Where have we been?

Hi!! I'm alive!
I don't even know where to start. I think I'm going to have to break this up into two or three posts!

To quickly summarize at why I suck so bad at blogging lately... I've been a single mom while Dustin's been in school since October 1st, running a photography business that was way too busy for me to handle, staying up till 1 and 2am editing, Jayci had her tonsils and adenoids out in Edmonton, Kyla had a specialist appointment in Edmonton, kids weekly activities, and dealing sick kids.... And so on.
So I'd say I don't get any extra time to blog anymore! I hate it because we've had so much going on and I haven't even been able to document it.

Let's start with Jayci's surgery. It went so well! It started out a little rocky at the beginning because the nurse decided to tell her everything that was going to happen... My kids are worriers so when it's something new you just do it, don't warn them, then it scares the crap out of them and they won't do it! So she was bawling to the point of not even getting into the hospital pj's or taking the Tylenol. I told the lady to stop talking about it to her and she insisted, but I was right. Duh, I'm only her mom...
After that we had to wait a bit until they called us in so we distracted her and took her to the gift shop and hung out with grandma and grandpa Francis who came up specially for her surgery so she was so excited about that!

Then it was time, only one of us was allowed to go in and she wanted Dustin, but he knew I was a nervous wreck and couldn't not go, so we convinced her to let me take her in.
It was the weirdest thing though. She sat on my lap and they said to hug her so her arm was hanging behind me and she jumped so I held her tight and looked and they were giving her the IV which they never mentioned. Anyways she was crying and they said to put her up on the bed so she was sitting and dangling her legs off the side. I noticed them giving her medicine in her IV and I asked what it was and they said it's the stuff that will put her to sleep. I was told it was a mask but ok, so then I asked how long it takes to kick in. The nurse was standing behind her and right then she fell backwards into her arms and she laid her down and they said right now! There she was out cold on the bed as honestly it was the weirdest thing seeing her like that. Then they said I could leave and I was all flustered and said it was crazy and started crying and they were walking me out! All of that in probably 5 minutes! It was a lot to take in especially since I was nervous for her.
So we waited and we went up to the room she was being brought too and after about 45 mins they brought her in. She was tired and actually not too bad. She did hurt pretty bad a couple times then she went to sleep for 4 hours! People stopped in to visit but she was out the entire time. After she woke up she was doing pretty good! We just had to make sure we kept the pain meds up.
I stayed the night in the awesome comfy hospital bed with the awesome pillow... Actually I hardly slept because she was hurting lots and had to pee lots from the IV. In the morning she was doing awesome! The doctor couldn't believe how good she was doing. He said her tonsils were blocking 90% of her airway! And her adenoids were huge. Thank goodness we got them out!
She got to eat pancakes that morning and ate them all! We bought her a ton of gifts. I spoiled her like crazy and don't care one bit! I'd say it's a good time to spoil your kid and she loved it!

So we got discharged and brought her home! The week after was pretty rough, she hurt a lot and we really had to keep up the Tylenol and Advil for pain but she wanted to get up and play all the time. I was paranoid because they said if she had any bleeding or complications to take her to emerg and they would fly her down. Which we didn't want at all. So i made her rest as much as I could. After that week she was doing awesome, her throat looked amazing and we took her for her follow up with our pediatrician here and she couldn't believe how healed she was already! I was so happy.
She lost some weight but at least she is all better now! I'm glad it's over and she we don't have to worry about her being sick all the time. She loves that she isn't sick anymore too. She always asked howcome Presley isn't sick all the time like she is. It was sad. So yay for being all better!!

These were all taken from my phone.

With Daddy after the nurse freaked the crap out of her.

With grandpa Francis before the surgery! I didn't get one on my phone with Grandma and Grandpa and I don't have time to load one with Laken freaking out wanting me to hold her (she's sick...)

With Mommy and Daddy before!

All ready to go it! I posted this on instagram and someone mentioned my hair, how it was pointless to wear the cap. I ASKED if I should put all my hair in! She said no. Just want to make that clear. ha

My baby girl right after surgery. She looked so peaceful.

All her gifts from mom, dad, and both grandparents.

 

Getting out of bed while we wait for the doctor to discharge us. 

She looks so dang cute in those hospital pj's. 

Going home!! yay!!

Ok that's all I have time for for today! But at least it's a start! I'm surprised i've survived these last 3 months. I can't wait for him to be done and he's worked so hard so i'm excited for him!! I'm excited for the future and what it holds for him. he's so successful and has so much potential that he'll do great things.

