Photos of us

It was tough with the horizontal light of a winter afternoon to get a lot of really good shots but she managed to get some really good ones. Looking towards the light was practically impossible, hence the squinting. Some were taken on the property here on Salt Spring Island, and others down by Bourgoyne Bay.

Family Photo time

Sunday at church I asked Debra Moore (a free-lance photographer) if she would have time to take our family photo. She said yes and decided that since the sun would be out this week and Eric was not working until Monday night that we should do it the following day, Monday.
So yesterday when Eric and I woke up and headed into the shower we found that there was no water pressure. We went upstairs to find a note taped to one of the cupboards, from his Dad, that the water pump wasn't working. All I could think of was, "Not today, please of all the days this could happen. The morning of our photos." Well I decided I wanted to go for it anyway. There was enough water for me to wash my face and teeth and my hair looked pretty good (hadn't slept on it funny thankfully). So I told Eric I thought we should go for it. I think this about blew him over as I am the one who has to ALWAYS have my shower. After a few seconds to recover from the initial shock he said,"No, I don't want to do it without a shower." Now it was my turn to be surprised as I had thought if I was willing then surely he would be. Meanwhile, Eric's dad was making phone calls to get someone to check the pump. It just so happened a handy friend of his was at the property already and just zoomed up the drive and was able to fix the pump. We had a little under 2 hours to get ready, plenty of time, and I think everyone ended up looking good. We caught the sun out in the fields before it went behind Mtn Bruce. It was quite chilly so we would put our coats on as soon as we could to avoid our noses and hands from turning red. The only other frustrating thing was that Austin decided he was not going to smile and well when he decides something his stubborn will is nothing to fight against. So hopefully we can get a photo where he is at least looking at the camera.

We are OFF!

When we woke up last Friday morning we were a bit disappointed to see the fresh new snow blanketing the ground. We had heard that we could be getting a storm but hoped they were wrong. Eric and I had stayed up late getting everything packed for our 7 week adventure. In the morning we still had the house to clean and so we didn't load up until about 11am. It is so much nicer to come home to a clean house than to leave with it feeling disorganized so I am glad we took the time to get that done.
For the first hour or so we drove slowly as the roads were quite slick and had yet to see a snow plow. Cars in the ditch reminded us that patience was the best option and not to worry about the time. Up until that day the roads had been snow-free since September so I was regretting not leaving the day before, but who knew and there wasn't much we could have done to change it. By the time we hit Calgary the roads were clear, yeah! There were a few streches in the Rockies that required prudence as conditions were foggy and slick, but all in all we were fortunate to make it as far as we did and safely.
I have to say thank goodness for movies! I feel no guilt in letting my children watch movies for hours at a time while on a long car ride. Sanity and peace are much to important to me...though I did decide to just see what would happen if we left it off for an hour or so. What was I thinking! Screaming, elbowing, name-calling began almost immediately and I thought, "This cannot be possible. They can't already be fighting" But yes, oh yes, it was immediately sibling rivalry playing out in the back seat.
We left Kamloops the next day and headed to Vancouver to visit our friends Patrick and Stephanie. We have been looking forward to spending time with them and they kindly invited us to stay at their home during the visit. Thank you Patrick and Stephanie for such a wonderful visit! The visit included a once-in-a-lifetime seat on a private jet (in the hanger of course) and trips for each of the kids to the cock-pit (Patrick is an aircraft maintenace engineer), a trip to the Olympic Oval, a walk along the dike with Mitsy, cinnamon buns and bluberry pancakes for breakfast, visiting the botanical garden at Queen Elisabeth Park, eating out at Modern Burger (for old times sake), visiting with Tim, and good chats! We hope we didn't tire them out too much as the kids are already asking when they can go back for a visit. Side-note: Poor little Austin came down with a fever before we left and it lingered for 5 days.


Stephanie bought some candy for the kids and Austin stuck close by her!
Patrick and Stephanie taking a few laps around the Olympic rink.

Olivia fell asleep through the whole thing!
Patrick making pancakes! Cinnamon buns to the right by Stephanie!
Patrick and Stephanie were dog-sitting and Mitsy was quite the hit with our kids.



