Maternity Pictures...

I was able to pick up my maternity pictures on Friday and WOW! I am so happy with them, and I am so happy that I decided to get them done. So here are a few of my favorites.

Rebecca also took a few pictures of just the boys. I was happy that she did cause they were needing updated 8x10's really bad!

Now the hard part is trying to decide what copies I want and of what sizes. There are too many to choose from.

I have more to blog about...but the boys need to get to bed so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

OH I have some very EXCITING NEWS!! Baby girl Pilling will be born on July 1st, 2008. My Dr. has decided to induce me on that day. YIPEE!!!! Only 23 more sleeps. LOL!

Fairmont Vacation...

This past weekend we took a little vacation to Fairmont, B.C. It was a fun little get away and was much needed. We went with our good friends the Wolfe's. They have 2 girls about the same age as our boys and they have grown up together, and get along GREAT! The 5 hour drive there went by quite fast and the kids travelled well thanks to a few movies and treats. We arrived in enough time to get a little swim in before bed time. The complex we stayed in was brand new and SO nice! We couldn't have ordered better weather, in fact I got a sun burn! We spent 1 day at the outdoor pool with the water slide. But unfortunately the water slide and the spray part weren't working. We were just happy to be able to go in the pool and the kids didn't mind not being able to go down the slide. This picture of Tyson totally cracks me up! He sure is a little fish. He was jumping in the pool like crazy and was trying to convince me to let him take his life jacket off. I didn't give in though. The life jacket just adds that little bit of extra security and that way I didn't have to worry about him. He still had a great time!

The next day we decided to take a little hike up to the natural hot springs. It was a really nice hike, but a little vertical for a girl who is 34 1/2 weeks pregnant. LOL! I just took it slow and put one foot in front of the other and I did just fine. I made me realize that I am totally out of shape though. Looks like I will need to start jogging again once the baby comes. The path we took was along side a stream and it was really beautiful. The kids had fun exploring and running up ahead of us. Tyson was a little apprehensive about crossing the stream, but he made it. 3/4 of the way up to the hot springs you come across a waterfall. It is the drain off of the natural springs pools and the water is warm! We weren't really pre-pared to go in the water but that didn't stop some of our gang. Carson went in the buff and Tyson went in his underwear. They had a BLAST! Tyler and I didn't get in...we aren't that adventurous I guess. And the thought of having to walk back to the van in sticky wet jeans didn't really appeal to me. If I would have had my swimming suit on I would have gone in for sure. It was fun to see all the kids having so much fun. I hope that they will remember doing this for a long time.

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  Another highlight of the trip was when Ryan decided to take a polar bear dip in the river. Of course he had to convince Tyler to do it with him, and in turn the kids wanted to go in as well. Check out this video, it is SO Funny!

As you can see it was a GREAT weekend!

I'm SO Excited!!!

Yesterday I got an exciting email from Rebecca Cooper telling me that she had a few of my photos up on her blog. I absolutely love what she did and can't wait to see the rest of the pictures. I am so happy that I got her to capture this special time in my little families life. I'm sure I will look back on these pictures and remember what it was like to be pregnant and how excited that we were having a little girl, a baby sister. They boys are getting more excited and I keep trying to explain to Carson that he is going to be a big brother soon. In his little mind he still thinks he is a baby, and tells us that often. Maybe that is the reason why he still has NO desire to use the potty. Maybe when the baby comes he will realize that he isn't the baby anymore and he needs to be a big boy. I'm crossing my fingers that is what will happen. I really don't want to be changing 2 kids diapers. And my heavens Carson is 3.5 years old, time to be a BIG BOY!

This past week we have been a host family to 2 Japanese students. This is something that we have done for the past 3 years. Tyson really enjoys having them come. This was the 1st time we have had 2 girls, and it was GREAT! The girl on the left is Toko, and the one on the right is Manami. Toko is the 4th tallest girl in her class, and she was TALL! She was the more quiet, reserved one, but was still more outgoing than most Japanese girls we have had. Manami was obsessed with American Celebrities. She was up on all the latest Hollywood gossip. She also was up to date on all the top music artists. It was fun to see her get so excited to buy a Seventeen magazine, and hear her favorite songs on the radio. It was a joy to have them in our home and to share their culture with us. These girls were 17 and what a difference a few years makes. In times past we have had very young girls, 12 & 13. The barley knew any English and were homesick. But these 2 girls knew a lot of English and communicating with them was so much easier. They were also very outgoing, which isn't common in the Japanese culture, especially coming to a foreign place and not knowing anyone. These girls fit in so well with our family. They didn't mind being pestered by the boys and loved playing with them. We did some fun things together while they were here. We took them to see the new Indiana Jones movie, and they loved it. We also went bowling, and they were surprised to see that the balls were so small and there were only 5 pins. We took them to Holiday Bowl so that Tyson & Carson could play too. We also went shopping and they were so excited to buy perfume. That was on their list of things to get along with Maple Syrup. I introduced them to salt water taffy, and they went home with a HUGE bag from Costco for their family. On Sunday when it was time to take them to the bus to go to Banff both girls cried and cried. This is the 1st time that the girls have become emotional. I guess they really loved our family and were sad to leave us. Tyson shed a few tears as well. He really connected with these 2 and he is going to miss them. Thanks to the wonderful world of email we will be able to keep in touch with them more easily, so that will be fun.

