Where to start...

Sorry about the poor job of blogging....here is a recap of what we've been up to....

Spencer finally took me to a resort this summer...it's called "Old MacDonald's Farm" and it is a campground with many things to do to keep kids entertained. We spent a few days at the beach, ate ice cream, had breakfast in the restaurant, played at the play ground, rented scooter/bikes, rode on a train, enjoyed the petting zoo, and played mini golf and went on the swing ride. What was a draw back was all the mosquitoes, yikes!

This was one of those camping trips where it seems things were falling apart. One of our single air mattresses that the children were using, didn't have the stopper. The queen sized one for us, had a slow leak, one of our water mattresses got a hole in it, our camp stove gave up the ghost....you get the idea. Aaron would wake up at 3 am, only to be taken by me or Spencer into the van to try to finish sleeping. It was enough to say that we went camping this summer and I vow to make our next camping trip even longer and better. Just when we were starting to get the hang of everything, it was time to go home.

Here are the go-carts that we rented. They had adult and kid sizes. They were quite heavy to peddle and Evan was quite tired when we did this, but he loved to pull up on the break for a sudden stop. Spencer and I rotated, since one needed to be with Aaron and to help the other kids with steering.

Evan and Megan on the swing. They would challenge the kids, by getting them to throw their shoes into an old milk crate while the swing was going, just for fun. Evan almost made it. The swing ride was 25 cents.

Evan enjoying the water at the beach. We had a beach umbrella and towels and toys and ice cream to keep us happy. The water was shallow for a long ways out into the lake so it was also quite warm.

Happy Birthday Again...

Ok, this is our last birthday for the summer. We are planning a picnic/park day this afternoon to celebrate. Then cake and presents back at home to finish the day off.


I can't believe that our "little big guy" is 1 already. Where did the time go? The first year always seems like a blur, since you are adjusting to a new type of routine and still trying to stay on top of all the house, callings, and other family members. We wouldn't trade any of it. Aaron has been such a joy to us and our family. He is full of happiness and smiles. He loves his sister Megan who often helps out and is getting used to his brother Evan, who is still learning how to share with a little brother who touches and sometimes interfers with his fun.


Aaron is a super sleeper, a chit-chatter-er, he loves to point to things, a wobbly walker, a slide and swing lover, a forward carseat rider, and a wheel and ball expert.



Happy Birthday Aar-Bear (Air-Bear)! We love you!






Here are a few pictures of Aaron through the year. Enjoy, we sure have!

Campfire rice and crispy chicken

Here is our latest recipe:

Campfire rice with crispy chicken

Rinse 1 cup of brown rice (cause we're trying to be healthier)
Add 3 c. water
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes

While rice is cooking you can also cook your crispy chicken.

Bake muffins and have your oven already preheated to 375 degrees. Decide to cook chicken, but realize that you only have frozen chicken breast to cook. (Due to the fact that you weren't that organized). Place frozen chicken breasts in baking dish and throw in the oven. Set timer for 30 minutes. Pay close attention, cause this last step is key...tell 8 year old daughter who is just playing computer (and she has done similar tasks in the past) to turn off the timer and to come and get you, so you can check on the chicken and rice. Proceed to go upstairs for just a quick nap, cause as a mother of 3 you tend to get tired. Sleep longer than planned and upon waking up smell the "campfire" smell. Quickly check time to realize that you actually slept for an hour and a half...opps! Run downstairs not seeing any children anywhere (cause they are downstairs, drawn to the TV). Quickly check the campfire rice, yep, burnt on the bottom, well cooked with the campfire flavor throughout. Pull pot off of stove, next check on the crispy chicken. No need to check for doneness, you are 100% sure that all chicken breasts are throughly cooked and now also have a lovely crispy skin, without all that batter on the outside.

Try to salvage the dinner by atleast cooking up a vegetable on the side that will be fresh. Scoop out the rice into decorative bowl, being careful not to scrape the burnt bottom. Saw through the chicken breasts and cut into chunks (hopefully the smaller bites will be easier to chew through).

