Monday evening musings....

I am so tired this evening....having Samuel sick has been exhausting - he has had no energy and has just been on the sofa all day...occasionally moaning and whining in a really sad way.....

We found out the cause though - really bad constipation caused by ONLY drinking milk since he was sick last week........so we now have corn syrup to put in his milk to help 'lubricate' things...and also some prune juice.....he normally eats so much fruit and veg that I guess going a few days with none and JUST milk caused problems :(

Anyway, I have been spending a lot of time trying to console Sam.......what else did I do today? Hhhmmmm laundry, cleaned bathrooms, washed floors (after Rosie got in and stole much of Dan's lunch and tracked muddy paw prints everywhere lol) I made a tray of fudge brownies and a loaf of chocolate emergency cake........

I also taught Dan to make Kraft Dinner!!!! Lol! YUCK!!! It isn't something we eat here but Dan wanted to try this Canadian staple...so we bought a big pack at Costco and today we made it - he added a tin of tuna to it and really liked it lol! So he can take the other packs with him when he moves out lol - in fact maybe he could take a couple of packs back for Oliver and Isaac to try!

I want to get some Goldfish for Isaac as well - he can take them to school in his lunch bag!

When Lloyd got home and Sam was a little happier, we all walked up onto the side fields and onto Marys land (our neighbour has 80 acres and lets us use it for walking, quadding.......) we took a nice long walkl and then came back to the house and headed down to the pond...we threw sticks into the pond for Rosie and she LOVED being in there swimming again!

We spent ages trying to find frogs (they are sooooo LOUD) but depsite climbing through the woods to the back of the pond, we couldn't get any!

Back indoors and I made couscous (Daniels request) with veggieballs.......I always add diced peppers and onion to my couscous.........we had some broccoli with it too....it was delicious - most of us had ours with Thai red chilli sauce mmmmmmmmmm

Dan has been working on a 'special' project since dinner......he's getting creative :) and now he is heading down to the pond with his camera and guitar to sit in the sun and serenade the frogs (lol)

Lloyd and I plan to watch Little People Big World and I wnat to go to bed early because I am sooooo tired.

Chris and Laurie are setting up the badminton net outside and Susie is bshowering having completed her science project tonight (designing a playground using certain things like pipe cleaners and plasticine..)

Can't think of any other news we have for now....

Byeeeeeeee.....

By Lake Astotin....

A few snaps of Dan and Susannah by Astotin Lake.

Deer....

Dusk is the perfect time to go to Elk Island Park as it is when all the animals come out of the woods and into view.....we saw so many deer and they are just so sweet....

Bison......

Lloyd and Dan got out and walked up towards two bison...the bison were happily munching grass and not bothered in the least by Lloyd and Daniel........I got these pictures from the car........after several minutes, the bison started to walk towards Dan and Lloyd, so they raced back to the car - it was funny!

On the chase......

We saw several porcupines yesterday...including one that seemed to be chasing some deer up a hill...too funny! One of the porcupines allowed Dan and I to get up close to it - it sat down and posed for the camera :) Very cute :)

Dan was nervous to get out of the car and walk up to the porcupine but we went together and I think he was really pleased to be able to get so close to such a creature - something they don't get back home!

Last nights sunset

A few pictures of last nights sunset for you...I took several pictures as the sun went down.....from Elk Island Park, Yellowhead and then from various points along RR 222.

First time on the quad bike!!!

Some pics of Dan on the quad bike yesterday - he loved every second of it and said its an 'awesome experience' lol!

Sunday afternoon.....

This morning Dan and I got up early and drove into town to Smittys - a diner style retsaurant......we met my friend Carole-Anne there and her daughter Bobbi! Bobbi and Dan have chatted via Email etc for a few years now but had never met until today! It was great to see CA again and to finally meet Bobbi - who is soooo nice! So pretty (lovely hair!!!) and she scrapbooks too so we chatted about that a lot and Dan said he felt we were talking in a whole new language!

I had 7 grain pancakes with sugar free syrup and it was as divine as usual!! And Smittys coffee is always good! Smittys was sooo busy - luckily CA and Bobbi got there early as we didn't have to wait for a table!

We stayed and chatted and were there a couple of hours and then we all headed home...well actually I think CA and Bobbi headed to the scrapbook store, but Bobbi just started selling CTMH products and I wnat to buy some of those so I didn't bother going to the store - instead I drove Danny home via the range roads for a change of scene....

