Honeymoon in Vegas!

Winnipeg's airport's international gates (meaning to the US) are back to back, and our flight back to Philly departed within minutes of Pier and Nathan's flight to Vegas for their short honeymoon getaway, so we got to see them one more time. Yeah, it was 6:30 in the morning, but it's nice to see them anytime. One more time is a bonus!

Love you and miss you Mr. and Mrs.!! XO

A Birthday Celebration

Sometimes, the photos say it all!

Some mood music by Nick and company!

In case you were wondering, there were 2 full size Jeanne's Bakery Cakes for us to enjoy. One banana, one red velvet. For Marc and I, growing up in Winnipeg, you can't have a birthday without a Jeanne's cake. Linda even picked one up for us when we had dinner at her place the night before. Marc's parents bring them when they come to visit. They're only available in Winnipeg, but they do make heavy duty carrying boxes for transporting long distances. And they freeze well!

Day Last

I may or may not have taken this photo on Sunday morning. Most mornings in Winnipeg looked like this while we were there. As a matter of fact, we've been home for over a week, and it's still raining there. To the point where it's a grave concern. Crops are in serious jeopardy and when the rain finally lets up, in 3 or 4 days they forecast, there will be a grace period of about a week before the skeeters come out in full force. With all of that standing water in all of those ditches and flat prairies, they'll be deadly.

But while that was going on outside, we were happy to get more family time inside. Linda dropped by for a quick coffee.

And some hugs!

And hugs from Manon too!  She and Pier and the bubs and Nathan and Maddie all came for a quick visit before we headed back to their end of town for a birthday party!

So nice to get a few more hours with them!

I have this same picture taken 9 months ago. It's funny how much more excited I get about photos of these sweethearts when the opportunities are few and far between.

Marc and I didn't plan our matchy matchy outfits. They do make a great backdrop for the bubs, don't they?

The more kids you add to a picture, and the more pictures you take, the greater your chances of getting a bad picture. And once it increased to five, I couldn't get a good photo!

This is the first time I had the opportunity to photograph Maddie, as it was the first time we met her. She looks so much like Nathan it's uncanny. I'll have to find some good toddler pictures of him. We have a badge on the bulletin board in the kitchen, with a photo of Nathan from his baseball years. He couldn't have been much more than 5 or 6 in that picture, and it shows so clearly the resemblance between the two of them. In the chaos of the day and with just meeting her for the first time, I wasn't able to get a photo of just the two of them. I'll have to see if Nathan can send me one. I'd love to post it and share the story of the two of them. He's grown up to be a  fine young man and we're so very proud of him.

The Week That Was

Started with a field trip for Gaby's class, to Robbins Park. They recently completed their Native American unit, so this visit tied into that. They reviewed how important fire was. Then tried to start one themselves . . .

Not as easy as it looks!

Wednesday was the orchestras' spring concert. Can you spot Gaby in this picture?

How about this one?

No luck? You can't miss her in this one!

My willing and trusty photographer!

Early dismissal for Gaby. Her wish was to go shopping and locate some desired and elusive silly bandz. She did, and I think she's reached her limit!

Friday was a full day. Starting with the Race for Education, at Gaby's school. Thanks to all of our family and friends for your support. The kids had fun and the school will be able to outfit the remainder of its classrooms with interwrite boards. Last year's first race supplied most of the first half, I believe.

Book club after school. Gaby's book club that is. Harriet the Spy was this month's selection.

Gaby prefers this photo, with all of the girls in their identical poses.

I like this one.

Cheese!

The weekend following Nick's birthday was busy with his Rush shows, Friday and Saturday night. We had decided that this weekend would be best to celebrate with his friends. He chose to take his friends to The Lucky Dog, for sliders. Back home for a movie. Then the boys would spend the night.

Gaby and I headed home from book club to round up those teenagers waiting for us. The Flyers were playing Boston in game 7 of the Stanley Cup quarter finals, so the place was packed. Once we got a table, it was fun to be a part of the excitement!