Mother's Day Tea

Last Friday Tyson invited me to a Mother's Day Tea at school. He was SO excited. He couldn't stop talking about it all week. He said that his class had been making gifts and learning new songs and that it was all a big surprise. I was excited to go, and seeing him so excited made me even more excited! We all met in the gym where the kids had made placements with their pictures on them. They were really cute. All the kids came in and stood at the front of the gym and sang us a few songs. Then they sang a cute song about not eating the green jelly beans because it will give us a tummy ache. It had really cute actions where they jumped up and down, patted their head, rubbed their tummy, and hopped on one leg. Before the song began the mom's were instructed to pay close attention to the actions. Little did we know that we (mom's) we be up there soon doing the actions with your kids. It was a lot of fun! Here I am 8 1/2 months pregnant jumping up and down while kicking one leg out. It requires a lot of concentration for people NOT pregnant. I'm sure I was a sight to see. But Tyson and I had fun and that is all that mattered. After the songs Tyson came and sat down with me and his teacher served all the mom's their treats that the kids had made. It was a yummy cupcake with jelly beans on the top in the shape of a flower. Tyson was so proud of how well he applied the icing and arranged the candy. It sure was a yummy treat. Then it was present time. A few weeks back the kids were asked to bring a 2 handed rock in for a project. Tyson took so much time picking out his special rock and making sure that it fit in both his hands. I was excited to see what was to become of the rock...and I finally did. They had painted to rock to look like a lady bug and called it a LOVE BUG. It was so cute. Tyson and I chatted about where the best place in the yard would be to put it. He was so proud of it! It was a great Mother's Day event that I won't forget. I can't believe how Tyson is growing. He has such a tender heart and is always telling me that he loves me. Those are just the best words to hear. I am so grateful to be a Mother, and on occasions like this it just reminds me how worth it it all is. Even though there are tough days and I wish I could just hid in my room, there are way more happy fun filled days watching my kids learn and grow that you just can't help but think that those days out weigh the bad ones.

On Sunday I was suprised by my husband with a gift that I thought he had paid no attention to. I told him a few days ago, after our trip to Great Falls, that there were only a few more things I needed before the baby came, and one of them was a Moby Wrap. I then explained to him what it was and thought nothing more about it. Well when I opened the gift I was shocked that he remembered and that he took the time to track it down. They only sell them at one store in the city and I knew it must not have been an easy task to find it. But thanks to my sister she was able to help him get one. I was so happy, now I just can't wait to use it! To top it off he got me a HUGE card, which has become a tradition. I love getting the cards from my boys. In it both Tyson and Carson drew me a little picture and Tyson wrote I Love Mom. SO CUTE! Tyler also wrote some nice things and told me that if I really wanted to name the baby Grace he was fine with that. So I am excited to have my little Gracie!

Update...

I did it! I went and had maternity pictures taken by the fabulous Rebecca Cooper. She did such a wonderful job and took so much time, I was really impressed. She had a ton of patience with my little Carson. He was being his typical 3 1/2 year old self. For about 10 min. he was pretty co-operative, but after that he took a lot of bribing to get him to do anything, and it was still a real challenge. Tyson on the other hand did great. But I think that had something to do with the fact that he knew that if he was good he got to choose a toy at Walmart. Who ever said bribery doesn't work doesn't' know my kids. LOL! It worked like a charm for him. Now I have to be patient and wait Rebecca to photoshop the pic's and burn them to a cd. I can't wait! I hope there is at least 1 good one, but with all that she took I'm sure there will be more. I'm so glad that I got them done. I want to remember being pregnant, the good and the bad. And with these pictures I will be able to do that. Now my only regret is that I didn't do it with each of the boys. Oh well, can't go back in time.

Yesterday Tyler and I made a quick trip to Great Falls. I was wanting a new stroller for that baby. I had decided on a sit & stand model so that Carson could take a rest when he needed to. This picture is similar to the one we got. Now we just have to put it together. I found some great stuff for the baby. 2 adorable dresses for only $3! WOW you sure don't find deals like that in Canada. We also found the great patio chairs that I have been wanting since last summer. They are a zero gravity chair and are so darn comfortable! Here they are about $100 - $120 EACH and we got them on sale at Target for $59! So we bought 2 for the price of 1. Now I cant' wait for the weather to get nice so we can actually use them. Of course we went to Bath & Body Works. LOVE that place. I thought I was getting a good deal until I got an email that said the anti-bacterial soap is 5 for $10! and yesterday the deal I got was 3 for $10! Still I bought a few just to have on had...or add to my collection. You can never have enough soap. LOL! The day was fun and Carson was pretty well behaved. The only downer to the day was the 1 1/2 hour wait at the boarder! I was not impressed! I don't understand why there are 6 wickets to go through and there is only ever 1 open. The line up of cars was unbelievable! I'm not the most patient person in the world and stuff like this just really irritates me. Then to top it off some guy in a big new truck budged in front of me. I didn't think he realized he was dealing with a very tired pregnant lady! So the next opportunity I had I got in front of him! SERVES HIM RIGHT! LOL! We did end up getting through the line up and finally through the boarder. And the best part of that nightmare was that we didn't have to pay and DUTY or GST! YIPEE!! We saved ourselves about $100. I was very thankful for that.

Well I do have more to blog about...but that will have to wait until tomorrow. My little kids are hungry so I better get supper ready.

Maternity Pics...

So I have been debating back and forth on whether or not I should have maternity photos taken. I didn't do it with either of the boys, it never really crossed my mind. I guess I just thought that maybe next time I would. Well next time has come and this will be the last time...so I have really been thinking about it and wanting some opinions. So far most of the photography websites that I have looked at the maternity pictures are really classy and I like them. But I have run across a few that look a little too sexy for me.

I am 29 weeks along and I'm not quite "stretched" out yet. LOL! So I thought now would be a good time before any "new" little lines become visible. If I am going to have pictures of my belly taken then I want it to look its best, if that is possible. Ha ha. I have contacted an amazing photographer and I am hoping that she will be able to take the pictures. I would really love to remember this pregnancy...the good and the not so good. And I think that if I have some pictures to remind me of it that might help. I am sad though because I don't have many pictures of me pregnant with the boys. What was I thinking! I guess I wasn't.

So now my question is...What is your opinion about maternity pics? Are you for or against them? Any suggestions would be a BIG help!

Quick Trip...

On Friday and Saturday we headed up to Calgary to spend a little time together as a family. I had a Distributor meeting for Salt City Candles on Saturday so we decided to make it a family affair. I had heard from some friends how great the Telus Science Center is and thought that might be something fun for us to do. It was a BIG HIT! Tyson especially loved it. Unfortunately Carson was feeling under the weather and didn't get out of it as much as I'm sure he would have it he was feeling better. But once he saw Bob the Builder exhibit he was excited and had fun playing for a bit. Here are a few pics I managed to take:

Here is Tyson sitting on a chair and pulling himself up using some sort of pulley system. There were different types of systems that were either hard or easy to pull. He enjoyed this exhibit.

