Spring so far

Just as spring was making it's first real appearance in Calgary, we were enjoying the warm weather, the snow was all melted from our last spring snowfall, we decided it was time to paint the house. We are going for a lighter shade that totally brightens up the house. Besides the greasy fingerprints, banged up walls, and old paint, we just felt like something new. So I packed up the kids and headed to my cousins place for a visit so we could let Josh paint in peace without exposing the kids to all the fumes etc. It sounded like a great idea, right? As I was leaving I got a message from Hailey asking if I was still coming considering the road conditions I didn't look into her message too much because it was a sunny day outside and the roads were all dry. The drive down was pretty uneventful and the kids were perfect the whole way (not something that happens very often on road trips! Mya sleeping and the girls completely quiet watching a movie, me listening to the conference talks that I missed during that last session) about half way there it started raining a little, no big deal, and then about 10 minutes outside of Lethbridge I suddenly realized what she was talking about. Completely snowy/slushy mess, slippery roads and fog. It was crazy the sudden difference. So I just drove carefully and slowly for the rest of the way and still made great time. We enjoyed a lovely next full day without any electricity or heat wondering if this was a mistake to leave my unusually sunny home back in Calgary. But the kids didn't seem to notice the cold while they were having the time of their lives playing with their cousins, and I just put on a sweater and an extra pair of Hailey's socks and I was good to go. It was an adventure! It turned out pretty fun having an excuse to hunker in and have a "snow day" shopping online for fabric and catching up. The next day wouldn't you know it was nice and sunny out so I took the kids for a bike ride while Hailey stayed in with the sleeping babies. It was time to get out of the house for a little exercise! Here are some photos from our fun trip down south. Thanks Hailey for having us over!

Hiding out in the cupboards under the TV was a real treat.

Swinging on the background play set. I decided that if I ever have a backyard big enough for a playground (which hopefully will happen one day) I am getting one that doesn't have swings! If I want to push my kids on the swings all day I will gladly and often take them to a park, if I want to send them outside in the yard to play while I get some things done I want them to play independently together and not ask me for a push every 10 seconds. Does that make me a bad mom? Are there playground sets in existence that don't have swings?

Our lovely bike ride.

One day last week we went to Bowness park for a bonfire and to feed the ducks with our friends, the Orr's. This is one of the kids favorite pastimes. Feeding the ducks.

Mya's very first swing ride in her life.

Chris and Ben hanging out watching the ducks, what a fun father son moment!

Heidi feeding the.... wait a minute, what IS she feeding? The water? Oh well she tries...

Most of the gang.

I was watching my niece Eliza that day and this is her right before she decided to step in and swim WITH the ducks. Too bad I was too busy taking pictures to realize what she had in mind.

And the wet walk of shame back to the van. What a doll.