The Smith Family

Smith Family Year in Review

2011-12-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

Pre-Christmas for the Smith family was particularly busy this year, so in lieu of sending out Christmas cards, I am updating the long-forgotten blog with a Happy New Year letter to our friends and family.

It's hard to believe that another year, and another Christmas, has come and gone so quickly. The kids have really grown this year. Matthew started school and is loving it! After stressing about having to pack his lunch all summer, I've realized that it's not so bad, especially when you've got a boy who eats like Matthew. Not surprisingly, math and gym are his best subjects, and lunch is probably his favorite time of day when he gets to play with all his buddies. A lover of all sports so far, Matthew has played basketball, soccer, swimming, and hockey over the past few months and is having a blast! He also regularly whoops Grampy S. and Grampy B. at "garage hockey" and soccer :-)

Anna is our little diva, complete with charm and drama. She's very girly, and always wants to wear a dress at every opportunity. I've learned that there is no point in trying to reason with her as she is the most stubborn person in this family! She also loves for Nana and Grammie S. to put "pretties" in her hair and paint her nails. Anna participated in her first independent activity this fall when she started dance. It took 3 classes before she would get off the chair and join in, but she ended up really enjoying it and Chad and I were so proud watching her first receital in December.

Chad continues to busy with work and travels quite often. The outdoor industry suits him well as he's been completing 10 kms, half-marathons, and triathlons from spring-fall, and recently joined a basketball league for the winter. I'm trying to take a page from his book and hope to find a soccer team to play with in the spring. Work has also been busy for me and we are both fortunate to work with great co-workers and enjoy challenging employment! Now that the kids are a bit older, I'm also enjoying some relaxing time and have been reading lots a great books (highly recommend the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Game of Thrones series') and even attended two weekend scrapbooking retreats in 2011.

We were really lucky this year to take advantage of our vacation time (and some travel vouchers for all the times Chad's flights are late/cancelled or his bags lost). Chad and I went to Florida in March for the first time in 8 years. Highlights of our trip include drinking butter beer at Harry Potter World, driving through the Everglades, having a very close encounter with an alligator while on an airboat in the mangroves, and seeing a barracuda while snorkeling in Key Largo. We also spent time in PEI with the entire Barker clan and Matthew is insisting that we go back next year. Shining Waters, the beach, Avonlea Village and ice cream....doesn't get much better when you're 5! We had a great time in PEI and then headed to the Tobique to spend some time with Great Grampy B and relax at the camp. Our travels will take us to California this March to visit with Paul, Lauren, Owen, and new baby boy Barker - we're getting excited already!!

All in all, we've had a pretty good year! We're well settled into life on "The Lane" and enjoy regular bonfires, pot lucks, and fun evenings with the Lost Creek Gang! We live close to most of our family and the kids are very lucky to be spoiled by their grandparents frequently. They also love seeing their cousins, and this year saw the birth of another little Smith princess, with Baby Cate arriving in March. We cherish catching up with old friends at weddings, special outings, and of course, Halloween!

We never get to see everyone as much as we'd like, but feel so blessed to have so many family and friends in our lives. We hope this letter finds you all happy and well and wish everyone all the best in the New Year! Below are a few photos from this past year.

Much love from Mel, Chad, Matthew and Anna

Barker family in PEI
At Harry Potter World
Matthew at basketball
At Adam and Jill's wedding in PEI

The kids on the ferris wheel at Atlantic Playland

Anna at Rushtons Beach Provincial Park

Chad and Matthew at the Terry Fox Run

Me and my girl after Anna's dance receital, and the kids with Grammie and Grampy S at Upper Clements Park, below.

Fishing Trip - July 16, 2011

2011-08-07T11:59:00.001-07:00

Chad and Grampy took the kids fishing in July - so well equipped with Spiderman and Dora fishing gear, they went in search of a goo spot! Matthew hooked one and after a big fight, they...

...got him!

Matthew showing off his catch!

Sissy sitting with her Dora fishing rod...no bites...

Canada Day - Liverpool

2011-08-07T11:36:00.001-07:00

Yum! There was a pancake breakfast in Beaver Bank on Canada - it was great to see so many people from the neighbourhood.

Yummy! Matthew loved that Cheryl and Marina (from school) were cooking!

Proud to be Canadian! They were super excited every time they saw a Canada flag! From the pancake breakfast we drove to Liverpool to meet up with Grammie and Grampie, as well as the Smith clan for a get together! Fist stop - Patriot Days Fair!

Biker babe!

From the fair, we were on to Summerville Beach. The kids didn't care that the water was freezing! They had a blast getting chased by all the waves.

Anna on the magical whale

Smith family at Summerville Beach

love this shot of Anna!

Chad and his boy!

Smith cousins!

Family shot at Rick and Lorna's cottage

Storm the Park - April 29, 2011

2011-08-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

The kids' first race of the year was at Point Pleasant in April. Matthew was beaming the whole race and Chad carried Anna so that she could keep up. She also raced with her princess purse (which contained a chocolate muffin) - that's our little princess!

Sackville Fair - June 23, 2011

2011-08-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Every June we go to the Sackville Fair after swimming lessons...they always have fun!

Bluenose 1/2 Marathon - May 21, 2011

2011-08-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Chad did his first 1/2 in a few years at this year's Bluenose, along with Brian and Pat, the two other members of the "Beaver Bank" running club. They all did super and ran PB times, with Chad coming in around 1hr 40 min!

Matthew was cheering his little heart out as Chad raced by

Smith family post race

Easter Weekend - April 24

2011-05-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, Grammie Cole, and Ed joined us for Easter weekend festivities! The kids were wired Saturday night and up early Sunday morning to check out what the Easter bunny (and Nana) brought. Anna got lots of Dora and Minnie stuff, while Matthew hit the Spiderman jackpot! Here's goofy Anna sporting her new hat and Dora sunglasses.

And now sporting her new coat from Nana and Grampy and new hat from Great Grammie Cole and Ed.

The Easter bunny left eggs all over the Lane, so the Lane kids all gathered for the big egg hunt! They all had a great time :-)

This is my new favorite picture of the kids - post Easter egg hunt :-)

Princess Tea - March 25

2011-04-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

In March, Anna and I attended our first Princess Tea at Stoneridge. She was excited for weeks and got a new purple dress for the occassion.

The room was amazing! The teenage girls at the church faciliated everything. There were snacks, crafts, songs, a movie, nail painting, real princesses and tiara's. I think they thought of everything!

All smiles after snack and craft time!

Anna and Rebecca enjoyed meeting all the princesses!

The girls got to go up to the stage with a big princess to receive their tiaras.

My special princess!

Universal - Harry Potter World!

2011-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

This March, Chad and I went down south for the first time since 2002 for a short, and action packed vacation. First stop - Universal Studios to see Harry Potter World. It was pretty cool - the attention to detail was very impressive!

Chad's first butter beer - the lines just to get butter beer were crazy!

The Hogwart's Express

Outside the dress shop

Picture of Hogsmeade...they did an amazing job!

After getting soaked on Jurassic Park, we wandered back to Hogsmead at the end of the day for another butter beer....mmmm...

The Everglades - March 19

2011-04-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

As this was a bit of a road show, we drove from Orlando all the way down the Gulf Coast and across to the other side of Florida through the Everglades. We really wanted to take an airboat tour and decided to go with Captain Doug's.

The boats are really loud, so we had to wear ear protection.

Our tour took us through the mangroves and apparently this is not the best time of year to see gators in the mangroves. It was still an awesome ride though going through all the canals as if they were roads. As we were about to turn around and head back, a gator was spotted in the distance...

We ended up getting super close to him, actually right on top of him and at one point a guy in the boat touched his tail...our captain wasn't very impressed though. It was pretty amazing to be so close!

As we were headed back to the dock, this Brown Pelican decided to swoop in and land less than 12 inches from me. Needless to say it was cool, but I was a little uncomfortable and kept a close eye on him...

