Life in the Okanagan with the Bournes

The Tale of the Native Nativity

2010-12-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Layla attends school on a Native reserve and has been very lucky to be involved with and learn many of the beliefs and customs of the Osoyoos Indian Band, including their Okanagan Language.

This Christmas Layla's school, Sen Pok Chin, decided to reproduce the Tale of the Nativity, as written by the children of the Inkameep Day School in 1940, exactly 70 years ago. The play was great but I also enjoyed the speakers prior to the play who spoke of the history of the school and the challenges they had to deal with in keeping their culture alive. We even heard from some of the band's Elders who had been students at this school in the 1940s. They spoke about the great successes of the school's art and drama productions. They even have a letter from Walt Disney inviting them to Disneyland. Unfortunately, due to the World War, they were unable to attend but the letter will be put on display at the Desert Cultural Centre at Nk'mip Resort. There are few pieces left to show for the many productions they put on. When their teacher enlisted for war, the new teacher taught them that what they were doing was evil and burned all of their masks, costumes and so forth.

The Elders were followed by the play, A Tale of the Native Nativity. I was not successful at getting very good photos, especially since I was wrestling the badest-boy-ever the whole time. Hope you get the idea anyways.

Act One

The Play begins in a small village where Mari is visited by the winged man to tell her she will become the mother of the great chief.

Act Two

The couple travel to the village of the Great Chief and as no TeePees or lodges are available, they live in a cave with the animals to entertain them and keep them warm. Here the baby is born and they are visited by three hunters and three chiefs.

Act Three

Mari and Susap take the baby to see the Prophet and the Medicine Woman. When they are visited by the Winged Man, they learn that the baby is in danger and they must move again.

The children did a fantastic job. Layla was a winged man along with the rest of her grade one classmates. They sang some beautiful Christmas songs in English as well as in Okanagan.

Christmas For Me

2010-12-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

I grew up as the 6th of 7 children. We moved around a lot and usually did not have a lot of extended family close by. Christmas's for us were spent with each other with the occasional visit from grandparents. I have a lot of great memories of the holidays but these memories are not of gifts, or parties. My memories are all of the weeks prior to Christmas where my Mom made each of us feel involved and excited to participate in the preparation for Christmas.

My mom baked at Christmas. She baked a lot! We all knew what type of treats we could expect. Home made marshmallows that we all got to garnish with sprinkles, coconut, crushed almonds, etc., thimble cookies, sour cream cookies that we all helped cut out and decorate, cherry balls, pies, nanaimo bars and all sorts of deliciousness.

The baking was great but my favourite tradition was making ornaments. My mom is crafty, this is true, but I can only imagine how much patience is required to teach and help all of us to make or own ornaments no matter our skill level. I remember being impressed as my mom was able to blow all the innards of an egg out of a tiny pin hole. (I still can't do that) We decorated cartons and cartons of eggs for our tree. I remember being amazed at how well she could paint ceramic figurines and how excited I was to paint some of my own.

The most exciting part of Christmas though was the day she pulled out all of the decorations and we decorated the house and trimmed the tree as a family. We always had Christmas music on and she let us decorate as we wanted. I remember it all. The village that she created by hand, the nativities she made, and how fun it was to set them all up. Each year it was fun to pull out all of the ornaments and recall making them. My mom let us trim the tree without much direction and it always looked great. Those are the Holiday moments that I most cherish. After all these years, I remember very few of the gifts I received, but the times spent with my brothers and sisters and mom and dad are clear and cherished every year as I try to do the same with my own family.

My mom managed to instill in me a love for arts and crafts but her talent must skip a generation. My children are only 2 and 6 years old but Layla and I have made ornaments and decorations every year to the sounds of the Osmond Family Christmas or Boney M blaring in the background.

My tree is still adorned with ornaments from my childhood that I made or ones that my mom made and I loved. It is like opening a time capsule every year when we bring out the decorations. My tree is full of 30 year old eggs, hand crafted bells, tiny mittens that my mom knit, an angel made out of noodles from when I was in grade 1, ceramic ornaments that have lasted over 25 years to make it to my tree and, of course, the ornaments that Layla and I contribute each year.

This year Layla and I took all of the boring silver balls that we had and jazzes them up with paint and sparkles. We painted some new ceramic ornaments and hung them. We jazzed up some old silver butterfly ornaments with some new color and sparkle. All the while, blaring the same Christmas songs that I listened to as a child and now listened to my own daughter sing along to.

I am so grateful for my Mom for making these times so special for our family. I am so grateful for her for keeping all of us (even us young ones) included. I love that my tree has so much meaning and history. I love that I have so many wonderful Christmas memories and that they all include my family. I love recalling the live Nativity my family participated in. I love how peaceful our home was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I love how my Dad took charge of Christmas breakfast. I love how much we were brought together as a family during the Holidays and am so thankful for my parents for all that they did for us.

The MacKenzie Clan - Back L-R: Jen, Grammy, Me, Amy, Mom, Dad, Rob Front: Mike, Grandad, Sara (Emily not yet born)

I love my Mom, I love my Family - Thank you!

Short trip..Big Visit

2010-06-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Owning a big dog is all kinds of wonderful but it does have one big drawback. Travel. We don't have anyone here to dog-sit for us so Big Chester gets to go wherever we go.

That must make him a very well-travelled dog! No, it doesn't, it makes us a not very well-travelled family.

The one place Chester is always welcome is Magrath. The Bournes have graciously accepted our Mastiff as family so we do most of our travels to Southern Alberta.

When we got the invitation to my cousin Tania's wedding I was excited that it was in Raymond because I thought I could see a lot of family in just one trip!

After pulling an all-nighter through the mountains we arrived at the Bournes at about 5am their time (4am BC time). It was worth it though because we got to visit with my parents, Greg's parents, a few siblings, and lots of long-lost cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.

Baron got to meet a little boy cousin the same age as him. Him and James Quist were so cute together and enjoyed playing a little catch with Baron's basketball.

Tania's wedding was lots of fun. The kids and adults all had a great time.

Here is my Dad dancing with the bride.

Layla was so excited for Tania to throw the bouquet! She criticized her toss for the rest of the night. She thought she should have done a re-do after the first toss ended up landing on a table a few rows back, knocking over some water and eventually into the hands of Richard Loose's girlfriend. Greg, however, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

2010-04-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

With temperatures flirting with 30 degrees this week we ventured out on some new hikes. We climbed up high enough so that we overlooked fields of orchards full of blooms in white and pink, vineyards, Lake Osoyoos, wetlands, mountains, and desert terrain. It was lovely. We couldn't take our eyes off it...that is..until we realized poor Chester hobbling along to keep up.

As soon as we looked down we realized we had been trampling through countless clusters of cacti. They were in my shoes, Greg's shoes, but luckily not the kid's shoes. Of course, the Chester had it the worst.

After immediately retreating from our new hike we spent some time pulling out needles from the dog and our shoes.

We made our way to good ol' Road 22. We saw our first snake of the year but he didn't make it across the road, poor lil fella.

Baron got to get face-to-face with some horses for the first time. He loves horses but had never been close enough to touch one before. He ran down the path full speed to get to them but when Greg lifted him up to pet him he got very nervous.

The dog always keeps a real good distance from the horses. Just stands there, watching and waiting until we've had our fill.

It's so great to have the hot weather back and enjoy the outdoors here. It is, after all, what we moved here for.

Big Bare and his Basketball

2010-04-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

When I tell someone Baron really loves basketball, what I mean to say is that Baron has an obsession with basketball. It was one of his first 5 words, starting out as b'ball, working up to ba-het-ball, and now a proper basketball. He is about 20 months old now and his obsession is as strong as ever.

He started at a new day home in March. We told them all he needs is a ball and he's happy. After a day or two with Baron they marvelled, "That boy doesn't love basketball...he is OBSESSED!!!" He points out every single basketball hoop (and then some) on walks, car-rides, any outing, really. If you took a tally, you would find that he said basketball more than any other word, at least 100 times a day, at least!!

At the park Baron will stand in front of the hoops and pretend to shoot without a ball. He bends his knees and adds a bit of a bounce like his Dad before the "release". He also adds his own "swish" verbally. He is currently working on his dribbling, and trying so hard to jump. He can just about get air...he tries so hard! He catches the ball just as well as his 5 year old sister.

So what does this all mean? Probably nothing. But maybe, just maybe, Baron will take after his namesake, Baron Davis, and be the first person with Goldenhar's Syndrome in the NBA.

What? It could happen!

Easter

2010-04-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last Easter Layla woke up in the middle of the night to find that the Easter bunny had left an egg on her pillow. She was so excited that we allowed her to go ahead with the egg hunt. She grabbed a flashlight, ran outside and filled her basket with all the eggs she could find. This year she planned for the same. Around 1130pm she came into our room to wake us up and announce that the Easter Bunny had been here! We let Baron sleep but the rest of us trekked out to the backyard. She spotted some eggs inside too but was kind enough to leave those for Baron to find in the morning.

Layla was the first one up in the morning but we woke up Baron to join in the fun. He was a bit confused at first but it didn't take him long to realize what was going on.

Layla enthusiastically helped Baron fill his basket with all the goodies they could find. Somehow the Easter Bunny knew about Baron's obsession with basketball and had left a big stuffed basketball for him to sleep with.

We wrapped it up with a turkey feast for dinner. I love holidays, and watching the kid's excitement. I am already looking forward to Christmas...

2010-03-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Almost 2 years ago we made a deal with Layla. She could have cable TV, or she could take the money we would have spent on TV (for one month) and buy whatever she wants. She chose the money...and with the money? She decided she wanted to get her ears pierced!

We've been putting it off ever since then but on Sunday we finally gave in. She asked if she was allowed to cry and we said of course. There was only one girl working that day so instead of getting both ears done at the same time she had to sit through one at a time. She did great. I could tell it hurt, she turned a little red but kept a straight face.

Since then she will wear nothing but pony tails and loves to tell anyone who will listen about her newly pierced ears with the pink diamond flower earrings.

Here's Layla with her new look.

From the Mouth of My Babe

2010-03-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick interview I had with Layla. I did one of these over a year ago on Facebook and I was surprised that most of her answers stayed the same. Here it goes:

About Mom:

Q. What does Mom say to you?

A. I love you

Q. What makes Mom happy?

A. When I smile.

Q. What makes Mom sad?

A. When I am dead.

Q. How old is your Mom?

A. 59

Q. How tall is your mom?

A. 69 meters

Q. What does your Mom like to do?

A. Play together

Q. What does your Mom do when you are not around?

A. Looks for me.

Q. If your Mom was famous, what would it be for?

A. Cooking

Q. What is your Mom good at?

A. Playing

Q. What is your Mom NOT good at?

A. hand stands

Q. If your Mom was a cartoon character, which one would she be?

A. Belle

Q. How are you and your Mom different?

A. Mom likes to eat fish, I like to eat candy!

Q. What is your Mom's favourite thing to do?

A. Go to the park and play with her little kids.

Q. What does your Mom look like?

A. A princess.

About Dad:

Q. What does you Dad say to you?

A. Wanna play Layla?

Q. What makes your Dad happy?

A. When I do plies (ballet)

Q. How old is your Dad?

A. 79

Q. How tall is your Dad?

A. hmmm, 10 or 9 km

Q. What does your Dad do when you are not around?

A. Sits on the couch and watches basketball with Baron.

Q. What is your Dad good at?

A. Push-ups

Q. How are you and your Dad different?

A. I like pink, he likes black.

Q. What is your Dad's favourite thing to do?

A. Go to the beach

Q. What does your Dad look like?

A. He kind of has a mustache but he doesn't, he just has lines.

About Layla:

Q. What is your favourite thing to do?

A. Get swung around

Q. What makes you sad?

A. When I get grounded.

Q. What makes you happy?

A. When I get to play outside with beasle, my bumble bee who I hold in my hand but doesn't sting me.

Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?

A. An astronaut

Q. Why did Mom and Dad get married?

A. Mom was beautiful and Dad was handsome.

Q. How many babies do you want to have when you are an adult?

A. 5, so you better buy 5 cribs

Q. Who is your Mom's best friend?

A. Me

Q. Who is your Dad's best friend?

A. Mom

That's my girl!!

