The Stouse Family Blog

Life moves pretty fast

2011-02-06T14:25:00.018-06:00

I just heard that line in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Still true. Sorry it has been a while. Time flies and then the idea of where to start becomes overwhelming. Here is a quick video of the past few months.

November brought us birthdays for my beauties. The big "4" for Zoe & Ava. They had lots of fun and continue to tell all strangers that they are 4 (showing 4 fingers). We also managed to sneak away for a couple of days and visit "great" grandma and grandpa in Whitewood. The girls had a blast.

December was of course Christmas and we all had a nice long holiday over the last 2 weeks of December. The girls are spoiled and we had a room full of gifts. New Year's Eve brought us a new niece and we were all very excited. She is a gorgeous little thing. We all fight over who gets to hold her next.

January has brought lots of snow, school and activities, and not to mention a birthday party every other minute. Enjoy the quick video and I hope to show more pictures in the near future...............B

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Summer Times 2010

2010-07-08T22:27:00.006-06:00

I thought I should do another quick slide show of some of the last few weeks. Maddy graduated from Kindergarten and will be moving on to Grade 1 next year. The twins graduated from pre-school in their first year and will return for another school year of pre-school. We all had a great Canada Day Long Weekend at the beach and are enjoying have Char at home for the summer. Melissa was excellent and we will miss her for the summer months. I was away fishing and I am very busy back at work until the last 2 weeks of July. Zoe and Ava have been busy this week in a dance class and Maddy (strangely) decided it would be fun to learn the violin for a week. Anyway, enjoy the quick video of the past few weeks. Hope all is well with everyone and enjoy the summer while you can...............B

( I would suggest clicking on full screen to view this one, although the quality isn't very high)

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

June Update (new look)

2010-06-28T21:20:00.007-06:00

Just another quick video but this time no kids. Just fishing. One of the kids will follow soon. This is my latest trip up north in Saskatchewan. Always an adventure. It takes around 11 hours or so to get there. This was a place called Mawdsley Lake. It is about 2 hours north of Pine House, if you actually know where that is! Fishing was a bit slow but still a beautiful place and a good time had by all. Enjoy the scenery and a new video of the kids will come soon too. Also, I updated the site a bit just to change things up. Let me know what you think. Enjoy the summer now that it is here...............Brian

Update for May 2010

2010-05-03T22:14:00.007-06:00

Here is a quick update with some pics from the past few months.......B

Arizona 2010

2010-02-17T22:20:00.006-06:00

Here is a recent slide show from our time south of the border.

Great trip and everyone had a blast. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.........B

(you may want to click on the video and watch it in HD on youtube.com)

Christmas 2009 and beyond....

2010-01-31T21:17:00.010-06:00

Been a while I know. Seems like I just did an update but that was months ago. Christmas was a while back but was a good one. Busy for the days around Christmas but then things were pretty relaxed until we were all back at work and school.

The kids are good. Maddy is in dancing, "Sparks" and "Girls in the Game". She seems to enjoy them all. She is learning lots in school and seems to be smarter then her father already, which isn't saying much.

Zoe and Ava are quite the pair. Very different and yet very similar. Zoe is crazy, wacky and very caring. She loves to be funny and weird but is also very sensitive and concerned about others. She loves playing 'mommy' and 'baby'.

Ava has a loud voice. Not sure how to describe it other then that. It is deep and bellows throughout the house. She is also pretty shy and always quick to give a big grin.

One loves ketchup, then the other hates it. One wants juice, so they both need juice. Funny how different and how identical they can be. Ava woke up one day from a nap and noticed that Zoe was not sleeping in her bed beside her, she could not sleep until Zoe was back in bed. You get pretty used to being with your twin 24 / 7.

Anyway, enjoy the quick video..............Brian

The 2009 Vimy Award and my friend

2009-11-26T21:44:00.004-06:00

My good friend Will MacDonald is the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Vimy Award. This award has been given to Priminister's and to General's and it is the first time it has been presented to an NCO. I and everyone else who knows Will, is extremely proud of his efforts in serving this country.

I can't say enough about Willy. Congratulations on the award and well done as always................Brian

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Regina+soldier+Willy+MacDonald+receiving+Vimy+Award/2238223/story.html

Will also was awarded the Star of Military Valour in February of 2009.

It's been a while.......

2009-11-11T21:31:00.006-06:00

Been a while. I know. My bad.

Life gets busy. This is a quick update for those who care.

Enjoy the show and let me know your thougths......B

(try it in HD and see how it works)

Summer 2009

2009-09-12T13:59:00.007-06:00

Hello everyone, I hope all is well and everyone enjoyed the summer. Although we didn't get much heat this summer, we still enjoyed the beach and the park as much as we could. Charmaine was off for the summer and I took a few weeks when I could.

The family had a great time at the beach with the water, the boat and having the odd fire. The twins are speaking more and more and full of personality (and attitude). Maddy has become a "big kid".

Fall is here now and life is moving back into a routine for everyone. Char is back at work, Maddy has started Kindergarten and the twins have even started in Pre-school. It is hard to believe. Maddy is taking the bus and seems to enjoy school and the whole process, thus far. The twins have just begun school but they also seem to be having fun.

Time flies with children and I can hardly believe it is September already. Char and I have our good friends' wedding at the end of the month and we look forward to seeing Chris and Kate, as well as the West Coast. Not much else is new. Activities begin again and today was our first swimming class (all 5 of us are involved!). Everyone did great. More activities will begin soon.

Here is a short slide show of some pictures from the past 3 months or so. Hope you like and keep in touch...............Brian & Charmaine

Maddy Graduates......from pre-school

2009-05-22T22:40:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates in the past few months.

All is good with the Stouse family. Maddy is about to finish her last year of pre-school. She has done well with French immersion and we will see how she does with it in K. Zoe and Ava are also doing well and pretty darn fun these days. They will start pre-school in the fall.