After our boat tour, we continued driving through the Everglades and stopped along a dirt road that travelled beside this river. We were amazed at how many alligators saw - they were everywhere all along the river - very cool!

Key Largo - March 19/20

2011-04-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

We had a bery brief stay in Key Largo, which we both enjoyed very much...too bad we didn't have more time! Our hotel was right on the marina, which was great. We really enjoyed just walking around and for the first time all trip did not drive anywhere for over 24 hours! The first night we had a late supper at a restaurant on the marina...the crab salad was delicious! Here I am posing by the African Queen...I guess we should see the movie now!

The main reason for stopping in Key Largo was to snorkel. After much research, thinking, and consideration, I finally decided to give it a shot. However, I was expecting nice, calm water close to shore, not very choppy waters very far from shore...I was really nervous getting in, but did it and no sharks ate me. I was less adventerous than Chad, but still managed to see a baracuda, which was very cool. Hopefully we will develop our underwater pictures soon to show off the proof!

Chad on his way back to the boat...

Enjoying another meal at the marina (different restaurant though)

Little Ray's Zoo - February 13

2011-04-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Back in February we went to Little Ray's with the Fraser's. Matthew clearly remembered everything from last year and was super excited!

The nice thing about Little Ray's is that the kids get to touch all the animals. No hesitation from Matthew!

Rebecca really enjoyed the alligator and asked if she could touch his teeth :-)

Anna, on the other hand, would not get within attacking distance of the alligator and maintained a safe distance at all times. You can barely see the end of the gator's tail in the bottom of the picture...

The only thing Matthew did not touch last year was the tarantula...no problem this year though!

Happy Birthday Grammie! February 12

2011-04-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Smith Family enjoyed lunch at Cora's in New Minas for Grammie's birthday - happy birthday Grammie, we love you!

Then onto Grammie's bowling alley - here's Grammie and Anna getting their shoes on

Me and my boy

Me and my girl

Hatfield Farm - February 5

2011-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

In February we went to Hatfield Farm for the first time with the Fraser's. We started with a wagon ride pulled by two very large horses - the kids enjoyed seeing all the farm animals. The ride ended at an indoor play area with bouncy castles, gladiators and a mechancial bull!

Hector, Kelley and 'Becca

Matthew just getting up on the bull...

...and he's off...0.01 sec

Round 2 - a full 8 seconds...hanging on for dear life!

Matthew really wanted to play gladiators and stood on the platform forever waiting for an opponent...finally a spare helmet became available and...

Matthew versus "Big Daddy"...the grin never left his face!

Another Snuggly Moment...February 1

2011-04-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

More Hockey - January 30

2011-04-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our little rink on the lane and Matthew got pretty good at skating. At the end of January, we enjoyed having some skating time with the Frasers - good times!

Though she put in a request for purple Dora skates, they were not to be found, so here is Anna in her Cinderalla boots on the ice. I think the request was mostly a fashion request and for now she usually prefers to be a spectator :-)

Fraser clan on ice!

Matthew takes a wild shot on Hector...does he score?

Siblings - January 19

2011-04-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm able to catch a nice moment between Anna and Matthew on camera when they don't expect it...Matthew is navigating the PS3 and Anna just came over for a little cuddle - they are so sweet!

A Boy and His Buddy - January 19

2011-04-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Riley have always had a close bond...and still do. Riley often sleeps on Matthew's floor at naptime, and occassionally makes it up onto the bed :-)

Catching Up - White Point, January 15

2011-04-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Wow - the time has flown by and I've been neglecting the blog! Here is me starting to catch up! Back in January the entire Smith clan spent a weekend at White Point and had lots of fun. The kids enjoyed seeing all the rabbits everywhere and Matthew especially liked feeding them right out of his hands! The games room was a big hit with arcade games, shuffle board, and pool. We enjoyed a mussel bake on the beach Saturday afternoon and a nice visit with Bonny, Harley, Sherilan, and Nanny after supper. Here are a few pictures of the weekend festivities :-) Anna being ever so careful to observe the bunnies without touching them...she gets that honestly!

Matthew was very patient...learing the bunnies to him with all the food...

A pool table for pool?? No way - it's for shooting balls really fast!

Game on - Shay and Anna versus Grammie in shuffle board.

Anna is a cheater :-)

Hockey Night in Beaver Bank!

2011-01-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

2-3 weeks ago Chad and Brian began to construct the Lane Rink! I was a bit skeptical not knowing what was involved...but I shouldn't have doubted them!

Tonight was the first night to try out the ice pad...here's Matthew getting his skates on!

Game on!! The rink is full of action!

Matthew did pretty good and was moving around the ice quite well. You can tell from his pants that he took a few spills though!

Matthew looking back for the pass he just missed...

More ice action! I think skating will become a regular event on the Lane :-)

Happy New Year - Winter Classic!

2011-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Matthew and I are all ready for the Winter Classic tonight...except that game time was bumped to 9:00 pm so he'll now be in bed! Oh well, he'll enjoy watching the highlights tomorrow morning!

Chad and Brian have been working on a rink for the Lane, so Matthew will be skating in no time! Just needs to get a bit colder...but not too cold :-)

Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

It sure has been a busy and eventful year!! Chad and I have enjoyed some extended time off over the Christmas break and were able to spend some time just hanging with the kids and visiting with family and friends. Nana and Grampy came in for Dec 23 to Christmas Day and on Christmas Eve "Eve", we all enjoyed some lobster! The picture above is my boy sucking the meat out of the lobster legs while wearing his Penguins shirt - love it!!

Our little princess in her Santa dress.

We were joined Christmas Eve by Terry, Sean, Cathy, and Shay! Here is the best picture of the three Smith cousins...next year there will be one more!! (Sean and Cathy - not us :-))

Matthew ready to dive into his sock Christmas morning.

Anna loved her new tub for her babies...so much so that shortly after opening it she got naked and got in it herself!

Anna was also fascinated by Nana knitting socks and wanted to help.

A highlight of Christmas was the arrival of Grampy S, Great Nanny, and Great Aunt Sherilan joining us for Christmas Supper. Matthew loved playing air hockey with Nanny and Anna was Sherilan's shadow all evening.

Unfortunately we did not take our usual family picture for Christmas cards this year...next year for sure though! We did take a Christmas Day family picture...all members of the family were not terribly cooperative, but we did the best we could!! Merry Christmas everyone!

Tis the Season

2010-12-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

The Smith Family has been way behind getting ready for Christmas this year with a extra busy travel schedule since November. Now that Chad's last trip for the year is behind us, we were finally able to go get our tree. The kids were super excited and Matthew insisted on helping Chad carry it into the family room.

All smiles while getting out the ornaments!

Anna's job was to pass Matthew the bulb ornaments so that he could put them on the tree :-)

The finished product - photo courtesy of Matthew Smith Photography!

Harvest Run - Matthew's First Race

2010-10-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

Matthew ran in his first race on Saturday at the Valley Harvest Run. It was 400 m - one lap around the track at Raymond Field. He was very excited!

And he's off!

...going so fast on the back stretch that his hat flew off...

Matthew post race with his medal - we are so proud of you big boy!

Basketball!

2010-09-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew patiently waited all through August for the arrival of September because that is when basketball classes started. His teacher told me today that at circle time he is always talking about playing basketball. So far he loves it!!

Terry Fox Run 2010

2010-09-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to Bedford to run the Terry Rox Run. This was Matthew's first year where he was really keen to actually run - and he did quite well. He had his own running number and loved crossing the finish line. Anna ran for a while too, and even had a pit stop mid race. This morning was her first outing with dry pants!!

Smith family at the finish line :-)

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2010-09-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

I'm little late with Sissy's birthday posting because we spent her birthday travelling to NB to visit with family and it's been busy getting back into the swing of things. I'm pleased to say that the long drive went quite smoothly, with both kids behaving really well. On Saturday we had a reunion at Ed's cottage where the kids enjoyed playing with their cousins, kayaking, and splashing in the water. Matthew even got to drive the pontoon boat! Sunday saw us break up the trip home with a visit to Magic Mountain which both kids loved. So it was a pretty fun birthday weekend for Anna.

