Eliza Jane

::: Eliza Jane :::

Born December 25, 2014 @ 0754.

Weight: 6lb 15oz.

Height: 19.69inches.

The Greatest Gift... Other than Jesus.

I love all my gifts -- I always do. This year, however, I got the greatest gift. My sister-in-law happens to be a brilliant artist and she graciously gave me a stunning piece of art. I was absolutely tickled. Entirely delighted. It is lovely, lovely, lovely. I cannot wait to frame it and hang it in my home.
Poor Jaybird though... I will now be asking for artwork every single year.

my family

We had family photos done this Thanksgiving. We were all supposed to be home, but a sister-in-law and a nephew were unable to join us for the festivities. We went ahead with the photos anyway because who knows when we will all be together again? I can't even remember the last time we were all together.

Here are a few photos.

Everyone who was there.

Without the Grandchildren.

The nuclear family.

The boys.

The girls. Missing a sister-in-law.

And the siblings.
(Zachary, Jonathan, Justin. Lindsey, Anthony, Sharlene, Benjamin, Me, Joel)

Photo Credit: flyphotographybc.com

Colton Garrit

Colton Garrit

Born July 21, 2013 at 21:56

Weight: 7lbs 14oz.

Height: 21 inches

Yes, there is another sweet little man in the Jansen clan.

Zachary and Heather welcomed Colton Garrit into the world just a few days ago. 

Everyone is happy, healthy, and now home.

Colton Garrit, we cannot wait to meet you in nine days.

We love you something fierce!

Welcome to the world and into our hearts. 

Eliah Len

We had two nephews born in the same week! The second finally named five days after making his way into the world. Here is the boy himself. 

Eliah Len

Born May 31, 2013 at 02:13.

Weight: 8lbs 3oz.

Height: 22 inches.

Mr. Eliah, you are absolutely precious! 

We were so excited to hear about your arrival 

and now we can't wait to meet you.

We love you.

Welcome to the world!

Seth Benjamin

Seth Benjamin

Born May 25, 2013 at 21:35

Weight: 8lbs 1oz.

Height: 21.75 inches

Allow me to introduce the youngest little mister in the Jansen clan, my sweet nephew. 

Mama, Pops and baby are all doing well. And I am absolutely smitten.

Seth Benjamin, you don't know me yet, but you will. 

Your auntie loves you more than you can imagine. 

Welcome to the world, sweet one. 

Play Date!

I missed another play date with my six favourite littles. My jealousy was outweighed by my pure delight of seeing them all together. Oh to be snuggled on the couch with the lot of them.

The three youngest hardly resemble the babes I left four months ago. Our reunion will be oh-so-sweet, though I am anticipating stranger-danger from at least four of them.

Elinor is four months younger than Peyton and Avery (half their age) and she is the same size as them. This comes as no surprise as her big sister was ahead of her class in size.

Just look at them! Oh how I love them.

Another Jansen

My sister-in-law, Heather, is pregnant. This means that my brother, Zachary, is going to be a papa! Yippeee!!!! They are due August 3rd and we are very excited for them. 

We found out before we left, which I am thankful for as it is always more fun to learn such things in person. It is strange to think that we are gone for the majority of Heather's pregnancy. She didn't even have a bump when we left and she will be great with child when we return. 

Another baby. This auntie is pumped. 

the best

This was waiting for me when I woke up this morning. It makes me ache for the people back home -- especially these six and their mothers.

I would be on a plane and on my way home for some serious snuggles if it weren't for the wonderful time we are having. And if we weren't going to Thai cooking classes today.

But these are my little sweetie pies. Aren't they precious?

Nori Joy

I am pleased to announce the arrival of Maelle's baby sister, Elinor Alida Joy. She was born via cesarean section this afternoon at 12:34pm. Little Nori Joy weighed in at 9lb 15oz and both mama and babe are doing well.

weekend for the ladies

We had a weekend for the ladies and it was awesome! As I mentioned before, the kiddies joined us the second day, but we did have 24 hours free of interruptions. I love those kids with all my heart, but those 24 hours were wonderful. They were absolutely wonderful.

