Macy turns 4!

Macy was very excited to turn 4. We celebrated with her friends a little bit early and had a princess picnic birthday party. They all came dressed as beautiful princesses, decorated goodies bags, played a few games and ran around the yard, had a picnic lunch, birthday cupcakes, presents, and more play inside. Macy had a great time and all her friends from preschool, church, and the neighbourhood showed up!

 Her actual birthday was a family day. Chris was able to take the day off so we had lots of fun playing together. She woke up to open presents and eat her birthday cereal, Fruitloops!

Some gifts she got were a camping chair, sleeping bag, butterfly wings, clothes, and craft projects.

 She wanted us to sing Happy Birthday before she ate her cereal, so we did!

 Later we went for lunch at McDonald's and picked up a backyard trampoline! (A family gift, not just for Macy's birthday). I need to get some better pictures, but this girl loves it!

 Her butterfly cake.

 We had cheese and tortillas for dinner (big surprise there), and then Grandma Lamont came over with some more gifts and to eat birthday cake.

 Can we be done with the pictures already??!

It is so fun to have a four year old around. Macy is growing up everyday and it is fun to watch. She is a fun, energetic, loving, inquisitive, happy little girl!

Endless Energy

After we got back from our trip Rachel started to have more consistency in her naps, so I have been able to run or exercise during her morning nap. I was feeling pretty good about myself until one day Macy comes down to join me. While I'm on the tredmill, she runs back and forth beside me, all the while saying, 'I'm running faster than you mom.' And she is! 

And this is after she ran and danced around the kitchen all morning, and before she spent the afternoon jumping on the trampoline! Sheesh!

Summer Hair

Macy's needed a hair cut for a while, but she was hesitant. She wanted long hair like Rapunzel!

After hanging out with Eden though, she decided it was ok, and would get an Eden hair cut (which is pretty much a Cutts cousin cut, I think all the girls have hair like this).

 We went to a friend we know through preschool and Macy had a real spa like day. She was treated like a princess and got the crown, pink hair, and glitter spray. She thought it was great.

 A couple days later I was ready to chop my long hair off. Macy told me I got an Eden cut too.

This picture is from two days ago, about 4 weeks after I got the cut. I was slow to finally get a picture, but I have really liked the short hair and the style.

Rachel's in no need for a hair cut, she's barely got any to begin with!

Turning 30!

This was my join the thirty club birthday, and it was a great one. My birthday fell on a Saturday and my big present was tickets to the Broadway musical Wicked! I was so excited, and had booked these tickets back in May. Chris and I went to the afternoon show while our favourite friends Daley and Desiree babysat the girls. The show was fantastic! We had my birthday cupcakes before for lunch, and then brought home pizza for dinner. It was a great day. Thanks to everyone who called and sang. Thirty is gonna be a great year!

Vacation Highlights: Wrap-up

Friday was a day spent around Headingley and Winnipeg. After a great night's sleep, (we even got to sleep in) we spent the morning at Grandma and Grandpa's where the cousins had fun riding on Grandpa's tractor and Grandma gave them all cool Canadian wallets with some Canadian money to blow. After lunch we went back to Assiniboine Park. You will probably have some deja vu, as Chris and I are both wearing the exact same outfits we wore the last time at the park and Macy is wearing the same shirt.

 Fun playing in the sand. It was very hot.

 We then rode the train, and ran into Aunt Jeana and my cousin Angela who was visiting from Utah with her two kids, Lincoln and Dillan. It was a fun coincidence.

 Jacob, Macy, and Eden with their tickets reading to give to the conductor.

 Family photo.

 After the park we all met up for dinner, Chinese food take out at the hotel. Very delicious. Aunt Julie had some fun stick on mustaches and glow sticks for all the kids to celebrate Independence Day. We then went swimming at the hotel pool. They have a great pool and water slide.

 Alice is one crazy swimmer and water-slider!

 Eden, playin' it cool.

 That night Eden, Alice, and Macy slept over at Grandma and Grandpa's. The rest of us were back at the hotel getting ready to leave the next day. Chris woke up early and picked up Macy to start their long drive back. They reported a smooth trip again and got home around 8 pm on Saturday.

The rest of us stopped by Grandpa and Grandma's to say good-byes. It was such a fun trip that it was sad to say good-bye. Macy loved seeing her cousins, and Chris and I enjoyed our family trip and spending time with everyone. Great memories were made and I'm already ready to plan another trip.

My flight didn't leave until later that afternoon, so Rachel and I went shopping with Grandma, too bad everyone else had left, cause Grandma was lookin' good in her new clothes!

We really had such a fabulous time. It was a great kick-off to the summer. Thanks to everyone who was there who made our vacation that much better!