Last Monday we took the kids to the Vancouver Aquarium. When we lived in Vancouver we had a yearly pass and I took Madeleine and Justin frequently. Madeleine remembered the Beluga whales but Justin was only 2 at the time and no such memories have remained, not surprisingly.



We then headed to the ferry terminal where Madeleine convinced us to buy her "just one more birthday present" , a pink wallet. We sat and ate cake we'd picked up from Sweet Obsessions. This was one of our favorite dessert spots while we were in Vancouver and felt quite filled after the 4th piece!
While on the ferry I experienced "a first" that I hope will never be repeated. On the top level of the ferry, on one end, are two play areas for kids. On the one side is a slide and a couple toys, on the other side is a TV. Well Justin and Austin had gone to the TV side and we remained on the other side for a few minutes. When I went to check on them Austin was gone and Justin had no idea where he was. I asked a nearby couple if they'd seen him and they had only noticed Justin, not Austin. I felt like I was in that one movie with Jodie Foster where she loses her daughter on a plane and no one can remember ever seeing her daughter so they think she has made her up. I quickly got Eric and we started circling the aisles on that level, no luck. I quickly grabbed a ferry worker, and through tears, explained I had LOST my 2 year old son. I then headed outside to make sure he hadn't gone out onto the decks. When I came back in the worker said they found him on a lower level. When I saw that little guy I was so relieved and happy that tears would not stop and I just held him tight. That was one of the WORST feelings in the world. What could happen to a child in only minutes...I definitely learned my lesson. In short we arrived safely on Salt Spring Island and were greeted by loving grandparents and a warm dinner. We arrived safely!

Made it through another day!

The boys playing Batman and Robin remind me how much fun life can be if we imagine it so.
We knew this month would be a bit crazy because of Eric's on-call schedule. There were 3 out of the 4 doctors who were taking off time this month and so Eric picked up a lot more shifts. Eric keeps reminding me how good this is as we are going into the expensive holiday season...and he is right as we will be traveling not only to Salt Spring Island, but also down south to see my family in Washington and Oregon over the holidays. Life can still be challenging even with that in mind.
Most of the days have rolled by without too many bumps (but always a few bruises with my boys). I find that when I have successfully put all of the kiddies to bed that there is an almost audible sigh of relief given from my body, and the thought enters, "You did it!" And now I can start on the dishes, laundry, cleaning....oh yeah and my time, when is that? This all needs to occur before 10pm ideally, but that rarely happens. I have been so worn out by the end of the day that I have not had even and ounce of energy to exercise. This has been really frustrating for me as up until November I was doing great.
When Eric is on-call he stays overnight in Raymond as he needs to be close to the hospital and we live too far away (35-40min). Then he has his normal shift the next day and hopefully we see him that night. He was home on Tuesday night and he was helping out with the dinner and Olivia was taking a short nap so I ran upstairs and got the clothes folded AND put away (this is always the hard part for me; large stacks of clean clothes lining our bedroom wall is not an uncommon sight) and then headed downstairs in time to help set the table before quickly eating, feeding Olivia and heading to the church for Activity Days. I was so happy when I entered the kitchen and saw Eric there at the stove, and in my joy exclaimed, "This is how it is supposed to be." Eric suspected the birth of my new joy came from his presence but asked, "You mean two people being home to help out?" Yes!!! The chaos and duties of an evening can be tackled so much more easily with TWO.
Near the end of September I found a young adult, Sarah, who was willing to come help clean 3 times a month. The past two months her help has been invaluable. Her presence has been such a motivation and I have found myself working along side her as much as I can. We've been able to have a lot of good conversations and the kids think she is great. Unfortunately for me she came for the last time this week. Funds are low and she is heading back to Ontario to work and save to either return to school or go on a mission. I am so grateful for her help. I try so hard to stay on top of things but after Olivia's arrival I could just feel myself falling behind so this was such a great boost.
Funny words from today came from Justin: "Why do you keep having babies?" I responded that it was in part so that he would have brothers and sisters. His reply," But what if the house gets too full? I don't want like 60 brothers and sisters" I reassured him we would stop before then :)
Funny actions from Austin: I was laying down with him trying to get him to take a nap, he has been a bit resistant since he moved from the crib and laying with him for a few minutes often helps. I also find if I close my eyes he usually follows suit. So today, after a minute of my eyes being closed, I opened one eye to survey the scene... to my surprise Austin is smiling this HUGE cheesy smile and has two thumbs up and is nodding his head at me, as if to say, "Good job sleeping mom." I couldn't help but smile and laugh with this cute little guy. Deciding a nap was not going to happen and the battle of wills was over I headed downstairs with a very happy and victorious Austin.
I have been spending quite a bit of time reading the conference talks from the Ensign and feel such gratitude for modern day revelation. I have been reminded and moved to better thoughts and actions and feel the Lord helping support me. Our happiness really lies in our own hands. I love my family and my life.