Carson laying on a bed of nails. He wasn't scared at first but once he felt the nails poke him a bit then he didn't like it anymore. Tyson loved it though and thought it was SO cool!

Tyson on the revolving rock climbing wall. This was awesome! the higher you climbed up the wall your weight would make the wall rotate around. Tyson though doesn't weigh very much so it was hard for him to to get the wall to move. So we helped him out a bit.

Even Carson gave it a try.

Tyson's face pushed through a bunch of blunt ended nails.

I LOVE this picture of Tyson sitting on an GIANT ant. He loves insects and was thrilled when he saw this.

So it was a great trip and I would definitely go there again! If you ever plan on going there though make sure you print off a coupon here. It saved us $20!

Also in Calgary we managed to hit Ikea on the way home. I was looking forward to going there so that we could buy some toy bins. I have been feeling the need to start getting organized for when the baby comes. So little by little I have been cleaning out closets and throwing JUNK away! It feels SO good. I have the babies room completely empty now and all I have to do is buy the paint and have Tyler paint it! Yesterday I ordered the mobile that matches the bedding. Totally a splurge, but I just had to have the one that matched. LOL!

So that was my weekend in a nut shell. I have a busy week ahead of me. I have to take snack to Tyson's kindergarten tomorrow and be at parent pre-school all at the same time. I wonder how I am going to manage that?? I have an ultrasound appt. on Thursday so that should be exciting. Hopefully baby is growing and everything is okay.

Short & Sweet

Just a really quick note to say that yes I am still alive and well. My week was busy and the weekend was even busier. We went to Calgary on Friday and came home on Saturday. Took the kids to the Science center and they loved it. I will blog more tomorrow and share the pictures that I took. Short and sweet..I know, but the Flames game is about to start. LOL!

In DESPERATE need of an update...

Okay I have come to the conclusion that I am in DESPERATE need of a makeover! I am 30 years old (yes the BIG 30) and I totally feel that I look that a 20 year old. I want to look sophisticated and yet still trendy. Just because I am a mother of 2, soon to be 3 doesn't mean I need to be stuck in the pony tail & sweatpants mode. But I feel like I am there. Maybe it is because I am starting to get to that totally uncomfortable stage in my pregnancy and I just feel plain, ugly and BIG! Okay this is starting to sound depressing. Lol. So I booked myself a hair appointment for Friday and I am going to get something new. Although Tyler loves long hair it is time to say GOOD BYE...for now. I can always grow it out again if I want to. Everyone seems to be getting a version of Victoria Beckam's hair cut. I do like it, but I don't want to follow everyone and get the same thing. I was thinking about something a bit longer than that cut. So I am on a quest to find a new DO. Any suggestions?

Skating Carnival 2008...

Tyson & Carson have been involved in Can Skate since January. This is Tyson's 3rd year participating, and Carson's 1st. Needless to say it has been a challenge with Carson. Tyler has been very diligent with taking him for family skate and teaching him the basics before we even enrolled him in CanSkate. I was impressed at how quickly he caught on, and he actually enjoys it, and even asks if we are going. But when it comes to skating lessons he is not a happy camper! I remember going through this exact same thing with Tyson at this age. The only difference being was that Tyson had NO clue how to skate and he spent more time falling down, and with Carson he can actually skate and isn't falling down as much. So why doesn't he enjoy it? Rather than fight with a crying, screaming 3 year old I decided not to push the issue of him skating. If he didn't want to do it then I wasn't going to make him. But Tyler had a different idea. He thought that I shouldn't let him get away with it and to make he just go out there and cry the whole time if that is what he wanted to do. Easy for him to say when he wasn't the one sitting there watching all the other parents look at you like you are the worst parent alive. So that idea only lasted 1 week. Then it was back to mom being a softy. Tyler was able to make it to skating yesterday and Carson actually skated the whole time and he looked like he was having SO much fun. In the beginning when he wasn't co-operating I wasn't to keen on him participating in the Carnival, but after yesterday I have changed my mind. Last week was picture day and the kids both looked SO cute in their costumes!

There are 3 more practises until the big day. So we will see how well Carson does. I hope that he is happy and willing to participate because when he is he looks so cute!

The past few days I have decided that our family needs to start eating healthier! We are thing kings & queen of fast food. The more I think about the more disgusting I feel about it. Not only for my health but for the boys health. So on Saturday I made a grocery list and a list of meal ideas and decided that if I knew what there was I could make for supper than it wouldn't be so hard to do it. After I prepared that meal I would cross it off my list. So far so good! NO FAST FOOD THIS WEEK! Woo Hoo! I even turned down the opportunity to go to McDonald's (my weakness) and decided to save the money and eat at home. I had to give myself a small pat on the back. LOL! Another thing I have found to be helpful is to make my supper meal before lunch. That way all I have to do is pop it in the oven and I don't have the excuse later on in the day that I am to tired to make something. So far...so good. Yesterday I made sticky chicken and today it is meatloaf. YUMMY! I know that we aren't totally never ever going to eat fast food again, that would be very unrealistic. But if I am more conscious about when we eat out and focus more attention on eating healthy meals at home, I think that is a good start. So to end my entry for today I thought I would share my meatloaf recipe.

Yummy Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork ( if you don't like pork or don't have it use 2lb of beef)

1 can tomato soup

1 pkg. onion soup mix

1 box Stove Top Stuffing (any kind works)

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Combine all ingredients and place in a loaf pan. I usually spray it with Pam because the meat I use is very lean and it is sometimes hard to get the meatloaf out of the pan.

2. Top the meatloaf with ketchup, cover and back at 350 for about 1 hour.

A tip for leftover meatloaf: For lunch the next day cut it in slices and put it between 2 pieces of bread. Then cook it like it was a grilled cheese sandwich. SO YUMMY!

