Emma and Gabriel

We're moving....blogs!

2010-04-08T16:12:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we are having some trouble with our blog. It appears we have exceeded our photo limit and while we are trying to figure this out and put our pictures into archives for the kids one day we have started another one.

Same format just different name so we can continue to share all of our fun adventures with you!

Enjoy,

http://emmaandgabrielbrown2.blogspot.com

Rose, Rob, Emma and Gabriel

We'll be back soon!

2010-04-06T16:25:00.005-05:00

We are currently experiencing a problem with our blogger account (uploading pictures) and are in the process of figuring it out.
We hope it have it fixed and be back up and posting again in the next few days!

In case we're not up and running tomorrow a special birthday wish to Uncle Doug!
We hope you have a fantastic birthday tomorrow and Angela spoils you rotten!

Lots of love always,
Rosie, Rob, Emma and Gabriel xoxox

Easter at the Zoo

2010-04-03T10:48:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we spent a wonderfully warm and sunny day at the zoo.
We were joined by friends, Neil, Debbie, their daughter Taralyn and family friend Skye and also our good friend Doug.

Emma and Skye getting to know each other. They became fast friends!

Climbing trees.

Our little tree hugger;)

Taralyn enjoying the geese.

What a great hug!

Neil and Taralyn.

Exploring the caves.

Group hug....Neil, Taralyn, Deb, Doug and Rob.

Showing off the bird's nest the girls made.

Enjoying a Popsicle on a hot day!

Happy girls!

Up a tree!

2010-04-02T19:36:00.002-05:00

The four Musketeers!

2010-03-30T10:06:00.001-05:00

Good luck Auntie Kim!

2010-03-29T09:22:00.002-05:00

Auntie Kim starts her new job today and we just wanted to wish you a great first day!
We're all very excited for you and can't wait to hear all about it!

First loose tooth!

2010-03-28T10:49:00.002-05:00

Emma has her first loose tooth! We noticed it last weekend and it is getting wigglier by the day!
Needless to say she is very excited and has informed us that the tooth fairy can look at her tooth but not take it!
In the same week I noticed that her six year molars have erupted and are coming through nicely!
Our baby is growing up!!

Disney on Ice

2010-03-26T09:13:00.004-05:00

On Sunday I enjoyed a special date day with my little princess.
We headed down to Disney on Ice just the two of us.

Like last year we had great seats, although this year our seats were even better and we were just three rows up from the ice!

Cinderella's castle.

Aladdin.

The three godmothers from Sleeping Beauty.

Ariel and Ursula.

I think some of my favourite...the seven dwarfs!

Emma's favourite Belle and the beast.

Minnie, Mickey and Goofy.

Our little Belle enjoying the show.

Enjoying cotton candy on the way home!

Camp out!!

2010-03-25T10:03:00.003-05:00

What March Break is complete without a camp out one night?!!

Maple Syrup Festival at Bruce's Mill

2010-03-24T08:15:00.009-05:00

On Friday we spent the day at Bruce's Mill with my girlfriend Erin and her two daughters Caitlin and Lauren as it is their annual Sugar bush Maple Syrup Festival.

Once again we had beautiful weather and we all enjoyed a walk through the forest and the kids were interested in seeing how the maple sap is collected from the trees.

There was lots to see and do and the kids enjoyed pony rides, the petting zoo and a wagon ride!
I think one of the yummiest parts though was our pancake lunch which everyone seemed to love!!

Enjoying the petting zoo.

Gabriel and his pony.

Emma with hers.

The whole gang.

Checking out the cabin.

Yummy!

The girls enjoying theirs too.

Seeing where the sap is collected.

Wagon ride.....with G not looking too happy!

Better now that we started moving!

Of course what day is complete without face painting?

Emma's butterfly.

Caitlin got pretty puppy paws.

And Gabriel got a "scary lion's paw"!

Buddies at the park

2010-03-23T08:31:00.004-05:00

On Thursday my two girlfriends Erin and Bronwin took the day off. We all met at Fairy Lake where we enjoyed a day of catching up, playing and a picnic.

Ballerina and Spark buddies!

Emma and Reece.

Gabriel showing me his rocket launcher that another little boy was nice to let him play with.

After our day at the park the kids ended it by feeding the ducks on the bridge.

Group shot at the end.

Gabriel, Emma, Nevyn, Reece, Holly and Declan.

Beaches with Auntie Becky

2010-03-22T08:18:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday we spent the day with Auntie Becky and headed down to the Beaches for a picnic and some play park time.

