fun stuff!

copied from my facebook post the other day:

doing crafts with the kids has left me with two options
a) picture perfect - looks exactly like what I found on pinterest!
b) almost can't see what it is anymore - they've used the original supplies and added a black sharpie and have let their imaginations take a simple "gold fish bowl" to a scene from the bottom of the ocean with crabs, swordfish, sharks, eels, barracudas, eggs and a fisherman.
yup, we're at "b" but they're having so much fun I almost don't want to chase them back outside!

 

The Inspiration

 

The Masterpieces

 

Cody's top left obviously has the swordfish there at the top left of his plate and he was VERY happy with my shark despite it's lack of shark qualities.  He also has a number of crabs, eels and snakes on his. Sam didn't want to be left entirely out so used the plate I painted to have a bit of fun.  Cam's top shark got a bit of a shunning after I made Cody's because Cam now found his to be obviously lacking in the teeth department.  Cam's funnest component, I think, is the fisherman that has somehow fallen to the bottom of the sea, bottom far left.  And Cara?  well, she was the first one to insist that if the fish was going to have an eye, it had to have a face to and so she added the smile and a nose and last of all some scales :)

 

 

 

 

While it's still fun!

Cam's been asking for a couple of weeks if he could mow the lawn.  Yesterday was a perfect day for it and he happily mowed and mowed and mowed.  He must have been concentrating because he had his tongue clamped between his teeth, just like when he runs. :) 

He was a very, very happy boy!

 

His method to his madness looked something like this :)

Thankfully he went round and about often enough that I think he managed to cut most of the lawn.  He's another one of these loveies of ours, getting so big he can help with the work and little enough to still love doing it :)  Or maybe he'll be one that always loves helping do chores... (he was safe enough because as soon as he let go of the handle the lawn mower shut off and his arms aren't long enough to hang onto the handle and get anywhere near the blade)

snuggled up

it tugged at my heart when they were newborns and it still gets me now.  Maybe even more than before.

They don't end up sleeping like this very often anymore.  But they usually do still each end their day with a prayer of thankfulness for "their special friend Cara/Cody".  This friendship is such a special blessing and sometimes I think they really know it and feel it!

Jump off a Cliff

Cody just learned a hard lesson about doing whatever your big brother tells you to do. 

Tried to shave and cut his lip :)

Spring Break

It seems like spring break was already such a very long time ago.  I've been slightly pathetic with my picture taking and pictures are a lifeline for my memory... but here are a few moments...

 

Gramps came over for supper when Gramma was in Holland.  It was fun watching them jump together.

 I had some major try-a-new-recipe fails!  This was a puree for the salmon...it was healthy but missing the zip!!  The other "not-so-boring-broccoli" included red pepper flakes and even washing the broccoli off twice didn't tame the fire enough to interest my kids in going for a second bite.  Or in other words it was nothing but zip :)  My dear husband and mother in law ate theirs with only mild comments, no complaints but it was a disaster...and not because it was broccoli, my kids love broccoli.  (So, Heather, I'm giving myself huge point for pulling out the blender but for the rest of it... well, let's just say you don't want me on your chopper team : )

 Nana was visiting for the week and spent 2 nights at our house.  She brought some fun crafts (though this picture it is sunny, it was a couple of very rainy/snowy/hailstormy days) and these puppets were fun to make.

 We used some old strawberry and grape containers to make mini greenhouses.  We have some green in there now so that part worked out great...now to see if my black thumbs can help the kids keep the plants green and growing!

The second week of spring break was largely spent on the farm with some of us pruning blueberries (hundreds :) and the apple trees (1.5...means I have to go back yet) and the rest of us just enjoying the sunshine and the adventures of exploring around. 

Friday night we made some memories by having a supper around the fire, roasting hotdogs and marshmellows, lighting the sticks pruned from the apple trees and generally dreaming about how it just seemed so like summer.

Spring break ended with a unexpected trip to Calgary.  While we were anxious to get there, just for the record we were going just over 100 in a 60 zone when we saw blue and red flashing lights.  The police officer was coming toward us and my opinion is she clocked us going slower through town and then speeding up as we left.  It was a dark section of road and so Steve thought we were all the way through town and headed right back to 90km territory.  She kindly pointed out that the 60km limit continued a bit further around the corner and sent us on our way with a gracious, "slow down a bit and have a safe trip."  Now, if we were really going 160km as I heard the story goes I'm sure we would have had a bit more trouble and some paperwork handed over.   We also would have been in danger of landing in a hospital ourselves and we weren't keen on that.

We were thankful to be with Mom and Dad during Mom's hospital stay and were reminded over and over again of the Lord's faithful care for us in all things.  God answered prayers before we even knew to pray them and it all climaxed in His gracious restoring Mom to health.

Lamentations 3:22-24

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

²³ They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”

 

Spring break, for me, finished beyond what I would have dreamed, supper with Mom and Dad around the kitchen table just before they brought me to the airport to head home to Steve and the kids. 

Shortened it up!

Leah's hair is about 7.5" shorter after an appointment at the van door this afternoon.

They all wanted to listen to Odyssey and I wanted to get the hair cut done outside so it was win win all around. (except for maybe all the hair that blew into the van with the afternoon breeze )

And yes, I did remember how nice it would be to have a before picture but I already had her hair all sectioned off and pinned up so I picked the lazy way and decided to forget it.  I kind of regretted it once I saw that picture by the van just for the fun of referencing the difference but it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

The big thing in the end is that with shorter hair I will allow her to put her hair up in a pony tail again. That was outlawed when the headaches became an everyday occurrence.

In the mean while she's doing the universal girl thing and running her hands down the length of her hair and marvelling at it's abrupt end.

This little sweetheart snuck in for a surprise visit with his daddy for a few days this week.  Hooray for us!!!  Tonight he got to have a sleepover with some of his cousins.

Figured might as well try and make some more memories and put two twin sized mattresses on the floor and fit all 5 kids on. :)   (I was going to leave Cara and Cody in their own bed but they weren't too impressed with that idea)  They took a while to settle down but it's quiet in there now.

We'll see how long that lasts!

Two down, three to go :)

He's pretty happy about them!  (maybe mostly because Leah told him they make him look like a minister) :)

Delighting in Today's "Little" things

Cody:  Mommy, when I grow up I'm going to be an artist or a donkey.

Cara:  Well you'll have to be an artist because peoples can never change to animals.

Mom: Why do you wish you could be a donkey?

Cody:  So people could drive me.

Cara:  I would rather be a horse!!!

The whole thing is funnier when you know that Cara is an artist...but Cody?  coloring pictures is torture!

Cody was laying in bed with his eyes closed but I knew he was awake....

"morning, Cody, are you still trying to wake up?"

"naw, I'm just thinking of games to play with Cara"


What a special friendship.