Sunday Pleasures

2010-02-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

It was Sunday afternoon, Baron was napping, Greg was writing, and so Layla and I decided to have a girls outing to the park. We enjoyed the Oliver sunshine, while I'm sure everyone else in the country was watching Canada's boys beat the US hockey team in the Gold medal game. Way to go Canada!

I love watching the kids play at the park. The pure innocence and joy that emanates from them is so heartwarming.

And of course, the tired kids who come home and crash early, well, that's just an added bonus :)

Hey There Good Lookin'

2010-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

We picked up Baron's first glasses on Friday. We could not get them anywhere near his face without pinning his arms and forcing them on. We knew we needed a new strategy, but what? Greg took out his contacts and put on his glasses. Then he opened up NBA.com to watch some highlights and voila! Baron left his glasses on to enjoy some basketball with his fellow-four-eyed father!

The next day, if you could get his glasses on without him throwing them across the room, he would generally leave them there for an hour or two, depending on what he was doing. He got excited when we read some colorful books and seemed to look at them with a new clarity. I was surprised to see how strong his prescription was in his bad eye. It's completely blurry for me to look through. Yikes! Who knew he wasn't seeing like the rest of us?!

I took Baron up to our bathroom to introduce him to his new self in the mirror. I am so glad he is doing better at keeping them on. He's still my super handsome little fella, but now he can SEE!

2010-01-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

When I was a child I spent my time running around the neighbourhood playing with my friends, going to the park, and each other's houses and the only thing I worried about was being home in time for dinner.

The times have changed since then and in order for Layla to play with her friends outside of school I need to find out who the parent's are (if I don't already know), get their phone numbers and call to arrange a scheduled "play date". I don't mind this really. I am glad I will know a lot of the parent's of the children who she will likely be going to school with until graduation.

The last few weekends we have been host to some great play dates. We all have fun. Greg chases the kids and swings them around. I chip in on the swinging but I am not as effective of a chaser. Not scary enough. Baron loves chasing too and they are very good about keeping him involved.

Here's some of the highlights.

"I Didn't Know about this Day!"

2010-01-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's 1100pm New Year's Eve and Layla and Greg are still outside shovelling snow from the front driveway for the fort they are building in the back when Layla exclaims, "I didn't know about this day! This is the best day ever!!" - referring to the ever popular children's holiday, New Year's!

Layla was disappointed when she heard the radio declare that this would not be a white Christmas this year. We assured her that there would be plenty of snow in Magrath. She was so excited to get to build a snowman when we got there but the snow was too soft and dry and did not stick together well enough to build anything.

We returned a few days later to find Oliver under a blanket of fresh snow. Our first day home was New Year's Eve and Layla and Greg decided to build a snow fort. There wasn't a huge amount of snow so Greg and Layla worked hard hauling snow from the front to the back.

The next day we were out early continuing to work on the fort. We took turns hauling snow from the front and watched as the fort came to life.

We all snuggled together inside the cozy fort. Even the dog tried to get in but we thought he might break it so he wasn't allowed.

This morning, after one day's worth of warm temperatures the fort has melted so much that the top of the doorway is touching the ground. Greg's 6+ hours of shovelling and our hard work is not all wasted though, Layla says it will make a great slide.

Christmas '09

2009-12-31T22:46:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone, and now all that's left is a mess of new toys, and a few extra pounds around the waistline.

This year was a busy Christmas for us. I worked Christmas Eve so Greg prepared a delicious roast beef dinner for when I got home. That evening we opened up all of the gifts under the tree.

Christmas morning we woke the kids up early so they could see what Santa had brought for them. We ate a big breakfast and by 8am we were on the road headed to Southern Alberta to visit family.

We stayed in Magrath with Greg's parents but we also got the opportunity to spend some time with my parent's in Lethbridge, my Aunt Cheryl who lives in Raymond, and Greg's Aunt and Uncle who live in Raymond.

The highways on the way home were awful. There were accidents everywhere. We battled heavy snowfall, thick fog, and icy conditions throughout the mountain passes and beyond.

The kids were very excited when we got home as they finally got to play with all of their new toys. Layla's favourites this year are her musical instruments including guitar, piano, microphone and Hannah Montana Stage. Baron's favourite is definitely his basketball hoop. Considering his limited vocabulary we are amazed at how well and how often he says "ba-het ball! ba-het ball!" I am going to get some serious biceps with all of the lifting I do so that he can put the ball in the hoop. I'm glad he loves it though. My favourite gift was a painting of a penguin done by Layla, and framed by her school. Greg says his favourite gift was the contributions made towards winter tires for our van because without them we would not have seen our family this Christmas, and family is THE greatest gift of all. HIS words NOT mine so save your "oh geeeeez" for Greg.

And that was Christmas for the Bournes this year. Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!!

Sen Pok Chin Christmas Concert

2009-12-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Last night was our first opportunity to attend a Christmas Concert as parents. Layla was so excited and so were we. The concert was held in Osoyoos at the Desert Cultural Centre. The theme was The Power of the Drum and featured the very talented Russell Podgurny, a Pow wow singer and drummer. He has been working with the students all year to teach them about his craft. He performed solo and also with each class.

Baron enjoyed the dancing and the music and managed to keep his havoc to a minimal. Very much appreciated by his parents.

Layla and Latrisia after the concert with what I believe is a dead coyote.Markus, Layla and Nathan in the teepee room. It was pitch black in there besides the flash of my camera and nearly impossible to get them out to go home.

Layla and Emily on stage.

Here are some videos I tried to film with Layla's little camera, so I apologize for the quality.

Lost Moose Lodge

2009-12-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, for my birthday, Greg and I got a babysitter and headed up up up a mountain for some fine dining. We went to Lost Moose Lodge, which overlooks Penticton, Lake Okanagan and all the way to Peachland. It was a long way up and we met winter about half way up. We were pleased to test out our new snow tires and didn't lose traction once on the steep twisty snow covered road.

There was only one other couple at the lodge that night. I guess we were the only ones brave enough to take on the road? It was a great atmosphere with a fire burning, good music, and amazing views. The chef cooked our steaks outside on the barbecue and they were delicious. It was dark outside and my pictures didn't work out so I copied one from their website.

That was not the first snow we have seen this year. Friday morning we woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground. This was Baron's first time in the snow and he really seemed to enjoy stomping his feet in it. It didn't last long though, it was gone by noon. Perhaps we will take the kids up a mountain and find a good tobogganing hill and remind them what "real" snow feels like.

Me and My PAL

2009-12-04T08:50:00.001-08:00

The last day of my twenties I was lucky enough to spend with my favourite PAL, my little Layla Faye.

Every month Layla's kindergarten class invites the parents to spend half of the school day learning the best methods to help our children learn to read and write. They call this PALS, which stands for Parents as Literary Supporters.

Layla and I had fun using flash cards, searching for letters in the sand, painting, drawing, and reading. It is so great to be able to see her interact with her peers and watch the progress she has made so far in school.

I am so proud of my little angel and can not think of a better way to spend a day than watching her learn and progress into a beautiful little lady.

Autumn in the Okanagan with the Bournes

2009-11-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

The best part of autumn for children has got to be playing in the leaves. Layla's excitement about it is contagious and she has somehow managed to get both Greg and I to join in the fun and jump off of our wobbly fence into a pile of freshly fallen leaves.

I have tried to capture some of that energy in photos. Enjoy.

♫♪ Walk Like an Evening Ship ♫♪

2009-10-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

Thursday night was the monthly family night at Layla's school. It was a Halloween themed dance on one side of the gym with games and activities on the other side, and dinner set up in the halls. Dinner...not for us! You think you could get Layla to sit and eat when there was so much fun to be had in the gym? Not likely.

Layla is dressed as an Egyptian this year but she has a hard time saying Egyptian without focusing so when she sings it comes out "Walk like an evening ship".

The photos I took in the gym didn't really work out to well but here's a glimpse of Layla and her friends at the party.

The kindergartners performed a dance that they had practiced only 3 times but it was pretty cute anyways.

Carvin' Up a Good Time

2009-10-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Layla's class went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch. She got to choose 2 pumpkins to take home but somehow, they never made it. Layla said they had holes in them so she didn't want them. Her teacher said she put her name on 2 of them and she definitely had them before home time. My guess? They suffered the same fate as so many sweaters this year, they were abandoned on the playground when it was time to board the bus.

Sunday morning we took the dog for a walk at the beach near Penticton. On our way home Layla was excited to point out the pumpkin patch they had gone to. We decided to stop and pick up some pumpkins. I had never been to a pumpkin patch and Greg hadn't either so we thought we would let Layla show us how it's done.

Thanksgiving weekend's record breaking cold snap was not easy on the pumpkins and many of them were rotting and in rough shape. We did manage to find a few gems and Layla pointed us in the direction of the scale and for less than a twoonie we went home with 2 beautiful pumpkins.

At home we went right to work. Layla was a big help and did a great job cleaning out the pumpkins.
Mmmmm YUMMY!

...and the final result. Cinderella and Princess Jasmine.

Tomorrow? Roasted pumpkin seeds. Can't wait!

Autumn in the Okanagan

2009-10-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Autumn in the Okanagan is just so beautiful I thought I'd share a few photos I have taken this week.

This I took today on my way home from work. It's called Yellow Lake. This is where we went fishing last year. I loved how the clouds moved down the mountain like a waterfall and the serenity of the lonely fisherman on the still lake. Sure my commute is long...but what scenery!

This was taken yesterday on my way home from work. It's close to White Lake and I just loved how the trees were changing color and the way they twist down the hills like a river.

This I took on Sunday on our way home from a walk at Vaseux Lake. I loved the reflection on the clouds in the lake.

Here is Layla at the Vaseux Lake look out.

FIELD TRIP!

2009-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was lucky enough to join Layla and her class on a field trip. We went for a walk to see the salmon who have returned to the Okanagan River to lay their eggs.

Our high that day was a frigid 11 degrees so our morning walk was very cold. It seemed like the adults were the only ones who felt it though. Kids just don't seem to feel the cold like we do. By the way, Layla is the girl in the pink jacket and blond braids on top (sometimes wearing a purple hat)

Baron was happy to join the class on their walk. He loved watching all of the children and didn't make a peep the whole 90 minutes we were out there. Very unusual for the Bearster.

Here is Mrs Millward teaching the class about the river restoration project which includes returning the river to it's natural twisty state rather than the straight channel it had been made into years ago. This gives slow moving areas and pools for the salmon to spawn without having to fight the current so hard.

I had a great time and hopefully I'll be able to join them on more of their field trips, they seem to have a tonn of them. So far this year they have gone to a farm and picked a tonn of fruits and veggies (and got to bring them home), skinned a deer, picked grapes at a vineyard and learned how to make them into juice, went to the Nk'mip golf course to run the Terry Fox run, and next week they are going to pick pumpkins from a pumpkin patch to take home. I guess full-time kindergartners have lots of time for extra activities. Lucky girl.

Baking with Grandma

2009-10-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

For the Thanksgiving weekend we were thankful to have Grandma and Grandpa Bourne come visit. Grandma thought it would be a good idea to make her famous oreo cookies with Layla. Layla was pretty excited to bake what her Dad promised would be the best cookie she has ever tasted.

Layla got to combine all the ingredients and stir, stir, stir.

Greg was elected the official taster because, well, he had the most experience.

This one was a special cookie Layla made for Grandma with lots of extra cream cheese icing. Oh the sacrifices one makes for their grandchildren.

We all approved of the cookies and had them polished off within 48 hours. Soooo yummy.

♫♪ You say Good Bye ... I say Hello ♫♪

2009-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

After the untimely demise of our pet moth, Chompers, we respectively put him to rest beneath a tree in our backyard. Layla decorated a coffin for him, dug the whole, sang him the saddest version of Happy Birthday you have ever heard and left him with a kiss and some flowers. Then she jumped on the bus and was off to school.

A few days later I spotted a big ol' green caterpillar on our driveway. I put him in Chomper's old digs and waited excitedly for Layla to get home.

When Layla arrived she immediately took him out in the backyard for a play. She named him Cactus and he now lives on our kitchen window sill. We are excited to have found a caterpillar that looks as if he may become a butterfly, rather than a moth (No disrespect intended Chompers RIP) .

