Birthday party

My friend Alex really goes over the top with her amazing birthday creations.  I totally admire it.  This year Elliott will be lucky if I can pick up and ice cream cake!!!

While I lay in bed sick with a cold, glen 'manned' the bouncy castle at the party.  Apparently Elliott and his bud loved it.

Earth Day

Glen organized a mini-block clean-up for Earth Day.  Here is the cutest clean-up crew to grace our clean block.

Tire Swing

Glen made this cool tire swing for our backyard last week.  Free tire from the tire shop, but $50 for the high end hardware.  Sure has made our backyard popular!

riding the 2 wheel!

Last weekend, Elliott declared on Friday afternoon that he wanted to ride his peddle bike without training wheels.  I searched for the right tool, but called glen at work.  He left work early and was home within 10 min!  He couldn't miss this, and within 1 hour, Elliott has his trainers off and was riding his bike on his own.  Pretty memorable day for us too.  Who remembers learning to ride their bike?  I sure do.

There are some sweet girls down our street who live with their grandma.  Glen gave their bikes a spring tune up- easy earn of cool points. 

Easter

We were lucky to have our friends visting us this Easter weekend (an annual tradition, we think 4th in a row!).  They brought their 2 cuties with them, and their aborable 5 week old!  That was a full house, but we all did great.  There was lots of fun in the backyard, Ella and Elliott went skiing (and LOVED it), we went to a couple of parks, and pretty much chatted the entire time. 

Little bunnies searching for Easter eggs.  The highlight for them of the weekend. 

 Examining their baskets and being very good about equal distribution.  Next year, we'll add another little mister to the mix.  Bringing us up to 4 boys and 1 girl.  Go Ella Go!

play time

Elliott is definitely over his aversion to face painting!  I think I might hire this girl for Elliott's birthday party.

 We've had the pleasure of playing with Elliott's best bud Friday afternoons for the last couple of weeks.  On the walk to our house, there is a great playground for the boys to play at.  Remember lying on a swing and kicking your legs?

 The boys having a blast riding bikes.  They did it for 45 min straight, and when I took off their helmets their hair was wet with sweat!

Kaitlin

 We love Kaitlin and soon she is leaving Kamloops- this makes Elliott sad and Mommy more sad!  This past Friday she took Elliott to gymnastics while I did a little extra work.  And he had a wonderful time and immediately asked when he can play with her again- this has to be the most satisfying feeling for a parent.

Abbigail

Elliott loves this little girl Abbigail (so do Glen and I).  She is a person that absolutely brings out the BEST qualities in Elliott.  If only we could adopt her...

Abbi is glen's step-sisters daughter.  So that must count as a cousin in some ways.

BMX

Elliott went in his first bmx 'race' on the weekend and here are a couple of cute pics to prove it.  He loves riding his bikes, and his run bike on this track is no exception.  It is so cute to see him feeling so confident and so capable of this!

 All the first time competetors received a trophy for their efforts.  Elliott LOVES his- it is still next to his bed.  And he has been practicing for the next race since then.!

More Island

These are a few pictures from my hand-held.  Not great quality but always more spontaenous shots!

 Elliott ate chocolate pudding, and kalamata olives for snack time in Qualicum Beach.  He said it was yummy...

 There was a ferry-canceling storm on Vancouver Island and we left Sointula about 6 hours later that we assumed.  Elliott was a total trooper- watching cartoons late at night in the car. 

Elliott is learning how to print and naturally is very interested in writing his own name over and over.  He does a pretty good job of it too!

 My best attempt at a family photo.  Sorry glen!

New sunglasses- blue spiderwebs!  Elliott is following in glen's footsteps with his love for sunglasses.

Vancouver Island

We just returned from a couple of weeks on Vancouver Island, travelling from the Northern tip down to the Southern.  It was a very rainy trip, but we made the most of all the dry times, as you can see in these photos.  Unfortunately I didn't get all of the highlights.  We spent a few days in unique Sointula visiting glen's dad and step-mom (where he slept all by himself in a little tent with his cousin Abby).  And then Elliott had his first kayack ride in Nanoose Bay visiting his Grandma Adele (very sorry I don't have pictures from there, where Elliott had a great time playing with his cousins).  And we ended in sunny, beautiful Victoria. 

Our first night in Parksville at "Beach Acres"  Loved this little cabin... would definitely recommend this spot!

 Had great beach time there the first day.  Was perfect sunny afternoon too.

 Elliott and I hunting for sea-weed and shells!

