Lots Going On

I am still here! The past couple of weeks have been ? there are just no words to describe it really! I don't want to blog about the whole sorted story but it has just been a brutal couple of weeks. Our family is fine it involves some close friends and our church family and impacts Malcolm's job in a HUGE way. I am still trying to process it all and probably will be for a while! God has truly been with us and has provided so much love and encouragement which has helped a great deal. A long road of healing is ahead of us and Journey Church.

I have also been away because our computer died. We have had it for about six years with no problems at all and the fan went out last week. I love Macs! PCs don't last that long! We got an I-Mac in the midst of the storm last week on Saturday and Malcolm finally had time to set it up on Monday. Malcolm usually has it out of the box and set up right away but there was too much going on to get it done. Poor guy! Say a little prayer for him if you have a moment. :)

Sweet Connor boy started taking some steps this past Wednesday. Yay! He is so proud of himself and just smiles so big and claps with us! He is too cute. Everyday he goes a little further and will probably be going, going gone in a few days. I am ready or I should say my back is ready for him to be able to walk on his own (he is a heavy little guy) but I also don't know if I am ready for this next stage of freedom for him! If he walks as fast as he crawls I am in trouble. This also means that he is getting bigger and farther away from being my little baby! My last little baby! He got another haircut yesterday and looks like a little man now. He so needed it because he was looking mighty shaggy. His new do is really cute. I will take some pictures today and post them later.

Madalyn is still my little party planner. The other day she was planning a fiesta for her friends and she made confetti by cutting up some of our straws and found all of these cups, napkins and plates and had her daddy do the place cards. Then the other day she wants to have her friends over to watch Annie with her and she got the snacks, drinks (she put their initials on the cups with these foam letters), laid out some pillows and blankets and had to have it just so. I don't know where she got this from? :) Right now she is planning a picnic out side for her friends. She says, "It is the perfect day for a picnic outside. We are going to have grapes and apples and have a lovely time." I think it is really sweet! I wish I were more that way so I would not feel like such a downer mommy all the time! She says that she wants to be a dance teacher when she grows up and her first program will be a winter production. lol She thinks of details that I would never have thought of at her age or even today! She is lots of fun and always in the mood for a party. We still do not know for sure what we are going to do for her birthday. She has so many ideas she can't decide on one. The other day she said, "I guess I will just have a reglear (how she says regular) old party because I just can't decide." Too funny! Yesterday she was consistent in wanting a Hannah Montana party so I guess I had better get on that right away.

The other day in the car Madalyn says to me, "Mommy, you and I speak Nan's language but Daddy doesn't." I am not sure what Nan's language is but it gave me a good laugh. I am thinking it is the language known has Texan! :) Just wanted to record that because it is too funny to me. Nan's says that she needs to take her to Texas every summer so she doesn't loose it and so she won't think that just Nan talks that way. I hope we can get to Texas for a visit soon!!!! I am really missing it and all of my family down there. It has been way too long. We have not been back since we moved to Calgary almost four years ago. I need me so good Mexican food and right now some HOT weather! Although, it gets might hot down there in the summer but right now it sounds divine! I hope, hope, hope we can go in June!

I better go get some laundry on get ready for my night out with Heather. I am so looking forward to it! We live in the same city and hardly get to see each other so this is long overdue. I really need a night out with my hubby too. I will have to work on that for next week. :) Thanks for stopping by!

I DO have pictures on my camera!

The past few weeks I have been under the assumption that I did not have any pictures on my camera I could blog about. I looked the other day and I was so wrong! There have been Valentines Day gifts and cakes and friends over and just everyday cuteness of my kids on there all of this time. I knew I did not have pictures of the "bigger"events like Madalyn's school party so I have been neglecting the blog. So Sorry and here are some Valentines pictures of Madalyn and one of her in her butterfly dance outfit just for Auntie KK. :)

Butterfly dance outfit from Auntie KK, Uncle Lukie and Lilly

One of her V-Day presents


Cake we made together for Valentines Day since we did not make heart cookies. :( Too tempting for Mommy and Daddy who are trying to eat healthy.


