7:30am: Breakfast! This morning it consisted of a Yogurt tube and whatever else she might have agreed to eat. She’s getting really picky these days.

Brianna watched from the bouncy chair (with Hailey’s doll), she had already got her morning milkshake.

8:00am: Naptime for Brianna, play time for Hailey
10:00am: Nursing time for Brianna, then play time all together! Brianna got to experience the jolly jumper for the first time, she didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it. Probably just got annoyed as Hailey pushed her in circles. Oh the life of a little sister.

11:00am: More naps for Brianna (or tried to make her nap…) Hailey put her doll in the jolly jumper and pushed her around when I wouldn’t let her go in it.

12:00pm: Lunch time! Then playing until nap time.

1:30pm: Nap time for Hailey, nursing time for Brianna. (thus I never get a break because one or both kids are always up). Then we have a photoshoot.

2:30pm: Hailey is up. Brianna looks adoringly from her tummy time spot.

3:00pm: We pushed Brianna’s nap off and went for a quick walk! Cut short because the neighbours were spreading manure and it was dusty and smelly not too far down the road.

Followed by a rousing rendition of Pat-a-cake (Hailey’s fave and a song she bursts into singing at random points of the day)

Serious faces from Brianna mean it’s nap time!

4:30pm: Nursing time for Brianna and we start dinner.

5:15pm: Dinner time. And Brianna begins to get fussy (another nap time) so either Scott or myself alternate eating with Hailey.

5:45pm: Clean up a bit and play time until bed.

6:30pm: Cluster feed for Brianna followed by bedtime for Brianna.

7:30pm: Bedtime for Hailey!

7:40pm: Collapse on the couch, edit photos,work on the photos books I need to get done asap and surf the internets.

10pm: Bedtime for the adults to gather energy for tomorrow.

Related posts:

1. A Busy life = A Happy life
2. Reading and just being
3. Life, in no particular order.

Before’s are here “Merging of the rooms”
During:
New carpet, paint and lights

After:

We obviously need some new furniture but are not rushing out to get any quite yet. Mostly because I see a chair I like and then see the price tag. yikes. We have some old furniture that my Oma & Opa left behind so I might try to find a slipcover for them for now. It’s kind of convenient to have the couch facing Hailey’s play area.

Still to do:
New furniture
Wall decor (on the accent wall, I’m thinking a wall quote)
Mantel & Built in decor
Curtains (Similar to this)

Related posts:

1. Kate's House Update
2. Merging of the rooms
3. Some living room love.

-work: I don’t mind being back to work, much to my surprise. I really thought I would hate being there and being away from Hailey but I’m handling it well. However I don’t like that now I feel like I have no time to do the things I love to do. Like play with Hailey, show her the world and take photos, which is something else  I love to do. It makes me sad to look through my recently taken photos and have nothing to be proud of because they were all taken indoors, when the light was bad and I was chasing after a toddler, or running away from her because when she sees the camera she must have it. It’s tough for me to think about, because I had so long (1 year) to myself and Hailey. We could do what we wanted (mostly, Hailey’s naps are pretty important to her) and we got to hang out together. Now I live for 4pm when I leave work and get to go see her, but then I get so exhausted and can’t wait for 7pm (aka get ready for bedtime), which makes me feel horrible because I never get to see her, so I should love the time I get with her, which brings me to my next point…

-toddlerhood: Hailey is becoming a vocal testing toddler. She is happy go lucky sometimes and grumpy crying the next minute. I know this is normal with a toddler but it’s such a hard stage. It’s so hard when she only wants to be with me while I’m cooking or cleaning (which rarely happens these days to be honest), if I’m not holding her she’s crying at my feet with her arms in the air to be lifted up. I love that she has such a personality, but I could really do away with her grumpy times.

-wishing time away: I’ve also started doing something since I’ve been back at work, which I know lots of people do- wishing for the weekend. Monday arrives and I already dream about Saturday. But we are getting busy in the barn again on the weekend, need a babysitter for Hailey and before I know it the whole weekend has passed and I’ve hardly seen Hailey any more then I did during the week. So as I wish my life away, Hailey gets older, we get closer to the new baby and time flies by. I need to learn not to do this, but it’s so hard.

This is a photo free post because I don’t even have any photos I am half proud of to post in here.

To sum it up: work is alright, time is lacking and Hailey is growing older.

No related posts.

This beautiful photo was taken on her wedding day.

Also – I should note that it was Mrs. Kate’s birthday on the 31st of July and her terrible sisters neglected to inform all of you about it. So happy belated birthday Katers, mother of the most beautiful girl in the entire universe. Kate’s birthday used to be my favourite holiday of the entire year as it was the one day that Kate would just let loose, take back one too many tequila shots and let me tell you, this girl is an absolute blast when she is ready to part-ay.