I had no idea what to expect as we haven't actually spent any time alone together, but it was excellent. I make it sound like I was worried, but I wasn't... just curious to see how things would go.

We all brought books and projects to work on, but we ended up talking for 12 hours straight. We tried to watch a show, but it didn't work so we just ended up chatting the night away. We talked about everything... marriage, parenting (and auntie-ing), family, pregnancy, birth, books, movies, and life in general. We laughed, we cried, we talked, we ate, we read (a wee bit), we played a game and we just enjoyed each others company. It was refreshing.

These girls. These girls are just too much sometimes. All weekend I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with love and appreciation for these two fabulous women. They challenge me, encourage me, pray for me, laugh with me, and they make life more lovely. They are wonderful.

Milena Mai is eccentric. She's a little bit crazy and 100% lovable. She is so full of knowledge and is more than willing to research a topic if it will benefit her health or her family (or her friends even). She is a devoted mother, a committed wife, and so full of love and energy. She's the first person to laugh at herself and she manages to find "the positive" in each and every situation. She constantly reminds me to pray about everything and is always ready with open arms.

Ms. Mandi is the most patient person I know in the entire world. She is the calm, steady force in our trio. She is selfless, serving, and sweet. Mandi is the first to jump up when you need a hand and the first to throw a party in your honour. She's a hard worker, a thoughtful friend, and a perceptive and gracious mother. Mandi may be the most consistent person I have ever met and I love that about her!
She is consistent, but she is also spontaneous and up for anything. She is adventurous and so sweet.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better person because of these girls. I'm a better wife and a better friend because of them. If I am half the mother they are then my children will be so lucky.

It was nice to have the kids join us even though I relished our time alone. Those little ones are so full of love and energy and they bring joy and life everywhere they go. I also enjoy seeing my friends as mothers -- it gives me something to aspire to.

So, to make a long story short, we had an awesome weekend and we should definitely do it again sometime.

P+A

I have started this entry fifteen times over and no words seem quite right. I am speechless and crying (always crying) so I will just say this:

My sister, Lindsey, is amazing! I am more proud of her than I could ever say. She rocks my world and I am in awe of what she is capable of. Yesterday, on August 1, 2012, she delivered two of the most beautiful girls into the world -- one head first and one feet first. We (my mother and other sister) were with her while she laboured and then she was whisked off to the OR to push them on out (standard precaution). The girls are healthy and got to stay with their ma and pa.

We gave the new family some time to adjust to each other and went and met the girlies just today. Sharlene and I arrived this morning and Lindsey introduced us to her daughters, Peyton Ashley and Avery Sharlene -- named after their two favourite and best aunties.

There were many tears, as you can imagine. Many hugs and kisses. Snuggles. Sniffs. Then some more tears. So, without further ado, here are the ladies of the hour (day, month, year, decade):

 Peyton Ashley                    Avery Sharlene

Born at 1950                       Born at 1957

6lbs 2oz.                             6lbs 15oz.

19.00 inches long                19.25 inches long

Head First                            Feet First

 Proud Mama.

 Proud Aunties.

 Love my baby girls.

 Big E came for a visit. 

 Words cannot even begin to describe how this feels. Amazing.

 Love. Them.

 Mama admiring her handiwork. Who can blame her?

 

So happy. So very happy.

We are all over the moon in love with these little people. We are thrilled that they have arrived... thankful they are healthy... and excited to show them just how loved they are.

weekend with the boy-ohs.

My nephews are gone now -- they left with their mama yesterday. I miss them already. Man 9/10-year-olds are loud and full of energy. Did I mention that they are loud?? And full of energy??

These boys also got "so bored" if they went 5 minutes without a planned activity. I sent them out into the front yard to play frisbee or toss the ball around, but I regularly heard complaints about how bored they were. They also seemed to always be hungry, but I was surprised at how little they actually ate. Just nibbled on snacks here and there. They were delightful though and I loved having them here!

