Sad news to share tonight, with my blog and my kids… Grandma Anna and Mike’s dog Harley had to be put down this week. I don’t feel that we will share the details but she was taken care of with love and careful sadness. We will miss her.

Good Bye Harley

I don’t know how familiar people are with the idiom “handed on a silver platter” but it is one that has come to mind often in the past almost year and a half of ups and downs. What does it mean – to have something handed to you on a silver platter? Well, pretty much to have something given to you without effort or work, without you having to fight for said thing. There are days when it FEELS like most everyone around us is experiencing (to some degree) that silver platter phenomena. When it feels like everything we DO have has been fought for so strongly, taken so long, never instant always “we will get there.”

But there is a flip side to the silver platter in my mind – the tarnishing of it. After all silver WILL tarnish if you leave it out. How many of those things  that are handed to people do they truly appreciate? I have a huge sense of satisfaction when I look at what we DO have because I KNOW we earned these things, we have worked hard on our family, our home and our children. There is a sense of satisfaction (after the fact) that I KNOW we earned all this… that is something that can’t be taken away from us BUT I know I wouldn’t say NO to a few silver platters myself. Funny how sometimes you just wish to have it simple but KNOW it has to be harder to truly matter.

Mondays are always a little hectic for us. Ken has to have his time on the pc to set up his week, answer emails… etc etc… the kids are settling down after a busy weekend and (this Monday at least) I am dealing with a late night. BUT they managed to do their morning check list and then set to work on their worksheets.

At the table (Zander purple)

Later on I sat Zander and Gavin down each on their page, one to do math and the other to do English and use the two now completed mini offices. The majority of the English mini office print offs were found here. I am already seeing success with the mini offices… they love having the reference and are doing things a little more independently already!  Next will be a science one… but not for a little while.

The English mini office is the pink one (Gavin yellow)

Super special treat for the kids – GRANDMA, HARLEY AND MIKE! Mike had a doctor’s appointment here in the city and then this evening was Harley’s puppy class so they drove the car we are borrowing up for us. Not big enough for the whole family but it will get us out and about! And  as an added bonus, for a large chunk of the afternoon we had Grandma and Harley time and then Mike time to boot!

Grandma Anna and Harley

Mike and Trinity

Mom didn’t remember Echo’s costume but they have to come back into the city on Monday, so if we don’t have the van by then she will drop it off. We did get to see pictures of the dress she is working on to wear to Chris and Chris’ wedding in August of 2011. I am DYING to see the costume… and take a multitude of pictures of it!!

Eating the elephant ears Mike brought them (Gavin yellow)

Since we had guests  this afternoon our painting is put off til tomorrow BUT now that we have a car AND Chris here in the evenings she has offered to watch the 4 bigger ones so we can run errands one night. YAY.

I am very close to finishing my thank you gift stitch so that is the plan for tonight, and making a wall hanging for Echo with her name to go on the wall. Cricut + laminator = creative fun.

Baby and part of the stitch

So I am hoping for sunshine tomorrow, it was too damp today for lawn work. Since we don’t have the van I want to pile up the leaves from the front and back to take pictures and let the kids run wild. Pumpkins on the 23rd…Ken’s birthday the same day – party date unknown… October always seems to zoom by!

Baby in a bag!

So Sunday got out of hand and I just didn’t get around to blogging. We got our long awaited visit from Karyn on Sunday… but I am getting ahead of myself.

Sunday morning we got the entire family dressed up in their Sunday clothes and off to church for Sunday School registration. Trinity is a year too young, but this is Emanuel’s first year in class (we kept him out last year as he was too active and would have been in the same class as the twins). The church only has 3 classes – the 3, 4 and 5 year olds, grades 1 through 3 and the grades 4 through 6.

All 5 in church clothes AND looking the same direction (well Echo was eyes closed but COME ON 4/5 is AWESOME!)

During church the boys went up for Children’s Time and then headed to a meeting room for a group session to start of the year. Emanuel went with the big boys, Ken got him settled and he did absolutely fine which was TERRIFIC as as soon as the boys headed off Echo woke up and Trinity got a little bored. It very quickly became a two parent job. The new cry room off the sanctuary is not quite completed and the one we DO have is more like a cry closet.

With her Cheerios

After church and speaking to the minister (did I mention I took Echo up during communion to get a blessing?) we headed across the street to a little patch of grass next to our parking lot and had hot dogs and juice while the kids enjoyed a bouncy castle! What a treat, though only Zander was 100% comfortable playing in it.

