Mama’s makin’ cupcakes! 
My buddy Elizabeth and I baked up some fun little cupcakes the other day. It was fun to mix up some sugary treats while she’s here staying with us. They weren’t perfect, but man were they yummy ! (P.S. isn’t Elizabeth super cute in my red apron? Love it!)
Friendship + 1 box of cakemix = fun!
For Easter Break this year we decided to travel across the border to Washington and visit the lovely city of Spokane. Partly because we hadn’t ever been there, and mostly because the iPad was being released in the US and we wanted one for our very own. It’s always sweet to coincide our family trips with an Apple launch (you laugh but it actually works out fairly often for us). While in Spokane we shopped, took the kids to the children’s museum, viewed the IMAX 3D version of “How to Train Your Dragon”, swam in the hotel pool, attended an Easter play downtown at the convention centre, enjoyed the beauty of Riverside Park and all the amazing bridges/waterfalls, took in an arena football game with the Spokane Shock, and ate at SONIC drive-in twice…YUM. On our drive home we stayed at a cool hotel in Fernie with a killer waterslide – the kids loved it.
There’s just nothing like being able to get away together as a family. I am always so impressed with the kids, they travel so well now (even Lola – her first road trip and she slept the whole way on both legs of the trip). Sweet baby. Here’s just a few pics from our family getaway, I have most posted in my Flickr Stream too.
Hanging with my sweet little Valentine – she brings me so much joy!
I have a post written up to go along with these pics of my children from Christmas. I will share it soon, but right now I’m unpacking so that has to come first
We have a new baby girl and still managed to decorate the house for the holidays! Yay for helpful husbands!! I’m super excited about our new tree this year, and a few special new ornaments for the tree (check out the yummy cupcake one from: GigiMinor on Etsy!)
Our tree is decked out in pink & red (with a hint of lime green here and there). It’s pretty and feminine, I’m crazy about it and so it Lola! The boys like the red parts of the tree, and think that the pink is tolerable. LOL!! Kidding, they don’t mind the pink at all.
Merry Christmas from our home to yours ~ Daria, Nathan, Dylan, Joshy, Brigs, Noah and Lola ~
When I was a little girl each year my Grandma S. (who lived in Saskatchewan) would send a big box in the mail to us a few weeks before Christmas. Inside would be all kinds of magical treasures that she had collected through the year (nothing expensive) necklaces and cheap jewelry, treats, holiday tea towels, fun dodads she’d snagged through the year and put it all into a box for us kids. It was the most exciting mail we ever received, I can remember Brett and Courtnee and I bouncing off the walls excited that Grandma had sent us her famous Christmas Care Package.
Grandma is now gone, but the tradition of her Christmas package lives on thanks to my own Mother. Today was Christmas Box day, it arrived in the mail on this cold blustery afternoon and my own children got to experience the sheer thrill of this tradition from my youth. True to Grandma’s formula my Mom filled it with salt water taffy, butterscotch candy, play dough, holiday tea towel, a battery operated candle, pens with the kids names on them, and the list goes on. It was a virtual treasure trove for my boys to enjoy and discover, and the best part is that it was all inexpensive and has no real rhyme or reason – it’s just stinkin’ fun!!!!!
Thank you Mom for carrying on one of my most cherished memories of my childhood for my own kids. I told them all about Grandma S. and the Christmas Packages we received when I was a little girl, and they thought it was so cool that Nan would do that for them too! It makes living in another city just a bit more bearable.
What Holiday Traditions do you cherish from your own childhood? I’d love for you all to share them here.
This year we had a pretty low-key Halloween since Brigs exhibited flu symptoms earlier this week, we mostly hung out at home. They did get dressed and had candy, along with a family party – we watched The Wizard of Oz!!
Noah was his hero Buzz Lightyear, Brigs dressed in his “dream costume” as Sonic The Hedgehog (I ordered it to be specially made for him), and Joshy couldn’t decide until the day before that he wanted to be an Evil Wizard. Well as it turns out Joshua doesn’t like face paint, he wanted “his own face” for his costume. LOL! I thought they were pretty stinkin’ cute.
Happy Halloween to all of you – I hope it was safe and full of fun!
This just in! Last week Conor and Katie brought their baby girl Holly up to visit for the first time since her birth. Our family was lucky enough to get first glimpse of precious Niece/Cousin Holly since our city is first stop before Calgary. YAY us!
They arrived late at night when the boys were in bed, but that didn’t stop the three older ones for jumping up to meet her. Seeing our boys greet Holly was just pure sunshine, and made us all laugh thinking of how our own little baby girl will be spoiled by them when she arrives this December. It was a total KICK to see Conor and Katie as parents! I can now testify to the fact that Holly IS in fact real and no longer think she might be a stunt baby.
Brigs Reaction (the observer):
“She has a little nose, she has little eyes, she has little hands, she has little feet! Mommy look she has little hair!”
Joshy’s Reaction (the Play-by-Play):
“She’s sucking on her soother…she stopped sucking on her soother…….she is sucking on her soother again!”
Dylan’s Reaction (the baby whisperer):
Just scooped her right up like a pro, thinks she is adorable. Likes when she sticks her tongue out – LOL!!
Noah’s Reaction (the tentative lovey):
“Can I kiss her????” then slowly goes in trying to get just the right spot to smooch her on because she was wiggling.
(sorry I missed getting a pic of Noah with her)
On Sunday we were all able to be together for Holly’s Baby Blessing. It was a really special day to have the entire family together in one place. As I said to Conor yesterday “Thank you for procreating so we could all get together!” We sure love you little Holly-Bo-Bolly!
First little Seger gets you in his sights
Then he engages his kissy lips
Finally he uses a Vulcan Mind Trick to make you pucker up too!
BINGO, now he just reels you in!
Nathan and I are feeling the rush to plan our holidays with the kids this year. We had the most amazing experience last summer traveling to Palm Desert and also spending time at Disneyland and Newport Beach. Our kids ask me daily when we can go back there again. Their favorite thing was the pool at our hotel, it was just amazing and exclusively theirs most of the time. If you’re faint of heart, I don’t recommend going to the desert in August like we did – it was sweltering hot! But slap on the sunscreen, grab a hat, and tote TONS of water and you’re ready to play.
I must say that making those memories with my kids has been one of the greatest highlights for me over the past several years. In all honesty, it was our first BIG trip anywhere with the kids. Our typical holidays are usually spent at family’s homes and reunions. So going somewhere just us, on a plane was a real adventure and treat. No matter what you do, it’s magical to get away with your children and get to know them in a whole new way, and it’s fun for them to see Mom and Dad unhook and party it up with them too.
I’m so looking forward to a fun summer with our four boys + our new little girl! Now that’s going to be an adventure just traveling with them all! LOL!
** So tell me, what are YOUR plans this summer? Are you going somewhere special or are you adventuring in your own home town? I’d love to know!