Lovely Lake of the Woods

Our thrid day, Wednesday, the weather started to get a bit better. It was still cool and cloudy, but the rain mostly held off except for a few showers here and there. It seemed to be a more relaxing day where a lot of fishing took place. I think this was the day Jacob caught a huge fish off the dock with his little kid fishing rod. The fish hung on for quite a while while we got the net and tried to get him, but alas he broke away. It was some fun excitement!

The Tom Cutts family also did some good cooking this day. We had a delicious breakfast from the dutch oven, and then a great bbq dinner, chicken and bacon wrapped asparagus. The food the whole trip was good.

I realized I didn't take any pictures from this day! I thought maybe the one below was from it because we did go boating to Kenora to the bait shop to get some live fishing bait, and this is pretty much what it looked like. So we can just pretend.

 And then the weather turned and it truly was an island paradise!

 The last day arrived and the water was calm, the skies were blue, and the sun was shining!

And so, we crammed in all the water activities we could. Grandpa, Tom, Richard, and I all went skiing. Mine was a short run, and on two skies, but I did get up! The water was still cold and I really didn't want to fall in!

Hanging out at the dock.

Julie, Tom, and I also tried paddle-boarding. I wish I had some pictures of that. It was lots of fun and very cool to paddle around the lake.

Isabelle and Aunt Jacquie

Then there was the tubing. So much fun! 

I like how Tom just looks bored here! Later in the day Tom was on the tube with Eden and Macy. Eden wanted it faster and bumpier and Grandpa tried to oblige, however after a turn he slowed down too fast and the tube nose-dived in and everyone ended up in the cold water! Macy was wearing water shoes and they fell off. I guess she caught them and was crying more about her shoes and not wanting to lose them, then actually falling off the tube into the water!

Fun in the boat!

Uncle Richard, Jacob, and Macy.

Chris and me and Macy. Chris and I also had a go on the tube later. It was fun, and we had to work to not fall off!

Grandpa skiing.

The water was still cold today, but that didn't stop Eden, Alice, and Macy. They did the 'ladder challenge' and stepped further and further into the water. Alice even let go and swam a little. They also had a little tarzan rope that the girls liked to swing on. Obviously they all have true Cutts blood in them!

When it was time to go we lucked out and got a ride back on a pontoon boat. It was basically a party boat, and fun to ride on. More Macy's style as it didn't feel as fast, and she wasn't really into boating fast.

Since the weather was so great, we didn't end up leaving the island until about 5 pm. We had dinner at Subway and that's when I noticed Rachel had got her second tooth (she got the first one a week earlier when we were still at Grandma and Grandpa's). Luckily she showed no discomfort on getting them until a week later when we were back at home.

By the time everything was loaded up, we didn't get in to Headingley until about 10 pm. We checked in the Best Western hotel and experienced a little culture shock, the rooms were really nice. We all slept good that night, exhausted from our busy day in the sun!

Canada Day

Tuesday was Canada Day. As tradition, we had pancakes for breakfast, even though they weren't free and at the Alberta Legislature, they were great. 

We spent most of this day in Kenora.

 Here we are ready to boat over to Kenora.

 While waiting for the other families to boat over we went and saw Husky the Muskie. Years ago a young Grandpa Lamont hitchhiked with a friend from Leduc, Alberta to Kenora, Ontario and spent the night by Husky the Muskie.

Seeing some sights.

 Henry all bundled up.

 To escape the rain we checked out the Lake of the Woods museum. It was free admission on Canada Day and nothing really special.

 

 Later we found some of the Canada Day activities going on and Macy met Elsa and Tinkerbell, she was more than a little excited! 

Before we left we stopped for Kenora fries. They did not disappoint and were devoured very quickly!

 Any buyers interested?

 Macy had SO much fun with Eden! 

 Alice photo bombed!

 After fries we started heading back to the island. While waiting we did some sightseeing. Here's Rachel driving us around town!

For dinner we had BBQ burgers. The weather started to clear, so Tom, Julie, Chris, me, Richard, and Jacquie went on an evening boat ride with Grandpa. It was fun boating around all the islands and enjoying an evening without clouds or rain.

 We dropped off Julie and Jacquie back at the cabin and picked up Mom and headed towards Kenora for fireworks. We didn't know exactly where we were going or where the fireworks would be set off, so we just parked around other boats. After a couple of minutes of waiting the fireworks started. We had a front row seat from the boat. It was awesome! We just laid back in the boat and watched. The fireworks and the boat and the perfect evening made it probably the best fireworks show I have seen.

We boated back to the cabin, found the kids still asleep, and went to bed.