Summer fun... So far.

It's been an interesting summer so far. We haven't done as much as I would ideally like to do, but it's been busy at the same time. Aric's mom was up to visit for a month and I was baby sitting at the same time. We did go swimming, and out to Banff, but mostly we were working in the basement. We are developing a room for Naomi, a room for Aric and I, a bathroom and storage room. We are very xcoted about the prospect of getting the basement done and moving in in our lives.

We started off the summer with a trip out to Brooks for Canada day. You can see the joy in the kids face as we head to My cousin Joanne's house for boating and fun. Boating, followed by movie in the park and fireworks.

Sylas enjoying the ride

The next day water fights in the back yard

Naomi did so well on her soccer team

Sylas had fun pretending that he cared

For my birthday i decided that I wanted to do the luge at Vanada Olympic Park. It's basically real life Mario cart down a track on the side of the ski hill. It was a plast. The Gnomes and I enjoying the ski lift up

Sylas had an absolute ball if you can't tell from his face.

The kids enjoying the silts of Johnsons canyon in Banff.

With is new best friend

Next was Magrath days. Always a good time! More candy thrown from this parade than remember. There is a Definate parent tax. 

We went for the free pancake breakfast outside of the museum, then we decided to show the kids some of the history of the town. Here they are pretending to be horses tied to the hitch

In the evening before the fireworks we headed out to Aric's mission companions house in Raymond. We met up with another companion who was out from Quebec with his family. They had a ball reminiscing of mission times

Looking through photos 

Took the kids to their dentist appointments this last week. Boy they love going

He was too much fun with the spit sucker

Getting her X-rays, and she did so well.

Having fun with her own spit sucker, not really enjoying the Florida though

This last weekend we took the kids out camping. We went to a place called Wyndham-Carsland provincial park and loved it! Great spot that will definately go to again. The is have so much fun getting up way too early, and sleeping in the tent.  We got them a couple of air mattresses this year and they were in heaven!

This is pure joy right here

Can we get up yet?

we walked along the river and found a nice spot to throw some rocks I 

she refused to use the outhouse! So I stacked some logs for her to sit on and pee in the corner of the site. She was so excited about that

Poor boy had his first experience with with being bite my a wasp, and being stung with something that left its stinger in him. Here he is napping it off

We are going to try and fit one more camping trip in this year. But not unti, we head south for wedding in Utah. I'm e cited to take the kids around and show them Salt Lake City and all that it has to offer. 

Well TTFN

New contract

We are so happy to announce that Aric has been extend a probationary contract! What does this mean? Well he has been working on temporary contracts since he started teaching 6 years ago. We has been covering the same temp contract for the last 4 years, waiting for a contract to open up. One opened up just as the year was ending this year so he has been offered a probationary contract. This means all he has to do is put in one more year and turns to a permanent one next year. It's a hoop they have to jump through in order to get to the permanent. We know they like Aric and his teaching style as it is evident in him being re-hired each year. So needless to say we are ecstatic!  

We are gearing up for some Sumer fun. We will be going a couple of camping trips this year, and the kids are excited for that. We are planning on getting Naomi a room of her own built in the basement this summer too. Yay for splitting these kids up! We have already been out to Brooks to go boating with cousins, and they had s blast!

Naomi finished kindergarten this year and is very excited for the summer off, but equally excited for grade 1 next year. She did so well in school this year. She loves to read! Cutest "grad" photo ever!

Sylas has enjoyed the last year home with me and he 2 boys I babysit. He will have one more year home with me before he heads off to school too.  Sylas came on a quick trip to Utah with myself, auntie Chelsea and his cousin Taylor, for a wedding in June. He was so cute when he was telling me how he was in love with the bride. He kept sneaking into the photos to meet Kristin.

He loves to walk in the rain with an umbrella, as you can see below

Anyway, there is a quick update on us! 

I really suck at keeping up this blog, I apologize.

New School Year, New Blog Beginning (I hope)

Hello everyone. I cannot believe that it has been almost a year since my last post. I apologize for my pure laziness. I would love to post 300 pictures to catch everyone up on the last year, but really. That is way to many pictures. So you will have to settle for just the pictures since May. Because that is was on my camera :)

In May Sharlene brought the kids out for an Alberta visit and we met up with her and Jacqui and kids at the Royal Tyrrel Museum. The kids sure had fun with their cousins. Naomi just loves cousin time!

The Kids with the T-Rex

Playing with the bubble wall.

Turtles are very interesting.

My silly little Gnomers.

My glazed donut, Mr. B.

The momma's documenting the cousin time.

We had a pretty wet spring as I remember, and the kids sure loved the thunder and lightening storms. And they really enjoyed the puddle jumping that followed a rainstorm.

Just a cute one of the boy in his "hard hat",  I couldn't resist.