The cabin at the beach is about to get into the swing of things and we look forward to a nice long summer. (especially with such a crummy spring)

Not much else to say but I hope to add some video or more pictures soon. I like to think this is the first of several graduation pictures for Madeline before she becomes a doctor..........have a good summer......................Brian

Madeline Dance Recital 2009

2009-04-03T19:33:00.003-06:00

Valentine's Day Wedding

2009-02-18T15:43:00.005-06:00

(click on the photo to view it a little better)

Valentine's Day was pretty special this year as Auntie Keni (and some dude named Bryce) got hitched. It was a great day and everyone, including the kids, had a blast. Maddy, Zoe and Ava were flower girls and they were pretty excited about the whole thing. Amazingly they did really good for the actual ceremony and then we all enjoyed the party that followed. Our other Auntie and Uncle ( L & D ) were in attendance and Cooper loved dancing with his many dates for the night. Auntie and Uncle (K&B) are away on their honeymoon and home soon.

Since Christmas, we have been busy with work and life. The winter seemed longer and colder then normal. Either because I am getting older (birthday tomorrow) or because we didn't go away this year. Either way, we are looking forward to summer and the beach again. Kids are busy with school, dancing and gymnastics. We are therefore busy with all that too, plus work and other stuff. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the last of winter's weather..............B

(the heart above is hard to see so I will ensure I post some pics of at least the kids)

Chrismas and New Years 2008

2009-01-06T22:57:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. Just one of many pics and videos taken from the last month or so. Holidays were great and more updates to come soon. I am sick of the weather and wishing I was somewhere warm or retired..............or both.................Brian

(Zoe is left and Ava is right, in case you were wondering.......or at least I think......)

I enjoy being a girl......

2008-11-26T22:13:00.002-06:00

Another quick update to show off Maddy at her second year of dancing (if you can call it that). It was cute as always. Here they are signing a song and doing a short dance. It is hard to hear anything because they are all screaming the lyrics. I believe it is called "I Enjoy Being A Girl" from the musical "Flower Drum Song" by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Anyway, here is an excerpt from the big recital. The twins came along and were fascinated by the whole thing. They even sat still for most of it. Our good friend Ali (Jim & Lee) can also be seen in the video. The original video was shot in widescreen and you can see the full version on youtube but this blog only allows for 4:3 ration viewing. Anyway, enjoy...........B

Fall into Winter

2008-11-03T23:08:00.003-06:00

Sorry it has been a long time since the last update. Life gets busy and then I think I need to do a big update because so much time has passed. I was going to just put up a few pictures but couldn't decide what to use and I didn't want to write a novel.

Summer was great and it seems like it ended a long time ago. Fall has been busy with school for Maddy and activities for all of us. Maddy is back at school 3 times a week and enjoys it. Our nanny comes in a few days a week too as Charmaine works half time. Maddy turned 4 in the summer and this past weekend we had Zoe and Ava's 2nd Birthday Party. Everyone had a blast and we are sad that we now have to stay indoors with the cold weather. The beach in the summer and the park in the fall, were always a good time.

The short video is a bunch of photo's from the past few months. I also included some from the twins birthday, as well as a visit to Pumpkin Hollow. Anyway, I will try to update more often. Charmaine is off to Vegas this coming weekend with her mom so daddy will have all 3 girls to spoil. Christmas is only 6 weeks away too. Stay tuned.

The video is just a photo slide show. Sorry for the overall quality. Just trying to get something up............

Summer 2008 - Havin fun....

2008-07-18T00:07:00.010-06:00

Realize is the name of the song for this video. Seems appropriate as we certainly have realized that we are very lucky. We have 3 healthy, happy kids and lots of family and friends that help us and care about us.

Life is busy but very good. We haven't done an update in a long time so I apologize as we have been busy and I keep wanting to share some news and pictures but haven't made time for it.

Charmaine is done work and summer is upon us. I am busy with work but enjoying time with the family. We try to spend a lot of time at the beach when we can and the girls love it.

Maddy turned 4 recently and we had a great little party for her. Her cousin Katie turned 4 on the same day and Maddy had a blast at her party too. The twins are changing faster then I can believe. Little personalities coming through and becoming more and more fun / entertaining each day.

Ava is a bit more of a daddy's girl while Zoe is a bit more adventurous. They play well with big sister Maddy but occasionally fight over toys and for the attention of mom and dad.

Summer is moving fast and we are simply trying to enjoy the park, the beach and being outside as much as we can. Melissa (our nanny) is also expecting (congrats!) and we won't have her around as much with Char being off for the summer months.

Thanks for keeping up with us and enjoy the video. Have a great summer everyone and take care of you and yours...............B

Arizona 2008

2008-04-06T18:43:00.004-06:00

So we recently came back from 10 days of visiting my folks in sunny Arizona. This is the 3rd year in a row we have made it down. With 3 kids, that is a pretty big accomplishment. It took some help but we made it down again this March and we (as always) had a great time. It is nice to visit with my parents (Hope and Dave) and the kids love being outside without big jackets and hats and all that.

Ten days goes very fast and we didn't even do a whole lot. That was exactly what we wanted to do..........relax. We went to the park everyday. In fact, we went to several parks every day. The weather was great and we had a some time to shop, see a couple shows and take it easy.

The video is a slide show of some of our pictures. (They are the same ones as on Flickr but I thought this would be more interesting then just flipping through pictures.

Other then the trip, not much is new with us. Char is still half time and busy with school and the kids. I am busy with work and looking forward to the summer. My folks come home soon and Char's mom just came back from an amazing adventure in Dubai, Greece and The Netherlands. Charmaine's sister Kendra is engaged and planning a February wedding. CONGRATS GUYS!! Life is good and pretty busy. The twins change day to day and are a ton of fun. Maddy is a great helper and is smarter then her dad already.

More updates to come......hope everyone is well....leave me a comment if you like..........Brian

Lemons

2008-02-25T21:21:00.005-06:00

Not much to say here. Just thought it was funny. I know I still need to add some video of Zoe but I just haven't caught her walking while I had the time or the camera. She is walking tons more now, they both are. Not sure if that is good or not.