I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Easter Egg Hunt

What a beautiful day it is today, and the perfect day for an Easter Egg hunt! Our Moms & Tot group got together at the park today for our 1st annual (LOL) egg hunt. We left the kids in the vehicles while the mom's hid the eggs. They thought they knew where all the eggs where because they saw where we were going...but we managed to hide some eggs in some pretty sneaky spots. Then it was time to let them loose and find all the eggs. It was fun to see them running around and having so much fun! I don't think that any of the kids there needed more candy, but they loved opening their eggs to find little surprises. When the excitement of the egg hunt was over the kids enjoyed playing on the play equipment and playing in the sand. I was so shocked at how well they played together. It was so nice! Of course there was little tiffs here and there and kids throwing sand, but it was so minor. It made for a very fun afternoon. The moms were actually able to sit around and visit while the kids enjoyed the sunshine.

Okay now for some advice. NEVER, EVER by anything from Gymboree.com and have it shipped standard international! Needless to say I have been buying up a storm for our new baby girl and today I realized that the adorable Gymboree clothes that I bought on sale really weren't on sale because of the ridiculous duty and shipping charges! DHL was the shipping company they used and when it was delivered I had to spend another $32 in charges! I was TICKED! Nowhere did it say that there would be extra charges, or nothing that I saw. You know you always forget to read the fine print. Anyway I called Gymboree to see what was up and the lady told me of another way to have the items shipped that would be a bit less expensive, but there would still be an extra shipping charge once it got delivered. I have just figured that I wouldn't spend $32 in gas to drive to the border and pick up packages via UPS. So that is what I would suggest to anyone who lives within a short drive to Sweetgrass. Hey if you want I even have the mailing address (Thanks Carissa!) So that is my little tid bit of advice. Don't get me wrong I still LOVE Gymboree and can't wait to dress my little girl in the cute outfits I bought, but man I hate paying for SHIPPING! And the sad thing is...I have ANOTHER package coming in the mail! AGHHH! I wish I would have been more patient and waited for this first order to come, then I could have saved myself more money on extra shipping charges...but who was to know. Guess now I do.

Where has the time gone???

Oh my goodness...where has the time gone? It has almost been a year (in May) since I last blogged. I can't even begin to think about updating everything that has been happening the last 10 months. So I have decided to start fresh. It is a new year...well 3 months into one and time to re-commit to blogging.

I will update on one very exciting thing though...Tyler and I are expecting baby #3 at the end of June. And it is a GIRL. We are all thrilled for our new arrival. The boys, Tyson & Carson are excited to be big brothers, and I am so excited to buy PINK. I'm sure that the next 3 months are going to fly by and out new baby will be here. For now I have been busy buying clothes and new bedding for the babies room. Here is a sneak peek at the new baby bedding. I found it at Target online and I am so in love with it. It is even cuter in real life.

We CAN Make A Difference!!

While reading one of my FAVORITE blogs this morning I was directed to watch this short video. As the tears rolled down my cheeks I thought of all the many ways in which I have been served by others. Then I thought of all the way I have thought about serving but never put my thoughts into action. I feel the guilt for not doing more. Does it really take that much more effort to serve someone? I really don't think it does! When I think about service I always think about serving those who don't life with me. But why can't the service start in my home with those that I am with all the time. Would it really be that hard for me to take some extra time out of my day to play Transformers with my 4.5 year old? Would it be that hard for me to play cars or read a story to my 2.5 year old. Why does the laundry and cleaning seem to come first? Is it really that important to have a spit spot house? The more and more I think about it the more I think that it really doesn't matter. The time we have on earth is quite short when you think about eternity. Our children are only going to want us to read to them for so long. Pretty soon I won't be the apple of my son's eye, and he won't want to cuddle up with me and read a story.

I think too that it is important for us to instill a love of service in our children at a young age. Often when they get older serving others is the last thing on their list. But if we are good examples to them, and help them to serve others I think that they will develop a love for it and then they will look for ways in which they can serve. So today I am challenging myself to devote more time to serving my family. I can think of countless acts of service that Tyler shows to me, but do I reciprocate that same efforts to him. I am sad to say that I don't, but that I am going to make a very conscious effort to do so.

I challenge all who read this blog, there may not be many, but to look and watch the video on service and then put it into action. Have a VERY happy day!

The Good...then the Bad!

On Friday Tiffany and I took a spur of the moment trip to Calgary to take the kids to the zoo. We are notorious for doing things on the fly. I think those are the best trips sometimes. The day wasn't the most sunny but we decided to go anyway. Needless to say when we got there it was on 11+ degrees. A bit chilly, especially for our kiddos who were dressed so CUTE in their shorts and light jackets. Oh well they still wanted to go and so we did. It was actually a perfect day for the zoo because it wasn't too crowded. The kids enjoyed looking at all the animals. Tyson couldn't wait to see the crocodile, his favorite animal in the whole zoo. It didn't take us very long to visit each exhibit. Carson enjoyed the zoo for the first time. We have taken him before but he was too little to really "get" it. He loved the lion's and the monkeys. Here are a few pictures of the kids:

It was a great day! But I think we will visit the zoo again before the summer is over, hopefully on a sunnier day!

