Family comes for a visit

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!!

Make a wish...

The girls giving Grandma her present

Uncle Gary BBQing with his fancy umbrella

On one of our walks

We have been so blessed this week. On Monday afternoon my mom, dad, grandma, aunt and Uncle arrived for the the week. Our house isn't big enough to hold all of them, so my 92 year old grandma stayed with us and the rest of the family rented condos up in Yellow point. We have been going back and forth, but the girls love going up there because they get to go play in the hot tub, and the condo has stairs... those are a treat when you live in a rancher. It has been such a treat to have my grandma staying with us. She is such an amazing woman and this is the first time she has been out to the island to visit with us. Yesterday I was able to go into town to do some grocery shopping and she stayed home and watched Adessa for me for 2 hours. Adessa had a wonderful time with her granny. The family came out in the afternoon and we went for a long walk around Crofton- on the boardwalk and stopped to see Steve at his job site. My grandma keeps up the entire time.

This morning my grandma and I had a visit about prayer, this amazing woman writes down prayer requests as they come and faithfully prays each and every day for everyone she knows. We talked about memorizing scripture and the importance of it, and how God is so faithful by giving you the right verse at the right time. I am so blessed to have such a godly woman in my life and am very thankful to have her here in my home.

This evening we planned a surprise birthday party for my parents at their condo. And my Auntie and grandma spoiled my girls with GIANT birthday bags full of clothes. Adessa was so excited and tried everything on... on top of one another, she looked like a stuffed marshmallow. The clothes my Aunt buys are so beautiful, and they were an early birthday present for the girls. Such a wonderful blessing!

Special times with Granny... the 2 Matties, they bonded so well!

Grandpa's birthday celebration

The girls had a very early birthday celebration and got spoiled with clothes!

Adessa LOVED it all... and didn't want to leave without her 'new clothes'

Grandma and Danika

Birthday Grandma

Mother and Daughter... My Aunt and Grandma

Family Haircuts

I am so blessed by wonderful friends, and Becca is no exception. We planned a play date for today and I told her I had a haircut booked... she told me to cancel it and she would come cut my hair, which ended up being the whole family... Steve even got his haircut during his lunch break! And then once we were done family haircuts she grabbed 2 garbage bags and helped me organize the playroom... one bag for garbage the other for thrift. What a woman!!!

Love this pic!

Little Dess sitting still for her haircut.. she kept asking Steve how much longer until it was her turn!

Pear blossoms from our tree...yay for spring!!!

Danika's turn.. she wasn't quite as excited as Adessa, she wants her hair long like Rapunzel

While Becca did my hair the girls gave each other make-overs... a gift left behind by Jolie!

What a great productive day... thanks for all your help Becca, your amazing!

*MAKEOVERS*

This week we had a special little visitor for a sleep over and she brought her make-up kit, much to my children's delight. The took turns giving each other make-overs and Adessa gave me one... my eyes looked like rainbows!

Adessa LOVED it and sat so still

My little diva likes make-up a little too much!

Beautiful girls

Sunday Hike

When we first moved here, every Sunday after church we would drive around and explore a new little part of the island. Since Adessa has been born, we haven't done a whole lot of exploring, just sticking to our normal hiking trails, but Sunday we tried out the Ladysmith hike. It was breath-taking. We walked along the river, which was full of little waterfalls and had a lot of fun as a family.

The bridge

The neat set of stairs that took us to a look-out of the ocean

Steve took SO many candid shots of me... thought I would post one

My little hiking partner, she is such a little superstar

Daddy and his girls at the top

The girls and I catching snowflakes.. they were also feeding me 'popcorn' at the 'theater'-- pieces of torn up moss.

This little girl did SO WELL on the hike, she got out of her stroller to hike often and had us all laughing as she pretended to be a little mouse running home to his mommy. She makes me smile so much!!!

MY BOB

I should have wrote a separate post about this stroller... because it means that much to me. I received this stroller as a baby shower gift from my church when I was pregnant with Danika. It has been through SO MUCH with our family. Every time we take it out we comment on how much we LOVE it.... seriously, I realize it is not a person, but it has been on so many wonderful memory making trips with us that it holds a special place in our hearts.We love hiking and exploring and this stroller goes everywhere with us.. on so many '4x4ing' trips. And usually on the way back from our long hikes, it doubles up capacity to hold both my little girls. Thank you BOB for going anywhere we want you to... and keeping my girls comfortable and safe!!!

SHE PASSED!!!

Steve took a few candid shots of Danika at the park the other day, thought I would post them along with the wonderful news that she passed her swim lesson!!! This is a big deal as before this third set, she was terrified of putting her head under the water and now she "dreams" about it! She got so comfortable in the water this time and I am just SO PROUD OF HER!!!

Day in Victoria

This morning I needed to run into Victoria to get my passport renewed as there is some big, exciting news on the horizon. The girls and I met Steve in town to get my passport photo, and guarantor-ed by him. Then headed into Victoria. It was agorgeous day. On the way there the weather couldn't make up its mind, one moment it poured the next moment it was sunny and so on. We had to go right downtown Victoria and it made me thankful to be living in Crofton, I don't miss traffic and people EVERYWHERE. I finally found a parking spot and headed to the passport office to have my wonderful babysitters family meet me there and take the girls for me. I got to apply for my passport in peace and then met the girls all in the Bay. Danika and Adessa ran up to me closing there eyes and pursing their lips, as they just both got a little makeover... so cute! My girls apparently don't get out too much as they were amazed by all the big buildings downtown Vic and Adessa ran around holding every mannequins hand... she loved them all! From there Jocelyn showed us her favorite little Dutch Bakery and treated us to some delicious pastries... it was such a neat, old little shop. I loved it... definetelywill visit again! From there we went to one of my favorite places- Beacon Hill Park for a little photo shoot with Spring. It was so beautiful out and I feel so blessed to live on such an amazing, beautiful island!

We ended the day with dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory... you can never go wrong with endless bread, soup, salad, pasta, ice cream and coffee! What a GREAT day! Thanks Jocelyn, Meagan, Lauren and Bec... such a lovely girls day!

At the dutch bakery awaiting their Irish cookies

Love hanging out with Meagan!

Danika probably telling Adessa she is NOT allowed to pick the flowers... unfortunately little sister doesn't listen too well to big sister!

Smelling 'Spring'

My girls and I... they are the best!

Aren't these flowers beautiful!?!

Two beauties

Adessa was pretty amazed that a horse walked right past us

these trees are so neat, apparently there called monkey trees...

Bec and Meagan, we used to work at camp qwanoes with Bec, shes an Aussie and pretty awesome!

Adessa was getting pretty tired by the end of the day, and likes to do her own thing...

So wonderful having friends who love my children!

Bec and I... so lovely to catch up! Shes been back in Canada for almost a year and this was the first time we got together!