About Us....

Another idea stolen from my Auntie Karyn's blog...

Here are some random questions and answers about Chris and I:

Q. What are your middle names?

A. His: Warren (after his father)

Hers: Lynn (same middle name as my mom)

Q. How long have you been together?

A. This May we will have been a couple for 10 years. Its hard to believe that it has been that long! We were married on September 7, 2002, so this September we will celebrate our 7th anniversary.

Q. How long did you know each other before you started dating?

A. About 3 years....some of our friends were in the same circles. I originally met him when we were each dating someone else and we had a double movie date. We dated very briefly in high school, and then we got back together about a year and a half after that.

Q. Who asked who out?

A. I'm not entirely sure. We were good friends and at some point we started dating.

Q. How old are each of you?

A. Chris is 28 and I am 27

Q. Whose siblings do you see the most?

A. I think it is pretty balanced....we see both of our families fairly regularly. I speak to my sister Jessica quite regularly and Chris' sister Jacquie quite regularly.

Q. Do you have any children together?

A. Yes…..Luca is two and a half and Levi is 9 and a half months old. We also have 2 angel babies that we lost through miscarriage.

Q. What about pets?

A. 2 years into our marriage, when we were living in a place that allowed pets, we brought my dog, Hope to live with us. She lived in our home from 2004-2008. She was 13 years old when she passed away in April, a week before Levi was born. I had almost always had a dog in my life, so I was really missing having a dog around. So, when Levi was a mere 3 months old, we welcomed a black lab/sheperd cross puppy into our home. Loki was 10 weeks old when we got her (crazy, I know!!!). Loki is now almost 9 months old and we adore her and so do the boys.

Q. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?

A. I would have to say that finding time to be alone together is the toughest. Any parents with young children can relate, I'm sure.

Q. Did you go to the same school?

A. We went to the same high school – Ponoka Composite in Ponoka. Chris was a grade ahead of me.

Q. Are you from the same home town?

A. Depends on what is considered your home town…..I lived in Blackfalds from the time I was 2 until I was 14, but I actually consider Ponoka my hometown. I lived there from age 14 until I moved away to attend University. My parents still live there. Chris lived in Ponoka from age 4 until he graduated high school and moved to Edmonton. His parents also still live in Ponoka.

Q. Who is the smartest?

A. We both excel in different areas, but I think if we were to take an IQ test, he would definitely score higher. He is so very techinically and mathematically minded, while I lean more to the Humanities side of things. Chris has a fantastic memory for facts and trivia but can't remember where he put his keys. LOL

Q. Who is most sensitive?

A. Most definitely me. I am a crier- I cry very easily and my feelings get hurt very easily. I internalize a lot of things and take things personally. Sometimes I have to remind Chris to show some emotion.

Q. Where do you eat out most as a couple?

A. We don't eat out as a couple very often- Chris gets to eat lunch out fairly regularly at work and if I am going to eat out, it is usually the choice of my son, so McDonalds is usually the winner.

Q. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

A. We went to Cuba on our belated honeymoon 2 years after we were married (once we were no longer students and could afford to go somewhere). We went to Las Vegas January 2008 on a "babymoon" before we were the parents of 2 children. We have also been to Toronto together.

Q. Who has the worst temper?

A. Hard to say- I get frustrated and angry more often than Chris does, but when he does, he is usually pretty upset.

Q. Who does the cooking?

A. I do, but mostly because I am home to make the meals. Chris usually cooks on the weekends. Him and Luca love to make pancakes or waffles together so most weekends we have a brunch prepared by them. Chris is a wonderful cook.

Q. Who is more social?

A. I am. Most definitely.

Q. Who is the neat freak?

A. Me. I remember when we were first married thinking "What have I done? I can't live with him!". Mostly it was dishes that drove me crazy. I have become more and more picky about neatness since I have been a stay at home mom, since I am living in it all day.

Q. Who is the most stubborn?

A. My first instinct is to say most definintely Chris, but I suppose I have been called stubborn....

Q. Who hogs the bed?

A. Me. No doubt about it. I LOVE to sleep in the middle of the bed, or when Chris is gone, diagonally across the bed. Poor Chris sleeps right on the edge most nights.

Q. Who wakes up earlier?

A. On weekdays, Chris gets up at 5am for work. But on weekends, it is almost always me that hears the kids first and gets up.

Q. Where was your first date?

A. Don’t know if you’d call it a date…..the first time we dated (briefly, when I was in grade 11), my parents were in town (Ponoka) doing something at the church. Chris picked me up and took me to Tim Hortons for a while to hang out. I was to be back at the church at a specific time so my parents could drive me home. I was late. Quite late. My punishment was to clean dog poop out of the kennels, which was quite a big job since my parents raised Beagles at the time.....That is the only reason why that night was memorable.

Q. Who has the bigger family?

A. Chris has 4 siblings. I have 2.

Q. Do you get flowers often?

A. When we were dating I did, but now it is pretty rare. Although I did get flowers on my last birthday, which was only 2 and a half months ago, so not too bad.

Q. How do you spend the holidays?

A. With our families. Most often with Chris' family because my parents both work and schedules don't always allow get togethers on holiday days.

Q. Who is more jealous?

A. I guess I am, although jealousy isn't an issue for us.

Q. How long did it take to get serious?

A. Chris gave me a promise ring after we had been dating about a year.

Q. Who eats more?

A. He does

Q. Who does the laundry?

A. Usually me because I am home to do it.

Q. Who is better with the computer?

A. HA! Most definintely Chris. I am kind of a computer dummy.

Q. Who drives when you are together?

A. Chris does. Unless he has had a drink or 2. Or 3..... Then I am the driver.

Well, there you have it. Some random facts about Chris and I.

This week's blessings

I am borrowing this idea from my Auntie Karyn's blog... I love to read her weekly blessings, and thought maybe I should do the same. Besides, remembering the good things that happen to you make you a happier person I think than if you were to dwell on the negative.

So, here it is. My blessings for the past week:

1. My mom came to babysit so that Chris and I could have an evening out for Valentine's. It was nice to have the date night, but also very nice for my mom and the boys to spend time together. Unfortunately, her work schedule doesn't allow for many visits, especially for her to come here. So, not only were Chris and I blessed with time together without kids, I know that Luca and Levi enjoyed having their grandma come and spend the night.

