Murdock July

July was a busy month for us! Not only was it the hottest July in Calgary since 1960, which made sleeping with no A/C a little difficult, but we were kept on the run with all sorts of adventures, visitors, and fun, fun, fun! First of all, let me defend my inablilty to sleep and my crankiness about the 87-degree heat. Everyone here teased me mercilessly because I'm supposed to be this tough Texan who is used to heat. Well, in Texas, 87 degrees in the summer would be considered a cool day, that is right. But Texans do not usually go outside if it's much hotter than that (unless it's to the pool or something) AND we are smart enough to make sure that the air conditioning is working wherever we live. Otherwise, we die. And, I've never been seven-plus months pregnant in the summer either. I will from now on, plan winter babies :) So, all you Canadians, lay off. It's hot, I could barely sleep for most of July, and I am not a wimp just because I installed a window-mounted A/C unit in my living room. So there :)

Okay, on to the fun things.......

1. Adam's brother Paul and his wife Rachael and their 20-month-old daughter Sydney visited Calgary this month. We went with them to the Calgary Stampede. Super fun. Nate cried for a couple days after Sydney left. They were really good buddies. He kept saying "I want my cousin back."

Really great photo of Adam and Nate on the roller coaster. You'd never guess that I actually know how to use my camera :)

Nate and Sydney riding the train to the Stampede

2. Adam's uncle Wade brought his family to visit from Arizona and we got to go on a day trip to the mountains with the Melchin clan. These pictures are from Morraine Lake and some falls that I think are called Takawaka or something.

3. Nate got his first bike. I think it's way too big, but his ever-so-frugal dad says he'll grow into it. We decorated it with Spiderman and Superman stickers so that it would be "cool."

4. Adam's brother Jared also visited Calgary, although we hardly got to see him because...

5. Adam's grandmother (his father's mother) passed away at the spry age of 95. The family was able to go down for the funeral (even Paul and Jared could go because they were in town). So they drove down to Idaho and were gone for a few days. The services were beautiful, I'm told, and we will all remember the sweet and fun woman she was. She was finally able to go "home" and be with her husband and son, Dennis, who preceded her in death.

6. Adam's aunt Robyn and uncle Nyle were here to visit. (Robyn's actually still here) We loved having dinner with them and we even celebrated "Heritage Day" with a Melchin family picnic in the park. I was having too much fun to take any pictures, so sorry....

7. Adam and I celebrated our sixth anniversary on July 25. It's nearly impossible for me to wrap my head around the fact that it's been six years since we were married in the LDS Salt Lake Temple. What a blessing it is to be married to your best friend and what a blessing that we have each other forever. Also, I couldn't help but get emotional over the fact that we're blessed to have our own children, with a sweet and loving four-year-old and another little boy on the way. We are richly blessed.

I couldn't resist adding this side shot, this baby is growing every day! (This pic is from 30 weeks....only a few more to go!)

8. Other than all that, we've just been soaking up the sun and enjoying life. Here are some bonus pictures :)

Having a great time with friends Alden and Jackson at Riley Park, a wading pool park that is FREE! (By the way, this was the 4th of July. I made sure Nate was wearing his red, white and blue swim shorts. Even if no one else noticed, at least we remembered the holiday...and thought about how much I miss my country and how blessed we are to be American.)

Nate and his neighbor buddies...we've been spending a lot of time outdoors playing with these guys. Some days Nate is literally outside from 8 am to 7 or 8 pm, only taking breaks to eat!

It's A.......

Adam said this to me after the ultrasound: "See, I could've told you that. I only make boys."

Now That's A Belly!

June 22, 2006 (Friday)---24 weeks along!

LittleMan

My greatest blessing calls me mommy

(this is pre-haircut, by the way...)

Zoo Trip

Just a couple of monkeys we found at the zoo....

They are doing construction on the elephant exhibit, so it's hard to get a great look at the elephants right now. However, if you look closely at this picture, you can see that these boys were more interested in the construction than the elephants (the elephants are to the right of the boys, past the fence).

Look at how close the hippos were!

Alden and Nate at the Hippo exhibit



We had a great trip to the Calgary zoo with our buddies Alden and Carter (and their mommies too). The Calgary Zoo has some great things about it, but it makes me miss the New Orleans and Dallas and Fort Worth and Kansas City zoos. We've been really lucky to live in cities with such amazing zoos!

Calgary Picnic

Adam and I really wanted to spend our Saturday in the mountains, even if it was a little chilly and looked like rain. We drove out west of the city towards Banff, but ended up pulling off the highway onto a little road that led us to this beautiful place. We have no idea what the name of the lake was, but we pretty much had it all to ourselves (except for the aggressive water bugs) for a picnic lunch and mini-hike around the lake. Nate really enjoyed skipping rocks (rather, throwing them into the lake) and running through the fields. What a beautiful place we're living in! Canada does actually have some redeemable qualities............