Metamorphosis...by Layla

2009-09-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

The morning of Layla's birthday she found a caterpillar on our walk. She decided that she wanted to keep him and watch him turn into a butterfly. Sure, I'm always game for bringing home live insects to feed and nurture as a beloved pet. Did I just say that? Anyways, we made him a comfortable home with twigs and a variety of leaves hoping that one of them would be the type he likes to eat. Layla named him Chomper and he sat in our window sill day after day. Layla would periodically let him out of confinement to enjoy some fresh air a playtime outside. She would put him on her slide and watch him roll down, place him on her swing and give him a little push. I thought for sure ol' Chompers would never make it to the cocoon phase.

A few weeks later we discovered Chompers was gone! All that was left was a lonely old cocoon.

The cocoon got steadily darker each day and after a few weeks I came to the realization that poor Chompers was never going to fly. I assumed he was dead but he still sat in my window sill day after day. There must have been a part of me that thought he might live, maybe, or I just never got around to getting rid of the bug carcass that sat on my kitchen window sill.

Last week we had a wind storm and Chomper's home fell into my kitchen sink. When I went to pick it up in the morning I noticed the cocoon was split open. I couldn't believe my eyes! There in my hands staring up at me was the most beautiful moth, blech, yes moth I had ever seen. I yelled for Layla to come see. I could tell she was a bit disappointed at first that it wasn't a big beautiful monarch butterfly but she quickly accepted Chompers for what he was and we hustled him outside so he could test out his new wings.

Chompers refused to leave the bottle. We had to shake him out and then he just sat in the grass. After a nudge from Layla he took off in flight. It was amazing to watch him fly for the very first time after spending nearly 2 months in our kitchen in his various stages of life. So the story ends...or does it?

Later that night, the kids were sleeping and Greg and I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink. I made a joke about turning on the light to find Chompers back in the kitchen. Ha ha, we chuckled and then Greg turned around and THERE HE WAS! I don't know how he got back in, and I guess I can't be 100% sure that it was even him but it's not as if we get a lot of moths in our house. So perhaps it was just a coincidence but I think it was our good friend Chompers coming to the only home he knows. I told Greg to kill him (don't judge me) but he refused and so we let him be. Welcome to the family Chompy.

The next morning we found Chompers sleeping on Layla's blinds right by her head. She was so excited she prepared some food for him and showed him her barbie house which she thought could be his home. He stayed in her room for a few more days, and she tended to him like she would a pet. Sadly Chompers life ended yesterday. I'm not sure what happened but he was found lifeless in our bathroom beside the toilet. He is gone, but will never be forgotten.

Here's to you Chompers!

Layla and Chompers (look closely..he's on her nightlight on the white shelf)

First Day of Kindergarten!!

2009-09-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, by the both of us, Layla finally got to start kindergarten today! She is attending Sen Pok Chin Elementary School on the Osoyoos Indian Band reserve. After looking into the schools in our area and meeting the teachers we decided this school would be the best fit for Layla, at least for kindergarten.

Today was a half day, followed by a bbq lunch that Baron and I also attended. It was nearly impossible to tear Layla out of there. Layla and her friend, Aianna, who she went to preschool with, caused general havoc throughout the school and on the playground. Meanwhile Aianna's mom and I dragged around our 1 year old sons, who are only days apart, and tried to keep their destruction to a minimum.

Layla loves her teachers. Despite there being 3 elementary schools in the small town of Oliver, there is a whopping 29 students in her class this year, so I guess they will need all the help they can get! Some of the students are only there for the mornings so the afternoons will be a bit quieter, I imagine.

Here are some pictures of her first day:

Layla insisted on choosing her own attire for today, and why would it be any other way? She chose to wear a dress she inherited from Charlie on last weeks trip to Edmonton.

Aianna, Larissa and Layla playing on the playground before school starts.

Baron and his friend, Chadon playing in the playground

Layla and Aianna walking hand-in-hand looking for their lockers.

Playing in the classroom before I had to leave.

Layla and Aianna in the library

She had so much fun today! What a great start to her long journey through school!

The Boy Walks

2009-09-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Big Baby Bear Bare is walkin, he's talkin, he's stirrin things up all over town!

At 12 months old Baron has decided to walk. He practiced and practiced and seems to really enjoy taking steps now. He can walk from one end of the room to the other but if he is in a hurry, he still boots along on all fours.

I'd like to take the credit here but Layla is the one who really pushed and motivated Baron. She was always holding his hands helping him waddle along. She would ride his ride-along toy as he held the back and tried to keep up. It was cute, and sometimes frightening, to watch but all of their efforts are now paying off as Baron happily walks around the house.

Good Food, Good Golf, and Great Company

2009-08-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

The past few days we were lucky enough to have my parents visit from Edmonton. We had them over for dinner a few times and they took us out to Boston Pizza for lunch the day they left.

We haven't taken Baron out to eat since we went to Washington with the Woolf's back in April so this was a pretty big deal for him. He had more fun than anyone else! Papa was lucky enough to score a seat right next to the Chief. Baron loves food, but he also loves to share. Papa spent much of lunch humoring Baron who was offering up his own food for Papa to try. He was clapping and cheering throughout lunch and had a blast trying a bit of every one's meals. I think it also added to his excitement that his high chair was pulled right up to the table, as opposed to a tray on his chair. I think he felt more involved. Whatever the reason, I think it was the highlight of his summer.

Greg and I were also able to get out with Dad for 9 holes of golf at Sonora Dunes in Osoyoos. The beautiful course is set right next to the resort where Mom and Dad were staying, Spirit Ridge, which is also where Greg works. We also hit up the pool and waterslide at the resort, as Layla never would have forgiven us if missed that opportunity. During our golf game, Mom stayed at my house and got reacquainted with Baron, Layla and Chester.

Here's a few shots of us at Sonora Dunes. The views from the course are outstanding!

Summer is Back On!

2009-08-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well, our little cold spell didn't last very long and we are back up into the high 30s. Yesterday our overnight low was only 26 degrees!

Wednesday, Greg and I both had the day off so we decided it was time we try our hand at bridge jumping. There is a long bridge that crosses Skaha Lake in OK Falls that used to be a railroad track but is now a walking bridge. There is an opening on the bridge where people, mostly teenagers, jump off. There is a ladder to climb back up or you can have a boat pick you up as we witnessed the other day.

We got there at 11am, hoping to avoid a crowd but I guess we didn't get there early enough! There were loads of people! Families, mostly. We went for a small walk, hoping that when we got back they would have left. Well, it sort of worked. There were still people jumping, still people watching but we had seen a few brave teenagers climb the railing and jump off the other side so they didn't have to wait a turn to get out of the gate. When you use the gate there is a 4 foot step down so it is not as high to jump. Add in the height of the railing and you are probably adding 8 feet to the already high jump. (high in my standards anyway, I am working on overcoming a lifelong fear of water and heights)

So, we decided to skip the line up and jump off the other side. Oh yes we did! Greg was more afraid than I was so I went first. I must admit, I was TERRIFIED but I tried not to think about it and whoosh! I jumped! It was so exhilarating, I can't even tell you! So, I jumped again. Greg went a few times too. Layla wanted to jump but it is obviously too high for her, so we promised her we would go swing off the rope into the river after supper.

I love how this one looks like Greg is standing on the water.

After we were done at the bridge we went to the OK Falls beach for a swim.

Baron was tired so we went home, had a bbq, and then headed to the river. Layla had done this once before but we were not prepared that day. This time we had our swimsuits and even Layla's PFD. (On a side note: I made, or shall I say "altered" the swimsuit I am wearing. It used to be an old tankini that no longer fit me. One of the many items I have sewed or altered this year.)

Baron and Chester watched as the rest of us swung out into the river and swam. Layla impressed us with her ability to swim up stream, mind you the current is not very strong but we were still impressed. She had a blast swinging out into the river. I would let her go under and then quickly snatch her out.

Soon, summer will be over, Layla will be in school and everything here will be slowed down. After the summer we've had this year, I'm ready for a nice relaxing autumn.

Monkeying Around

2009-08-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Our heat wave ended, thankfully, but the past few days have been down right COLD! I even had a patient come into the lab wearing a parka. Yes, a full fledged, fur lined parka, hood up and all. He was a grumpy old fellow and complained about the "freezing cold" the whole time he was there. It was about 830 in the morning at the time. Our low over night had been 17 and we got up to 27 that day so the temperature had to be somewhere in between. Not exactly parka weather, but I have to admit...I have been sporting my warmest PJ's, including slippers and snuggling into a warm blanket at home. The forecast has yet to predict anything under 25 but I swear the last few days didn't even reach 20, and with the rain and the wind chill I would bet it was only..umm.. 5 degrees tops! It's cold I'm telling you...COLD!

I had to laugh to myself as we drove past the beach today and watched all the poor shivering tourists try to get the most out of their vacation. What troopers they are to take on the beach during weather like this. I have to keep reminding myself that summer is not really over, there is more to come, this is just a few "off" days. It feels like October. OK, I'll stop complaining about the weather, I know it's not that bad.

Today I took the kids to the park. It's not raining today but that wind is still blowing around. The kids were going crazy stuck in our house for the past few days so they were anxious and excited. Baron loves the park. He still enjoys a good swing but now he would rather crawl all over any and all play structures he can.

My little Layla is getting so big! Just turned 5, starting school in 2 weeks, and today she mastered the monkey bars! She told me she could do them but I was sceptical. Alas, she climbs right up and away she goes. All the way across! She loves them. My little monkey stayed on those bars most of the time we were there. Her poor little hands are sore now but at least she had fun. She also learned how to swing from her knees and told me she can't wait to show everyone at school. It seems like just yesterday she was waddling around the house squealing "I did it! I did it!".

You never really understand until you have your own but it is true what they say, they grow up waaaay too fast!

Heat Wave

2009-08-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

BC has been in the midst of a heat wave. I love the heat but after weeks of getting to 35-45 degrees your mind starts to get a little loopy. Our home is equipped with central A/C but the needle on our thermostat has been at the max reading, which is 30. On Thursday I got our power bill and decided that since the A/C didn't seem to be making much of a difference on our temp, but a huge difference on our bill...I made the executive decision to turn it off.

The next day I left Greg and the kids for a weekend house boating excursion. When Greg got home from work on Friday this is what he found.

At first Greg began to question Layla about the candles until he realized that the only culprit capable of bending the candles that way was extreme heat. They melted so much that they now touch the table.

So I guess the A/C was making a difference. I'll say it... I WAS WRONG.

My first day back from my trip we found better ways of beating the heat. We went on 2 walks that day and they both resulted in spontaneous dips in the river with all of our clothes on. So much fun!

Ugh, I can't get the videos of us all swinging into the river uploaded here so you will just have to use your imagination. Greg and I swung out by ourselves and then tried holding on together and swinging which took us way farther into the river. Great great fun.

Baron B's Birthday

2009-07-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

Since we were with family and Baron's 1st birthday was only days away we decided to throw him a little party.

Baron loved his cupcakes, I think even even ate two of them.

It was the end of a long day spent at Magrath days and little Baron was very tired but he did manage to stay awake long enough to open his presents. Big sister Layla was more than willing to help.

My baby is getting so big! He is a ball of energy, just like his sister. He loves to say "uh oh!" and "dad". I do get an occasional "mom" but only when he needs something. He will smile at anyone who makes eye contact with him although he usually turns his head into my chest giving the cutest shy little smile ever. Baron loves the water, going for walks, playing with Layla and Chester and most of all, FOOD. If you haven't met him yet, I suggest you do...He is amazing! Happy Birthday Baron B!

More of Our Magrath Trip

2009-07-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

There was more to our trip to Magrath than Magrath Days itself. The first day we were there we spent visiting with most of the kid's grandparents. We had lunch with my parents who happened to be in Lethbridge at the same time as us. We had a great bbq but somehow Papa managed to elude the camera. Smooth Papa.

After lunch with them we headed over to Greg's Grandma's house, also in Lethbridge and had a nice visit with her.

The evening was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Bourne in Magrath where we were treated to another bbq. Mmmmm. In fact I think every meal we ate on our trip was barbecued but each time a different meat. Yes, we were spoiled.

Layla even managed to find time to obtain her tractor driver's licence. So if any of you need any work done you can call her for a quote.

Layla found relief from the heat in a sled filled with water. Good idea Grandpa.

Magrath Days 2009

2009-07-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

The past weekend we travelled back to Magrath, Ab to attend Greg's hometown annual celebrations, Magrath Days. The last time we had been was in 2005 when Layla was only 1 year old. The day started with a parade. Layla figured out very quickly that when she waved and made eye contact she always got thrown candy.