What can a say about our little drama queen. She is full of personality - feisty, persistent, independant and charming all in one! Just as easily as she can throw a tantrum, she can smile sweetly and dish out the love. She's more fearless than Matthew at that age in many ways, and always wants to do what her big brother is doing ("me too" she says). She has always called Matthew "Nany", and he seems pleased that Sissy has a special name for him. Ask what her name is and she will reply "Sissy Anna" - what a doll! She loves to run and race and play with Matthew, but also loves her dollies, tea set, kitchen, and shoes! She often picks out her own clothes too! Her vocabulary exploded when we got back from ON and she puts multiple words together...pretty much communicating whatever she wants. We're trying to learn basic colours and numbers, but so far most things are yellow :-) We have also just started potty training, and it's going really well. Anna's eating habits have been improving, so meal times are becoming more pleasant. She loves bananas, apples, peppers, grilled cheese, and has now added chicken (and of course any little treats!).

My baby girl is not a baby anymore - she is really growing up into her own little person! Happy Birthday Anna - we love you!

Happy Birthday Matthew - Caribou Munroe Islands Provincial Park

2010-08-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Matthew's 4th birthday yesterday, he requested that we go to a beach with little waves. So off to Pictou we went, in search of Caribou Munroe Islands Provincial Park. It was a great park, with a nice picnic area, sandy beach, warm water, and little waves!

I can hardly believe Matthew is 4 already...I can still remember walking around Millwood subdivision wondering if I was really in labour. Many, many hours later I was holding my perfect little boy. He is a busy boy and loves all sports so far. He just finished soccer this summer and is getting ready for bball in the fall (and swimming and skating too). And he's already requested that he take baseball and football classes when he's bigger! He still loves being outside and going on our adventures to new parks...especially amusement parks. Matthew cannot get enough of rides and slides! He has a great memory and loves to count and learn his letters - he's always pointing out letters on the signs to me when we drive home from school. Dora, Diego, and backyardingans and very popular, as are superheros - especially Spiderman! But Lion King is still a frequently watched movie and we're planning to go see the musical in TO next spring.

Matthew is a really great big brother and loves his sister very much. Though they do have their squabbles, I'm generally amazed at how well they play together. It is always cute to hear him taking to Sis the way we talk to him..."see this Sissy? I will share this treat with you as soon as you finish your supper" :-)

Love you big boy!!

Birthday Fun - August 21

2010-08-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

We had a very small, but fun birthday party for the kids yesterday with the Smith's, Barker's, and Fraser's :-) First stop Treehouse, as requested by Matthew, and then home for a BBQ and cake. I can hardly believe my babies turn 4 and 2 later this week. Thanks for coming everyone!!

Here's Matthew on his new big boy bike and Sissy in her nightie!

Go Daddy! Middleton Century Ride - August 15

2010-08-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Chad embarked on his longest ride yet - 100 km - by taking part in the Middleton Centennial Ride from Middleton to Annapolis and back. There was a great turnout with well over 100 riders. Sissy, Dad, and I saw Chad off...Nana and Matthew were still sleeping!

Dad and I took the kids to Jubilee Park in Bridgetown to surprise Chad at his last pit stop. We raced, played baseball, and had snacks.

Smith family at the Bridgetown pit stop just before Chad started out for his last leg!

Woo-hoo - here is Chad coming in for his last few metres. We were all there cheering for him!

After the ride there was a bike rodeo, bbq, and bouncy castle...our kids were first in line for the bouncy castle!

Upper Clements Park - August 14

2010-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

After fun at Port George, we headed out early Saturday morning to Upper Clements Park with Nana, Grampy, Grammie, Grampy, Uncle Sean, Aunt Cathy, and Shay. It was a beautiful day and a great time was had by all! The flume ride was the highlight for Matthew, who was just tall enough to be allowed on the ride. We even took his shoes off to prove that he was tall enough.

Sissy was pooped by the end of the day and crashed a little after 4:00...

Camping at Port George - August 13

2010-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent a night out at Port George, thanks to Anne and Jim who graciously lent us their trailer and Linda and Bob for bringing it to the shore! The kids really enjoyed themselves - they ran and played, and of coarse, roasted marshmellows :-) It was a late night...they were so wound up from all the excitement!

Atlantic Playland - July 4

2010-07-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

After driving past Atlantic Playground more times than I can count, we finally made the trip to Lucasville to check it out. The highlight was without a doubt the waterslides. Matthew probably went down 30 straight times and so loved it! There was lots to do, even for Anna, who also really enjoyed the day :-)

Growing Up...

2010-06-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

My babies are really growing up...Matthew had his first soccer practice yesterday and Anna is now in her big girl bed :-)

Random Family Pictures

2010-06-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

Matthew was so excited to see Lily, who he hadn't seen since we moved home. He just loves her and is always very gentle.

Me and Owen

Getting so big!

Anna just couldn't understand why Matthew wasn't getting up when she called him...she was missing playing with her brother while he was on the "sick bed".

Day two of being sick improved considerably after lunch when Aunt Lauren was making cookies!

Owen and Nana

The three Barker cousins :-)

The entire Barker family!

Kelso - Another Old Favorite Stop

2010-06-27T16:43:00.001-07:00

Kelso was one of our favorite Conservation Areas when we lived in Ontario and I have been back twice since we moved back home. This was the first time though that we really got to enjoy the beach :-)

Owen seemed to love the water and was looking super cute in his suit!

My supermodel wearing Grampy's shades.

Safari...With a Sick Matthew

2010-06-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

The safari trip was another highlight, but on the way there my poor boy got sick. We kept going as we weren't sure if it was a bug or he was car sick. As it turned out he was sick and didn't get to enjoy much of the day, but Anna had a great time - especially at the splash pad!

Anna was a big Aunt Lauren's girl during our trip and quickly started calling her "Neny" - not to be confused with "Nany (Matthew)" or "Nana" - like Matthew used to call her.

Anna on the slide

Anna got braver the more time she spent in the water - she had a blast!

Sissy and Bampi

My poor sick boy slept on Chad while everyone else enjoyed the splash pad...he even fell asleep in Chad's arms on the tour bus for the last two "habitats" of the safari.

Matthew briefly perked up enough to go on an elephant ride just before we left the safari - he was beaming the entire time! Unfortunately it didn't last long and he was sick again...

Springridge Farm

2010-06-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

We have a picture of Matthew at 1, 2, and 4 with his face in the cut-out - it's amazing how the time has flown by! Springridge is a favorite stopping place from our days living in Ontario. It's a great spot to spend some family time and eat good food!

Make room for Anna!

Matthew loved the hay maze - he must have run through about 15 times!

Sissy liked being silly :-)

Grampy and Matthew at the top of the hay tower!

I climbed to the top too!

Smith family on the farm :-)

Matthew had his first pony ride here just after Anna was born in 2008 - he still loves pony rides!

It started to rain a little bit so Owen put on his fireman raincoat...it used to be Matthew's :-)

We all headed out to pick a basket of strawberries in the berry patch. Matthew and Anna were in charge of making sure Grampy didn't put any rotten ones in the basket!

Grampy and Owen

Everyone Loves Marine Land...Except Sissy :-(

2010-06-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely trip to TO to visit Paul, Lauren, and Owen last week. Mom and Dad came too, so it was an official Barker Family Vacation! First stop - Marine Land. Since it was sunny and hot the entire time we were there, we had to put lots of sunscreen on the kids...which Sissy got in her eyes as soon as we arrived to the dolphin show. She spent the better part of the day with red eyes and was pretty grumpy - poor little thing didn't really get to enjoy the day. Matthew on the other hand loved it all - here are he and Nana watching the dolphin show.

Next stop rides...

...and more rides...

