Catch up time!!!!!

OK, so a lot has happen since I last posted anything, so I thought I better catch up!!!! It not like I don't have a good excuse. I did have a baby 6 weeks ago, and thing have been a little crazy!!! So bear with me, and I will try to get things up to date!!!!!

Oh, what do you do in the summer time???

So it has been awhile since I have posted anything on this blog, and way to much has happened. We are all well, and have been having a great summer!!!! Since it would take forever to write about everything we have done, I figure a bunch of pictures will suffice!!!!! So here you go, picture overload!!!!!

Canada Day Activities


Stampede Events

Ballet Class

Family Reunion

Swimming Lessons

Calgary Zoo

Calaway Park

Camping at Cypress Hills with the Poettcker Clan

Camping at Little Bow

So there you go, those were just a few things we have done with our summer!!!! After all that, and more I think this picture says it all!!!!!!!

Now we are down to our last few days of summer before school start, and we have baby #4!!!!!! What a great way to end our summer, and to start the new school year off!!!!! The kids are very excited, and can't wait for this baby to come. Friday is the due date, so I guess we will see if this baby comes sooner then later!!!! Does anyone have any guesses of when she will come?

Anyways, I hope you all had a great summer, we sure did!!!!! What do you do in the summer time???

Where does the time go?????

Well, I guess it has been a month and a half since I last posted something on here. It's not that nothing has happened in that time. I guess life is just busy, and I just haven't found the time to write about all the things that have happened.

So where to start, well we have spent a lot of time taking Britlynn and Cohen to soccer. Britlynn plays twice a week, and Cohen once. The weather hasn't been the best, so they have probably missed almost half their games because of rain or snow. Britlynn went tonight, and had to end early because of rain. She wasn't to happy. She hasn't been doing to bad this year with soccer, except I think she is a little more passive then last year. If the ball gets taken from her she doesn't try to get it back, instead she runs toward the goal to block the other team. She could save herself a lot of running if she would just take the ball back. Oh well, at least she is having fun!! Maybe she is just meant to be a goalie!!! As for Cohen, he is so hit and miss. One week he will totally be all about playing, and will kick the ball around pretty good. Then the next week we can't even get him onto the field. At least it isn't just him. Most of his teammates play the same trick. One week pretty much every kid was crying, and didn't want to be there, and the parents were forcefully dragging them around on the field. It was pretty funny!!! I'm sure next year will be different, and he will be a little more into it!!!

Here are a few pictures of the kids in action.

Britlynn practising her footwork!!!

Cohen stopping the ball!!!

Steele trying to keep up with his older siblings!!!!

The spectators, who surprisingly are sitting for this picture!!! Most of Britlynn's games we spend getting one of the boys off the playing field!!!

What else have we been up to.....well, we made a few weekend trips up to Edmonton to get our house ready to sell. We painted most of the upstairs, and tried to make it presentable to potential buyers. It was impossible to get any yard work done thought. Both weekends that we went up it was either pouring rain, or snowing!!! So the yard got left looking like a jungle. Luckily my sister who lives up there was finally able to mow it, but she said it was a nightmare!!!!! So it is finally listed, and fingers crossed, we hope it sells. It was a great rental property, but it was just to hard to manage being three hours away!!! Anyone want to buy a house in Edmonton???????

What else..... Well, I turned 28!!!! It was really just another day, except for the fact that it snowed!!!! Snow at the end of may isn't that usual, but it does happen!! Dave ended up getting stuck downtown because of the weather, and got home late. We were going to go out with the kids, but didn't really have time because Dave had a bishopric meeting that night too!! So I don't have any pictures from my birthday. I didn't even have a cake. Poor me!!!!!

Dave and I also celebrated our 9th anniversary!!!!! Once again we really didn't do much. It was a Tuesday night, and Britlynn had a soccer game. It also wouldn't have been the easiest to find a babysitter with mutual going on. So we went out for ice cream with the kids after soccer and that was the big celebration!!! I can't believe that it has already been 9 years. A lot has happened in that time, and I am just so grateful that I have got to spend it all with Dave. He is the greatest guy and I couldn't imagine my life without him. Next year will be the big 10 year mark, so we will definitely have to do something a little more special for that!!!!

