The Great Adventure

Cookie Maps of ANCIENT EGYPT!

2011-04-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

We have been having such a fantastic time studying Ancient Egypt. We have learned so much and are really enjoying this study. It's the first time I've really studied Bible at the same time as History as well. I've always learned them separately (unfortunately) until now, and it has been fascinating for all of us.

The green around the Nile River is to show that area which was fertile because of the Nile flooding every year.

It looks like the Mediterranean and Red Sea over flowed their banks too!

I don't know how much the little ones got out of the project, but they certainly had fun... and they enjoyed eating the cities and the Nile!

By the time the kids put the labels on their cookie maps, they didn't even need to look at the atlas or the other maps, they were able to put all of the cities where they belonged. I love hands on projects, they get so much out of them. One of the other things I like about this is that, unlike salt dough maps, (which we made of Canada) no one wants to save these for posterity! Make and learn, take pictures and eat! YEAH! And as they eat them the comments are things like, "Wow! The Mediterranean Sea is delicious!" or "I just ate Thebes!" Or even Dad and Mom asking, "Can I try a bite of the Red Sea?" They won't soon forget the landscape of Ancient Egypt. I've been told to point out that the reason Lower Egypt is North, and Upper Egypt is South is because the Nile River flows down to the Mediterranean Sea. The finished maps.

Unfortunately they've just found out that Ariana is allergic to wheat so she didn't get the yummy brown sugar cookie that everyone else did, but her map turned out quite neat showing all the bare, dry land.

Wait until you see what we're doing next week! It involves a dead chicken... any guesses?!

BC Championships - Whistler

2011-04-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

One of the good things (not on the pocketbook however) about Samuel competing in freestyle skiing is that we always end up a few weekends away during the season. BC Championships this year were in Whistler. I love Whistler and I'm sure if I didn't live in the Okanagan, Whistler would be my second choice. Of course that would only be if we won a lottery or something, and since I never by tickets, I suppose Whistler's out. Samuel finished the weekend top five in the province in both slopestyle and moguls. Way to go Sam!

Samuel and a team mate checking out the competitive order with their coach.

In the line up.

Last minute encouragement from his coach...

And the flag is down!

I'm always so proud of him on the mogul course. I do alright at moguls, but not on the mogul course - that's a whole different game! And by alright I mean I can get down a black run that has moguls - so can Teigan. I am in no way comparing my skiing abilities to those of my children, who insanely fly down double black runs with moguls the size of Teigan, routinely jump cliffs - yes, cliffs - I've watched them (with trepidation), and wait patiently (or not) for me at the bottom of said runs (if they have no one of their own caliber to ski with). I can still compare my self to Teigan. I'm still better than Teigan - this year at least!

Teigan watched patiently (most of the time) while we waiting for Samuel to ski. Then she was happy to rip off and ski herself!

You get two runs in moguls. This was the second run - it went from beautiful sunshine to lots of snow - and back again. I missed the actual trick in this pic, but he's just coming down from a mule kick cross. (I'm sure that means so much to you!)

Samuel and his entire team.

We walked everywhere and the weather was great both on and off the slopes.
You may notice that Liam isn't in pretty much any of the pictures! He was off ripping up the hill either with his friends (little brothers of other competitors), or with our good friend who came up with us. He did however get a minor concussion on Saturday (good thing the dad he was skiing with was a doctor), so we were all together in the village on Sunday. No skiing for Liam! I do have pics of Liam on my iphone - however I'll have to have Samuel figure out how I get them off of there and on to here.

The last night we went to Fire and Ice - freestyle skiers having fun showing off their stuff for the crowds. Follow it up with fireworks and you've got yourself a nice little show!

Our Whistler friends.

Sniffle and cheer as the season wraps up

2011-04-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

Well one more ski season has ended (at least the mountain has closed) but as we learned last year we're now deep into this and it doesn't ever end. We've got a little bit of a respite until trampolining starts full swing and then the summer ski and water ramp camps... It was a great season though with some big highlights.

Liam was asked to go Jr. Competitive next year. He's excited about that. He's so easy going I didn't think he'd want to, but he does!

One of Samuel's big goals this year was to start throwing 360s. He is. And he is happy about it!

Teigan had a great year, and skied her first double black. She worked her little ski bum off and was bumped up a level and coach mid season. The second picture of her here is receiving the award for the most improved skier in the whole program.

Dvorak and Starfish...

2011-04-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

With the big Kiwanis Music Festival coming up this weekend, the kids have been practicing for the competition. Although since Samuel skied 12 of 14 days, between spring training and the BC Championships, they are needing to do a little extra practice! I remember KMF from when I was a kid... it's pretty intimidating to go up on stage alone in front of all of those people; and an adjudicator, whose sole purpose was to judge you. Somehow though, my children enjoy it. Yes, they get nervous, but they are looking forward to the festival. We can't take pictures at the festival, but these are a few pics from their recital last month. Samuel had one too, I'm not sure where his pics are at the moment!

Some of the stuff...

2011-04-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Saoirse has grown a ridiculous amount and has certainly become a wonderful (most of the time) member of the family. Here she is in a big sleepover in the basement...

and the wake up call!

These blocks, Kepa/City Blocks/Keva (all the same thing - different prices depending on whether they're from Germany/China/US) have been THE FAVOURITE indoor play since we first got them. Originally I bought a set of 200, but realized VERY quickly that this amount would not suffice since every kid in the neighbourhood wanted to play and build at the same time. Thanks to ebay, we now have 1400, which has turned out to be a fantastic amount since they can all build and engineer together or on their own projects. This is one "toy" that I would strongly recommend - right up there with LEGO. They spend hours creating.

This was so cute. Samuel was reading to Liam and Teigan - we're studying Egypt - and Liam and Teigan ran to get note pads and pencils so that they could take notes!

The grade 5/6s did a unit on immigration with our co-op, which branched into a study of the Underground Railroad. Each of the kids designed and made a quilt square (with an explanation). Samuel's was very creative.

Teigan and Ariana having fun with fractions.

The "fun math" crew. This is another fun game - "Equate". Pretty much math scrabble. You have to have balanced equations though. If you can see, there are even fractions involved... 8 X 1/4 = 2.

Gorman's Mill

2010-12-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

What an absolutely fantastic field trip this was! One of the things that Samuel has been studying is BC Resources, so together with some other 5th and 6th graders from our co-op, we headed off to Gorman's Mill. We learned so much the production of wood and the way the entire mill functions. This was really a great trip.

An entire load of logs right off the back of a huge logging truck. Incidentally, it was about -15 this day! Our guide said it was definitely the coldest trip he'd ever done.

The technology in the mill is amazing. The computer does a scan of each log that comes through and, in a second or two, decides what width boards to cut the entire log into with the least amount of waste.

Papa came on the trip with us. He's standing by the huge saw blades to give us an idea of their size.

Our guide was great. Here he is showing and explaining to one of the groups the different things that get caught in wood and that have damaged the saw blades. Any metal is usually detected, but some things, like rocks can grow within a tree and cause damage. The blades must be changed immediately.

The work ethic and expectations at the mill were very impressive. The production expected is 100%. What they are doing every minute is posted across from them where they can see. They don't let the employees stay at any job for more than two hours so that they don't get tired, unproductive or dangerous.

Some of our motley crew in full safety gear with their sample boards.

Nature Explorations and a few other tid bits

2010-12-06T19:59:00.000-08:00

Throughout the fall, we have enjoyed some fantastic hikes and explorations with a wonderful naturalist. We have seen many different animals, and learned so much from him.

This is a game that we made up with verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs. It's straight grammar and the kids really enjoy it! They have to match the name (V, N, Adj or Adv in green) with the description (in red), together with a word that fits. They do it together or separately and try to beat each others times!

This was at AWANA. They had to come dressed as a Bible character. Take a guess who everyone is and I'll tell you at the bottom of the picture.

Liam is Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones! Teigan is Queen Esther (in a real salwar kameez) and Samuel is King David ready for battle. We joked about going as King David when he danced before the Lord - he didn't think that was funny! (We sure did.)

My Favourite Photo Cards

2010-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is the second year in a row that I will be using Shutterfly to make my Christmas Photo Cards and not just because they are giving me 50 free cards for doing a post! I already had my 2010 card designed and ready to go before I found out about this promo. I loved my cards from last year, and this year's are going to be even better! I want to show you - but I'll have to wait until later... besides that might ruin the surprise if you get one in the mail. They have hundreds of fantastic layouts, not just for Christmas cards, but you can make EASY photo calendars, birthday cards, stationary and SO MUCH MORE. The great thing is because it is so easy, that I actually made a few different mock ups to see which one I liked the best. When I got my cards last year I was really pleased with the quality. This year I'm doing something a little different and getting the card stock ones instead of photo paper. I'm excited to see how they'll turn out. I know I'll be thrilled.

If you are a blogger, give Shutterfly a try - 50 free cards! Trust me, you'll be thrilled! I only wish that I had my cards done about a month ago. :) They may end up being New Year's cards...