The result was the most candy I have ever seen. By the end she was only picking up the candy she deemed worthy and left the rest on the street.
Shortly after the parade, the children's races began. Layla was so excited to run her first race. When they said go she froze until a nudge from Greg and she was off. The look of focus and determination on her face was priceless but because I was so into watching her I didn't get a good picture. My girlie was the fastest one there and although there were no official winners I declare Layla wins 1st place!

At the last minute Layla asked Greg to join in the adult races. He slipped off his flip flops and lined up with the rest of them. He also got a late start off the line but blew by everyone to cross the finish first! Layla was so excited that he won and still talks about it. Greg used to participate in the Magrath Day races as a kid so it was pretty cool that he got to do them again 20-some years later with his kids.

After the races we headed over to the petting zoo. Layla enjoyed all the animals but said she liked the little pot bellied pig the best. Later that afternoon while the kids were resting Greg and I brought Chester to Magrath Days and he lied down by the petting zoo and got his share of the petting going around. I think he was bigger than any of the animals they had there anyway.

Layla caught sight of the Magrath pool which was on the grounds where Magrath Days was being held. She convinced Greg and I to join her for a swim while Grandma Bourne monitored Baron on the pool deck. Layla had fun going off the diving board with her Dad.

On our walk with Chester around the festivities Greg spotted some basketball being played in the High School gym. Although he didn't know any of the 6 guys playing, they knew him and invited him to join. We went home and grabbed his gear but by the time we got back they were in their car's leaving. He convinced them to play one more. So they played 3 games on one end of the gym while I entertained myself on the other hoop. He was so excited to play in a gym again, it had been years since he had played anyone other than myself.

We ended the day with fireworks. Layla was exhausted by then...I think we all were. It was lots of fun, Layla is already asking us if we can go back to the next "Magrath party".

I thought I'd Never See The Day...

2009-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Chester and my niece, Charlie were born only months apart. The entire time we lived in Edmonton Charlie was deathly afraid of all dogs, and especially dogs the size of a full grown man.

Well on Charlie's visit to Oliver last week we all went on a walk and her and Chester bonded. Charlie held the leash, petting him as they walked along. Meanwhile, her mother, Sara nervously avoided getting within leash distance of the beast.

Charlie ended up walking him almost the whole time, giving Max a few turns to appease him but Charlie seemed to actually like, and care about Chester.

It makes me so happy to see Chester making new friends this late in his life, and I love seeing other children get to enjoy the feeling of being with an animal 5X their size. Unless you have experienced it, you just can't understand.

Layla's 5th Birthday Party

2009-07-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we hosted a birthday party for Layla. She invited some friends from preschool, one from skating, and even had her cousins from Edmonton, Charlie and Max, come to help her celebrate turning 5.

The house was crazy. Kids everywhere. The kids started by decorating clay pots in which they planted some marigold seeds. After that we played pin-the-petal-on-the-flower where EVERYBODY IS A WINNER!

For the remainder of the party everyone just ran around and played played played. The kids loved taking turns in Layla's jeep. This little girl in the jeep is from Layla's preschool and her little brother was born the same day as Baron, in the same hospital. I don't know what I would have done without the help of my sister, Sara and Greg. There were kids in every corner. Despite the 35 degree afternoon heat, Greg chased the kids around, let them beat him and never once complained.

I threw together a worm cake and put some chocolate flowers on the sides. I guess I didn't really think that one threw as the cookie crumb topping just added more ammo to destroying my white carpets. Yes, I have white carpet in my kitchen eating area. Brilliant.

The only other boy there besides Max was a boy named Blake. He was hilarious. He is pretty quiet. He drove all the girls around in the jeep, helping out the ones who didn't know how it worked, manning the stereo, and even opening and closing doors for the little princess's. Although he did sort of slam the door closed on one girl and told Greg calmly, "she took too long". Funny funny boy.

Layla loved getting to show all of her friends her house and toys. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Baron slept through most of it and amongst the chaos managed to climb all the way to the top of our stairs unnoticed...that is until we heard him come tumbling down. He looked a bit stunned but didn't seem to be hurt, he didn't even cry. Thank goodness our stairs are covered in nice thick carpet.

Lots of fun, but I am so glad it's over. Thank goodness birthdays only come once a year.

Little Layla Turns 5

2009-07-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Layla turned 5 last Wednesday and it's been a party ever since. Greg had to work noon-8 that day so we put out Layla's gift (a new scooter) for her to find when she woke up. She was very excited to find it. We got her the scooter, a new helmet, new knee and elbow pads, a water bottle for her scooter, and an outfit. After she was done opening her presents we went for a walk so she could try out her new scooter.

We came back and by 1030 Greg had steak on the bbq. Layla had asked for steak and corn on the cob but since Greg was working late we had it for brunch instead of supper. Layla had picked out a cheesecake and strawberries for her birthday cake.

The next day her cousins Charlie and Max came from Edmonton and she had a friends birthday on the weekend but I think I'll have to tackle those events with separate blog entries.

Fishing the Tuc El Nuit

2009-07-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

You know those times where you see something really cool or rare and say to yourself, "Self! You should have brought your camera!" Today I had one of those moments but alas! I had my camera!

I was sitting at the Oliver beach with Layla and Baron when I noticed a hawk circling above. At least I think it was a hawk, you can correct me if I'm wrong. I started to reach for my camera when it nose dived towards the lake.

The huge bird disappeared into Tuc El Nuit lake only to emerge moments later with a fish in his claws.

I looked around at everyone else on the beach and in the lake and realized Layla and I had been the only ones to see it! Their loss, I guess. At least I captured some photos to share with you!

Canada Day

2009-07-02T07:34:00.001-07:00

We didn't have any plans when we got out of bed on Canada day. Greg had to work the 12-8 shift so I wasn't sure what we would have time to fit in. We decided that we would all go to Osoyoos and try to catch the parade at 11 and then drop Greg off at work. Well...who knew that there would be 35000 other people going to Osoyoos that day! I let Layla and Greg out of the car while I sat in traffic for ages barely moving and finally finding a parking spot blocks away. By the time Baron and I caught up to Greg and Layla the parade was just ending and it was 1150 so we hustled back to the van and got Greg to work. I'm glad at least Layla got to see the whole thing. She loved it.

As we drove past the packed beaches on our way out of town Layla got really excited and insisted we come back and go to the beach as well. I told her we could go to the beach but not in Osoyoos, perhaps Oliver or Penticton. I had had enough of the traffic. We continued home where the plan was to nap Baron and then head to the beach. Meanwhile Layla played in the backyard. She got to talking to the neighbours and they invited us over for a swim in their pool. We had never been so she was super excited. She thinks their 14 year old daughter is a good friend of hers. When Baron woke up we trotted across our lawn to theirs with floaties in hand. We spent the next 3 hours with them in their pool having the most fun I've had in ages. Layla told them she could swim so they treated her like she could swim and apparently...she can swim! She had her "floatation " swimsuit on but I was impressed she could propel herself from end to end of the pool. She was jumping off the diving board, doing tricks, getting flipped off the air mattress, etc. The neighbour's have a daughter, Malory who will be 14 next week and a son, Keegan who is 16 and a competitive swimmer as well as lifeguard at the Oliver pool. I spent my time with Baron and the lady of the house, Diane and her husband Lindsey, Keegan and Malory played with Layla. She would have stayed there forever. It was too bad Greg couldn't join us but I'm sure we'll be back again.

At 8 we picked Greg up from work and took the dog for his second walk of the day down Rd 22. Then we dropped Chester off and headed back to Osoyoos for the fireworks. Baron fell asleep in the car but Layla was jacked. We decided instead of watching from the beach with the crowds we went up to Spirit Ridge where we were able to park the car and let Baron sleep while we watched from up the mountain. It was beautiful how the fireworks lit up the lake. The lake was littered with the lights of hundreds of boats. My photos didn't really work out so you'll have to make your own mental image.

It was the best Canada day I can remember, and I think Layla would agree.

Off Roadin' with Layla & Baron

2009-06-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed we go for a lot of walks. We try to mix it up for Layla so she doesn't get bored. Sometimes she brings her bike, sometimes she roller skates, but today she drove.

We packed up her jeep and brought it to the path at the end of our street. With Baron by her side she led the way in her pink Barbie jeep.

She did a great job controlling her jeep. She even mastered manning the radio while driving without driving off the road.

We stopped about along the way for a quick dip in the river. There is a make shift pool that Layla enjoys playing in.

Then we were back on the path headed for home. Her and Baron both really seemed to enjoy the change of pace. Baron didn't even try to wriggle his way out of his seat belt which I had thought he probably might. I imagine she will be begging for this opportunity again all summer long.

Baron Joins the Party

2009-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

When I take my kids to the beach it is sometimes difficult to manage a baby on the shore and a 4 year old in the water. I had taken Baron out in the water in my arms but he seems set on me flashing everyone else there by consistently trying to pull my swimsuit top off. I had seen pictures of my niece, Eloise, floating around in her pool in some sort of baby floatie and decided I need one.

It didn`t take long to find one. Actually I found it at the convenient store down the street. Yesterday afternoon we headed over to Tuc Ul Nuit Lake in Oliver to try it out for the first time. Greg thought that since it was only 26˚ C that it was too cold for Baron to go in the water. He played on the sand for awhile and then I sat him in the water on the shore to see how he reacted. He loved it.

Meanwhile Layla made a friend and was looking for tadpoles, practicing her swimming, and having a good time.

So then I figured he was used to the water, which in the summer is about 23˚ C. We put him in the floatie and he spent the rest of the afternoon floating around the lake with a big grin on his face. Our beach days when Greg is at work just got a LOT easier, and more enjoyable. What a wonderful invention.

Layla's Preschool Graduation

2009-06-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Layla's graduation from the Inkameep Preschool (Nk'mip). She was so excited she could hardly stand it! She had the day off school so I took her to Penticton and let her pick out a new dress to wear. She saw a lady stocking shelves at Walmart and ran up to her and told her she was looking for a new dress for graduation. Layla told her just what she was looking for and even though she was not a salesperson she kindly took some time to show Layla all of the dressy clothes they had in stock.

When Greg got home from work he surprised her with flowers and a card. She loved them. What a lucky girl to have a Dad that cares enough to make her feel so special on her "big day".

After supper we headed over to her school for the graduation ceremonies. It was difficult to hold back the tears when she walked out in her little cap and gown but thankfully I was able to hold it together.

Her class stood and sang a number of songs including Slippery Fish, I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee, 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed, the Inkameep Preschool Song, and a song about graduating preschool and heading to kindergarten. They also recited a poem about how they had grown over the past year. They did a fabulous job.

When that was done they received their diplomas and a scrapbook of photos and crafts they had done in class.

This was followed by cupcakes they had baked at school the day prior, cake and tea.

Layla with Teacher Shannon and Teacher Kathy.

Oliver Spray Park

2009-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of days we have had beautiful weather in the mornings and then the threat of thunder showers in the afternoons. On Saturday we had planned to go to the beach but by the time Greg got home from work, we battled a brown recluse, and drove to OK falls the 32 degrees had turned to a chilly wind, and dark skies. Since we were already there we played at the park at the beach and then headed back home. The forecast was the same for Sunday so I didn't want to disappoint Layla by waiting for Greg to get home and miss the great weather. I packed up the kids but didn't say where we were going, this way I could back out if it was too crowded or the weather changed. We drove past the Oliver spray park and there were only a few families there so I pulled in.

Layla was so excited. We hadn't been there yet this year since they turned the water on. After reading my sister, Sara's blog about their spray park adventures in the city I was reminded why I enjoy living in a smaller community. Layla quickly found a friend who had attended her preschool last year and they played together. They were joined by another boy from the preschool about an hour later. We spent about an hour and a half there until Baron decided it was time to go.

Layla was showing off for her friend by doing tricks on the bars. Here she is swinging from one arm. Despite the other boys being a year older, Layla was the strongest and fastest of the bunch but she'll always play it cool, like she's not trying. I know otherwise. Once in awhile you'll see her get excited but she tries not to show it. I overheard some other parents remark on her physical abilities. In fact, I was told by some parents on their way out what a little athlete she looks like, and someone else told me she looks like a little gymnast. She would have been very happy to hear this as she loves her gymnastics class and works very hard at it. She gets that from her dad who also was very competitive and hard working at a young age.

