Canada Day in our new home… what a GREAT day it was for us all! Lots of company, good food, adventure and sunshine. Add to that a whole bunch of lovely pictures to share (yup the camera made it through it… pretty much ok, YAY) and I am one happy lady.

So let’s start with the very earliest… well late Thursday night Sean came over on his way to his folks (we now live in-between them and him) to spend some of the long weekend with us. He got here around the time Echo has her late night nursing so got in some baby cuddle time before we all headed off to bed.

In the morning the kids woke up to DOUBLE the excitement –  Canada Day breakfast AND Uncle Sean. Well we woke up and sent Daddy and Sean off to the grocery store as even though there is a 24 hour grocery here in town Ken opted to wait til the morning to get the items we were short for breakfast. So I took our 5 mini Canadians out to the PICTURE TREE for their first group picture there. As well as some inside the house. Luckily the morning was chill enough that Echo’s ensemble worked just fine, well for the photos!

We went somewhat Canadian with pancakes and SYRUP (maple of course) and bacon and tater tots. While I am not sure how CANADIAN tater tots are I have many a fond memory regarding them and family meals growing up. MMMM yum!

After a more brunch of a breakfast due to the time the guys got back from the store, I sent the kids willing outside. This did double duty – it got some of the wiggles out AND gave Echo time to nap. While they played outside I got in some of the mowing.

Ken built the last of their playset.

Around 1 we coordinated with the den Otter family and met up at the Historical Fort Normandeau. It is a bit of a drive with a weird windy road at the end to get there but the kids LOVED it. Definitely not as extensive as Heritage Park (Calgary) or Fort Edmonton Park (Edmonton of course) but more than enough for our kids coupled with the excitement of seeing Isabella and Alexander again after a month+ absence. There was lots of running…

Some teepee enjoyment…

And all keeping FAR FROM the river which is high right now and rushing quickly by!

This was all BEFORE entering the interpretive centre and model fort. So I took a moment with Trinity (and Echo in the stroller out of sight under her netting) and took a picture by a wagon.

The interpretive centre was rather small but there was enough to bore the kids (not a HUGE surprise), and allow Ken and Sean some reading time. Of course the children pushed right on out the door to the mini fort.

There wasn’t too much to examine, some guard turrets…

A room set up to mimic the fort conditions…

AND CHICKENS!

After all that excitement it was time to bundle everyone back up and head to the house. Ken then left to get Fydo (and pay rent of course) while the kids played outside. Once fun was had outside we brought them in for watermelon and chocolate cookies! On the floor to save on cleaning, and then it was back to playing.

We had the den Otters, Sean, Fydo AND Kristen all here for a potluck bbq supper! It was so much fun! And a great way to top our day.

One of the choice food items – bacon covered perogies. They were… bacony!

We even got some pictures of the babies together. Izaac is the top percentile and Echo the bottom so they are extremes on either end for their individual ages (he is 4 months) and too cute! Echo was so interested in him. She just keep trying to touch him and “talk” to him. (note the change in outfits – she was too warm in her Canadian outfit so we moved her onto an American theme)

After the den Otter family headed home things started to slow down and bedtime came around for the kids, that left the remaining adults up to spend a LOOONG (too long in comparison to the amount of time the game is SUPPOSED to take!) game of Talisman together in lou of fireworks (and the over zealous mosquitoes). It was great fun even though it went on and on and on and on…

Poor Trinity woke up with morning with some swollen bug bites I am keeping a close eye on. We sprayed her all over with bug spray but she always seems to get bitten and those bites always swell and go red a little. The one on her ankle especially is swollen. So we had her sit quietly and have a nice soak in the tub and by tonight it was less swollen but WOW. Poor thing. So we are going to hunt down a lotion that my sister-in-law uses on my nephew!

We had a special visitor today! Karyn is (temporarily) back in the country! She got home LATE last night from New Orleans (with an adventure of a flight path back!!!). So this morning she came over to bring special gifts…

To visit… and to get in some baby snuggle time.

