July 27th Day 207

Well, it's official.  We have a patio, and so we bought patio furniture!  We have been eating outside for almost every meal now because it's just so fun!  I can't help but be giddy about the fact that we bought it on clearance because it's the end of the season!

July 26th Day 207

I looked out the kitchen window and this is what I saw...had to take a photo.

July 25th Day 206

Today was our first day in our new branch.  Everyone was so welcoming and the kids felt right at home in the Primary.  It was weird not having a calling though, just coming to class...Stephan was approached literally as we walked through the door.  The Stake President said, Good morning, are you Brother Wolfs?  Could you step in this office please.  So we all went in and Stephan was interviewed for his new calling.  He has been called as the Branch clerk and he is very excited...  I don't know when this photo was taken during this past week but it's a fill in photo seeing as how I didn't actually take a picture today.  I went antique hunting with the kids and explored the Bay of Fundy at Port George.  It smelled like the sea!

July 24th Day 205

We went to this cool family fitness trail today; it had an obstacle course and ducks that were just dying to have a whole loaf of bread fed to them.

July 23rd Day 204

Happy 8th Birthday to my boy Kimball!!  I laugh at this photo for several reasons:

1. Norah is in her skivvies

2. Kimball has his socks pulled up to his knees

3. There is no way the others could resist giving their brother bunny ears

and

4. Those beautiful helium balloons...they don't make me laugh actually, they are the best balloons we have ever had!  They last a week...we shall see...

We had crepes for dessert, and Stephan took the 3 older kids to the theatre (Kimball was over the moon)  to see Despicable Me.  Kimball is going to wait until Oma and Opa and Uncle Eddy arrive in Nova Scotia to get baptized.

July 22nd Day 203

eating breakfast in our new home...as if she pulls this face when I say, 'everybody look this way!'  what a card!

July 21st Day 202

I love catching moments like these.  I asked Anna to watch over Norah while I checked out of our hotel, and she took her over to this ledge and started reading to her. I feel as though all three of the older kids are so willing to help with Norah whenever we ask them.  Being an older sibling allows a person so many opportunities to serve and love...thank you Anna, Kimball, and even Sam, for always playing, reading, and imagining with little Norby!

July 20th Day 201

We went grocery shopping!  The kids had a grand ole time in these handy dandy carts...

July 19th, Day 200!!

here is a photo of the hotel we are staying in until our belongings arrive.  It feels very historic and it is out in the country...

this is a picture of a very antique truck with modern license plates, which means somebody actually drives this thing around.

July 18th Day 199

We drove to Halifax today,  Dartmouth to be exact.  We are officially in Nova Scotia!  The tradition is, if we drive by a Cora's we stop.  If you haven't tried Cora's-do it!  It is so delicious!  The children were coloring while they waited for their crepes and smoothies...I took about ten pictures of Stephan and Norah doodling together...

July 17th Day 198

It is Saturday, we drove to Fredericton and then on to Moncton where we visited the infamous Magnetic Hill!!  This is a photo of wharf village...so cute... on the drive Norah was beginning to melt down so  I sang

to her on the walkie talkie.  Stephan would pass me and give me the thumbs up sign...keep going it's working...when I would stop she would say,'mom, are you there?'

July 16th Day 197

Friday, left Petawawa, drove to Quebec City...we stopped by to say a see you later to our dear Popke's...

                                   

July 15th Day 196

Today we enjoyed the company of the Eadie's and Tondevolds' at the Kinsmen Splash Park, and then Brother Brown took us on one last Ontario expedition...boat ride, kneeboarding, and a hike up to a lookout and lake at the top of the mountain. 

this is Anna cannon balling into the unknown waters of the lake at the top of the hill...

July 14th Day 195

Happy Birthday to my Sammy!  Sam turned 6 today and because today is loading day and we were concentrating on the move, on the way to the house from the hotel we heard this little voice from the backseat say, ''is today my birthday?"  Stephan and I looked at each other with this mortified look, and started singing every happy birthday sang we knew, with the rest of the kids joining in too.  The look on Sam's face was one of pure joy.  He just sat there and let us sing to him with this big grin on his face.  In our defense, we had his birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and so it wasn't at the forefront of our minds. 
Loading day was great, or should I call it, cleaning day.  I was going to get a cleaning lady, but she quoted me at $300 and so I thought, I can do this myself ...  We arrived at the house at 8am and left our sparkling clean, very empty, very echo-y home at 6 pm.  The new owners are coming to do a walk through at 7 pm... this is really happening!!

July 13th Day 194

Today is Tuesday, packing day!  Every last item in our home is packed in a box and we are spending the night at the new hotel in town.  We went to Kelsey's for dinner and swam in the pool and it was so much fun to play with the kids!  I am so grateful for all the perks that come with a military move.  To have my whole house packed for me!  Whew!  Okay so this photo was taken as we were coming back to the hotel, all the kids were sleeping so instead of carrying them all up one by one, we thought it would be smart to cart them up...Norah and Kimball woke up mid transport, but Anna and Sam were none the wiser.....