An homage to that side of Kate:

Did you know that our Mom has a blog too? And that she is a world class seamstress? And that our local paper just wrote an article about her? She is quickly surpassing her daughters in cool-ness. Check out the article entitled “Online Passion for Fashion”. We’re proud of you, Mommio!

Related posts:

1. Happy Birthday!
2. A Very Important Birthday
3. Happy Birthday Leah!

When we first got married we purchased our first piece of property. A 68 acre piece of land with an 800 head finishing barn.  No House.

Then we started renting another pig barn, a 2000 head finishing barn with more land.

Pigs and land take time and money, so with each purchase we were farther (in my mind at least) from owning our home.

In December my grandparents talked about selling their farm. A beautiful house, workshop and 72 acres. Scott started dreaming and talking about buying the farm. I figured there was no way we would be able to afford it. In February we went to talk to them about and they thought it was a wonderful idea and would hold off on putting it up for sale. Scott worked numbers and the next thing we knew plans were made, the loan was granted and we had bought another farm. WITH A HOUSE!

We move this weekend. As in 4 days from now. And I just stared packing.  Someone hold me please.

So you want photos? Well you are no stranger to this house, Micaela & Kent’s wedding was held at this beautiful piece of property.

Gardens, pt of the house and the tent for Mic's wedding

Last week my computer crashed (hard drive fried), and along with it went all my photos, so I don’t have the photos I had of it last week so I’ll just have to take some new ones when we move to show it off.

Right now I’m surrounded in boxes and am very thankful that Hailey is so sleepy today so I can get a good start on packing everything up.

Related posts:

1. Home Sweet Home!
2. Saying Forever-Goodbyes
3. Home at First Sight

I signed up for the race in the summer, I must have been crazy, I knew I was pregnant I guess I just didn’t think that giving birth only 2 months before would be a big deal.  Surprisingly I was right because I survived the race! (I even came in 2/6 in my age group, not that I was racing anyone other than myself)

By the end of the walk my feet and legs were on autopilot, I didn’t even have to think about it anymore, they just went. The walk took me 4 hours and 50 min to complete.  To say my feet/legs were sore after the race was an understatement, I had to take the smallest steps possible to man and had pain with each step.

Here are some photos I took off the website.

Our group before starting- Scott's family!

Still smiling at km28! Walking with my sister in law and cousin in law

Finishing the race!- The runners started 1 hour behind us, so I altered the clock to show my ending time. That was a LONG walk.

Related posts:

1. Being kind and gentle to my soul.
2. A Royal Weekend
3. Cheerleading Nationals!

That’s right, on Friday I got a letter in the mail offering me a job with the school board. I did a happy dance around my apartment, threw my kitten up in the air a few times, went to a meeting and signed some papers, and once I get the second half of my tuberculosis test done on Thursday, I can start teaching! Providing, I guess, that I don’t have tuberculosis, which will bring on a whole new set of problems. But my shot seems to be healing nicely so I think I’ll be okay.

So, yayyy! Problem solved. I am so relieved that I get to do what I want to do and that I won’t have to apply to any jobs that I don’t actually want, ever, ever, ever again!

Then on Saturday night, Erica and I were at the Hilton in Toronto for our awesome cousin Lara’s bachelorette party and I got a call from Leah  who said,  “Katelyn had the baby! It’s a girl!” I was shocked, number one because I was sure Rasperry was a boy, and number two because I didn’t get the memo that no one was going to find out when Katelyn went into labour. I thought I’d have some time to prepare! I’m SO HAPPY to add another girl to the family. Lara and our other cousin Lindsay ran out into the hall to join Erica and I and we did a tiny little celebration for Katelyn, Scott, and Hailey, then of course went back to celebrating Lara! Her bridal party did an amazing job of planning the perfect bachelorette for Lara which you can hear about from her point of view on her blog.

On Sunday Kent, Erica, and I made the two hour trip back to London to meet Hailey. I wanted to hold her but I have this belief (and I still stand by it) that my chances of dropping someone’s newborn increase 100% if I hold it, and really, that would ruin my day a whole bunch. Along with some other peoples. Not that I have shaky hands or am prone to dropping things but you know, it happens to the best of us. For instance tonight I dropped my keys before unlocking my door. But I could tell Katelyn was getting slightly insulted when she started asking me why I didn’t want to hold Hailey, so I sucked it up and very carefully held that cute little bundle of perfection. I love her! I miss her a whole bunch already and lucky Kent now gets to deal with every fifth sentence out of my mouth being something like, “hold the kitten and pretend it’s your baby.” For the record, he pretended to breastfeed and Levi attacked his hands. It wasn’t very realistic.

