YIPEE!!!

I'm home with Emora napping and the kids at the library program. On the way there, I was thinking of how much I enjoy our Wednesdays- that we all go to a fun library time in the morning and then- oh delight, in the afternoons, the big kids go and Emora and I come home for a much needed nap (both of us) and an amazing afternoon for me to have time in the quiet house. I was thinking- what am I going to do without these great Wednesdays and then I remembered that this will be half my year! Every other day, the big kids will both be at school- all day! WOW and the year after that, the big kids will both be at school all day, everyday! DOUBLY WOW- which means that most the time I will only have to be active parent to 1 kid most the day- TRIPPLE WOW. Sorry, don't mean to rub it in, but I'm just so happy that I get to enjoy the best job ever and that just when it got super crazy, it all gets to quiet down for a few years. Yeah, I know, I still have the trio after school and on weekends and all summer, but those are much more cherished when I get to have an afternoon of recharging or a day at the beach - or an artist walk... all those things that help us to feel energized and so blessed to be a part of this world.

I love, love, love having talented relatives who will invest in my kids' lives and journeys. Here Victoria is giving my kids a dance lesson. I'm trading the Koops' talents. I'll do a little cleaning at their house each week in exchange for private lessons (dance- by Victoria, art- by Michael, guitar- by Sheena). I love trading services!!


I've also loved the birds around here. Wildlife in general is just so fun, but most steer clear of us except the birds. We just realized why we see so many from our house. We are on a direct path between the lakes, so we often have flocks of seagulls, canadian geese and pelicans go right over our yard from Echo to Mission lake. I went on an artist walk a couple of weeks ago and loved watching these geese and seeing all these seagulls. I also got to watch a blue heron for a while. I really wanted to run out into the field and scare up these birds, but I resisted.





LOVE, love this girl! I'm looking forward to discovering who she is even more as she is at the perfect age to be discovering the world and doing things, but so far is always copying the big kids. It will be fun to see who she is all on her own without the big kids influencing what to do and how to do it.



Love our progress on living here so far. While we don't know many people, we are getting some names, learning the town, more settled in the house, although we still have a pretty good list of things to get done and know the routine this year much more than last!

It's going to be a good year ;)

What a wonderful day!

I just love hot days here! They are not overly hot and now that we can head to the beach, they are very, very fun! We've used our pool some too, but it doesn't matter how much water I boil, I can't seem to get it hot enough for the kids.


Apparently it's the perfect temperature for a giant water dish.






The kids made these boats at a library program. They had a lot of fun testing them out.



Here's to the last days of summer! One more week until school starts up here and the drama, excitement and routine of all that will become a big part of our lives again.

Trees, yard, garden, green spaces!!!

My cousin brought me a few trees the other day. Well, actually more than a few, 10 to be exact. We'd already planted 5, 2 we'd gotten free and 3 we picked out as shade tree. The only problem was we didn't really plant them where we REALLY really needed shade, which we didn't know until the summer hit and so did the sun on half the house- which was great in the winter and a bit toasty now. So I took the 10 trees, put another in front and 4 of them in back. Now we have a great garden space ready for the spring, a sand pit and a forest. We hope to rebuild our play structure amidst the forest in the spring for next year (OK I hope to, if you're reading this Brian, be warned, it's coming!) I would have made a little cluster of trees by our walkway, but then remembered why we didn't plant there earlier, a bunch of electric lines run over that space to our house. We are hoping the little twigs grow, so I guess I have to take that into account. So I ran over to a couple neighbors and was glad to be able to share the wealth and make our neighborhood more tree filled. Brian's a sucker for trees, which is why I need to take him here:



This was where Janet, her kids and we met up. There are little trails in these ravines. At first I had thought that it was just a little play area, but then Janet took me on a walk through it and I was actually quite lost. The kids had a blast blazing trails, and we could usually hear them in the distance. A few times we thought we should probably check to see how they were, but then they would surface again with the huge-est smiles on their faces!

Janet went back to get Kellen's bike so that we could go to get ice cream and as she doesn't live far, she rode it to us. I imagine she was quite the sight!


So pretty!




This was taken in our formerly treeless yard. The huge pine behind me is our neighbor's. Thankfully they have some evergreens back there. It's amazing to think that our front yard went from some overgrown shrubs in desperate need of a trim, to two flower gardens and our back yard used to have cars, a dilapitated shed, a satelite dish and stand, a huge sandy pit, a big section of cements blocks all moved! Instead we've got garden space and trees. So nice. Our lawn needs some TLC, so maybe I should do some of that before the season is all done. LOVE LOVE LOVE enjoying summers outdoors! I asked Brian if it was a fair trade off to have to endure the winters and he made the point that winters are harder to deal with than hot summers. This is very true- but I also see winters as adventures- maybe that will come for him with time??

up her nose!