2. I have the world's greatest husband. I don't really need to elaborate beacause he is always wonderful, but I will. For Valentine's Day, he decided that I needed a new diamond necklace! And yes, new, meaning that I already have a diamond necklace from him. What a sweetie. So thoughtful.

3. Another reason that I have a fantastic husband: we woke up this morning to 11 degrees in our house. Overnight our furnace had stopped working. Brrrrrrr! I am so thankful that I have a competent husband that was able to get it fixed!

4. I am so blessed to have a best girlfriend like Dee. Today we were able to go for pedicures (my birthday present to her), lunch and some shopping. Without children. It was lovely. No day is wasted when it is shared with Dee. I love her to bits and couldn't ask for a better friend.

5. Not only do I have a wonderful friend in Dee and Chris has one in Layne, but our children really and truly love eachother. Adelynn had been away all week with her grandparents but we babysat her and Jack this evening while their parents celebrated Valentine's Day. Luca and Adelynn were playing potato heads when I heard Adelynn say to Luca: "Luca, I missed you". Then at bedtime, after sharing a hug and a kiss, they told eachother that they loved the other. It was just so sweet. They really do ask about the other when they haven't seen eachother for a few days and little moments like that make me realize just how lucky we are to have a family that we are all close to. They are not only our friends, but our family as well.

Well, those are my blessings for the last week. I am going to try to make this a weekly entry, so please check back often. And comments are always welcome so I know who has been reading! :)

25 Random things about being a MOM

If you are on Facebook, you will probably have seen this note going around. I thought that I would change it up a bit and rather than it being 25 random things about me, I thought I would make it about being a mom. So, here are my 25 random thoughts on "Mommydom":

1. Not so surprising, but I know without a doubt that I would do anything for my children.

2. I don't always feed my kids nutritious meals. Sometimes I let Luca pick his lunch which isn't usually a very good choice....cookies and dry cereal anyone?

3. I love nap time. I need some quiet time to myself.

4. Even though my pregnancies weren't great, I loved knowing that there was a person growing inside me and loved feeling the movement. I missed my big belly.

5. I actually think that labour wasn't that bad. (Don't hate me- I had short, uncomplicated labours. They were pretty good relative to the months of sickness I endured)

6. I was afraid when I was pregnant with Levi that I wouldn't love him as much as I love Luca. Don't worry- I do love him just as much!

7. I check on my boys at least once per night to make sure that they are breathing. I actually need to feel their breath or see them move or else I can't sleep.

8. I am terrified of my boys becoming teenagers. I worry about them and the things that they will inevitably try with their friends and the trouble that they will undoubtedly get into.

9. I don't want my boys to ever get their driver's licences.

10. Ok, can you tell that I don't want my children to grow up!?!?!?!

11. I get teary thinking that Luca is only a few years away from going to school. Technically, he could go next fall to preschool, but I think I may wait til he's 4.

12. I can't remember what it was like to have only 1 child.

13. I would choose to be the one sick if it would spare my kids. Puking and coughing kids make my heart hurt. I'd rather be the one to be miserable.

14. I wish I could save every piece of artwork that Luca makes, but its just not feasable. I get sad everytime I have to throw away a scribbled on piece of paper. He is so proud of his crafts, and I never let him see them in the garbage because I worry that it will make him as sad as it makes me.

15. There are days that I wish I could hide from my kids just to get a few minutes to myself.

16. If anyone told me that when I had kids I wouldn't even be able to go to the bathroom alone, I wouldn't have believed it. How hard is it to close a door, right? HA! Its easier to have a party in the bathroom than to listen to the crying on the other side of the door.

17. I had no idea I would be so excited for someone to pee and poop on a potty!

18. I wish stretch marks went away when the baby came out....

19. I had no idea I would miss sleeping in so much! Now 8:00 am is sleeping in on a good day.

20. Being a mom has made me a baker. One of my favorite things to do now is to bake cookies or muffins.

21. Somedays I want to just stay in bed and read all day like I used to.

22. I enjoy shopping for my boys more than I like to shop for myself...quite a change from a few years ago. Haha

23. Having kids lets me do things that I secretly enjoy doing, but that adults just don't do...like playing playdough!

24. My kids are my source of a social network now....without them I couldn't go to playgroup or storytime or MOPS, and that is where I get to chat with other moms.

25. As much as I miss some things from my pre-baby days, I wouldn't trade all the ups and downs of motherhood for ANYTHING.

Update on The Graham Family

Well, Levi is a pro at getting around now which means that we have a gate up at the top of the stairs and another blocking the back of the house and the formal living room. Barricades everywhere! Levi was only crawling for a few days when he discovered that he could pull himself up on things. At this point he is only up onto his knees, but he has gotten a foot under hiself a few times so I don't think it will be long before he's on his feet.




It is much to Luca's dismay that Levi is so mobile. Levi loves his big brother so much and wants to follow him everywhere and do what he does. This includes playing with the toy(s) that Luca is playing with. Often throughout the day I hear "Levi! Don't!" or "Levi, that's mine! LEAVE ME ALONE!". It's actually pretty funny, but so frustrating for Luca. Gone are the days that he could just move to another spot. Now he moves and Levi thinks it is a game to chase him!

We have had some fantastic weather, which has meant walks and even a trip to the zoo. The day that we went to the zoo it was 14 degrees in Calgary- fabulous! And there was hardly anyone there, except for a school group. We love to go on a weekday morning, when the animals are active, having just been fed and when there are significantly fewer visitors to the zoo, giving us a better and longer look at the animals. As always, the hippos are the biggest (no pun intended!) attraction for Luca. I don't know what it is about them, but Luca looks forward to seeing the hippos every time.

We ventured into the Canadian Wilds section this time, which we normally run out of time for and Luca was thrilled to be able to feed the ducks. He thought it was so funny that they were slipping and sliding on the ice! We're looking forward to Spring so that we can spend probably a morning a week at the zoo. A zoo pass has most definitely been the best entertainment money that we have spent this year!










