My sweet little kiddos. I love it when you play together and snuggle and are kind. These few photos are from March 12th. Julian was almost 2 and Jayna was 4. Julian woke up from his nap and Jay was in my room and stole my phone to watch netflix. They were cuddled up together and I took some photos. So cute and snuggly together in Mommy's bed. Love you my sweet children:)

Julian's 2nd Birthday

So, wow...I have once again jumped OFF the Blog wagon! I had too many posts I wanted to do, and then they added up and then new things happened, but I felt like I have to catch up with old events before I posted newer ones...which lead to nothing being blogged about because it was just too much. hahaha. Well, today is the start of the catch up posts!! First off is: Julian Charles Forin turned TWO! March 31st, 2016. Oh Julian. I still remember your birth...your birth day. You were so peaceful and sweet. Daddy and I were just in awe of you, and enjoying the experience so very much. What an honor it is to have sacred experiences of bringing a new spirit into the world. When you received your baby blessing a few months after you were born, Daddy and I just cried as we held you and looked at you. I have referred to those moments throughout your little life thus far and they help me remember your spirit and who you are as I learn more of who that is. I know I will always remember certain experiences we have had with you since birth. It truly is an amazing honor and gift to be a Parent. As a baby, you were often referred to as "chill". You were very good natured and yes, you were chill. But I have to say Son, those days are long gone now. haha! You are one energetic, busy, assertive, social, happy, LOUD, boyish, sweet, funny, smart, kind, apologetic, empathic, very aware little boy! Now I am writing this and you are 2 and 5 months old, and all of those qualities are just becoming more amplified! And I guess I have to say, you are still my "chill" boy sometimes too, just less than before;) It is interesting to look back and see many qualities that have always been there in your child, you just know more of what they are really like as they get older as they stick with certain characteristics. It is really neat to look back at old baby footage and see how they are still exactly the same in some ways! Our nicknames for you are: Jugee, Juju, Sonny Jim, and Grandpa Marshall likes to call you "Julie" sometimes, and somehow it's ok when he says it. lol. So your special day was relaxed and nothing over the top, but we celebrated you, sweet Juju: I made pancakes and a smoothie for breakfast which you very much enjoyed and you watched "Aristocats" :

After breakfast, you had a bath and you ran downstairs naked and cuddle up in a blanket on the couch. What a beautiful boy you are Son...:

You and Jay had a bubble bath together, look at your cute bums!! And you being all wild and crazy...

After we got dressed and ready, we went and played at a park and ate at the "Red Barn" for lunch. You played with Sophia, Hazel, and Jayna before your nap. Then Nana, Papa, Grandpa Marshall, and Auntie Michelle came over for homemade pizzas.

We invited our neighbors, the Hughes's over for cake. I put a little effort into it for you this time. I made chocolate cake, with piles of dirt on it (crushed oreos). You blew the candle out like a pro! And then you took them off the cake, along with the trucks...so mature haha!:

We opened presents and you received: lots of new clothes and a few pairs of shoes, playdough, a tube of plastic play dinosaurs with trees and rocks, a book, a new gym bag with your name on the side. You said new words today, and you are speaking sentences!! You said for the first time: " Don't worry Daddy." It was adorable;) I gave you extra love and cuddles today, and I know that you felt special! You peed for the FIRST time on your potty today!! (As I am writing this 5 months later, that was the one and only time you have peed on the potty hahahaha) There you have it Son. You are one loved and special boy, and your family LOVES you soooo very much!!!!

Jayna and Julian's new Playhouse!

