Holiday Musings...

I have been having a few days lately that for some reason found me experiencing some life reflection. Here are a few of the thoughts that have popped up...

*Kids can whine, nag, and drive you so crazy you start questioning your decision to become a parent. However, the second they finally fall asleep and you see their tiny little eyelashes lying against their cheeks and their tiny little fists curled up against their chests you remember the meaning of it all.

*Christmas is wonderful and it is a great opportunity to see family and friends and be reminded of all we have to be thankful for... (or is that Thanksgiving...) but it shouldn't be the only time of year it happens. I need to try and remind myself daily of how grateful I am to have my friends and family so I stop taking them for granted.

*Every girl needs a good support system and I have that not only in my husband and family, but also in my circle of friends. I am so darn grateful to have the friends I do, and I don't know what I would do without them.

Previously we had had a goofy photoshoot-

Soph was still in that mode...

I had a great Christmas, we saw lots of family, ate lots of food, and were VERY spoiled. I hope that the new year is as great for us as last year was, and i wish the same to everyone else.

Papa and his girls Christmas morning

The Chicks on Christmas Morning

Gracie and Daddy

Me and my Gone With the Wind

box set... sooooo excited!

Kai and her rocking horse from Mama and Papa

Me and my honey...

Kai and her very favorite person...

Yes, my gram made Ben that hat. So special.

At the Little family dinner

The Wolsey Clan

So, Grace was still thinking about that photoshoot

from earlier in the week, and kept yelling,

"Grumpy Face! Grumpy Face!"

This is the reason behind it all...

I am so incredibly grateful to have these two in my life.

They mean so much to me and I just love them so much!

Halloween, Haircuts and Ballet, Oh My!

Wow! I cannot believe that it is less than a month till Christmas!!!

Here is a rundown of our last couple months...

Halloween... Grace was a Fairy Princess (for the second year in a row! At least it was a different costume right?) Kaia was a ladybug... still brings me the costume on occasion... Ben was a... wait for it... rigger. Super original! Loved it. I was a football player... Ben Roethlisberger to be exact. Out we went and it was super fun! Coulda done without the wind... but who are we kidding, we live in Lethbridge and if it isn't wind it is five feet of snow.

A couple weeks later we put up our Christmas stuff... (I know... I was eager!) Grace is super into the Christmas spirit this year and I love it!!! I am so happy that I have a daughter that seems to love Christmas as much as I do! And I keep trying to instil upon her the true meaning, so she sometimes lets me know, "Mom, we celebrate our brother Jesus' birthday at Christmas and he watches over us and keeps us. (... I think she means safe, being as that is part of her nightly prayers...) So His Father is happy about that."

I think she's getting it...

Last weekend we went to the mall to see Santa and his reindeer, and Grace was so excited!! It was so fun to see all the kids get really excited for their arrival. Nothing like a humongous crowd of kids singing Santa Clause is Coming to Town to get you into the spirit of things! Grace had told me she was going to be nice to Santa this year, because he was so nice, so off we went to sit on his lap. Yup, only stood in line for one hour and fifteen minutes. Well worth the wait though! I mean, come on! We got our picture taken with not just Santa, but Santa AND Blitzen!

Then that night we got home and Grace, (who had been asking for it for the past five weeks like every couple days...) asked me again if I would cut her hair. At first she wanted it "like Britty's" but once we got it to her shoulders she kinda changed her mind. We still ended up taking 9 inches off though, so it definitely is noticeable! I find it pretty cute, and she seems to really like it, BUT she looks older to me now, which I could do without.

And then last week, we got to go watch Grace and Sophie in their ballet class. So my parents, sister, brother in law, grandparents and I went into the studio and viewed their practice. SO cute! The best part for Kel and I was watching Grace and Sophie ensure they were side by side the entire time. Those two would not stop holding hands and the one time a little girl got in between them, Grace automatically sat down so the girl had to let go of her hand, Grace then stood up, ran behind her, grabbed Sophie's hand and pulled her to a different part of the circle. Yup, they still love each other, even living in different places didn't diminish their friendship.