I am making an effort to eat better and to be more active in hopes that I can shed these last few pounds that have been clinging to my body since I was pregnant with Luca. And if you know me, you know that I LOVE sweets, especially candy. So, this is a challenge for me, but I am really making an effort. Dee and I have been walking our dogs at least once a week for a nice evening walk after our kids are in bed. We seem to be able to make it out for about an hour. The weather has been crisp but nice. I am also trying to be more motivated to excercise at home, either with my elliptical trainer or the Wii fit or my dancing videos. (Don't laugh- I love them! Its the only time I can dance and not care that I look like a fool!)

There. Now I've said it publicly. Now I really do have to stick to this goal now that everyone knows about it. Hopefully before Jessica and Brock's wedding this fall I can feel truly comfortable in my bridesmaid dress!

Chris has been busy at work, with 2 trips to Houston in less than 2 months. He is also beginning to really need to take his week per month and head out to rigs to do his Quality control job. So, he will be gone next week. :(

I have been keeping busy with playgroup on Monday mornings, Storytime on Wednesday mornings, playdates and MOPS every second Thursday. Our mornings are ususally quite busy, but then it also usually makes for a nice, quiet afternoon while the boys get a good nap in. In the afternoons I try to take some time to myself to sew, make cards, or just watch tv. I also use that time to tidy up, vacuum and get some laundry in as well. Then before I know it the boys are up and it is time to get supper on the go. Chris usually makes it home by 6 and we have supper, a bit of playtime then the boys are getting ready for bed. Usually by 8pm our house is quiet and Chris and I can spend some time together.

Oh yes, I almost forgot Loki.....she is becoming such a good dog. Really obedient and so very gentle with the boys. Levi is fascinated with her, especially her mouth and face. But, Loki just takes him poking and pulling at her. I think she actually likes the attention! She is also a good excuse for me to get out and walk. She is a big girl and still growing and I feel bad if she doesn't get some exercise, and she really likes to get out.




Well, that's about it. We are just keeping busy, waiting for Spring to arrive so we can be out doing different things like playing at the park and splashing in puddles! :)

Levi's finally crawling!!

After what has seemed like forever, Levi has finally started to crawl! This is very exciting for me as he has been crying whenever I leave a room. This way he can follow me or Luca and keep himself occupied a little easier. I am already remembering as I type this that crawling isn't always the best thing, as Levi is trying to get under the desk to play with the computer cords. With independence also comes discovery, which isn't always the safest thing. I thought our house was pretty child proofed, but maybe I need to go through it again with the eye of a newly mobile 9 month old.

Thoughts on Christmas

Wow, I can harldy believe that Christmas is only 5 short weeks away! Time to haul out the boxes and get decorating!

Yesterday I was able to leave the boys with Dee and get the rest of my shopping completed. It is such a good feeling to be finished the shopping and now I can just concentrate on the gifts that require a bit of handmade love.

I have so many thoughts of Christmas this year. To be so blessed with 2 wonderful little boys fills my heart. To have a husband that is my rock, my best friend and partner in every sense of the word makes me feel so very blessed. I'm not sure why but Christmas brings out those thoughts of appreciation for those in our lives. We should feel that way all year long, not just at Christmas.

This Christmas especially I am missing my Grandpa. I so wish that he could have met my sons. Some days I can still hear his voice, the way that when he said hello it sounded like "yellow". The way that he always cleared his throat. His comfoting arms when he pulled you in for a hug against his soft belly. The talent he had for laying down to "rest his eyes" after a meal and promptly fell sound asleep. "Grandpa cheese" (Velveta) on toast in the mornings with coffee. But most of all I miss the love that radiated from him. There was never a doubt of his feelings for his family.

So many things remind me of Grandpa, and as my dad gets older and is now a grandfather himself, he reminds me of what I saw in my Grandpa Johnson. I know that my boys have as special a Grandpa J as I did...afterall, my dad had a great role model in his dad and inherited his soft heart and comforting presense. This is something to be truly thankful for.

This Christmas, I am going to make sure that those around me know how loved and appreciated they are. Many of my gifts this year are homemade and were chosen with great thought and love for the recipients. I am going to try to get back to the true spirit of Christmas and not let it become so much about the actual gift but the thought that went into it to show our love. I challenge you all to do the same.

Wishing you a blessed and love-filled Christmas season.

XOXO

Over a year since my last post...sheesh!

Ok, ok, I've had comments from more than a few people to update my blog already, so here we go....



How to cram a year's worth of stuff into one post so it doesn't become a novel?



Well, let's start back where I left off.....



Last September I was just beginning my new job as a Resource Teacher in Airdrie. It was very quickly proving to be an intense experience. While I was enjoying the children that I was working with (for the most part) and was forging new friendships with coworkers, I was having a very difficult time leaving Luca at his dayhome every day. I was also finding that the job I thought was my dream job quite simply wasn't. I won't go into details, but that combined with having to leave my little man every day made going to work difficult.



Chris and I were very surprised to find out around our 5th anniversary in September last year that we were expecting! This came as a bit of a surprise to us as most of you know, we had suffered a miscarriage at the beginning of August. And, with me having started a full time teaching job, we had sort of decided to wait until closer to Christmas to begin thinking of another pregnancy so that I could finish the school year before the baby would be born. Little did we know I was pregnant before I had even taken the job at the school.



So, another layer to my unhappiness at my job- feeling sick ALL THE TIME made it difficult to want to get up in the mornings, get myself and Luca ready for the day and be on my feet all day. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to Christmas vacation! :)



And, vacation we did. Chris and I went to Las Vegas on January 1 for 4 days. It was wonderful to spend the time together and experience a new place together. We knew that with a new baby coming that the opportunity for us to get away alone would probably not present itself again for a while. We had a wonderful time seeing the sights of Vegas and taking in some shows. We very much look forward to going back one day. The warm weather was certainly nice, too as it was cold and snowy at home.



