Baby Bump #2

So most of you have already heard that Mike and I are expecting our second child on January 24, 2011. I do not know the sex of the baby but Mike doesn't always agree with my waiting for the best surprise bit. He's one that wanted to find out with Justice and now with this baby too.

This ultrasound was when I was just 18 weeks and a day along (August 23, 10) and baby wasn't cooperating with his or her positions and baby wasn't really big enough to see everything clearly, so it turned out that we wouldn't have been able to find out the sex if we wanted to. Great, already a baby that is stubborn like his or her father and big sister! Nice, and I'm out numbered completely now! lol ;o)

July 13 ,10 I am 13 weeks here.......and yes there in ONLY ONE BABY :) Look at the ultrasound above for proof ;o)

August 28, 10 19 weeks


October 12, 10 25 weeks

For the most part I am feeling really good, huge but good. I have been gaining much less with this baby then with Justice. I don't want to gain 35-40 lbs again....that wasn't fun trying to get off. So the last month or so I've been gaining a pound a week which this far along they want to see no less then that or more then that for babys health so I'm happy with that. I think it helps having a busy 2 year old to run after everyday as well to keep the weight down too! lol

Harvest time

So dad and Mike had a few days start on harvest before cousin Jamie (Mike's dads cousin) came for a very interesting and fascinating experience....these words right from Jamie. She grew up in Calgary and hasn't had a chance to see what combining is at all. She loved it and Justice joined the fun with Jamie as well.

My dad is driving the combining and giving Jamie the run down on how it all works.

I was in the grain truck taking this picture. Justice enjoyed talking to us threw the CB radios as well

Jamie, Justice and dad (aka Papa) right before they started combining.

It's kinda hard to see but you see Justice on Jamie's lap sleeping.....and I swear this isn't even 5 minutes in the combine and she is already passed out

I was keeping Mike company is the grain truck while the girls were in the combine. He enjoyed giving me a heart attack on the wobbly ladder that we later had to change to another bin so he had to untie it. Next time I am not going to be around to see that....I was freaking out.

Fall time

So I always said that my favorite season was summer mostly because I love the warmer weather. But since living in Grande Prairie with all the trees to look at and walking through the trails I have become a huge fan of fall time. Especially the colors on the hedge around our house gets this gorgeous red.....not for long but long enough for me to enjoy.

I was driving around the farm on a beautiful fall day in September cutting grass and snapping pictures of all of our trees. So this is just a few. One above is Justice sitting by our hedge in our yard that hadn't completely changed yet.
This is our house with our red hedge and huge trees around us. And not even 30 minutes after taking these pictures did a huge wind and rain storm go through and most of these leaves blew off. So perfect timing on my end I must say! :)

Of course the barn yard

Standing at mom and dads house looking toward our house. We have a huge garden inside those big beautiful trees

My favorite picture that I look. I am in between our house and mom and dads looking south.

My tomboy

Justice is one that what ever Papa and daddy are doing she wants to be right out there as well. These pictures are all after Papa and Daddy were working on a messy and dirty auger to get ready for harvest.....which it is September 22 and we still haven't even started a combine. Silly rain. Anyways, as you can see Justice was right in there getting as dirty as a 2 year old can get

In the left hand is Justice cookie and in the right is dirt that she was playing with

Again, what ever Papa does Justice has to do as well. Not to sure if that cardboard was really doing any good with the dirt on it anyways but the thought was there! :)

Daddy teaching Justice how to use some tools and what makes me laugh about these pictures is that Nana was babysitting for me while I had an ultrasound appointment and she curled Justice's hair and made her look pretty. Then we go out side to see what the guys were doing and Justice got right into it!

Sitting in Papa's barley field right by the shop.

This is one of my favorite videos of Justice. My absolute favorite one is so big that it doesn't seem to want to upload on my blog! Very disappointing! But until just recently Justice has started enjoying singing to what ever comes to her head. The farmer and the Dell is her favorite but she singing "Farmer and the Wife" verse more then the farmer in the Dell. It cracks me up. We will put her to bed at night and if she's not tired or not wanting to read then all you hear is her singing "Farmer and Wife" over and over and over again. But her other favorite song right now is Happy Birthday but we are working on that one......it's hard to understand what she's singing since she doesn't know even 3 words. Just Happy and Birthday! :) lol My little angel!

My Little Cowgirl in the Making!

These are the days that I wish I wasn't pregnant to enjoy a nice ride with my daughter. But instead I'm enjoying to see Nana having these days with Justice. Justice is really loving being around the horses any chance she can get even if it's only for 10 mintues. In this picture Mom is on Shea and Justice is on Abby. Both look very similar but Abby is a bit taller and she has four socks. Abby is a good match for our kids so we are very thankful that we have her after loosing our beloved Dot last fall.

