So she's moved...

...and I seem to have survived. Oh many tears were shed. When the new owner came to check and see how things were going with us getting out (he already had his key!).... I had to hand over my copy of the house key, not without shedding a few tears.

I did get my roses out, some raspberries, and chrysanthemums. They are at the neighbours for me to pick up in the morning. We left the trailer there with a boat load of garbage in it that must be picked up tomorrow, along with the picnic table that my brother wants. I told them we'd be back for it, but my brother disappeared with my Mom's car (thus no trailer hitch!). Hopefully we can zip back tomorrow to get them picked up!!

We got all her belongings into the condo. The storage room is FULL... about 2/3 of the boxes are unpacked, altho I'm sure to be re-arranged as time goes by. We had great help from my Aunt and Uncle, my brother's friends, and a couple from our church. The kids were excellent as well. :D

I kept humming a tune today... it's from High School Musical (JA is influencing my choice in music these days! LOL!).... "it's the start, of something new..." Today really is the start of something new. A new begining, a fresh start.

So I'm off to bed. We'll see how Mom made out... Kala and Kyle got to sleep there with her tonite. She has cable TV> She gets channel 51. She gets Hannah Montana. JA will be over visiting often! LOL! The kids were totally enthralled with the closed circuit TV at the front door... so JA, Michael and I had to wave at Mom, Kala and Kyle on our way out! LOL! We'll see how they thought we did!

Tomorrow is day two of swimming lessons, and our 3rd annual Canada Day BBQ and fireworks!! I'll have photos for you later... I hope!

It's just a house, right??

So my Mom is moving tomorrow. After 35 years in that house. 2/3 of my life was spent in that house. I grew up in that house. Learned to drive there. Had my first sleepover there. My kids slept over there. So many memories, so much time... so much attachment. Someone please remind me that it's just a house. My memories aren't going anywhere... just that Mom is. She isn't going far. I had two major requirements for her to move - yes, I had to do it ;) Anyway, I wanted her to still live within biking distance (right now she lives only a few blocks away) and she had to get a condo with a pool! Well, when the kids are a bit bigger and have more stamina, we can still ride there. It's only about 8 minutes away by car. Not bad. She did get a condo with a pool. Altho she met the criteria I had set forth (and no, that wasn't her reason for buying her condo! LOL!)

So tomorrow morning while I am taking 5 kids to swim lessons, my brother will be out getting the moving truck, Mom will be at home packing up the last minute things and getting herself together for the big move. She will enjoy those last hours just her and the house, her memories and her belongings. After lunch her home will move, and her house will stay. For where your heart is there your home is also.

The change will be good. Settling into her new home will be good. I just don't always do well with change, and this is a doozy.

I have slowly been bringing her 'home' here... a piece of furniture, some memorabilia, and lots of flowers from the garden!! Tomorrow I plan to dig up the last stuff - my Great Grandmother's Wild Roses (aka Nanny!), some chrysanthemums she transplanted from my friend's place a few years back (thanks Sharon!), and some raspberries, because I cannot stand the thought of actually having to BUY them... and now at least Mom can enjoy her raspberries without having to care for them. My brother is intending to get some berries too! LOL!

The kids picked some berries today, probably the last we'll get from this year's crop. Tomorrow night someone else will be enjoying them.

Ok, I gotta stop here, as the tears are falling fast and furious. I can't go thru the day with puffy eyes and a headache tomorrow!

I'll post moving day photos, the old homestead and the new condo... the friends and family... the new home. If you see me, I'm always ready for a hug. I know I'll need some!

Oh it gets more exciting every day!

....and I still can't share it with you!! Is this killing you?! Bwahahaha!! We still covet your prayers and I hope to share some BIG NEWS with you all in the next two weeks!!! :D :D :D :D

Joan... am I driving you crazy yet?!?! LOL!

Father's Day!

It was family Sunday at church yesterday, and the kids Sunday School classes got up and sang together. One of the little girls who is 8.5 years old, got up and played the piano to accompany the kids singing "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." She was excellent!!

Of course, Sophia and Zachary did not sing. Sophia informed me when she didn't sing at the pre-school graduation that "I didn't need to, my friends were singing!" LOL Zachary just doesn't do well sometimes... it's hit or miss.

So here are some photos of them!


The whole group - aged 3-12


Mr. McColl on guitar, with the 'singing, whistling, clapping' singers doing "This Is The Day!"


Grumpy Gus.


Finally enjoying himself! LOL!

The Strawberry Festival

After Sparks Camp, we got home and got ready for the Strawberry Festival in Pelham. Our friends belong to it (he is a volunteer firefighter), and invite us every year. I think this is our third year going. There's games for the kids, good food, strawberry shortcake, firefighter activities (last year we went up in an aerial bucket, this year they could spray the fire hose - which we forgot to do, sadly). We ate well, played a few games, the kids got prizes. We visited with some farm animals, and watched a trick horse and a guy doing some fancy lasso work!

Sparks Camp!!

Our children all attend the Awana Program. Zachary and Sophia were both Cubbies this year (3 and 4 year olds) and Julie-Anna has been a Spark for the past 3 years (and Cubbie for the 2 years before that!). Upon completion of their 3rd book in Sparks, they earn a trip to Sparks Camp-A-Rama! So this past Saturday we teamed up with another little girl (Emily) and her Mom (Millie) and drove to Cambridge to attend the camp day. It was a lot of fun! The sun wasn't too hot, and the mosquitoes were only slightly less than all the armies of the world. Can you tell I don't like mosquitoes, but they sure loved me!!!