As my pregnancy progressed and work became more stressful, I began to have cramping around my 28th week. I was sent for an ultrasound that didn't show any major issues except that the baby was measuring quite large- a few weeks ahead of schedule. My doctor was just keeping tabs on my growth, but after a few weeks, when the cramping didn't subside, I was instructed to take a medical leave from work. Obviously, this was not necessarily a bad thing as this meant that I would get to spend more time with Luca before the baby came and I wasn't really enjoying my job anyway. So, at 30 weeks, on March 1 I began the day by having a leisurly breakfast with Luca and just hanging out. It was fantastic! :)



I was so thankful to be able to spend some quality time with Luca. We were able to paint his room (Curious George theme) and get him into a big boy bed without much turmoil. I then started on the nursery, which I really enjoyed designing and decorating.



To no one else's knowledge, just after Christmas, Chris and I had actually found out that we were having another boy. We decided to keep that we even knew a secret from our families and most of our friends. It proved to be a tough secret to keep, especially when decorating the room. I think though, that somehow we managed to keep people in the dark. I know that there were definitely some bets that we were getting ready to welcome a girl! :)



On April 25th, 2 weeks before my due date, we welcomed our little Levi Allan. It was a rather dramatic arrival, with only 3 hours from the beginning contractions to delivery, a fast drive down the QEII highway and 14 whirlwind minutes at the hospital. Levi was in a hurry to make his entrance, that's for sure! :)



Luca was curious and nervous around his new brother. Once we were home with Levi, Luca began to be more comfortable "checking him out" and was very quick to inform us if he was crying.



Now, with Levi 5 1/2 months old, Luca loves talking to him and kissing him and Levi equally loves to watch his big brother and babbles away at him. It warms my heart to see the love that they have for eachother reflected in their eyes. I hope that they turn out to be the best of friends as they grow up.





As if we weren't busy enough, we decided to get a puppy. Life just wasn't the same around here after the death of our beloved Beagle, Hope. Plus, I never realized how much food needed to be swept off the floor after a meal without a dog to clean up the crumbs! haha



So, we found a black lab/ sheperd cross puppy and brought her home. She was 10 weeks when she joined our family. We named her Loki. She is growing so very quickly that I can hardly keep up buying her new collars to fit her growing neck! She will surely be a large dog in the next few months. She is a gentle girl that has fit into our family nicely and the boys both love her. Our family is feeling very complete. :)




Now with fall upon us, we are going to playgroups, I have joined a mom's group called MOPS, I have also joined a card club making cards. I am also enjoying working on my quilts, a fairly new-found hobby. I have realized that I can't be a good mother without taking some time to be myself once in a while as well.



And, one of the most exciting things to happen recently is that our best friends, Dee and Layne and their daughter Adelynn have moved to Crossfield, just 17 houses away from us! I am so excited to be able to spend much more time with them, especially with our children so close in age and being best buds.



Now it is almost time to begin thinking about Christmas......



I promise to try to update my blog a bit more often in the year to come! ;)

Ok, ok, I know its been a while....

I've been getting some flack for not updating in a while, so here's the new post. Although I noticed that others haven't updated in nearly as long, either (Victoria!)...

We have now been in our new house for about 5 weeks. We are fairly settled (there are still many unpacked boxes in the basement, but we like to not think about them). The first few weeks here were a bit lonely for me. Being in this small of a town, people look at you strangely when they don't recognize you but aren't necessarily willing to chat. So, trips around town and into the grocery store were a bit strange. I am used to always seeing at least one person that I knew at the grocery store and stopping to chat for a while. Not knowing anyone is a bit of a change.

Chris was on holidays for 2 weeks shortly after we moved so that definitely eased the loneliness that I was beginning to feel. We did some camping, went to the zoo and did a bit of stuff around the house. The 2 weeks went very quickly but we enjoyed our time as a family. Our original plan was to go to Kelowna or somewhere in that area for holidays, but with the move and other things happening this summer, we decided to stick closer to home.

We camped with my parents a weekend in August near Bowden. It was a bit cool that weekend and we had been saying that we would like a bigger trailer maybe next year so that there was room for Luca to play when it was cold or rainy outside. Being in a 14 foot trailer just wasn't conducive to playing in. We had forgotten diaper wipes and were in need of some more wood so Chris and my dad went to Innisfail to get some. While they were gone, Luca and I had a nap, only to be awaken by Chris saying that he had a surprise for me. I stepped outside the trailer to see another, larger trailer hitched to my dad's truck. To my great surprise, he had purchased a new (to us) trailer while he was in town. I wasn't too sure how I felt about that until I heard the great deal that he got on it. After selling our smaller trailer, we only paid $300 for a 17 ft, 9" wider, fantastic condition trailer. So, we moved all our stuff into the new trailer and slept there for the rest of the weekend. It was an eventful weekend, indeed!

I had applied for a few teachign jobs in the area, adn hadn't heard about any, so had assumed that I would be subbing again this year. Then, I got a call for an interview! I was so excited, but not really getting my hopes up as I have had a few interviews that did not result as I had hoped. I went for the interview and was offered the job!!!! Chris and I were beside ourselves with excitement! It is practically a dream job for me, so I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by! It was very tough to think about having to leave Luca, but things have all worked out.

Here is an overview of my job:
I am teaching a supplementary resource program for Grades 5-8 which is essentailly life skills, functional math and functional reading for those that are low functioing disabled. I will have between 3 and 7 students at a time.Our mornings will basically be Math and Language skills with the afternoons being life skills based programs such as cooking, work experience, social skills and health and safety topics.

All of the students will be integrated into their own homeroom classes for subjects such as phys ed, art, and music. They will participate in some science and social activities in the regular classroom with our assistance when they are able. Any field trips that their regular calss takes they will participate in with the assistance of either myself or an aide.

While this all sounds like an easy ride, I assure you, it isn't. Besides dealing with some of the behaviour and emotional issues that some of these students have, there is a ton of administrative work. I need to write an Individual Program Plan for each student (and help write for the other 50 or so learning disabled students in the school). An IPP is essentially the studen't curriculum, which tells us the skills that need to be worked on as well as academic functioning, formal assessments, medical interventions, etc. They are time consuming and not easy to write. I have to be completed these by September 30th, so this month will be very busy trying to get to know the kids so that I can write a plan for their year.

As well as lots of paperwork, I must attend a meeting monthly with psychologists, social workers and the family school liason to discuss each and every student with an IPP in the school as well as those studnets that are "at risk".