We went out, with Echo, to the nearest mall for our traditional poutine (something that we can share with Echo no less!) and stopped in at Payless and Walmart to check out shoes for the August wedding. I may have found a pair that will work and be REusable AND under 20.00 but I have to take Ken and get his final opinion. He tends to be pretty good at sussing out shoes that won’t kill my feet after Karyn and I narrow down the asthetic portion! YAY!

So with that we spent some time at Karyn’s apartment where I got my birthday present – a new cartridge for the Cricut – one to make ROBOTS! I forgot it at her house but since I don’t have MY Cricut yet anyway it is no biggy. Once she gets back from Alaska I will have to go over and make a few robots. But in the meantime I got to see all the goodies she brought back from her trip while Echo explored the apartment and then made a direct route right over to the one thing that facinated her the most – Ludere!! He was a little perterbed that his minor hiss and backing up a little did not imediately stop her. But we managed without incident. I even snuck in a quick pet but he caught on and hissed without even looking that it was ME!

A worn out Karyn headed back home soon after the kids went to their beds which left me and Ken to enjoy a relatively quiet evening. More XXXholic as Ken found me the Kei series and Ken work – since he has US and Canadian contracts which means no totally free day off over the weekend on either side regardless.

Tomorrow the plan is to meet up with Kristen and Fydo again and go out and find some sort of park to play in and then in the evening out with Karyn and Lauralee (but that should be just me and maybe Echo).

I just love the matching looks on their faces in this one!

Tiny Sheep and Trinity - don't worry Karyn is with Echo in the back. You can check out Tiny Sheep's adventure's on Fat Sheep's blog...link below.

Further Adventures of Fat Sheep

Midway through the long weekend and what has been accomplished… well a place has been looked at and seen as suitable for us… we wait on word back still (argh), Ken and Sean and Ted have moved basically ALL of the big pieces out of the basement (except the deep freeze which will be last out),

I had Ken pick up a new treat for Echo when he and the guys ran out to Safeway last night… some of the Gerber brand finger foods – banana flavour. They were a HUGE favourite of Emanuel’s when he was little.

As of yesterday my stepsister is officially married! I have seen one picture posted by one of her friends on Facebook which sadly did NOT show very much – just a shot of one of the tables (decorated prettily) and the friend and Kat’s faces. But she looked very happy and last night my stepmom put up a happy message on her profile. I am very happy for them and hope they enjoyed the speech I sent down with the gift for my dad to read. I really wish we could have gone but circumstances and finances just weren’t favourable.

My brother, stepsister and myself almost 10 years ago at MY wedding!

Speaking of weddings – I do have a mission. I need to draw out (according to the measurements we took on Friday) and come up with a variety of ideas on how to decorate the venue for Chris and Chris’ wedding. We have the individual prices as well as a price on a kit… so all I have to do is take all of that and make something pretty out of it! We have 4 balloon colours… the lovely red, black, silver and gold… so I can vary combinations… oh so much to think about!

Late afternoon took a definite turn for the rainy. Which meant outside smelled absolutely lovely but we decided to keep the kids in. The mosquitoes are beyond aggressive right now. So during naptime the twins made up thank you cards to their Sunday School teachers for next weekend. I know they are BOTH sad to have to say good-bye. Gavin was too quick and sealed his in an envelope before I could take a photo.

As promised, a better picture of Echo on the little car AND a video!!! Enjoy!

I have made personal copies of all of the requisitions for Echo. After all at least that way we KNOW what tests were done. Usually we go so quickly to the tests that we don’t have the time or means to do so so I took advantage of the long weekend and used our printer.

The little stitch is done! I give you Choco-Cat… based on this image.

I have started the stocking… barely… but a start.

So what is to be done – books to go to the used bookstore, bottles to go to the depot, bikes to be picked up for the twins, a few more boxes to pack in the basement and of course the garage to deal with (tomorrow’s task). I find that as long as I break it down into what will be done when I can deal… I have yet to face the fact that there are SOME stores I love that I won’t be able to easily visit after this… Change is good, change is good!

Be sure to take a moment and check out Fat Sheep’s adventure with Karyn and her family in Saskatchewan… Tiny Sheep was along as well! We really need a family reunion for these lovely sheep!

Future serious gamer?