The video was from today (Feb. 25) while I was cutting some lemons for a drink. The girls were bugging me and I thought I would see what they thought of lemons. As is the norm lately, different reactions from different kids.

Maddy won't even try the lemon.
Ava ate it but didn't seem affected nor did she care much about it.
Zoe reacted and thought it was bloody funny.

Enjoy..........(I am using Google Video for this one just to try it out. I wanted to stick with YouTube but oh well)...........(sorry for the jumpy camera work too!)..........Brian

Cute Girl, Walking......

2008-02-12T21:50:00.008-06:00

So, the twins have started to walk in the past few weeks. Not that we were in a rush. We have our hands full already, so no rush really.

This is the first video I have captured of Ava walking. She started crawling first and and is walking before her bigger sister Zoe. They sure are proud of them selves when they can get walking a few feet. This video is just Ava but I will do a video of Zoe too as she is doing great and should not be left out. Maddy is great (as always) with the girls and tries to help them walk and cheers them on.

We are very lucky...........................Brian

Save Lives with a Sticker

2008-01-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

For those that read this site on a regular basis, you probably know about Ken's sudden passing this summer. I have not posted anything about Ken yet but I will another day. Today, I would simply like to share the true story of how one person helped so many others. A true testament to Ken's hard working nature. Even in death he managed to help others.

The following is the letter that Donna received from the Saskatchewan Transplant Program and I use it today with permission from Donna:

September 7, 2007

Dear Donna,

On behalf of the Saskatchewan Transplant Program, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to you and your family on the passing of Ken. During such a difficult time, you chose to make the gracious gift of organ and tissue donation on Ken's behalf, and for this we are truly grateful.

As a result of your compassion and generosity, two Alberta residents have been given a life free of dialysis with the gift of Ken's kidneys. A man from Alberta has received the lungs. The liver was transplanted into a man from Manitoba. An Alberta man can live free from his diabetes with the islet cells from Ken's pancreas. One person from Saskatchewan has been given the gift of sight from one of Ken's corneas. The other cornea was not deemed suitable for transplant by the eye surgeon.

Your consideration of others in your time of loss and sorrow will have a tremendous impact on the recipients and their families.

I wish you and your family well with your own healing process. You handled a very difficult situation with grace and dignity and I hope that find some peace in knowing that Ken's final chapter in life was one of giving. Once again, thank you for your gracious gift.

Sincerly,

(name removed)
Transplant Coordinator
Saskatchewan Transplant Program

This was Ken's wish and Donna and family helped make the difficult but amazing gift to 6 different people. Please add the 'orange sticker' to your Health Card and discuss organ donation with your loved one's today. If you need a 'orange sticker' call 1-800-667-7551. Thanks everyone...................Brian

http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/organ-and-tissue-donor-information
http://www.scoda.org/index.shtml
http://www.organ-donation-works.org/

Tiny Dancer

2007-12-17T20:06:00.000-06:00

So about a week ago Maddy finished her dancing class. They don't really let you watch but for the final class they do a recital and let everyone come in.

Maddy is forth from the left in the pink (big surprise) outfit. She is great at the singing and yelling parts and 'okay' at the dancing parts. Be warned that this annoying song may get stuck in your brain for way too long.

Anyway, just a quick update before Christmas. Take care......

Happy Holidays!!

2007-12-05T18:08:00.000-06:00

Man, how is it almost Christmas already? Time sure flies.

Hope everyone is doing well. We have been sick for nearly a month! Well, not all of us but we have all taken a turn at being sick. Not much sleep for mom I am afraid. Otherwise, we are surviving with help from family and friends. The nanny is great and that is all working out well so that has certainly helped. Charmaine is back at work and enjoying it but has been very busy.

Maddy is almost done ballet classes and is enjoying her french immersion pre-school. Zoe and Ava are also doing very well. Ava is in to everything and goes everywhere (crawling) but Zoe is happy sitting and watching her sisters get into trouble.

Christmas is coming soon and we are all looking for some time together at a slower pace. I don't want to be all sappy and crap but I often think of a line from a little known Robin Williams movie, where he says (basically): "If we are all lucky enough to live the "average" life span of about 80 years, then we need to keep in mind what that means. If you are 40 years old, that means you have 40 more summers. 40 more springs. 40 more Christmas'. And that is if we are lucky..." It kinda puts time in perspective doesn't it?

Anyway, I thought this thing below would be fun and Maddy seems to like it. She watched it about 20 times in a row. Take care and stay warm.........

1st Birthday and beyond

2007-11-13T11:09:00.000-06:00

Ava and Zoe turned "1" recently. We had a pretty simple birthday for the family and it went very well. Maddy and the Anderson's had fun and the twins were pretty content and even got a chance to eat cake and open presents.

I thought I would try to capture some of the differences between Ava and Zoe. Here are some of our observations:

Ava: Still a bit lighter and fairer then her sister. Started crawling recently and is always on the go. Not the best sleeper but has some good nights. Often makes high pitched sounds like she is trying to tell a story or hear how loud she can be. Also likes to be the 'bad twin' and get in to trouble. If Zoe has a toy (or anything for that matter), Ava wants it and usually steals it. Recently started saying 'dada' and 'moma' which can melt your heart.

Zoe: Tends to be pretty easy going. Typically laughs more. Does not crawl or really even pull herself up yet. Happy to rotate on her butt. Started putting her arms out in the "pick me up please" typical gesture. Strawberry birthmark on her side. "Dances" or bops when she hears music a very cute manner.

Anyway, thought I better add a few pics from the party. Enjoy and stay warm..................B

Summer's Over - Remix

2007-10-18T23:05:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone. Hope all is well and everyone had a good summer.

This one will be quick. Maddy started preschool and seems to be enjoying and doing well. She is also in dance class which is pretty cute. The twins are in swimming lessons and Maddy and I go for a swim too, on our own.

Char is back to work soon and we have hired a live out nanny to come and take care of the kids while Charmaine is working half time. We are sharing this nanny with another couple (friends of ours) who also live in the neighbourhood. Melissa seems excellent and we look forward to her getting to know the kids more and more.

