COVID 19- 2 weeks in

This will probably go down in text books that kids will learn about in a hundred years. The world has it formerly existed shut down.

• There is no going to school {there is homeschool but we will get into that later} 😳
• There are no stores {besides grocery stores and feed and supply stores}
• There are no public gatherings. No funerals, no weddings, no conferences, no nothing 
• All parks and recreation facilities shut down
• No church
• No 4-H 
• No sports

It’s officially been 2 weeks. (Maybe just over for a few things). There has been a lot of adjusting in our home- as with everyone’s.

My girls were so disappointed about missing out on 4-H regional communications {for reals}. They both thought they had an excellent shot at winning. This week brought further 4-H disappointments when the exhibition cancelled the show and sale in June.

There have been lots of amazing things to be grateful for.

Spring is coming. The kids have all been enjoying the warmer weather, planting seeds, and playing with the animals. 

Home centered- School Supported education has been.... interesting 🧐 

The older girls are organized and seem to be handling the online assignments and instructions well!

Penny wishes that she only had to do her teacher assigned tasks BUT I bought a few books and some flash cards and have really upped the anti around here!

Andy is having a blast  and he is ruling the roost!

He gets at least 1 hour every day with one of his sisters to build all the awesomeness! 

Here’s to another week of living the dream 🍻 

Out like a lion, in like a Lion

I have spent most of this morning scrolling through reflective and celebratory posts of 2019 and some post filled with hope for the new year.

I am coming off an epic year. 2019 in 1 word was a party. It’s was carthadic for my extroverted soul. It felt like a coming out of sorts.

 The past decade and a half my life had felt not totally my own but my resolution of 2019 was to let go of my need for praise, to let go of my need of perfectionism, to let go of self importance, to say no to things I didn’t want. But most importantly, do the things I want to do and not wait or put it off or have it feel less important. 

I end this year perfectly happy and content that I have put most of those to rest. 

Some highlights of my year was my trip to see my sister, camping with a wonderful group of friends, and watching the girls show at synergy but in between those events for me was a plethora of other momentous events like celebrating birthdays with friends, parties, dances, road trips, my sister’s birthday, Christmas, hockey games, basketball games, horse shows etc.

Last year we rang in New Years exactly how we lived 2019.

We booked the curling rink and just let the night play out.

My goals for 2020 

- literally and figuratively clean out my closets

- knit more

-walk more (we have a couple family hikes planned)

- skiing dec 2020

- 

Canadian Winters

It finally got cold enough for the rink to freeze! Everyone was ecstatic! But Penny was beyond that. I have had to drag her into the house every night at dark to force her to eat. Hopefully it stays sub zero so we can have a hockey tourny on Christmas!

July

It's hard to believe that it is already the END of July!!!

We have filled July with lots of memories.

We had our last lamb of the year....

Check out our farm blog for that exciting story!

www.cattailcoulee.blogspot.ca

and we did summer games

(see below post)

and we ACTUALLY FINALLY made it out to our favorite spot

(besides our home)

And mixed into this was a family reunion 

and 

our regular duties.

I can't wait to see what August brings....

March Madness

March

It is Whizzing by!

Penny has already begun planning her birthday

and

at first

it seemed a little overly anticipated

but

its the END of March

so

She actually should be thinking about it

I

should be thinking about it.

Yikes!

This little Guy 

was born this morning!

Which is a welcomed relief!

Now I can actually sleep through the night!

I am so excited!

He was born without any complications

{thank goodness}

 

The girls have their waggon hooked up 

so

that is like a horse buggy

I really should just get rocky a harness and a waggon 

and then Penny won't have to

whip her sisters!

{although it probably doesn't hurt them to have to haul her around}

 

Andy Loves Penny's doctor kit

He always has

"his" stethoscope around his neck.

Penny usually has human patients

but he is usually got a stuffed animal or his eggs and chicks

Hopefully this is a sign!

I could use a live-in vet!

We went up to Calgary

with my parents.

Dusty was at work so when I say "we"

I mean me and the kids

in the back of a car

for 6 hours

Fun times!

Haha just kidding!

My dad was stuck back there!

We ate at the mall

and they suckered him into a carousel ride!

Outtakes

I have been waiting for some snowfall to do some family pictures.

Of course the afternoon was perfect

but

it took FOREVER to get organized.

The results meant one unhappy group of models.

We have far more outtakes than normal.

Some of the outtakes are pretty perfect though.

This one pretty much sums it up.

Dusty smiling and being totally annoyed at everybody's lack of focus.

Me paying attention to Andy.

Andy being a baby and totally not caring.

Ellie looking at the camera (glad she isn't the one with Penny's focused attention)

Lucy being dramatic and being stamped on

and Penny being Penny.....

This should be the one on the wall.....

Home in the Summer

We decided to come home..

Well the weather helped that decision 

But

It was a good thing we did because our garden needed some tending!

We got our beans and peas harvested and stored away!

And this little monkey was making it as tricky as he could!

And when we finished the girls got to go to the ward picnic for a waterslide.

Family

What a girl.

We have totally enjoyed our time at the beach

And

Getting to visit with family.

So many great memories here!!!!

So thankful I get to make some with these kids!

mexico finale

 

I saved the best for last

Well

I can't say it is the best

but

it was pretty incredible.

We spent a bit of time in this park.

It was attached to the resort so

it was super convenient and 

awesome.

Part of Xcaret was an aquarium...

 

Dolphins

Turtles.

They had so many turtles. It was crazy.

The Park also had an old Mayan village.

 This is a small corn field outside of the hut that made tortillas.

 

and they had a ton of little huts with artisans 

This happened to be Lucy's favourite lady.

She had beautiful woven blankets and bracelets.

My favourite place was the wool shop

but

the lady didn't speak a lick of English

and

I don't speak any Spanish.

there was a lot of polite smiles.

 and surprise surprise

this is also where we found Amy.

As you can see

she also found the bracelet lady.

There was also these guys hidden through-out.

 

There was also a "graveyard"

there were tombs and tunnels.

I got lost

it was a good thing Dusty was able to save us.

 

And then there was the snorkeling....

 

Amy and Mom and I all got to swim with a wild sea turtle

it was pretty amazing.

 

There was this pathway that went along the coral

a sea walk

and the girls were walking and a HUGE

wave crashed into it and they thought they were going to be

swept out to sea

ha ha so 

instead of running to save or comfort them

we took a picture

Crab spotting

 

Supervising

And then the bird exhibit

They all wanted to look like they were holding the birds.

It was a fantastic holiday

one I wish I could do every year

but

probably won't

so 

instead

every February- April 

you will find me at my computer

living vicariously

through the pictures.