School starting/ and birthday party

Ah- the Koops' back yard.  I guess a part of me will always think of it as home in a way since we lived there on and off all summer and since they are so easy going about sharing their space and possessions with us.  I have been known to borrow a bike, or canoe or child on occasion ;)

At some point, the kids engaged in some adult inspired water war.  Sheena was freaking a bit at the kids for bringing out a water war and they explained that one of the adults had started it.  Didn't take long for Mike to join in too.  The kids were wet, but oh so happy and there was a fire to warm up with.

Emora didn't get into the water war.  She was cold already and borrowed my jacket.  Wow- would you believe that some day this could be a jacket on her and not a full length gown.

This one is a bit of a mystery to me.  Sometimes she can be all talk, but not in big settings.  She gets super quiet around a bunch of people and it'll shock me all over again because I'm so used to the lively little lady.

It was our usual fare of folks... Koops', Muirheads and a flurry of stragglers.

We were celebrating Arwen's birthday very belatedly.  She has an August birthday, which can be a bit tricky since everyone or most of everyone and specifically SHE was gone around that time.  I think she was at camp then or thereabouts anyways.

Sheena has an intern this semester who joined us.  Dominique- the rich one in the family wanted to buy something for her cousin with her own money.  She's also been buying an awful lot of chocolate covered almonds that we are supposed to be selling as a ballet fundraiser.

hanging by the fire.

cousins rock!

Ivan especially LOVES his cousins.  He has a harder time making friends than Dominique, although she's had a bit of a rough start to grade 1, I think she was missing her friends from last year, who are all in the other class.  So, it REALLY helps to have the cousins who love us no matter how weird we are!  I've said before that we wouldn't have made it here without these families... they've meant a lot to us with the move here and trying to find our place in life here in Fort Qu'Appelle.