...Owen wasn't so sure about the rides :-)

My boys :-)

A highlight was watching Matthew feed and pat Sierra - the beluga whale - he is such a natural with animals! He also got to throw food to bears and feed lots of fish.

The deer practically mobbed Matthew, but he held his own!

Aylesford Zoo - May 8

2010-05-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Early in May while Chad and I were at the Alumni Tournament, Nana and Grampy took the kids for their first trip of the 2010 season to the Aylesford Zoo. They enjoyed feeling the goats and the chickens and Matthew had lots of pony rides. Sissy wasn't ready for the pony ride just yet...maybe next time :-)

Bluenose Marathon - May 23

2010-05-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we all went to Halifax to watch Chad in his first race since we've moved back to NS - the Bluenose Marathon. Chad was running in the 10km along with Kelley, Chuck and Carmen - here he is pre-race. While he and Kelley went to warm up, Hector and I took the kids to Citadel Hill to meet Jay and Trish and find a good cheering spot!

Go Daddy Go!! Here comes Chad approaching the finish line!

Finish time - 46 min 41 sec - pretty good, especially for such a hilly course!

Keji Seaside Adjunct - March 6

2010-05-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to spend a weekend at White Point with great friends back in March. We rented a really nice cottage, enjoyed some down time and good laughs, ate awesome food, and ventured on a hike to the Keji Seaside Adjunct Park. The park is just beautiful!

The men featuring their best studdly poses ;-) Lookin good fellas!

In this picture, Adam is trying to pay Chad to jump in the water....no deal.

The four lovely ladies by the shore :-) Good times!

Beaver Bank Sledding - February 19

2010-05-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not big on being outside when it's cold...and I haven't been sledding for probably 10 years! But on a kind of warmish February day we decided to trek out to the golf course for some sledding on the GT snow racer! I have to admit, it was pretty fun and the kids had a ball!!!

Anna didn't want to miss anything so she climbed on with Dad. Matthew gave them a big push!

The walk up the hill was tough :-)

For the last trip down the hill, Matthew and Anna piled on with Chad. Here they are at the bottom.

Easter Sunday - April 4

2010-05-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Easter in Middleton with Nana and Grampy. The easter bunny made a special stop in Nana's garden Sunday morning...

The first thing that Matthew did when he woke up was look out his bedroom window to see if the easter bunny had left any eggs in the garden...boy did he ever!

It didn't take long for little Sissy to catch onto the Easter egg hunt!

My little supermodel in her easter dress from Grammie and Grampy S.

Cottage Cove Provincial Park - April 3

2010-05-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been a little slack with the blog this year to say the least. With two growing and busy kids, quiet moments are hard to come by :-) We got some nice weather in early April though and took the kids to the shore. Grampy B got the tide times mixed up, so there were no crabs to be found, but the kids still had a blast running around and looking at the puddles. Of coarse, wherever Matthew went, Anna was sure to follow - a big change from their first trip to the shore in 2009 when Anna was still in the infant car seat!

Anna checking things out with Grampy.

Matthew loved climbing over all the big rocks!

Little Ray's Zoo

2010-02-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

Finally...I am into February postings...just in time for March! A couple of weeks ago we went to Little Ray's Reptile Zoo at Exhibition Park. There were lots of reptiles, a baby tiger, and birds of prey. Matthew had a great time and was patting all the animals...except the tarantula. He went around and around to all of the exhibits many times :-)

Matthew really liked the big turtle.

Patting "Ana" the anaconda...he's much braver than his Mom!

Sissy enjoyed the zoo too...from the comfort of the stroller :-)

Crosby On Ice

2010-02-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

After a couple of months of playing hockey in the house, Matthew hit the jack-pot at Christmas and got skates, a helmet, a Crosby stick, team Canada puck, and a Penguins jersey. Early in January we decided to take Matthew to the rink for his first skate. After a few minutes Matthew informed his father that he was ready to do it himself...slowly he made his way over to Chad.

After a few "steps" he got a little steadier :-)

Waving to Mom and Sissy :-)

More Winter Fun

2010-02-14T17:13:00.001-08:00

The activity of choice for Grampy Smith's birthday in January - sledding! Chad, Terry and Matthew went to the hill in Kentville with the GT snowracer for an afternoon of fun. Here go Matthew and Grampy!

Dad's turn!

I heard later that it was really tiring carrying the sled and Matthew up the hill "lots and lots of times" - Matthew had a really fun time sledding with Dad and Grampy!

Winter Fun on Benttree Lane!

2010-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Early in January the whole family (even me!) went outside for an afternoon of fun! Chad was able to get a really nice shot of the house all covered in snow too :-)

First activity- build a snow cave! Following this picture, Anna walked into the garage and pointed to the stroller so we wandered around the lane for a bit while Matthew and Chad played in the cave. Riley enjoyed just runnng back and forth, keeping a close eye on both packs.

Laughing in the cave

Next activity - turn the cave into a snow slide...nice coincidence that Matthew insisted on wearing his new helmet outside that day :-)

Me and my boy

Anna thought the snow slide looked fun from the stroller...she's not so sure in this pic...meanwhile, Matthew is beaming!!

Ooops! Sorry Sis...

Good thing she is a good sport...let's try again...

Much better :-)

...and the grand finale!

Toronto Visit - Welcome Baby Owen!

2009-12-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

I became an aunt again in September so Anna and I flew to Milton to join Mom and Dad in welcoming Baby Owen to the family! This trip closely coincided with Dad's birthday, so we all pitched in to get hockey tickets (Go Pens!) and Jersey Boys tickets for him. I was the lucky one to get to go to the events with Dad and we had a great day in the city! here's Dad outside of the Air Canada Centre.

Me just before the game started - we were in the "lower" upper bowl at centre ice...great seats!

Face-off - it was a great game - Crosby had 2 goals, Gonchor too, and Malkin had a couple assists I think. Good night to be a Pens fan :-) No pics from Jersey Boys, but it was fantastic!!

Mom, Dad, Anna, and I also had fun exploring Milton and hitting my favorite places. here's Anna at Kelso - we spent Thanksgiving 2007 at Kelso too :-) It was a beautiful day and we hiked to the top of the escarpement...too bad those pics are on Dad's camera...along with the Springridge Farm pictures - I must get copies!

Anyways, it was to spend time in Milton and downtown, and especially fun to meet....

Baby Owen!! What a little sweetheart he is - I can hardly wait to visit again!

Anna couldn't stop kissing him when Grampy was holding him...she wasn't as impressed when I was holding Owen :-)

Randoms...

2009-12-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

The past couple months Anna has taken more interest in Riley...she loves to pat and hug him, but still does not like to be licked!

I brought a mini Crosby stick back with me from Toronto and Matthew just loved it! He refers to himself as Crosby when he's using it - proud Mom! I then order a Geno stick and a goalie stick (we say it's a Fluery stick) so that we could play hockey in the hallway. Once my Geno stick arrived, Matthew called me Geno for 4 straight days...

Sissy never wants to be left out :-)

Chad's birthday was mid-November, but with the family still getting over the battle with the flu, there was just a small celebration. Grammie and Grampy Smith were able to come in and brought delicious stew and cake!! High Five!

Halloween - Better Late Than Never!

2009-12-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy fall full of busy work schedules and the swine flu, so I've been very behind on the blog. Halloween this year was very fun as Matthew was fully aware that it meant lots of treats! We spent Halloween in Middleton again this year so that we could visit family and go for a fire truck ride. First stop was Grammie and Grampy Barker...I think Matthew weasled some extra treats :-) He is not wearing his hood, but he is a monkey...or a monkey monster according to him!

On to visit Grammie Cole and Ed where boxes of the Cheerios as well as Halloween treats were waiting!

The fire truck ride was a highlight! Matthew and I went last year with Dad, but in the little truck, so this was his first year on the big truck! It was also Anna's (tigger) first fire truck ride. Here are the kids with Grampy (Nana was holding down the fort at home).

