What's goin' on

Well, I don't really update this site as much as I'd like. As most of you know, I'm sure, there are not enough hours to do all the things I'd like to do in any given day, so I have to choose between good, better, and best. Sometimes it would be good to update the blog but better to do work or best to sleep. =) Today though, is an exception! Dwayne had a volleyball tournament to coach yesterday and today and I was going to be on my own with the kids, making for an extra long week. Fortunately, Dwayne's parents came to the rescue and picked up the kids yesterday for a sleepover at nana and papa's! Yay! So, instead of an extra loaded, patience-draining weekend, I got some much needed time alone. I got lots of housework and life-detail stuff taken care of yesterday afternoon and then just relaxed and did what I wanted all evening. Then, and here's the best part...I slept in today. In my own house. Without any kid noise downstairs. Until 10am. Oh my. Oh me, oh my. That was awesome. Now it's 11:40 and I've been putzing around all morning and I'm still in my pajamas! I'm slowly thinking about showering. But first, I thought, it would be best to update our blog. =)

It's been a full month. Full and wonderful. Norma came out to visit for a few days at the end of September. Dad & Mel came out to visit over the Thanksgiving weekend. I had a birthday. Josiah had a birthday. We went to watch the Lions give an unfortunate whoopin' to the Stampeders. The boys went to a Chilliwack Bruins game. (Our local WHL team) Zach & Cheryl moved into an awesome new place in Langley. I went away for 48 fantastic hours to a condo in the Okanagan with 3 of my girlfriends for a scrapbooking/Grey's Anatomy weekend. (I finished 6 double page spreads, and more importantly, we watched the first 18 episodes of Grey's! Yes, 18 episodes. It was soooo fun.) I've been working way more than ever, given this is the busiest season in the retouching business (post-wedding, pre-Christmas), which has made things a bit busier than I like, but will be nice when I get my paycheque this month.

Dwayne is teaching a new grade again this year which always requires lots of prep, coaching volleyball, and taking a history class that he needs to finish off his requirements for his BC teaching certification. He's busy. Very, very busy. I don't know how he keeps going, to be honest. Volleyball will be done by early November and his course will be over by mid-January, so things will hopefully be more manageable for him in the new year. Maybe he'll actually get to take a night off once in a while. Plus, we have family and friends nearby and far away who we try to hang out with and keep in touch with. This is, unfortunately, one of the "best" things that often gives way to the day-to-day grind things that have to get done.

Josiah is in preschool 3 mornings a week and indoor soccer on Monday afternoons. Quite a reasonable schedule to keep for a 4 year old. I can't imagine what it will be like next year when we have to all get out the door every weekday morning for kindergarten... One year at a time, I guess. =)

Abby has little going on in her life, except rolling along with what's happening with the rest of us. =) She likes to talk all day- very loudly. Many words are understandable now. Especially baby, juice, daddy, no-no-no...(always said in 3's) =) She's a bit of a drama queen and really likes to play up any injustice she feels she's suffered. As every little sister should, I suppose.

So, lots is going on. But, they're mostly great things. I'm putting on a few random pictures, because that's the best part about checking blogs, right? Fun new pictures- especially of cute kids, and especially if you're far away and don't get to see them as often as we do. =) I posted some of these on facebook a while ago, but not all of our blog readers are facebookers, so I posted them here too.

eating grapes

walking in the park

soccer in the park with daddy

Getting his new table hockey game from Grandma Shannon & Grandpa Larry for his birthday...oh happy day!

Our littlest sports fan in the swing by our house

I better go get in the shower now since my family will probably be returning soon. Back to normal life. I don't mind though. Breaks like this make me want to get back at it and enjoy it even more.

the big 4

After months of counting down, we finally arrived at October 10th- Josiah's 4th birthday! He's been specifying his age for quite a while... First it was 3 1/2, then 3 3/4, then 3 5/6, and most recently, "I'm 3 and eleven twelvths.." =) So, it's much less cumbersome now when someone asks how old he is! For a little while anyway...He asked for a Cars party, so that was an easy theme to oblige to this year. Lightning McQueen is everywhere.

I told him he could invite 4 friends for his 4th birthday, so he invited our neighbor Elara (the lone brave girl), Daniel from school, Cayden (another neighbor), and Joshua from school. Aren't four year olds so sweet?

and hyper...? This was Dwayne at the end of the balloon fight which resulted in this big dogpile. Elara, Abby, and I stayed clear. "Boys are silly," Elara said. (She has a little sister, but she's got a baby brother coming in about 2 months, and I'm sure her opinion of boys won't change any then.)

We played some games- this was the Cars version of Pin the tail on the donkey. Except you used stickers instead of pins and McQueen instead of a donkey. It was a hit. We also played Go, go, go, stop; what time is it mrs. wolf?, who's got the button, etc... An hour and a half probably would have been a better time frame for a 4 year old party than 2 hours... I was glad when the doorbell rang and the parents started returning. It was super fun and all, but 5 four year olds and a whining toddler require a lot of energy. =)

Classic, healthy birthday food- hot dogs, chips, juice, cake... We had a great day. Josiah was super great the whole time. Very hospitable, very grateful for all his presents. Pretty excited and hyper, but still made us proud. He's growing up very quickly....