My sister Amanda and my brother Jon and momma!













My Card with gift from Laura, dinner and movie...now to set a date. Thanks so much laura, I shall enjoy it immensely I know.

















Thanks mom and dad. I smell wonderful and feel smooth too :). I love you both so much. You are a wonderful blessing, in the absolute best sense of that word, in my life.
And to Matt and Pam a big thanks, this journal is what I need right now, it will be used! 

We wanted Jon to stay longer, so we tried blocking him in, but he's a wily one and he managed to move our obstacles and maneuver his way out...quite impressive.

 

My John. He decorated my cake and gave me a gift!! I get to go and have a seaweed, wrap, pedicure and a hour massage. Wow! Thank you my love :). I shall enjoy it, even if I don't get beaten with brances like David got.
His card to me...very sweet, little weird ;0)

sierra love riding...she's a natural. Almost like her dad, did you see the photo of him riding this horse? I think it's on Laura's site.

Amy and Journey
Mom, Kate and Laura
Brad, Kate and Sierra




Sierra, Journey and Matt
Dad philosophizing with Pam and Matt
Mom, Ocean, Ethan and Laura



Amy, Ocean and Garron
Journey
Brad 

My 30th Birthday

My cake, made my mom (the earthquake cake as it split down the middle as she was trying put the base icing on).
It was decorated by my dearest John...hint of Brazil up in the right corner, as we are trying to spend less on our birthdays and put the 'excess' money toward our trip to Brazil that I gave to John for his 40th.

 

Potty!!

Ethan decided this past few days that he wanted to use the Potty. So he did, quite successfully too. He's peed, he's pooed, he's wiped, he's flushed. (Often this is after he's already done something in his diaper--but hey, it's all him!)
So we've clapped, and yeahed, and whooped and phoned his dad up in Edmonton when he went last night--he went for his John the very first time so bins didn't cause him to miss this 'first'. It's been pretty fun, Ethan is very proud of himself for sure. But I'm not sure that either him or I are completely unlazy enough to give up diapers just yet...the whole inbetween learning time is what gets me. Anyhow, here is the whole process!
checking to see what's happening, he even pulls up his shirt (just so you know I just spelled the previous word--shirt--without the r :) but I fixed it!! Anyhow he tucks his shirt under his chin as he checks ;)
Here he wipes...wtiw?
And all done. Ready to dismount. No totty potty for him...he climbs on and off with almost ease. 

Hot tub cutie!
I'm not sure even I can do this...she's only 4 still, yet she can hold her breath under water, I can't even swim.
Poor Ethan, left out again... 

Ocean had a great 5th B-Day. I have a few pics, mainly of my kids...yes I'm a proud mom...I also get in trouble for putting up pics of my own kids, so I'm not taking too many chances with other people's kids...I don't want a kidnapping on my head! But they are all sooooo adorable. for instance ocean has an amazingly great "surprised, happy, joyful" face when opening presents. Priceless!
The egg and spoon race, well done by all involved, however....
Some of the kids methods (ethan) could be considered possibly to be cheating. But a good idea non the less.
Pin the crown on the princess...I sucked at this, think i pinned it on the phone jack even with trying to cheat. But here is my little girl being helpful...not that Journey really needs help, she is amazing. 

After our weekend of bin building we came home to 4 new arrivals. Sierra discovered them in her closet Thursday morning. Sierra is a great nurse and she's the only one the cat doesn't growl at! "Noni" or "Mamai" (portugese for mom...not sure of the spelling) is truly a great and protective mom. Unlike her own mom who apparently abandoned her at birth and she alone survived on the care of her owners with bottle feeding, out of 3 kittens. She's a survivor! And she is our newest addition in the world of pets. We had some baby bunnies but after John and I left to go bin building, one showed up dead and the other 3 disappeared! Very strange. But often my luck with bunnies.
E.d. missed his daddy. And cuddled with him when we got home. He is also very cuddly with his Grandma "Nina" (Tina) who is down for the weekend to visit.
 

BIN BUILDING

John and I a number of days up in Edmonton (Leduc actually) building bins. We had a good time and almost got 3 done :) Anyone need a job for the summer, you too could do this! 

I catch John being a tad too serious at times when he is building and help him to loosen up a bit.
See! Much looser because of me...I keep him young.
His breaks.
Looser still, he's crazy you know. There is a bit of our handy work in progress. 

my breaks!
My poor hands...bless the makers of hockey tape! (this is within the 1st hour or so of the day!)
Always safe, but not always happy when building bins...obviousy bored at times as well ;)
However, working and being with John was a great time, he gave me lots of laughs, although he wasn't trying to. And we really did have a good time together!