WINTER 2014

Winter is rolling right along...

We went to a pirate birthday party in January - Cooper's, who is affectionately referred to as Cooper-boy so as to not confuse him with our own Cooper-dog. It was lots of fun. Keely was there so that was great too.
We did Elmo Valentines for all the little friends and workers at daycare. We also made heart cookies to take in, and some to eat at home too.
We went to another birthday party in February - Braeden and Tripp's. There were three sets of twin boys born here in 2010. That class will be mostly boys from what I can tell. Hold on. Should be interesting.
Brady went to Ottawa for RCMP week through Encounters With Canada in February. He had a great time and made some really good friends out of the 180 kids there. He spent a day at a SWAT facility, rode a Musical Ride horse, did the PARE test and came in 2nd out of 17 other kids chosen to do it, and so much more. His days were packed with RCMP-related activities and he loved it. They had fun downtime too. He even got to skate the Rideau Canal with some of his friends.
We had so much snow in our driveway the week Brady was away that Sherman couldn't move it all and had to get a skid steer to come help. It got stuck. Something bigger came to pull it out and it got stuck. A loader came to pull them both out and couldn't move them so they got an excavator to come. By the time all was said and done, our boy was pretty excited. Bev (of Bev and Allan, his heroes who own the construction company here) took him for a ride in the loader, plowed a little, went to the store and bought him M&Ms and then brought him back home. He's still talking about it. It was THE BEST DAY EVER!
For March break we took a drive to Florida. We had great weather and lots of fun. We went with Keely's family (our two families rented a 4 bed, 3 1/2 bath house together at a resort we've stayed at before) and then another family who are also close friends came along with us too, and also stayed at the same resort. Our three families have done a lot together over the years. We all have big boys the same age, and now we all have littles the same age. It made for a wonderful vacation filled with good food, lots of swimming (even after dark which he thought was amazing), laughs and fun. He loved being with Keely and there was an abundance of cuteness going on. I have many pictures of them together that are just too sweet!
Brady turned 18 while we were there. We spent his birthday at Sea World, the one park that we've done every single time we've been to Florida but we thought the littles might like it so off we went again. It was a good day and we finished it off with pizza, birthday cake and a late-night swim at the resort pool for the big boys.
Now we're all trying to get back in the routine of work/school/daycare, waiting for some spring-like weather to perk things up a bit around here.

The first leg of trip - driving on the ferry.

Sleeping through Georgia.

Our first lizard - on  the way to the pool the first day there, many more lizards and trips to the pool to follow.

Waking up Brady with his birthday cards.

Walking up to the dolphin show.

 Loved the 3D show and glasses.

Cool penguins.

 Rode the train a few times.

 Our big and little.

 He was more interested in what Shamu was doing than in posing.

 Brothers.

 Getting a little tired by the time we got to the sharks.

GoKarts at Old Town.

Do you see me?

 So much traffic to look at and stuff to see.

Showing off at Outback.

He wanted his pic taken with his new digger shirt.

Really liked his new shirt from M&M World - and eating at Olive Garden.

We often relaxed on our back patio.

February 3rd marked our two year "first visit to Grand Manan" anniversary. We have come a long way. He is well-adjusted and secure and he's constantly learning and changing and accomplishing new things. Above all, he is a very happy little boy. The Early Intervention worker was here today and has decided to shift our visits to once a month because he's finally catching up enough to do this. Bless his heart!

 

 

January

Christmas has come and gone and it was another great one. On the 26th, some pretty heavy construction started up here. Santa had left a couple of dress-up outfits, one being for a construction worker. I had to wear my reflective vest I use for walking at night in order to run a digger. I was told we were Bev and Allan (the owners of Dutchman Construction here) and we were doing some pretty intense Boxing Day work, let me tell you.

 

On the 28th, my family (minus my brother, sister-in-law and newest niece) and Brady's girlfriend Rylee all gathered at my grandmother's for our annual Chinese Feast/String Game Night. The Chinese feast part is pretty self-explanatory. The string game is something we started when Brady and his cousins were very young, probably two or so. The parents wrap and hide a stocking-type gift somewhere in Nana's house while the kids stay out in the playroom. The end of  a ball of leftover yarn is then tied around the gift and the yarn is unravelled around the house. The age of the child determines how difficult the tangle is, of course. The kids follow the free end of whichever color yarn is theirs and wind it up until they find their hidden gift. Once the gifts have all been found, everybody sits in the livingroom and the youngest opens their gift first and so on. This year we had nine strings winding around Nana's house, upstairs and downstairs, around people, through clothes hanging in the closets, outside etc. Believe me, it made for very tricky walking through the house. We love this family tradition and its something our kids look forward to every year.

EATING WITH BRYNN

SOME OF THE BIG KIDS

SOME MORE OF THE BIG KIDS

BRADY AND BRYNN

POOR NANA, SHE LOOKS TRAPPED, BUT...

 WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY

 

OK, HERE WE GO

MAYBE IF WE JUST PULL REALLY HARD...

HERE COME THE TROOPS

 

HARD WORK

UPSTAIR HELPING EMILY

OH BOY, ELMO

AND A NEW DIGGER!

