Vancouver Cruise May 2013

Vancouver Cruise May 2013, a set on Flickr.


Just got back yesterday morning from my first cruise. It was a girls trip with my Aunty Janet and Grandma Evelyn. We started in Vancouver, sailed to Port Alberni (where I was born), to Seattle and then back to Vancouver.
With 3 Nights away this Mommy had some time to relax. I missed Jonathan and the kids but it was nice to come home and feel that much more in-love. While I was away Rebekah got 3 teeth! Samara is talking even more and Angeline and David seem that much more grown up too. It's funny what can happen in just 3 nights.
Some highlights for me were the 2 dinners we ate in the dinning room, hot tub and pool and even sun tanning on the deck and the two singing and dancing shows (missed the magic show because the boat was really rocking and I had to go lay down).
The cruise was not without its share of hiccups so while I enjoyed my time of relaxation and the company I would not recommend Holland America or cruise with them ever again. We were turned away from the dinning room the first night because they couldn't accommodate us (empty tables but not enough staff). The food on the Liddo Deck was nothing to get excited about, there were quite a few mix ups and they frequently ran out of cutlery! The show ended at 9pm but there was no snack until 10:30pm... when they served us hamburgers. We took them back to our room only to find out after first bite that they were cold and red on the inside. (Just to name a few). The icing on the cake was the power outage while we were docked in Seattle. It went out around 3:30pm and was out for about an hour (during that time we could not flush the toilets) they transferred back to land power and we were not able to sail at the scheduled time of 5pm. We didn't sail until 11pm so thankfully Vancouver is not very far from Seattle. It was a worry trying to sleep when we didn't know where we would wake up in the morning.
Things went well at home while I was away and the kids were all happy to see me when I got back (Jonathan too)! Rebekah was happy to be nursing again. David said he liked all his presents but the best present was having mommy home (so sweet)!

Mothers Day 2013

I had a wonderful Mothers Day Weekend. Saturday we celebrated with Jonathan's side of the family and had a delicious waffle brunch. Sunday my Dad, Shelley and Taylor were here and Jonathan barbecued steaks and made caesar salad. He also ordered me my favourite cake. David made me a lovely card. I feel truly blessed to be called Mama by 4 beautiful children and to have a wonderful Husband. Rebekah started cruising yesterday which was a mothers day gift all on its own. At 9 1/2 months old she has also started shaking her head "no" when she doesn't want something and waving.





This storage bin unit is new to our playroom and we are loving it. It makes it a lot easier for the kids to clean up and to keep things sorted. We have been loving the weather this month. The kids have been in the pool and sprinkler and we have the water table out. Soon they will have a swing set to enjoy as well.

Soccer

David is in Spring Soccer this year. It is his first time in an organized sport and he is really enjoying it. He practises on Tuesdays and has games on Saturdays. His team is called the Thunderbolts. When it isn't raining we all attend his games and practices as a family. The girls like to play at the park and we all just enjoy doing things together. It is great to get outside.



Jonathan is playing on our Church Soccer team again this year. I think this is his 3rd year playing. The team is doing really well so far. We enjoy watching his games. He usually plays mid field. He's had one bloody nose so far but otherwise no injuries and it was probably a good thing that we were not at that game. This months games all have a later start but we hope to watch him play again in June.

Stand Up for Rebekah - 8 1/2 months

Yesterday Rebekah stood up all by herself. This is her second attempt caught on video. She is very proud of her new accomplishment and likes to practice. I am trying to keep her downstairs as much as possible where the carpet makes for a softer landing. Lots of new things happening in her 8th month, she recently transitioned from army crawling to hands and knees "proper" baby crawling. Her first tooth also broke through on April 3rd. She had a really hard time with it so I hope the others don't cause her so much discomfort or it could be a very difficult next few months.

We have been enjoying lots of time outside. Rebekah loves the grass. She doesn't mind crawling on it and she would even like to eat it if Mommy would let her.



Had to share this cuddle between David and Angeline that I caught... also this picture of Samara with her wind mill.

7 1/2 months

Four & Thirty

We had a wonderful time on Sunday celebrating March Birthdays. March is really a whole month of Birthdays in our family. Angeline had a little tea party at the beginning of the month to celebrate with a few of her girlfriends. Sunday was a celebration with Jonathan's side (Happy Birthday Grandpa Rob too). Monday we went to Granville Island and went out to dinner (I also had a chance to spend a few hours shopping on my own). Thursday Angeline had her shopping spree (never seen a 4 year old who loves to shop so much... she would honestly go all day if she could). With my Dad & Grandma's Birthday still to come we will likely do some more celebrating when we go to the Island. We also celebrated Aunty Lauren's Birthday and are counting down until her visit this summer.
I got a very special gift from my kids this year... the apron with flowers and butterfly are David, Angeline & Samara's hands and Rebekah's feet. Grammy organized it and the kids kept it a secret, very touching! I was really spoiled this year and am feeling really blessed. Thank you to my family and friends.