Even though Gaby and I got our own table, she couldn't stay away from Nick and his friends. I should have brought a book!

We made sure the boys left with full bellies in the morning.

Then, a full day of work ahead of us. It was finally time to assemble the hot tub. The hot tub package was delivered at the end of January 2009. Two thousand nine! Sixteen months ago.

Too long a story to bore folks with here. Just typical us. The cabinets in the office have needed staining and hardware going on 2 years now. We were relieved that we hadn't refinished our floors before getting Roxi, over 2 years ago. But she's been housebroken for a while now. And the fence. Don't get me started on the fence!

But today was the day of the hot tub. And, as it turned out, the gazebo! It's a shame that we picked a day with such a high pollen count, because it really limited Nick's ability to pitch in. He helped with assembling and sealing the tub itself, and sanded the top. But that probably wasn't a good idea, as he's got a number of tree allergies. Maybe it wasn't sanding the cedar, so much as working under the black walnut tree, which he IS allergic to! He used every medicine at his disposal, and had to throw in the towel when they started assembling the benches. So I gave up my feeble attempt at weeding and worked on the tub instead. And once that was done, we assembled the gazebo. Gaby and Marc took on the sealing of the hot tub itself. That was Saturday.

Sunday was busy with Sunday school, church and travel soccer, so we didn't get much more done outside. The weather turned cooler for the week, so this is where we've left it. The benches still have to be finished before the tub can be filled. And then there's the matter of heating it. Wood fired. Yup. Gotta build a fire.

At that, I'm hopeless. Marc has dreams of heating the house with wood, or at least supplementing our oil heat. He'll get a nice roaring fire going, leave me to tend to it, and I'll kill it. Without meaning to. I'm missing the fire building gene, obviously!

He's promised that he can get a gas hook up for the hot tub, so I'll have a way to use it when he's not around, or to get it started before he gets home. Because he won't be able to rely on me if he wants to come home to a 'hot' hot tub!

When I was a little girl, I wasn't afraid of a Daddy long legs (or Dandy long legs) but I certainly wouldn't pick one up and let it crawl all over me. Still won't. We're alike in many ways, but not that one!

365 bits of the past fortnight

I can't think of a better way to start a week than with dinner delivered by wonderful friends and neighbors. Elise and Julie brought over chicken enchiladas, salads, and yummy triple chocolate mocha cookies. Filled our bellies for a couple of days, and filled our hearts for much longer.

Elusive, reclusive and just not really in our presence enough. As Mom, I like to balance the number of photos between son and daughter, but as the photographer, it's nearly impossible. Just a fact of life with a teenager. This is the way I see Nick a lot these days: coming and going, loading and unloading his guitar. Rehearsals, lessons, practicing with friends. That guitar is in and out of our car as much as Nick is!

It may not be their favourite way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but sometimes, it's the only chance we have to be together. And if there's work to be done, that's what we're doing!

Gaby was in a cleaning mood, shining up my car inside and out. Saturday was spent on outside work and Sunday was the day to take care of things inside.

This is why:

The last Sunday in April, we were bundled in blankets and winter jackets, huddles against the cold, wind and drizzle.

Playing soccer on a wet field leads to soggy tootsies!

A week later, the first Sunday in May:

They had to work to stay hydrated and rotate in and out of the game frequently.

Spring in PA -- you never know what you'll get.

In 4th grade, next year, band is introduced. I think we've finally got Gaby convinced that the sax should be her intrument, especially since we have one.

Marc shows her how its done.

If you can't figure out where a new piece of electronics should go, maybe there's really no room and need for it! (Of course Marc would say the same witnessing my squeezing in more art and scrapbook supplies!)

The Allied Arts show at the high school, with a soccer practice scrunched in between. The show encompasses all grade levels. By the time they reach the high school level, the standard of work these kids are putting together is mind boggling. I could spend the whole evening there it wouldn't be enough. Amazing!

