Are my videos working?!? Let me know please so I can hopefully fix them if they aren't.

Dancing Machine

We listen to music a LOT in our home. I LOVE to turn the music on in the morning and dance to it all day long. My boys also love music and love to dance. I think Rylan got his dance moves from his Daddy...hehe. This song is one that Nathan "dances" to every week at his skating class and we love it.

The first minute is the best, but feel free to watch our whole dance party!!

A new stage...aahhhh!!! ;0)

So we've come to my most favorite, wonderful, stressless stage.....hahaha...YA RIGHT!!!

Rylan is crawling. This video is sweet and is how he crawls when he's upstairs (I don't know if it's because the floor is slippery, but it cracks me up). Downstairs  (on the carpet) he's a crawling/climbing/pulling up on EVERYTHING machine.

With Nathan I had my house baby proofed when he was born..hehe..but I really need to get things proofed or my poor little man is going to never be allowed on the ground again...hehe. I forgot how stealth like babies can be, and how incredible their eyesights are. How is it possible to see a teeny piece of paper(smaller than the size of a pea) across the room and under the rocking chair? My housekeeping skills are going to be kicked up a notch....or maybe paper is a good form of fiber. It also was a lot easier to keep things clean without a big brother making messes all over the place.

Oh well...it's fun moving onto this next stage with the little guy. And as you can see Nathan is loving it....well loving to tease Rylan but I guess it makes Rylan try harder.

~~~Thanks Kari. So the blog I saw this on was...24-7-365!!! ~~~

This was Nathan's Valentine for his classmates this year... LOVE IT!!! :)
HAPPY LOVE DAY!
From the Shutra's

I'M IN!!!!

On Thursday I received a letter and at the top of that letter it said:

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've have been accepted into the Practical Nursing program!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!! I start Feb. 11, 2011!!!

I am SOOOO excited!! Such an incredible sense of relief, accomplishment, joy. It's been such a long struggle but SO worth it. I am still hoping/praying that I will get into Saskatoon this year, but if not that's okay too. I KNOW that in 3 years I will be done school....ahhhhhhh.....3 years is not a long time.

Thankyou to everyone for all your words of encouragement, love, support, and prayers.

 I'M IN!!!!

My little big man

Tonight I was cuddling with Nate in his bed at bedtime and we were having a nice little chat about preschool, friends, bully's, etc. Nathan was acting so old and I said:

M-"Nate, will you stop growing?"
N-"I can't, I HAVE to keep growing."

I pouted and he hugged me.

M-"But Nate I don't want you to grow up, I want you to stay little FOREVER."
N-"Mom, if I stay this size forever people will tease me."
M-"?????? Why will they tease you?"
N-"Well, if I'm 90 but I still look 4 people will say, WHAT?"

Hehe...

We talked for a little bit longer and then I said:
M-"Nate, if you grow bigger pretty soon you're going to be 19 and you'll go on your mission and then get married and then you won't live with me anymore." Pout.
N-"Well, MOOOooooommmm... I'll just live with you forever. When I get married then we will just live here because when you get married you live where you live."
M-"Nate, Mommy is married and I don't live with my parents."
N-"Mom, when I am 11 and I get married I won't be old enough to drive so I'll have to live with you"
HAHAHAHA

I said goodnight, gave my little big man a hug and kiss and told him that we'll discuss him living with us FOREVER when he's 16.

I'm WAY too old to pull all nighters.

For quite a while Wayne and I have been trying to decide what to do with Nursing school. As you all know I've been trying to get into Siast and there is a good chance that I won't be in before they change the requirements. Unfortnately, if I don't get in this year then I am going to have to upgrade all of my highschool core classes in order to bring my average up to 85%. When ONLY doing night courses it would take me a couple of years to get these classes completed...boooo.

Wayne has tried to convince me to apply to North Battleford college...ummmm, NO!!! There were too many negatives in my mind to even think about it.
-I refused to move there, paying rent and a mortgage is NOT in our budget, and I love my inlaws but would go INSANE if I lived with them...hehe., and there was NO WAY I was only seeing my boys on the weekend for 2 years...NEVER!!!

-the commute...uggg...not only would I have to go to school for 7 hours a day but then add a 2 hour commute onto that and that just sucks. Plus, what if the weather is crappy, will I get to school? will I get home from school?

-I don't want to leave my boys for those extra 2 hours (commute) a day... :(

-North Battleford College?!?!?! Really??? What kind of program would they have anyway?

-etc. etc. etc.

