Ten and a half months

So I've been a mom for ten and a half months and I've got to tell you that it's been amazing. There are ups and downs to everything but being a mom is awesome. I do have my down moments with her and there are many things that can frustrate me and tear me down, I wouldn't change it for the world!!!

We have been keeping busy with activities. September was busy for us because we celebrate 3 birthdays. Levi's was spent with his family. Mine was different completely. Levi took Joclyn and I too the calgary tower to eat. I've always wanted to do that! While we ate we got to turn and see all of Calgary. It was cool to be up there and to be able to see the temple from so far away. It was so tiny but we could still find it. The food was great and so was the company. Elia and Jenny joined us for diner!!!





 Our life will never be the same, Joclyn started crawling a couple months ago. I swear my house will never be clean again! She is into absolutely everything! DVD's, toys, the other day she discovered what a drawer is, toilet paper among other things. She follows us around everywhere we go, sometimes it feels like we got a puppy. Once she got the crawling down in a matter of weeks she was pulling herself up to a standing position via the couch. Now she is walking along the couch and pulling herself up everywhere.

The craziest and scary thing that she has started randomly, is stairs. We were at my mothers and didn't think about blocking the stairs. Next thing we know we couldn't hear her or see her. We naturally went looking for her and he had already climbed three steps all by herself! I was afraid she was going to fall but at the same time I was so proud that she had figured it out. Now everywhere we go that has stairs I have to extra vigilant in watching her because thats where she heads first.

October was filled with the temple open house. Every time we went through the temple with Joclyn was a fun neat experience. Joclyn in the celestial room was interesting. Every time we went in there we were suppose to be quiet and that would be the only time through the whole tour that she would start talking. I don't know to who but she did. It was really cool to watch her!

As Christmas is just around the corner, I'm looking forward to it in a whole new light. Last year we had hopped for Joclyn before Christmas, that didn't happen. So this year with Joclyn will be fun and extremely different to previous years.

Our lives have changed completely since the day she was born, and we are loving every moment with her!!!

 

My little moments!

As I was sitting on the floor in the bathroom watching my daughter play in the bath, she looked up at me and gave me her cutest smile. And so I started thinking about all the cute things she does in my day that makes me so grateful to be a mom. Being a parent isn't easy (and I'm just starting!) it has its ups and its downs. But when those little moments pop up through out the day, it reminds me of the reason why I wanted to be a mother in the first place!!

• I love my daughter with all my heart, and as she gets bigger and as she is learning more she gets even cuter. I love getting up in the morning to go get here as she's been playing in her bed for 10 min, opening the door to her room and when she finally sees me she gives me a smile and is begging me to pick her up. 
• Or as I feed her a breakfast of pears and cheerios, and she is so impatient to eat her food that she starts getting mad at me for not feeding her fast enough.
•  Or the look on her face as I sit her on the floor and bring out her big basket full of toys that she knows she can dig through, make a mess to find her favourite toys at the bottom 
• When I sing to her or if a fun song is playing and i take her and start dancing with her around the house.
• The look of pure joy on her face when her daddy gets home from work, he always gets the biggest smiles from her.
• When she is sitting in the bath playing with her toys and splashing around in the water, she is so happy with life and with water.

Then there are the starting of new things and the discovery of how things work. It started when she first rolled over, she was so proud of herself then. And she waited for daddy to be home to do it!! Then when she was taught to give high fives while camping, after a while she would only do it with great encouragement. She went from that to sitting on her own and the next thing I know she sitting there clapping her hands. I had to take a video for her daddy so he could see. I was so excited!! She loves doing it cause of the sound!! Now as she is starting to "try" and crawl I wonder whats going to happen next, it'll be crazy and messy and wild but so worth it. I love watching her grow up and I love the little moments of smiling and snuggling that make being a mom the best job in the world!!!

Temple

So Levi and I got to go to the temple on the 1st of September!!! It had been way to long since the last time we had gone. It was a nice treat, we have both missed going. We planned to go weeks before and as the time got closer and closer it was all I could think about and talk about with Levi.

We went down the night before and stayed at the motel with the pool. We got Joclyn a little boat to swim in, but she was to tired to do much but let us push her around the pool.

The next morning we got up and ready, while Joclyn still slept. She woke up about twenty to eight so I fed her and we left. We made it to the eight thirty session just in time to! 

As I went through the session I had so many questions, but the lord worked in mysterious ways. He calmed my mind answered my prayers and I left with a peace of mind that I hadn't had in a long time I didn't want to leave. I'm so grateful to parents and family for helping us get there and taking car of our baby at the same time. It was wonderful to go down and be able to be taught by the Lord, and to be reassured that everything is all right. 

I can't wait for the Temple in Calgary to be done. We live a ten minute walk away, and I know there are many who will come babysit for us so that we can go more often then not. I feel so blessed to have a temple so close and that I will be able to go more often. It is hard to get away with a little one, but when we were there I wasn't worried at all about Joclyn. I know when we are doing the right thing the Lord will take car of her and those who are watching her. 

