Where Did the Summer Go?

Seems like last week that we arrived home from Florida, eager for the warm weather we experienced there to arrive in our part of the world, yet now it's about to be September!? Wait a minute, wasn't Canada Day like yesterday?! It's been a crazy busy summer of fun-filled activities and lots of family time, including weddings, showers, cottaging, picnics and hours and hours along the canal. Fun times were everywhere we turned.  But even as we flip over the calendar, we see no signs of the busy times relenting. A big birthday #4 is on the horizon, so lots of planning is underway, plus a whole bunch of other festivities and classes for the kids on the agenda. We had a great summer and we can't wait for an even better fall. Before we know it, Rhiannon's wedding and Hallowe'en will be upon us! For now, Mother Nature doesn't care that summer time is drawing to a close, she's been hitting us with 30+ temperatures all week long!  Keep up the good work for as long as you can!

Beating the heat at Brewer Park

Discovering the button that keeps the water flowing!

A fun place to hang out and enjoy the warm weather

A couple of puzzle pieces curl up, leaving little room for Mom and Dad!

Super Ex-cellent!

A Lansdowne tradition was celebrating its final year at the park and we just had to be there to witness it. The fact that there were also huge rides, carnival games, french fries and cotton candy also helped pull in Logan and Isabelle somewhat! The Super Ex offered all of this and more, fun for all ages and only a short walk from our front door. Isabelle and Logan had a blast zipping from ride to ride, and even racked up some nice prizes thanks to Mom's prowess at the water race. Oliver had a bit of a rough time as he battled the heat and was well below the height restriction for most of the rides. Even the ones he went on he was not thrilled with!  He headed home early after enjoying some of the animal show and was back to normal in no time, excited for the post-fair BBQ we had planned. A perfect day with perfect weather and a fair in town, who could ask for a better Saturday!

Patiently waiting for her bud Logan to arrive for the walk to Lansdowne.

First ride of the day, the Wiggle Worm, they loved it but it paled in comparison to the sheer power of the Cobra, a roller coaster that these ones rode together about 7 times in succession!

Parents are in agreement that this is the closest Isabelle will ever get to riding on a motorcyle.

The love affair with boats continues, whether on land or at sea.  Hit it!

A break for a ginormous bucket o' fries.  Hurry up and eat, Logan, we have way more rides to hit!

Oliver vehemently disagrees with the name of this ride.

Isabelle and Oliver went for a late, post BBQ walk along the water.  She had to bring her newly-won Hello Kitty along.  On the way back, her Dad looked back and there she was, completely passed out.  That's what a fun-filled day with family and friends will do to you!

Pool Party

We dropped by beloved Uncle Randy's house the other day, excited to check out the brand new continuous pool he was having delivered and installed that very night. As it turns out, the installation was more of a job than anyone initially thought!

It's a good thing Randy not only runs at the Running Room but is also a great and helpful person to each and every one of his friends, because they were all there to help maneuver this 2,500 pound behemoth down a narrow driveway and hook it into his tiny Glebe-sized yard. The group had to position it on pipes, then roll it on the driveway and push it with a forklift just to get it in the backyard, then use some engineering brainpower to turn this beast, push it further, tip it over and get it close to the deck. Seems easy, right?  We stopped in once, then went for dinner, then dropped Gran at the airport, then dropped Mommy off, and it had only moved 50 feet!

Isabelle and Oliver were thrilled to see this project take shape. Oliver stared at the forklift, wishing he could give it a spin, and Isabelle surveyed the goings-on while chatting with her newfound friend Toby, our friends Graydon and Josc's little boy.  However, they were promised ice cream so we hit DQ and returned to see the final pieces fall into place.  We can't wait for the pool's christening, it's the perfect size for junior swimmers!

Forecast: Summer Shower!

