Rosie Roo Turns Two!!

Our wee Roslyn Joy had her second birthday on July 5th. It was a day full of fun. The morning began with birthday hats, a little "bling" and waffles. Then we went to the local pool for swimming and sliding and general frivolity.

Here Rosie has donned her birthday hat and necklaces. She is stoic, unaffected by the excitement

Now we are starting to see a glimmer of "party girl" coming through

And at last, she lets loose!

Everyone in party mode - Rosie gives us her classic "cheese" face - the look of actually smelling cheese as opposed to just saying it - very helpful at picture time :-)

In true Sean and Mandy style, we forgot our camera in the car during our swim. You will just have to imagine all the fun. We came home exhausted and ready for a viewing of "Annie".

~Mandy

Waterslide Fun

So what do you do in Caronport when it is hot, dry and dusty? Well, you create a waterslide in your backyard for hours of cool entertainment. Sean came up with this creation: pool under bottom of slide with a bit of water in it, hose held by parent at top of slide with water slowly trickling out, add kids and stand back.

Brookie poses at the top of the run, showing off her ultra-girlie suit

And this is her about to hit the water below. Of course it was a bit chilly but very refreshing!

Rosie the daredevil

She just flew off the bottom, often stopping only when she made contact with the far side of the pool. A splash and laugh then she was off to try again!!

~Mandy

. . . at the ladybug picnic

In June, it was birthday party time! Our friends Lily and Clara Matthies turned 3 and we were invited to their ladybug and worm party.

Brookie had the perfect little ladybug dress to mark the occasion

Here she is waiting for the ladybug cupcakes to arrive

Rosie had a great time mixing, mingling and drinking from a juice box

We played pass the ladybug and had a beanbag toss, ate worm and dirt cake, and went home with bug catcher goodie bags. It was our first twin birthday but I can attest to the fact that we absolutely had double the fun! ~Mandy

Best Friends

Do you know what friendship is... it is to be brother and sister; two souls which touch without mingling, two fingers on one hand. ~Victor Hugo

Waiting . . .

A thunderstorm starts rumbling. We usually stop what we are doing to pull up a chair and watch. Most of the time, although we are supposedly living in storm country, the thunder never really develops into anything. But sometimes, if we are lucky, we are given a spectacular show - thunder that shakes your bones and lightning that rips the sky in two. These moments seem especially grand here on the prairie. I think it is because we really don't have a lot to distract. The sky is so big. On those rare occasions, the wait is well worth it.

When I was growing up, I was an avid stormwatcher. Some of my best memories are of my mom waking me out of a dead sleep to let me know a storm was on its way. I was spellbound by the sight - all that power, the feeling of being in the middle of something so epic. Now, though, my greatest pleasure comes from sitting with my daughters, watching their delight in the storm and feeling their small hands squeeze my arm at the extra loud moments. It gives me a few moments to say thank you to the Stormmaker for daughters, thunder and prairie skies. ~Mandy

Helping Dad in the Garden

There is nothing better than helping dad in the garden - well, maybe not so much helping as standing near dad while he works.

And pants can really get in the way

~Mandy

The Caronport Streaker

Beware! This little menace is at large. She is unarmed, as you can see, but seems to enjoy that prairie wind a bit too much.

Here she is making her latest escape

She spends most of her time walking down the slide - sliding is out of the question given the situation

She lulls you into a false sense of security, stopping to ponder a passing bird, letting it all hang out . . .

but (and I mean literally) then she is off again, avoiding capture at least until bath time.

~Mandy

Our Little Tree Huggers

We really do live in a prairie town. People here often see trees as things that interrupt the endless horizon or cast unwanted shade on their prized vegetable garden. But not us! We love our trees!! When we first moved into our new little house, one of the things we loved most about it was that it had trees in the backyard. There aren't many and they aren't big but there they are. One of these trees was just calling out for someone to sit in it. So Brookie and Rosie climbed up (with help, though in Rosie's case, not much!) and posed for some pics.

Recently, we bought a "silver cloud" maple and planted it in our front yard. It feels so good to have a maple close by, reminding us of Ontario. The tree's name is Sylvester. Yes, we named him. We may not be around to perch up in his branches, but someday someone will lean up against his trunk, take a rest in the shade and be glad for the break in the horizon. That makes me smile. ~Mandy

And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.
Shakespeare

Sunday in the Park

For the May long weekend, our church met at a nearby park to celebrate the holiday. We sang, marvelled together at the intricate details of God's creation, and prayed for each other under a canopy of green. Then we played, ate and swam. What a fitting way to begin summer.