Here's Emora with her hair carefully done by Dominique with a ton of little clips in it. She apparently loves pretty hair at times now, so that is fun. What is not so fun was when she stuck one up her nose! I'd never had a kid do that before, but I guess Emora was afraid that I would not get the full parental experience without her inflicting such pain on herself. It was way up there too. At first I couldn't tell what she was saying or why she was crying, but at some point as she repeatedly stuck her finger into her nostril while crying "clip up nose"- it dawned on me what she was saying. I had to get a flash light and hang her upside down some to see it. Thankfully a few tries with a tweezers did the trick. I was thinking that company had just stopped by and we'd be leaving them for the hospital and a very not fun visit!


A much better outing is the library- where the big kids are now. I've been looking forward to this moment all week. Emora is asleep and the house is so quiet ;)


Here's one of the flowers greeting me as I come back from cleaning the bank in the early hours- a morning glory- I can see where it got it's name!




Here's our pets enjoying the great outdoors with us. They are loving the weather as are we. We are hoping to get out in some canoes if it is not too windy Friday after work.


Oh, yeah, and some wildlife sightings of the week. I saw a blue heron a couple of times (an older couple told me what it was- so majestic) and not so cool, a muskrat swam about 2 feet from us when we were at the lake the other day! Everyone had gotten out of the pea green soup/paint like water and were taking pictures of us! I couldn't figure out why and then I heard them yelling that a muskrat was beside us, by the kids!! I'm so glad it didn't do anything crazy- just swam way to close too our liking. The funniest part was Ivan screaming like crazy, it was pretty intense though.

Garden space!!

Before we left for Saskatoon, our neighbor came and got our second shed, that was going to free up space for a garden area. I was at peace that we didn't have a garden this summer, it was too crazy anyways and I am actually eating garden produce anyways! Our neighbor has shared some and my parents sent some. In fact tonight's meal of deer roast, potatoes, carrots and beans is all from others and I got herbs from our garden too. The only things I bought were onions, spices and rutabaga.
It also worked out well because I didn't realize how much work there was to get the spot ready. The previous owner worked on cars there and there was about 6inches and more of gravel to move. I shoveled for about 4 days. Got all the weeds up and made a huge sand pit for the kids to play in beside the house, leveled out some spots in the yard and some driveways beside the alley.


I called the kids my weed crew. They would sift through the dirt sometimes and throw out the green- as their attention went of course.




The space turned out a lot bigger than we thought it would be and we are all excited about it.





It also helps to have a cousin who helped with rotortilling it. He also suggested adding peat moss, vermiculite and compost, which we did. Then another neighbor offered to get us some top soil to add. He already brought one load over and is about to bring another. Good thing Brian sold that truck to him, it's coming into great use helping us still! He also offered to run over the space with his rotortiller once this dirt is in, before the fall. Almost done!

I was also excited to be the recipient of a bunch of free flowers. I was getting really bad service in town at a place with all the supplements for the garden and when the store worker realized that I'd asked for help and still had to load these huge bags by myself, he offered me flowers ;) They are lovely- a whole rack of them and they really liven up our flower gardens that are really not doing much since they got a bunch of transplants and seeds this year. I'm hoping that next spring it will all come up lovely ;) So we have lots to look forward to with spring's coming and winter hasn't even hit yet!

oops, need to upload photos!

My dad stopped by for a night and was helping put the kids in bed. I was helping Emora get to sleep when we had this conversation:

Em- Grandpa put Emora and Ivan to bed, not mommy.
me- Should he put me to bed too? I am grandpa's baby girl.
Em- (laughing) You not grandpa's baby!
me- I am his daughter.
Em- no, you mommy!
me- I am your mommy, but I'm grandpa's daughter.
Em- no, I Emora, you mommy
me- yes, I'm Your mommy and grandpa is my daddy, so I'm his daughter.
Em- How about this? I Emora and YOU mommy!

I laughed so hard! I love her new expression- "how about this?". She is such a determined little girl, more than the other two combined! The good of this is that she is now potty trained with hardly ever an accident. The only issues she had was when in the yard in a swimsuit. The bad part of her determination is when she wants her way and can't get it! oh boy- about 4 hours of crying upset Emora over 1001 things I tell you. But all that grit will serve her well in life if she uses it for good purposes. Look out world, this 2 year old's got some strength! There you've been warned ;)

Time to upload more pics!

