April 2016


April was beautiful and fun in my world.  
How blessed I am!




Sometimes, my beloved makes decisions to begin big projects and by noon we are at the task. 


It was high time to paint the bungalow and so we began by testing a few colors. 


Far left, was the first choice that was voted down by our eldest and the far right was the color that we painted back in 2007.  

The middle color seemed like a huge risk but we ended up going with the dark grey (once we were encouraged). 


The preparation to paint meant a lot of paper and taping. 


The bungalow with its eyes all closed and more paint samples on each side of the door. 


The job went quite quick once the windows and soffiting  were all carefully protected. 





Once the front was finished for curb appeal, we moved to the back of the house. 



We worked until the sun went down the first day. 


The color looks so much lighter in the sunshine!



Two days later....


including the fence. 


Meanwhile, the fruit trees blossomed.


The lilac and magnolias bloomed. 




We decided that it was time to invest in a grand getter.

Five littles = five seats in the back. 


On one Friday afternoon we picked up the lot from school and took them bowling. 




At 4 PM the lights were switched to "glow bowl". 


If you stand in exactly the right spot, those red lights that dance around make for fun selfies. 


Fun was had by all!


After bowling we went to Red Robin. 


They all enjoyed unlimited Strawberry lemonade and sugar intake was our problem since they were all coming home with us for the weekend. 



They all love drawing and crafting.



Years ago we used to entertain our boys with slide show nights. We hadn't done that for years since our slide projector quit working many years ago.

We went thrift shop shopping and found a projector for $18.  

My beloved rigged it so that we could use slip in one slide at a time since we didn't have the reels that our new to us machine needed. 


The kids were absolutely amazed at this fancy way of looking at pictures against a sheet hung from the ceiling. 

At times, they left their seats to see up close and personal. 


They laughed real hard to see and recognize their Dad's when they were little. 

They saw themselves a little bit which was fun!


They had no idea who these people were.  ;)


They saw the trucks that we still have for playing in our back forty.  


This black and white resulted in much laughter when they realized it was Grampa. 


I just felt completely blessed to know that these little boys who were once so rambunctious,  have little children who are a lot like they once were. 



On Saturday this little pizzeria maker went outside with her order pad to take orders for lunch.  


I'm just going to document that there were lots of vegetables offered during the weekend too!


The girls got out the playdough and spent hours making different kinds of fake fun food. 



On Sunday, I made our usual Sunday Brunch but just for the littles.  You might be surprised to know that they all love Eggs Benedict.  

By late afternoon they were all home again and we quickly cleaned up the toys and just relaxed and debriefed, laughed and sighed in happy relief that they all went home in one piece.   (I didn't take pictures of everything they did =0 ). 


The next week, was the annual Ritchie Smith Ladies Get Away which I very much look forward to.

Judy, Mary and I bunked together this year since Marg was busy with her new grandbaby down south. 

This year the bus tour took us across the pond to Victoria. 


We had a wonderful time, chatting, walking, eating and laughing.


This picture is oh so blurry but you can imagine how beautiful our provincial parlaiment buildings are when the lights come on in the evening. 


Victoria harbour is always beautiful. 


The next day we took in Butchart Gardens.

The last time I had been there was before I was married.

In some ways, it was exactly the same but going in spring was new and very beautiful. 







We kept trying to do selfies.  Are selfies still called selfies if there are three people in the photo? 







Many thanks to Vivienne and Diane from the office of Ritchie Smith for another very well planned outing for the farm wives. 


This guy is coming to hang out now on Thursdays.  
It's a no-school day for him while his Mom goes to teach. 

He's a monkey and we love his developing winsome ways. 


His steering skills are quite admirable. 


We play hockey, we race (him on his bike and me on the scooter)... 


and we spent some time this last week welcoming these little girls  as they arrived at the farm gate. 



That was a look at April!  

I hope you have a wonderful May!

Love to you all...





