Just Some Updates

Well so much for post biweekly! Every six-ish weeks is good too right?

Maybe it's because I need something to occupy my time until winter is over but 2017 has brought me on this path that I'm determined that will bring about improved health and wellness. I'm creating positive changes in my everyday routine and lifestyle.

I am currently listening to a podcast channel where a guest speaker named Shawn Stevenson came on the show. He is an expert in health and nutrition (he has his own podcast channel too) and in the interview he was giving his best advice for cancer prevention. He gave 7 points that are so simple and achievable, and I believe this advice is also applicable to most diseases (physical and mental...)

1) Eat simple, natural, real, and unrefined foods

I'm really trying my best to stay away from processed foods and stuff that's been loaded with gross chemicals and sugar. I went down this road once before a few years ago but then I admit I got lazy and cheap and then just stopped caring :( But I did it!  I finally ditched the Kraft peanut butter  and even Heinz Ketchup. I'm trying to be creative and make my own dressings and condiments. I even have made and canned my own ketchup! And with that I also make my own quick BBQ sauce. I will post the recipe later :)

12 jars for our food storage :)

2) Ensure adequate hydration from a natural unmedicated source

This is something that I definitely do not do enough. He talked about staying away from bottled water even just plastic water bottles.  Stevenson also mentioned findaspring.com where people can find a natural spring in their local areas. Natural spring water is fresh and has natural minerals in it already.

3) Ensure I'm getting fresh air, sunlight and clean surroundings

Another area that is super easy to do! There's nothing better than breathing in fresh crisp air from outside. Even a short, quick walk around the block can do wonders! We really love our evening family adventures!

4) Participate in stress prevention and stress relief practices: Ex: Tai chi, yoga, meditation, and  most importantly SLEEP

Oh sleep glorious sleep.... I'm not really sure what a solid's night sleep looks like anymore :P I borrowed a Tai chi video from the library and I'm looking forward to trying it out this week!

5) Surround myself in a loving, supporting community and positive relationships

I really think this is one of the most important points. I know from experience that when I'm surrounded by negative people, it takes a toll on my energy and mind and spirit and it definitely affects how I am, and how I treat my family.

I've been starting the day with a positive affirmation (I have an app on my phone), I write it down and stick it on the fridge (I thought this was a good place because I open the fridge like a gazillion times a day. (NOTE: stickies from the dollar store do not stay on the fridge!) It helps keeps a positive spirit throughout the day.

Then, I end my day by writing in my gratitude journal. I write one  thing that I'm grateful from the day. It could be one word, one line or a paragraph. Usually it's something simple.

I'm finding when I sandwich my day with these two practices, it helps to keep the in between parts positive and happy :)

6) Take supportive supplements.

Probiotics, Vit D, Greens, Omegas and anti-oxidants....

7) Research. Learn. Study.

Education is so important!

My announcement! After months and months and months of researchingI'm about to step into a new adventure with Young Living Essential Oils! I'm so excited about these tools that are able to help me along the way to achieve  my wellness goals. I will definitely be adding a more detailed post in the super near future.... :D

Post Christmas Blues

Yesterday was "Blue Monday," a time when the holiday season has gone, the dreary winter still lingers on, and perhaps, for many, when those dreaded holiday bills are slowly migrating in the mailboxes. Apparently it's one of the most depressing days of the year.

I've been feeling a little blue this past few weeks. I am so done with winter and I already miss Christmas (and I'm actually already thinking about the next one... ) I feel like I've been milking Christmas music out of CD but thank goodness the girls love "The Grinch" songs so much because I might be able to get away with playing them for a little longer....

This past week we took down the tree and today I packed up the last few boxes of Christmas decorations. Yet despite our home looking empty and bare, I'm trying to fill it with good memories.

We are really trying to make Family Home Evening a consistent weekly thing. We usually lay a blanket on the floor and have a short little lesson. Last night we read a story out of the Friend and made paper hearts and wrote how we were kind or were helpful that day. I think we will continue throughout the week. Maybe even month.... :)

Hello 2017!