I tried a new software with the video below. I had tried a short version of it and thought I would do a slightly longer one now. Sorry for the sappy music but I thought it was a good fit. Take care everyone..........Brian

Maddy the entertainer

2007-08-15T23:13:00.000-06:00

As the twins get older, Maddy is getting better and better at both helping out and also playing by herself. Mom and dad need all the help they can get these days. The twins (sorry I should really be calling them by their names) are doing well but still not the best sleepers at night. They can laugh for hours and they are fun to play with.

I get a laugh out of this video every time. Maybe it's just me.

Maddy decides she is going to sing us a song while Mom bottle feeds both girls (at the same time I should add for those who haven't seen her in action). So here is how she does it:

Step 1: Countdown. Instead of counting backwards from 5 or 3, she counts upwards to four and adds a "BLAST OFF" for good measure.

Step 2: Rock back and forth like you have to pee. Really, you are just bopping to the music. (you should see her do the head bop to dad's music)

Step 3: Start singing "Dina won't you blow your horn" but really you mean to sing "I 've Been Working On The Rail Road" instead.

Step 4: Just sing both songs together and see what happens.

Step 5: Stop! Immediately run away and do a lap around the kitchen.

Step 6: Repeat step 5 if desired. And she does....

Meanwhile Zoe and Ava try to eat kleenex and wonder what the hell that crazy big girl is doing now.

For those that were going to ask: Zoe is on the floor and Ava is with Char.

Please keep sending me comments as I wonder if anyone is reading me anymore....

Summer Update

2007-08-03T23:39:00.001-06:00

Well we have moved in to the new house and done a few changes. We had the main floor and 2nd floor completly repainted and did new flooring which included, tile, lino and carpet. We are very happy with how everything turned out. The house looks great and we are loving the new area. The parks are pretty amazing. However, I do miss the fact that we don't really have a close 'corner store'.

The twins are growing fast and cute as ever. They haven't slept well for the past couple of months but they are so easy going in the day, it is hard to fault them. No crawling yet but they sit and watch the world (and big sister) go by.

Speaking of big sister, Maddy is also doing well and having a fun summer. As you can see from the video, she has a blast at the beach and loves going to the parks back home too.

The heat has been pretty insane the past month so I am enjoying the cranked up A/C. We should enjoy it because soon we will complain about the snow and the cold. Take care everyone and try to enjoy what is left with the summer.

Happy 3rd Birthday

2007-06-24T15:09:00.001-06:00

Madeline had her 3rd birthday party at our house, just before we packed it up to move. She and her 'twin' had a blast. Katie, born 33 minutes later, had her princess party the next day. Both parties were a lot of fun for the girls and the rest of the kids.

Charmaine and I are busy with the move and have a million things to do in the next week or so. We are lucky to have family and friends to help out with so much of the work.

Zoe and Ava are doing well and getting bigger by the day. They aren't sleeping great which is killing their mother. Hopefully that will pass soon.

Well, gotta go pack some more boxes. Take care and enjoy the summer while we still have it..............

6 months old .....(not that we're counting)

2007-05-21T11:40:00.000-06:00

Hello again all,

The 'girls' as we tend to call them, are doing well. I call them the girls because the twins just doesn't sound right to me. They are 6 months old now and both are right around 15 pounds. Healthy and happy which is all you can ask for.

Maddy is also doing very well. She has transitioned into an amazing big sister. She is also playing more independently which is very helpful. She is doing gymnastics once a week and soccer once or twice a week. Both of which are a lot of fun to watch at this age.

Charmaine has started Zoe and Ava on some cereal and that seems to be going well. They still get up twice a night or so but that should slow down in the coming months. The girls have started laughing more and more. I forgot how cool it was to have a happy and giggling fat little baby, let alone two of them!

We took Maddy to "Shrek: The Third" on the May long weekend. It was pretty good and Maddy did really well for the nearly 2 hour event. She loves her movies, just like her mom and dad.

The house stuff is moving along. We have made plans for the flooring, painting and central air to be done. The week of the move will likely be chaotic. We also have someone's 3rd birthday to carry out too.

Just thought I would put a few pictures together for a quick slide show. Nothing much, just a few newer pics of the kiddo's. Take care.................enjoy the weather while you can..........

Moving out of the old and into the new.....

2007-05-03T13:10:00.000-06:00

So we bought a new house. Well, new to us. We had been looking for a little while, but not that long really. We looked at about half a dozen or so but we knew what and where we wanted so that helped.

We bought in Wascana View and will take posession at the end of June. It is in a great area and should have lots of space for the 5 of us. It is a bit of strange layout but we liked that about it. It is a 2100 square foot - 2 storey split.

We will miss Whitmore Park and our first house. It has served us well. Sadly, the kids will not even remember it when they are older.

If anyone reading this isn't aware already, the housing market in Regina has become pretty crazy. Gone are the days of 'moving down' from the asking price, like you are buying a car. Houses go for much more then asking. Last week, a house I heard about went for $50K above asking. The 'lots' have basically dissappeared and some of the home builders no longer take new customers as their existing customers are getting 18 month possesion dates.

The good news is that we will do fairly well on our existing house. We had a one day open house for about 5 hours and had nearly 100 people through. We accepted offers until noon on Sunday (May 5th) and ended up getting a conditional offer. The conditions (typical stuff) were done a week later and it is sold. The couple that bought the place are fairly young, married and getting their first house together. I don't know how young people will afford 1st homes in a few years if the prices continue to climb.

We may need to call in favors when the actual move happens but that is not for a while. It will come quick. Sorry, I guess most of you reading this would rather see pictures of the kids then hear about the house so I will try to do another posting very soon.

Charmaine, Maddy, Zoe and Ava are all doing great and having more fun each day. Take care all...........

Twin update......Pickly too!

2007-04-04T20:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry for being slow to update our site. Life has been good and we are very lucky. The twins are doing good, growing and becoming more then just 'blobs'. They are smiling, laughing a bit, grabbing at toys, sucking on each others hands, and watching big sister Maddy.

