Out at the Gut

We had some time before dinner, so we decided to head to the beach. Mom loves the beach and after we leave here next Saturday to start our journey back home, she might not have the opportunity soon. And since Tyler also loves the beach and throwing rocks in the water, we picked a good rocky beach. With this being said, Catalone Gut was our final destination. It was a very enjoyable afternoon!!!

Our happy place.

What A Crew!

It was time to say goodbye to our good friend, Christine, and her daughter Maia tonight. Tomorrow they will be boarding the plane to start their journey back to their home in Alberta. They arrived a month ago, but unfortunately we didn't get to spend as much time with them as we wanted to. Both of us were sick with colds, along with our kids, for the majority of the time she was here. We wish Christine and Maia a good flight home and we hope to see them in the near future. This photo was taken when Tyler wanted to stand on my lap because Maia was standing on her mommy's lap, meanwhile I was sitting on Steve's lap while he tickled me. LOL

Busy May Day

We started off our busy day with the Read With Me program. Tyler was so proud to be able to take Daddy there with him and he was so happy to have Daddy sit beside him during circle time. The children were read 'The Paper Bag Princess' by Robert N. Munsch which they really enjoyed. Afterwards they were transformed into princes and princesses when they made their very own crowns. Tyler was so excited to use the glitter glue and have Daddy help him. Before the end of class, we got the kids together for a group photo wearing their crowns. Unfortunately, this was our last class. We will surely miss everyone. This has truly been a fantastic learning experience for Tyler. It was basically a pre pre-school. After we got home, we quickly uploaded some caches into our GPS because we were going out to lunch with Rhonda and we thought we could grab a few after dinner. We picked Rhonda up and had a good meal at one of our favourite places, The Lobster Pound. Tyler ate all his Pogo Stick. Then it was time to go caching, however we had to make a pit stop and when we got back in the car our plans quickly changed. We couldn't get the car started. We thought perhaps the car battery died and we were right. Rhonda called for CAA to come rescue us, but within our waiting time we once more tried starting the car and we were successful. However the battery needed replacing, so we went to Wal-Mart to get a new one and then back home to make the change. Tyler was fascinated with the whole process. When Christine came over yesterday we made plans with her to go out for dinner tonight. She is leaving on Friday, so we wanted to make the most of our last few days because we're not sure when we'll be seeing each other again since she is returning back to work. We had a delicious Mediterranean meal at a restaurant Steve and I have never eaten at before. Tyler enjoyed it as well. We were totally stuffed by the time we were finished and very happy we chose that restaurant. We'll be seeing Christine and Maia tomorrow before they fly out on Friday morning. Overall, it was a fun filled day spent with our friends.

Welcome Home Party

This afternoon we had a little get together with some friends to help welcome Steve back home. It was really a last minute thing I put together, but everyone seemed to have a good time. I ordered a SpongeBob cake for Steve and we also had some trays of food for everyone to munch on. Christine and Maia came over first. It is always wonderful to see Christine's cutie pie. We put Maia on Kota for a few pictures and she really liked it. Then Mrs Decker came up for awhile to welcome Steve back. We always have a nice visit with her. Later on in the evening, Charmaine, Kelly, and Cameron arrived. We were so glad that they could come on such a short notice and even gave us a welcome home gift! A book titled 'Rise Again! The Story of Cape Breton Island' written by Robert J. Morgan. Thanks so much Charmaine and Kelly!!! Soon after Charmaine, Kelly, and Cameron arrived, George and Marilyn, along with Mara, Darren, and Andrew came to the door. Everyone had a great time talking with one another while having a bite to eat. It was nice having our friends drop by. Steve really appreciated everyone's welcoming back. While Steve was deployed everyone here was so supportive to us in getting us through that difficult time of separation, so the party was also a thank you to them for being such wonderful friends.

Day With Daddy

We started off our day with a much anticipated visit to playgroup. Our friends there have heard so much about Steve that they said that I had to bring him in so they could verify that he is real...LOL. They were doing the countdown with me. Steve had a fun time at playgroup. Tyler loved showing him all his favourite things to do there. Steve really liked circle time with Tyler where they did a lot of lap rhymes together. The fun didn't stop when playgroup was over. Tyler and Steve had a full day of fun together. Tyler won't let Daddy out of his sight not for one minute. Here's some of the photos of their fun:

"MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS" :)

Daddy's Home!!!!!