2016 came and went so fast. Let me recap!

Justin still works at Sherritt in Fort Saskatchewan but his commute got a bit more feasible because he traded in ol' Rusty for a new car. (And by "traded" I really mean donated it to Cars for Kidneys.) His new car isn't anything super dooper fancy, it's a 2007 Toyota Corolla, but it's new to us and much more reliable then the old one. He enjoys reading and woodworking. He built an amazing loft bed for Ella this summer as well as a few projects here and there.

At the beginning of the year, I found out we were expecting another baby, due in September. I had a pretty good pregnancy, with some same ailments as my other pregnancies, but I also developed some new ones (like varicose veins) which wasn't super fun come summer time. But I love being pregnant and always miss it when it's done. In my spare time, I enjoy designing things, creating things and also crocheting. I am able to volunteer some of my design talent at Ella's school. I also completed the girls' quiet books and nursery bedding and blankets for the new baby's room as well as countless crochet projects.

Ella turned four this year, started preschool and is still in love with frogs and dinosaurs. She loves to run and play "sword fight"  with daddy. She also loves puzzles and drawing and writing her name.

Lily turned two this year, and for most, she is a sweet, quiet little girl. But when she gets to know you, she really open up and she unleashes her fire within. She even joins Ella with sword fighting daddy too. She's full of energy and is very strong spirited but always brings a laugh to our lives. For her  birthday, we took a little family road trip to Drumheller to see the "Dinozorn Place" as well as to visit my sister's family in Calgary.

We had a beautiful summer, and played a lot outside, enjoying the outdoors and the water fun while I did something I've never done before- conquered the heat whilst in the third trimester.

In the fall, I had a beautiful, peaceful water birth and we were all surprised when our little baby came out a "he." Theodore is a happy little boy who is full of laughter and giggles.

Ella also started preschool at the Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton which she loves because she gets to play outside a lot. Her school has a lot of festivals and for Halloween we attended the Pumpkin Walk. Ella dressed as a dinosaur and Lily dressed up as a dog. In November, we celebrated Ella's birthday with a dinosaur party.

Her school also had a Winter Fair festival, which was lots of fun. There were crafts, cookies, a little store and games set up around the school. We all had a really good time and it was a good initiation for Christmastime.

Christmas was busy as usual with family gatherings and such. We went to my parents on the 22nd, and then the vBs (who moved to Nelson, BC this past summer) came over for Christmas Eve snacks and fondue. Justin and I enjoyed making our gifts for the nephews and niece. Justin made amazing wooden swords with felt scabbards for the boys and I crocheted Eden a hat with interchangeable flowers. I also crocheted Nate (the dragon slayer) a knight toque. On Christmas Day, we went to Justin's aunties and enjoyed the family fun times there.

The Christmas season always goes by so fast for me and every New Years a part of me feels a bit empty so I'm already excited for the next one :)

I'm excited for 2017, I don't really have any major resolutions, mostly the same things as other years. I have a couple small trips planned but nothing too crazy. I really just want to enjoy my family, especially my littles while they are still little.

♥

Baby #3 has arrived!

I obviously don't update this thing enough because a lot has happened in the last two years including getting pregnant with baby #3 and also HAVING the baby too! :P

Before I write the actual birth story, I feel like I need to write this tale first, while it's still fresh in my memory, because it's an indeed an interesting tale to tell. (or at least I feel like it is :P...) Now bear with me, this is how it begins...

A bit of background story

We found out we had gotten pregnant back in January, due September 9, 2016 and I was so excited to grow a tiny human again, but I also had a little secret: I was DESPERATELY hoping for a boy this time. Ever since I've wanted kids, I've always pictured my future family with a little boy. So when I first got pregnant with Baby #1, I had my mind set on a new little son... Well, obviously that didn't happen as we know that Baby #1 turned out to be a girl. (And a beautiful, crazy little girl she's turned out to be!) 

