Althea's 2 year old birthday!

Althea turned 2 years old on April 20, 2012.  She is growing up so fast!  We had a small family gathering at our house to celebrate.  It was really sweet.  The whole day was so blessed.  It was sunny and pleasant and she just couldn't believe we were finally singing her favourite song, Happy Birthday, to her!  Annand's cousin, Karin, made a phenomenal cake, she is so creative!  Her special birthday dress was compliments of Auntie Indira.  That dress inspired her to spend a good part of the party spinning around!  Thanks to everyone!  It was a very beautiful day.

Makeba and Althea playing Library

Makeba and Althea were playing library. Makeba was the librarian, recommending different books to her customer, Althea. In this little video, she was organizing all the books. Makeba was handing them to her and she was putting them, one by one, into a pile.

Annand...don't do that!

Althea has taken to calling us by our first names if we don't answer her immediately. She sometimes doesn't even give us a chance to take a breath before we say "yes," after she says "mom!" or "dada!" This video is her little mirror of us. I guess we tell her not to do things pretty often!

The Last Rays of Summer cont...

Standing in front of her cubby at school
3-D Smurfs movie...sooooo fun!!!!


Swimming at the Atwood's pool

Soaking Up The Last Rays of Summer

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Here are some of our last summery moments in August and September of 2011! I love summer and was not really looking forward to the structure of the school year, so here we were, taking in as much summer fun as we could! We went to the Edmonton Corn Maze, the lake near Mark and Tonya's house, bike rides up to the coffee shop, walks near the river and to the library, swimming at our friends', the Atwoods, back yard pool. We took Makeba to her first movie in the theatre for her birthday, the Smurfs in 3-D. Annand's dad taught Makeba how to ride a two-wheeler... she never used training wheels! It was a busy time for us as we prepared for the Big Change...Kindergarten!!!

I think Makeba has been ready for school since she could say "school." She was so excited that this was the year for her. I, on the other hand, was not as excited. I was sad that my baby has grown up so fast, I was nervous about how she would integrate into this strange new group of people all the exact same age as her, I was nervous about how I would integrate into the parent community, I was unsure of whether or not we made the right choice of school...it kind of went on and on. I realize now that I was maybe taking everything a bit too seriously and that life is good. We learn from every moment, whether things fall into place the way we want them to or not. The most important thing is that we are happy. My baby has matured so quickly in the first couple of months of school and she really and truly loves it. My other baby also loves school! She loves to colour at the art centre every morning as we help Makeba settle in. Makeba has started saying, "okay, you guys can leave now!" but Althea wants to be just like the big kids and do a little something in kindergarten too.

Annand is flourishing in his new job as a Program Director for Volunteer Alberta. He is very professional! He really enjoys using his critical thinking skills in this type of environment and is really good at his job. It's also nice that we have more flexibility for family time, and are afforded things like vacation time, long weekends and sick days! It's been a good change for our little family and we are very happy!

Extra Birthday photos...

Sorry about the duplicates, I don't really know what happened here. Still, enjoy the photos that didn't make it in the first birthday post, but made it twice now!

Happy 5th Birthday, Makeba!

Cousin Joshua playing fishing game
Cousin Evan playing fishing game
Makeba after going through the splash park, so cold!
Althea spent most of the time in the water
The sisters playing so nicely together with Makeba's new toy!

birthday card with big #5

birthday outfit I made birthday dress from Auntie Indira, playing "fishing game" at the park. cupcakes Auntie Indira made to share with friends at the park

one of two new bathing suits from Nana

Wednesday, August 17, 2011. Makeba turned five! It was a really grace-filled day. We were so blessed all day long!

Makeba woke up in the morning, and instead of her usual method of getting us up, you know, the "drive the parents crazy until it's impossible to sleep anymore" method, she gently walked into our room, cuddled up and waited patiently. She quietly chatted with Althea while Annand and I tried to muster up the energy to get the day started. We went downstairs all together and Makeba found a card with a big number 5 on it sitting on the printer, exactly as requested. She opened her gifts from us, including the birthday outfit I'd promised to make for her. We had a lovely morning after which we met up with some friends in our community playground. We brought cupcakes to share and the old classic "fishing" game in which kids cast their line, a string attached to a stick and a clothespin, into a hole and when they "reel" it in, there is a toy or candy on the end of it. It was a hit!

We stayed at the park for four hours! Makeba was so happy to spend time with her friends outside. We arrived home just in time to receive a phone call from Baba and Dido who were on the road in Nova Scotia on holiday. Then soon after, the family came over for supper and birthday cake. The cake was lovingly made by Nana, it was a giant cupcake. She received many lovely gifts that just showed her how much she is loved by so many!

The energy of the day was so breezy and calm, like the wind that blew the clouds and mosquitoes away at the park! I feel like each family member comes to an event like a supper in honour of someone's birthday from their own, individual space and we meet each other wherever we are. When we come together, the complexity of how we love one another is just so beautiful in the conglomeration of people we call family. Each person does what he or she can, in his or her own unique way to show their love. For some people there is so much else keeping space in their heads, that it is really difficult to do anything, but they do what they can. For others, it is easier to go all out and it all becomes balanced. We live and we move forward alongside time in our own complicated ways as a group of people who weave in and out of each other's lives. Sometimes we have moments of awareness of how much we are loved and blessed. These moments are the silent motivation that keep us coming together. We don't know why we feel a pull to be together especially when relations are strained, but we all feel it. Somewhere inside we know and we trust that these people love us and we are accepted as we are, always.

Much gratitude to the family and friends who were with us on Makeba's special day both in body and in spirit.

It was a very simple and pleasant day. Makeba was most pleased!