Ten on Tuesday

1.  The Rocky Mountains are beautiful any time of the year!

2.  This little one is absolutely amazing!  Look at her skiing down the bunny hill all by herself, practising perfect form and balance.  

3.  She was by far the littlest person we saw on the hill.  Look at her compared to the kids ahead of her!

4.  The Magic Carpet is a conveyor belt that tows beginners back up to the top of their little hill.  It's the coolest thing!

5.  Her mom's pretty amazing too!!  Skiing when she is 6 months pregnant - thank you God for watching over this daughter of mine.

6.  And these 4 had lots of fun going up the big chair to the top of the mountain and coming down in the snow.  It was the best part of the day according to Meadow.

7.  I had an interesting and tasty appetizer at supper - slices of pear and rocquefort cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry, baked and topped with blackberry sauce.

8.  "Ready, Big Fish?"  

"I'm ready.  Are you ready, Little Fish?"

"Knees, toes, back, 7- 8 - 9"

And she splashed into our arms in the swimming pool tonight!

9.  I'm posting this link to Simple Mom's 20 Tips for Finding Your Routine with Kids because my own daughters are finding it a challenge to have toddlers and babies, manage a home, work and still have time for partners and their own interests.  Even if only 1 thing on her list helps you, it's worth reading her post.  Thanks to Ali Edwards for the link :))

10.  Shutter Sisters have a new idea - Project Hope.  Sending two photographers around the world to capture images of hope while supporting those whose situations seem hopeless, stay-at-home readers are invited to share their local images of hope too.    The project begins in Rawanda and will end in Nepal.  What a journey it will be to follow.  Check it out and Vote Hope!!!

Simple Daybook #36

For Today . . . March 30, 2009

Outside my window . . . changing scenery as we drove to Jasper - less snow, +4 degrees C, herds of elk and mountain sheep eating in the ditch, and beautiful snow capped mountains

I am so, so thankful . . . that Jonathan is okay after an accident on Saturday night - praise God for his protection!

I am thinking . . . how blessed we are to spend time vacationing with our adult children and now their children

From the kitchen . . . of the Jasper Brewing Co. tonight - Vegetable Samosa, Sweet Potato Salad and a Rosemary Polenta Tower shared with Mel

I am wearing . . .  brown casual pants, beige turtleneck sweater, beige quilted vest

I am reading . . .  still The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish - there hasn't been an abundance of reading time this past week

I am hoping . . . to take some great pictures of Meadow skiing tomorrow

I am hearing . . .  Josh Groban singing on his newest album

I am creating . . . first printing pictures for the wedding  guestbook pages and then actually getting the pages put together

Around the house . . . toys put away and bed linens changed after having Heather, Helayna and Silas home last week, now lots of paper filing to do 

One of my favourite things . . . playing Sequence, a card game

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . a couple of days in Jasper, a couple of days in Airdrie and then some time at home to start some spring creating and then some cleaning projects

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you  . . . my Mom and Dad playing games with us last night - we had a ton of fun and they didn't go home until 11:59 p.m.!!!!

Be sure to visit The Simple Woman for more daybooks.

The Wedding

Several of our friends have asked when wedding pictures will be posted on this blog.  Well - I have honoured the groom's request for privacy but today I am delighted to direct you to Limelight Photography for a preview of the official wedding photos.  Paula did a wonderful job and captured Darrin and Kelsey's special day in a beautiful way.  Enjoy!!!!!

Quiet

It's very quiet around our house today as all the little munchkins have returned to their homes!  We had a marvelous week with a full, noisy house so I have to share just a few more pictures.  Thank goodness Heather is so awesome about having her camera ready and using it often.  Most of these pictures are thanks to her!

These two little girls just loved being together!  I'm so glad they could have several days together to enjoy being cousins.  

And this little man watched all the action and blew bubbles!

When Daddy/Uncle Jerry and Grampa weren't available for wrestling, Gramma was their target.  Oh, my - they made me laugh so hard!

And of course, she wanted to watch the video of herself at the barn with all the animals so they hung out together for a bit.

More Playing

We have had so much fun doing stuff with all 3 of our grandchildren this week!  And they have had fun together too!!

The toybox had some fun mask things so the monkey and the elephant played together one day.  They made themselves giggle and laugh so much!

And a trip to the swimming pool was fun for everyone!

It was Silas' first time swimming and he loved it!

There was a little bit of working going on too as Helayna helped Grampa check and feed the cows.

It's been non-stop action and a wonderful family time for us.  It's going to be awfully quiet around here next week!

Thanks to Heather for sharing photos from her camera all week :))

When Cousins Get Together

There's a whole lot of playing and good times happening!!  Yesterday we went to the arena with Meadow and then fooled around at their house after supper.  

Simple Daybook #35

For Today . . . March 23, 2009

Outside my window . . . more snow!  We got about 6" of the white stuff on Saturday night and Sunday and the roads are heavy with the wet, wet stuff.  It's -9 and windy - spring has NOT arrived here!

I am thinking . . .  very nostalgically about our son's marriage - what a wonderful celebration it was and how emotional I'm feeling.  

