Life Lately

I figured it's high time I'd update all 5 of you who read my blog on what we've been up to lately. I'm shaking my head in disbelief that it's already April, the snow is (hopefully) gone and Easter is over. I'm so looking forward to summer and green grass, long walks and late evenings spent at the park.

My grandparents, who spend every winter in Texas came home last week. They always make the rounds and visit my aunt and uncle and cousins in BC first before they get back to Saskatchewan. This time they brought my 18 year old cousin Jen back to stay with us for a few days. We hardly ever get to see them and we had such a great time with her! She flew back this morning and I remembered again how much I hate goodbyes. In a perfect world, I would have all the people I love close to me. Unfortunately that's not very realistic but it does make reunions more special. I think it's so neat how age gaps get smaller the older you get. I'm 9 years older then Jen and I remember when she was born and playing with her as a baby. I remember her and her little sister begging to play with Leesa and I when they were a bit older and how we sometimes got annoyed with them and didn't want them hanging around. And yet now, I feel like we're more on equal ground. We're both adults and have developed a really neat friendship. I'm so thankful that she was able to visit.

On a not so pleasant note, Aviannah is sick again. She got her first bad cold back in December and since then, she's managed to pick up every little bug that passes by. Every time she gets sick she always gets this nasty cough that sounds so awful. Especially after her stint in the hospital in February, I get so nervous anytime I hear that horrible cough. John took her to the walk in yesterday and thankfully her lungs are clear this time and it just seems to be a bad cold. They prescribed her a puffer which will help keep her airway clear. She seems to be slowly on the mend. At least this time she's still eating and drinking. Unfortunately, because of all these colds she hasn't slept through the night since before Christmas (and she was doing it since August before then.) I've heard a few times "Oh, just you wait. One day you'll miss those middle of the night cuddles." I was thinking about that last night at 3:30 as I was rocking her back to sleep and I thought "Maybe some people do, but I sure won't!" I was cold, beyond exhausted and all I could think about was my nice warm bed a a few feet away. John helps with the night shifts which I'm so thankful for. Yesterday I said to him "One day, we will all sleep all night long one night, and then the next night, and then every night after that. It WILL happen!" I think I was trying to convince myself more then anyone else! There's lots that I will miss about the baby stage but being up in the night will NOT be one of them!

The girls both got vaccinated last Wednesday. Neither of them had been weighed or measured in awhile so I was excited to see where they were at. Cassidy, at 4 years, weighs 37 lbs (80th percentile) and is 39 inches (40th percentile). Aviannah, at 1 year, weighs 15 1/2lbs (5th percentile) and is 28 inches (15th percentile). Considering Avi wasn't even on the charts for the first half year of her life, the nurse said she's doing very well. I often worry about her size, especially since she doesn't really seem to enjoy eating and it's all I can do to get a decent amount of food in her sometimes, but the nurse reassured me that she's doing great considering her situation. I think she'll always just be a petite girl and there's nothing wrong with that!

There's so much coming up that I'm looking forward to. One of Cassidy's grandmas paid for swimming lessons as a birthday present and that starts in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to doing that with her. She is also registered for preschool in September. It's just a block over from our house and she'll go 2 afternoons a week. She is so excited and keeps asking when she gets to go. I'm so excited to see how she'll thrive in a school setting. She's always been such a smart girl and loves learning new things and making new friends. Before that though, we have summer to look forward to! In July I'm running in a 5K with a group of friends and my best friend is getting married in Winnipeg. I'm in the wedding and I'm really looking forward to it! In August I'll be directing VBS at our church again and John and I are planning a trip to Bamff to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (what??) I've never actually stayed in Bamff, just driven through, and I'm so looking forward to it! Hiking, hot springs and enjoying time alone with my husband...sounds divine. 

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend with your loved ones. I was once again brought to tears as I was reminded of the horrible things Jesus endured on the cross, just because he loved us, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face as we celebrated the fact that He didn't stay dead, that He rose again and lives today! Life is worth the living just because He lives!