Science and anatomy... pint size

2010-10-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

We have been having an amazing time learning about anatomy. This day we looked at our hair, our blood, spit, and skin under the microscopes! SO VERY COOL. It was funny, today Liam had a pretty good fall on his bike; skinned his knees and gashed the palms of his hands. Through his tears he says, "can you get a slide so we can look at some of my blood under the microscope?"

While we do need to invest in a serious microscope, these little pocket explorer microscopes have been fantastic. The boys bring them on hikes and pull them out to get a closer look at anything from pond water to fungi.

See why we call it the "wonder room"? It's so much fun to watch them get all excited when something comes into focus. "MOM! You gotta see this!"

This day with the microscopes, we actually did science for three hours! Complete with illustrations of what they saw and write ups. Overheard more than once were comments like, "this is SO cool!" "Hey, come and see mine", "what are you looking at?"

Another very wonderful addition to our wonder room has been our little dissect"able" friend here. Complete with "organ-izer". You can see in the second picture, Teigan has the intestines out and and is just thinking about the stomach and the liver.

There are so many times and reasons that I am thankful for the opportunity to school and learn the way that we do. These kids LOVE to learn, and have such a fantastic sense of wonder and curiosity. How amazing for me to guide and learn along side them, exploring the incredible wonders of science (and everything else). I am truly blessed.

A little bit of math...

2010-10-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

What?! Poker chips in the classroom?! Ah yes... whatever I can get my hands on that the kids will enjoy "playing" with math, I will use. Poker chips have been a fantastic manipulative for place value, games, scoring... lots of great math. Teigan and Liam are building addition and subtraction (with regrouping) problems for each other to solve. They check to make sure that the other one solves it properly. Straight math, but the difference is they're "playing a game". And I love hearing things like, "make a really hard one for me!" or "this one looks like fun", or "Mom can you make a board into the millions?" Math - only more fun.

Oh wait... more math! Engineering this time.

I almost didn't get this this summer, and yet it has turned out to be one of the best purchases from my "planning weekend"! Made by Keva, Contraptions is basically what you see... 200 little blocks of wood and two little ping-pongish balls. Plus some great instructions and ideas to get the kids started. And all they needed was to start. Samuel and Liam built an incredible contraption that the ball stepped down one side to the other, back and forth all the way to the bottom. Fantastic engineering, lots of trial and error, but in the end they had built an amazing tower and step shaft. (The puppy came running through and ruined it before I thought to get the camera - they were not happy about that!)

We do math in a book sometimes too. Just in case you're wondering. :)

Beaching in October

2010-10-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love when God gives us unexpected gifts... like one last day of summer when we're already into October. So of course, what else do you do around here on a fabulous "summer" afternoon but call up some friends and head to the beach?! While the water was certainly chilly, the smiles and laughter, and warmth of the sun kept us all nice and toasty. The joy of kids. The simple joys of friendship.

We'll be skiing in a couple of months... but for now we're still relishing in the beautiful weather, and all of the outdoor joys and activities that we love about this time of year. And as always, enjoying our friends.

Samuel's new blog - Journey to Destiny

2010-10-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Samuel decided that he wanted to start a blog. He doesn't love to write, so anything I can do to support any form of writing that he will enjoy... I AM IN! He came up with the name himself; Journey to Destiny. Which I absolutely love. When I asked him about the name he said that he thought about the top of my blog - Enjoy the Journey. From there he was thinking about his own "journey" and where he was going. He said that even though he doesn't know where life will take him yet, he knows that God has a plan for his life. His destiny. So he is on the journey to destiny. LOVE IT! Go ahead and check it out. It thrills him to have people look at it and leave feedback. It makes him want to write more on it. Which of course - I completely support!

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

2010-10-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

After reading an especially descriptive section of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the kids decided that they wanted to draw the scene that Jules Verne had described in his book. I love when literature and art collides. Actually I just love that THEY love to learn. From here they went on to write some pretty fabulous short pieces; with an emphasis on description. It's pretty hard not be descriptive after you've read great literature!

Barkerville and the Gold Rush

2010-10-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Barkerville was such a fantastic part of our Gold Rush study. We're almost finished this study; and this was such a great way to have the whole study come to life. It was SO much fun, and we learned an incredible amount of history.

Everyone in the entire town was in full costume and character. The Theatre Royal show was so much fun and we were greatly entertained! They even got Jason up on stage which was hilarious. The kids were laughing so hard that the elderly couple a little to the front left, kept peeking back and them and laughing at the kids.

What gold rush, 1860s experience would be complete without a stage coach ride?! Of course all the kids wanted to ride outside while the adults were in the coach.

This guy was showing the kids about hard rock mining and trying to sign them up for the job. He told them he'd pay them a dollar a day for a 10 hour day. They weren't willing.

Judge Begby, "the Hanging Judge", confiscating all of Samuel's "weapons" before heading into court.

The merchants would each fly the flag of their country over their store or establishment. The school house had a British flag and a few others, but when Barkerville was first built up around Billy Barker's claim, it didn't really "belong" to anyone but the natives. Governor James Douglas quickly declared himself governor over the entire region and saved British Columbia from being annexed to the United States!

Oh yes... the school house. We spent an hour in the school house where we were all between the ages of 6 and 16. It was long enough to really get an idea of what it would have been like in that time. We were instructed before entering how to sit, address the teacher and respond... standing when called upon and answering in full sentences, ending in "mam". We all agreed that we would not have wanted to be in school there. And Teigan and I had to wear bonnets as not to distract the boys with our "lovely tresses". My Dad used to dip the girls braids in the type of ink wells that you see in front of Teigan! He went through a one room school in rural Ontario similar to this one.

This amazing piece of machinery, while we all agreed looked like a medieval trebuchet or catupult, was really used to pulverize rock.

The Cornish Waterwheel was really something to see in full swing. It was used to bring water from the creek, while another part took miners 52 feet down under ground and brought up buckets of rock and dirt to put through the large sluice box. Of which Liam is about to open the gate on.

We spent the later afternoon every day exploring the river for neat rock specimens, and of course panning for gold.

We did find flakes of gold in the river, but the big treasure for the kids were these big old fashioned jaw breakers from Mason and Daly. It felt very Little House on the Prairie. I half expected to have Mrs Olson come out and scold us for loitering on the front porch.

This was such a fantistic experience. I would recommend it to anyone, whether studying the gold rush or not. It was so much fun and such a great way to learn about history. The kids wanted to do another day on top of the two full days that we had already spent there. And we easily could have.

The Great Turtle Rescue

2010-09-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

Being such a beautiful autumn day yesterday, we headed over to the park (and pond) after music lessons. While the girls played at the park, the boys as usual headed over to the large pond for frogging and "turtling".

Within about ten minutes, both boys were back with an injured turtle (aptly named Hook), that they had rescued from the side of the pond. The boys of course had their pocket knives with them. (You never know when you might need to cut fishing line!)

After most every kid at the park had looked at and pet this little creature (and hopefully washed their hands), we decided that he needed to head to the vet. The hook was through the roof of his mouth and was bothering not only his mouth, but his eye as well.

Off we went to a local vet, and friend from church. It was the very end of the day, and he had gone home, but the assistant was thrilled that we had brought him in to them. She explained that the kids had no doubt saved his life because he wouldn't be able to eat. She talked with the kids for a while and explained that UBC had just done a study on the turtles from this pond. She took our number and told us that they would call us so that we could release Hook back to his home the next day.

So this afternoon we went back to the vet to pick up Hook. The assistant had gone home and printed out information for the kids about this kind of turtle. A red-eared slider. How great are some people? So you can guess what we'll be doing more research on.

The vet had the kids all put gloves on before they would give the turtle back to them. And off we headed to the pond for the big release.

Look Ma, no hook!

Teigan is actually hugging Hook here, and I'm the only one who finds that funny! Everyone said their goodbyes, told him not to eat strange shiny things, told him they'd look for him next time. (We marked his shell with nail polish - H for Hook.)

And off he swam. Back home in his pond with a new lease on life. I can't even remember how many animals we have rescued, or tried to rescue. We've had a few not make it through the night. (Abandon baby quail are very fragile - we have yet to have one live.) But these experiences, the ones that are rescued and released back into their homes, are so rewarding.

Papa and the Rocks

2010-09-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is my dad... an amazing man in my life. An amazing man in my kids' lives. I find it somewhat amusing, ironic maybe, that this man who has been an absolute rock in my life has always had a fascination with rocks. He is now passing that down to my kids.

They are two weeks into a six week process of polishing a bunch of rocks. Today they had to take them out, rinse them and put in some different kind of grit or something. (They were listening, I was just taking pictures!)

Here he's showing the kids the new stuff that they'll be putting in this time and explaining why the change. I love Teigan's little eye's peeking up beside Papa's arm.

The rocks when they first took them out of the polisher today.