Okay, so maybe next time right? Nope! In fact, when we got pregnant with Baby #2, I had a feeling that she'd be a girl too, and I was happy with the idea that Ella would have a little sister. Of course, I still wanted a boy but when we found out that she was going to be a girl, I was really quite okay about the news, and I still figured I had at least one last chance to bear my long waited for little boy....

So what's the big deal about a boy? Most women I know actually yearn for a daughter. Well, most people who know me, know that I am not a "girly" girl at all. I've never liked dolls, dresses or frills or bows and I would have rather played in the dirt than play dress up. And I know, I know... having a girl doesn't mean that I would HAVE to dress her up in lace and bows and dresses, (just look at Ella, she's obsessed with frogs and dinosaurs and tools and could care less about dolls and such...) but I certainly couldn't dress her in bow ties and suspenders... I was so ready for the change. I was done with pink and frills and bows and I was ready for bowties, sweater vests and suspenders. I was ready to give away the girls clothes that filled nine Rubbermaid bins in our basement. And I was ready to change the nursery (In fact, I had already purchased the fabric...) 

Anyway, so we got pregnant at the beginning of 2016, for what we agreed was going to the last time. We officially decided that our family was going to be a family of five and this was going to be my last (planned) pregnancy. So for the first 19 weeks of my pregnancy, I was thinking and feeling and hoping all things "boy." 

It was almost an obsession... I was trying to think desperately of how this pregnancy was completely different than the other two. I was reading every Old Wive's Tale about gender determination. I was taking every online quiz and even submitted my early ultrasound scan in to the Gender Experts, a company that claims to predict the baby's gender with a couple different theories. Hey, it was free and worth a shot! So what did I get out of all these things? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Most of the tests predicted "undeterminable" or "neutral."

Then I started getting dreams. I had three in particular that I remember quite well.

The first one occurred about a month before my scheduled anatomy ultrasound. In this dream, I had just delivered a baby boy, I was holding him in my arms, and Justin was beside me and we were debating what to name this little guy. (The two names we originally had on the boy's list.) I remember looking at this tiny baby and thinking he was so cute and being so overjoyed in that dream. 

About a week before the ultrasound, I had a second dream. In this dream, I went to the ultrasound and there the tech told me that it was a girl. And I was absolutely devastated. Like inconsolably devastated. I cried in the ultrasound room and I remember waking up feeling extremely uneasy and sad.

In fact, every time I thought about the ultrasound and what the tech would say, I would feel butterflies in my tummy and get really worried. I was worried that it wasn't going to be a boy. Then I just felt guilty because if it was a girl, then I felt like I abandoned her somehow.

So the day of the ultrasound came around. I invited my good friend to come with me. I had butterflies the whole morning, and sitting in the waiting room was awful. (I know,  I know I should have been more excited about just seeing my unborn baby, right?) So my name got called, I followed the tech to the room and she started getting to work. It seemed to take forever... She showed me the head, then the heart. She showed me the spine, then the arms. Then finally the genitals. After silence for what seemed to be hours, she said (in a disappointed voice for she knew my wish),  "So, it looks like you are having another girl." Then she proceeded to show me how the blobs of white and black somehow resembled a vagina. (I personally couldn't see it but I trusted her credentials) My heart dropped. I wanted to cry but I didn't dare in that room with a stranger. I wasn't quite inconsolable, but just like my dream, I was devastated. I didn't want to show any emotion in front of my friend either. She finished up the scan, gave me a disc, and I left to go to the washroom. That was where the tears began to flow. I texted Justin the news, and a few other people, then I wiped away the tears and headed home. And I cried the whole way home.

Gender disappointment is real

In fact, for the longest time, I cried almost every day after that. I regretted finding out the gender and I almost felt at a loss because I always pictured myself with a son. 