After what seemed like weeks of planning and was certainly hours of hard work by some truly dedicated friends and family, it was finally time to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Rhiannon and Matt in that time-honoured tradition: the bridal shower!  It was a great afternoon, filled with excitement about the upcoming wedding and full of happiness for the couple, especially the bride, who has always done so much in support of friends and family and is finally being justly recognized and rewarded during her time in the spotlight.  The wedding promises to be an awesome night of celebration, and the shower certainly did everything it could to live up to the same expectations.  The flowers put together by Gran and Mommy were amazing (naturally!), with an additional nice touch of bouquets for not only the bride but the flower girls too.  The food was excellent, clearly the cupcakes the biggest hit (especially with those attendees named Isabelle), and the decor was perfect.  Oliver was only too happy to join the party as it wrapped up, chasing balloons and racing his cars along the wood floor.  We all can't wait for the wedding to come in October.  It's going to be a blast!

Gran and the happy MOTB!

Beautiful boy in blue and his balloon.

We Miss You, Gran!

What a treat it was for all of us last week to find out that Gran was coming down for an extended weekend visit! We all thought that we wouldn't get the chance to see her until the big wedding in October so this was truly a special surprise. It was a perfect time to visit, with Oliver just coming off a week of sickness and tons of flower preparation on the agenda for Rhiannon's big shower.

As always, Gran swoops in and we all feel relaxed, knowing that just her presence makes things feel so much better, not to mention that the kids just adore her. Isabelle clinged to her like glue everywhere she went, often keeping her busy with multiple stories each bedtime. She also quickly accepted Gran's offer to come downstairs into her bed whenever she woke up, a time that became earlier and earlier each night. We heard Isabelle stomping down the stairs at 3:00 am last night, thrilled to be cuddling up with Gran to finish off her night's sleep. Oliver also enjoyed the extra one-on-one time with Gran, especially making sandcastles at the park and heading for walks along the water.

Sadly, we had to bid her goodbye after a final Kettleman's dinner, Oliver and Isabelle comforted their lonely hearts the best way they could think: Dairy Queen. Thanks, Gran, for being such a special part of our lives and for your tireless dedication to family. We can't wait to see you in October!

Flipping Out for Brooklyn's Birthday!

What a fun afternoon we had at Starr Gymnastics celebrating Brooklyn's 4th birthday!  Logan and Isabelle had an absolute blast running, bouncing, swinging and most of all, jumping everywhere they possibly could.  They have a giant foam pit that is perfect for leaping in with reckless abandon, and these kids were more than thrilled to give it a spin.  Trampolines, climbing walls, rope swings, you name it this place has it and it's perfect for these little ones to roam around and see just how much fun they can have.  Brooklyn has been such a good friend to Isabelle, as has her sister Kaitlin, but we have also enjoyed becoming friends with their parents Mark and Elaine.  They are super nice people and in a similar situation as us, two young kids and busy nights and days as a result.  They have been great friends to us and have two kids that Isabelle and Oliver just adore.  Brooklyn loved her gifts and Kaitlin even told Isabelle it was "the best gift ever!".  We look forward to seeing them again in a few weeks at Isabelle's big bash!

Listening intently to the teacher.  "Hurry up, stop talking so we can jump!"

Look out below, princess coming down!

That was awesome!  Try wiping the smile off my face!

Logan follows close behind, Superman bling and all!

Gravity is like the greatest thing ever!

Mommy couldn't contain her excitement when they told her she could go and try the equipment out after the class was over.  She bolted over and was airborne in no time.  A kid's gymnastics place?  Not today!

Ever the poser, Isabelle shows off as Brooklyn and Kaitlin smile brightly for the camera.

Suffice to say she expended all her available energy at the party.

Oliver: Version 1.5!

Eighteen months have passed since our little dude arrived to complete our family quartet. He's been making us laugh and smile ever since.  He's just getting over a little sickness but the past few days has rallied and is commemorateing his 1.5 as his normal, happy-go-lucky self.  He has been zipping around the house, laughing and chasing (or being chased by) his sister, and if he gets the tiniest inkling that anyone might be going outside, he's all over it. Nothing thrills him more than the mention that someone is getting his shoes for him.  When you have a first child, you might wonder if you could ever love someone as much as them, if anyone could ever be as cute or fun or precious as they are.  Living (and loving) proof in our little guy, he is such a super kid that we have to keep an extra close eye to ensure no one steals him away from us!  Happy 18 months to the best son/little brother we could have ever asked for!  We love you so much and thanks for being so awesome!

