when mommy is gone...

numerous things occur when I leave Dick in charge of the kids at home, i'm sure. But the one thing i'm certain of is that Greta has a TON of fun playing with her dad...interactive and unplugged.

example:




this makes me laugh till i cry every time.

Daddy

Okay Dad, get out your glasses, turn off the Hockey game, and if you can figure out how to find this post on your Lap Top I'll give you a million bucks! HA! just kidding, but seriously, if you're reading this I am very proud of you! Actually, I'll make it in larger font for you... maybe not so large. Okay okay, enough making fun of your oldness...

I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!! Happy Father's Day!!! I wish we could be home for Father's day, but I thought that this was better than a card, and I could be as long winded as I like.

I want you to know I think of you everyday and pray for you everyday! And when I do it is usually because something reminds me of you like watching curious George with Greta and thinking of Skeezicks that weird monkey we used to have and love so much. Or when I see a puppy like Chinook walking on the street I think of how much she loved you, and how you'd say "Hav Sum" nookie "Hav sum." I often think of you when Greta reminds me that we are gonna be "late" for church and she gets all concerned, and how many times you drove me to dance 40 years early because of my paranoia of being late, and how annoying I must have been....i could go on.

I also think of you when i'm reading my scriptures and I read stories of the prophets who endured so much, and went through so many numerous hardships to become the great leaders that they were. And that is what you are to me Daddy. The Great Leader of our Family! I know lately mom takes that role on many levels due to circumstances, but her strength and courage to take care of you and our family is in large part due to your Faith and prayers on her behalf.
I know that you must have many days that you feel frustrated with your physical limitations and inability to do the things you'd like to do. But I want you to know always, that you are a pillar of strength to me, and We love and appreciate you so much! Greta loves to sit with grandpa and watch shows and eat nibs and Ozzie loves listening to you pop your mouth and say "ohhh Ozzie."
Dick and I love the blessings you give us, they have a lasting impact on us and we talk about it often. And I always know you're there to listen when I need it... even if you have to turn the phone up to SUPER SONIC MODE!!
Anyways Dad, sorry this is a bit dis-jointed but I hope you have a Great Day and we love and miss you lots and lots! Mmuwah!


Love you, Krys

Oz-bozzle

9 months... long enough to complete 1 full year of Dental school, to survive the entire length of the brutal saskatoon winter, to conceive and have another whole baby( ...shudder)and long enough to have this little man change our lives forever!

Ozzie spent his 9 month birthday getting up at 4:30am teething, whining, screaming for food, falling on his extra large forehead when he reaches for things, saying lalalala, and mamamama, and puking on mommy 3 times! He loves to play "shy" when someone smiles at him, he smiles back and ducks his head to the side, and he looks pretty halarious when he smiles due to his strange teeth growing pattern! Ozzie figured out how to drink water from a sippy cup this week, but he still wont take any sort of formula, which is driving me crazy!! he also has decided that no matter what time he goes to bed, that between 4- and 5 am is a great time to get up... he's killin me.

I cant beleive how big he is, and how much we all love him. Greta says, "Mommy, I want to tell you something, do you know what? Ozzie is my baby brother and I love him so much." Melt my heart!

A Trip home

As soon as Dick finished exams we thought it was time for a little visit home to Lethbridge. Everytime we go home, we're spoiled non-stop. Accommodations in my parents spacious air-conditioned basement suite, are even nicer than home. My mom cooks delicous food, entertains, babysits, and still works and takes care of Dad on top of it all. Thanks mom!!

Ozzie was beyond excited to sit in the drivers seat!

We all had a great time! Greta and Ozzie got to spend time with her cousins Kaiya, Jager and Cooper and Uncle Geoff and Auntie Nicki who they love very much, and they even threw another Birthday party for Greta! (Thanks Guys!!) there was yummy food, and cupcakes and and presents and Helium baloons (that Greta is still mourning the loss of) it was so nice to be together for a celebration for once, it seems like we always miss everyones birthdays and long weekends etc.

its not a party until everyone's wearing a party hat!

Even Cooper and Ozzie got in on the action

**Side note...will SOMEONE please tell me how to do multiple pictures on this thing?...i'm totally annoyed with uploading one at a time***

And Nicki made delicious rainbow bit cupcakes(greta's fave) that we all devoured!

The weather was insanely gorgeous for June in Lethbridge...and NO WIND! it was heaven. so we spent most of the days outside chillin in my Bro's super nice backyard...Greta kept asking "Mommy are we having summer?" cause she didn't know what was up the whole swimsuit/lemonade/water balloons in the backyard action. good times..i loved it!

Ozzie loved it too...he even ate his first fistfull of grass.