Me and Chad with the kids waiting for our turn to go up on the truck. The kids were surprisingly well behaved and had a lot of fun on the truck. I'm sure we'll be back next year!

Community Fall Fair

2009-09-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to a community fall fair at a nearby church. We weren't sure what to expect and were really impressed. There were several kids games, bouncy slides/structures, food, and music. All for the low price of $1 for kids and cheap food!! Matthew climbed up this giant pirate ship slide with Chad, but then wanted to go down by himself - he just flew down as you can see!

Off to the games...here's Nana helping him with the kangaroo catapult.

Sissy was just chilling out with Grampy most of the time. We had her bundled...it was windy!

The fishing pond was exciting...plus Matthew got a prize!

And he was very interested in shooting the gun at the cans - he did pretty good too :-)

Daddy's turn with Sissy!

Another slide...

Grampy holding Matthew up for the ring toss.

The bean bags had velcrow to attach to an X-Os board. He got two to stick!

The magical whale and the babies. We'll be back to the fair next year for sure!

We've Got Top Soil!

2009-09-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

We finally decided that we'd lay the sod this fall instead of next spring (tax credit incentive!). Chad rented a mini-excavator so that he could do most of the work himself. Between the weather and scheduling issues, he ended up calling up the troops (ie. Grandparents) to give a hand so that we could finish spreading top soil by Friday night. The troops had already spent time in Beaver Bank this week as Sissy spent most of the week home with the flu and then an eye infection...thank goodness for Grandparents! In any event, it all got done and we are anxious to lay the sod next Friday - thanks everyone!!

Terry Fox Run

2009-09-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

This year the Smith family did the Terry Fox Run in Sackville, even though it was raining. I must say that I missed being at the Milton venue...it always had tasty treats, good music, and a community vibe. The Sackville site had three loop options, which was nice, but you felt a bit isolated from the event just walking along streets without a "central" gathering area. We still had a great time though - the kids were gems in the jogger and Nana and Grampy spontaneously decided to join us. Once again, Chad did the full 10 km on behalf of the family, while the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely walk and then a snack at the Sports Stadium.

Haircuts at Sharky's

2009-09-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kids got haircuts at Sharkey's. It was Anna's first time and I wasn't sure how well she would cooperate....

Sissy's before shot...not too impressed, but not fighting it either :-)

Matthew's before shot. He has a doggie on his cheek from the Beaver Bank Fall Fair :-)

Almost done...

Sissy's after shot - what a doll she is and she was soo good the whole time!

Cool dude all finished!

Smileys Provincial Park - Sept 7.09

2009-09-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

Matthew spent last Sunday night in Wolfville with Grammie and Grampy, so Monday morning we met them at Smileys Provincial Park in Windsor for the exchange. It was our first time to the park and it was really nice. It's right along the river and has a great playground, campsites, and a couple of trails. I'd been anxious to go on a hike for weeks, so it was nice to get out, even if it was a short visit.

First stop - playground :-) Anna enjoyed the swings and trying to climb the slide.

All grins from my boy going down the slide!

Family shot before hitting the trail.

Sissy was all decked out in her fall gear and enjoyed being up with Grammie.

Grampy and Matthew having a tickle break.

Matthew and Grammie racing to get to the end of the trail!

Last picture before we went home :-)

Happy Birthday To My Babies!

2009-09-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Matthew Barrett is now 3 - wow!! How time flies, it seems just yesterday that he was a wee little thing and not a metre tall and 34 lbs! He is quite a little character these days - superior negotiator and an excellent memory. That memory comes in handy for learning new things and back-fires on Chad and I when we've made forgotten promises :-) Matthew still loves books and balls. He can read many books from memory and loves his bedtime story. We play basketball almost daily, along with bowling, and boy does he love to dance. After supper we often dance together in the toy room with Sissy bopping right along! Matthew is really good with numbers - we practice simple addition and subtraction using bowling pins, ducks, fingers, and blocks. He recognizes all his numbers up to 10 and can reliably count to 13...the teens kind of all run together. He knows his ABCs (and lots of other songs!) and continues to learn to recognize different letters. Over the past 2-3 months, Matthew has also become quite a computer geek - at least with Seaseme Street that is. He is a big fan of counting and letters with Elmo, completing patterns with Cookie Monster, and walking dogs with the man. He still loves Thomas, the Wiggles, and Lion King; but also enjoys the Backyardigins (going to see them in October), Nemo, the Aristocats, Cars, Goofy, and other Disney movies. We've been taking lots of day trips and Matthew loves spending time (and talking on the phone) with his Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousin(s). He continues to love any outside activity including the playground, the beach, and the park. Personality wise he's very social, but timid; focussed, but goofy; specific, but easy-going as long as there's a logical explanation...he's also incredibly sweet and affectionate with lots of hugs, kisses, and I love you's. Oh, and Teddy and Riley are still pretty important! We are so proud of our little man - it's scary how fast he is growing!! Love you baby boy!!

Anna Marie, aka Wild Thing, at one year weighs in at 20 lbs 12oz and is 79 cm long. This makes her long and slim, with a big bum :-) She is full of it - always into something and full of mischief! Unlike Matthew, who was reasonably content to play within his surroundings as a baby, she is always on the move. She crawled a full 2 months earlier than Matthew and has been taking 3-5 steps at a time for the past couple of weeks, so walking is just around the corner. Anna loves to wave, give hi 5s, and is now becoming more affectionate with hugs and kisses. When she hugs me she pats my arm - it is so sweet! She has a stuffed pink dog named Rosie who sleeps with her every nap and at night - she just loves Rosie! Anna loves to dance and gets so excited when we play music. She also likes to roll balls and bring books over to me to read. She lights up when Matthew is around...even though he is sometimes a bit rough. I have no doubts Anna will be able to hold her own as she gets bigger! After a bit of trouble with the introduction of finger foods, Anna now enjoys a regular toddler diet. Her favorites are cheese, bread, yogurt, soup, apple sauce, spaghetti and ham...and of course any little "treats" that come her way. She has a few words - Mama, Dada, Nana, as well as yes and no - she is pretty good at shaking her head "no" too! She enjoyed trips to the beach this summer and loves to be out in the grass...too bad we don't have any yet...maybe next year :-) Her personality is more feisty and dramatic than Matthew, and a little devilish - watch out teen years! Our baby girl is almost a toddler and we can't believe it - we're so blessed to have our girl! Love you Sissy!

Go Crosby Go!

2009-08-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

August 7 was a big day in the HRM and for all Crosby/Penguins fans! Sid the Kid brought the Stanley Cup home along with a special guest - Max Talbot! The Smith fam went to Cole Harbour Place to battle the crowds (75,000 fans!) to get a peak at Sid and Max. I almost got Talbot's autograph, but just wasn't pushy enough. We stayed for the Q&A and enjoyed being part of the festivities. Matthew was doing lots of cheering - Go Crosby Go! - and clapped and yelled everytime to crowd did - I guess forcing the kids to watch Pens games on tv is paying off...I've got a little Crosby fan :-)

Camping at Jellystone

2009-08-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

The long weekend in August we went on our first family camping trip - to Jellystone Park in Kingston. Nana and Grampy came too, thankfully, as camping with the kids and Riley is a lot of work - even more work than I expected! The first day was quite exhausting, but we really enjoyed ourselves on day two. Grammie, Grampy, Sean, Cathy, and Shay visited at campfire time, so the kids really had a family weekend. The campground has a waterslide, playground, bouncy pillow, pool - endless activities for kids. Matthew's favorite part was the waterslide - he went again and again and again :-) Sissy enjoyed lots of stroller rides and meeting Yogi Bear. The weekend was not without a couple of miss-haps...Riley broke his collar trying to sniff a dog passing by and then took off through the campground to search out Grampy S. Chad didn't give Grampy B warning when throwing a football in the dark...and it ended up in a neighbour's fire pit - Matthew will tell you an animated play by play of each event :-) Overall, it was a fun weekend and the kids did great!

Anna was a little skeptical of Yogi Bear...