We kept pretty busy over the weekend. We went on hikes, threw rocks and branches into the stream, went fishing at one of the parks (they provided the gear), went to a fair, had a picnic with our friends, had a sleepover with Sawyer and Kaden, went swimming at the pool, walked along the trestles at Kettle Valley Railroad, and went to play at the park.

Christopher even caught a fish! The pond was supposed to be catch and release, but he did a number on the little guy so they let him keep it. The park ranger wannabe even beheaded and gutted the fish for us. He was probably about 18 and so good with the kids! He showed them the liver and cut open the stomach to retrieve Christopher's worm. We fried the fish up and ate it with dinner. It was pretty tasty too.

These two girls met us at the park after fishing to have a picnic. They brought their parents with them and we had a lovely lunch. Then we all headed up to the Kettle Valley Railroad. Kev, Mandi, Sam and Milena biked it while Erik and I walked with the kids.

Aren't they sweet? The boys absolutely loved Maelle and Sawyer. They desperately wanted to be loved back, but the girls were so shy! I felt bad for the boys, but couldn't help but laugh every time they tried to befriend the girls.

Sawyer and Maelle did relent and hold the boys hand while we were walking back to meet their parents. Christopher was tickled pink he was so excited!!

Sawy and Gus Gus came for a sleepover after our walk. You can't tell in the photo, but Christopher is holding Kaden's hand. The boys frequently went and rubbed his head and face commenting on how soft and cute he was -- it melted this auntie's heart. And poor Sawy in the middle of all the boys wanting her to like them. She doesn't know any bigger kids so I can understand why she was so quiet and nervous around them.

Zachary loved holding Kaden. He was so good with him too, gently planting many a kiss on the top of his head. I come by my baby obsession honestly -- my whole family shares it.

Christopher held Sawyer's hand every chance he got. He would rub her head while he brushed his teeth, he held her hand as he played, he would brush her hair with his fingers as he chatted with the other boys... and she remained shy. She would send me many concerned glances and I would kiss her forehead and tell her it was ok. 

 And Gus Gus was his usual self. Grunty and sweet.

Sawy did warm up to the boys -- every time they walked away from her she would look at me and say "boys?" and "Chris? (kiss)". Then she would run after them... until they turned around. Then she would flee back to me and I would walk her back over.

We brought the boys to the May Days Fair in Rutland. We had church outside in the morning and then stayed for some of the festivities. We put the boys on a couple overpriced rides and I joined Zac on one because you needed to go in pairs. It was called the Zipper and it had a lot of flipping upside down and you often didn't know what was up or down. Poor Zachary did not like the ride one bit. He didn't stop talking the entire time saying things like "I don't like this. I don't like this one bit. This is not fun. I don't feel safe. This is never going to end. When's this going to end? This is never going to stop. When's it going to stop? I don't like this at all. I don't like this. I don't like this one bit. Make it stop. I don't want to be here. I'm sliding around! I don't like this. This is NOT fun." On repeat. Until the ride was done. And then he cried. It was sad and I felt bad for the poor guy, but I was laughing the entire ride through. I didn't really like it either and I tried to comfort him, but I was laughing so hard. It's a good thing my laugh is silent or I would have felt extra awful. He quickly recovered and we then watched an awful wrestling match and I giggled the entire time because I felt so uncomfortable.

Lindsey and Ade met us at the fair. Look at my sister carrying my nieces (two girls!!!!!!!!). She's 26 weeks and looks awesome! Then Shar came and took the boys home. And that pretty much sums up the weekend.

I have missed having my nephews around and I'm glad they could come for the weekend. I hope it happens more often!!

our weekend away

Erik and I had a wonderful weekend away! A wedding on Friday evening brought us to the Lower Mainland for the weekend and we decided to make the most of it. Every time we go "home" we find ourselves running around trying to visit with as many family and friends as we can. We love doing this, but find that it gets tiring. We wanted to take a weekend for ourselves... or at least partly for ourselves.

The wedding was in Fort Langley and it was absolutely beautiful! The bride looked stunning. The groom was beaming. And it was a lovely lovely wedding.