Thanks for the Easter treats Auntie June...the kids loved them:)

Zoo fun

2010-03-21T16:54:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday we spent the day at the Zoo with friends Joshua, Ethan and Taralyn.
It was warm and sunny and the kids all had so much fun playing together.

Gabriel and Ethan.

Our princess.

We spent a long time watching the polar bears as they were the most playful and active we've seen them.

Taralyn enjoying the ride.

The best group shot we got!

March Break fun

2010-03-20T12:05:00.004-05:00

We have been spoiled weather wise lately. To have such great weather in Florida and then come home to + 18 most days has been a wonderful treat...and perfectly timed with Emma's March Break.

We had a really great week. Even though we had her home with us for twelve days I was selfishly happy to have her home with us for another week! We did lots of fun things and enjoyed spending time with with friends and family.

We started our week of fun with glow in the dark mini golf and were happy that Auntie Kim could join us.

Date walks!!

2010-03-19T19:55:00.006-05:00

Like last year, Rob and I were spoiled with lots of time together. Each night after the kids went to bed we would head out for our nightly walk.
I can't tell you how much we enjoyed this time. Time to walk and talk and just be together.
It was such a treat and we were so excited before we left knowing we were going to have this time together.

Once again we found my friend every night ( the Blue Heron) and we would walk to the pier and sit and enjoy the sounds of the sea.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for watching the kiddies and thanks to my favourite walking partner for the great company and conversation! I loved every minute of it :)

Grandma and Grandpa time

2010-03-18T00:42:00.007-05:00

One of the things that the kids enjoyed so much about Florida was staying with Grandma and Grandpa!
It was a special treat and I know that they had a lot of fun, whether it was snuggling for a book, a cuddle on the couch, going for a walk or just out exploring in the sand and water!

Story time with Grandma.

Having some down time.

Enjoying a lift.

Dipping his toes.

Out for a walk with Grandpa.

Having a snuggle!

Playing trouble with Grandma.

Looking for treasures

2010-03-17T09:05:00.002-05:00

Searching for treasures with Daddy when the tide is low is always a fun thing to do!

Meeting the Characters

2010-03-16T08:06:00.004-05:00

What's a day at Disney without meeting up with a few of your friends?
Emma really wanted to see Belle and we hit the jackpot about twenty minutes into the park.
Gabriel as you can tell from the pictures loved Mickey and Minnie so I was so happy he could meet them both!

Disney and Magic Kingdom

2010-03-15T16:28:00.012-05:00

We had decided to take the kids to Disney for at least one day and we spent the day at the Magic Kingdom.
We left super early and spent the whole twelve hours in the park. We rented a double stroller so the kids could rest as they wished and away we went!

It was such a magical day and we all had so much fun. I think we saw everything we wanted to and went of every ride minus a big roller coaster!
We took so many pictures but here are a "few" that captured our day...enjoy!

Arriving at the Magic Kingdom.

Watching Belle's story time.

...while eating fruit loops!

Waiting to go on the race cars.

Emma driving her car!

This talking garbage can followed Emma around and sang the Beauty and the Beast song to her...it was quite funny!

Mama and my monkeys with Dumbo.

This picture speaks for itself;)

Going in to see Mickey's 3D movie (which was really good!).

Enjoying Cinderella's carousel.

Emma in the boat on It's a small world.

Some of It's a small world.

Enjoying a ride while Daddy is being silly!

We loved all the different animals during our boat ride in the jungle!

Gabriel and Daddy on the boat.

I think one of my favourite all time pictures. Emma was having so much fun making her magic carpet go up and down and this picture captures it perfectly! Her little side kick loved it too!

Up in the Robinson's Family Tree house.

Climbing, climbing and more climbing!

Up at the top.

Me and my girl in front of the castle.

Getting a lift down Main Street.

Mickey's house.

Who grew Minnie ears?!!

Minne's house.

Driving a race car x 2!

Daddy and Emma's car.

Buzz lightyear ride.

Ending the day with spectacular fireworks!

Mini golfing and bird watching

2010-03-14T17:29:00.004-05:00

We had a few mornings that were a bit cool for the beach so on these days while we were waiting for the sun to come out we took the kids to do different things on the island.

We went mini putting again this year a few times and it was really neat to watch them play again.
Emma was on a lucky streak and got three free games so we took the kids twice and saved one for next year! ( The first free game we used was Emma's win from last year which Grandpa had saved...!)

Loving their ice cream!

2010-03-13T09:36:00.005-06:00

If there was one thing we did a lot on our vacation it was scope out the different ice cream shops on the island!
Each place had such yummy ice cream that I don't think I could pick a favourite...it's a good thing Rob and I did our nightly walks again this year as we enjoyed our ice cream just as much as the kids did!!