This week has been very long with meetings nearly all day, every day. I am really looking forward tot eh kids coming on Tuesday and getting to know them.

As for childcare, I was very fortunate to find someone that I really liked to watch Luca. She lives near the school, and has had a dayhome for many years. Before that, she was a teaching assistant at a private school in Calgary and up until recently was a foster parent. She was recommended to me and I felt immediately at ease with her and Luca seemed very comfortable there. I am so relieved that I know that Luca will be happy and safe while I am at work. Thanks so very much to Dee, who I couldn't have lived without for the last week. Luca has enjoyed spending the days with her and Adelynn and it has been so comforting knowing that he was with someone that loves him so dearly.

Tomorrow is my mom and dad's 25th anniversary. On Saturday we took them to Edmonton and had photos done at the antique photo parlor and then went out for supper. It was very nice to spend the day with our immediate family, as too often we are busy and are not always together. We had a fun evening, and some great photos, too!

Our 5th anniversary is coming up on Friday. Hard to believe that it has been 5 years, but them other times it feels like we've always had eachother. Every year with Chris just gets better and better. I couldn't have asked for a more caring and devoted husband and father for Luca. I know that every year to come will continue to be fabulous!

Sorry about the lack of pictures, I really need to put them on the computer from the camera. Unfortunately, I just don't have time right now, as I should be prepping for school tomorrow. But, I did tell Auntie Karyn that I would post this weekend...... :)

I will try to get some pictures up again soon. I know, I'm falling behind!

My personality test

Wow, this is freakily true.....quite interesting. Try it yourself- it only takes about 10 minutes to complete. Check mine out:


My personalDNA Report

Well, in case you didn't know, we ARE moving....in 10 days! Everything has been finalized now and we are in the packing stages. We did get the house that we wanted in Crossfield.

It has been a long and sometimes tearful process to get to where we are today. It will be very sad to leave this home, but we are looking forward to our new house and especially to having Chris at home every night.

We did meet the family that is moving to our house- they seemed very nice. They are not too much older than us, they have a boy, 7, and a girl, 4. We were glad to hear that there was a family moving in here, there is lots of space for a family, and we hope that they will love this house as much as we do/did.

The husband actually came here from Ottawa to work and purchased the house alone, while his wife and kids were still in Ottawa. So, the wife and kids were very excited to have a peek at their new house last weekend. They said that the floor plan was very similar to their house in Ottawa, and the wife was very happy with the house.

It is nice to know who will be living in our house, it makes it a bit easier knowing that the family really likes the house. We hope that they will have as many good memories here as we do.

As for us, we don't officially have a mailing address or phone # yet- Telus has to phone us back with a new number and we can't get our post office box until we have the land title. As soon as we have all our new information, we will pass it along to you.

We're looking forward to welcoming visitors to our new house soon!

A year already!

This post was supposed to be posted yesterday from a draft, but I forgot, so here it is, just pretend you are reading it on thh 28th, not the 29th...

It was on this day last year that our lives were changed forever. I was a little over 39 1/2 weeks pregnant, 3 days from my due date, absolutely huge and uncomfortable and weighing in at far more than I would like to disclose. I had spent nearly every day of the past few weeks in the cool basement of our house with a Slurpee, watching tv, as I was too large and uncomfortable to do much else in the heat. The last few weeks of June last year were treacherous with heat and humidity. I could not get my little inner furnace out fast enough. It seemed like I had been pregnant forever and that there was no end in sight.

As a treat to myself, I went to the Wellness Centre in town for a massage and reflexology on my feet. I had heard that reflexology was a great way to stimulate labour, so I figured it couldn't hurt. At the very least, I would be pampered for an hour, and you can't go wrong with that! My appointment was right before lunch time. The annual 1st day of Stampede pancake breakfast was just being cleaned up outside the wellness center. Oh, if only I had dragged myself out of the house earlier, I could have had pancakes AND a massage! Oh well, I had a very relaxing morning, and felt refreshed, even without the pancakes.

It was Wednesday, June 28th, the first day of the Ponoka Stampede. I just HAD to have a fair burger and mini donuts. So, we made the trek up to the fair grounds. I never thought of the hill up to the top of the grounds as steep until I was carrying nearly 50 lbs of extra weight up it! Boy, was I pooped when we reached the top! It certainly didn't help that it was about 27 degrees that day, too.

So, Chris and I got a fair burger, which I enjoyed immensely! Of course, the mini donut stand would be at the opposite corner of the grounds. So, we had to walk to the other end in the heat. But, I did get my mini donuts! After we got back to the truck, I was so hot and tired- time for another slurpee!

We got our cold drinks and headed home around 7 pm, to watch a movie in the cool of the basement. Just as we were starting the movie, the phone rang. It was 7:15 pm. I sat up to answer the phone, and felt a strange pop. I talked on the phone for a few minutes, then made the mistake of shifting positions. By now, it was very clear to me what had happened. My water broke!!!

Surprisingly, Chris and I were both very calm. We greeted our visitors at the door (Pat and Joanne), and told them that we wouldn't be sticking around to visit. It was them that called to say that they were down the street and were going to stop by. I began to have contractions about 15 minutes later, and they started at about 5 minutes apart. That baby was definitely ready to make an entrance!

After calling the hospital to let them know that we were coming in, we were on the way, with Chris calmly driving and me timing contractions. We were so calm, in fact, that I felt the need to call my best friend Dee from the car to let her know that I was in labour! I chatted with her for a few minutes as we cruised down highway 2 on the way to Red Deer.

By the time we arrived at the hospital, at about 8:30 pm (we didn't rush to leave our house, and waited around until about 8:00), I was 3-4 cm dialated and contractions were coming a bit faster and noticeably harder.

It was not long before contractions coming so quickly that I didn't have much time to rest between. By 11:50 pm, I knew that it was time to push.

But, there was something wrong. With every contraction, our baby's heart rate got lower and didn't recover as it should. My doctor walked in, watched 1 or 2 contractions and decided to call an ob/gyn to assist.

