My Life as a Mom

Okay, so I really feel like it's time for another post, but I really don't know what to say. So I guess I'll just give a basic update. We are basically ready for Christmas. Pretty much the only things I have left are things that if they don't get done, it's okay. I would like to do them, but sometimes it's more important to sit and read a story, snuggle a sick infant, play a game with a lonely/bored teenager or play with someone's hair. And sometimes its important just to get some sleep! So, with that said, we are ready for Christmas. I would still like to do some Christmas baking and I have a few things that I would like to sew, but we'll see how my energy level maintains with a sick baby and an absent husband. (Literally absent, not figuratively!). I am working tomorrow and have celebrations starting on Friday. So we'll see what happens after work today and tomorrow and how I feel on Thursday. Michael has been working up north for the past week

One of the fun things about Christmas, is new clothes! This year I was really excited when I decided what I wanted my kids to wear for their Christmas clothes. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, I wanted bright red, and I wanted the girls dresses in red, but other than that, it's pretty well what I planned. Oh, and Peter was supposed to be wearing his suit, but we are going through an interesting "I'm too lazy to sort laundry so that I can have clean clothes" stage. Fun. But, anyway, here are their clothes. I love them! Here they are:   Now isn't that a good looking group?!

I LOVE music. I have for as long as I can remember. My Grandma had a video of me singing "I Am a Child of God" for her when I was two. At age three I sang in our local festival and did really well. I've been singing and preforming all my life. When my father-in-law was here last month, he brought his guitar with him, and I was so excited! I haven't listened to live guitar music since I was in university. (We had an awesome set of guy friends that played guitar and sang barenaked ladies songs. They would serenade us all night long. It was great!) Some of the fondest memories that I have heard Michael recall, are of his dad playing the guitar and singing to it. Michael remembers his dad sitting down and listening to songs over and over trying to learn the music so that he could sing to it. I have only heard my father in law play twice and the second time was accidental - I walked in on him practicing. I was SO excited to finally be a part of his music. So we all sat

Zachary has started crawling! Watch out world here he comes. Along with crawling, he has also started to pull himself up on to everything!! His day consists of crawling to furniture, pulling himself up standing for about 15 minutes talking and singing, and then plopping back to the floor, just to crawl somewhere else and start again. It's super adorable! This has opened a whole new world of possibilities for him and he's thrilled! Love this kid!

...the goose is getting fat.... Just kidding. I LOVE this time of year. I love the anticipation of Christmas. I know that a lot of people feel like it drags on and is ridiculous, but that's what I love about it. I love that we do little things to get ready and everyone (okay, almost everyone) gets a little happier, a little kinder, a little more Christlike. It's a nice feeling. I like the smiles and well wishes that you find all around. The decorations and the lights. Sigh. The whole thing is just magical. So today, I took another step towards that magical feeling, I wrapped presents! I LOVE wrapping presents! I love buying wrapping paper (I got two new rolls this year, and now that I look at what I have, I didn't need it! I have lots. But that's okay.) I like to plan out my wrapping paper and make sure that I don't wrap the same kids' gifts in the same paper, or use too much of one colour, and I always place my gifts under the tree such that the wrapping pa

It's Done! Actually it's been done for almost a week now, and that's when I took the pictures, but I'm just getting around to posting it. When I started it (LAST October) I thought, hmm, size 9 month, perfect for winter. I didn't really think it would take me this long to get it done...but so it is! It doesn't fit great. The sweater is a little small - even though I made the sleeves and hood bigger than the pattern called for, and the pants are LONG and SKINNY. I have a skinny baby, and it's still tough to get them on his calves! But that's okay. It's cute, and he'll wear it a couple of times and every time I'll be proud and think "I made that!". And I do think it's something to be proud of. I think it's good to have these kinds of skills. I highly doubt that there will come a point in my life where these will be things that I NEED to know how to do.("These things" being all the handwork I do- knitting, crochetin

So a few months back, I posted that I was trying to finish projects that I have already started before starting new projects. I'm still working on it. But that's better than not working on it...right? Of course right. So anyway, I've been trying to complete projects, which has actually got me excited to do more projects (of course!) And I've finally decided what I'm doing for my Christmas Stockings. When Michael and I first got married, I made stockings for our family really quick. I used a couple of Michael's old pairs of jeans and added some felt embellishments. They are definitely nothing fancy, but they are what we have used for ten years and they've done the job. Well, I always new they wouldn't be permanent. They were my "until I decide what I REALLY want to do" stockings. So, when David was born, I didn't make him one to match the rest, because that wasn't what I wanted to stick with. The poor kid hasn't had a stocking his