The Circus is in Town and Soon Steve will be too!!!

Charmaine called me today and asked whether we would like to join her and Cameron, along with some of our other friends from the Tiny Tots class we took awhile ago, to an afternoon at the "circus". Growing up we always called it the circus even though it technically doesn't have any animals, only rides. Today was bracelet day and with a purchase of a bracelet, we could get on an unlimited amount of rides all day. There were several rides to choose from for our kids age group. Tyler could see the train from the parking lot and was most excited about going on it. This was the first time he had ever been on this size train. It was a dream come true for this little train lover! He rode it several times today and once he even got to ride up front! After the train, the kids wanted to go on the slide. And of course, this wasn't just your typical slide. It was a gigantic slide! I was actually hoping Tyler wasn't going to want to go on this because I am TERRIFIED of heights. I actually remember climbing up the stairs to this when I was about 8 years old and having to go back down them because I couldn't go up anymore. Today I had to be brave and seeing Tyler get so excited, I just couldn't turn back. I was glad we did the slide, but I don't want to do it again...LOL Steve's turn to take him up the next time. Tyler loved the "circus". There wasn't a ride he didn't want to go on. We went on the carousel, the train, the elephants, the slide, the jungle gym, and the motorcycles. Oh and then there was the Crazy Bus. Another ride that had me terrified of heights. I was sitting with Tyler on the ride before it started and one of the dads that we went with today could see how nervous I was, so he offered to look after Tyler while he went on the ride with his daughter. Thank goodness! I'll be so glad when Steve gets here, so he can take over the parent duty when I chicken out over different things that our brave son wants to try. We had fun today, but not as fun as we'll have tomorrow... Steve is now in CANADA!!!!!! He started out this morning at 4:30 and drove all day. When he phoned a half hour ago, he had just crossed the border into New Brunswick where he'll stay overnight. It's so hard to believe that we are in the same country now and that we'll seeing each other TOMORROW!!!!! Tyler is very excited too!!!! Last night and tonight, it was just like Christmas Eve. It took him forever to get to sleep. I just can't wait to see his reaction when he sees his father tomorrow. It is going to be WONDERFUL!!!! This photo was taken by Steve today. This is Plank, his travel buddy and navigator.

HOME!!!!!!!!

Just got off the phone with Steve as his plane was pulling into the airport in Maryland. They are now safely back home!!!!! He had a good flight and pretty much slept the entire flight. Thank you for all your prayers and support during his deployment.

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

Tonight Charmaine and Cameron came over for a visit. The boys played together for a bit before having dinner with us. Then we all headed up to the nearby playground. It was getting sort of late, but we decided to go anyway since it was a beautiful evening and the fresh air would help the boys sleep better at night. We arrived to find out that we had the playground all to ourselves! It was the perfect night for some fun at the playground. The boys played for about an hour. We totally lost track of time! However we finally walked back to Nanny's house where it was soon time to say goodnight. It was way past the boys bedtime! After saying goodbye to Charmaine and Cameron, Tyler had his bedtime snack and got ready for bed. Then after a few books, Tyler was fast asleep. Steve Update: This afternoon Steve phoned from Germany. They got off to late start to their journey; they left Kuwait 3 hours late! Then in Germany there was another delay. He should arrive back home in the U.S. late tonight. He is excited, but also very tired. As you can imagine, it is a long day for them. He'll be so relieved to finally sleep in his own bed tonight! We're getting close to seeing him :) :) :) :)

Sweet Tweet

The theme for the Read With Me program today was birds. After a few books about birds were read and songs were sung, the kids made some bird crafts. This is the one Tyler brought home for Nanny. The kids were taught that when birds build their nests that sometimes you can find all sorts of things they used to build it with, including yarn and cotton. The take home book for this week is 'Egg to Robin' by Melvin and Gilda Berger. Update on Steve: The time is getting very close to Steve's return to the U.S. Today he spent his time in customs and got his luggage checked in. Tonight he is headed over to the terminal in Kuwait where he will await his flight in just a matter of hours. Again, please remember Steve tonight in your prayers for a safe flight home. Steve is in good spirits to finally get out of there. We're sooo excited to see each other again and spend time together as a family. Words can't express how happy I'm feeling right now. I thank God for keeping him safe during his deployment.

