I am so sorry that I have not been more on the ball with updating my blog but I thought that I would just let you know that I have not forgotten only life has been very busy and by the end of the day I am ready for bed.  Also, our main computer that I would use to  update has crashed and that has been very frustrating because it has all our information on it, thankfully enough we have been up to date in keeping a back up of all our pictures on memory sticks or I would really be crying the blues right now.  Once I am organized again I will have a lot of updating to do.  Maybe when life slows down. LOL

I will get back at it soon.  I just don't feel like blogging is the same if I can't include any pictures.  I will work on getting some pictures on the lap top this week.  Give me a few days. 

Up until now Darien and Keagan have been the only ones able to ride on the bike because they are big enough but this last week Jamie bought a harness that is ment for small children like Rylan so they can also ride on the motor bike and he was so excited.  It is like a five point harness that goes on Rylan with some handles attached for him to hold onto and then there is a belt that goes around Jamie, so the only way that Rylan is coming off the bike is if Jamie does.  He could not wait to get on the bike and boy was it cute.  What I think is cute is that the helmet makes him look so top heavy. LOL

It is that great time of year again when you feel like you are constantly on the go.  This is Rylan's first year of playing soccer and he is so excited.  Although by about half way though he is ready for a snack and to go home but I never get tired of watching all the little ones run after the ball.  Rylan has some great coaches this year that are very good at keeping the kids involved and entertained.  Keagan is like an old pro a the soccer thing.  It is his favorite sport and he seems to do really well at it.  It is great because this year they both play on Sat. mornings.  Rylan is 9:30am to 10:30 and Keagan is 10:35 to 11:35, so it works our really well. 

 

Just as a side note Darien scored his first goal in lacrosse last week.  It was so exciting I wish that I could have had the camera to take a picture of that great moment that he has been working so hard for.  This coming weekend he is going to be playing goal in a tournament which makes me a little bit nervous just because there is a lot of pressure involved in playing that postion but I am sure that he will do great.

As is tradition we try to have a girls night about once a month.  This time our theme seemed to be music and of course that means karioke and rock band.  It was a great night everyone had to bring a healthy treat with a copy of the recipe.  I thought that was a geat idea until everyone started to arrive and you soon discover that when a bunch of girls get together there always has to be chocolate. LOL  A couple of the girls had just recently purchased the new game "Rock Band" and boy was that a good time.  Tammy was out lead singer and the rest of us took turns playing the drums and guitars.  It was another great night.  We always have such a good time. 

 

So as many of you know Tammy comes up to Edmonton every 6-8 weeks to do hair.  She has a lot of clients which is great, but I was getting a little tired of having to clean up hair in my kitchen after the visit was over, so Jamie was so kind to build a salon in the basement for Tammy.  This salon is where our bathroom is going to be going but not for a while so for now it is the perfect salon.  Jamie did a great job hanging some old curtains that we have collected from each of our homes, we found a used salon chair, and a mirror on sale, and luckly we had some left over lino from when they built the house.  So I must say that it is great having her in my basement and it works out really well.  A lot of the girls that come to have their hair done bring their kids with them so it works out well that the kids can play with all the toys in the basement while mom is having her hair done.

Jamie has been very luck to have a friend that flies for a company that goes up North all the time in 737 and there have been some times when Jamie has been able to go on the flight and sit in the jump seat.  Now for most of us "normal people" sitting in the jump seat of a 737 for 12 hours, doing 4 take off and landings would not be some things that we classify as fun but for Jamie it is the best day ever.  His friend is no longer flying with this company as he has taken a job in China and will be moving his wife and 5 children there (crazy!) so this was Jamie's last time to be able to do this and he had a great day.  He came home very happy he is going to miss these little trips but they were good while they lasted.

This year was the first time that Darien got to participate in the Cub Car Rally.  It was very exciting when he got his kit and he took great care in painting it and getting it to look just right.  Jamie went with him for the morning and they had a great time seeing all the other cars that had been made and came back with some great ideas for his car next year.  Darine sadly didn't win and races but he did get the prize for the most colorful.

Yes, Stefan is finally on the move.  I thought that this day would never come.  He decided to make is first move the day that I was leaving to go t BC for the run.  It was great because Tyler was here for the weekend to help Jamie with the boys and after helping Stefan walk around the house he put him down and he made his first move.  It was great.

