Kreiser Connections

365 Project: February 11, 2012

2012-02-12T15:20:00.001-06:00

Another daughter...

... that's 100%...

... smitten with her Daddy!

365 Project: February 10, 2012

2012-02-12T15:15:00.005-06:00

Somehow dinner with kids, at other people's houses, is crazy.

Are the girls energy levels at their tip top peaks? Better believe it.
Will Alia or Larren be interested in eating? Doubt it.
Do we usually have an out of the blue spill or two? Absolutely.
Will they touch something they aren't supposed to? Probably.
Do early bedtimes beckon just as we're getting into good conversation? Yuppers.
Will we get to play games like we had hoped to? Sorry... maybe next time.

Yeah, it's a lot of work... but seeing the girls interact, play, and be loved on by the generations before them makes it worth it!

From falling asleep in a great auntie's arms...

... to baking enough cookies for a small army...

... we'll take it.

The layed back, relaxing family dinners have changed... but we'll savor these new ones, cause before long we'll miss spilled drinks, lost mittens, and blanket forts... guaranteed.

*and I also guarantee that I'll need reminded of that! :)

365 Project: February 9, 2012

2012-02-11T21:42:00.002-06:00

Caidrie and I had a wonderful time catching up with a good friend of mine. But it's times like these that I realize just how much she takes after her mama... wanna know what she's looking at?

NOT kidding!! But really... can ya blame her?! :)

365 Project: February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T23:43:00.004-06:00

Since there's no snow...

... their newly acquired sled becomes a boat, an airplane, a train, and a shuttle.

Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! :)

365 Project: February 7, 2012

2012-02-08T22:59:00.013-06:00

My weekly women's Bible study means...

- daddy/daughter time for Jon, Alia & Larren

- connection and conversation with grown ladies for me :)

- learning about (and soaking up!) God's love for His bride

- dusting off the ole' piano skills and leading ladies in worship

- and plenty of snuggle time for Caidrie

She usually goes from this...

... to this before ya can say "Anybody wanna hold a ba...?" :)

365 Project: February 6, 2012

2012-02-08T21:18:00.000-06:00

365 Project: February 5, 2012

2012-02-08T21:14:00.003-06:00

Make homemade pretzels or watch the Super Bowl?

Pretzels win every time!

I wish we could say we made football shaped ones... but we didn't! We'll try to be more on the ball (ha!) for next year! :)

365 Project: February 4, 2012

2012-02-06T23:36:00.003-06:00

Dress up...

Tea parties...

All the kids getting along...

Visiting with good friends over lunch (that THEY brought!!)...

and old fashioned peanut butter pie....

now THAT's a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon!! :)

365 Project: February 3, 2012

2012-02-06T22:56:00.001-06:00

Visiting our friends...

... and their little boy blue!

365 Project: February 2, 2012

2012-02-06T22:48:00.001-06:00

So of all days NOT to get a great picture... goodness... it wasn't for lack of opportunity, I assure you! My good friend April and I spent the day in the city getting massages, manicures, and pedicures at the spa, we had lunch at Olive Garden, and of course, we did our fair share of shopping!

All that and THIS is the picture I got for the day!! :)

Of Caidrie parked beside me as my feet get painted a lovely shade of burnt orange!

Ah well... another lesson learned : don't be too shy to ASK someone to get pictures of us... whether we're relaxing with our feet in hot sudsy water, stuffing our mouths with salad & bread sticks, or skipping happily to the car with bags full of clearance finds!!

365 Project: February 1, 2012

2012-02-06T22:09:00.001-06:00

Nana Betty and Papa Ron came home from Mexico bearing gifts! Sadly the girls hats were too small...

... but Papa Ron's hat fit "just right!" :)

365 Project: January 31, 2012

2012-02-06T21:45:00.001-06:00

This girl is a sponge for learning!

Alia finished learning the upper case, lower case, and sound of each letter today and couldn't wait to have her picture taken with all of them!

365 Project: January 30, 2012

2012-02-01T23:38:00.003-06:00

A little game of Connect Four does a marriage good!

365 Project: January 29, 2012

2012-02-01T10:55:00.003-06:00

Charm and I just couldn't resist getting some pictures of her beautiful baby bump... though, sadly, the cold and wind limited us to fewer than we would have preferred!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.

{Psalm 139:13}

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it. {Psalm 139:14}

An amazing miracle indeed...

365 Project: January 28, 2012

2012-02-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

Some of our best friends came to spend the weekend with us... and it was such. a. blessing! Jon and Aaron have been close buds for over 12 years, and Charm and I hit it off the first time we met! They're the type of friends that

... don't bat an eye at my "crazy bedhead, no make up, stay in my PJ's until noon" look

... don't judge us when we (or our kids!) don't have it all together

... we feel we can be 100% real with

... gladly sacrifice sleep so that we can talk until long after midnight three nights in a row!

The added bonus : they adore our girls. I've said it before... but every time I witness it, I'm blown away. When someone treats our kids as their own that speaks volumes about our friendship!

Aaron did more reading in one weekend than he probably has in years combined, willingly sat through Alia's demonstration of what she's learned in "school"... then asked if they could do MORE schooling together, plus got his fair share of exercise from chasing the girls around "the football field" (A.K.A. our basement)!

Charm made the girls day by opening up a salon... with the sole purpose of making them feel pretty!!

Mission accomplished! :)

They will be joining the "parenting club" in a few weeks... and if their role as "mommy and daddy" is anything like their role of "auntie and uncle" they will be FABULOUS members indeed!

365 Project: January 27, 2012

2012-01-30T19:25:00.002-06:00

When friends are coming over for supper, and things are running a tad late...

... I have two (or three!) eager sous chef's ready to lend their expertise!

365 Project: January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T23:25:00.002-06:00

Waiting for the hero of the house to come home...

... but sadly the reunion hugs will have to wait until morning. I have a sneaking suspicion that two little munchkins will be tip toeing into our room at the first yawn and stretch of dawn!!

365 Project: January 25, 2012

2012-01-26T22:38:00.005-06:00

My wonderful friend, April, invited the girls and I over for supper in the midst of our "girls only extravaganza" and what. a. treat! She spoiled us with homemade chicken noodle soup, homemade buns, homemade cinnamon rolls (she's got some crazy good cooking skills... and knows my love of all things carb!!) not to mention refreshing conversation!

I peeked in the living room and had to smile at this sight... times sure have changed, eh?! When I was their age I had no idea what a computer was, much less how to use one!

Now adays Alia can navigate her way around the laptop, use a mouse with ease, and even type an e-mail for her Daddy (he tells her the letters and she pecks away!). Judging by the way the two younger girls are watching, I'm guessing it won't take 'em long either!

365 Project: January 24, 2012

2012-01-26T15:29:00.000-06:00

I gotta be honest with you... day two of our "girls only extravaganza" didn't go as well as day one. Among MANY other things... Caidrie was up during the night, Larren had four ear piercing temper tantrums (one of which was in public and two of which woke up her sleeping sisters), I was stir crazy by noon, whining was the girls language of the day, and I lost my temper more times than I would have preferred.

SO... to make the rest of the day somewhat tolerable I stopped by Dairy Queen, picked up some deep fried food for supper, let the girls bring down their buddies, and we had a picnic on the kitchen floor.

It didn't magically make the day perfect, but it brought out a few needed smiles... and considering the day, we'll take it!

365 Project: January 23, 2012

2012-01-26T15:15:00.001-06:00

Snowmobiling in the mountains has been a long time dream of Jon's... and he decided that parental leave was as good a time as any to make his dream come true! I was excited for him to live out one of his dreams... just a little less than stellar about being on my own with three kids, ages three and under, in the middle of winter! So... this was the first day of our week long "girls only extravaganza" and I was determined to make the most of it!

We met a friend at the rec center's indoor play place, brought some Tim Bit's for extra smiles and made an afternoon of it!

See that gal in the yellow ball gown?

That one's a princess and she wanted every one to know it!

365 Project: January 22, 2012

2012-01-26T14:57:00.000-06:00

While the girls played with Nana Barb, I was able to shoot for a bit with the guys on a warmer than average Sunday afternoon. It felt good to take aim, pull the trigger and hit a few targets...

... though I think I better stick to "shooting" with a black box and a lens! :)

365 Project: January 21, 2012

2012-01-26T14:42:00.000-06:00

This is the baby face that I get to kiss, cuddle, and love on every day!

It's a hard job, eh?! :)

365 Project: January 20, 2012

2012-01-26T14:40:00.001-06:00

The girls received a train set as part of their Christmas / part of Larren's birthday gift and since they are hooked, line and sinker, on Thomas the Tank Engine we thought this would be "the gift of all gifts" in their minds.

They like it, sure... but it didn't pack quite the punch that we thought it would!

They're still a tad young for it, and will no doubt grow into it, but for now Larren likes being the "railway engineer!" She is our analytical one... and is always trying to figure out how things work!

She likes rearranging the track, hooking the engines and freight cars together, and dropping cargo from the crane into the waiting cars. But when her shift is done... that's it, the fun is over! All trains go back in the drawer and you'd best be running around the track if you want to get one more lap in!

You can try to convince her that there's lots more work to be done on the Island of Sodor, but trust me, Sir Topham Hatt himself couldn't change her mind! :)

** Shooting at night in the basement is a tad tricky... so another lesson learned - shoot early and shoot often! **

365 Project: January 19, 2012

2012-01-25T22:38:00.000-06:00

Alia has informed us...