Some pictures of the kids

Justin has become so attentive to Olivia's needs and can get some of the biggest smiles from her

People say that these two look quite a bit a like, what do you think?
Madeleine before church in a pretty red dress. She looks beautiful in anything I think.

Prayer Time

We have instituted singing a song before prayer each night and it usually does not stop with one. Justin's request is always the same, "Do as I'm Doing". As most of you know this is an active get-up-and-move kind of song, not the kind I am wanting to do before bed. Tonight, after we sang our song, Justin began the prayer but quickly stopped and looked at me with a smile and said, "I was just about to sing the prayer," giggled and started again.
Our children's prayers have been evolving (ok, so deteriorating might be more appropriate in my mind), but changing none the less. Much of a prayer addresses the "goings-on" at that moment. Let me give you an example of tonight's, Justin said, "...and please help Austin to bow his head and keep his hands to himself" Often you hear, "Please help (insert name(s)) to sit still, close their eyes and be more reverent" I find that the prayer has barely begun when this starts and then instead of the usual "grateful for" parts the prayer ends. So you can see why this kind of change is not exactly what I had hoped for in regards to their prayers. Hopefully their personal prayers are a bit more meaningful.
Each Sunday we do what we call "Scripture Challenge." Eric, or I, will read some verses from the scriptures and then quiz the kids. Well I know that doesn't sound too exciting so let me finish painting the picture. While we are on the couch the kids are sitting across from us (usually on stools), cups in hand, and eyeing the marshmallows or other goody that is sitting on our laps. After the verses are read the kids each get several turns to answer the questions correctly. If they do get one correct we toss a treat and they try to catch it in their cup. This has become such a fun tradition and it is amazing how attentive the kids can become when treats are on the line.

