A couple of days ago Gracen Belle officially turned 13 months old. Here’s what she’s up to as we enter toddlerhood…

We got our ice cream and sat on the park benches out front of the store to eat it. Of course this little doodlebug doesn’t have ice cream yet, but she was perfectly happy to crawl around on the sidewalk and explore.

We were cruising down the aisles when Gracen spontaneously leaned over and gave her cousin Kinslee a little squeeze.

Then we found an empty little bouncy castle and Grae bobbed around to her heart’s content.

This afternoon we celebrated Josh’s life with a beautiful 2 hour service and lunch afterwards. We laughed, we cried, and we danced to some of his original tracks. Since I was in charge of the technology, Auntie Rozi kept Grae fed and happy throughout the entire thing.

Tonight when we arrived in Edmonton, we went to my Aunt’s house for dinner. My Gido had just been released from a hospital in Edmonton earlier that day, so lucky for us, Gracen got to meet her Great Gido for the very first time.

This afternoon we headed towards Edmonton for my stepbrother’s service. We were about half way there when Gracen started patting the front of her diaper and saying “po-po” (poo poo).

This morning I bundled up the girls, put the handsome Magger on his leash, an headed outside for a walk around the neighbourhood with my crew. Sadly, today is our last day with Magnum because he is going to a new home this afternoon. It will be terribly sad to say goodbye to him, but he couldn’t be going to a better home. Between running a business and having 3 kids under the age of 5, my brother and sister-in-law just don’t have enough time for him. His new owner is a retired K9 unit trainer who loves dogs so much that he will not take a vacation without taking his dog along, so we know that he will be very happy there.

That’s what these two are.

What do you think? Would you hire this duo?

This morning Gracen and I headed to the airport to catch a flight to Calgary. Sadly, this trip is not for fun. It’s to celebrate the life of my stepbrother, who tragically lost his life last Saturday.

‘Here, Mama. This one’s for you’

Whenever we return home from being out, I set Grae down on the front lawn and we enjoy a couple of minutes outside. When it’s time to go inside, she always crawls to the concrete path first, and then heads to the doorstep, rather than just crawling across the grass. Apparently she’s got knees of steel.

‘ONE!’

To me, Saturday mornings are about yummy breakfasts (something more than just the usual toast or bowl of cereal) enjoyed in pajamas. I love making pancakes because I always make them with wholewheat flour and give ‘em a boost with oats, flax seeds, quinoa flakes, and an extra egg white or two. They’re not finicky, and no matter what I add to them, they seem to remain delicious. Well obviously our little lady agrees, because this morning she ate FOUR of them (two with organic all-natural peanut butter and two without), plus a bunch of fruit! Sometimes I wonder how she crams everything she eats into that little belly of hers…