Nom Nom Nom (Zander right)

After a couple rounds in the bouncy castle we hustled everyone home to wait for Karyn and to ensure that the younger Reinsch-Johnsons got some much needed naps.

Bouncy Castle! (Zander and Emanuel foreground)

Aunty Karyn came bearing gifts!!! For her god-daughter Trinity – a red plaid dress (adorable!).

So pretty!

For baby Echo – a dolly in full Scottish style.

Cuddles with dolly

For the kids to share – a double decker bus and an extra set of people – from around the world (because the Scottish one had bagpipes).

Double Decker BUS!!!

And for me – a cross stitch kit I have already started and a postcard depicting the MacLean cross (my mom’s side) and not pictured – a marble clover for Ken’s keychain! AND all the pictures she took across the pond on her iTouch to go through together. Hear about the adventures and further solidify Ken and my wish to go to Europe for a year or two when Echo is bigger!!!

My gift!

Echo, Karyn and I went out for a nice fast food supper and visit on our own and then a few hours later saw off Karyn who had to work in the morning. What a great visit though!

They never let a visit with Aunty Karyn pass without bringing out books!

Today we spent the majority of our day an hour or so away at Grandma Anna’s. She had this Monday off and we had a few chores we had to do in town there. Echo’s birth certificate has been officially ordered (the version in Alberta with both parent’s names on it), and we stopped in at the baby supply store to check on the status of my diaper pail and liner (not yet in but hopefully soon). While the girls (and Ken) were running those errands Grandma had the boys at her store picking out Halloween costumes (at a steal of 7.00 a piece!).

Sucessful costume hunters (Gavin left)

After watching Grandma cut out the pieces from the material I bought for Echo’s Halloween costume and sitting and chatting she took the time to cut each of the boys’ hair. They love her haircuts so much more than Daddy’s. She even had to trim a few pieces of hair on Trinity – nothing noticeable just the ends of a few bits so she wouldn’t feel left out.

Not only does she cut hair BUT she also is AMAZING with braids!

Oh and there is the big milestone for Miss Echo – as of today she is ONE MONTH OLD! Where did the time go?? Not only that but her first long trip in the van AND her first visit to Grandma and Mike’s. What a day! We came home tonight instead of staying the night. Lots to do tomorrow AND Harley had dog obedience classes here in the city anyway.

Proud Grandma Anna

The boys practised counting (while they watched Grandma cut out pieces for the costume) and reading (the new labels Grandma put on their toy containers in the basement). They had to share all their activities with Grandma, of course.

Don't forget time with Harley (Gavin right)

So tonight is a quiet night for the adults in the house. 1 month photos with a sleeping infant, Ken catching up on emails etc on his pc and of course more stitching for me. Like I could resist starting a gift as lovely as this needlecase. I do love UK patterns.

We weighed Miss Echo on our home baby scale… at one month (according to the home scale) she weighs 8.22 lbs according to the home scale! Breastmilk for the win seriously!!! Though not sure where she puts it all that weight.

Echo Serenity

We took a few pictures tonight of Echo with Ken for her 1 month… I got at least one I am happy with. Tomorrow I will play some more… I am still trying to source out some artistic breastfeeding images to see if I can create some of my own. Breastfeeding is so important to me (as you can tell from my entries) and I do want a picture I can keep of my own that is special and pretty.

Proud Daddy

OH and one more special gift – mom finished Echo’s baptism gown!! This one is like the other 4 BUT she used the beads we took OFF my wedding dress when we refurbished it for my wedding… it is PERFECT!

The gown

I have to email the church and see if I can set the date for the baptism. I think we are thinking either October the 17th or 24th… I would LIKE the 24th giving us the most time to prepare and let everyone know. So hopefully they can help us out!

So here it is past midnight and I am JUST posting this, it has been a terrific weekend and then a lovely Monday, now back to reality. Tomorrow still bereft of toner, we are focusing on chores – Ken has to mow early on so the boys are going to clean up the front yard plants… pick up their apples and throw out any immediate broken toys. Then they are going to watch an educational video someone gave them a year or two ago about DINOSAURS!!! Our library books are in so they have to be picked up and of course there is always crafts to be done! Here’s hoping Ken can pin down the board and figure out how our funding goes!

Gotta get some sleep!