Lady Time

I have great kids and I love them so much. They are sweet and cute and snuggly and giggly... but they are also sassy and naughty. I still love them though. 

So today Mom and I needed some time to just us. Not sharing the car, the radio, the conversations, the air, the bathrooms, the restaurants, and everything else with 3 little nincom-poops.

We got a babysitter to take the kids to Calaway Park. This was a little scary for me to have her drive them there and stay there for a long time today, but I knew they would be fine and the kids seriously had so much fun. All of the big rides that I have been convincing Natalie to go on with me, she went on today numerous times with the babysitter (and her little sister who came to help out.) But they couldn't stop talking about the fun they had, so that was something so nice to come home to. 

Anyway, we got a babysitter this morning and we headed out. We first hit the temple for a wonderful morning. The Calgary Temple is just beautiful and it was so fun to go. I cant believe that there is a temple here! So exciting!

We then left and went to lunch, and then on to pedicures and relaxation mode! We ended it with a little shopping and then home. It was such a needed day away. Momma needs a break sometimes!

My kids just run me down and I feel my anxiety levels raise higher and higher. The car gets a little louder, and then the teasing and the screaming, and the whining, and then before you know it... I am mad and yelling. I HATE THAT! Which is why a peaceful day at the temple and with my momma was so great today. 

I have had a hard time without Brian around to show the kids who is boss. They tend to walk all over me when it is just us. I always think I am being strict and the "boss", but they see right through me I guess! Maybe yelling when they make too much noise isn't getting me where I want to be. Well, one thing is for sure. I sure love having 3 kids and just 3 kids! I am at my limit and who is to say what it would be like if I had more... I would really need help then! I am grateful for them and that I have them, but I am also grateful that I can see my limitations. I know that I am at my max load and just because 3 kids is hard for me, doesn't make me less of a mom than a mom with 5 or 6 kids. A mother knows what she can handle and I am glad that I know where my limit is. I look up to my sister who does 5 kids with ease. She seems to handle everything without a wrinkle and rarely ever looses her cool. She is a fabulous mother. 

Too soon

Yesterday being a rainy day, we knew we couldn't do a bunch of the things we have on our list. So instead we took the 1.5 hour drive out to Drumheller to go to the Dinosaur museum. It was really interesting and fun to learn about the fossils that have been discovered and how so many of them have been found in Alberta! I wish I had more time to go through and read everything there was to read... but the kids were just too young! Their attention span was short lived and they were ready to go. They did have some fun looking at some of the displays of the fossils that have been found and really it is amazing!

 I love going to museums and learning about new things. It is probably one of my and Brian's favourite things to do without kids. Each year on our anniversary trip we always go to at least one museum and just enjoy reading and learning about new things. This might be on our list of museums to go through together! By the way, our anniversary trip this year will be next week after he arrives in Hawaii. Since we were planning this trip anyway, there was no point in planning a whole other trip as well, although I would have been fine with it!

Do what we can

I wish the rain would stop. I am kinda cold and want some hot days. I guess I may have come to the wrong place for HOT weather right? Luckily we will be heading off to Hawaii in less than a week!! AHHHH I cant wait to relax and soak it all in. (by the way, be checking the blog on my side roll for The Fury IV it is the sailors and they are doing great)

With kids the ages of my kids, it is hard to get down and dirty and volunteer. With all of the flood victims, we have been wanting to help out in some way. I don't think that being in the flooded houses is any place for my 2, 4,  and 6 year old so instead we have baked and baked cookies. They are going down to be passed out with lunches for both people who are in High River to volunteer and the people who live, or lived, down there. the kids had fun and they knew it was for a good cause.

Animal planet

One of the horses was spotted by a neighbour the other day laying down for hours and hours. She wouldn't get up to drink or eat and she wouldn't walk. I went out to check on her and to see if we needed a vet to come out. The poor thing would barely move but finally we got her over to the fence. While waiting for me to walk through the pasture to get the horses, my kids all got cut up by the barbed wire and cutting their clothes and arms and bellies. Aside from my crying, whining kids spooking the horses, we finally were able to say hi and check out honey's leg. Poor girl.  

 On the way home we spotted a whole heard of about 30 buffalo. When I stopped to take their picture, they started all wondering over to the fence to have a closer look at what we were doing and who we were. they are so big and ugly!

 Then there is SASHA. I don't understand what my kids see in this cat. I am not a cat person and I really think she is lazy and hairy. She hisses at my kids all day long and swats them away with her paw... and they are nothing but sweet to her. They are gentle and kind and don't tease. I think years of other kids taunting her and bothering her has made her into an old grump and she only likes my mom now.

 on july 4th, we had to celebrate a little!!! So we made up a cake and decorated it up like the US flag. We also dipped some strawberries and made them patriotic. Thats about all we did though. I missed being in the States for the Fourth this year. God bless America!

