A day in our lives

Recent Pictures of my beauties . . .

2008-04-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well I have now posted tons of pictures since my last post in November! So much has happened since then. God is faithful and we are so blessed. Here are a few of my favourite pictures of my girls. Gabriella is not a baby anymore . . . she looks so grown up. Callysta is doing so well at school and is such a kind hearted girl. I am so proud of my beauties. Andy & I are doing well and are keeping busy with family, church, friends and family!! Life is good . . .

Little princesses!

2008-04-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

One Friday afternoon we decided to have a spa day . . . princesses for a day. So I did their hair, makeup, and nails. They put on their most favourite dresses and put on a performance for me. They posed for some pictures and then entertained me by singing and dancing. I had so much fun with them . . . what a great day.

Best sister ever . . .

2008-04-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Cally's top front tooth was wiggly for quite a few weeks . . . it just looked like it was ready to come out at any time. It finally did at a sleepover when Brie hit Cally in the jaw accidently while they were sleeping. It came out and Cally was so thrilled!!! She said "Brie you're the best sister ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was so funny :)

More Easter . . .

2008-04-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here they are enjoying the freshly baked cookies, strawberries & warm apple cider . . . it was a fun family memory.

March 2008 Easter!

2008-04-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Victoria for the first part of Spring Break but Cally was sick so we didn't get to do as much as we would have liked. We came home for Easter and the girls looked so cute in their Easter dresses. Then they searched for eggs and had a blast. We went for a nice family walk in the forest and then came home and baked cookies together as a family . . . it was a special day just the four of us.

Baby Grace

2008-04-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Baby Grace graced us with her presence on February 14th! It was a hard journey for my family but they are all so strong especially our little Gracie! Our miracle little angel!

January 2008

2008-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of Brie's first day at daycare! My little baby is growing up so quickly!! The next few pics are of Cally's 6th birthday party at Castle Fun Park. She wanted to play minigolf with her friends. It was a great day and she had a blast.

Christmas 2007

2008-04-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in quite some time so I am going to go through all my pictures since November and post some of the more memorable moments. This was Christmas Eve at my parent's house. Cally was really into Little Pet Shop and Brie loves trains:) The last shot was our attempt to get all the cousins smiling at the same time . . . it was so funny!! :)

It has been a very long time . . .

2008-04-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am sorry that I have neglected blogging. (facebook has taken over!!) A good friend has brought it to my attention that I need to do an update. So here are pictures of what we've been up to since November!! Hope you enjoy them.

Portraits!!

2007-11-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a little while since I last posted a blog!! Life is busy with balancing it all!! The other day my friend Lara took some family portraits of us & I wanted to share them with you. Her website is www.redwagonphotography.com and she does such amazing work! Here are a few that she posted on her blog and I am looking forward to checking out the rest of the pictures soon! Hope you are all healthy and happy! Love Suzette :)

Uniforms, Stitches & Sisters!

2007-09-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Cally in her uniform! The first one was her very first day of kindergarten and the second one is the first day I was able to walk her to school! I also added a picture of Brie's stitches!! The poor little thing but she is doing well and the stitches are out!! The last was a cute picture of my girls just "hanging out" together. How cute are they??

Steph & Adrian's Wedding

2007-09-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy September filled with back to school, work, new babysitters, stitches, weddings, church & the list could go on and on!! Here are some pictures from Steph and Adrian's wedding on Sunday. She was a gorgeous bride and they had a beautiful wedding filled with showers of blessings!!!

So that is a glimpse into our summer . . .

2007-08-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

So I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. We've had a great summer and it has been fun posting all those pictures!! I would love to hear about your summers too!!

Bless you all!

Love Suzette :-)

2007-08-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

The dining room . . . the green is called Tuscan Hillside!

The living room . . . the red is called Red Boxcar! Now we just need another piece of furniture to put under the window.

Brie's new furniture . . . we are still in the midst of decorating it.

Cally's new bed . . . I just finished painting one of her dressers black and her side table pink! So we are getting there! I am heading out antique shopping with some friends to find some shabby chic accessories for her room!! Fun:)

2007-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Andy's amazing swing!!