So my Mom took the kids on a walk in our neighborhood last week, and Julian goes straight into another person's yard into a little playhouse that was on their front lawn. My Mom tries to lure him out saying the typical : " Oh that's not ours..." and the guy who lives there comes out. My Mom talked to him and said, " Oh my grandkids just love this little house!" And the guys says, "You can have it. I just moved in, and don't have kids. Go ahead, take it anytime!" So my Mom comes back with the kids and is all excited cause she scored us a free playhouse that was about $300 new! So, that's great I thought! Andrew and I had wanted to build a playhouse for the kids, but that wouldn't have happened till next summer, and they are at such a good age now for one. So, a few days later the Elders came over for dinner, and perfect timing, they helped Andrew moved the playhouse:) Andrew sprayed it all down, and clean it up, pulled ivy off the side and a bunch of moss and cobwebs. He went and got some plywood and pallets for free and made a little foundation for it to sit in about 15 minutes, then put it back together and voila! We need to re-stain and paint it when the weather gets nice outside! Our little playhouse for Jayna and Julian:) Typical hoodie pull from Jayna haha

I found a little metal bowl that fits perfectly in the sink, and I have a few ideas to fancy it up a little bit. Fun times ahead in this little playhouse:) Here is a pic through the window of our neighbor, Sophia, Jayna's good friend:)

Being a kid is really magical, and it's so fun to watch them play. I remember what it was like actually, and things that I loved to do. Wouldn't it be so cool to go back in time and be a kid the same age as your children? haha. Nice wish;)

Me and the Boys, walking on the beach

Back in January, my little bro Josh came to visit from Las Vegas where he has been living since the summer. I hadn't seen him since August, so it was sooo nice! My brother means so much to me, we have always been so close, and went through a lot together as kids that helped to build a strong sibling bond. He is one of my best friends for sure, and I love spending time together. On his last day in Victoria, we went for a walk with Dad, his dog Molly, and Julian while Jayna was at preschool. Julian LOVES Molly, and whenever Grandpa Marshall's name is mentioned he quickly adds: " Molly?" haha He was excited to play "catch" with her, but didn't really understand why she kept taking the stick from him lol. Molly loves to lick...Julian doesn't really mind. I give him a good wipe down after hanging out with Dad and Molly haha.

Julian loved helping walk Molly!! So sweet.

My Dad sure loves his dog Molly, she is definately like another one of his kids to him! We bug him sometimes saying he treats Molly better than he treats us, lol. Well, look at this face, I can understand...

Here is a photo of my Dad. He turns 74 this year, old fart;) My Dad and I live like 5 minutes away. I am very fortunate to live about 10 mins from my Mom too:) Dad and I have become closer as the years go by and I really cherish the times I spend with him now. I know he won't be around forever, and this past year I have noticed the years are starting to take a toll on him. We have some common interests, like photography that bonds us, and I have come to appreciate his simple nature and good heart. I love him so much.

My bro, crazy to think he turns 30 this year! What the?!

Juju climbing over the logs and exploring. I love this little boy sooo much!! Seriously, I feel so blessed to be his mama. He is so tender, sweet, kind, empathetic, funny, happy, social, quick to forgive, takes a stand on what he wants ( he's almost 2 lol ) He really has calmed my heart many times since his birth. I can't image life without our precious boy.

I love where we live, and that we can go for a stroll on the beach...even in the winter.

Welcome to the New Year....2016

So, wow, I have dropped the ball on blogging this year so far...Good thing we are only 1.5 months in:) I took some photos of Jayna playing in our neighbors yard on January 2, 2016. The only time snow ever stuck on the ground this winter in Victoria BC. And, it hardly did, as you can see from the patchy grass! haha. I do love snow! I wouldn't mind having it here more than we do. Blizzard of 1996, need I say more, that was insane! I love these photos of Jayna Joy. Freshly turned 4, and still loves to eat snow off anything she can pick up.

xoxoxo My little Jayna girl is growing up! She started pre school this year, and goes twice a week for 3 hours. It is awesome and she loves it! She plays with Julian so good for the most part and it is so nice to watch them together and see their personalities intertwine. Jayna has so much spunk to her. Lately she makes tons of facial expressions and likes being goofy. She loves to play tag, and laugh. She loves to have dance parties in our living room, and show us her moves. She gets hot often and takes off her shirt. A habit that will be short lived lol. She has sooo many stuffies, and this year she likes to take them allll out of her closet, and I have been leaving them there and her room is a disaster for days on end until we clean it all up together. Got to break that cycle though, teach her the peacefulness of a tidy room! Her hair is still super curly, and her eyes are still so blue. She has lots of feelings and is learning to control her emotions in a safe and conscious way. She says new things all the time, and is getting more mature and is just...growing up! You literally watch your children grow up in front of you. I love being her mama.