Ok, so some days I feel like: Yep. I've got this. Things are running smooth I'm accomplishing what I want to accomplish and I'm happy with my life. And then other days it's more like: This is SO hard and it's never going to end. How can I possibly get done what I NEED to get done, let alone what I WANT to get done! So when I'm having one of the latter days (ha ha that sounds churchy!) I find that it really helps to think of the things that I have accomplished in my life. Focusing on what I have done, helps me to feel more positive and gives me motivation to keep going. So here it is. This is my list of things that I have accomplished over the past year. Some big, some little, but all important in some way or another. 1. Gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! (That really should be enough all on it's own!) 2. Made Natasha's quilt 3. Made Christmas Dinner and Thanksgiving Dinner almost entirely by myself 4. Moved my family to Kimberly for the summer

Okay, so I know that this will sound silly to most people. Because, really, it's not a big deal. Really. And it shouldn't be a big deal. But it is. For me.  I used the deep fryer tonight! For the first time ever!! Really. We've had a deep fryer most of our marriage (ten years!) and this is the first time I have ever used the deep fryer.  With lots of other things in our house, this wouldn't be that big of a deal. There are things in our house that I haven't used simply because it's always been Michael's "Job". For example, I used our hand operated food processor for the first time last week. We've had it for about five years. I've never used it because Michael has always done it and I never needed to. Now that I have a use for it, I'll probably use it more often. But the deep fryer is different. Very Different. When I was little, I was a big time Daddy's girl. My Dad owned his own business, out behind our house. So he was al

So, I've been stalling on writing this post because I wanted to take a picture to go with it. But seriously, at 6 in the morning, the last thing I'm thinking about is, "Did I grab my camera?" So the picture has not yet happened, and I doubt it will happen anytime soon. I've been running in the mornings for several weeks now. I get up at 6:15 and run at 6:30. I think I might be crazy. I'M NOT A RUNNER When my friend was telling me about her new found love for running, I said "oh that's cool" to be polite. Then I heard myself saying "I've always wanted to do that". Which is kinda true. I've always thought it would be neat to be one of those people that goes for a run to clear their head. Or just can't start the day without a "quick run around the block" which really means I'm going to go run a few miles. But when I say I think it would be neat , I mean it in the same way that it would be neat to be a professi

We're renovating . It's crazy and chaotic. Demolition Don't get me wrong. I'm excited for how it's going to be in the end, and I'm already loving the changes, but really? All the dust, the tools lying everywhere (I'm really nervous about when my baby starts crawling, he's so close!), the pieces of drywall and 2x4s, furniture all in wacky spots "just for now", not being able to find anything.....the list goes on. I'm tired of it. This project is taking longer than I thought it would, which really doesn't surprise me, I'm a contractor's daughter, and a do-it-yourselfer's wife. Projects always take longer than initially planned, especially when it's your own house.  But knowing that doesn't change the fact that I'm tired of it. I'm trying to be patient and appreciate that it's finally getting done, but I would really like to get some order back in my house. Reorganize the bedrooms (waiting on a doo

Ok, so the pictures are actually from six months, but I'm just getting to the blogging now, and he's seven months. So there you go! Zachary is growing quick and doing amazing! He got his first tooth on November 2, 2011. It is his bottom front tooth on his right. He is the easiest baby ever to put to bed, you give him a soother, lay him on his tummy and put a blanket over him. That's it, unless he's teething, then it's a little more involved, but all in all, he's great. When Michael first got home from Yellowknife, Zachary was playing strange with him a little bit, but now everything is settled, and he loves his Daddy. Which is a good thing since I'm going back to work a little bit for the holiday season. Zac is really starting to develop his own personality. He loves to laugh and giggle and loves being tickled and tossed in the air. He really doesn't understand peek-a-boo and just gives us a really strange look anytime we try to play it. Zachary'

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! Seriously one of the funnest days of the year! And for once, David was NOT suffering from asthma related illness, and could therefore actually enjoy it this year!! This year I decided that we were going to take full advantage of the year, so we put on costumes right after lunch and started making rounds!    I decided to have both boys dress up as puppies this year, 'cause I like the matching thing, as well as I already had the costumes! The dalmation is from Natasha's first skating carnival, and the grey puppy is from David's first Halloween, I love reusing costumes! The first thing we did was go across the street to see our neighbour. She loves David, and David thinks it's pretty cool to go over and see her. So we took her some halloween cookies and showed off the costumes. Then we went and picked up Grandma and went over to the nursing home to see the elderly that are living there. No one in particular, just figured they would like to see some cu