July 12th Day 193

Today is Monday and the pre-pack was today.  It is amazing how fast a home can get packed up...they packed the entire basement, garage, and outside.  The kids climbed up on the boxes and for family home evening we played hide and seek in which the seekers almost had to give up because the house was so different there were great new spots to be found.

July 11th Day 192

Today was our last Sunday in the Petawawa Branch.  It was very emotional for us to say goodbye.  After church our family got their faces painted and sported the color orange for the world cup final game.  Spain vs. Holland.  Holland came in a dazzling second!  GO HOLLAND WE LOVE YOU!!

July 10th Day 191

Norah has become our resident hair stylist...here she is doing an updo on Jack-a-lynn.

July 9th Day 190

it was Anna's last day of a week long horseback riding camp today.  She was right at home on that horse!  It was so amazing to see her so comfortable in the saddle!  She got to learn how to tack, groom, bathe, trot, canter, post, steer, and much more!  We are just waiting for her to ask for a pony.

July 8th Day 189

My little dolly wanted to dressup for the first time today.  She came to me and said, "I a bad guy, come with me princess"  Then she wanted to be the princess after all, she is obsessed with these pink shoes and wears them officially everywhere!  I love the dressup stage!

July 7th Day 188

Many thanks to Stacey Julian, and Lisa for showing me the summer bingo cards!  LOVE them!  Each child has a book of their own with 10 bingo cards.  When you fill up two, it's a date with mom or dad.  Each card is filled with activities that will enrich the summer days...childhood summers are so fleeting and so precious, I wanted to make sure that they had the opportunity to do things like: read a book in a blanket fort, play dress up with Norah, run the loop and bring something home, make something yummy in the kitchen, etc, etc.

I love my children so much!  Sometimes it hurts to see how fast they're growing!  But I will do my best to enjoy the journey!  And not wish for someone to press pause.

July 6th Day 187

WOOHOO!! Check out my new camers strap!!!   I am in love!  I think it is perfectly okay to get over the top excited about the little things...and I am over the top right now!! WOOHOO!!

July 5th Day 186

Happy Birthday Party Day to Kimball!  We had a Harry Potter party: played Quidditch, made Potions, learned spells, tasted Bertie Bott's every flavor bean...a great time was had by all.

July 4th Day 185

well, I got to take some family photos for some friends today and this is one of my fave's...I think I'll be seeing a lot of the tutu and hat...they add a lot of PUNCH!!!

July 3rd Day 184

This is a photo of the evening campfire singalong...some kids are playing soccer, some are roasting marshmallows, some are playing Stratego at the picnic table, Peggy is knitting...it was so so wonderful!!

This is the table the kids played this Stratego game virtually non-stop the whole camping trip...I played it with them when we got home and it is FU-UN!!

July 2nd Day 183

I love this photo!  Norah loves Trevor and marshmallows, can life get any better for a 2 year old camper?

July 1st Happy Birthday Canada!! Day 182

Okay so we went camping with a bunch of friends to Logosland...so fun!!  This little handwashing station was one of the highlights of my trip!  I made two holes and then used golf tees to be stoppers.  I had soap and drying towel nearby and it worked awesomely!!

later that night we ran around and played with sparklers because, hey, it's Canada Day!

Day 181 June 30 Happy Birthday Stephan!

happy happy birthday to my wonderful husband!

We snuck into his operatory and decorated it with balloons and signs that said you're awesome dad!

The kids were absolutely thrilled to do this for the greatest man they know! We are so very glad you were born Stephan!

Day 180 June 29

This is a photo of our book club girls!!  This month we met at Amy Cahoon's home and she had a delicious spread waiting for us....mmmmm.....I am so going to miss meeting on a monthly basis to discuss, eat, laugh, and share our thoughts about things trivial and not so trivial.  I have read more books in the last year than I ever have, and love book club!! Actually, I mostly love my friends in book club.

Day 179

We all went strawberry picking at the Phannenhauer berry farm today.  It was wonderful to pick in the fields with the kids! 

Day 178 June 27

Okay so how fun is this!?  I am giving these to the ladies I visit teach.

They say "It has been SODA-LIGHTFUL to have been your visiting teacher"

I got the idea off of sugardoodle.net  it has a plethra of amazing ideas for the LDS mom/visiting teacher/primary/RS/YW...SO FUN!!

Day 177 June 26

We had Elder Sybrowsky and Elder Perry over this evening.  Of course the boys wanted to play soccer with them.  I love that the missionaries are always such good examples to my children.  They are so kind, and always asking what they can do to help.