Jayna's 4th Birthday!! December 29th, 2015

My little Jayna Joy is growing on up! It's so crazy she is four...she has really been changing the last few months. It is an amazing thing to literally watch your child grow up before your eyes!! It seems like all of a sudden they are more mature, it kind of happens in waves. We have really noticed that the things she says lately, or how she says them is so mature. Well little kid mature. Andrew and I look at eachother and we're like, " huh, she was just a baby yesterday!" It's exciting! I would have to say the last year has really been a challenge with Jayna at times for both Andrew and I. 2 and 3 actually haha. There is so much I could write on that subject, but I am glad that things are evening out and she is changing for the better, and we are too. Being a parent is so hard! And being a little kid must be too!! But we love, and forgive, and move forward trying to do better each day. This year for Jayna's birthday we were low key. Actually, we have been every year for her, ha. I haven't gone all birthday crazy yet, I just think she is too young still, and what's the point? I want her to feel extra special from the moment she wakes up till the moment she goes to bed, and we have always done that, but no elaborate parties over here. Since it is now January 17th that I am writing this post, I don't remember what we made for breakfast, haha, but we started the day with lots of hugs and kisses and Happy Birthdays, then ate and got ready. She opened a present from Grandma Jane, a little soft purse, and was a few sets of beads to make necklaces etc! So cool, cause she just got into that recently at Nana's and made her first necklace a month ago. She handed Daddy each bead and they made a big long necklace with her name on it, a bracelet, and two rings. Andrew is such a good Daddy. He plays with Jayna a lot. She just loves him and spending time with him. We then went to the Movie store and she got to pick out a movie! She chose Scooby-Doo! She is really into Scooby-Doo lately. Side note: Jayna likes to be creeped out and watch 'scary' movies. She didn't get those genes from me, I am sissy when it comes to that stuff! After the movie store ( the only one still standing here) we walked over to Second Slice and got pizza! One of our family's favourite foods. Even Julian will ask for pizza sometimes! The kids got a free plate, frisbee, and brownies! That was nice! Throughout the day she got to open her presents from us. I hid them in her room and she had to find them, she loved that! Her Birthday Bear:

We went home, and ate popcorn and watched her show with her, well mostly Daddy did cause I had to put Juju down for his nap. Grandpa Marshall stopped over to say hello and pass on some gifts from my Auntie Carol. There was one for Juju and Jayna and they loved them! Each a hat, and then a stuffie in a can, a moose for Juju and a bear for Jayna!

The bear hat and paws are SO Jayna, she loved it so much and was so excited! Acting the part...

We just chilled, and then Nana, Papa, and Auntie Michelle came over! They brought home made Turkey Soup for dinner and I made baking powder biscuits, the best ones yet too;) For some reason they turned out extra good this time. My family is a big lover of baking powder biscuits:) Jayna got to open her presents from Nana, Papa, and Auntie Michelle: I love Jayna's expression in the second photo, so one of her faces:)

After dinner we had cake and sang Happy Birthday! It was so cute after we sang, she said, " Ok Mommy, help me blow out the candles!" So Juju and I did:)

Here are some more "quality" photos of the night! Jayna would reply: "an ice cream cake!" whenever I asked her what she would like for her birthday cake. So off to DQ I went. ( Holy expensive, and a rip off! ) My brother Josh offered to pay for her cake...all the way from Vegas! What a nice Uncle:) When I saw the one with sprinkles I knew she would like that one. She did. She was so excited and was like :"Oh wow, thank you so much Mommy, I love it!" I definitely love hearing those things from her:)

So when we were getting family pictures with Jay and her cake she started licking it...HA! This continued, and Julian had to get in on it too. These two have alot of fun together now and I love it when they play so nicely together and laugh. It is a joy to watch. I was close to my little brother growing up, and it's neat to see my own kids relationship with each other.