Well sneaky little Wayne decided to bring it up again while my Mom was visiting and while I was complaining about having to upgrade all my classes. My Mom decided to play devil's advicate and asked me "Jackie, would you rather make some sacrifices now and go to NB but be done school in 2 years, or would you rather wait, have to upgrade for 2 years, still maybe not have a high enough average and who knows when you'll get in?" Ugggg....you should have seen Wayne's "I told you so" face...hehe. I tried to give all my excuses and convince them both it wasn't a good idea and well it didn't work. My mom added "What would it hurt to apply?" "Apply, see if you get in and then make the big decisions."

So after some long, long hours of sleepless nights (I HATE when my brain won't settle down), prayers, many hours of Wayne and I talking about it, talking to the school etc. I finally decided that maybe it was a good idea to apply. What about all my reasons not to go to NB?

-the commute sucks but it's a pretty easy drive, and if the weather is bad there is family and friends that I can crash their pad for a few nights.

-I would be gone in the morning at 7:30 and be home by 5:30, so really it's like having a full time job. (This still makes me VERY sad because I have been blessed to stay home with my boys for the last 5 years and to think of not being there ALL the time for them kills me. But this is where the sacrifice comes in, if I give up these next 2 years (which we all WILL adjust) I will have a career and be able to work just a few days a week and then be home with my boys for the rest of the week)

-the program is the EXACT same program as Siast, in fact the teachers are trained through Siast. But in NB the program only accepts 14 people compared to 25 people in S'toon.

So this weekend Wayne and I took the boys and headed down to NB to apply for the program. This was the last year that NB was doing the "first come, first served" requirements and next year it changes to "high demand" like the rest of the province. I decided that I would get to the school by 6am and then wait in line...Wayne wasn't sure that was a good idea since it was the last year. So Wayne and I made a plan, the boys and I were going to stay at Wayne's parents house and Wayne & his brother Andy were going to camp out overnight and then if needed get in line till I got there at 6am.

10:45- Wayne arrives at the school and noone else is there.

11:15-Wayne calls to say that a car has just pulled up with 2 girls in it.

11:30-Wayne calls again to say that another car has pulled up and has another 2 girls in it. I could tell that Wayne was anxious and he told me that he wanted me to come in sooner than later. My father in law said that it would be better for me to leave then than drive at 3am when I was tired. My inlaws agreed to watch the boys. I was a little worried that my teething, sick baby was going to keep them up all night which he did from 4-5 and then Grandpa rocked him back to sleep and they slept on the rocking chair....thanks Grandpa & Grandma.

12:30- I got to the school and went to talk with the other 2 cars of girls. I told them both that I didn't want to stand outside (it was FREEZING COLD) until 7:30 unless other people showed up and they agreed. One of the cars told me that they knew of 5 more girls that were coming around 3am, and the other car (a mom and daughter) said they knew that one more girl was coming....so we knew of a total of 10 girls that were going to be there FOR SURE. I climbed in the car with Wayne & Andy and just chilled for a little while, watched a bit of a movie, played with the ipod, laughed at Andrew's adventures with girls, and just talked.

12:48- A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in...it doesn't.
12:51- A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in...it doesn't.
1:01- A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in...it doesn't.
1:15- A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in...it does.
1:23-A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in...it does but only brought coffee for one of the cars.
1:38-A car drives by and we all watch to see if it pulls in....it doesn't.
1:39-Wayne said that he thought that road wasn't a busy one....he's wrong.

3am- There are a total of 9 cars and at least 14 people in the cars (we didn't know how many people were there to apply and how many were there to keep the appliers awake).

3am-4am- Wayne and Andrew have a sleep. I play with the Ipod and watch cars(mostly taxis) drive by.

4am- It's my turn to fall asleep and Andy & Wayne are suppose to stay awake now....they don't....I don't fall asleep. I was worried that I would fall asleep and either sleep till after 8(the time they were taking applications) or that I would sleep and miss people lining up.

5am-I drive to go to the bathroom (I wasn't freezing my booty off by peeing outside) and while in the nice warm bathroom I put on my snowpants and boots.

5:05am- I didn't want to leave the warm bathroom.

5:25am- Back in the car with the boys...a car drives by and we watch to see if it pulls in....it doesn't.

So to fill you in, the program has space for 14 people, and being that it's first come first admitted meant that the first 14 people in line (as long as they have the required marks and classes) were the 14 in the class.

5:50- A car pulls up to the school and a girl gets out (a girl who wasn't there ALL night) and stands by the door aka...the line.

5:50:15- I look over and people are climbing out of their vehicles. Wayne quickly throws me my toque and mitts, I grab a blanket and I quickly walk up to the school and stand beside the girl. I informed her (remember I was VERY tired from being up ALL night and not sleeping well the night before that) that there were 9 cars with people in them that had been there all night and they weren't going to be happy that she JUST got there and was the first in line.

