Friday we packed up a bag full of snacks and the sit n' stand stroller and embarked upon the r.v. show!!!! We were on a mission to find a floor plan and price we thought would work for us! The kids were so excited to go (this is a yearly tradition for the Cameron/Smith family!) and had a lot of fun looking in trailers and bouncing in the Western RV Country monster truck bouncy house ;) My parents kept an eye on the kids for us and we were able to see a lot of r.v.'s!!
Saturday was Cal's 33rd birthday! Blake, Emerson and I went shopping for a gift for Cal last week. We knew he needed a new Flyer's hat, so that is what we were looking for! We went to a few different stores. The thought Blake put into this purchase is unbelievable!! He would inspect each hat I handed him, try it on, check the size, see if it was adjustable, the color, what size the logo was, etc, etc. It was really cute!!!
Cal and Blake had hockey Saturday morning and before they left Blake wanted to tell me something. He (not so quietly) whispered to me that he was going to tell all the kids that it was his Dad's birthday and that Dad was going to tell the coaches! I told him that Dad would probably not tell the coaches!! When they got home from hockey, Cal told me Blake made a point of telling every single person on the ice that it was his Dad's birthday. At the end of practice they all huddle together and do 3 cheers, and yesterday after the cheer Blake asked everyone to sing happy birthday to his Dad! So sweet :) :)
My parents came over for supper and cake that evening. The kids were so excited to sing happy birthday!! After supper Cal and I went (back) to the r.v. show. We checked out every single r.v. that we thought we would be interested in and still liked the first one we found!! But we're not 100% sure if we want to buy a new one this year ... such a hard decision! After the r.v. show we went for a beverage and to chat about if we really want to buy a new r.v. this year. For now our plan is to take our current trailer out for May long weekend, then list it for sale and see what happens!!! With Reese being around 18 months come summer, we know this camping season will not be the easiest, but next year and the years beyond should get easier! So maybe we'll just do a few short trips this summer and look to buy again next year ... maybe. Plans change, we'll see what happens!! I think the salesman and dealer from the factory in Indiana thought we were the most indecisive people they've ever seen ... I don't how many times we went back to Coachworks RV to look at the trailer we liked, or how much time we spent sitting in it, looking around!!! And chatting with the 2 of them! Was great to talk to a Colts fan though ;) lol!
Today we had a Valentine's Day party/baby shower with our New Mom's Group friends! My friend Cindy had a baby girl at the end of December. It was nice to have some baby snuggles and meet Ainsley! The party was a lot of fun and the kids and I enjoyed making their own valentines and popcorn treats for their friends (thank you Pinterest!!). Tonight when I asked Emerson what her favorite part of the day was, she said, "Handing out popcorn treats to my friends and the ladies giving me candy!"
This week is going to be crazy ... teleconference meeting will take up my evening tomorrow, preschool Valentine's Day party Tuesday, Kettlebells Tues and Thurs evening, Emerson's 3rd birthday Thursday, meeting with Cameron's Closet helpers Wed evening, Cameron's Closet meet Friday morning and pick up Cal's Mom from the airport Friday night! Then Emerson's birthday party Saturday afternoon. Wowzers ... not sure when I'm going to clean house, make Em's cake, do the loot bags, plan the party food, oh and SLEEP! Phew! February is a BUSY month!!
Have a great week everyone :)
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Chatterboxes!!
~ 'tude ~
Emerson: "Don't talk to me!"
Mom: "Sorry Emerson, but I am your Mom and if I have something important to tell you, I'm going to talk to you."
Emerson: "No, don't talk to me. I'm a big girl."
Emerson: "I don't want to wear this. I want to wear a dress."
Mom: (pulls a sweater dress out of Emerson's closet)
Emerson: "NOT THAT DRESS! I don't like that dress."
Mom: "Why?"
Emerson: "It doesn't twirl."
Can't argue with that!!
Emerson: (runs into our room at 7 am this morning) "Hey guys, why didn't you wake up?"
She scared the crap out of us!!!!
~ questions ~
Blake (while watching Max and Ruby): turns to me with an innocent, sweet, lip half curled smile, "Mom? How old do you think he is?"
Mom: "Who?"
Blake: "Max"
Mom: "I'm not sure buddy. What do you think? Around 2 maybe?"
Blake: gives a little giggle and says, "I think he's more like 3. Just like Em. He's about as tall as her!"
Honestly, the look on his face, the tone of his voice, everything was just so FLIPPIN' SWEET :) :)
Blake (after a conversation and Internet search about Albert Einstein with Cal): "Where is Albert Einstein?"
Mom: "He's in Heaven."
Blake: "With God?"
Mom: "Yes."
Blake: "Well how come we don't see him when we go to that place?"
Mom: "What place??"
Blake: "You know, with that guy."
Mom: "What?? Ohhh ... Church??"
Blake: "Yeah."
Mom: (laughing) "Heaven is not at Church Blake." (Heaven discussion ensued!! None of which made much sense (of course) to Blake!!)
Blake: "Am I going to Heaven?"
Mom: "Yes, of course. But not for a long, long time." (oy)
~ i can talk ~
Reese: all day long, "Moooommmy ... Mommy? Mommmmmmmmmyyyyy ... Mooooommyyy?"
Me: all day long, "Yes Reese? What's wrong Reese? Come here Reese. Yes Reese? What do you need Reese? Let's go play Reese. Are you hungry Reese? Yesssss Reese???"