Tonight we are going to Elk Island Park at dusk....

Yesterday Lloyd and Dan went out on the quad bikes....Before he went on, Dan didn't think it would be his kind of thing..thought it was dangerous and not fun - the whole time he was on it though he was grinning like crazy and he said it was 'awesome' and such a great experience...they went all through the woods and the huge puddles/ ponds and they saw a porcupine!!! He loved it and says he sees why we don't normally bother with helmets!!

Luckily Bobbi loves quads too :) she said she'd like to come out and have a ride too which will be good - she may come to Jasper with us in a couple of weeks too....

Last night I taught Daniel how to make honey mustard chicken, asparagus and new potatoes......and no he didn't know how to cook new potatoes lol! But now he does - and he tried asparagus for the first time.....it went well and everybody cleared their plates......

After dinner and after Chris had been picked up from his party, we all sat down to watch The Pursuit of Happyness' which was a great movie! Although it did end kind of suddenly!

Oh and Dan had his first Iced Capp today - a medium butter caramel Iced Capp...he loved it lol! I swear he is going to gain so much weight while he is here lol.....

Ok off to add pics of Dan on the quad!

Cool Veggie Pizza

1 can refrigerator crescent rolls (croissant dough/ pillsbury dough)
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
cheddar - grated.
Dill


Finely chopped raw vegetables (peppers of different colours, broccoli, carrots, sweetcorn, cucumber - and we do one pizza with onion and one without)

Spread crescent roll dough on pizza sheet or cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Blend together softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dill weed. Spread the cheese mixture on top of cold crust.

Sprinkle a layer of each vegetable over cheese layer. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the vegetable layers. To serve, cut pizza into squares with a pizza cutter.

Saturday morning.........

Saturday morning...Sam is still not well..he just had a bath and is flaked on the sofa in front of Treehouse.....Lloyd just left to take Chris to a birthday party - he has to be picked up at 8pm.....I have been tidying up and getting sorted as we have people coming this morning to give us a quote for the kitchen/ dining room.....we spoke with them at the home andf garden show and we are soooo looking forward to finding out if our plans will work out - if they do then work will start in the Fall as the company is fully booked until then :(

After that Lloyd is taking Dan out somewhere.....and then they can go out on the quads for a while...we WERE going to Elk Island tonight at dusk but Chris needs to be picked up from the party at the wrong time so we can't.....

I have to make a card for the Iron Chef contest - this round closes tomorrow at 9pm......tomorrow I have plans but I can't discuss them here :) but I'll share that tomorrow :)

No other news for now.....

Friday...

What a day!!!! Yikes!!! We had no water today so that was another new experience for Dan!! The pump in the well broke and without that we had no water at ALL...so we are now $1800 poorer but we have a great new pump in our well and great water pressure....the pump guy said that the old one had been a cheapy Canadian Tire kind of pump.......so now at least we have a decent one!

So no water all day...and Sam was sick still, so I spent much of the day on the sofa cuddling him..

I did make Daniel pancakes for lunch which he devoured with plenty of syrup!

Lloyd finished work at 2pm and came home to meet the well guys.......after that, Dan and I headed into town - I took him to Costco which he had never been to in the UK........we did some shopping, sampled some foods and then lined up - in front of the childrens Principal! He only had a couple of items so I let him go in front of us - but he was a bit rude - maybe he didn't recognise me! Oh well!

After that we went to the Mall and did some shopping, walked around and then got some more groceries before heading home....

Go home and we started supper - we made cold veggie pizza which everyone loved thankfully....we all sat around the table chatting for ages afterwards and then Laurie and I tidied up the kitchen..and the rest of the evening we just pottered about and chatted - and now I'm off to bed! Goodnight!

kitchen chores....

Laurie washing the dishes while Cousin Daniel finishes prepping the vegetables.....

Making supper......

Some pictures of Dan helping make supper tonight.......he told me he had never chopped a vegetable before and didn't know how to cook, so I taught him how to make cold veggie pizza......he had 4 pieces so I guess he enjoyed it lol! As you can see, chopping the onion had him in tears!

Is it really Spring???

Pictures from our walk this morning!!!

Abby-ism....

Abigail asked Daniel today "Danny are you a Christian or a kid"?

Lol!!!

Edited to add: while making dinner, I asked Abigail what a Christian is...she answered "It's someone who works' so I suggested that Daddy was one and she said that no he isn't because they work in hotels!!!