For the first few months after we found out, I couldn't even go to a kids clothing store without getting upset and often shedding a tear. I couldn't look at girl things because it made me feel sick and upset and I couldn't look at boy clothes because it made me feel empty and jealous.

To make things a bit more difficult, I had a really hard time bonding with this baby. We had two boys name picked out right away but no girls name. (With my other two, we had a name picked out and it made bonding a lot easier) In fact, we didn't "feel"  a name even until week 38 of the pregnancy and even then we were still unsure. I couldn't even call this baby "she" or "her". I even caught myself calling the baby "him" sometimes. Most of the time it was  just "Baby."  

Then, because I had an anterior placenta, I didn't start feeling proper movements until later in my pregnancy which also made it difficult to bond with her. 

I had a third vivid dream where I had just given birth to our daughter and I couldn't stop crying because I was so sad it wasn't a boy. Justin thought it was because I was so happy and he said "You're such a good mom, you're so emotional.

Ya I cried a lot. Mostly in secret. I was embarrassed and ashamed at my tears. How could I be upset when we had beat the odds of deformities, diseases and disorders?

Then I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I know there's a lot of women who would just be happy to have a healthy baby. I felt guilty explaining my feelings to my friends and even my husband because I know they were getting a bit annoyed with my "complaining" (so then I just began bottling my emotions up and hiding my feelings and tears which also made things worse. I finally broke down in front of my husband and it sorta clicked with him that this was real.) 
I also felt guilty for not being a good mom to the baby growing inside of me because I knew she still needed me. And guilt doesn't help the disappointed feelings go away, it just makes you more emotional. 

Did my disappointment go away? Nope. 
To a point where I would envision my newborn baby, or Halloween, or Christmas or next summer, with my family, and I still saw a little boy in the picture. Then I would feel disappointed all over again, then empty, then guilty...

I tried buying a super cute (and expensive) first outfit, I made her crib bedding and nursery decor which took me months.

I even got a 3D ultrasound just to make sure the first one wasn't wrong. The tech confirmed it was indeed a girl but couldn't get a good image of the face so I got to go back again, which indeed confirmed for a THIRD time that there was a tiny girl growing inside of me. So that was it.  I was convinced that I was indeed going to have another daughter.

These things still didn't make the feelings totally disappear but it helped a little bit...
What also helped was honesty. At first, when people asked me if I was hoping for a boy, I would say "no" or I'd make up something like "Well, it would be nice for daddy to have a son." Then I finally started saying "yes" and it actually helped. People would either be supportive or they would just remain silent. Most times the silence was the best response. I had two friends that I could really talk to about my feelings and I felt they really understood me which really helped me cope.

Gender disappointment is real and common. Apparently, as many as 1 in 5 women express at least some disappointment about the sex of the child they are carrying.

But I trusted my Heavenly Father and I know He has a plan and I know that this little one was put into our family for a reason. I understood that if He wanted me to be a momma of three darling little girls, then that's exactly what I would be. And maybe, years down the road, they would bear some sons that I could be a grandmother to. :) What had helped me get through the past almost 20 weeks is knowing I've gone through this before. And I know how maternal bonding hormones play in the end. I knew I would love this baby when it came out, no matter what it looked like.

By the end of the pregnancy I was actually ready to meet my new baby girl, (even though we still hadn't a name picked out...) I finally put together the nursery and I would often joke with people saying... "What if the three ultrasounds were wrong? Oh well, I guess he'd have to live in a purple room for a while!"

I was so excited for our home birth. I was ready and I was prepared. I felt at peace with everything and all I had to do was wait for the big day....



If you don't already know already, you'll get why this is all so weird and wonderful after you read the birth story...

The birth day

On September 2, 2016 at 4:14 am, I was awoken by a sharp contraction that definitely was not Braxton Hicks. They were pretty close together and pretty consistent, every 15 minutes. Early Labour had begun and I knew I was going to meet my little one very soon.

Even though I wasn't quite sure how the day would progress, from previous quick birth experiences, I decided to tell Justin not to go to work.

