Sledding is not for wimps

This year our family built the hugest, funnest luge run in my parents backyard. It is a gentle slope, but then we added a big curve to the right with this massive wall of terror. Keith and Luke spent many hours with the shovel, and along with about two feet of snow, it made for a great run. We have spent hours on this one run. Riley would stay all day and just go up and down and up. Liam gets a little more run down, but he's fun to watch as he'll leap on the back of someone on a tube and just bury his head so no snow gets in his eyes and race on down. We spent most of Christmas day on the hill, and also Rileys birthday. Hopefully we'll get many more chances before the snow disappears.

Riley is 6!

We did a repeat of last year. Sledding, Presents, Supper, Cake and Hockey Game. It all was fun and we're pooped...so I'll fill you in later.
Can't believe he's actually 6!?

It's here! It's here!

Don't you just wait for this day every year! Christmas is the best time of the year for sure.

I don't want to spend the day on the computer, but I did want to get some photos done of the kids so I didn't have to spend the day tomorrow behind the camera...so I'll share some with you.
The boys are SO excited. They are almost healthy. I think last night was the first night in about 6 weeks where the 2 older boys didn't wake up due to their cough or fever or vomiting. Shea only woke up for about 5 minutes, so it was WONDERFUL.
Hoping this trend continues.
Enjoy the Christmas Eve! We'll be at church this evening, and then opening presents with my family at my parents place.

Let it snow Let it snow

This is our first year that I'm not madly scratching out a packing list and making sure all my laundry is done and ready to cram into suitcases. I'm not stressing out that the snow is just coming down like a madman. Let it snow!! When I wrap presents, I can use odd shaped packages and not worry too much about their fragility. You'd think that with all the "spare time" I have (due to not preparing for a road trip over the holidays) that I would be totally ready for the season.
No, not really.
My kids are still sick. We all got sick back before halloween, and it just hasn't left us. We have been hit with every fever, flu and cold that floats around these parts. Liam is still battling a fever and Shea has a nasty cough which keeps him and I up for hours each night. Riley missed a day and a half of school this week, and though he was still a little weak, I sent him off to perform in his Christmas concert for the one song they were performing and he did great.
With all this lack of sleep and the extra laundry, I just can't get caught up in anything. I haven't done one bit of Christmas baking. In some ways, we really don't need the extra calories, so I am going to buy some nuts and chocolate and call it a day. My mom has been baking in preparation, so it's not like we'll miss out entirely. I still have just a few little odds and ends of presents to get today (talk about last minute!) but then am just going to accept the fact that I am a busy mom and can't do everything. Afterall, what is Christmas about anyway?? Baking, presents and decorating?
No, not really.
Hope you are remembering the real REASON FOR THE SEASON amid the chaos!

Just photos, cuz there's just no time to write!!

Santa meets Shea

Meeting Olivia

Greg, Shea and I made a quick trip to the coast this weekend to meet our latest niece, Olivia.

(As you can see, Shea was quite excited to meet her!)


He got a quick snuggle with Auntie Heather as well.



Of course I had the camera along...



Big sister Ava

Half a year just happened!

Shea is 6 months old. That is half a year.

HALF A YEAR!
I so totally can't believe it. He's still the little newborn I just gave birth to last week. Isn't he?
Well I guess no.
He is sadly growing by leaps and bounds. He is so big. He's trying to get mobile on me!! Like moving from one end of the floor to the other. It can't be so!!
I don't know how it all happened so quickly.
It won't be easy for me to say goodbye to these baby months and bring on the independent toddler.

sigh

Gone and back again

Well I had a wonderful week away. Did you miss me? My boys were having so much fun being "farmed" out to friends and family and spending so much quality time with daddy, that they didn't miss me very much at all! I guess this means I can go away more often!
My friend Michelle was a great host and made sure I took it easy. She and Heidi treated me to 45 minutes at a massage therapist. My friend Jen hosted a b-day fondue party for me at her place. I got to see a lot of childhood friends and visit my old church and drive by my old house. So many memories flood into mind as I walked through my old Sunday school class and drove down 8th avenue, as I went to say hi to my old co-workers at Interior and passed by the highschool. It's always good to go back and reflect on life a bit. It was good to get a chance to BREATHE and hang out with adults. To just regroup. Also I had Shea with me and it was nice to bond with just him. He was great and was totally spoiled as well. My life has truly been chaotic since about March, when we were busy with moving, having a baby and then living in a new home with 3 kids. I really needed the chance to just step back from it all and get a fresh perspective. So thanks to all who let that happen!
Now today is my birthday! and I am a whole 31 years old. Party!

I need a holiday

...and I am going on one tomorrow!
Only little Shea and I are flying up north to Smithers for a week of hanging out with friends and taking naps :) and just having fun. Greg and my family will be doing the stuff I normally do every day for me (yay). It is a treat to get a break from the usual. I still will be up with my coughing baby through the night and have to watch him 24/7, but it will still be quite a break. I was daydreaming about it yesterday while I was trying to make supper and had Liam asking me a million questions while Riley was racing around yelling and baby was screaming. It was so peaceful. NOT.
I'm a little nervous about taking Shea on the plane as he has his cold still and I hope his ears aren't sore, but at least with flying it won't take us 14 hours of driving to get there!!
Can't wait to see my friends soon! I won't bring my computer, so see you in a week!
Cheerio...

Baby time!

Today we heard the wonderful news that Greg's brother Glen and his wife Bri had their second baby girl today, Olivia Elizabeth.

Hard to believe that little Ava is already a big sister!! Congratulations guys!!
That makes 5 nieces for us. We can't wait to meet her. I'm sure one day she'll be great buds with Shea, just like Riley and Claire, who are about the same age distance apart.
I have two friends who also had baby girls this past week. It's just been a girl month.

I have been rather absent from the internet these past days...sometimes finding time to read blogs, but rarely to reply...so I'm sending out a sorry to all who feel neglected. I'm just in this insanely busy season of life I guess. Tending to a sick baby and also trying to take more time for devotions etc. I am sooo behind on sleep it isn't even funny, so I'm going to head to sandland.

The buddies

Happy Birthday Heather!

Hi everyone...you miss me? I have had NO time at all to hardly check my emails, let alone blog. My kids are still on the mend, and now Shea caught the dreaded cold too, poor little snotty thing. Our good friends (the Baergs) are visiting us from Calgary, and we are enjoying their company and doing some fun things with our combined 6 boys!! We have a house-full, but all is going well as everyone has a "buddy".
I wanted to stop in quick to send out birthday wishes for "auntie" Heather! Hope your day is special...we shot fireworks tonight in celebration!!
Love Sarah and the boys...

Costumes

I went shopping after halloween to get costumes for years to come (at a sweet rate$).
Here are some previews for the following years of trick or treating!

5 months old

Can you believe it?
Shea has done some major growing and changing lately. He has conformed to more longer naps instead of catnaps all day long, and is sleeping in his own room with only one night feed and two large stretches of sleep. YAY! Sleep deprivation was REALLY getting to me. Once we finished the barfs around here, we got into the coughing scene. Riley missed two days of school with all the coughing and we are all yawning away from lack of sleep. But, I see the end in sight!!
Anyway, back to Shea. He now loves his exersaucer, and chews and grabs for toys at any chance. He is grabbing at food and forks when you hold him at the table (gotta be quick) and is a drooling mess. He just had his shots awhile back and was still just under 16lbs. Just a little guy.
We're enjoying him to bits.