We had a great time. I was so happy she found some friends to play with so I could spend my time pushing Baron on the swings or sitting in the shade.

Chester Goes to Preschool

2009-06-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today Greg had the day off and Layla asked if she could walk to school. We haven't walked there before but thought it might be a nice way to start our day. We drove to the edge of Oliver so we didn't have to walk on the highway. When we parked we realized we didn't have Chester's leash so Greg and the dog went back home while Baron, Layla and I started the walk to school.

Here's Greg trying to catch up with us once he got the leash for Chester.

This is Layla and I walking up the road to the school.

We made better time than we thought we would (only about 20 minutes each way) so we arrived early for school. I'm usually early anyway so Layla can play at the park for 5 or 10 minutes before she goes in for school. There are a few of us that do this so when we got there with Chester the kids came running over to see. Chester was really excited too and just stood there with his tail wagging as the kids gave him some love.

Here's a few of Layla's friends with Chester. The girl at Chester's head has her own English Mastiff at home.

This is a picture of some cacti in bloom, or starting to bloom.

We had parked our car by the lake so when we got back we had to let Chester cool off. Of course we joined him.

Keep on Rollin'

2009-06-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

I started blogging last July after moving from Edmonton, AB to Oliver, BC, away from all family and friends. My very first entry I posted pictures of Layla trying out the roller skates we bought her for her 4th birthday. http://marysattemptatablog.blogspot.com/2008/07/lesson-in-preparedness.html It's been almost a year since then and Layla still loves her roller skates. She practices at home all the time and loves when she gets to skate on the path near our home. I took some pictures of her rollerskating on our walk yesterday. She roller skated over 3km and managed to only fall twice. Thank goodness for knee and elbow pads.

She loved it when she was allowed to push the stroller. I think she really liked the added support the stroller gave her.

Here she almost fell but caught herself. Then she told me she didn't fall, she was just looking at a black widow. Yeah right, way to play it cool Lays.

I loved rollerskating when I was a kid. As a young girl, probably 7 years old, I would go down hills at top speed and if I felt I couldn't stop before hitting the intersection at the bottom I would jump the curb and fall on the grass where it wouldn't hurt so much. Looking back now it was so dangerous but I lived to tell about it. I wish I had a picture of me with my roller skates, it was one of my favourite past times. Looks like it may be one of Layla's too.

Layla's Family Orientation for Kindergarten

2009-06-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last night we were invited to Sen Pok Chin Elementary School for the kindergarten family orientation. It was a great opportunity to mingle with the other children, parents, and staff. They had 8 stations for the kids to work through. They included things like, reading, crafts, magic play-dough. My favourite station was in the library where the Okanagan Language teacher had a large drum in the center and sang songs in the native language. Layla was familiar with this already as she has taken classes with him at her preschool over the course of the last year. It was incredible to see her stand and beat the drum in rhythm while singing a song in a language I haven't even heard spoken. She took direction from her teacher in the language. I loved it. I could have cried if I let myself (I think it was the drum).

After they made their way through the stations they were fed fruit and veggies, read a story by the teacher, and then given a bag to take home with them. The bag was stuffed with lots of books, including a scrapbook that they are supposed to complete and bring back when they start school in the fall, crayons, glue, scissors, pad of paper, magic play-dough, magnetic letters and numbers, construction paper, and other resources for parents.

It was fun for all of us. Layla is so excited to start school there in the fall. This is Layla after we got home with the butterfly she made and the bag of goodies she received at the end.

Back to Rd 22

2009-05-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we wanted to take Chester for his walk before it got too hot but by the time we got to Rd 22, in between Osoyoos and Oliver, it was close to 30 degrees. We let Chester off leash so he can cool himself off in the river whenever needed. About 20 minutes into the walk we came across the old blue rope hanging from a tree branch. You may remember seeing pictures of Greg swinging out into the Okanagan River from this blue rope last year. At that time I was 9 months pregnant and not really in "swinging" mode. This year however...

Layla tried to talk me out of it. For some reason she thought it was too dangerous for me. I was nervous too. I was hot and the thought of cooling off appealed to me, but I am also a horrible swimmer and was worried I may get carried away in the current. I wasn't sure if I could touch the bottom or not and Greg didn't want to do a test run for me.

I got the courage to swing out above the river but my fear, or responsible caution, got the best of me and I didn't let go of the rope. Nope! I swung right back to the safety of the shore.

I remembered last spring when the run off from the mountains reached our lakes and rivers and caused them to be much deeper, faster, dirtier and much more dangerous than usual. The Okanagan River is definitely looking much murkier, a bit deeper where I can tell and the dead fish that floated by convinced me to wait until this period is over and the river has settled. Cop out? Maybe, but I am a REALLY bad swimmer at the best of times and, well, come July I'll be in there, I will.

For the record, Greg chickened out this time around as well.

On our walk back we saw a turtle sunbathing on the path. That was cool too but Layla already blogged that.

Back to OK Falls

2009-05-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous entry, we had gone to OK Falls on the weekend for a walk but I didn't think to bring my camera. Monday evening we decided to do it again. It was still 29 degrees after supper so we told Layla she could bring her new "floating swimsuit" and MAYBE she could go in the lake. I took my camera this time so you'll have to excuse me there are LOTS of pictures as it was quite a diverse walk.

We started out in a small alcove of the Skaha lake beside a campground. We crossed a small bridge and climbed some rock formations in the lake.

Then we went back across the small bridge so we could head to the big bridge which used to be the railroad line.

On the bridge there were these little look-outs. There is also a gate where you can jump into the lake. There is a ladder so you can get back up. There was someone fishing from the ladder that evening.

The gem of the walk, in our opinion, was a small waterfall we found hidden behind some bushes and trees. The Okanagan Falls that the town was named after no longer exists so to us, this is our Okanagan falls. In the next picture we can hear the falls but can't see it. It is on the left behind those trees.

This one was taken from the waterfall, looking out to the path.

Shortly after our waterfall, we followed a little path leading down to a very small beach area. There was a small boat on the shore, a picnic table, a dock and some carpeted stairs down to the lake. We took a small dip to cool off.

The next one Layla is yelling at Chester to come back...he didn't. He ventured off and found another beach area and we met up with him on the path.

We turned around and headed back to the main beach area. Layla was tired so she hitched a ride in Baron's stroller. No, it is not a 2-person stroller but they fit.

Here is a shot of Okanagan Falls (OK Falls) from behind some snake grass.

The rest of the evening we stayed at the dog friendly portion of the Skaha beach in Ok Falls. We were very excited to discover this because up until now we thought all of the good beaches banned pets. Good news for the furry fella.

It's Here, It's Really Here!!

2009-05-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

With temperatures reaching 32 degrees this weekend it finally seems like summer is really here to stay. On Saturday we went for a walk that we hadn't yet done here before. We started on the walking bridge in OK Falls and continued for 45 minutes and then turned around and came back the same way. It was a beautiful walk following the edge of Skaha Lake but you'll have to take my word for it because I didn't bring my camera. That was a mistake. We'll take the camera next time. There were a few beach areas where we took a dip along the way but the gem of the walk had to be the hidden waterfall we found. It is tucked away in a cove, and not all that large but so picturesque. After our walk we stopped at the playground at the Skaha Beach (OK Falls side, not Penticton) before heading home.

At home, to stay cool Layla turned the sprinkler on and played on her swingset "in the rain". Baron chilled in the shade and did what he is best at, ate. Greg and Layla enjoyed running through the sprinkler.

Baron and Layla's sandbox was in a shaded area . Baron enjoyed getting his legs buried in the cool sand.

This is a northern flicker woodpecker on my front lawn. I swear I could do a blog just about different birds I see around here. I also found another robin's egg in our yard while mowing. Poor little birdies.

2009-05-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

When Layla found out Charlie and Kenzie were getting their own blogs of course she wanted in on the action. I doubt she'll keep it up but I let her start one anyway. Here's the link: http://laylasland.blogspot.com/ I type as she dictates and she chooses the pictures, as well as the one for the header, as shown above. Enjoy!

Chester Gets Ticked Off

2009-05-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Not long after our walk at the fish pond, Greg, Baron, Alden, Chester and I were relaxing back at the Bourne's. Grandma and Layla were at the playground. Chester was laying on his back and Greg noticed something on the inside of his ear.

You guessed it! Chester had a wood tick burrowing into his ear. Luckily, Layla and I had spent about half an hour last week watching videos on youtube on the right and wrong ways to remove wood ticks. Greg had a wood tick in his hair from one of our hikes but it hadn't bit him yet so I thought we'd better learn up on it.

So when Greg came over with fingernail clippers to remove it I was able to say with confidence that that was a bad idea. I knew Layla was going to be very disappointed to miss the tick removal but we didn't want to leave it in his ear any longer that necessary.

Greg did a great job removing the tick with the head intact. In fact, the tick was still alive and scurried along the bathroom counter until he put it in the toilet to save for Layla to see. She was very excited about the tick and wouldn't let me flush him down until much later in the day. We all checked each other and luckily nobody else had ticks. I think I've had my fill of creepy crawlies for the season and it's only May. Good grief.

Good Ol' Magrath Fish Pond

2009-05-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

While we were in Magrath we had great weather. It was 27 degrees on Saturday and we enjoyed it by going for a walk on the nature trail at the Magrath fish pond.

We came across a fallen tree that extended out into the canal. Of course we couldn't help but climb all over it. It was deeper than it looks, but luckily nobody fell in.

We stopped to take some pictures of the family.

Chester tried to climb the tree to get into the family picture but he really struggled. I guess dogs weren't made for climbing trees.

Layla saw some kids sliding down a steep dirty trail so she just had to try it out. Greg helped her so she wouldn't go tumbling head over heels. Besides her dirty bum she came out unscathed.

Baron and Grandpa were the first ones back to the car so Baron got to explore the driver's seat.

We all enjoyed our walk but there was one surprise along the way but I'll get into that in my next blog entry. Stay tuned!

Bourne Travellers

2009-05-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our long weekend started at 2 o'clock on Friday when I picked up Layla from school, and Greg from work and headed out on a 10 hour drive to Magrath, AB to visit Greg's parents. We have only made the drive once and that was nearly 2 years ago, after our very first visit to the Okanagan. At that time we thought it was the gruellest, most dangerous drive ever. This time around we thought it was the most serene, beautiful, and stunning drive. One that we look forward to doing again in July. I guess we have become accustomed to twisty, mountain roads since moving to BC last year.

It was also Baron's first major road trip. He has flown to Edmonton a couple of times but the farthest he had ever driven is Kelowna. He loved it, as did Layla. Layla is a more experienced cruiser than Baron. She loves when we take Greg's SUV rather than my van because she loves to have the window down. Here's Layla enjoying the ride, she didn't know I was taking the picture...she was just enjoying the wind on her face.

When we left Osoyoos it was 25 degrees and there were boats on the lake, people on the beach, and campers arriving in a steady stream. It seemed as if we were the only ones heading out of town which worked great for us. We didn't have to battle any traffic. Only a couple hours out of town and we had already hit snow. Not falling snow but large snow banks on the sides of the roads. It's hard to imagine it is still "winter" in some areas! The melting snow made for many beautiful waterfalls along the way.

We saw a few black bears, 6 mooses, a ton of dear and some mountain sheep on our drive.

The drive home was equally great. Layla's excitement had worn off and she managed to nap a bit. A stark contrast to her constant babbling on the drive there. When we got home we said "Whew, that was a long drive wasn't it Layla" and she said, "Yes! But we had lots of fun on our drive! Can we do it again on Thursday?"

Since Layla was a baby we have "cruised" as a past time. This is how we have discovered so many of our hikes and lakes around the Okanagan so I guess it's just normal to her. We promised her when we make the trip in July we will stop at some of the beautiful mountain towns and go to a park, jump in a lake, have a picnic, whatever. I'm so glad our kids love the outdoors as much as we do.

Mother's Day

2009-05-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

This year Mother's Day started early with white chocolate mochas and a walk in our pjs.