She loooooves saying Mommy!!! She also says Daddy, thirsty, blankie, teddy, baby, and cheese string!!! lol! She also loves to watch Heidi do her "job" outside and stand at the back door saying, "Heeedi ... Heidi ... HEIDIIII!!"
Love all the chatter (most of the time!)! Never a quiet moment in the day ;)
Have a great weekend everyone! Isn't the weather fabulous?! Thanks Mother Nature!!!
xo Tracy
Emerson: "Don't talk to me!"
Mom: "Sorry Emerson, but I am your Mom and if I have something important to tell you, I'm going to talk to you."
Emerson: "No, don't talk to me. I'm a big girl."
Emerson: "I don't want to wear this. I want to wear a dress."
Mom: (pulls a sweater dress out of Emerson's closet)
Emerson: "NOT THAT DRESS! I don't like that dress."
Mom: "Why?"
Emerson: "It doesn't twirl."
Can't argue with that!!
Emerson: (runs into our room at 7 am this morning) "Hey guys, why didn't you wake up?"
She scared the crap out of us!!!!
~ questions ~
Blake (while watching Max and Ruby): turns to me with an innocent, sweet, lip half curled smile, "Mom? How old do you think he is?"
Mom: "Who?"
Blake: "Max"
Mom: "I'm not sure buddy. What do you think? Around 2 maybe?"
Blake: gives a little giggle and says, "I think he's more like 3. Just like Em. He's about as tall as her!"
Honestly, the look on his face, the tone of his voice, everything was just so FLIPPIN' SWEET :) :)
Blake (after a conversation and Internet search about Albert Einstein with Cal): "Where is Albert Einstein?"
Mom: "He's in Heaven."
Blake: "With God?"
Mom: "Yes."
Blake: "Well how come we don't see him when we go to that place?"
Mom: "What place??"
Blake: "You know, with that guy."
Mom: "What?? Ohhh ... Church??"
Blake: "Yeah."
Mom: (laughing) "Heaven is not at Church Blake." (Heaven discussion ensued!! None of which made much sense (of course) to Blake!!)
Blake: "Am I going to Heaven?"
Mom: "Yes, of course. But not for a long, long time." (oy)
~ i can talk ~
Reese: all day long, "Moooommmy ... Mommy? Mommmmmmmmmyyyyy ... Mooooommyyy?"
Me: all day long, "Yes Reese? What's wrong Reese? Come here Reese. Yes Reese? What do you need Reese? Let's go play Reese. Are you hungry Reese? Yesssss Reese???"
She loooooves saying Mommy!!! She also says Daddy, thirsty, blankie, teddy, baby, and cheese string!!! lol! She also loves to watch Heidi do her "job" outside and stand at the back door saying, "Heeedi ... Heidi ... HEIDIIII!!"
Love all the chatter (most of the time!)! Never a quiet moment in the day ;)
Have a great weekend everyone! Isn't the weather fabulous?! Thanks Mother Nature!!!
xo Tracy
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Mom's 50th birthday party!
Last night we had a "ladies night out" for my Mom's upcoming 50th birthday!! It was lots of fun and although it wasn't a complete surprise, a few of the guest's did surprise her ;) Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate our amazing Mom!! Love you so much Mom, glad you had fun last night!!
xo
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Hi!! Where has January gone?!
Reese:
~ Reese still has 8 teeth only ... 7 of which came through in 5 or so weeks this summer. She's been teething hard these past 2 weeks, has the acidic poops, drooling, red cheeks, and the "I'll chew on anything" symptoms to prove it. Poor girl! Come on teeth, break through!!!!
~ Reese is very opinionated and it is quite hilarious to hear her voice her opinion!! If she has something and one of the kids try to take it away, she "chirps up" and runs away! I wish I knew what she was saying, but I have a pretty good idea ;) And her grip is like no other. Really, I can't believe how tight she can hang on to something?! Super grip strength!!!
~ Reese is still very, very cuddly. I love it :) She's cuddly to most everyone in her life, but most especially to Mom!! I think it's because she pretty much slept in my arms for her first 4 months!! I hope she doesn't lose that cuddliness :) She will randomly come up to me for a hug and then go off and play again, totally melts my heart. Her running hugs are great too!
~ Loves watching other kids! At the Y, I often see Reese walk up to other kids and watch them intently. Like she's observing what they're doing, but super close to them!! I think personal space is a lesson learned a little later in life ...
~ Loves dolls!! L-O-V-E-S ... way more then Emerson did at this young age, but that could be because Reese has been exposed to them since the day she was born?! She carries them around, hugs them, pats them, it's all very cute! I especially love when I witness her selecting which dolls she's going to play with - she often picks 2 dolls up, looks them both over carefully and puts one away!!
~ Last week Reese did the coolest thing - I put goldfish on the kids table for her and she went to the kids cupboard, picked out a bowl, brought it back to the little table and put all her goldfish in it. I was amazed!!! I think that is pretty darn smart for a 1 yr old ;)
~ Reese has mastered going backwards down the stairs!!! PHEW! We have a lot of stairs in our house and we use all the levels of our 4 level split, so it was a relief when we saw Reese turn around and go down the stairs safely. She has taken a few falls, but overall is very safe on her own. I can't wait until we no longer need any baby gates!! She's been going up stairs for months, but going down is a harder task to learn!