Dave ready to hit that ball!!

The girls & the boys!! They had so much fun with Nick and Jacob!

Jumping up and down!!

2007-08-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Picking blueberries & strawberries with Dad! Andy's three gardens did so well this year! Fruit, veggies & herbs!!

Hanging out in the backyard.

Enjoying some ice cream . . . I love this picture of Brie!

Learning to ride her bike with Dad's help!

2007-08-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Beach with Nana!! They loved it both weeks that they were there!

Fun in the sand!

Isaiah's First Birthday!

Gabriella's Second Birthday! She was having trouble forming the number 2 on one hand so she used both!! Too cute!!

2007-08-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just before heading out on our 9th Anniversary Date! Dinner at Rick's Grill, Oceans 13, & dessert at Med Grill!

Cally swinging away at Majestic Park in Victoria

The three munchkins contemplating the big slide!

Away she goes!!

It has been quite some time . . .

2007-08-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since my last post. I don't even know where to begin. Our summer has been jam packed with activity! We did two trips to Victoria and we've had fun just hanging out at home and Cally has become an amazing little swimmer!! I also took on some new challenges! I painted our dining room and living room (part of it) with some help from Lara & Dave. It looks great! We also bought our girls some new bedroom furniture. Andy found a great set for Brie at an auction and I took on repainting some pieces in Cally's room. So that has been fun! Gabriella is now in a toddler bed!! She is growing up so fast. Cally is also learning to ride a bike sans training wheels! So both girls are taking on new challenges! We have some new neighbours and the girls are enjoying them and that has been fun. We also watched Andy's baseball team in the playoffs so that was fun. The girls got to hang our with Nick and Jacob & the all had a blast!! Nelia, Andrew & kids were over for the last few days and that was fun hanging out together. They are expecting baby number 3!!! We are so excited for them. So the summer has just flown by and I can't believe September is almost here! Our lives are going to get very busy in a matter of weeks!! So I thought I would post various pictures of our summer that I just finished describing before school begins . . . enjoy!

Cally's First Tooth!!

2007-07-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Cally lost her first tooth a little over a week ago and was absolutely thrilled. We had been in Victoria for a week and she had been wiggling and wiggling her front tooth. When Andy arrived that Friday she asked him to pull it!! She was so brave . . . I could barely watch! She was so excited and couldn't wait to put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy:) She was tickled pink when she found a letter and some money under her pillow the next day. She is enjoying showing everyone her new smile:) Another milestone . . . my little girl is growing up so quickly!! So here are a few pictures that we took just after it happened!

My baby girl is two!

2007-07-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers! It has been quite some time since I've written! Life has been busy with the end of the school year and then we headed straight to Victoria to visit for the week! Lots has happened and I have tons of pictures to post and I wasn't sure which ones to begin with since it was a busy week of activity. Well my little baby girl is now 2 years old! She was so cute . . . we had a little party for her at my mom's and her favourite gift was her little golf set. (she will make her Dad proud!) She also loved the Dora the Explorer cake too:) Andy's parents also bought her a Dora rider and we bought her a trike so she can keep up with her big sister.

We had a busy week of visiting with family & friends. We went to the beach with my mother in law, went to the Sidney Canada Day parade with my mom & Nelia and the kids, did many starbucks trips & we relaxed in my parent's backyard with the sprinkler. The girls had so much fun. Cally also lost her first tooth which was also a big moment and I will post those pictures soon. Andy & I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary and we also celebrated my nephew Isaiah's first birthday party!! So like I said it was a very full and busy week. My parents also left for the Acores yesterday (they arrived safe & sound) and will be gone for the next 3 months!! So it was good that we got a chance to visit with them before they left.

Andy enjoyed a week to himself while we were gone and he filled it with various backyard projects. He planted some raspberry bushes and worked on the various gardens in our backyard:) He went golfing and white river rafting with some friends so I will have to post some of those pictures soon too!

Well stay tuned . . . I will try and post various moments from our wonderful week away. Bless you all!