Later in the day we went to Layla's school that she will be attending next year, Sek Pok Chin. It is the elementary school on the First Nations reserve and is located about 10 feet away from the Nk'mip Preschool she is currently attending. Sometimes if when we get to school early enough I will let her play on the playground there before going in but otherwise we had never gone to just play. We took our basketballs because they have standard size hoops but at a very low level for the kids and wanted to give Layla the opportunity to play without getting hoisted up every time she wanted to make a shot. It was fun to watch her dribble and shoot and she did manage to score! making it worth her while.

Then we played on the equipment. Baron is such a good little boy to sit and entertain himself while the rest of us run around. Cookies help for that.

I took this while looking over the fence. It's the Preschool play area where Layla has spent a lot of time. There is a huge sandbox not pictured where she spends most of her time. That is where a little girl named Quincey has taught Layla the art of catching and identifying bugs. Quincey is also the girl responsible for introducing Layla to High School Musical. So ya, we owe her a lot :P

After we were done at that park we went across town and played at the other elementary school playground because they had some hoops that Greg and I could play basketball on. Again, a big thank you to Baron for his cooperation in all of this.

After that we went home and had lunch, then took Chester for a walk. For dinner we had a delicious bbq, followed by a trip to Tickleberry's for ice cream. I swear that is my last ice cream cone for a long while as I have completely overdone it so far this spring. I only ever order the child's cone but at Tickleberry's that still means 2 scoops.

Love Stinks RATED PG14

2009-05-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Layla attended a birthday party on Saturday for Juan, one of the boys in her preschool class. Juan actually lives in Oriville, Washington but his parents drive him to Canada each day for the renowned Nk'mip Preschool (didn't I tell you they were good?). At the end of the party, instead of giving the usual loot bags filled with bubbles, bouncy balls and candy, Juan gave each guest a mason's jar with holes punched in the top, fake bugs inside and a magnifying glass. Well, if you've been keeping up with my blog you would know that Layla loves bugs (except mosquitoes and bees) and was very excited to fill her jar with the real thing.

Later that afternoon we went for a walk, jar in hand, and watched the ground for anything creeping or crawling. We soon came across a beetle and I helped Layla scoop it into her jar. It was a fairly large beetle by my standards...and a stinky one at that. What we had found was a stink beetle. They are also known as Clown Beetles because of the silly way they stick their head down and bums up while they stink away their predators.

Layla added some greenery and a twig to the jar and we continued on our walk. While we were down by the river Layla found another beetle sunbathing on a rock and added him to her jar. We didn't realize until we got home that the poor beetle had been getting continuously "stinked" on the whole time. He stayed perched upon the twig while the stink beetle made a spray that eventually coated the entire inside of the jar. At one point the stink beetle climbed the twig to get a closer stink. The pointy side that is sticking up is his stinker. It moves side to side as he stinks.

Well, we've had the beetles since Saturday and yesterday morning I found the "unknown beetle species" climb to the top of his twig that had since been reclaimed by the stink bug. He climbed up behind him and rubbed his little beetle arms all over the stink bug with his nose right in it's stinker. He must be used to the stink by now, or the jar is so filled with the stench that you just can't avoid it anyway. I don't know what he was trying to do, maybe push him off, devise a plan of escape, or maybe...

Later in the day I found they had switched positions. Now the stink beetle was behind doing the same thing to the other beetle. Layla asked me what they were doing but I had to confess I really didn't know for sure. I looked online to see if beetles have sex and yes they do but with different species of beetles? I don't know...I can only tell you what I saw.

Baron likes the beetles too. Here he tries to get a closer look.

I looked online to see what stink beetles need to survive. In the wild they eat the usual leaves and grass but in the laboratory they are fed apples and dog food. Whoever came up with that idea?! I add a bit of water each morning which they seem to enjoy, well, it gets them moving again anyway. Yesterday I added a piece of dog food and they both immediately went to work on it.

Layla really wants to keep them until show-and-tell day on Wednesday so since it's been four days already I am trying to help her keep them alive for 1 more, for science sake, of course. She is very excited to show Juan and her other classmates what she caught with her party favour, and I must admit...I'm actually growing a little attached to the wee fellas...not enough to touch them or anything but they have been quite interesting to watch in their progression from enemies to...ahem..lovers?

He Was Framed!!

2009-05-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noticed about living in the Okanagan is the huge variety of birds. There are birds everywhere and I'd tell you what kind but for the most part I have no clue. I do, however, know a robin when I see one.

The other day we found a robin's egg in our back yard. Just the egg though, no robin. Layla was so excited and searched around the yard looking for the baby bird that had hatched from it's egg. It wasn't long before I realized...there was no little robin to be found. That egg had been stolen from it's nest and that robin was somebody's dinner. Maybe a hawk, or an eagle, I don't know but I do know that Chester is incapable accomplishing such a feat.

For days since we found that egg, Chester has been harassed by an angry robin, probably a mother. She sees her empty egg, she sees Chester...I guess she assumes he is responsible for stealing her egg and eating it's contents. He is oblivious to it but it is funny, yet sad, to see Chester blamed for the demise of someones little baby-to-be.

Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

On Friday the Nk'mip Preschool that Layla attends invited all the Mommy's to a Mother's Day Tea hosted by the children. They had picked flowers for centerpieces and made cookies the day before. The children poured us our tea. The parents had hot tea and the children had iced tea. We sat in their miniature chairs at their miniature tables and chatted over tea and cookies. The kids were so excited, and I can't speak for the other parents, but I was pretty thrilled as well. It was a great opportunity to talk to other parents and open the lines of communication for future play dates. Baron had a good time too and enjoyed his cookie and watching all of the children play.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the preschool tea in the morning, and then again for the daycare tea in the afternoon. Karen is the head of the daycare side and Layla's favorite teacher. Karen suggested they make silly faces for the picture but Layla wanted a nice one so this is the result.

Layla loves all of her teachers there but does say that teacher Kathy has too many rules. Teacher Angela came up to me giggling one day and told me that Layla had invited her to our house and promised her that when she came over her Daddy would lift her upside down and tickle her. She thought this was pretty hilarious, but I told her I couldn't make any guarantees on behalf of Greg. Teacher Angela also works part time as the kindergarten teacher where Layla will be attending next year. I will really miss the Nk'mip preschool/daycare when Layla graduates in June. I'm sure we will continue to visit until Baron is old enough to attend...should probably get on the waiting list already.

Baron's Big Day

2009-05-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had to take Baron for both a kidney ultrasound and a full spinal xray as part of his screening for his Goldenhar's Syndrome. He has already had a spinal xray done but they only did the lower spine, whereas, they were more concerned with his upper spine. He was all smiles before and after each procedure but while being strapped down from head to toe he made sure his screams were heard throughout the hospital, or so we were told. I don't think they do many spinal xrays on babies in Penticton because they didn't really seem to know what they were doing but were very kind and figured it out. They wanted to know why he would need these tests and of course, none of them had ever heard of Goldenhar's...I have yet to encounter anyone who has other than the Opthamologist and Geneticist.

Since we were in Penticton I thought we might as well stop at our favorite beach, Skaha Beach, and play at the park there. It was a cool 18 degrees and windy but the kids didn't mind and we played there for quite some time before heading home.

We played at the beach, and watched the kite surfers. I was so proud of Baron for not eating the sand, I hope that continues throughout the summer.

There were ducks everywhere. We even saw two of them get in a nasty fight over some bread somebody had thrown at them. It was very entertaining. The park was littered with sycamore trees which I was happy to be able to identify since blogging them awhile back, thanks Sara. They are now my favorite tree.

When we got home I made rotini for supper and you would have thought Baron had been starved for a week. He ate an entire bowl, some of mine, Layla's leftovers and some of Greg's. I think he ate more than anyone else and he wasn't shy about it either. He yelled for more as soon as he swallowed each bite. Must be a stress eater!

Papa's Oliver/Osoyoos Golf Trip

2009-05-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

This year my Dad chose to have his annual golf trip in beautiful Osoyoos, BC! He arrived on Friday with my cousin, Mark and friend, Cory. Greg got them the employee rate at Spirit Ridge Resort where they got to stay in one of the villas overlooking vineyards and Lake Osoyoos. Friday they golfed the course Greg works for up at Spirit Ridge. Saturday they golfed Fairview course in Oliver which Dad said ranked in his top 7 courses he has ever played. Sunday they golfed Nk'mip Desert golf course down the street from our house which is ranked #2 in the South Okanagan (only behind Fairview). It sounded like they had a great time. It was Mark and Cory's first time to the Okanagan.

Sunday we had them all over to our house for a bbq. Layla was very excited to see her Papa. She had been upset that she couldn't go golfing with the boys. Baron, who is usually very shy, loved getting held and talked to by his Papa. I was quite impressed at my Dad's ability to win him over so quickly. Mark brought his guitar and sang some songs for Layla. We also listened to some of his recorded songs which Layla thought was just awesome. She told him repeatedly what a good singer he was and how much she liked his songs. After he left she told me she only wants to listen to Mark's songs forever. I also enjoyed his music, he is very talented and I look forward to getting my own copy of his cd. I guess living so far away from everyone, I was somehow overlooked during the distribution of his cd.

After dinner Mark wanted to put his feet in the lake so we went to the Oliver beach. It had been a beautiful day but you could see the rain moving in from the north. The kids had lots of fun on the swings with Papa.

Cory sat and enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the surroundings.

Layla pranced in the lake as usual, despite the falling temperature.

And everyone just had a good relaxed time.

As the rain moved in closer Mark suggested we head to Tickleberry's for ice cream. Dad had already introduced the boys to the Okanagan's largest ice cream store in Okanagan Falls and they loved it. Layla jumped at the chance and so off we went in what was now the pouring rain for some yummy ice cream and fudge.

Here was a rainbow that we saw on the ride home from Tickleberry's. The picture just doesn't do it justice.

We had a great time and I hope they did too. I hope people continue to come and visit their BC relatives (us) and explore Canada's only desert...or better yet, just move here already. What are you waiting for?

Layla's New Ambition

2009-05-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Layla has tossed around a number of possible career choices from paramedic, artist, hole digger, dentist, and of course...rock star. Her current dream is to make exercise videos. She doesn't want to wait until she is an adult either. She wants me to take her next door so she can show our neighbours how to exercise. When Amy and Curtis were here she was coaching Amy through some exercises as well. Amy was a good sport about it.

I don't have a lot of opportunity to get out of the house to exercise so I do videos at home. I have two videos, Pilates, which Layla calls the easy one, and an abs and arms one using weights. I bought Layla some 2 lb weights so she can participate. She enjoys doing it with me and gets a kick out of the girls on the video wearing "swimsuits" to exercise.

Now, even when I miss a day Layla will put the video in and do it herself. It's great because usually I give in and do it with her.

Here's Lays in her pjs working out to the 90's abs and arms video.

Don't be fooled by her size...Layla really pushes herself. She grunts and groans and talks about "feeling the burn". She's pretty intense. I love it. It's inspiring.

To Omak & Back

2009-04-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend we've been happy to have Amy and Curtis visiting from Edmonton. Yesterday after Greg and Curtis were done golfing we all packed into our minivan and headed Stateside to Omak, Washington for some Mexican food at Rancho Chico's. Our first obstacle came at the border. Curtis is flagged in the system because of an error occurring back in his student days in Iowa. So all 6 of us piled out of the van and waited inside customs while they sorted it out. Curtis had forgotten his passport at the hotel in Kelowna and only had his license and Alberta Health Care card for id. You are supposed to have 2 pieces of id, not including a health card but customs was very kind and let him through...this time.

We made it to Omak, and a little bit further as I drove right through town before Greg told me Omak was behind us and we were on the highway again. After turning around and making it to Ranch Chico's it was after 7pm and the kids and adults were very hungry.

When we were seated we were brought the complimentary nachos and immediately dove in. Poor Baron was very upset that he couldn't have any. This was Baron's first time going out for dinner. He hasn't even been to a fast food restaurant so the experience was very new and exciting for him.

We polished down 4, yes, 4 baskets of nachos and were working on 5 and 6 when our entrees finally came. We all finished our meals but were very full. No one was more full than Curtis who looked ill, but with a bit of encouragement was able to finish his 3 burritos, and some of Layla's quesidilla. He looked as if he didn't feel so well. He had turned red but said he hadn't broken a sweat yet. He thought he was done when the waiter brought us our complimentary desert. A cinnamon nacho chip with strawberry ice cream, whipped cream and strawberry on top. We ate them, enjoyed them but couldn't eat another bite...or could we? The waiter then for some reason brought us MORE desert! I think Curtis ate about 6 of the deserts before we finally left. He said the desert had the opposite effect of the entree and acutally made him less full. I hadn't heard of this type of desert but, hey, whatever works!