Now for the bad of our week. It was Saturday and we spent all morning in Lethbridge with my mom shopping. We had a really fun time. We went to the greenhouse and bought some flower and plants to put in the yard. So when we got home I started planting them and the kids were playing outside. All of a sudden Tyson comes crying and saying that he hurt himself. Sure enough he had cut open his lip on the inside, and there was a huge gash. Tiffany was over and said that he probably needed a stitch and to walk over to the hospital. So off to the hospital we went. I was surprised that it really wasn't bleeding all that badly, and he didn't act like it hurt all that bad. So when the Dr. got there he said that yes it needed a stitch. They put a bit of topical freezing on but it didn't really work all that well. Tyson has never in his life screamed like that before. We had to hold him down and it was the hardest thing ever for me to do! When the Dr. would try and open his mouth he would shout, "NEVER, " and not open up. Then we would say, "They are trying to KILL me!!" and that they were going to make it worse and not help him. It was VERY traumatic for my little 4.5 year old. I could tell he was trying to be brave but he was very scared. Then he needed ANOTHER stitch and after the 1st on Tyson knew what he was in for. So the Dr. tried to give him some local anesthetic but when Tyson saw the needle there was NO way he was going to let him put it in his mouth. So the drama started ALL over again. This time they waited a bit longer for the topical anesthetic to work, and I think it did, but Tyson still cried. Then it was over...or so we thought, and off we went home. About a few hours later though I noticed that the stitches had come out!! Yes they came untied! So of we went to the hospital again for another dose of crying. But this time he was much better. The nurse was very kind and she kept the topical anesthetic on a very long time to make sure he was good and numb. But he still remembers how it was the 1st time and it took awhile before we could convince him that he wouldn't be able to feel it. Finally the Dr. was able to stitch it again and got the gash better this time and he only needed 1 stitch. I was so proud of Tyson for how brave he was, and he was looking forward to the new Transformer he was going to get. So the ordeal was over and off we went home again. The next day at church he was so proud to show everyone his stitch and to tell them the story of how he got it. I found it so ironic though because Tyler and I were just talking with some friends about how surprised we were that Tyson had never broken anything or had to have stitches. I guess we spoke too soon!

Blast Ball...

Tonight we had Blast ball with Tyson. So far he hasn't really enjoyed it. He keeps saying that it is boring, and way to long. I kind of have to agree with him on how long it is. 90 minutes is VERY long for a 4 year old to do any structured activity and still have attention by the end. But tonight was different, he actually had a BLAST! I helped play catch with him, and the kid can throw pretty good. It is fun to see him progress and try his best. Tonight though we did have to have a little chat on how to be a good sport. He was getting frustrated cause the other kids would beat him to the ball when the other team was up to bat. So we had to chat about how we need to just have fun and not worry about always being first. Also I heard him say that one child wasn't very good, so yet again we had to have a chat about always speaking kindly about others and to be positive. I have always tried to say positive things when Tyson is involved in an extra curricular activity. I focus on what he is doing well and not on what he isn't. I think that helps boost their self esteem and makes them think positively them self. But even though he may never be a Babe Ruth, these activities help him learn how to treat others and most important how to work as a team and have good sportsmanship. Over all I think he is having a fun time. His friends from school and church are there as well and that helps.

The Faith of a Little Child...

I found this on Sophia's blog and thought I would do it just for fun. Here it goes:

Two Names I Go by: Mom & Jodes

Two Things I am Wearing Right Now: 1. new Jean Capris 2. Black stretchy shirt

Two Things I Want (or have) in a Relationship: 1. A very patient husband 2. Lots of LOVE and AFFECTION!

Two of My Favorite Things to do: 1. Go camping with my family 2. Have friends over for supper & play RISK.

Two Things I Want Very Badly At The Moment: 1. Our car to be SOLD! 2. A subway sandwich lol.

Two pets I have: We only have 1, a dog named Maggie. But I am hoping to get the boys a lop eatred bunny very soon!

Two things I did last night: 1. Watched BONES, never watched it before but it was good. 2. Got the boys ready for bed.

Two things I ate today: 1. Lay's plain chips 2. Peanut Butter & jam sandwich

Two people I just talked to last: 1. Jana 2. Sharla

Two Things I'm doing tomorrow: 1. Going to our last day of Parent Pre-School 2. Picking up my Mom's mother's day present.

Two Favorite Holidays: 1. Christmas 2. Summer vacation!

Two favorite beverages: 1. Hmmm seeing how I don't drink diet coke anymore (well only if I go to a restaurant) I really don't have a favorite drink. I guess I would have to say water.

Okay now that was fun. Now I need some advice. My 2.5 year old has learned how to climb out of his crib and open door in the last week. And now I can't get him to stay in his bed for a nap, or even at bedtime. I have put him back countless times, and still he gets back out. I think it was like 10 p.m. before he finally settled down and went to sleep. Then he was up at 6:30 a.m. and was SO cranky! So he went for a nap at 12 and luckily he didn't attempt to get out of his room. I remember with Tyson we had to tie the door shut so he would stay in there. I felt like a terrible mother doing that! But after about 4 nights he gave in a realized that we weren't giving in and that he had to stay in bed. I might just have to start doing that again with Carson. The challenges of raising kids, it can be rough sometimes. But most days I find it very rewarding. I love the fact that Tyson is a TOTAL momma's boy and that he always wants to be where I am. Every night before he goes to be he tells me that I am the BEST mom in the whole world and that he loves me. That just melts my heart. Speaking of Tyson that reminds me of something he did the other day. Not sure if I mentioned this yet or not. Lately he has been addicted to catching lady bugs. He has spent countless hours in our back year searching for them. He did manage to find 3 and put them in their "habitat." He was thrilled to be able to take them to school and show them to his classmates and teachers. So one day he accidentally tipped over the "habitat" and came running in with a dead lady bug in his had. He was very upset and said that it was ALL his fault. I told him that accidents happen and that it was okay and to go look for more lady bugs. He then said, "But mom, God can heal him and he will come alive again." He was speaking of the dead lady bug! The faith of a little child. I believe that he really thought that God would make the lady bug whole again. It was just a tender moment, and one that I never want to forget. Kids...they sure make life worth living!

Exciting Week!

Lots has been happening around the Pilling home the past week. Last Wednesday (May 1st) we had a Parent Pre-School Field Trip. We didn't actually go anywhere but someone came to us! Petland (a local pet shop) came to the family hub and brought a variety of animals to show the kids. They LOVED it! Both Tyson and Carson were fascinated with all the different animals. I was amazed at how unafraid both the kids were. Carson was a little apprehensive when it was his turn to touch the hedgehog. I think he was expecting it to be soft and cuddly, but when he touched it he realized that it was prickly. It was cute to see his reaction. Tyson is fearless when it came to the animals. It wasn't even one bit scared to touch the milk snake. YUCK is all I had to say! Here is a picture of Carson with a gerbil. And here is a picture of Tyson with the milk snake. Overall the kids had a GREAT time!