Sissy exploring the camper...this may be the only time the kids were in this camper as we're trying to sell it. Time will tell, but either way I'm sure they will grow up with lots of camping experiences! Mom just might have to suck it up and go back to tent camping :-)

Dollar Lake Provincial Park

2009-07-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Capping off a very busy July was a trip to Dollar Lake Provincial Park. It's near the airport and has a small lakeside beach that is quite nice. We went early and left around noon - it was getting really packed by then! It's also a camping park and we drove through the campground area, which looked really nice. Hopefully we can camp there soon :-)

Dad and his babies :-)

beach girls!

Exploring the beach - what fun!

Anna loved sitting in the water at the beach.

Matthew and Dad learning to swim.

Citadel Hill

2009-07-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Chad returned from a week in Salt Lake City and we headed to the Citadel where a family camp out was getting set up (SD was a sponsor for the event - we hope to camp next year too). Sissy enjoyed exploring with Dad in the pack. Can you find Matthew in this picture?

Me and my boy exploring...he especially liked the hills and tunnels.

View from the top of the wall - a cannon demonstration was happening while we were there and the bang really scared Matthew!

Port Royal

2009-07-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

From Fort Anne we were off to Port Royal

Me and my babes at the entrance

Matthew wasn't too keen on all the dark rooms, so he and Nana read the skunk book outside.

Matthew and Gramps aiming a little cannon. Matthew couldn't understand why he couldn't pick up the "balls" and put them in the cannon. He wanted to shoot them in the water so that they would make a big splash!

Fort Anne

2009-07-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

During the week in Middleton we visited Fort Anne - an old favorite of mine. We had a really nice afternoon. Here's a classic cannon shot - Matthew and Gramps
We also walked around Annapolis Royal and I picked up a book about skunks that we read back at the fort.

Matthew loved running through the tunnels and rolling down the hills.

After our exploring we had a picnic snack and Sissy enjoyed some cheese and crackers :-)

Randoms from a week at Nana and Grampy's

2009-07-31T04:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from our stay in Middleton a couple of weeks ago while Chad was in Salt Lake City. We were at playhouse a couple of times and it's fun that Anna now really enjoys playing too.

Matthew also rides the train at treehouse!

Matthew had Anna just roaring with laughter on this afternoon :-)

Matthew and Anna peeking out the window looking for Nana and Grampy

Matthew and Nana are regulars on Wednesday afternoon's at the Middleton Bowling Alley - Matthew loves to bowl!

Anna is all over the stairs and boy is she fast! You'll notice Rosie is this picture too...Rosie is quickly reaching "Teddy status" - she is pretty important!

Look at me stand!!

2009-07-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

Anna has been standing for brief moments for at least a month now, but come mid-July she was getting pretty steady. Here she is so proud of herself - she is fearless and loves to climb everything. She has taken a couple of falling steps towards us, but so far that's it. I expect it won't be long now though and she'll be motoring on two legs!

Quick Get-A-Way to Woodstock

2009-07-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

July was a very busy travel month for Chad! After returning from a week in Alberta, he was set to be off to the Mirimichi for the weekend. When we determined that he'd be meeting a colleague and travelling through Woodstock to get there, we decided to make a full weekend of it and packed up the fam for a visit with Grammie and Grampy. The kids and Riley had a great time playing outside all weekend. On Saturday evening we went to a local playground. Matthew and Grammie went on the splash pad, while Grampy and Sissy toddled around the playground.

Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park

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

Well - nobody can say that we let the weather stop us from enjoying the outdoors! We went out to Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park yesterday and managed to have a nice, short visit, without getting rained on! That's not to say it was nice...we were all in jackets/sweaters and as you can see, Grampy had to make a quick dash to retrieve the umbrella. The poor lifeguard had to sit in his chair just for Chad who went out for a swim (in his wetsuit).

Sissy enjoyed playing in the dirt and tried to eat many rocks!

Matthew and Grammie had lots of fun waiting for a wave and then racing towards shore so that the water wouldn't get their toes! Matthew could care less if it was cloudy, dreary, or sunny - he loves the beach! We was, however, nervous of Chad in the ocean saying "Dad, come back, it's too cold to swim in the water", "Dad, don't get lost" and "Mom, my want Daddy to come back". Poor little guy, watching out for his Dad :-)

All smiles!

Dad saving Matthew's toes :-)

Oaklawn Farm Zoo....again...it never gets old :-)

2009-07-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week we went to Oaklawn Farm Zoo with the Sawler/Hart family. We had a great time!! Matthew just loves the zoo and is a frequent visitor - he goes around and around to see all the animals many many times - who knew you could spend 4 hours there! I didn't take many pictures this trip, but got some nice ones of the kids on the pony and feeding the goats.

Matthew is a seasoned pony rider - along with feeding the goats, it is the highlight of the visit. Lainy was a bit nervous, but after seeing Matthew on the pony was ready to give it a try :-) Ava preferred to watch - maybe next time :-)

Lainy's first pony ride :-) She looked like a pro!

Sissy's first pony ride - don't let her fall Nana!

Just when I thought our visit was done, Matthew announces that he would like to go back and feed the goats. Lainy was keen to come too :-) Ava went off on an adventure with Grammie and Grampy to see the monkeys.

Sissy wanted in on the action too!

This is my favorite picture of the two of them together :-)

What a cutie!!

As you can see, Matthew's pants were a tad too big so we rolled the waist band...this didn't seem to always work - not that Matthew cared! Nothing was going to slow down the goat feeding!

He could do this all day...

Cuddle Time!

2009-06-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Not sure why the picture above did not post in landscape view...anyways, here's two sweet pics of my babies. Sissy sleeps with Rosie every night now and I managed to catch them snuggling one night. Below is Matthew and Grammie snuggling while watching the Jungle Book before bed.

Camping Fun - Evangeline Campground

2009-06-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

Grammie and Grampy are visiting for the week and Matthew was so lucky to spend two nights camping with them at the trailer! We spent Friday and Saturday at the campground and exploring with them, but headed home with Sissy each night where Riley was waiting. Both kids enjoyed the campground. Matthew was in the pool, at the playground, and having fun with Grammie and Grampy. Sissy of coarse was taking everything in and I'm sure was wishing she could run and do things with her big brother. Here she is taking a play break to sit with Grampy and watch the fire :-)

Matthew and Chad were the only brave souls to get in the cold pool!

While they were swimming, Anna and Grammie had fun at the playground.

After a busy day, Matthew would cuddle up with Grammie for a story before bed :-)

Halls Harbour

2009-06-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took a trip out to Halls Harbour - it was my first time there! It was a little overcast, but other than the rain that came down while we were all having strawberry shortcake, we stayed dry and enjoyed our time along the shore. The kids were super spoiled having Nana, Grampy B, Grammie, and Grampy S along for the adventure! Here is Sissy sporting her new coat - it sure came in handy :-)

She finally got her first tooth a week or so ago...'ole one tooth grinning as she gets loaded into the pack.

Dad and Sissy walking along the shore.

The whole gang!

"I did it!" - Matthew throwing rocks in the ocean.

and again with Grampy :-)

Smith family photo - got to have one at every new place!

Smith girls :-)

Matthew and Grammie getting ready to get back in Grampy's big truck!

Touring Montreal

2009-06-23T17:13:00.001-07:00

We were very lucky that Paul and Lauren were able to drive up to spend a day with us in Montreal. With a full day of sight seeing ahead, we started our tour at the Biodome. Now, I realize that the bird above looks very cool, despite the poor quality due to the humidity, but it was in fact a killer bird. It swooped down from above and nearly took my head, scaring the ^&%$ out of me! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the visit and I kept thinking of how much Matthew would have loved looking at all the animals...oh wait a minute, he was also visiting animals while at Upper Clements with Nana, Grampy, and Sissy Anna (two very spoiled grandkids!!) :-)

After the killer bird incident, we were off to the Botanical Gardens - we only spent an hour or so there because we were then off to the Insectarium, but you could easily spend all day roaming the different gardens.