So...have you ever looked in your closet and thought... "I have nothing to wear." Absolutely Nothing. I think that all the time. I've done all my laundry two days earlier, but my favourite shirt is already worn and back in the laundry and I don't feel like wearing anything else, so clearly... I have nothing to wear. Well, the next time that you feel that way, try not doing any laundry for two weeks then doing all of it in the course of two days. Trust me, you will feel like you have TONNES of clothes! I'm sure the other six people in my family contribute to that mountain of laundry that I am almost through, again, but seriously....a couple of weeks ago I was thinking, "man I need to buy some clothes!" now I'm thinking "really, I need to get rid of stuff!" The truth is, now that I bought a couple of new shirts that fit nicely, I'm probably good. No, I don't LOVE everything in my wardrobe. Not all of it fits fantastically and

Today is one of those days that i just feel completely deflated. Like nothing I do makes a difference and none of it matters anyway. What really sucks about that is that yesterday was really a great day, but now all I can think of was all the crappy things. I just feel really unappreciated, and I know that's totally normal with teenagers (they wont get it until they are parents), but it is still discouraging. To top things off, Michael has been frustrated the last couple of days and taking it out on me. So I'm sitting here crying, feeling sorry for myself, and all I can think is "You're choosing to be sad.". It's true. I have so many wonderful things in my life right now, and because of a few silly comments made by people that were frustrated (and probably looking to push my buttons!) I now feel terrible. So I'm going to list ten great things in my life and really try to focus on those things instead. 1. Heather got her patriarchal blessing yesterday. (S

We did it. I did it. I can't believe it. But she asked me to. And she waited. And waited. And got more and more excited while she waited. Then I told her right after family pictures. She had a date. Something to look forward to. A time when it would finally happen. Then it rained, and family pictures were postponed. And it kept raining. So we picked a new date. Once again, she had a date. So we took family pictures. As soon as we were done, she asked again. So I figured she must be serious. I got everything ready and asked her one more time. "After this there is no turning back. Are you ready?" She was ready. We cut her hair. Off. Like really. Not a trim. We cut it OFF. But that wasn't enough. She still wanted more. So I grabbed the clippers. And we went shorter.  We went even shorter. Scarey. Looks like she's maybe thinking twice, eh? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Nope. She just didn't like the feel of the clippers around he

So, if you aren't LDS, this post will be confusing to you. I will try to explain what I can, but there are some things that I can't explain. So you have a choice. You can either choose to ignore this post (she's just doing her "church thing" again.) Or you can read it and try to understand the meaning behind it even though the actual events don't make much sense to you. Completely your choice.  So, I've been working on family history a lot lately. A LOT. I love it. I'm completely addicted.   I love to find families and wonder about their lives. I love finding out about occupations, and seeing how many married old and how many married young. I love seeing that some families had three kids and some had thirteen and some had none at all. Some people were killed in wars, some died as infants and some lived long productive lives. Well, at least I like to think they were all productive and wonderful, 'cause, let's be real, the alternative is too de

The Entire Yanos Family     It never fails, that anytime I am thinking of my blessings, I keep coming back to my family. No matter where I have been in my life, it has always been family that is the most important thing. They are the one constant in my life that I can always count on, and for a girl that doesn't like change, having a constant is VERY important. Michael's brother and his family This weekend, we were fortunate enough to have Michael's parents visiting us. They came out on Saturday and left this morning. We had a lot of fun having them around. It's so good for the kids to see them more frequently, and Michael is truly enjoying the growing relationships. We have all changed a lot in the past few months, and I think it is working out to make our family stronger. Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, Michael's brother and his family came down as well, so for the first time since Heather was a baby, the WHOLE family was together!! That's SEVEN grandchi

First day of Joy School, ready to go.  David started joy school last week. Joy School is like preschool, but it has different lesson plans. It's about the joys of the world, ie, the joy of nature, the joy of creativity, the joy of family...those types of things. The great thing about joy school, is that it's a group of mothers that do the lessons together. We take turns teaching the kids and it's really fun for the kids, and we have total control over the learning. David is so excited to be in joy school, he's loving every minute of it. There are three other kids in his class. It's going to take some time for them to get use to the routine, but they love the social interaction! At School Opening his window to say he's arrived Second day of School, at our house

Okay, I know it seems like I'm MIA, and I guess I kinda am. But I don't have internet at my house right now, (Waiting for the hubby to get home and set it up!). So I am doing things and taking pictures along the way, but I have to come up to my mom's to use internet and then I feel bad, 'cause I feel like I'm using her. Especially when, like now, she is holding a fussy baby that wont be comforted, so that I can go online!! So when I get my internet back, I will post about all the things I've been doing these past few weeks - and there are a lot! But for now I'll just give you a sneak peak! Making "Brown" Food Harvesting my Kimberly Garden Saying Good-bye Learning to Roll Over Celebrating Back to School Going back to School Hanging out with friends Baking Celebrating the end of summer Playing with trains Making cookies Playing games with family Going to our Corn Bust - YUM! So although it seems th