Oh how the kids love the park. We haven't gone to the park enough since moving though. Maybe that is because we can't see it from out front window anymore :)

This little girl absolutely loves the swing, and there is not height that is too high for her.

Oh aren't they cute? Naomi is not camera shy (most of the time that is).

We went to a friends house for dinner and we made sure to snap some photos of the kids. The boy was looking especially cute that day I think, so there were many photos of him.

My little hipster.

Jumping on the trampoline with daddy.

Like I said, just adorable.

Here was jumping on the trampoline, and he actually got some air as you can see.

I love my kids so much!

We went to Nana and Papa's house for Canada Day. We enjoyed the parade in Raymond, and really just hanging out with family was a so much fun.

Daddy and Sylas at the parade.

Naomi and Audrey playing the drums.

Papa and his kids.

 The kids enjoying the pool in Nana and Papa's backyard.

Aric was at scout camp over my birthday (at least he was supposed to be, but ended up surprising me by coming home). Nana, thinking that I would be alone with the kids all day came spend the day with us. She arrived with cake and gift and we decided to go to the beach and have some fun. We met up with some friends of mine  at Chestermere lake to play for the day. When we got home Aric was there, and we went out to dinner and met up with B.J. and Kyle. It ended up being the perfect day!

Sylas is a water kid. He had such a ball!

Ok just needed to add a photo of my adorable bookworm.

Magrath days is always a fun time. This year Chelsea and Daniel and kids, and our family were there. There was a parade, giant bubbles, and slip 'n slide. I didn't get any photos if this years slip 'n slide because I was being  used as a launcher for the slip 'n slide. 

Nana and Papa got a hot tub and we love going in it when we go to visit now.

The kids are always up for a visit to the park... anywhere! Here is Naomi and Audrey enjoying the park at Nana and Papa's

What a cutie pants!

At the town BBQ we found a really nice nice almost as big as Naomi.

We found a sandbox at a garage sale for 5 bucks, and the love it. I think it was a great investment.

Cleaning up after playing in the sandbox. He gets so dirty it is is straight into the tub with clothes on.

In mid August we went on a camping trip with all the cousins. We wen to a camp ground in Fintry Provincial Park, BC. Like I said earlier, Naomi loves to get together with all of her cousins. Chelsea and Daniel stayed at their family cabin just 5 minutes up the road. Chelsea's father-in-law was kind enough to take us out on the boat on Saturday for some fun.

As we arrived at the campsite, Naomi tells us she needs to go pot. Now I knew that she would not use an outhouse so I grabbed the port-o-potty for her and told her to use it. So she grabbed it and took into the middle of the campsite to do her business.

Proof that she was right in the middle of things.

Chelsea's Taylor just being cute.

Naomi has turned into a lake lover this summer. It doesn't matter how deep, as long as she has a life jacket on she is good (after a warm up to lake first that is).

Here she is just loving the water with her Auntie Chelsea, and it didn't matter how cold the water was. She jump in over and over and over. Chelsea would try to stay back enough for Naomi to jump into her just her arms, but Naomi would not take that. She jumped further and further from the dock so that she would land on her auntie's head!

We had a small talent show, and we had some special guest show up. Here is Bertie and Gertie leading the kids in a special singing time, and we ended with Happy Birthday to celebrate her birthday. The kids just loved the chin puppets that Chelsea and I did for the kids.

Nana brought the giant bubble mix. And the kids had a blast.

Naomi got pretty good at the bubbles.

Better and better and better!

Pure joy.

Daddy had to get in on the fun too. And we got creative with the photos.

Sylas checking out the bear at the Log Barn outside of Vernon on our drive home.

Just last night, our ward had a corn bust, and we had so much fun. Naomi made sure to ride the horses twice. She has turned into a real lover of animals. She has fallen in love with riding horses. In August our ward had a picnic and the horses were there too. She got a taste and then last night, that is all she wanted to do.

Noami getting ready for her ride.

We tried to get Sylas to sit on it and go for a ride, but a no go for him.

For her second ride she rode the other horse. She was in heaven.

Comfortable enough to even let go and give me a wave.

For those who did not know, we moved, yet again. The house we were renting was sold and we had to move into out 3rd house in just under 2 years here in Strathmore.  We are settled in and enjoying the privacy it has given us. It is much smaller than our last 2 homes, and therefore there is not enough room to host foreign students anymore. We are enjoying it just being out family now. Aric and I calculated that since we got married almost 6  years ago, we have only had about 6 months that we have not shared a home in one way or another. So we are enjoying the privacy.

School has started again, and Aric is off to school at Westmount Elementary again. This is his 3rd year as a temp, and feeling as we are very close to getting a permanent position in the school. He is writing the school play this year as well, he will be directing it again this year. He is excited to be teaching a 3rd year in the same position. He is feeling comfortable.

So that is in for now. We are caught up to yesterday. I promise I will try to update this more regularly. Maybe not weekly but more than once a year.