My contractions were pretty mild and I couldn't just wait around for progression, and my husband was now at home, so I decided to get Ella some back-to-school things. (Because if I was indeed going to be having a baby in the next 24 hours, I would probably not have time to get her a new outfit and shoes) We also needed bread.

So leaving Lily at home with the husband, I took Ella out. We went to Carter's (two different locations, they didn't have the right shoes at either one) and Costco (to get the bread!). All this with contractions at 15/20 minutes apart. Then we headed home for lunch. 

After lunch, I really wanted to get Ella those shoes. So during Lily's nap, Ella and I headed out once again. This time to the north side location (a 40 minute drive). I reassured Justin that the contractions would probably slow down because I would be sitting most of the time. However, on the drive there, the contractions became 10 minutes apart and were more than just mild. I bought the shoes and headed home, and again contractions every 10 minutes. Justin asked if he should set up the birthing room, I told him "sure" knowing that it was probably too early but he likes to be prepared anyway.

They were basically like that all afternoon, I told Jenn, my midwife, and she said there will probably be more action once the girls go to bed because I was still in "momma mode." Sure enough, during the bedtime routine, they were definitely more intense contractions and now 4-5 minutes apart. Yay! Active Labour! I asked the midwife to head on over (she lives 45 minutes away) and I was going to hop in the shower.

She arrived at about 8:30 pm, contractions still 4-5 minutes and I was in the bedroom and she was starting to set up her equipment. I think I entered the pool by about 9/9:30pm and laboured in the pool. It seemed to take forever to get to transitional labour. I think it's because I was so used to already being in transitional labour when I arrived at the birth centre, that I don't really remember active labour. I had never actually laboured in the pool, I just got in a pushed a baby out. This time, because I was at home, I didn't have to "arrive" anywhere so I had more time to labour in the pool. It was a bit exhausting actually. 

Transitional Labour started around 10:15 pm and I could definitely feel baby moving down. It was fast (only 8 minutes) and that was the end of the first stage of labour. 

The second stage (the pushing and delivery) lasted a whole 2 minutes. At 10:23, I was fully dilated and my membranes ruptured seconds later, and then I started to push. At 10:25, I gave the final push and I delivered our baby!

The best surprise. Ever.

When daddy caught the tiny human, he of course had to check the parts.... Well there was more than we bargained for!  He proclaimed "IT'S A BOY!!!"

I didn't really comprehend what he had just said (mostly because I had just delivered a human child seconds before). He said it again, and for a split second I thought he was kidding. But then he handed him to me and I saw the tiny boy parts myself and I was in shock. And I was so happy. And relieved. And the tears started coming again, but this time they were tears of joy and gratitude. 

Theodore Michael Boisvert

As we were unprepared for this, it took us a couple days to decide on a name. Like I said before, we did have two we liked, so we had to talk about it (just like my first dream!) and finally decided on Theodore. I later discovered that the name "Theodore" means "gift from God" which I think is quite fitting for this little man.

Theodore came into this world on September 2, 2016, weighing 6 pounds 9.5 ounces and measuring 18.5 inches long. He is perfect. His sisters adore him and we are all so in love.

By far, this pregnancy had led me down the most emotional rollercoaster, from crazy dreams and visions to the constant feeling that that the ultrasounds could have been wrong. I am extremely impressed by my intuition I had for my unborn babe and it makes me feel confident, as a mother, that I can make the right choices for my children if I continue to listen to my heart.

Theodore Michael Boisvert
Born September 2, 2016 at 10:25 pm
6 lbs 9.5 oz        18.5 inches

Conclusion

How am I doing now? Well, I'm currently Day 6 postpartum and I feel wonderful. Of course, I'm still on the midst of recovery. I received a 2nd degree tear in the process and needed 5 or so stitches. (not as bad as Ella, yet not as good as Lily) It took a few days for the postpartum abdominal pain and cramping to stop but it has subsided now. And my milk came in two days ago so my boobs are the size of melons and very sore and hard. 

