Summertime Fun

Peek-a-boo playhouse with new flowers

water slide = good time

Little artists

This is the way we swim in puddles, swim in puddles, swim in puddles...

June Vacation

In June, we had plan to head to BC for a friend's wedding. Due to circumstances, we didn't make it out of Alberta but ended up having a very nice family vacation. We started out at the Windscape Kite Festival in Swift Current. By good fortune, our friends Heather, Steve and Colten (Katie's friend) from the Island were out at their farm near Swift. Heather and Colten were also at the Festival and we spent a really nice afternoon with them, including a little picnic at a local park.

Jacob, Colten and Katie

Colten at the spray park, Batman face paint and all.

Jacob testing the waters

The next day we went to the farm to visit Uncle Albert and Aunt Florence. Dean and the kids had never been so it was nice to show them around. Dean and I really enjoyed having a chance to visit one-on-one with Albert and Florence as we usually only see them at family events.

After our visit, we headed to Drumheller to stay with Scott and Ashley. We did the usual tourist-y things like visiting the Tyrell Museum and going to a reptile zoo. Katie and Jacob has such a great time with their cousins, Anderson and Addy. Katie and Addy share a love of Barbie and had lots of fun together. Anderson has a massive toy car collection and Jacob thought he had hit the jackpot! It was good to see all the kids together.

Dean's parents came to Drumheller as well (the initial plan was that they would watch our kids there while we went to BC for the wedding). While our plans to go to BC changed, Dean and I did take the opportunity to have a couple days to ourselves and went to Banff without the kids. We know they have fun being spoiled by grandma and grandpa and it was a nice break for us.

Overall, a good trip and a great time catching up with family that we hadn't seen in a while!

Three musketeers

Silly poses

Katie likes '3 horns' (she's a fan of the Land Before Time series)

At Lake Louise

Mac the Moose (Moose Jaw, SK)

Jacbo's Second Birthday!

Yeah, our little monkey is TWO!! He is fully embracing his ability to run (really, really fast away from his parents), screaming (happy, sad, mad, glad), and exploring (always finding something to get him in trouble). He continues to be such a sweet, funny boy and we all love him to bits.

Jacob's two-year old word set:
- mama, dada, papa, mama (this one is grandma to avoid any confusion), atie (Katie)
- nack (snack), apple, yum, wawa (water), milk, caca (cracker)
- gogo (ball, don't know why a go go), car car (you see the pattern of repeating), out (outside), ba (up), hug, hot (always whispered, very cute), bye bye
- woof woof, meow meow (done with a weird face), moo moo, bibbit (ribbit, like a frog)
- ouch, help (very important word for this boy), stuck (this is often why help is needed)

He is still really into eating dirt, sucking on rocks, throwing rocks, throwing dirt, anything with wheels, and anything musical. He is finally showing a real interest in books and enjoys the lift-the-flap types. Jacob loves, loves, loves babies and other really young children. He will actually stop whatever he is doing to go say hi to a baby. He is quite social overall and likes to talk to 'grandparent' types. This always goes over well, making him a real charmer around here. He adds to his appeal by waving bye bye and blowing kisses when he walks away.

For his birthday, we went to Saskatoon again so that we could celebrate with family. We went to a splash park (very cool! it's a map of Saskatchewan), had a little barbeque and played with birthday presents. I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw the box of Smarties that Aunt Val got him!

Bubble blower mower from G'ma and G'pa F.

Uncle John teaching Jacob how to play croquet.