Water babes

2010-03-12T13:07:00.012-06:00

The pool was a big hit with the record being set one day at five hours of swimming...I kid you not!
The kids loved the smaller pool by the beach as it was warmer (which Mama appreciated) and we spent lots of time there as you will soon see!

The Beach

2010-03-11T15:50:00.007-06:00

We spent a lot of time at the beach.
The kids loved building sand castles, collecting sea shells and going out in the water for quick dips .
On Monday we were joined by Uncle Kevin, Auntie Sam, Ellie and Peter before they left for back home and the cousins all had fun playing together!

He swims!

2010-03-10T16:57:00.006-06:00

We are back from a wonderful and relaxing twelve day vacation in sunny Florida!
We had an awesome time. The weather co-operated for us ( we were worried going down as it had been cool the weeks before) but we had lots of sun and lots of fun!
Special thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa Brown for hosting us. It's always such a treat to go down!

We took lots of pictures but I am going to start with a video of Gabriel.

We had bought Emma a pair of water wings our first day down which she loved and we didn't think Gabriel would be ready or interested quite yet....but we were wrong! He was awesome with them, swimming around the pool ( which wasn't shallow) he wanted to be one of the "big boys" and had fun swimming with some older boys and Emma.

Here he is swimming to the stairs which he loved climbing in and out of the pool on!
Enjoy....

Off to doggy camp he goes!

2010-02-24T19:13:00.002-06:00

I love our family vacation to Florida. It's such a wonderful break from winter and a great family getaway.
The only part about travelling that I don't like that much is having to leave Mr. Chase!

We send him to a fabulous kennel which has doggy day care in the day. Every time he goes he spends three hours in the morning playing with other dogs in an awesome indoor dome and then goes to his kennel to rest and then back he goes for another three in the pm. We joke that it's one of the priciest parts of our trip but we know how much fun he has and how well taken care of he is there so it's worth it. We;re so grateful to have found them.

This year I have been worrying a bit more about him going as he is slowing down. He's eight and for a large breed he's middle age....so we;re noticing a bit more lounging than normal.
I just hope he does okay with out us and I am sure he will...it's the mom in me...fur baby and all I worry!

Yesterday the kids and I went out to play in the snow and all my worries were put at ease. Chase was a nut ball...tearing through the snow, destroying all our snow castles...trying to eat my gloves ( he hates any types of gloves)... so then I stopped worrying about him and started worrying about the kennel...good thing for us that they love him;)

Buzzcut

2010-02-23T08:05:00.003-06:00

Someone got a buzz cut for our upcoming Florida trip!
He has however decided that he recently hates haircuts and decided to cry and fuss through the WHOLE thing!

I was impressed with what a great job she did considering what it took to get it that short.

Bowling party

2010-02-22T20:18:00.003-06:00

On Sunday Emma spent the afternoon at her friend Massimo's birthday party. They went bowling which Emma loved!
I always enjoy seeing her play with all her friends and we've been lucky she has such a great group of children ( and parents) in her class!

Our budding artist

2010-02-19T15:48:00.002-06:00

Emma loves to draw, colour, paint and just create! It's one of her favourite things to do and we have lots of beautiful art work from school and home displayed around our house.

For Christmas Santa brought her this amazing set which has every crayon, marker, paint, pencil crayon you can imagine. She has been enjoying it so much and we love to see what creations she comes up with!

Making some birthday cards a few weeks ago.

Stencils and stickers...another favourite!

Happy Birthday Uncle John!

2010-02-18T10:23:00.001-06:00

Today we want to wish Uncle John a very Happy Birthday! We hope you have a great day and we look forward to celebrating with you on Saturday:)

We love you lots!
Love, Rose, Rob, Emma and Gabriel xoxo

When did she get so tall?!!

2010-02-17T08:50:00.004-06:00

Rob and I often look at Emma these days and find it hard to believe our little angel is almost five and a half and will be in Grade one next year!!
I took this picture of her a few weeks back and can't get over just how tall and grown up she is getting!

Emma and Holly hit the slopes!

2010-02-16T06:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday for Family Day we headed back to Snow Valley for an afternoon of tubing.
We were joined by our friend Erin and Emma's buddy Holly.
The wait was long but the girls were so good and once we got to the slopes they had a fun afternoon going down together again and again!

Waiting by the fire while we waited to buy tickets.

All ready to go.

Getting a push from Daddy.

Mr. Man enjoying some hot chocolate and warming up after an afternoon outside.

Happy trio!