Remember the Alamo....City!

Ah, the Riverwalk, one of my favorite places on earth

Nate and I had such a great trip at the end of May, visiting my family in San Antonio. They are moving (next week, actually) to Cleveland, Ohio, so this was one last hurrah before the big move. My brother Thomas graduated high school, and so that was the main event. He also got his Eagle award in Boy Scouts, and my other brother Jeff got his Arrow of Light. It was also Jeff's birthday. We partied all week and felt like we needed another week just to recover from all the fun we had. Of course, I downed Mexican food and Chik-fil-A like a pregnant woman (oh, wait....) because there is such a lack of good food in Calgary. Most of all, it was nice to be with family (my grandparents came too) and remember why San Antonio is the greatest city in the world. (No one needs to wonder if this was the last time I'll ever visit San Antonio....because I cannot stay away from that place! Adam and I will go back for sure, even if we have to pay for a hotel!)

Nate and me in front of the Alamo

(no, my belly wasn't that big, it's the shirt being blown in the wind!)

My family (missing Ali my sister) in front of the Alamo
(Wow, that shirt has got to go...)

Nate loves being in Nana's bathtub!

Nate with his aunt Angela and uncle Jeff, keeping cool

I Have A Good Excuse!!

Well, so I have a (kinda) good excuse for my lack of blogging. We have a bun in the oven, we're expecting a little miracle, we're pregnant! I'm 18 weeks along and doing great. The start of this pregnancy was a little rough (I was pretty sick) but now things are going smoothly and we're really excited!
But my really good excuse for lack of blogging is that we don't have the internet anymore at our home and so I have to come to the in-laws to check my email, etc. So I haven't been that great at keeping the blog up. I do promise to be better at it soon, though....once I get my act together a little better.
Meanwhile, we hope your lives are going great. Shoot us an email soon....we'd love to hear from friends....
We're planning a trip to San Antonio (just Nate and me) May 26-June 4 so if you're near the area, let me know. We'd love to get together with whomever we can.
Keep checking back...I'll post some pictures soon! <3 Emily

Nate's Birthday Bash

All right, so my title is a little bit dramatic. We had a great time celebrating Nate's birthday with two of his best Calgary friends. I thought it was great to have such a small number of kids to deal with, especially considering what we did.

We took the boys on the C-Train, which is the rapid transit train in Calgary. We rode the train downtown, wandered through Calgary's Olympic Park, and caught the train back to our home. We decorated cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday when we got back, and then the boys had some time to play. Overall, it was really a fun and easy party, and I think the boys really enjoyed it. The weather was beautiful for our walk downtown, and I was even able to convince Adam that he should come with us.

And of course, Nate couldn't have been happier. He got to celebrate with his two best buddies!

As a little side note, he was very disappointed that we couldn't invite his "Kansas City friends." He just couldn't understand why they couldn't come, too. He sure did miss Jeremy, Bryce, Isabel, Kacee, Emma, Ellie, Olivia...and all the other KC buds. We miss you guys!!

I'm Just Bored

I don't know how many people have been checking this blog for over a month now, wondering if we froze to death in the great white north...but no....I've just been so bored with our lives lately that I didn't feel there was much to post. I figured you'd be bored with it, too. I suppose that it's normal to have a boring life when it's super cold outside, snowy, and there isn't much to do. But we've had a bit more going on lately, so here are a few new posts! :)

Nate Turns Four!

Well, I'm starting to feel a bit emotional about my little man growing up so fast. I still can't believe we celebrated his fourth birthday last week! But, alas, here is photographic proof that I don't have a baby anymore, just a wild, fun, sweet little boy. This is our "family party" with Grandma and Grandpa Murdock and his Lightning McQueen birthday party with his friends is coming up on Saturday. I'll post more pics of that.
Once again, Nate was spoiled beyond his wildest dreams...he got a Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle, the game Hungry Hippos, a baseball tee that you can set up for t-ball or it can pitch to you, Diego t-shirt, and Lightning McQueen jammies. He also received a Leapster Writing laptop thing (not sure the real name for it, but it teaches writing letters, which he is begging to learn right now) and an "I Can Play Piano" piano that plugs into the TV. What a lucky little guy! :)

For The Fear of Clowns

I've never hated clowns. I've never really loved them either. Nate really wanted a balloon tiger from the clown, but that meant he actually had to speak to the clown, and that was a little much for him. To be honest, it was a little much for me, too. This clown was one of those ones that creep you out a bit, make you think "Why are you a grown man doing this for a living?" You know what I mean--one of those ones you keep a hawk-eye out for as they're near your kids, just to make sure all hands are appropriately placed, etc., etc. Okay, I'm sure he's a nice guy who is just trying to make a few bucks on a Saturday morning, but I got the heebie-jeebies!