... that we can "pick her up to baby sit ANY time!!" :)

365 Project: January 18, 2012

2012-01-25T10:26:00.001-06:00

The house was a mess... supper needed made... laundry was sorted and ready for washing... painting projects were waiting for me in the basement...

but after three babies, I'm finally learning that some things will wait... and some won't! :)

Cuddly Caidrie

2012-01-25T10:19:00.001-06:00

365 Project: January 17, 2012

2012-01-24T23:57:00.003-06:00

This, folks, is something to get excited about... in my world anyhow!

Jon volunteered to do the dishes, Alia ASKED if she could help dry, and Larren... well she simply wanted to be where the party was!

And don't let the fact that Alia's only three years old fool you... this girl is a dish drying professional!

She just sings along... making up songs about each item as she goes!

Poor Jon has to practically bend in half to wash the dishes! A request has been made for higher counter tops in our next house. I counter offered with a dishwasher request ... negotiations are still in progress!

Caidrie tried to get in on the team action... but quickly came to the conclusion that the view from the nose bleed section was best!

And seeing how all bases were covered, there wasn't much left for me to do but cheer from the sidelines!!

Yay team K!! :)

365 Project: January 16, 2012

2012-01-24T23:30:00.001-06:00

Jonathan, being the country boy that he is, had a fair collection of toy tractors when he was a young whipper snapper. Green is his color (and brand!) of choice... which appears started quite early on in life!

These classics have been stored away just waiting to be played with by the next generation... and our girls were happy to comply!

Alia learned all about about haying, disking, stone picking, and combining...

... and wasn't the least bit thrilled when it was time to put them away! We may not have boys... but these are bound to get their share of use!

Daddy/daughter date nights might have gotten a new look... tinged with hint of John Deere green! :)

365 Project: January 15, 2012

2012-01-24T20:59:00.000-06:00

Dancing with my girlies in the kitchen is one of my favorite things about being a mama. Praise & worship to good ole' bluegrass... it doesn't matter, we're not picky!

We'll dance to it all!

Alia's personal favorite? The "married dance." Which is a lovely mix of jumping, twirling, hip sways, skipping and a few birdy flaps for added flair! :)

365 Project: January 14, 2012

2012-01-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

Snow + bearable temperatures = 2 very happy chicas

365 Project: January 13, 2012

2012-01-23T22:33:00.005-06:00

Ron and Betty asked us to join them for supper...

... and it's a good thing Betty enjoys sharing!

"Her soup" was a big hit! :)

365 Project: January 12, 2012

2012-01-20T15:40:00.000-06:00

I've never really seen pictures of myself napping before...

... and it appears that I should add "smile while sleeping" to my New Year's resolutions!

365 Project: January 11, 2012

2012-01-20T15:34:00.002-06:00

My husband buys and sells all things motorized. It's a hobby he's had long before I met him and one that probably won't be going away anytime soon! Don't get me wrong... we all benefit from it, but sometimes... well sometimes, it can be a bit much!

Like this last project for example.

Around noon Jon mentioned that there was a truck in the city he'd like to buy and wondered when would be a good time to pick it up. I had been wanting to run into the city (a 1 1/2 hour drive) for something anyhow, and suggested we should go that afternoon. I was in the middle of a painting project, and no one had eaten lunch yet... so we rushed around to get every one fed, watered, and clothed... and were on our way.

Since it was a "special trip" we let the girls watch a movie or two... don't let their intense looks fool you, they were quite thrilled with the idea!

The roads were decent and Caidrie slept the whole way in so the trip was off to a great start!

Jon looked at the truck, decided to buy it, I did a bit of shopping, the girls got to play at the McDonald's play place, and we were ready to head home. Still a nice quick trip at this point.

Well, less than 10 minutes out of the city we started to run into some problems. The truck was a diesel (of course!) and still had summer fuel in it. Since our temps have been warmer than average it wouldn't have been an issue... until TODAY! It was -38 Celsius (-36 Fahrenheit). Needless to say the truck wasn't impressed. It's a bit of a lengthy story but the moral is... always bring a tow strap!

We typically follow this principle, but the tow strap that's usually in my Expedition got moved to another vehicle... so we were left with two tie down straps instead. As I was towing Jon with those, I called his best friend Josh (who lived about 20 minutes away) to see if he would come to our rescue! Both Josh and Jon are the type of guys that would do anything for anybody at any hour of the day or night, so Josh just laughed and said he's on his way!

Josh was coming from the opposite direction and rather than turning around on the road he decided to show his off-roading prowess... which resulted in the rescuer becoming the rescuee!

Our Expedition was proud to be of service to one of it's big brothers in need and pulled the truck out with the greatest of ease!

The boys inspected the truck to see what hope it had left... and decided that towing was it's best bet of the night!

So... Josh got to rescue us after all! His only complaint was "Seriously... with all the warm weather we've had you chose the coldest night of the year to buy a truck!" And for the record... he tows WAY faster than I do! :) We were at Josh's house in no time...

... and home by midnight!

Our girls were fantastic and oddly enough, weren't surprised by the whole thing! Can you tell they are their father's children?!

I just can't get enough of...

2012-01-18T17:13:00.007-06:00

... this girl...

... or the guy behind this girl! :)

Age 0 - 6 months, eh?

2012-01-18T17:10:00.001-06:00

We're getting extended use out of this mobile, I guess!!

365 Project: January 10, 2012

2012-01-18T17:07:00.001-06:00

Alia and Larren making Grampa Arnie feel right at home...

... at least Caidrie's breaking him in subtly!

365 Project: January 9, 2012

2012-01-18T17:03:00.000-06:00

Grilling in January... with NO snow piled around us. That's just crazy I tell ya!

Convenient? Yes!

Tasty? Absolutely!

But at this point the "Great White North" simply isn't living up to it's name!

And... it's probably worth mentioning that we had regular fries with this meal. No poutine. Just good ole' baked fries and ketchup.

No snow... no poutine... no hockey (for us anyhow!)... no beaver skin hats... can we even be considered Canadian anymore?! :)

365 Project: January 8, 2012

2012-01-18T16:55:00.001-06:00

So remember how I mentioned that I need to bring my camera EVERYWHERE for this whole 365 thing to work? Well... I've drawn the line at taking it to church. For reasons you can probably understand. That being said... I really WISH I could bring it. Why? Because Sunday mornings are filled with SO many things I want to remember!

Alia dancing in the aisle with her little friends during the praise music. Hands raised all around the sanctuary in heartfelt worship. Cuddling with Caidrie during the sermon. A tear running down my face because something our pastor said has "struck a chord" in me. Chatting with friends after the service.

I love it.

Rich Mullins said " ... I never understood why going to church makes you a hypocrite. Nobody goes to church because they're perfect. If you've got it all together, you don't need to go. You can go jogging with all the other perfect people on Sunday morning. Every time you go to church, you're confessing again to yourself, to your family, to the people you pass on the way there, to the people who will greet you there, that you don't have it all together. And that you need their support. You need their direction. You need some accountability, you need some help."

Exactly. I feel like our church believes and practices that! I don't have to pretend that I have it together and that I'm "good" all the time. I can simply be real.

And that... well that's picture worthy!

On to the photo of the day... which has nothing to do with church! :) This little lady is about as bad as her mama! See?

"Say cheese... good, got it!"

I may not be able to bring my camera to church but..... JUST KIDDING! :)

365 Project: January 7, 2012

2012-01-18T16:36:00.002-06:00

Jon's folks were out for a quick work related visit, and it sure was a blessing to spend a couple days with them!

The older girls took full advantage of the extra "book readers" around...

... while Caidrie preferred all the cuddles and kisses coming her way!

Me?

I simply enjoyed connecting/chatting, the unending supply of tea (my mother in law is a tea connoisseur!!), the extra help, the excuse to eat chocolate every night, and tag teaming with Jeannette to give the boys a run for their money in Rook! We may be the cautious ones of the bunch... but we're a force to be reckoned with! :)

Or so we like to think!!

365 Project: January 6, 2012

2012-01-16T15:05:00.001-06:00

A cold winter day... scrap paper... crafts... and a side of Cheerios for good measure...

Little Debbie

2012-01-12T21:52:00.002-06:00

I enjoy baking, but don't it all that often. Maybe it's the fact that I don't have a dishwasher and with baking comes lots of dirty dishes, or the fact that none of us NEED all the tempting cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and pies sitting around, or that I tend to get stuck in a "recipe rut" and sometimes I simply don't know what to bake! Whatever the reason, I'm not Betty Crocker by any stretch!

That being said... I love baking with my girls! I do! But with children come messes and it's been a stretch for me to let go of having a sparkling clean kitchen and hand the reins over to a 1 year old and a 3 year old!

I typically do the measuring and let them pour, stir, taste, scoop, etc. But Alia is now at the age where I'm trying to let her do more things on her own. SO... she made her very own cake the other day.

Don't judge us... but out came the boxed cake mix, and away we went!

Every "neat and clean cell" in my body wanted to help out... but I let her do the majority! And to my surprise spills and messes were kept to a nice minimum!

Look Mom... no shells!

We made Alia's masterpiece into a jello cake and it was moist as could be! She's on her way to being a "Little Debbie" in no time... next step, becoming a master dish washer! :)

365 Project: January 5, 2012

2012-01-12T21:40:00.001-06:00

Today was a "first and last" day for Larren!