This very young man walks in and introduces himself as Dr. so-and-so. He begins this monologue (or so it seemed to me, I wasn't really able to focus and it seemed like he talked forever!) about what was happening and what they needed to do. I gave him verbal permission to use the vacuum to assist in the delivery. Permission! Ha! With the baby's head crowning and me on no pain medication except for the gas that I was inhaling and clinging to like a lifeline, I would have said yes if he had asked if I would mind if he let busload of small children try to pull my baby out!

Anyway, he attached the suction cup to the baby's head and pulled with each contraction. In a matter of minutes, at 12:31 am on Thursday, June 29, 2007, I heard the words- It's a BOY!

"It's a what?!?!?!" I remember asking. I was so sure that it had been a girl kicking and swimming inside of me. I was pleasantly surprised. Then the all important question came out of my mouth- "Does he have hair?". I so badly wanted a baby with some hair. And, he did.

He had a ring of dark hair. He rather looked like an old man, with his squished, wrinkled face, and ring of hair, with the top of his head being almost completely bald, save for a few strands of hair which would be a mohawk for the next 6 or 7 months.

Our baby was finally here! A boy! We had no trouble naming him. Luca Christopher was perfect.

Due to the assisted delivery, Luca was taken immediately to the Special Care Nursery and stayed there to be monitored for the next 12 hours.

We were so excited to show off our baby and to bring him home.

Some days it seems like only yesterday that we were bringing our tiny little precious bundle home. Then other days I can hardly remember what it was like when he was that small. I look at pictures and marvel at how small and helpless he was. Now, he has changed so much, and likes to be independent.

Today our baby is 1. I know that he hasn't aged a year overnight. In reality he is only a day older, but days like today, his first birthday, force you to walk down memory lane and think over all the milestones in the past year. There will never be another year that he will change so drastically.

I am happy-sad at this momentous occasion. It is such a joy to watch Luca grow and change eevry day. I love seeing wonder written on his face when he realizes something new. But, I also miss those days when he was just this tight little bundle, wrapped in a flannel blanket, sleeping the day away so contentedly. When everything had to be done for him in order for him to survive. Now, he walks, he talks, he loves to feed himself. He also throws temper tantrums now because he knows that there is more in his world than what he can see in this instant. He knows what he wants and he wants it now!

While Luca won't change nearly as noticably in the next few years, we know that there are still many occasions and reasons for celebration on the horizon.

Happy 1st Birthday, Luca!

Finally, some pictures!

***Just a reminder that you can click on the photo and it should show you a larger image. You might want to do this for the last 2 photos***

Finally I have a chance to try to put some pictures up, as long as Blogger cooperates...there will probably be quite a few, and I will keep the text minimal to make up for the previous 2 loooonnngggg posts! :)

Working hard on Daddy's blackberry.

Graham Family June 4, 2007

Donovan and Luca in the tub

11 months old!

Sisters

Meeting Daisy-May at Nona and Papa's

Teagan and Xadrian with Daisy

Funnel cloud Northwest of Ponoka June 21, 2007

Want some tomato sauce??

For those of you that may not have heard, we accepted an offer on our house on Wednesday. The offer is conditional to finalizing their financing and a home inspection. These conditions are to be removed by June 30th, and we are still planning to move mid-July. We'll be needing some help to move, so we'll be tracking everyone down that is able-bodied! :)

On Wednesday, I went to the Faith Hill/ Tim McGraw concert in Edmonton. It was wonderful! We had great seats, and they played for a full 3 hours. It was definitely worth the money and we (Jacquie, Carri and I) had a great time. Hopefully I will have some pictures from the show soon...just waiting to get them from Carri.

Luca's a travelling man!

Luca is now officially a "walker". He is now walking more often than he is crawling, and quite proud of himself, too! :) He seems to think it is just great that he can walk AND carry toys at the same time! Anyone who has been to our house knows "the loop" that we have, and Luca loves to walk this loop...it takes him a while, but he can do it all on 2 feet!

Luca's 5th tooth made its appearance yesterday. He now has 3 on top and 2 on the bottom, although I expect that the partner for this new top one will poke through any day now.

In less than 2 weeks, Luca will be 1!!!! I can hardly believe that a year as passed so quickly! I can so easily recall how enormous and uncomfortable I was at this time last year! It was much hotter then than it is now. I remember spending most of my time in the basement with a slurpee! Haha! Chris was in Houston, Texas at this time last year, as well, with me here, worried that I would go into labour without him. Luckily, Luca hung in there for a week after Chris came home!

Here's the plan for Luca's birthday- because we don't know what will be happening with our house (whether it will be being shown, sold, who knows) that weekend, we are going to go camping from June 29- July 2. We will be staying in Ponoka to watch the Stampede Parade on the morning of the 29th, Luca's actual birthday. Sometime after the parade, we will be heading out to our campsite at Ol' MacDonald Resort on Buffalo Lake, near Alix.

Luca's birthday party will be on Saturday, June 30th. Anyone that would like to come for the party is invited for the day, but the party will begin probably around 2ish. There is so much to do there, such as hay rides, petting zoo, swimming ( I think they have an outdoor pool as well as the lake), mini golf, a playground, etc. We will be having supper and of course, Birthday Cake and Ice Cream! Anyone that is planning to come, please RSVP by June 25th.

You can check out the website for the campground at www.olmacdonalds.com/index.html

As for our house....we had an open house last week that saw about 5 groups come through. Pretty good for Ponoka. A few people seemed quite interested, and one guy was going to come back for a second look, but changed his mind. :( So frustrating! Our realtor is still waiting to hear from another couple that seemed quite interested.

We have now dropped our price $20 000 since listing, in the hopes that it would attract more buyers and we can do a quick sale. Keep your fingers crossed that the right buyer comes along soon. Very soon.

As for the house in Crossfield, apparently the market there has slowed down similarly to the market here. Houses just aren't selling as quickly as they were a few months ago. So, that is good news for us on one hand. There have been no other offers on the house that we want, so the likelyhood of getting another extension on our offer is good. On the other hand, the prices around there may also be changing. We're not sure if they have, but it is a possibility. As of yet, our offer on price stays the same on that house, the only thing that has changed is the expiry date of the offer.

