Bubye Geege.

So many things to blog about and I have just no time!

I guess the biggest news is that we gave Maggie to a new home this week.

Allow me to explain.

We love Maggie. She's awesome. But when we got her, we were told she was a poodle/shitzu. Great. Non-shedding, hypoallergenic. Good to go.

But as she grew older, it became apparent that she shed. As she got older, the shedding got worse. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it bothered me.

However, since Gavin was about 2 months, he's been congested and stuffed up. It's been horrible. I have also been really stuffed and we began to wonder if it was Maggie. Every day, I became more and more convinced that she was the source. I started suggesting to Chris that perhaps we needed to find Maggie a new home. He was heartbroken, but eventually agreed.

I listed her on PVO and Kijiji with a price attached. We didn't want to list her as free because we wanted serious inquiries and we wanted her to be wanted and well cared for. We weren't going to just ship her off to the first interested person. I also mentioned that we were looking for a new home for her on FB.

Here's where I think God stepped in. I love that He cares for all our needs. I read a lot of blogs and one of the blogs I read was Shelly's. She is a good friend of some friends of mine and although we had never met, we felt like we knew each other from the blogging world. Well, Shelly finally joined FB just a few days before I posted in my status that we were selling Maggie. Just a few days before this, Shelly and her husband had been talking about how much they wanted another small dog, but they didn't want to deal with a puppy and housetraining. Shelly casually joked in my status that she'd love Maggie but couldn't convince her husband to fork over the mulah. Since money wasn't really the issue, we started to chat.

It was so awesome. They have 3 kids. They have a small dog and a cat already. They love thier animals a lot, and this was evident in their animals' sleeping arrangements. ;) Our dog is a little spoiled and it sounded like she would fit in just fine. As hard as it was actually handing Mags over, we knew she would be well cared for and adored. We felt such peace about our decision.

Chelsea hugged Maggie tight and handed her over to her new family. She didn't ask about her again until this morning. "Where's Maggie at, Mommy?"

"Remember we gave Maggie to a new family?"

"Oh yeah."

That was it. Gavin has spent more time looking for her. This becomes evident when he's eating in his highchair. He throws fistfulls of food onto the floor and then bangs his hand against the side of his highchair, as if he is calling for her.

I miss her eating the food off my floor. I've had to sweep sooo much. Not fun!

My husband is already asking when we are getting a new dog, but I'm making him wait. I need to make sure that I really really want another dog, so that I don't feel burdened when I have to train another puppy.

Although we miss gee-gee, we know it is for the best. We are cleaning like crazy and ripping up carpet and praying that soon our kids will be able to breathe again. We are also praying that Maggie fits in and loves her new family.

I know to some of you this is silly because she is "just a dog" but she's been in our family for 3 years. You get pretty attached to those little furballs!

:)

Thank you Dollarama, for your $1.50 hats. We played for almost 2 hours with them. I think I'm going to try and sneak away to get the other two hats in the store. Too cute!

On a side note, thanks to all who came to the Norwex party. I had a lot of fun!

My baby loves me just the way that I am.

This girl makes me laugh, all the time. She's big into funny faces and dressing up.

or dressing down...

She wears pajamas pretty much all day long. We change in the morning when she wakes up, but she changes back for nap time. Hey - I don't really blame her. I don't wear my jeans when I nap.



She talks. A LOT. She did this to herself. It lasted until I took the photo.


But occasionally... okay - about a gazillion times a day, I have to deal with the whining and the crying and the boundary testing.

Here's a hint, sweetie. Mommy wins, dearie. Mommy always wins.

(Yes I realize I won't always win, but for now, against an almost 3 year old, I still win.)

loves.

dating. 2001

engaged.2002


married. 2003

sometime. 2006.

edmonton - where we escaped after being told we may never have babies. 2006.

pregnant with that baby. 2007.

5th anniversary. 2008.

pregnant with baby#2. 2008.

Today. 2010.

