Getting there........

Getting where you ask? On the way to a healthy household again! Andrew is now fully recovered from his hernia operation I would say. 6+ weeks of no lifting, pulling, lawn mowing, picking up kids or much of anything! The chicken pox have come and gone. The puke monster paid a visit last weekend, but has since departed. My finger nail has nearly fallen off only a little bit left to go, so I would say we are on our way! The kids currently have runny noses, but that's ok because in a few days that too will be gone!

I have yet to take some picture of the new summer place Andrew's Mom and Dad have built at Cultus Lake! I have been waiting to write about it until I had taken some pictures, but I haven't taken any yet! So, sorry! I will take a bunch this weekend as we are heading out there for the long weekend!

I am happy for the rainy day today! It is a nice break from all the lovely sunshine we have been having. And it feels like a day to stay in and get caught up on laundry, housework and make a chicken pie! Which is what I am making for dinner! Yum Yum

I am getting my hair cut this week and cannot wait! Something new, something different.
(I hope!) I need a new look!

I found a preschool for the kids this fall and I am so excited at the thought of 6 hours / week to myself!! And a little sad of course, but I KNOW the kids will LOVE it!!! I just have to get Ambrose going on the potty training or he will have to stay with me while his sister goes to school. He WON'T like that!!!

Family Resemblance

The resemblance on my mom's side of the family is pretty strong. As you can see from the above picture. Even the "married ins" are starting to look like us! Ha Ha Ha

Part 2 - Burns Lake - Family Reunion

Ahhhh, I have done it again!! Time has passed now and I forgot all the things I wanted to say about our trip and family reunion!? Oh, well, I will post some pictures instead! One thing I would like to say is that even though we did not get to sit down and talk to EVERYONE at the Family Reunion it was still very meaningful, important and enjoyable to see everyone even if it was the short "hey, how are you?!" passing by! Sometimes you forget how meaningful family is until you are surround by them.

Nana, Great Grandma & the twins

Uncle David's Pig Roast

Family History

The kids had a great time:

Oh we made many a-stops along side of the road....................

Our Trip to Burns Lake, BC

We went to Burns Lake at the end of June beginning of July for a family reunion and my Grandma's 85th Birthday Celebration. The reunion was held just outside of Burns Lake actually at Beaver Point Resort on Tchesinkut Lake. Burns Lake is 900 and some odd kms from Mission so we broke the trip up by staying in 100 Mile House over night on the way and returning home.

View Larger Map

Hitting the Highway

On the way up we had to stop at 150 Mile House (just south of Williams Lake) for Andrew to look at some wood on a man's ranch. It was such a beautiful place I wish now I had taken some more pictures.

... To Be Continued

Happy 4th to All of my Amercian Friends!

Happy Birthday America!

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.

The Farm in June

Oh, Ya! I forgot that we went to the "Farm" with Grandma in June!! The "Farm" is Maplewood Farm in North Vancouver. I would highly recommend it for a fun family outing! It is reasonably priced and there is something for everyone! The kids really enjoyed it. They found some of the animals loud (I guess having a goat "Maaa" right in your face is loud!) but enjoyed being able to get up close and personal with others such as the bunnies.

Smell my hand..

Hello are you awake? Are you alive?

Thanks Grandma for a fun afternoon!

Some Sun and More Rain

Well some of May and all of June left something to be desired as far as the weather goes! We did have those few days in May which were HOT and that was lovely! June was soon nicknamed "Juneuary" by most people and all people talked about was the crappy weather we were having! Here are a few pictures from those times ... backyard pool and playing at Grandma & Grandpa's at Cultus Lake.

Sunny Days in May

Rainy Days of June

Ahhhh, but it looks as though those days MIGHT be behind us now!! Hoorah!

Two Friends Under A Rainbow

by Maisie Ann 2 1/2 years old

The above title is what Maisie told me

this was a picture of!

Saturday at the Aquarium

We went to the Aquarium last Saturday for a morning filled with family fun! We have been there a couple/few times now and have learned to just pick one or two areas to visit rather than trying to do it all! So that's what we did and it was great! We always see something we haven't seen before which is cool. This time we decided to go to the Rain forest section. Once we had entered through those big glass doors the humidity and the warm warm air hit us and I proceeded to take Ambrose's fleece jacket off. While I was doing so, he says "I have to get outa here." "It's so stinky!" LOL! I nearly peed my pants laughing! I didn't even know he could smell!! He (nor Maisie) has ever said anything about smell before! Oh, I thought it was so funny! Anyway, we spent a great deal of time with the frogs as well because the kids are quite fond of them right now, especially Maisie. I tried to take some pictures while we were there, but I just couldn't get a good one! Either the flash was reflecting off the glass or the kids wouldn't stand still or something!

