Tag Archive | Gammie

Anoka County Fair 2017

This is my 3rd year entering into our local county fair, and this year everyone but Ken had some sort of entry. It was a bit of a struggle to get everything done in time for entry, but we managed. I think next year we will plan in advance to include some school projects in our entries. Maybe make some pointed attempts to craft according to fair themes?

Well, from youngest to oldest… Echo! She was adamant she wanted a RAINBOW ribbon. This happens to be the participation ribbon for the children under 13. So there was a bit of a worry that she WOULD place with both of her pieces and thus get what she sees as the less pretty and therefore less wanted ribbon. Well, not a problem. While she did an amazing job, both of her pieces did not place. And she was still happy! Score! Crayon drawing was done using Art for Kids instructions (we love this site and pay for the subscription). 20170801_141417_HDRHer Legos  were a free form piece.20170801_140908

Trinity was a bit more prolific. She got a camera for her birthday (thanks again Gammie!) and wanted to send in 4 of her photos. 4 categories… animals, people, nature and flowers… all in colour. She didn’t do half bad!

Neko-Chan

Neko-Chan

Flowers

Flowers

Brothers

Brothers

Flowering tree

Flowering tree

And for her Lego piece – one with instructions.

In the cabinet since when we took it home we had to take it off the board and such.

In the cabinet since when we took it home we had to take it off the board and such.

Emanuel had 3 pieces this year. He remade his minion he had made and not entered last year with all Lego blocks, drew a picture and wrote a 4th Haiku to go with a seasonal series he had to write for an assignment. He copied out, arranged and glued down the whole written piece. Something to definitely be proud of!20170801_140932

20170801_14133820170801_141126Gavin put in 3 pieces. We tie dyed as a family, he chose to enter his shirt. Then it was a repeat of his Chinese New Year t-shirt theme – drawn on dragon! His third was, again, a dragon – this time in pencil. Not bad, not bad!20170801_141522

20170801_141611_HDR20170801_141437_HDRZander was a bit of a push. He was not motivated to make much of anything. I was really hoping he would work harder on the rug kit he got for Christmas, but we have hope for NEXT year with that one. This year it was his tie dye shirt and that was that.20170801_141641

I went all out this year trying to do a variety of pieces that will later be given out as gifts. According to the judges my top entry was my set of flower fairy dolls. They were entered under crochet dolls pair and ended up a Sweepstakes winner (I am still a little dodgy on what that means entirely, but the ribbon is pretty).20170807_143603

My personal favourite was the Haku dragon I entered under crochet storybook character. You can read all about our adventure to create this one and get the link to the pattern I used HERE. I have plans to make another in the near future.20170801_141739

I had a whole series of baby pieces this year. Many of which are slated to head over to a friend’s for her little one. Hat, booties, sweater, blanket. Not a bad little selection. I am still hunting for the perfect sweater pattern. This one was cute, but I agree with the judge, using the buttons it called for (toggles) was not quite right. So now that I have photographed it, time to remove the toggles and replace with some black buttons.20170805_142418

20170805_14234820170807_14373620170728_194446My second blanket entry this year was also a baby blanket. Just over sized to a toddler size really. Based on a blanket seen on the tv show Call The Midwife, I lucked out with a super deal on factory remnant yarn and ran with it.IMG_20170805_150002_388

I went all out with the critters as usual, Haku, the dolls… I also did a mini flower fairy as my solitary entry under doll. She is a small version of a larger one I entered last year. I also used a leaf pattern I had from another project to create a little leaf basket on her arm. 20170801_142351

For animals, my poor bunny lost out to FOUR Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (although I have to say, aren’t they more storybook than…).20170805_142327

For the first time I also entered a doll I dressed with my own creations. My 18 inch doll was done up in a fall theme. Not bad for a first go!20170805_144032_HDR

I had 2 doilies… one in yarn and one in thread. The thread was with beads and everything – a wedding ring piece that I will now have to make as a belated wedding gift. (maybe)20170805_142232

20170801_142242I did up 2 Christmas ornaments – one in cross stitch (cardboard and beading) and one in crochet.20170801_142014

20170801_141954That leaves clothing… Adult hat (which made Karyn laugh when I made it), scarf (sloth), purse (it was a challenge!), and slippers (cuz I was hoping for suggestions to improve… nope).20170801_142310

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My other category was a fun one – a mermaid sack!20170801_142117

2 of my pieces did not place – my pot holders and my child hat. Not a huge surprise. Next year I will have to go with a funkier hat!

