I can't forget this, so I will blog it

Max has said some crazy funny things in the last little while. I can't find his baby or scrap book so the blog will have to do.

A friend of ours who serves in the primary in our ward told me she called on Max to answer a question on Sunday. She said "Max, where did we live before we came to live on Earth?" Max thought for a while and messed up his face a little before he said, rather loudly, "Outer space". I don't think we have ever taught Max about outer space, but I'm sure in FHE somewhere along the line, we HAVE taught him about where we came from. Just goes to show ya that kids remember what they want.

The same friend came with us to IKEA this week. Max was really excited that we got to eat there. We finally got our food and settled down when Max started sneezing. He looked at me and said very matter-of-factly " I'm sneezing. In IKEA." It was very important for me to know where he was sneezing. A little ways into his mac and cheese, I was anxious to show this friend that Max did indeed know where we came from. I asked him the same question as she had and he didn't even take a second to think about it, "IKEA".

Lately...

I have neglected to keep all of our faithful readers (ok, maybe this is mainly for grama's and grampa's) apprised of our kids' happenings. So here is the latest stuff our little darlings have been up to.

Max is becoming more articulate. He seems to over- annunciate, which makes us laugh. The other day he asked if he could play with "play-toe". Also at lunch today he asked me for Ichi-dan. I asked if he knew an itchy Dan and he looked at me like I was nuts.

He is always making new games for us to play, and as ever, they most often involve some kind of train. Thomas is his favorite right now, so we are immersed in Thomas books, videos etc. Thanks Grama Wilde! We took the boys tobogganing last week and Max absolutely loved it. HE couldn't stop talking about sledding down the fast hill.

Max has also been in the habit of telling me "I really wish Dad would come home" about a thousand times a day. He really likes playing with Dustin. It is really funny to watch when he comes home from school just how quickly Max gets to the door. This week before bed the two of them have been playing super mario brothers and Max is way better at it than me! A sign of things to come....

Sammy is all over the place. He's crawling and yelling. He pulls himself up on the furniture and walks all around it. We always know where Sam is because he's always talking, or yelling. Its really fun! He has the 2 front bottom teeth as well as his 2 top side teeth. He looks like a little vampire when he smiles- which is quite often. He loves his brother and follows him everywhere- maybe he'll stop soon because Max mauls him - with love- any chance he gets! I think he'll be walking soon just trying to escape Max! Sam is also eating lots and gaining weight, so he is very happy and healthy. We're very happy to have such sweet little boys.

For those who didn't know, we moved the beginning of this month to a house. We love it here! This is a little old house with lots of character and lots of space! It's still close to the school and in the same neighborhood we were in before. We live a block from an elementary school and a cute little park. We can't wait to utilise it once we get a little bit warmer weather.

We've been very blessed to have these amazing tender mercies in our lives. We can't wait for all of you to come visit us here.

No time like the present...

We've been thinking about resolutions this week. Neither of us are really gung ho on the idea because a positive change can be made any time of the year. We've made an exception this year as our joint resolution is to NOT be like this guy.

Happy New Year- Aim high for 2009!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XURRzofbMc0

Christmas Bells are Ringing

I can't help but feel jittery at this time of year. When I was little-until I was married- my brothers and sister would all make fun of me because I was the first to "be excited for Christmas". It was like the worst thing to be labeled then, let me tell you. So I was thinking what makes me excited for Christmas and here is my list of my favorite things!

1. Christmas Trees- totally unoriginal, maybe, but so wonderful. I can't help feel happy when I smell that evergreeny goodness. Growing up, we put up real trees each year and some years we had multiples - because the early one would die so we would have to replenish.

2. Knit slippers- this is mainly a memory of my gram. I still see her wearing those ugly orange and brown knit slippers, zipping around the kitchen while she baked. One day, I will learn to knit and make the same ones.

3. Christmas baking- FUDGE! CHOCOLATES! CARAMEL! Need I say more?
4. Stockings- my favorite part of Christmas morning growing up. Santa would leave unopened presents out beside the sock so we could sneak a peek before anyone else was awake! Today, this is still my favorite part- now I can think of things my kids would peek at and be so happy! I also love all the different colors of them and picking out where we leave them to be filled. The orange in the toe was always left until the candy was gone so sometime into January! Santa also left hard tack candy in ours and, as a kid, there are so many other awesome treats out there aside from that. Now, as an adult, I definitely appreciate it a lot more. YUM!

5.Big Bulb christmas lights- We had beautiful red ones, my gram had multi colored from the 50's with tart shells behind. So fun, I love them, but now I can't seem to find them for our tree!