Big Bed time

Before Olivia was born we tried moving Austin into the trundle bed that Eric had made for him. No luck. He thought it was so great to have play time in each of their beds. One night I thought for sure after two hours of in and out of his bed and his siblings that he would be asleep. I called Eric to come upstairs with me and look at what I assumed would be our little guy asleep. Well, we found him in A bed, but it was not his own, and he was not asleep. He was in Madeleine's bed (keep in mind this is at 10pm) rearranging her stuffed animals. A few more tries and we decided to hold off until after Olivia arrived.
We have four bedrooms but one is down two flights of stairs in the basement and the kids are not at all willing to be in that room....and I understand at their age. Nor do I like the thought of what would happen if they were to get sick and try to make it to our room leaving bits and pieces of their sickness along the way. It is nice to have us all on the same level; but, that means that Madeleine, Justin and Austin must all share a room as Olivia needs her own.
Last Monday I asked Austin if he wanted to nap in his "big bed" and he said yes. I didn't say anything about staying in the bed or warning him not to get out. I thought I would just see what would happen. Well, three hours later I had to wake him up and he was so proud of himself sleeping in his new big bed. I thought, "This is it. He is old enough and we need to just do it." Having Olivia in our room in the beginning was nice for all of the frequent night feedings, but now that she is sleeping through the night there have been more drawbacks to having her there as I am not able to put laundry away, read at night, or talk to Eric in anything but hushed tones etc. So, that night he slept in his own bed. No getting out or bothering Justin and Madeleine. Yeah!
Well, I wish I could say, "And that was that, they are just all sleeping perfectly together." With the switch to the new bed Austin has begun to wake up two hours earlier (now 6am instead of 8am) and of course it is no fun to be up without company, so yes, he wakes both Madeleine and Justin up. I wasn't too concerned as I was still so impressed that this minor inconvienence was all I was dealing with...until two nights ago. Austin was determined to stay up and stay up he did...in and out of Madeleine's bed until finally I had to lay down the law (this means a severe tone and veiled threats). Then at 3am this morning I hear a thud, bounce, rattle rattle and I am thinking who is downstairs and what is going on? (Eric is gone for 3 days) I head downstairs to find Madeleine holding a water bottle and Austin a green cup filling them with water. Ok, so not what I expected but I was ok with it as long as they went right back up to bed. That was not to happen. For the next 45 minutes I was in and out of bed trying to convince Austin to stay in his bed and leave Madeleine alone. Finally I had him come into my bed, which I am not accustomed to, and finally at 5am he went to sleep.
The story doesn't end here. I was quite tired this morning but knew I had to get going. So I sent Austin downstairs and jumped in the shower. I had 20min. before Sarah would be here to help clean. As I exited the shower I heard a crash and Madeleine telling Austin not to move. I rushed downstairs towel and all to find Austin on the counter with broken glass at his feet, and everywhere else. You know how that is with glass, it is hard to feel like you've ever gotten it all. This must have been quite the sight. We made it through without anyone stepping on any and Sarah ended up being 15 min. late which gave me time to clean everything and get dressed. I will be going to bed early tonight because who really knows what the night will bring.

Trick or Treat

The Orr KIDS, Liz, Tal, Eli, Bronwyn, Annica, and our kids hanging out together at the Haolloween party
Bobbing for Apples....it is not as easy as it looks, and no Madeleine you can't grab it by the stem, that is cheating!
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone.....Skeleton time
Cookies....
cookies with lots and lots of goodies
Our little cat.I can make funny faces like Justin too.

What a fun Halloween we have had. Yesterday we had a Halloween Party at our good friend's house, the Orr's. Marla put together some great activities for the kids; making skeletons out of milk jugs, ghosts made from footprints, paper spiders, bobbing for apples, cookie decorating. We had dinner and hung out together.
This morning they came to our house and Eric cooked up a big batch of Abel Skeivers and the kids ate and played. We then headed to the mall for the indoor portion of the trick or treating. Austin caught on quickly and had a blast. We came home and had dinner and then headed out into the neighborhood for more trick or treating. The kids were running from house to house...it made me think of how quickly I'd try to make it to as many houses as possible and frankly that means you must run and run fast! The kids were great and Madeleine and Justin did a good job waiting for Austin to catch up.

Lullaby and Goodnight

We have never had a child that could fall asleep in the car seat, in chaos of loud noises, on the ground with kids playing around her....and Olivia does all of this and more. It makes it possible to get out and do the errands and other activities we have as a family. We are so grateful for her easy-going nature.

Grandma Baker visits

My kids have always loved books and so they were thrilled with any/all of the books Grandma would read to them. Thanks for all of your special time with the kids Grandma! We loved your visit.
Making bracelets and necklaces.
Grandma and Madeleine made our pumpkin pie from scratch for Thanksgiving. Grandma's pumpkin pie is Madeleine's favorite, she even wants it for her birthday.

Story time at our house before bed. Grandma was a wonderful sport.
We were so happy to have had Grandma here for a week and a half. She was such a help with all of the kids and lifted my load so that I could get more done and give my back a break. Olivia has been sleeping amazing at night (waking once in 10 to 12 hours), but during the day the naps are usually very short which means a lot of carrying...which can be hard on my back. So thank you so much for your help Sonja.

Pumpkins

Madeleine got us all carving on Sunday.

Olivia's smiles

It is so fun when babies begin to smile and respond to you. Just a few smiley photos to share.