Related posts:

1. Dear Future Employer,
2. Cheerleading Nationals 2010
3. It’s Blog Day! Celebrate with the FiveBlondes

My resolution was to take lots of photos with my camera and to learn all the functions. I definitely took more photos but didn’t learn everything I should have learned about my camera.  I got a new lens in 2009 (50mm 1:1.8) which I really love, and should take more photos on in 2010.  My resolution for 2010 will build on last year’s- learn all the functions, and to possibly take a photography course.  Also I want to take lots of photos of the new baby, but not ugly mother-like ones where you take a million photos and post them all up on facebook for the world to see, even if they are ugly.  I will try and limit myself and to only keep the photos that I will print (and should try to actually remember to print them).

2. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The day I found out I was pregnant, AND when Laura came over and announced that she was pregnant which resulted in me telling her I was pregnant too and we had a pregnant lady crying fest! I love thinking about that moment.

3. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Growing a baby.

4. What was your biggest failure?

Similar to Leah- being messy.  I know it drives Scott crazy but I just can’t keep the house clean! I really hate washing pots and pans, so those tend to pile up in the sink a lot.

5. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I’m not really sure?

6. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Sister’s weddings, telling people about the baby to come (but that did make me nervous as well!), and finding out that my BFF was pregnant too!

7. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter- in a HUGE belly kind of way
iii. richer or poorer? Richer -for the time being, this will change fast in the new year.

8. What was the best book you read?

I’ve been having trouble finding books that I love lately.  I’m currently reading Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos, which was Mic’s best book of 2009. So far I like it but no final word yet.

9. what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 24 and went to work.  We had already celebrated my birthday the day before so I didn’t expect any real recognition- but a co-worker brought me cheesecake which was a nice surprise. And Scott surprised me with a birthday balloon and flowers at work!  Then we went to Pizza Hut, because this pregnancy makes me love pizza, and after that we went and had a campfire.

10. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Nothing- I think I had a pretty good year.

11. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Casual- jeans and a top like usual.  Being pregnant hasn’t really changed my personal fashion concept, except that I got to get all new clothes.

12. What kept you sane this year?

Scott

13. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

One I didn’t learn but know I should learn- don’t care so much what other people think!

Related posts:

1. A Year in the Life of Leah
2. 6 Non-important facts about Katelyn
3. A Busy life = A Happy life

I always…

• press the snooze button at least twice every morning
• talk to my cats like they are people
• worry
• wear my hair in a ponytail
• know where I am (direction wise)
• think about how a situation would look in a photo

I sometimes…

• wish I had a (personal) cell phone
• pick at my split ends
• wonder where the time went
• get dizzy spells

I never…

• make the bed
• swear
• like being home alone
• enjoy doing the dishes
• go anywhere without my camera

Related posts:

1. What would you change about your cell phone plan?
2. 20SB Blog Swap: Well, that was easy!
3. Back in MY day…

1. I was born in 1985

2. I was born in the year of the OX. 2009 is also the year of the OX it *according to the Chinese* should be my good luck year.

3. I am a LEO

4. I love reading my horoscope, and seeing if it comes true

5. My favourite month of the year is July (also my birth month!)

6. I have a hard time remembering dates that involve odd numbers.  I could never remember my friend Allison’s birthday, whose birthday is September 27th, but now I can always remember now because it is 1 month before my anniversary!

7. My ears are often cold. But when I get really hot my ears turn bright red.

8. I love snowboarding and skiing.

9. I’m was snowboard instructor, up until this year. I taught since I was 16.

10. I love when the leaves change in the fall

11. I love wearing a sweater and jeans, so comfy and perfect

12. I love taking pictures

13. I always have my camera on me

14. I love pointless pictures that turn out gorgeous

15. I love portraits of people

16. I love when people are laughing in photos

17. I have always wanted to be 5 feet 7 inches tall, but I only reached 5 feet 6 inches and when I meed someone that is 5’7″ I tell them I am jealous of their height.

18. I am the shortest person in my immediate family

19. I was the first of my sisters to get married

20. My engagement was a total surprise, I was not expecting it at all!

21. I love singing

22. I also love playing the guitar

23. I’ve played the piano since grade 2

24. I failed my grade 8 piano test which I practiced so hard for (Erica passed hers and never practiced, life is not fair)

25. I also play the violin

26. I grew up listening to Simon and Garfunkel, mom’s fave

27. One of my favourite musicals is Gypsy. One year mom brought all of us girls to Niagara on the Lake to see it, we sat in the front row!

28. I hold my pen funny, like really really weird. All through school teachers tried to get me to change and I never did.

