Lloydminster Trip

We went up to lloydminster for the weekend. It was a blast. Daniel got invited up to ref the lacrosse provincials in Lloyd and of course I came because I got to see all my awesome friends! Some friends were missing but all in all it was fun! 

Swendsens were gone but they offered us their house to use. It was fantastic and Sean had fun staying at "Luke's" house. He stayed in Luke's room and loved it! Lightening McQueen and Paw Patrol. He was in heaven! Haha

We left Thursday and got there just in time to get Daniel to opening ceremonies. I dropped by Isackson's and let my kids run their craziness out. Then got to Swedsens in time to get the kids to bed at a decent hour. 

Friday we got up and went to Bud Milker Park. Met up with Friends and cousins and had a good time letting kids play and getting to visit and catch up with everyone! At lunch we went back to Erin and Curtis's. The kids ran crazy and I even got Max to nap for a bit. 

Saturday was a day spent at Isacksons again. Sean had so much fun. Once we fed the kids lunch I got Max down for a nap and we went for a soak in the hot tub. Evan woke up just in time he got to come in as well. 

Dinner we went over to Tiff and Graham's! Sean was so excited to meet Zuma(the name of a dog from paw patrol) and he was quite upset and scared it was such a big dog! Max and him were both terrified until we went outside and Sean watched Sadie throw a ball to Zuma and he caught it! Then Sean was completely fine and Max even threw it a time or two. They also played on sadies playground and dug in the sand box. What a mess but so fun for them. 

I'm so grateful we got to live in lloydminster and meet all these awesome people.

Canada Day and Family Reunion

This year is the year for my Jesse and Helen Atwood family reunion. Always a blast because some favorite cousins of mine from Utah come up! I only get to see them about once every two years or so depending on if I make the reunion or if they do! This year was a win and they even chose to stay with us!

They showed up Thursday evening just in time for dinner and for them to run all their car jiggles out. Sean had fun playing with Alexa and Max and Jesse(sp?) had fun staring each other down. lol They played pretty well though too! Once kids went down Heidi, Alan and I got to visit. Dan was at his 10 year reunion shindig. He even stayed till 3:00am! impressive since he wasn't planning on going! They even conned him into going on the parade float!

We visited till late in the evening and then had to head to bed as we had to head out early to try and beat the rush to Raymond!
But as usual we all kinda slept in and started breakfast later but still made it out the door a little after 9:00. Heidi and Alan followed us to Raymond and Dan took us on some other back way that I had no idea existed. It was perfect because there was a serious line up of cars in front of us on the highway that we knew was going to the Parade! We lost Heidi and Alan once we hit Raymond and then found out later they stop at another cousin of Heidi's to watch the parade.

We went to our usual spot in front of Dan's parents house where everyone was waiting for the Parade! The parade starts at 10;00 but we don't head out till about 10:30 because the Fyfe house is at the end of the parade. Sean absolutly LOVED the parade and the candy being thrown. After he got about 5-6 suckers he was content to just sit back and eat them. Max freaked out a little when the parade started and sat on me the entire time. Sean shared a sucker or two with him. By the end of the parade Max was more a fan and was standing near me but on his own. Evan slept through it all in the Ergo carrier. (LOVE that carrier!)

A BBQ ensued afterwards to which I had brought 7 layer dip and red and white cake pops! They were all a hit and the boys had fun running with their cousins and playing in the sprinkler!

We packed up the boys around 2:00. We had some things in Lethbridge to get done and we had to get over to Glenn and Cassandras to help them move across the city. (West side traitors! haha) The boys had a nap in the car while Sean got to watch a show!! I am so grateful for that DVD player and that Evan is starting to learn the value of sleeping in a car!

We helped Glenn and Cass move and they even fed us pizza! Sean had a blast playing with all of Aiden's toys while Aiden wasn't there. what a kid.  Evan even took another snooze on their couch.

We got the boys home around 7:30 and bathed them. They were filthy! Had them in bed by 8:00 and tidied up a bit and then just vegged on the couch till Heidi and Alan got back around 9:00 and then Dan and Alan took off to go bridge jumping with Stefan and Greg! Crazy men! but oh the fun! Heidi and I were still up when they got back so another late night of talking and laughing followed!!

Saturday was the day of the reunion! So we got up and Dan and Alan made us breakfast! So awesome! We hit the road for Magrath just before 11:00 and got to visit with everyone that stayed at my parents house! We were the first ones to show up to the reunion down at the stake campground and because it was hot already we started up the waterslide and had it all to ourselves for a while! Dan and Alan and Stefan were out hunting gophers! It was hard to pull the kids away when it was time to eat but we managed! and then got back out there to slide some more! It was more fun when everyone wasn't using the slide, just because there was no line but after was fun because someone had brought tubes to use! Smart Idea! Sean and Max probably would have ridden all day!

At 4;00 Tycy, Stefan, Heidi, Alan, Dan, me, Phoenix, Becky and Shenoa, went Bridge jumping. We got grandparents to look after kids so we could go play without them. I snuck off on Sean and he got hurt or something while I was gone and one of the cousins at the Reunion knew he belonged to my mom was taking him over to her and Sean informed this cousin of mine that "I think I lost my Mom". What a kid. 

While we were out bridge jumping they had the dessert auction to raise money for the reunion and all. I had made a lime cheesecake and it ended up going for $70!!!!! Talk about an ego boost!!!

