A Little Late... But Here It Is!

I know I'm a bad blogger but that's OK! Life is crazy and not just for me but for most people and how some of you are such good blogger's I will never know! Here's an update from about July until now!

We left on holidays the end of July and headed to Calgary where we met up with my family for a couple of days. We took the kids to the zoo which they loved! Then the next morning we were all off to Shuswap Lake in BC. We rented a cabin out there. It was beautiful. The entire week we were there it was in the high 30's and no rain! We rented a ski boat for 3 days too. So much fun. It was so relaxing out there all we did was hang out on the beach and play with the kids, play games with family and laugh a lot! This is definitely going to have to become a regular holiday. Oh ya there were some minor things that happened while at Shuswap... a few of us got swimmers itch! It totally sucked. Travis got it worse than anyone, he was so itchy! After Shuswap we headed to Taber to pick up the trailer. We were off to Waterton to meet up with Travis's family. I love camping and it was fun to see everyone. We threw lots of rocks in the lake... by the way I think every year we go there are less and less good skipping rocks, so for all of you that go to Waterton leave them for me!!! We went kayaking, hiking and did nightly drives looking for bears, which were successful every night we went. We had a lot of fun this summer as a family and look forward to next years holidays.

After we got home my family came up to visit for about a week. We took them out quading and had lots of fun. I love it when people come up to visit. I think more of you should come up. Winters are beautiful here;) Come check them out sometime!

September has been a crazy month. Emma started school for the first time and loves it. I like the quiet afternoons that we have. It's been great car pooling with Mindy. Each of us only has to drive 2 times a week instead of 4. I think the kids are adjusting good to the schedule. My kids have also started gymnastics every Friday. I put Tobin in this time and I think he really likes it. It good for him to burn off some of that energy! Travis started a shutdown this month. He is working 6 days in a row and then gets 1 day off. Or in Fort Mac terms a 6 and 1. It supposed to be over sometime towards the end of October! I can do this... at least that's what I tell myself almost everyday!

See you in 4 months for my next update! Jokes I'm going to do better... winters coming and with all the beautiful weather that we get I'm sure I'll have a little more time to update this blog!

Family and Canada Day

We were so lucky to have so family come up and visit us this last week. It was so much fun to hang out and laugh and have a great time. We went out for crab legs, went quading, went quading again and then finished it all off with the Canada Day Parade. Emma, Kyla and Haley had a fun time doing makeovers every chance they got! They were so beautiful! Travis and Damon got some fishing in and actually brought one home to eat. Yummy! We had a great time together and look forward for summer holidays when we get to spend more time together!

This was a real live buffalo riding in the car for the Canada Day Parade! It was one of the best floats there!!

I'm A Nerd!

OK I know you are all like nice blog background but I'm excited for this movie to come out in about 17 days... but really who's counting!! Actually I'm sure there are some of you that are counting down the days. It's OK you don't have to admit to doing it... especially you Jody! Well this background is for all you Twilight fans. I know that some people think that it's weird for so many women to be obsessed with these books and movies but really it's a way to escape from everyday life just for a couple of hours! At least that's what it is for me there are some people that do go a smidgen to far, I mean really your 45 do you actually think Jacob is going to come and marry you?!!

Boy's and Their Toys!

Ok we finally broke down and bought a few new toys... well Travis did anyways. I'm excited though. This is going to be one fun summer outside and probably a little muddy too! I'm finally going to get to see some more of the area around were I live. It is beautiful forest everywhere and I have only been out it a few places. There is a really cool place to go quading up by 6 Lakes. I never knew this until a few years ago that Fort McMurray has sand dunes. Apparently it's the place to go. I'll hoping to get up there this summer to check them out.

A Little Update

OK so not too much has happened in the last couple of weeks!! OK maybe just a few things. We have moved into our new house YAY!! It's all coming together kind of. I will take some pictures when we get everything all done.

Emma turned 4 on April 24th. We have been putting off her birthday party until we get settled in. Of course she is having a princess party... would it be anything else for my girly girl! She still dresses up in about 80 different outfits through out the day. Emma is loving her new pink room and both kids are doing great in there own rooms. It will be even better when we get blinds up on all the windows. Emma is a smart little cookie and loves her snacks! She gets to go into the early entry program this fall for school and is getting excited. I can't believe how big she is getting. We love Emma very much and are so proud of her. She is such a nice little girl and kind to everyone.

Tobin is seriously busy! He is into absolutely everything. I need some nice weather so that I can take the kids out for a walk during the day. Tobin is happy in the house and does have lots of space to run but, he won't just go and play. He is constantly following me around pulling out everything that I put away. So frustrating! He is a happy little boy and loves to play with Emma when she lets him! I love hearing them laughing and playing together... it makes my day so good when I hear that. I love my little boy so much and wouldn't change it for anything... well maybe just a little less of the pulling everything out!

Sunday was May 2. May 2 is a really special day for us. This is the day that Ethan was born. He was so tiny and small. We miss him so much. Ethan would be 5 years old. I can't believe it has been 5 years already. May 21 is another day that we remember... this is the day that he passed away. It was a super hard time in our life but I know as we turn to the Lord and let him guide us things will always be OK. I know the atonement is real. I can't wait for the day that I get to hold him in my arms again. It will come I know it.