BRADE LOVIN' HIS CHIA HEAD (AND HIS MOVIE)

It was fun to have my oldest nieces Ainsley and Brynn here for a few days. There was lots of  playing and even some sliding going on. We then went to Moncton over the break to see the newest addition to our family, Caisie Lynn. She's pretty beautiful and growing like crazy, I know. I can't wait to see her again.

 

FUN WATCHING BUBBLE GUPPIES

WORKERS - WORKING

SLEEPY BOYS AND A FULL CAR ON OUR WAY BACK FROM MONCTON

We like to make homemade icecream in the winter and so I tried a batch with almond milk just for him. He loved it. And he loved helping me make it.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ICECREAM - YUM

 

Hockey is in full swing at our house. Brady and I have been playing and he's been coaching since October, but Sherman had to wait until lobster fishing started and then quieted down again. Brady moved up to A this year so he and Sherman don't play together anymore. It means one or two of us has hockey at some time every day. Needless to say, we're all the the rink lots, watching or playing. Next year all four of us will be playing, as IP starts at age 4. He can't wait! "I pay hockey I big, I four?" You sure can sweetheart.

Brady leaves next month for Ottawa. He was accepted to RCMP Week through Encounters With Canada. A couple of days before Christmas, the president of Minor Hockey here on GM came to our house with a card for Brady. It said that they really appreciated the time he's put in coaching and attending clinics over the past couple years. They also gave him a cheque for $200 toward his trip. It was pretty generous, and it meant a lot to Brade.

 

 So, we're back in the swing of school and daycare. It took me a few days to remember how I managed to get out of my house by 7:50 and have supper pretty much ready by 5:00, but I came around again. Winter seems to go quickly when you're busy, and that we are. Before you know it Spring will be here...

 



CHRISTMAS 2013

Here comes Christmas...
It's Christmas Eve 2013, our second Christmas all together. I'll write some now, and then add to it tomorrow sometime.

We had a blast in the snow that fell last week. As you can see, we made a snowman and went for a slide or two in our front yard. It was great to have some snow before Christmas this year! We've been very fortunate to not be affected by the nasty weather people have had to deal with over this past weekend.

OUR FIRST SNOWMAN OF THE SEASON

SLIDING DOWN OUR LITTLE HILL
 

The countdown to Christmas has been on here for a bit. Now that he understands our Christmas books and takes in the Christmas shows on TV, he's a bit more excited this year. He likes to know whose present is whose when they come in. But he doesn't try to open them and is quite content to look at them all wrapped - this year. I'm sure tomorrow morning will be lots of fun though.

ALL THIS BEFORE SANTA ARRIVED
 

We have a special supper every Christmas Eve (something Brady picked years ago) so we spent the day making lasagne, french bread and caesar salad dressing. Sherman's mom came for supper and the boys had their big gingerbread boys that we save for Christmas Eve. There's also always one for Santa.

SWEETNESS - THIS NEEDS TO BE IN A MAGAZINE OR SOMETHING!

AHHH - SHOWING OFF THE BITE OF COOKIE IN HIS MOUTH

After supper the boys opened one gift each, and then we went to the candlelight service at our church. It was very special. After we got home it was time to write a note to Santa, reminding him of a love for diggers and chocolate chips, and adding a last-minute "tar" (guitar) to the list. Then it was off to bed.

BOY SILLINESS

NEW JAMMIES
 

 

CHILLIN' BEFORE CHURCH

 

ALL READY FOR SANTA

Christmas morning:
We were all up at 6:30, which on many days around here would be considered sleeping in. The snow was so beautiful and Christmas-y. Santa remembered about the digger (in fact he brought two), and the chocolate chips. He even left a "tar" and some extra things he thought a little boy might like. There were so many gifts that it took a few hours to open them all because you know you have to play with everything before you can open something else. Thank-you to everyone who sent over presents. They will all be well used and enjoyed.

OPEN MY DIGGER, PLEASE

WORKING HARD ALREADY

WE'LL HAVE TO START UP A BAND

 

EVERYTHING HE ASKED SANTA FOR

 

BRADY AND SHERMAN GOT NEW JERSEYS

 

NEW TRUCKS ALL LINED UP

STRUMMING THE TAR

CHECKING OUT HIS STOCKING

TAKING A BREAK FROM CHECKING OUT HIS STOCKING TO PLAY WITH HIS DIGGER

ABSOLUTE CHRISTMAS MORNING CUTENESS!

 

LIKING HIS NEW CHAIR

We always have company Christmas morning - my parents and my aunt and uncle. Dad and I cooked a big breakfast and we all just really enjoyed the morning together. It was pretty special for all of us. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all of this stuff...

SHOWING NEEN AND PA HIS DIGGERS

JAM ON THE TOAST, CAN YOU TELL?

FINISHING OFF HIS COFFEE CAKE - WITH HIS DIGGERS

LOVES HIS NEW HOCKEY SHIRT, ALSO SEEMS TO LIKE HIS NEW DIGGERS...

Merry Christmas!