Bronco Birthday Boy!

We spend a lot of time shopping at our local CO-OP and one of our favorite stops is the Deli counter where the kids can flip through the cake book!  Well after a year of looking and deciding on a favorite cake, changing his mind more than a few times the day was finally here!  When I asked Car if he wanted me to make a homemade cake or if he would like one from the CO-OP it was not a long pause before he clearly let me know we needed to jump in the van. 

 Here is the dinosaur lava cake!

It's all about the cake. Carson at 5

Carson at 4 when everyone had the flu the week of his birthday and we had to cancel the party and the cake and instead went to the Parts Dept of our local Ford Dealership with donuts!

 Carson at 3 with some serious "Soother Teeth!"

With the party in full swing the big kids with their juice boxes and hot dogs are demoted to the living room to eat.  I can't believe they are actually sharing one tray. 

 Chips, friends, hotdogs, cake what more could a 6 year old want?

 I am not allowed to touch sparklers........Long story ask me about it sometime. 

 Do I have anything on my face?

Look how excited he is about this giant jawbreaker and candy.

 Big brother can read the cards for you. 

 This is how Goodie bags at birthday parties got started.  She wanted to open presents too!

 All is forgotten by the time we get to the rink to watch the Broncos. 

Our favorite Bronco Goalie/Santa.

 Big fan with colorful hair. 

 Hey there is Miss K!!  The birthday boy is sitting in seat 13 on Friday the 13th.

 The kids LOVE Charlie horse. 

 Hi Charlie.

One of the kids' favorite parts of the game.....Treats. 

 Bubble gum Ice cream.  I finally got her hair brushed but we had to put in the colored hair spray she asks to put in every morning. 

And the very next morning Carson  I realized that my little boy was all grown up as for the very first time he put on all his own hockey equipment without any help from Mom.  One of those bittersweet moments when you are so glad you don't have to do everything for them but kind of sad they don't need you as much. 

Still sporting the green and blue hair from the night before. 

 So the good news was that even with Pat out of town and having to take Olivia to dance and Levi to work that I was able to get Carson to hockey early.  The bad news was that we were actually there 3 hours early or some would say at the wrong time :(. 

Happy Birthday to our sweet little red head!

Kinsmen

The Kinsmen are such a great organization, my Dad was a member, Pat has been a member and my brother in Davidson has pushed a plane to Regina and Saskatoon a number of years to raise money for Telemiracle.  I was even on Telemiracle 10 with my singing group "Just Friends"  we sang The Rose and That's What Friends are For.  Olivia and Pat have both also appeared on Telemiracle. 

So when the Kinsmen ask for a donation it is an easy sell.  We got a call one evening last week that "Stitchy" and the boys were on the way to our house with the "Ugly Car".  You can choose to leave the ugly car in front of your house or pay a donation and send them on their way.  We were happy to give the guys a check and send it to our neighbors. 

 At least this year the kids had their clothes on!  This is from Last year. 

 The car from last year's stop. 

The Kinsmen will be our male models at the 3rd Annual Lasting Impressions Wedding Show on Feb 26th at the Sky Center in Swift Current. 

If Tims Can do it so Can We!

This week Tim Hortons changed all the sizes of their hot drinks.  Just like that, get used to it people the sizes you have always known are gone.  And then I thought to myself if Tims can do it why can't we?  When I was in High School I was always a size 10.  Now that I am done having 5 kids and creeping ever closer to the big 4-0 I find myself a size 14.  A number, a label, I am honestly not comfortable with.  

I am going back to Weight Watchers and trying to "fix" my size before my monumental birthday.  But in the end it is all just numbers.  Tim Hortons has proved that.  All that is takes to make it so, is to say it is so!  Tims says their Extra Large is now a Large and in six months no one will even blink an eye!  So be whatever size you want.  Why even use these terms.  The next time a sales associate in the boutique asks if she can grab you something in your size say, "Yes Thank You, I am a size Fabulous!''

Thanks Tims for letting us know your size is whatever you say it is!

Help Swift Current Youth Win $10 000.00

Just a quick request if you have a minute go to this website and vote for Swift Current.  We have a chance to win $10 000.00 towards programs that keep our youth active. 

Thanks!

http://jumpin.ca/

This is the alternative.   Passed out after no exercise and excessive lollipop intake!

Three Christmases

Our cross province Christmas adventure started with driving to my Mom's house.  We had a great family get together with a Turkey supper and all the trimmings and then the annual boys take on girls Trivial Pursuit grudge match.  

