New Years resolutions 2014

FAMILY

• Letting my family know everyday that I love them, take time to hug and kiss them and play with them

• be in the moment

• have family home evening every week 

• celebrate the small things

• enjoy the stage we are at

• speak kind, discipline with love, be firm and fair

• don't get distracted with things that don't matter,  eg iPhone  

MARRIAGE

• be kind and understanding

• show appreciation

• one date a month

• speak kindly

• before getting frustrated, talk, discuss

• alone time together, set aside 1 night a     week

• concentrate on not taking our relationship for granted, show our kids that a wife/husband relationship is of vital importance

• kiss goodnight no matter how busy or tired, a reminder every night of 1 thing we appreciate the other for

• make time for amourous activities;)

PHYSICAL 

• Return to healthy weight

• Moving my body for 1/2 hr everyday

• Running a 1/2 marathon as well as 4 other races, color me rad with Alin, race weekend with family

• doing a triathlon 

• eating foods that fuel, cutting back on refined sugar and mindless, stressful eating

• getting sleep, this means weaning Abbie and having her in her own room and having the kids stay in their rooms at night

• taking care of my body to set a good example for my children

• keeping hair, clothes, nails up to date

• decluttering in all aspects

MENTAL

• positive thinking, I'm not going to be able to control the actions and words of others, but I can control how I react to it

• be kind to myself

• take a few minutes (5) or more everyday to just meditate and recharge

• don't let others dictate how we treat our children or change what we think is right, together as a couple we know what is best for our children and the unique and different things we are dealing with.  

SPIRITUAL

• teaching our children

• going to church, making sacrament a better learning experience

• encouraging Mason in primary and Daniela in nursery

• going to all our meetings

• reading my scriptures daily

• writing in my journal

• taking my endowments out

• encouraging Alin in kind and gentle ways, setting an example

• working on having our family being sealed for time and all eternity

• learning primary songs, bible and b of m stories.

• prayer, personal and family

• read and put into effect one conference talk a month

EDUCATIONAL

• keeping a portfolio up to date

• learning romanian

• taking a photography class

• taking a rowing class

• doing a joy school for the kids or equivalant

• finding time for music

DEC 21, 2013 Let the Christmas adventure begin

So it has been snowing for the last couple of days and we were supposed to get another snow/ice storm on the weekend so I was praying our flights wouldn't be cancelled.  I love going home and it's so much fun for the kids to play with all their cousins and Alin has a awesome time with all my siblings. We got to the airport and checked all our luggage in which went amazingly smoothly went through security and to our gate.  Our plane was there at the gate and so we relaxed a bit.  Loaded up and got on and then the waiting began....we ended up waiting on the tarmac for probably an hour, had to be de iced and then finally on our way, but Dani was not having a great flight which ment none of us were:( there was such a frustrating moment when she wouldn't stop screaming and Alin doesn't handle kid stress well...

It was so great to finally land in Lethbridge walk off the airplane and be greeted by family with signs, welcoming us home.  It really did my heart good and so great to have people there to amuse our kids, help put car seats in and then bring food to our hotel.  

Sunday 22nd Dec 2013 

It was great for the kids to get up in the morning and run down the hall (2 rooms) to see my parents, knock on the door and then run in jump in the beds and visit with Grama and Grampa Waldie...we sure don't see them enough. The kids had a ball and Grampa Waldie took them on some walking adventures around the hotel and Grama Waldie had dried some of her special apples for them... They devoured them:) we headed to Taber for the afternoon, saw the Gednys and Abbie is a huge Uncle Brent fan, she'd follow him around, bang on his legs and yell "up" to him.

  Grampa drawing pictures of horses, trucks and whatever Mister Mason asked for. Dani just liked to be snuggled beside

This is blurry and busy, but wanted to capture fun, they wanted to build pillow piles with grandma under.  

For the rest of the holidays it has been super busy!!! And super fun!!!! The kids absolutely love playing with their cousins and all the little adventures we've been on

SKATING The ice was rented 3 times for our family, 2 for the masses and once for the boys to play hockey... They had fun but I think between Alin and Theron there are going to be sore bodies.  It was great fun the Monday night, Mandy even arranged for hot chocolate and goodies after.  The kids loved being skated around in their strollers, and the only time they got irate is when we stopped to talk or rest, they wanted us to go fast:)

SWIMMING we went once at the hotel with William and his family and ordered pizza before and the rest of the time we went to the awesome Taber pool, this is probably the first time I didn't take my camera with me to capture the fun...we went about 4 times and Daniela even went down the waterslides with Torrance and Keaton jumped off the diving board

NATIVITY the church put on a Nativity so we went and watched it, was a little chilly and the 2 of the three fell asleep, Abbie on me and Mason on Alin but Daniela was chatting up a storm on Trina's knee, talking about the Donets, the angels and everything else it was really cute to listen to her.  They had hot chocolate and goodies in the gym after

CHRISTMAS EVE was at Renee's house and she had invited Theron's family too, the food was great, the kids had a great time playing with each other, we played some games and it was such a fun relaxing evening... How Christmas should be.  The kids then opened their Christmas pjs and the only picture I got was crazy

 CHRISTMAS DAY was fun I got the kids up and we went and got their stockings, they loved opening them and eating some treats, then when others came we opened gifts and then the kids played and played and played.  Mason and Keaton had such a great time with a race track.  Then everyone started coming to Renee's and it was AMAZING!!! All of the cousins play so well   together.  Dinner was awesome and then an intense game of spoons.  Mason sat on Alins lap and after the initial shock laughed and laughed.  

