Memphis and Amaris

It was love at first sight! Katherine and I can't get over how big they are getting! We took them to Petland to look at the puppies and the birds (Memphis LOVES the birds). Sadly I left my camera in Victoria, isn't that aweful? So I am forced to use my iphone if I want any pictures, that is why all my photos are not very great quality lately. We didn't even have a camera for Amaris' real birthday day, the 23rd.

Anyways, the weather in Calgary has been great still, so we're trying to take full advantage of it. Yesterday day was a little chilly, at -22 windchill (-18 'actual') but Amaris and I braved the weather and went to the gym in the morning. I certainly never regret going, despite the fact that we had to walk 10mins because I had to park so far away! Every business should have designated mom and babe parking spots, especially in the winter in Calgary! Try walking for 10mins in -22 with a diaper bag, gym bag, and 20lb baby, it's more of a workout then working out! And poor Amaris' nose was freezing. She is so good when I leave her in the playroom while I excersize, not once has she cried when I leave!
Xoxo Meredith

Attempts at Creativity

I have always flip flopped between thinking I am creative, and thinking I am not. I think that I think I'm creative, until I try to create. Then I realize, I am not! It feels unloyal to myself even saying those words, it's like bursting my own bubble. It's okay though, I have other things I'm good at. It's just a matter of finding out what!

Here are a few of my attempts at creativity, we are STILL working on Amaris's room (David actually did some painting of baby furniture this weekend!) and I wanted to have a few paintings up and some other cutesy things. Unfortunatly we will be moving in about a month! Not much point in settling in now. Sigh.

The painting is, well, lets just say I only spent an hour on it. Thank goodness my Grandma who is an art student at the University of Lethbridge is doing a sparrow and blossom painting for Amaris's room, which is also going to be her finally project for the semester! I am so excited to see it!

xoxo Meredith

Victoria Madness

My goodness! December was quite the month, but it always is! I finally downloaded some pictures from our trip to Victoria, and all the activities it entailed. Christmas was crazy but it was so good to see family, and to introduce Amaris to some family members she hadn't met yet. Our Christmas Eve was spent all day and evening up at the farm in Duncan, the tractor hay ride and Christmas carols were so fun, and the whole day was wonderful, and very kid oriented as all of David's cousins have about three kids each and it's a very close family. The whole family is so awesome and make me feel so comfortable as the 'newest member'.

The only picture of us that semi-turned out on the hayride.

We had about 20-25 people crammed on the tractor, most of us bumcheek to bumcheek on the bails. Uncle Ed captained for us, thank goodness he's a good driver!


Amaris and Papa Hugh, she's so chubby, and rocking her santa hat!.

This is Amaris and Jacob, the little boy my mom looks after who is also the son of one of the girls I grew up with! What a handsome guy! Amaris was so excited whenever he would come over and would try to bowl him over with a hug.

Ah yes, the nude sock bandit. My mom put socks on her legs and arms, Amaris thought it was pretty funny.

Christmas day involved two Christmas dinners. We had dinner at the Tsawout Church with David's whole huge family on his mom's side, and then hopped over to my folks house for dessert. This picture is the 'Calvo' great grandkids, Amaris is the fifth great grandchild of G&G Calvo.

Christmas afternoon we went for a hike up Horth Hill, it's a lovely hike, not very long and with a rewarding view!

Ethan. I always forget to flip them vertically before I post them.

David and Grandpa, and of course Amaris is the thing attached to David's back!

It was so special to have my Grandparents (Amaris' great grandparents) at my parents house for Christmas, it's always nice to get to see my globetrotting grandparents! My Grandpa can't sit still for more then, well, about 10 minutes. Which is half the fun!

Well, I'm off to get Katherine's bread recipe and make some bread, and slow cooker stew for dinner.

Have a wonderful day!