I'll be back with more later!!

Oh and I don't want any of my Alberta friends to miss out on my giveaway! It's for a FREE photography session of your choice!! Has to be in the 2013 year and for anyone in Alberta since i'll be traveling South a few times next year. (Winner has to be willing to work with my locations if outside of Fort Mcmurray) Just click on the picture below to be taken to the giveaway! It's simple to enter!! I'm SO excited about it!!

Halloween part 1

The girls got invited to a kids Halloween party on Saturday at my friend Amanda's house and she hired me to come and do some photography there. She had this little area all set up and I did shots of each of the kids there. It was super cute! I am so glad she did that so I could get decent shots of the girls in their costumes!

Kyla wanted something really scary. Man this kid is just like her dad. We went into the Halloween store here and she ate it up, she even wanted to go into the back which is the scariest section. She originally wanted to be a dead cheerleader but the costumes were cheapy looking and not the best, then she wanted Monster High, then we found the Dead Prom Queen and that was really scary so she liked that one. She rocked it!

The twins on the other hand walked into the halloween store and started freaking out. Pretty sure they thought they were gonna die. I totally swore walking in because these stupid huge spiders jump out and you and scared the crap outta me. Anyways, it was a total gong show with Jayci and Presley, they were TERRIFIED. So we stuck them in the car while we quickly picked out the costumes we needed. They wanted to be Thing 1 and Thing 2, they picked it out when I was scrolling for ideas online and I thought, no that's ugly, so I re-vamped it a bit... ha.
I ordered the tutus because I like to be crafty but i'm not crazy, so ordering was WAY easier for me. Sometimes it's so much easier to have someone else make it and pay to save time and work. I also ordered their hair pieces from there too. I did make the shirts and the tights are from the Halloween store. I think they looked super cute and can't wait for all of them to dress up for school Tomorrow. Trick or treating on the other hand will be in parkas and we'll have to haul out our sleds with the dogs. Just kidding, you think I own dogs?? ha. Never. We have had SO much snow this last week, it's insane, depressing and I HATE it.

Laken's costume was easy. Britt was at costco and called me and told me how cute it was so I said, get it! And that's it. She looked comfy and warm and cute! There were 3 Zebra's at the party though! It was funny.
She wasn't feeling the pictures so I only got a couple of her. My fav is her fishy kiss face. I just want to grab it and kiss it!

 Here are the costumes! Kyla did all her posing on her own, all I did was say "act like your dead"... so she did!

My very own Thing 1 and Thing 2!
Don't they look way too grown up?? When did this happen?

And Peanut the Zebra.

 (see, the cute fishy kiss face!)

All four gals! Yup Laken is eating a caramel apple...

So tomorrow is both Halloween parties at the school and then we have Trick or Treating with The Andersons, should be a fun filled, busy day!
Then Thursday we go to Edmonton! Just Dustin, Jayci and I. It's time for Jayci's surgery... I'm freaking out inside about it but anxious for it too, then she can finally be healthy and i'm not worried everytime someone is sick so she doesn't catch it. Her surgery is Friday and she has to stay over night in the hospital one night and we will be back Saturday night hopefully. Jill is watching the other girls for us, thank goodness because it's going to be a lot to deal with so it's so nice they were able to take them for us.

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween tomorrow and i'll post all about our day and the surgery when we get back! :)

We are doing good!

Ok, I guess it's time for a real post. My blog has been neglected long enough and now that I got that off my chest (refer to previous post) I feel much better. I also feel guilty if I blog because I should be editing someones photos.... oh well.

So what's the latest on us. Well, Dustin started school on the 1st of this month! Crazy right?? He's doing pretty good. He said he's had a hard time focusing with my health issues and finances. I told him the reason he is going to school is to "help" in the finance department so he needs to get over it! It's only like 8 weeks left! And we are fine, he just stresses way too much.
So far so good and then our life can completely change! Hallelujah!