Well I guess that is basically what we have been up to!! I'm sure things may slow down a little once Britlynn is done school, but maybe not. We have quite a few trips planned for the summer, and with a baby coming at the end of summer break, I'm sure it will seem crazy!! I'm just going to try to enjoy each day as it comes, and make the best of all the time I have to spend with my wonderful family!!!!

Trina & Taylors Wedding!!!!!

On May 1st, 2010 my sister Trina got married to Taylor Wight. It was a great day!!! The weather cooperated and it was nice and sunny. There was still snow on the ground, but that is just crazy southern Alberta springs for you!!!!! We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends, and were glad to be there for their special day!!! Congratulations to the happy couple, and we wish you all the best in your new life together!!!! Here are a few pictures from the day:



The happy couple!!!


Steele outside the temple with his puppy wanting to play in all the snow!!!!

Cohen spent half of the reception outside digging in the rocks with a snow shovel!!!

Table centerpieces. I punched all the paper flowers for the tables. It was a little time consuming, and I got a few blisters, and went through three punches to get it done, but it all turned out!!!!

Backdrop for the wedding party. You can also see all the tissue paper pompoms that mostly my mom and I made. We got a bit of help from a few of my sisters. We made over 60 of them!!! It was a lot of work, but I think it turned out great!! We got a lot of compliments that it look like an outdoor garden party!!! I wish I would have got a better picture!!! I'm sure my mom has some!!!

Picket fence decoration along the stage

The wedding cake. Our good family friend has made all of our wedding cakes, and she does a wonderful job!!!

Britlynn holding Trina's bouquet. She said she wanted to be a princess just like Trina!!!!!

Britlynn and some of her cousins at the reception. They had a great time handing out thank yous at the door, and they loved dancing the night away!! Don't they look so cute in there outfits!

Were having a baby!!!!!

Surprise!!!!! Yes, that is right, baby #4 is on it's way!!!!!! I'm sure that most people who read this already know, but I thought I should record something about it!!! My due date is August 27th, and we are super excited!!! Only four months left, and I'm sure it will go by quickly!!!

So, I guess I should start from the beginning of it all. We found out shortly into the new year. It was quit the surprise!!!! I wasn't to sure on my dates, so I did an ultrasound on February 2nd. I figured I was about 12 weeks around then. That ultrasound was so painful!!!!! I don't know if it gets worse ever time, but I could barely walk into the ultrasound office without peeing my pants!!!! It didn't help that they were running behind schedule either!!! It is not the easiest thing to go pee for four seconds and then stop when you have the fullest bladder ever. I had to do this twice before it was my turn. Oh the joy!!!!! Anyways, once that was over I let out a big sigh of relief!!! The doctor told me a few days later at my appointment that I was due about august 27th, which wasn't to far off from when I thought I would be due.

We decided to tell family a few weeks later. We have always tried to tell them in a sort of creative way so we put our thinking caps on. Since Valentines day was coming up we thought that would be a great way to tell them. We took this ultrasound picture,

and made it into this!!!!!!!

I think it turned out pretty cute!!!! So we made a few copies of it to give to family that we would see that day, but most of them just got it sent in an email. The email said, "We just wanted to say Happy Valentines Day!!! We love you!!!!", and that is it!!!! We wanted to see if they could figure it out or not!!! Some family members wrote back right away, but others didn't think anything of it. My one brother thought it was just a picture one of the kids had drawn!!! So now all of our family knew.


I did my next ultrasound April 1st. We had just barely told the kids a few days before that we were going to have a baby. I didn't want to tell Britlynn to early because at that age I figured she would tell everyone, and anyone!!!!! She was very excited, and of course would not stop asking if it was going to be a girl!!! We told her she would have to wait a few days, and then hopefully we could find out.