The last time she slept in her crib... bittersweet I tell ya! But, it was time! Bedtime temper tantrums have been cut down substantially!

And... the first time she went pee on the potty on her own, without us asking her if she needed to go.

Can ya tell I'm a mom? Big girl beds and peeing in the potty get me excited!!! :)

365 Project: January 4, 2012

2012-01-11T08:31:00.001-06:00

Jan. 4th brought us to Caidrie's 6 week check up with our beloved midwife. Our appointments with Marla are anything but rushed, and we do our fair share of chit chatting... but this time I think we made a record! Our visit was nearing two hours when we decided to say our good-byes! Have I mentioned that we absolutely L-O-V-E her? Even Alia and Larren get giddy and excited when they get to visit with "Miss. Marla!" Maybe it's because she brought them sweet little necklaces & bracelets after Caidrie was born... or that she let's them be the little assistants when she checks Caidrie & I... or maybe it's because she takes time to show them specific things and give them hugs... or simply because she knows how to make a person feel extra special! We've been OH SO blessed to be under her care and to have her deliver all of our babies. She is so gentle, kind, caring, insightful, compassionate, and basically just the friendliest gal you're ever gonna meet!

Caidrie did fantastic and is healthy as can be! She weighed in at 12 lbs. 2 oz. and is flying right out of her 3 month clothes and rounding the bend to 6 month! At the age of 6 weeks, mind you! :) This is on the verge of craziness!

So yeah... knowing this was (most likely!) the last official appointment we'll ever have with Marla made me shed some tears! A friend once said to me, "Maybe you & Marla should find some other things in common so you don't have to keep having babies to see her!" And...*sigh*... she's probably right! :)

365 Project: January 3, 2012

2012-01-05T15:25:00.001-06:00

Larren woke up from her nap just in time...

What would childhood be without a few beaters & spoons to lick?! :)

365 Project: January 2, 2012

2012-01-05T15:03:00.005-06:00

Only two days into my 365 Project and I realized something quite beneficial to attaining my goal. In order to really capture the day in ONE shot, my camera will have to come with me everywhere I go!

A good friend and I headed to the States for a day of shopping and to, dare I say it, get away from the kiddos! I could have gotten several more accurate pictures of what our day entailed...
- maybe of Loralee and I trying on cute (read: on the verge of ridiculous!) hats
- eating at Jimmy John's for the first time (which has been added to my "must eat at again" list!)
- climbing in the VW through the passenger side door umpteen times because Jon's car decided to give us grief
- battling to open the cars overflowing trunk on several occasions because it too decided to give us grief
- or maybe our cheers and shouts of WOOHOO! when the border officer let us through without paying duty on all our purchases!

But... because I didn't bring the big black box needed to capture those things... I settled on an "end of the shopping day picture" with this cute little bean!

Caidrie came along on our shopping expedition (of course!) and my oh my, she was positively perfect! The only mishap was a diaper blow-out in aisle 12... but other than that we couldn't have asked for a better shopping companion!

God knows me well... and knew that after Larren's rough first year I needed an easy baby for my own sanity's sake! I've heard baby #3 is the "golden baby" and so far that's ringing true! Caidrie is the most laid back, barely makes a peep, goes with the flow, baby I've ever met! I think I see many more shopping / spa trips in her future! :)

365 Project: January 1, 2012

2012-01-05T08:32:00.002-06:00

As mentioned, my goal is to take at LEAST a picture a day for the year. When 2012 is over I'd like to compile them all together in a book to document how we spent our time! They may not be anything fancy... actually I KNOW they won't be anything fancy :) ... but they're us. And as we glance back over the year I look forward to the memories that will follow!

Jan 1st. had us saying goodbyes to my family as they headed back to O-HI-O. Funny how our house actually felt QUIET after they left! We tidied up a bit, took a nap here & there, and basically just spent the day relaxing / playing with all the new goodies the girls received.

A great way to welcome in the New Year in my books! :)

New Year's Resolutions... or Lack There Of

2012-01-04T22:33:00.001-06:00

As appealing and inspiring as New Year's resolutions can be... I've just never been all for 'em. Maybe it's because I know myself (and my shortcomings) a little too well or maybe it's because I feel my normal every day life is about as much as I can currently handle!

This year I'm only going to commit to two things.

1 - Take at LEAST one picture a day for the next year! Doesn't sound too hard right? But I must admit, I'm not the greatest with picture consistency... so this will take effort! The extra twist is that I want the picture to sum up the events of the day, if possible. My ideal goal would be an award winning photo every single day... but I'm telling both you, and myself, to keep expectations low! Real low...

2 -Wake up in the morning ready to give up my own personal expectations and to simply SAVOR the day. I have found that expectations usually take AWAY from my life instead of adding to it. And the short story of the matter is... I have too many, and I need to get rid of them! :)

My "365 Project" officially started January 1st... but here's a little appetizer from our New Year's Eve festivities!

Visiting family, kids, and cards... if I would have included the huge spread of food we consumed than this pic would have hit the nail on the head! :)

Caidrie Cuteness

2011-12-07T15:13:00.000-06:00

Caidrie and I had a little newborn photo session the other day and, to be honest, I simply couldn't stop taking pictures of her! The lighting was fantastic, her skin was oh so perfect, and her newborn scrumptiousness just overtook all sense of time!

Here are a FEW pictures of our smallest cutey patootie! :)

Beautiful Bundle #3

2011-11-26T21:50:00.003-06:00

This is the week of American Thanksgiving (with Thanksgiving being our third little love's actual due date!) and we have MUCH to be thankful for!

Caidrie Praise was born on Monday, November 21st at 4:50 pm. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long!

Labor and delivery were more difficult than I expected and quite different than the other two, but overall it went very well.

We were, once again, blessed to have a natural water birth delivery with our FABULOUS midwife! Marla has been our midwife for all three girls... and I am always blown away with her gentle spirit and her servant heart!

Caidrie was super purple when she was born, and couldn't breathe all that well, so sadly she wasn't able to hang out in the pool with me as long as the other girls did...but after some TLC she was good as gold and ready to snuggle!

Everything is super low key and relaxed with a midwife and we were each able to take our guess as to how much Caidrie weighed before she officially hit the scales...

... needless to say we were all over a pound short! There was a slight gasp across the room when the scale said over nine lbs!

The next day both big sisters came for a visit and, as predicted, Alia was instantly smitten with her new little sister!

The supply of hugs and kisses is unending!

Larren hasn't been so sure about the whole thing and tends to keep her distance... (sadly, she has been very sick this week, which has aided in her apprehensiveness) but it's so good to see those moments when her sweetness simply can't be contained! Every now and then a kiss is handed out with a little "yuv ooo" to top it off!

Nana Betty and Papa Ron cared for the girls while we were at the hospital and oh, what a blessing to not worry about them! They were spoiled to the nines and loved on good and proper while we were away!

Once again, our stay at the hospital was fantastic and the nurses were so good to us! We only stayed 24 hours (though I said that with this baby I wanted to stay until they kicked me out!!) but probably should have stayed one extra day... needless to say that first night was interesting with two sick kiddos and a brand new baby!

Despite a crazy household Caidrie has been such a little blessing! She's content, easy going, sweet as pie, nurses like a pro, and has hardly made a peep since she was born!

Can I just say, for the record, that having three girls is absolutely amazing!! I love all the pink... the dolls... the hair bows... the drama :) ... the dresses... the massive amounts of shoes... dress up time... baking with built in "assistants"... it just keeps getting better and better!

And I wouldn't have it any other way!

39 Weeks and Counting

2011-11-19T10:47:00.003-06:00

Well, it's pretty obvious that I have been LESS than stellar about taking pregnancy pics this time around... like I MAYBE have a dozen and a half! My intentions are good... but then I'm either too lazy to set up the tripod or I see myself in the pics and cringe!

So as a result... this baby will only see what her preggo mama looked like to a small degree!

My best friend Jen and I have an annual tradition of attending a local women's retreat together, and this year Jen made it clear we were using a bit of our free time to take some pregnancy pics! I might have whined a tad bit, but I'm SO THANKFUL that we were able to document this amazing time in life! And... I'm kicking myself for simply not taking ONE picture a week! Oh well...

Let me be clear that it is hard for me to be a model... very, very hard. In my "previous life" (AKA before kids!) I had no quams about being in front of the camera, and could actually take a decent picture! But for some reason kiddos have changed that and I look like a loon every time the shutter goes! That being said... this is the only full face shot of the bunch! Not because Jen didn't take more, but because well... just because!

So here ya go...

The classic heart pic... which makes me smile!

We took these pictures in September, and I thought "Oh, I haven't grown THAT much..." but as you'll later see, yes... indeed I have! :)

And this next shot is one of my favorites... a slight view of what it's like from the top!

Again, thank you Jen... I really appreciate it!

For months now the girls have taken to kissing "the baby" on a very regular basis. In the morning when they wake up, when we're playing together, when they're laying their heads on my belly as we read books, when I'm washing their faces after a meal, before nap time, before bed time... on a regular basis is not an understatement!

Here's MY recent view of the oldest little kisser!

And the inevitable "Does baby like it when I give her kisses?" question! :)

Jen was over for lunch last week and simply said "march to the end of the hall young lady!" :)

I gotta say... I FEEL that big, but had no idea I actually looked it!
39 weeks and counting... Mama's ready for ya baby Kreiser!

