2 little things I'm thankful for..

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving weekend!! We sure did.

Summer

 

I had a great summer.. We were super busy. I did tons of shoots and still managed to spend lots of time in Leavitt and even took a few trips to Montana with my parents. All in all it was awesome. It would have been better if Spence was here but what do ya do.. we see lots of him for the next 7 months. Anyway here are " a few" pics of this summer. It's really quite embarrassing  how neglected this poor little blog has been lately.

Life can be hard sometimes

Everyone has there trials. Everyone has there blessings. I found myself thinking a week and a half ago that things were just "perfect" right now. I was happy. Spencer was coming home. Life was good.


A week ago I had to say goodbye to another grandparent. As I went to the funeral home to give my Grandpa Leavitt his very last haircut I couldn't help but remember the time I went to curl my grandma packs hair at the same place 5 months ago. In 18 months I have lost 3 grandparents. 1 was from a hideous disease that took him quickly, 1 was a tragic completely unexpected event, 1 was old age. All very different, all very sad. Death is a part of life. I understand that if you live you have to die.. but it doesn't make it easy. I am grateful that my grandpa Leavitt is in a better place. That his body is free of pain and confusion. I am so happy that he can be reunited with all of his many siblings, parents, friends, ect. But as I watched my poor little  sweet grandma say goodbye to her husband of 73 years my heart broke. It doesn't matter how old a person is, they are still a person that is loved. He lived a wonderful life and he is a perfect example of how we should all live our lives. I know no one is perfect.. but he is about as close to it as you can get. I have NEVER heard him utter an unkind word about anyone. He dedicated his life to the lord and I know he is exactly where he deserves to be. There is no question in my mind.

So yes, we all have our trials.  As we have had a few disappointments over the last few days and have really had to step back and re evaluate some huge life decisions, Spencer and I have really had to rely on the lord and we know that life will take us down the path we are supposed to be on if we live righteously.

As we knelt in prayer as a family I felt very strongly that Heavenly Father had a bigger plan for us and someday we would understand why things happen the way they do.

Little dancers

Soph & Grace had there dance recital. We decided to opt out of the recital last year and go see daddy in Winnipeg instead so this was a whole new thing for us this year. It was so fun for them to finally be able to show us all what they have been working on for the last few months. I was really impressed with how far Soph has come in the last 2 years. She started when she wasn't even 3 and she could barely walk without tripping over her own two feet. She is much more graceful now and it has really helped her come out of her shell too. She used to be so shy! I don't know if she will be doing ballet next year or if she'll do gymnastics instead but I do know that I am so proud of my little dancer and how brave she was dancing in front of all those people! I don't know if I could have done that at 4 years old.

I can do tough things

Im still here...

And Im ok

My mom said something that really hit me.

She said through losing weight she has realized she can do tough things.

Little did we know that the emotional journey my mom and I set out on 1 year ago to lose weight would actually prepare us for what happened 2 months ago. 

I miss her so much, my heart hurts so much.

I still cry everyday.

I dream of both of there sweet faces every night.

But I am ok.

Because I'm stronger that I thought.. and I can do tough things.

How do I feel?

GRATEFUL
-to have 28 years of such wonderful memories with such an amazing person.
-to have had a grandma that was just like a mom to me. I don't think a lot of people are as close to there mom as I was to my grandma. I said at the funeral that I have always felt like I have 2 moms. My mom is the greatest mom in the world.. But I had 2 of them. I was lucky!
-that she didn't have to grow old, have health problems. She died healthy. I know that sooner or later she was going to start to grow old and how lucky for her that she got to skip that.
-that she is with gramps and her little Kathleen
-that I have such an extremely wonderful family that I can lean on for support.
-that she didn't have to suffer for long
-that we could pay tribute to her and it all went as good, if not better than we had hoped. I know she was proud and I could feel her there. I was privelaged enough to share some memories and sing and even though I didn't hold it together as good as I had hoped I know she was proud.
-to be so blessed to have her in my life for eternity

SAD
-that I lost her
-that she didn't get to see my kids grow up
-that she was sad for the last 16 months without gramps and we couldn't fix that sadness
-for everyone else in my family
-that life is going to be really different and empty
-that life just isn't going to be as fun without her
-that I won't be getting my daily phone calls from her
-that she isn't going to be my summer friend again this summer. We spent so much time together last summer and had big plans for this one too. We were going to be the "single ladies club".. no spencer and i are not separating.. he is gone with work a lot. :)
-that I don't have my gram to cuddle with anymore
-that my girls don't have grandma chicken to have sleepovers with, play with, sing with, laugh at and talk too.
-that I feel alone

CONFIDENT
-that I will see her again!!!!
-that she is happy
-that she was proud of me
-that I was a good friend to her
-that she is watching over me
-that I will pattern my life after hers.
-it was her time
-that I will be able to be happy again and someday smile when I think of her instead of cry


Thank you all so much for your love, support and mostly your prayers. We have felt strength in them and I am so extremely grateful and humbled.

