Dad's 80th Birthday Party

I had good intentions of taking lots of pictures are my dad's birthday party but then I got wrapped up in meat cutting, and veggie tray making and setting out food that I didn't get more than a couple.  We had intended to have a big party at the Rabbit Lake hall which is what we had for my uncle Henry when he turned 80 but soon we realized that my dad would just not be up for that so we just invited the closest neighbors and friends to our house.  We ended up with 30 or so people and it was the perfect amount.  The food was great and my dad stayed awake for the whole thing and was really touched by it all.  My whole family-every member was there for it and that was really nice too (that only happens about once every 2 years maybe).

This was the guest book-we included the mandolin used by my dad and aunt as part of their band as well as some old sheet music and a music composition book that belonged to my dad.  We had guests write a memory about dad on a card as well and that was kind of fun and I know he appreciated them.

On the tables we had old western producer magazines.  I bought them at an auction long ago and they are the perfect decoration for these types of things as my dad and my uncle have read the western producer for as long as I can remember and probably before that.  It was cool because one of the papers was from 1937 and it had the headline that a girl named Amelia Earhart had gone missing in a plane accident.  Cool huh.  We also had paper sacks of shelled peanuts which are another Konopelski staple.

This was Jakob waiting for supper and a little snitch of peanuts.

Greg models the birthday hats that a neighbor brought.

Here is Grandpa Sam with all his grandchildren.  Jakob and Andrew were not in any mood for pictures but I wanted to have at least one picture of my dad from the whole trip.

After the party we sat around as a family and discussed future events-funerals, taking care of my mom, division of belongings etc.  It wasn't really an uplifting conversation but one that needed to take place and might not ever have been done again so I am glad we did it.

Uncle Steven

Allie and Brailie did not know that Greg was coming to pick us up but they did know that Uncle Steven was coming and they were so excited-especially Allie.  Even after Greg got there she was still super excited about Uncle Steven being there.  It is probably because he is the best uncle in the world.  The girls don't have any other uncles that treat them the same way he does.  He makes them feel like they walk on water and he plays with them non-stop.  He had energy left when everyone else was exhausted.  He read stories, played dolls, wrestled, danced, played tag, maybe goofy faces and voices.  It was the best for the girls.

Wrestling with Uncle Steven

Exploring the basement with Uncle Steven.  What other uncle would put on all that stuff?

The night before we had to leave Allie was pretty bummed out that we had to go.  In her prayer she said (with  a pouty face and sniffles inserted in just the right places), "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm sad because I don't want to go home and I don't want to leave Uncle Steven and I am sad and I want to stay."  Isn't that just the cutest thing.  Kids know when someone makes them feel like a million bucks.

Canada Catch Up

Trying to catch up on Canada posts.  Here are a few random pictures.

Both girls in piggy tails with their purses-it is rare that I have two kids with their hair done.

Always a goofy face picture

Girls modeling their new rubber boots that Grammy bought them after they did a bunch of odd jobs.  I told her I didn't just want them to get the boots because they are cute but that they needed to work for them and they both did jobs for over a couple of weeks to earn the boots.

And this-my willow chair I made in High School when I was an apprentice for a master artist-it is now officially for sale.  I can't bring it across the border because it has bark on it so it has to stay in Canada and it has just been collecting dust in my parents house so I am selling it.  I have two more that I made myself for sale as well. 

Grammy's Famous Dress Up's

I say Grammy's favorite dress ups because everyone has tried on her dress ups at some point (at least if you are a member of the branch in North Battleford).  We got them out for the girls one evening and I was skeptical they would even want to put them on but they actaully wanted to try a little bit.

Allie trying on the wizzard costume.  She loved this one.

 

Allie as a court jester

Allie as I am not sure what but it involved a twirly skirt.

I am not sure what this is either-or why we even had this shirt in our costume box but Brailie looked really cute in the wig.

Brailie as a scarecrow/mickey mouse with shades. 

A girls gotta have a purse

My mom dug the girls out these purses for the girls after much begging-not begging because my mom said no but begging because she wasn't moving fast enough.  On a trip down to the basement to look for accessories my mom said, "man Job ought to have had to live with you two."  I couldn't agree more mom.  Anyway she finally got all they needed: a purse, a wallet, a glasses case, a notebook, a pen, a credit card and some coupons.  They have played wonderfully with these ever since.  I mean they are such a popular choice for play time-everyday they are packing them off to a new place in the house.  The downstairs are the restaurant where they order using their McDonalds coupons "two hangaburs, two french fries and two soda pops" Brailie says, never forgetting to mention that she only likes ketchup and Allie likes ketchup and mustard.  They go to my moms bed which is the bus stop and the hospital.  Their house is in the extra room upstairs and the cave is under the desk upstairs.  