- is so excited about this.
- can't wait for it to warm up so that we can start doing some painting and ripping out carpet in this house. We've been here for over a year and it's finally starting to feel like my home - not just a nice house that I get to live in for a while.
- loves my neighbours to bits and pieces. I'm pretty sure that we're going to kill a strip of grass on their lawn over the years, walking back and forth to each other's houses.
- is rooting for Tenley. :P
- needs a pedicure.
- loves her good friends. :)
- is angry that C is sick again and that we're having to battle fevers - again.
- thinks that you should leave a comment saying a few songs that motivate you to get moving. I want to know what is on your MP3 player.
- deletes people who swear in their FB statuses. I also delete people who don't comment or participate on my FB.
- is going to be ordering some glasses from this website. A friend of a friend has ordered 6 pairs and says they are great, so I'm going to try it out.
- is excited for her Norwex party coming up. Come y'all! ;)
- is already planning C's third birthday party and it isn't until April!
- has dreams of opening a cake store. I like dreaming of names. Amanda's Creative Cakes is pretty lame.
- also dreams of this. Sigh.
- loves the TV series "Leverage" and "Modern Family." So good.

- is smelling supper almost done and should get off her hiney and go do something.

Open wide.

I have a dentist appointment today. I had it booked for April, but they called today with a cancellation. It's just a cleaning, but I haven't been to the dentist in 4 years?

I'm nervous. It's not that I'm scared of the dentist or pain or anything, I just don't like it when I don't know the outcome. It's like being given a pop quiz when you haven't studied. Will I pass the test, or will I have cavities?

Plus, the bill at the end is never fun. Why is it that I can spend a day at the spa for $300 and have people gasp, but spend an hour at the dentist, spend the same and people understand. It's a sad world, people.

Cross that one off the bucket list

I finally finished my first quilt. Chelsea was still using her baby crib quilt to sleep and her feet kept sticking out the end. She told me she wanted a purple blanket, so I set about sewing her a quilt.

I called my aunt (who is pretty much a professional quilter), and my mom many times and even my neighbour helped me too.

What started as this...


turned into this.

And it stayed like that for a long time. I wasn't sure how to attach the quilt batting and how to finish the edges so I ignored it for a few months.

But I wanted to start a new sewing project so I knew I had to finish the quilt. I'm big on only having one project at a time. So, two afternoons of sewing later - voila! My first ever quilt!

Chelsea thought it was a pillow and was pretty disappointed that it wasn't as jumpy as a trampoline.


Hopefully soon she'll start to love it as a blanket, otherwise it might be up for grabs! Either way, I had a lot of fun making it and now I can cross it off my list of things that I always wanted to do.

Mom - I'm grumpy.

Me too, sweets, me too.

Summer? Are you there? I miss you! I desperately need some sunshine and to able to take this grumpster to the park.

Thatta Girl

Chelsea must have some kind of bug. She just threw up all over her bed, again. Two days ago, she was throwing up lots and the doctor said it was probably pain from the ear infection causing it. Now she's been on antibiotics for a few days and her ear is better, she's thrown up again. I'm not sure what's up, but we're believing for a quick healing.

All that aside...
I was holding Chelsea while on the couch. She was passed out, sleeping in my arms - or so I thought. Chris was standing up and talking to me and he farted. (I know, romantic, isn't he?) Chelsea opened her eyes. "Dad - you have to say 'scuse me when you fart." She then closed her eyes and returned to sleepyland.

Gotta love those manners.

Through the years...

Here in the H-household, we like to live on the edge. We like to create a little controversy, if you will.

This pertains to Gavin's hairstyles. He likes to mix it up - but can rock almost any of the 'taboo' hairstyles out there.

First, allow me to remind you of "The Mullet."


Then came "The Mohawk."


Currently however, G has lost his edge. He's gone from his trendy mohawk to this next one.
Allow me to present "The Combover."


Aww baby, dude, grandpa. We still love you.

matchy-matchy

Love this girl to pieces.

