bye bye baby huggable house.

how do we sum up how blessed we have been in our huggable house?
how do we begin describing the transition from a family of two, to a family of FIVE! and one fantastic pooch.
We keep telling Mathey we're moving into his retirement home (carpets, no laminate, a few stairs....and SPACE, what more could a monster ask for?)
The boys have been packing!

and unpacking!

and packing!

Benjamin has a calender counting down the days to the acreage.
He crosses off each number, and helps Alexander decorate the boxes.
He shows his excitement in early mornings, quick tears, and big jumpy smiles.  He is coping so very well.

Mathey comes too, right mommy?

Alexander shows similar signs of moving bliss, early mornings, very light sleeping during the night, small napping, and quick tears.  He follows Benjamin in and out of cupboards, raids the fridge whenever it happens to cross his path, and talks in his own fantastic language to everyone in the family.  What a delight to have such great boys!

Do you go in a box, dearest puppy?

It's a pretty big box, you know.

 

 

 

I like your decision.

So we pack up our house with family and friends, giving their time and energy into helping us into our new home.
We are so excited about moving to a bigger lovely house,
where we can hopefully see all your faces, and offer you a bed to sleep on and some grand old company.
We have loved our huggable house, and as ready as we are to say goodbye to it, to the yard and neighborhood, it's with wonderful memories and some full hearts that we leave.
God is SO GOOD, to bless us so.

From huggable to (Auntie Manta's new name for the acreage) Alaska. 

Here we go!

daddy's new toy

Somebody at our house has been smiling pretty bright!
Daddy finally found himself a trailer
and
after the very big help of some friends
it is stashed in our back yard

FOR US TO CONQUER!!!!
bwaa ha ha, nice try at keeping this to yourself daddy-o!

-I'll tell you what I think Minamin,
the hitch is cool
the colour awesome
the height of the cargo wall
gives mommy peace about us being in here

The dirt is authentic
the snow fresh
I can see lots of good times ahead.

And you?

-well AnderZander the hubcaps rock,
the tires are meaty yet tiny
which mommy says are cute

I loved watching daddy push it into the yard
with no truck attached
he says it's light and tough
and we already got to bang on it
with a hammer

a win win for me!

we`ve had so little snow time out here, for all the snow we`ve received!
that`s it`s about time we played in it
conquering the heights
finding old toys
finding the sidewalk....

finding a good engine for a great sled ride!

go daddy the engine, go!

boys on the loose

boys up at 7:00am
boys on the loose!

cars to be driven
sinks to be filled

boys on the loose!

hairspray belongs down the drain mommy!
sunglasses should stay on the floor!
I'd like some milk for breakfast daddy,
and now I'd like some more!

beautiful blessed bouncing
boys on the loose!

let's build a tunnel

a thousand and two feet long!

we'll climb through

cover it with blankets

until alexander thinks it wrong.

let's drive on mathey

a good tough road he'll make

and then we can climb on boxes

closed up ones that just won't break.

fast hands and ever running feet

boys on the loose!

daddy let's build a train track

the biggest of the whole world

we'll park trains under

and crawl over

there's nothing that you can't build!

 

daddy I want to be like you

I can already carry your stuff

I can bang on trucks

I almost fit your clothes

I've been made to be tough

boys up at 7:00am

boys run through the house free

boys on the loose

boys things everywhere

what a fantastic life I lead.

Xoxo

Benjamin & Alexanders

mommy and daddy

avocado nose goblins

Tonka Tuesday
Bright colours of sunshine
warm enough weather to be outside
Benjamin is a snow stomper!
Alexander's boots make him MAD!!!!
(they slip and slide, why they were made that way, we don't know)

We must have brought Edmonton weather home with us,
we visited Amelia (played her piano)
we fell in love with
Julia
&
Edmund
our newest cousins, cutest little babies!

So then sought out one of our own...


We came to Devon to see family
 left with all their food,
came with kisses
left with avocado nose goblins.
(what Benjamin calls Alexanders runny nose)
came to hug
left full of love love love

We came home to see Meamme & Boppa
Auntie Wu & Uncle Cameron (Happy birthday today)

We left Nanna (come visit soon)
And all our cousins and their mommy's & daddy's,
missing our Andersen's this time (but we will find them)


Back home to tools
to helping daddy
to working in the snow
to packing up a house

hi ho hi ho hi ho.

cupcakes for winter babies!

WE MADE YOU A BIRTHDAY CUPCAKE!

Happy Birthday to our winter babies,
to our winter birthdays!

The snow was crisp
The temperature low
and I've wanted to make cupcakes
ever since we sent Hannah her cupcake birthday present!

So mommy finally said yes!
And we all helped!
Stirring four eggs
adding way to much sugar (said mommy, but none of the rest of us complained...not even daddy.  He had two!)
watching them bake in the oven
topping them with even more sugar
and finally
adding the sprinkles!
I was a big help.  AnerZander not so much.....except maybe he got it right!

He looked at it.  Mommy showed him how to put a few stars on it
but he showed mommy how to take them off again



lick-ity split!

After a few seconds he'd had enough with child labour.










and decided to reward himself on his efforts.




Needless to say, he decorated one cupcake.

So Happy Birthday to all our family who celebrate their beginnings in the frosty months.

To Boppa and Auntie Manta

To Uncle Christopher

To Uncle Vincent

and Hannah and Joshua

To Julia

and Edmund

To Uncle Cameron

and Auntie Wu!

These cupcakes are all for you!....and eaten by us! (you can guess which one yours was Uncle Cameron:)

Love Benjamin the baker
Alexander the Advocate for children's rights