After the rinse, with the new grit... for the next round of tumbling. It's a long and hard process to get the rough edges down and get to that beautiful reflection stage. Ever feel like you're in a dark, gritty tumbler with the pounding coming from all sides? Imagine the beauty and changes when it's all over.

Inspecting other partially polished rocks. Which ones to take all the way?

Sealing it back up for the tumbling.

I absolutely love this last picture. That is SO completely my dad. The hard working hands, so strong, yet so tender. The only two pieces of jewelry he would ever wear. His wedding ring of fifty years, and his Jerusalem cross ring. His wife and family, and his Lord. Yes, this man is my rock.

(My husband IS my other rock on this earth.)

Kids and Flight - and a lot of paper airplanes

2010-09-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Our co-op had a great time learning about the principles of flight at the Okanagan Science Center. The kids first learned about the different forces on an airplane in flight, as well as Bernoulli's principle - remember that one? Bernoulli's principle works on the idea that as a wing passes through the air the shape makes the air travel more over the top of the wing than beneath it. This creates a higher pressure beneath the wing than above it. The pressure difference causes the wing to push upwards and lift is created. Or something like that!

In small groups the kids worked to follow directions on four different paper airplanes; predicting which ones they thought had the better designs, and which would go the farthest. Then they tried them out, marking the spots of the different planes.

Waiting to throw and test out the planes!

Testing out the different principles that we learned. When you blow under the paper, the lower pressure "pulls" the paper down. When you blow over the top of the paper, the lower pressure over the top causes "lift".

Checking out his plane before flight with the basic forces and Bernoulli's effect on the board behind him.

All in all, a great day with the co-op at the Science Center. Lots of fun, learning, and friends. Good times.

The Wood Worker and the Ponderer...

2010-09-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be a part of an amazing home learning co-op. This was a wood-working afternoon at some new friends' home.

Samuel spent most of the time whittling along with another kid. They ended up with swords and spears! So very unlike ten year old boys, I know.

Teigan was very focused on her project. I had no idea where she was headed with this, but she did all the cutting, sanding and hammering herself. You have to enjoy little girls with tools!

Liam was so focused in his work. Long after every other kid had finished whatever they were working on and run off to play, he pressed through. Cutting, sanding, shaping... he had a plan in mind.

A picture frame. The finished product in the hands of the builder.

I am so thankful that my Builder has a finished product in mind.

Handy Work

2010-09-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

This is the rebuild of the fort that the boys worked so hard to build. (Including my "other son" - our neighbour "Big Liam". The first one was really great, and looked fantastic. But some kids destroyed that and wrote some "swears" on the inside. The swears being, "JERK" and "LOSER". Actually it said, "Alex you're such a loser." With the retort of, "You're a jerk" underneath that. The kids were so upset. So this time they decided that they would make it look like a junk pile so no one would know that there was in fact a fort underneath. Huh. Good thinking. So far it's worked. It's getting colder, but they are still out there many days; hammering, building, laughing and playing. Because after all, every boy needs a fort.

Ariana and Teigan on their way to visit the boys at the fort. I absolutely LOVE the friendship that these two share. I pray that this will be lifelong for them. I have an incredible friendship that began when we were less than a year older than these two. The thought that Teigan would have a friend like that makes my heart swell.

Teigan can not get enough crafts in lately. She is sewing, beading, weaving... you name it, she's doing it. She has learned how to make friendship bracelets, so that's what she is working on here.

Does every little boy love to build? Mine do. Give them a saw, hammer and nails and they are occupied for hours. Samuel built himself a little shelf for his room out of some of the scrap wood that he found around. I'm not sure if he was practicing, but there are an awful lot of dents no where near the nails! He enjoyed making his project and as of today - it's serving its intended purpose in his room.

Kids of Steel Triathlon

2010-09-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

Having just cheered a friend on in Ironman, Samuel and Teigan both decided that they wanted to do the Kids of Steel Triathlon. Liam said, "I could be wrong, but I don't really think it sounds like that much fun." Ha!

Teigan's little set up at the transition area. We are first time triathletes (not me - them) and boy we learned a lot for the next time. And yes, they both want to do it again.

Little bitty... it was only 13 degrees when the race started and they had to get into the lake. She was cold before she even got in the water. I was SO crazy proud of her; all 37 little pounds of her. At one point, I didn't know if she was going to get in there or not.

Ya, we also realized through this experience that both the kids - actually all three of them - need new bikes! They are way too small. And while Teigan didn't notice, she was the only little girl on a hand-me-down boys bike. I do love that she didn't give a lick. Especially since the next one coming is Liam's old one - however it is just way too big at this point.

Crossing the finish line!

What a great experience. Liam even says that he MIGHT do it next year.

One Thousand Gifts - let the counting commence...

2010-09-06T13:31:00.001-07:00

When I was teaching in the school system, I had my students keep a "Thankful Journal". I had actually long forgotten about that. But in the past few weeks, I have been reminded; and challenged to start again. My life is over flowing with blessings. Sometimes those aren't the things that get the focus. Sometimes the busyness, the challenges and the hectic things in life overshadow the blessings, and because we don't take the moments to sit and reflect on all of our blessings, they go unnoticed.

We, and hundreds of others, had hiked by this amazing tiny flower and never noticed the intricate beauty of it. It was certainly almost lost in the rest of the terrain surrounding it. As I bent to tie my shoe, I finally noticed it. I am in awe of it's beauty. That an almighty God, creating the universe, would create something so tiny and with such perfection. He didn't have to. He could have made everything black and white, monochrome, and we would never have known the difference. But He didn't. He loves us and His blessings are everywhere. I'm going to start counting.

I've been told it is life changing. Told that it becomes a bit addictive, and that you start to notice the little blessings all around you. I'm counting on it!

1. First and foremost, above all else I am eternally thankful for a loving God. Whose love, grace and mercy ARE my life.
2. My Mom and Dad. Amazing people. Gifts to me from God above.
3. The family as a whole that I grew up in. The experiences, the memories, the life.
4. My brothers. All three of them. Do they know that I count them as blessings in my life, that I am so thankful for them? Maybe I should tell them too.
5. My amazing husband. Through all of life's ups and downs, joys and challenges, he is a massive blessing. He is a gift to my life, in my life. I can't imagine this journey without him.
6. My children. Three of them. I'm sure on my way to counting a thousand gifts and blessings, they will appear many, many times. In the things they do and say. Today in the simplicity of the beginning, I am just going to say... my children.
7. My friends. Again, through the counting, they will come up again and again I know. I have many treasured friends.
8. My heritage. I have thought of this recently. In one branch of my family it goes back generation after generation (beyond what we can count) of people who knew and loved the Lord, whose lives were in Him. My children have been prayed for for six generations, (my brothers and I for at least five.) A Godly heritage.
9. The ability to be home with my children. To spend my days learning, exploring and creating with them.
10. The quiet moment that I have right now; in this space. For it won't last long. The kids are outside "helping" daddy build the waterfall. For this moment in time, I'm alone. It's quiet and peaceful. And I am thankful.

My heart is full.

Amphibians. Hands on.

2010-09-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

There are no books or films, no study or documentaries that can ever compare to real hands on experiences. And so we have a close up look at amphibians. Hands on.

The kids spent hours finding and collecting all of these amazing little creatures. Comparing their legs and toes, bodies and eyes. Real life. Gotta love it.

The Wonder of Fishing.

2010-09-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

There is something so perfect about being out in the woods. A serene lake, fishing, a campfire, friends...

We are blessed in so many ways. One of which is certainly the beauty of nature all around us. I always want our kids to be close to nature and to see the glory of creation all around them. Last Child in the Woods, talks of "nature-deficit" kids who are growing up with no connection to nature at all. That, is not my kids!

Samuel found himself a perfect spot to commune with nature and catch dinner!

Liam found his own little nook, and fished off the shore.

First catch of the day!

At this point the fish wasn't quite dead yet. Teigan wasn't sure how to deal with that fact.

I am so thankful for the amazing men that are a part of our kids' lives. On top of having an amazing Dad, and wonderful Grandpas close by, our kids have a bunch of really incredible guys that they admire and look up to. Samuel went off with a couple of the guys hiking around the lake.

I have to laugh. Really - we all have too much stuff. Too many toys, clothes, books... (I'm just kidding about the books!) But when the kids can have fun with dead fish - who really needs toys?!

Liam getting an up close and personal look at the gills on this lake trout.

I love this picture of the kids' rods. They were at this point taking a break from the fishing and on to the frogging. As successful as everyone was fishing - it was nothing compared to the entire community of amphibians that they collected!

The dogs decided that a nap by the fire would be a good resting spot. Who could argue?

Daddy and Teigan ready to head out in the boat.

The little girlie - trying so hard to catch that elusive fish.

Yup, being out in nature is one of my favourite things. It doesn't even really matter what we are doing. But I could go for a while with blessings just from this one day alone...

