Savor it while it lasts...

... so on the day my piano was getting picked up (I sold it for those of you who missed the earlier post), Alia took a liking to the thing. She played it for almost an hour, ya know... to kinda rub it in or something. I think Jonathan bribed her with apples before he left for work, just to try and get me to keep it!








Yes, it was very hard to see it go... but it needed to happen. Alia has lots more play space in the living room now, and I have ample money to buy a new camera... so we both benefit! In a few years we'll buy another piano, and Alia can continue where she left off (and hopefully I won't get too rusty in the meantime)!

Let them eat corn...

We've waited a LONG time for corn up here! Well, it's relatively on schedule, but we were baited with fresh yummy corn in Ohio and then deprived of it for a month when we returned to Manitoba, so it seemed like a LONG time!
Anyhow... Alia is in her glory. If I would let her walk around eating corn and apples all day, her world would be rose colored! I have always preferred eating my corn uncooked, fresh from the field... and Alia seems to prefer it that way too. Although, she doesn't complain when it's cooked though, that's for sure!

Just look at this corn hoover...





And here she is at supper time... we'll have to work on her eating skills before her first date comes along!




But ya know... now that I think about it... if people took pictures of me while I ate my corn, they would probably send me to refine school in no time. So... why don't we just cut Alia (and Mommy!) some slack and let her eat her corn in all it's buttery goodness!

Preferred Visitor

I can't believe it's been over a week since my Mom went back home! It feels like a month ago, and just yesterday at the same time!
My Mom came up for her 2nd annual "off for the fair" visit, and we were SO glad to see her... especially Alia! She had a play mate at her beck and call, anytime of the day, for a week straight! We didn't do anything spectacular (my parents have seen all the sights!) but we had lots of good quality time together!

- We enjoyed fresh corn on the cob (more on that in a later post)


- On Friday Mom watched Alia (plus made supper... I know, it doesn't sound like much of a vacation for her, but it was GREATLY appreciated!) while Jon and I sided the garage. Something we could have never gotten done in one day without Mom's help!


- Alia showed Gramma all of her favorite spots around our place... the potty ended up being high on the list (Alia knows she gets to read book after book if she sits on the potty) and of course, the raspberry bushes! Which amazingly enough, they found 6 lone raspberries for the picking!


- We visited the park where Ali got to show off her newly acquired "sliding skills" to Gramma and demonstrate her love for swinging!



- Boy oh boy did Alia and Gramma ever play... no toy was left unturned! They played on the verandah, in the living room, in the play box, in the garage... wherever their hearts took them!


We absolutely loved having Mom up here, and only wish it was a monthly event... not a yearly one! Oh well... we will make the most of the comings, and the least of the goings, right?! And savor the memories until next time more can be made!

Here is a couple shots comparing last year's visit, to this year's... crazy how the time flies!
Mom with Alia in 2008

Mom with Alia in 2009

Alia and I in 2008

Alia and I in 2009

Kitties, Kitties, Kitties...

... they are always on Alia's mind! She can't get enough of them... but there's no way we are bringing one home, so we'll just clear that up from the start!

Anyhow - now that I have that off my chest... Alia just LOVES visiting the neighbors kitties (and I love that they are the neighbors, not ours!!). From the very beginning she knew how to hold them so they wouldn't get away... whether they wanted to be held or not didn't matter to her!

Even though I'm not a cat lover (can ya tell?!) I still kinda feel bad for the little guys. They don't have a chance when Alia's around! She will find them, cuddle them until they can hardly breathe, then toss them on the ground in search of the next one!

- This pic is a mere second before Alia tripped and landed on top of the kitty... which I'm pretty sure is worse than a toss!

But she really does try to be gentle... so for that I'm thankful! Plus she looks so gosh darn cute when she's carrying one across the yard! And if her birthday were coming up I would even throw her a "kitty themed" birthday party. So see... I'm encouraging her loves of cats... I really am!!!!

I sold it...

... and it's actually been a bit hard for me! But - it's just a fact that I NEVER play it anymore and kids don't allow for that "jam time" like I thought they would! Plus I have never really connected with this piano, so I decided it was time that it moved to a home that would give it more attention! We will get a nice piano in another 2 years or so, when Alia is ready to start playing. But in the mean time our living room just isn't going to have that same cozy feeling that it once had. Maybe I'll replace the piano with a rustic looking armoire or something... I dunno! Jon keeps moping that it won't be the same without it - poor guy, I never knew he was so attached!

The Cookie Monster

This girl is spoiled, I tell ya, absolutely spoiled! While out for lunch after church on Sunday, Alia's "Uncle" Ron decided she needed a chocolate chip cookie in the worst way. So he gave her the WHOLE thing. Alia just gobbled it up, failing to mention that she'd only gotten snip-its of a cookie in the past... never the whole thing (and it was a LARGE cookie, might I add!) She just nibbled it back and forth like a cob of corn, happy as a lark. And when I discovered the little chocolaty mess she was holding she just smiled her little grin and said "Mommy, you don't want to take this away, do you? Look how much fun I'm having, and Uncle Ron even said I could eat the whole thing." Okay... she didn't say one single word, she just kept eating - but her eyes said it all! Believe me!

To Saskatchewan we will go

Jonathan's family has started a new tradition of meeting in Saskatchewan (which is right in the middle for all of us) over August long weekend for a family get together. This year we stayed at a working ranch/bed and breakfast near Swift Current. What a lovely little set up! They had a renovated barn with 3 rooms in it (each with their own washroom) and a large meeting room upstairs for cooking, eating, playing games, etc.





