This and That...

It's been a busy CRAZY couple of weeks.  Good busy CRAZY. Surprisingly I'm still sane.  Well, as sane as I'll ever be!  First off let me thank all my sweet peeps who came by and encouraged and supported me during our Christmas Open House!  I have a true wealth of dear friends.  This year's Open House was amazing and so fun and successful.  (pics to follow soon once I get up and running computer wise) I lost count of how many people came through my doors, but I loved every minute of it.  What I didn't love:  My computer crashing in the middle of it all, and getting some weird flu/migraine bug for the past week that I can't seem to shake.  I have one more market to go and then it will be time to focus on our Christmas here.  I have a good chunk of decorations up already, but I need to put some personal touches on now that open house is done!  I MUST bake...I am in withdrawl!
During our busiest day of Open House a good friend of mine popped in and took Abby out for a special date with her kiddos.  Abby was much in need of some quality time and was thrilled to spend the afternoon having fun.  Here's a few pics of her day...

Cozying up with Mrs. Claus (aka Miss Marilyn)

Cozying up to Mr.Claus....(no relation to Mrs. Claus!)

Sugaring up with buddies J&L....

A true Abby smile...

Give her wings and she'll fly...

For Abby's birthday (back in March) her Uncle Ken gave her a gift certificate for a flight with him.  Olivia's been up a couple of times but this was Abby's first time!  Abby was SO excited!  She didn't let Uncle Ken forget.  Every Monday Abby would tell him...'don't forget my flight, Uncle Ken'.  Well, Uncle Ken is pretty cool, and he came through with his promise a few weeks ago.  We took advantage of a beautiful summer day and they took to the skies.  It's always a weird feeling when the kids go up in the plane...I always have this fleeting thought that this is dangerous and risky.  The reality is, Ken is an amazing pilot and we trust him completely.  My fear is purely a 'mommy' thing.
They had a great flight and we took the time to walk aroundt the airport and enjoy the evening.  There are some beautiful old buildings there and I love taking pictures of them.  Here's a few snapshots of the evening:

Drama Queen...

Our lively little Abby was thrilled to be old enough to go to Drama Camp this year!  Her sister has been for a couple of years in the past and Abby's been 'waiting in the wings' for her turn to shine!  Abby is, by nature, a drama queen so it didn't surprise us at all that she would feel right at home at drama camp.  Our local theatre company, Gallery7, offers amazing drama camps every summer for kids of all ages.  Abby was in the 'Creative Explosions' class this year.  Her teacher was, the ever so sweet and smiling, Joyce Cheung.  Each morning when Abby woke up she had a smile on her face and a plan for her wardrobe!  She always needed to be dressed for her character (squirrel/teacher), and had ants in her pants all the way to the camp!  Each day when I picked her up her smile was still in place and she had a sense of self-worth and confidence that every parent loves to see.  Friday was 'production' day and Rob and I, Livi and Grandpa (Gramma had to work), all came out to the show.  Abby did great and we're so proud of her!  When I asked her if she wanted to go back next year her answer was 'YES!!!'.  Well...she comes by it naturally, her Uncle Ken is the founder and artistic director of Gallery7.  When I asked Abby what her favourite part of drama camp was, I got a different answer each day, but each day when I sent her off she would whisper in my ear...'I hope I see Uncle Ken!'.   How blessed we are to be able to combine Abby's passion for drama, community, and family all in one week!  Thank you Gallery7 for making my Abby shine all week!

Waiting in the wings...

 Teacher Joyce...

Baby Takes a Bow...

Abby & Uncle Ken...

Fieldtrippin'

It seems as though this is the season for fieldtrips.  It's hard to believe the school year is wrapping up.  It snuck up on us so fast that I was really ill prepared!  It seems like EVERY stinking event is on either a Thurs or a Fri and I just happen to work those days!  It's been a constant juggling act for hubby and I to get everyone to where they need to be and on time yet!  This week Abby had the annual Kindergarten fieldtrip to the pepper farm.  We have a great family in our school who own a huge pepper operation.  They invite the 3 kindergarten classes out and do a tour of their pepper farm, a feature on a race car they run, and then feed the kids all a hot dog lunch!  The kids made a craft and had the opportunity to tire themselves out playing!  Isaac came along and did good...a few meltdowns here and there, but mainly on the car ride home!  Here's a few pics...