Sisters

2011-11-17T22:46:00.004-06:00

Siblings fight. It just seems to come with the territory and our gals are no different.

BUT... the bond of friendship that is starting to form between them simply makes me sigh and smile! All these pictures were taken over the last week or so. Nothing planned or staged... just several "Hey girls!" then quickly click - moments.

I never wished I had a sister growing up or felt deprived by not having one... but after having two girls I can see why sisters have such a close bond! They are an automatic built in best friend!! And when we add another little lady to this here mix... and one best friend turns into TWO... well, let's just say that these loves are super duper blessed!!

Sporting a New Look...

2011-11-08T14:26:00.007-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that Alia's sporting a new look.... though we wouldn't mind the "old look" back!

See that scare above her right eye?

Sadly, it's been there for a couple of weeks now and looks like it might be staying with us for awhile longer.

She had a topple as she was climbing up (or down? For the life of me I still can't figure out how it all happened exactly!) the step ladder and found something sharp to come in contact with along the way. Thankfully Jon was home and came running towards the screams. As you may know head wounds produce A. LOT. of blood... and frankly, I don't do well with blood when it's coming from my offspring. Someone else's kid? Sure... I can handle it. But my kid? Goodness, I become a frantic chicken with her head cu... umm, anyhow! Jon was a firefighter for 5 years and automatically goes into first responder mode when it comes to emergency situations. Which, I must say, is way more useful than the mode I go into!

After several hours of contemplating, we decided it was too deep to leave alone and mosied on down to ER for them to take a closer look. Sure enough it needed either glue or stitches... and after a serious request for glue, that's what we ended up with. (The thought of them stitching up Alia's forehead left me greatly nauseous... to say the least!) I was so glad to have Nana Betty along with me (Jon stayed home with sleeping Larren) and Alia was thrilled to have the two of us all to herself! She mentioned a couple of times how much fun it was! :)

That's when I decided that more one on one dates were in order! A trip to ER just shouldn't be that exciting!

Come on Babe

2011-11-08T13:14:00.006-06:00

We've been looking at this picture of our little girl for the last couple of months now...

... and ya know... I am READY to meet her already!!

Come on babe... you've got lots of people wanting to give you hugs, kisses, and lovin' galore! (Namely two big sisters who ask EVERY day when they get to see you!) We're not such a scary bunch.... loud (as you can attest!)... but fun none the less! I know, I know... you love keeping us all waiting in suspense, but we're the game isn't as thrilling as it once was! And it's not even COLD yet... trust me, my love... now is a better time to arrive than when winter officially comes to the prairies! Plus, rumor has it that one of your favorite aunties is having a birthday today... and she'd be delighted to have a sweet little birthday twin to share it with!

Doughnuts and Doll Diapers

2011-11-06T16:09:00.001-06:00

This morning I had the pleasure of going on a date with my oldest little lady and it was an ab-sol-ute TREAT! I positively enjoyed every minute of it!

We went out for "coffee" in the morning... a.k.a. chocolate milk...

... and then made our way to the town's annual craft sale! Alia and I went last year, so she knew what to expect. After our Timmy's stop, she said "Hurry Mommy... we need to find the quickest way to the craft show!" Needless to say, she had been looking forward to it for quite some time! :)

We did lots of hand holding, browsed every table, played in the new indoor play area, and bought several items. Some were great finds and some well... weren't!

My conclusion is that I'm a sucker for craft shows. It's kinda like an auction for me. I get wrapped up in the moment and end up bringing things home that I never would have if I wasn't "under the influence!"

Our final tally for the morning included: 4 doll diapers, 2 homemade fridge magnets, a hair clip holder, a container of homemade salve, and Alia's favorite find of the day... lego shaped glycerin soap.

I have to say... I'm already looking forward to our date when next year's craft show rolls around!! And will definitely be stocking up on glycerin soap... :)

Sugar Cookies with a Smile... and LOTS of Sprinkles :)

2011-11-03T15:53:00.004-05:00

Instead of spending Halloween at home handing out candy, we head into town for our churches "Hallapalooza" candy carnival! But we don't leave our 3 trick-or-treaters disappointed... no, no!

We set out a bucket of candy on the verandah with the unspoken request to help themselves! Year after year we are always surprised with how much candy is left... but this time around we either got more participation than in years previous, or a couple of kiddos LOADED up! :) We happened to be home when the last group came (upping our total to at least 6!) and because Jon doesn't want "extra candy" in the house... generous handfuls were given, to say the least!

This year the idea of cookie costumes popped into my head. Originally I was going to make one snickerdoodle cookie (with lots of glitter and sparkles as the cinnamon/sugar) and one sugar cookie with pink frosting and sprinkles... but because both girls love pink, it just seemed fitting to make their costumes matching! Alia & Larren enjoyed helping me cut out the felt and put the pins away as I sewed the costume together... but the real highlight was the SPRINKLES! And needless to say, we went a little overboard in that department! :)

First up... a stop by Nana Betty & Papa Ron's for a little costume modeling! They had treats for the girls (of course!) and treats for Mom & Dad too! We ended up having an impromptu "appetizer party" in their front entrance and then were on our merry to the carnival!

We started out with a hot dog supper...

... which proved to be quite a lengthy affair for the girls. There was just so much other fun stuff to be distracted by!

And then... finally... the games could begin!

Since the bean bag toss station was right next to our dining accommodations, we hit that one up first. Alia got the concept with no problems...

... but to Larren...

... it was just a walk in the park! Simply walk the bags up to the hole and drop 'em in... no sweat!

Next up... fishing! (And this was the kind of fishing that Daddy was more than happy to participate in!)

Moving right on to the Frisbee toss...

... and again, to Larren this whole carnival thing was just too easy!

We made our way over to N.'s station and she decided to give Larren a few pointers!

Larren just couldn't figure out why no one else did things her way...

Let's try it again, shall we?

Nope...

Sweet N. gave her a hug and some candy anyhow! :)

When asked what her favorite event was... bowling clearly won in Alia's books!

Regular bowling just won't have the same delight after this version!

After our bowling extravaganza we mozied on over to the gummy worm eating station... with a twist!

Next up... twinkle toes.

Our lovely lady has surprisingly good toe coordination! She picked up all the rocks and put them in the bowl with little effort. A useful gift to have? Questionable! Though it does warrant candy, so that's worth something!

The girls spotted the baby food eating station and, with all the baby talk around our house, wanted to give it a whirl!

Doesn't seem so bad...

... until the taste buds do some registering!

The next sample wasn't much better!

Alia's verdict was that candy wins over baby food every time... but that didn't detour little sister from trying! She would have come back for more, had we let her!

We made a quick dash to the penny toss...

... and then headed to the sanctuary for a teaching time on "Blessing Your Child". It was REALLY good... though our little ones were definitely ready for more action and less paying attention!

And... keeping up with tradition (here's last years pics!)... we were running late and weren't able to get costume pictures before we arrived at the church. So... just like last year... these are "documentation pics" at best! We're winning no awards with these 'uns! :)

Here we have the "opposites attract" pic...
big sister = seriously, more pictures and little sister = YAY, more pictures!

And here we have the "Yeah, we are so done with this and just want to eat some candy" pic.

So there ya have it. Two sugar cookies, high on sugar, that are as sweet as can be!

100% Love, 100% of the Time

2011-11-02T08:06:00.041-05:00

My quiet time this morning was one of those "just what I needed to hear" kind of moments. Over the last couple of months I have realized just how much I've replaced a relationship with a religion. I have been more focused on DOING for God, than on simply BEING in Jesus presence... getting to know Him on a deeper level. How often I have blocked "out" God's love for me because of my "less than steller" performance... and then gotten frustrated that He's not speaking to me... when all the while His Love hasn't changed. I have. And... He's YEARNING to simply envelope me in His loving arms... whether I'm choosing to pursue Him, or ignore Him.

Here's a glimpse into my reading this morning...

"Unconditional Love is such a radical concept that even My most devoted followers fail to grasp it fully. Absolutely nothing in heaven or on earth can cause Me to stop loving you. You may feel more loved when you are performing according to your expectations. But My Love is perfect; therefore it is not subject to variation. What does vary is your awareness of My loving Presence.

When you are dissatisfied with your behavior, you tend to feel unworthy of My Love. You may unconsciously punish yourself by withdrawing from Me and attributing the distance between us to My displeasure. Instead of returning to Me and receiving My Love, you attempt to earn My approval by trying harder. All the while, I am ACHING to hold you in My everlasting arms, to enfold you in My Love. When you are feeling unworthy or unloved, come to Me. Then ask for receptivity to My unfailing Love."

(an excerpt from the book "40 Days with Jesus : Celebrating His Presence" by Sarah Young)

Psalm 13:5 & 6 - "But I trust in Your unfailing love. I will rejoice because You have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me."

This message called "The Inheritance" by Graham Cooke is oh so powerful.
Every.single.time. I watch it I am blown away by our God. SOAK in these words. Let them penetrate to those hard, unbelieving places of your heart. Let this truth replace lies believed and bring freedom to areas of fear, bondage, and rejection.

