three months old

third and last

Last night was the 3rd Annual Dessert Party at our house ... so much fun and so much food! I pulled out those red hearts again and had each couple pose for their love photo, just like the last two years here and here. My friend Carol has gone through some big changes this past year so all the girls surrounded her for her photo, as we do love her so much. (She really loved the idea!)

How I'm going to miss these friends, miss these little traditions of ours and miss these fabulous nights of fun together. Thanks everyone for another memorable evening!

funny friends: the alternate version

double trouble

I had Felix in his white kangaroo jammies and put him in his crib when I remembered that I had taken pictures of Henry in that exact outfit and background. So I snapped a few of Felix ... and oh my ... they are so alike. If Felix turns out to be even half as cute as Henry then we're in trouble! Gorgeous boys, you are definitely brothers ... there is no doubt of that!

henry's valentine

This idea certainly isn't original but it was easy and fun to do! Comical too trying to get Henry to pose with his fist up, while standing still, looking at the camera and smiling. Ha, I've got some crazy grimaces and pained expressions as proof of his efforts! What a trooper. I'll make up the rest of the bunch tonight and then we'll have them ready to hand out to his friends at school tomorrow.

But Henry's real Valentine's card came home with him today, for Daddy and Mummy. He had been working on it for a few classes, we heard, and he was so anxious to give it to me when he came home from school. A simple first card, but beautiful to a Mumma's eyes, and the most amazing part ... he printed out his name! He's been doing H's and W's with no trouble for awhile now but to see his whole name ... with those enlarged lowercase letters ... it was perfect. He was so proud and I was so proud and we were both just bursting.

First of many "best cards", I know.

nary a photo in sight

I have honestly been meaning to write this post for the past 3 weeks. I'm sorry I've been so quiet and have resorted to cute photos of Felix instead. I feel a little paralyzed when it comes to blogging as of late. Overwhelmed by all that I want to write about and archive and document for our family and I feel as though I have no creative energy to simply write as I'm used to. And I'm bugged - as I'm sure some of you are - by the fact that I've turned into one of those uninteresting, annoying-if-you're-not-the-grandparents Mummy bloggers. I seem to have nothing to say or nothing to share beyond pictures and anecdotes of my cute kids ... over and over again. Throw in a rainbow cake here and there and that's about the extent of it. Sigh. Yet for this stage of my life, this is really all I seem to have the energy for and I need to use this venue as a way to highlight and showcase these growing up moments. I was stressing this morning about all the photo projects and books I have on my to-do list and of course realistically it's impossible. So I can at least print off my blog every year and feel happy that not every photo is simply locked away in the computer! (I did, however, manage to put together this simple baby book for Felix, motivated by the half off coupon code which expired yesterday! Small victories, I tell you.)

The big news that I wanted to share is that our little family is moving. And soon. Back to the West Coast, to Vancouver Island where we call home. And ironically, due to the large and wonderful group of friends we have here, it was a very hard decision for me to say yes to. But we know this is the best for our family and our long term goals ... raising our ocean-dipping, soccer-playing, granola-eating kids there. Everyone here keeps saying how glad they are that we will be close to family finally and while that's true I know that will also be a huge transition for me. We haven't lived in the same province for the past 9 years and for the first 5 years of our marriage not in the same country either! Before that I lived away from my family while I was on my own. I'm used to phone calls and once or twice a year visits ... now they will be an hour's drive or a ferry ride away. Yes, really good, but it will take some time getting used to. Is that strange?

I'm torn about leaving. We have a very strong community of friends and a church family we love. Both have been vital in these early years having 3 kids in 4 years. And yet if I'm trying to look at the positive - which I often find very hard to do, believe it or not! - I can acknowledge that these friends were in my life at a very important and very specific time. When I needed help the most. And I am very, very grateful for that. I'm just going to miss everyone like mad. And I really hate that they won't be able to watch my boys growing up and know their little quirks and funny ways. The same for their children. We will know each other's kids by the family pictures growing up year after year instead. And I know that's the way it is, when you move. But I'm envious of everyone else who will stay here and have the chance to grow up together. So many of our friends here will most certainly never leave, for all their family is here. I never had that experience growing up ... having friends since preschool or grade school ... and I realize now how much I want that continuity for our children now. So we hope this beginning again will be the beginning of a long memory-filled, full-of-friends childhood in one place.

So in about a month, we go. Now I can't avoid the necessity of starting to pack up the house, organizing everything. (I am stressed now!) We will be bunking in with Sam's parents in Duncan for awhile (a month? two?) until our house sells or we have rented it out so that we can free up some money to rent a place ourselves in Victoria. A temporary transition first and then eventually getting settled into a new place. Sam will start his new job right away and commute that hour over the Malahat every day. He's leaving the Health Region here to a vastly different environment working as a Psychologist right on the Navy Base - and I know he's looking forward to it.

Lots of changes up ahead ... perhaps then you'll be seeing photos of something besides my kids as we chronicle this big move. You can only hope.

And Starbucks? So close, all the time? .... awesome.