Of course he is not crawling the way that all the other kids did.  He is like a crab and goes sideways.  It is very cute.  It reminds me of how a little girl would crawl when she is wearing a dress.  He crawls with one knee down and use the other foot to push himself a long.  It is great that he is finally moving so he isn't so frustrated.  He loves to go exploring.

We woke up early Sun. morning and looked out our window only to see the race started right out side our hotel and that was very exciting.  It was amazing to watch everyone get ready.  We have never see so many people in one place at one time.  The night before we had bought some oatmeal to eat for breakfast but we had to get creative when it came to eating it.  Tammy and Amber got posh and had theirs in wine glass and I used a mug but we all had use stir sticks to eat it.  We got ready for the race and them made out way outside.  It was a little bit cold to start off with especially as we waited our turn to go but once we got going it got warmer.

We all knew that we could make it to 7 km. but after that we didn't know but I am happy to say that we all ran the whole thing.  Crossing the finish line was the most amazing feeling ever.  Growing up I was never a very fit or athletic child so I never really got to experience anything like this but I think that I am now addicted.  We are already planning our next race and we plan on making this a yearly trip.  I was great to get away for a few days but it was even better to accomplish something that I never thought I would be able to do.  Next year we are planning on doing it in under an hour.  Good Job Girls!!!

 

 

After the race we met up with Tammy's brother and had some lunch, we were starving.  It was great because we didn't have to check out until 2:00 which gave us time to get back after the race and clean up.  We headed back to moms were we all had a nap and it was great.  After dinner we were on our way to the airport and none of were looking forward to seeing all the snow.  Amber and I were supposed to drive back to Edmonton but decided to stay over night in Calgary and boy are we glad that we did.  On our drive home we saw 57 cars in the ditch including 6 semi's, and one greyhound bus.  The roads were really bad.  But it is good to be home and our husbands missed us.  There is still a lot of snow on the ground but I know that one day we will see green grass again. LOL

 

 

Sat. morning we tried to sleep (got to bed at 3:00 am) but my loving sister decided to call us at 9:30am what was she thinking. LOL Three moms away with no kids to wake us in the morning, but it was all good.  The weather was really nice so we decided to head to White Rock to show our dear Amber the ocean for the first time.  It was a great time.  We met up with Tammy's longtime friend Sue and ate some great fish and chips.  It was so nice to sit in the sun on the patio especially after we spoke to our husbands only to hear that back home it was snowing again.

 

 

Later on that day we headed into Vancover with Susan.  Susan works at a doctors office and they had all booked rooms at the Vancover Fairmont Hotel (5 Stars)  It was very nice and we were very glad that we could stay down town instead of having to come down first thing in the morning.  We went out for a lovely dinner with everyone from Susans work and the nice doctors treated.  It was very kind of them.  After dinner we went out for a walk and it was great to see the night life of down town Vancouver.  We tried to get to bed as early as we could but that was hard with 4 girls talking but we didn't do too bad.

 

This past weekend Amber Tammy and I headed out to Vancouver to participate in the Vancouver Sun Run.   We have been planning this since Christmas and training to run 10K.  We weren't very convinced that we would be able to run the whole 10K but I a happy to say that WE DID IT!!! and it felt great.  But I will tell you a little about out weekend.

 

First of all we arrived late Thurs. night and went straight to bed, then on Fri. morning we headed out to Abbotsford so that Tammy could do my mother-in-laws hair and her moms because it wouldn't be a holiday for Tammy without working.  Once that was all done we went back to Langley to do a quick power shop at our favorite store the VV boutique.  This is always a good time.  Then we went back to my moms to get ready for a fun filled girls night out for Sushi and a whole lot of laughs.  We met up with our long time friends Trisha, Marcy and Heather at Metro Town for all you can eat Sushi and boy did they bring a lot of food.  We laughed  and talked until they had to ask us to leave because they were closing, but the party didn't end their we made out way to the 24 hour Tim Hortons for a lot more laughter.  It was great to get together with these girls that I don't really talk to that often but still feel really close to as I watch their families grow and change through their blogs. (thank goodness for blogs).  We had a great time even with the staulker looking over the bushes at us, it was our dazzling beauty that he just couldn't get enough off LOL.  If only he knew that between us we have 16 children.

 

If it has been a while since you have been to my blog you will want to keep reading even when you get to the bottom.  In the last two nights I have updated what has gone on in the last month including Jamie's trip to Germany, Stefan's illness and so much more.  I really enjoy blogging if for nothing else than for my own journal or I would never remember all the happenings in my family.