Justice was very excited to sit bareback on Abby. She does quite often but this day she was very excited and kept telling me to take a picture of her and saying "Mom, look no saddle....no saddle!" My proud baby

Justice is my spit fire child....it will be interesting to see what baby #2 will be...scary actually!! lol But she has no fear at all around horses. Which is a good thing that she's not scared of anything that moves but of course it can be a really bad thing if something happens. She is getting better with respecting the horses feet and back end but it's been a long process.

Every time I see a smaller child or a baby I think Justice is getting so big but then I put her beside Abby and think that she's my little girl!!

57th Wedding Anniversary

My Grandma and Grandpa, Ross and Margaret Giles, have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary this past January 29, 2010. Here's a little run down of their 57 years together....in a nut shell! :)

Gran and Gramps got married in 1953 and settled in Hubalta Alberta where Gramps mother lived just across the road from them at that time. Gramps grew up in that area and had worked on the farm at a young age due to his father passing young from a heart attack.

I remember Gran telling me a story about her not having running water in this house. She called it running water though only because she had to run across the road to fetch water several times a day. I couldn't even to begin to imagine.....boy how times have changed.

Gran and Gramps had 2 children; Doug, the oldest and my mom Ellen. Both were born in Calgary while living in Hublata. Gran and Gramps decided to move their family to Airdrie; their current farm just north west of town; in 1962 when mom was 6 years old.

Gran and Gramps raised about 150 head of cattle here on the farm and they farmed about 600 acres of land to feed their cattle. Both mom and Uncle Doug graduated high school here in Airdrie at George McDougall where all four of us girls graduated as well.

Uncle Doug was always helping Gramps around the farm and loved driving equipment and working with the cattle. He unfortunately died in a horrible farming accident in 1974 when he was only 20 years old so that was a devastation to the family but made them much closer. My mom was only 18 years old when her brother passed and I love hearing stories of Uncle Doug and my mom growing up. I would love to meet him. He was a great man.

My dad was a good friend of Uncle Doug's and years later mom and dad started dating and eventually married in 1979. They moved into their house on the farm across the road from the home stead in 1983 where they still live today. Mom and dad have 4 daughters, Careen and my self are 29, Jacelyn is 25 and Ashley is 24.

Growing up on this farm was great but very busy. For years we raised cattle with my grandparents and dad farming more land then Gramps ever did. Dad even had custom silage company for about 13 years and then from there his grain farm grew and grew. Gramps decided to retire around 1992 where mom and dad took over the farm and Gramps decided to keep his cattle for a few years. Mom and dad raised cattle for many years until about 5 years ago they decided to sell the herd. Dad is strictly grain farming now.

Careen was the first of us grandchildren to get married. In 2004 Geoff Rohleder became the first "grandson". Geoff and Careen have 2 wonderful children, Austin 4 1/2 years old and Kyla just over a year. Geoff and Careen live on Gran and Gramps ranch land just north of Cochrane where they built a house almost a year ago. Mike and I were the next to get married in 2005 and we have a daughter, Justice 2 1/2 and we are expecting our 2nd child at the end of January; only 5 days before Gran and Gramps celebrate their 58th anniversary. Then Jacelyn married Geoff's youngest brother Greg in 2008 and they live in High River. Ashley is engaged to Tj Callahan...no date picked yet...and TJ has a 8 years old son Anthony and they live in Airdrie. So that makes 4 1/2 great-grandchildren for Gran and Gramps.

My husband Mike and I have have the honor to live in Gran and Gramps house for almost 2 years now where Mike is now helping dad with the farm. Dad and Mike are now farming about 1800 acres and they hope to gain more allowing them to farm around 4000 acres. Well that's Mike's dream!! It is a wonderful feeling to be back on the farm to raise our growing family. Especially being in the house that my mom was raised in. Just having those memories of my childhood and having my children have similar memories is very exciting and special to me.

Gran and Gramps lived in their farm house for 46 years and have owned the farm for 48 years. They decided to move into Cedarwood Station, a senior complex in town, where they have lived for 2 1/2 years now. It is a very welcoming, warm wonderful place where Gran and Gramps have met many lovely people. It was quite an adjustment for them both not having a big house, their wonderful yard to work in and of course the memories. But they have grown to love their new home. Gran doesn't have to worry about a single meal. Cedarwood makes lunch and dinner which are perfect for them both. Gran always has her fridge full for evening snacks and breakfast if they wish but most of the time their early lunch is just fine. Gran doesn't always have to worry about laundry or any cleaning around her apartment. It's all taken care of. It's been the best move for both of them allowing us family members to enjoy them for several more years.

Gramps will be turning 88 years young and Gran will be 82 years young this October.