The kids loved throwing balloons at "Uncle Dick" even Greta was calling him that. Jager was there too...he must have been busy digging in the mud with a sword at the time:)

We took a few pics after church with grandma..I put this one up cause My Mom looks great as always...but also cause the kids faces were too funny...like get this over with. Greta looks weird.

Anyways, it was a great trip! Dick got to relax and get killed by Geoff in golf, and the kids got to play and we even got to go on a date! Greta snuggled with Grandpa on his bed and watched shows just about everyday while he sneakily gave her nibs the whole time. She could not have been happier. Actually, she cried on 3 separate occasions on the eay home because she missed Grandma and Grandpa so much! awwww.
I love summer, and cant wait to visit again in July! but seriously i'm tired of this long way to post pics.. HELP!

3

here's what i remember about being 3...um....nothing. so as my little Greta bo sweta turned 3 this week i thought she'd like to remember what we did on her third birthday, and why she is so special to us.
Her actual birthday was on tuesday during finals still, so we spent the day together opening a few presents and playing at the park. Greta kept asking all day, " are we going to have my birthday today?" in which i told her that she'd have a little party on saturday...which means nothing to kids, so i said.." in a few days okay?" "okay mommy." Greta has been asking for a bike since her last Birthday, so we finally gave in and she really seems to love it and be quite good already.

we also got her a Unicorn to ride on because she'd been pulling hangers out of my closet to ride around on for months and i got a little tired of finding hangers everywhere. she named her "Uni" and likes to put her to sleep under her buddies and pat her head while she falls asleep.
later this week i made cupcakes for greta, and decided on a rainbow theme because she's been really into rainbows and unicorns as of late. i found the perfect recipe on some lady's blog, seemed pretty straightforward so i went to work...3 hours later...for real..they were done. it was definatley a labor of love. but look at those colors! rad.
everyyear for gretas birthday i always plan something outside, and we've been rained out every year. it looked like it was going to happen again, and then after a week of snow and cold, it was beautiful all of the sudden just in time for a party! Greta had some of her friends over and we rented an AStro jump (thanks laura) that the kids loved!

then we had cupcakes and more jumping and sliding,Greta was so happy to have her girl friends come play, even though we were missing some of her favorite boy friends (ie. Elias, Jost, Carson, Briggs etc.)

All in all it was a great week and a perfect party for our little girl! We love you so much Greta, and are so proud of the sweet, smart, independent, joyful little girl you are growing up to be!

the boy I love

busy few weeks...finals, more finals, mother's day, greta's Birthday (pictures to come mom :) more finals..will they ever END?!! anyways, amidst it all i must pay tribute to Ozzie and his 8 months of life!
Ozzie is changing...FAST! reaching for everything, hating his swing all of the sudden, not liking baby food but wanting everything we eat exactly as we eat it...not mushed, teething like a banchee, whining when i go out of sight, loving the sound of his own screaming voice, still hating formula...all varieties, busting out of his jammies on every level... i could go on

but apart from all the sort of typical 8 month physical baby stuff, a few things remain the same.

he is SO sensitive. if Greta cries, he cries. if i raise my voice to loud he lip quivers...very in-tune.

he is SO SOLID! i can not hold him on my hip for longer than 10 min. before my arm is shaking.

he can go from A- Happy, smiling, laughing, playing baby to Z- screaming, un-consolable, grouch pants in literally 2 seconds flat...I'm told that's a "Me" trait, but i wont take the blame.

i can say he's definatly the boy i love so much...without any reservation... because Dick at somepoint in the past 6 years since we met has finally got his Man on . love you both.

this pic captures Ozzie perfectly. Happy, drooly, scratches, tongue up and curled.

questions, questions, questions?

I think maybe i've taken for granted how 'well spoken' Greta is. She has always been a very good communicator and she has made it quite easy for us to understand what she needs or wants which is always a struggle for parents to figure out. Anyways, the past few months she has become more inquisitive than ever. Asking 5 bazillion questions about everything and anything. Mommy, whats that funny smell? what are you eating? why does Ozzie bite everything? whats in your mouth? why does Helen like bacon so much? where are we going today? what time is it? 2 oclock? is there still a baby in your tummy? (gggrrrr) why do you have owies on your face?(ggrrrrrr) etc. etc. etc... it sounds all cute and innocent, but can become annoying at times, especially when you dont feel like answering every little thing. Just when I thought I'd had enough questions for one day, i was on the phone with someone and I said my "husband" at somepoint in the conversation. when I got off the phone it went like this:

Greta: Mommy whats a husband?
Me: Well, Daddy is my Husband, and I'm his Wife because we are Married.
Greta: I want to be a wife
Me: One day when you grow up and meet a nice young man, you can get married in the Temple and you will be a wife too.
...
...
...( After a very thoughtful, contemplative pause, and that questionable look on her face)

Greta: Can I take my buddy (blankie) with me?

i love the questions. keep them coming.