I have already started my summer travels and for fun I've decided to "blog log" the miles I put on this summer. So far ......

Calgary - Mesa: 2452 miles (3948 kl)

Calgary - Eureka: 326 miles (524 kl)

Calgary - Glenwood: 268 miles (432 kl)

making my travels a grand total of:

3,046 miles

4,902 kilometers

While I have absolutely no extra time I am doing a project right now and I randomly came across these pictures. Some of them are from my own folders and some are from my Dad's, but everyone of them made me smile.

This is my mom and my sister, a while ago. Ok, it is a really long time ago. Is it bad that I remember soooo many details of my Grandparents old home, I vividly remember the "frock" my mother is wearing, but I don't ever recall my mom's hair being that long/style? I mean really, I knew that she had this hair cut from pictures, but I just don't remember it. Kind of makes me laugh :-)

Our Easter trip out to Nanaimo last year .... one of the best times I've ever had.

(p.s. remember this was only a year ago and check out how small Landon is. I mean, he is drinking a bottle!!!!!)

who is this baby driving a high speed motor vehicle??? Can you believe that Evan was this tiny when he started driving? This is 2 weeks after he got his chair for the first time. Looking back I can see why people would stop and stare as we went by. Evan literally looks like a baby driving a wheel chair!!!!! He started driving just after his second birthday.

My whole family came to see me last summer and I treasure those memories more than any of them will ever know.

Should be self explanatory why I like this picture. All of the girls were taking this picture with my sweet Daddy. Justin obviously felt left out and needed one of his own.

this picture just makes me giggle.

I have a great family

I love this picture because I love my Dad. When I see this picture I see the relationship that we have. I see in his face how much he loves me and what I mean to him. The fact that this is a candid makes it even better. I don't even know if this makes sense, but that is what I see when I look at this picture.

pure terror (because of a butterfly!!!!)

so this is what we have been doing for the last two days .....

more details later ;-)

Landon

My sweet Landon. What can I say about my little boy?? He said his first sentence a couple of weeks ago. I was getting something from the pantry, he rounds the corner and says "HI MUM!"

Since then his vocabulary has really taken off. He mimics all over the place. Landon is so rambunctious. In fact I can't tell you how many times I am told that he is the most active kid that people have ever seen.

For as tough as this kid is (he scraped up his toes and hardly complained) his skin is so ultra sensitive. He currently has mosquito bites on his face and he looks like a teenager with an acne problem.

For as active as Landon is he is equally loving! He is always willing to smother us with hugs and kisses.

Some of his favorite things are turning on and off the lights, opening and closing doors, praying, and hugging his brother.

The BIGGEST news for Landon is a MAJOR discovery that I made. Ok so I know that most of the discovery was a result of divine intervention.

Landon is Red Dye sensitive.

Ultimately what it means is that he can't eat or drink anything that has red dye in it. Landon was crazy for about a month and a half. Crazy doesn't even come close to describing how he was acting. The closest would be a possession. At the toss of a hat he would go from happy go lucky Landon to a head spinning version of my child. I thought it must just be his age and that the terrible two's were going to be one wild ride.

Easter was worse than the whole month combined, and then it clicked ..........

I remembered a conversation some musicians in the Red Deer orchestra were having about their children, who are red dye sensitive. I put two and two together and went straight home to find out what the other symptoms are.

Landon had everyone of them.

-Blotchy skin

-funky rashes

-random, unexplained throw up

-poor eating

-poor sleeping

-EXTREME emotional, bi-polar attitude.

I took him off red dye only and every single thing improved or cleared up. We haven't even had one episode, normal tantrums, but no exorcist episodes. A week after I took him off Evan gave him a couple of M&M's and he totally broke out in a rash.

Girls Weekend

Girls just want to have FUN!!!!!

My friend Val has a house in Arizona and invited a bunch of girls on a girls weekend. It was lovely and much needed! When Evan's teachers asked him what I was doing in Arizona he said ... "she's swimming." Well that is pretty darn close to what I did. I didn't swim but I did float and bask.

I finally have a little color and I remember what it is like to be warm.

(oh, and I got a massage!!!!!!!!)

check out the sex appeal!

our plane ended up being grounded. We left about 8 hours later than we were supposed to and got back to Calgary at 4:30AM. We figured out ways to entertain ourselves ;-)

Goodbye Arizona!!!!!!

One at a time

Now that I have a small bit of sanity in my life I am going to quickly let everyone know what has been going on in our little piece of Heaven.

Let me start by saying that yesterday was a great day!!! Actually it has been a great week! I can easily give credit to the weather. It is starting to get warmer (FINALLY), the grass is starting to turn green, the bushes and the trees are starting to come to life again, and yesterday the last bit of ice melted from our lake.

I went to check out our house yesterday (the one we are building) and I stood there looking out the windows at the beautiful lake. I LOVE water!!! Water always brings a sense of peace in my life and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world as I pictured the rest of my life watching the water from my windows. The way the light glitters on the ripples as they move along the surface is close to perfection for me, and I get to see it everyday once we are in the new house.

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So I don't get too overwhelming with posts I will start today with an Evan update.

(mad face at the pool)

I feel like Evan is growing up so fast! I love that we have full length conversations and I honestly think he might be one of the funniest people I know. He is so positive and so loving to everyone!

Evan was really sick last week ... like really sick, but we got him better and he has been going to school this week. Now we just wait and see how long this cough lingers, or if it turns into another round of illness. I feel really proud of myself though because I have learned a lot through Evan. Kids with SMA get sick often, and easier because their immune system is so week. I am to the point now that I know what to do most of the time. When I am up with Evan at 4 in the morning I know what he needs. I am so grateful that I have been taught that knowledge from his doctors and other parents in my same situation. I am equally grateful for Emergency Rooms for when my knowledge/equipment isn't sufficient.

Evan thinks that I am beautiful. He tells me all the time (which I love!!!) while stroking my face. The other day we had a conversation that went like this:

Evan: Mom, I love you sooooo much. I am going to marry you.

Me: Oh Evan that is so sweet, but I am already married to Daddy, and I like being married to Daddy. when you get older you are going to find a beautiful girl, you will fall in love, and then you can marry her.

Evan: (thinks about this scenario) You are beautiful ... I will just marry you.

Me: but then what happens to Daddy??

Evan: well I will marry you and Daddy can marry Landon!

I couldn't be more in love with this kid!!!

A lot of hard work

I have put in A LOT of HARD work the last month. It is finally all coming together tomorrow. Come and support me.

Knox Presbyterian Church, Calgary

7:30 pm

"Stringing along the Seasons"

(more regular blogging starting tomorrow, I mean really my kids have been so cute lately)