Summer is almost here!!

2007-06-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some beautiful pictures of my girls that my friend Lara took the other day! We were watching Andy & the church team play ball and Lara was walking around taking pictures you often see her doing!! I just love her photographs . . . the colours are so vivid!! She is an amazing photographer and if you are looking for someone to take some photos of your children or of your family you should check out her website www.redwagonphotography.com !!! She is so talented!!

It has been a very busy few weeks with the end of school just around the corner! Life is filled with so much activity and balancing work and kids has been a challenge at times. But summer is almost here and I am off to the island with the girls to visit family. We are excited to see everyone . . . Andy will have some "guy" time . . . he and a group of men are going to be white river rafting this Saturday and then he will have the house all to himself for a whole week!!! Then he will join us to celebrate my nephew Isaiah's first birthday, Gabriella's second birthday and our 9 th anniversary!! July is a big celebration month:)

I hope you are all well and that you have a great summer planned full of fun & excitement!! Talk to you soon!!

More of my outdoorsy girls!

2007-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more from that day. I love the first one of Brie . . . I love those cheeks! The next one of Cally shows that she is in her element . . . she loves animals. The last picture is a funny one . . . Brie was complaining so she had a little melt down on the log! It was hard not to giggle. What a drama queen just like her older sister!

My outdoorsy girls!!

2007-06-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of our last trip to Victoria. One of Cally's favourite things to do is go to the beach and feed the ducks & swans. She loves being outside and Andy's mom has really taught her to appreciate nature. We had gone for a walk that day & enjoyed a quiet morning feeding the ducks & swans!

Cally's Dance Recital!!

2007-06-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

My little munchkin did an amazing job last week at her very first dance recital at the Clarke Theatre! Her group was by far the best and did such a wonderful routine. I was just tickled pink watching my little performer . . . she has such a natural flare:) However she is not sure whether to continue with dance because she has her heart set on swimming lessons this summer. I told her she could do both but we will have to wait and see!! She may prefer sports . . . who knows? Brie was very excited watching Cally and kept saying "me too . . . my turn!" So she may end up being the dancer:) My parents, Nel & her munchkins also came to watch Cally so that was fun too! Thanks for coming you guys!!

Our little family!

2007-05-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of us! I just had to include them because Andy actually smiled in them and the girls looked so cute in their matching dresses:) I have some more pics to share of our trip to Victoria that I will add soon! Hope you are all doing well. Bless you!

Stephen & Nicole's Wedding

2007-05-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Stephen and Nicole's wedding. It went very well and we were all happy for them. Nicole looked beautiful and Stephen looked so grown up. He started to tear when she walked down which was so sweet! Diane was the maid of honour and looked so lovely!! Congratulations to Stephen & Nicole:)

Mother's Day!

2007-05-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone . . . it has been some time since my last post. Life is busy and facebook is so much fun. I read Nelia's blog last night and it inspired me to update my blog. Here are some pictures from Mother's Day! I had a wonderful day starting right from the beginning. I was able to sleep in until 9!! Now that is amazing in itself:) Then my hubby & my darling girls brought me breakfast in bed. They also bought me a Starbucks gift card because as many of you know I LOVE Starbucks! We headed to church and then I had a quiet afternoon to myself which was so nice! Then we met up with Julia and her family for a Mother's Day dinner in Langley! It was a perfect day:) I am so extremely blessed in every way. What an honour to be a mother to my beautiful girls!! I hope all the rest of you amazing moms also had a great and well deserved day!!

Bless you all!

Our last formal night!

2007-04-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

This was our last formal night and we had a wonderful time. I love getting dressed up! After dinner we went dancing . . . it was so much fun. Andy is a great dancer!! We then sailed back to Tampa that evening. It was such a memorable trip!!

The trip continues . . . the next stop was Cozumel!!

2007-04-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been on top of my blogging!! I did quite a few in one week and then just recently was introduced to facebook and it is very addicting and fun:) So I've been spending lots of time on it!! Here are some pictures from Cozumel, Mexico! It was by far our most favourite place. We shopped and shopped again and Andy bought me a beautiful Caribbean pink topaz ring!! I was very excited!! We went to a nice & quiet beach and just relaxed. You can see Andy enjoying the ocean if you look closely! It was one of our best days!! I really loved it!