 We turned on a movie tonight for the kids and they chose the OLD real person Alice in Wonderland. They were all into it, then we lost Courtney. She was so little and cute sitting in that big chair. Natalie was super into it until the end, but Boots not so much. He kept complaining about not liking it. i don't get it though, movies are so different now then they used to be. I will admit they used to be a little boring and long and not as captivating, but this one has SO much fun music! It reminded me of the many times that libby and I would watch that movie! I used to love it!! "Jam tomorrow jam yesterday... but never ever jam today..." haha

A mighty fine crew

Growing up we always went out to the cabin in Invermere, BC. I was so sad when my parents sold their cabin, and sad that my kids could never experience all the fun times I had there growing up. It was the best summer vaca spot and we would spent weeks and weeks there. We shared it with 3 other families, mostly our relatives. anyway we would end up going up for our week then a few of us would stay up when our next cousins would come, and then when our friends would come and it was just fun all summer long at the lake. 

Anyway, since i have been married, I have come home every summer for at least a month and I have loved every summer that i spend up here in the perfect weather and away from the Texas heat. Well for the last 6 years we have come up and gone out to my Dad's sail boat that is out in Victoria, BC. I have been able to get certified and cruise around the islands with my parents and have also loved the memories of that and bringing my kids out there to do that. I have some great funny stories and have seen some of the most beautiful things in my life out there. Boat life is so different than anything I have ever known! 

soooo....point of all of this is that my Dad is selling the boat to my uncle who lives in Australia and they needed to get the boat down there. The journey will take several months and the first leg of the journey is from Victoria to Hawaii. The Crew got wound up and Brian of course jumped on that!! It has been something that we always thought would be cool to do and he wanted to go, and could with the flexibility of his company. 

This last weekend we headed out to BC to see the boat off... so we spent a few days in the cutest little town called Chemainus. We usually only go there by boat and it is so small and quaint that it was strange to actually stay there and drive in by car! It is a town known for its murals painted everywhere and the little theatre with live plays year round. The kids loved all the hotels and playing at the boat on the docks waiting for the crew to finish up the preparations to leave. 

 My Cousin Brookie. I haven't seen her in 14 years and it was SO fun to see her since she spent over a year with us when I was 16 years old. She became my sister and I love her so much. She is only a few months younger than me and it was so fun to catch up and meet her husband!

 Boots had a blast running up and down the docks catching star fish, spotting jelly fish, feeding clams to the crabs and watching the boats come and go. Mom bought him a little kids fishing pole that he really wanted opened up and everyone was just a little busy getting things done around the dock and boat. We were kind of scattered. All of a sudden, I hear cries coming from along the dock and soon realized it was boots. I see him running at me holding his arm with blood coming out everywhere. My first thought was a fish hook got caught and we took him down to the boat to get cleaned up and see what was going on. I finally got the story out of him that he wanted to open his pole and he went down into Grandads cabin and found a brand new pocket knife, opened it up and started to try and open his pole. he sliced his thumb in the process. Typical boots. just a little emergency before the boat took off!

 Brian has been growing out his beard for several weeks and then the day before he came, he shaved his head. He had never done this before and although I couldn't stop looking at him at first and touching his head, I think I kinda like it! haha

 Here is everyone before they took off....

 I had tears in my eyes and rolling down my face. I know they will be fine but I am a little nervous about it all and hope they make it ok and everything runs smoothly. It is such a scary amazing adventure they are taking!

We then turned around and got on the ferry to come home. the kids thought the ferry was the coolest thing ever!! We watched the beautiful sunset from there!

meet the CREW:

BROOKIE "Mary Ann"

                                                              Brian "Ginger"

                                                            Dad "Captain"

                                                              Tim (Brookes hubby) "Gilligan"

                                                           Uncle Rick "The Pirate"

                                                                Garrett "the professor"

So safe sailing guys and see ya in 3 weeks!!!

If you would like to follow their sailing blog it is on my blog role on the side... it is called "voyage of the Fury IV" They send me info in texts or short calls daily and I will keep it updated. thefuryiv.blogspot.com 

Floods

Calgary, Alberta, CANADA. It was a City where I was born and raised. I come back every Summer and usually Christmas. It is the most beautiful city and place that I have ever been to. It is clean and fresh and the mountain views are gorgeous. I never knew how awesome and pretty it was until I left for Texas. 

Dont get me wrong, I am not saying anything bad about Texas...I LOVE Texas. But it just isn't Calgary. 

So we arrived last week and the day we arrived it was raining. It had been raining for days and the River that goes from the mountains through the city and south through southern Alberta had flooded. Never before since my parents have lived there (40 years) has this ever happened. I actually don't think  it has ever happened. These pictures aren't in Calgary but they are in the town where my parents live. you cant even tell the depth of it all without knowing how it usually looks, but it is crazy.

The flooding took out entire towns along the way and tore houses down the river. They evacuated 100,000 people out of the their homes and thousands of homes and cars are destroyed. Thick mud is all that remains now and there is a huge need for volunteers to help clean up. Thousands around the city have chipped in to help out and it has been really neat to be here to see the City come together to help one another. 

We went out to the dam close by my parents house where they had opened 3 of the gates to let the water out slowly. It was insane.

At least they got to enjoy the aftermath of the rain... hundreds of worms that they quickly collected named and cared for. It made me want to vomit. Gross! Wormy and squirmy were the most loved of all the worms.