Life is busy but it's pretty darn good.

It's Been So Long

I know it has been a long time since I updated so here it all is! Actually I told Travis that it was his turn to do it. You can see he was all over that! Travis has been working like crazy lately. We thought that we were all done with shut downs and he would finally be back to a regular schedule... NOT! He got 7 days off which was really nice but found out before he went back to work that there was an unplanned shutdown that started. They estimate it to be about a month long. Ya right, Syncrude never estimates right! Anyways he isn't working the shut down just working a modified schedule of 9 days and then 3 days off. Not too bad. We decided that we should have a fun day with the kids before he went back to work so we took them swimming to the YMCA. The kids loved it. Then we went and played in the big indoor play ground after. It was a lot of fun.

Tobin is finally officially walking. It will be great when he is more confident and walks more. My back will be very happy! He is a funny kid. He knows how to push Emma's buttons that for sure. He also can climb up to the top of the table in seconds. I think that is how he pushes mine! He's a character.

Emma is still going to gymnastics and loving it. She does all kinds of things at home that she learns there. Head stands on the couch are probably the most practiced! I'm glad she likes it. She still like to draw and color and would do it all day. She loves painting but I'm not a huge fan of the paint all over the table... so I found a website that she can paint on the computer. Way cleaner.

Travis is well... still working but looking forward to his day off tomorrow. I'm keeping busy with the kids and practicing a few songs with some friends. There is group of us singing for are Relief Society March party and then another group of us doing an air band. I'll wait to post a picture in a few weeks after the ward variety show. Your all going to love it! We are having so much fun.

Oh ya here is a house update. So things are absolutely flying. We are not complaining. Are lease is up here in April which is perfect timing. We should have the key in are hand by the 20th of April!! Super soon. I went in the house a couple of days ago and all the mouldings and shelving is done. They were working on the banisters for the stairs. We are going back tomorrow to see what else has been done. Are cabinets should be in on the 25th of March. I'm expecting to have lots of visitors when we move in. Now that we have the space there is no excuses!

Bonus Room

Pantry with tonnes of shelves! YaY!

Great room

My 4 Valentines!

I want to tell you about not just one valentine but 4 valentines!

First one I met in June of 2003. He was this super hot guy that moved into a house that some of my friends lived in. Rumor had it that he was looking for a wife so that he could move to Fort McMurray! Well when I heard this I jokingly said to my friend "I'll marry him". Little did I know that 5 months later we were engaged and married in Feb of 2004. He was everything I was looking for. He loved being outside especially in the mountains, he was kind, funny, had a strong testimony of the church, close to his family, liked sports, and had a plan for his future. I have to thank his parents for raising such a great man. He truly is my best friend and I love him so much. He is the best father any kid could ask for, and would do anything for anybody in his family.

My second valentine is a tiny one! In May of 2005 Ethan Travis Anderson decided to come 14 weeks early. He was a little fighter and did all that he could. He grew his wings 19 days after he was born. Ethan was a perfect tiny little guy. One day I will get to see him again and have the chance to raise him. I learned a lot from this little guy. I learned that you have to trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, they have a plan and there is nothing we can do to change that. My testimony of the atonement grew tremendously as we grieved over the loss of this little angel. I know he is safe and I know that his life has a plan too. It just wasn't going to be on this earth. We miss him dearly and he is always in our hearts. This is a little quote that is on his head stone. "We held you in our hands and now we hold you in our hearts"

My third valentine met me on April 24 2006! It was rough but we made it to the due date! A beautiful little girl that we named Emma Colleen Anderson. She had big eyes and looked like a little doll. She has a very good nature about her. Emma is kind to others and would never do anything purposely to hurt someone. She loves gymnastics and can't wait to go to school. She turns 4 in just over a month and wants to have a princess party. She loves princesses and dressing up. She makes me laugh on a daily basis. I think I laugh the hardest when we are in a public washroom together. Little kids always say what they think! I just feel bad for the other people that are in there! Emma is a good girl and really likes sunbeams. She loves her little brother and is always asking for another Tobin. I tell her that she is just going to have to wait longer! Sorry no announcements for a while. I love my little girl, she gives the best hugs and kisses.

My last valentine just turned one! Yes it's Tobin! He came Dec 19 2008. We named him Tobin Philip Anderson. He was my big boy from the beginning. He came 3 1/2 weeks early and weighed 8 lb 6 oz. Yes he was are other little preemie! Tobin has never been a small boy, at his year shots he weighed about 30lb's. He is such a true little boy, he is not graceful or gentle. Look out when Tobin is coming cause he will either plow the object out of the way or just crawl over it. He already has a sense of humor. He teases me and Emma all day long! Tobin is also my little monkey. The kid climbs everything! I can't leave him unattended for more than a couple minutes because I will find him on top of the kitchen table. Surprisingly enough we haven't had any major falls or hospital visits... knock on wood because now that I just said that guess where we'll be! Tobin keeps me super busy all day long until he is in bed. I don't get anything done, trust me my house shows it! I love this boy and can't wait to see what he is like the older he gets.

So those are my valentines, they are all so special in there own little ways whether they are here physically or here only in spirit. I love them all. Happy Valentines Day!