing really great, and whenever Ben is on the rigs, we pray that he will be watched over. So, to put herself to sleep at night I can hear her (after we have already said our prayers...) softly repeating over and over in her cute little voice, "please keep Daddy safe and warm Heavenly Father". (Of course, she says the same thing when he is home next to her in bed, and is definitely more than warm, not to mention perfectly safe, but you know what? I think he still appreciates it!)

Baby Smiles

Have you ever noticed that on those days when things aren't really going as smoothly as you would like, there is always that "saving grace" (pardon the pun...) at the end. (Or at least usually there is!) I have found that when the girls are crying inconsolably or whining relentlessly, (or just in general out of sorts,) I am counting the minutes until bedtime. And it never seems to fail that when I lay those pretty little girls down I will get an "I love you Mommy", or "You're so pretty Mommy" or even just a sweet little smile, and immediately I have forgotten why I needed the break. I am such a lucky Mom, and I count each and every single day as a blessing b/c I get another chance to get to know these chicks a little better. (And for those odd days when I don't get the cute little line, there is always donuts and cookie dough!