From the kitchen . . . Rice with Beans and Salsa, served in taco shells with all the fixings.

I am wearing . . . black jeans, black long sleeved shirt, pink/green/black scarf and green quilted jacket

I am reading . . . The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish.  "Eight women on a journey that will change their lives - a tale of friendship and love, loss and liberation." (from the jacket cover)

I am hoping . . . that the next time I meet Sue we will have hours and hours to visit - not just 15 minutes in an airport!  But that was better than nothing :))

I am hearing . . . the sweet sounds of Helayna and Silas who have come to visit for a few days

I am creating . . . memories this week!

Around the house . . . toys, baby clothes, dolls, cameras, and lots of busy-ness

One of my favourite things . . . dark chocolate covered cranberries

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . 2.5 days of subbing, skating with Meadow and Helayna, Bible study, lots of playtime and fun!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . . the tall flower arrangement that graced the front of the church and the front of the ballroom at the wedding.  Kelsey's aunts looked after it - and it was stunning!!

There are more daybooks over at The Simple Woman!

A Glimpse of Our Weekend

The wedding is over and it was a marvelous one!

The 2 little girls were so beautiful coming down the aisle - they did it just perfectly! Meadow ran out of flowers and went back to her Mom to get more which makes perfect sense, doesn't it?!! Helayna got to the front and made sure every petal was out of her pail before she went to the side.



And they danced the night away, along with many other people!!! Helayna and Meadow loved the music and had a blast.

Thanks to Jonathan for the pictures :))

Our weekend was wonderful - full of smiles and great joy! Kelsey and Darrin had planned everything so perfectly and they were full of smiles and fun. Now they are off in a warm, sunny place enjoying some alone time - away from the snow and cold, details and to-do lists!

It is a nostalgic time as you watch your tall and handsome son pledge to share his life with the woman he adores. My favourite memory of the whole day was watching Darrin as Kelsey came down the aisle. He wiped away some tears and smiled so broadly as she came to him on the arm of her dad. Kelsey just smiled and smiled and smiled!

We pray that God will watch over them as they navigate the twists and turns of life together and that peace, great joy and love will surround them always. We love you both so, so much.

And you were wondering about the shoes?! Twelve hours - yes, 12 hours in them! Let's just say that by 2:15 a.m. I was very glad to slip them off :))

Question of the Day

How many hours do you think I'll be able to wear these at the wedding before my feet start hurting??!!

I have worn them quite a bit around the house - I'm hoping it was enough!  The right shoe fits so I don't even know I have it on but the left one is not quite so comfortable.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Creating

Remember this LO from Design Your Life, week #10?

I used the same idea but changed it up to this!

The red star buttons and the acrylic journalling spot (from Maya Road) work perfectly!!  And the picture of our 3 beautiful nieces at my Mom's birthday is showcased so nicely.  I love scrapbooking!!

One Year Ago Project

Our time in Luis Eduardo Meghalles ended and we made the 6 hour drive to Brasilia, passing back through the cerrado (an African like savanna).  This area of the planalto lies between the Amazon watershed to the north and the Parana watershed to the south.  

Going through some road construction, where they basically push the red topsoil off and lay down the pavement.  

And then we were back in Brasilia, the famous capital city, ready to take a city tour.  

Driving down the central avenue, you pass these government buildings, 14 on each side of the road.  Each one houses a different ministry such as education, healthcare and agriculture.  Before you get in to the government center, there are a few other interesting buildings to see. 

The National Library - which has never been opened to the public our tour guide said.  Apparently there aren't many books inside it either.

The interior of the National Gallery - a beautiful building that has just a few works of art.  Another example of much money spent on a building with little left to spend on the art itself.

There was this  modernistic soft sculpture of cotton "beans"

and one called the Black Madonna, done by a Brazilian artist.

The outside of the Metropolitan Cathdral where giant statues of some saints line the walkway.  You go downstairs to enter and the seating area is below ground level.

The inside ceiling is spectacular!

We continued up the central boulevard to the political center of the capital city.

The twin towers of the Congress Building where the national assembly meets.  The Senate chamber is on the left side and the House of Representatives is on the right. 

Many of the official buildings in this area have interesting exteriors, fountains or decorative lements.  

In the Square of Three Powers, you can find some interesting statues.

Two concrete birds

A giant clothespin, which has become a home for pigeons.

The Lady of Justice

The Warriors

We left the goverment center and crossed the JK (Juscelino Kubitschek) bridge over Lago Paranoa, a recreational lake.  The bridge was built to connect large green spaces with the urban spaces.

It led us to Palacio da Alvorada, the president's residence, where a special flag flies when the President is at home.  This is considered to be the most beautiful of Oscar Niemeyer's buildings.  He was the architect of much of Brasilia and his work is seen in many other Brazilian cities.    

Retiring the flag at 6:00 p.m. in front of the president's palace - and we timed it perfectly to watch the ceremony.  

We have a whole new appreciation for this amazing city that was built in just 5 years to fulfill Kubitschek's election promises but at a huge cost to the whole country.   After the city was built, this whole area of the planalto developed very quickly and it's now one of the most developed agricultural areas of the country.    Of course there were also environmental and indigenous peoples' costs.