6. Rudolf the Red-Nosed reindeer Claymation special on ABC- I have always loved the little elf who wants to be a dentist instead of a toy maker! The island of misfit toys has creeped me out since I can remember, but I still can't get enough of it. When that comes on, I know Christmas is close!


7. SNOW- I loooooooooooooooove a white christmas. However, growing up in Southern Alberta I didn't always see one! When we have white christmases I think about Bing Crosby...and twinkies?

8. Toboggans! I got one almost every christmas-at least when it was a white christmas. Not the lame plastic ones but the nice wooden toboggans! My dad took me out to the ridge on our occasional white christmas to play on the big hills, or just to gram's coulee. It was always so fun. Dad also like to hook the toboggan to the hitch on the truck and pull me behind. That was cool because I was frozen before we even got to the hill.....

9. Stuffing and raspberry jell-o salad- I generally don't go crazy over big dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every year, though, my mom's stuffing makes me anxious for eating! The salad is awesome because it's a "salad" and not a dessert, so you get double the treats for half the embarassing portions!

10. My family- So what if I'm sentimental? We had such great christmases, can you blame me for looking forward to seeing all in my famiy? I also look forward to building traditions with our own little family. I can't wait for them to get EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!

Making old things new...ish

We're students. We're incredibly cheap. Thus, we have to make old things that may look crappy into newish looking things that look better. Here is our latest project. We bought this table and chairs set from an estate sale because it had 8 chairs. In case you're wondering, yes, we live in a basement suite and no, we don't have room for a gigantic table and 8 chairs. I digress. The previous owner- shall I say elderly woman, shut in type, with or without cats I can't be sure- took such good care of the chairs, they were in perfect condition. When I say perfect condition I mean the synthetic scratchy orange church pew material was wearing well. (Like a pig's nose, our friend says. He's our age too, not the same age as the last owner though you'd never know by his addage) Anyway, they were yucky so we needed a change. Dustin and I set off to the fabric store with completely different visions in our heads-unknowingly of course- He wanted something 'not femmy' and I wanted something very feminine because the set itself is very dark and masculine. After an hour of getting nowhere in Fanny's ( the fabric store) Dust proposed a solution. I got to pick my 8 favorite fabrics, even the femmy ones. So instead of being overwhelmed with one fabric, he let me do 8. I don't know how he came up with that, but it was a truce I could embrace. and, with that, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you our chairs

"May I have your attention please"

I have been struggling lately trying to think of new things with our family so I can post. There isn't much, but I'll fill you in on the little there is.
Sammy's healing really well from surgery. He's such a little happy guy. He smiles and screams whenever he sees Max and refuses to take his eyes off him for even one second. Sam is also old enough now to start eating. I gave him a little rice cereal for the first time the other day and he LOVED it! He grabbed for the spoon and smacked his lips and cried when it was all gone. It is so fun to watch him grow! I had forgotten just how fast babies grow in that first year.

Max is growing up too. He still amazes us with the things he pulls out of his artistic little hat! The other day he grabbed a heat trivet out of the cupboard, threw it on the ground and stepped on it with his hands behind his back saying "Ladies and Gentlemen... May I have your attention please?" It was so sweet, I couldn't handle it! He's also getting more of a handle on potty training, which seems to be a very long process....

Dustin is still plugging away with school. He's doing great. This is the last year he has to be with the med class so we're counting months! I have to say I think it is all quite interesting, but it isn't me who has to worry about grades on midterms and finals! He says his favorite time of the day at school is the end of the day when he gets to come home to see the boys.

I'm doing well- I just started playing on a social netball team. Well, it's just a basketball league that I play on with some friends of mine. It is pretty cool because I haven't played in six years! I did ok in our first game. I didn't hurt my back or my knee and I even made a basket! I'm also playing volleyball and going to aquafit every week. I love getting to be active again!

I also think we're going to be moving by the end of this month to our old house on Ottewell. We're looking forward to it because the yard is fenced and its a much bigger place. It is soooo exciting!

So there you have it, our little lives in a nutshell. We hope to hear from you all soon!

Ode to the Wal-Mart Folk

A quick trip to wal- mart, off I went...
only a few things to get, yet so much spent!

The express lane offers speed,
but the lady behind me smells like she peed
along with the cigarette smoke
She's crowding my space, and looks like carney folk
Homey in front must have missed the 8 items only sign-
Somehow I always pick the wrong line.

Most of my time out at the store is spent at the check out-
I have to take a deep breath or I'm just about
to shove those extra 500 things down homeslice's throat.

Angry, you ask?
No, its not entirely a wash:
For now I can bask in the clerk's femullet- oh my gosh!