A Letter

The other day, Abby lost (another) tooth.  That makes 4 that she's mising right now.  The tooth fairy forgot to come for 2 nights (oops!) - probably because the tooth fairy pillow was behind the door, not by Abby's bed (well, that's the lame excuse we gave her for us forgetting!).  Anyhow, she wrote a letter to the tooth fairy which was quite cute.  Here it is...

I especially like how she signed it...."Yours sincerely, Abby".  A polite little lady, she is!

I FELL!!

The other day, the Girls were outside playing in the mud and puddles.  I heard crying, which of course, like any good mother, I ignored (hey, when you have 4, you learn that you don't go to them...they'll come to you if it's serious!).  Well, the crying did come to me, and this is what I saw:

And, once again, since I am such a good mother, I yelled to Art, "Get the camera!", and then told Ellie Mae, "Don't touch me!"  After Art got a shot, I stripped her down, thinking I'd just be able to get her some clean clothes and wipe her face off.  Nope!  In attempting to get off her clothes, I got mud everywhere.  So, off to the bath she went.  As she sat in the bath, I noticed that she had road rash all over her hips and side.  So much for, "A little mud never hurt anyone!".....oops!  At least I got a picture!

The Perfect Day

Sunday was one of those perfect days, where I had warm fuzzies all afternoon, just enjoying the beautiful day and my beautiful family. We had a great time together, not necessarily doing anything exceptional, but rather, it was an exceptional day. I couldn't sleep last night, because I didn't want the day to end. Do you ever have that? I found myself being so thankful. For our home and property, my family, my life. I'm not gonna lie....I do love my life. Most days. But yesterday....it was a day that made me remember why I love it. You know? It was a good day. And I made guacamole. For the first time. And my husband, who doesn't like guacamole, couldn't stop eating it.

I don't know what it is about water, more specifically rushing creek water, that is so exciting, but let me tell you friends, this was a major part of our perfect day.  We all donned our rubber boots (thankfully, we'd replaced Hannah's, so she didn't come home with soaking wet feet.  Oh wait, she still did, because she walked in the creek and snow....)  We walked down the road, and our "creek", which will dry up by mid-summer, was raging.  We'd made paper boats to float down the river, and brought them along to launch.  Along with some rocks...and sticks...and anything else the Girls could find!

After we launched the boats, we'd all run downstream, trying to follow them, until they got filled with water....oops!

 Hannah and Abby had their minds made up...they were trying to find a large stick...somewhere...in the bush

 and they were triumphant!

 We threw in rocks and splashed each other....

...and Art tried to cross it.  Which was scary...and got him very, very wet!  Good thing his boots didn't have a hole!

 

We decided something, in our time by the creek.  We decided that the next property that we buy (please?!), will have a creek.  Not a river, which could flood and drown children and be big and rushing, but a little old creek.  Because who knew it could be so fun and exciting?  It was a perfect day....

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a great Easter Weekend!  It was so nice for us to be together as a family, and celebrate with friends, this special season.

On Friday, we had some friends over for brunch which included a Mennonite tradition of Paska, which is a sweet, egg bread which you spread with icing and put sprinkles on top, as well as our own tradition of lemon buns, which is a sweet bun with lemon pie filling in the center, and icing on top.

 After brunch, the kids headed outside while we leisurely sat and enjoyed some coffee and more food before heading out for an Easter egg hunt....

 We did some butterfly nets (to offset the chocolate), throw bags of chocolate eggs all over the ground (we told them to leave the eggs without the wrappers....like I said, we've had lots of deer here!)

 and some more chocolate bags hidden in the trees

 Hannah's rubber boots sprung a leak, which she told us after she went through about 10 pairs of socks, so Art taped my rubber boots on her.  She was quite the sight!  I only wish she would've told us that before we headed out for a walk to the creek!  We ended up cutting a bunch of pussy willows, which is always an exciting time for me.  It's the first real sign that spring is arriving here!

