Gramma's Visit

Gramma spent time with us last week.  It was a busy week with Festival, so it was great to have her help.  Each of the kids got to go on a special date as well.  It was Alex and Jordan's first time too!  I don't think they've ever left the house with anyone other than Sean and I.  Amazing how much they're growing up and how well they do one on one.  We also celebrated Sean's birthday.  Gramma managed to bring up an ice cream cake from Cache Creek and Sean barbecued his favourite steak.

A full week of activity!

Hope Gramma now recovers quickly from her bronchitis!

A few fun pictures from Aiden's date.

Festival of the Arts

The older three, participated last week in the Festival of the Arts.  Each of them presented a poem and a piano number, and Aiden and Caileigh also performed a duet.  It was a great experience this again this year.

All three received a gold star for their poem recitation.

Here are a few video clips for the grandparents:)

Happy Easter

Some days just don't work out for a good photo:)

Egg Blowing/Painting

The Great Egg Hunt

We surprised the kids with an egg hunt! 

 I wanted to separate our egg hunt from Easter Sunday this year.  I want the kids to focus on the real reason that we celebrate this holiday.  

The kids got to share the hunt with their friends too.

Colour coordinating the eggs worked well for hiding at various skill levels.

I bet the little boys' Sunday School teacher will thank me for having all the candy out of their system by Sunday:)

Jaxon

Our little buddy Jaxon is currently in Children's Hospital, fighting leukaemia.  Jaxon and his family have been in our prayers continually over the last week since his diagnosis.  We know that he is in excellent hands, both in hospital and with our God!  Paul and Rachel have strong faith and have been inspiring in their trust and strength.  Please keep this family in your prayers!

Bupee and Uncle Matt's Visit

Uncle Matt and Bupee were here visiting last weekend.  We really enjoyed our time together.

 The older three kids each enjoyed a special outing with Bupee.  There was bowling, hikes, treats and more.  We celebrated Uncle Matt's birthday as well.

Big sister reading to little brothers.

Little sister reading to big sister.

Spring

Spring is slowly working it's way towards the Cariboo.  

It has been A. Very. Long. Winter! and I will be thrilled to see the snow gone and the warmth reappear.  

It is around this time of the year that I find myself looking through pictures of past years to see how the snow levels compare.  We have more snow this year than we have in the past.  I think we still have a few more weeks before it is entirely melted but I can start to see the progress.

Last week we had our co-op spring party.  My mom commented that our kids were going to be very confused as they sat inside painting flower pots/planting seeds, while it was snowing outside.  They'll grow up wondering what spring is!  Always a great time with our friends.

I've been strategically placing signs of spring around the house to give me hope and joy.

I stopped running at the end of last summer.  I was struggling with low iron and feeling constantly dizzy and out of breath going up stairs.  I decided to give my body a chance to recover.  I still have low iron but I'm not struggling as much as I was.  I decided to get back to running last week but I'm doing it a little differently this time.  Instead of having huge goals of running 1/2 marathons, my goals include running short distances, less days a week.  I also want to find ways to include the family.  I've  been running with the older three kids (and our neighbour's daughter) and have given them a challenge to complete by the end of the summer.  If they can run from our house, and around Sepa lake, I'll take them out for ice cream.  If they can do that, including running back up the big hill, I'll take them out for lunch.  The kids are really excited about the challenge and it will be fun to see how they do.

It's been challenging to run with Buddy.  He LOVES it, which makes me happy, but he is still such a puppy and he wants to visit with every dog, squirrel, deer, person.......in the neighbourhood.  He literally pulls me off my feet each time he sees these things, which is often!  I'm hoping he'll settle down the more we do this.  I guess I can be thankful that running is now including an upper body workout too:)

The other night, a huge moose walked by our house!  I was so excited and running around trying to get all the kids, the camera, and the phone, that I missed my chance to take a picture.  It was pretty neat though.  

The kids are thrilled that the road is finally clear of snow and we can ride our bikes each day.  This is a favourite activity that everyone can participate in.