29. Micaela taught me how to hold my pen, it’s her fault

30. I have really long fingers and toes

31. I have ugly bunions on my feet

32. My left foot is 0.5 – 1 size larger then my right foot

33. I wear size 10 or 11 shoes (depending on if I want to hurt my left foot or not)

34. I always thought it wasn’t fair that I have the largest feet and yet I’m the shortest in my family.

35. I never swear

36. I only like plays that are musicals. I’m in a play now, and if I wasn’t in it I probably wouldn’t be that interested to see it.

37. I know words to most of the songs on the radio. Pretty often if you play a song for me there is a good chance I’ll know the words.

38.  I don’t like being the centre of attention.

39. I love working outdoors, and most of my jobs in the past involved working outside.

40.  I was stung in bed by a bee when I was younger, Erica and I shared a room and she got stung the same night!

41. I sang with my highschool choir in Europe and New York.

42.  I’m a pretty shy person, until I get to know you.

43. I sometimes get a stomach ache when I stay up too late.

44. I raise a lot of pigs- approximately 3200

45.  I enjoy driving large machinery- like tractors and combines.

46. I am so excited to drive our new work combine that we get in the fall!

47. I love cats but not dogs. (They smell)

48. I wear glasses but hate them (even though they are pink), I really want to get laser eye surgery.

49. I still can’t believe I am all done school and am living in the real world.

50. I worry way too much.

51. I easily get overwhelmed.

52. I see things as black or white, things are either good or bad.  Mom always said that I would be a good cop because of that.

53.  I have never smoked, ever, and think it is absolutely gross.

54. I hate when I can tell people are feeling upset.  I always want to make them happy.

55. I love the smell of Gain detergent.

56.  I am a total homebody, I can’t be away from home too long or I get really homesick.

57. I never lived with any boys (other then my dad) until the day I got married.

58. I love doing craft projects

59. I always put my left pant leg on first.  If I try and put the right one on first I almost fall over.

60. I love to wear patterns and colours that don’t match

61. I hate wearing a bikini top and bottom that match

62. I adore wearing winter hats. I would wear one day and night if I could.

63. I hate shoes, mostly because I can never find any in my size.

64. I’m really good at keeping secrets.

65. I’m really bad at lying to people. My face always gives me away.

66. I turn red like a tomato when I blush

67. I’ve never owned a cell phone (except for my work cell phone, but that’s just for work)

68. I’ve never broken a bone

69. I love to swim, I took swimming lessons up to bronze cross. I was close to becoming a lifeguard but had to wait to take the course because I was too young and then lost my drive.

70. I’m afraid to water ski

71. I recently became afraid of spiders.

72. Last week I woke up Scott because I was laughing in my sleep.

73. I consider myself a Katelyn or Kate but not really a Katie. Mostly because I think Katie’s are really cute and girly and I don’t think I’m either one.

74. I always say I have the middle child syndrome even though I don’t really know what it is.

75. I love junk food.

76. I think of my cats as my babies.

77. I love to perform in musicals. I’ve been in lots: The Music Man, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, Bye Bye Birdie and Children of Eden

78. I was in a choir called Amabile and we recorded a cd

79. I’m really happy with my job and it makes me happy to go to work

80. I like to do things out of the norm for women, like being the only girl on a grounds crew at a golf course

81. I ran track and cross country in highschool but was one of the worst on the team, but did it anyways.

82. I wish I had more time to blog

83. I have 52 albums on facebook

84. I always think about something in my head and then blurt out a part of what I was thinking and then realize that those people have no idea what I was thinking in my head and now think I’m crazy!

85. I’m excited to someday have a big family.

86. I love to shop but always feel guilty when I spend money.

87. I attended World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto with Leah, it was amazing.

88. I can’t grocery shop alone. When I went grocery shopping alone in university I came back with the weirdest stuff.

89. I hate being home alone.

90. I dyed my hair dark brown once and loved it, but every morning when I woke up I scared myself!

91. I am a horrible back seat driver.

92. I -like my sisters- love reading. I’m always looking for a new book to read.

93. When we were younger and Mic and I shared a room I would throw books at her to get her to turn off her light so I could sleep.

94. I’m a brownie leader. Mic roped me in last year and now she’s gone and I’m still there! Lucky for me I roped in my friend Laura and now she helps me out!

95. I love when people make their profile picture on facebook a picture that I took.

96. I love taking road trips. We have driven many places- east coast, Alberta numerous times, Florida many times and to many states and all over Ontario.  When we went to Europe we rented a VW van and drove it everywhere, it was a lot of fun.

97. I really like tomatoes

98. I could live on chocolate ice cream (not vanilla though, I don’t like vanilla ice cream)

99. I can’t wait until Scott and I have our forever house. I hate that we are renting and I can’t settle down and decorate how I would like it to look.

100. I love learning new things about people!

Related posts:

1. Kate’s intro
2. Blonde Vlog Love (Kate)
3. Kate's life in photos