Seed to Plant

Tyler has been taking very good care of his seed he planted last Wednesday during his Read With Me program. Every morning he gets so excited about giving it a fresh drink of water. We placed the cup in the kitchen where it can get plenty of sunlight. This morning Nanny happened to check on the plant and low and behold, she noticed how much it had grown since yesterday! Tyler was so happy to see how big it is getting and to see what his good care was producing. He asked to look at the plant several times today. It was wonderful to see how proud he is of his hard work! We will eventually transplant the sunflower to Nanny's garden as it grows a little more.

When I Grow Up...

I asked Tyler tonight what he wanted to be when he grows up and to my surprise, he said he wanted to be a mailman. When I asked why, his reply was "because they bring big boxes to the door." Awww...he's so cute!!!

It's Official...

STEVE IS NOW OUT OF IRAQ!!!! Steve arrived in Kuwait today where he'll start his debriefing process before heading back home on the 21st. Yay!!!!!

Wonderful News!!!

Tonight Steve has his last night in Iraq and we couldn't be more happy to finally see him starting to make his way back home!!! :) This morning he checked out of his room and took the convoy over to Camp Victory. This is the last leg of his one way trip before flying to Kuwait where he will start the debriefing process. This photo was taken today while en route via convoy to Camp Victory, and I think the smile says it all. :) Both Steve and I can't believe we'll finally be seeing each other after all this time!!! Back home, this afternoon we took Tyler to the health clinic to diagnose what's been going on with our poor little sick guy. He has been suffering with a bad cough, sore throat, fever, and had a bump inside his cheek. Dr. Sebastian checked him out and prescribed an antifungal to help with his canker sores. His cough seems to be loosened up somewhat during the past few days and his energy returned as well. We need to get him all better for when Daddy arrives! In this photo, he is asking me why someone left their socks. LOL All I could think of is, he is lucky that he is a boy! LOL

Doggy Sitting Sasha

The other day my friend, Simone, asked me if I would look after her dog while she and her husband went away for a few days. Of course, I jumped at the chance and said yes. It wasn't too long after that we went over to their house to get instructions on how to care for Sasha. However when we got there Sasha was still at the groomers. It wasn't until the next day when her parents were already gone and we went over to look after her that we met her for the first time. I wasn't aware of how much I would fall in love with this new furry friend of mine. Sasha is truly one of the sweetest dogs that I know. She was very well behaved the whole time we looked after her and Mom, Tyler, and I had a terrific time taking her for walks and just sitting down and patting her. Each time when it was time to leave, I was sad saying goodbye to her. I was going to take her to Petersfield Park today, but Tyler spent the night coughing and I was feeling miserable with the cold too. So instead we decided to take Sasha for a walk nearby. Sasha's parents came home today, so for now our dog sitting days are sadly over. I told Simone that I would watch her again in a heartbeat if she had to go away and she said that I could come over again to visit Sasha. This made me very happy! :) Speaking of being happy, Steve packed up all his things today and sometime tomorrow he will be leaving his base and arriving on Camp Victory. Just one more step closer to having him home! :)

Growing Readers

Tyler had an excellent morning at Read With Me. After some songs and books, the children acted out their take home book from last week 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle. And because Tyler told the class his favourite part of the book was when the caterpillar ate the pickle, the teacher said he could have the part where the caterpillar ate the pie, ice cream, and all the other things, including a pickle. It was all given to him in a big bowl and he had to give it to the caterpillar to eat. Then the kids decorated a cup and planted their own seeds. Tyler picked the sunflower! We brought it home to watch it grow! It will live at Nanny's house after we leave. Keeping with the theme of seeds and plants, the take home book for this week is 'Seed to Plant' by Melvin and Gilda Berger. Tyler will have to do his book review based on this really good book filled with great photos and facts.