Speaking of Maddy, she is doing well too. She just finished gymnastics which she loved and will be starting a new gymnastics class soon, as well as soccer with cousin Katie. She also informed us a few days ago, that she has a new friend by the name of 'Pickly'. Apparently Pickly is a 2 year old girl that only Maddy can see and hear. Although sometimes she calls her a him. Should we be concerned???? It is pretty cute actually.

My folks come home right away (April 5th) so it will be nice for them to catch up with all the grand kids (and us too). Char's folks are going skiing for Easter and then before we know it, it will be time to open up the cabin. Can't wait!!!

Hope everyone is ready for spring and has a great Easter. Take care and let me know what you think of the site or would like to see or know about...........Brian

(Zoe is left in the video and Ava is on the right)

"Kapow"

2007-03-03T15:34:00.000-06:00

Just thought I would try something different for this post. I like comics and thought this was kinda fun. Otherwise, not much new to report.

Babies are still not sleeping great but some nights are better then others. Char is the one that has to do all the work, so I can't complain.
Maddy is doing well too. She is busy with the sitter (so much more than just a 'sitter') Auntie Dallas and she does gymnastics once a week too. We are signing her up to soccer as well and I hope she enjoys that once the weather gets nice. Speaking of weather, how sick of snow are you? Not that I shovel anymore.

On another note, our good friends Andy & Cynthia are now expecting and we want to give a 'shout out' to them. Congrats! You are going to have a lot of fun when the little one (hopefuly little ones) come. You should have twins or triplets so I don't feel left out........take care........

Getting into a routine

2007-02-25T13:47:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone and hope you are well. Everyone seems sick these days so take it easy if you can. We recently returned from a great visit to see my folks in Arizona. We had nearly 2 and 1/2 weeks with 'grandma & grandpa Stouse'. The extra hands were great and being outside everyday with the kids was a treat. The Phoenix Zoo was excellent and it gave us some time with just Maddy. Char and I both love zoo's so it was awesome. Click on the title of this post to see the Zoo site. I have also added some zoo pics to my 'Flickr' badge beside this post.

The twins are changing from week to week at this point. Developing personalities and characteristics. I thought I would add a bit of video for this posting just to let everyone see the girls again. I think they look pretty different but they are getting more similar as time goes on.

Have a look and let us know. Zoe is in the 'bumbo' chair and Ava is beside her.

Also - I came across a simple tool for those that want to get email notification of when we update this site. Check out this link. http://www.rssfwd.com/
All you need to do is cut & paste our blog address (http://brianstouse.blogspot.com/) and then type in your email address.

Greetings from Arizona

2007-02-02T14:07:00.000-06:00

Hello all. Sorry for not giving an update earlier. Life has been busy. Christmas came and went. The twins are doing well but not allowing a ton of sleep around our house. They are actually pretty good so I shouldn't complain. As of today (Feb.1) we are spending 2 weeks in Fountain Hills, Arizona with my folks. Getting here was a bit of a nightmare but at least we are here and missing the crappy weather at home. The weather here is not fantastic but not too bad. It is beautiful down here. The desert and the mountains are something to see. Having my folks as an extra set of hands is also great!

The girls still look a bit 'different' from each other but they are getting bigger by the day. Here are a few pictures from the first few days in Arizona. Take care everyone...............

(if you are wondering who is who, Zoe is on the left)

Christmas 2006

2006-12-28T17:43:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you are well and have had a great holiday. Christmas has been very exciting and also very busy, as it is for everyone. The big news is that Cooper (and his parents) are back from Edmonton! We are thrilled to have the big man home to meet his new cousins.

Lots has happened over the past few weeks so I will give a quick recap. Cooper, as mentioned, is home and doing pretty good. They didn't have an easy transition home as 2 days after they came home, they had to put down one of their dogs. Then, on Christmas day, Daren's grandmother passed away. Condolences to the Anderson's.

My girls were all sick a few weeks ago but have been doing great since then. Ava and Zoe are putting on some weight and have been doing pretty well at night.

Christmas Eve and Day were busy but very good. Maddy had a blast and got a million gifts (99% of them were Princess related). I made a slide show with a few pictures over the past few weeks. Hope you enjoy. Enjoy the holidays and time off everyone.............The Stouse's

Frog Puppet Show for Cooper & Katie!

2006-12-06T18:57:00.000-06:00

This one is a bit embarrassing but fun for the kids.

Maddy wanted to send another video message to Cooper and Katie. She thought it would be best to have her friends Baby and Daddy Frog say they love and miss Cooper and Katie.

We have been hearing lots of good news about Cooper lately so we are getting excited about seeing the big man in the near future. Hopefully in time for Christmas but if not, soon after.

Maddy has been sick but seems to be getting better. She had a bad cough and fever but we hope to be through the worst of it. The twins are also doing well. The doctor said today (Dec. 6) that the girls look very good and are gaining weight (Zoe is 7 pounds 1 once and Ava is 6 pounds 14 ounces).

Charmaine is still doing great but has had some very long nights. It takes a long time to feed, burp, change and put down - 2 babies. Anyway, take care Anderson’s and we are getting very close to Santa time. Cooper, Katie and Maddy are going to have a lot of fun this year………..not to mention the twins………………

2 Babies Seems Normal............after a while

2006-11-28T21:43:00.000-06:00

(Ava on the left and Zoe on the right)

Hello all, just wanted to give a quick post to say hello to everyone. The twins are doing well. The doctor tells us that is is 'very likely' they are identical but we would have to get a DNA test for 100% certainty. They look pretty different to me. Ava is smaller and a little darker (plus she likes TV and her bath time). Zoe is bigger and paler (plus she is awake more and likes music). Sleep is hard to come by but Charmaine is doing amazingly well. I need more sleep then she does I guess!

I am back at work and now working downtown (crappy). I was spoiled by working out by the airport and being 5 minutes from home. Oh well, I will get used to it. Maddy is doing well and getting pretty active.