Max crashed while we were gone and had a good power snooze on the couch! So he was ready to party after that nap! Which party more we did! We went back to my parents house and turned a movie on for the kids and we played some games! Kids even wandered to the backyard for a bit but i think they were all a little sunned out!

Heidi, Alan and Tycy and Stefan were thinking of leaving at 8:00 to start their journeys home but we convinced them to stay one more night and leave in the morning! :) haha Dan and I hung around till 10:00 but by then our kids were loosing it so we had to head home and get them to bed! oh did all three boys just CRASH!

Such a fun weekend! Everytime we get together for these reunions I'm reminded why I wanna go to Utah! See cousins and party and play! We have so many cousins and friends down there we need to get going! We are so going to do it! Probably not this fall but maybe in the Spring?!?!?! Gotta plan it around conference because Dan has never been! It'll be fun whenever it happens!!

25

Daniel has been trying to surprise me with something for my birthday or our anniversary or any holiday for five years now. And he's let something slip or I've been able to accidentally guess and so it's not really a surprise. So this birthday was a huge success because I had no idea! 

The day started normal enough with angry grumpy boys that needed food first thing in the morning. Then I took them to the park for 3 hours! Haha candy and her little girls joined us towards the end! The park is always better when another friend is there. 

After that we came home and it was nap time and quiet time. All three of them were out so I enjoyed some time reading until Greg came and brought me lunch!! After lunch Greg woke up Max... Accidentally but still woke him up. Greg ran away and I got the boys ready to go. 

I took them to the park across from our house and Dana and baby Dawson met us there! Super fun! Evan slept in the stroller so I even got to play with the boys! They sure loved that! 

Got home and my mom showed up a bit later to come take me and we were going to hang and shop and whatever. Simple and easy and a night out. 

Dan got home and we left. I wasn't really paying attention to where my mom was going. She said she had some errand to do. Then she parked in front of this random building. It wasn't a restaurant that was for sure. I saw some people standing by a door and recognized them as friends from my ward and the o my thought I had was that this was a random spot for them to be hanging out. Then I saw them talking with my mother in law and realized that this evening was getting even more random. 

It wasn't till we got out of the car that I realized we were parked in front of the great escape. I started getting pumped. And more people started showing up! 

Dana, Skyler, Donna, Chelsea, (Katie and Laura were the first ones there with Cindy) Cassandra, Phoenix, my mom and I. We hung out in front for a while waiting on someone to come open the door. Once it was about 6:10 and no one had shown up my mom called Daniel and he had to make some calls and we figured out there were two great escapes in Lethbridge. Skyler called the other one and we figured out that's where we were suppose to be. After a quick drive down the road we were at the right place. 

We got two rooms with two different stories about why we were locked in a room and how we had to try and get out. Man do they keep it vague. 

Cindy, Sky and Donna went into the heist room solving a cryptograph. So I have no idea what they had to do but the rest of us went into the Museum room. The lights were off and we had to find puzzles and clues to unlock boxes and doors and find our way out. We had flash lights to light the room and other rooms had some lighting in to help out. Man was it intense and so random. We had to ask for a few hints and clues. I'm still not sure how we solved everything and got out of there. 

Both groups made it out! Us with four minutes to spare and the other group with about a minute! Crazy fun! I'll have to take Daniel and try another room out! 

We went to Moxies after where Lindsey and Candy were waiting for us. Enjoyed an awesome dinner there! We had the moxies experience! Lol starter soup, entree and dessert! 

Seriously the best birthday ever! So much fun and just what I needed! A good night out with friends and family with no kids! 

I often tell Daniel when I'm in a rut or funk or whatever that I have no friends and no one to hang out with. This birthday definitely helped me see I have tons of friends that are always willing to hang and play! And some couldn't even make it! This birthday was the best! 

Hello 25!!! :) 

3 month cutie

We finally made it to three months! I know everyone says not to wish time away but man these first three months with Evan have been rough!!

He is such a "needy" baby. Never liked his swing, bouncy chair, or back. Once we figured out he liked to sleep on his belly things got better. And now he's starting to enjoy his swing, bouncy chair and bumbo! I'm able to get things done with him just cooing and watching.

He's even starting to put himself to sleep and not needing to be bounced and held all the time. I'll admit I'm a little sad over this one. I love the cuddles.

He LOVES my baby carrier! When I take the boys to the park I just load him up in that and he is in HEAVEN! oh my goodness he just loves it. falls right asleep and so I still get cuddles and can play with the older boys to some extent.

The smiles are coming easier now! Sean has even be able to get him to smile and coo. Sean LOVES that. He is so proud of his baby brother. Max loves him to death. Not kidding on that one.

He sleeps like a champ. I wake up one maybe two times a night with him and he nurses, cuddles, and goes back to sleep.

He's a whopping 16lbs. He's such a beast! I seriously wonder why I haven't shed all this baby weight and gained serious muscle yet. And then I remember all the baked goodies I eat. That's gotta stop....

I'm starting to think the reason he's in the bigger clothes sizes already is because they have shrunk from all the washing of previous children. Then again I also think Evan is my biggest and longest baby... who knows.

This little guy is just amazing. As crazy as my life is with three kids 3 and under I wouldn't trade them for anything! I can't imagine life without any of them!