~ Where Reese gets her dance moves from, I do not know!!! I've been trying to capture her dancing on video for months, but have not been successful thus far :( Her hips can sure move though! Boy oh boy ... it is SO cute. I just wonder where she learned that?! I see belly dancing in her future ;) (not!)
~ Today Reese officially earned the title of "Monkey" ... she climbed on top of the coffee table and climbed on top of the kids table in the kitchen and was trying to climb onto the island. OMG! OUR kids don't do this ... I mean, Blake and Em didn't ... but apparently turkey-butt does!!!! What a goof, she is so stubborn and determined sometimes!!! REALLY determined, hope that serves her well as she gets older :)
Emerson:
~ Emerson is enjoying her new gymnastics class! She has the same Coach as last session and has mastered the forward roll :) We could have put Em in unparented lessons (the Coach from last session recommended it) but we couldn't find a time that worked for us. Next time!
~ We've pre-registered Emerson in a pre-Kindergarten program called 100 Voices. It is a new program in the Edmonton Catholic school district. My friend's son was in it this year and they loved it, so she recommended it for Emerson. And even better, it is the same hours as Blake's kindergarten, in the same school! I'm not entirely sure what the criteria is to be accepted, but they will be in touch with us in the spring.
~ On the way to gymnastics last week Emerson said, "I don't want to see those kids." I asked which kids and she said, "The kids in my gymnastics class." I asked why and she said, "I'm not very interested in boys." She paused for a moment and then said, "Well except for the boy at home." I asked if she was talking about Blake and she said she was!! She then went on to say she doesn't really like kids. And this would be why she needs to go to preschool next year ;) What a girl!!!
~ Em asks to put on a dress, pretty much every morning!!! So now I've convinced her to wear a cardigan and leggings or tights with her dresses ;) She also is usually wearing a tutu when we are at home! The instant she puts on one of her numerous tutu's, she starts prancing around and doing her "ballerina dance!!" It is very cute :)
~ I look at Emerson every day, multiple times through out the day and can't believe how beautiful she is. She's really grown into her looks and has such gorgeous eyes and smooth skin, it's hard not to tell her a thousand times in a day, "You're so beautiful Emerson." I do tell her sometimes, but really that is not the message I want to send our little girly girl! So instead, I take a line from The Help and twist it a bit ... I try to tell Em (and Reese too!), "You're such a nice girl Em (Reese)! You're so kind and smart! I love you!" But boy is it ever hard to not just look into their eyes and say, "You're so beautiful!" a trillion times a day :)
~ Emerson is so excited to start unparented swimming lessons ... she talks about them a lot and says, "Without you Dad! All by myself!" Hopefully she's as excited on Day 1 :) Definitely a change from when Blake started and we had to psyche him up for them!!! I guess it's different for her too, because she looks up to Blake and see's him in unparented lessons. We told her we're not going in the pool with her, but we're all coming to watch on the first day :) (not until March BTW)
Blake:
~ Blake is growing!!! And growing some more! That boy is so tall for his age! He had his preschool immunizations the first week of January and is in the 97th %tile for height and somewhere around the 90th for weight!
~ Every week Blake seems to skate faster and faster! And he's carrying the puck now too! He continues to have fun at hockey and skating lessons and swimming too :)
~ Blake came with me when I registered him for Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. He was very quiet ... sat in the chair as I filled out the forms and asked questions ... walked along side me as we toured some of the school. Afterwards he didn't have much to say about the experience! Typical Blake - I have no worries about him in K next year! He'll do great I'm sure and I think it will be really great when in a few years he'll be speaking, reading and writing English and French! Oh, and he'll have a Christmas concert and be able to celebrate the reason for the season vs. a "Winter Celebration"
~ Blake loves his sisters ... love, love, love. SO cute and sweet. Until he and Em start fighting ;) Or until Reese wants nothing to do with the millionth hug of the day!!! Thankfully there's more loving then fighting going on and it melts my heart to see and hear them playing together so well. Blake often gives in to Em to keep the calm in the house but sometimes Em gives in too!! I love hearing, "Okay Em, we can do that!" or "Okay Blake, you can have it." So cute, so nice to love your siblings :) One of their favorite games to play is, "Going on vacation!" They pack their little cars, pack bags (teddies and blankies of course!) and go on vacation. Usually to Fort McMurray!!!
~ Blake is also LEGO crazed ... he reads his lego maps multiple times through out the day and dreams of all the LEGO he might one day have
~ Last week at preschool his buddy asked him over for lunch. Blake thought for a moment (there was a pause) and asked, "What are you having?" I found this very funny, because I know Blake wasn't going to agree to lunch if it wasn't something he wanted!!! (side note: neither had asked their mom's if they could have a lunch date!)
~ Blake makes up words and Em copies him (surprise, surprise!). His latest is moss-weigh-hey. Not sure on the spelling, but that is exactly what is sounds like. Now that I think about it they mostly say it when they are excited, i.e. when I tell them Dad is almost home, if I ask them if they want lunch, to go to a playgym, etc, etc. moss-weigh-hey everyone, to me it almost sounds like "peace out" or something kind of "chill" ?!?
~ Blake had an optometrist appointment at the beginning of the month and all is well. There was something small the Dr. mentioned to Cal, I can't recall what it was ATM but nothing to be concerned about yet, which is all that matters :)
There's a not so quick update on our hearts and souls :) Love these little ones like crazy, and crazy is sometimes where they take us ...
