Congratulations Ryan!

Ryan just signed a teaching contract with Ecole Campbelltown in Sherwood Park for the next school year! I wanted to publicly say how proud I am of him - he stepped into this position with no experience in teaching elementary school or French immersion but he's put a lot of work and time into it and it has paid off for him.

I remember the moment we found out he had got this job - it was last December. I had spent 4 days in the hospital with Claire after getting her G-tube put in and there had been no end to the problems and pain she had to deal with due to an infection. I felt like God had forsaken us and we were on our own - I cried so much watching her feel so awful and not being able to do much besides keep her company and badger the nurses and doctors to figure out what was happening. Ryan got a call on his cell phone about the position and was shocked to be offered it - not that he isn't a good teacher, but he studied to be a junior/high school FSL/computers teacher - not a grade 5 French immersion teacher! We knew it was the right thing to do and it made me feel like maybe we weren't so "forsaken" after all. Now I feel that even more as we have another year of a great job and great hours so we can spend lots of family time together.

Good job Ryan! I love you!

Lots of Pictures!

We've had a busy few weeks and here are a few pictures to go along with our adventures.

Here's Ryan and I at the LA Galaxy/Vancouver Whitecaps exhibition soccer game. We had tons of fun. It rained a little bit but it only added to the experience. Everytime Beckham even touched the ball the crowd went crazy but the other players were just as exciting to watch. Vancouver won 2-1!

The girls and I had fun with our friend Shauna at Rebekah Hinman's 1st birthday party! The indoor playground was super fun (even though Maddie had a few trips and bumps). Claire's toys were a hit with the other kids.

We had a fun day at the waterpark with the fam. It was one of our first big day trips with Claire's feeding tube and it was so nice. We didn't have to worry about rushing home to feed her lunch - we all just ate while lounging on the fake sand beach in the deck chairs.

Claire's new swimsuit! She looked so grown up and she loved every minute of being in the water.

I just really liked this smiley picture of Claire. She just lights up the room with her smiles and giggles.

We bought a bike trailer for the girls so we can all enjoy rides together. We were worried about how they would be in such close proximity but they were very nice to each other. No injuries or crying and they seemed to really like it. Now we can go on lots of trips together!

Here's some pictures of Claire's organized room. There are a few things to mention - the lump along her bed is a custom made bed bumper that my mom made for her birthday so she wouldn't roll out of bed.

We have tried to surround her with textured surfaces and lights so her room can kind of be a retreat for her. With the help of Val we are building up a bunch of toys that light up so we can create a sensory corner for her. She really enjoys relaxing in her room.

With these hot days, Madeline has enjoyed being in her birthday suit a lot. Here is a picture of her protesting my photographing her in the buff.

However, my mom bought a portable air conditioner for the girls so we have been enjoying the cool air in our normally boiling apartment. It has been a gift from the heavens!

We're looking forward to lots of busy weeks ahead!

A spring in my step

Finally it's spring! I'm holding out hope that this nice weather continues so that we can keep playing outside everyday. Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.

We've babyproofed the house a bit more so Maddie can roam around more freely. She is so curious and gets into everything. She's a very good girl though - she loves to help unload the dishwasher and put away groceries. If she finds a fuzzy or something on the floor she will usually bring it to us to take care of instead of eating it. She now claps her hands when she hears "If you're happy and you know it". This picture is of her in her favourite place - waiting by the door for it to be opened so she can run around in the hallway!

I love Claire's screams of joy. She just looks and sounds so happy - it's also a good time to check her teeth since she opens up so wide!

This is Maddie's cheesy smile face. She really likes looking at books and will sit her in chair now and flip through a nice piece of literature. However, this usually only lasts about 5 seconds before she's off and running again.

Auntie Mel just moved in upstairs and we're so glad to have her closer so the girls can hug her more often.

Here's a funny sleeping picture of Madeline. We don't get many pictures of her sleeping in her bed since she usually wakes up at any noise and her floor is creaky. This morning she was zonked right out and looked so cute I snapped a picture. She never keeps the blankets on herself - they always end up underneath her.

Claire LOVES to swing. Whenever we go out to Grammy and Grandpa's we take advantage of the backyard swings....even if there is snow on the ground!

Sometimes when we're reading to Claire on the floor Madeline will come and sit right down on her lap in order to join in. Claire loves to have her near. They are getting to be good friends and it's fun to watch them interact with each other.