It is strange but we already feel like having 2 babies at the same time starts to seem normal and no big deal. Last Friday, Grandma & Grandpa Gamble took Maddy to the Rodeo and had a sleep over. She loved it and talks about how the cows were always 'poopin'. Charmaine and I thought we would be adventurous and take the twins to a movie. We went to the new Bond movie (Casino Royale) and they were perfect. They didn't cry and Char was even able to feed them. Everyone that sat down near us, did a double take and decided to sit somewhere else. After the movie, a few people even said, "I can't believe how quiet they were" or "I can't believe you took 3 week old twins to a movie". It was pretty cool to go to a movie again.

Anyway, Cooper is doing better and we hope to have him home soon. It will likely be a while, possibly even after Christmas. We will have to see how things progress. We sure miss him (his parents too!). Take care all and more to come soon...........

Shout-out to Cooper

2006-11-20T19:00:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to say hello again to Cooper duper from Uncle Brian, Auntie Charmaine, Maddy and Katie! We love you and miss you very much. We can't wait to see you again soon and you can come over and play with your new cousins Zoe and Ava.

Katie really misses you and is very excited to see you soon. She knows how strong and tough you are.

We are love you tons Cooper so get better soon and before you know it, you will home with all of us..............Maddy and Katie

Singing with my sisters...

2006-11-19T14:09:00.000-06:00

Maddy has been amazing with her new baby sisters. I am sure that the fights over phones, the car, boys (yeah right!) will come in time. For now, they are pretty happy with each other. Maddy was pretty happy to have her sisters in her room for a bit, while her parents got a few things done. She is very careful with them so far and loves to hug and kiss them (probably because we love it). Anyway, had a moment to work while all my 4 girls are sleeping and I thought I would try out this new video server, instead of my usual "YouTube". Enjoy and keep those comments (for us and for Cooper) coming............

Sleep, eat, poop...............repeat

2006-11-17T13:42:00.000-06:00

Ava and Zoe do a lot of sleeping and eating, with not a lot more. I forgot how much newborns don't do. Sleeping for mom and dad is a bit of a challenge but Charmaine is doing great and keeping up. I am back to work soon so mom will be running the show without me for most of the day.

We had some good news about Cooper which is a big relief for everyone. You can read more about it on the Anderson's website listed beside this in the 'links' section.

I have also failed to identify which baby is which, as our friend Chrissy pointed out. SORRY.
In the pictures above, Zoe is on the left and Ava on the right.

Thanks for the great comments from everyone and I hope to add more pics and video soon.

The 'other' twins

2006-11-15T12:32:00.000-06:00

Saying hello to Mom and Dad (Anderson) from Katie and Maddy.

Katie and Maddy were born on the same day (33 minutes apart) and are 'twins' in a different way. They play really well together and can spend hours just chasing each other around. In this video, they are busy with Dora.

We are very happy to say that Cooper is off the pacemaker and his strong heart is beating on its own, with a regular 'P-wave'. We are all thrilled to hear such good news and we hope that Cooper will soon beat all of his other challenges and come home soon.

Ava and Zoe can't wait to meet their Aunt and Uncle and their big cousin Cooper!

Take care Leanne and Daren...............The Stouse's

Home with everyone (family of 5)

2006-11-10T21:32:00.000-06:00

I am very happy to say that I was able to bring my girls home on Wednesday of this week. That seemed a bit strange as they were not even 48 hours old. We left the hospital with a clean bill on Wednesday around lunch time and brought the girls home. It was a nice feeling to have everyone home safe and sound.

The girls have been settling in to their new home and Maddy thinks they are pretty neat. Not sure how long that will last! Nights have been tough as they have been up every hour to two. We are keeping Maddy at home until next week and trying to have some time as a family. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and prayers over the past week. Our nephew Cooper is still recovering from heart surgery in Edmonton and he is in our thoughts a lot these days. Thank you to everyone who has been praying and thinking about him. Ava and Zoe can't wait to meet their cousins Cooper and Katie. We hope to see them soon.

I have been having a nap each afteroon with one of the girls laying on me. If you haven't had a chance to have this opporunity, their is no feeling like it. It is a beautiful feeling to have a little sleeping 'peanut' on your chest as you sleep.

In case you are wondering, yes I can tell them apart (sorta). We believe they are identical but won't know for a few weeks. They have a slight size and colouring difference between them.

Life has been busy so I don't know how many updates I will get to do. Thanks again to everyone and we are a very lucky family to have such healthy and beautiful children. Thanks and please keep our Armed Forces in your thoughts this Rememberance Day..........God bless Canada........................Brian

New Babies........New Site

2006-11-07T22:26:00.000-06:00

Hello again all,

I have decided that my blog needed a bit of an update now that my girls have been born. This site will be dedicated to updates, pictures and video of my whole (new) family. I hope you like the changes and the new look & feel. Nothing too major.

Not sure if I mentioned yet how in love with all my girls I am. That included my amazing wife! There is nothing we can't accomplish together.

Thanks for keeping in touch and please let me a comment with your thoughts and information. Take care..............Brian

(p.s. - I couldn't resist adding a bit of video of my angels too)

The first pictures of the new Stouse's

2006-11-07T13:44:00.000-06:00

Meet Zoe and Ava

2006-11-07T13:27:00.000-06:00

This will be the short version with the details you probably want.

At 11:36 pm on Nov. 6th, we brought Zoe Maya into the world. She weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces.

At 11:47 pm on Nov. 6th, we brought Ava Molly into the world. She weighed 5 pounds 13 ounces.

Both babies and their mother are doing excellent. We may even come home on Wednesday or Thursday of this week. We were finally induced and the doctor broke Charmaine's water to get things going. An hour and a half later we were delivering twins. Char was amazing as always. No c-section and no time spent in the NICU. We are very lucky and blessed people. I am deeply in love with all my girls...................

We Have Babies!!!!!

2006-11-07T01:26:00.000-06:00

Didn't get a chance to do an update till now. We have 2 healthy and beautiful girls. Charmaine and the girls are great. They arrive before midnight on Nov.6 and names and weights will follow when I have some time. Thank god we are done.