Cal and I are doing great as well!! Busy, busy! I started a new exercise class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I am LOVING it! It feels so good to get out and burn some calories and do so with a girlfriend :) And the instructor is beyond amazing ... checkout her website. I'm trying Hatha Yoga, should be interesting ... I seem to have lost some of my flexibility over the years!!! (some = pretty much all!)
Hope you are all well, not sure where the last 23 days have gone?! I can't believe I haven't blogged!
xo
~ Last week Reese did the coolest thing - I put goldfish on the kids table for her and she went to the kids cupboard, picked out a bowl, brought it back to the little table and put all her goldfish in it. I was amazed!!! I think that is pretty darn smart for a 1 yr old ;)
~ Reese has mastered going backwards down the stairs!!! PHEW! We have a lot of stairs in our house and we use all the levels of our 4 level split, so it was a relief when we saw Reese turn around and go down the stairs safely. She has taken a few falls, but overall is very safe on her own. I can't wait until we no longer need any baby gates!! She's been going up stairs for months, but going down is a harder task to learn!
~ Where Reese gets her dance moves from, I do not know!!! I've been trying to capture her dancing on video for months, but have not been successful thus far :( Her hips can sure move though! Boy oh boy ... it is SO cute. I just wonder where she learned that?! I see belly dancing in her future ;) (not!)
~ Today Reese officially earned the title of "Monkey" ... she climbed on top of the coffee table and climbed on top of the kids table in the kitchen and was trying to climb onto the island. OMG! OUR kids don't do this ... I mean, Blake and Em didn't ... but apparently turkey-butt does!!!! What a goof, she is so stubborn and determined sometimes!!! REALLY determined, hope that serves her well as she gets older :)
Emerson:
~ Emerson is enjoying her new gymnastics class! She has the same Coach as last session and has mastered the forward roll :) We could have put Em in unparented lessons (the Coach from last session recommended it) but we couldn't find a time that worked for us. Next time!
~ We've pre-registered Emerson in a pre-Kindergarten program called 100 Voices. It is a new program in the Edmonton Catholic school district. My friend's son was in it this year and they loved it, so she recommended it for Emerson. And even better, it is the same hours as Blake's kindergarten, in the same school! I'm not entirely sure what the criteria is to be accepted, but they will be in touch with us in the spring.
~ On the way to gymnastics last week Emerson said, "I don't want to see those kids." I asked which kids and she said, "The kids in my gymnastics class." I asked why and she said, "I'm not very interested in boys." She paused for a moment and then said, "Well except for the boy at home." I asked if she was talking about Blake and she said she was!! She then went on to say she doesn't really like kids. And this would be why she needs to go to preschool next year ;) What a girl!!!
~ Em asks to put on a dress, pretty much every morning!!! So now I've convinced her to wear a cardigan and leggings or tights with her dresses ;) She also is usually wearing a tutu when we are at home! The instant she puts on one of her numerous tutu's, she starts prancing around and doing her "ballerina dance!!" It is very cute :)
~ I look at Emerson every day, multiple times through out the day and can't believe how beautiful she is. She's really grown into her looks and has such gorgeous eyes and smooth skin, it's hard not to tell her a thousand times in a day, "You're so beautiful Emerson." I do tell her sometimes, but really that is not the message I want to send our little girly girl! So instead, I take a line from The Help and twist it a bit ... I try to tell Em (and Reese too!), "You're such a nice girl Em (Reese)! You're so kind and smart! I love you!" But boy is it ever hard to not just look into their eyes and say, "You're so beautiful!" a trillion times a day :)
~ Emerson is so excited to start unparented swimming lessons ... she talks about them a lot and says, "Without you Dad! All by myself!" Hopefully she's as excited on Day 1 :) Definitely a change from when Blake started and we had to psyche him up for them!!! I guess it's different for her too, because she looks up to Blake and see's him in unparented lessons. We told her we're not going in the pool with her, but we're all coming to watch on the first day :) (not until March BTW)
Blake:
~ Blake is growing!!! And growing some more! That boy is so tall for his age! He had his preschool immunizations the first week of January and is in the 97th %tile for height and somewhere around the 90th for weight!
~ Every week Blake seems to skate faster and faster! And he's carrying the puck now too! He continues to have fun at hockey and skating lessons and swimming too :)
~ Blake came with me when I registered him for Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. He was very quiet ... sat in the chair as I filled out the forms and asked questions ... walked along side me as we toured some of the school. Afterwards he didn't have much to say about the experience! Typical Blake - I have no worries about him in K next year! He'll do great I'm sure and I think it will be really great when in a few years he'll be speaking, reading and writing English and French! Oh, and he'll have a Christmas concert and be able to celebrate the reason for the season vs. a "Winter Celebration"
~ Blake loves his sisters ... love, love, love. SO cute and sweet. Until he and Em start fighting ;) Or until Reese wants nothing to do with the millionth hug of the day!!! Thankfully there's more loving then fighting going on and it melts my heart to see and hear them playing together so well. Blake often gives in to Em to keep the calm in the house but sometimes Em gives in too!! I love hearing, "Okay Em, we can do that!" or "Okay Blake, you can have it." So cute, so nice to love your siblings :) One of their favorite games to play is, "Going on vacation!" They pack their little cars, pack bags (teddies and blankies of course!) and go on vacation. Usually to Fort McMurray!!!