Parent's to be at the Chinese Gardens...Paul was disapointed that there was no Chinese buffet on site...

Me, Lauren, and baby nephew at the Chinese gardens.

Me and Chad in Vieux Montreal - it was lovely! Andrea also met us for a late lunch in Old Montreal and there was another killer bird incident while we were eating out on the patio - I could hear and feel the "swoosh" as it wizzed by my ear.

Notre Dame - very impressive! We sure crammed a lot into our two days...did I mention we also saw Chicago (Broadway is another obsession) - it was great even though we were so tired. As usual it was a busy, but nice get-a-way. We hope sometime we'll actually be able to vacation in these cities that we tour in two days!

Parc National du Mount Tremblant

2009-06-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well - my obsession with parks and waterfalls continues. Last week Chad had to spend a couple days in Montreal, so I flew out after his meetings and we spent a couple of days touring Montreal and the area. The plan was to spend one day in the city and one day outside of the city. So we decided to go to Parc National du Mount Tremblant, which is just north of the resort. It's a very large and lovely park. We didn't have a lot of time so we picked a couple of short trails in the Diable Section that lead to waterfalls and did a bit of hiking.

First trail led us to Chutes Croches

Second trail led us to the larger Chutes Diable

After our hiking we had the bright idea to rent a double kayak...while we loved being out on the lake, the bugs were really bad so we only lasted 25 minutes...better luck next time I guess.

Margaretsville - An Afternoon at the Shore

2009-06-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we took an impromptu trip to the Valley and ended up at Margaretsville for the afternoon. It had been two years since I'd last been there...hard to believe. The kids had a great time - I think they could have spent all day at the shore!

Sissy waiving to the camera.

Me and my big boy.

Chad and his boy taking a rock throwing break to pose for the camera.

Sissy also loved the rocks - she would carefully examine them and then toss them over her shoulder onto Grampy's lap :-)

My two babies :-) Matthew is enjoying a snack from his new lunch box.

Nana and Grampy with the kiddies

Jerry Lawrence Provincial Park

2009-06-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today we continued our NS Provincial Park explorations...this time to a day park near Hubley. It has a stocked lake, so Chad wanted to take his fishing gear. Matthew is carrying the tackle and Chad has the fishing rod.

There is a nice wharf/boardwalk area to fish from. When we arrived it was quite busy but the boys managed to find a spot to cast. No fish today, but they still had fun!

While the boys were fishing for a few minutes, me and Sissy hit the trail. She babbled along while we walked.

Mom and kiddies on the trail...the skeeters were bad so we didn't walk too long :-)

After a walk through through the woods Matthew played with his Thomas ball in the picnic area.

Sissy enjoyed watching Matthew kick and throw the ball!

Sackville Fair

2009-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend there was a fair at the Sackville Sports Stadium so after the rain was finished on Saturday we took the kids over. Matthew has been on the merry-go-round many times with Grammie, but I've never seen him ride it, or any other fair ride. He got a bracelet and went from one ride to the next...he had lots of fun!!

Matthew's First Fishing Trip

2009-05-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Chad got home after a long road trip and Saturday morning he took his boy fishing - thanks to his cab driver for a good location suggestion! Matthew was so excited to go!

We got a bite!

Matthew is battling hard here...will the fish get away?

And the big catch!! Matthew's first Trout :-) He was then let go, so that he could swim back home.

Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park

2009-05-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Chad has been on the road for the past two weeks, so Nana spent lots of time helping out at the homestead. We were all ready to get out of the house, so last week we went to the Wildlife Park. I think it had been a good 20 years since either Mom or I had been there. It was a lovely day, so the kiddies were all decked out in the hats, shades, and sunscreen!

Matthew and Nana beside the deer

Matthew's favorite part of the park was the otters. One in particular was very playful and kept diving in and out of the pool and then over to the fence. You can see Matthew is quite preoccupied with the otters, while Sissy is haming it up for the camera as usual :-)

Matthew meeting the big bear...two nights later he woke up from a scary dream where a black bear was growling at him...

Nana and the babes on the way to see the baby goslings

Me and the babes walking through the wetlands

Sissy was pooped after a long morning and snoozed while Nana dragged her up the stairs.

Gymnastics

2009-05-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Matthew has recently started his first organized sport activity - gymnastics! He really enjoys it and always has a blast on the trampoline (above), bars (below), beam, mats, rope, etc. Last week was teddy bear week, so Teddy made the trip too...and seems to be having a great time!

Matthew is a bit of a monkey on the bars :-)

Cheese!!

Meeting Cousin Shay

2009-05-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Valley to visit with Sean, Cathy and Baby Shay. Chad and I were thrilled to be at the hospital when our first nephew was born last week on April 29, but we both had colds and didn't get a chance to hold him. Plus this was our first chance to visit Shay with the whole family. The day before several people at Walmart had referred to Anna as a little boy, so here is my pretty girl in a dress :-)

Anna and Shay - what a big boy!! He is so adorable and cuddly!

All three of the Smith cousins :-)

Where Is Teddy?

2009-05-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

The other night when it was time for bed we could not find Teddy anywheres. We looked high and low, and poor Matthew was beside himself saying "Mafew miss Teddy". He finally was semi-asleep by 10:20pm (extremely late for Matthew - but Teddy has not missed a betime for well over two years), when Chad spotted Teddy in the chandelier - good grief!!

Alumni Tournament

2009-05-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

This was a special alumni tournament as it was Matthew's first time watching his Dad play in a bball game and it was the last year that the tournament will be held in this gym - the new one is set to open in the fall. Matthew loves basketball and was very interested in when it would be his turn to play. Half time and game end were highlights as he got to dribble, dunk, and have some of Chad's gatorade. But he also enjoyed cheering "Go Daddy Go"!

New Shades

2009-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is Anna sporting her cool dude shades from Nana - she has also started loving the camera and hams it up all the time!

Sissy on the Move!

2009-05-10T14:04:00.001-07:00

Around mid-April, Sissy Anna finally became mobile -- though I find it hard to say "finally" as she started crawling a month and a half before her brother did. But it was finally for her - Anna had been creeping backwards for some time and was ever so frustrated with not being able to get going forward. Well she's off now!! Yeah Anna!!

Mt. Uniake Estate Park

2009-04-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's been close to three years since we've been there, but today we returned to our old park faithful - Mt. Uniake Estate Park. When we lived in Millwood, we went there almost every weekend and Riley swam and ran until he was exhausted! It was nice to be back and the Fraser fam came too. Hopefully now that the nice weather has returned we will get out to lots of parks!!

Fraser family at the park :-)

Riley hasn't been swimming in almost 2 years and he loved it!! Matthew also loved throwing the ball for him.

Sissy enjoyed being up in the pack with Dad :-)

Matthew walkin along in his rubbers - he could walk outside all day long!

Matthew and 'Becca' :-)

Enjoying the Deck

2009-04-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

Finally some nice weather!! Plus Chad got his BBQ this week and enjoyed perfecting his cooking skills on the new charcoal grill. After a busy afternoon playing outside, Matthew decided to pull up a chair and watch his father grill :-)

Meg and Mike were over with the boys on Saturday and we enjoyed a lovely BBQ on the deck. This was the first day that Matthew had lunch out at the picnic table and he so enjoyed it. He was asking to have lunch out there again today, but it was a little cold. He also loved having friends over to explore the yard and throw balls to Riley with - thanks for coming guys!

Getting Bigger...

2009-04-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I should post a picture of little Anna who is getting so big. She wants so desparately to move around and while she can scoot a bit on her bum and creep backwards - it's just not enough! She is getting sooo close to crawling and loves to stand holding onto things.

