Pictures and What!?!

 Here are the pictures I promised and Make sure you read to the end!

  Sitting around one afternoon the kids and I were thinking of things to do and I came up with a emotion photo shoot. I would say an emotion and they would act it out. It was SO much fun.

 A favorite has become Cammi's "In Love" face! I also really enjoy Landon's excited one and Madison's in Love.
 We haven't done those for a while so I thought this would be a good way to surprise them!

As you can see they are excited and so are we.
The baby is due on Dec 6th 2013. For those who are not aware, the 6th is Steve's Birthday. However because it will be a scheduled c-section Baby Burke will arrive earlier than that.This was unplanned and a complete surprise. I have already given away all of my maternity wear along with all my baby stuff, as I thought we were done. I have been to 2 ultrasounds and apparently I am in excellent shape inside and out.  I would normally wait a bit longer to start telling people, but I have been fairly sick and as soon as I say I am not feeling well or that I am tired and not up to something the first thing people tend to ask me is if I am pregnant. That and I am already showing. I look a little chubby out front, or as Madison says " Lumpy". So we thought we would share.
Madison is thrilled. When we told them about the baby we asked that they keep it a secret for a little bit. The next day she came home and told me that Her one friend HAD to know her secret and that she has also told her teacher! I am glad she is so excited she just cant hide it! She wants it to be a girl.
Landon came up and asked " what will that make me then?" I told him he would be a big brother again. He thought that was alright.. He also wants it to be a girl so that he can be the only boy.
Cammeron is so excited to be a big sister, just like Madison! She likes to talk to me about babies and what she will do with it. I didnt think she would be as interested as she has been. She wants it to be a boy, when asked why she says- Because why.

Okay, I figure its time to keep up on my blog.  A lot has happened.  Cammeron has turned 3! Madison is 7! Landon turned 5 yesterday! My kids are growing up. We are HAPPY! We moved. I know, what were we thinking. It wasn't something we wanted. We were not happy to be leaving our community and ward. I prayed and prayed to find a house and got no answer. I got a blessing, where I learned I wasn't getting any answers because I was supposed to be learning to trust and rely on the Lord. I don't want this lesson again.
Where we ended up is exactly  where we need to be. Madison is in an amazing school. I am thrilled with our new ward. I have a best friend from high school right down the road. The best neighbors. Close to Steve's work. However I Desperately miss my friends and will be making a huge effort these coming months to
get down south and visit. By the end of the summer you will wish i would go back to the north!
Life is good.
Madison is amazing. She is smart. Top of her class in reading (its a 1-2 split) so we are proud parents. She loves school. Ethan ( our next door neighbor) and Madison have become fast friends and can always be seen biking in front of our house. She has lost a tooth and has 4 wiggly ones. For her 7th birthday she got her ears pierced (thanks to Auntie J and Uncle D) She picked emerald green flowers. She is bossy. I guess she had it coming though. I was bossy too. She often needs to be reminded that the other kids have a mom and that she has no need to parent everyone.
Landon has been doing well. His legs have not given him too much trouble. It seems to come for a few days and then leave. For those that don't know, he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis last fall. At the tender age of 4. They are hopeful he will outgrow it. He is a Karate master (in his mind) at all times his limbs are flying every direction. He is super sweet and thoughtful. Some days I think whining is his favorite thing to do, but I am learning to distract and lessen it. He loves power rangers, too much probably. He likes to bike on his 4 wheeler, as he calls it. He is quickly gaining confidence. He is a good brother and is usually willing to share.
Cammeron is well... crazy. She rolls her eyes constantly usually with her hands on her hips. Says things like "whatever Mom" or "I am doing _____."  She is hilarious. I say often she is the child who will give my grey hair but then be the one to make me laugh about it. She is getting tall. Has an angels face. Guess what?! She is potty trained! That was a hard trial. She wakes up every morning and asks if she can put on her boots and coat and go outside to blow bubbles. Talking to her is so fun. "Dad, just calm down okay" "ugh stop hugging" If you cannot find her she is probably outside riding a scooter or pushing a stroller with her babies(usually backyardagains).
Stephen is excelling in his work. I never knew someone could be so well suited for working with sadness and death. He is happy. Work is not a chore anymore! A Happy Dad makes a happy Mom which makes happy kids! He has yet to get a calling in our new ward (even though he has all but pleaded to be the choir director, our new ward doesn't have a choir, yet) We have both spoken in church and sang together. There is not much else to tell about Steve because since we moved all he does is work. That is a good thing.