Put a smile on your face and let the kids know that this dinner is similar to the one that they will be eating in just a few short days on our family camping trip.

Taste of Edmonton

What would you do....On a friday when you allowed your children to have a bit of down time from all the other activities that we have been doing during the week, the baby is sleeping much longer than his usual nap time and you still have groceries to pick up before the weekend crowd arrives?

You would go shopping in the afternoon with all the kids in tow, right? It took me much longer than I would have liked, but we all fared pretty well. Evan was so desperately tired, apparently that he fell asleep in the cart. (He was quite the spectacle that kids and parents were in awe of this funny looking scene and couldn't help but stare!)

I made it to my 2 usual stores Costco and Superstore and then headed home to take care of a by then cranky baby and a van load of groceries. By the time I unpacked everything and put it away, it was only a hour before Spencer was due to arrive home. Well, I decided that I deserved a break, but then by the time Spencer arrived home, I just couldn't get started again, to cook dinner. (Even the flowers that he picked up for me didn't do it!)

So we packed up the kids and ventured out to Taste of Edmonton downtown at Churchill square. The food we tried was delicious. Evan my pickiest eater settled for some noodles from The Old Spaghetti Factory. The weather was beautiful and we let the kids (except Evan, he doesn't like getting wet, if we are not prepared) get wet in the fountains outside of City Hall.
Megan picked BBQ Ribs and Spencer and I tried some Vegan chicken curry with rice that was 2 thumbs up from us and we got some sweet potato fries a mini cheese burger and a couple of coconut ice creams. Phew what a start to the weekend!

20 Minute Challenge

Well we have been up to a few things but didn't remember to pack our camera along to share the joys.

On Wednesday at 6pm we drove like crazy to make it out to our first 20 minute challenge put on by The Running Room. You receive a free running hat (it was red this year) and get to run/walk for 20 minutes as a group. There were a ton of people out with dogs and children in strollers. The weather was a bit iffy. But we decided to go ahead...besides those big black rain clouds weren't going to produce anything, any ways. So with Aaron in his stroller and Megan and Evan along side us, we started out on our 20 minute walk. We enjoyed seeing all the flowers, the skate/bike park, a baseball game, watching all the dogs and being with other families. We made it to the 1/2 way point and got our water, but Evan was easily distracted by a small park that we came across on our journey. Since this was a casual thing...we gave the kids 10 minutes to play.

We were almost done playing, when a few rain drops started to fall. So we quickly hurried to get back, but not before getting drenched. We were by this time doing a mix of walking, running, and carrying the kids. My poor Evan had long since taken over the stoller and control of the only blanket that we had (he hates getting wet, if it isn't suppose to be part of the activities). Aaron was riding on dad's shoulders while wearing his adult sized running hat, while getting wet, but didn't seem to mind. Megan did bring her jacket was doing fine. In the end Aaron got the stoller back but not the blanket and since Evan's legs weren't working and we didn't feel right just leaving him there Spencer ended up carrying him back, while Megan jogged beside me pushing Aaron in the stroller.

It was only a short lived sunny shower, but when you aren't prepared and there is no shelter to seek out, it always makes for quite an adventure.

Now we only have 4 mores years to participate in this challenge and collect each new colored running hat, before we can upgrade to a bigger better prize.

I've already used my hat and love it.

Devonian Botanic Gardens

So we are slowly venturing out and trying to do something each week and with only about one nice rain free day a week....it's not hard to want to be out doing something.

Our first adventure this summer was to check out the Botanic Gardens out by Devon. It is run by the University of Alberta. There are a few greenhouses with different vegetations and a butterfly house. Then through out the grounds, they have different themes...the Japanese Gardens, Alberta Gardens, Rose Garden, Native Gardens, etc.... We chose a beautiful day to go and we even picked up our cousin to come with us. It would be fun to take some pictures out there and even take a picnic lunch, since they do have picnic tables. They even have a tour that takes you all around the gardens and they tell you about each section. It is a 45 minute tour, which you get to ride around on a super long golf cart. Evan said that we should ride on that fun looking car, but I knew that my kids wouldn't last. So we enjoyed getting some exercise and vitamin D.