Easter dresses!

2007-04-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

I tried so hard to get a nice picture of both of them in their Easter dresses but it proved to be frusterating so these are the best I could get! They are such cuties and they are both feeling well so that is amazing. Thank God!! Here's praying that we all stay healthy!! Well I hope you all have a great week. Till next time!!

The hunt continues . . .

2007-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Easter egg hunt begins . . .

2007-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

They both put on their bunny ears but the ears didn't last long once the hunt began!! Brie was so cute!! She acutally "got" the idea this year and it was so sweet. Cally was told that the eggs that were hidden on the ground were for Brie and that she would have to look for the ones that were really hidden! Well the poor thing found it hard to find them and Brie was finding them everywhere!! So I had to help her out!! Too funny:)

Poolside!

2007-04-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

That same day we headed back to the ship and just relaxed by the poolside. Here are some pictures of the the pool and the upper deck. It was such an incredible ship! I will add some more pictures of different parts of the ship another day. I have some pictures of Easter with the girls that I will post next! I think I have definitely made my blog entry quota of the week:)

Belize!

2007-04-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

We shopped once again in Belize. Many of the ports of call cater to the cruise ship travellers so there is quite a bit of shops set up when you arrive. We had to be tendered again and here are some pictures of the smaller boats that brought us in to Belize. It was quite a muggy day so we decided to head back to the ship after looking around for a bit. I'll include some pictures from around the cruise ship next.

Costa Maya, Mexico!

2007-04-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Our next port of call was Costa Maya in Mexico. That was a great day and we loved the beach there. So after shopping once again we took a taxi to the beach and relaxed for the whole afternoon! We swam and read our books. It was one of the most enjoyable days that we had on the trip.

Mini golf at night!

2007-04-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

That same night we went and played mini golf! That was a cool experience playing golf at night on the top deck of the cruise ship!! It was a very warm evening but you could feel the light breeze coming off the ocean. Then we attempted some self portraits again and tried the timer on the camera and were able to get a better shot of both of us! It was fun!!

Grand Caymans

2007-04-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well the adventure continues . . . our first port of call was the Grand Caymans. It was a beautiful day and we were so excited! We had to be tendered to the island which means we need to take a smaller ship in order to get the island. There was a long wait to get on the tender but we did it and when we arrived we shopped, shopped and shopped. Then we had a quick drink at Senor Frog's and then headed to the beach. We never got to the popular Seven Mile Beach but we did find a little public beach that we had all to ourselves. That was nice! The water was such an amazing colour and I absolutely loved the palm trees. I've also included a picture of our ship the Legend of the Seas!! It was actually small compared to some of the huge cruise ships that we saw but we really loved it.

Our first formal night!

2007-04-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

The next day was one of our at sea days as we headed towards the Caribbean. So we slept in . . . which many of you who have kids know is a luxury! Then we enjoyed the many attractions on the ship. We read quite a bit in the sun and began to see the beginnings of a great tan! Then that night was our first formal night! I love dressing up. We headed to the dining room which was my favourite place to eat on the ship. It was fun to be served and taken care of! We had a head waiter, a main waiter and an assistant waiter! Talk about service:) So the first picture is in the dining room at our table. The others are on the top deck before we went to have dinner. You will notice as I post other pictures that my hair was always flying in the wind!! Andy would forget to tell me until after the picture! There are many more with my crazy hair as well as more self portraits of us:) Anyhow that was a great evening!

Well I better get to bed. The girls have been sick yet again. Brie has a bad ear infection which is now being treated with antibiotics and a very bad cough so she is needing her puffers again. So we haven't been sleeping well as a result! So as I look at these pictures I do long for those nights of continuous sleep!! Hope you are all well and healthy.

Bless you!!

Our Tiny Stateroom!!