We thought an evening out would be fun last Thursday. Not only was Marc leaving on Friday for almost a week, but he's gone for Nick's birthday as well. Again. Sucks, but such is the nature of his work.

Squeezing in some Dad-help Friday morning. Math is definitely his area of expertise.

There's just not enough room for the 3 of us (thank goodness), though Marc would rather sleep with Roxi. Her breath's better!

Please explain why, with a perfectly good DOUBLE bed in the room, they choose to camp out on the floor?! Didn't last though. They both ended up settling in on the bed for the night.

Up early and somewhat bright for bring a friend to Sunday school pajama day. Breakfast first!

Mmmmmm. French toast and sausages.

Another favourite last photo. Picking up a coffee after dropping Nick at his Sunday evening rehearsal, I noticed all of the geese families everywhere. They are NOT popular here! They, and their poop, are everywhere. Their droppings aren't pleasant to step in, and are slippery when wet. Really! They hold up traffic during their many forays to 'the other side of the road'. And they're fierce in their protection of their young. But who wouldn't be? I mean, look at these adorable fluffballs. This family was out for a stroll near the Starbucks. I kept my distance, snapping this from the parking lot. In another couple of weeks they'll be bigguns, losing their fluff and cuteness, and in a little while longer, they'll look like the grown ups. But for now, we forget our disdain for them and ooh and awe at their cuteness!

Bits of the week

Just bits. Not every photo I took, and not even each daily photo. Some are worth sharing here. Others. Not so much. Monday's photo was dinner. Mexican pizza. Yummy enough, and someday, if I ever put together a recipe scrapbook, which I'd like to do for Nick and Gab, I'll use that photo.

I've actually taken quite a few food photos since starting this Project Life/ picture a day thing. There are two trains of thought behind this: I can use them for my photo that day if I don't like anything else I've taken, or if that ends up being the only photo I take. And, I can start a folder for recipe scrapbook photos and save them there too. I'll be ahead of the game.

Last Christmas, Marc presented us with tickets for the Lion King, which at the time, seemed so so far away. But finally, this week, it was time. Rainy and cold. Gaby with sniffles and a fever. I felt bad dragging her into Philly when she was feeling this way, but she was a trooper. As always. We paid a bit more for parking, in order to be closer to the theatre (the hotel right across the street) and we found an Italian restaurant for dinner, also across the street.

Mmmmmmmussels for the boys!

Showtime. No photography of any kind allowed during the show. We were threatened with camera confiscation, so I couldn't capture an image of Gaby snoozing during the entire second act, poor thing!  She missed an amazing show, that I could easily see again. It was fabulous.

Girl home sick, Thursday and Friday. She really shouldn't have gone to school Tuesday and Wednesday, but she didn't want to miss the PSSAs, which they had been writing daily since the Wednesday prior.  The testing wrapped up Wednesday, and so did Gab! When the tylenol would kick in, she felt well enough to be bored, so resorted to things like balancing soda cans (we finally saw Minute to Win It the other night and that's where we learned about this trick, among others)

  

When the tylenol would wear off, it was back to being all about relaxing and cuddling. Me or Roxi.

 

By Friday evening Gaby was feeling well enough to join Nick in some hoops.  Even in the rain. And it was a good thing they were outside, as the police were out, looking for some individuals posing as magazine subscription folks fundraising for Haiti relief, and asked that we call if we saw people fitting given descriptions. The kids were out before supper, which is when the police came by. They went out again after supper and weren't out there 10 minutes when Nick spotted a fellow who looked like someone the police had described. The short version is that the police rounded up several people who were part of this group. Gaby was a bit freaked out by this happening in our quiet Sleepy Hollow of a neighborhood, but Nick thought it was exciting. It was a bit more excitement than we're used to around here, and a testiment to the vigilence and unity of the good people of our great neighborhood!