celebrations

This week is big for us, my birthday and our anniversary both happen on August 29th.

It has been so fun for me, celebrating with our little family, friends and Mr.P!!!! 

 

 

On Thursday the 29th we actually attended a family work event for the hubs at Fort Edmonton Park, it was a blast.  A train ride, face painting, photo booth and a mini carnival made for a super fun evening.  Stella even wore underwear the whole day and didn't have an accident. I consider this a spectacular gift and we still don't even want to speak of it for fear of jinxing the potty training progress we have going on with Miss Stella.  Let's just say she is amazing us!!!!!  The day was also made special with beautiful flowers and tons of chocolate and sweet cards/notes that I have already re-read, totally warms my heart.  It was just such a lovely day!  The celebrating didn't even end there... on Friday sweet friends came by with brownies and even more love, I was soooo touched.  What a treasure good friends are!!!  I am richly blessed.  I was even sang to and wore a crown!

 

 



Another highlight of the week was the date Mr.P and I snuck in Friday night!  It is our tradition - 11 years running to hit up the temple to be reminded of our marriage covenant.  We LOVE going to the temple, especially together!  Dinner after was my choice and because I am a fan of pasta (I get this from my dad) we slipped into Chianti for some eats.  A charming corner table suited us fine as we chatted about the past 11 years and shared some dreams for the future.  The waitress kept asking us questions because we were dressed all spiffy.  Once we mentioned celebrating our anniversary by going to the temple she said she too was LDS.  Graham did look a little hard core churchie in his white shirt and tie but I liked it!!!  It actually kind of feels good to stand out.  The restaurant was on Whyte Ave and the whole area around the University was buzzing with returning students. This totally added to our reminiscing because 12 years ago, only 3 months after we started dating I headed off to Edmonton to attend the UofA.  Oh so many memories, it is crazy the history we've already created...good times, hard times, fun times!

 



 ~ Mrs. P

 



sweet n sassy

 

These girls of mine BLOW ME AWAY!!!!  Being a mother is both the greatest and hardest thing I have ever done, I think that most mothers would say this.  We have tender moments and then tumultuous moments....sometimes literally moments apart ha!!!  There is nothing quite as refining as being a mother.  I was reminded again (I am a slow learner) by a wise Grandma in the temple that we can only do our best and then the Lord takes care of the rest.   I know this but there are many things I would like to be better at, have more patience with or be more diligent at.   Uggghhhh!!!!! Anyway, just needed to record the great sweetness, as seen in these selfies the girls and I took but also the challenge of the sassy because the sassy is darn hard.  Even when it is hard I would not change it!  Well perhaps less sass and whining but other then that no changes, they are adorable and fabulous.

 

~ Mrs. P

Amelia our Wonder Woman

 

So I must first say that although I am not a fan of Wonder Woman's outfit she does save the world  and do good, so ya know it all balances out.  We read a book to the girls about Wonder Woman and our Miss Amelia has taken to striking a superhero pose.   On our camping trip she was AWESOME at showing our family her muscles and her superhero moves. 

 

 

There almost aren't words for her AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!

The similarities are uncanny.

 



 

~ a proud Momma P

Gull Lake Camping Get-A-Way

Campsite Fun



 

 

Beach Bums

 

 Cuddles

 

Since acquiring our trailer mid-July we had our third and final camping excursion.  I can hardly believe how much fun camping has become!!!  The girls love it.   Mr. P loves it and I am learning to love it.   Cousin Kingston stayed and the Bird Girls came to visit too.   Gramma and Grandpa Hudkins came for the day which was so nice.  As well Grandma Hinko brought down her motor home, so it was truly an extended family camping trip. 

 

There are a few things that I particularly enjoy about taking our trailer out;

 I love that my girls can run free, splash and get dirty (this ABSOLUTELY goes against my nature).

I love that we don't have a schedule.

I love that our technology is often sketchy out in the 'wilderness', it forces us to disconnect.

I mostly love that we are all together 24 hours a day.  It sounds so cheese ball but life is full of 'stuff' so it is nice to just be together without work or other commitments.

 

~ Mrs. P the camper  HA!

love you, love you, love you

Neely Jane is super popular! 

I am talking being mentioned in prayers, "glad for baby NeeNee",

being listed as Stella's favourite thing about the day, "I liked playing with NeeNee",

 and when the sweet babe is actually in our presence she is smothered with love!!!! 

When I say smothered, I mean smothered.

Both of the girls will stand in front of her and say no jokes, fifty times "I love you Neely"!!!!  It will carry on for like fifteen minutes.  Our littlest cousin can never doubt that she is loved.

 

~ Mrs. P

Family Movie Date

Had a little family movie date to watch...

 



 

We hit up the DESPICABLE ME 2 movie and had a blast!  It went pretty well and the girls loved the snacks, but then again who doesn't like movie snacks.  There was only minimal loss of interest for our shortest near the end, so I bit my lip and let her play around on the floor.....gross but actually not terribly gross.

 

 Also totally funny we let them play on the arcade games, hilarious to see Mia's dance moves.

 

~ Mrs. P

Puppy Love

 

Our sweet old girl Tula has been needing some special TLC.  She has visited the vet a few times this summer and it just breaks our hearts when she is not well, so far medications have been able to help.  The girls ADORE Tula and probably not an hour of the day goes by where they don't give her some cuddles or hugs or attention.  For some reason nicknames are pretty big in our house right now and we are always singing the song;

"Tula Tula Bo Boo-la,

Banana-nana Bo Boo-la,

Fee Fi Fo Foo-la,

Tula"

Stella calls our sweet pup 'Tulie' and it is adorable. Here is hoping that our 11 year old granny 'Tulie' is on the mend.

 

~ Mrs. P