Brooke Smurf and Chloe Smurf

Here is Brooke Smurf...compliments of McDonalds. lol 

And Chloe Smurf.

I am always telling people how the girls look nothing alike and that I can never understand why people think they are twins. When I was editing these photos, I had to do a second look to see who was who!! LOL

Cleaning their room?? I think not! lol

I asked the girls to clean their room...instead of cleaning they dressed a bunch of teddy bears and dollys. After we had a huge fight, I took a photo of the dressed up animals.

The two waterbabies dressed in cabbage patch kid clothes...they are just a tad too big for them. lol

Horsey is wearing earrings...

and so is Teddy. lol

Scrapbooking!

I finally managed to visit the local scrapbook store, and picked up their sketch challenge for this month. I am to create using the sketches as my inspiration. I do not have to stick to the sketch, I can make changes where I feel are necessary. At the end of the month, I go down the scrapbook store on one of two days and we discuss and talk about our pages and share ideas and techniques.

Here is the sketch for the layout (there is one for cards too). Just ignore my notes there. lol

Here is my 2 page layout put together....

Close up of Page 1 

Close up of Page 2

Here is the card sketch and my final version of the sketch. I love this particular bo bunny line! (that's the paper)

I have to say tho, that my guest room/scrapbook room did not fair very well from my creativeness! lol It kinda looks like a tornado swept through.

Assiniboine Park Conservatory

We met up with some new friends this week at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory. First, we walked the Terry Fox Fitness trail, then we spent some time checking out the conservatory. 

The kids spied the Koi fish first. They thought that was pretty cool and wanted money to throw into the pond, which I didn't have and wouldn't have given anyways...not everything is a wishing well! lol

Then the kids found turtles...well the turtles became the highlight of our adventure. The kids loved the turtles and spent lots of time asking questions and watching them swim.

What's that a hobbit house?!?!? pretty cool! The kids wanted to get a lot closer and see if the hobbit was home. It was a little difficult to keep them out of the plants. lol

Yup clothes on the line and everything! I loved it! lol

A funky face statue thing...lol

Brooke wanted me to take her photo on the rock...so I did. Chloe wasn`t willing to have her photo taken.

Pretty pink flowers.

Playin' Catch

Today, we spent some time outside. Well we do most days, just most of the time I don't take photos or write about it. I decided that today should be a "normal" day kinda post.

First, we let Tucker out and we play fetch until he prefers to laydown rather then chase the ball. lol

Then we use his ball to play catch! First, we all play, then I let the girls play while I watch and coach from the sidelines while drinking my coffee. lol

The throwing is getting better, but the catching could use some more work! lol

Even Chloe is getting better at throwing. She and Brooke have a great time throwing the ball back and forth to one another.

Chloe's Favourite Meal

Chloe loves her tacos! This was her second one. lol She passed up more fries to have more taco!

I guess I know what to make her on her birthday from now on! 

Canadian Military Life..What it's really Like Part 1

Military life is not a life for everyone. That's for sure. It's not even a life for half the population. It's hard, it's always changing, and full of hurry up and wait's and suck it up buttercups.

It has it's ups and downs, just like everyone else's life. We don't have it easier, and we don't really have it harder, we just have it different.

I have a few friends who say "I don't know how you do it, moving all the time."

First off, we don't move ALL the time. My family has moved every 2 years for the last 7 years. But not every military family moves that often. My husband is an infantry officer, Officers tend to move around more often then NCM (non-commissioned members). Some military personnel, spend most of their career in one or two locations. 

Moving is actually kinda fun. I have had the opportunity to drive all the way (ok pretty near) across the country 5 times. We have gone the Ontario Northern route, we have taken the Ontario Southern route (around the lakes) and we have driven through the states around the lakes. Since a lot of people in Canada NEVER get the opportunity in their lives to drive across the country 1 time, I would count myself and my family very lucky to have been able to do it 5 times and Jeremy hasn't retired yet, so hard to say how many more times we have left.

Each time we drive across the country, we try to stop at as many different towns/locations as possible. This keeps the adventure new and exciting. I love moving and I hope that the girls will love it as much when they are older as they do now.