WInter fun at the Zoo

2010-02-15T09:32:00.004-06:00

We spent Saturday at the Zoo.
They had a few different activities going on to celebrate Valentine's Day and Family Day and the kids enjoyed participating in them.
One fun thing was a "love bug" exhibit. They had of all these different bugs from around the world set up and you could go around and examine them...some were even out with no cage or tank..... Not my favourite ones;)

After that the kids enjoyed making some of their own love bugs to take home.

They had volunteers helping out so Emma had some help!

Gabriel and Daddy making a love bug.

Checking out the sleeping Polar bears.

A friend we met in the pavilion.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:04:00.003-06:00

Today we have had a fun packed Valentine's Day.
It started with a yummy breakfast with heart toast, eggs and pancakes made by Daddy.

Later this afternoon the kids went to spend the afternoon/ evening with Auntie Suzy while Rob and I went out for dinner and then skating at Nathan Phillips Square. I have always wanted to go and it was such a perfect night to do it. Just the two of us. Thanks Auntie Suzy!!

We hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day and special thanks to my three special Valentine's for making my day so special :)

Valentine cards

2010-02-10T12:57:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year again and Emma has been busy writing Valentine cards out for all her friends.

This year is especially busy as she is having a class party, Sparks party and ballet party!

She did them on the weekend and had some fun decorating them all with yummy lollipops!

Our little artist at work.

Snow Tubing!

2010-02-09T13:45:00.004-06:00

On Sunday we took the kids tubing at Snow Valley. It was so much fun!
Emma loved going down the hills with Rob and myself and Gabriel...not so much!
He was happy enough to take turns sitting with us while the other went down with Emma.
Maybe next time!

Daddy and Emma all ready to go....

Just hanging out with Mama.

She loved it!!

Carrying up her tube to go again.

And they are off....

By the end of our day Emma was going down all by herself!

Waiting with no mitts.

Taking a ride

2010-02-06T12:23:00.002-06:00

We had fun the other day checking out ( and trying out) the ATV and boats in Bass Pro shop!

Simple math

2010-02-05T15:49:00.003-06:00

Big sister

+ little brother....

= Best buds for life!

Proud Mama!

2010-02-04T13:32:00.003-06:00

Okay so I may have dragged Gabriel to a few grocery stores on Monday to go and see Emma's ad and then taken a few pictures....What can I say...I'm a proud Mommy!

The funny thing is Emma is yet to see the ad (in the store). Her friends have all seen it, everyday at school or Sparks it seems another friend is telling her about it!

We'll have to make a trip this weekend!

Bowling

2010-02-03T20:21:00.003-06:00

On Monday Emma had a PA Day so we went bowling with Auntie Kim.

We went to Lucky Strike where they not only have bumpers but these cool contraptions for the kids to roll the ball down...so fun and easy!

The kids had fun, and it was great to have Auntie Kim with us! Thanks for coming Kim:)

Is she dancing or bowling?

Happy Gabriel as he knocked down some pins!

Helping out her brother...

Doing her happy dance. She is a good little bowler.

Close game....Gabriel gave up in the end (as we had woken him up from his nap to play) so Emma finished playing both games and ended up beating herself! We never mentioned this to her of course.

Celebrating Auntie Anna and Uncle Rory's birthdays

2010-02-02T20:28:00.002-06:00

We had a fun night celebrating Anna and Rory's birthdays on Sunday.
Thanks for hosting Grandma and Papa!

Our little model

2010-02-01T09:09:00.003-06:00

In November Emma was given the opportunity to model for Mott's.
We headed down to Auntie Angela's work and Emma spent the morning shooting this ad for Mott's Fruitsations.
She was amazing and I was so proud of her as I watched her shoot many different shots and follow direction so well from adults she hadn't met before.
A big thanks to Auntie Angela for making her feel so at home!

Yesterday we found out that the advertisement is up and running!
It is so exciting to see it out there for everyone to see (when we left they were choosing between two shots and so we only found out yesterday which one they had run with).
We are very proud parents and I think it is safe to say between the two of us we are going to
hit every grocery store out there and get as many copies as we can!!

Nails by Auntie Becky

2010-01-31T10:32:00.004-06:00

The kids enjoyed getting their nails painted last night by Auntie Becky.
What started as Emma getting her nails done soon led to Gabriel getting his painted too!
Good thing hot pink looks good on him;)

Emma drying her nails!

Gabriel getting his done!

Personally I think he wanted them painted just so he could use the the nail dryer too!

Loving his bananas

2010-01-29T10:12:00.002-06:00

Gabriel enjoying one if his all time favourite snacks!