~ Blake is also LEGO crazed ... he reads his lego maps multiple times through out the day and dreams of all the LEGO he might one day have
~ Last week at preschool his buddy asked him over for lunch. Blake thought for a moment (there was a pause) and asked, "What are you having?" I found this very funny, because I know Blake wasn't going to agree to lunch if it wasn't something he wanted!!! (side note: neither had asked their mom's if they could have a lunch date!)
~ Blake makes up words and Em copies him (surprise, surprise!). His latest is moss-weigh-hey. Not sure on the spelling, but that is exactly what is sounds like. Now that I think about it they mostly say it when they are excited, i.e. when I tell them Dad is almost home, if I ask them if they want lunch, to go to a playgym, etc, etc. moss-weigh-hey everyone, to me it almost sounds like "peace out" or something kind of "chill" ?!?
~ Blake had an optometrist appointment at the beginning of the month and all is well. There was something small the Dr. mentioned to Cal, I can't recall what it was ATM but nothing to be concerned about yet, which is all that matters :)
There's a not so quick update on our hearts and souls :) Love these little ones like crazy, and crazy is sometimes where they take us ...
Cal and I are doing great as well!! Busy, busy! I started a new exercise class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I am LOVING it! It feels so good to get out and burn some calories and do so with a girlfriend :) And the instructor is beyond amazing ... checkout her website. I'm trying Hatha Yoga, should be interesting ... I seem to have lost some of my flexibility over the years!!! (some = pretty much all!)
Hope you are all well, not sure where the last 23 days have gone?! I can't believe I haven't blogged!
xo
Monday, January 23, 2012
Road Trip!
On January 20th we took a road trip to Grande Prairie!!
`
We had a fabulous time and the kids travelled so well (as usual)!!
That weekend was the end of Minor Hockey week in Edmonton, so the Initiation 1 teams gave their ice times away to the bigger kids, therefore Cal and Blake didn't have hockey. Which made it a great weekend to get away :)
We got to G.P. Friday afternoon and went to see my friend Lindsey and her 2 adorable kidlets!! It was the first time we'd met Ashlyn! She's adorable and looks a lot like her big brother Parker :)
Friday after work, Grandma Bev came to Carmen's (where we were staying) with Katie and Greyson! We ordered pizza and the kids had a blast playing and chasing after Mickey the cat!!! Katie -sure got a kick out of Uncle Cal playing witch ;) It was really great to see Katie and Greyson, they sure are cute!! And of course it was great to visit with Cal's Mom too!
Saturday morning we went to Grandma's new condo and played and visited and had lunch there! She has a very nice place, the view is fantastic and we enjoyed watching 3 coyotes running through the ravine just outside her window!! After nap time, we headed to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Alstad's for coffee. We had a nice visit and the kids enjoyed Great Grandma's toy stash ;) Emerson saw a picture from Great Great Grandma's 80th birthday party and thought that Kourtney was her!! She was convinced, it was cute! After coffee, we went to my friend Candace's house for dinner with her family and Lindsey's family. We had such a great time. We never get chances to get together like this, so it was pretty special. The kids had a blast, as usual! Then we were back to Carmen's and it was bed time! After the kids were in bed, I met Candace and Lindsey at Earl's for some girl time!! Once again, we never get to do this, so it was a real treat to have an evening out with my BFF's :) :)
Sunday morning Grandma Bev came over and we played and visited and packed. Then we met Grandma and Grandpa Alstad and Uncle Allan and Auntie Sandra for brunch. Another nice visit and catching up!!
We had a really, really great weekend!! The kids slept so well and Blake and Em thought it was pretty cool to be staying in Dylan's room ;) Next time we visit, we will make sure Cal's sister Carmen and family are home!!
Thanks everyone in Grande Prairie for a fabulous weekend, love you all!
xo
Tracy
`
We had a fabulous time and the kids travelled so well (as usual)!!
That weekend was the end of Minor Hockey week in Edmonton, so the Initiation 1 teams gave their ice times away to the bigger kids, therefore Cal and Blake didn't have hockey. Which made it a great weekend to get away :)
We got to G.P. Friday afternoon and went to see my friend Lindsey and her 2 adorable kidlets!! It was the first time we'd met Ashlyn! She's adorable and looks a lot like her big brother Parker :)
Friday after work, Grandma Bev came to Carmen's (where we were staying) with Katie and Greyson! We ordered pizza and the kids had a blast playing and chasing after Mickey the cat!!! Katie -sure got a kick out of Uncle Cal playing witch ;) It was really great to see Katie and Greyson, they sure are cute!! And of course it was great to visit with Cal's Mom too!
Saturday morning we went to Grandma's new condo and played and visited and had lunch there! She has a very nice place, the view is fantastic and we enjoyed watching 3 coyotes running through the ravine just outside her window!! After nap time, we headed to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Alstad's for coffee. We had a nice visit and the kids enjoyed Great Grandma's toy stash ;) Emerson saw a picture from Great Great Grandma's 80th birthday party and thought that Kourtney was her!! She was convinced, it was cute! After coffee, we went to my friend Candace's house for dinner with her family and Lindsey's family. We had such a great time. We never get chances to get together like this, so it was pretty special. The kids had a blast, as usual! Then we were back to Carmen's and it was bed time! After the kids were in bed, I met Candace and Lindsey at Earl's for some girl time!! Once again, we never get to do this, so it was a real treat to have an evening out with my BFF's :) :)
Sunday morning Grandma Bev came over and we played and visited and packed. Then we met Grandma and Grandpa Alstad and Uncle Allan and Auntie Sandra for brunch. Another nice visit and catching up!!