Our room was just so charming...I loved it! And the breakfasts and hospitality were wonderful!



We had a good time catching up as a family as well! Jon's sister, Jen, is expecting in October so we had plenty of "pregnancy/baby" stuff to talk about! Oh how I look forward to not being the only "young parents" in the family... more than I can say! Poor Alia though... her schedule was COMPLETELY off and for all the changes going on around her I would say she did okay! She got to have some one on one time with Gramma and Grampa, enjoyed Uncle Matt's entertaining stacking cup sculptures, and fed the ducks on a daily basis! She still thinks she sees "gucks" everywhere!!

It has to go up from here...

Gracious, this has been a hard week for me. I'll just be honest. I have cried more, felt more stressed, and been more emotional than I have been in a long, long time!

The reality that I am back in Manitoba has sunk in. We've done TONS of traveling this summer... which is great... but now we're back. And I'm restless again. Once again I struggle with the fact that Manitoba has NEVER felt like home. Ever. I have been begging God to just tell me if I'm called here or not. Tell me what He wants me to do here. And just give me some sort of peace about where we are right now.

It's not even that I think moving back to Ohio would be the cure all... I'm not that naive, but I just want to feel like this is where I belong. That this is my home. The thing is, I love Manitoba - we're 5 minutes from the lake, 15 minutes from the valley, the people are friendly here, life is slower paced, yadi yadi yada. But people are what make a home, not geographical location. And yes... I have friends here, some pretty wonderful ones, but for some reason the lack of family seems to be a big deal to me.

Jon has been amazing. He's let me rest more (which I have definitely been needing... I've been WAY more tired with this babe!), let me vent, let me be crabby, and has been supportive in anyway he can. And I'm so thankful for him... but I still want to get down to the root of this issue and move on.

Can the end be near?!?!

I think so. I really think we might see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Most of you know - we moved a 1 1/2 story farm house 20 miles, put it on a new basement, did basically everything you can think of, and then moved a garage (that Jon bought for $100 and moved himself) on to our property to also renovate!

The garage has been without siding for a year now, and next week it will get a whole new look! Jon has completed all the wiring (it had nothing in it previously) and is ready to start the outside makeover on Monday!

Here's my hubby hard at work... I think his secret dream is to be an electrician!





When it is 100% done I will be posting before and after pictures of both the house and the garage projects for your viewing pleasure!

Our first friend visit!

We had our first ever "Ohio-friend-visit" a few weeks ago and it was great!! Greg, Becky, and their little guy, Gavin, joined us for 4 days to see what summer in Manitoba was about! For those who think Canada is cool all year round, Greg and Becky can testify otherwise! It was BLAZING hot (95 - 100 degrees) the whole week they were here! We had tons of stuff planned to do, but with two 1 year olds on totally different schedules we found it a bit hard to leave the house!

I know, I'll get flack for this one, but being "little Miss. Photographer" that I am... I only snapped a handful of pictures the whole week - so here ya go!







We all went for a hike in the valley, for ice cream and a walk around town, to the kiddy pool, and Jon introduced Greg to "bagging". For those who haven't experienced this sport... you take an old car, drive it like it was never meant to be driven, and make lots of new friends (a.k.a. pushing buddies) in the process!

It was wonderful to reconnect, visit, and catch up a bit! We tried to convince them to stay another week but hopefully they will be up again someday soon!

Is it called a gravel box then?

After much research online I decided that instead of having a sandbox, we would fill a box with pea gravel for Alia to play in. But saying "Alia, let's go play in your gravel box!" sounds a bit odd. So... it's officially her "play box"... and she loves it!



Not only does she like filling cups, buckets, and her shoes with gravel.. she loves running over to the raspberry bushes for a quick snack when she's played too hard! This girl can spot a ripe red raspberry from an acre away!!



So far the neighbors cats have shown no interest in the new "play box" (which was the goal), Alia's clothes don't get stained from gross old sand, and she's learned that if she puts the gravel in her mouth it tastes really, really nasty. So we'll give this a whirl for another month and see if we'll keep it around for next summer or not!

Big Green Tractor

Me oh my... this girl loves being outside! Not only does she love being outdoors, she loves being with her daddy even more! Every time she gets a glimpse of our lawn mower she runs to daddy, gives him that grin, and starts going "vroom, vroom!!"



Of course, Jon can't say no, so he fires up the John Deere and takes his little girl for a cruise around the neighborhood!



We don't think it's safe for her to be on the tractor while we're actually mowing but Alia doesn't know the difference! She justs waves to neighbors and has no idea this isn't what "normal" people do!



And look at this... even at 1 year old she knows which lever makes it go faster. I have a feeling she's going to be a bit like her daddy!

Ohio trip - part 3

Visiting with friends/family was of course a highlight of the trip. One night we invited a bunch of our friends over, ate pizza, and made sure the kids didn't get into trouble. My... how our "outings" have changed due to the kiddos!

- My mom and my best friend, Amy just chit chattin away!


- My little girl could hardly keep up with those boys, and by the end of the night she was not in her most modest attire. We took off her soiled shorts and let her run around in her tank top!


- We were taking bets on which kid was going to get wet first!


- Alia came close... but regained her balance and walked away dry as could be!


- This poor girl was positively pooped after playing so hard!


There are so many more pictures that I would love to post... of the balloon ride my family took, of Gramma and Grampa spoiling me with my FAVORITE pizza, of all the people we visited with- but I just absolutely don't have time right now! And since this catching up thing is keeping me from posting recent events, I am moving on! If I ever get the time to add more pics of our Ohio trip I will... but as of now it won't be in the near future!!