However, mentally, I feel like I am rocking this! Our family walked to the park yesterday and I even wore Mr Theo in my wrapped and he slept the whole time. All the dreaded recovery and soreness is highly overshadowed by my baby's "him"ness. It's still so surreal how this story unfolded. I'm still in shock and I am a little reluctant to finally start giving away all the girls clothes (that I've been wanting to do for so long..) It's almost like I'm afraid his penis is going to magically disappear or something... And yet a teeny part of me still feels so guilty for wanting a boy so bad. Like I have held on to this idea of a little girl for 5 months and now all of a sudden she's gone somehow. 

But it's all good. I will never forget the feeling and emotions I had when Little Theo was placed in my arms. It was like the rollercoaster that I had been riding on for the past nine months all of a sudden didn't matter anymore. I am not sure why Heavenly Father kept this secret for so long but I'm glad He did. His plan for each of His children is remarkable and constant and our stories are unique and beautiful. I love Theo's story and I am so looking forward to being a part of the rest. I know he is going to be full of surprises. :)

Day 5 PPD:
Family 'venture to the park

Add caption

A yes, he is going to have to live with a purple room for a bit. 

But personally, I think he looks good in purple :)

Welcome Lily

Here she is! Lily Grace Boisvert came into this world on May 20, 2014 weighing 6 lbs 5 1/2 oz and measuring 20 inches long. And this is our birth story:

On May 19th (Victoria Day) Justin and I did some big cleaning around the house in the morning getting ready for our little princess to arrive (thinking it would be later in the week or even next week...) We went to do a couple errands and then went out for lunch. This is when I noticed a couple little contractions but didn't think anything of it. By the time we got home they were gone. We went out again in the afternoon, came home, ate dinner, planted my flowers and still, no more surges. After Ella was in bed we watched a movie and they did come back but quickly went away so, again, I didn't think anything of it.

I went to bed and woke up at 1:15 with surges again. (this is what happened with Ella but these contractions seemed less intense and more bearable so I didn't think too much of it) They were about every 20 minutes and I didn't sleep at all. I just kept thinking to myself "This isn't really happening, is it??!" 

I texted Jen (our midwife) at 5:30 am asking if I could come in that day to get my cervix checked, and maybe a sweep and some verbena (that's what I did last time and Ella was born 5 hours later.) Unfortunately, she said she was booked solid for the day but said that if I don't have the baby today (what?..), we could do that tomorrow at my scheduled appointment. I told Justin what had happened (he didn't know I was up all night) and he decided to stay home from work. After that, my contractions that had been consistent for 4 hours suddenly disappeared. (Great, I thought... I made him stay home for nothing...)

So still thinking that this wasn't really happening, Justin and I went for a walk after breakfast and lo and behold! they came back... Every 10-15 minutes now... I told Jen, she said to come to the clinic at 5 after her appts were done so she could see where I was at. (It was about noon) She also advised to take birth prep every ten minutes. By this time, Justin had packed our bag, the car seat and Ella's overnight bag for Grandma's (Ha! I thought, like we will need that today...)

Around 2:00 pm, they were 6-8 minutes apart but they were the same intensity and I still didn't really think anything of it. With Ella, I remember standing in the shower for an hour just trying to get through each one. Those ones were extremely uncomfortable... But not these ones!

Jen said to come on down to the clinic now (Really? Now?) I still had to get Grandma here to watch Ella. It takes her 30 minutes to get here and then us another 30 minutes to get to the Lucina. But as soon as I got off the phone with my mom, that half hour as she was driving here, the contractions went to 3-4 minutes apart. I walked around the kitchen island still thinking "I'm going to have a baby today? This can not be real..."