Another exciting thing this week is that we bought a new camping trailer. We really weren't planning on it, but we couldn't pass up this great deal. The new trailer (Shirley, Tyler always has to name our vehicles, LOL) is a bit smaller than Aleda (the old trailer) but it is in better shape and has WAY more storage. The kids even have their own bedroom at the back with 3 bunk beds. They are both SO excited, and mom and dad are getting excited too. We love camping, it has become our family tradition in the summer. Instead of taking fancy trips every few years we have decided to take the boys camping to some of our favorite spots. It is wonderful the memories we have made and we look forward to making more this year. We have 2 weeks booked in August and we are counting down the days till we can pack up the trailer and hit the highway in search of our next destination. I think this year though we are going to try somewhere new. We are probably going to go to Idaho to Silverwood Theme park. They have a huge amusement park and water park, so we think the kids will enjoy that. We feel very blessed to be able to have a new trailer, one that is in better shape and will last us for many years.

The weather here has been SO nice the past few days. The kids have spend many hours outside playing in the sandbox. We have also enjoyed riding bikes and playing at the park. I finally feel like Spring is here and that Summer is just around the corner. I sure hope we don't get any of those freak snow storms in the middle of May! This is what it looked like a last week though. Carson and I braved the downpour to walk to the school to pick Tyson up. Needless to say we were soaked when we got home. But there doesn't look like rain is in the forcast for the next few days so that is good :)

Last night Tyson and I went on his Mystery Bus Field Trip. We took a tour of Coaldale on a school bus. We stopped and saw the Fire Station, Bakery, Library and the Birds of Prey Center. The kids were able to get out at the Birds of Prey and look around at the Canada Geese. We tried to look for some nests but we only saw one that may have been used last year by some geese. We did see an abandoned egg floating in the water. And the kids also got to see an Otter swimming in the lake. They were very excited to see that. Tyson was happy that he was able to sit by his friend Karlin on the bus, and they had fun walking around together. I can't believe how Tyson is growing. Before we know it he will be in Kindergarten! Wow how time flies. He truly is a momma's boy though, and I love that!

Busy, Crazy, Life!!

Life for me has been SO crazy busy. I have done a trade show every weekend in April. That was just insane on my part, but it was good to get some more exposure for the candles. They were well received in all the places I visited. So hopefully there will be lots of parties booked, and even better yet would be some distributors being set up in those areas.

I am finally starting to believe that SPRING is here! Yipee. I love the nice warm weather and seeing the grass and trees turn green. The tulips and daffodils are starting to bloom and it just makes everything look so alive and fresh, after a long winter, and CRAZY weather. The kids have been enjoying the nice weather too, and are so happy to be able to go outside and play. Carson just loves being outside and playing in the sand box. Although today I think he brought more of the sand inside with him! He was covered in sand, but he had a great time.

Sorry this entry wasn't more exciting. Like I mentioned life has been to hectic to really fit anything "fun" into it. But the next few weeks look like they are a bit slower so hopefully I can fill our days with some fun outings and maybe even take some pictures. Until next time...have a GREAT DAY!

A GREAT Mother's Day Gift!!

Okay all you candle lovers out there, I have the perfect gift for Mother's Day. Salt City candles has come out with a great candle especially for Mother's Day. It is a triple layered candle that has 3 scents perfect for spring. They are: Lavender Vanilla, Gardenia, and Garden Lilac, 3 very popular scents. Here is the flyer:

Supplies are limited so if you would like to order one for you mom, or even as a present to yourself give me a call or email me. You won't be disappointed with this spring scented candle!

On a different note, the weather has turned from sunny and beautiful yesterday to a wintry, rainy blizzard! This weather sure has a mind of its own. It really is teasing us by giving us spring like temperatures one day and the next winter hits us again. One thing I really wish is that I had planted my sweet peas and Dahlia's before all this moisture. Those little seeds would have LOVED it! So here is to rainy weather, and praying that spring will knock on our doorstep again SOON!

SICK!!

I have to admit that I am the worst sick person ever. I HATE being sick, especially the flu, which is kinda what I have had since Thursday. My sister and I went out for supper Wednesday night with some friends and I think I got food poisoning. That night I was visiting the "porcelain queen" every two hours. I didn't have anything left in my system by the time morning came. The next day I was totally drained and still feeling very miserable. I was SO thankful that my hubby was home to take care of the kids. There is just NO way I could have taken care of them. I was hoping and praying that I would feel better for the next day because I had a trade show. In the morning I felt somewhat better, but still not much energy. But I "bucked up" and went and did the trade show (big mistake!) Anyway Saturday morning came and I wasn't feeling well again and I thought there would be no way I was going to be able to do the trade show again for another full day. Tyler was such a sweet heart when he volunteered to go and do it for me. Now that won him some serious brownie points. I managed to feel a bit better after a shower and went to the trade show for another L-O-N-G day. That night though I wasn't feeling like laying in bed so we went over to some friends house for supper and then played Rook. It did me good, but I still wasn't feeling very well. Sunday was another day in bed! Totally flat out in bed! Man I don't think I have spend that much time in bed...ever. But today I do feel better, I managed to eat something and don't have the swirly stomach. So that is good. I hope I am on the road to recovery.

I mentioned the trade show I was involved in, and man was it ever a waste of 2 days. When I registered the lady told me that in years past the attendance was about 1200, so I thought okay I will try it. I would have been surprised if there was 400 people! Needless to say I won't be doing that trade show again. I sure hope the one this coming weekend is better, and the one after that! Oh well there was no way of predicting how good or bad it would be. Now I know, and I won't be going there again!

Tyler and I have been talking about taking the boys bowling for FHE tonight. Carson was watching it on t.v. the other day and he was so excited! He kept saying "ball, ball." And "all gone," when someone would get a strike. Then when a player left some pins up he would say, "Uh oh." How cute is that! So if Tyler gets home in time we might try taking them. They may be too little though, but we will try it anyway.

A Cute Picture!!

So as I mentioned yesterday we went swimming. My camera batteries were almost totally dead, but I did manage to get this ADORABLE photo of my sister and her little boy, Hunter.I think they both look SO cute. Sorry Tiff if you aren't happy with me showing the WORLD your photo, but I couldn't resist!

