Forget the Pony...Daddy, I want a jet ski!

So we have been in Canada for a week now and Peyton is loving it here! We have been playing in the beach, swimming, getting baking lessons from GiGi (Great Grandma), playing in the garden, fishing, playing outside and today we explored the jet ski!

We let Peyton go with me and my dad and she was in love! I thought that she would be a little scared but instead said, "papa, go," and was in love! She was even more excited went we went over the wake from a boat. She was very upset that we had to finish the first "boat" ride this morning so after dinner she went to Papa and asked to go on the boat again so off we went!

We are having a blast enjoying Canada and cottage country...and I can blog up here since we now have DSL instead of dial up....but I haven't had much time considering my days consist of chasing Peyton and then napping when she is to get enough energy to be mommy!

Celebrating the Birthday Boy

Tonight we had our birthday celebration for John and it was crazy and not like back in the college days kind of crazy...more like cranky toddler combined with a little stressed out mommy on the side (we leave for Canada tomorrow morning)!

During dinner Peyton decide to play mad scientist and investigate how yogurt transfers from one container to another using a spoon, pouring and then her hands. I was too tired to care enough to stop it and honestly she wasn't doing it to be bad she really was just investigating and exploring.

Then we did presents and Peyton quickly helped and then got really mad for some reason and that is when the evening went south for Peyton and well, for us too!

I decided to add more chaos to the already screaming toddler and lit a mini fire on a cake and attempt to walk with a toddler clinging to my legs and screaming some unknown word that must be that secret toddler language used to annoying the crap out of their parents (yes, I cursed and that is just the only adequate word to describe my feeling at that point).

Did you look closely and see the jaws of life on my legs? Or how about the seriously annoyed face I have?

I didn't get a picture of John blowing out the candles because well, at that point, trick candles were not as funny as I thought they would be because Peyton was screaming and trying to grab at the cake and all I wanted was to get the whole thing over with.

I guess she thought, "It's my birthday and I will cry if I want to," wait....wasn't it Dad's birthday?

Happy Birthday John...why should this day be any different?

Happy Birthday John!

Happy 29th Birthday to my wonderful husband John! I am so blessed to have you in my life! You are a wonderful, caring, faithful, generous husband and a patient and adoring father to Peyton! We are so blessed and love you so much!

No...that is not a picture of Peyton, although the resemblence in INSANE! That is a picture of John when he was 2 years old. I knew that Peyton and John looked similar but this is weird! We found this picture about a month ago when we were looking through baby books to compare. Mine of course look nothing like her at all and when we saw this it was crazy! Their hair even has the same weird side flip! And they have the same strong personality! Love it!

Maybe the next one will look like me....

Kicking off the Fourth of July....

What have we been up to so far this Fourth of July?

We ended a lazy morning of laying around by going outside and filling up Peyton's little baby pool and before we were able to put on a swim suit or anything she was in there pajamas and all...

After awhile the dogs (we are watching my sister's dog Max for the weekend) decided that they wanted to join in on the fun. They were so cute together and were so careful of Peyton but at the same time happy to be with her and she of course was in heaven! She loves her dogs!


Being considerate of her dog's and always taking care of them, Peyton then tried to tell the dogs to drink their, "juice," and well they weren't listening which she was not happy about. Can you see her pout and pointed finger?

And after awhile her non swim diaper was a little full and it was time to go skinny dipping!



Happy Fourth of July! We are relaxing the rest of the afternoon, baking dessert (yummy lime bars) and some homemade macaroni and then heading to John's Aunt's house for the evening to visit with family!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends and remembering those who have fought and are currently fighting for our freedom. We are so blessed to live in a country with so much freedom and although I am Canadian, I love living in the United States and am so thankful!

Shrek!!!!!

About a month or two ago we were really getting tired of our current assortment of kids movies and we didn't want to go out and buy any new ones. Instead we looked through our DVDs and found Shrek. I didn't know if Peyton would be scared or interested but we went ahead and tried and she was very interested!

Well, this whole new Shrek phase nicely correlated with the release of Shrek 4 and the influx of marketing and toys through McDonald's! This meant anytime we went for McDonald's for ice cream and to play in the indoor play yard because it is insanely hot outside and we need to get out of the house (which is a lot) she would see all the Shrek posters and Happy Meal toys and it was intensify her LOVE of Shrek! Peyton has even started to be able to say Shrek which is a feat for her. She isn't really a chatter box so for her to pick up and use a new word like Shrek so quickly is a big deal.

We have watched Shrek 1 and 2 pretty often and then decided to let her watch Shrek 3 in my parents media room to simulate a movie theater and she did really well. I did notice that Shrek 3 was a little more dark and scary (which carried on into Shrek 4) but she wasn't scared.

I was trying to find stuff for us to do this weekend and decided that it would be fun to take Peyton to her first movie theater experience! Shrek 4 had been out since May 21 and with the new Twilight movie taking over most of the screens, Shrek 4 wasn't playing in too many theaters anymore but I managed to find a showing in Katy at 9:30 AM for $5 an adult and Peyton was free! So we drove about an hour to Katy and picked up Grandma Martha and John's brother Shawn and went to see Shrek 4!

Here is Peyton with her blanket, lovey, Shrek ticket in one hand and a cracker in the other! She didn't move from the position pretty much the whole movie! And she only talked at the beginning to inform the whole theater that we were watching, "Shrek," and then to tell me that "dragon," was making her appearance!

After the movie and all of the credits, she said "bye" to Shrek and we went to eat some Mexican food, another Peyton favorite! It was a fun morning!

Next Shrek adventure might be the Broadway musical coming to Houston in October. I am debating whether she would sit through it all...if it was a movie I am pretty sure she would but I am not sure how she would respond to dressed up people. We will see! I think it would be tons of fun to take her to her first musical and if anything something like Shrek would be the best things to start with.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

It is pouring here! Hurricane Alex is being felt here for sure... at least it is just rain and nothing worse!

I was hoping to put a cute pi

cture of Peyton in her Canada shirt but honestly she is just wearing a diaper and hasn't gotten dressed yet today! I have been busy preparing stuff for our party tonight and every time I ask her if she wants to get dressed she says "no," and I honestly don't care enough to force it. She will be dressed within a couple of hours though!

Tomorrow you will have to see the pictures from the party, adorable Peyton and a whole lot more but now...I am off to make butter tarts!

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Could you be so lucky? Two posts in a day!

Well, I actually have time to blog after the party so here are a couple of pictures. I really didn't take as many pictures as I thought because this year I have a mobile and vocal toddler and it was just too much fun talking to friends!

Peyton and I were the only Canadians present but everyone came supporting Canada wearing their red!

Despite the pouring rain (yes it is still raining), we managed to still grill and have a great time hanging out with friends inside. I am so thankful for the group of friends we have living here. I would never have thought four summers ago when we first moved here that our life would be as full as it is with wonderful friends. I am so blessed and am so thankful for the strong friendships that we have.

I did manage to make Grandma's butter tarts for the first time ever and they were edible! I don't think they were as good as Grandma's but I think I know where I can improve so I will be trying again soon and maybe I can get a lesson with Grandma/GiGi when I am up in Canada!

It was a good time and we ended the (at the request of our guests) evening singing "O, Canada," minus the sparklers since it was still raining outside. I am really starting to like this tradition and next year I am hoping to start planning a little earlier so I can pull out some new Canadian things (I am thinking Poutine).