This week, Chelsea and I made the decision to get matching ear infections. We considered other options. Matching shirts? Matching tracksuits? Matching tattoos?

Matching hairstyles?

But finally, after much deliberation, we decided that matching ear infections was definitely the way to go. After a quick trip to the clinic, we came home with almost matching prescriptions too! A bonus!

The Staring Contest

I have been so crazy busy that this poor ol' blog has been ignored, pushed aside, and neglected. It's taken up residence on the back burner while I've made other things a priority.

- I'm almost finished putting all the pictures I've ever taken into albums, with a written blurb beside each one.
- I've only taken on one cake a week, but the cakes seem to be getting more detailed and complicated each time!
- I've been out for coffee, to the movies, over to friends' houses for supper and hosted a few suppers here.
- I've been menu-planning, grocery shopping, and cooking up a storm (and then, tackling the mountain of dishes as a result).
- I've been enjoying my wonderful kiddies and taking the time to really play with them and give them my full attention.
- I've been trying to take some time for me each day to run or Turbo Jam it up.

But, before you feel sorry for my blog, sitting all by his lonesome up there on the back burner, realize that he's not alone. He's in good hands, being kept company by my laundry.

Oh, the laundry that's been ignored. It's clean, no worries there. Because, you see, actually doing laundry, I have no problems with. Really - how hard is it to sort, throw it in the washer and then the dryer? Easy-peasy.

But the folding, hanging, sorting - that gets me every time. Plus I leave it until there's about 4 hampers full, so then it intimidates me. It's a mountain of laundry that wins the staring contest every morning as I quickly avert my eyes.

Ha! Perfect timing! Just as I'm typing this and the laundry-guilt is starting to take hold of my soul, I hear the cries of my son in the baby monitor.

Looks like the laundry wins again.

Big Bubba

I love these comparisons.
The day we brought G home from the hospital.

And last night, G's last time in the bucket seat, at a whopping 23 pounds at 7 months.


There will be a real blog post soon, I promise.

My bud.

On Sunday, we had Gavin dedicated to God. It was such a special service and we totally felt blessed.

I debated speaking in church, but sadly, let my fear of looking like a dork overtake me. If I were to have spoken, it would have gone like this.

Four years ago, we were told by our doctor that the chances of us ever having a baby were very very slim. We started praying hard for a baby and now, this is our second time up on this stage, dedicating our child to the Lord. We don't ever forget this miracle or the gifts that God has given us. You are our miracle and we love you so much.

Gavin - you are such an incredible joy. I've never known a baby to be so content, smiley, and cuddly all the time. We are so honored to have been chosen to be your parents. You are such a special child. We pray daily that God would show us how to be your role models and that He would give us the wisdom we need to raise you.

Bud, we love you more than words can say. I pray that you will always feel Jesus near. I pray for the strong man of God that you will become. We dedicate you today Gavin, and thank the Lord for you always.

• I bought new shelves for my bathroom and I love them. Hopefully this will help me with my clutter issue, but I need help. How do you store your bobbypins? I'm thinking one of those magnetic paperclip holder things would be good.
  
• I'm almost caught up on all my pictures from 2009. I print them all, put them in an album, and then write something in the album about each picture. I know a lot of you are scrapbookers, but what do you do with all the pictures you don't scrapbook?


• I think January is going to be a costly month. I need to go to the eyedoctor for an exam and buy more contacts, and make a trip to the dentist. Gotta love not having coverage. Oh and the thermostat in our SUV is shot and it needs new wheel bearings. Bubye Christmas money! ;)
• We had yet another good night with friends of ours. Chelsea is so in love with their girls and G and G are only 2 months apart. We always have a great time, but it seems that those nights are too far apart! We need to do it more often.



• I just tried playing Mario Wii with my husband. It really isn't that much fun playing video games with someone who is super great at every game.
• I guess I really don't have much interesting to say. I thought I did. Oh well.