Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A Day at Pembina River





Okay, so it's been a while since posting anything new... Just goes to show how busy the summer can be.
Last week, while James was working I decided to take the kids out to Pembina River for the day where my Grandma and her husband were staying for the week. I've been out once before with the kids, about two years back. It's one of the more exciting places I've ventured to in Alberta and only about an hour and fourty five minutes away.


All day long people float from one end of the river to the bottom-- I can't wait for the kids to get a bit older so that we can be one of those care-free drifters! The kids had an absolute blast. First thing, we headed out to a rockier area of the river where the kids could wade in the water; throwing rocks without me having to worry about them being swept away with the current. The water is amazingly warm and the kids could have stayed there all day long if I'd let them.

After some lunch, we headed to the beach. Last time we were here, Aaron was not at all interested in floating on the blow-up mattresses and Ava was just a baby, but this time around-- I couldn't tear him away from it!! He sat on one end and Ava on the other! It's really nice that they're both getting older... They're really great companions to each other.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!







Just had to, had to get these photos on here cause I think they're the greatest! My friend Erin just got them to me... Aaron's ball wind-up was at an Edmonton Capitals game. His friend Conor's dad is a pitcher on the team so Aaron and his buddies were able to get access to the dugout and field-- Very exciting! They also were able to stand with the team for the singing of the anthems and kicked the game off with a 'Let's play ball'!!
**FYI-- If you're looking for Aaron in the photos, he's the only curly-haired little guy**

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Crayfish Catching





Something I've never done before! We went out to St. Albert yesterday to see James' dad and hang out for the evening. After dinner, we took a long walk (good thing we happened to have our wagon in the truck!) to the creek to catch crayfish. It was too cool! In no time at all, we had a bucket of crayfish with little effort. 'Never seen anything like it! We also made a pit-stop for some kite flying and playground action.
So far, we've done a lot of really cool things as a family this summer-- Even the little jaunts have been memorable ones! The kids are really growing up fast! I'm trying my best to remember all these special moments with them, so I'm definitely liking this whole blog thing. The kids love when I read back the little stories I have written about our little ol' family and enjoy looking at pictures of themselves!



Sunday, July 12, 2009

Unsuspecting Scorcher




Our ventures for today consisted of picking up our niece, Cheyenne, and heading out to Miquelon Lake to enjoy the beach. The forecast was looking especially good as it was predicted to be 26 degrees-- A hot one! It turned out more windy than anything, so you really didn't feel the heat so much... which did not do any favors for James or myself (We both are suffering mysterious sun burns even though we hardly felt the sun). Lesson learned: Mom's and Dad's need sunblock too!! That didn't seem to faze the kids, however. They had blast swimming, building sandcastles, playing baseball and burying each other in the sand. I've posted the cutest video of Ava being buried in the sand. My favorite part: "This is gonna be the best!!"-- Ava.


Anyhow, the day went well, but unfortunately, my face is looking a lot like a cherry tomato and the underside of my legs feel like they're on fire-- OUCH!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Happy Birthday Nevada & Georgia!



Today we attended a duo birthday bash for my nieces, Nevada (7) and Georgia (4). A good time was had by all, especially with the new trampoline addition. After Aaron had a bit of a warm up, he became a wild man attempting somersaults and flips while Ava was content to happily hop around. After some pinata action, cupcakes, gifts and a few more rounds on the trampoline, we said our goodbyes and headed home for a quiet evening.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Remembering Grandma Oosterveld


Tuesday, we took the time to remember James' grandma, Edna Oosterveld. She passed away this past Friday at the age of 76. She was a beautiful woman who's heart belonged to Jesus and I wish I had know her better. The funeral was beautiful and it was awesome to see the family come together (we rarely get to see any of the extended family from the Oosterveld side). James' brother Dave came in from Penticton as well, so it was nice for the kids to see their Uncle. It rained cats and dogs all day; but it had been said Grandma Oosterveld loved the rain, so it couldn't have been more perfect. Another cool thing was learning how Grandma and Grandpa Oosterveld came to be together, both originating from Holland. Theirs is a very romantic story and I feel blessed to be a part of their legacy.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Weekend at Miquelon Lake



This past weekend we took a trip out to Miquelon Lake. The weather held up for the most part (a dash of rain here and there). It's the first time we've ever camped-out in a tent all together. Can we say 'tent trailer'?! While the great outdoors is a breathtaking and revitalizing experience in itself, I can honestly say-- I'm just not as 'outdoorsy' as I once deemed myself to be. I've gotten used to the comfort of tipi's and double-wide trailer's, you could say!


We had a lot of fun together, despite the sleeping arrangements, and we all really enjoy Miquelon's beach. We'll definitely be heading out there again before the summer is over, even if just for a day trip!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Canada Day!











So here's our gang all ready to set out for the parade. Aaron, Ava and all of my sis-in-laws eight kids. It turned out to be a beautiful morning and the best part was that the parade goes right by our condos so it was only a hop, skip and a jump away.









The kids had a great time at the parade and an even better time strolling through the Farmer's Market. It was crazy busy but we all managed to stick together! We really were a parade in ourselves... ha ha!

We hung out at home for the afternoon. Once evening rolled around, Ava, myself and the three oldest girls went to check out the festivities around Broadmoor Park. The highlights: caramel apples, pina coladas (non-alcoholic, of course) and the butterfly tent.

We have a great view of the fireworks from our place so we decided to watch them from home. Aaron is still not into the firework thing... Not sure if he ever will be! We managed to get him to stay outside with us as long as Daddy covered his ears for him. Not surprisingly, Ava fell asleep in Chey's lap during the fireworks. That girl can sleep through anything!!
































All in all, an awesome day and well worth the effort!


Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Here We GO!

Wow!! My first time BLOGGIN! This should really put my writing skills to the test... No promises, but I'll do my darndest to keep this thing updated. Unfortunately, I can't get too carried away at the moment as today is Canada Day and it's set to be a busy one! My nieces and nephews are planning to make their way over today along with my mom and sister, Kirsten. Nine o'clock is breakfast, so I better get my butt-in-gear!