So, why did I make Nate pose with this clown? In hindsight, I'm not totally sure. Maybe part of me thought that was the last clown we'll ever stand in line to see. Okay, maybe all of me hopes that will be the case.

And just to explain where we were....Adam's uncle is in the provincial (state) government here in Alberta and this was a fundraiser for him and his political party. It was actually a great event and I'm glad we went. They had a really yummy buffet breakfast, a jumphouse, face painting and a clown for the kids, and a few other fun things. We had a good time, despite the clown!

Hooray for good friends!

One thing that I've learned through our many moves is this: There are always new friends to be made. We've been blessed wherever we've lived to have found great friends and good little buddies for Nate. Calgary has been no different. This is Nate and one of his many "best friends" as he calls them. His buddy's name is Jackson and it seems that Nate and Jackson hit it off from the beginning. They were definitely cut from the same cloth, they're rowdy and imaginative and sweet all at the same time. We're glad Jackson is here!

Canadian Hockey!

This is Nate watching the zamboni clear the ice!


We had such a fun date night (all three of us) last Saturday night! We started at my favorite Canadian restaurant-----Boston Pizza, which of course is traditional Canadian cuisine! Just kidding. Then we headed over to the University of Calgary hockey game. The greatest thing about living in Canada is the availability of hockey! It's everywhere and of course my American child thought it was golf! Adam and I decided to help him figure out the difference by taking him to a game. The professional team here charges outrageous prices for tickets, so we went the poor-man's way: we headed over to the University of Calgary men's hockey game. It only cost us $16 for the three of us (about $12US) and we got to sit right on the glass! Guys were pushing each other into the glass right in front of us all night. Nate loved the game! And so did I, to be honest. It was really fun. But next time I'll remember they play in an ice-skating rink and the stands are not heated. It's cold. Everyone around us was in their winter coats and hats and gloves and I was in just a sweater. I was so cold!! Luckily I dressed Nate really warmly and so I didn't have to feel guilty about him being cold too.

The other thing that was great was the "half-time" show. It was a team of kids (about a year older than Nate) playing a hockey game. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. Most of them were falling all over the ice and only one goal was scored, but it was really fun to see. Ever since then, Nate's been talking non-stop about playing hockey. Oh, dear. I guess when in Rome, do as the Romans, right?????

Happy Holidays!

Snow Angel

The picture you would've received if we sent Christmas cards this year

I love this picture--I told Adam to stand by the tree so I could adjust the lighting for our family photo--this is the pose he gave me, and Nate put his hands in his pockets to be like dad.

For some reason, I just love this picture. He looks so sweet to me!

Nate and his handbell skills! I guess all 50 handbells ringing at one time made him want to cover his ears! Me, too!

Nate and Adam playing shepherds for our Nativity play. They both did a great job!

Happy Holidays from the Murdocks!
We enjoyed a quiet Christmas and an even quieter New Year's Celebration here in Calgary. I'm posting some pictures of us on Christmas Eve-- on our way to church and at Adam's family's Christmas Eve tradition (Nativity and musical production, including handbells!) We were very blessed to be surrounded by family for the holidays.
We hope your celebrations were magical, too!

Night At the Museum

Monday night our Family Home Evening was spent at the Crowfoot Cineplex seeing "Night At The Museum!" It has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. What a well-done, really, really fun movie. I highly recommend paying the insane cost of a movie ticket to see it. We even took Nate (our three-year-old) and he loved it. I kept expecting him to be scared, but he wasn't, and he actually sat still to watch the whole movie.

On the same vein, Adam and I have seen two other movies this holiday season, which I cannot recommend: Apocalypto and Eragon. Wasted money if you ask me. Apocalypto was actually a great film until the extreme violence was added to it. The actual story line was so amazing, though, and I enjoyed a lot of the movie. But I was nearly sick to my stomach by the end and there was a moment I seriously considered walking out, just to spare my mind the memory of the violence. When we got home after watching it, Adam's mom asked me what was the matter. She said there was no color in my face and I looked like I might pass out.

And then there is Eragon. I've never read the book, never been tempted by it. But on Christmas day Adam's parents wanted to see a movie, and Eragon was the only one not sold out. I was bored, and disappointed that John Malkovic and Jeremy Irons weren't more prominent. Their acting was superb, though. I just thought the movie was a bit slow and I guess part of the problem was that Nate was with us and was bored during most of the film, so he was walking around and bothering the people around us. Due to the ending of the film, I imagine that there must be some more Eragon movies coming out sometime, because otherwise the ending is severely disappointing. Okay, enough of my terrible critique. I'd be a horrible movie critic because I wouldn't say much more than "I liked it" or "I hated it." :)

German Cookies

There is a tradition from Adam's side of the family (his mother's side, to be exact) to make German cookies each Christmas time. The whole clan loves them, they just eat 'em up. This year Nate was old enough to help roll them out, which he just loved. He really enjoyed putting flour on his hands so he could roll them into balls--he kept saying "It tickles me!"
As a side note, I have heard that one must learn to like these cookies. They look kind of like gingerbread cookies, but they taste like black licorice. Strong black licorice. I just haven't decided I like them well enough in relation to the calories. I'll stick to the other things that widen my rear at Christmas time, like the things I love--candy and chocolate! haha

Holiday Fun!

