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Sunday, August 11, 2013

Fort Langley

One of the fields trips we did with our school this year was a trip out to Fort Langley. It was a beautiful warm sunny day which made it even more enjoyable. The kids learned lots as we went from station to station learning about all the different jobs that had to be done around the Fort in order to keep the community running!

Listening to the First Nations lady explain what was traded between the Europeans and the First Nations and why!



After identifying some of the origins of the furs, Theo was brave enough to touch them.

Pretending to make some laws!

Learning to Waltz.


Twas a lovely day. It was great to be surrounded by many of my student families, and of course the DiGi-Lakins!

Kezie's Cubbie Bear.


Kezia participated in Cubbie's at Awana, and this year she rocked all her memory verses, sometimes doing two verses in one week. All her hard work paid off, as she earned her Cubbie Bear!


Sunday, August 4, 2013

Surprise Birthday Party!



Colin wasn't able to get out for his birthday this year with me or any of his friends, so we decided a to give a couple surprises instead. On his actual birthday we made cupcakes for all the students in his class and snuck into his room while they were at computers. The kids had fun hiding and yelling surprise when he came in the room.
Hiding in the storage area of the classroom.

Hiding behind Daddy's desk, with the sign she made.

Surprise Daddy!!!

This is a well loved man!

But... his birthday was on a Friday, and anyone who knows us, knows that on Friday's we do Pizza and Red Wine at my parents house. First their was ballet for Eva, then off to Vancouver for pizza. So I felt like his birthday wasn't quite celebrated enough. The kids and I decided that the first surprise was so fun, that we would do it again.

This time we decorated and set the table all fancy.


I made one of his favourite meals (lamb steaks with roasted greek potatoes).


Jessie was so sweet and bought him a DQ log!


Kezia loved it so much she had to use both utensils.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Waiting for Nana and Granddad

My parents were away for the month of March in search for warmer weather.
The children and I were greatly anticipating their arrival home- so we made our signs and greeted them at the airport.
I guess customs was going a little slow- as we had received a text saying that they were in line.
Getting more and more impatient, Kezia rolled up her sign and used it as a megaphone. She was yelling into it, "Where are you Nana and Granddad- I KNOW YOU ARE IN HERE SOMEWHERE!"

It was a priceless moment- that I'll remember always.


Swans and ducklings and abandon robin's egg- oh my!

Last year on fathers day you may recall how we stumbled upon some resident swans during an evening walk. We learned that they come every spring, so we went hunting and this is what we found...
 When we first arrived, the swans were out in the water near the nest. Above you can see one in the water and the other on the river bank just starting back toward the nest (that was two feet in front of where we were standing with a fence separating us).
 The first swan stood here for literally 10-15 minutes drying herself off. She would take her beak and stretch it as far as she could under her body, rub her feathers a little and then flick the water away from her body. It was so fascinating to watch the agility she had with her neck.

Later her mate joined her. She wouldn't go and sit on her nest, until her mate was there- so of course we then had to watch him dry off too. Then after she waddled over to the nest, she started touching up the nest. She reached for just the right reeds to bring up to the top, or support the base. Again, this process took about 15 minutes. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "nesting" for pregnant mothers.

There were 7 eggs when we saw them, and apparently there were 9 in total. Sadly, as has happened every recent year, the nest got flooded out with heavy rains and rising river waters. There were no cygnets from this family. =(
 In somewhat happier news, there were many ducklings for the children to see and feed at my Nana's home. I say somewhat, because every year this ducklings are threatened by crows who swoop down and steel them. We saw the crows attack a few times, but thankfully my kids ran over yelling at the crows to go away to scare them off. This went over really well with all the old folks! ;)
 Oh and the abandon robin's egg; Theo found this on the boulevard where we parked the car the evening we went in search of the swans.