Thanksgiving Weekend

Can I just say how much I've loved our long warm fall this year!  Fall really is my favourite time of year.  I love the colours, the smells, and especially this year all the crisp sunny days we've had.  We took advantage of the warm weather on Thanksgiving weekend and hit up the Corn Maze.  We learned that even though Carter has no fear of horses, cows, sheep, or goats he's pretty freaked out by chickens! ha!

 I love all these little heads

 I like how Mike seems more excited to be on this ride than Carter

 And this was the best attempt at a family shot - sad I know

With how much we knew we'd be driving to Lethbridge we opted to stay in Calgary for the whole weekend this year.  We had the dinner here and with the help of my dear brother Trevor I attempted a bird for the first time.  (Well really he did most everything but it was cooked in my oven - does that count?)  I wish I could take credit for the pie we're holding but that was all Julie.  Our family does a pumpkin chiffon pie and in case you were wondering it's the best pie ever. 

 

Mobile Love

I love mobiles.  And isn't this one to die for?

The how to is here

(2nd image via) 

I have yet to join pinterest - by choice.  I feel like I have quite an addictive personality and would probably waste phenomenal amounts of time there.  With that being said I do keep a file on my desktop of saved images that I like.  This one below is from there and I feel bad not giving credit where credits due but alas I can't source it (or anything else in the whole file).

I'm thinking I could do this tree mural with fabric and imagine how fabulous that would be with my bird mobile!  It might get a bit busy so maybe I'd have to do the tree on a different wall than the crib.  (Now I just need the new baby to go with it! ha!)

Exterior: Before and After

It's amazing the difference a little paint can make.  

(Well really it was actually A LOT of paint to be honest)

Before

After

The day we moved into the house, not only had they failed to clean the inside (at all!) but there was a hoard of junk left outside, including my favourite - a car parked on the front lawn that remained there for a week.  We photo documented some of the junk - unreal hey!  Oh, AND there was a hole in the front window that they had used plastic and saran wrap to cover, super classy.  I felt substantially less embarrased walking into my home after the glass guys came to replace it.

It's pretty amazing to me the transformation that has occured and really I'm glad we have photo's to remind us of what it was like when we first moved in.

  

There are still a few projects, touch-ups, and clean ups that need to happen outside but isn't it looking good!? ha!  Here's a break down of what we did: painted the whole exterior, painted the garage door, replaced the eaves troughs, opened up the front porch, replaced the front light, re-stained the front door, re-painted the railing, new house numbers, replaced wrotted wood trim, dug up flower beds and removed dead bushes/trees, trimmed up the pine trees, bordered out the pines trees with brick and added mulch, removed the garden of weeds in the driveway and framed off the edge with pressure treated wood, leveled and re-graveled the driveway, removed the awning and broken deck in the back, removed metal clothesline, built a retaining wall and installed a stone patio. 

We had plans to install a fence next spring in the back (as it's just a chain link one currently) but here's the real kicker:

We're Moving.

To Lethbridge.

It's really very bitter sweet for us.  An opportunity came available for Mike to work part-time at the cancer centre down there, while still finishing his PhD, and I was fortunate enough to find a part-time job.  It's a great career opportunity for Mike.  And so it's happening.  Soon.  Mike starts work next week, I start the week after.  With all we have going on in the city and with reno's still happening we'll be commuting down for Thursday and Friday until January when we'll make the move permanent.  We're excited to be moving back home but will really miss friends, family, AND our home here.  Life has a way of really shaking things up sometimes!

Little C

I love this kid.

Seriously.

I can't believe that his second birthday is only a few months away.  Wasn't it just yesterday that he was born?  Here's what the little man is up to:

• This child goes non-stop.  His energy is endless.  I wish there was someway we could harness it and use it to run our household appliances!
• He loves story books.  We usually need to read about 15 before he'll go to bed.  His current favourites are "Each Peach Pear Plum", "Going On A Bear Hunt", and "Little Blue Truck".

• He'll play strange for a minute or two and then if your nice and pay attention to him he'll be your new best friend.  
• He's a great sleeper and goes to bed like a dream (for now anyways!)

 

• His vocabulary is still quite limited but he makes up for it in facial animation and vocal intonation.  The new word of the week is NO to which he answers most everything.  If his answer is yes (which he can't say yet) he laughs and smiles (which I much prefer - ha!).  I'm hoping he'll skip right into speaking sentences.  He does regularly ask "wheritgo?" while shrugging his shoulders and raising his cute little chubby hands palm up.
• He loves bathes.  and unfortunately splashing.

 

• He's a great cuddler.
• He loves playing with other kids and especially all his cousins.

• His appetite is exactly like his dads.  He loves treats, isn't very interested in regular food, and would live off of an entirely liquid diet if I'd allow it.

• He thinks it's a riot to be naked.  When we go to change his diaper he'll hop up and run around like a mad man laughing hysterically at himself in the nude.  I really hope he outgrows this.
• Still completely and utterly obsessed with being outside.  No matter what the temperature is.  Mike and him were outside jumping on the tramp last night in the dark (and cold) and yup he was only in a diaper and was loving it.

 

 

• He has the cutest dimples in the world and is already a little stud.

Love you to bits little man!

All parents do this, right?

 It's been a while.  And it's ridiculously late.  I've stayed up late watching a documentary on 9/11 and tonight I'm just really grateful for these two and the happiness and meaning they bring to my life.  

PS A real post is long overdue, which I'll get around to eventually.  And I need to show some before and after photo's of house projects that are being completed!

A little summer vacay...

Where has the summer gone??  I feel like it's barely started and almost over!  We've been busy as usual with continuous house projects, me picking up extra days at work, and trying to spend every spare moment soaking in the precious warmth outside that we experience in such limited quantities in this city!  We were able to get away for a little family holiday that included a bunch of stops:

Magrath Days

Carter loved the parade, petting zoo, being outside ALL DAY, and especially running around like crazy with his cousin Seth.  I was excited to see his reaction to the fireworks which was a face filled with awe, a lot of pointing and "uh uh uh" (Carter's formal means of communication), and only the occasional wimper when a really big one went off!

Lake Pend Oreille

Seriously this is probably one of my favourite places on earth, and probably one of Carter's now too.  Again, a lot of outside time, lots of cousins to be crazy with, a pool a 30 second walk away, and a lake in our front yard.  Mike was insistent on having Carter tube (even though I felt he was a little small) and he loved it!  He'd lean back to give Mike kisses behind him as they were going I think to show his appreciation for his dad doing such a fun thing with him!

Waterton

Our last stop was Waterton for a night at the Dahl cabin.  Yet again, more outside time, more lakes, and even more cousins!  We're headed back this weekend for a couple nights of camping.  How I LOVE summer!