MOVIE we ended up taking all the kids to a movie as well.  Cute show called "Frozen" it was neat we took up a while section, mom and dad and ted and Doris plus the rest of us.  Dani and Abbie fell asleep at the previews and slept the whole show but Mason sat there with his popcorn and auntie Renee juice and loved it.  

GIRLS NIGHT

Momma Bear Syndrome Dec 11,2013

Mama bear syndrome is a very odd thing, sometimes you let things slide and sometimes you don't. This morning was a no sliding day for this mama bear. I took the kids to Billings Bridge's mall to try and find a dress for Alins Christmas party and to drop off a little treat for Alin.  It was crazy and busy and full of Christmas shoppers, we went about our business and at the end decided to get Alin some treats at the Swiss bakery, I manovered my stroller in and was finished and trying to get out when I saw a older lady giving me the look ~ the one that says that everything I'm doing is somehow offending her, followed by some grunts, sighs and another disapproving look...at this point momma bear is still sleeping and then she wakes the beast by turning around to get a good look at my little entourage and telling the lady beside her " it is ridiculous that boy riding in the stroller, he's big enough to walk, what kind of mom lets her kid ride in a stroller (keep in mind here I have a double stroller, which is awesome so I have 2 kids in it at all times, so Abbie was in the front, and it's the kind that is narrow one on top of each other, not a double wide) then instead of stopping she continued...more grunts and hurtful comments (when your a parent you'll understand why comments like these are so heartbreaking... First it's because you are already trying to do your best, you know where you fall short and parenting is emotional, your trying to do things perfectly and the best for your children, so when people say things it stings that much more) at this point Trina you would be proud... I was already out of the store and I turned around and went up to her and said "Sorry, but what your saying about us is quite offensive, you know nothing about us and all I want you to be is kind" as I walked out she said I should stay home with them and a few other things I couldn't make out.  The store clerk and other customers were a little shocked with her abrasiveness but I could feel the tears welling up and needed to get gone.  I turned into Alins office and the first person I saw was Sylvie and then the tears flowed I was so embarrassed but thank her for her kind words.  I couldn't wait to get home, to the warm, safe haven that our home is.  My heart was a little tender and as I was getting madder and madder and of course thinking of all the great comments I should have said to her a thought crossed my mind...I was right she didn't know anything about me but I also didn't know anything about her.  What kind of day had she had? As we turned on to one of the side streets I saw a little old lady walking in the cold, covering her face as I drove on by I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed she looked like she was really struggling...so I did something I generally don't do in the city, I stopped and backed up, rolled down my window and asked if she needed a ride. She happily accepted and you know what... My heart mended a little and the sting of the morning eased

Nov 28- Dec 4 2013 Mini Holiday - Sharks and wolves Oh My!

One of Alin's classmates was getting married this Saturday in Toronto so we decided to make a holiday out of it.  Alin took some time off work and we headed down Thursday.  Trying to get everything done with 3 little ones is like eating Oreos while brushing your teeth (Auntie Renee quote) we stayed at the Renissence (right beside CN tower and part of the Rogers centre) in the morning went to the new Ripleys Aquarium.  It was AWESOME we spent the morning then had lunch at the revolving restaurant at the CN tower, went to the glass floor (my poor hubby still hates it and won't go on it) walked back to the hotel, napped them (well Mason, Dani and dad) Abbie and I went walking.  Then when they got up we went back to the aquarium.  We all loved it

Conveyer belt ride

I love how Mason is reaching~Jelly fish exhibit

There was so many neat exhibits that I could fill a hundred pages with the photos

One of the things I love about Alin is that if we do something we do it up right

 CN Tower for lunch

                                            Great Wolf Lodge Family Trip

Sept 17,2013 I smiled

This morning started great, besides the fact that kids picked up something at a birthday party besides the treat bag like stuffed and runny noses?! How is it possible to have both at the same time. I went done and walked on the treadmill for 1/2 hr (that always makes the day go better). *note to Dani and Abbie when you become moms you need to take that time for yourself, I need to practise what I preach but it's so important to your sanity and your health.  I haven't done anything for myself for 3 1/2 years and am now just starting to make sure that I take that tiny break at least once a week, I want you girls to do it more but having 3 babies in 3 years makes it a little tougher:) then made muffins and then commenced the 2nd day of potty training.  Mason only had 1 accident!!! It was beautiful outside so we went and enjoyed the crisp, sunny, fall weather.  It was so beautiful and instead of running around trying to snap pictures of what a great day we were having I just relaxed, breathed it in and took pictures in my mind.  Mason and Dani hugging and making a train going down the slide.  Mason lugging around his new puppy (a stuffed animal, he's just latched on to) Daniela's golden locks bouncing while she's busy running "sans" shoes and sporting her sweater backwards (I put it that way because she's forever unzipping it) Abbie walking around with her cute little onsies with moccasins, only stopping to try and taste dirt, grass, leaves whatever else she can get in there faster than I can keep up with her.  The sun was shining and it was beautiful and relaxing and today I'm content.