Super DAD!

Happy Father's Day to the amazing Dads out there!

This dad is #1 in my kids books!

I don't know a dad out there that loves to play as hard (or shall I say harder) than his own kids!

He is always trying to get others to play with him! He gives a lot of his time to coach and help others learn how to have as much fun as he does!

He is so patient when it comes to teaching and coaching on and off the field - in game situations and life situations.


He is just pretty super awesome if you ask us! Happy Father's Day honey! We are so grateful for you and how awesome you are!

Simply Fun!

We spent the first weekend in June down in Taber and Barnwell with Brandon and Candice. I realized just how much my kids are city slickers and they absolutely loved the simpler life of a small town. When they saw the hay stacks stacked up in the field behind Brandon and Candice's house they thought they had died and gone to heaven. Right away Carson was out there jumping from hay stack to hay stack having the time of his life. Who needs a play ground when you have hay?
My kids always ask me when we will have trees big enough to climb and build tree houses in. I tell them probably never and so just being able to climb trees this big was exciting.

Of course my kids have never had a chance to ride a horse and so this was very exciting as well. Not to mention riding it right in the back yard!

Jordan wasn't sure if he liked the horse or not but he gave it a go!

Kailey and Carson got the hang of it quickly and they were riding all over the place by themselves. Then of course they were begging me to buy them a horse. I reminded them that our backyard isn't big enough!

Hang on Sister - I'll just give you a little pull on this swing!

OK - now this is what we are talking about! All laughs and fun times!

Jordan thought the horse was OK, the swing and climbing trees was pretty darn fun but then Logan pulled out . . . . (dun, dun, dun) the ride a LAWNMOWER! This is where it is at! "This is TOTALLY AWESOME!"

We had so much fun that the kids wanted to move to Barnwell and live with Brandon and Candice. I guess we'll just have to visit more often!

Stitches for JJ

Of course the day we are all running around getting ready for field trips JJ trips in the back entry and smacks his head on the stairs. I hear the blood curtling cry and know that he is really hurt. When I get to the back entry he is holding his head and blood is streaming down his face. As soon as I look at it I realize he needs a couple of stitches in his head and that he will not be going on his field trip to Spruce Meadows to watch the horse jumping. I throw the kids in the car (JJ holding a wet cloth to his forehead with some ice) and drop Carson and Kailey off at school so she won't miss her field trip. Then we drop Sadie off at the Atkins so she can head out on her field trip and then JJ and I are off to the Emergency to get stitches. I work for doctors but with my luck the day I could use stitches they are not available. (I keep telling myself I should just keep a stitch kit at my house so I could stitch my kids up myself and not have to go to the hospital).

When we arrive at the hospital they wrap JJ up like he is a wounded soldier at war. He says to me "mom, why do I have to wear this big bandage I just cut open my forehead?" The nurse tell him it is because he will get more sympathy and smiles at him.

It was the first time in my life that we basically walked right into Emergency and didn't have to wait. The only waiting we did was when we were put in a room and had to wait for the doctor to see us. We finally go the bleeding to stop and I took one picture for the records before he was stitched up.

Two stiches later and we are out of there and off to his field trip to Spruce Meadows. Too bad it was poring rain by the time we got there and the horses weren't even jumping because it was so wet! Aaaahhhh the life of a 5-year-old! Of course the best news was that he had his stiches just in time for his team soccer pictures 3 days later. Boy oh Boy!

Soccer Time for JJ

It is always so fun to watch the kids compete at any level. Jordan loves playing soccer.

The other day he was telling Uncle Justin that his jersey was black and his number was 12. Justin asked him if that was his favorite number and Jordan said "No, I really wanted number 16". Justin asked why and JJ said "because that is when you get your driver's license and I really want my driver's license." He cracks us up!

JJ in action.

Jordan loves this sequence of photos. One, because he is on a break away with the other kids chasing him, but watch the little boy to the left of Jordan.

It's a rough game!

He shoots and scores!!!!!

Not only does he score but then he runs down to the other end of the field and dives to save the ball from going in his goal. This was the save that he talked all day about. What a kid!

The Month of April

As usuall we have been busy this month. Just wanted to post a few pics of our dancer. She performed at Achivement Days for all of her friends and is getting ready for her dance festival in a few weeks.

If there is anybody who knows how to strike a pose it is our Sadie.

We've also been busy with more basketball for Carson. He is playing on the Junior University of Calgary Dinos team right now and LOVES his basketball game! Lately he has really grown up. His voice is changing into that nice deep voice like his dads, he is getting broader with some muscles, he is starting too loose that baby face, and has even had to shave his upper lip a couple of times. I often find myself watching him in amazement while he is doing something and I have to remind myself that he was actually my baby. He is not a little kid any more and it is sometimes hard for me to watch him grow up so fast. Darcy and I were talking about this the other night and he mentioned the "simpler days" when we lived in our little McKenzie house and Carson was this cute little guy running around the house. As Darcy was talking I notice a glint of some water (not tears of course) in his eyes. It is fun to watch the kids grow up and learn new things but it is bitter sweet! They just grow up way too fast!!