Back to school!

 The weekend before school started, we tried to get outside as much as possible, as the rains were a-coming! So, we got one last ride on the bike at the park, picked the very last of the raspberries for the season and then made yummy gluten/dairy-free pancakes with fresh berries in them!

 Zanna was quite satisfied with her berry pancakes or "pant-makes" as Toby calls them. :)

 Then Tuesday came.....Promise picked her kindergarten outfit and though class would only be for an hour, she was very, VERY prepared.....and excited.....even wanting me to DO HER HAIR!! She hasn't let me even touch her hair, except to brush it, since February! She's growing up.

 When we arrived, she let me take her picture in front of Ms. Olson's door....her new kindergarten classroom!!

 And as we traveled through the school, we met some new friends, the gym teacher and got to play Starfall in the computer lab!

 Wednesday was the first official day of kindergarten and Toby, Hosanna and I dropped her off inside her class....she was in tears...."Don't go, Mommy!!" We shoved her in the door and RAN to the car...we'd see her again in less than two hours......so in the meantime, we headed to a nearby park....

 Zanna got to swing!

 Toby got to run!

 And when we picked up Promise, she had made a friend and we were able to spend a few minutes on the playground before heading home for lunch.

While she says she LOVES kindergarten, getting her in the door has proven to be a challenge....and when she gets home, it's a bit of a DECOMPRESSION NIGHTMARE...tantrums about silly things and complete exhaustion.....and that's after only two hours! Next week we start FULL-day kindergarten....I see a bit more gradual entry in her future.....But she's a trooper and her teacher says she is doing great. Wow...what a BIG step for her....our little girl is growing up.

Happy 5th Birthday, Promise!

Greetings, friends. This week marked a very special event....actually TWO very special events.....
On Friday afternoon, my parents arrived from Oregon to celebrate Promise's 5th Birthday with us! We were absolutely THRILLED they were here....

Promise had a Tinkerbell party complete with fairy wings, Pixie Dust and fairy wands. We had face painting provided by my mother, the Fairy Godmother, and special hats made, too. Mom and I made a cake complete with all of Pixie Hollow's characters and goody bags with all of Promise's favorite fairies. My parents made the Birthday Party a huge success with their endless help.

Thirteen kids showed up and we had a gas. Then Grandma and Papa took us to Pizza! We all collapsed into bed that night.

The next day was Tim's birthday! TWO crazy days in one week! Daddy got a cheesecake and a quiet morning to himself. Grandma and Papa took off towards home and here I sit still recovering and cleaning up the aftermath. Promise has gone whacko in the wake of the post-party-pre-kindergarten blues, Toby misses Grandma Con (as do I), Zanna's teething and Daddy's back at work....time to get into the school routine! YIKES!

I love my parents and wish we lived closer. I need them....not just their time or help, but their Presence. They carry and joy and an enjoyment of life that I miss. Spending time with them reminds me to have a heart of service, take everything in stride, have a strong faith, and remember to laugh.

We laughed a lot. Loudly. I love my parents. They are a blessing in every way.
Here's the jist in pics......

 A visit to the farm.....

 Daddy gets a cake, too!...3,4....thirty-four

 The rainbow God sent us on Daddy's Birthday!

 Zanna-goo LOVED Grandma Con, too!

 Promise drawing Tinkerbell with window writers.....

 "I wanna draw on the window, too!!!!!!"

 Promise's Birthday morning.....a party outfit!

 Grandma vs. the fairy cake.....

 Papa and Zanna

 Treasures!

 Zanna, the 10 month-old baby fairy.....

 My 5-year-old fairy......

 Duck, duck......goose!

Birthday Pizza night!

 Zanna LOVES Papa Jim!

 Supper at Nandos and below...our window painting! My mom is such a great artist!

Gabriola....

So I am too lazy and time crunched to put these into the original order (my computer screwed them up) so I will just photo-journal as we go, ok? :)

We had the wonderful opportunity of staying in our family friend's cabin on Gabriola Island two weeks ago. A BIG thank you to Doug and Anita Bryce. We had our honeymoon in this rustic cabin and 11 years later, we had the amazing opportunity to take our three precious kids. Two ferry rides (a momma big ferry and a baby ferry) and we were living the ocean life. :) Out of order, here we go....

On the porch, we found a perfect wooden beam to hang Zanna from! Jump away, baby! She LOVED it.

We had three awesome evenings burning our paper plates while roasting our marshmallows (or smarshallows in toby's language) to make smores.

Toby wanted s'more.

Then, just about everyday, we went to watch the tide go out and in the afternoon, come in. We looked in every tide pool hunting for sea treasure and stepped on every crab found. :)

Toby found LOTS! He wanted to bring them home, but alas, no crabs in Abbotsford, unless you run into Promise mid-tantrum. :)

Zanna LOVED the beach and would squirm to get into those waves! No fear in that water baby!

Forest walks with daddy while Zanna had a nap....

Back to the ocean and Tide pools....Promise LOVES the ocean more than I have every witnessed a child love anything! Toby could take it or leave it....Leave it was more like it...

We visited some boats.....

Took the baby ferry....

Had a visit with cousins....singing.....

cuddles in the morning....we all slept in one room!

Walks to Grandma's cabin....

Baths in kitchen sinks....I have the same pic from when Promise bathed in the Gabriola sink 4 years ago!

Waiting for the ferry in our new van.....

FERRY TIME!

The momma ferry....

Windy!

 Story time.

Then Auntie Laurenn and Uncle Paso, Zeke and Amelia came for a visit, too!

 We showed them our treasures.....

 And found hiding places in the "Swiss Cheese"

 Then we cut the grass!!! Each kiddo got a turn!

 More S'mores....

 YUM!

 Walking to the sunset with Zeke....a foreshadowing of the future.....

 Loving the weather....

 A walk in the woods....

 Papa and Toby getting our beverages for the family BBQ

 On the ride home.....

 Daddy and Promise got a bit of playtime....

 Promise got a pinwheel to help with her relaxation breathing exercises....

 Zanna-goo in her new pool....

 We tried to re-create Gabriola S'mores with candles and marshmallows on kabob sticks.

 And Zanna went back to enjoying her swing.

The End.
Had I known Promise loved the beach and the waves of the ocean so much, I would have moved to a deserted island long ago....As I write, she has torn all the pictures off her wall and poured pee from her potty all over her floor. Sigh. This is the only 15 minutes I will have away from trying to stay 2-3 steps ahead of her...the triggers, the tantrums....Pray for me....Every night at the cabin filled me with tension and fear that Promise would push us again to the limit....parenting in hard...even on vacation.