On a note before I head off to bed.  I came home the other day to two dozen roses in my kitchen from my wonderful and loving husband.  I love that he just does it to surprise me.  They were beautiful and I loved having them in my kitchen.

Happy Reading and I will try to stay up to date a little bit better but with spring coming it means more activities like soccer and lacrosse to fill an already busy schedule.LOL

We had a couple of days left for Spring Break after my mom left so we headed down south for a visit with Tammy and her family and took the kids to the zoo for the day.  I think that the Calgary zoo is one of the best ones I have been to.  Rylan loved the hipo's, Darien liked the sting rays, and Keagan liked the bats.  It was so cool because you could get really close to the hipos and the kids got to touch the sting rays.  They had a new baby elephant that I thought was really cute.  It was a great day with great friends.

It might sound crazy but while my mom was here she bought a new van. (Used but new to her).  So instead of flying home she drove home.  It wasn't something that she was planning on doing right away but this great van came up at an amazing price so she jumped on the chance to have a reliable van before hers kicks the bucket so I had to snap a few pictures of her heading off on her trip home.  She was so excited to leave that she even forgot her suitcase and Jamie had to chase after her in his car.  I hope you enjoy the van mom.  Thanks again for all you help, love and support for the month.  Love You.

I just had to share these pictures of Rylan.  I had the camera out one day and he asked me to take some pictures and then he started to make different faces and I loved it.  So Enjoy!!!

I know that it is not our anniversary for another month but I could not wait to give Jamie his present.  If you can believe it we will have been married for 10 years next month which means we have been together for 13 years.   Amazing how time flies when you are having fun.  I have been working very hard and saving all my babysitting money so that I could buy Jamie a motor bike and I finally did it.  He was shocked.  I didn't physically go out and buy the bike because I don't really know what I am looking for, but I found a used one that I thought looked really good, pulled the picture up on the computer and sang Happy Anniversary to him and boy was he surprised, he had no idea.  Jamie has known for a while that I was planning something because everyone around him knew, it is not very often that I feel like I can really surprise Jamie because we do all our banking and everything together so we see where we are spending but this time is was cash so he had no idea. 

Now I know that a lot of you are thinking I must be crazy but Jamie had a motorcycle growing up and always talks about how much fun it was and how it would be nice to get one again one day, so I took that thought and ran with it.  I must admit that the bike he got is really nice and I think that he looks pretty handsome riding it.  He has taken all the boys for a little ride and he even took my mom and I think she actually like it.

It is going to be great for him to ride it to work during the summer and I can't wait for my turn.  I am going to be taking a safety course in May so that I can learn to ride also, I am very excited my wild side is itching to get out. LOL

Before Stefan got sick I had all these great plans for what I was going to do over spring break to keep the kids busy, because 4 boys in one house can sometimes get a little crazy, but of course that all got shot out the window.  I am happy to say that they had a great spring break even without all the activities that I was going to do.  Everyday they would come downstairs and build these amazing forts with all the blankets that they could find and they had a great time doing it.  Each day a new room would get added and they never seemed to get tired of doing it, in fact when their friends would come and knock on the door they would rather stay and play in their forts than go outside.  They were so good.

 

It was a great day when Stefan finally came home, he had a great time playing the boys and they could not get enough of him.  It was nice to feel like a whole family again.  They had a great time playing with the laundry baskets.

This year was a little bit more low key with everything that was going on.  Thankfully enough I had bought all the candies and treats early, so I was at least prepared.  Jamie made the boys green pancakes with pink whip cream which was good.  Poor Darien had to use a halloween bucket because I couldn't find the other Easter one but he was a good sport about it.

Jamie spent the morning in the hospital with Stefan while I stayed home with the boys.  I had decided that we weren't going to go to church just because I was so tired but about an hour before church was due to start I thought that it was important for the boys to remember the real meaning of Easter, so I got everyone ready for church and off we went.  After church we headed up to the hospital so the boys could have a visit with Stefan.  It was really good because they had bought some "Get Well" balloons for Stefan and they were a real hit, he loved playing with them and hitting them.

Each of the boys got a child friendly digital camera and Stefan got a fun book that he could play with along with a lot of chocolate.  It was a great day.  For dinner we headed over to a friends house for deep fried turkey and I know what you are thinking but it is really good, I am sure not very healthy but very good.  It was a great day.

Thank you for your patience as I update my blog.  I know that I am behind by about a month but I will be up to date in the next day or so.  So even when you get to the bottom of the page there is still more to read.  Happy Reading!