I found Carter outside "fixing" his quad. Gee, do you think he takes after anyone we know?
jacking it up
Checkin things out underneath. Notice the creeper (a la Ninja Turtles pool floatie).
This past weekend, our friends the Stevensons (Brad, Kirsti, Skye and River) and the Hayes (Andy and Trena) came to visit us. It was a packed house - 6 adults and 4 kids. I think we were outside almost the entire time though. The weather was so hot and we went quading, to Josephine Falls and Blue Lake for hikes and picnics, visited on the deck, played Rockband, watched UFC 100, and ate alot of yummy food. The kids played together awesome, and we were sad to see them all head back home to Edmonton after the weekend was over. My new mission in life is to convince them all to move here so we can see more of them :)
Great weather, great scenery, great friends. What could be better?
... watching Carter play soccer in his week-long soccer camp.
... still laughing at Carter imitating his British Soccer Camp instructors English accent. Oh my goodness, kids are hilarious.
... going to Crowsnest Pass to look at kitchen counter tops. Wishful thinking? Probably.
... wishing I didn't need sleep to survive. There's just not enough hours in the day to finish all my little projects.
... excited to have loads of company this weekend. It's going to be so much fun!
... not gonna lie: P90X is kicking my butt.
... wondering if my partying neighbors know it was me that filed a complaint. Whatever, I wasn't woken up at 4 am by loud drunkenness last night so it must have worked!
... watching my grass grow. Over a month ago, we rototilled the garden patch and planted grass seed - it's not going so well. For reals, how long do I have to wait for it to just grow in thick and lush already?
... wishing I could just say "no" when I get asked to do things I just plain don't want to do.
... realizing that drama with girls starts young. Hayley came up to me and said (in a tormented voice), "But I just want to go home this weekend!" (a quote from the movie "Bolt"). And then walked away, giving a huge sigh.
... thinking I should host huge get-togethers every weekend. It's great motivation for me to finish all my little at-home fix-it projects that I've been procrastinating for way too long.
... looking forward to the Whidden reunion on the Oregon Coast in less than a month!
... realizing that my brothers get home from Russia in a few months - so stinkin' excited!
What are YOU today?
Just like everybody and their dog, we headed to Raymond for Canada Day again this year. My grandparents live there and every year it's a big party with almost everyone in attendance. We spent the day watching the parade, eating good food, and visiting with family and friends. We decked the kids out in Canada shirts, hats, and fake tattoos. And... the next day they had tan lines on their faces in the shape of Canada flags. Pretty funny.
The sirens were a bit too loud for Hayley, who must take after her wimpy, sensitive-eared Mother.
The three little Mendenhall boy cousins:
After all the partying we went camping (just the four of us) to Ridge Reservoir, which was recommended by a friend. Good thing my hard-working GPS memory got us there.
Carter and Hayley love camping, and we're so glad they're such good little campers. This weekend just reaffirmed the fact that these kids were meant to be born into our family. They are just so laidback and chill with doing whatever we feel like doing - whether it's camping, or spontaneously driving across North America! It's happened before.
Happy (belated) Canada Day everyone! Especially to all our American relatives who, deep down, secretly wish they lived in this awesome country! (ahem Gina... Andrea...)
Man, we had a fun weekend! It was Wildcat Days here and there was so much going on. We watched the fireworks, went to the parade, played carnival games, jumped in the kids inflatables, ate cotton candy, rode the train, watched the volleyball tournament, Jared and I both played in the Slowpitch Tournament, hung out with friends, and we even managed to go camping for one quick night.
I can't even believe we packed everything into 3 short days... but now I gotta go to bed. I'm pooped.
I was 9 when my little sister Carly was born. I remember going to school knowing she was going to be born that day, and being so anxious that I couldn't sit still. After supper, my Dad took my older sister Lisa and I (without the twins - that made us feel important) to the hospital to see this tiny bundled up newborn with a cute little squished nose. 16 years later, she's just as cute as ever...