Medals

Yesterday Steve received three very special medals! They are the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, and shown below, the Army Achievement Medal! Congratulations to Steve and his shipmates on these awards that they worked so hard to earn and were very much deserved!!! Steve has 9 more days until his return back to the United States!!! Please remember him in your prayers for a safe return home. We love you very much, Steve, and always know how very proud we are of you!!!

Dawsyn's Graduation Party

Tyler's buddy, Dawsyn, graduated from preschool today. After the ceremony, his parents had a party to celebrate this wonderful achievement. Tyler and Dawsyn were so happy to be reunited. It had been awhile since the two played together. Meanwhile, there was lots of delicious sandwiches and cake accompanied by a nice cup of tea. Dawsyn's dad is my brother's best friend. We saw some friends we haven't seen in awhile, as well as met some new ones. Everyone had a wonderful time! The boys had a blast bouncing in Dawsyn's new trampoline his grandparents gave him for graduation. Then they played tag, before going back inside. Dawsyn is a huge fan of dinosaurs. Tyler and Dawsyn enjoyed a great game of "Dinosaur Attack". The fun continued when Dawsyn showed us his pet snake. Tyler really liked him a lot. It was neat to touch him. We had a great afternoon together that we ended up staying until after the party was over and talking while the boys played together. Dawsyn's mom is such a wonderful person. Mom and I really enjoyed talking to her. Unfortunately the fun had to end and we had to hit the road and get back home. It won't be long though before the buddies will get to see each other again. They'll be seeing each other on Sunday when Dawsyn and his parents come over to our house for a visit. Tyler is quite excited!

Our Mother's Day

We hope all the mommy's had a great day today! Our day started out pretty good, but as you will read further you will learn that unfortunately, it didn't remain that way. Tyler woke up feeling excited for Nanny to open up her Mother's Day presents we got for her. He gave her a very special cup that he made just for her. My brother had given a similar cup to my dad for Father's Day when he was about Tyler's age. It is one of those cups that you can colour or draw on the paper inside. Tyler coloured a picture of angels on hers. Then she open the gift that Steve and I gave her, which was a shirt. As always, she was touched and grateful for the gifts she received. Then it was my turn to open my gifts. Steve had sent me a beautiful bouquet a couple of days ago for Mother's Day with a sweet note saying he would see me in a couple of weeks. :) Actually he has only 4 working days left and in 11 days he should be back home!!!! So please keep him in your prayers for a safe return. Anyway, Tyler and Nanny gave me a couple pairs of summer jammies and some socks. It was so cute because as soon as I opened them, Tyler insisted that I go try the jammies and socks on to make sure they fit...LOL! The day seemed to be going great, the rain stopped and the sun was beginning to shine. However, I noticed my boy was starting to show signs that he wasn't feeling very well. Soon he was laying on the sofa saying he wanted to rest. I felt his head and he had a fever. When I asked if he felt sick or had a sore tummy, he said he had a sore mouth then pointed way back to the back of his top gum. He said he was getting a new tooth. I think he is getting a molar in. As time went by, his energy level decreased even more. Mom made reservations a few days ago for a buffet. I asked Tyler if he still wanted to go or stay home and rest, but he said he wanted to go. But when we arrived, he just sat in the chair and looked like he wanted to nap instead. He had no appetite whatsoever. So it was hard to enjoy the buffet with him like that. It wasn't long before we got in the car that he fell asleep. We got home and he was still feeling the same; he just wanted to lay down and do nothing. So I put on a movie, 'Horton Hears A Who', for us to watch while he cuddled with me. Normally he wouldn't be able to stay still for that amount of time, but he eventually fell asleep. Actually he slept most of the day. When he did wake up, we could see him slowly coming back to the happy little guy that we know him to be. Mom and I were so thankful for that!!! So I played "beep-cars" with him for awhile, but soon I noticed him starting to slow down again. He said he wanted to cuddle again. After we had some soup, it was time for bed. I didn't make it through the first book before he fell asleep again. I pray that it is just teething that is going on and not the flu. Anyway, that's how our Mother's Day was today. Just goes to show that a mother's job is never done, even if it's Mother's Day...LOL.