2007-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

So after we toured around the ship we went to our stateroom and discovered just how tiny it was! We knew it was one of the smallest rooms but boy was it small:) We just laughed and laughed about it!! So we took some pictures . . . Andy stood from the back of the room to take the one of me on the bed and then he sat on the bed to take the one of me by the vanity. The door to left is to the little bathroom. The bathroom was so small and the toilet was like the airplane ones! The shower was so small that Andy could barely turn around without touching the wall or the curtain! Anyhow it was so funny & we were so excited to be finally on board!! The ship left that afternoon and were headed to the Grand Cayman Islands.

2007-04-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

I finally downloaded our 175 pictures!! I can't believe how many we took! I wasn't sure where to begin so I thought I would start from the beginning:) Don't worry I won't post all of the pictures but I thought that over the next few weeks I would post various pictures from the week. These first ones were taken in Tampa. We arrived around 5:00 pm and stayed at the Hyatt. It was a nice hotel and we slept for over 11 hours since we had been up for over 24! The next morning before the Royal Caribbean bus picked us up we went for a walk and I fell in love with the palm trees! Andy thought I was so funny since we would be seeing so many more as the trip went on but hey I was excited it was the first day of our week away:) Once we arrived on the ship we followed the crowds to the buffet!! We were not able to access our rooms to unpack right away so after eating (we did do a lot of that) we walked around the ship. There was so much to see from the mini golf course to the theatre and spa! So we took some pictures on the top deck with Tampa in the background! Many of our pictures are like the last one (Andy would hold the camera out in front in order to get both of us in the picture) since we didn't have people to take them of both of us. However once in a while some kind soul would volunteer to take one of us. Anyhow I am excited to share our little adventures with you!! I will try and post another set of pictures this week. Have a good week everyone!

Pictures are coming!

2007-03-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all your prayers! Andy & I had the most amazing time in the Caribbean. We loved the cruise and definitely recommend it to all of you. It was hard initially without the girls but once we heard that they were well then we were able to just relax. We didn't realize just how much our lives circle around the girls. It felt wonderful to just focus on one another and it really felt like a years worth of dates! It was so much fun . . . the cruise was so beautiful and it felt great to be pampered and feel "rich" for a week:) The cruise ship was huge!! It had a mini golf course, a rock climbing wall, a casino, a theatre, karaoke, a disco, a spa, art auctions, pools, food, food and more food and so much more!!! They say people gain one to two pounds a day with all that food!! The ports of call were gorgeous! Our favourite was Cozumel it had great shopping and beautiful beaches. It was nice to be able to speak some Spanish with the locals although I do not like bartering:) It has been hard adjusting to real life again and we both are so tired! But we would do it again in an instant!! It was such a wonderful experience. I will post pictures soon! I will try and post a variety of pictures over the next week once I get myself organized. I hope you are all well!

Caribbean here we come!!!

2007-03-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Well today has been quite the busy & emotional day. We drove the girls to the ferry and said our goodbyes . . . that was hard. Cally ran back and hugged me once more and that is when the tears began to fall. Gabriella wasn't really aware of what was going on. Although my mom said she kept calling for me . . . and Cally did cry at first but then settled down. My mom called later on to let us know that they are all safe and sound in Victoria so I am feeling better. The girls are already loving all the attention. So we are about to head to the airport and Dave is driving us . . . what a nice guy:) So please pray for us and for the girls!! Thanks for all your prayer and support as well as safe travel wishes!! We are off to the Caribbean!! I'll post another blog when we get back & fill you in on our adventure!!

The Bond!

2007-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well & healthy! Here is a picture of my girls watching one of their favourite shows together. I love the joy you see their eyes & the way the cuddle with each other. They have really connected and it is so sweet to see them run to one another in the morning . . . or when they get home from the babysitter. They truly love one another. I pray that the bond between them will grow & that they will be able to depend on one another. I pray they will love each other the way I love my sisters. This sister bond is special and this week Nelia & family came for a visit and the week before I had a sister day with both of my sisters. Those times are so special and I desire that connection for my girls. I've watched a few movies lately that were about the sister bond (Material Girls . . . yes I did watch it! It is with the Duff sisters!!) as well as the girlfriend bond which was seen in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In both of these movies you could see the powerful connection between the characters. So I am grateful to my sisters and to my wonderful friends who truly make my life so much better! I love you guys! So thanks to all of you for being there for me! Here's praying that our children will also make some wonderful bonds witht their siblings and friends!! Have a great week!

