In Hummingbird Heaven

I guess you could say these little beauties are my latest obsession.....I have spent the evening sat on the porch less than 2 metres from them clicking away and they didn't mind at all!!!! I love that you can hear them coming...their little humming wings announce their arrival! They are just so so fast its not easy getting a good picture! Through my lense they look so big that when I put the camera down I am again surprised at how tiny these little creatures actually are......

In some of these pictures you can see the amazing angles that these birds are capable of...anmd in one you can see where the wings are but you can't see them because they are beating so fast!

Amazing!! I love them!

Costco with 5

Abigail spent quite a while this morning writing.......she can now recognise everyones names in the family and can write most of them too.......that includes the animals!!! Both Abigail and Susannah also spent a while practicing their magic tricks and also painting flower pots and pictures......mainly pictures of flowers and sunshiny weather!

I phoned my Sister Clare this morning as I still hadn't managed to get hold of her to say Happy Birthday for Sunday! She seems well......she has a teen driving her nuts too lol! I have three Nephews....Daniel is 19, Oliver (the teen in question) is 15 and Isaac is 5. She's taking Mum to the International Balloon Fetsival in Bristol on Saturday.....can you imagine the pictures you'd get there????? Hundreds of huge hot air balloons in every colour, shape and size!!!

We went to the mall this afternoon to get a few gifts and cards for Chris for Thursday. We stopped in at the library and the children played the summer game.....they should be done by next week!

We got a few books each (including Piratology!!!!) and then got the few things we needed from the mall....After that we ran to the museum to collect Chris from work....he has to do work an extra day next week as he is doing his first big tour...for 60 people!!!!!! He is officially an Interpreter....

Once we had Chris with us we had to head to Costco as I had to pick up my pictures for the photography competition. Taking all five children into Costco at 5pm was quite the experience!!! Its the time of day when Abigail and Sam are cranky. Everyone is tired and stressed and today as it was 32c in Sherwood Park, everyone was hot and cranky and tired all rolled into one.

Of course Costco has free food samples and my kids know this.........we NEVER take them there lol unless we HAVE to..........and today we HAD to, so of course they are all over excited FREE FOOD YAHOO!!!!!!! OMG you would think I never feed them!!! They were grabbing any food they could get their hands on lol! It was so funny! Who needs to pay for field trips when you can take them to Costco and they can have so much fun!!!! Woohoo Costco......

Anyway we are now home and Lloyd just got home and we are cooking out on the firebowl again as its so hot..........I have a headache and have taken tylenoil and I realised that I have not had a headache for ages and have not had a migraine for alomost 3 months!!!!! Thats amazing for me.......really amazing!

You know I find it odd that people who can't stand me read my blog. Why is that????? Do you think they are waiting to read that something really bad has happened to me or something????? Or do they just wanta little gossip to pass on? Is it really gossip if its in a blog for everyone to read anyway? Some people are so weird. I mean its not like I don't know they don't like me hehehehehhe! Ah well...these are people I have little respect for anyway...I find them a little sad to be honest......

Plans for this evening........depending on my headache......sit on the porch and photograph my darling little Hummingbirds.....perhaps sit on the porch and watch a storm roll in...they forecast storms tonight......a walk with my gorgeous goldens later.......maybe a cycle ride if it cools off but maybe that will wait for tomorrow........

Maybe cool off in the basement and watch a movie.......then if it cools down with a storm I have some fudge to make.........I also need to prepare the nectar ready to change the hummingbird feeders tomorrow.

If it cools off and tomorrow is nice then we have to get started on the quiches........I have the ingredients now to get busy baking them ready to freeze.........Susie also wants to use the bread machine........

I have to send off my homeschool registration forms.....I also have to mail off my entrances to the photography competition..................

Lots to do....lots to do.....................

What are you doing this evening?

Monday says goodbye....................

The different stages of Mondays sunset......................

A special moment.....................

Yesterday while we were at the Ukrainian Village we were looking at a small barn (it could have been an old homestead I guess.......I can't remember what was said) and an old couple with their Grandson came in. We got talking to them and they were explaining that it was a special moment for them as the mans Grandfather had built that EXACT barn......his Dad had helped him build it as a child. He was telling about how he grew up in such a small town that there were no doctors and he was delivered by a Native Midwife called Mrs Powder..............

He was looking at the workmanship and you could see the pride and fascination in his face........

What a special moment to be there........we left them then to spend some time alone in there and have their picture taken beside it.......

Isn't history wonderful? I love Albertas history......I love that there was an old homestead on our land. I wonder if anyone was born here...or died here..............I wonder what their lives involved...............

Hummingbird silhouettes.............

Tuesday pretending to be Monday

It's Tuesday. Because of the long weekend it feels like Monday. I am soooooo in Monday mode....which is a good thing I guess as the house is a mess and needs to be sorted.....laundry needs to be done and I am happy to stay home for the morning anyway...

So we didn't bother heading to the homeschool group this week....we're all tired from yesterday and with Chris's birthday this week and him working today......well it only leaves today to get cards made, gifts bought and wrapped etc etc so Lloyd took Chris to work and we didn't have to rush out the door first thing :)

The end of summer is in sight. Every year I make plans of things I want to do with the children during the summer and most years half of them get forgotten......so I made another mid summer list last week and have been ticking things off :) I am loving this summer...it has been a very long summer thanks to homeschooling and the weather has been FABULOUS!!!!! We have done a LOT and relaxed a LOT and made the most of the warm weather and NO SNOW!!!

I still have a few more activities, crafts and trips to cross off before the end of summer though :)