more pics

i love the way she photoshoped this one. her eyes look sooo blue!

Almost 2008!!

Christmas was awesome. We drove all the way up to Grande Prairie. Let me tell you 20 hours of driving in 3 days with a 1 year old is not my idea of fun... but we had a great time with Spencers family. It wasn't even that cold. I went up thinking it was going to be -40 but suprisingly it never got below -8. Anyway we all got VERY spoiled. I lost 7 pounds last month but I am pretty sure that I gained it all back. There was so much food. Anyway I don't have any christmas pics yet but I will post those shortly.

Spencer installed an alarm at the Kapscos' and I went over there and Krystie snapped some of the most adorable pictures of Sophie. I am so in love!!.... with the pics and her camera.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! We are heading up to Grande Prairie to spend christmas with Spencers family so I probably won't post anything till after christmas. This is going to be a very different christmas for me. My mom and dad and kara are going to Ecuador to pick up Kimber... she has been there for the last 3 months volunteering at an orphanage. She has had the best time and I know that it has been such a humbling experience for her. She is such a good example and I know that it can't be easy to leave and go to a foreign country for 3 months to give service but that is the kind of girl Kimber is. She is always giving and even though I am the oldest in the family I have always looked up to her as such an example.

Anyway this year my family has decided to forget the presents all together and just send gifts to Ecuador for the orphans. They need it so much more then we do. It will be so cool for my family to give them all these presents. Kimber asked them a few weeks ago what they wanted for christmas and no one said anything. A minute later a little girl said that she would like a toothbrush... a toothbrush? that's a need. They are so grateful for anything and everything.

These adorable little babies and children just want to be loved. When the girls walk into the orphanage in the morning the babies are all standing in there cribs saying, "mama, mama" They think these girls are there moms. A little boy was walking out of the orphange one day and kimber asked him where he was going and he said, "I'm going to find my mom and dad." It breaks my heart when I hear these stories. It makes me feel like I so grateful for the wonderful life I have and to have been raised in a loving home with loving parents. One day a little orphan girl was wearing some clip on earrings that one of the volunteers had given her and Kimber told her how pretty they were. At the end of the day the little girl walked over to Kimber and put the earrings in her hand and told them she could have them. The earrings were probably one of the only things she had and she wanted Kimber to have them. Of course Kimber didn't take them but I thought the least we can do is sacrifice one Christmas and give to these orphans that have so little. My mom and I were talking about how maybe we should change our focus on christmas every year and try to remember the true meaning of christmas. I hope that next year we can do something similar.

Anyway I hope that you all have a safe and fabulous christmas!!!!!

ON THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS!!!

Sophie and Watson reunited. It was so fun to meet up for lunch with Tanner, Amanda and Watson. It's about time!!
Look at how seductive Sophie looks. She was workin the camera!
Nice and messy. I think it's a mixture of yogurt and ravioli.. mmmm???
A little hyper and ready for a bath and bed

Sophie was really tired. While I was getting ready for church she fell asleep while watching cartoons. Looks like Spence is ready for a nap too!


I am so in love with christmas. I love this season more than any season.... except for the freezing cold. I wish that it could be pretty and snowy without the cold factor. 9 days till christmas and only a few weeks till Sophies 1 year birthday!!!!! She has kinda started walking. She will take 4 or 5 steps on her own then she gets scared and topples over. She will walk when she's ready and I am not stressed about it.

Okay one other thing.. Sophie is weaned!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYA!!!! It has been a week and a half and it couldn't have been easier. Although I was down to one feeding a day anyway. But I am telling you she is sleeping better and seems to be happier all around. I think she was getting just as tired of it as I was. She has been drinking out of a cup with a straw for the past 3 months and now she drinks whole milk out of it. My doctor and the nurse told me that it was okay to start her earlier then a year and she has been just fine with it. So I am very happy!!!!

Did I mention how much I love being back in southern alberta?? Everyday I love it a little more. It is so fun to have family and friends pop in and out all the time and have my mom less than an hour away. I also love being back in Canada where we aren't foreigners. The U.S never felt like home to me. I loved it but I always felt like a visitor... well I guess I was. We were referred to as aliens at the university. Anyway we love it and would love to be here forever and ever an ever!! I have always been a total homebody.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

our new and improved christmas tree... ya those are some of her presents under the tree
i think this is so funny that it says be nice to your money above her head

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Really my apartment has looked like christmas since the day after halloween which is when I took down all the halloween decorations and started on the christmas ones. I know I am kinda pathetic but I just love christmas. I put up my little $20 tree that we got when we were first married and it was actually kinda depressing. It was so sparce that you could see right through it. I was complaining on the phone to my grandma pack and what do you know the next day she shows up at my door with her christmas tree, which is so full and luscious. So typical of my grandma. She would give you the shirt of her back. Anyway I told her I couldn't take it but she insisted that she wanted to get a pre-lit one anyway so I agreed to "take it off her hands". Anyway old charlie brown got tossed into the dumpster without hesitation and up went up the new tree and I LOVE IT!! i have actaully had it up for the last few weeks but just took pictures of it today.