Here are the last of my Saskatoon pics that I'm going to share here. I have a bunch from the anniversary tea up on facebook, so you can go look there if you are really desperate for more! My sister, Emora and my cousin's son Josh at a park...


Meet my cousin Lin and one of her daughters- Harley. Lin used to live in Yellowknife and with us in Texas, we always complained that it was much too far to see each other. But guess what? We moved North about 27 hours and she moved South about 30 hours (or more?) and now we are only about 3 hours from each other!



This was from the Western Development Museum- it's so neat to walk back in time.


Or ride.






Of course the newest member of the family always gets lots of attention and cuddles- and why not, he's such a cutie!

Kids, I remember all dem years ago, when your grandpa had us diggin' up dat rock in some farmers' field. Dat was when farmers let you just take dem rocks from their rock pile instead of havin' to buy 'em. Grandpa saw dat big huge rock and just had to have it. It took all five of us, a crow bar, ramp and a lot of blood sweat and tears to get her home, but now here she stands all doze years later and as you grow and grow, we take your picture beside it and see how you have changed so much, but dat rock just stays duh same. Yesiree.


And when we moved out here, there wasn't a tree on the acreage. That tree you're hiding behind was a twig I tell you, and I probably planted it. I surely did water it and lots of others. I didn't think they'd amount to nothing, but your grandma said some day they will grow and you'll appreciate them and grow they did, so now here we are and look at how beautiful those little twigs have become!




Have you ever planted a tree? Where and what kind? Is it still there?

Baggett funnies

As you read this post, I will most likely be battling my way into the city or through a store with my trio, so wish me luck! I'll be armed with a list for the dreaded box stores Walmart and Superstore as well as a shoe store and garden store- wish me some more luck, say a prayer or 5, make that ten. Yes, I'm quite anxious about it. Did I mention that I hate shopping. I do, I really do. And I hate it even more with three tired kids. I tried to think of a way out of it, but then I'd have to ditch a child or two on a friend all day and I'd like to keep what friends I have here longer than that, so I'm dragging them along. I'm seriously thinking of bringing the DVD player with a movie as bribery if they are good. I've even tried to think of a way to bring it in the store and let them all watch from the cart, but they wouldn't fit. I've also entertained the idea of leaving them in the van to watch the movie, but my conscious wouldn't allow that, even if I do for super short runs into places here in town-- only they don't get a movie then, just strict orders not to move, unlock the doors or touch anything, or fight (yes, they could fight without moving or touching anything).



I'm hoping we won't drive each other over the edge in front of an entire store full of people and if you should see some poor mom with a hoard of kids and she's shopping while they are watching a dvd, do not think how sad that is that kids have to be entertained all the time, think of the poor kids being dragged through stores for a full day, driving in from another town and really just wanting to be outside, but not having the luxury to run into a store whenever to get all those little things like impossible to find school list items or lace up shoes that fit for that matter.







These are our comic relief moments.


And just look at what happens when a mom puts too many activities into a day, like too many stores and too many lists, or too much vacation fun!











OK, so they weren't actually sleeping here on the floor, I had them pose, but I thought they were so cute with their spots and the spots on the floor, they made me think of dinosaur eggs, don't know why, they just do. And I do hope, seriously hope, this is what these girls do on the long ride home, after a successful day of shopping with plenty of fabulous deals, special delights for us all, an unused dvd player and everything on my lists- found!

Just go take a walk!

Beauty is just around the corner a few steps away, if you will open your eyes to it. One of my favorite things to do is go for walks. It's a great way to see the world around you, do your body and heart some good, maybe even meet someone, slow down and appreciate the world we live in.


My parents live on a dirt road off a fairly busy highway, so it is super nice to go for walks- barely any traffic and those who do drive by usually wave. There are also lots of friendly horses on the way. The kids loved so much our adventure of walking down the road, picking flowers, feeding the horses and taking pictures.











I've always thought Saskatchewan was pretty beautiful- especially in the summer, but winter has it's own charms too.










Brian informed me that this is the weekend a year ago that we moved into our house. The walls were all purple, we went to a powwow at some point (it's on again this year, but we are being lazy and staying home tonight), then the kids and I left for Saskatoon while Brian painted all the upstairs- of course the basement was uninhabitable. We were not all that excited about the house even after we got it, but now that we've invested so much work into it, we are really enjoying our new and improved home. We really didn't like the yard, but it's already come a long way too. My cousin just rottor tilled our garden space and recommended what to add to the soil. It's dark black and I'm hoping very fertile. We've planted trees, taken up blocks of cement and we are seeing that it is become more and more welcoming, and refreshing.



The longer we are here, the more it is feeling like Home Sweet Home.

What aspects of your home make it feel like it is a special place for you?