On our way to the Lucina, they proceeded to 1-2 minutes apart. When we got there Jen was still in her clinic appointments (bless her soul!) and Kerstin (another midwife) checked my cervix and I was fully dilated (Apparently, I like to do that :P)

I got in the water (mmm my spa!) at about 3:30 and pushed but I tried to take it easy. Jen helped hold the perineum so that I wouldn't tear horrendously like last time. And this time, I wasn't discouraged by the unbroken membranes that I assumed would come out right before her head. (Last time, they kept saying "There's the head! We can see the head!" But of course it was the membranes bulging...) 

Miss Lily was born at 4:26 pm and I only got an itty bitty tear that can heal on its own! 

SUCCESS! I did it! 

Weird thing though: there were a lot of parallels with my two babes' births. Both labours started in the night and I laboured at home during the day. They were both born before supper time under the same (amazing!) team of midwives (Kerstin was at Ella's birth too). I was fully dilated when I got to the Center, it was a quick water birth, my membranes broke in the water right before they crowned... Stuff like that.... They were also born on a Tuesday after a stat holiday... (you can read Ella's birth story here...)

But then there was little things that made it the "perfect birth day." The mere fact that I didn't really tear made it perfect in itself. Also, Lily's head is incredibly tinier that Ella's was which I believe helped prevent tearing. I also got to stay and enjoy the beauty of the Lucina Center (last time we were rushed out because I needed surgery) and I got to eat my victory waffles!!!! (another thing I missed out last time all because of the tear)

So that's our story :D It was beautiful, incredible and extremely empowering. And, yes, I loved every moment of it!

Definitely worth every moment

Such  a sweetie pie

Ringing in the New Year

What an amazing year 2013 has been! 

I have accomplished a lot for myself and for my family and I feel like have I been blessed with so much and have a lot to be grateful for. 

I love my beautiful family! I have an amazing husband who loves me a heckuva lot and even though I have some crazy ideas, I know deep down he supports me :) Our beautiful daughter recently had her first birthday and is now walking around whenever she can. She has 10 teeth and is such a ham! I am so proud of her and every little accomplishment she makes I just want to hug and squeeze her. I love that little girl! 

This year, we also announced that we are expecting baby #2 in May 2014!

We have been blessed with a beautiful home that I'm really excited to watch the kiddies grow in. I'm looking forward to spending times in the backyard in the summer and enjoying the neighbourhood together :)

We also purchased a van this past summer! Paid in full, and ready to go! We are definitely excited for some grand family adventures... We already took it on our first road trip with Ella to Canmore and Drumheller with Gramma and Grampa Boisvert and our cousins. The van proved itself worthy! hehe

Earlier this year, we've started cloth diapering (which I must admit I haven't done it 100%) but it really is quite fun. :) I also learned how to knit! Something I've always wanted to learn! 

I also had the opportunity to go to Maui with my dear husband this year. (His first time to the ocean!!) it was amazing and beautiful and we enjoyed every second of it!

All in all, it was a great year and I'm looking forward to 2014!

Of course, I'm not perfect and I definitely have areas I need to improve in so.....

2014 Goals: (well some of them!)

1) Be more strict with myself about budgeting and financial stuff.

2) Keep the house clean, tidy and organized (ALL THE TIME).

3) Be greener in household cleaning. 

4) Stay focused on the important things and be more appreciative of what I already have.

I just love my family!

LDS Homeschool Curriculum

I know Ella is a few years away from going to school but I found something that got me a little excited!

Justin and I have talked about it and we are leaning towards homeschooling our family. We want our children to be educated, but we also want them to be able to learn their own ways, not out of strict "cookie cutter" teaching. We also want to be able to teach them gospel principles through their academics. And of course, we want to have fun along the way!

I came across "Latter-day Learning: The Family School." It was formed 43 years ago to accommodate the needs of homeschooling LDS families (Like me!)

I was looking through some samples and the overall layout of the lessons are superb. The structure of each subject embeds fundamental truths about the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a recommended schedule that can be followed, but of course the schedule can be altered if needs be.

Anyway, it's just something for us to think about and I had to write it down before I forgot. :)

Link: www.latterdaylearning.org