So this time I was smart. I thought if the last time was so painful, there was no way I was going to drink all 32 ounces of water. I only drank 24 ounces and it was the most comfortable I have ever been at an ultrasound. You think by my fourth kid I would have learned, but I always felt like they would have some sort of radar that would go off if I didn't drink the full amount. I guess I'm just to honest, and didn't want to lie when they asked if I drank all the water!!!! The ultrasound tech kept asking if I was ok, and for once I could say yes!!!! At the end of it all I still had to tell her that I didn't drink the full amount. She didn't get mad at me though, and no alarm went off!!!! She just said, well you know your body best!!!! That made me feel better!!!!

Anyways, once the ultrasound tech had done everything she needed to she went and got Dave and all the kids. They came in and we all got to see the baby in 4D. It was pretty cool. You could see all the babies movements, and even the mouth opening and closing. Britlynn of course asked the lady if it was a girl, and she told us.....YES!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited, not necessarily for me but for Britlynn. I just didn't want to see the sad look she would of had if they said it was a boy!!! I love my boys, but Britlynn has been asking for a girl baby forever. I'm glad that it is coming true!!! Cohen enjoyed seeing the baby too!!! He said that there was a baby playing in my stomach, and he though it was silly. Steele just pointed at the screen and made dog noises, so I hope he doesn't think were getting a dog!!!!! It was a very neat experience, and I'm glad we could all be there to see it!!! I have put one of the 4D videos from the ultrasound for people to look at. Now, just a warning that it may look a little scary, or alien like, but I'm sure our baby is beautiful!!!!! I found if you paused the video at different points it was easier to see what the baby really looks like!!!!

Now, it didn't take Britlynn long to start telling people. That evening when we got home our neighbour was looking for their lost dog. We looked around a little to help but didn't see her. A few minutes later they came to our door to tell us they had found her. Britlynn came to the door and told our neighbour that she was going to have a girl baby, so it was out!!!!!! She is so cute!!! I guess it was ok for people to start finding out since I was already 19 weeks, and know one knew except family. I don't know why but I usually wait as long as I can to tell others!!!!

The next day Britlynn went to a friends house for a tea party, and didn't even say Hi, she just ran in the door and told her friend she was having a girl baby!!! The parents gave Dave a weird look, and asked if it was true. What a cute little girl!!! It is so fun to see her sooooooo excited and wanting to tell everyone. This has happened several times since then, and now most people know, but there is still the odd person that doesn't!!!! It is always an exciting time to prepare for a new baby!!!

Well, there you have it!!!!! We are very excited and can't wait to welcome this new little baby into our family!!!!! Things are going well, and we are all preparing for this little one to come!!!!

- Tracy

Easter

We had a great Easter this year!!!! We started the celebrations a weekend early just so we could fit it all in!!! Our friends invited us over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. The kids had a great time, and our tummies wear full. Then that afternoon we went to another Easter egg hunt at our community center. The kids made there bunny bags to put there treats in first, and then headed outside to find the treats. They had scattered chocolate eggs all over the park and everyone just went crazy finding them all. The kids ended the day quite happy, and excited for Easter!! Here is a picture of them all read to go egg hunting!!!!

On the actual Easter weekend we took in a few different events too!!!! The Easter bunny came to our house and dropped of some treats, toys and Easter outfits. Steele was sleeping when the Easter bunny came, and I didn't get a picture of him once he woke up!!!! Her is a picture of the kids once they had already emptied their basket. Silly mommy forgot to take a picture before!!!!

Anyways, we also headed down to visit family and did a few Easter activities with them too!!! We went and spent an evening in Claresholm to visit Grandma and Grandpa Mulholland. Then on Saturday we headed to Fort Macleod for and egg hunt, egg dieing, and a family dinner. When we got to Fort MacLeod the wind was howling. Big surprise right?? I seriously don't know how I grew up there. If we think the wind is bad in Calgary you have to three times it for Fort Macleod!!!!