Did you know that today is Ash Wednesday? I have never really fully participated in Lent before but I have decided to this year. I am not going to read any blogs for the 40 days. I have decided that I can update my own blog so I don't get so far behind but I am not going to sit in front of the computer and mindlessly read blogs for hours on end. I think this has sort of turned into an unhealthy habit for me. I am not saying reading blogs is bad at all. I love it and I think I will after Lent but I just felt lead to use this time to draw closer to God and give up something that means a lot to me right now. I am writing it on here and telling you so I can have some accountability. So, if you see or talk to me ask me how I am doing. :)

I have more cute pictures so I will update again soon.

Not So Grumpy Anymore

The verdict is still out on if I like my hair. It is VERY short in places so it is going to be this way for a while. I think i like it! :)

At the movie theatre on our Mommy and Daughter date to see High School Musical 3. We loved it and can't wait for it to come out on DVD. Madalyn already knew some of the songs and was just singing along. It was really cute.
Playing The Fancy Nancy Game with Grandma. Pinkie Up Darling! Or as Madalyn says like me and Nan -"Pinkie Up Darlin"! Grandma and Grandpa came for a quick visit and it was so nice to have them here. We just wish it could have been longer! While Grandma was here Madalyn was playing school with us and she was the teacher teaching us about farm safety. She had just had someone come to her class and talk about farm safety the other day. It was so cute. She would ask us if we had any questions and so we would ask one and she would say, "that is a very good question". It made me laugh.

Madalyn is always creating or fixing up something and I can barely keep up! On this day she was making her little desk so that she could do her math problems. :)
She did not want me to take a picture but I got a couple anyway! ;)


Connor's playing with his birthday present from grandma and grandpa.

It's COOOLD Outside! and I am a little grumpy :-(

We have not had a whole lot going on lately so I don't have very many pictures on my camera right now. I think I have been a little depressed. I am tired of winter but I think we have many more days to go until Spring though. We had some gloriously nice days last week but as much as I loved them it was just a teaser because now it is deathly cold again. :-( I am trying to have a better attitude but I don't know how successful I have been the past couple of days. Just ask Malcolm. I would not be surprised if at these times he wonders what he has got himself into marrying a girl from Texas and Washington who is very whiny about the cold. :-{

Can has got me very irritated as well! I need/want my part-time job and they are driving me CRAZY! I am not from some remote country! Just the neighbors down below! Hello! I think I need a break from life. Sorry, I guess I am not in the best mood right now. I think you are getting a glimpse of a down, trying day. See I have them too!
I HAVE had a good day today. I got up and went to tap class and actually did pretty well. We are meeting on Saturday mornings at 8:30 in addition to our Tuesday night class and it is really helping. After tap we went to IKEA to meet some friends for breakfast and then some shopping. It was a fun morning. Now I feel better. Just needed a little perspective and typing this out helped. How about some pictures of my sweet kids to continue to end this post on a positive note. Hope you have a good weekend so far.



Last Saturday we had a mini tea party with the neighbor girls. I think Madalyn really liked it. I guess I should start planning our Valentines tea party. lol Too many parties for this Mommy.

Happy Birthday Papa

Today is my Dad's birthday and I want to wish him a very special day. I wish we lived close enough that we could celebrate with him. We did have a fun (but not long enough) time when we lived in Abilene and they were living in Dallas that we could go for the weekend to celebrate with him and could see them quite often. I am glad that we had that time.

My dad is such a giving and loving person. He is always using his gifts to bless and encourage others. Whenever I call their house these days he is always out to lunch with someone being a listening ear. I have watched and learned from him what service to others is by all of the time, love and energy both of my parents have given to the youth groups in our church. Thank you for showing me how to love others and be Jesus' hands and feet!

Dad, you are such a great Papa and my kids are so blessed to have you. I am thankful for the way that you play with them and make them feel so special. I love how you notice all of the cute, funny things that they do and laugh and think that they are they cutest, smartest kids ever. Which they are! Ha! Ha! :) I have been so blessed to have you as my Dad! I love you!

Suzanne