Anyway other than getting ready for christmas, not a whole lot is new. We went home for alumni this past weekend and it was fun! None of Spence's grade came but he got to play with the guys a year older so it was good. It was fun to see friends and watch Spence play basketball.


Sophie is doing well. She is 11 months on the 4th. She isn't quite walking but she's trying her best and having lots of wax outs. She has 3 bruises on her face right now poor dear. I feel so bad! She is just so reckless. She's into everything and gets herself in the most akward places. Oh well. I think it's normal???


She get's so hyper when she plays with her daddy. He really riles her up. It seems like she always wants to be with him when she's happy and wants to play and she wants to be with me when she is sad. hmmmmm. i posted a few pictures of her playing with Spence. This is probably when she should be going to bed but she is just so cute when she gets hyper like this and it tuckers her out and she is SOOO ready for bed.


Hope that everyone is well!!

Sick little Sophie

on our way to the hospital.. the first time. i really don't know why i am smiling honestly.
at the hospital sophie didn't know what to think of her bracelet.
such a sick pic of me but this is how sophie has been sleeping for the last few days... believe me i have a really stiff neck.
at the lethbridge hospital the 2nd night once she started to perk up
today!! she is so much happier



So it has been quite the last few days.. to say the least. Our poor little Sophie got sick.... real sick! On Sunday we got her all ready for church and just as we were about to walk out the door she started bawling. We took her down into her room to see what the problem was. She ended up crying for a few minutes then conking out on Spencers shoulder. Anyway I thought we could just stay home until she woke up.. she slept for 2 and a half hours which is quite long for her. She usually takes 2 naps and they are usually about and hour and a half each. Anyway we didn't end up going to church. I thought when Sophie woke up she would be so happy but she was actually really grumpy all day. I thought she was maybe getting another tooth or something so I gave her some tylonel and put her to bed. She slept really good that night but when Spence went in to get her at 8:30 Monday morning she had thrown up all over her crib. I bathed her and she seemed like she was feeling better so I gave her a little cereal for breakfast. Then about an hour later she threw up again and again. After her throwing up 3 more times I called Spence at school in a panic. Sophie was so traumatized by it all but I think I was even more traumatized. Anyway Spence came home with some pedialite and of course she hated it. She was so sleepy and was sleeping on my chest all day long. Finally after 11 times of throwing up.. well by then it was just gagging.. we decided it was time to go to the e.r. My mom suggested that we drive into Cardston because most likely it would be a longer wait in Lethbridge then the 45 minute drive to Cardston. We got in to see a doctor right away and he said that she probably had a viral flu and sent her home with some gravol suppositories and told me to keep her topped up with tylonel. We stayed at my mom and dads that night which was really nice to have my mom to help me. Sophie wanted to be held all night and so my mom, spence and I took turns. So Tuesday morning we headed back to Lethbridge. She slept a lot during the day but she was really upset. She cried a lot and in turn I cried a lot. I just felt so sorry for her because it was clear that she was in some serious pain. She was throwing up again so at 6:00 last night we were really worried about her. She was so lethargic and she had a fever. We took off again to the emergency room. We were both praying so hard for her and this time we thought that we would try the lethbridge hospital. I know that it was an answer to prayers because we got right in. We had 2 doctors look at her. They ran tests and they even had to give her a catheder to get a urine sample. That was honestly one of the hardest things I have had to do. She was sooooo scared and in pain. They looked in her ears and took a swab of her throat and they determined that she had an extremely bad ear and throat infection and that was what was causing her to vomit. They had given her some medicine that they give patients that get chemo for the nausea and I couldn't believe how much she perked up after that. They were also hydrating her with pedialite through a syringe. After 2 and half hours they sent us on our way with a perscription. She didn't throw up again. YAY!!! My mom and grandma came in and spent the night. Sophie had a fairly good night. She woke up once and I gave her some more tylonel then my grandma took her and she went right back to sleep. She has slept quite a bit today and tonight she seemed soooo much happier. I feel like she is finally coming around. Anyway it has been a rough few days but it's times like this that I am so grateful for the power of prayer. As hard as it is to see Sophie in pain I knew all along she would be okay. My family has been so great. I wondered when we first moved here to Lethbridge if we were doing the right thing. I loved Rexburg so much. But there have been so many things that have happened since we moved here that have made me KNOW that we made the right desicion. Anyway this is one heck of a long post.. SORRY everyone!!!

10 months

Sophie in her doggy bed at Ross
Lydia Enkirch and Sophie
Mel and I and our girlies
too bad Sophie isn't smiling cute like Lydia
me gettin' cuddled after her nap.. my favorite time ever.