We had a really, really great weekend!! The kids slept so well and Blake and Em thought it was pretty cool to be staying in Dylan's room ;) Next time we visit, we will make sure Cal's sister Carmen and family are home!!
Thanks everyone in Grande Prairie for a fabulous weekend, love you all!
xo
Tracy
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Hello 2012!!
And goodbye to 2011 ... thanks for the memories :)
- Welcome Reese party! Being born in mid-November and the 3rd child, we weren't sure when to have a shower or get together for Reese. We didn't really think we should have a shower, as we already had everything we needed but wanted to have a gathering to celebrate her birth and give people a chance to meet her :) Hence, the "Welcome Reese party!" It was a cold, snowy, stormy, day but thankfully we had family and friends who braved the less then desirable weather and road conditions to come celebrate our baby girl with us! Thank you so much to everyone who joined us and to my Mom and sister for the delicious food and beautiful decore!!
- Emerson's 2nd birthday (February 16th) and party!! Emerson loves her gymnastics class, so we thought the gymnastics club was a great place to host her 2nd birthday party! She had a blast and all the kids loved the floor time with a gymnastics Coach :) I have a feeling we'll be returning for her 3rd birthday party! Emerson, in your short 2 years with us you have taught us so much and have showered us with so much love. You are Daddy's little girl, Mommy's princess and an absolutely amazing big AND little sister!! The gentle and caring ways you show us are such a blessing and melt my heart. We love you so much sweetie and can't wait to share and experience 2012 with you!
- Blake's 4th birthday (May 5th) and party!! Blake chose to host his birthday party at Jumpy Things this year! The kids had a lot of fun, bouncing to their hearts content in the huge bouncy castle!! Of course, he wants to return for his 5th birthday party this year, but we'll see if we can persuade him to try something new ;) We can not believe you are already 4 years old Blake and will soon be entering kindergarten. I truly believe there is a reason you are our first born, God knew what he was doing. You are such a great big brother to your 2 sisters and a beyond amazing son. You have such a huge heart and often put others before yourself. We witness this in everything you do - on the playground, at preschool, and often at home. 2012 will be a very exciting year for you and we can not wait to share it with you!!
- A Day Out With Thomas! This is the 2nd year we went to Heritage Park in Calgary for this event! This year the whole family attended. It was a great time and the kids travelled really well (we went to Calgary and back in 1 day!!). The event is SO well put together, with numerous activities for the kids to do. Of course, the highlight is seeing Thomas and taking a ride on the rails!! We met Lindsey, Andrew and Parker there and had a lot of fun taking everything in. Can't wait for this year's event :)
- Summer vacation at the Smith cabin! We had a great time at the cabin this summer! Sharing the majority of the time and some fabulous weather with my parents and Linds and Jer :) Blake became so much more confident in the water during this trip and all the kids loved playing at the beach and swimming!! Cal, Jeremy and I took the kids on their first fishing trip and even Reese enjoyed the boat ride! We wrapped the trip up, celebrating my grandparents anniversary in Tisdale, visiting with our Smith family. It was a great time :)
- Celebrating my Grandma Kelley's 80th birthday in Battleford, SK! At the beginning of August we made a quick day trip to Battleford to surprise my Grandma for her 80th birthday! She was so surprised to see us and had a great time visiting with family and friends who dropped in through out the afternoon to wish her a happy birthday!! Once again, the kids travelled well and had a great time running around with their cousins. I enjoyed catching up with family on my Mom's side, some of whom I hadn't seen in years.
- Dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Alstad and Bev! We had a very nice (but short!) visit at the end of August when we met for dinner in Stony Plain. We're really looking forward to a trip to Grande Prairie at the end of January and spending some time with the Alstad family :)
- Celebrating Thanksgiving in Fort McMurray at Lindsay and Jeremy's new home! I wish I was able to visit Fort McMurray more often, but was really glad we were all able to get up there for Thanksgiving!! Their new home is gorgeous and more then large enough to accommodate our clan ;) The kids had fun and we had a delicious dinner and caught up with my cousin Melissa and her family too!!
- Reese's 1st birthday (November 19th) and party!! We had a small party at our home, which we greatly enjoyed and hopefully our guest's did too! Reese, you have brought so much joy to our family! You are a smiley, energetic, courageous, often independent, adventurous little girl, who keeps us on our toes and showers us with hugs and cuddles! When you walk up to us and lean in for a hug, my heart melts! Especially when I see you hugging Blake or Em :) We can't believe that at the end of 2012 you will be 2?! It is going to be a very busy year for you Reese, learning new things and growing too!! We can't wait to experience it all with you :)
- Lots of time spent with our family! I feel as though we have had a lot of time together, much of it at and around home. These are special times, different from trips away from home, the time spent at work and school, at arena's and gymnastics. We treasure this time together and the memories that are made in these more "simple" moments - cuddling up in our bed in the early mornings (often short lived, but priceless minutes none the less ;) ), making brunch with Dad, baking cookies with Mom, helping Mom with Cameron's Closet, working in the yard, reading books, playing Lego, playing trains, doing puzzles, cuddling on the couch to watch a favorite show, the list could go on! We try to soak this all in and remember our babies in every moment, they grow up so fast :)
2011 has been good to our family and we thank our lucky stars each and every day for our health and happiness. The year has also had it's trying times but as we reflect on 2011, we know we are truly blessed and do not take a minute for granted.