Anyway, I am super excited for the next month, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and everything the season entails. Heres to hoping its the best one yet!!!

House, Ballet, Work... and Other New Happenings With the Wolsey's.

Well, it has once again been a really long time! We are now in our own house and almost fully settled in. I so appreciated my parents letting us crash there for a bit but wow is it ever nice to have your own stuff in your own space!!!

We haven't had too much new happen lately other than the big move. Work is going well for both of us, and the girls are doing really well at day home. Grace is in ballet and after a questionable start we seem to be doing great now! Every time she hears music now she feels she has to perform. In full get-up. That includes the slippers and bodysuit. It is really cute though, and I am really happy she loves it. Of course it doesn't hurt that her bestest best buddy Soph is in it with her! Kaia gets funnier and funnier every day, and we are super excited for when she gets talking for real, because we are pretty sure she is going to have quite the personality.

The other "big change" we have had is our new addition. Nope, I am not pregnant, Ben finally got a Mac. So I am typing this on his "baby" and truthfully? I don't understand too much about computers, but it looks really good, so I love it too. (Plus he is like a kid on Christmas morning

now- every day! So it can't be a bad thing!)

Our Little Ballerina....

Both our Little Ballerinas...

Gracie and her Papa

Kai and her awesome smile...(yup she still does it!)

Snow Day!!

Big Changes!!!

It has been a super long time since I blogged, and a lot has happened since the last one, so here is an update! Well, first of all, we are done with Calgary! Yay! It was fun and all but I sure am glad that it is over. We are staying with my parents until the end of the month and then we are moving into one of our friends houses here on the west side. Ben is staying on with Apx, they hired him as a service tech year round. It is quite a blessing actually, and I am happy to say my husband will now be working from Lethbridge. Now we will just have to adjust to being around each other so much! I am working at Eclipse again, and the truth is, I really debated going back at all. But, I truly feel like it was the right choice for me, and after two weeks, I feel like I am really settling back into it. Although I miss my girls, I feel like I am a better mom (and wife!!) by working and having something outside our home.

Now onto something that has been on my mind for the past month. In the first week of August, Ben's cousin Ken was killed in a motorcycle accident. It was the saddest thing and we, as anyone who loses someone suddenly is, were totally shocked. He left behind his wife, who is one of the strongest, nicest girls I have and will ever meet, and two little boys. At his funeral I was listening to what everyone was saying and it really struck me how fragile our lives are. I know what a cliche that is, but it really hit me. When my uncle died last year, I realized how much I needed to appreciate every thing life gives me, and all those around me. And the truth is, I really thought I did. But then something else happens and you realize that there is probably no possible way we could ever truly cherish something to its full potential until we risk losing it. (Or actually do.) The things that were said about Ken were so honest and so heartfelt, and I was so touched by the kind of person he was and the way he conducted himself, and it really motivated me to try and be better. It always bothers me a little to attend a funeral and hear people talk about the deceased as though they were perfect or describe them in ways that they weren't at all in real life. But at Ken's funeral, the things that were said were actually true. He really was one of the truly good ones and you were left with a feeling of being so blessed just to have known him. I know how blessed I am to have a loving husband who treats me better than I probably fully deserve, I have two healthy little girls who make my life the happiest place in the world and I have the best family and friends a girl could ask for. So through the sadness of losing a great guy, what I hope to take from the loss is inspiration from the life he left behind. Inspiration to be the best mom and wife, sister, daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend I can be. And at the very least, appreciate every day I get to share with these people.

Now, here are some pics from the past month. (we have really been all over the place!!!)

At Whoop Up Days... This one is for you Kel... (love you!)

We were in Medicine Hat visiting Ben for a bit, and we LIVED at the water slides. (It also reunited Grace and Soph, and Kaia and Ella, so that was good too!!)

K... here is Kaia's new smile... I think it is hilarious and hope she does it for the rest of her life!

Best Friends already!!
I really love this chick and am soooo glad to be back in the same city as her!!!

Our little fam...

And here is the story of our lives... Kai finally decided to be a big girl and walk!!