Learning the ropes from big sis, who just learned them herself!

Enough learning!  Eat my dust, you're not the only one in this family that can run!

The future's so bright he's gotta wear shades!

Sunset on Dow's Lake

It's been a great summer for walking around the lake.  The sun has been shining for what seems like months and we have taken advantage as much as possible.  Oliver and Isabelle have enjoyed feeding the ducks, playing hide-and-seek, sampling the water fountain and strolling along the pathway. Oliver's favourite thing to do is pick up wood chips and toss them in the lake, while Isabelle has moved up from riding in the wagon to sometimes pulling it!   Brother and sister becoming best friends along the water.  Lucky kids?  Nope.  More like lucky parents!

While we're here we might as well bone up on some canal history!

Which one should I toss into the water next?

Whoa, you're tall, dude!  What's up with the two hats?

Raincheck, Please!

We were super excited to head up to Parliament Hill yesterday to see Fortissimo, a big military-based music show that features marching bands, pipers, and the Ceremonial Guard. Unfortunately, the torrential rain that came down all morning, and continued in spurts as the day progressed, forced a cancellation of that night's festivities. We didn't realize the Canadian Forces took the day off when it rained!  Nevertheless, we got to enjoy a nice walk along the Hill and some time with Ron, who is flying solo as Menna and Rhiannon are off in Wales tending to Menna's ailing mother. The kids liked checking out the Eternal Flame and exhausted us of all the pocket change we had as a result. Oliver has been sick the past week but was quite the trooper and is on the mend and more his normal happy self today. We have a busy week ahead and are looking forward to Brooklyn's birthday and Rhiannon's shower this weekend!

Cloudy skies, happy times with Uncle Ron!

Note to self: ask future Science teacher how a flame and a fountain can be in the same place.

Here comes another bus, Mommy!

Our Neighbourhood Pal

Isabelle and Oliver have a new friend that we are seeing regularly on our nightly walk.  Peter Rabbit seems to be out for a stroll the same time we are!  The kids are both so good to watch the little bunny make his way through the gardens, staying back far enough that he won't run for cover.   Now every night we are on the lookout for our bud; we have to remember to tell him to be good to us next Easter!

The Perfect Picnic

The annual family picnic had finally arrived and we wouldn't have missed it for the world.  It's always a rollicking good time with great food, fun games and most of all, hours and hours of time with an awesome family group.  As each year passes, our kids get older and have more and more fun, plus get the chance to reunite with the other kids and wreak havoc as the parents chat the day away.  This was the first year without the famous Uncle Roy, and he was sorely missed but prominent in our minds.  The family planted a new oak tree in his memory as the picnic was always his most famous stage. The tradition continues, as does the fun as Catherine, Jason and Kayla leave no stone unturned.  The Bangay family cleaned up in the annual competitions, with Mommy sweeping the nail hammering and the shoe kick (although Isabelle had a stellar effort, as pictured) and Grandpa blowing everyone away with a nail hammered in 2 whacks!  It was also nice to celebrate Uncle Larry's 80th and to spend quality time with him and everyone in attendance.  Oliver loved having the room to roam and Isabelle was clearly in her element.  It will be such a treat to come here every year and see their family bonds develop and strengthen.  It's a can't miss event, and we never plan to. Thanks, Catherine, a great time as always!

You mean I can just run around as much as I want!?

Never met a cupcake I didn't like!

Look at Isabelle's face, "Check it out, he's blowing out all the candles! Then we get to eat it!"

It was worth the wait, lots of icing and no need to eat the cake part!

Shoe kick champ reels in the hardware...

...and her Dad follows suit in the nail competition!

But look out, someone might be gaining on you, Grandpa!

A helping hand from his cousin.  Jason and Kayla are so great with every kid that comes to the picnic.  If our kids turn out like them, we've clearly done something right.

Enough competition, Gran, let's just go for a walk.

Slugging sweetie gives the pinata a beating

The architect of all this fun and family time.  We miss you and we love you, Roy.  Keep 'em laughing up there, they are lucky to have you!