Easter, etc.

Time again for my monthly update! I think I have just come to terms with the fact that this is the frequency of my posting. I'm good with that. Here have a lollipop to celebrate.

I'm pretty sure the look seen on Tegan's face is somewhere between excitement, disbelief that she would be given such a thing and terror that this is all some sort of amazing dream that could end at any second.

Then we had Easter! (I had no good segue into this, so I just went with it head on.)

In an interesting turn of events, Graye spent ages dying his eggs, while Tegan dunked hers in the pink, stuck a few bunny stickers on them and declared them masterpieces. She is usually the one that can spend a lot of time on colouring and crafts, while Graye is often bored within minutes. Maybe it takes something a little "scientific" to keep his attention.

Note the cracks - I'm pretty sure this is the main reason you boil the eggs first.

Tegan spent more time with me making rainbow cupcakes. These were pretty fun and even tasted good! We coloured white cake batter with packages of jello powder, then poured a little of each colour into the cupcake cup. My favourite was the raspberry flavour. Yerm.

The Easter bunny came and hid eggs all over for the kids to find - I'm hoping the he didn't hide some so well that we find them melted into the carpet one day! ...it was pretty late when he showed up ... and dark...

Tegan and Graye got to visit with their cousins some more, and were able to get in their baby fix at the same time that I got mine. :)

And finally summer came! Along with the sun came all the ladybugs. I think this it the only bug Tegan will touch, but heaven help us all if it decides to fly away... especially if it's escape route is towards her. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come running...

They've joined ranks and are making their escape!

So that was April! May will be just as exciting. Promise.

Catchup Post

Well it's been a little over forever since I've updated this blog, and I am quite tired of the Christmas photos always coming up! I know my sister is also, as I have been getting continuous reminders that I "still haven't updated the blog!" I should have been more diligent though, as TWO big things have happened since Christmas:

1. Levi Michael Youchezin was born!

My brother Neil and his wife Jackie had their second baby just after New Year's - their second boy! Now we have 2 nephews on my side of the family and 2 nieces on Ryan's side. We even things out. ;)

Graye and Tegan had to wait a couple of weeks before they could meet him as they both managed to get ridiculously sick right around New Year's. It's not a true Saskatchewan winter without at least one bout of the flu.



2. Tegan turned 4 years old! Ryan took her to Build-a-Bear to get one of her presents from us: making this cookie bear that she'd been eye-ing up for ages.

While she was out, I made her cake - a purple flower cake, by request. (YAY - no princesses!)

Then we all went to a school gym to hang out and run around with her cousins and friends. We made crowns (ok, there was some princess stuff), painted fingernails, played with the parachute, opened presents and read one of the books Tegan got as a gift.



I have to mention how different girl and boy parties are. This is the first party Tegan has had where she has invited school friends, but Graye has had a couple of these already. These girls sat so nicely in a circle while Tegan opened gifts - they didn't even move when they wanted to see something! They just asked politely if I could show them... "...and turn it the other way... oh, that's nice! Thanks." It was crazy!! But the very best kind of crazy.

Then we came home and had family over for more cake and a dance party with the Smurf's dancing game on the Wii.

And that is pretty much all we've done! I need to take the camera out and start taking some more pictures. It was my birthday recently as well and as a gift from my sis-in-law, we went to a intro photography course for an afternoon. I haven't even tried out my new "skillz" since then! Please don't expect too much though... I haven't brushed up on Photoshop yet - that knowledge is at least 10 years old. :) I'll get there!

Christmas 2011

Happy New Year everyone! We had a really great Christmas this year - the kids were super excited about everything and there were no meltdowns over presents! Best Christmas ever. ;) There are a million photos, as usual, many of which could have used some editing and more extensive commentary, but to be honest, it seems like a lot of effort and I would just like to get these all up here before Easter, haha! The whole family has been pretty sick for the last while and work is a bit nuts for me at the moment, so this is what you get! Really it's probably not all that different from most of my other posts. Sorry about that. Heh heh.

Christmas concerts! Here is Graye's:






And Tegan's:





Christmas morning - Graye got EXACTLY what he asked for from Santa... pretty lucky!

Tegan in her princess finery:




Once again, Dollarama provides the best Christmas gift of the season:

We went to my parents' place on Christmas afternoon, and got to see Great Grandma.



We took a picture of us at my parents' place outside, to illustrate what an odd winter it has been so far - no snow at Christmas!!

We went to Ryan's parents' on boxing day, to celebrate with his side of the family. Here are the Andersen cousins, so far. (Next year there will be one more - congrats Kristen and Chris!)

Gifts from Aunty Kristen and Uncle Chris - thank you, everyone loved them!!



Tegan demonstrating how well her twirly skirt twirls:

Some photos of my daily activities - doing Tegan's hair:

And colouring - usually I start with a kid and end up on my own. Usually.

Thanks to Maizie and Ella for the lovely aprons they made. They've already been put to good use.

This is what our family does on Ukrainian Christmas - sword fights!!


Tegan isn't that excited about Ukrainian Christmas activities... maybe we should have got her a sword too.



Hope everyone's 2012 is an amazing year - lots of love from all of us! xo