Be encouraged today that it's not about our performance... it's about the crazy, intense, unfathomable love of our Father.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

2011-10-31T21:55:00.003-05:00

So... it's honestly been a DECADE (or more!) since either Jonathan or I have carved a pumpkin. We're real up on our fall traditions, can ya tell?! Considering that our girls have been enthralled with the numerous pumpkins on our vernadah for the past month... we thought it was time we dusted off the ole' carving skills (or lack there of!) and had a family fun night!

As a child, my favorite thing about pumpkin carving was removing the ooey gooey pumpkin inerds!

Alia was all for it...

... but Larren was more than skeptical! She didn't think reaching her hand into a giant orange hole and pulling out slimy seeds was too high on her priority list... and really, who can blame her?!?! (Yes... she did her hair all by herself!)

Did I mention that we haven't carved pumpkins in a really, really long time? And that neither of us have very high artistic genes?! Thus the reason for a stencil! :)

And masking tape just ups the fun factor for the kiddos, right?!

Jon was first up to take a stab at the kitten... umm... yeah, ya may not wanna think on that visual too long!!

Then the massive pregnant lady took a turn.

And surprisingly, it was quite relaxing... I wanted to keep on adding to the kitty cat...

... but it all goes back to that lack of artistic ability thing!

Jon and Alia did some fine tuning...

... and then it was time to do the official candle lighting!

Alia ran around the house, turning off all the lights so we could get a better look... which resulted in our youngest little lady falling off her chair. So we moved it outside to get the same effect with less risk of head injuries!

The girls were most pleased... and now the little meow-meow is ready to greet the 3 trick-or-treaters that come to our door!

If it's a Little "Too Quiet"...

2011-10-27T22:43:00.002-05:00

... and we haven't seen Larren in awhile... we now know where to look!

Her play kitchen has become her favorite new reading spot!

The only trouble is the dismount. Her little bum fits in the sink perfectly and can become somewhat wedged on occasion.

On those days when the dishes seem to pile up and the sink is "calling my name", I've been tempted to take Larren's approach. Leave the dishes as they are and simply sink down (ha!) with a good book. But I gotta be honest... I'm pretty sure wedging would be a concern, and my dismount struggle just wouldn't be nearly as cute as Larren's!

Mi Casa Update

2011-10-20T23:32:00.003-05:00

Several of you have asked how our house search is going, so I figured why not just update ya'll at the same time! If you're ready to READ (sorry, no pics on this one!) than dive on in. And if this looks rather long and boring to you... well, I understand! :)

Before we got married Jon bought an acre of land in a small community then moved an old farmhand's house onto it. Though this is FAR from common practice in Ohio, it's actually done pretty often up here. I guess it's that whole "don't let a good thing go to waste" mentality put into action! The house was put on a new basement and we spent the first year (who am I kidding... TWO years!) renovating the house from top to bottom. We're not talking a couple coats of paint either! Envision lath and plaster, dry walling, plumbing, wiring, wood shavings (which was what our house had for insulation), new insulation (and lots of it!), flooring, trim, siding, windows, paint, etc. and you get the picture! Our intention was to live here for two years (TOPS!) then find a bigger place. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well... 6 years of marriage and 2+1 kids later, we're still here! We have been actively looking for a different place for the last 3 years. No stone has been left un-turned type looking. BUT... we have a very specific list of what we want, we're not willing to settle for less than God has for us, and we have not felt God's release on any property thus far. Except ONE.

When we first moved to this community I wasn't the most impressed. I mean there's nothing fancy about it... at all. It's a 5 minute drive to town (which believe it or not, people here actually contemplate if they want to MAKE THE DRIVE to come see us... can you Ohio-ians believe that? It's ridiculous...) and we were the newbies in a community where people stay "forever". I thought it would be NO problem to move on without looking back. Turns out that's not the case.

The truth is, I have fallen in love with our little community. I have ZERO desire to move to town and even less of a desire to head east to the "big city" surroundings. It's safe here, the people are friendly without being nosy, everybody knows everybody but not every bodies business, some of our closest friends (our MB family, we call them!) live here, and we LOVE not having traffic, noise, or too many people to deal with! Of the current options before us, I simply want to stay HERE the most. And that's where the problem comes in. No one moves away from this community. I take that back... one 80 year old lady moved to town to be closer to her family in the whole time we've lived here. So yeah, turnover is low to say the least!

We heard rumor that a family was wanting to move to town and talked to them about buying their place. As soon as we looked at their house both Jon and I felt that it was the one. We had complete peace about it, we were willing to wait for it, we felt God's head nod of approval... and so our search was "over"... kind of. We kept looking at other options, but arrows constantly pointed back to the "Z place". Their plan was to move to town by this winter, and our plan was to renovate their house ('cause boy oh boy did it need it!) and then put our house on the market after the renos were complete. We had verbal yes's, but they still needed to find a place before all the puzzle pieces could fit together. Over the summer we got more and more excited and couldn't wait to check back with them this fall. And sadly enough... that's when they broke the news to us, that after much searching they had decided to stay put. They too felt like our community was the best option.

It honestly took me a few days of grieving to get over that one. I was so angry with the Lord for "not providing." We had waited for almost TWO YEARS for this place, just to have the door slammed shut. But... after a while of wrestling and growing I have been reminded of a couple of things...

1. God has a plan for us that is GOOD and it's timed PERFECTLY

2. The Lord gave us a specific list of what we needed to do before we could find a new place... and all those items have been slowly checked off. We have been obedient ... and obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Sam. 15:22) We have done what we can do and it's often in the waiting that depth and growth can occur!

3. As believers we feel that we are to live BELOW our means and that debt is not God's plan for His children. We refuse to go for more than the number God has given us... and even in this crazy high priced market, we are fully confident that God will honor the decision we've made to live in freedom.

So... all this means that we will be spending another winter in our little cozy abode. Not only will our current four be getting close and comfy, but we'll be adding a fifth member to the fun! At first that thought overwhelmed me, but God has really brought me to a place of peace. We have made small changes to make this house work better for all of us, we've tried utilizing every inch of space available, and we've chosen to be THANKFUL for what we do have instead of what we don't! Like the the lack of a dishwasher!! :)

We haven't stopped our house hunt, per say... but we're definitely more content to be where we are until God gives us a very clear sign to do otherwise. Yes, we're bursting at the seams... but "love grows in small houses" right?!

So there ya have it... at this point you still know where to find us. And just a plug... our house may be small but visitors are always welcome! Just think of our house as a hotel suite... minus the maid service! :)

Hoping for Winter

2011-10-16T21:16:00.001-05:00

At bedtime tonight the words "I really hope winter comes tomorrow..." came out of my daughter's mouth! MY daughter, can you believe it?! It's crazy that my offspring can even concoct such thoughts... but I do have to factor into the equation who her father is! And there's no doubt in my mind that she got more of "his Canadian" than "my American!"

We got Alia a new snowmobiling hat and after modeling it for Daddy, I think the wheels in her mind starting turning!

She remembered the distinct sound of the snowmobile, the feel of gliding over snowdrifts at a rip roaring pace, flying through the air at the "snow mountains", the welcomed warmth of the house after a long ride, the gallons and gallons of hot chocolate consumed in one winter season...

... and then she started reminding her sister!!

Yeah, it's a lost cause. I'm officially out numbered by the winter lovers in our house. All hopes of moving to a WARM climate are dashed... no matter how much hot chocolate I promise! :)

Pickin' & Pressin'

2011-10-13T14:31:00.006-05:00

Back in Ohio my grandparents have a lovely fruit orchard. Come fall it's a family tradition to congregate for some homemade soup, an evening of apple picking, and possibly the occasional apple fight! We stand in the back of trucks, on ladders, on ladders IN the back of trucks, on buckets, on tractors... you name it... whatever it takes to get the job done! We all know what the final product will be, so we just keep pick picking away! Next it's on to the apple press to make some of the BEST cider known to man!! Our wedding happened to be after picking & pressing time so we were blessed to serve some of G & G's yummy cider to our guests. Even after all these years, people still comment on how tasty it was!

My family is generous enough to save a gallon or two for when we visit... but this year we thought we'd try bringing a "taste of home" to the north!

First off... pick the apples!

This poor tree had an "owey" and one of the limbs was quite severed, so a portion of our apple picking was spent on our bums... sounds like hard work, I know!

We transported the apples to a farm family up the road to have them pressed. They typically only press for family and friends but were super generous when we asked if we could come give it a go!

Next, spread out the apples on a metal grate and give 'em a good hose down... and maybe the cat too, while you're at it!

After the apples are sparkling clean, they are brought over to the press and loaded into this wooden box.

This is a two man job... one guy loads it up and the other guy cranks the wheel to chop up the apples.

Once the bucket is full of itty bitty apple pieces...

... it's time to press the juice out!

Mmmm.... slowly but surely each bucket is filled with sweet golden yumminess!

We simply put the cider into square plastic ice cream pails and then popped them straight into the freezer when we got home!

Time to load, rinse and repeat the process...

... with lots more apples!

Alia (and her baby, Blueberry Muffin) were self appointed foremen. They made sure everybody knew there was work to do and that there was no standing around for her crew! Though, by now she's quite used to seeing her mama with a little black box in front of her nose doing... pretty much nothing... so she let me get away with a less than desired workload!

It was getting dark and bedtime was quickly approaching... but the girls were SO eager & willing to help wherever they could! A little too eager, perhaps... a gallon of cider was lost when little Larren tried loading it in the box all by her lonesome. Her spirit was willing but her flesh was just too weak!

