Some Canadian Fun

Well we've been back for almost 2 months and Andrew is already heading back to Australia next week for his exams, a one day course and his next rotations orientation!  Time sure flies!  I hope it flies while Andrew is gone because right now I feel like those 3 weeks are going to take forever!  We haven't done anything overly exciting since we've been home - just enjoying being with family and being able to go outside without having to put on our winter gear! (like the last two times we've been home...)

Leaving on a jet plane!  We flew BNE-SYD-LAX-YEG and did you know that australians need a visa to transit the states? we didn't and when we were going to board in Sydney they said we couldn't board without a visa for Elly!  So they handed me an iPad and said if you can get her one in the next 10 minutes you can board this flight and if not you're out of luck!  Most stressful 10 minutes of my life!  (ok maybe not but close!)

Both kids did really quite well!

Almost immediately Amy put us to work in her garden!

Too bad we'll be gone by the time everything is ready...

Grayden out for a spin with us!

Hot tubs are not just for cold weather!

Charlie loves getting on his rain gear with aunt Mary and  looking for worms!

For an afternoon outing I took Charlie to toys r us.... bad idea...

Elly and her boyfriend Grayden

Elly with her cousins Jeffery and Anna

Charlie's favourite activity here is going to the forest! (aka the ravine) to throw rocks in the creek and explore side paths (also his favourite) Its nice not to have to worry about poisonous snakes and deadly spiders and I can just let him roam free...

Charlie really wanted to buy some toys, so we put him to work for menial amounts of money.... he didn't last long!  Although whenever he finds money he puts it in his piggy bank to buy "Thomas and friends"

First tooth!

I took Charlie on a date to McDonalds for breakfast!  Then we went to Grandmas music class, where Charlie surprisingly got really into it!  Especially when the shakers came out!

I thought Australia had good parks, but Edmonton has even better!

Charlie and Daddy working out

Nine month picture!  She is such a happy little girl most of the time. She struggles with sleep still but loves to be awake and playing ALL THE TIME!

Elly eating Papa's tools

Charlie helping Aunt Mary make cupcakes for her last week of work!  Charlie is expert at licking out the bowl!

Those cheeks...!

Amy and I managed to sneak away one night to go kayaking out at Elk Island National Park - it was a gorgeous night and we even saw some buffalo!

Charlie loves to be super helpful!  This is him helping Aunt Mary do the dishes... he only dumped a little bit of water on the floor... (ok a lot!)

I took Charlie to see Aunt Amy at the dentist!  We had practised the night before and I thought he was going to do so well, but NOPE he wouldn't even open his mouth!

I actually got ready for the first time in about 2 years!  For Mary's bridal shower, after we got home I had to get photo proof of the monumental occasion.... it's funny that I used to get ready every day in high school and it's slowly tapered off since then into almost never...

Elly loves her grandpa!  She just stared at him for ages...

And then was all smiles

This is the build-a-bear Andrew and I made before his mission - Elly loves it!

We went to go visit Alex at his firestation! Charlie was thrilled as we were driving up, but got pretty shy once we were in!  He eventually warmed up a bit.  We also made and took the firefighters cinnamon buns and 3 of them said they were the best they'd ever had!

Our happy girl

Charlie was not in a picture taking mood!

Besties and their boys at the fire station!

We went to the Bonnie Doon stake party where Elly proceeded to eat a lot of watermelon...

Charlie was obsessed with this little car after finding it out at the barn at Nana and Papa's house!

Aunt Mary did Charlie's hair in a ponytail!  He obviously needs a haircut...

Before Heading Home

Well we've been home for about a little over a week!  We're almost adjusted to the time change and Andrew has started his GP rotation, so I figure it's time for me to catch up on the blog!  Andrew's last rotation was quite busy with lots to know and do, so we didn't see much of him for the last bit!  Then we had a week with him home between him finishing his exams and flying home, which was nice!  Since the last blog post was over a month ago, I really need the pictures to help share what we've been doing so here goes....

This is at the train museum - they have a little kitchen and Charlie (for the first time) was super interested in it!  He was cooking me all sorts of meals and this is him talking about the HOT oven and the food cooking in it!  I think he might have been saying "it is hot and burning!"

He's such a funny little guy!

On the train car eating the meal he cooked (a hamburger)

Elly chilling out at the museum 

I bought Charlie a little tent to turn into a sand tent.  But before we put sand in it I thought it would be fun to have Charlie and Andrew sleep in it!

Here is the before shot!  They lasted about 10 minutes.... Andrew said as soon as I went inside Charlie wanted to go to his own bed!

Drive-in movie!  We saw The Good Dinosaur.  And I won (for the second time in the last three times we've gone) the half time draw where you win a car entry and family meal deal!  YAY for winning things!!!

While we listened to General Conference we made Charlie this little car garage for his cars!  I think we're more excited about it then he is...

The tent has now been turned into a sand tent!  Charlie loves it and if ever I say "sandpit" he makes sure to correct me and say "its not a sandpit its a sand tent!"

Ella isn't allowed in the sand tent so she hangs out in the ball pit!

Charlie still likes feeding Elly her bottle!  She seems almost as big as him though!

A few weeks before coming home we took a trip to costco and took some friends from church with us who wanted to check it out!  We made sure to go at the right time of day to get all the samples (even though thats the super busy time!)

It kinda looks like Charlie is pushing Elly here, but he is actually showing her a train, with a loving hand on her back...

Charlie taking his Thomas bike out for a spin!

I hosted a birthday party for a lady I visit teach, she turned 80!!  It was a good party, lots of people and lots of yummy food!

Elly liked pulling down the streamers and eating them!

Happy 80th Birthday Noeleen!

For a little FHE we went with the Jack family to Colleges Crossing for a BBQ.  Charlie loves playing with their daughter Haylee, and they brought shovels and buckets to dig in the sand with!  Charlie was in heaven

Elly riding the giraffe at Tuesday playgroup - she is so adorable!

This kid is so funny!  I gave him enough cheese for all his crackers, but then I went in later and all the cheese was gone except a tiny little ripped off piece on each cracker!

One night while Andrew was at the hospital late I took the kids to Orion Springfield Mall.  They have a little outdoor fenced in playground and we got Mexican food! Charlie quite liked his burrito

I have spent so long trying to get Ellys cute scrunched up nose smile, with no luck.  This smile is pretty cute too though...

When we go for walks at Limestone park (or the dinosaur park as we call it with Charlie, because we play chasing dinosaurs on the workout equipment...) he always wants to go to "the courts" which are a bunch of netball courts.  He comes and tickles the dinosaur who is on the workout equipment, then runs away and the dinosaur chases him.  If it is still light out, or if the lights are on at the courts, he'll clap his hands together once and yell "to the courts" and then the dinosaur has to chase him over there!  This is a snack break at "the courts"

He loves walking the lines at "the courts"

Oh she's cute...

I've started working on Elly's quiet book and I LOVE this page!

It's a hippopotamus toothbrushing page!

This little cutie is 8 months old!

Following Andrew's last assessment we went and got ice cream!  I think it should be a tradition at the end of each rotation

The hardware store, Bunnings, has a mothers day event every year with free food and activities!  Charlie spent the majority of the night on the jumping castle, and we made it into the petting zoo once. 

Well that about rounds up our time in Australia before coming home!  We are loving being home and around family, not to mention the weather has been gorgeous for us!  And now that I have some more help with the children my goal is to not fall so far behind on the blog...