Our Outside Work

We decided to venture outside to play in the melting snow-that is a huge favorite past time game from my childhood only there is not nearly as much water as there was when i was a kid.  When i was a kid we were convinced that we could make some sort of a stream going across our main road so that we could stop the bus from coming.  We meant business and so did my girls.  We just didn't have the proper boots for the occasion.

 Later we went out again when things were a bit dryer and did some snow chopping with grammy's hoe and rake.  

 See what a bunch of work there was to do.  The girls meant business.

I can't take enough profile pictures of my kids.  I just love their sweet faces.

 Brailie complete with doughnut frosting face.  Love this picture.

Making Memories

That was the purpose of the trip to Canada-make memories with my dad while he was feeling healthy; let the girls have a chance to see him outside of a hospital.  It majorly back fired-that plan did.  My girls will now probably think that the only thing Grandpa Sam knows how to do is sleep.  That is pretty much all we have done since being here-watch him sleep.  No pictures, no smiles really even, I had a book with questions I was wanting him to answer in his own handwriting but that has not happened either.  I haven't had the courage to take it out-I don't want him to tell me he doesn't have the strength to do it.  I haven't even hugged him yet.  So much for taking advantage of the time to make some really good memories.  I don't know if I have the strength to come back another time to try and do it.

So what exactly is it that the girls play everyday

This is a picture of a typical play scene at Grammy's.  The girls started with one activity, which spiraled to another and then another and pretty soon there is just a big mess of stuff in this little sitting room that is quiet the circus act to get around.  Usually it starts with the old records and farm implement books in this one book shelf, then that leads to needing to go to someones house and so the doll houses come out and they play with those and then somehow kinda put themselves in the dolls world and decide they are tired from all the activities they are doing and so they go and get pillows and blankets and they play sleeping for a while and then it kinda repeats itself.  The stairs are a super fun play toy too.  The upstairs act as desks for a teaching a class and the downstairs act as desks for the girls to sit at and have an office.  They are playing so well with such a small amount of toys.  The first thing I am doing when we get home is getting rid of and putting away a bunch of the toys.  They have way more than they need.  Yard sale here we come.

The Cousins are here

The cousins are here-yipee!!!!! That means that not only is the house major chaos, the couches are getting well used for jumping and flipping and we have just barely enough room to all fit around the table but it also means....

 Sledding!!!!

 Here is Uncle Daniel running along side to make sure the sled stays on course.

 Uncle Daniel with his boys Jakob and Andrew

 Brai being her usual timid self and not wanting to try out the sledding so she hung out with the photographer

 Allie went with Auntie Jenny and then declared, "I pretty much have to do that again."

 Uncle Daniel and the boys drive the 4-wheeler to pull the sled back up the hill (oh how this would have been so helpful back when we were kids).

 I took this picture upside down of Brai clinging to my leg.

 Cute camo marshmallows.  I have no idea who is who.  I am a terrible Aunt.

 One more taken upside down and between my legs.

And lastly here is Brai back in the truck with her crazy touque hair (touque is our term for a winter hat-who knows how to spell it).

Ways to help Grammy

One of Allie's favorite things to say lately is, "is there anything I can do to help?"  I love it when she says it; I also cringe sometimes because having a "helper" is usually more work for mom-and it has proven to be more work for Grammy but she hasn't seemed to mind (though the fact that she needs a power nap everyday is proof).

The girls have helped make breakfast

 They have helped Grammy make some use out of all those old dance medals for mine and Steven's that she has been saving.  The girls have been earning these for trying new foods and taking medicine.

 We've helped Grammy go through all her records by throwing them down the stairs like Frisbees (breaking some in the process-meaning the pile will be made smaller because of this).

 We have successfully sorted out the small ones (that fly really great) and the large ones (that make a nice loud thunk when hitting the floor).

 Allie helped vacuum with Grammy's little vacuum that doesn't make too much noise which is perfect for Allie.

 And we have helped grammy get in touch with her childhood side by playing Barbies-which has also helped to lose a few small pieces thus making the clean up a bit more of a breeze.  

Some Real Snow

Now that we are in Canada the girls have got the chance to experience some real snow-including all the tons of gear one must put on to go out in the real snow.  What a pain.  Kudos to all the winter moms out there that do this regularly.  Kudos to my own mom for doing it with three and then lugging us all over the creation.  

 This big orange sled is actually a calf sled that my dad had from our cattle days.  It works perfectly though for pulling the kids around.

 The weird looking mittens are due to the fact that we don't own any good snow mittens and the stores are charging WAY too much money for a pair.  We just wear our little ones and a pair of Grammy's on top.

 Modeling the snow pants for our second outing in the snow.

 This hat was for the snowman we made.  Brai looks adorable in it.

 This way too.

 The girls and mom made a snowman and by "the girls" I mean they sat on the snow bank and barked orders and mom rolled all over the yard for their personal winter experience.  We call him the hunter snowman for daddy.

 Garden tools double nicely as snow tools in a pinch.