Decorating her face with ice cream, apparently that is what you do when you are little:) These photos really crack me up!

It was a great day, and in the evening, Jayna said: "This is the best day! Thank you Mommy!!" Wow, music to my ears:) “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." Jayna is our firstborn. She gave me the title "Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy." She is a piece of my heart. In a lot of ways it seems as though she always existed, far more than 4 years in our lives. I wonder our relationship with our children before we were physically born on this earth. If they pick us from heaven, or we all agreed on it or what? I'm sure glad she came to our family. She has taught me a lot. She is what I expected, and not what I expected. She is her own person. She is so special and I love her so much.

A bit about Jayna at age 4: She is social, has been since she was a baby. Throughout her life thus far she is comfortable talking to people she has never met before if she has a question for them, or something about them interest her. She just starts up a conversation. She can make friends wherever she goes, that has been really neat to watch. She can also be shy at times, and when she is, she puts her fingers in her mouth, or will talk in a baby voice. She loves to bring something with her when we leave the house, always has done that... from a stuffie, to sticks, a bag, a doll, a tool, anything she wants to bring. Jayna has a tender heart. She freely expresses her love for family and those around her. Throughout the day she will say : "I love you Mommy and Daddy, and Julian." She loves to cuddle, hug, and give kisses. I have many special moments with her where we look into each others eyes and express our love for each other and then hug or give a kiss. I cherish those moments. This year we had to teach her that not all friends like hugs, and that high fives are ok too, and kisses are for family only:) She is so observant. She notices so many little things around her, and points them out. I love that so much about her. Jayna is strong willed, and she fights fire with fire. We have learned that, and have adapted to suit her needs better that way with behaviour (and are still learning). She isn't afraid to speak her mind and let you know what she is wanting. She grasps things you explain to her in her own way, and repeats them back in situations that later call for that technique. Like: " Calm down, everybody take a deep breath. " I always teach her to breathe when she is upset, and breathe through it. Jayna is very good at expressing her feelings with her words when she is calm and can listen and express herself, she has amazed me a number of times with her maturity in that area. She has a really good memory and often will bring up experiences she has had back to when she was even age 2! She is becoming more independent, and helping me more around the house, and doing things for herself. She likes playdough, painting, blocks, loves her stuffies, beads, babies, watching shows on netflix: Superwhy, Masha and the Bear, Scooby-doo, Disney movies (old school ones) and she loves to watch things over and over, then moves on to something else. She LOVES to dance, loves bugs and being outside exploring, loves swimming. She recently jumped into the pool and swam to the other side for the firs time! She loves going to Nana and Papas, and has sleep overs sometimes, and loves helping Nana in her garden. She likes olives, soups, pizza, avacado, cheese strings, Mama Chia, and carrots. She has been eating a carrot before bed for a few months now, haha. She still wears a pull up to bed. She is size 9-10 shoes, weighs 36lbs, and not sure how tall she is, but she is tall for her age. Her hair is down to the middle of her back if you pull it straight, but is ringlet curly and sits past her shoulders. She loves baths, and notices her fingers and toes get wrinkles when she stay in for a long time. She finally likes primary now! Most of last year was a struggle for her. So that's awesome, Today she told me in the hallway, " I'm not scared in Primary now Mom! " Maybe she will sing now in the Primary Presentations;) She just started pre-school this month, and really likes it! She goes from 9-12 two days a week with other 4 year olds. She has lots of energy, and loves to be silly, make funny expressions and act goofy. (my kind of girl:) She is loud, and has a great deep laugh when she really gets going. She loves tag and to make things a game, and to laugh alot. She likes things to be fun, and needs them to be to really be her true self. It is a privilege to be her Mama, and I will keep improving myself to be better for her and her needs, I love you my sweet Jayna Joy!!