We spent the night at my brother's house and left after breakfast to go and hike the Chief. Wow, I am out of shape. We took many short breaks on the way up, but we made it and the view was well worth the effort.  I even ran into a friend from high school on the way up! I hadn't seen him in five or six years so that was a pleasant surprise. 

We stayed at the top for an hour enjoying the view, chatting, and recovering (at least I was recovering) and then we battled the crowds to get back down to the vehicle. It was busy and why wouldn't it be??

We decided to stay at the Howe Sound Inn which is conveniently a part of the Brewing Company. My brother and his wife were planning on joining us for the evening as my SIL had to work till 3:00pm so we went off to check out the town.

Checking out the town took a matter of minutes -- we perused a couple second-hand stores (I found all the Little House on the Prairie books in one store!!) and enjoyed a little snack. We then returned to our room for a nap on the window seat. The sun was shining in, there was a pleasant breeze coming through the open window, and I passed right out. It was perfect.

We only had most of one day to ourselves, but it was a good day. More of our weekend coming up a bit later.

Happy Birthday Sawybean!

My little lovey is two today! Two!! We celebrated this weekend with a bonfire, cake, and appy's. Mandi made an awesome cake complete with homemade fondant (with a camo design) and a bambi that she fashioned after a picture found on the interwebs. It looked awesome! Sawy was a little shy with all of us singing to her and didn't want to blow out her candle so her papi kindly did it for her.

The day Sawyer was born I wrote these words,

I had the pleasure and the privilege of welcoming little Sawyer Dawn into the world in the wee hours of the morning.

I. Am. In. Awe. 

Nothing has changed and I am still in awe of my little lovey. It is amazing to see how much she is growing and learning. I love that her vocabulary has exploded, though I often need Mandi to translate what Sawy's saying. I love that she excitedly calls out "Auntie!" every time she sees me. I love her spontaneous affection - her aggressive hugs and her kisses. I think it is absolutely adorable when she leans her chubby cheek in when you ask her for a kiss. I love her fake laugh and how much she adores her baby brother. I love reading to her and wrestling with her. I love hearing her ask for "moa, moa, moa" of whatever we are doing (wrestling, eating, reading, jumping, dancing, singing...). I love that she says "pease" all the time. When Sawyer talks her "k's" sound like "t's" -- Taden (Kaden), Turtis (Curtis).

Sawybean's favourite things include:

• Playing in the car. Particularly my car which is probably because I let her do it the most. She just climbs from seat to seat, pushes buttons, pulls levers, waves out the back window. She isn't strong enough to honk the horn (thankfully), but I'm sure that will happen eventually.
• Her baby brother. Mandi and Sawy came to pick up Kaden when he slept over without her and she ran in the door and proceeded to call out "baby! baby! baby!" and then she kissed him profusely. Interestingly she always called him baby until about a week ago. If you asked her to stay "Kaden" she would just say "Baby" back to you. Now she will repeat "Kaden" (Tayden), but she calls him "baby" if she is referring to him. 
• Reading. 
• Cartoons. (Tatoons). The viewing of cartoons is limited, but she does love them. 
• Yogurt. Anytime I open the fridge Sawyer will run into the kitchen and point out the yogurt pleading "pease, pease, pease". It doesn't matter where she is or what she is doing -- all activity will stop for the chance to have some yogurt. 
• Maelle. It is so fun to watch these two together. They really do adore each other and play very well together. 
• Wrestling. This usually includes Sawyer running at me full-speed and then jumping into my arms. We then roll around the floor, or she steam rollers over me, and we tickle each other and then she jumps up and asks for more.
• Jumping. I would have to say that Sawy is a very good jumper. And she loves doing it. She loves holding onto my hands and jumping. Or jumping in the middle of the room all by her lonesome. Or jumping on the couch. Or jumping on her bed. She just loves jumping.

I teared up as I read the letter I wrote Sawyer last year on her first birthday. I remember how I felt then and the only thing that has changed is that I love her more fiercely than I did then -- if that's even possible. I'm thinking another letter may be in order.

Until then,

Happy Birthday Sawybean! I love you with all my heart.