If you have the chance or want something to do with the family, or even if you don't have kids drop by the aquarium! It's fun!

Hello Sunny Day! And it's Friday to boot!

We are enjoying the sunshine today that is for sure! I believe it was snowing in 100 Mile House earlier this week and just yesterday when Andrew was up near Merrit for work it was snowing there! We have had some crummy weather lately, but I am thankful it is not snowing! Snow in May just seems wrong to me. Sorry to all of you who live in northern areas and are still experiencing the white stuff and the cold! I'll bet you'll cringe when I tell you our grass is green and we are mowing our lawns!

This morning we were out of the house by 8:40am and on our way to the playground! The sun was shining and it was actually warm! Love it!

Girls=Flowers Boys=Trucks

Our Friend Raven

We saw a Raven on our walk last Sunday and stopped to listen to it for a while. He was chatting with another bird nearby. I love listening to all the fascinating sounds they make! Here is some tidbit info on ravens:

Ravens have high intelligence and are perhaps the smartest birds. Their intelligence might be on par with wolves and some breeds of dog.

Ravens can mimic sounds from their environment, including human speech. They have a wide range of vocalizations. Fifteen to 30 categories of vocalization have been recorded for this species, most of which are used for social interaction. Calls recorded include alarm calls, chase calls, and flight calls. Non-vocal sounds produced by the Common Raven include wing whistles and bill snapping. Clapping or clicking has been observed more often in females than in males. If a member of a pair is lost, its mate reproduces the calls of its lost partner to encourage its return.

Drawings of a 2 year old

Maisie likes to draw. She did this one a little while ago now and I can't remember what she said it was? Maybe it was me!?

Finally Feels Like Spring

On Sunday we had a nice family outing to a local trail. We went to the Hayward Reservoir Trail and Steelhead Falls. The kids like to go the "forest" (as they call it) and Rocky (our dog) is was heaven with the freedom to run!
Ambrose was picking up rocks like they were the last ones ever to be found and by the end of the walk he was off the rocks an onto the sticks! He and Maisie were prentending to fish off the trail in the ferns and looking for bo-bo's or singing about bo-bo's ??? They talk about them alot these bo-bo's and we don't know what or who they are or what they do??

Everyone loves a hollow tree!
Steelhead Falls Waterfalls never look quite as pretty in pictures as they really are!

Resting little legs before climbing the big hill back to the truck.

I Jumping in Puddles!

Maisie came upstairs at after supper last night sporting this outfit! We asked her what she was doing? She said with a great big grin on her face, "I jumping in puddles!!" We laughed, and laughed! Of course you are! You have on your rain hat and puddle boots! She then proceeded to jump around the family room splashing in her make believe puddles!

We've Misplaced Something.....

SPRING!! Where is Spring? Where is the warm sunshine that draws you outside? The warm air that makes you feel like you should go and plants some flowers? Where is that Spring? It has been misplaced somewhere!

Well, it seems there is not too much to report around here, but I am sure once I start typing I will think of things. I cannot believe we have been here in our new place for 5 months now! It does NOT feel like it at all!!! It seems way shorter than that! Maybe because I still don't feel settled in here. I had all kinds of reasons as to why that was, but now I am not sure? Maybe it takes a year? Maybe 2? Maybe I thought I would be settled in 2 months? That is probably more like it.

Life is going well. Andrew's still finds his job interesting and challenging and enjoys the variety. He is still traveling a fair amount making several trips away from home during the month. We are all used to that now.

Ambrose and Maisie are 2 1/2 now and talking like crazy. We have started potty training and one of them is getting the hang of it while the other has NO interest what so ever! We are also having some sleep issues right now, but I am sure that it must a normal phase and we hope to pass through it quickly. (please!please! I need some sleep!)

Easter was fun this year as it was the kids first Easter where they sort of got the gist of what to do. Although we made the rookie parent mistake of having the Easter Egg Hunt in the morning BEFORE breakfast! WHAT WERE WE THINKING??? Now who wants to eat a bowl of porridge when you have a whole basket of chocolate in front of you!? OK, we learned from that one!

The kids are really great buddies right now. Well, I am sure that they always will be, but it is really neat to see on a daily basis the bond they share with each other.