Sophie is 10 months old today. I actually just realized that a few minutes ago so I figured it would be a good time to do a new post. Sophie is growing and learning so many fun things. She just got another tooth and I think another one is on it's way. She is still a really good sleeper, although her bedtime has been getting a little earlier so she has been getting up a little earlier but it's okay. I still usually get 7 and half to 8 straight hours. She has starting saying "OH" to everything. When the phone rings her eyes get so wide and she makes a perfect circle with her mouth and says, "Oh". She hasn't quite started walking yet but I think that she is pretty close. She motors around all day long and she has even figured out how to get herself from sitting to standing without grabbing onto anything. Anyway it's fun!

So Spence got home from school on Friday and we were just sittin' around so bored and he said, "Why don't we go to Great Falls for the night and come home tommorow". So we did! We were out the door within a half an hour. It was so fun! We went christmas shoppind and lots of fun! It was so great to buy things and not have to pay GST and have our dollar worth so much more. Anyway we got some things for Sophie for literally half the price of what we would pay in Canada. It was really funny. I was in Ross and Sophie was really tired and went to sleep in my arms. She was getting heavy and Spence was somewhere else so I got a doggy bed and put in my cart and laid her in it and found a blanket there too and laid that over her. I felt so trashy doing that but she slept in there for an hour and I got some good shopping done. The store manager came up to me and thought she was gonna get mad at me but she just said, "That is the way to shop. What a good baby you have."

When we got home from Great Falls we went straight to our friends, Melissa and Eric Enkirchs parents house. It was so fun to see them. Actually Sophie and Melissa's little girl, Lydia were born on the same day. Not the same hospital but the same day. I will post a few pics. They seriously have the cutest kids. I don't have any pics of there little girl, Hannah but she is so so cute!

Anyway not much else is new here. It snowed today. I really wanted to put up the christmas tree but I refrained. I thought I should wait a week or so. I guess I still have the U.S. mentality that you have to wait till thanksgiving is over... I guess our thanksgiving is over. OK maybe I'll put it up tommorow.

NUTHIN BETTER

sophie in her new sweater
little side profile
dimples... could make us melt
outside of wal-mart. sophie conked out while we were grocery shopping.
dirty couch... i somehow managed to spill honey on it.. i gave it a good scub down and it's all better.


wow 2 posts in 2 days!! i'm amazing!! jks...
anyway since having sophie some days i think to myself that she has changed so much overnight. well that's how it has felt with her in the last week or so. she is SOOOO much more cuddly then she has ever been. since she was 7 weeks she has put herself to sleep and she would have to be really tired for her to let us rock her, so the times that she would let me i would be in absoloute heaven. there is something so therapeutic and wonderful about holding a baby in your arms while they sleep. anyway for the last week sophie has nestled her little head into my chest and fallen asleep at least once a day. she looks at me with her big blue eyes, yawns and closes her eyes and goes to sleep. i am tellin ya, i couldn't be more thrilled. she is such a little angel. she is also so much more vocal lately. she does this little shooshoo noise all the time and she always says uh oh when she does something bad. she has started this little game that she points her pointer finger out and you have to touch her finger with your pointer finger. it makes her laugh everytime. she points at everything. she pulls herself up on everything and stands on her own. she hasn't quite started taking steps yet but she is dang close. i am excited for her to walk but somewhat dreading it also. anyway it's so fun how quickly babies change in there first few years of life and i am loving all of the new and exciting things that sophie is discovering............... most of the time.

Trip to Utah

So we took a little roadtrip to Utah. There was an APX Alarm party that was going on and it just so happened that Kimber was flying out of Salt Lake to go to Ecuador to volunteer in an orphanage for 3 months. So my mom and dad were there and could take care of Sophie while we partied. It was a fun weekend. Sophie did soooo good on the drive. She hardly cried a single bit. Thank goodness for the portable d.v.d player, baby einstein (sophies absoloute fave), and snacks. I think we went through 3 containers of puffs but it was okay. We had so much fun! We stopped in Rexburg for the first night and saw some of our good friends, Gifford and Amanda Nielson and there darling little Jaden. We were also super excited to hit up wingers. Mmmmmm Sticky Fingers. Being in Rexburg brought back a flood of memories. We were there for 2 and a half years and we absoloutly loved it. We miss it alot but we are thrilled to be in Lethbridge. Anyway on Sunday my dad and Spence headed back to Canada and my mom and I spent the day shopping and slept overnight in Montana and shopped in Helena all day tuesday. Poor Sophie was so tired. She didn't really get a nap in all day tuesday. In fact I was holding her in Ross and I walked past a mirror and she was sound asleep on my shoulder. I loved it! She doesn't do that alot but since then she has done that every day at least once. So maybe she likes cuddling more now??? Anwyay we had a great time and saw some good friends. Today I finally got a membership to the YMCA. I am so excited to finally get into a workout regime. I used to work out at least once a day in Rexburg but since having Sophie all I have been doing is workout videos and I feel like I need to do a little more. Anyway I have got to feed Sophie dinner! Later!!

some random pics

Sophie and her friend, Grace Wolsey in there matching polkadotted shirts.

Sophie and her missionary do

Sophie and I

Sophie and her new little scowl

Little dimpled hands