Guitar Recital

This last year Darien has been taking guitar lessons. He has been doing pretty well at it but he would have been doing even better if he had done more practicing. LOL He likes to just learn to play songs that he likes and his teacher this year did just that. He was a great match for Darien and he enjoyed going every Mon. night to learn some more. This is him waiting for his turn. He was so nervous.
Up there doing his thing. He did really well, I was so proud of him. He won't be continuing with guitar lessons as I don't really think that it is his thing but in true Darien fashion he has to try everything. LOL And that is just fine with me. I would rather my kids try things and find out weather they like or not than to not try anything. I makes for a busy life but worth it. I did record him playing but of course it is not uploading for well, so I will keep trying.

Rugby Time

Darien has been wanting to try rugby for some time but has always been torn between doing lacrosse and rugby and this year he finally crossed over. He was hoping that he would be able to do both but it just wasn't going to work out. He is enjoying it and seems to be doing really well. He is a natural with the tackling and I am sure that having three bothers has something to do with that. LOL

In this game has managed to get three try's. He is a runner and boy can he run.

There is something about those mouth guards. I am sure that there isn't a picture without him playing with it. LOL Sadly, this will be Darien's last game for a while. He is out now because he has injured his knee. He was playing lacrosse at school in gym and hyper extended his knee and has pulled or torn the tendons at the back of his knee. He will be seeing the physiotherapist for the next couple of weeks and if is doesn't start to feel better they might have to send him for an MRI to make sure that there isn't more damage. Darien plays hard and that often leads to injuries. He is hoping that it will heal quickly but the problem is that he doesn't get that he needs to let it get better. It was pretty gross watching the physio do he assessment and seeing how far up she could lift his lower leg and it not hurt and how much it bowed when it really should have stopped. (I am not sure if that makes sense) Hopefully he will be able to be back to the game soon.

Tree Farm Field Trip

This was so exciting. Stefan's first field trip. Here are the three amigos. These three are best buddies and it has been so much fun having them in the same class. They sat together on our long bus ride. LOL It would have only taken us 5 min to drive to the tree farm from the school but to make it a little bit more fun for the kids they took the "long way". LOL
Unfortunately, it was the first day in a long time that it rained but we still had a good time even if we were a little bit wet. The got to see how they dig holes for the trees and all the different machines. So fun for the boys.

At the end they got to do their own plants to take home. I am now the proud owner of a Hen and Chick plant that is growing on my window sill. Such precious times with my baby. :)

Red Deer

This was a very busy weekend for us. Keagan and I spent three days driving back and forth to Red Deer which is a town 1 hour 15 min south of our home. It was a lacrosse tournament that his team was involved in. We have participated in this tournament for the last 5 years but this was the first time that we have driven back and forth each day instead of staying over night. It was great to have some one on one time with my Keagan.
It was a pretty tough and tiring weekend for him and his team but he put his all into it and did some amazing saves. He even managed to earn MVP for one of the games. I am definitely a lacrosse mom through and through. I love watching my kids play and I can cheer as loud as the next mom. ;) Way to go Keagan. I love you.

Our New Pets

We have had this bird house for almost as long as we have been married but have never really put it up. So this year we pulled it out of the rafters and found it a home. And would you believe it within a day these two beautiful little birds had made it a home. The boys are really enjoying watching our new pets as they get their nest ready. The bird house is in the perfect location right off the deck and outside my kitchen window so as I am doing the dishes I get to listen to their beautiful songs.

Happy Anniversary

I say this every year but who has it really been 13 years since we were married? I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. I feel so blessed to have him every day by my side. He is my best friend and the love of my life. There is an elderly couple in the town that we live in that drive around on their matching motorized scooters and I think how wonderful it is to see them do that. I am not in any hurry to get old but I can't wait to grow old with Jamie. LOL I was so excited to make over our deck with all the great finds from my over night trip to Canmore. It started with my half price hammock which is so comfy. It was such a beautiful Sunday morning so we were able to just enjoy some time out deck while the boys played before going to church.
We spend a lot more time on our deck now. It is so relaxing and wonderful to have an "outside room".

I am so happy with our seating arrangements. We have had this furniture for 8 years and it was nice to spruce it up with some new pillows and some extras. It felt so good because I was able to do the deck for so cheap because everything was on sale.

