Favorite Pictures of the Week-End

Saturday Spencer had to study for his 9th and final exam (YIPPEEEEEEEEE) on his journey to become an Architect. The kids and I left him to his studies and ventured out to our own bit of paradise - my parents.

Don't you wish you could savor a fresh burnt marshmallow right off the roasting stick? Kids know how to enjoy life.


I love that even though you can't see Nolan's face you can tell there is a look of pure joy in his expression.

Freedom

It's official - we're free!

Today was Nolan's last day of grade 4 (another post all in itself as I am not old enough to have a child one year away from Jr. High). Which mean - no more schedules, no more 4 trips a day to the school picking up kids, no more 20 minute crazy lunches - where I repeatedly yell at my kids to eat faster and stop fooling around. Oh the bliss of it all. I am so giddy I can barely stand it.

Instead we will be

Going camping with Spencer’s family at Writing –on-Stone
Visiting my best friend Anne
Hunting lions at the Calgary Zoo
Visiting Rachel and Paul and attending the Telus Center
Riding the rides at Callaway Park
Hunting Dinosaur Fossil at Tyrrell Museum
Floating in the lake
Laying on the shore while the boys fish
Having sore fingers from blowing up water balloons
Watching a movie projected on a sheet in the backyard
Learning to play tennis
Seeing 10 new species of birds
Scaling the cliffs at the climbing wall
Attending a baseball game
Hiking in the mountains
Performing random acts of kindness
Relaxing at White fish with my family
Water sliding
Canoeing
Swimming in the pool
Learning to throw a freebie
Making homemade ice-cream
Going on picnics
Water fighting
Going berry picking and making jam
Playing mini golf
Gazing into campfires and roasting marshmallows
Ripping up the court at basketball camp
Sipping freshly squeezed lemonade

Another Milestone

Do you sometimes get the feeling that my kids are merely humoring me by letting me take their picture?

Jarom's year of Kindergarten wrapped up yesterday. He is a grad and a oh so handsome one at that!

It was an emotional day for his mama as it seems like kindergarten is the last year I get to cuddle him before he starts his big move to independence.

My Favorite Memory

Ever since our kids were big enough to sit up in the tub, Spencer has supervised while he played his guitar and sang silly songs to the kids. I loved cleaning up the supper dishes and hearing him make up a song about them and then hearing the giggles of boys that always followed. It's one of those memories I know I will remember forever and it brings me pure joy whenever I think about it.

A Father's Day

Cute Boys

Great Dads

How delicious (literally - my mom is a great cook) it was to spend Father's Day with my Dad.

When I take away

this

and this,

and this.

This



and this


are the result.

On a related note, I've cleverly hidden the DS from the kids and am now unable to locate it. If anyone has possible suggestion of places I may have hidden it, it would be greatly appreciated. The person to guess the winning location will receive a Water Bottle Thingamajig.

Water Bottle Thingamajig

I've seen different versions of these Water Bottle Tag Drink Holder Thingamajig around the Internet and always wanted to make them. I decided last week was the time - crafting sooths my souls and heals my spirit. I made 12; I couldn't be stopped until the last cupcake sticker was gone.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with them all. Chances are good, if you stop by my house you will be leaving with a parting gift.

Finally some sugar and spice

Some thing I seriously lack in this house is girly things. I don't get to make all the cute dresses, hair pieces or accessories I desperately want to, which is why I am so glad that my friends have daughters and their daughters like girly things.

I saw this purse over at Skip to my Lou and thought is was so cute I had to make it. Once I started sewing I realized it was meant to be sewn as a project with your daughter - great summer time activity idea.

So Cute, So Fun.

My play date with Janelle - making cupcakes - what a treat!

I later learned Janelle's dog also thought these cupcakes were mighty tasty. Yet another reason we remain a dog free house.

Win Win

Doesn't this seem like the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day? The boys went wild with the water and I finally have clean screens.

T-Ball

The t-ball year of baseball is by far the best year of all. The kids are beyond cute, the confusion is high, the excitement is loaded and the games are short. Jarom was our power house hitter - POWER HOUSE!

and how could you possibly call yourself a ball player if you came home with a clean uniform - sliding into every single base is a must.

Yes I did make these!

and if you don't examine, inspect or scrutinize these cupcake to closely you will be as impressed as I am delighted with the outcome.

Nolan has a shark obsession, which doesn't actually seem like a strong enough word to describe his loves of sharks. When he is a grow up man his occupations will be a marine biologist - specializing in sharks. This I find very interesting because a. Nolan has a fear of deep water and b. he is afraid of sharks. But because I am such a fabulous mom, I have yet to bring these points to his attentions, and instead let him enjoy his dreams.

But, I digress. Nolan and a fellow classmate have in their spare time this school year been doing a research project on sharks. They gathered lots of fun little tidbits, then Spencer and I helped Nolan assemble his project into a PowerPoint presentation which he is presenting to the class as I write this.

Along with his presentation he asked me to make shark cupcakes, since my cake decorating skill are very limited I hunted the Internet in search of a cupcake I thought I could handle and thanks to the folks at A Baked Creation I found a pattern.

When the Cousins Get Together

There's tomfoolery

and Cowboy times,

and lounging with your favorite pal.

There's water bombs,


and mesmerizing flames,


and joyful memories until they're together again.

I'm back

The last couple of months I've taken a break from blogging - not sure if anyone reads this anymore - I do know a couple of people still do, because I get e-mails every once in a while asking where I've been.

I've been taking care of my grandma. A couple of months ago my grandma fell and I felt like she wouldn't be with us much longer and I wanted to be with her. A couple of weeks before she passed away, I knew the end was close, so every moment I had to spend with her I did. It was a blessing to me to be living here and able to share that time with her.

So now I'm back. Back to my "normal life" and I'll be sharing it with you on a semi regular basis.