"Base housing is free, and you don't pay for utilities"

Ok, so this statement is so false it's not even funny. PMQ rent comes off the members pay check, before he/she gets paid, CFHA (Canadian Forces Housing Association) gets their pay. We have to pay our own utilities, and they do not comes with stoves, fridges, or washer and dryers. We need to purchase these items before moving in. Even apartments come with appliances! lol

"Military Families can go to the Doctors on Base"

Nope, We can't. Like anyone else who moves provinces, we have to find our own doctors. Which is really difficult in most provinces and we end up going to walk in clinics as our only way to see a doctor, it makes it very stressful for the families and I really wish there was a better solution or more doctors so that we can all have family doctors.

Bird's Hill Provincial Park

On Monday of the long weekend, we decided to head to Bird's Hill Provincial Park, which is just outside the city. One thing about Manitoba there are tons and tons of provincial parks to explore. We have been to Bird's Hill before and after this trip we aren't sure we'd like to go back any time too soon, not quite what we were looking for. I found their maps of trails to be horribly inaccurate, which makes the possibility of getting lost more likely. 

But, I got some awesome photos while we were there. I`m still leaning towards a zoo membership rather then a park. 

These are some berries we seen, not sure if they are edible or not, but they looked pretty. lol

Birch tree area. Trees out here just don`t grow as big as they do back home.

This lone black eyed susan stuck out like a sore thumb.

This butterfly was fluttering around these flowers, was hard not to take a photo. All I did was enhance the color of this for editing.

I love color splash! lol and I love how this photo turned out.

A fence in the middle of the woods, makes one believe they aren't so far into the woods. lol

I thought these leaves were pretty.

Manitoba Forest...

Chloe calls the roots that are just above the ground "messy stairs".

Moss on the tree. I miss old man moss. lol Love the lighting on this one.

I liked the way this photo turned out.

Water on the leaf. Looked so pretty.

Yellow flower with a bug on it. lol 

The girls wanted their photos taken on the bench. This was across from the field, where I took most of the flower photos from above.

Brooke wanted her photo taken on the rock. She's such a great model...if only i could get her to smile more naturally.

Up lose, with her silly smile.

Standing on a rock, she loved climbing up on the rocks.

Chloe looks so sad here. I can't remember exactly why she was sad, but here is her little sad face.

Happy times hiking in the woods.

Family outings are the best!

Brooke trying to catch a toad. She was unsuccessful, but not for lack of trying!

Nature Playground with Family

We met up with Tara, Ralph and Jaxon at the Nature Playground in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg. It's a children's park inside the big Assiniboine Park, it's also where we had Chloe's Birthday party. The girls were excited to go back to the playground and to play with Jaxon again.

Brooke waiting in line to go up to the Crow's Nest to slide down the fast slide.

Chloe disappeared several times on me, it's a pretty big playground and it was pretty busy, so keeping eyes on her was hard work. When I finally found her she was playing in the mud. Is that a surprise?? No. lol

Brooke has gotten to be a pretty good model for me. lol

Another of those moments where Chloe wandered off. She didn't even see me take this photo. lol

Brooke climbing up to the crows nest.

She was squatted down so nice, but I didn't catch her. lol She was getting up. This one shows off her banged up legs, Why are kids so hard on their knees and legs in the summer? Both of my girls are all bruised up.

It got pretty quiet when this plane went over head, of course it was pretty loud too, but everyone stopped to look up at it, and the little boys all stopped to watch with excited faces.

Jaxon and Brooke waiting their turn on the saucer swings.

Jaxon finally stopped long enough to take a photo...boy he has lots of energy, not that my girls don't, just seems Jaxon has more! lol

I thought these feet in the water were too cute.

Tara, Ralph and Jeremy sittin' pretty. lol 

Jeremy and Ralph did a lot of catching up.

As we were leaving the park, Brooke and Jaxon were holding hands.

Just as we were almost out, Chloe joins in...couldn't help but to get a photo of the 3 cousins walking down the pathway.