I recommend zero gravity chairs (anniversary gift last year) to everyone they are so comfy.

I love the green pillows.

I bought these flowers early on in the season and they really make my heart smile. I am always so eager to see color after a long winter of whiteness. :)

As an added bonus we even managed to hang the boys hammocks on the play structure and they thought that was great. We got these hammocks on one of our trips and they were hanging in the basement until we finished the ceiling and since then they have been in storage.

Keagan hanging in the hammock

Stefan managed to get into his hammock chair.

Rylan swinging around.

Darien was the captain on the top level of the play structure. They spent almost three hours playing with their hammocks. It was so nice to listen to them play while was sat on our newly decorated deck. :) Happy Anniversary My Love!!!

Canmore Run

This was a very fun weekend away with some great friends. We decided back in Jan. that we would sign up for a 12K run in Canmore. You can't get a more beautiful location that in the mountains. We were all very pumped for the run and had a great night away. This was our accommodations.
Miss S. enjoying an evening with a whole lot of laughter. :)

We all climbed into our very large bed to enjoy the view from the window, it was so beautiful.

This was our view. There is something so amazing the mountains. I never get tired of looking at them. I wish that I could have lay in bed all day just to day dream.

Getting ready for the run. This was a girls only run and it was neat to be with some many different people. This was our second run together with Miss S and Miss L. We really enjoyed getting to know one another better. This is a wonderful group of women.

It was a very brisk morning but once the run started it was just right. Sadly because there was still snow on the trail they had to change our route which ended up being huge hills. It was a difficult run but so worth it. I can't wait until next year.

Amy and I did some shopping while we were away. It was so much fun. I loved it because I was able to get some very nice things to decorate our back deck with. I am planning on doing a make over for our anniversary. This picture was looking from the front of the car to the back.

We really had no room left. I am glad that we took the wagon so that we could fit it all. We had a lot of fun shopping and just hanging out. Now I can't wait to go home and do the deck.

Getting Older

I never thought that we would come to this day. LOL I always thought that men inherited their hair genetics from their mothers side so we felt pretty confident that Jamie would keep his hair but sadly it just hasn't happened. LOL He finally came to me and asked me to shave it all off after feeling like it was time.
I am no hairdresser so we went for broke. LOL

Here is the final result. LOL I am not sure that I love it but the boys thought it was pretty funny and loved how it felt. We will see if he keeps it or lets it grow out again. No matter what I still love you my bald man. LOL

I Love It!!!

This is going to be a funny post to some of you. But I am so excited about what I got for mothers day. This is Jamie and our good friend digging a hole for a pole. Can you guess what the pole is for?
Well here it is. Yes it is a clothes line and I LOVE IT!!! I know that it might sound crazy but in every house that we have owed I have had the small umbrella type clothes line and for the last 5 years that we have been in this house I have been in with drawl with out an outside clothes line so for mothers day this year I got on. :)

Now I know that some of you are think are you nuts but really I find it to be so relaxing being able to hang my clothes. And if you are wondering yes I hang everything!! Thank you to my wonderful husband for a wonderful mothers day gift. Love You.

Happy Mother's Day

I realized the other day that I am growing up. It's not that I have been in denial about this I just haven't felt like I was. I have felt like this was someone else life as funny as that might sound. When you are growing up you dream of having a family and all that goes along with it but it is hard to believe that I am really living that dream. I feel so blessed to have each of my boys. Each of them is unique and wonderful in their own special way. There are days when I wonder if we will make it to see the next day but we always do. LOL There are definitely challenges of being a mom/parent but I would not trade it for anything. What I have realized is that the good days do out weigh the bad even if at that moment is doesn't feel like it. I just pray that I can learn and grow which I do every day. What a blessing it is to be a mom, I just pray that I can be the mom that these boys need. Love You Boys!!!

Special Day

This was a very special day for our best friends. They were officially made JJ's adoptive parents back in March which was very exciting but today they were sealed together as a family for time and all eternity. As members of the church we believe that we can be a family forever if we live righteously and make special covenants with our Savior which can only happen in the temple. It was a very simple yet special ceremony that took place in the temple in Edmonton. This was such a unique experience for us and we were so thankful to be a part of this special day. Love You