Ladybug Craft...

Playing 'Punchanella' while we wait for our next station....sheesh my kid is tall...

Everybody wants to be a racecar driver....

These ladybugs are imported all the way from Norway and eliminate the need for pesticides on the pepper plants!

This was my second time doing this fieldtrip and something tells me it won't be my last...

Sweet Six...

phew, glad I didn't have to type sixteen instead of six!  It hardly seems possible that our little Abby is 6 years old already!  Abby celebrated her Birthday this past week and we started off with a family party.  Abby was in her glory.  Dress on, face washed, hair done, and re-done, and ready to party.  One of the beautiful things about Abby is her ability to be so transparent.  Whatever Abby is feeling is right at the surface of her being.  Abby was so full of joy on this particular evening.  She had requested a barbie cake, and a barbie cake she got.  She enjoyed time with her cousins, opening gifts, and showing her gratitude to each of her party guests by thanking them with a hug after opening each present.  It was so fun to see our little girl so happy and excited to celebrate.  So, Abby, on your 6th Birthday we wish you a wonderful year ahead, filled with the things you love! 

A little about our sweet six year old girl:
She's wild and crazy and always up for an adventure!
She's dramatic and wears her heart on her sleeve.
She thrives on affirmation and affection, and gives it back just as quickly
She's an outdoor girl and loves nature and animals
She's always singing....always, always singing
She comes up with the best one liners. Ever.
She has an imagination like no other
She loves her brother and sister
She's a cook at heart and loves to help in the kitchen
She's quick to help and usually cheerful in spirit 
She seems like she's never paying attention, but she hears everything!
She has a wise old soul and says and understands things far beyond her years
She loves her heavenly Father and seems to understand His love for her
She's a tomboy, who wears dresses.  And ruins them. All the time.
She's already boy crazy and has a crush on her gym teacher.  Heaven help us.
She's a precious gift that we are so thankful for

Here's Abby giving Uncle Ken a huge hug to thank him for the gift certificate entitling her to her first ever flight with Uncle Ken. 

Happy Birthday Abby, you are so loved.

Christmas at King...

The girls' school has a traditional sing-a-long every year at Christmas.  The sing along was on the last day of school for the year and I was working so this year Rob took the afternoon off so he could go with the kids.  Abby's Kindergarten class was being featured so out came the camera!  The pictures turned out a little blurry, but I appreciate Rob taking a few while he juggled Isaac!  Abby's class performed a few numbers and Abby had no trouble belting it out and grooving through it all!  Shane & Angela Wiebe were kind enough to lead the sing-a-long portion.  We will miss them so much when they move out East!  There's nothing like a kids Christmas presentation to get you in the Christmas spirit!

A Day at the Beach...

It's still a little early for a day at the beach, but when pre-school field trips are on it's usually rain or shine. Luckily....L-U-C-K-I-L-Y the weather cooperated on Monday and we had a great day! It's been hit or miss with blue sky but we got a hit! Crescent Beach is near Whiterock beach and is about an hour's drive from here. My bestest buddy Kim came along for the ride and we had a fun day. Kim did this fieldtrip with her kiddos when they were in preschool a few years back. First we all met at the beach where the kids did a scavenger hunt and beachcombed. From there we headed out to a local park for lunch, playtime, and some relay races. Abby was determined to swim in the ocean. She went all prepared with her bathing suit on and all...but in the end she only took her shorts off....not her top. It was much cooler next to the water than it was at the park. But, we did get some sun on our faces for a change. This is the last field trip of the year....HALLELUJAH! This Friday is preschool grad for Abby and sports day for Livi so we'll be tag team parenting for that day! Oh...then there's the piano recital, baseball, and all other sorts of year end wrap ups.....never a dull moment.