Comments

  1. April was a fun and full and beautiful month for sure. Your grands are so blessed to have grandparents like you who invest so much in their lives. Beautiful! May God bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you!

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  2. Judy read the same thing that I'll say here...so much to comment on. First of all, I can't believe that you two painted the whole house in just two days. It looks really classy and you were brave to go with the darker gray. I was surprised that it looks so fantastic. Someone steered you well.

    The grands have such good times with you folks. You are making them into such good friends to each other as well as cousins. I don't know of any other cousins who are so close. All good.

    It was a wonderful trip that you gals got to take with the getaway...the gardens look fabulous and so do you! I have had a new experience with selfies myself recently and so have an appreciation for that process. We quit after one. It was definitely going to be a take it or leave it.

    What fun to have such a charming Thursday visitor! He is some cute.

    Happy May, everybody!

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  3. Your April looks wonderful! That paint colour is perfect and looks great on your house - well done! I so enjoy seeing your grands - they are all growing SO fast. What fun for them to see their dad's and you two in another era on that old-fashioned slide show - makes me want to dig out our slides again someday. Butchart gardens are ever so beautiful. Looks like Victoria was another fun get-away for you ladies. Lovella, I always look forward to seeing your posts and think of you all so often. Have a wonderful month of May!

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  4. Even though I see and hear about you life from up close, I am always amazed at what all happened by the end of the month. You have found a way to document the highlights of your month to realize that you really did do worthwhile things and that the days did not just come and go.
    I have to say you plan the best cousin camp and your house looks great for real!

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  5. I love that Grand Getter!
    Your new house colour looks very nice and I showed The Great Dane the picture of the back porch and patio - just what we need to do at the back of this house.
    It was lovely to catch up on an 'old friend'. Happy May!

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  6. You two really tackle big projects in a big way - two days to paint the house must be a record. It looks great! What fun to spend the time with the grands looking at old slides. We still have a projector and reels to hold the slides. A lovely post chronicling your April!

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  7. Your house looks lovely with its new color! Doug paints our house, so I know how much work it is. I need to convince him to try the sprayer next time. Amazing how much your Thursday visitor looks like his dad in one of those slides! (The last slide, boy on the left with numbers on his white t-shirt) And those flower gardens...wow, truly amazing!

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  8. I want to influence your ex to attempt your sprayer next occasion. Remarkable the amount your current Thurs night guest appears to be the pop throughout among those photo slides.
    Click here

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  9. So I read your post on my i-phone the other day...but thought I'd leave on comment later on the PC. Now it is much later...

    Never a dull moment over there! You packed a lot of living into the month of April...from work and play to enjoying nature and strengthening relationships. The house looks great! I think I'll come do a closer inspection next week. :)

    We also enjoyed slide shows over here this past month...such a fun 'blast from the past'!

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  10. Enjoyed all your pictures! Love the pictures of all the grands over the weekend! Wow they are getting so big!!! I've got a bunch of slides and one of my goals this summer is to go to the library and get them all scanned in so I can share them with my sisters and maybe make an album. Im' stuck without a working projector too....but if I scan them in I won't need one! Wow, those gardens are just so gorgeous!!!! Maybe someday I will visit Victoria.....oh! I sent another tea cozy to your very town this week! That's two I've sold to people near you -- I always ask, and they both say they know of you, even have the cookbooks, but don't know you directly. :)

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  11. it sure gives one pleasure when you look back to see what you accomplished in one month...I love your new house color. Grey/white are stunning colors.
    Then comes the grands...so many good times with them now that they are out of the baby stage. Somehow, I think I will be there for awhile....they will be so excited to parade around in your new vehicle....a seat for each one....but I'm still catching my breath...what if there's another one?🙂

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  12. LOVE LOVE your new house colour ...It looks so sharp ! The old fashioned way of preserving memories is still 'special' - funny how the 'good old days' are always valued by the young. I haven't been to Butchard's Gardens for years .. but I still recognize it from the photos ... VERY beautiful ...

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