Part 2

On Saturday we pretty much just visited with Grandma. We convinced after about 40 min to get in her wheelchair and we would take her for a cruise around Michelson. We sat outside for a few minutes and watched Benjamin run around. We had a pizza delivered for dinner and I don't know if I remember Grandma eating so much. She must have enjoyed the change.
Sunday we were able to get her to church with plenty of time to spare. I went super early and she was ready but then she ended up not being quite ready. But we still had plenty of time. She is like royalty at church. Lots of people came by to say hi and good to see you. She really enjoyed all of the attention she got. So we went back to Michelson and visited some more with Grandma. We were able to convince her to go outside and sit in the courtyard while Benjamin kicked a ball he found around. She just loved watching Ben run and laugh. I tried to take pictures of her with the kids but by the time I got Ben to sit still and then got Grandma to look at me Benjamin was off running. Oh well, I did get some good shots of them. I really enjoyed being able to visit with Grandma. I hadn't seen her in about 2 years but when I was there she was having a few good days and seemed to remember a lot. She doesn't always remember that she is in a wheelchair. Because when we get up to go she almost tries to get up and then says something like "Oh yeah I am in a wheelchair, I don't have to get up".
Mom had warned me that Grandma had been mean to Laura the last time they were up but I think it was more because she was being moved to somewhere she didn't and still doesn't thinks she needs to be because she didn't say anything mean to us.
Where Grandma lives is really nice. There is carpeting on the floors and it doesn't smell like a nursing home. There are pretty pictures on the walls and the nurses seem to be very nice and helpful. Grandma did say to me that she thought was living in a prison and I said laughing that this is a very nice prison then. She laughed with me at that too.
Our adventures in downtown Chicago to come........

To Chicago we go! Part one

We left on Friday the 6th to go and visit Grandma Jeanne in Batavia (near Chicago for those who don't know). We almost were not able to go because Benjamin, Kaleb, and I were all sick pretty much up until we were supposed to leave. We also noticed some car issues Wednesday night and took it into be checked out Thursday. Turned out we needed 3 new motor supports (apparently if the supports were to fail we would have dropped the motor and done some serious damage to probably everything) and a water pump. But it couldn't be fixed in time for us to drive to Calgary. Mom to the rescue. She drove from Drumheller Thursday night and took us to the airport Friday morning and then drove home to Drumheller after that. Thanks Mom for taking us.


Getting through the airport wasn't to bad security was packed and customs was super easy to get through. We arrived at the terminal and Joe goes off to find us food to eat for lunch. Pretty much as soon as Joe got back it was time to board. Now imagine 1 stroller, 1 carseat, 1 baby to hold once we get on the plane, 1 Benjamin running around like a maniac, 3 backpacks, 1 tray of 3 pops, and 1 bag of food to carry onto the plane. Hmmmm we don't have quite enough hands. Especially since Kaleb needed to be taken out of the stroller right before we board the plane and the stroller needed to be collasped as well. That was fun figuring all of that out. We got through it though and LEARNED our lesson: If you need to eat at the airport either give yourself lots of extra time or buy stuff that can be easily thrown into a backpack. Life lessons are great aren't they.


Plane time. Benjamin was pretty good on the plane. Kaleb wasn't. He cried and cried and then puked all over me, his shirt, his blanket yuck. After that though he was better. Were finally landed and Benjamin looked out the window and saw another plane and said to me that he wanted to ride that plane too. Kids are silly.



After some scary driving in Chicago in the dark and not knowing if we were going in the right direction we arrived at our first destination: Sonic. Mmmmmm Cherry Limeades I sure did miss them. Finally we arrived at the hotel and we all eventually fell asleep.



The next morning we got up and surprised Grandma. We walked into her room and she was napping in her chair but when I turned back she was awake and had the most shocked smiling face ever. It felt really good to be able to go and visit. She was so happy to have us there.



More to come......