More than just a mother's day tea....

So, I'm a little late in posting about mother's day, but here it is. Our old computer was dying a slow death and we finally stopped trying to revive it. So, first entry on the new computer. Mother's Day was great all around. I received an invite to a tea at Abby's preschool. I have to admit, the invite came last minute and normally I work on Fridays, so I did consider, for just a few minutes, not going. The fact is, I forgot for a moment that this wasn't about the event, but rather it was about my child. I have come into a season with Abby that is calmer and more predictable. Abby is full of life and does everything to the max. She seems to have found her 'groove' here in her 5th year and I'm noticing a change. All of that to say that it only took a moment for me to realize that the mothers day tea would mean the world to her. So, I made arrangements with work to do a split shift so I could make it to the tea. Abby was thrilled! When I walked in, Abby's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She had obviously worked so hard to make sure that I would enjoy my time with her. I loved it! We enjoyed tea and goodies together, she sang for me, and presented me with some lovely keepsake gifts...but her biggest gift was the smile plastered across her face the whole time!!! Once again I am humbled and amazed that God gave Rob and I this treasure of a child. Both Rob and I believe that God has huge things in store for Abby. There have been many gray hairs along the way, and many more to come, but if it's for His glory then who am I to complain?

Sleeping Beauties...

All of them are cute, but only one is a real princess! I love this picture of Abby. It was taken way back in spring of 08, but I love seeing it flash on the screen saver every now and then. Abby is not a great sleeper. It takes her awhile to fall asleep, and once she does, she doesn't sleep very soundly. This is a classic Abby picture. This sweet girl has an amazing amount of energy to match an equally amazing imagination. When she's not outside, digging in the mud while singing at the top of her lungs, she is inside talking on her 'cell' and making sure all her dolls are where they need to be. In this particular picture she made sure EVERYONE was ready for bed. Oh, how I love this little girl who's growing up so fast. She can drive me crazy, but oh how I love her.

Preschool Performance...

Today was a special day at Abby's preschool! The Moms were all invited for a special "performance" followed by a lovely snack buffet! We were treated to some cute hand-made flowers as well as real ones! First the children sang a few songs for us....M-O-M-M-Y to the tune of B-I-N-G-O, and another one about pussy willows, then they recited a poem for us. They sang one song with shakers then came and gave us the shakers that had seeds in them to plant in pots that the children had decorated and filled with soil. It was a fun morning and a great way to spend some much needed one-on-one time with my girl. Abby is a fun-loving, sweetheart of a girl who loves to perform for me! The kids even served us punch and snacks...wow, what a treat! I'm the one used to serving snacks and juice! I'll never forget how proud Abby was to see me there and be able to 'spoil' me for an hour. This will be a special memory for me!

The Big 0-4!

This past month we celebrated Abby's 4th Birthday. She had been anticipating this day for a loooooooong time! She started asking people to her birthday party last fall already...just ask Uncle Ken, he recieved a birthday invite almost every week leading up to the big day.

Now if you've met my little Abby you'll know what a character she is. She keeps me running all day! You never quite know what's going to come out of her mouth...taking her to town is quite an adventure! But, in amongst all this craziness there is a beautiful person that I know our Heavenly Father created just for me (us). God gave us this special girl knowing that we could recognize her quick wit and sense of humour, her love for life and her need to question everything in life! She really is a mini-me....did I drive my mother this crazy???? I love her to death for the unique and wonderful girl she is.

It took her almost a full year to make up her mind about what kind of cake she wanted. She changed her mind every day for the 2 weeks leading up to the party, but in the end she wanted Cinderella. Easy enough right? Nope, harderst character cake I've ever done. I don't do faces...can't draw them, can't ice em'. I gave it my best and this is how she came out....not bad, except we joked that she looked like she had a botox treatment on her lips right before she showed up for the party!

She enjoyed her party so much with all her cousins and grandparents, uncles and aunts.

Part of my goal as a Mom is to create special memories for my kids, but most importantly to show them how much I love them, and, believe it or not, a Cinderella cake is just one more way!