Everyone that had been in the cars piled out and we all formed a line. There were 12 people applying for the program so far.

6:15- Another person joins the line.

6:17- A car pulls up, looks at the line and leaves...weird. (They left to get coffee before she came to stand in line....she came back to be person #15)

6:18-Two more people joined the line and that was the 14.

6:20-Everyone was visiting/getting to know eachother... I'm super excited because everyone seems really sweet, and fun....it's going to be a GREAT class.

6:30- A secretary for the school came and gave us each a number in the order that we were, wrote down our name and number and told us to go get back in our warm cars.....THANKYOU, THANKYOU!!!!

Wayne left to go relieve his parents and get Andrew to bed.

7:30-People start showing up and stand in line... I felt bad for them for a minute since they had no clue they were WAY too late, but then I remembered how we had ALL been there for hours and made the effort to get the spots we did and I then just felt bad they were getting cold.

7:45-I went to stand in line and let the people know that we had all been given numbers at 6am when we had originally lined up....they weren't impressed.

7:58-I was FREEZING cold (the wind was now blowing towards us and it was freakin' cold)!!! The secretary's stood in the office (which we could see very well) and drank their nice warm coffees, and were just warm.

7:59-That was THE LONGEST minute of my life!!!

8:00-The ladies opened the door and we were let in the building.

8:05- I was registered!!!!  #2 in line and the 2nd person they would admit(as long as there aren't issues with my upgrades/Accuplacer) into the program.

I'm SUPER excited to finally be in....well tentatively in. The program starts in February 2011...too long away. Of course, if I still get into the program here in Saskatoon I'll be going there but at least I know that I will be in somewhere. It also has taken such a HUGE weight off my shoulders... I don't have to upgrade anymore!!! But not only upgrade but I don't HAVE to get crazy high marks. I'm still going to finish my Math class, and I'm still going to get as high as I can but that stress that came along with it is gone. What relief.

I am BEYOND exhausted today but I'm elated to be able to see the light at the end of the very long and stressful tunnel. It's made all the hard work, worry, tears worth it. WOOHOO!!!!

Christmas Morning ~Part Two~

After we open gifts from Santa everyone plays while Dad (and whoever helps) makes Christmas breakfast. After breakfast we all go downstairs to where the "family" gifts are (I love it this way because it breaks up the gift opening frenzy). I am sad because once downstairs I got distracted and I didn't get ANY pictures of the boys opening their gifts. I was hoping Dad or Lisa had caught some pictures but they haven't sent me any (HINT-HINT)!!!

Mom & Dad's real tree...it was HUGE and thick and BEAUTIFUL!!! When we first got to the house I walked down the stairs and could smell it... the mixture of pine and burning firewood...ahhhh...FABULOUS!!!

Getting ready to hand out gifts.

Love my Dad.

Beth Skyping with her family.

Mom showing Nate where Beth's family lives.

Lisa, I had a picture of you that is REALLY beautious and I won't post it as long as you get me the rest of the pictures...hehe.

So I missed all of the gift opening at this point. :(

The boys in their pj's that Auntie Beth made for them...super cute!!!

Cuddling and watching a movie!! This only lasted for a few more seconds and then they were off and running again.

This was a few days later but Rylan looked so cute sleeping in the big boy bed.

Christmas Day ~Part One~

Christmas morning my boys woke up at 7am (Alberta time) but we hung out in our room till 8 and then the 3 of us went and climbed into bed with Grandma & Grandpa. A little while later Ethan woke up and we decided to get opening gifts.

Grandma reading Santa's response to the kid's letter.

Rylan's stocking gift!!!

Instantly in his mouth... ALWAYS!!!

Nathan opening one of his stocking presents.

Opening gifts from Santa:

Steven's "New" PS

Dad opening his gift

& his new silver dollar

Eating ANOTHER toy

Eli had been up sick ALL night (it wouldn't be a Butler Christmas without someone having the flu) so he and Russell joined the party later on.

Christmas Eve

This year we spent Christmas with my family. Everyone, minus Karalee's family, was there and we had SUCH a fun time. I LOVE spending Christmas with all my family especially now that we have little ones to share in the excitement. (This is going to be a post of pictures).

                             

Lisa & Steven

Doesn't Dad look excited..hehe.

    

 LOVE my boys!!!                                                                   

How cute is Ethan?!? :)

We tried to get a picture of all the boys cudded up in their Christmas PJ's but Eli found a spot on the floor and wouldn't move from it...hehe...so this is what we got.