Ward Christmas Party, on Santa's Knee

Adam's Grandparents at the Ward Christmas Party

Decorating the Disney Gingerbread House

(Adam and I won it at a White Elephant Party)

Mmmmm.....making brownies

Well, this Christmas has been so different from any other....although we're recovering from a move, it's the first time we haven't had to travel anywhere for Christmas, which has made it a lot less stressful. We've really been enjoying the laid-back preparations, including all the parties and the cooking of good food! We've made soft caramels that my mom usually makes every year, and brownies, and Apple Annie's famous dip, and the list goes on and on! We've got a lot more to do, too..... :) But I'm happy to have something to look forward to. Christmas is always so special!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

Nate and his cousin Sydney
Playing train with the storage boxes
Sydney, Rachael, and Paul (Adam's brother)
Angela (my sister) and Becky (my mom)
Jeff (my brother), Mike (my dad) and Ali (my sister)

Okay, so this is old news, but I thought I'd post some pictures anyways. We were fortunate to have members of both sides of our families visit us the weekend after Thanksgiving, on the same day! So we went to get some Kansas City BBQ (a MUST if my dad is in town) at Arthur Bryant's. It was finger-lickin' good.

Then, on Sunday, we had a Thanksgiving dinner with two families from our ward in Kansas City that we just love (the Dewsburys and the Taylors). It was a delicious dinner! What a great weekend.

Some Recent Photos

Nate and Grandma's Snowman.....Grandma did most of the work, but Nate made sure he had a great hat! Nate kept saying that he wanted to make a snowman that "looks like me, a boy one like me." That made me laugh. No girl snowpeople allowed!

Our Christmas Tree, all dressed up

Putting the Star on the Christmas Tree

Nate's Christmas Tree, complete with chili-pepper lights.

Long-Awaited Update

Mount Rushmore

So, we've made it to Calgary. We spent four days in the U-Haul, and by the end we were all ready to kill each other! No, just kidding, but we were certainly ready for a long winter's nap. Adam did all the driving, and I was in charge of changing the DVD for Nate and keeping him happy with all the tricks I could think up. Have you ever restrained a three-year-old for four days straight? They become like a caged animal and you hardly dare let them out, because you know they won't get back into their seat! Oh well, we made it. On the way, we saw Mount Rushmore and that was really great. Neither Adam and I had really seen it (I visited when I was a little kid, but it was too dark to see it by the time we arrived). Nate was fascinated by the "men on the rock." We didn't stay long because it was so cold and the wind was terrible! But it was nice to take a detour and actually SEE something! We had absolutely incredible weather, the whole trip was snow-less (just really cold).

So now we're getting ready for Christmas. I cannot believe how fast it has approached! Before we know it, it will be here and gone. We set up our trees (one upstairs and one downstairs) and it is much more festive around here. Isn't a Christmas tree magical?!? I just wonder what Santa will bring me this year....a permanent home? Ah, a girl can dream. I know one thing I'm getting, because I bought it---a new pair of jammies. Does anyone else have that tradition of opening jammies Christmas Eve? I thought I'd start that this year, and thus I am sure of only one thing: I'll have new pajamas.

Everyone wants to know: What is it like living with the in-laws? Well, I don't recommend it. I actually think we have it easier than anyone that's ever done it before. But that doesn't mean it's easy! It's so strange to have a couple rooms to call our own and it's really difficult to feel that every move is seen by other people...we are just not used to it yet. But hopefully we won't have to get too comfortable, because maybe soon we'll have our own place! We'll see. The market here has resembled California-like prices (half-million-dollar dumps that cost $150,000 three years ago) so I don't think we'll be able to afford anything. I just keep praying that someone will really want to sell their house for less than half of what it's worth and then we can buy a home!

Okay, so this is a boring blog entry. I'm trying to think of things to say other than: "I wish I wasn't in Canada" or "I really miss my old life" or even "I wish I was with my own family for the holidays." Instead, I bite my lip and murmur, "Merry Christmas to all! Life is beautiful!" I'm just drawing from my limited acting experience, where I learned to portray a different emotion than my real-life self was feeling!! hahaha

That is the secret to life, though, isn't it --- to learn to count blessings instead of sorrows. I'm still learning, I guess.