Sadly, this cider didn't hold a candle in the wind compared to G & G's! It happened to be on the tart/sour side of life... let's just say we've already learned a lesson in which apples are for pie making and which are for cider! We're looking forward to starting this fun fall family tradition with our little clan... though I gotta say... after 8 gallons of tart cider it might take a little more convincing for next year!

** Thanks again T & K for all the apples! We'll keep that tree for pies and the south tree for cider next time! **

Green Smoothies

2011-10-03T15:42:00.005-05:00

A couple of months ago my midwife introduced me to the concept of "green smoothies." It took me a little while to join the band wagon but now... I'm hooked!

My green smoothies aren't as "interesting" as some recipes I've found online, and of course they could always be healthier, but they're still chock full of good-for-you-goodness!

My typical daily recipe is as follows:

2-3 cups baby spinach

1/2 - 1 leaf kale (stem removed)

1 1/2 c. water

1 banana

1 kiwi

1 cup berries (blueberries and strawberries)

Every now and then I'll throw in some cucumber, carrot, peaches or whatever else is on hand... and needs used up!

Easy enough, eh? I typically prefer "God sugar" vs. other sugars... but I have started adding about 1/4-1/3 cup yogurt, simply for the fact that I'm going to eat it anyway, so why not just mix it in?!

This recipe is SO easy to make and makes enough for me to drink at breakfast and as an afternoon snack! I love that it's so easy to get multiple servings of fruits and veggies in a couple of sips! But I'm not the only one...

"Moo-eee.... moo-eee... moo-eee!!!"

It's impossible for me to make a green smoothie without Larren drinking a hearty portion of it! Which is fine... but can I just say that it *huh hum* "cleans her out"... and that means more diaper changing for me!

Alia has given them a try every now and then... but she still prefers PINK smoothies instead! :)

Their color may be a bit on the questionable side, but I assure you... they have been Larren approved and she keeps coming back for more, so they can't be too bad, right?! Go ahead... pick up some kale, dust off your blender and give 'em a whirl! Just be sure to let me know what you think!

Beachin' it with the Fam

2011-10-03T14:28:00.007-05:00

For August long weekend we were blessed to meet up with Jon's family at Manhatten Beach Camp in western Manitoba. Not only did we get to spend time with his immediate family there, but several of his aunts, uncles, and cousins too!! We were there for Gramma's family reunion and what a treat indeed!

Here are Jon's aunts and uncles plus the cousins that were able to make it out for the weekend.

Since Jon's aunties and uncles are spread out across Canada (and the States!) we typically don't get to see them very often. Needless to say, having a whole weekend together was wonderful! After connecting with them, being reminded of how sweet each of his aunts are, and seeing the girls quickly warm up and become "best buds" with a number of the aunts and uncles, it made me wish they all lived closer!! Every night we sat around the campfire and were intrigued with stories of the past. Gramma came from a very large, hard working farm family and to say life was "different back then" is an understatement... it sure makes one stop and think!

Jon and I walked away from the weekend feeling VERY BLESSED by the heritage that God has given us through Gramma & Grampa and the love for Christ that each of their families passed on to them. Since most of the family lives far away we feel EXTRA privileged to have them "just down the road!" We hope to spend many a winter evenings listening to more of their stories as the weather keeps us cooped inside!

We didn't have our own personal boat at the camp, but were able to take a cruise around the lake on a couple of occasions!

The girls soaked up as much time with Gramma and Grampa T. as they could! There were boat rides, swimming, trips to the park, bicycle rides, story times, and several trips to the ice cream/candy shop! :)

Jon grew up coming to this camp almost every summer, so it was really cool to connect visuals with all the stories I've heard!

The weather was perfect, so we went swimming both in the lake and in the pool.... though the term "we" is used lightly! There was no way I was going to don a bathing suit in my current state! Again, I'm thankful for family members who enjoy the water more than I do! :)

Alia was given this bee for her birthday, and though she enjoyed playing with it... it was LARREN who couldn't get enough! For a girl who is ALWAYS on the go, it was a welcome sight to see her so relaxed! It didn't matter if the bee was in the water or on the floor in our hotel room... she was as content as they come when the two of them were together!

We tried to get a family picture that was somewhat decent but between energetic kids, people looking at two different cameras, and being able to see who was holding the remote camera control... we decided to go for a "realistic look" this time around!

We'll have to try again at Christmas... though we do give credit to Joe and Matt in this pic!!

We would have loved to extend the weekend a few more days, and it seems that there is always more conversation to be had or activities to do, but it was nice being able to see the whole family again... just wish it could happen more often!!

* The original intention was to post this RIGHT after the Ohio one, cause they're both way OVERDUE! But ... to give you an idea, we went to Manhatten Beach camp and then left immediately from there for Ohio. The adventurous train story should be in the middle, but as I've said... it's still in the works! *

Once Upon A Time...

2011-09-29T23:29:00.003-05:00

... we went to a land far, far away...

Okay, maybe it`s not that bad, but this Ohio update sure has been due for awhile now!

As most of you know, each summer we try to make it down south for a visit with family and friends. This year we could only stay for about 3 weeks, which may sound like a long time to some... but trust me, it goes by lightening fast!!

After our horrible train experience (that story will be coming yet!) it felt even more wonderful to pull into my parents driveway! We quickly settled in, took a MUCH needed nap, and then got ready to leave for a 3 day conference with my parents that night! The girls were spoiled good and proper by their aunties, uncles, and some close family friends... so thankfully they hardly even noticed we were gone! It was delightful to get away, be wined and dined, catch up with my folks, for Jon and I to have some time together, to be pampered for a day and to simply shop by MYSELF for the first time in way too long. :)

Once we got home from the conference it was "go time" as we prepared for my Papa's surprise 50th birthday party! If any questions arose, we simply told him WE (Jon and I) were having a bunch of friends over... so he never thought anything of it! :)

Until he walked in to see that these were indeed HIS friends... and that Mom had surprised him once again!

We planned a simple menu of a taco & salad bar, watermelon and ice cream cake for dessert.

Though let's be real... would it be a party without pulling out a HUGE "machete" to cut the cake and a blow torch to light the candles? Not in our family, it wouldn't! :)

Celebrating 50 years of life... there was A. LOT. of smoke! :)

All in all it was a great party, and we were just as excited as Dad was to see all of "his" friends... they have been equally as impacting and special in our lives too!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The girls... as I mentioned... got lots of time with their aunties and uncles!! Any chance they could, my brothers and their lovelies were out visiting! You parents know that when someone invests in and loves your kids like their OWN... that speaks VOLUMES more than any words could! To say we are super duper blessed doesn't quite cover it!

Alia and Larren also got some time in with their older three 2nd cousins! I tell ya... we have quite the number of girls going on in our family, now that I think about it!!!

And the girls quickly figured out that they wanted GRAMPA to dish out breakfast in the mornings! He had (still has!) a small habit of pouring mighty big bowls of sugar cereal at even the slightest bat of the eyes... they've got him wrapped around their little fingers for sure and for certain! And sunglasses at the breakfast table? It's all the rage!

There was plenty of play time... but a little work managed to get accomplished too! Dad and Jon fixed the windmill...

... but not without a foreman, of course!

While the tractor was out, Larren took the opportunity to learn a thing or two... I'm certain this girl will know how to drive anything and everything by the ripe ole' age of five! :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There were:

... canoe rides on the pond...

... toys galore ...

... driving lessons on the mini kids four wheeler ...

... fishing adventures at the pond (in PJ's no less!) ...

... go-carting ...

... play dates with BFF's ...

... Jon's first introduction to funnel cake's followed by an afternoon funnel cake making event ...

... lots of relaxation on the hammock ...

... a few belated b-day gifts to open ...

... and plenty of cuddles!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Grampa and Alia started an annual summer tradition of camping out by the pond!

The evening included a bonfire ...

... tiki torches ...

... discoveries that Grampa is indeed going bald! :) ...

... a canoe ride ...

... and fishing until the fish would bite no longer!

Alia learned how to find night crawlers...

... wait patiently ...

... watch for the bobber to go down ...

... then reel it in like crazy!

She caught a couple blue gill, small mouth and large mouth bass...

... and got a thorough demonstration on hook removal!

Wait, reel, and repeat!

Little sister was certainly paying close attention... she's planning on upping the anty for next summer!

This was by far the silliest, sweetest, and giggliest fish caught all evening!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Our immediate family always tries to take a little vacation while we're together and this year Ohio Amish Country took the vote!

Our first stop was an Amish bakery, store, and animal market/petting zoo!

They had these fun little cones filled with animal food that you could feed the critters with.

Alia wasn't super sure about the whole idea...

... and typically preferred just saying "hi" instead!

But this big ole' boy caught her attention pretty quick!

Big Ben was absolutely the biggest horse I have EVER seen! My dad is 6'5"... so that gives you an idea of just how massive this gentle horse was! Big Ben made such an impact on Alia that he stills pops up in weekly conversation!

Our little Larren fell asleep on the way there, but after a nap, she wasted no time "waking up slowly"...

... there were ANIMALS to see, kiss, feed, hug and have lengthy chats with!

This girl would have gladly stayed all day!

And while Alia's animal feed lasted for several rounds (she's more of an equal opportunity kinda girl!)... Larren was definitely more generous in her portions!

But after the feed was gone, there was still more fun waiting around the corner!