Then it was time to do the Nativity...haha.. YA RIGHT!!! It was bedtime for the littles, Ethan&Eli, and they wanted NOTHING to do with being the Wisemen/Shepard. It was HILARIOUS... their parents would put on the headgear and before they let go the headgear would be coming off. Nathan got dressed as Joseph and Grandma asked him who he wanted to be Mary? "Grandma" was his response. Nathan, Grandma and Baby Celeste got in position, Ethan&Eli ran around like crazy monkeys, Wayne tried to get Rylan to be the Star, Rylan ate the Star... it was LOUD, CRAZY, parents were getting frustrated, Grandpa was told to just read the scriptures QUICKLY, I was laughing... it was the BEST Nativity EVER!!!!

Reindeer food and Sparkles were sprinkled on the snow outside so the reindeer would know where to land. A letter was written to Santa, cookies, chocolates & milk were put out for a hungry Santa to enjoy and kids were quickly sent to bed. It was SUCH a fun/crazy night but the PERFECT Christmas Eve in my opinion.

So fun!!

This is so fun to do. My sister Karalee sent us the link and had made a video for Nathan. Wayne then went and made a video for Nathan, himself & me. Nathan LOVED it and couldn't stop talking about what Santa said to him. I watched my video later on and it seriously made me feel special...like Santa was talking to me.

So here's the link: Santa video

The verdict is in....at least for now.

So if you've been reading this blog for a while you may know my little saga with Siast and trying to get into Nursing. If you haven't been reading or forgot here's what has happened so far: In the beginning, update, update #2

So I thought everything was good, but then I received a letter in the mail... Siast is changing their requirements for entrance into the program. The "old" way was if you had the core classes and your average was above 65% then you were put on the "list", so first come first served. Well now that the Practical Nursing program is a high demand program they have changed the requirements to highest average of the core classes gets in first (which makes sense but sucks for me). At first I didn't think that was a big deal because I had all my classes, my average was good, and I had challenged my Math so I was good their too... Ummm no. Because of the new requirements the Accuplacer (the exam that I challenged my Math and was fine the old way) is no longer valid for this program and so I have to take my Math.

I found out this information too late to take my Math this semester so I just hoped and prayed that I would get in this year and not have to worry about upgrading my Math. I reapplied and was told that I would know by the end of November whether I got in or not. Well November came and went and nothing. Yesterday I called and got the person's answering machine. Uggg...waiting all day for her to return the message was horrible. Today I was going to be gone for most of the day, so first thing this morning I called the lady.

She had gotten the information from the school people for who was in or not just last week and is sending out the acceptance/didn't make it letters today. I finally just asked if I didn't get in where I am on the waiting list. She looked and said that she thinks I am in the top 15. OHHHHH MAN!!! I asked her if she thought there would be any hope that being in the top 15 I would get in this year. She said that some years a lot of people decide drop out of the course but because of the new criteria next year she doesn't expect many people to drop out this year. :o(

I'm sad, actually really sad, but at least I can now figure out what to do next. I don't want to have to upgrade my Math, I would have done that a year ago if I had known what was going to happen. Just because I haven't gotten in now doesn't mean I won't this year, but my chances are slim to none. But the most thing that makes me sad is that I have to miss a good chunk of time at night away from my boys. :0( I know that when I'm in school I will miss a lot of them, but missing them now sucks because I could have already had this class done. I know that it's worth it, and in the long run this is what is best for our family, but it just SUCKS!!!!

I know that everything happens for a reason. I really do believe this but right now it's hard to be okay with that. Oh well...tomorrow I will be registering for the Math class and hopefully I'll pass with high marks to pull my average up even higher and then I guess we will just wait and see.

If I don't get in again next year I am going to start taking some of the classes in the program like, Anatomy & Physiology and Sociology. Every one of these classes I take, if I pass, can be used to help raise my highschool average by 1%/class. So I can add a total of 6% by the time I'm done the classes that I can take beforehand. Plus, then I will be done those classes and won't have to take them once I'm in the program.

Okay, enough of my ranting... I'm feeling more at peace with this now. Now I just hope I can get into the Math nightclass.... cross your fingers for me PLEASE!!!!

Growing up too quick.

Today in Primary Rylan was laying beside me on the floor on his back while I played the piano. I looked at him a few minutes later and he was on his tummy...ummm..how did that happen!?!? :)

Then tonight Wayne was playing with Rylan and Rylan kept trying to roll and reach for the toy Wayne was holding, but his stinkin arm kept getting in the way. Well, Nate was tired of watching so decided he could be of help and teach Rylan how to do it. This is what I caught:

(Sorry about the quality...we don't have much light in our living room)

Wayne and Nathan left to go do something else, and Rylan was talking like crazy so I pulled out the camera again and I'm glad I did because I caught this:

I'm not sure if I am ready for this next stage...

