CRAZY HAIR

I still can't get over how crazy Kansas hair is. Some days after naps or baths it is so out of control I don't even know what to do with it. I tried her first ponytail a couple of months ago, and then the other day I tried pigtails and it was the most adorable thing ever. I just love it and love her and hoping it does not fall out. 

Macie's 6

Another year has come and gone and our special little Macie is 6 years old. She is turning into one pretty amazing kid and I am so proud of her and all she is doing and becoming. She is in Kindergarten this year with Madame Valerie and is in the french immersion program, she is doing so well and has exceeded my expectations. She loves going to school every day and comes home with a big smile on her face always saying school was good. She walks home from school with two boys (David and Micah Haacke) they are brothers and our in grades 1 and 4 so they watch over her and keep her safe on the walk home. Macie still does Jazz and Ballet two nights a week and is taking Piano lesson from Mrs Courtney, Mrs Courtney is also her music teacher from school. She continues to take swimming lessons and will be doing level 2 this January. She still loves all things crafty, baking with mom, helping around the house, playing with friends, swimming, beach days, bike rides, playing at the park, and shooting hopes in her kid friendly basketball hoop. She has the kindest heart and would give you the shirt off her back, but also has a tender heart and often feels a little picked on. A good talk though helps her to see that her friends our not picking on her but just wanting to do something different then what she wants to do. She is fiercely independent and I could probably leave her alone at home (not that I ever would) for an extended period of time and she would be just fine. Sometimes she is a little to independent and won't ever let me pick out clothes for her, or decide how to do her hair that day but she is definitely gonna know what she wants in life and go after it. When you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she always says "Everything". I love it and that she has such big dreams, from a police officer to a veterinarian she wants to be it all. I love this little girl more then anything and try every day to know how to be a better Mom for her. Thanks Macie for being such an easy girl to love and care for.

Christmas Tradition

Last few Christmas' our children have chosen a gift to donate to Santa's Sleigh to help local kids who will not have such a memorable Christmas.  We have been so blessed again this year. Looking back on all the things God has given us, we are blown away. Work has been good, and continuous, Lakeland College has given us another year of work. Because we have been given much we too must give. This year the kids picked transformers and a magna doodle to pass on to the less fortunate. 

 After Toy donation it was time to get serious and build a gingerbread house. This years theme, one for the house three for me. Most of the candy was gone after we were done building the house, and as you can tell by the photo, there aint much candy on the house.  This old tradition, has been fun to carry on with, especially as the kids are getting older and are doing most of decorating themselves.
Our next challenge is to make a house from scratch. yeah right!!!

History of Gingerbread Houses

Who doesn't love making a gingerbread house during Christmas? Ginger can be traced back to Europe during the 11th Century. Explorers came back from the Middle East with the spice ginger. It quickly became popular, especially in Germany. Nuremberg, Germany is the gingerbread capital of the world. 

The gingerbread house became popular in Germany after the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tale collection which included "Hansel and Gretel" in the 19th century. Early German settlers brought this lebkuchenhaeusle - gingerbread house - a tradition to the Americas.

Spirit Excellence Award

Macie has been in French emersion since September and she is doing awesome. She scored some high numbers and some exceptional comments from her teacher Madame Valerie on her very first report card.

 Macie even got an award in October for her efforts to speak and learn French. She of course never told us about the award, we had to find it crumpled up in her back pack.
                                             

Macie's First Christmas Concert

                                         

Holy Cross Elementary has been a great school for us these past 2 years. The staff and location are amazing. We appreciate the experience we are having so far.  Dec 5, 2017 was Maice's Christmas Concert. It was great. It was all about Jesus.  Macie Sang her songs in french. She is doing so good learning the french language.

Wade and Kansas did very well waiting and watching. It was a good family event, saw tons of friends, and enjoyed some good Christmas music.

Waiting for the Concert to begin

Wade coming prepared

Stage overview

Macie on the far right middle- very focused

Macie is in Kindergarten with Mme Valerie and sang "JESUS" Tune to B-I-N-G-O

Holy Cross' ABCs of Christmas.

The world through the eyes of Children

Most of us know this sign as the universal sign for a gas station well known and widely used in the Canadian north, however after reading this you will likely never look at it the same.

While driving by this gas station, Macie, who is learning how to spell and read words, age 6, started to spell this sign.

At first, I am sure none of us got what she was doing, but after it sank in I couldn't stop laughing

Her rendition of it was 3-s-s-o. Three, s, s, o.. She spells it out and there is silence in the car. I look over at Esso and realize what she had done. I never noticed it before but the E is in fact a backward 3.  so now it will be know by me as 3-S-S-O

Thank-you Macie.