We also were hoping to move mid-July, but that may not be an option for us right now, unless our house sells and the buyer wants a quick posession. But, since it is less than a month away, it will most likely be pushed back to later in the summer. Chris and I are both looking forward to being together every evening. Having Chris away 5 days a week is draining on both of us, and Chris is getting tired of living in a hotel.

I have applied for 2 teaching positions for the fall so far. A Grade 4 and a Grade 5 position in Didsbury and Carstairs. I am not counting on even gettting an interview, but maybe our luck will change soon...:) It is tough not to be a bit skeptical when I have been without a contract for 3 years now. There are just too few jobs and too much competition. Sigh. Keep your fingers crossed for that, too.

I have only 2 days of work left (including today) before I am off for the summer! Woo hoo! I have enjoyed my days back at work (for the most part), but am looking forward to being at home with Luca again.

I am also so very looking forward to the Faith Hill/ Tim McGraw concert on Wednesday!!! It seemed like so far away when we bought the tickets, and here it is only 2 days away! Yippee!!!

That's all for now....I'll try to get some pics up soon, but Blogger doesn't seem to want to cooperate! :)

Finally!

Ok, I am finally able to sit down for a few minutes and write something....there won't be any pictures tonight, but hopefully by the end of the week...

Where to begin? It has been soooo long!

About a week and a half ago, Luca took his first "real" steps! My dad was here saying goodbye to Luca and I before he left again for work(Chris was in Calgary) and Luca just started to walk from our dining room table to me, in the living room. It was such a surprise, and of course, I cried! While I was disappointed that Chris missed seeing it, I was happy that my dad was able to witness it. With him working away, Luca has changed every time he sees him. So, it was nice that he was able to be here for such a big event! Luca did walk for his Daddy the next day, though!

He hasn't really caught on to actually "walking" yet, though. He'll take a few steps in between pieces of furniture, but isn't quite confident enough yet to GO. Soon, though, I'm sure. It has definitely been exciting to watch!

Luca walked the day before my first day back at work, shich made it extra hard to leave him for the day. He was in very capable hands with Jacquie, and he actually didn't walk at her place (they have laminate, while we have carpet, so I think he was a bit afraid).

My first day abck at work was in a grade 1 classroom all day. Boy, did I ever forget just how tiring a room full of 6 year olds could be! All I wanted to do at the end of the day (well, after lunch, actually!) was nap! But, it was a good day, and it was nice to be back. I was welcomed by many teachers that said that they had missed me, and it is always a good feeling when someone is glad to see you because they appreciate the good job that you do.

Last week I worked 2 half days (mornings only) and that was nice. I am liking the half days better than the full days. This week I have a half day and 2 full days booked, so I am pretty sure that I will be tired come the weekend.

Luca and Donovan started swimming lessons at the pool here in town 2 weeks ago. Luca absolutely LOVES being in the water and splashing around. Donny usually loves it, but for some reason does not like the lessons. I think that it has more to do with the instructor than the actual water or the lesson. The instructor is a teenage boy who doesn't seem to know when to back off and give Donny space- he just keeps on keepin on, and Donny eventually gets to the point where he is screaming and crying. The instructor is away next week and we have a "sub" so we'll see if that makes a difference for Donovan.

The point of lessons this young is just ot familiarize the kids with the water, to learn to blow bubbles and to float. Luca really likes to float on his back (with my help, of course) and look up at the ceiling. Last week the little ones got life jackets and we took them into the big pool. Luca really liked it in there, and it was much easier on me, not having to crawl around on my knees in the kiddie pool! Chris and I have taken Luca swimming a few times and he just really loves to be in the water.

Chris has been at his new job for about a month now. He is really enjoying the job, but having him gone Monday- Friday has been tough. (And sometimes more often, but that's another story...) He is definitely starting to realize some of the pressures that come with being in charge, though. I am so proud of him for all that he has accomplished and I know that he will continue to do well in this position.

Our offer on the Crossfield house was to expire on May 31st, but we were granted an extension until June 21st. Our house has had quite a few people look at it, but many are disappointed at the size of our backyard. Hopefully the right buyer comes along soon. The biggest problem that we are facing is the market. As of yesterday, there were 45 single family homes listed in Ponoka. Of those, 14 are in teh $250-300k range, which is where our house is sitting. So, there is lots for a buyer to choose from right now. We are just trying to think positively and hope that someone comes along that prefers the 3 car garage to the larger back yard. And hopefully soon!

It is definitely difficult trying to keep our house in a show-worthy state all the time with Luca around. It seems that every time I turn to put something away, he's pulled out 2 more things! Oh well, he is learning and having fun!

Last week Luca was 11 months old! Wow! I can hardly believe that he is almost a year old! I really can't believe how quickly time passes! Soon we will be planning his birthday party!

This last weekend was Chris' company picnic in Edmonton. It was a little disappointing, with most people leaving to go golfing, but Chris, Luca and I spent a wonderful afternoon together walking and we even went on a paddle boat ride. Luca cried for about half the time, but mainly I think because his life jacket was digging into his chin whenever he sat down. It was fun though, it had been ages since Chris or I had been on a paddle boat!

Well, that's the biggest stuff that I can think of right now. I will try to add some pictures this week, but as you read, I am working 3 days, so will be a bit busy, but I promise to try!

And I really do promise to get posting more often again! :)

There is a new post coming soon....I promise!!! Stupid facebook.....

I have lots of pictures and hopefully a video of Luca coming in the next few days!

Check back later in the week...

First Mother's Day

Today was a wonderful day. First, I got to sleep in...until 10:00 am!!! My wonderful husband got up with Luca and let me sleep. Then he made me a wonderful brunch of bacon, eggs and toast. Luca had a long nap in the afternoon and we watched some taped episodes of CSI (I know, so romantic!). Then Chris made a delicious supper of BBQ steak, potato casserole, corn on the cob and Caesar salad. Yummy! We went for a nice long walk this evening before getting Luca into bed. What a nice day with my family!

Luca gave me an adorable book of pictures of animals with "mommy saynigs" and Chris gave me a book that I had asked for called "The Mommy Journal: Letters to your Child". I have been wanting to write letters to Luca for a while now, and this was a perfect book. I think I will write my first letter tonight.