The cones were used to feed the goats that were on TOP of the barn!

You put the cone in this conveyor belt...

... reeled it up to the top, nice and slow...

... then watched as the goats gobbled it up!

It was a good thing we had several cones... both the kids and the boys were positively thrilled by the whole thing! :)

The next day we went to a place called The Farm. We weren't quite sure what to expect, but it was BY FAR the highlight of our time in Amish country!

We were pulled by a team of horses in an open wagon to see, what seemed like, every type of animal! (And to give them a snack as "bait!")

Our Amish driver was super informative and had a great sense of humor, none the less!

Once Larren realized that the animals would come close at the sight of food, her hands were ALWAYS loaded & ready!

We saved a whole bucket specifically for the "grand finale" at the end. GIRAFFES!

It has been my dream for YEARS to pet a giraffe. So while Jon lured them in with food...

... one of my dreams came true!!

I literally had tears streaming down my cheeks... it was just so amazing!

My brother donned the camera to document the experience, forfeiting
his chance to feed them, so I could pet them... THANKS so much Josh!!!

The best family photo we could muster... and yes, Larren is eating animal food! We soon whipped out the Cheez-its at this point! :)

The country lodging where we stayed was great! The house was big enough for ALL of us to stay in...

... they had a nice play area for the girls, a bonfire pit...

... and a pond to cool off in! (Though this picture doesn't do the depth justice... it was a tad on the shallow side!)

The guys could play basketball, the girls could play on all the fun riding toys...

... and us older girls could simply sit and relax out front! This has been added to our "must go back again someday" list!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The guys bought 3 four-wheelers and 1 dirt bike while we were home... so needless to say the grass around the pond was starting to get a tad thin by the time we left!

They even let a big round preggo lady take a go at it!

So there ya have it. A small glimpse into our summer!

And because ya'll say there aren't many pics of me...

... here ya go! :)

Last Weekend...

2011-09-21T16:36:00.004-05:00

... we took a roadtrip to...

Saskatchewan, naturally.

It was for a funeral and the trip felt like a l.o.n.g. one, but...

(among other things) I am thankful for:

A visit with WONDERFUL friends, that we wish we could see more, and for them letting us crash at their place with only a couple hours notice!

Built in DVD players.

Children who are learning, more and more, how to entertain themselves.

Being able to take pictures of Miss. A & L WITHOUT them squirming or running away! (Unfair... I know!)

A mighty handsome traveling companion.

(Though, at this point I had bluegrass music blaring and was seeing an old ballad about stealing chickens at the top of my lungs... so combine this with Jon's LOVE of picture taking and you might understand why his absolutely thrilled expression is a little more legitimized!!)

A hotel with a water slide.

A husband who knows me well enough to say “just try it”... and being pleasantly surprised by how much fun the water slide was!

That my water babies have a Daddy who loves water equally as much as they do!

For a kids tunnel (and a Daddy who could FIT in the kids tunnel when this pregnant mama couldn't)...

... that led to this fun play area (and for the free entertainment of watching Jon try to squeeze in, and go down, the slide at the end!!)

Being able to show the girls the area where Daddy grew up...

... even if the farm looks NOTHING like it once did. (Sadly enough.)

Taking a “SK style detour” when our shortcut road was completely under water.

Visiting with relatives that we WISH we could see more... and the girls taking to them like bees to honey!

And that even though we were SO READY to get home, my husband will pull over (without me asking!) so I can snap a couple pictures of dream houses along the way... simply because he knows it makes me smile!

This road trip was made on short notice and we would have preferred saying goodbye in other ways, but we were really thankful for the chance to spend time with loved ones.

Crazy to think that the next road trip will include a FIFTH member of our family, eh?!?!

Young Love

2011-09-16T14:52:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned awhile back... I photographed a wedding the day after we returned from Ohio. Nothing like jumping right in, eh? I`ll admit, I was way more exhausted and way less focused than I would have preferred... but thankfully my best friend, Jen, was second shooting with me. I was SO GLAD to have her there... she knew just what to say, when to ``take over,`` when to get me laughing, and took some fantastic pics in the process!

ANYHOW... onto the good part!

This couple was absolutely so wonderful! I know I`m supposed to say that, as their photographer and all... but they. just. are! I instantly loved them when I took their engagement pictures this past March, and was quite surprised (and delighted!) when they asked me if I would do their wedding pictures too! They are a laid back, fun, super in love couple... and it sure shows in front of the lens! Throw in GREAT families on both sides... and it`s a recipe for a good time!

The ceremony was simple, well thought out, and beautiful to witness!

(*photo taken by Jen*)

We took the pictures at a nearby park... and though it was a challenge to keep out all the unwanted background and people... we got some shots that, hopefully, capture the memories and feelings of the day!

(*photo taken by Jen*)

This wedding made me OVERWHELMINGLY aware of just how much I have to learn. (Have I mentioned that correct white balance and exposure IN CAMERA are prime?!?!) I have worlds to go with understanding light, configuring poses, learning how to really edit, and improving composition... and am not sure weddings are the place to learn those things... but am SO grateful for the opportunity!

I won`t be doing another wedding for a good long while... simply because of my lack of confidence and the time commitment (with both shooting and editing!) involved, but look forward to finding joy in taking everyday pics of my kids again! They are starting to forget what a camera looks like! :)

School Time Tea

2011-09-09T15:47:00.002-05:00

We are super spoiled to have Jonathan home with us all summer... but with that blessing comes some serious adjustment as he heads back to school in fall!

To help soften the transition, I suggested an afternoon tea party on the verandah.

We made invitations in the morning, asking if Lukey and Percy would like to join us...

... then after naps we sipped cold iced tea while enjoying the sunshine!

Had I been more on the ball (and we had air conditioning!) I would have baked up something special for the affair.

Thankfully the girls aren't picky... and these little cream puffs were a welcomed treat just the same!

It was a delight indeed to be dainty with my little lovlies, though Larren wasn't too sure about my British accent!

Our tea party helped the day go by a little faster...

... and in no time Daddy was welcomed home with lots of squealing, hugs, and hip hip hurrays!

Summer in a Nutshell

2011-09-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

I've been pretty MIA this summer... so considering it's September, I'd say it's high time for a quick recap of the past two months!

I will be touching on both vacations we took (one with Jon's family followed by a visit home with my family) a bit later... but for now, here are a couple highlights!

* Lazy mornings *

I'm not sure how, but the girls internal clocks switched to "summer mode" as soon as school ended! Rarely were they up before 8:45 am - 9 am... and that my friends makes for one happy mama!

* Strawberries*

Homemade jam stocking the pantry and frozen berries stocking the freezer... mmm mmm good!

* Pinto the Pony *

Remember this equestrian friend?

Our neighbors gave him to us a long while back. He still looks like he has a bad case of leprosy...

... but the girls absolutely ADORE him, in spite of his drab appearance!

There have been many summer horse races won on this here champ.

My winter plan is to give Pinto a make over for next summer... so needless to say, my painting skills will be brushing up in no time! (ha!)

* Sprinklers *

Alia received this hopscotch sprinkler for her birthday and with the SCORCHING hot summer we've had, it was a hit!

We set 'er up on the back patio (three cheers for no wet grass on wet feet!!) and the girls could party to their hearts content...

... or until their skin turned too pruny for their liking!

* Cruisin' the Circuit *

As you know our little lovelies have their fair share of four wheeler and snow mobile rides... but this John Deere Gator took the cake! Some good friends brought it out to our place while they were visiting and it was hearty enough to carry all five kiddos around the yard!

Apparently Larren didn't know what to think of Miss. Jillian's hat! :) I happen to think she looks positively scrumptious in it!

* Sisterly Selections *

Okay... it's probably obvious by now, but I thoroughly enjoy dressing my
girls alike! I've limited myself to only a handful of matching outfits... to keep from going overboard... but when I see sights like this out my window, it simply makes my insides smile!

* Slave Labor *

Our patio table was quite due for a washing when I got a grand idea! Why not have the girls do it?! :)

Fill up a bucket with sudsy water... hand out some old clothes... and we have two happy helpers on our hands!

And let me tell you... they did a more thorough job than I would have done!

There was no stopping them...

the play box got washed, the church pew (on the verandah), the patio table, the front steps, the kids' picnic table, their cozy coupe, and of course...

Pinto too! From not just one, but two sisters!

Clothes were getting drenched quicker than you can say "soggy diaper", so into their bathing suits they went.

Larren was the first one to see visions of swimming pools...

... followed by big sister!

They were happy to cool off and I was delighted to get a few things crossed off the to-do list!

* Roll Kuchen in the Kitchen*

Raise your hand if you know what "roll kuchen" is... yup, that's what I thought. Only the locals know what I'm talking about! So I'll enlighten you with what I've learned over the years...

-Roll kuchen is basically deep fryed dough that is paired with watermelon. And that's what the menu consists of. Nothing else! No meat, no veggies, no main dish... if you're lucky you MIGHT get corn syrup to dip it it... but apparently tradition is tradition and no one else thinks the meal is as incomplete as I do!

- It started out as a Mennonite thing, but now I think pretty much everyone in this part of the world eats it... regardless of religion!

- It is only eaten during the summer months, when it's too hot to cook... which I never actually "got" until this summer when I was melting for literally all 24 hours of the day!