So the egg hunt was at the Fort and the kids were given a sticker and suppose to find the matching egg with that sticker on. It was so freezing cold and windy that the kids did not even want to look. I ended up finding Cohen and Britlynn's fairly quick. They went and got there treat bag, and instantly wanted to go back to the van to get warm. Dave took all three kids back to the van and I tried to find Steele's egg without any luck. I eventually got to cold and gave up!!!! Steele didn't know the difference though!!! We were just all glad to be out of the wind, and headed out to Grandma and Grandpa Poettckers.

Half of the cousins were there so the kids had a fun time playing together. The kids dyed eggs, decorated a bunny house, and got some Easter treats!!! Here is a picture of them with the bunny house that they so proudly decorated, got a picture taken , and then ripped it to pieces, and ate most of it throughout the afternoon!!!! The kids always look forward to being able to visit with their cousins. They had a fun afternoon playing!!!!!!

I just had to put this picture of Steele in the van because he is just soooooooooo cute!!!!! He loves to have his puppy dog!!!! If he has some sort of stuffed animal to hold and cuddle he is a happy boy!!!!

We came back to Calgary Saturday night, and were able to enjoy watching conference at home on Sunday. The kids sat and listened quite well. We just gave them a pile of candy to munch on and they were set!!!! I really enjoy hearing all the talks, and all the different messages!!! You always walk away feeling a little better, and having a more positive outlook. I love the gospel!!!

Anyways by the end of the weekend we were all eastered out!!! We had a great visit with family, enjoy lots of fun activities, were spiritually uplifted, and now have a big pile of Easter candy that hopefully I don't eat all by myself!!!!!

Out on the Town!!!!

This last week Britlynn had off from school, so we tried to get out and do a few fun things!! We went to the playground a few times, practised riding bikes, went to Ikea so the kids could go to the play center, went to the library, and the most eventful thing was a trip to the science center!!!

We had a great time exploring all the fun stuff they have to see there!!! We went with a friend and her two kids, so it was nice for the kids to have someone else to play with!!! There is an area called Wow town which the kids spent most of their time. You can go shopping in the little store, or play in the water feature, or work at the brick factory, or do crafts, or listen to different sound, or play on the playground. It had lots of things to try, and the kids didn't stay in one spot for too long!!! Steele and Cohen of course gravitated to the water!!! It is a fun area, even I had to try a few things out!!! Here are a few pictures of the kids playing around!!!!


Cohen laying on a bed of nails!!! Britlynn wouldn't dare try this, I don't know why not???!!!

Steele playing with the huge ant, that would probably bit his head off if they were really that size!!!

Britlynn showing off her awesome dance moves on the musical floor!!! All the little circles and squares on the floor played a different note, or instrument sound when you stepped on it!!!!


Cohen playing in the water. I'm just glad that they had the plastic covers to somewhat keep them sort of dry!!!!!

Britlynn, Cohen, and Zoe just chilling in this huge chair!!! A fun time was had by all at the science center, and I'm sure we will make a trip back there sometime soon!!!

Now to make the trip worth while to the science center, which is downtown, we also thought we would include a trip on the C-train to go visit Daddy at work, and go out for lunch!!! I was a little hesitant going on the train with three kids, but we all got on an off safely. I put Steele in the stroller, and made the other two keep a hold of the stroller, so we didn't have any strays!!! It was a little crazy trying to cross the busy streets, but the kids loved looking at all the tall towers!!! Cohen loved seeing the new tower being built right across from Dave's office. If I would have let him he could have spent all day watching the crane move things around and all the different machinery work!!!! It really is quite fascinating to watch them build a huge tower like that. The tower, which is called the bow, is already 32 floors high, and it is going to have 58 floors when they are done!!!! I wouldn't want to be the person doing the construction on that building. I hate heights!!!!! The bow will be the new tallest tower in western Canada , and should be done in 2012. It will be quite a sight!!!

Anyways, we had a great lunch with Dave and the kids really enjoyed the whole experience!!! Britlynn thought it was great to see Daddy twice in one day!!!!! I'm glad that we made the trip. It was nice for the kids to experience something different from our everyday routine!!!