Happy Birthday to my beautiful, and now date-able, little sister!
BEFORE:
My arms and back are sore, and I never want to see a can of paint again.
On the plus side, I can now give directions to my house without saying the phrase "the ugly pink house".
Pictures to come.
A few weeks ago, we were at the park and Hayley had an accident. I said, "Oh no Hayley, I didn't bring any extra pants and undies for you! Now we have nothing for you to wear." Hayley replies, "That's okay Mommy, I'll just wear my legs!"
Carter says: "Hayley, I'll teach you a nursery rhyme. Repeat after me: 'Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curtain rod...'".
Today Hayley was complaining of a tummy ache and she said, "Mom, I think a mean monster went outside and got some mud and then put it in my tummy and that make it all hurts."
Whenever Carter has his shirt off he "flexes his muscles" (which is hilarious in and of itself, because he is the skinniest little thing). He points to his "muscles", which are really just the bones of his rib cage sticking out and says, "Look I have the HUGEST muscles. Girls like guys that have big muscles.". (All I can think is - oh my goodness kid, you are way too young to be talking like that).
One night after their bath and putting on pajamas, Carter and Hayley both asked, "Can we stay up???" (ya know, that annoying question they ask every night). It was actually early so I said Sure, they could stay up for a bit. Carter excitedly replies, "Mom! Today I wished on a dandelion that you would be a nicer mommy and my wish just came true!". Gee, thanks Carter.
Hayley was watching Dora the Explorer, and on the show Dora asks, "Will you help us??" and Hayley replies, "No! Be a big girl and do it yourself Dora!"
Carter was comparing me to some other girl, pointing out how we looked so different from each other. He says, "You guys are just so different Mom; she has blond hair, and you have brown. Her eyes are not blue like yours. And she doesn't have any zits on her face...". And then he had honestly no idea why I laughed so hard.
One day I was upstairs cleaning and decided to spray some Febreze to make the house smell fresher. Carter and Hayley hear me spraying it and come rushing up the stairs asking, "Who's coming over????". Silly kids - I do clean my house even when there aren't visitors about to ring my doorbell! Really!
Sometimes when we put Hayley to bed at nights, she stays awake in her room, usually singing at the top of her lungs. The other night, she was singing that song "Numa Numa" by O-Zone, and she knew every single word off by heart. She was getting right into it, "Maria-He, Maria-Ho, Maria-Ha, Maria-HA-HA!". Jared and I were standing outside her door listening and killing ourselves laughing. I'll try and add the song below for those who don't know. Imagine a little 2-year-old singing it. HILARIOUS.
Back when I was about 14 or 15, I got home from a school weekend-long field trip (ok, ok, it was a band trip. I just didn't want to admit it!) really late on a Saturday night. It was technically Sunday morning, because it was around 2:00 am. I went in to wake up my parents and let them know I was home. After we said our hellos, they told me to go look in the backyard. I went and looked out the back window and saw a brand new trampoline! I was so excited that I went outside and jumped on it right then and there. At 2:00 am. In the pouring rain. And then proceeded to jump on it almost every single day until I moved away to college. Not only did it get jumped on but girl talks, sleepovers, mean games that I forced my younger siblings to play in which they always lost, picnics, basketball (and any other sport that you can add jumping to), fort-building, etc all took place on that trampoline.
That trampoline is now here at our house and I think in the short year we've had it, Carter has been on it so much it seriously rivals all that time I spent on it as a teen. He loves to be out there jumping, practicing ninja moves, chatting over the fence to the neighbors, putting the sprinkler under it in his swimming trunks, eating his picnic lunch, catching bugs, watching the cars go by, etc. After I snapped these pictures from the deck, he curls up into the shape of an egg and calls up to me, "Hey mom! Wanna come crack me?". Really, how could I resist?