#1-I can't believe Rylan's already big enough to be rolling. :(

#2-We REALLY need to baby proof this house, and quickly.

" I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I'm out of control sometimes and hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." ~Marilyn Monroe

That's all I have to say...hehe.

(Thanks Becki for posting this, it's a gooder)

My new favorite picture!!!

Isn't he just a doll?!?!

A little yummy hint.

So I have a yummy little somethin somethin to tell ya...

SPINACH!!!!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Remember this

Well, I still like to have my "swamp" smoothies (that's what Nate named them, hey, whatever helps him to drink it I'm totally okay with it). We usually have at least 1 bag of spinach in the house (bought from Costco for less than $4/bag).

I know, I know....it's not like I am the first to figure out that it's a great idea to put veggies into things . But I get tired of having salad or cut up veggies with EVERY meal so throwing in some veggies in different places is exciting to me. I LOVE to throw some spinach in soups, scrambled eggs, quiches, stirfry (at the VERY last second, like when you are pulling the stirfry off the stove), sauces, really ANYTHING!!!

I don't really like the taste of frozen spinach...to me it has a weird taste to it, but fresh spinach is soooo yummy and it cooks down SOOOOO easily.

Tonight I made spaghetti and meat sauce and threw in 4 BIG handfuls of spinach and not only did it make the sauce look prettier but it added to the yumminess!!! :0)

Beautiful moments.

There are moments in my life that I WISH I could take a breath and pause everything and somehow take in every smell, movement, sight but mostly the feeling and then I'd want to breathe and to take in the next breath and start over again.

Tonight was one of those moments.

Nate & Rylan had both been put to bed but both were having troubles sleeping. I had just picked up Rylan because he was acting like he needed to burp (which he did) and then Nate asked if I would come and cuddle with him for a few minutes. In my mind I quickly debated just telling him to go to sleep or cuddle....

My heart won.

So I laid down with Rylan in between Nathan and I. Nathan was lying on my arm and had his one arm wrapped around Rylan. We layed there for a few moments and then the sweetest, most beautiful thing a Momma could see happened...

Nate's teeny tiny hand came up and his tiny little finger slowly started tracing circles on Rylan's face. I layed there and watched as the loving/sweet circles continued, and I was amazed as Rylan's eyes slowly got heavy and then closed. I quietly whispered to Nate that Rylan was sleeping and Nathan popped his head up to see for himself, which of course woke Rylan up again...hehe. I whispered that we needed to stay calm

The little finger started it's gentle circles again....this time moving down to Rylan's nose. I knew that I should put the baby to bed and get Nate to sleep but my body wouldn't move, maybe because my heart was too full. All I could do was lie there and watch as my sweet sons shared a moment with me a moment of selflessness, a moment of tenderness, a moment of love

I cried.

My head finally won over my heart and I told Nate that it was time to go to sleep he informed me that when I picked up Rylan I needed to "tickew his nose because he yikes it" I kissed Nathan goodnight and as I lifted Rylan to my chest

I tickewed his nose because he yikes it.

My INCREDIBLE Family.

What can I say?!?! I love these guys more than life itself!!!

LOVE this picture!!!

This was Nate's idea.

Yay...we all look kind of normal.

Oh these 2 kill me!!!

Okay, this kid is hilarious....I am happy if we can get 1 "normal" picture out of 20 pictures because this kid believes he is a model....do you think I take too many pics?

Can you tell he loves his Daddy???

Itty Bitty's turn.

My 3 studs!!

Ahhhh....how can you not want to kiss this face??? Boogers/drool and all.

Oh Nate!!

Nathan and Rylan were laying on my bed (I was in the other room) and Rylan was cooing to Nate. Rylan started fussing and I overheard Nate say in the sweetest voice....

Nate-Rylan, if you're sad all you have to do is say a prayer. Ya, that's right, you just have to say a prayer to Jesus and then you will be happy. Sometimes if you have a nightmare you can say a prayer too and then you won't be scared. Otay?(that's how he says okay and I LOVE it). Otay buddy???

Rylan-oaooooagohhaoogggg

Nate-Just have to say a Jesus prayer and then everything will be otay.

Awwww.....I LOVE how Nate is already trying to teach Rylan the things that are important to Nate. Plus, it's pretty cool to know that what we are teaching Nate he actually hears. He's such a sweet boy and I love him like CRAZY!!!!

Doing a test.

Plus, I LOVE this picture of my sweet nephew Eli!!!