Our day didn't start out too great for Evan. We parked near a curbed tree/flower area in the parking lot and there were tons of ants. I was busy getting Aaron settled in the stroller and everything else together, while the kids enjoyed looking at and bothering the ants. Poor Evan was standing on the curb in one spot too long and ants started to climb up on him! If you ever want to hear a little boy scream like a little girl....that was the time. I quickly brushed them off and reassured Evan that he was ok and them distracted him with getting inside the gardens. Hopefully there will be no lasting effects....

They have various classes offered there throughout the year, a little gift shop, a cafe, and an ice-cream stand. We indulged with some ice cream after our tour.

Beautiful blue butterfly in the butterfly tent. (It didn't fly away cause this one had since passed on!)
Ben by the Japanese Pagota and Evan trying hard to be in the picture.

Some of the many statues that you can spot throughout the gardens.

Ben, Megan, Evan and Aaron sitting in a willow chair in the herb/healing garden. Does anyone else love the soothing benefits of gardening like I do?

p.s. every first Tuesday of the month it is half price. Check it out. We give this place 2 thumbs up!

Phew! What a week...

"At last two go home and the party is done. How many are left? Could there be only....one?

The house is a wreak and the couch has been frosted. The food's been devoured and Mother's exhausted. But one little monster is grateful and glad. It's the best birthday party that she's ever had!"

This is a quote from the book Monster Math by Anne Miranda and pretty much how I felt at the end of a very busy week.

Please read the above quote twice. Once for Evan's birthday party on Wednesday and the again for Megan's party that was on Saturday.

Here's the highlights:

Evan had 4 friends and a pretty good first party with friends involved. It took him awhile to warm up to playing with his friends at his house, but enjoyed it by the end. He started off his day in a real sweet way...finally a cereal that he likes...this is his birthday card from us.

They all played downstairs with cars, dinosaurs, transformers and a ball toss game. Then our first activity was to make candy kabobs....yummy!

We then had a car walk instead of a cake walk. That didn't last too long, remember the attention span of 3 and 4 year olds! They did enjoy picking out prizes though.

We enjoyed some hotwheel car cupcakes (every boy got one, they were on the white cupcakes, hence none are left in this picture)and opening presents. He received too many to list, but did get some of what he loves, cars, hotwheels track, puzzles, books, outside things, workbench, transformer...it was a successful party. Megan was such a big helper at this party. Aka the butler, she helped keep the peace and enjoyed playing and being part of such a fun party.

Happy birthday Evan! He has grown so much and is such a fun part of our family. He is confident and happy and is learning so much. We are lucky to have him as part of our family

Megan had 4 friends over and a Mario themed party.

She started her day off with a new sugary cereal....golden Grahams. (aka our birthday cards this year!)

The kids decorated t-shirts first then we had lunch outside in our back yard; we're trying to enjoy all the nice weather that we can.

We then played a few party games...the yoshi egg stomp, unwrap the gift with 2 wooden spoons by rolling dice and getting doubles then we played hot potato aka pass the clue box. Some kids won additional prizes, but all walked away with nice t-shirts and gift bags.

Then we enjoyed some lovely one up mushrooms and luma star cupcakes (megan whipped up the cake batter on Friday for me).

Then we opened presents. I won't list the items, because she got a ton of stuff, needless to say she got some of everything that she loves...webkins, super mario, books, crafts, a frog....

Megan is my big helper and a great big sister to her lovable brothers. She enjoys reading, playing computer and Wii, swimming and soccer. She is good at drawing and loves to make and do crafts. She is 8! I can't believe it and soon to be in grade 3. We love her lots and are glad she is such an important part of our family. Happy Birthday Megan!

It was a fun and successful party. Phew! What a week.

ps thanks Aaron for giving mom a few weeks break, before your big birthday. I just might be fully recovered by then. cheers!