We pray for our family and yours, that 2012 will bring a new year full of many great memories, the best of health, the best of friends and family, lots of laughs, good times and much love!!
We are working on setting some personal and family resolutions that we hope will help guide us this year. We had a quick discussion with Blake and Emerson about New Year's resolutions and had a good laugh at Blake's resolution to work more!!! He told us that he has taken 100's of hours off ... we told him he should not worry about working at his young age and after some discussion he decided his job would be to take care of his guys (a.k.a. his teddy bears)!!
Happy New Year everyone :)
Love The Cameron's
- Welcome Reese party! Being born in mid-November and the 3rd child, we weren't sure when to have a shower or get together for Reese. We didn't really think we should have a shower, as we already had everything we needed but wanted to have a gathering to celebrate her birth and give people a chance to meet her :) Hence, the "Welcome Reese party!" It was a cold, snowy, stormy, day but thankfully we had family and friends who braved the less then desirable weather and road conditions to come celebrate our baby girl with us! Thank you so much to everyone who joined us and to my Mom and sister for the delicious food and beautiful decore!!
- Emerson's 2nd birthday (February 16th) and party!! Emerson loves her gymnastics class, so we thought the gymnastics club was a great place to host her 2nd birthday party! She had a blast and all the kids loved the floor time with a gymnastics Coach :) I have a feeling we'll be returning for her 3rd birthday party! Emerson, in your short 2 years with us you have taught us so much and have showered us with so much love. You are Daddy's little girl, Mommy's princess and an absolutely amazing big AND little sister!! The gentle and caring ways you show us are such a blessing and melt my heart. We love you so much sweetie and can't wait to share and experience 2012 with you!
- Blake's 4th birthday (May 5th) and party!! Blake chose to host his birthday party at Jumpy Things this year! The kids had a lot of fun, bouncing to their hearts content in the huge bouncy castle!! Of course, he wants to return for his 5th birthday party this year, but we'll see if we can persuade him to try something new ;) We can not believe you are already 4 years old Blake and will soon be entering kindergarten. I truly believe there is a reason you are our first born, God knew what he was doing. You are such a great big brother to your 2 sisters and a beyond amazing son. You have such a huge heart and often put others before yourself. We witness this in everything you do - on the playground, at preschool, and often at home. 2012 will be a very exciting year for you and we can not wait to share it with you!!
- A Day Out With Thomas! This is the 2nd year we went to Heritage Park in Calgary for this event! This year the whole family attended. It was a great time and the kids travelled really well (we went to Calgary and back in 1 day!!). The event is SO well put together, with numerous activities for the kids to do. Of course, the highlight is seeing Thomas and taking a ride on the rails!! We met Lindsey, Andrew and Parker there and had a lot of fun taking everything in. Can't wait for this year's event :)
- Summer vacation at the Smith cabin! We had a great time at the cabin this summer! Sharing the majority of the time and some fabulous weather with my parents and Linds and Jer :) Blake became so much more confident in the water during this trip and all the kids loved playing at the beach and swimming!! Cal, Jeremy and I took the kids on their first fishing trip and even Reese enjoyed the boat ride! We wrapped the trip up, celebrating my grandparents anniversary in Tisdale, visiting with our Smith family. It was a great time :)
- Celebrating my Grandma Kelley's 80th birthday in Battleford, SK! At the beginning of August we made a quick day trip to Battleford to surprise my Grandma for her 80th birthday! She was so surprised to see us and had a great time visiting with family and friends who dropped in through out the afternoon to wish her a happy birthday!! Once again, the kids travelled well and had a great time running around with their cousins. I enjoyed catching up with family on my Mom's side, some of whom I hadn't seen in years.
- Dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Alstad and Bev! We had a very nice (but short!) visit at the end of August when we met for dinner in Stony Plain. We're really looking forward to a trip to Grande Prairie at the end of January and spending some time with the Alstad family :)
- Celebrating Thanksgiving in Fort McMurray at Lindsay and Jeremy's new home! I wish I was able to visit Fort McMurray more often, but was really glad we were all able to get up there for Thanksgiving!! Their new home is gorgeous and more then large enough to accommodate our clan ;) The kids had fun and we had a delicious dinner and caught up with my cousin Melissa and her family too!!
- Reese's 1st birthday (November 19th) and party!! We had a small party at our home, which we greatly enjoyed and hopefully our guest's did too! Reese, you have brought so much joy to our family! You are a smiley, energetic, courageous, often independent, adventurous little girl, who keeps us on our toes and showers us with hugs and cuddles! When you walk up to us and lean in for a hug, my heart melts! Especially when I see you hugging Blake or Em :) We can't believe that at the end of 2012 you will be 2?! It is going to be a very busy year for you Reese, learning new things and growing too!! We can't wait to experience it all with you :)
- Lots of time spent with our family! I feel as though we have had a lot of time together, much of it at and around home. These are special times, different from trips away from home, the time spent at work and school, at arena's and gymnastics. We treasure this time together and the memories that are made in these more "simple" moments - cuddling up in our bed in the early mornings (often short lived, but priceless minutes none the less ;) ), making brunch with Dad, baking cookies with Mom, helping Mom with Cameron's Closet, working in the yard, reading books, playing Lego, playing trains, doing puzzles, cuddling on the couch to watch a favorite show, the list could go on! We try to soak this all in and remember our babies in every moment, they grow up so fast :)
2011 has been good to our family and we thank our lucky stars each and every day for our health and happiness. The year has also had it's trying times but as we reflect on 2011, we know we are truly blessed and do not take a minute for granted.
