Three in Three

I have THREE minutes to share three highlights from the last little while.  Ready, Set....Go!

1.  

Jessica is turning 8 in one month and she is in constant planning mode.   She has lists that contain the plans for her "Friend Party,"  lists for her "Family Party," and lists for her "Baptism Party."  When did it all get so complicated?!!  I finally had a little chat with her and she's decided to focus her efforts and planning on a Baptism Party.  (Thank goodness!)  

We wanted her to understand why she was getting baptized as much as possible and so we asked the missionaries in our ward if they would mind teaching her the discussions.   So, for the past few weeks we've all enjoyed sitting in while they teach her.   Jessica is soaking up the attention, but she's also doing the homework reading and praying on her own about what she's taught, so we're thrilled too!  

 We laughed so hard this past week when she showed us the Lego Baptismal Font that she'd made! 

Definitely a one track mind!

2.

Back in the fall Abby was recommended to be a part of a provincial honor choir and just before Christmas we learned that she'd been accepted.   It involves a lot of home practice, one rehearsal in January and then a three day session in February, culminating in a concert on the last day.   

Last week, I took Abby and two of her friends up to Calgary for the first rehearsal.  

It was held in a spectacular old church just off of 17th.  It smelled old and had a tonne of character, I just love it!!  Even more though, I loved hearing the beautiful sound that these 30+ kids made together.   It was SUBLIME!!   They'll be back together next month for the three day session and I am so excited to attend the concert.  I hear the church they will be performing in, (and the acoustics)  is even more spectacular.   It's going to be SO good!!!

3.

We heard around Christmas time that the owners of this house will be back April 1st.   APRIL 1st!!!  yowsers;)   John and I have begun looking around for homes to buy, but nothing really jumps out at us.  We know of a great home that we both know we could like, but it is a tad bit outside of the budget we've set for ourselves.    We keep trying to remember that our goal is to find a great house, that doesn't however require that I go to work in order for us to pay for it.  

Time is starting to tick away on us, and though we should perhaps be a little more worried, we just feel really confident that everything will work out exactly as it should.  It has in the past, right?  

If we don't find a house to buy in the next month and a bit, we'll simply rent until the right thing comes along.  

Or maybe we'll just become squatters in Waterton!!   

I think we could easily pull that off.  (For a few months of the year at least;)   

New Years!

Well we started this New Year running, that's for sure!!   

For weeks I've wanted to update on some of the things that are going on around here, but there has.been.no.time to do that!!   

Our New Years party was a blast though.  My family all met at Jewels house New Years Eve for some great fun, games (ie Mafia) and late night visiting.   Grandpa Max 

It was especially fun for my kids because there were four dogs that joined us for the festivities as well!  FOUR!! (Jewel and Kendall recently got a dog for their kids, and Chad and brought their little guy and two other dogs with them, so the odds were very good that my kids always had a furry friend to play with;)   

I always get ridiculously lazy during the holidays, but even more so when we all gather at Jewels house.   With my kids occupied by cousins and four legged friends,  I just sat around for two days eating, holding my little nephew Remy, and visiting.   It was so nice!

On New Years Day we went down to the hotel pool for a bit so the kids could swim off some of their energy;)  

 I really love how much these cousins enjoy being together.  There is such a range of ages, but even my oldest nieces love doting on the younger kids and there are NEVER disagreements or arguments, it's awesome!

I thought that whole week long about the goals that I wanted to set for this new year but I just never got it all sorted out in time for January 1st.   I like to set goals, and then set sub-goals that will help me accomplish the bigger goals.   For some reason though, it all just seemed to busy for me this time around;)  Here we are a month in and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to accomplish in this great year!!  There are a LOT of changes coming our way this year, that is for sure.

Perhaps my goal should be to just simply BE.    

Here's to embracing whatever the year brings.

Happy 2015!!!!