Happy Birthday, Suki!

Suki was born twelve years ago today. She is such a huge part of our family and we adore her. 

Christmas 2013

We had a nice quiet Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, we went over to Jimmy and Natalie's for presents and dinner. Christmas Day we stayed at home, talked with family on the phone and played, played, played. The kids didn't even wake up very early so I got to lounge in bed for a while before it was time to get up.

 Will thought it would be funny to wrap up one of Moira's gifts in several boxes. She kept opening...

  and opening...

and opening.

She finally got through to the last box and found a gift certificate for 5 private synchronized swimming lessons. 

 Liam and Daddy setting up his new fire station

 Kyla and Daddy setting up her new Littlest Pet Shops 

 Later in the afternoon, I saw this kestrel eating his Christmas mouse for lunch.  

 We had a simple dinner and afterwards the kids played some more and Will and I watched The Hobbit movie that I got Will.


Today we did our annual Boxing Day photo with our favourite gift that we received.  Will chose his bottle of Scotch, Liam has his RC flying orb, Moira has her French Barbie, and Kyla picked her Littlest Pet Shop set up. 

 As for me, I chose the gift certificate that Will gave me for a round trip ticket to see my sister for her birthday in February.

Suki hanging out

This and That

April is half-way over and my birthday is approaching once again. After the big bash last year, this year is going to be very low key. I wouldn't even mind if I wasn't reminded of what day it is. 

I am so close to graduation that I can taste it. I am officially finished with my Database Management and Software Implementation class, this Friday I have a final in my Introduction to Subject Analysis course (and it's open book, thank goodness. There is no way that I could remember all those rules), and I am now finished with my 70 practicum hours. I still have to write a 1,000 word essay on my work experience, but I am already half done with that. Graduation is on June 9th. I won't be attending, but I will watch the live streaming of it on the UFV website, cheering on my fellow classmates. 

Here are a few things that have been going on in our little corner of the world:

Will and Liam working on raising a few sprinkler heads in the back garden. 

Lucy is usually a pretty cautious cat, but she was quite interested in this box. 

A bird in the bath. 

We had a hail storm one afternoon. The trampoline, pool cover and grass was almost completely white. 

After the storm

The lambs are finally here! Normally we start seeing the lambs out in the field maybe days after they are born. This year they were just a little bit older when they were allowed out. They are already running and jumping and venturing away from their mothers. 

I love their long tails. 

Jump Creek

On Saturday, we went for a short hike up at Jump Creek. It's really beautiful there with the rock outcroppings and the creek that runs through. I even had a butterfly land on my thumb. 

The little trail goes right through this canyon 

 There are all kinds of caves in the canyon

We had to cross the creek on some rocks

The end of the trail

We even brought Suki with us. She got to come with us the first time we came here when Moira was about three and she was the only child. 

The area was just starting to turn green with new new life

There is a cattle ranch at the entrance to the rec site. We had to stop on the way in because cows were crossing the road. This one was kind enough to let us pass on the way out.