The absolute glory of nature all around us.
Laughing and squealing as we 4 wheel through mud to the top of the tires.
Beautiful people that God has put in our lives.
Delicious trout!
The joy and laughter of 5 kids running around in the woods.
Calm beauty and serene moments.
A blazing hot campfire on a cold evening.
Sleeping children in the back of the truck; tired out from a full day in the great outdoors.

Another Wonderful Summer Wrapping Up...

2010-09-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

As we are getting ready to dive head first into the swing of things around here - I am gratefully looking back over another crazy summer of life, learning, family and friends.

The kids all went to Sunnyside Bible Camp in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. I was a little hesitant sending Teigan at 6, but she was so excited to make new friends. What a great attitude. Of course she loved it!

Because of the 14+ hour drive ahead of us, I picked the kids up early from camp. While the kids were in chapel, I spent my time rummaging through their cabins in search of items I recognized, packing up camp clothes, stuffing sleeping bags, finding wet towels, muddy shoes and beloved stuffies, before heading to the chapel.

The theme of the week was heroes. Godly heroes. As I sat in the back of the final kids' chapel, before the rest of the parents arrived, I watched and listened to over a hundred little kids, voices raised in worship to a God who had become even more real to them that week. The speaker went over some of the stories and things they'd learned; how King David was anointed and set apart as a child. I sat, tears streaming down my face, as I watched my children go to the front to be anointed. Set apart.

While I don't expect my kids to be kings - I do know that God has an incredible plan for their lives. They are set apart.

I know... they look set apart don't they?! Oh, but to wonder what a mighty God will do with little ones who stand fast in Him.

We had LOTS of nature studies through the summer...

from dissecting owl pellets and organizing the different bones...

...to the pink lady butterflies that we raised from the larva. We have done this twice now and never cease to be amazed at the wonder of God's glory in such a tiny little creature. One thing that we learned this time is that scientists know that the caterpillar turns to goo inside the chrysalis, but have NO idea how it becomes a butterfly. "God uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise." (1 Cor. 1:27)

This beautiful mama robin decided that one of our planters would be a perfect place to set up home. We, of course, appreciated that greatly as it gave us a fabulous front row seat to all the going-ons from eggs to first flights.

How's this for an up close and personal look at elk?! We of course stayed on the far side of the road, close to the car. It is after all a dangerous wild animal. (When it decides to be - and we weren't going to find out when or if that might be!)

From the majestic mountain peaks to the ocean shores. The kids spent hours digging, exploring, and lost in the wonder of life in the tidal pools.

There were always lots of books around, so my little readers were never at a loss for what to do during down time...

Ah... let see - how about a little P.E.?!

Lots of beautiful hikes during our stay in Whistler.

Samuel spent 9 days at a ski and water ramp camp. From early morning until 8 at night some evenings! He's working on his 360s and 540s.

A little bit of crazy fun on a stunningly beautiful lake?!

Or maybe a game of beach football...

The dock is always a favourite.

Of course respecting the wildlife as we hike!

Some hair raising experiences...

and a little luge...

Of course the REAL Olympic sliding track at Whistler was something to see. Maybe next year we'll get to have a ride in a bobsled!

Teigan all ready to go on the skeleton. "Mommy, I look like Jon Montgomery!"

And some cultural experiences at the First Nations center at Whistler.

The Peak to Peak experience is exactly that. An experience. With the longest unsupported span in the world (over three km), it is an engineering marvel. As we passed over a small river below, one of the others on the tram asked if anyone knew what the waterfall was down below. Without missing a beat, Samuel pipes in that it is a hydroelectric dam. While not a large one, it certainly was. We learned that it is actually large enough to power all of the Whistler area. How about that study on hydroelectricity last year! Yeah!

And of course LOTS of friends, cousins and family.

This summer was a monumental year for our family as my Dad and Mom celebrated 50 years of marriage. What a testimony and a blessing for our family to have parents/grandparents who love and stand by through all of life.

An amazing summer, filled with joy and laughter, family and friends, living and learning, and the blessings of God.

Vancouver 2010 - Our Olympic Experience

2010-02-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic time we had in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics! The atmosphere was amazing and we were thrilled to be a part of it all.

When Liam saw the chefs he went running to the window to watch. When I told him what this place was he was he got so excited! Can you tell what he wants to be when he grows up?!
Teigan in the new Olympic sport of hopscotch!

Our four man bobsled team!
This was pretty funny - another Swiss guy just picked Liam up and put him on this guys shoulders!
Skating outside at the Richmond Olympic Zone. Great fun!
Captain Canada and his sidekick Olympic Man.
The Victory Ceremony inside BC Place for Alex Biledeau and Canada's first gold medal!

Alex Biledeau! Samuel's "hero" in his sport. This is who the kids got to meet and Samuel even got to ski with a couple of weeks before the Olympics.
The Olympic cauldron is absolutely beautiful.

Samuel's Big White Competition

2010-02-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

This was Samuel's first competition. He did very well and placed 5th in slope style on jumps and aerials. Here he is doing a daffy off of a very big jump!

This is mute grab off another jump.
And more air. Samuel loves the big air. He really enjoyed the competition and can't wait until the next one! I was so proud of him.

Canadian Olympic Moguls Team!

2010-02-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

It all started after training Saturday afternoon. The mountain was closed and we were having a nice, cozy hot chocolate in the dining room, when one of Samuel's coaches came in and asked if they boys could help prepare the mogul course for the Olympians! We all got our gear back on and took the, now closed to the public, t-bar part way up the hill and across to the course. The boys got to "slip" the course (slide down side by side pushing the fresh snow away). That first night we got to watch Kristi Richards, Chloe Dafour-Lapointe and Jenn Heil and Alex Bilodeau training. It was AMAZING.

This picture shows the course as well as our spot for the training. We ended up going up multiple times throughout the week to watch them and on the last night Samuel even got to ski the course with the athletes!

Jennifer Heil and Teigan.
Kristi Richards. (Teigan's very favourite!)
The boys and Chloe Dafour-Lapointe.
Samuel and his very favourite, Alex Bilodeau!

After training the athletes would come and talk with the kids. They were really great. Such a fantastic experience to watch them train and be so close. Next week there will be thousands of people, and we had our own private nights!

"Treetop" and "Backyard Mountain"

2010-02-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

The kids love to hike up "Backyard Mountain" as they have dubbed it. It's actually a pretty good hike, and lots of fun. Here's Teigan fully prepared with her backpack complete with snacks and water.

The kids at "Treetop". They are pulling all of the branches from anywhere close (some not so close) and starting to construct their little area.
Here they are trying to get a fire started. The wood was far too wet!

Fun and Games...

2010-02-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

We do love our games, and they come in all different shapes and sizes. We have a plethora of dice, from four sided pyramids to 30 sided, tridecahedrons. We have made up some pretty fabulous games.

Here Samuel and I are playing one game around factors, while Liam and Teigan are playing their own game that has a lot of probability in it.
The boys built and dug this little fort and tunnel. On this day, they are having their snack and hot chocolate in the fort with our dog Boru.
Chemistry fun - safety first!
The boys counting their money from shoveling driveways.

The Olympic Torch comes to Summerland!

2010-02-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

What an exciting day it was when the Olympic Torch came through our little town of Summerland! We were all out, proudly sporting our Canadian gear and even suited up our American friends for the event.

Liam being oh so very Liam!

Our crew owned that little corner!
Cheering on the Olympic Torch.
We ran through the back streets to get over to where they were lighting the next torch - it was very exciting.

The kids got to meet our hometown hero and favourite Kristi Richards. The kids all ski freestyle - and Samuel has gone competitive this year in the same discipline as Kristi. (Moguls and aerials.)
Holding one of the torches!
What a wonderful day!

Our visit to CROC TALK

2010-02-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

A very fun and educational visit to Croc Talk. They are an educational, conservation habitat.

Arianna and Teigan with one of the young, smaller crocodiles.
These ones were born in the habitat and have been raised from the eggs.

They had a few other kids of exotic animals. This is an African Cougar. Almost like a cross between a cougar and a linx.
This big guy was a rescue and has come a long way since he first came to the shelter. He had been experimented on for years with no anesthetics. It took a very long time to trust his new owners.
This guy was rescued from an abusive home. He has terrible calcium build up in his shell, which indicated very poor malnutrition.

Fire Hall

2009-12-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

We learned some great history of old town Penticton and how they used to have to call the fire brigade. I'm sure they lost a lot of homes back then!

Liam trying to get the jacket on that was way too big!
Teigan, getting a little help from a friend.
This trip was really neat because they showed us (and let us try) the oxygen that they use when they are in fires. They also explained how their suits work to keep them cool (er) even though a fire can be above 400 degrees!
Samuel and I got to try on the entire suits and gear. It is actually much heavier than I realized, and not very easy to walk in. Of course it may have been easier if the gear actually fit me!
Teigan was too little to try the gear on, but she was pretty happy in the hat.

Elecrical Engineering!

2009-12-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

One of the dads (an electrical engineer) did a great morning of circuits and batteries, solar power, potatoes... fantastic time! Here the kids are completing circuits and using batteries for power.