Sailor's Knot

Sailor’s Knot

Lacy Leaf Bonnet

Lacy Leaf Bonnet

So… Ken and I went on the Friday to see the pieces first hand. We had our poutine and cheese curds, got the kids cotton candy, and enjoyed ourselves! Another year’s fair experienced, we definitely have plans for the next! Wish us luck! And if you have the chance, enter a fair near you!20170728_191706

This entry was posted on 15/08/2017, in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Happy Birthday Trinity!

9 years old, where has the time gone? April 26th marks Trinity’s turning 9. As we do with all the kids now, she got to plan her day.20170426_091533

We started off with pictures in the pretty dress we picked up for her that week at Sam’s Club.IMG_20170426_101506_129

Then it was a packed lunch and just us 3 girls off to the YMCA for some swimming. I opted to watch and take pictures from the sidelines, but the girls had the pool virtually to themselves. We had toyed with the idea of the girls spending a bit of time in the daycare while I worked out but when we went in it was a mad house of noise and babies.20170426_095726

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After swimming was our picnic lunch in the lobby. Complete with a snack from the “snack machine”.20170426_112047

We brought our electronics of choice to use while we relaxed for the last of our girls’ morning out. Quiet, calm and exactly as Trinity requested.20170426_120106

Trinity chose all 3 of our outfits, actually!IMG_20170426_122929_805

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Our afternoon was spent school free (another request) after a tiny bit of basic work, and relaxed on my bed.IMG_20170426_163414_015

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Dinner was a daddy daughter only special time at Culver’s (lucky daddy!). It is one of her favourite places to eat.20170426_181717

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Of course she opened presents! And had calls (video and phone) with grandparents. (Nana and Baba and Grandma Anna) Special thanks to Aunty Karyn, Aunty Holly and family and Gammie for mailing in special treats… it was a Pusheen themed event in the end! And without planning!20170426_191915

From Aunty Holly and family

From Aunty Holly and family

Thank you Gammie!

Thank you Gammie!

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Cake was homemade from a Duff box mix and a hit all round. Made by DADDY!IMG_20170426_212638_039

All in all a happy birthday! 9 years in the making.20170426_213007

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This entry was posted on 05/05/2017, in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Happy Birthday My 3 Sons

February is ALWAYS a crazy month for us. But never so crazy as it was in 2004 and 2006. It is hard to believe that 13yrs ago on the 5th of February Zander and Gavin were born… 10 weeks early and tiny little peanuts. Here we are, the parents of TEENAGERS! When did I blink and miss that one happening?20170205_114101

11yrs ago and at a much calmer pace we welcomed Emanuel into our family on February 3rd. He was my chubby eternally napping and happy baby. He still loves a good nap and has definitely thinned out! But still, where did the time go?IMG_20170203_091819

We have done the larger parties in the past, but this year we decided to go small. On the 3rd we had a mini celebration just for Emanuel. He got to open the small gifts from us, what Aunty Holly sent him from Canada, and any cards that came in the mail.20170203_164610

A bag for his fossil collection!

A bag for his fossil collection!

We had the dinner he requested – potato soup and dumplings, hung out together and had cupcakes for desert.20170203_204707

On the 5th we did the same for the twins. They chose sausage-strata. A breakfast casserole.20170205_114149

A bag for any metal detector finds (left Zander) and a holder for art supplies.

A bag for any metal detector finds (left Zander) and a holder for art supplies.

As an added gift we took the whole family to McDonald’s for breakfast after Sunday School. A very rare occurrence for this family of 7, eating out at a restaurant, fast food or no.20170205_104542

20170205_105529We also opened the bigger gifts which we the same for each of the boys.20170205_114528

Emanuel had an additional outing he requested – Aidan joined him and Ken to go see the new Lego Batman movie. And to go to McDonald’s for their appropriately themed Happy Meals. I am told it was all great amounts of fun.IMAG0616

IMAG0618IMAG0622image000000And then after when Darcy and Andy came to get him we had MORE presents (so sweet) and hung out for a while.20170211_215425

20170211_215314Nothing hugely fancy, but I think we really felt like we celebrated properly. I love these 3 so much, watching them grow and change has been a great privilege, even with all the ups and downs.20170205_113912

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