I've been insanely busy with my photography. Like INSANELY. At the beginning of summer I started getting numerous emails about photo sessions! It was crazy. I hadn't even done any marketing or anything, I would just post the photos I was working on, on facebook. So I started booking them in. By the end of summer everyone wanted "fall" family photos done so I knew it would be a busy season, which was a good thing because it was more income for us while Dustin's in school. So I have had a session almost every single day and can barely keep up with editing but I know it'll die down as soon as fall is over, so I'll just enjoy doing my job and meeting so many new people which is honestly one of the best parts! I love meeting all these new people. It's crazy but majority of my sessions I don't even know who they are until the day of our session!
I desperately need a new camera and a new computer, like BAD. I'm just trying to make it through Dustin's school with what i've got and pray for the best! Obviously people like my work, even with a crappy camera... So I can't wait to see how much better my photos get with a new camera.
 I also joined a dance class with a bunch of my awesome mom friends and it is seriously SO much fun. We are in an adult hip hop class and we are AWESOME. We have a performance in January and one in the spring. It's just so much fun to get out and do something like that. I am so glad I joined. I've always wanted to join a dance class and it's wicked! 

Kyla has been a busy girl, she started and finished swimming lessons (i'm not doing that again until winter is over!) and she goes to dance once a week. She is loving hip hop though. They even did a performance at the Princess Pageant here in town last week, it was so dang cute. They did it to Justin Bieber "baby". She is getting so big and grown up, it blows my mind. She's reading books and spelling words like crazy. She is one smart little girl. She definitely takes after her mom...

Jayci and Presley are LOVING school, and are both seriously so much smarter than I thought! ha. It's true though, they can both write their names, they know every letter in the alphabet (like which is which) and can count to 23. They can spell our whole family's names and are very artistic. Man can they draw. Kyla too actually. Give them all and pen and paper and they'll be busy forever!
They also did swimming lessons and that didn't go over too well. Presley did pretty good (as in no death screams) but poor Jayci thought she was going to die when her teacher put her in a life jacket and wanted to see if she could float on her own. Every single person was staring at my kid who thought she was drowning. They were referred to "private sea otter" lessons for next time. ha. Oh well...
They are also in gymnastics and absolutely LOVE it. They ask every day, "how many more days until we can go to gymnastics again?" So i'm glad they love it. It's a huge gong show though, the volunteering is retarded and the place is crammed wall to wall when we have to drop them off or pick them up. It's a mad house. Oh well, at least they love it.

Laken. Oh Laken....this kid is hilarious. She has so much personality, you could sit and watch her all day and be entertained. She is a super happy little girl (other than her 3 molars that I just realized came in, I thought my child had turned into the devil) Between her face expressions to her little tiny voice and no fear of the world, she's perfection. She jumps into every photo taken and pulls this huge "cheese" grin. It's hilarious. She climbs on EVERYTHING and isn't afraid to fall no matter where it is. She has gibberish talk she does, can't understand her one bit, but she understands you and she is dang smart. She is hauled from one place to the next for all the other girls or me and Dust and is happy as a clam! We love our peanut and can't believe she is 18 months!! What the...

Well there is a mini update on us! We've been crazy busy from one thing to the next. Driving to and from school and kids activities, then Dust comes home from school, I go do a session then come home and either go to dance or edit, and sometimes (only sometimes yay) Dustin does a side job for some extra cash. Our life is CRAZY. I wonder if it'll ever slow down. Probably not because I don't know how to...

Here are a bunch of unorganized pics of our latest! They are mostly on instagram, if you want to follow me my name is "mindust". I'm way better at that now than blogging.

My two sassy ladies before swimming. (they picked the pose) and I think I blogged this photo before, but whatever, I love it.

We've been practicing our gymnastics moves.

The twins have had many random naps together. Literally "together"

(weird eh?)

The twins ready for school.

Took Laken out for some pics with her little witch outfit I bought her forever ago. No it's not her real costume... But so dang cute!!

At school with Tobin, getting their shoes on

My bday evening with my favorite people. Jill made my awesome cake and Dustin bought me a new purse! The girls made me some super cute cards too. I'm sure lucky!

my adorable purse. (It's been about 3 years or more since i've gotten a new one, I always just used the diaper bag!)

Raining with winter coats on...

Kyla ready for school one day. Had to snap a pic, she made her outfit. Ps: Why is it world war 3 when it comes to picking her outfits?! Or doing her hair! Man alive.

Me and my Honeys at our hip hop class. First day yo.

Dustin's first day of school! (He doesn't look tired AT ALL)

Kyla at her swimming lessons!

The first day we had to dress in our winter gear. So depressing.

Me and my gangstas out on a girls night! Love these people.

One of my ultimate favorite photos that was taken by accident. Seriously. Tear...