YES! This really did work - it lit up a small light bulb. The potato became an electrochemical battery - by using copper pennies and the nails, the reaction was enough to light the bulb. Apparently it works even better with lemons.
When everything was done and everyone else went out to play...
and then when even that was done... Samuel spent at least an hour on his own and actually connected all three circuit boards and made every light and fan work at the same time!
Two scientists engrossed in activity!
Once Liam was done with the circuits he set to fixing broken toys.

Karate

2009-12-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

The boys have both enjoyed karate this year. Here they are after karate showing a few of their moves!

Teigan's Birthday

2009-12-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

The boys of course got up early and made Teigan a special breakfast...

She had to be blindfolded and led to her seat...
And who wouldn't be thrilled with such a special start to the day done by your brothers?!
We went swimming with a bunch of the little girl friends.

Mama came over the next day to help sew and quilt with us.

Learning Circle beach afternoon - fire building

2009-12-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

While this does look dangerous, I assure you it was supervised! The boys were actually doing very thought out experiments as to what materials caught fire quickly, what burned well, and what burned out quickly. This was somewhat to the chagrin of some of the ah, less experimentive moms. (The moms involved were right there.)

You've gotta love the Okanagan; at the beach in November.
There's a serious learning circle...
Teigan was heating up her own little hot chocolate over the fire.
Samuel and his friend had made the first fire for everyone, so Liam and his buddy asked if they could try their hand at being the campfire starters. So we moved down to the next fire pit and let them have a go at it. While there was a lot of smoke to start with, they did get a beautiful fire going.

Science World comes to us!

2009-12-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Samuel enjoyed this demonstration - everyone thought he was SO brave - but he has done this experiment at home and knew that the pressure would hold the lid on!

This was fun to watch as they showed us how things expand when there is little oxygen - like in space!
This reacted to the CO2 in the science guy's breath. The other didn't change colour since it wasn't CO2.
More fun experiments. It's always so much fun when things involve flaming fire balls!
Science is always so much fun!

Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Treetop Adventures

2009-11-04T00:14:00.001-08:00

What a fabulous day we had at a very old, but redone adventure...

The bridge - originally built in 1888, was great fun. But the Treetop Adventures was wonderful.
Samuel counting the rings to find out how old this tree was when they cut it down.
Teigan enjoying one of the 15 bridges that run through the Coastal Rain Forest canopy from one "fort" to another.
The crew on another of the 15 bridges, far above the forest floor.
It's good to have a big brother.
Figuring out the circumference of one of the big trees. We estimated, based on our height (and therefore arm span) that this tree was about 14 ft. around.
Samuel was the official board reader, and took his job very seriously. Here he is reading about a healthy pond.
We of course found math everywhere! This spot we had to stop and talk about the cool spiderweb pattern that the builders would have had to figure out with angles. Perfect example of 45, 90, 180, and 360. (And everything else in between, but those were the ones we focused on.)
Smelling the needles from the giant hemlock tree, which we learned got its name because it smells like the poisonous weed that killed Socrates!
Exploring (but not eating!) the rain forest floor...
and the rain forest canopy!
A really wonderful time. We ended up with a season pass!

Pumpkin Math

2009-11-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

This was a great morning of fun with math - and about 30 other home learners. (+Moms!)

Liam and his group weighing their pumpkin, after guessing the weight, and then estimating (after picking up some items of 5 lbs and 10 lbs).

A table of friends using non standard measurements (unifix cubes) to measure the height of their pumpkin.
Another table measuring the height with standard measurements.
Counting seeds into groups of 10 and then 100s.
Getting that top off!
Liam and Teigan getting deep down, goopy and dirty!
We had booklets where we recorded all of our estimates, measurements, graphs and everything else.
Of course one of the amazing moms made pumpkin muffins which everyone enjoyed while we talked about the graphs.
Who had a fun with math today?!
The top of the tarp showing the groups and their pumpkin seeds by 100, 10, and 1s.
A few of the graphs...

Math games and pancakes!

2009-11-03T23:09:00.000-08:00

Liam and Teigan having fun with math. Here they are building the numbers with tens and ones. When there are ten popcorn kernals those go into the "tens" container and into the tens column. (Making sure to write one more group of ten.

They would build a number with the 1000, 100, 10 and 1 chips and the other would write down the number.
She actually has it right, you just can't see the piled chips!
Our "Fraction Action" game that we play with the geometric blocks. You have to use the real shape names and the fraction, (hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid and triangle), the hexagon = 1, the rhombus = 1/3, the trapezoid = 1/2, and the triangle = 1/6. When you roll the dice you put on what ever fraction piece you roll. You can make "trades", and you have to say what the trade is. Example: "1/3 + 1/6 = 1/2". Or "1/2 + 1/6 = 2/3". When you fill up your hexagon - one whole - you get a point.

Other fun things the kids like to do with those blocks. Building symmetrical rocket ships...
And symmetrical, three dimensional bugs - (that get bumped!)
Banned from my own kitchen again. This morning I was not allowed in at all, so went to practice piano with Teigan. Completely on their own, the boys made pancakes from scratch, with a little extra vanilla and a hint of brown sugar. Delicious! I was only allowed in at the end to take a few pictures!
I've got some great little chefs happening around here!

Playing with motion

2009-10-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

When left to their own devices... the experiments always come out!

This time they built a "track" and were experimenting to see how far they could roll this seat pad. It went through various stages of creation and then various rolling objects. "We need something wider! That'll be more stable." "Hey let's take this part out of the track, it's slowing down the momentum."

Force and motion anyone?!

The MacMillian Pumpkin Farm

2009-10-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day for a pumpkin farm! This was a new farm for us. We hadn't heard of it before, but we will certainly be back.

Teigan held her lamb above her head in the hay maze so her friend could find her! The corn maze however was WAY too high.

Some of the girls on the hay ride. We had a big hay ride all around the property. Besides cows and sheep, we also saw blue heron and heard about how they are now hunting the mice in his fields.
Some of the boys...
Having a great time in the corn box.
The corn maze was fantastic. We all had fun and the kids went through it numerous times. We only lost two kids. (Of course they were the three year olds!)
Teigan and Ariana heading in...
It was a gorgeous farm. The only disappointment was that the pumpkin sling shot was broken. We might just have to build one of those!

We bought lots of different little pumpkins, gourds, corn cobs and other things for a fall table. The kids of course had fun taking the wagon back from the car.
And time to go!

Abbotsford Game Farm

2009-10-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

The best part of the game farm was the raptor show that the trainer did just for us.

The face of this barn owl acts as a parabolic dish enabling it to hear better.
All raptors who are born in captivity must have a gold ring on their leg to show this fact. This hawk and his brother were named Frodo and Sam (Lord of the Rings) because they carried the ring.
I got to hold and pet Frodo. His beak and his talons were very sharp and a little intimidating close up!
This llama certainly enjoyed the attention that it got from the kids.
While the older giraffe didn't come close to us, the young one was very friendly and curious. This is quite a young giraffe, as his spots are still very light. They go darker and almost black as they age.

Fort Langley and the Voyageurs

2009-10-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

While the weather wasn't the greatest, it didn't dampen any enthusiasm or excitement. This was a great trip with some great friends.

Teigan helped with the flag as the parents sang God Save the Queen.

We got to feel and check out lots of different furs that would have been traded and hauled up the rivers for the fur trade with Europe.
Boxes of course would be harder to move so fish, cranberries and other supplies were packed in crates. The kids all tried their hand at barrel rolling. Girls vs. Boys!
My littlest voyageur. Notice the rain drops on the river! And of course the high fashion black garbage bags. (Some things were authentic.)
Samuel digging in on the 20-20-20. We learned different strokes and songs that the voyageurs used.
Liam working hard. Some of the kids just gave up on hats and keeping their heads dry.
The voyageur's salute!
A really great trip! The next day was bright and sunny, but Samuel thought that this day was more authentic to what the voyageurs would have experienced more often than not. Great attitude.

Steamboat Rock and the Grand Coulee Dam

2009-10-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Our great crew of kids. What a fantastic time together. Lots of creative play, joy and laughter.

Jayden and Samuel doing the dishes - chores don't stop just because you're camping!
One of the many games...
Liam, of course, helped with the cooking. Here he is preparing the peppers and onions for the fajitas.
The Grand Coulee Dam at night night time. The water is coming down and the blue and green are lasers. They did a wonderful presentation on the history of the area and the dam.
Liam and Grant checking out the model of the dam and how it works.
Samuel and Teigan "flying" through the dam and area.
Teigan and a model of one of the turbines.
Fishing is always a favourite.
In this picture you can see more of the geographical land formations of the area.
Boys and fishing.
All seven kids.
They drew cities and roads with the sidewalk chalk and had a great time playing together.

Back yard Archaeology!

2009-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic afternoon this turned out to be! We are studying explorers and right now we are looking at the Vikings. We were reading about the settlement that was discovered in Newfoundland and how the archaeologists uncovered it, proving that there was a viking settlement there right about a 1000 years ago. So today we set up our own dig, and pretended that we were looking for evidence that people had once lived in this area. What fantastic artifacts we found.

