Backyard fun

This was last week's purchase: a sandpit and paddle pool and some toys to match. It's made our backyard a bit more fun for the kiddos...

And here's our vege patch...


...complete with thrifted scarecrow!


Tomatoes, rhubarb, capsicum, basil, thyme, oregano, sage, thai basil, mint, I think that's about it...

Piper's friend Aimee came round to play earlier in the week, and she and Piper had great fun slinging sand at each other!



Last but not least, here's a photo of a different order: our friends, Mark and Tam, in front of the frame of the (ENORMOUS!) strawbale house they're building. Gord's stopped by at least three times! He might be envious... =)

Falcon Lake

Last weekend we headed to Falcon Lake, about an hour's drive east of Steinbach. We rented a cabin with Pat and Dar, and their next door neighbours, Dale and Shannon. Other friends, Jason and Shannon, were staying in a cabin behind the one we had, and other friends, Garth and Wendy, were also close by! (That's twelve kids altogether!) So we made the most of Saturday arvo/evening, which is when we were all present and available. Bit of a BBQ, etc.

Here's our cabin...

We had the cabin to ourselves the first night, and then slept in a leaky tent the other two nights - it wasn't too bad, actually, except for rolling over the second morning, and a whole puddle of water that had seeped through the sleeping bag rolling onto my thigh - that's one way to wake up!

Chillin' out, reading How Jesus Became Christian...

Piper's hiphop!

Piper and Tobin in the wagon...

The kids were mad, wanting to go in that freezing water, Jasper especially!

He still wants more!

Watch out - explicit content in this post!

Pat and Dar hanging out...

The kids are only nudey-rudey cos we thought it was way too cold for swimming and didn't bring their bathers to the beach. Lack of decorum or modesty didn't stop them getting wet though!

Jasper, Jayden and Tobin

Dale, Pat and Gord...

Paparazzi! Dar got some nice shots of us - thanks mate!

When Gord's away...

When Gord's away:

• the coffee maker goes untouched - it's green tea 4 me if I want a caffeine hit in the mornings. So much easier to abstain when no one else is partaking of that bitter dark delight!
  
• there's less dishes, and they never pile up too much.
  
• I had a crack at mowing the lawn for the first time here in Canada.
  
• not a single slice of bread has been consumed in this house for the last three days.
  
• I'm so much more tired!
  
• I'm grateful for my friends and family here in Steinbach (and further afield).

Dinnertime - a late dinner, actually. This arvo the kids and I headed into Winnipeg to pick up Gord, only to find that his flight had been cancelled. He's supposedly turning up tomorrow afternoon. I am knackered, although part of that is my own fault. While Gord's been away I have:

• planted veges and flowers
• cleaned out the fridge
• sorted through all Piper's toys, coming up with a whole garbage bag of stuff to take to the thrift store!
• unpacked from the weekend
• done a few loads of laundry
• pulled together a gift for a friend
• gone shopping
• made soup
• mown the front lawn
• kept the house tidy and the dishes done
• done the kids!

Seems like a lot, but also not all that much either, but I am done in! Must remember how to relax! Now I'm off to make a cup of tea, and some toast, so I can sit down and watch another episode of Love My Way - bring on the Aussie drama!

Getting outside!

After the wintry scenes of the last post, I felt compelled to provide a weather update! These photos are from around three weeks after that bike race, no snow in sight, but still no leaves. It's been a very long dry grey/brown spring. It's only been in the last two weeks that leaves and blossoms have appeared everywhere, and that warrants a whole new post. But anyway, here's a few shots of us finally able to play outside in shorts!

Spindly tomatoes...

Almost all the linen cupboard on the line!

What a cutie pie!

A walk to the thrift store!

Now which toy will I choose?

A pit stop on the way home...

Sandilands bike event

I'm a bit behind here, but these are some photos from a bike race that Pat and his mountain-biking group organised at the beginning of May (I think). We went to help a bit with the food/BBQing. The snow didn't stop the riders! It was held in Sandilands provincial park, a half-hour drive from Steinbach.

Dar and I.

Jasper did well in the pram for a while, and then got really bored...

Pat all geared up...

Gord and Pat's Dad working the BBQ.

Loveheart snowflake!
Flippin' frenzy!

A couple of days later we were back at Sandilands with Pat, Dar and Jayden, walking the biking trails (well, Gord and Pat rode some, Dar and the kids and I walked some), taking down the signage.