Inducing.................Finally!

2006-11-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

After a bad night of waiting, they finally bring us back to Labour & Birth. After a check by the Doctor they say they will induce. At 12:30 they begin the drugs for inducing. This could be hours or even tomorrow.

At last, we are getting to progress and we can't get bumped out again.

Stay tuned and hopefully I will get a chance to update more.....B

Still Waiting

2006-11-05T21:04:00.000-06:00

We are in the hospital waiting to be induced. They may not even be able to get us in. Busy here. I am doing this update from my cell. Just have to wait now. Could be many hours even if they do induce......B

Still no babies....

2006-11-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

Hello all, as of Sunday Nov. 5th (9am) the hospital has no capacity for inducing anyone else. At this rate, we may have to wait for regular labour to begin. Char was 38 weeks yesterday and that is basically full term for twins. Not sure if I should go back to work now or what. I would rather use the time after the babies, instead of waiting for them. We will try to update more when we can but this could be hours or days at this point. Please keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming for our nephew Cooper........................B & C (Maddy too)

Halloween, Snow and No babies

2006-11-01T11:34:00.000-06:00

Maddy had some fun when the first snow fall came. She thought it was pretty cool to catch snow on your tongue. Char was pretty creative with her "Dora" pumpkin. I like the old school kind, which is what we did with a second pumpkin. Maddy and Daddy went out to about 6 or 7 houses on Halloween and she really enjoyed it, minue the cold. She would knock on the door, then yell (or whisper) 'trick or treat!' and then add a growl as she was a tiger.

As of today (Nov.1st - noon) we don't have any new Stouse's. According to our doctor, everything looks great and he wants to enduce on Friday, if possible. So, we may have the twins on Nov. 3rd! Stay tuned as I will try to do updates when I can.

We are all thinking about Cooper in Edmonton and it sounds like he is through the worst of it. Our thoughts are with everyone as they go through this surgery. Take care everyone and stay tuned..........................

Scarrrrry Maddy - Oooooh!

2006-10-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

Maddy tries making what she calls 'silly faces' but look more like she is preparing for Halloween. She really only has 2 versions but they are pretty funny for us. Char is offically done work, effective Oct. 16th. This happens to be the day that SaskTel is launching Max with HD for anyone who cares! She is feeling well but sore and tired a lot.

The Rolling Stones were excellent on the long weekend. Lots of drunks in the crowd and drug use in the stands but nothing too major. Pretty good for senior citizens. Likely the biggest show to come to Regina or ever will come. Did you know Ronnie Wood was bald in real life? Anyway, take care and stay warm. Not sure how many more posts before the twins come...........stay tuned.............

Will is back from the 'Sandbox'

2006-10-03T18:38:00.000-06:00

My good friend from Regina (Will MacDonald) is recently home from 7 months in Afghanistan. We are all glad Will is back safe from his latest tour. Some may have seen Will on the cover of MACLEAN'S magazine (front right) where he served as a pall bearer for a friend and fellow soldier that was killed.

On Will's return to Canada, he was promoted (Warrant Officer) and given a new post as an instructor at Battle School at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.

Although Will was very busy after returning home, he stopped in Regina and we had a chance to catch up. Willl also got to see Maddy for the first time. She was pretty interested in "...daddy's friend with paint on his arms..." (meaning tatoos)

In other news, Char is doing well and getting closer to the end of her pregnancy. She is half time and seeing the doctor every week. My folks are in Europe for 3 weeks which should be a blast. We just heard that Cooper is re-scheduled for October 26th, for his last surgery which we all know will go well. Take care all and Bravo-Zulu to Will and all the Canadian Forces overseas..........Brian

Maddy prepares for sisters

2006-09-30T12:57:00.000-06:00

Maddy has a new doll that she calls "Baby Cooper" for some reason. She loves it and enjoys when it makes sounds. She is getting pretty good at 'shushing' her baby and giving it a bottle when it cries. Pretty cute!

Char is now on half days (mornings) and that seems to be helping. My folks are now in Europe (Oktoberfest) and we all hope they will be back in time for the twins. Our due date is still on for about Nov. 18th so things should work out.

I bought a new camera (Canon SD700) and I am loving it. Hopefully it will motivate me to take more pictures and video. I may have to sneak it in to the Stones concert next weekend. I still have 2 tickets beside mine that are up for sale........

Princess Bedroom

2006-09-21T20:01:00.000-06:00

Well we are all back at work now and the summer is offically over. Char is back at school and trying to keep up with it all. Her doctor has just her put on half days so she will be able to get a little more rest now. Maddy is back at the sitter's and back into her routine. We spent some time getting our office made into Maddy's new room. Although it is very small, it works well for our purposes and she loves it. She also moved into a 'big girl bed' and seems to be doing well with that too. Eventually we will get the actual bed part but for now she is fine with the mattress only. Work is nuts for me and I am just trying to stay afloat. I will try to get some more video on this site as I haven't done that in a while and Maddy is looking much older these days. Take care........

Back to School and The Sitter

2006-09-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

Charmaine is back to work and full time at one school. Maddy is back at the sitter. Dallas (the sitter) is so much more then just a sitter. Maddy was happy to go back and see her friends and 'other family'. Char wasn't so excited to be back and work. She is doing well but gets tired pretty quickly. We will see how long she can work but I don't think she will make it to November.

This summer we worked with Char's family on a new guest house at the beach. It was finished a few weeks ago and we have finally been able to spend a bit of time relaxing at the beach. Maddy loves riding in the boat (a sailor like her father). She also decided she wants to fish like dad and grandpa. That is a beautiful thing for a father with no boys! Take care everyone.....

Already August?

2006-08-08T19:37:00.000-06:00

A few new pictures of Maddy to offer up in the summer months. Char and Maddy have been having a lot of fun together while Dad slaves away (okay not really). We have made several trips out to the cabin (Alice Beach) and are excited about having a new guest house after this year. Maddy really seems to enjoy the beach and the cabin. The first pic is of her playing by her pool. It certainly helps to have Dora on DVD for the drive home.