Because I'm married to a Canadian who grew up with this tradition, and because I've now lived in Canada for 6 years and only eaten roll kuchen less than a handful of times, and because I thought the girls should know what their peers are talking about when this meal is mentioned... I decided to give my first batch a try.

It was yummy!

I couldn't help but pair the watermelon and roll kuchen with corn on the cob though. There may not be any meat... but dough and fruit as a MEAL just doesn't feel right! :)

* Annie Get Your Gun *

I like shooting guns.

It probably has something to do with the fact that I grew up in a family where shooting contests at birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Mother's day, Father's day... you name it... was a normal occurance!

Our lives have changed a fair bit since two littles ones became part of our family, and shooting just doesn't happen as much as it used to!

So when Barb and Zeke... our MB adopted family... asked us to come down for some good ole' fashioned shooting (WITH the offer to entertain the girls!), I was excited!

And... as you know... if there's boys involved, SOMETHING is going to get blown up! It just so happened there was a watermelon who wasn't the best in the bunch... so a watermelon was the pick of the day!

It's also a little known fact that when Jon and Zeke get together there's going to be LOTS of laughter... a bit of adventure... and a healthy dose of "pushing the limits" to keep things interesting!

I've always said I couldn't marry a guy that I could out shoot. And, I'll be honest, over the years there have been a couple of boys that didn't pass the test. But... I'm pleased to tell you THIS handsome gent can out shoot me any day of the week! (I made certain of this before I said "yes!") A good eye and a steady trigger finger are attractive features indeed!

The whole idea of a boy coming to court one of our girls is a bit unsettling to me. I'm pretty sure, when that time comes, there will be a daddy with a shot gun on the front porch... but... well... I'm not so sure there won't be a mama along side of him... for added effectiveness! :)

* Biker McBee *

The last time I left you I posted about Alia's big biking adventures. She was still trying to get the hang of riding on gravel... but in just a few short weeks she has absolutely MASTERED it!

She can manevuer with pro speed and precision... and as an added bonus... our crash reports have gone WAY down as well!

* Another Item on the List *

We love our little community. We are quite thankful to be living where we do... which is why finding a bigger house has been challenging. People live here for, like, EVER. The turn over rate is basically non-existent... which is not exactly in our favor at the moment!

While we were away this summer a new item was added to the "We Can't Move From Here" list!

A new park!

It is absolutely fantastic to have a park within 1 minute walk from our house! Another added bonus... we are usually the only people there! Just the girls and, on a busy day, one or two other kids at most! We have been there a minimum of once or twice a day since we got home and the girls have thoroughly enjoyed the new addition!

The only downside... our evening walks have become MUCH shorter than they used to be. It's now a straight B-line to you know where!

* Routine is a Good Thing *

As much as we loved being away with family this summer, it was quite nice to get back to routine when we arrived home!

* My Man *

And... one of the final highlights of the summer : getting to have my love with us for two whole months!

We're reminded that, even though teaching has "it's days"... it really is the BEST family friendly job we could possibly ask for!

So... there ya have it. Our summer in a very, very SMALL nutshell!

More on our vacations coming soon... though I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you! :)

Thanks again for popping by!

It's Break Time

2011-08-30T09:16:00.005-05:00

I'd like to shout out an "I'm sorry" to the two people that actually still check this ole' bloggity blog. As I mentioned, we were on vacation with Jon's family and then went straight from there, by train, to Ohio for a little under a month. As you can imagine, there was lots of lovely visiting going on and little time to be sitting at the computer!

We have since returned to Manitoba, but have hit the ground RUNNING! I had a wedding to shoot the very next day (with rehearsal that night), we have a reasonable sized to-do list we'd like to take care of before Jon heads back to school, and lots of activities planned as our family enjoys our last week together before we get back to the grind. And as far as pictures go.... I have over 1800 to sort through from our vacation and 2000 to go through from the wedding I photographed. Needless to say... I would LOVE to blog, but it's going to take a back burner until I feel somewhat above water!

Thanks for bearing with me and for your patience!!

For now, here's one of the few pics taken on our return train trip to the north! For those of you who know about our HORRIBLE trip to Ohio, the return voyage went worlds better... though not without it's hiccups! Hopefully one of these YEARS :) I will be able to tell ya'll about it!

And just a reminder that this was after 6 hours of driving and 19 hours on the train... so we're not exactly modeling material or anything!

Massive amounts of snacks may not be the healthiest form of entertainment for the kiddos... but drastic times call for drastic measures! :) And Larren could sit and lick the cheese off her crackers for a good long stretch... so we'll take it!

Wondering Why...

2011-08-08T07:29:00.000-05:00

... I haven't been around these here parts for awhile? Well... we're in Ohio visiting family and friends and there just simply isn't time for sitting at the computer!! I will update ya'll when we get back to the true North in a couple of weeks!

Thanks for understanding! :)

Riding on Gravel...

2011-07-23T09:11:00.001-05:00

... can be kinda tough sometimes. Especially if you're just starting out on a big girl bike with training wheels!

Here, in our neck of the woods, roads aren't paved NEARLY as much as back home. To be a paved road it needs to be a MAIN highway (read: a really high traffic area!) or in town. And since we won't ever be moving to town or tossing our kids out on a busy highway... our kids are just out of luck! They may get the luxury of a concrete driveway soon, but for now it's gravel everywhere ya turn!

Alia was given a big girl bike awhile back and it has been SO fun seeing her progress!

At first we held onto her bike and let her give it a go WITHOUT training wheels.

Then we realized this method makes for a very LONG cruise around our little community... and back aches for Mommy and Daddy! So we put on some training wheels and told Alia to have at `er!

The main problem with gravel is that it isn`t even. Some spots she can cruise as fast as her little pedals allow... and then the next moment she`s hung up on her training wheels with no grip to move an inch!

We`ve let her cruise around in the garage a bit, and that has really helped her ability. Now she can pretty much keep up with us when we`re out for a walk.... with the occasional power boost when she`s stuck!

She found an old bungee cord the other day and now her ``race bike`` has become a tow truck.

She just hooks up Larren`s tricyle behind her and ``pulls`` her up and down the road!

I say ``pull`` loosely because the reality is Mom and Dad are pushing Larren`s trike a fair bit from the other end! But hey... whatever works!

Yeah, she may not be able to ride her bike as often as a city kid... but... she`ll sure know how to get through the rough spots when they come along! And ya never know... maybe she can charge the younger neighbor kids for her towing services to pay her way through college! :)

On the Road Again...

2011-07-22T09:04:00.004-05:00

Jon's '47 Chevy pick up truck has been on the road for awhile now. This truck was his dad's and it's a project Jon's been working on over the past couple of years.

Needless to say he's quite pleased to be using it as his daily driver! And I assure you, he's not the only one excited about it!

There are a couple of little girls who ask, REGULARLY, to cruise the "circuit!" And by "circuit" I mean the 3 streets that go through our small community! :) The neighbors are used to seeing us drive round and round... in a variety of vehicles... with either Larren or Alia manning the wheel!

Surprisingly (to me at least!) this ole' green truck has proved to be quite trustworthy! She may not look the part, but she's always taken Jon or I (... that's right, I drive it every now and again too!) from point A to point B then back again! We may not be able to hear when we actually get back to point B (she's a tad loud!) but at least we get there! Jon even drove it to and from Winnipeg daily for a couple weeks without a hitch!

While the girls and Daddy love driving it... I've discovered a thing or two:

Yes, it's a cool truck... but the luxuries of my Expedition are pretty hard to beat!

And yeah, it catches peoples attention every where it goes... but the coolness factor is all but lost when I'm driving it! My husband waves to EVERYONE, so when I'm driving his truck I feel like I should at least wave to, oh ya know, HALF the population or something! But every time I wave I can almost HEAR them whispering "Huh... wonder why she's driving her husbands truck?" Cause surely they know this one doesn`t quite fit me!

Give me an old CJ or a 60's Ford Bronco and I'm all in! :) But for now... I'll pretend I don't hear their whispers and putz along... cool or not!

** When the light is right the truck and I will have an official photo shoot. For now, you get the idea! **

My First Wedding...

2011-07-19T15:31:00.003-05:00

... to photograph, that is!

Here are just a COUPLE pictures of the wedding I shot last Friday. I`ve said it before, and I`ll say it again... this is only for fun! I have no desire to be a ``professional photographer`` and anyone who is one, can see that I am not!!

That being said... I learned a whole pile of things about posing...

... lighting shifts...
(or should I say the sad reality that lighting does shift, and how dramatically a shot can be ruined when it does!)

... to control and make sure the exposure and white balance are correct IN CAMERA...

and that wedding photography is a whole lot harder than people may realize!

I asked my friend Tynille to second shoot with me... and she not only took some GREAT pics, she also helped me stay organized and decide where to place everybody!

(*photo taken by Tynille*)

We were in the midst of a SERIOUS time crunch, so I wasn`t able to get nearly all the pics I wanted to of the bride and groom... but we were still able to get several regardless.

(*photo taken by Tynille*)

(Flowers by Heide`s Florist )

The wedding and reception were held at a nearby hotel and it was just gorgeous!

Though I have to say... low light situations make for QUITE a challenge!! A fill flash is officially on my Christmas list now!

All in all... it was nice to have people who WANTED their pictures taken (versus my girls... who simply want to play and not have Mommy hounding them with a lens!) and once again, I learned A LOT!

So there ya have it.... be kind... I`m just a newbie! :)