I am well. I have arranged a driving route with a few friends so I drive 3 extra kids to school in the morning and then My neighbor Tom drives them home. Its nice to only have to go out once. They do zumba in my new ward so I am going to try to go to it. I feel like lately time has really been flying by.

Things are good at the Burkes.

Birthday and Pictures

 I read the Hunger Games quite a while ago and loved them. I really enjoy books that take place in a different time than now and where survival is a struggle. It makes me think about what i would do if I were stuck like that. what decisions would i make. So this series really was enjoyable.
Movies from books are never that stellar. They always leave you disappointed. So I was cautiously excited for this one. At the end i felt they had done a descent job and didn't destroy it. I actually quite enjoyed it.I wont write everything that was done wrong or what I didn't like. I was happy and went to see it a second time.

 

At the Movie. My Hunger games earrings!

Angie and I!

 I dont really know why she was sleeping on the couch... probably one of those times when you try your best to keep them awake until bed time.

 Madison is growing up. This fact is sad and exciting. She is smart. So smart i can hardly keep up. for her birthday she received a key chain sewing kit and did an excellent job making it all by herself!
She can add very well, she has learned to tie her shoes, as we drive somewhere she is reading all the store names and the street names. It makes us laugh because our years of spelling things out so they cant understand us is over. as soon as we spell it out she will announce what we have said. She has lots of friends and as far as i can tell is a good friend. She would have to  be bed ridden and so sick she cant move to say she doesn't want to go to school. What a blessing she is in our lives!

 

Painting!

I love to paint. 

I love that my kids love to paint.

On a particular boring day we decided to make some art and it ended up involving painting our feet!

They absolutely loved it!

 Cammerons painting started out really sweet and then turned in to something she loves...ketchup!

 

Lots of time is spent outside lately with the weather improving and children becoming more restless.

Cammi wanted me to take pictures of her, so I did!

 I got a new photo app for my phone and it is so much fun. The kids and I spent a cold afternoon taking pictures of each other!

 

Madison had begged me to go to the park and I resisted as much as i could but she won. 

She had prepared a purse to bring along so she would have plenty to do.

Landon and Cammi were playing on the park when i notice Madison isnt around.

I look around and spot her sitting on the bench eating a chocolate bar!

She had brought it in her purse so she could sit away from everyone and enjoy it in peace. 

 

 Many times in the past my kids have snuck my phone away and taken lovely pictures. With this new phone app, my phone is more tempting than ever.

Madison stole it one afternoon.

 I usually love trains. They are neat and the kids get excited when they see one.

While driving to pick up steve from work one day this lovely red train drove past was almost at the end of its cars when it stopped. Started to reverse, went forward again, backward, stopped and then went almost all the way back the way it had come. Then stopped like this for another 15 mins. I had waited for this train for 25mins by this point. Finally backed all the way up to the train yard. 

It wasnt to annoying. A few days later however while coming to get Steve I got to wait for another train, which did very similarly to the first except felt way longer because i was going to be late. and was on barlow which when that road gets backed up its bad. 

I have never in the whole time i have been driving been held up by one train that couldn't decide what way to go let alone 2 undecided trains. It was crazy.

The Calgary Temple.

I am so excited!

 This year Easter was a little different for us. It ended up being on Landon's birthday. So we needed to fit in a egg hunt, birthday presents, church (where we sang with the choir), then I had both Stephen and my family over for Birthday / Easter dinner.

Talk about a busy day. It was a good day.

 This is the first year Cammi was into it! She found the most i think. It looked like it was the most fun she had ever had!

 

 After the egg hunt it was time for presents. I was lazy and never wrapped them so we had him close his eyes and pick something out.

He Was very happy to get jake pj's

Jake shirt and Scully lucky guy!

  

It turned out to be a nice evening. Brody and Becca had birthdays recently also but they hadnt been celebrated so they blew out candles too!

  

Once again fooling around with my phone!

 Cammi is not always friendy, she gets shy and clings to me and is quiet. Last time Uncle Dan came over though she went up to him and wanted up. A moment worth a picture!

 Steve and I sang in church so I tried to dress a little nicer. In nursery Landon Palmer started a chair train and it was a huge hit!

 Sneaking peanut butter...little brat.             At a park as a family. Madison played in this spinny chair forever. She loved it. Hearing her laugh her heart out was so cute!

 My brother Tim i knew was good with wood but this project of his really impressed me and when i buy a house he will make me one. All though i dont know if he knows that yet! It is 2 benches that when you flip down the back rests it turns them into a picnic table. So cool!

 Madison's bed. It has a play/ reading area underneath and a desk with bookshelves at the end it is so fun and she loves it!