Sisters Day!

2007-02-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I hung out all day yesterday and had so much fun. I picked them up from the ferry and we spent the day together in Langley. We had our Starbucks fix, shopped, shopped some more, went to my favourite restaurant Olive Garden and then shopped some more!! It was so great to just talk & laugh with no munchkins around. No responsibility!! It was fun shopping too. Nelia & Diane found some great jeans and I found a great bathing suit for the cruise. We relaxed at Olive Garden and I had wanted their famous Leaning Tower of Pisa drink . . . but to my dismay they weren't able to make it. They tried but the poor bartender just couldn't get the right combination. They said that they recently lost quite a few of their bartenders to a new bar that just opened up. Since this drink is not on the current menu he didn't know how to make it. It is a shame I tell you because it is a very yummy drink. Have any of you ever had it? Olive Garden tends to switch the menu around but it seems that they keep taking away my favourites! However it is still my favourite restaurant (those breadsticks are so delicious & so is their salad) and it was great to not rush and just enjoy ourselves. We hadn't seen each other since Christmas so it was wonderful. I must admit there were tears in my eyes when I dropped them off . . . love you guys & thanks for a great day. You're both amazing!! Also thank you to my wonderful husband who watched the kids all day even though he was so sick! What a guy:)

Grandparents!

2007-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the girls with their grandparents. Andy's parents came out at the end of January and my parents were here 2 weeks ago. It is so nice when they come out & a lot easier for us. The girls are always counting down the days to when they will see them. Speaking of visiting the girls will be staying in Victoria when Andy and I go on the Caribbean Cruise in March. My mom will be watching Gabriella and Andy's mom will be watching Cally. Both sets of parents are such a blessing to us! I can't believe that Andy and I will be leaving in less than a month!! We've never travelled so far away alone! Our honeymoon consisted of a time share in Parksville and we've done a few weekends alone in Vancouver and Whistler but not the Caribbean we are excited & anxious at the same time. It will be so nice to have a break! Here's praying that it will all come together well and that we will all stay healthy!! I think Andy may be coming down with something! I am surprised that it hasn't hit him yet since the rest of us have been sick for weeks! Well I hope you are all doing well. Till next time!

My version of rebellion:)

2007-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well there you have it! I am a little embarrassed to post these pictures . . . they are self portraits:) But my sister really wanted to see my new crazy streaks! I know that it is pretty tame for most people but I thought I was being a little crazy:) They did the halo effect with the streaks so that means that the streaks are underneath so that way you don't see the roots as it grows out.

Anyhow it has been a long week. I've been battling bronchitis and I am still not doing so great but I need to get back to work. There are so many viruses and flus out there right now. I pray that is week will go better than last week. We did have our families out these last few weeks so I will have to blog some of those pictures of Andy's parents and my parents. It is so nice when the girls get to be with their grandparents. Well I better go and prep for school but I hope you all have a great week!! A healthy and happy one!

Isn't my sister sweet . . .

2007-02-18T14:06:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to downloading some pictures. Nelia has been asking me to send some of my recent red streaks and I wanted to show off the lovely bouquet of flowers that she sent me on my first day back to school. So I will start with the flowers . . . aren't they beautiful?? Nelia is so thoughtful and such an amazing sister! How I wish she still lived in Abbotsford! Thanks Nel again for the flowers.

Hello! It has been awhile . . .

2007-02-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry it has been some time since my last blog. So I thought I would do a quick update. I am currently at home due to a bad case of bronchitis! I should have listened to everyone (especially Nelia) and taken a day off last week and then I wouldn't have been this sick now. Now I am on antibiotics for the next 10 days!! Yuck!! I think dealing with going back to work and all the germs at school really did me in. I haven't felt this sick in a long time. The girls are doing better now although they both were throwing up last week. It seems like something pretty nasty is going around. Gabriella is also teething again and has been pretty grumpy! So here's hoping that this is the end of this flu and that healthier days are ahead. I know that some of you are also dealing with flus/colds so I pray that everyone will feel better soon!