Today I was up earlier than usual. And man did I get a lot accomplished by 11:00 a.m. I managed to load and unload the dishwasher, do 4 loads of laundry, sweep the kitchen/dining room floor, clean the main bathroom, and vacuum. Whew I was tired after and needed a shower! It felt good to get so much done, and I always love a fresh clean house. And I am happy too that you can actually see the floor of my laundry room. Yes laundry is my weakness...I don't like doing it. But I have decided that if I do a load or two a day then it won't add up quite as fast and be so overwhelming.

I am going to be one busy girl the next few weeks, but I am actually looking forward to it. I have 3 trade shows to do and I am hoping that I will get a few more contacts for home parties. So if any of you blog readers are in the Bow Island, Crowsnest Pass, or Taber area I will be there for their trade shows. Come and stop by and say hi!

Quick Post...

Today was a fun day! The weather was totally crappy though, snowing and raining none stop ALL day long. Oh well I know I shouldn't complain, we could use the moisture. I just wish the weather would make up its mind though. Sunday it was very nice and sunny and then 24 hours later the total opposite. But we did manage to make the best of the day by going swimming! I am totally bummed though cause I took my camera and put "new" batteries in only to find out that they weren't charged. So no cute pictures of the kids. They did have a BLAST though. Carson was a bit intimidated in the beginning but he warmed up by the time we left. Tyson loved it and is getting quite confident in the water. The pool we went to is totally geared for little kids, they have a little kids pool that is perfect for ages newborn to about 5 or 6. I think we will go again soon cause the kids had SO MUCH FUN! It was great too cause Tyler was even able to come with us due to the crummy weather.

Also today my sister Kimberley and her little girl Jayda braved the weather and came into town to spend the afternoon with us. It was fun for the cousins to play together, although there were quite a few tears and bumps and bruises. It sure is tough learning how to share. But all in all I think they had a fun time, and the mom's had a few good laughs which was GREAT!

As you can see I updated my blog a bit. It isn't 100% the way I would like it, but it will have to due for now. I am going to be one busy girl the next few weeks. I have 3 trade show in April for Salt City Candles. Yes I am crazy I know, and I am wondering what I have gotten myself into, but it is a great way to get the product out in the communities. So I have to GO FOR IT. I do like doing shows though after all the set up is done. I like to mingle with people and introduce them to this great product. So hopefully all will go well and I will get some new customers and people who might want to have a home party.

Until next time...

Totally Stumped!

Aghhh, I have been trying to scrapbook for 1.5 hours and am having NO success! I just can't get the pages to look right, I don't think I have enough different pieces of patterned paper. I am trying to scrap the pictures of the kids with the puppies we had over a year ago! The picture are SO cute I want the pages to turn our cute, but they aren't looking that way right now. Oh well, sometimes you just have to walk away and come back to it latter with a fresh eye and a new perspective. So the last few hours have been wasted time. I'm afraid I have had many wasted hours while trying to scrapbook. I think it just part of the process.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and I am having dinner. I invited my sister (she is alone for a whole week while her hubby goes on a guys vacation,) and the Wolfe's. We are having ham, funeral potatoes, spinach salad, fruit salad, corn, grainery bread, and for desert I picked up a delicious blackberry mouse. It is TO DIE FOR! I was happy I found it cause that was one less thing for me to worry about making. I am looking forward to tomorrow's dinner, it should be very yummy!

It looks like the afternoon has turned out to be quite sunny and nice, maybe I will take the kids for a bike ride. Tyson is playing outside, and Carson is till napping. I love the fact that Carson still naps in the afternoon. It is my guilt free time during the day to have some "me" time. Well it looks like Tyler just pulled up in the driveway from work, so I better go welcome him home. Until next time...

Scrapbook Supplies & Easter...

Yesterday Tiffany and I went to check out the new scrapbook store. It has been open for about a month and I have stayed away that long, and I surprised myself by doing so. But now that I am back in the scrappin groove I was in need of some new supplies. Embellished Memories was just what I needed to cure my need for some new supplies. It is a darling, small store with lots of character and great products. I love the fact that if they carry a line, they have ALL of the line. Not just bits and pieces. They had a ton of chipboard and that was my main purpose of going there. I had heard that they carried the whole Maya Road line...and they did. Such cute stuff. I'll post some LO's with the new supplies when I get them done. For those of you in the Lethbridge area you should seriously check this cute store out!

Tyson was as proud as punch to take the Easter baskets to school for his teachers today. We even dropped one by to his teacher who will be on sick leave for a month. They think she might have cancer. He really misses her, but we see her on Sunday's at church, so that is nice that Tyson still has contact with her. She wasn't home so we just left it on the door step. His other teacher's loved their gift, and Tyson was beaming. It is great to see him so happy and proud of himself. I must say I loved making the gifts, and still have 2 more to make for our good friends. I need to cute out more flowers. AGHHH!! That is the only crappy thing about the project. I don't have a paper flower punch. Oh well, maybe if I do them again I will invest in one. Tyson came home today with a cute Bunny headband on. He said, "I'm not Tyson, I'm a bunny today." It was so cute. I'll have to take a picture of him and post it.

It has been a LONG week for me. Tyler hasn't been home and I am finding that my patience with the kids has about run out. Mostly they have been fine, it has just been today that Carson was being a little stinker. He was into everything! And I was trying to keep the house clean because my parents are coming over for supper. To top it off I had a headache that wouldn't go away. I have to admit...I'm addicted to Diet Coke! I can't go even 1 day without it. I'm an addict!! I tried today, and at 2:00 the massive headache came on. I took some pain med's but it still persisted. So what did I do...drank a Coke, and now as I write this I am feeling much better! WOW what am I going to do. I do admit that I love the taste of Coke, nothing quenches my thirst better. But now I am dependent on it or I get a massive headache and am a total bear. I'm not ready to give it up completely just yet...but maybe in the future. But I know I need to limit how much I do drink in a day. Okay that is my confession for today. I admitted it mom, I'm addicted!