Bright Sunshiney Days

Amazing, what else can I say. If only this was the extent of our winter weather, I would never bat an eye at the approaching cold months, when summer starts to fade and ice and snow decend on Calgary! This week though, has been glorious. It has been over 5 degrees everyday and the sunshine is beautiful. Katherine and I are very much enjoying being reunited in Calgary since I was in Victoria for so long, and are trying to walk as much as possible before we get locked inside again with the next cold snap!


We do have to do a bit of 4X4ing with the strollers over the build up of ice and snow on the sidewalks, but being out and about in such amazing weather is even worth bailing on some ice once and awhile!
One thing I've discovered about Victoria, is although there isn't cold weather there like here in Calgary, you can go whole weeks without seeing a speck of sunshine! There were days were it was so gray and rainy I couldn't tell when the day started and when the night ended, it seemed to stay so drab all day. I am soaking up our Calgary sun as much as possible!
Hope you are enjoying your weather, wherever you may be!

Ciao,

Meredith

First Birthday

Oh my dear baby. It is almost your first birthday! We celebrated Amaris' birthday while we were still in Victoria so we could be surrounded my family and friends! It was a huge turnout with I would say about 40 people there! My goodness, I was worried Amaris would get overwhelmed but she just took it all in and was the most amazing baby ever!


She had her first piece of birthday cake, at first she just poked it, and then she ate the whole piece! Mind you it wasn't very big. My mom made a butterfly birthday cake.

Amaris got a ride on icecream truck from Jane, it was the hit of the party!!! There was shoving and a few tears over what little girl got to ride it first but it all worked out in the end, and Amaris did about 15 laps around the kitchen walking behind it holding onto the back bar. It is such a cute toy, we can't wait to get home so she can play with it in Calgary!

Haaaappy New Years!

The multiple 'A's are as jovial as I can sound via type!

What a year 2009. Here are a few things that happened to make my '09 a big Oh My!

I became a mother! Amaris barely squeeked into 2009, with a January birthday.

It was my first whole year in a new province, away from home.

This also means we spent a lot of time traversing back and forth from Calgary to Victoria!

We moved into a different house, in June/09, so our second official home as the Marks Family.

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary in April. The first of many more to come.

In 2009 I really learnt to appreciate my own mother after becoming a mom! I can't even count how many times I called my mom crying, at my wits end! But we've made it through! Although I'm sure those phone calls will never end to some degree, there is always something you just need to talk to your mom about! I have also learnt how important my friends are! Especially with a new baby I was so blessed that my friend Katherine had a son three months before Amaris was born! I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been there all year for me. Again, another person I called many times when Amaris wouldn't stop crying!

Our Christmas was wonderful, it always is. My mom always puts her whole heart into making the house feel like Christmas from top to bottom. Christmas isn't a day, it is the whole month of December! It is peace, and family, and joy, and the smell of a the tree filling your house, and the Charlie Brown Christmas music playing softly in the background while we make naniamo bars in the kitchen and decorate sugar cookies in the dining room. I think God gave Christmas to us as a gift, not just as the day we are supposed to remember His birth but as a chance to remember to reconnect positively with humanity! We read Amaris the Christmas story for the first time, this being her first Christmas. I don't think it quite sank in this year, maybe next year though!

My birthday is a week before Christmas, I got a dehydrator from my mom and dad, unfortunatly David bought me the same one for Christmas!!!

Can you believe how not little my little brother is??? We always have a nice breakfast Christmas morning!

Ah yes, music baby got a xylophone from Aunty Erin! Can we take a minute to reflect on what a weird word 'xylophone' is? My Dad put Amaris is a gift bag! Best gift ever.

Well a few little stories for you before I go to bed, we spent our new years with our good friends Bear and Jade, and after a nice dinner at The Keg downtown we went back to their house and played Cranium till midnight. I was sitting on the floor by the game when I realized my leggings were inside out. As in the 1/2inch hem was sticking out all the way down each leg. Of course I can't come to such a revalation silently, and we all had a good laugh. It was then that David revealed that he noticed the inside out leggings before we left for dinner, but forgot to tell me. Thanks hun.

Over and Out!