Layla got a real kick out of it and cheered him on.

By the time we left it was about 9pm and dark outside. We staggered out to the van and headed down Omak main street where a police cruiser turned out behind me. I had no idea what the speed limit was so I was going about 20-25 mph. Then I saw a sign that said 35mph so I sped up. When I did the cop puts his lights on and pulled me over. Layla was freaked, "Mama, are they gonna take you to danger?" . Danger is Layla's word for prison. So after 10-15 minutes of waiting there with Baron screaming in the back he let me go without a ticket. He had pulled me over because of a burnt out tail light. Turns out he likes to play pickup hockey in Red Deer, AB from time to time, a little love for the Canadians perhaps.

Despite everything we all had a great time and made it back safely in one piece with no tickets, arrests, or strip searches.

Creepy Crawlies

2009-04-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Layla is a princess. She loves make-up, dresses, shoes, jewelry, talking on the phone, and anything that sparkles.

But lately I am coming to see that my little princess has a fascination with creepy crawly critters. Yesterday she found a hole in our yard that she was sure was from a snake and screeched with joy and excitement and yelled "Wahoo!!!! We have snakes in our world!!" and continued to hoot and holler with excitement, handing out high fives. I couldn't break it to her that they were probably from the field mice, but she probably would have been just as excited.

Yesterday morning she pointed at a wasp on the ground so I stepped on it and killed it. Good job mom. So later in the day when she pointed at a big black beetle...I stepped on it and killed it. Well I still haven't heard the end of it. It's remains still lie at the gate to our yard and I am reminded how cruel I was to kill "Beetie" every time we pass through. She continued to tell me about her good friend, Beetie, is home, his friends, his family, his hobbies, as if they were long time friends. Next time I'll ask first before killing anything.

As seen in previous posts she also has her friend, Wormy and his relatives. Yesterday while we were planting seeds she accidentally turned Wormy into Wormy and Wormy 2 if you know what I mean.

This is Layla with Rollie Ollie. She found him in our rock bed that we are dismantling. I had to decline all offers of holding this one. Gross.

When Layla sees birds or butterflies in our yard she sings as though her life depended on it, and sticks her 2 fingers out as high as she can. She still can't figure out why they don't come sit on her arm like they do in all the disney princess movies. She is quite bothered by this. Can one bird just please land on my daughter so she doesn't have to feel as though she is an inadequate princess?!

There are a few things she still can't tolerate. That includes bees, and mosquitoes. Well, in all fairness they do bite (or sting) so at least it's justified.

Saturday Part 2

2009-04-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

After our trip to the park and beach we headed home for Baron's nap. As soon as he awoke we were out the door with the dog to go for a walk. Because it was already getting late we stayed close to home and just went to the path at the end of our street.

The spring run-off hasn't hit the river yet so we were able to walk along the rocks. Within a month or so the river a deep fast moving monster of a thing with debris galore from the mountains. That doesn't last too long though and then it levels out and we can jump in for a swim or tube ride.

There were fish bones everywhere from the onslaught of sock-eye salmon last summer. The eggs should be hatching soon but we didn't see any little baby fish yet.

We stepped on rocks to get onto small islands, Layla and I ended up with wet feet but no one fell in.

Here is the sign indicating our road, so if you're ever coming to visit it's Tuc Ul Nuit Road, also spelled Tuc El Nuit. The lake across from our house is Tuc El Nuit Lake.

Here is an apricot tree with it's spring blossoms.

It was a nice walk but nothing compared to our hike through the mountains on Sunday, which I have no pictures of.

We went up to White Lake but went a route we hadn't tried before. It was the most gorgeous scenery I have ever seen. It was a challenging hike with steep inclines and declines. We saw old bones of some large animal, a few small "white lakes" and all sorts of unique desert habitat. After about 90 minutes we realized we hadn't looped back yet and with both kids in tow (Baron in the sling held by Greg and Layla being carried by me much of the time) we decided it best we turn around. Layla was anxious to get that ice cream she had been promised. It was a gruelling hike but we made it. I am a bit sunburned and Baron is a tad rosy. We checked the map online when we got back and it said that trail was mainly for horses. It recommended not attempting this one on foot unless prepared for a full day hike. Alright, next time we'll check maps first. Baron loved the hike, he gibber-jabbered and kicked his legs the whole time. I don't regret it, it was the highlight of my last year here, Baron's birth aside. I can't describe the beauty and serenity of where we were. I am hoping to drag Curtis and Amy there while they are here later this week, but they don't know that yet.

Saturday Part 1

2009-04-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon Layla asked to go to the park so we decided to go to the one at the Oliver beach. The beach hasn't been cleaned of it's winter debris yet but that didn't seem to bother Layla. It was only 20 degrees but of course Layla had her shoes off and was in the lake within minutes of us getting there. "Can we pleeeease go home and get my swimsuit?! Pleeeeeeease!" Not likely. She played in the water nearly the whole time we were there and didn't once complain about chilly waters or anything. It reminded me that now that spring is here I need to carry an extra change of clothes, a couple towels, a swimsuit, sunscreen and beach accessories in the van at all times.

Baron also had fun at the park. It was his first time in the baby swings. He loved it!

Baron looked on with curious envy as his sister ran around in the lake. Soon Baron, soon. That's one more thing to add to the van...a very large beach blanket...big enough to deter babies from eating sand. Oh yeah, and a beach umbrella for sensitive baby skin.

This is just some interesting bark I've seen on trees around. I don't know if it's diseased or not but it looks really cool.

Oh, summer..how I love thee.

Easter

2009-04-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Before Greg and I headed to bed on Saturday we hid all of the eggs throughout our living room, dining room and backyard. We then placed on of Layla's big stuffed bunnies beside her on her pillow, holding an Easter egg. Just after 10pm we heard Layla in her room making grumblings and such so we went in to see if she noticed the egg. She was sitting up but incoherent. It took her a few minutes to wake up but when she noticed the egg she was super excited and wanted to check out the rest of the house. We figured Baron wouldn't mind if Layla got a head start so off we went! She found her Easter basket and when she realized there wasn't one for Greg or I she said it must be because we're too bossy. Must be. She found some eggs indoors but was anxious to check if the bunny had left any in the backyard. She grabbed a little flashlight from the drawer and scurried out back. She gathered what she could with limited light and came back inside to check it all out. We allowed her to eat a couple eggs before putting her back to bed. I re-hid some of the eggs later in the night so she would still have lots to find.

By 6am we were at it all over again, this time with Baron in tow. As much as he wanted to sample those treats there was no way he was going to get his hands on chocolate, oh no, not yet.

For Easter dinner I made a turkey. I think Chester ate more than anyone. He deserves to get rewarded once in awhile.

Here is Chester waiting patiently for his dinner. Yes, that is a slobber string from his mouth to the table cloth. You get used to it.

Here is Layla chowing down on her drumstick, which was then given to the dog to polish off.

Baron's 1st, but not last, Cookie

2009-04-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Alright alright alright, I may not be proud that Baron had his first Oreo cookie at 8 months old but you can't dispute he sure looks cute eating it! On Thursday Layla was having her friend, Mya, over for a play date. The two of them became great friends when they took skating together but we haven't seen her since that ended a few weeks ago. As I was trying to get showered and cleaned up for Mya and her mom's visit, Baron had a "babysitter cookie". I thought he would just suck on it a bit and the dog would end up eating it but oh no! He loved it and when I took the softened remnants away from him I got to see Baron's first bit of attitude. What a glare I got! Baron doesn't have much excitement in his days so he gets pretty pumped up about his food!

The play date was fantastic, Layla's best yet, and we are going to Mya's house next week for round 2. Mya will be attending a different elementary school than Layla but we will have to keep arranging play dates for the 2 of them, especially since Mya's Dad works at Mt Baldy ski resort. Trade free golf for free ski? Sounds like a pretty sweet set up to me!

Wormy and Friends

2009-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and with temperatures around 20 degrees all weekend we were very busy. We bought Layla a "new to us" swing set and got that set up this weekend. We also removed some trees from our back yard and about a million iris's. We decided to start from scratch with our yard so spring will be filled with removing plants, trees, rock beds, etc until we can start bringing in our own flavour.

Sunday morning while Greg and I were digging out roots and such, Layla found an earthworm. She decided to keep it as a pet and name him Wormy. She took Wormy on her swings, down her slide and showed him around our yard. She even found Wormy's mom and dad and let them all play together. I was surprised she was able to do all this without accidentally squishing one of them. I declined her offers to take a turn holding them. I hope she doesn't get too upset the next time we go fishing and have to stab a hook through worms. Yuck.

We also went on some long walks and bike rides. We haven't seen any snakes yet this year but they have left their remnants on the path so I know they're out of hibernation. Last April they were everywhere so I'm sure we'll see them soon. Baron joined our walks in his snuggly for the first time, instead of a stroller. He loved it. He giggled and screeched with excitement as he watched his sister ride her bike, and watched the dog splash through the river. He did manage to fall asleep in the snuggly on the way back which was cute. I guess it was all too much for him to take in. I should have taken my camera on the walk but without the stroller I didn't I didn't have anywhere to put it.

A Wonderfully Windy Day

2009-03-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

Instead of merely waiting for the perfect summer weather to arrive, I have been making an effort to enjoy any type of weather that comes our way. Since we had been having lots of "wind storms" as Layla puts it, I bought a kite. Of course the wind didn't return for weeks after buying the kite but yesterday it finally did.

The boys stayed home and Layla and I went kite flying, a first for both of us. The kite only cost $3 and was made of cheap plastic. That, and the fact that the dog had jumped on it in the van while trying to protect us from an elderly man walking by and we had a beautiful princess kite with a few rips and tears. It worked nonetheless.

After flying the kite we went to the park and played. I guess they must have had rain on the other side of town which I discovered while going down the slide. Despite a wet bottom, Layla and I had fun spending the afternoon playing at a different park than usual and there are no injuries to report.

I don't know Who She Get's It From

2009-03-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. We dressed in shorts and tank tops and spent the whole day outside. I don't know what it is with Layla but every spring she seems to be the klutziest little girl I've ever seen. After the spring is over, it subsides, and then BAM! Spring comes and she is constantly hurting herself.

Yesterday morning we were outside and I was videotaping Layla hula-hooping. (If I could figure out how to get that video from my camera to the blog I would) as she was hopping up the 2 stairs from the grass to our deck she caught her toe on the step and face-planted onto the deck. Cue the tears.

When Greg got home from work we went to the park. Her and Greg were playing basketball and she jammed her thumb on the ball. Cue the tears. Then she befriended another little girl at the playground and was showboating her monkeybar "skills" when she slipped between 2 and hit her chest pretty hard on one of the bars on the way down. I was thankful it wasn't her teeth but nonetheless, cue the tears. So she decided to go on the swings. Greg was pushing her while Baron watched me play basketball. As Greg gave her an underduck, Layla thought she would wave to me at the peak of the underduck. Well, her bum slipped off but she held on with her one hand, came down and face planted in the dirt/wood chips. I ran over, she was spitting out dirt and you couldn't see her face. That's right, cue the tears. We thought maybe it was time to go home but she insisted she was fine and wanted to keep playing.

At home we while Greg was barbecuing, Layla and I were drawing with the sidewalk chalk and playing hopscotch. I was sitting on the step of the deck and she excitedly came over the sit beside me but missed the step. She was however, close enough to get a scratch up the length of her back from the step. Tears tears, polysporin, tears.

We did however get through the day without any trips to the emergency room which seems like quite a feat considering.

I think I'll wait until summer to take her training wheels off her bike which she has been nagging me to do. It's just not worth the tears.

Here's a flashback of the beginning of Layla's clumsiness. She fell while on a walk and scratched her nose on the sidewalk. I hated the stares we got while she had a huge scab for a nose.

Any Ideas?

2009-03-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

So there is a weird type of tree we see around Oliver and we just have no idea what it is. These "balls" scatter the ground beneath this tree at the school.

At first last year, I thought they were dried up fruit of some sort but, no, that's not it.

The bark is also interesting on this tree.

So, does anyone out there have any idea what this may be called? Anyone seen this type of tree before?

