Ottawa Realizations . . .

I love walking around downtown Ottawa. Tonight before I met with friends in the Market, I walked Major's Hill Park and the grounds of Parliament Hill. This photo (phone camera...poor quality) is from the park looking up to the clock tower on Parliament Hill.

I was struck by the history of where I was walking and as I reflected - I thought that this would be a great place to live with the family...

But then I remember each time I've ever worked along side the Feds (sorry, Grant!) and I know the bureaucracy of this city would drive me insane!

So we'll just have to plan a family visit instead! hahaha. In all seriousness, I think this is my next favorite Canadian City after Calgary. I really wish Calgary could duplicate the vibe and atmosphere of the Market here - Eau Claire is just so bland in comparison.

What are your thoughts on our Nation's Capital?

Time Away . . .

We are nearing the end of the first week apart - Katie and Megan in BC and Scott in ON. Let's get you up-to-date!

The girls have had a great visit with Nana and Baba so far. They made a trip to Vancouver and visited with Great Grandma and Grandpa. She was a little shy - but warmed up to them at the end. Megan continues to impress Nana and Baba - trying new activities, etc. And wouldn't you know it - she said, "Da da, Da da" for the first time while she has been there. Scott can't wait to see her and put a face to the words!

They have both enjoyed their cuddle times with Megan and continue to help her explore all the West Coast Adventures along the way...which can be a tiring experience - so lots of naps are required : )

Scott's course is going well. And the weather in Ottawa has been beautiful (Yeah, we missed the Calgary snow storm!) He'll be doing homework on the weekend, but has a trip planned to Quebec to check out a show and poker tournament for some fun!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Captions!

Dad surprised us with being home early this afternoon from work. We made the most of it by playing with our little girl and capturing some of it to share.

Here's some of our captions - but you can help by submitting your ideas too...from Left to Right, Top to Bottom #1 to #4....

#1: "Is there a lifeguard on duty? Because I'm about to swipe all my toys into the water!"

#2: "Life is good. Hand in my mouth and the other in daddy's"

#3: "Kick back and relax!"

#4: "Pause to ponder what's going on behind the curls."

After tomorrow we have an extra long weekend together - Katie's Birthday Bowlerama is on Saturday, we are volunteering at the Police Half Marathon on Sunday and then some family time on Monday before Scott heads to Ottawa for the better part of 2 weeks. Katie will be on the Island for most of it - so there should be some great blogs with Nana, Baba, Uncle Grant, Aunt Heather and the Boyd boy cousins! Stay tuned...

Birthday and Babies

We were at the farm tonight celebrating Damian's 11th Birthday with the family. It was a cowboy theme party, so everyone got hats and six shooters!

He loved our gift -- Making Science Fun Kit -- Any time there are safety goggles...you know kids will love it! He couldn't wait to mix together some of the contents! Adam told him that maybe the Kit only works at Aunt Katie's house....where they have to clean up the mess : )

The girl cousins also had fun exploring and playing together. They are so cute to watch interact with each other. Wait another few months until Megan can crawl after Sierra!


Here's our little drummer! And any good rock star needs sunglasses!

Photos, Photos, Photos

It has been the weekend of presents. Scott gave me my birthday present a couple of weeks early this year...a Canon Rebel T1i! I can't believe the quality of photos is takes without even trying - wait until we learn to really use it!

We were fortunate to get a visit from Adam, Roxcie and Sierra, and Grandma & Grandpa yesterday evening so it gave us a chance to snap some photos and test out our new camera...

We haven't quite figured out how to use the video mode yet (it takes HD video too!), but as soon as we do I'm sure you will be seeing more video of Megan (don't worry Heather, we will make sure to hold the camera in the correct orientation this time!).

Hope everyone is having a good weekend...and speaking of Birthdays...Happy Birthday Baba :)

Drummer Boy!

Katie and Megan gave me an early graduation present!! She told me she's ordered an electronic drum set for finishing my Masters (4 more weeks!)

It's a Yamaha DTXPLORER. It comes with 32 factory kits, plus 10 user kits which you build from the 214 voices! It comes with everything you see in the photo - most kits don't come with a bass pedal, so this is unique - really a great deal. Plus, it has tons of pre-programmed drum lessons and an ipod input - to play along with your favorite tunes.

It's on order and should be here when I'm finished school...anything sooner will be trouble...as my concentration has already waned! I can't wait to set it up and teach Megan to play!!

If you want more details (Paul!) check out the Yamaha DTX Drums Site.

Thanks, Katie & Megan!! xo

6 Month Update

Yes, we're more than a week behind giving Megan's 6 Month Update - but because we were fighting colds, we didn't get a chance to measure and weigh last week. We took care of that today and Megan is now 15lbs 3oz. and 27 inches tall.

She loves spending time in her bouncer - often she is in her own world. But when she realizes she has an audience, she shows off with a huge smile. Enjoy the video clip!

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Easter Weekend. We've been sick this past week...but everyone is now on the mend and looking forward to an extra long weekend. Scott doesn't go back to work until Tuesday, so it's nice to have 4 days at home instead of the normal 3 days.

We went for dinner with friends last night - grandma and grandpa babysat. It's a great Calgary Steak House and their special included some seafood which was a table favorite!

We have more walks planned the rest of the weekend and Scott now only has 5 more weeks of school before he's done his Masters! So we are trying to keep him motivated as he writes his final paper.

We'll have a small Easter dinner at our place with Grandma and Grandpa and a friend. Here's what else is going on...

Megan is getting better with her sippy cup. Katie has been getting creative in her sewing! She made a cat pillow for babies to play on in homes with hardwood floors. Her girlfriends have now placed their orders for a hippo, whale, butterfly and another cat! It's keeping her busy and she loves doing it.

Megan got a new toy this week from a friend who's child has grown out of it - she's enjoying all it has to offer. We put our names on a wait list for childcare. Scott's work has a contract with a company - guarantees you a spot, as long as you give 6 months notice. And since Megan turned 6 months a few weeks ago...the last half of mat leave will fly by quickly too!

Have a great weekend.