Poka dots everywhere

Slowly but surely I'm preparing for Jordyn's first birthday party! I cannot wait. I have already mailed out the invites and had some replies! I'm so excited to be able to do all the planning. I have been cutting out enough dots to make even the spottiest of dalmations jealous and can't wait to put them all together!

Hopefully this week I'll be able to get more done as the two little ones were sick and now it has hit me.

Thankfully wedding season is almost over as well ;) Obviously not, but it has been a very busy month and that has taken up lots of time.

I have my last one today and then I can get on to some serious first birthday preparations!!!!

This is how it looks so far though.

Just for Fun?

You'll have to excuse my whiny post this time round. I've had a pretty bad month of weddings and this last one just made me rethink my whole career path.
There are definitely pros and cons to being a wedding photographer and I guess you just have to take the good with the bad.
Some of the pros are the hours (funny though it's also a con) I love that I can stay home during the week with my kids but I do miss the weekends. Especially during summer.
I love the fact that you get to spend your day with beautiful people who are generally excited and happy.
I do miss picking up my camera just for the fun of it though. That is something I am going to have to make an effort to do.
So, no pics this time but from now on there will be more of the what makes me truly happy content. My family, my kids, my life.

Planning, Planning, Planning

I have been looking forward to this event for a year now. The wonderful "First Birthday Party!"
If I could rent a hall and invite everyone we know with a caterer, a decorator, a live band and cake to die for I would. However, seeing as how that is just a tad bit unrealistic I have decided to take it upon myself to make it a party of a lifetime but at a much smaller scale.
I have designed the invites, picked a theme and started cutting out decorations. I have drafted up the guest list with as many friends as a one year old could possibly have and decided on a menu!
Because of the theme I have chosen I can do a lot of home made crafty type projects (which we all know are NOT my forte) however I am super excited and have already started. As a matter of fact the theme I have chosen is so simple that I am actually enjoying it!
Anyway, as I get farther ahead in the planning and the preparing I will post pics. For now though you just have to listen to me ramble ;)

Hey I tried...

Well I finally got a sewing machine. I had wanted one for a while now and had all these great ideas and projects. It sat in the box basically untouched for the first two weeks as I tried to find a suitable time to set it up and learn how to use the darn thing. When you have a bunch of kids running around it's not always the easiest thing to do.

The fact that I had to read the insruction booklet just to thread the thing made me laugh and feel proud that I was able to do it! I'm not one to read and follow instructions so I felt that I had really accomplished something.

Now the big question was, What in the world was I supposed to sew????

I had been eyeing these adorable little pillowcase dresses that I wanted to attempt for Jordyn but I thought I should do a mock up first. So that was that.

So far that is as far as I've gone and I'm still trying to decide if I should keep the silly thing as I just don't find that I have enough time to really sew or learn how.

Maybe someday.

Scare of a lifetime

I remember running away when I was young. I would pack my bag and a snack and take off to the park until I got bored. I would eat my snack, sit there for a while and eventually head on home.
Well, let me tell you. Times have changed. Kianne ran away from home yesterday with her bag packed. No snack, although I was thinking of offering her one. I have to be honest I really wasn't worried. I watched what direction she left in and figured she had gone to her friends house.
At this point it was still daylight and I didn't chase after her because I honestly didn't think she'd be gone long.
Once it started to get dark I got to calling her friends homes to see if she was there. It had been an hour already and I was starting to get a little worried. None of the friends or parent's had seen her. Once Jayson got home it had been just a little over an hour and so I hopped in the van with Corey to scout out all the parks and school yard and friends houses again. Still no sign of Kianne. After I saw the one friend whom I was sure she was with, playing with another girl and they had not seen Kianne I really started to panic!
I drove down the major highway closest to our home to see if she was trying to walk to her Father's home. I went as far as I thought she would make it looking on both sides of road at all times and lucky I didn't crash.
I finally turned around as it just didn't seem that she could walk that far.
I went back home and it was Jay's turn. He first went out in the car and checked around the neighbourhood again and when he came home alone he went out on foot. It had now been 2 hours and I was feeling sick to my stomach that something awful had happened and mad at the same time that she would pull this stunt.
It was dark and almost 7pm and she had been gone for so long I phoned the police. I think at first the officer thought I was some dead beat mom. She had asked if I went after her when she "ran away" and I explained I hadn't because I really didn't think she was going anywhere.
After I was able to tell the lady officer that I had called and driven to all the friends homes and spoken to parents, provided a detailed description of what she was wearing and what kind of backpack she was carrying. The officer softened up obviously noticing that if I was that aware of details I didn't just let my kid run the streets.
Jayson was still out on foot during this time and I felt a little relief knowing that the police were aware of the missing child and keeping their eyes out.
About 20 minutes later the police called and they had found Kianne!
I was sooooo relieved. I asked the officer where she was and the officer was quite short with me and wouldn't tell me. She simply said the police have her and they will bring her back sometime tonight. She didn't know how long they would have her but someone would let me know.
Now I understand that they probably wanted to assess the situation and make sure she wasn't living in some horrible situation but after a night like this I just wanted my girl back home with me.
They finally called and said they were on their way home. Kianne came home with the police officers crying but happy to be home. She was scared.
She had walked all the way to the corner of Stafford and Mulvey. (which of course is right by Dad's house) however she got lost. She asked a man for directions to a park and luckily he was a good person and thought this was a strange scenario and did the right thing by calling the police.
He apparently is a teacher and him and his wife gave Kianne a banana and stayed with her until the police came.
I want to somehow get this man's info so I can thank him for keeping my daughter safe.
I am still in shock that this happened but so very thankful for our police service and for good people in the world.
Now that we have her home safe and sound there will be a discussion and consequences.
I'm just happy to have my girl back.

Wool

I love cloth diapering even the laundry part is really not too bad. Dunking in the poopy diapers in the toilet is not the best but completely doable. What I really don't like is washing my wool covers.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my wool covers they are the most adorable things ever and the way they work is pretty amazing. I just find it such a pain to wash. Really it's not like it is hard but I guess the problem comes in with the fact that I really don't hand wash anything and yet these have to be.
I must say though that when they are on those little bums it is all worth it

Just another manic Sunday???

Anyone who knows us knows that we are a family with a great church that we like to attend and even proudly call ourselves members. Every week we look forward to connecting with our friends, God and the true meaning of life. It's funny though that often right before and right after this hour and a half of peace is when the most turmoil occurs. It is as though that evil force known as Satan tries to take over and hinder our goal of getting there each week.
We can find a million reasons to not attend this Sunday. i.e. too early, slept in, kids sick, nice day to go out and do some yard work, (well not at this time of the year), worked a long wedding the Saturday before, and countless other excuses.
Once we get past the excuses it seems to be the craziness of getting everyone ready to go and getting out the door. I have come to the conclusion though that even if we are late because of some unexpected delay or one of the kids forgot to comb their hair or I still didn't get a sip of my coffee or the dog has peed on the floor it is still better to go then not. Once we are there no one cares that the dog peed on the floor, I am offered a cup of coffee, the kids hair is flattened by the hat and all is well. I guess what I am trying to say is that even though it seems impossible when we wake up in the morning it is all worth it.
We have a wonderful church and church family that I am so grateful for. This is just a post of thankfulness.