Dorothy the Dinosaur Concert

2009-04-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

If a very fun and busy Easter weekend wasn't enough, we had our first kid concert on Easter Monday - the Dorothy the Dinosaur concert! Matthew is a huge Wiggles fan and even though the Wiggles weren't there, the fact that all their side-kicks were was pretty exciting. Nana and Grampy came in for the show too. We were in the 2nd row! Anyone who knows Chad and know that we are normally sitting just in front of the concrete wall at the back of the theatre, Air Canada Centre, you name it...and when I say just in front - I mean like an inch :-) But it was super to be so close and watch Matthew's face as all the characters joined the stage. Sissy Anna was a doll for show too and was content to watch a big chunk of it. Here they are getting ready to leave the house.

Family shot before the concert started...Matthew was getting pretty excited!

The show was just under an hour and I'd say that Matthew was seated for at least the first 40 minutes. Then he started lap hopping, but was still very engaged in the show. His favorite part was trying to blow the Captain down...he tried every time he was on stage, which was lots! Good thing that he actually fell a couple of times. (**for non-Wiggles watchers - the Captain often gets blown down...especially after saying "well blow me down!) Overall, I'd say the concert was a success!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was of coarse a special Easter egg hunt to find all the goodies the Easter Bunny had brought. Little coloured eggs were hidden all over Grammie's living room and kitchen and Matthew found them all!!

Bowling Party!

2009-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was the Barrett Family Bowling Party. It was Matthew's first time bowling with anything but plastic pins and balls so I was a bit skeptical about his ability to actually knock any pins down. But they had guard rails up so that no balls would go in the gutter and somehow that ball just kept rolling down the lane. He had such a fantastic time bowling with Seth, Alex, and Claire - he didn't stop for two straight hours...not even for pizza!!

Jeremiah the Donkey

2009-04-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter in New Brunswick this year :-) Saturday afternoon we took Matthew to Great Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Jocelyn's farm to see lots of huge cows and the star attraction - Jeremiah the Donkey! Great Grampy Mac even gave Matthew a special apple to feed Jeremiah - he was really excited :-)

Cottage Cove Provincial Park (ie. Port George)

2009-04-05T12:17:00.001-07:00

Little Sissy's first trip to the shore was yesterday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day and she loved being outside...though it was a bit difficult for Mom to navigate the rocks carrying a car seat, and then little Anna.

Like father like son...both engrossed with huntin for stuff :-)

Hey Mom I found a snail...I wonder what Dad found?

Well, Dad found a couple of baby crabs, a wiggly green fish, a star fish, and two ducks - with Matthew's help of coarse! Matthew had a great time at the shore (so did Chad).

Cuddle shot! This is our first provincial park of 2009...I am determined that our committment to explore local parks will not lessen in Nova Scotia! It was one of the highlights of our time in Ontario and we plan to visit many more in NS this season :-)

Peggy's Cove

2009-04-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed out to Peggy's Cove - the kids always love a trip outdoors :-)

Anna kept trying to kick her socks off as usual. When she manages to keep them on, Great Grammie Cole's homemade socks keep her toes toasty warm!

Cheese!! What a goof ball...not sure what's up with the hands...

Dirty Dancing!

2009-04-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Ever since Chad and I returned from New York last fall I have been hooked on Broadway! Last week we went to see Dirty Dancing in Toronto with Paul and Lauren. It was the last week for the show, so I'm really glad we got a chance to go - and we thought it was fantastic! Here are Lauren (and Baby!) and I outside of the theatre.

Rounding Up February...Anna is 6 months and Matthew is 2 1/2....Wow!!

2009-03-11T07:17:00.001-07:00

The last week in February my babies turned 6 months and 2 1/2. It is so amazing how fast the time has gone by!! It seems like yesterday that it was just me, Chad, and Riley - yet, I can hardly remember what life was like back then :-)

Anna is a big and growing girl! At her 6 mo appointment she was 17lbs and 27 inches long - in the 80th percentile for both (and for head size). She started to sit, unassisted, just before she turned 6 months and loves to play on the floor with her toys around her. She lights up when Matthew is around and loves to play with Riley's soft hair! Anna babbles all the time, saying baba, gaga, and dada, but with no meaning just yet. At 4 mo a molar started poking through her little gums, and though she is really teething, no others have peeped out yet. Anna eats cereal, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, mixed veggies, peaches and bananas. She also has 4 bottles each day. Her day begins around 6:30am and she's asleep for the night by 7:30 pm - so we have it pretty good. She takes 2-3 naps per day, depending on how long her naps last. Thankfully she's started to lengthen out her naps, so we're getting more days with 2 naps these days! She's a happy little girl and we are ever so blessed to have our Sissy Anna - love you baby girl!!

Matthew is a big and busy boy! He loves climbing, swinging, sliding, running, throwing...all the typical boy things! We play trains and basketball everyday and Matthew has quite a jump shot! He also loves hide and seek, but ALWAYS hides behind the bball hoop. Thomas the train is very big in our house and has been very helpful in teaching Matthew colours and numbers. Matthew can count to 10 and recognizes his numbers up to 10 except for 8 and 9 - these ones are a bit tricky :-) He is also very good with colours and shapes and recognizes the letters "A", "B", and "R". He is very independant and likes to do whatever he can by himself. Thanks to chocolate chips, Matthew is now potty trained!! Yeah!! We still use pull ups at night time, but he is usually dry. Matthew is a fantastic big brother and is so proud to have a little sister. Matthew often holds her hands and sings the "I Love You" Barney song :-) He always includes her and it is very important that Sissy lay down with her big brother every night before bedtime. He now sleeps in a double bed and drifts off to lala land by 8pm, after some horse play with his father :-) Teddy is still his best friend and sleeps with him every night. Matthew has the best memory and picks up on everything...somedays he says the darndest things! And no one can make Anna laugh like her brother!! Love you big boy!!

Our family is so blessed - we are also so busy and often surrounded by choas, but it's all good. The kids are very lucky to have wonderful grandparents, and aunts and uncles that they love dearly and who spoil them lots! They are all also instrumental in helping Chad and I keep our sanity and allow us to enjoy a couple nights away every now and then :-)

Quebec City!

2009-03-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

We are very fortunate that for the last couple of years, I've been able to tag along with Chad on a work trip about every 6 months. We've had the opportunity to see and explore some really nice cities that we would not have otherwise been able to see. Mid-Februray Chad had to travel to Quebec City and I was able to join him, along with Paul, Lauren, Justin, and Raimy. We stayed in Levis and took the ferry across the river to get to Quebec City.

The ice sculptures at the carnival were amazing!

Me and Chad at the carnival. We were only there for a couple of hours, but enjoyed the atmosphere, snow tube, and snow rafting. We will come back to take in more of the carnival another year :-)

Night-time in Old Quebec - very lovely!

The girls and Paul did some shopping in Old Quebec while Justin and Chad went skiing at Mount St Anne.

Paul and Lauren on the ice bench :-)

The murals were really beautiful!

We met the skiers at Montmorency Falls, just outside of the city. They were amazing! Unfortunately we did not have time to explore...only admire...

Me with Bonhomme :-)

Chad and Mel at the Falls :-)

Snowshoes!!

2009-03-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

We decided to give snowshoeing a try a couple of weeks ago and set off with the kiddies! Matthew has always loved traveling with Chad in the pack, and Anna seemed pretty happy too! I'm sure we now have 2 kids that love being outside!

We can't forget that Riley loves the outdoors too!!

Who's Messy Face Is This??

2009-03-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

I took a picture of Anna eating some sweet potatoes and then realized I pretty much had the same picture of Matthew somewhere. So I dug it out and have posted both...any guesses as to who is who? The trained eye can probably tell ;-) but they do look a lot alike!!

Catching Up....Again...Another Family Swim!

2009-03-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

After a busy February, followed by a busted computer, I have not been very good about keeping the blog updated. Sometime in mid-February we went off for another family swim. The kids of coarse loved it and I even put Sissy in a real swimsuit this time :-)

Matthew likes to swim with Chad holding on to him tight, but he is getting braver....

Anna happily floated, kicked and splashed the entire time :-)

All done - we will be back soon!