There were two teams of approx 15 Sparks each, so each group did their own thing all day, to avoid congestion! Camp consisted of opening ceremonies, game time (we played Crows and Cranes, Rabbit in the Hole - which is dodgeball, did an obstacle course, and some other game with balls and stuff, which I don't know the name of!). We split off after that, and the RED TEAM went to a Bible lesson time with Mr. Mike. After that we zipped over to make a placemat. The kids had to colour the front, and on the back they mac tacked on some leaves and flowers from the nearby forrest. After that was lunch! Lunch was a hotdog (or two!), a wee bag of chips, drink box, a little cup of baby carrots (Way to go Sparkie leaders!), and a big M & M cookie!! After lunch we went on a Sparkie Hike. Ok, so I went. I listend as Mr. Froom talked about nature and whatnot. Then we left the little clearing to go hiking. I need to preface that I had lubed up TWICE with bug spray. When we got into the forrest, Mr. Froom found these cool 'popping flowers' whichwe had fun popping. Then we got deeper into the forrest. That's when I nearly got carried out by the mosquitoes! Holy Hannah they were out in full force! I was dancing, and itching and going crazy. So I abandoned Julie-Anna asked Emily's mom to keep her eye on JA and I left the forrest rather quickly! :D

After the hike, where the girls collected up a little bunch of burrs of all things, we zipped into the screened in cabin for a Bible lesson, songs, and fun!! "Trickey Mickey" was the speaker, and he so kept their attention. He is a 'magician' teaching Bible stories. The lesson was "God Loves Our Enemies" and he taught the story of Jonah with some cool tricks thrown in, some word games, and activities. The kids really enjoyed him! I enjoyed him!! LOL! All the kids got a treat at the end of the day as a reward for the 4 Up's - Sit up, Listen Up, Look Up and ZIP UP!!! LOVE IT!!

We headed home after that, and the two girls conked out in the back seat about 30+ mins from home! As much as I had a good time, MICHAEL will be taking Zachary when it's his turn! LOL!

Here are a few photos from the day!

Mommy and JA


Lots of games!


JA and her new friend



Silly girls and their burrs!


This Bible started off with blank pages. Next it had line drawings. Lastly the line drawings were all coloured in! The kids were wowed!


The lesson about Jonah.


We saw a turtle on the camp road on our way out. So we stopped to take photos and rescue it! The girls freaked when it peed on Emily! LOL!

A Trip to the Carousel!

The preschool took a field trip to the Carousel last week. Wow, we had a great time! The kids did a craft, had a snack, played games, and had many rides on the carousel!! The Carousel is amazing. All the horses and animals are handmade, and I believe it's over 100 years old! To this day, it's only 5c a ride! :D


First ride of the season on the Carousel


Wow, this thing goes up and down!!

She insisted on riding this one, even though it did not go up and down. She called it "the beautiful one' and rode it several times! It had some purple on it, and of course that is her favourite colour now!


...and loving every minute of it!

Pre-School Graduate!

Well, I have another Graduate!!
Last Tuesday, the Sweet Sophia graduated from Pre-School!! It was an amazing year with an absolutely amazing teacher! Mrs. Foley, we have known you for 2 years now, and have loved you more each day! Our children (even JA!) are all the better for having known you and having your wisdom imparted to them. I am pleased to call you my friend! We trust you to have a fabulous summer!

Without further ado, here are a few photos of the Big Girl and her class!


Waiting to start

The kids did a song - "When Sophia is a big girl, 20 years old, she will be a PRINCESS, so I'm told!" It's too cute, and a princess she is!

Getting her diploma from Mrs. Foley, then shouting out "I DID IT!!"

The cute Grad in the cap I made her :)

Looking up to Mrs. Foley... with lots of love!

Just 'Phia and Mrs. Foley!

Some words of wisdom from Mrs. Foley (but really, she's just telling her to look at me, but that is wise,right?!)

So we have just two more days of school with Mrs. Foley, and one of them is a field trip (which I will dutifully report on later!)

Do you ever wanna do THIS?

I saw this today at Dawn's Blog (Because I Said So) and sometimes it is just so what I want to do!! LOL!

We have grass!!

YAHOO!!! We have all the sod laid. Michael even cut the first stuff this afternoon. Part of the lawn looks like a golf course, the other part, not so much. We are hoping with all the rain and watering that it will catch up!! :D

I started weeding the gardens this afternoon as well. Gotta get the old lilacs pulled out, and plant some stuff from around the yard. I'm mostly container gardening with the veggies this year. I have 3 tomatoes and a pepper plant on the deck. I did plant a hill of cukes in front of the deck. I have containers with flowers - marigolds, snap dragons, dalias, gerbera daisies... I think that's it. It's coming along nicely.

Michael put the bistro table and chairs together this afternoon after cutting the lawn. They match the house so well!! It's in taupes, whites, and another colour, which I'll say is a sage green, but I forget right now. I can't wait till it's outside!! I hope we sit at it lots... with the marigolds keeping the mosquitoes at bay! :D This photo is similar to what we purchased. We had a 25$ gift card, and money on the CTC M/C so the thing was FREE!! My mom can't wait to come and play Boggle outside now :D

Dora!

Sophia got to meet Dora today!! We broke the rules and went 'shopping' today. It was the grand reopening of a local Canadian Tire store. They had Diego there on Friday, but we couldn't make it. So today we went for Dora. She was just leaving for a rest (man, I have been that person inside those costumes, the heads are HEAVY and they are HOT!)... but we talked them into letting Sophia see Dora just for a minute. I got a couple pics (still on the camera, I'll share them tomorrow!)... and she was THRILLED!! Usually she's terrified of big dressed up stuff, but I guess Dora just isn't the same as all the others. Zachary on the other hand... he was shaking like a leaf, and would NOT get out of the cart! LOL!

OK, here are the promised photos! :)