 Here the boy's are having running races.  Glen is carrying Elliott's bike- it was just too tricky to ride in the sand.

 We had the pleasure of spending a few days in Sointula with Abbigail.  She is a wonderful little girl, who absolutely brings out the best in Elliott.  We wish we could import her to Kamloops.  They had a great time together.

 Elliott actualized his love for hiking in the rain forest.  He fell in some mud, and here's the outcome. 

 An amazing beach called Bere Point.  There are 'forts' like this all along the beach.  The kids loved having their own private spot for a snack attack.

 We spent some time with glen's grandma in Duncan- Helen turned 98 this year!  And she still lives in her own home and looks this great.  We went for a little walk around her complex so Elliott could show his 'great' grandma his tricks.

 Family bike ride in Victoria!

We finished by visiting my Aunt Jane and Uncle Tim- likely two of the nicest people around.  And they are so kind and generous to Elliott too.  It was a great end to all the visits and destinations.  See ya next year Vancouver Island!

Elliott and his girls

We went to Kelowna last weekend and visited our friend's the Gillis's ans my parents and Tricia too! 

 Elliott seemed to like this bath with the 2 Gillis girls- it lasted far longer than normal.

 The day we left our sweet neighbour Alivia came over for a bit.  I think this was their first time just the 2 of them and they were so sweet.  Here they are beading, making bracelets.

 Up at Big White, Elliott went on his first gondolla ride.

And FIRST face painting!  He loves tatoos but has always said no to face painting.  I think because Caitlyn went just before him, he felt better about it.  And he was so still that the painter made him a big snowflake!

bella bella

Bella Bella is in my work region, and I have to hire a new contractor there so I made my first trip there this week.  I was super lucky to go with a small group that was lead by Leftenant Governor Steven Point.  He is an amazing guy and so approachable- I learned a lot from him.

And I also learned a lot about Bella Bella- it was an amazing trip.  Unfortunately it rained to whole time, but I got a sense of the beauty anyway.  Here are just a couple of pics.

  

 Steven Point sitting with the kids from the school singing "Oh Canada." 

The view from my room at the Sheerwater Lodge. I openned my window that first night to enjoy the air- it was shocking how quiet it was.

 This was my favorite part of the trip- we went to an informal drumming group at a local resident's house.  Steven loved it, and the music was unforgetable.   The man sitting next to him leads the group and ALWAYS has his little son with him.  At 2 years old that boy can beat a drum like you can't believe.

fun weekend

We had a fun, full weekend.  We were all healthy! 
And so were our friends! 

 Elliott got his haircut at his favorite hair salon.  We try to avoid it because it is so expensive, but this time the extra cost seemed worth it.  Elli watched cartoons in this cool car while I drank my coffee in a comfy chair.  He looks so cute with short hair!

 Our neighbour Todd played in a hockey tournament on the weekend, so his kids wanted to cheer.  Of course, so did Elli.  All in all he took in 3 hockey games this weekend.

But at some point, the lure of Livi's LeapPad took over and he couldn't stop playing it.... might be a good toy to keep him busy during my non-stop breastfeeding days coming up.

 Baby Gloria came over for lunch with her family.  Elli seems to have a true love for babies these days.

 Later on Sunday, Elli and glen discovered the BMX park.  They LOVED it, and talked about becoming members of the club.  Elliott even said he wants to enter the races starting this spring.  Glen and Elli are going back today.

Glen and the boys.  So cute- Anderson loved that glen was on his BMX too.

Loves

Elli has a few loves.  One is going to the library and getting LOTS of books.  This time he took out 45!  Our new record.  But the coolest was this children's author who was there, reading his books and singing with the kids.  Elliott was so captured and afterwards told us that this man had the nicest face.  He just "really loved it."

Elliott also loves Kaitlin.  Kaitlin is our friend who has been living with us for the past few months.  She is awesome with Elliott and he thinks she is wonderful (and so does mommy- especially seeing you couldn't have a better live-in babysitter).  Here Elli is wearing her boots.  "Kaitlin, can I have these boots when they are too small for you?" 

Winter fun!

We have to go up into the hills for snow, but regardless have been spending lots of time outside together.  Seems like a really mild winter- or maybe we are just better prepared for it. 

Superbowl Bikeride in Feb

With the snow almost gone, and temperatures nearing 0, the boys have gone bikeriding!  What a beautiful day in Kamloops.  Most people are at home watching tv I'm sure!  I think we are all more interested in the half-time show.