I have yet to take any vacation but may still try to take some this summer before Charmaine is back to school. We are also trying to change our "den" back into a bedroom. Maddy will make the move to this room and the twins will get her room.

Maddy is chatting like crazy these days and even breaks into song on occassion. She blew us away the other day when she sang the alphabet song when we didn't even know that she knew it.

Char is feeling well but gets tired pretty quickly. Thankfuly she is off for a few more weeks before heading back to school. The Anderson's took a bit of a vacation and Hope & Dave have also been away for about 3 weeks. A big hello to Léa & Chris as they will be tying the knot very soon. Take care all and enjoy the summer before it ends..........(did I mention I got Rolling Stone's tickets too!)...........

Maddy turns "2"

2006-07-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

The birthday girl seemed to have a pretty good time on her big day. She had lots of friends over and her cousins too. Katie shares the same birthday so they both got to attend 2 parties over the course of the weekend and eat their own weight in birthday cake. Both girls are pretty spoiled and received a ton of gifts and toys. Maddy's party was a "bug theme" and she loved her 'budda fye' (butterfly) shaped cake. Lots of Dora stuff which makes Maddy happy as she is a 'Doraholic'.
G & G Stouse took her (and mom) to the spray pad near us and Maddy seems to love the water. Char is off for the summer now and looks forward to some one-on-one time with our girl, before the twins come. She is feeling well but glad to be done work and have air conditioning at home. Have a great summer everyone....................B

It has been a while...

2006-06-22T12:43:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I gave an update but life gets busy. Maddy has been pretty chatty lately and is getting to be more fun to play with. June has been pretty disappointing with all the rain but it is better then snow I guess. Charmaine is getting excited as she only has a bit of work left before the summer break. I am jealous of all the time that she will have off and the time she will have with Maddy. The picture with Maddy holding the letter is her first piece of mail and she was excited to get a birthday card from Great G & G Gamble. Her birthday is June 26th and her party is this weekend after her cousin Katie's party on Saturday. The big 2! More pictures soon. Have a good summer............B

Holy Sh*T

2006-05-08T16:22:00.000-06:00

The title of this entry is what my dad said when he found out and also what Char & I have been saying for days.

We are pregnant again!!!!

...........AND............we are having twins!!!!!

Twins do not run in either of our families so this is a shock to us. Well everyone except me. I have been telling Charmaine for years that we are having twins at some point. The idea of a new baby is scary and exciting. Twins is both of those things, times two!

We just want healthy babies. If we get 2 boys or 2 girls or one of each, we will be fine as long as we are all healthy. Maddy won't know what to think of all these damn babies. We also don't know how we will function (do we need a new house, new van, new everything).

We were praying for a healthy baby and with luck we will get 2 healthy babies. It still comes as a big shock. Char and I were always planning on 2 but you don't always get to decide these things. More info to come. We expect the new babies at the end of October or early November...........stay tuned.............

Summer is coming (sorta)

2006-05-02T20:06:00.000-06:00

It sure seems like summer is here, on most days. However the nights have been below zero and the rainy days are cold. On the nice days, Maddy loves going to some of the parks near by. On the Easter week break, Charmaine was able to take Maddy to the park down the road. Maddy loves the slide and the swings and the 'tee da ta da'. She also loves her sandbox which she gets a lot of use out of. Tonight Char and Maddy planted some flowers which Maddy thought was very exciting. Looking forward to more nice weather and the upcoming May long weekend...........take care...........

Happy Easter!

2006-04-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

Maddy had a great Easter this year, mainly because she 'gets it' this year. We had an Easter egg hunt at home which Maddy thought was pretty cool. She also had mom paint eggs with her which was fun as she loves crafts and painting. I hope that doesn't mean she will be an artist (not enough money in it for her father to retire off of). She also got a chance to play with her 'Oma' and one set of great grandparents. Needless to say, she was pretty spoiled from all the attention. Now that G&G Stouse are back from Arizona, she plans to bug them for attention on a regular basis. Hope everyone had a good Easter...........

Maddy gets down...

2006-04-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

Maddy Counts

2006-03-17T20:48:00.000-06:00

It is a bit hard to hear but Maddy counts in this video. It blew us away as we didn't even know she knew numbers. She started by saying, "...one....two.....three" and then tonight when I asked her to count, she said, "3....4...5....6....7....8...10" and was very proud of herself. Pretty smart kid!

Maddy and Katie

2006-03-13T21:43:00.000-06:00

Maddy and her cousin Katie do love to play together. On this occassion, they wanted to do laps with the stroller and shopping cart. Katie is sure becoming talkative. Maddy loves both Cooper and Katie but will always have a special bond with the cousin she shares her birthday with. Thanks for playing with me, Katie!

Maddy Sings

2006-03-07T15:47:00.000-06:00

Not much new...

2006-03-07T08:12:00.000-06:00

Maddy loves "Dora" and all things related to her. For some reason she also likes to carry around this plastic food with her and put it in and out of her pockets. She keeps saying "Corn...pockets". Pretty cute stuff. G & G Gamble just got back from Dominican and even brought back a Dora beach shirt which she will put to good use this summer at the cabin....

Gifts in the mail

2006-02-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

As soon as we opened the package from G & G Stouse, she gave the bear a huge hug. Then she ran around the house with it and had to stop and make the bear play the piano. Thanks G & G Stouse.........

Valentine's Girls

2006-02-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day
Charmaine!

2006-02-11T14:32:00.000-06:00

Collage of some of the kid pictures of the past few months.

2006-02-10T20:27:00.000-06:00

Listen to Maddy's message for grandma and grandpa!

Calling AZ

2006-02-09T22:13:00.000-06:00

Maddy picked up the phone and when I asked her who she wanted to call she said "Popa". So we called grandpa and left a message.

Princess Maddy

2006-02-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

Princess Maddy

Its amazing how much fun you can have with dollar store toys.

Brian's New Blog

2006-02-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

Hello,

Just started a blog for pics and info and stuff.

Nothing fancy.

Check back later.............Brian