BIRTHDAY PARTY

Sophie and I before the party started. I am making the cheesiest face.
walking!!!
sophies first dolly
classic

So the birthday party was real fun! We just had family there and it was really simple. We had cake and opened presents... Sophie got extremely spoiled. Whats new? The cake didn't really turn out like I wanted it too but oh well. It was chocolate with big pink polkadots and it was so cute then it got really warm and the pink polkadots on the side ran. It was actually quite funny. But the best part of the night was when Sophie started to walk... It was so hilarious. All of a sudden we looked over and she was walking across the room. She made her big debut at her birthday party. I love that she can finally walk. It has been frustrating her to no end and now that she has finally done it she is so proud of herself. She still crawls alot but she is walking more and more everyday.
One other thing my family got back from Ecuador. They had so much fun.. except for my mom had to go to a ecuadorian dentist to get a root canal which is never a good thing. But they brought us home SOOOOOOO much stuff. I was so excited because my dad and kara bought me the alias seasons. I am creepishly obsessed with Alias. I love it love it love it!!!
Spence also started up school again. He has all of his classes on tuesdays and thursdays and 1 on friday which is really nice. But he is going to get a job which kinda sucks but oh well. Anyway Sophie is awake so I better end this!

I have a 1 year old....WHAT??

Me just over a year ago and yes I know... I WAS enormous!!
Sophie just born
3 months
6 months
My little 1 year old

I can't believe it! Sophie is turning 1 tommorow!!! This year has flown by. I can't believe that it has been a year. It seems like just yesterday Spence and I were on our way to the hospital to have her... crazy. Anyway we aren't having her party until Saturday. My parents and Kara and Kimber have been in Ecuador and won't be back until Saturday morning so we will celebrate when they get back. Were not going to do anything extravegant.. just family and cake and pizza. Anyway I am so excited that she is one.. for some reason that just seems so crazy though. She has been such a joy in our lives. I love her so much. I love how feisty she can be, her determination, her quirkiness, her chubby little cheeks, how excited she gets when I have left for a bit and come home, her funny little personality, the way she giggles at the silliest things, and how loving she is. Some might think were crazy but she falls asleep in either mine or spencers arms every night and it is the best time of the day for us. She rubs my arm and sighs as she is falling asleep and I just stare at her and think of how lucky I am to have this little angel. Anyway

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!!!

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!!