My cutie pie...............

England!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie with his treasured England flag that Grandma and Grandad sent him from back home......his plan is to pin it to his ceiling with his Canadian Flag and his Alberta flag :)

Following in Mums footsteps........

One of my budding photographers.....they all love to take pictures and have their picture taken...which is a good thing with a Mom like me who is obsessed with photography!!!

Abbys summer style...............

Abby this afternoon........................

compliments

I just caught Susannah licking her dessert bowl clean....as awful as that is (lol) i'll take it as a HUGE compliment about my rhubarb crumble!!! She just said 'But its soooooo gooooooood!' Everyone loved it :) Lloyd says its a must to be made every week until the rhubarb has been used up :)

We had some of the quiche with dinner too and that was a hit too...and the kids just love eating dinner that they've helped to make!

Little Pooper scooper............

Its funny realising that our little ones see us as role models even when we aren't trying to 'teach' something. Today I was sat waiting for the Hummingbird and Sam was pottering around...next thing I know he has one of the poop bags from the box and is pretending to scoop dog poop!!! No there wasn't any.........I clean up well before the kids go out to play! But seeing him copying what he sees me doing each day is such a magical thing! Too funny that he actually WANTS to scoop poop...whenever I suggest someone else does it no one seems interested lol!

And he's growing up knowing how important it is to clear up after your dogs too!!!! :)

Improving day by day....................

I am slowly edging nearer as I take pictures of the Hummingbirds...they don't seem to mind us sitting on the porch close to them as they feed.......I see my pictures improving day by day...I guess knowing that the little birds will come back helps me relax and not rush the picture!!

Cooking up a storm............

Today has been one loooooong bake fest!!!! It's been hard work but a lot of fun! We baked foods for today and plenty to freeze too. Its a wonderful feeling using oyur own eggs and your own fruits and vegetables.

We baked quiche's, rhubarb crumbles, brown sugar fudge, vanilla fudge, Anzac biscuits, jam tarts.............making the pastry with the children is always fun....Abigail had her own bowl or flour etc but as she tends to knead it until its like leather we let her make a set of jam tarts with it....they all made jam 'pasties' with the loeft over pastry too (just like I did when I was little and baking with my Mum)

This afternoon the kids set up a kids olympics outside and had long jump contests etc.......that was fun to watch...Sam played in the sand box beside me with Abigail for some of the time and they joined in with the others too.

The kids have had a big thing about photography today too.......this morning Abigail spent ages taking pictures of us all busy at work with my little point and shoot........then the others took turns....Susie brought the camera out with me and we sat on the porch waiting for the Hummingbirds but they only seem to come on the brief moments when Susie runs inside to do something! Too funny. I told her its because the Hummingbirds think she is too beautiful and that they worry they won't be as beautiful close to her! She liked that idea ;)

The older three cycled to the mail box and brought back two parcels....a big package of tea bags from Terry and Chris, and a parcel from my Mum and Dad with newspaper clippings, an England flag for Laurie, pretty underwear for Susie and a toy truck for Sam.....the next parcel has Lloyds and Abbys treats.....so that will be their turn........

I think Blogger is still messing up my comments......a few people have said they've left me comments that I've never recieved which is a shame.........what with that and the picture issues blogger ahs been having I am thinking of moving my blog (again grrrrrr) I know how frustrating it is to post a comment and then not have it read.....I had problems posting at Kyliesmom's blog for a while..............

I have pictures to add but I took 400 pictures today and I have to be in the mood to sort through them all and upload them...so maybe Friday.....

As of tomorrow I will officially be the mom of a teenager!!! I can't believe how fast the last 13 years have gone. This time 13 years ago I was in labour...a 34 hour labour that exhausted me!!!! I just hope the teen years are a little easier than that!!! Chris has grown into the most caring, helpful and responsible young man you could ever hope to meet.....he has so many interests, and so many plans for the future........I am so so proud of him. He is so so excited about tomorrow...even though he just can't decide what to do for his birthday...I've been telling him for weeks to choose, chat with his friends...figure out what they want to do...dinner, movie, water park at WEM, Galaxyland....sleepover, camping.......but he hasn't decided yet!!! So tomorrow will be a family day and he can get together with his friends at the weekend and do whatever......

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 :)

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am one very happy bunny!!!!!!! I got a picture of our Hummingbird! In fact we have a pair but when they are together they are too fast for me to catch on camera so I will keep trying. My pictures aren't great but its a first try......expect a LOT of Hummingbird pictures for a few weeks as I will be practicing whenever I can!!!

The silhouette ones were taken through the window of the front door hence the fact the sun is in the wrong place and they are silhouettes!

I am so happy.....we have a pair of Hummingbirds and they love our pretty feeder!!!

Hummingbirds are the national bird of Trinidad which makes them more special :)

These are Ruby Throated Hummingbirds...the only Hummingbirds seen this far from the Mountains :) They are TINY and so sweet and speedy!

I can't believe I own a home that has its own pair of Hummingbirds!!!! I love living here just SOOOOOOOO much!


grrrrr blogger won't let me add the pics....will add them a bit later.............