I thought I would give a little movie update. If you haven't seen Charlotte's Web, you MUST! It is so cute, and my kids love it. Even Carson, who doesn't pay any attention to the t.v. We have watched it 2 times in the last 2 days. It is on right now, but Tyson is asleep. So that means he isn't going to go to bed any time soon. Oh well, he must have needed a little nap. As far a "The Good Shepherd", don't waste your time or your money watching this flick. Totally boring, at least to me. We are still waiting to take Tyson to see "TMNT." Probably tomorrow we will go.

And in conclusion I leave you with a few more LO's I have done. These pictures are taken of Tyson last year at his skating carnival.

Candy Bouqets...

While reading Sophia's blog the other day I found this adorable craft that she had made. Spring Candy Bouquets. I thought this would be a great present for Tyson's 4 pre-school teachers. After rushing around the city trying to find what I needed I had to email Sophia and ask her exactly how she put the baskets together and what supplies she used. I never thought she would give me a personal phone call all the way from Utah...but she did! She is just that kind of person...always willing to help someone. Even though we have never met in person I have been an avid blog reader of hers for about 2 years now, so I feel I know her, just by reading about her daily life. She is a great example to me! So THANKS Sophia for taking time out of your busy day to give me a call. So this is what my baskets look like. I had fun making them, although they were a bit time consuming. I didn't' have a handy flower punch like Sophia so I had to hand cut all the flowers. But it was worth it. I found most of the other stuff at a new dollar store called "Dollarama." It is awesome...except when I went to pay I found out that they don't accept debit, only cash. Who carries cash around with them these days? I sure don't. So I had to load the kids back up and head to the nearest bank where I paid a $1.50 just to get cash out because it wasn't the bank I bank at. Oh well I had to have the stuff at the store so I spared no expense.

Supplies: Baskets from Dollorama, Green Easter Grass, Flowers were cut our of Stampin Up paper, BBQ Skewers, Florist Tape, Floral Foam, Ribbon, Glue Gun, and of course CANDY!

Instructions: Cut floral foam to fit inside the basket. Stuff with grass. Using floral tape wrap it tightly around each BBQ skewer, cut to desired lengths. Cut out flowers either with a punch or trace them on and hand cut them out. Take a skewer and pierce it through the paper flower and then through the chocolate. Poke through the grass and into the foam. Repeat until basket is full with flowers. Tie bows with ribbon and glue gun them on to the flower stems. This candy bouquet can be adapted for many occasions. Have fun!

When They Won't Take NO For An Answer!!

Okay I am starting to count down till our family vacation. I am SO looking forward to it!! I thought Spring had come until 2 days ago when it started to SNOW!! Yes we have Winter again. Thankfully though it isn't bitter cold and the wind isn't blowing. It is warm enough that the snow is melting once it hits the ground, so that is good. But man I wish the weather would stop playing tricks on us. I want Spring to be here...and then SUMMER!!

Okay what is with tella marketers?? Seriously, I have had so many call me today. The one guy would not QUIT!! He was calling from Rogers (a cell phone company) and told me that he could give me a better phone and a better plan than what I had. I kept telling him that I had the newest Razor phone and it had everything I could possibly want: camera, mp3 player ect. But he just wouldn't give up. He was a nice guy and I felt bad that he had such a crummy job, but I was getting a bit annoyed with him. Finally I just politely said " Have a nice day," and hung up on him. I am SO thankful that I don't have his job. Then about 1/2 an hour later another person called. This time I didn't even listen to who it was I just hung up. I know...I'm rude, but I didn't' want to talk to another person who wouldn't take NO for an answer.

Today I did some more scrapbooking. YEAH! Here are the results:

Tonight I am SO happy that we were invited over for supper at the Wolfe's. I LOVE how Heather makes her lasagna, there is NO BETTER, and that is what we are having. I am so happy, but a little sad because Tyler won't be home to share it with us. He is out of town for a few days. But we will be thinking about him. Also I am happy for the season finale of Prison Break. This is one show that Tyler and I have watched most episodes together, and we LOVE it. We look forward to Monday nights when it comes and on and we spend that 1 hour vegging together in front of the boob tube. But sadly he won't be home tonight, but I'm sure we will be chatting on the phone to each other while it is on. I also LOVE Dancing with the Stars and that is on tonight as well. I hope it isn't on at the same time as Prison Break. Looks like I will be folding laundry while watching t.v. tonight.

Playing Catch Up Again!

Wowzers it has been a LONG time since I blogged! Seems like these days I am always playing catch up. But I do have quite a few things to report on, so here is my update.

Did you notice I changed the look of my blog? Yes I needed a change. I like the new template and hope to get the kinks worked out eventually. But for now it is okay how it is.

I have been sick lately. No appetite, and a woozie, swirly stomach. No throwing up...but it is coming out the other end like water. Sorry to be so graphic. I am hoping to start feeling better tomorrow, but for now nothing I eat seems to satisfy me, and nothing really tastes good. But hey on the bright side, maybe I am loosing a little weight because of it. LOL!!

Last night was Tyson's skating carnival. I really wasn't feeling up to going, but I am glad that I did. He did such a great job, I was a proud momma. I was smiling from ear to ear as I watched him try to rally his little group together so they could preform their routine. It really was cute to watch them. Skating this year has been SO much more enjoyable for him. He really can boogie when he wants to. Next year it is Carson's turn to put on the skates. I'm hoping though that I won't have to go out on the ice with him like I did Tyson. The kicking and throwing a fit really does get embarrassing week after week. But persistence really does pay off, now Tyson loves it!

I have been scrapbooking lately. I need to get some pages done before I feel totally overwhelmed with that I need to do. It was fun for me to go back and look at the pictures from Christmas. Wow the kids have even grown since then! Especially Carson. Here are a few pages I have done this week:

The candle business is going great! I have entered a few more trade shows and hope they will bring me more contacts. Hopefully I can get some people signed up to be demonstrators. I love having a home based business. Although at times it can be a lot of work, it is very rewarding to build something from nothing and see is succeed. Next week I am going to start calling the contacts from the Home & Garden show. Hopefully that will turn into more parties, and more customers!

So that's about it from the Pilling home. We are doing well and are all happy & heathly (well most of us are healthy lol!)