Dustin taking off the tattoos that the girls put on their faces the night before I wanted to take photos in the leaves. Dust said he had no idea, Kyla called him out and said "ya you did!" ha. So I made him take them all off. Fag.

Laken's first pigtails that totally count! I never do them thought because they are a pain in the butt. But cute!!

And we teach our children about hygiene young. 

Actually she asked what it was for so I showed her and she wanted some. So now she smells lovely.

So that's about all for now! All these are from my phone because I suck at taking my camera out when it comes to my actual family... not good. Oh well, that's why I love my phone!

Staying positive!

Hey ya'll.
It's been a while. I know. I've been super busy with a ton of things, but today's post is to fill you in what's been going on with good ol' ME.
First of all today is my BIRTHDAY! Those who know me, know I LOVE my birthday. It's my day, all about me, how awesome I am, how perfect I am, and how beautiful I am. ha just kidding....kind of...

Anyways, a lot of people have been wondering why i'm so "sick" and what's been going on and here is the gist of it.
I haven't been actually sick (other than this dang cold thing that has been hanging on for EVER) but I do have some health issues on my plate.
The doctors have found two tumors in my right breast and i'm getting them biopsied for Cancer.
So NO I don't have cancer and i'm staying positive that I DON'T have it. The doctors are pretty sure that I can say i'm in the clear but they said nothing is 100%. So i've been to a ton of doctors appointments, had ultrasounds, consultations and now waiting on my biopsy appointment.
I am so big on not worrying until I have to, so i'm staying positive that i'm A-OK!

It is a lot on my plate and yes the worry is still in the back of my mind a bit, after all i'm so young and have too many good things going on in my life that I don't need this. Dustin has been a huge support in all of this and has been at all my appointments and is so patient with me when i'm stressed out about the smallest things. I think it's affected me a little more than I think. I don't actually "stress" about it, but it's just another thing I have to deal with, and of course it's not a fun thing...

Anyways, so that's it. I guess i've been avoiding my blog because I am such an open and real person and I haven't felt like I can be myself lately with all this going on.

So today is my birthday and guess where I spent it. In the hospital for my biopsy consultation....

And this is what I think of that....

I'm grateful for this man right here. I LOVE this picture of us. 

Love him.

And I love these little girls!

 

Here's to staying positive!! :)

Losing them in pairs

Well it's official, I have 3 out of 4 kids in school!!
Oh and yes i'm still alive, barely...
What's a word that means more than BUSY, because that's what I am! Anyways, more on that later. This is about my two favorite twins and their first day of Preschool! They did SO awesome and LOVED it. It was a miracle I had all 4 kids ready and out the door for school in the morning. Thank goodness Dustin was off and could help, which made me even more nervous when we barely made it to school because i'm supposed to do this on my own every day?! Well we made it today and we were even early! They are the cutest little preschoolers and i'm so glad they love it. They have been coming out of their shells so much lately and it's hilarious. Presley is into boys. I'm freaking out a little, espcially when she asks why she can't marry her cousin Tobin and how she always smiles and says hi to men... What the.
Jayci is a little more shy these days but she has been sick a lot due to her bloody tonsils and adenoids. I am counting down the days until her surgery. November 2nd we go to Edmonton to help the poor girl. She's lost a bit of weight and looks so skinny now, they used to be such solid girls but now they are looking just like Kyla. Who eats like a teenage boy but is still a rack of bones.
Anyways, we have these two little girls in Gymnastics and Swimming and school, they are busy little people. And i'm even busier getting them to all of these things! Kyla is in Dance and swimming and she loves her new hip hop class. I'll post on those next time. I'm limited to my blogging time between my new life as a taxi mom and my photography business taking off like crazy. I had to start saying no because I was booking almost every single day for photos. I'm kinda looking forward to winter because honestly who goes out and does pictures in winter. Not very many people...

ANYWAYS.... I know you all love hearing me ramble but here are the stars of the post on their FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

(Can you see Dustin way in the background with Laken in the stroller? ha Love it)

Presley is in the leopard and Jayci in the polka dots)

By their coat hooks!

Settling in class

 Tobins in their class! Yay for cousins!

Lakens excited too! She's probably just excited she gets to be an only child for a couple hours...

Oh and they started swimming lessons today, which I thought was yesterday and it was a mix up, anyways they started today! 

They chose these poses on their own...

Oh I love these two crazy girls! They are getting too big. Didn't I JUST have them?!