Ariana sifting through the dirt, being careful not to damage anything.
The dig site and archaeologists from above.
In Ariana's quadrant she found what everyone decided was one of the most important discoveries. A coin showing that the people who did live in this area had some kind of money system.
Each archaeologist dug in their quadrant and recorded what they found. Then we all got together and shared what each one found, speculating over what something may have been or what it was used for.
Teigan carefully cleaning the dirt off one of the found "artifacts".
Liam and Ariana, finding one of his treasures to share about.
Teigan filling in the rest of her grid, while Ariana is showing her the exciting coin!
Samuel showing Liam one of the finds so he can draw it into the proper quadrant.
This whole activity took about two hours and the kids were right into it the whole time. What a great afternoon!

One great day - salmon run, enjoying the Okanagan, orchards and tractors.

2009-09-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

We ended up hanging out with Randy at the orchard and the kids all got to drive the tractor. BIG hit!

One, two, three... JUMP! (It's the end of September and we're still in the water!)
Liam...
Samuel...
Always exploring...

The Salmon run...

Hiking to the falls. Everyone carries their own water and snacks.
The boys bouldering up and along a fantastic rock face.
The area has changed since last fall. There was a rock slide and what used to be a nice pool at the bottom of the falls is now filled with rocks of all sizes. Of course the kids didn't mind at all!
Crossing a felled tree over a moving stream filled with salmon... no big deal.
One of the spawning salmon making its way up stream to spawn.
Exploring down by the creek side.

There weren't as many salmon as there have been in years past. The salmon run is low everywhere around here this year.

Praying Mantis

2009-09-23T01:20:00.000-07:00

The boys found this little fellow out in the back yard. We checked him out for a while before letting him go back to his environment. He didn't seem bothered at all.

The Aqua Van comes to town...

2009-09-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Aqua Van from the Vancouver Aquarium. It was a great experience and we learned a few brand things. Above, Samuel is learning to tell the difference in the sexes of crabs... beehive or lighthouse. New to me.

Teigan and Samuel checking out the fabulous sea anemone.
Learning about the sea star and how it actually takes its stomach out of its body to eat. Plunks it down on the food, digests and then takes the nutrients it needs into its body, leaving the rest behind.
Liam, up close and personal with a little sea star; checking out the little "feet".
Teigan feeling a sea urchin.
The other fabulous thing that we learned was that a sea otter will carry the same rock (its tool) around for its entire life! It tucks it under its armpit.

Great morning with the Aqua Van.

Welcome back to the adventure... Wonder School 2009

2009-09-23T00:52:00.000-07:00

Simon and Samuel spent a good chunk of their time playing with words and building fun and crazy sentences. We all had a good laugh at their sentences.
Enjoying listening to our stories outside on the hammock. The weather is still beautiful!
Liam working on some various creation. Wax strips, paper plates, scissors... hmmm
Samuel and some of his symmetrical creations.
Geo Caching at the basalt columns in Keremeos. Volcanic formations similar to Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Great fun.

Back to life in pictures

2007-06-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Everything has been SO insane between my Grandma (she's not doing well), wrapping up the final reporting stuff for homeschooling, having an extra kid.... and then of course my cousin Lisa got me onto Facebook - like I needed something else! But I've managed to do some of my favourite things (take pictures, play with my kids and honey), so here's a bit as of late...

I LOVE this picture of Liam - so completely him! The giggle, the smoosh, the squish... Liam. We've had Jesse visiting with us from Guatamala for the past week, so these three have been quite the team. Again - LOVE this picture! My gorgeous honey, and my squishy son.

The guys heading out on a hike. Samuel of course has everything that he may possibly need. Including his lantern... it's about 2 in the afternoon. He's got about six books in that pack too... Samuel and my Dad never leave home without at least one book, and usually more!

I love this part of our day... just laying around reading to the kids. "Hey Mom, can you read to us now?" How do you say no to that? Samuel said the other day, "we're still going to read every day all throught the summer, right Mom?"

Some beach shots taken today of the cutest little mermaid that ever lived...

I love where we live! the beach again... Great weather, great day, and about 5pm the waves picked up and the lake started to feel a bit like an ocean.

Teigan and the Flyswatter

2007-06-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Teigan comes running deeply concerned, "Mommy, Mommy, there's a fly on the window!"

"Okay, sweetie, let's get the flyswatter and we'll get that fly."

She comes to me about a minute later and gives me a glass of water.

"Thanks Tink, what's this for?"

She looks right at me and proclaims, "It's the fly's water, so you can get the fly!"

Our backyard neighbours

2007-06-18T01:05:00.001-07:00

We came home the other night to Boru barking his fool head off and heard a rustling in the trees far too loud to be any raccoon... we got the kids into the house and yes, lovely... there was a mid-sized black bear beside our deck with a big black bag of garbage. Mmmm, nice - nicer still when he tried to take the garbage bag up the tree with him. Jason gave him a number of shots in the butt with his pellet gun; this may have annoyed him, but that's about it. Finally Samuel scared him away with the pots and pans. So then the next day we find these three... Beautiful black mama bear and her two little cubs. One black, one brown. I assure you I have my telephoto lens on. Yes, I'm probably still too close - but I could have run into the house pretty quickly.

Check out Mama bear's claws!

My Big God, my little boy...

2007-06-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Before you get started and just so you know... this is my longest post ever and no pictures. What's with that?! But as I lay in bed thinking about the whole event again a few nights later, I thought, I want to write that down so I don't forget... so this is where I wrote it down.

It never ceases to amaze me that the Creator of the universe, cares about the little things in my life. Or in this case, my son's life. Simple events and circumstances throughout the day that lead to a very meaningful, poignant little life lesson for a six year old. Now I know there are those who would give the credit to coincidence, mere happenings. But just like when you know someone so intimately that when a little surprise comes your way, and you know they had a hand in it. It has their "signiture" all over it. That was what happened looking back over the day once it was done.

Now Samuel has wanted a Hot Wheels race track for, well... ever. But, they're expensive, so alas he hasn't had one. So Tuesday afternoon we head over to the Thrift Store with a friend. I haven't had the time to check it out for months, but she's visiting her old stomping grounds and wants to check out the Thrift Store. Now Samuel doesn't come by money easily, and other than what he gets for his teeth, he earns most of his money. Picking up pinecones, cleaning the van out... the extras that don't really fit under just normal family responsibilities like making your bed and putting away your laundry. So Samuel takes a two Loonies out of his piggy bank and gives one to his visiting friend. Off we go.

Well of course Teigan has to go to the bathroom, so I leave the boys in the toy area of the store and tell them to stay there and I'll let my friend know to keep an eye on them. I get back just in time to see a sweet little old lady give each of the three boys a Loonie. I'm just about to say something. What, I'm still not sure, when she says to me, "oh no honey, please let me do this. I have great grandchildren that live so far away and I rarely ever get to see them. It would just make me so happy. And besides, I've so enjoyed listening to these two (Samuel and Liam) talk about how if they put their money together that they could buy the thing they want but then they wouldn't have any left for the little doll they found for their sister." So she gives them all a Loonie (and totally makes the boys' day!).

So the thing they were talking about pooling their money for was in fact a Hot Wheels race track. Complete with numerous tracks, loop d loops, race houses, gas station... for $2! Well, I'm almost as excited as they are because this certainly means that I don't have to even think about that track anymore. Yeah - besides it is really fun and I still remember ours from when we were kids - they're still the same bright orange tracks too. (Well, this may have been our set for all I know, but it's fabulous!)

Okay, so this wasn't supposed to be such a long story, but here's where it gets good. At least the life lesson part.

Samuel had his piano recital that same night and Grandma and Papa, Nana and Grandad... every one came to see him. Grandma and Papa gave him a card with a Toonie and two quarters in it. He was thrilled!

So after his adorable recital, which he did really great in, we decide to go see Surf's Up because it's just about to start and it's only 7:00, so we go have a little celebratory movie night. Great fun. Samuel though seemed a wee bit off. Nothing specific, just not quite right.

We're just about home when I say to him, "don't forget to call Mama and Papa and thank them for the card and the money." Oh my goodness! Now Samuel is not a child given to hysterics or tantrums or anything of the sort, but I'd say he was on the verge on hysterics. He just started bawling. Uncontrollably. We get home and Jason takes the other kids inside and Samuel and I sit for a while - quite a while because it took a good long time just to calm him down! He was sobbing and heaving and trying to say something, but I had no idea what. So when he finally calms down enough that I can somewhat understand him, he says, "those people at the movie theater are so disrespectful!" (I thought this was a bit of a humourous statement from a six year old, but I held my smile.) Then he starts bawling again and says, four times over before I actually make out what it is that he's trying to say, "I'm a bad boy." Well, if you know me very well, you'll know that I don't accept that from any kid, nor do I like that put on any kid. So I dealt with that first before we even moved on. "Are you kind to people?" Sniffles, snot, heaves, "yes." "And do you try your best to do the right thing and to listen and be good." More of the above, "Yes." "And do you love God and your family and your friends?" Still continuing but somewhat calmer, "Yes." "So... are you a bad boy or are you a good boy who maybe made a bad choice?" "I am a good boy. I did make a bad choice."