 Saturday we relaxed at home, and headed out to enjoy Easter dinner with some more friends, and Sunday morning, the girls dawned their new Easter dresses for church. 

 After lunch, we headed home to enjoy the gorgeous day!  Art got the Girls quad working, so they were very excited to go on their first rides of the season!

 We even dug out their helmet.....safety first!

 And, much to my surprise, I found that some of my crocuses had bloomed in my garden.  Yay for Spring!!

 We had another Easter egg hunt, which Art made me find my eggs as well....of course, in a tree!

 And we headed out for another walk to the creek....it's still pretty brown here, but it'll start to green up pretty soon, I am sure!

We even dug out a few of our chairs to sit on and enjoy the sun...and the snow!  Only in Alberta!  It was about 15 C outside, so it really was beautiful!  I have a few rosy cheek girls to prove it!

Art and Hannah also got out their ropes that they recently bought, so we grabbed a calf/stroller (ok, so you have to use your imagination there...but the contest was on to see who could rope "both horns", otherwise known as handles!)  Hannah's getting pretty good, and Art taught me, so now I need to practice in secret so that I can clean his clock the next time we have a "friendly competition"....

I hope that y'all had a good of an Easter weekend as we did!

A Celebration

We got back from Calgary (again), Sunday night....completely exhausted.  We had a great, terrible, tragic, exhausting, fun filled, emotional weekend with my extended family.  On Saturday, the Celebration of Life was held for my aunt.  Here's my uncle (her husband), who showed up in a tux because it was to be a celebration

 He had such a great attitude, and I watched him as he comforted people, continually saying things like, "She's in heaven know.  She is dancing with Jesus!"

 Here's all the siblings...

 and their wives (minus 1....my aunt)

 Art got confused a number of times for "one of the brothers", and someone asked him if he was John.  So that was one of the jokes of the weekend.  Here's John and "John Jr."

 It was also my uncle John's birthday on Saturday.  We bought him a shirt that read, "I went camping and burnt my wiener..."  with a picture of a guy and a hot dog stick....  Obscene, I know, but it was good for a big laugh, which was good for the soul.  He also got in an accident that night - probably not his favorite birthday, but maybe one of his most memorable ones!

And when we weren't visiting, we were playing games....of course!  Because this is what my family does.  Laugh and cry and play games....

It was great to see some family I haven't seen in years, and remember a life of a woman who loved the Lord.  We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more....it was good.

Bonus!

Two weeks ago, we met my parents in Calgary for the weekend (more on that another day)... Since we are heading back there for the memorial service this weekend, I am hoping to make another visit to this place...

Bass Pro Shops...one of my most favorite stores in the world. Not that I buy anything there, but I like to just walk around and look at all the vignettes they've created. It's amazing. And since we won't have our children, thanks to Art's sister who's going to take them for the weekend, we can spend as much time as we want there. My sister is flying into town tonight, and then she's driving down to Calgary with us, so that we get some extra time together, and maybe we'll take her...since she's never been there before. It's always fun to see it with "virgin eyes"....

Enjoy your weekend, friends.  Hug your family a little tighter...

Some More Perspective

One of the great things about having my little ladies around is that things can change so fast.  We all know how quickly things can go from great to terrible, whether it be a fall or someone not playing nicely, or when they're younger, taking toys from each other....

However, I've loved to see the other side of this in the last week.  We've been having kind of a quiet week, and there have been many tears shed here in dealing with the loss of our aunt.  It's so interesting to see how quickly the Girls, which then forces me, turn from tears to laughter.

In Ecclesiastes 3 it says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven....a time to be born, a time to die.  A time to plant, and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance...."

In the past, I've always thought of those "times" as a longer period of time, more of a season, but in the last week, I've seen that those "times" can also be just moments.  And I've been so thankful for how these little ladies express how they feel in the moment, and then move on.  They don't have the ability that we as adults have to bottle things up.  From weeping to laughing, to mourning to dancing.  And it's good...I continue to get a different perspective fromwatching them deal with life...and death.  And I am thankful.

