Fun and free- double score!

So this year Tim's company picnic during the summer was at Silverwood- lucky us right?!! 

Free admission and free dinner- score! So of course we made sure we went. It was a super long day, especially for Natalie, but the girls had lots of fun! 

 This was a butterfly that kept flying off and landing right next to our seats. The girls were just in love with it. 

 So Hannah loves the idea of getting onto rides, but the minute they start to go she gets very freaked out- see pic just below =) 

 Little kiddie roleler coaster- I LOVE this one! 

This was Hailey's first time on a big roller coaster. Tim had to go with her because I was 6 wks pregnant. The minute that she saw the big ones she wouldn't stop asking if she could go on it. You can just barely see her little head peeking out the top. 

 When I asked her how it was- "it was awesome" she said! 

 I honestly don't know how we managed to get a nice smiling picture of wee wees. 

Because every other one looks like the bottom one. 

She was an absolute turd during the whole train ride. 

Strawberry pickin

We FINALLY went up to pick strawberries this year at Greenbluff. I have no clue why on earth it has taken us so long. But sadly it has. Mmm fresh strawberries are AH-MAY-ZING! Seriously nothing compares to them. We would have stayed longer but babes was being a bit of a pill. Note to self next year so much earlier in the day! And I also made homemade strawberry jam for the first time ever and it turned out delish! This was definitely a success!! 

Traveling is Fun

So this was the first of our trips up to Canada this summer. Yes we have made more than one and now that the end of summer is nearing I'm exhausted. A 7hr trip with kids is long and is never 7 hrs. It's more like 8-9 with potty and food stops. Oh well =) The few days before we drove up southern Alberta had some of the most rain and worst flooding that they have had in years. These are just a few of the pics I snapped on our way up and this was all along the main highway. 

 I have a very long "bucket list" of things that I want to see, do, and experience in Canada. A lot of them are very easy and right off of the main highway that we travel on and I decided a few years ago after traveling back and forth from Spokane to Lethbridge that I was tired of driving straight past everything and not seeing anything. This was a fun trip and we had quite a few days up there so we attempted to go to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump. Dave was patient enough to tag along with us this time. Unfortunately though we drove there and it was closed from the flooding. The site itself was fine, but many of the major cities were flooded and that's also where the government is that runs the site. The place looked pretty cool though and we're definitely going to make a trip back there to get to go through it. It was part of their Aboriginal Days when we went and an Indian man (I don't remember from which tribe) had been hired to speak and he showed up and talked a bit about his heritage to those who showed up. 

 So since our day at the 1st place was shut down we tried to salvage the day and we stopped by Fort MacLeod. This was definitely a place that was NOT worth the $10 a piece that it cost to get in. A few spots were pretty neat, but it was overall cheesy because it wasn't original. The fort had been rebuilt and moved. 

 You can see Hannah wasn't amused with being locked in jail

 The only proof that I was on this trip 

 Always good information to have... 

 Best part of this fort were the goats the kids could feed

Another stop on my list: Lundbreck Falls. So this place was pretty neat. You can't even tell that these falls are here from the main highway. We first pulled in the campground that they have here along the river and hiked in a bit and found the falls from far away. Then we saw the viewing decks, etc that they had set up. 

 She has started to pose now for almost every picture I take 

Catching Up

Thought I would start with a few randoms first. This summer has been super busy for us so far. 

Growing one day at a time

This past week there is a lot going through my mind... things that I'm not ready to mention publicly, but still I think we have all been there at some point or another. Where our minds won't stop turning and turning and we're constantly filled with "what-ifs" and "??????"... just wondering where our life is going and what our Heavenly Father has in store for us. 

Well that is where I am right now- and just now I had the strong impression "Trust in me daughter because I know what is best for you" 

So for now that is what I shall do... Trust in HIM!

Happy birthday Hannah!

My (sometimes) sweet Nanner- banners turned 3 May 31st!!! Where on earth has time gone?!! We celebrated with family at a park- and it's grandpa's bday on June 1st so we celebrated him as well-  so that the girls could play. Looking back I really got a lot of nice pictures. I had a blast using my zoom lens and got some amazing pictures where people had no clue I was taking them- those are the best!

Randoms about Hannah:
She's cute- yep pretty stinkin cute and she KNOWS IT! HA!
She is completely potty trained- even at night!
She can also get herself buckled into her carseat now- yipeee!!!
She is by far my most stubborn child- but probably the most lovey too =)
She loves butterflies... and dirt- what a nice combination right?!
She is quite afraid of the water- mainly getting her face wet, yet surprises me all the time by asking to do things like go down the waterslide!
She is also very afraid of swings- why?? I have absolutely no clue but if you try and put her in one she screams bloody murder. That is until her bday where she would at least sit on the swing for a few minutes.

I have learned never to underestimate her and that she is by far my most stubborn child

This was taken at dinner before the park- yep too stubborn to get a nice one with mommy 

Darling baby girl 

Birthday buddies 

Funny story- Tim broke the knife cutting through the ice cream cake lol

Beautiful pic of Great grandma- even better- she's wearing Tim's hoodie! 

I love this of my dad and my niece Devynn 

I get the best smile from my mom when she's not looking 

Happy big sissy 

I am a mean mom

Fact- being a mom is HARD work!
Fact- I have 3 very independent stubborn GIRLS! (and if you think a 10 mo old can't be like that I severely beg to differ and will prove you wrong!)
Fact- I DO discipline my children and expect them to behave, listen, and grow up to be respectable adults!

Scenario yesterday:
I took the girls grocery shopping with me later in the afternoon because earlier I had done something for myself and squeeze in 30 min at the gym- I would have gone longer, but the babes was being a difficult ones- shocker right?!! This is never a good idea to encroach on dinner time, but it had to be done. My 4 yr old was being an outright turd in the store. Have you ever seen those pics floating around the internet of kids in the bottom corner of a cart with the parents groceries piled on time of them.... yep that is what I felt like doing to her.

So fast forward to home about 2 hours later. Shopping trip was NOT fun for me. Dinner is about done and 4 yr old gets very dramatic because I tell her that even if she eats all of her dinner she DOES NOT get a popsicle because of her behavior in the store... cue instant meltdown. So then I'm the "mean mommy" as she likes to call me when she doesn't get her way. Tim asks her if she wants to live with us if I'm so mean and she says no. My child didn't want to live with me anymore- and even though I know that she doesn't mean it and it just frustrated and upset it absolutely breaks my heart.

 And now I definitely understand why so many parents don't "parent" anymore- it's much easier to be your child's "friend"....

Of course all is well this morning now. She is perky and cute again after a long sleep last night, but I have definitely had a big lesson thrown in my face...

The next 20+ years are going to be some of the hardest in your life, especially as these sweet spirits get older and even more independent and stubborn. I can always be a friend to my children, but I can NEVER stop being their PARENT!!! Yep that's right I said PARENT! And if my children don't like what I"m doing then that probably means that I'm doing something right.

So to all of the other "mean mommies" out there- GOOD JOB! Every single day- 24 hrs a day- we do some of the hardest work on earth! It is far from easy, but it is SO WORTH IT!