He put his Toonie in a candy machine at the theatre and got 4 candies. (He was expecting a bag full that he could share with everyone - hense the "disrespectful" movie people.) Now I don't know what kind of machine it was, but neverminding that, he lost, wasted to be more accurate, his special Toonie. I've already gone into way to much detail so I won't go into the rest of the discussion, but where it became poignant was talking about the value of money (and asking at this point in life because Mommy and Daddy have learned some of those lessons already) and what he could have bought with that money if he'd saved it. Then he realized that earlier that day for the same amount of money he'd made a great purchase. His first conclusion was, "I'll never eat candy again." Ya, sure. But he did end up really grasping it in the end. I wasn't planning on any big life lesson in the value of money, but honestly, I've never seen him so upset before. It was rather monumental. (He didn't want to tell Mama or Papa - and I told him that he didn't have to. Of course I did because they would appreciate the sweetness of it all.) I toyed with the idea of giving him a Toonie for the one he'd lost because I felt so badly for him, but then what kind of lesson would that have been? Throw away and waste your money and I'll just give you more? Ya right, there's some therapy I'd rather avoid!

So the whole God thing in all that? That evening as I lay in bed, I just thought about it all... going to the Thrift Store in the first place, the lady with the Loonie (not that I wouldn't have got him the track!) the race track (it couldn't have been anything more perfect except maybe a real quad). And the race track costing exactly $2.00. Like I said, it kind of had His signature on it. He does stuff like that. I just lay there and thanked God that in all of His wisdom and all the big things, He is so faithful and He cares even about a little thing like this for a six year old boy.

Manteo Resort and the Monster Jam

2007-06-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, while the two don't seem to go together, we spent the weekend with three other families at the Monteo Resort and Saturday night at the Monster truck show. The resort was fabulous - we were right on the beach and shared a big unit with another family of friends. We backed right onto the beach and would have our morning coffee down on the beach with the kids playing in the sand. The rest of the days were either spent at the pool or the beach. Two condos, four couples, eleven kids - a great time! Probably one of the most exciting parts of the truck show was the security coming and telling me that my camera was too good and that I couldn't take pictures! No kidding. As you can see, I sweetly and promptly complied.
Liam contemplating his future.... Hmmm... "I know I've wanted to be a doctor since I could talk, but this monster truck thing looks like a viable alternative...."
These were amazing to watch - but as the parent of a crazy little risk taker, I had to point out to Samuel that some of these guys won't be walking by the time they're Daddy's age. (One of the guys had something like 137 broken bones, including his back.)

Teigan loved it, but by about 10pm was done in and ready for bed.
Yes, we paid the money to ride around the parking lot for 37 seconds in a massive monter truck.
With my handsome Honey by the pool. Yes, those are bangs I'm sporting. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I went in to get my hair cut last week. There's a reason that I haven't had bangs in 12 years... and won't have I'm sure for another 12 by the time I grow these out. When my hair is down I look suspisiously like Van Halen or Bon Jovi or some other rocker dude from the 80s. Yes, dude... Tink and Mommy time, out back of our condo. I love this one.
Ah, yes... the waterslide. Many, many runs down this thing were had! What a great weekend playing with the kids and enjoying the amazing Okanagan summer - yup it was the first weekend in June and it was in the 30s. Loving it!

Update

2007-05-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Gannie made it through the first surgery. They had informed us that because she's 89, she may not come out of the general. She did and she knew my Mom and Dad right away. They only fixed the hip though, since she was under so long, they didn't want to do the shoulder and keep her under any longer. We're going up to see her this afternoon, and I'll find out more. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Gannie

2007-05-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is my grandma, Gannie. My Mom and Dad called this afternoon to let me know that she'd fallen and they were at the hospital awaiting x-rays. I just talked to them again and they now know she has a broken shoulder and a broken hip and she'll be having surgery tomorrow, which means that she'll have to go under general anesthetic again. She had to a few years back and has never really been the same since (dementia). Apparently elderly people don't always do well with general. If you could please pray for her if you read this, it would really mean a lot. My Gannie was one of grandmas that did everything (I even remember her trying out my new skateboard). She travelled all over the world (and took each of my brothers and I with her on a trip), she was always doing so many things and never was "old" at all. It's been hard seeing her get old recently. I tell my kids about the lady that she was, because all they know is the Gannie in the senior's home who can't play with them. They do love to go and visit her though. Thanks guys.

They're growing up too fast

2007-05-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

My little scientist, as usual... exploring. I used this picture instead of one of Samuel inspecting the the dead quail a couple of days ago (although you may just get that later). Sometimes, at six, he is still such a little boy and I need to remember and cherish that. Other times he just seems so old and I don't know where the time has gone.
Someday, many, MANY years from now, some man will marry her... but he will never have known the little mermaid who wears her goggles at the park and who wants to grow up to be a flower in the daytime and a fire breathing dragon in the night time. Stop growing and just stay here for a while longer. I love these of Liam. It's unusual to actually get serious pictures of Liam where he's not laughing his little red head off... these are really neat because they really show another side of him. He looks so much older than four to me in that last picture - of course the food (or dirt) around his mouth brings him back down a bit!

Helicopter School

2007-05-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. I've always wanted to learn to fly, and I'd be thrilled with fixed wing or helicopter. Although I doubt that it'll ever happen since we don't have $100K sitting around that we're just trying to figure out what we should spend it on. I also don't have any hidden asperations to follow my big brothers into the military to learn to fly. So I guess I'm stuck on the ground, relying on other pilots. We had a really interesting afternoon at the helicopter school though, met some really neat people and learned a lot. Of course the fact that Uncle Michael is a helicopter pilot made it that much more personal for all of us.

Here's Samuel learning about the way things work with a US Navy Black Hawk pilot. (This school here is very specialized mountain flying so pilots come from all over the world.) We were wishing that the Black Hawk was with him.

The cutest pilot ever. (Dig the issue purple boots too!)

This was SO cool. We got to climb up and see inside to really understand the way that everything inside works. It was amazing to see how the controls moved things and it really put it all together to really understand it all. Incredible. (Okay, when I say "understand" I don't mean on a greatly technical level - if my brother ever read that he'd have a very sardonic laugh and comment for me!)

Our Big Fossil Hunt

2007-04-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

We hooked up with a geologist (and a astrophysicist!) the other day and went on a fabulous fossil hunt. It was so much fun and quite thrilling. The most amazing thing was smashing open a rock that just looked like an ordinary rock and finding a beautifully preserved (45 million year old - according to our geologist) plant fossil on both sides of the split rock. These fossils are from the Metozioc Period, so while not dinosour fossils, they're from the same time. There has been some excavation in the area and overturned earth that they knew was rich in fossils. Rich would be an understatement. We ened up with two bucket fulls! And that's just what we brought home with us. Samuel also found some quartz and other minerals, so we are now starting an impromtu unit on rocks, minerals and fossils since everyone is excited about it. Here's Samuel with map in hand, backpack with Rocks and Fossils book, magnifying glass, hammer and shovel, oh and don't forget the Tilley Hat!

Samuel and Will discovering fossils along the way before we even reach the main site.

My little scientist in all his glory.

Getting a closer look.

The boys on the mound. Teigan hunted off and on, but the flowers were really pretty!

I love this picture. It reminds me of pictures that you see of guys mountaineering in the 1930s or something. All he needs is an old fashioned canteen.

What a great day, and now exciting kick off to our new unit study. No wonder I never have a hard time figuring out what to study. The harder thing is what to put on the back burner... I love homeschooling!

The Scientific One

2007-04-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

So this afternoon we were playing at a friend's house. All five kids squealing and playing in the yard, their little guy is running around in his gitchies and decides he's going to whip it out and go right there. Mom calls out the window, "hey, keep your pee pee in your pants and come inside if you have to go!" She of course was competing with five screaming kids and had to say it a couple of times. Samuel, the ever technical, scientific six year old calls back, "it's not a pee pee. It's a penis." Ya, thanks for that clarification, buddy!

The Ever Optimist

2007-04-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

So I finally took Liam into the doctor today. He's had this hacking cough that just won't leave, although it never seems to diminish his spirits or really bother him in any way. We get into one of the rooms (thankfully) when Liam looks up at me from the book we're reading and says, "I don't feeol so good, Mommy." The good thing about an ever positive kid, when something is wrong, you know it. I grab the garbage can and he unloads breakfast. Mmm. Splendid. Better there than the waiting room and all contained, so not a huge deal. A few minutes later the doctor comes in and says, "so you're not feeling very good, Liam?" Liam looks at him kind of funny, "No, I feeol good." He checks his ear and it's red, the start of an infection... "does your ear hurt?" "No." "How about your tummy? Is it hurting?" "No." "What about your throat, it must hurt." "No. I feeol good." He gives him some medicine for the ear (maybe help the cough - but it may be allergies - who knows). We came home and Liam opted for bed over lunch (not a usual Liam choice!) slept for 2 1/2 hours, and woke up ready to take on the world. I love the attitude. Thanks God for this beautiful kid.