I was thinking about the last year- this time last year I was about 8 months pregnant. Boy, have our lives changed since then! I could not have imagined the joy that being a mother could bring. And the fatigue, and at times, frustration, but mostly just pure, overflowing joy. Nothing can prepare you for the instantaneous love that you feel for that tiny child. I am still amazed at the reality that I am a mother of an adorable little boy, who no matter how hard I try to stop it, grows and changes every day. And makes me laugh every day. As much as I think I want a break, I can't wait to come home and kiss and hug him.

Not only has this past year seen me become a mother, but my relationship with my husband has only grown deeper. There are days that it almost brings me to tears to watch father and son together. It is so wonderful to see the love that I feel for Luca reflected in Chris' eyes as well. There is so much joy in our little family, and that joy and love only grows when we are with extended family.

Can you tell that today I am feeling very loved? There are many days that it seems like a never-ending cycle of mundane tasks. Change diapers, feed Luca, do dishes, play, change, feed, clean, cook, play, feed, bath.... But days like today, I just know that it is all worth it. No matter how routine things get, I know that I am appreciated and it is all done for our little family. And of course, it is great to have a day off and not have to do those things...come to think of it, I DID NOT change any diapers today, I did not cook, I did not clean. I did play, though! At least I still got to do the fun part!

View our house online

If you are interested, you can view our house online at www.mls.ca - the mls number is : 267930

Or at www.ponokaproperties.com to view a virtual tour.

We have had a total of 4 showing so far (2 privately before we listed and 2 after we listed). The common feedback we are getting is that the house is too big. Strange. I didn't think that would be THE drawback to the house. Maybe a family will come along to buy it and then they won't paint over Luca's room!

If you haven't seen Luca's room yet and want to, check out the Virtual Tour. Its pretty obvious which room it is.

As sad as I am to sell, I am also hopeful that it will sell soon because I don't want to lose the Crossfield house and have to start the house searching process all over again. Plus, I love the Crossfield house...

I'll keep you posted as new things hapen.

And, yes, I realize that it's been a while since I've put pictures up. I will try to get on it soon. I promise. :)

Our hosue is listed

The realtor came today adn we listed our house. Yes, there were a few tears on my part, and the lawn sign isn't even up yet. We were a little surprised at what she thought we should list it for- $279 900. We'll see what we actually end up getting for it.

Luca's 4th tooth came in today. I am hoping that we can start getting some more sleep around here now (although he hasn't been too bad this week.)

That's all that's new today. We'll keep you updated as things progress.

An offer accepted...

Last night at about 9 pm, after a lot of back and forth between the sellers and us, we agreed upon a price and conditions for the Crossfield house. So, as long as our house sells by the end of May, we will be moving into our dream house July 13th. I will try to get some pictures of it up soon.

We worked our butts off today to get the last of the painting done, get some cleaning done, and packed up some stuff that we didn't really need taking up space before our house was viewed this evening.

The people that came to see the house are our age, we went to high school with them (know them but aren't part of the same circle of friends). I didn't really get a good 'vibe' from them as far as interest in the house goes. They zoomed through pretty quickly. But, they said they'd call us tomorrow and let us know for sure.

I'm pretty sure that we'll be hiring a realtor tomorrow.

I don't know if I am quite prepared to see a For Sale sign in frontof our house. I am pretty sure that there will be tears. Lots of them.

But, the paperwork for the Crossfield house is signed, not to mention Chris has accepted the positon, so there is no turning back now.....

I have a lot of mixed feelings churning around in my belly right now.

On another note, I left Luca for the longest amount of time yet on Sunday- 7.5 hours!!!! He stayed with my mom, Jessica, Sarah and Donovan. From the sounds of it he had a blast and didn't miss Mommy or Daddy one bit! We thought that he would have a better day playing than coming with us to look at the Crossfield house again, sitting in the car, etc.. I think we were right!

Then today, he went over to Jacquie's for 6 hours to play so that we could get some work done around the house.

He was away from me for as long as he would be when I return to work. Hmmmm. Maybe I am a bit more ready to cope with leaving him than I thought? I am scheduled to go back after the long weekend. Sigh. At least now I know that I can do it. But, boy, did I miss my little man, and I was so happy to see him and kiss him, even though he didn't really seem to care that I was back. Stinker!

Oh, also I started weaning Luca about 2 weeks ago now. I started by taking away one feeding (at his morning nap) and replacing it with a bottle. It was a tough few days, but then all seemed to be going well. When I began to take away a second nursing session (before his afternoon nap), he became rather upset with me and refused me all together. HE quit ME COLD TURKEY!!!! Seriously when I tried to nurse him, he would SCREAM like I was torturing him until he got a bottle. So, I guess he is completely weaned. I was still hoping for the bedtime feedings, but I guess not. Oh well, at least he's weaned, right?

Unfortunately, I ended up with quite a bad case of mastitis due to this. Sigh. Not to worry, its all cleared up now.

Not only did Luca not want to nurse, he wanted NOTHING, I mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with me when it came to feeding, changing and cuddling (playing was still ok). He would not let me feed him, so I had to think up nutritious finger food meals for him, he would not allow me to hold his bottle, and he did not want to be cuddled by me. It was a pretty emotional few days.

I am told by the meanie that thought this was just too hilarious that this is common, and that Luca was just telling me that he was mad at me for taking away his nursing time. (Not to mention any names...Pat!) Anyway, I am glad to report that he loves me again and will let me be his Mommy again.

He has a 3rd tooth, as well (I think I may have already posted about that, but can't remember for sure.). The 4th is right under the surface. We'll see if it comes through or goes back into hiding for a while....

The Verdict Is In...

Well, it is official. We are moving. Chris accepted their offer (a few counter offers later) for the position in Calgary. Chris has really already started the job as he has been filling in since the previous person left. So, he will continue to be spending most nights of the week in Calgary, and home on the weekends.

Tomorrow we are going back to the house that we liked to have another look and most likely make an offer. We'll let you know if it is accepted.

Although there was some discrepancy between what we wanted and the company wanted to provide, we are happy with the final result. Everything has really fallen into place, except for the fact that we were in limbo for a few weeks.

So, we are selling our house in Ponoka, obviously. If anyone knows of anyone that is looking to buy, let us know ASAP.