Baron's 1st Play at a Park

2009-03-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

At 7 months old, Baron got to take his first trip to the park as a participant. He didn't say much but I could tell he had a good time. Here he is on the playground equipment. He just couldn't resist trying to take a taste of those bars.

He also got to take his turn on the swings. There were no baby swings as this was a school park but that just meant that Greg and I got to get in on the fun.

Layla demonstrated how to go down the fireman's pole but Baron didn't seem to interested in trying so we just watched.

...and of course the slide.

Break time

Monkey bars

I am not sure what this was supposed to be but we pretended it was a school bus, so I guess it's Baron's first time on a bus.

Air-Basketball

2009-03-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the park yesterday afternoon and Greg challenged Layla to a game of basketball. She agreed, but there was a problem...we didn't bring a ball. Well, if people can have fun lip syncing, or air-guitaring, why can't we play basketball with no ball?

It was hilarious to watch how serious Layla took the game. She dribbled down the court, took shots, played defense, and my very favourite, ducked when Greg shot so she didn't take a ball to the head.

Baron and I cheered from the sidelines, I went for Layla and he cheered for Greg. Layla won, but it was close. Greg missed a last minute shot for the win, he's still upset about it today. It was lots of fun, but today when we went, we took the ball.

Lady & the Tramp or Beauty & the Beast?

2009-03-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

This morning Layla asked for left over spaghetti for breakfast, sure, why not? Greg and I sat chatting over our coffee when we looked over to find Layla feeding Chester her noodles from her mouth! I quickly grabbed the camera but Layla said she didn't like the way it felt so she didn't want to do it again. Understandable. However, a few minutes later she was at it again, and this time I was ready. I love how you can see his vicious fang sticking out of his mouth as he delicately takes the noodles hanging on her chin. Not to be left out, Baron lets Chester clean the food off his hands and face after he eats. It's a win-win situation, actually win-win-win, Chester gets a treat, Baron gets clean (and a tongue massage) and I don't have to wrestle him down with a wash cloth. Why doesn't everyone have one of these?

Ahhh, Spring, the only thing better is...SUMMER

2009-03-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

With the warmer weather comes yard work, but also, Baron finally gets to join in the outdoor fun. Before we could play, Layla and I raked the lawn. She was a great helper cleaning out under the cedars.

After we were done raking, Layla found her jeep in her garage (aka the shed) and cruised around the yard with her music blaring and harassed the dog.

When Greg got home from work and Baron woke up from his nap, Layla took Baron for a cruise in her jeep. They both loved it.

We barbecued and played some more. It was great to be back outdoors and active again. That was the whole reason for moving here so after an exceptionally cold and snowy winter (by Oliver's standards) we were all thrilled to be back at it.

So This is Spring Then?

2009-03-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been flirting with spring here in Oliver for the past month or so. A contrast to last years Jan/Feb where there was no snow, or temps below say 5 degrees. So its the worst winter the Okanagan has seen in a long time, I'm over it, lets move on. Last week we were enjoying a beautiful sunny day, about 10 degrees when all of a sudden a storm came over the mountain and within a couple of hours our lawns were once again covered with snow.

On Monday morning Layla and I decided to build a snowman, and then another, and then another, and then another. It was plus 8 so the snow was melting as we built but we kept going anyway.

We built a Daddy snowman, a Mommy snowman, and a Baron and Layla snowman.

Here is what is left of the snowmen at 230 in the afternoon the same day we built them. By the next day they were nothing but a memory.

Today, the snow has disappeared and it is a sunny 12 degree day so I will be spending my afternoon raking the lawn, Baron willing. With spring comes loads of yard work and I can't wait!

The Chief

2009-02-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

My baby Bare is a beast and I mean that in the absolute most endearing way. He is referred to as many many names, least of all, Baron. We call him Big Bare, Kesey (pronounced "Key-Zee"), Bare Bare, Lil Bare, Lil Kesey, Chief (which was Ken Kesey's nickname), Baby Bare, Boss, Beast, Bare, Little Man, to name a few. He likes it, I can tell.

On Thursday he was napping late and Layla had to get to skating so to wake him up I decided to take pictures of him. He, like his Dad, often sleeps with his eyes somewhat open. Layla does it too, I guess I'm the odd man out in this house for actually closing my eyes to sleep. The first couple of clicks didn't phase him.

Then he wakes up with obvious confusion.

He realizes his mommy is their and flashes his heart warming smile!

Streeetchhh!

I love my lil' man!!!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start with some beautiful swans that live in Skaha Lake here to set the mood. In the last picture you may also notice some other sort of vermin swimming in the opposite direction in front of the swan. These pictures were taken around the end of January.

Greg asked that we dress up for Valentine's Day even though we were staying home. Layla lives in dresses so she was very excited for her mom and dad to dress up as well. It really reminded us how much weight Greg has lost since he was swimming in his suit!

Greg worked during the day and came home with a rose for me and one for Layla as well. He also brought a DQ ice cream cake, my favourite, and had a delicious meal planned.

We received a fondue set awhile ago as a gift and decided to make use of that as well since Layla's only request for V day was strawberries.

After dinner we played some music and danced as we so often do. Layla gave Greg a hard time over his shoe choice. She took a picture and I thought it was cute.

Valentines Day Prep

2009-02-13T16:32:00.001-08:00

Layla has been really excited for Valentine's Day. It is her first time celebrating the holiday since she started school (pre-school) so was really looking forward to giving her friends valentine's cards. In a moment of insanity I suggested that instead of simply buying some cards, we make our own. She thought that was an awesome idea! We went to the store and bought all of the supplies we would need, including some chocolate hearts to stick inside.

We spent yesterday cutting, drawing, and pasting 23 Valentine's Day cards. The worst part for her was having to sign her name on each one. At one point she decided she was sick of writing "Layla" so she though she would just put random letters and numbers. Obviously that doesn't work so we had to redo those ones.

Today she got to take them to school and put one in each of the boxes the students had prepared. I think it was the best day Layla has had at school so far. She loved going through and reading each one she received when she got home...and I'll admit, it was fun for me too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Still Standing..but just barely..

2009-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Greg's parents came to town. It's always nice to see them of course, but it also means we get a break from the kids.

On Saturday night Greg and I went out for Indian Food and a movie. The Oliver theater is famous throughout the Okanagan. It's very old but well kept and at $4 for the newest movies and cheap popcorn it just can't be beat. Plus kids 4 and under are free! The only drawback is that they rotate through the movies each week so it might be tricky to get to the one you want. The movie playing this week was Yes Man with Jim Carrey. We hadn't heard of it but actually quite liked it. After the movie we went for a walk without the dog or any children and talked without interruptions. Anyone with kids will understand how rare that can be.

Sunday we decided to check out our closest ski hill, Mount Baldy. It is a 40 minute drive East of our place. It was such a neat ride up the mountain. First desert, then forests covered in snow and frosted trees, then as you reach the pines are no longer frosted and the contrast between the white snow, green trees, and blue skies are just breath taking.

I have only attempted skiing twice before, and never in the mountains so I was quite nervous. I did pretty well considering...

Here's Greg and I going up one of the lifts together. It's a long way up and I'm not great with heights anyways. Then at the top your expected to just ski right off the chair and whoosh! Down the mountain! Well, I made it off the lift without killing myself or anybody else so that was my first great accomplishment of the day.

Here I am at the top before my first ski. We had done the t-bar and bunny hill once prior to this but I hate the t-bar so wasn't anxious to practice that any further.

After a couple runs we decided to go on the other lift to the top of the highest peak. At the bottom I noticed a sign saying something was closed and there was no easy way down so as I was asking the lift operator about this Greg got on the chair! Argh! So I caught the next one and made the long slow trek up the mountain by myself. It was beautiful. I could hear some Native American music softly playing from the bottom, and watched squirrels scurry throughout the trees and jagged rocks beneath me. Did I mention its a looooong way up. All the way to the very top of the mountain in front of us.

So here we are at the top. Notice the dead trees. It was very windy and incredibly cold up there.

Here's a shot I took from up there. Under the cloud is Oliver, my home.

So the beginning of the descent was going good. The trail was narrow with a steep drop off on one side. I was picking up speed and feeling good as I hugged the inside but then wait! A merge with another trail, better look and make sure I don't cut anyone off...ah no one there, look ahead again and what's that! Jagged rocks on one side and a cliff on the other, I panic and have my first big wipe out. Hat flies off in one direction, ski in the other, but I'm still alive, and didn't hit the rocks so I laugh it off. It takes me awhile to figure out how to reattach the ski but after that there is still only one way down. I decide to take it a bit slower this time, which is quite a work out on the legs. But, like I said..I'm still alive, so I'll take the sore muscles.

That was my only attempt at that mountain, I decided to go back to the other lift but try a different run. Oh geez, it started off steep. I stood at the top for 5 minutes before talking myself into it. I figured the beginning is probably the only steep part and then it'll get easier. I was wrong. Still a little shaken from my wipe out I tried to take sit slow again. I got my skis crossed and couldn't get them undone so I tried to fall back and start over. Well, I couldn't fall back because I couldn't tilt my skis up in order to do so. This may be hard to picture but this is what happened. I started going straight down in a squat position, I was headed straight for trees but no matter how I tried I couldn't fall, which meant I couldn't stop. And because I was trying to fall and now bent back like I was I had no control. It was awful but I eventually managed to get my shoulders on the ground and fall. I lost my ski again and got a back full of snow under my shirt but it was the only way so I was happy to have avoided the trees.

It may sound as if I didn't have a good time but I really did. I think I skied very well for the amount of experience and lack of instruction. Two falls, no injuries, just sore sore muscles and some bruises. Can't wait to take Layla next time!

Bruises

Baron Eats!

2009-01-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Santa didn't forget about Baron this year. He knew just what he wanted, FOOD.

Unlike his older sister, Baron is very interested in eating and was very accepting of his pasty, sticky, pablum.

Baron has been nursed soley up til now so Layla is very excited to finally be able to help feed him.

He is growing very well. He is in the 80th percentile for weight and height which is fantastic due to his other health problems. He continues to be an absolute delight to his family, we love him very much!

Life in the Okanagan with the Bournes

The Tale of the Native Nativity

Christmas For Me

Short trip..Big Visit

Big Bare and his Basketball

Easter

From the Mouth of My Babe

Sunday Pleasures

Hey There Good Lookin'

"I Didn't Know about this Day!"

Christmas '09

Sen Pok Chin Christmas Concert

Lost Moose Lodge

Me and My PAL

Autumn in the Okanagan with the Bournes

♫♪ Walk Like an Evening Ship ♫♪

Carvin' Up a Good Time

Autumn in the Okanagan

FIELD TRIP!

Baking with Grandma

♫♪ You say Good Bye ... I say Hello ♫♪

Metamorphosis...by Layla

First Day of Kindergarten!!

The Boy Walks

Good Food, Good Golf, and Great Company

Summer is Back On!

Monkeying Around

Heat Wave

Baron B's Birthday

More of Our Magrath Trip

Magrath Days 2009

I thought I'd Never See The Day...

Layla's 5th Birthday Party

Little Layla Turns 5

Fishing the Tuc El Nuit

Canada Day

Off Roadin' with Layla & Baron

Baron Joins the Party

Layla's Preschool Graduation

Oliver Spray Park

Chester Goes to Preschool

Keep on Rollin'

Layla's Family Orientation for Kindergarten

Back to Rd 22

Back to OK Falls

It's Here, It's Really Here!!

Chester Gets Ticked Off

Good Ol' Magrath Fish Pond

Bourne Travellers

Mother's Day

Love Stinks *RATED PG14*

He Was Framed!!

Mother's Day Tea

Baron's Big Day

Papa's Oliver/Osoyoos Golf Trip

Layla's New Ambition

To Omak & Back

Creepy Crawlies

Saturday Part 2

Saturday Part 1

Easter

Baron's 1st, but not last, Cookie

Wormy and Friends

A Wonderfully Windy Day

I don't know Who She Get's It From

Any Ideas?

Baron's 1st Play at a Park

Air-Basketball

Lady & the Tramp or Beauty & the Beast?

Ahhh, Spring, the only thing better is...SUMMER

So This is Spring Then?

The Chief

Valentine's Day

Valentines Day Prep

Still Standing..but just barely..

Baron Eats!

Love Stinks RATED PG14