The best part of the evening was when Levi's Uncle turned him into a pretzel!  It's a right of passage to try and beat up your uncle and then realize nope you aren't there yet. 

 Great shot of the Snappy Sock!

 Grandma Vanna has to step in to separate the boys. 

 The kids get their own table.  Boys at one and girls at the other!  We had such a great time.  The best is going to the Senior Hockey game.  You get to catch up with everyone in one place!

 Then we were off to Foam Lake to spend time with Pat's family.  The kids still love to sit on Baba's knee. 

 I love this picture.  Grandma and Grandpa dancing to Boney M in the kitchen while Pat is tending the stove. 

 Since Levi can't take on his Uncle in Davidson he wants to beat up his Aunty in Foam Lake!  How dare she try to take Levi's phone from him!

 Pat's parents are retired and planned 5 meals a day!  They were cooking for a month to get ready for us.  Here was the late night fondue!  So Good!!!!

 It was a pretty traditional Christmas.  Love, presents, food and fun!  Our family has traveled every year away for Christmas.  Last year we slept in our own house for the first time in 10 years of marriage.  This year I realized Levi will only be in High School for 2 more Christmases and then he may be wanting to come home for Christmas himself!  The time we spend with cousins, Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents is so important to all of us we wouldn't miss it for the world.

Pat's extended family also gets together twice a year.  Once to golf in the summer and again at Ukrainian Christmas.  The kids have formed close ties with their second cousins and love celebrating their culture.  

 This year was a new adventure.  There were 45 of us at Christmas and we set up camp at the hall.  We slept, danced, ate and lived there for the weekend!  It was an amazing winter camp in. 

Here are the chefs in the kitchen preparing our appy.  Pat's mini pizzas.  Don't worry if you missed them there will be another appy along in 5 minutes!

These are so great and easy. 

Aunty and Uncle did some experiments with the kids.  This one is milk and a couple drops of food coloring. Then you put in a drop of dish soap. 

 And voila it makes a neat pattern.  I wish they always found dish soap so fascinating. 

 Then they took playdough.  Filled it with Baking Soda, a drop of food coloring and added vinegar and made a mini volcano. 

There were movies on the wall, cards, cribbageb, old home movies, board games, a flash mob, and then a talent show including Ukrainian dancing. 

 Now Ellie makes me put Ukrainian dancing on You Tube and she puts on this outfit which she calls her Ukrainian outfit and dances. 

 After a grand total of 18 hours of driving, 8 billion calories consumed, 298 hugs, countless presents and even more memories we are so thankful to have such great families to share our Christmas Celebration with and we can't wait to do it all again next year. 

Toddlers and Toilets

We often have folks stop by the house and any chance the kids get they will ask them 100 questions.  We have put a rule in place that the kids owe them $1 for every question they ask.  This week we had an awesome plumber stop by and not only did he fix the toilet he went above and beyond the call of duty and let Ellie interrogate him. 

We had a pool going on as to what was the mystery object plugging up the toilet.  The guesses ranged from a Hot Wheels Car to a Barbie body part, fork, spoon, DS game.  It was kind of like a game of clue.  It ended up being Ellie in the bathroom with the........  You have to watch to the end of the video to see what actually was in the toilet.

As you will notice unlike Toddlers and Tiaras my daughter is very natural.  No hair brushed, pink Bronco shirt, black velvet pants on backwards and I am pretty sure she has to pee through most of the video.

So I am pleased to present to you Toddlers and Toilets.....

Fab-u-lous!

We did it!  Every year we seem to miss out on the birthday celebrations as we are too busy with Christmas.  This year we were making sure to commemorate our special Birthday Girl. We made up invitations to let the guests to prepare for a photo shoot and to wear something spectacular and bring accessories.  We had so much fun.

Miss K was a special guest of honor and thank goodness because in the middle of all the preparations I didn't have time to do the birthday girl's hair! 

 Looking like a princess!

 This gal is going to be such a great teacher!  She is so amazing with the kids.  She let them doll her up.  She organized the two team dance off and her performance got them the win!

 Such energy!

 If you have a young lady with a flare for fashion I highly recommend the beauty shoot birthday bash!

 I am still picking up feathers but glad we were able to have a special birthday!  I recall one birthday party we had planned for her and she came down with Chicken Pox so the invitation read: Please come to the party at 2 pm but only if you have already had Chicken Pox! 

I will be sad when she is too old or cool for Birthday Parties.  I enjoy them as much as the kids!