Thanks Mom and Dad Guidi and Leia and Cory!!!

I wanted a picture of us at the temple in Cardston but Joclyn had her nap so this is of us in Hawaii

Food Fun

When Joclyn was getting old enough to eat food, Levi and I started to look into what it would cost to buy her food or make. Both options come with pros and cons. In the end we decided to make her food instead of buying it. Since Joclyn started eating we have made all her food with the exception of once while traveling. I love making her food for a couple of reasons!!

1. It's cheaper then buying it. When we bought it it cost us 87 cents per jar. I bought 4 sweet potatoes for five dollars. I can get 2 meals approximately out of a jar of food. out of 4 sweet potatoes I can probably get twenty to twenty-five meals with it. For that many meals it cost me 25 cents. So much cheaper then buying it!!

2. I know what's going in her mouth!! When we bought the food, I looked closely to what the ingredients were. What I read second the reason to make my own food. It listed the ingredients which was fine, but I don't know how it was processed and who touched it, and how they preserved it in the jars for so long!!

The cons are the amount of time it takes to make it. It's not a lot of time, and really quite easy. The longest part of the process is the steaming or boiling to soften. As she gets bigger less time is needed to soften because she can eat chunkier food. I can also add my own spices to her food, lots of websites say no spices but she loves the added flavour!

At the end of the day when I've finished making her food, I feel so good. Like I've accomplished something in my day. When she eats it and the look on her face when it taste good. Thats why I do it, the look of pure joy on her face makes the time I took to make it all worth it. Making things for Joclyn and my family is so rewarding, all the effort and time put into it is totally worth it!!!

3 Years

 So for our three year anniversary we went camping again. This time we took Adam and Nicole. Well and Joclyn of coarse. We went on friday the 13th and came home on the sunday.

Camping with a 6 month old has its challenges. There is meals to pack, and clothes, sleeping arrangements. I felt like I was a pack mule. But we had lots of fun.

We tried not to do to much and just relax, but its hard with Joclyn. We finally got her to bed after we set up the tent. It took a while. I think she was unsure about the no walls concept.

She didn't let us sleep in, so at 6 in the morning we were trying to find ways to not only keep her warm but entertained so that she wouldn't wake up anyone else. As soon as Adam heard her he was up and about the camp. So we left our warm sleeping bags and started breakfast. We decided to do crapes. It was harder to make them but Levi and they were super good.

After clean up and then feeding Joclyn breakfast we decided to go hiking.nI was a little worried about that with Joclyn and how that would work. We took her carrier as well the wrap I made for naps when we are out.

So we headed out to our hike, Levi and I had done this hike before. We new it was easy and that is why we chose it. We did this hike for our first year anniversary. So Levi took her to start in the carrier.


She did really well, didn't really make a peep at all. We discovered that she loves being outside, there are so many things that she could look at and touch.

 We stopped for a short break to take some pictures. We put Joclyn down to play and took some pictures of her playing. We then noticed she was sleepy so out came the wrap. We were about half way through the hike. I took her for her nap so Levi could have a break. She fell asleep in two seconds and stayed asleep till we were almost back to the car.

We went back to camp and relaxed. I decided to get in the lake and cool off. After the hike and carrying Joclyn I was sweating so much. It felt really good to get in the cool water. I took my time but it felt so good in the end. Then Nicole french braided my hair. I love my hair french braided.

 We didn't do much that night, just hung out and ate smokes!!!!

The next morning we got up, and Joclyn actually slept in! We noticed it was going to start raining so we quickly ate breakfast and started packing up. We had just got the tents packed up when it started pouring rain outside. The only thing left was the tarp. The boys made quick work of it and we were gone.

It was a great weekend and we had so much fun!! Thanks Adam and Nicole for coming and being so helpful and giving us some company!!!!!

Swimming Adventures

So on July 6th I joined Shani and her boys at Riley Park. I wasn't to sure how Joclyn would take to the water but it didn't seem to bother her at all!! She sat in the water and kept trying to get the leaves and things that were floating in front of her. Our trip was cut short though by the rain. One moment it was sunny the next a downpour. Thanks to mom I was saved from getting to wet!!!

 The next trip was on July 9th for Bretton's 12th birthday. He wanted to go swimming so thats what we did. Joclyn liked to just as much as Riley. I defiantly have a little swimmer on my hands. I have a feeling I'll be doing this a lot!!

10 Years

Bretton with Mme. Doyle (Mme. Waddel)

 On June 27 my youngest brother Bretton graduated from Elementary. He went to Mayland Heights which is the same school I went to. It's weird walking through those doors after ten years. How much things have changed since I went there.

I can't believe it's been ten years. How my life has changed since then. It makes me feel old when I watched him cross that stage and shake hands with the same teacher who taught me in grade 6.

His grad has brought on so many memories of the last ten years. I never thought when I was 11 that I would be married to the love of my life and have a beautiful little girl. I'm so grateful for the last ten years. For all the trials I've gone through and all the blessings I've received.

All done crossing the stage!!!