Well on a happier note . . . Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! I hope you all have a great day.

We survived our first day!!

2007-02-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who prayed for us today. So many of you called or emailed to say that you were praying for us! (I was even delivered flowers on my first day thanks to my wonderful sister Nelia!! I will have to post a picture of them once I download it) The day went well although there were moments of stress! But thanks to God both girls had great days and so did Andy & I. It felt so odd being back at work. My classes went well but my mind was constantly on the girls. My students were great especially my Grade 11's! It was great to see them again. It felt nice to be missed! Many just stopped by the classroom to say "hola!"

Cally had a great day and is actually very happy to be with her friends all day long. It is such an amazing daycare! Gabriella had a wonderful day too. She has no fear! She walked right into her babysitter's house and headed for the toys without evening saying good-bye to Dad! She went to the park and saw many ducks and that has become her latest new word! When I picked her up she was still having her nap so I walked in and there she was sitting in her playpen with a grin. What a doll! God has blessed me with such outgoing & fun girls. They are such a joy! Seeing their faces this afternoon was so great especially since they both had wonderful days. The first picture is a "Classic Cally" she always tips her head to the side for a photo!! The second one of Brie is her saying cheese at the top of her lungs:) Thanks for praying for them . . . that means so much to me. Well I better get to bed but I wanted to thank you all for your love and support. We appreciate it!

A big change for our family . . .

2007-01-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a week since my last blog! We had a very busy week with various church commitments, running (yes I finally got out there again! I've really missed it), getting my passport (thank you Andy for waiting 3 & a half hours), and we had my in laws over this weekend. It has also been busy trying to get things done before going back to work. Yes this is the official week that I go back to teaching & my stay at home mom days are finished. I will be doing mostly prep work for my classes since this is exam week and my first day with students will be next Monday. So it is a nice way to gradually get back into the swing of things. However it is going to bring major transition to our little family. This picture was taken before Christmas and it was Andy's pick for our Christmas card! I ended up picking a different one but looking back this one is quite beautiful with the snow. It was the first major snowfall of the year and the reality of many more snow days to come hadn't hit us yet:) Today was a beautiful sunny day and I am ready for the change in weather! So change is on its way . . . the biggest change will be for my little Gabriella. She will be 19 months in a few days and the adjustment will be hardest for her (well it will be hard on me too!!) She is so resilient and has such an outgoing personality that I think she will be just fine. She will be hanging out with a little friend who we call Baby Callysta so that Brie won't get too confused since she already has a sister with that name! So she is going for the morning tomorrow and I am trying to just trust God . . . He is in control of it all and knows best. So say a little prayer for our family this week if you get a moment. Many have said that once we get into the routine it will be fine. I ran into some students last week and they were so excited to have me back so I know that I have a purpose at that school. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! But God is faithful and I believe this is yet another opportunity for me to trust Him . . . with what I hold so dear my family. He has given me such an amazing family and for that I am grateful. May you all have a great week filled with many blessings:)

More of Cally's Party!

2007-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the party today. Cally was so happy!! She had various friends come and so she was introducing them to each other. She had such a great time that when it was over she was so sad to leave! She had been looking forward to it so much. It was nice having it at McDonald's but it was pretty busy too! Lara took the pictures for me which was so kind because there was so much to do! Cally loved her Princess cake and she was given so many wonderful gifts. It was also nice catching up with the moms as well. Some were old friends others were new . . . so all in all it was a nice afternoon and I was thrilled to see how happy Callysta was! Well that is all for now . . .

Cally's Birthday Party

2007-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

My Princess is 5!