My kids often steal my camera and take pictures without my knowledge. The next time I want to use my camera, I turn it on to find hundreds, literally hundreds, of pictures they've taken of each other, their toys, me puttering around the house, walls, light fixtures, a blurry finger covering the lens... you get the idea. It cracks me up. Here are a few of my favorites:
Jared's lovely brother Gary
This weekend, Jared ran in the Elkford Triathlon. He did an awesome job and finished with a great time. A bunch of people in his office all competed together and they all did really good. I'll admit, it totally made me want to enter for next year's triathlon. The weather was great for it - I took a few pictures of the day:
On Friday, we were able to go to Lethbridge and see our friends the Jarmans. They just had a little baby girl 2 weeks ago and we couldn't wait to go visit her. Scarlett is so sweet and tiny and perfect - we all loved holding her and didn't want to put her down.
As we were taking these pictures of Hayley holding Scarlett, we commented that this reminded us of when Isabelle (their oldest girl) was born, and we took pictures of Carter holding Isabelle. This was just round 2, with our second children.
I dug up the old picture, just for memories sake, of Carter holding Isabelle, back in December 2005:
Cute hey? Time sure flies when you're having fun!
Jared holding Scarlett
Hayley, Isabelle, and Carter watching a movieYesterday Carter got to go to Kindergarten Orientation for when he starts school in the Fall. He got to meet his new teacher, see the classroom, learn school rules, make a craft, read books, meet the principal, and meet some friends. He knew some of the kids there already and he was having so much fun giggling with them. He is SO ready to start school and this is going to be so good for him. We can't wait.
The only problem is that I now also have a 2-year-old that thinks she gets to start school too. And refuses to believe otherwise.
Wanna know the only good thing about getting in a really bad car accident? A couple months later you get to buy a new vehicle.
Jared is in heaven.
Yesterday my dear old Dad turned 50. Yes, 50! He's not so sure what to think about entering this new era. I think he hasn't aged a bit - what do you think?
*I'm sorry Mom, I KNOW that was the style back in the 80's, but those glasses kill me every time. Take solace in the fact that you are still only a spry 47. Not 50, like somebody we know.*
See? Both my parents just keep getting better with age. Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa! We love you!
...but don't these kids make the cutest little soccer team you've ever seen?
* And yes, Carter is totally flirting with the little girl beside him. Click to enlarge.*
Carter and Hayley were playing together yesterday and they kept coming and asking me for baby stuff to play with. Hayley was the "baby" and Carter was taking care of her. It was so hilarious to watch. Carter was taking his duties very seriously and Hayley was just eating it up. She loves to be the center of attention so this was right up her alley.
See, I told you she likes to be pampered (literally, Pampered)...
By the end Carter goes, "Having a baby is hard! You have to feed them, change diapers, play with them, put them for naps, push them in the stroller, carry their car seats, make them stop crying... I'm tired!". Yep, preaching to the choir buddy.
I just hope this doesn't reverse any of her training. I worked way too hard to get her to be the sleeping-through-the-night, non-bottle-sucking, potty-trained little gal she is now.
This past weekend, we went up to Sherwood Park to visit my Dad, Mom, and sister Carly. I actually didn't take that many pictures, but I did get at least one of each main activity.
On Saturday, we went to Centennial Park, had a picnic lunch, and played a friendly soccer game against each other.
As well as a game of Bocce Ball. Now here's a look of total concentration on everyone's faces. It was intense.
Carter and Hayley "helped" Grandma make brownies.
We went to Chuck E. Cheese (!) where I got to see my good friend Jeanne's little baby for the very first time (he's almost one - ridiculous).
We also got to see our good friends the Hayes and the Stevensons for a BBQ and visiting. Man we miss them!
Me, Trena, Kirsti, and baby River
Skye and CarterYesterday Jared's parents got their mission call to Frankfurt, Germany! How cool, hey? We're going to really miss them, but we know they'll do a great job. Congrats Mom and Dad!
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