The Flu

The flu has hit our house. First Kaleb and now Benjamin is sick. Kaleb seems to be doing a lot better but he has viral ulcers that have become infected so he is on antibiotics. Benjamin just started throwing up this morning after having a few bites of toast. He also has a fever and a cough.
Joe and Ben did get their flu shots yesterday after waiting in line for 5 1/2 hours most of the time they were supposed to be outside but the nice lady behind them held their place in line so they could go inside. We were all supposed to be there but because Kaleb had the flu we couldn't take him.
Our ward seems to be hit hard by the flu. I have called many families to cancel mom and tots playgroup and I think most of them had sick kids. I feel bad that Benjamin is sick for his first Halloween that he actually understands what is going on. Maybe we will dress him up and have him trick or treat the different rooms in the house.
Joe heard a statistic saying that 25% of the Alberta population will have become sick with the flu this fall. Well we have surpassed that statistic in our house so some strangers of Alberta family better be grateflu we have taken on this illness for them. lol.
I hope the rest of you are fairing better than us. Good luck fighting off the dreaded flu.
Much love, Kara

Kaleb Almost a work of Art

When we were driving downtown Red Deer Joe noticed a huge mural on the side of a building that looked like Kaleb. The baby even had a red jacket on almost like Kaleb has. We decided that we had to take a picture to show everyone our famous baby. On closer examination of the mural we discovered this baby was probably a girl and it had hair. Kaleb doesn't really have hair except for the mohawk tuft he is growing. He has a mohawk because he has two swirls/cowlicks or whatever they are called on the back of his head. Most people on have one.

Plotting Birds

We park our car underneath a tree and we have always had bird poop on our car since moving here. One time (literally we have cleaned our car out once since moving here) we were cleaning out our car and a bird pooped on Joe. I had warned them that the birds were up there just waiting to poop on one of us since it had tried to get me when I had started to clean the car.

Today as I went out to the car I heard the birds chirping away and one threw a long stick down onto the ground it was at lest 2 feet long. I knew that they were up to something but still had to get everything into the car so we could go to mom and tots. Well before I knew it one of the birds flew above me and pooped....... Any guesses to where the poop landed?........ No guesses well it landed on my head. I am pretty sure the bird did it on purpose. Those magpies and pretty smart you know. Actually I have heard they are one of the smartest birds so I wouldn't put it past them to plot a head bird pooping plan.

I keep hearing about how school is starting and I keep thinking okay Joe goes back to school in Sep...... wait he is done (he does plan to get a CPA of CGA in a few years) we can do stuff during the school year and not worry about missed classes, papers, exams, and studying. I realize this will only last until Benjamin is in school but the freedom at least in thought (not money) is awesome.
This summer I have been trying to get the most out of it by being a tourist here. We have gone to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, to a Lilly festival, to the beach, a church pancake breakfast, other church activites, to a few of the MANY parks here in Red Deer, and the list goes on. Mom calls just to see what I did on the weekend. Red Deer has a lot of parks. I will say that the weather here this summer is WEIRD!!!!!!!! We have had hail just about every week this summer if not more than once a week. Somedays it is so cold I have to warm up the house by baking and other days so warm that the house doesn't cool down. We have had some humid days to ughh humidity.

Has anyone seen Handy Manny? If not it is about a man who is Spanish and is able to fix anything. He also has talking tools. Now his hammers name is pat and when he gets confused he says "I'm a hammer". Today I said to Benjamin are you a hammer and he said "No! I Benjamin" Finally he knows his name. I swear if anyone asked what his name was he would just look at that person as if they were an alien.

Kaleb started crawling last week and loves cords and the door. I swear if I don't know where he is gone is by the sliding glass door. I think he is trying to escape and I really don't blame him. Since becoming mobile(ish) Benjamin thinks he can sit, stand, jump over him and so on. Realy I think he is trying to get away from Ben.

Sleep talking

The last week or so Joe has said a few hilarious things in his sleep. The first one was "I have bats in my ears. Get them out." All the while he was thrashing about. When asked what is wrong he just repeated the above and finally calmed down. The second one "Get the bees out of here. There are bees in the room get them out." He was much more calmer with this one.

Now the funny thing is last night while getting Kaleb up Benjamin who I think was asleep asked me if I have a hat on my head. I told him no but he didn't respond back which makes me think he was asleep. I also caught him in sleeping funny before I went to bed last night. Benjamin was laying on his stomach width wise on the bed with his head slightly covered by his pillow and stuffed animal and his legs hanging off the bed. Silly boy.