2007-01-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It has been a few days . . . today was Cally's birthday party and I will be including some of those pictures (taken by my wonderful friend Lara!) on my next post. These are a few pictures that we took on her birthday. She was so excited to turn 5! She has been wanting to be 5 for so long! She would actually feel sad when some of her friends were turning 5 so she said she didn't want any of her friends who are younger to feel bad that she was now 5! She is such a compassionate little girl! She is such a wonderful blessing. She loved blowing out the candles on her rainbow chip cake (that was a request) and opening gifts that were all about Polly Pocket, Princesses and clothes. My little princess is 5!! Wow!!

Snow, snow and more snow!!

2007-01-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Busy busy busy . . .

2007-01-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy week. Another pile of snow hit again! I am so ready for the snow to go away . . . the sooner the better. We don't function very well in this weather and being home bound can be tiring!!! Well yesterday was Cally's birthday and we celebrated together as a family! She was quite excited to be the birthday girl and she choose green pasta (Andy's homemade pesto) and chicken along with a rainbow cake for her birthday dinner. She loved opening gifts and asked to stay up later to play with her Polly Pockets . . . . who can say no to the birthday girl. So it was a fun day and she is so excited for her birthday party this Sunday. She is into the Little Mermaid so that is the theme this year & I've decided to do a McDonald's party this time since life is so hectic with getting ready to go back to work. She is tickled pink that her birthday will last quite a few weeks since her Nana is coming next week and then my parents are coming in February to celebrate with her. So fun:) Well I am going to post some snow pictures! My munchkins even got me to make a snow angel yesterday:) They can probably get me to do almost anything. Anyhow hope you are all well!!

My Girls

2007-01-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! My friend Lara who is an amazing professional photographer has inspired me to take pictures with our new fancy dancy camera. I am really enjoying it! Here are a couple of my girls. They are so wonderful and I am so blessed to have them in my life. They grow so fast and pictures are a wonderful way to always remember what they looked like at this age. Speaking of growing up so quickly we officially registered Cally & Elissa today at their elementary school! Wow!! How exciting! I can't believe that Brie is already a year and a half. My little baby is not a baby anymore!! Aren't they sweet:)

Callysta the Dancer

2007-01-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned earlier there are so many pictures that I would like to share . . . here is my little princess dancing in her first Christmas Recital!! She is such a girly girl:) The last picture is of her and her friend Elissa. They are so cute:) We are really hoping they will be in the same kindergarten class! There has been so much confusion with getting them enrolled into the traditional school but Monday we will be there bright and early to get them registered!! I can't believe that my Cally is almost 5!!!! Where has the time gone?

Christmas Day

2007-01-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some Christmas Day pictures. We celebrate Christmas Day with Andy's side of the family. It works well since my family celebrates on Christmas Eve. Once again the kids had a great time.

Christmas Eve

2007-01-12T17:17:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I had tried to write a post next to the pictures but I couldn't figure it out! Anyhow here is the write up about the pictures. I have so many pictures to share and I wasn't too sure where to begin. So I thought I would include some Christmas Eve pictures. The first one is a picture of my family just before leaving for church. The next pictures are of the kids on Christmas Eve. They were so spoiled. Gabriella loves Dora and dogs! Cally is still into princesses and this year her favourite is Ariel. I also included one of my parents & their grandchildren. It was a gong show trying to get the kids to all look at once:) So funny.

So there you have it! I will try and add some more of Christmas Day when I get a chance!

Thanks for all your comments! This blog thing is fun. I had a very busy & stressful day so this was actually a relaxing thing to do! There is so much on my plate right now with going back to work!! February will be here before I know it!

2007-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

It worked!

2007-01-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Andy and I downloaded picasa (thanks to my friend Lara!) and tried to add a picture to the blog and it worked:) So we were looking at our Christmas pictures and we added this one of my sisters and I. I still have to work out some kinks and figure out how to add more than one picture at a time etc. Anyhow this is fun and hopefully I will try and add some more pictures soon! I am so excited!!

Bless you!!

Me and my pretty sisters

2007-01-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here it goes . . .

2007-01-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well here goes my first post on my own blog! Yes I decided to try this on my own and I think I've done it! I have loved reading everyone else's blog so here I go:)

I can't believe I've joined the blog bandwagon!