I don't know why I'm suddenly moved to write about what happened with Liam, but I am, so I'll tell you if you don't know. I went into premature labour with Liam at 24 weeks. We were living in the Cayman Islands at the time and they couldn't handle a baby that early, so they actually had the helicopter on the roof of the hospital and Baptist Hospital in Miami (one of the big neo-natal units) notified that we might be on our way. That would have been if Liam had been born, because they couldn't take me in labour. I was in labour with him for 12 hours before they were able to stop it, which is actually funny, because that's longer than all three of my birth labours put together! The doctor emphasized just how important it was (obviously) to keep him where he was for at least another 4 weeks. Longer hopefully, but the 28 week mark is a big one. My eyes are burning with unfallen tears as I write this because I am always overwhelmed by the fact that Liam might never have been and I can't even begin to imagine our lives without this incredible blessing from God.

Taken completely out of context, but perfect for this moment, the scripture, "He who began a good work in you will carry it through to the day of completion", was the verse that came to me and that I held on to. God in his infinite mercy and grace, allowed Liam to continue through where he was, until the doctor so rudely interrupted him 3 1/2 weeks early because he was too big. When he came out, he weighed in at 9 lbs, 3 1/2 weeks early! Every one of our (yours and mine) kids is an amazing miracle of God's that we got to play a little part in the making of. I am awed and amazed that the God of all the universe loves me (and you) even more than the depth of love I have for my kids; more than we could ever imagine, certainly more than we could ever deserve. Too much to comprehend, but forever grateful.

Samuel's letter to Bertuzzi

2007-04-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Samuel's favourite hockey player is still Bertuzzi, so he decided to write a letter to him. (By the way - great writing idea because he wanted it to be perfect!) He wrote a rough draft and then edited it and wrote it out in good copy. Here's Samuel and his bear, Bert, and his letter to Todd Bertuzzi. Oh, and GO Canucks GO!

The Best of Friends

2007-04-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning we woke up to a couple of cm of water throughout the basement. (Yes, lovely way to spend a Sunday!) We called my Mom and Dad who were already getting ready for church, they changed into their grubbies instead and came right over with the wet vac. After completely evacuating the basement of all of its contents, sucking up countless litres of water, ripping out the carpet, (it was hideous anyway!) we're still working on it all. Samuel really wanted to help with everything going on, but Liam and Teigan helped by staying out of the way. (Originally the water was fun to splash in, but we got them out of there!) Liam and Teigan are only 16 months apart in age and while their personalities are, of course, quite different, I can't believe the way these two play together. I went out to check on them at one point and found them in this big box together. They had transported numerous books and spent at least an hour, "reading" to each other, talking about the pictures and just hanging out. They didn't even realize that I took the picture or that we all came out to peek at them.

Celtic Festival

2007-04-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Teigan's first Irish dance festival. Oh my goodness, so stinkin' cute! I had a hard time picking only a couple of pictures. After a slow start, the fire alarm in the building went off, then the firemen came... (all very exciting I assure you), it was a great little festival. Oh, and notice of course... the tongue!

The Penticton Pipe band did a few numbers which of course was a big treat. Samuel and Liam donned their kilts in full support of their little sister (any excuse to wear them is a good one for them - they wore them to church too). The boys were talking to some of the pipers afterwards and one of them asked if they'd like to hold the pipes - they were all over that! Samuel has already been talking about playing pipes for a few years now, but we're working on piano and fiddle for now! He of course has it all planned out, "when I'm good at the piano and fiddle then I'll start guitar and bagpipes, but I don't think my hands are big enough yet".

Note that the guy is still holding his pipes - would you trust this kid with your pipes?!

Liam FULLY enjoying the pipe band!

A Day at the Goat Farm

2007-04-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

We went and visited the Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisans last week. What a great day. We all went through the whole goat cheese making process and tasted all different (and so delicious!) kinds of goat cheese. When I asked the kids what kinds we should buy, they all proclaimed "all of them!" These pictures are with the 3 day old baby goats. When you blow lightly on their nose they try to "kiss" or nibble on your nose/lips/chin... whatever happens to be close. It was so much fun.

Hangin' with the boys

2007-04-14T01:19:00.000-07:00

We spent a couple of hours this afternoon at the fabulous park in Kettle Valley (up past the Pyramid Winery in Kelowna). It is such a great park and the kids always enjoy it so much. I love this picture of the boys because Samuel (the freaky dare devil) was encouraging Liam to climb up the top of the tube slide (it's really long and goes down the side of the hill). Liam had climbed up to where Samuel was, and Samuel bent down and put his arm around him and told him that he was so proud of him. (I love having a telephoto lens so you can just get them being themselves.)

The Raggamuffin and the tongue!

2007-04-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that she doesn't look it on the outside, but I'm telling you this little girl is related to Michael Jordan! Don't laugh - just look at these pictures from an afternoon at the park and you'll see the resemblance! There it is, all pink and wet, hanging out for all the world to see - yes, it's true - the funny thing is that as I write this, I just remembered that her name was almost Jordan! Coincidence? Hmmm... I think not!

A stellar mom moment

2007-04-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

While the weather is great outside and Spring has finally decided to grace us with her presence, the water is not up to it's summer temperatures yet. The other day we were playing down by the beach, the kids exploring on the rocks, me taking pictures of course... when Liam takes a tumble into the water. Knowing that it's not too deep (just cold) I offer my supportive mom comments like, "you're okay Buddy, climb on out" and "Oh, I bet that's cold, but we'll get you dried off and warm"... as I snap a few pictures of the event and walk around off the dock and over to the little jetty that the kids are on. Liam walking towards me now, pulls his hand down from the back of his head and yes, it's covered in blood. Well, if you've had a look at Chris' blog you'll see that Ben ended up with stiches the very same day. I stripped his wet clothes off of him and carried him in his gitchies and shirt (looking like a real hockey player, his jersey covered in blood) into the clinic - pressure on the back of his head, lots of blood, and carrying a crying kid - if you ever want to get into a room and not sit in the waiting room at all, this is the way to do it! I said "into a room", not have a doctor see you (you'll note the difference!) By the time the doctor came in, I'd stopped the bleeding and Liam was fine listening to a book. However when the doctor said something along the lines of "I think it could use three or four stiches", Liam started shaking and looked horrified at the idea. I asked if it really needed it since I didn't care if he had a scar (on the back of his head) and the bleeding was now under control, and I didn't really want to tramatize the poor little guy any more than necessary. So the doctor agreed that would be fine and we walked out without stitches... to make it just on time to Jason and my baseball game, where Liam ran around with the other kids and you'd never have known that there was any excitement any earlier that afternoon.

Easter Egg Hunt

2007-04-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

After a beautiful Easter morning service, (and before Easter dinner for 15) we had a great Easter egg hunt with some friends and cousins. Teigan was so cute and absolutely loved the hunt - and her basket. The boys were hard core and kept going, insisting that there had to be more out there somewhere!

Looking forward to next season

2007-04-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

These first two pictures are fogged because we came in from a cold mountain to the room where the awards ceremony were and the lense on my little camera was fogged! Samuel skied this year with the Apex Freestyle Club, and is now a card carrying (no kidding, he got his membership card a couple of weeks ago) member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. (He thinks it's very cool to be a member of the same club as Christy Richards - Olympic freestyler). Liam was proud to get a ribbon from Samuel's coach as well. He and I tagged along with Samuel's group to the places that Liam could handle - that being said, Liam (who's 4) did a few black diamond runs this year! He absolutely loves skiing. Samuel got a medal and a 1st ribbon and actually got to ski on the World Cup mogul course this year. (Yes, he does moguls! I generally avoid those.) Freestyle was the perfect place for Samuel, he loves the bumps and jumps, the half pipe which he rides to the top rim, and the tree trails, as well as just general fun skiing! Liam just treks along right behind. Numerous times this year the three of us went skiing mid week (the perks of homeschooling) and had such incredible times together. I love hanging out with these guys!

Liam and Alissa, as always, having a great time together.

A weekend with our friends at BIG WHITE - the kids are already asking for a week next year!

Teigan loves skiing too, but at three she only makes it through the morning before she's done!

My greatest blessings

2007-04-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favourite pictures of all three kids together. They really are the best of friends and I am so thankful that they have so much fun together. (It certainly makes everything a little easier!) Of course that is most of the time - they do have their moments, but thankfully they're just that - moments. Even today when Samuel had a friend over, all four of the kids played together, incorporating Teigan into their games to suit their needs, but including none the less. And of course you've got to love that beautiful background! Spring is here and we're happy about that...