BABY STRESS

Yesterday we went to Edmonton to go and see a Paediatrician as Kansas has not been gaining the weight she should be. Kansas started out in the 90% percentile for her weight and has been dropping percentiles ever since. When she was 7 weeks old we went for a follow up visit to see the Doctor and that was when we first noticed the weight drop. She went from the 90th down to the 40th percentile. We went and saw a lactation specialist and she diagnosed Kansas with an Upper Lip Tie and Lower Tongue Tie. We then went to Edmonton a week later and Kansas had laser surgery done on her Lip and Tongue. She has a 100% upper lip tie and 85% lower tongue tie. After the surgery I felt her suck was so much better and we thought for sure after this we would see her weight gain start to rise. Unfortunately she dropped even more. From the 40th then down to the 20th and then down to the 15%. We finally were able to get Kansas to take a bottle for us so I started pumping all day long and got her drinking only from bottles so we could monitor her food intake. For over a month we have been only bottle feeding her know and she is getting more then enough milk throughout the day. We even started mixing some formula in with the Breast Milk just incase my milk is not fatty enough. It has not seemed to help and Kansas has now fallen to the 8th percentile. So off to a Paediatrician we went. Yesterday at Kansas appointment the Doctor said she has a definite Heart Murmur and he sent her for an ECG and an X-ray. We are know being referred to a Paediatric Cardiologist and are praying that it is nothing serious. My emotions are all over the place right now and even though I am trying not to worry about it 24/7 I can't help but constantly be thinking of her and what might be in our/her future.

Kansas getting her ECG test done, she was such a good girl.

GALAXYLAND

Yesterday we had to take Kansas to see a Paediatrician in Edmonton, which means a 3 1/2 hour drive to Edmonton waiting at the Doctors office and then worse we were sent of for some testing. Macie and Wade were such troopers for the whole thing that we decided to take them to Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall afterwards. They had so much fun and even though I hated the price to get into the park and go on the rides it was worth it to see there smiling faces and having a blast. We also hit up Olive Garden for lunch which me and Mark realized we had not been to in forever. I forgot how delicious that place was. The kids loved it especially the all you can eat breadsticks. Take out the visit with the Doctor and I got to say it was such a great day with the kids.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

This year was probably one of our most epic costumes yet. We had so much fun building there costumes and putting them together. There amazing Dad did most of it, but I put in a little bit of my ideas.
Wade was Darkwing Duck, epic character when me and Mark were kids. Wades been watching some of the shows from a DVD we bought and loves him. Macie wanted to be a police officer, but when she put it on she looked so much like Officer Hops from Zootopia. When I made the suggestion, she was on board 100%. Kansas got a warm Panda Bear costume that was on sale for $4.99. The weather was junky and snowed the whole time, but we meet up with one of Macie's best friends Bailey and enjoyed the fact that is wasn't to cold outside just wet.  It was a great day and the kids had a blast.

we made up some Home Made Violation Tickets to hand out to the wonderful houses that gave us Candy. We added a thank you for the candy note on the bottom. It was pretty cute, and Macie loved handing them out. 

Some HomeMade Fox Spray

Wades Dad is the best. Made this all from scratch. 

How cute is Officer Hops Car

Wade was in Transformer Heaven when we saw this awesome Dad

PHOTO DUMP!!

Life's been going pretty great so far, besides the stress of Kansas' weight, I am pretty happy with this three kids thing. I remember hearing people say how three is the hardest and you are going to hate it. I have to be honest and say I love it. It has been great and the kids are awesome. It helps I think that Macie is at school all day and Wade is so good at playing buy himself with his toys. It gets a little stressful between that 3 and 5, on days Wade has preschool and we have to pick him up, get home, wait for Macie to get home then rush snack into our mouth and head out the door for swimming or dance lessons, but we are even starting to get the hang of that and Wade is so good at grabbing his bag of toys and playing with his toys while we wait for Macie to do her things, and Kansas just cuddles on my lap and watches the world. I've been terrible at blogging so thought I needed to do a little update and put some pictures on.

Science Experiments while Kansas naps and Macie is at school

Being so good on our drive to Edmonton

Getting ready for Conference with our getting to know your prophets chain

Our favourite place to go for walks in Cold Lake (The Provincial Park)

we headed to Lethbridge for thanksgiving and were able to see all our cousins

watching Movies on the tramp late at night

Wade being a trooper with our endless Doctor's appointments

swimming at the hotel in Edmonton. Kansas has her surgery the following day. 

having a fire pit in the snow