We pray for our family and yours, that 2012 will bring a new year full of many great memories, the best of health, the best of friends and family, lots of laughs, good times and much love!!
We are working on setting some personal and family resolutions that we hope will help guide us this year. We had a quick discussion with Blake and Emerson about New Year's resolutions and had a good laugh at Blake's resolution to work more!!! He told us that he has taken 100's of hours off ... we told him he should not worry about working at his young age and after some discussion he decided his job would be to take care of his guys (a.k.a. his teddy bears)!!
Happy New Year everyone :)
Love The Cameron's
Friday, December 30, 2011
Christmas Vacation!
Our Christmas holidays are nearing an end :( Cal has had this week off and I am very thankful!! The kids have been under the weather the entire time. Poor Blake has had the brunt of it with an ear infection, throat infection and today was diagnosed with pneumonia. Blake is such a trooper when he is sick. He doesn't complain at all, just like when he was younger and had back to back ear infections for almost 8 months straight - not one complaint of pain! Granted, his behaviour has been a bit off some days!! Today on the way to the pediatrician's office I told him that he had to tell me if there was anything bothering him, because otherwise the Dr. won't know and wouldn't be able to treat him properly. He told me his head hurt ... all the time. I almost cried :( He's been spiking a fever off and on for a week now, but today was fever free. Thank goodness! Yesterday seemed to be the worst, with chills and feeling really cold off and on, followed by a fever. But he's on 2 antibiotics now, one that the odd walk-in clinic Dr. prescribed for his ear infection and one our pediatrician prescribed for the pneumonia (both will hit the throat infection!). Emerson had a fever at the beginning of the week and some diarrhea but has been fine for a few days now and Reese was also feverish for a few days, but seems to be fine now! Em still has a nasty sounding cough and we're hoping that goes away very soon!!
Other then the above illnesses, we have had a great stay-cation. Because Blake and Emerson were not feeling well on Christmas Eve, we were going to fore-go the Christmas Eve Church service we usually attend, but Blake and Em insisted we go! They really look forward to the children's nativity scene on Christmas Eve! We were glad we went, as our shepperd and angel were so cute and really enjoyed themselves! Reese spent the majority of the service walking around the back of the Church and snacking - quite a change from playing baby Jesus last year!!
Christmas morning the kids all slept in, which was a nice present for Cal and I!! We opened our gifts here and took our time playing with our new toys and getting ready to head to my Mom and Dad's in Stony Plain for Christmas with my parents and Lindsay and Jeremy. When we got to Stony we opened our gifts and stockings (Santa visits our house and Grandma and Grandpa's house!!). Later in the afternoon our family and my Mom and Dad went skating at Dog Rump Creek. This was Emerson's 1st time on skates and she did AMAZING!!! We could not believe it! She was so pleased with herself and later that night when I asked her what her favorite part of the day was, she replied, "Skating all by myself, without any help!" (I think she took about 3 steps on her own ;) ) Our little skating trip was the highlight of my Christmas Day, everyone so happy and enjoying the great outdoors and feeling so proud of our little skaters :) Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious dinner and had a nice visit with my Aunt and Uncle before heading home later that evening. It was a great Christmas Day! On Boxing Day Cal and I took in the home opener in the 2011 World Juniors - Canada vs. Finland. Canada was by far the favorites and won the game handily! It was so much fun, even though the score wasn't close! Being in that environment, with thousands of fans cheering on Team Canada and then belting out the national anthem (before and after the game!) was an awesome experience!!
On the 27th we visited the Stony Plain Cameron's. The kids had fun playing games and checking out Colby and Jenna's new toys! Lesley made a delicious lunch, which reminds me I still need to get the recipe!! We also enjoyed opening gifts from Grande Prairie! We're so thankful to have some of our Cameron family close-by :)
Cal and Blake went to the USA vs CZE game today and had a great time! Apparently it was a very good hockey game, which the Czech's won!! Blake enjoyed the whole experience, from the LRT ride, to the game, to the popcorn and juice Cal bought him ;) He also told Cal he could skate faster then those guys! And he described the periods as games and told me that after the first game he got popcorn and juice and then there was another game and another game!!! The only other hockey games he's been to are Cal's when he was not even 2 years old and an Initiation 2 game where they don't clean the ice between periods, so I can see why he thought there were 3 games!! We're really looking forward to seeing his reaction in February, when Cal takes him to an Oilers game. Their seats are in row 2 and on the side of the ice that the Oilers warm up in, so he'll be seeing them close up!Tomorrow we are looking forward to a visit from our dear friends the Hrdlicka's! And depending on how our kids are feeling, we may take in some New Year's Eve celebrations!!
Talk to you next year ... (I'm so funny ;) )
xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese
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