Perspective

Friday morrning, my aunt died unexpectedly.  She didn't wake up in the morning....  She was still young, and her daughters are close to my sister and I's ages.  She was a vibrant, joy filled woman who loved God.  So, although we know that she is in Heaven now, we still mourn for her ourselves, and the void that she will leave here on earth.

You know, it's funny, because after something like this happens, it's amazing how quickly we gain some perspective.  I've hugged my Girls a little tighter, sat with them a little more, held my husbands hand a little more often.... It has made me think of all the things that I want to do and see in my lifetime.  I want to see my Girls grow up to love the Lord, be in healthy happy marriages and raising their own families.  I want to be able to speak into the lives of my grandchildren, and my Girls as adults.  I want to enjoy the time I have with my husband, spend time together as a family, laughing and enjoying each others company...

So often, it's easy to get caught up in the rat race, and I have appreciated the perspective that this death has brought to me.  It's a good reminder that our days are numbered by the Lord....we don't know how or when we will leave this earth...

This week will be filled with times with family, laughing and crying.  Being with my "tribe" is always fun, and I will be reminded that our lives are just a moment in time, and it's up to me to live my life to the fullest... spend time doing what's really important.  I will be taking extra moments to kiss my loved ones, telling them that I appreciate them.  Perspective....it's a beautfiul thing.

Friendly Neighbors

I don't know if it's because Winter insists on staying around, or because we've been feeding them, but we've had deer like nobodies business.  They stand in the yard in the middle of the days sometimes, hanging out.  I know this is a bum shot, but it's the best I got!  I've loved seeing all these neighbors in our yard!

Taking A Walk

Yesterday I went shopping with one of my favorite people.  I wasn't going to buy anything, but I ended up having too.... I found my wild side, people, and I've decided to take a walk....on the wild side.

Wanna know how wild I am?!  This is how wild....I.  Bought.  WHITE.  Pants.  Yup, it's true.  White.  I've always loved the look of a nice pair of white khaki's, but my reality hasn't been able to handle them.  But I did it.  I bought them.  And they were my size, in a "tall".  Did I mention that they are white?!  Here they are:

Now to some of you, that may not sound crazy.  Or wild.  But let me assure you....it is.  First of all, I live in the country.  Where there is lots of dirt (or mud, if I look outside right now).  Secondly, I have a dog.  And thirdly, and it's a big one....I have children.  Four of them.  And they are always touching me and wanting up and rubbing up against me and touching me (did I say that yet?!).  So, they have been warned:  when I wear my sweet new white pants, they are not allowed to touch me.  At all.  Not even give me a hug.  Because as clean as I try to keep them, they are always...getting...dirty.... Which in turn get me dirty!  Truth be told, these may be my "date pants", which we all know how often that happens (not very!), but that's ok.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll wear them to church.  If I'm feeling crazy.  We'll see!

The good part of all my walking on the wild side?  They are white...and I could buy bleach (which I've never bought before, and truthfully, it scares me a little bit!), but they only cost $14, so if they get ruined, I suppose it's not the end of the world.  I'll just know....no more walking....on the wild side for me!

The International One

The Girls, in their school program, do a musical every year.  This year was no exception.  Because Abby was sick, she actually missed out on the performance (and was heartbroken, I might add...), but Hannah didn't.  Here she is in her "International Costume"....it's amazing what I can pull out of my basement!

At one point, I put the sari over her head....I think that this girl would make a beautiful muslim girl, but she's likely to stick with a cowgirl hat!

Soccer, anyone?

Any guesses on what my Girls have been playing lately?  This is hung up on the door to the basement, where we send them down to play.... with no soccer ball, I might add.  So, are they just imagining the drama of the tryouts?  Or the victory of making it on a team?  The defeat of not?  I'm not sure.  What I can tell you is that we still have much snow, so it's not happening outside, and they are not playing soccer.  Hmmm....