We never know what heavenly father has in store for us and even though this was tragic and devastating and I sometimes feel like my heart is broken in two, I agreed to this before coming to earth and I know that through our trials come blessings. I am so grateful for the outpouring of blessings since this happened. I have so much to be thankful for and that's what I will focus on.


My grandma was one of the best! And she is my grandma for eternity. I am so grateful for that!

We did everything we could...

Those words pierced my heart.. This only happens in movies... She is only 71.. I can't lose her yet. I'm not ready. She is healthy. Why did this happen? No no no no NO NO!!!!

I recieved a phone call last night at 6:30. "Kelsey there has been an accident. Get in your car, pick up your sisters and come to Calgary." She's got to be ok. She is so young and healthy.. And we're still sad about losing Gramps a year ago.. Shes for sure going to be ok. She has to be ok!!

As we arrived at the hospital the stars ambulance arrived at the same time. I saw her for a split second as they quickly wheeled her by. Her face. She wasn't going to make it.

As they led us down a long windy hallway and put us in a room called the "Tranquil Room" I really knew that she wasn't going to make it. My grandma. My friend. Sophies best friend. The grandma that I wished was my mom when I was a kid. The grandma that called me every single day just to chat. The grandma that came in for a "sleepover" every other week just cause Sophie needed to see her Grandma Chicken.  The grandma that when she was near I instantly became a 5 year old little girl and nestled in to her chest and cuddled. The grandma that had the funniest sense of humor that could make me laugh to tears. The grandma that taught me more life lessons than anyone. The grandma that I confided in. The grandma that listened. The grandma that loved me. The grandma that was more than just a grandma. She was one of the most special people in my life.
 
I am so glad that I cuddled on the couch for so long with her the night before . I'm so glad that she came on a trip to Martins Cove with Spence and I and the kids the week before. I am so glad that my kids got to know the most amazing woman in the world. I am so glad she was my grandma!!! I am one of the lucky ones that got a best friend in a Grandma!

There is a bright side that I will go to for a few seconds here and there. She missed my grandpa horribly. She missed her little Kathleen that she hasn't seen for 47 years horribly. She was lonely. We did everything we could to fill the void of her husband but she was excruciatingly lonely for my grandpa.  They are together. She wanted that. That brings me comfort.

But then the overwhelming sadness, madness and heartache kicks in.

So here I am 12 hours later. Sleepless. Tired. Sad. Confused. Sick. Without my grandma. My dear sweet, full of love, giving, gracious, charitable, knowledgeable, perfectly perfect grandma.

But my grandma is happy. Reunited. Perfectly perfect. Where she belongs.

But I will miss her dearly.

Having a sick little girl..

Makes you really appreciate a happy little healthy one.

Soph has had one thing after another this month. She went from a nasty cold, to an ear infection, to an eardrum rupturing and fluid leaking from her ears for 4 days, to 2 days of puking.
She was happy, healthy and her normal little self today and it made me realize how much I have missed her!
I need to get her little immune system strong again.. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Welcome to the family

I love you I love you I love you minivan!!!!!

As if I drive a minivan. I felt like everyone was staring and laughing at me as I drove down the street... 

But nonetheless, I am in love!!

Scarred for life

This is a face we see quite often from Little Miss Ell.. usually it's because she wants to be held. Yes, she is still a baby to me and quite attached to her mama.

Yesterday I saw this face times 1000 for what seemed like an eternity. We were at the car dealership test driving a van.. yes, a van and no, i am not pregnant. Anyway it was getting a little chilly out so I told Spence I was gonna go sit in the jeep with the girls while he talks to the salesman. In goes Ella first. As Im buckling her in her seat the little sneak pulled my keys out of my hand without me even noticing. I get her all in, shut the door, and hear a lock and the car beeps.. Oh crap! She has locked herself in the car. I say to her, "Ella push the button" She keeps pushing the lock buttton then drops the keys on the floor. Shes buckled in her seat so she can't grab them and is trying to grab the door handle and can't so she starts trying to with her foot.. Poor dear starts panicking, Sophie is panicking.. Oh my Mama is panicking.
I call for Spence and luckily the guy that is selling cars is able to write down our VIN number and cut us a new key.. Good thing we were at a dodge dealership. Anyway we got poor little traumatized Ella out after about 25 minutes and the car salesman got a sale.. Yes, we bought a van. Haha! Never thought we'd actually do it but I am soooo excited!!

Oh I love a good day...

You know the ones when your kids get along, share, eat what you make them, sleep good, don't sass.. I don't get a lot of those but I did yesterday!

Today on the other hand....