Last Day

I've tried a few times to load some pictures and it's not working so here are a few thoughts instead.



We are heading into the last day here at Dad and Mom's and it's a strange feeling indeed. We are so thankful for the hours people have given us of their time over the last few days. We could not have been ready without them. We have a huge thank you to Dad O. for "trimming" the hedges. It was a huge improvement! A huge thank you to Dad M. for many hours of thinking to do many hours of electrical and finishing work. We really don't know what we would do without you. To Brian, thanks for the time you put in to make that little corner useful! To everyone who helped clean... Brenda, Krista, Wieska, Mom O., Shelly, Mrs. Vissers, Mrs. Zylstra and Whitney (and if I forgot someone, please forgive me, my brains are foggy right now) a GIGANTIC thank you to the cleaners I would be cleaning for a few weeks yet on my own! Can't forget the babysitters who made it possible for the cleaners to clean - Cathy, Marian and Anna - thank you also for helping us in this way. A thank you to Oma for buns and lekkertjes, can't work without food and we were very thankful to be able to share those nummy buns with those kind enough to help out. A thank you to Mom O for taking the kids on Wednesday so I could work in peace - I think there isn't a mother around who doesn't know the preciousness of that gift! And last, when making thank you's for child care we have a enormous thank you (it probably could never be big enough) to Mom M for all the hours she watched the kids especially this past week. What a blessing to be able to go away for the day and know your children are safe in loving hands. (Maybe I should look for a job and drop them off once or twice a week. Just kidding, Mom!! :) )

I really hope I didn't forget any thank you's but it is very possible. If I did, please forgive and know it's my lack of brains not our lack of gratitude.

Time to get back to the races here. There's lots to do today!

A sneak preview

We got our keys this morning and had the wonderful experience of gaining a clean house. After supper Steve and Dad showed up to make this very wonderful but VERY messy change.

Before.

Dust everywhere and so thick they said they couldn't hardly breathe at the worst of it. (The living room walls have stucco finish.)
Cut a rectangle into the wall, pull all the stucco off the studs.Then push the wall into the kitchen!

After.

And now Dad is left to figure out all remaining wires :)

WE are SO thankful for the help and advice and knowledge too.

A celebration and a few milestones

Celebrating Steve's very quiet 30th birthday. We took some cake to work. Cara spent her time sleeping in the van.
Once we had finished cake we investigated Papa's lunch box and ate his cookies.

One of the benefits of living with Dad and Mom is having a "built in" babysitter and after having supper with Opa to also celebrate his birthday Steve and I actually went out.

"me help" and so he gets put on the counter. "me lick it" and he waits to be given a spoon.

Everyone enjoys having a piano in the house.

Last week Leah had her last lesson. Even Papa, who had to quit work early for an appointment got to cheer her on. We had special visitors stop by and Friday we got to have lunch with Uncle Case, Jen, Jason and Willene while Aunty Wilma went away with Mom. They also came back at night to play a little bit of soccer and sit around. I like that. We don't really see our Alberta family enough.

This past week Cara also learned to wave bye and climb stairs.

This week is shaping up to be busy. We will hopefully get our new house keys, make a decision on tearing out a wall and then clean and move in. It is exciting but I think I'm going to be in a bit of shock going back to one set of hands during the day again!

This week also has another angle as we say good bye to Dad and Mom O as they leave for Calgary. Maybe that is what dampens the excitement about the house. Hopefully in time we can look back and see many good things that come from this change.

Last night

We played outside after supper. Cara and Cody tried to half walk/crawl over the gravel and ended up doing the orangatuan walk. I sure wish I had made a video of it! Here Cara has one of the many rocks they cleaned in her mouth.
He.

Sidewalk chalk. A wonderful invention that tonight resulted in a house, then a tree, then a man, then a wedge out of the tree, then an axe and then the apples :)

Everybody get the right color.

It is soooo much fun to play outside!

A (partial) week in review

Soccer on the lawn one night.

A pillow fight between Cam and Auntie Shelly. Notice how he was smart enough to use the coffee table for a bit of height advantage.

Last night we had a bit of a campout. All good camping trips include a bit of biking. Cam got a bit of a push up the hill from Gramma.

Leah and Sam took turns leading a rousing rendition of follow the leader with Gramps...how come GRANDkids get away with leaving skid marks on the driveway?!!!

Sam took this photo as we sat outside having a camping party... marshmellows and pepsi :) Steve spent a night in the tent trailer with Leah, Sam and Cam. One of Steve's aunts wrote an email addressing Steve as an awesome nephew. Well, I don't know how he is as a nephew but I sure have to say I love him as our children's dad.

This morning Auntie Shelly got to sleep in (she starts work at 6:00 so 8:30 is a nice change) and those few extra hours made her so energetic she created two tents for the kids to play in. The first was in the living room and not so extravagant but the one she made downstairs had a kitchen, hallway, bathroom etc! She's good.

And by the time the "tent" was done the kids were ready for a change in scenery and so they went outside for a bit of baseball.

Poor Uncle Brian. He doesn't know the difference between a baseball bat and a lacrosse stick! ;)

Shelly and I have done a couple things together including a work out night and a dash around at 8:45pm shopping trip. The result? A last round of new flip flops.

I just saw Cam go past the window in the wheelbarrow. Somehow he convinced Gramma he needed a ride.

Saturday morning Mom picked a LOT of blueberries with Aunty Helen, a few of her kids and Opa. Leah was big helper sorting the garbage out of (some of) the 6 ice cream buckets picked.
Leah got to make rice crispie squares on Monday when Sam and Cam got to stay by Opa and Nana's to play.

After that she had her first swimming lesson but since the computer will not let me load those pictures I guess I'll just have to try take some more. Leah was a little worried about going but didn't look back after the first 15 seconds in the water. Now at 10:00 she's already asking if it's "almost" time to go.

Last night Cody spent 15 minutes playing piano and loving every minute of it. I love those little tippy toes.

This morning these two had fun coloring together. Or, at least, one had fun coloring and the other emptying the pencil crayon bucket.

First week

has blown by already! It took us a few days to settle in but I think I can say the kids are climatized and having "normal" days.

There are always a few hiccups, of course. Having a bathroom right off the kitchen with no window means that someone usually leaves the door open with the light on. Cara is the one we usually find in there and we all laughed when we heard her hollering and found she had fallen sideways and gotten herself lodged between the tub and the vanity.

Thanks to Gramma's and Auntie Shelly's imaginations Sam, Leah and Cam often are found travelling the roads with all manner of transportation. There is a whole infrastructure set up including stop signs, stop lights, turning lanes and even a cross walk!

Cody had his first haircut and left all his sweet baby curls on the lawn outside. I always find the first haircut so tough as they lose so much baby-ness over the 15 minutes.

Leah has gone from being a bit scared of water to actively swimming on top or under water across the swimming pool. Cam has also learned to swim and loves kicking around wearing water wings. Cara, too, loves the water and we have some nice pictures of her kicking herself around in a little water boat. Sam and Cody are not as fishy. :)

Cam has the most fun when splashing someone wet.

This morning Cam wanted a work belt on as he was going to go to work like Papa. His hammer was repossessed pretty quickly. Anyone think he looks like his dad and uncle?

Now besides a bout of flu for Sam, Cam, Leah, Steve and Cody we are doing well and enjoying a bit more relaxed pace of life compared to the few months previous. Now that we have some internet access again we'll try to keep on posting. Hope you're all having a fantastic summer (or winter/coming SPRING!)