Brook hung out with her "peeps"

but Rosie preferred the company of somebody's cat. Rosie was eager to snuggle but the cat was a bit stand-offish. Go figure. We came home sleepy and sundrenched. Here's to summer! ~Mandy

These boots were made for walkin' . . .

so watch out!

~Mandy

Aunt Nessa Strikes Again

My sister came for another visit in May. This is mostly because she is the best sister ever. When I called her in March and not so subtly suggested that maybe she might like to come and keep me company while Sean was away at a conference, she agreed reluctantly.

We hung out in the backyard - Vanessa even got a tan!

Rosie learned to say "Nessa" and then wouldn't stop

Miss Rose even stood still long enough for Aunt Nessa to get pictures which is more than she does for me

And of course we had to take Vanessa to the Science Centre. Here she is wrestling with a big hockey player (one of her fantasies)

Even though Vanessa got sick (again), we managed to have a fantastic time. It is always so amusing to watch Ness try to talk business while the girls run circles around her. She is wheeling and dealing and I am picking dried macaroni off the floor. Our lives are very different but one thing never changes - we just love to hang out. Thanks for coming, Aunt Nessa. We love you! ~Mandy

Ama and Bops on the Prairie

In April we also had a visit from my mom and dad or "Ama and Bops". It was a much anticipated visit. Brookie asked about their arrival everyday for about two months and I had to convince her (often unsuccessfully) that it was a tad early to start waiting by the window.
The day finally came and Brook watched anxiously for a glimpse of the car. Rosie watched too but mostly for bugs, bunnies or puppies. It was a wonderful reunion, even for Rosie who was not disappointed that there were no puppies in sight. And Ama and Bops came bearing gifts - big gifts!

Our new play house! Complete with phone! You can see Rosie eyeing it - biding time until she can make her move. Why don't they include two phones?

It wasn't long before Ama was asked to join in the fun. Rosie is trying out the door bell. And I can attest to the fact that the novelty still hasn't worn off

As if that wasn't enough, Bops went all out and built the kids a new wooden swing set while he was here. It is fantastic. Although the girls can't get enough of it, I feel it was a gift from my dad to me, as he knew summer here in Caronport wasn't something I was looking forward to. Thanks, Bops.

The finished product - the best set in Caronport, for sure - is enjoyed everyday at least once.

Of course, we did lots of fun things while Ama and Bops were here. And what trip to Caronport would be complete without a trip to the "Tot Lot", a rather dilapitated play ground that is in constant need of repair. The girls always enjoy themselves and the rest of us just grin and bear it.

Here is Bops bearing it

Rosie can't get enough of the swing

A family that rocks together . . .

One highlight of the visit for the girls was taking Ama and Bops to the Science Centre. It is actually a really great place for kids - lots of hands-on stuff. So we drove into Regina and spent the day exploring the wonders of science . . .

I am sure Brook and Rosie had more fun than Ama and Bops but it was hard to tell at times. We even got to watch a Fire show put on just for the 5 of us. Only in Saskatchewan.

It was a great visit. We had fun just being together and we also got lots of things done like painting Brookie's room and finishing the deck. Thanks again Ama and Bops. We will be watching for you at the window, hoping you come driving around the corner again soon. ~Mandy

Brookie's Big Night

April 4, 2007 was Brooklyn's big dance recital. She and I got her costumes all ready and did her hair. She even got to wear a bit of "sparkly stuff" (aka eye shadow) and lip gloss. Feeling very grown up, she led the way over to the Landing, where the entire community was gathering for the show. I think we may be a bit starved for culture here.

Sean and I sat in the second row - the first just seemed a bit too eager - and from there we watched as our little daughter mingled with her fellow dancers, giggling, whispering and basically growing up right before our eyes.

Here is Brooklyn with a few of her "Peeps in Pink"

The star of the show

Chillin' with the peeps again - and yes, the infamous Piggy was in attendance

Brook's dance class. As you can see, there was even a costume change for the big finale

I must admit, I was a bit teary even before she stepped out on stage, hugging Piggy. Watching her dance was pure bliss. What can I say? I was a proud, emotionally fragile mom. Amazing.

~Mandy

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I realize that it has been quite a long time since our last post. Somehow life seems to have a way of just making it virtually impossible to sit at a computer and blog . . . at least my life right now does. Blogging just had to wait. But I think I am ready to jump back into our sea of stories. So let's go . . .