Visiting from Panama

2010-01-27T12:36:00.003-06:00

A few weekends ago our good friends Colleen and Raideep were visiting from Panama.
We don't get to see them as often as we would like so it was a real treat to visit and catch up!

Thanks to Colleen's mom and dad for wonderful dinner and evening!

Group shot with Finn ( Colleen and Raideep's nephew Finn).

Cowgirl Emma.

And cowboy Gabriel....the kids all enjoyed playing with costumes that Mamacita had made over the years!

Emma skating on her own!

2010-01-26T15:59:00.004-06:00

Emma skating this weekend! We lucked out and pretty much had the rink to ourselves ( as you will see).

We are so proud of how quickly she is picking up skating....it was only last week she was holding our hands. This week she wanted to do it all by herself. Pretty impressive for her second time on the ice this season!

Dressing up with Daddy and Grandpa

2010-01-25T09:09:00.002-06:00

We had a fun evening at Grandma and Grandpa's on Saturday and the kids ( along with Grandpa and Daddy) enjoyed some dress up!

I guess he really likes them!

2010-01-21T09:50:00.006-06:00

Yes that is Gabriel sleeping in his new shark rain boots!

The other day I found these rain boots to replace his "roar" boots from last year, which to his disappointment are too small and also have grown a hole in them:(
He was very excited to get them and has spent a lot of time wearing them.

He was however a little concerned as to why he couldn't wear his roar boots anymore, So after explaining that they were too little we agreed that he could still have them out and they could "sleep" by his bed!

Oh to be three again.....:)

Out for dinner

2010-01-20T20:31:00.002-06:00

After skating we took the kids for a family dinner at Swiss Chalet. It had been a while since we had gone out for a sit down meal with both kids ( the last dinner at Swiss Chalet included Gabriel leaving the table about a million times and Emma trying to chase him around the restaurant!). Not the best way to make new friends!

I am happy to report that this was a much quieter and more pleasant experience with both kids eating well, and remaining in their seats! Oh and the best part....aside from all being together, Mommy and Daddy got to finish their meals;)!!

Always the comic!

All registered for Junior Kindergarten!

2010-01-19T09:55:00.002-06:00

We did it! Yesterday we enrolled our baby..sniff..sniff in Kindergarten for September.
How exactly we got to this point is beyond me?! Time really does fly when you are having fun I guess.

Gabriel is fairly used to school as he drops Emma off every day and we have been going in on Thursday afternoons to spend the afternoon in the JK room for over two years now.
He has been playing up to now but last week was asked to sit in circle time and even did a craft for a child who was absent.
He was pretty proud of himself for that!
I help out the students with their work and crafts like last year, which leaves him to play on his own and he has been getting along and forming friendships with the other kids which has been great to watch. Gives me a sense of relief for next year.

So while September may be in the not too distant future, I am going to enjoy every last minute I have of having him home full time with me!

"All registered"!!

Family skate

2010-01-18T10:53:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had a really fun afternoon skating.
There is a local rink that is outdoors and with the weather being so beautifully mild we decided to take advantage.
We can't get over how much Emma has improved since last year! It was her first time on the ice since last winter and she was awesome! We are very proud of our little skater.
She did a great job!
This was Gabriel's first time and he did well too. He didn't last very long ( two rounds around the ice) but after that was happy enough to walk with us as we skated!

After skating we went out for a family dinner which was a nice treat!

Daddy and our little skaters.

Much happier in his boots:)

Emma and Daddy.

Around and around they go.

Emma let go several times and was able to skate a short distance to us!

The girls having a skate!

Fashion diva in the making?!!

2010-01-15T16:13:00.004-06:00

In Emma's words " It matches because it's all PINK"!!
Watch out Donna Karan she just might be coming for your job;)

Driving buddies

2010-01-14T22:06:00.000-06:00

Driving the cart around the grocery store the other day.

Conversations with Gabriel

2010-01-13T09:40:00.004-06:00

This was too funny I had to share it.

This morning I am trying to find out what the kids want for breakfast.

Me: "Gabriel"

Gabriel: Nothing.... playing with his trains.

Me: "Gabriel"

Gabriel: Again nothing...looks up but then continues to still play.

Me: "Gabriel, what are you doing buddy?"

Gabriel: Looks up and says "Ignoring you"!!

I couldn't help myself but burst into laughter...guess I will be hearing that phrase a few more times as he seemed quite pleased with himself that I thought we was funny!

What a monkey:)

Daddy's little helper

2010-01-12T13:27:00.002-06:00

Gabriel loves to help Daddy cook breakfast on the weekends and this Saturday he helped make us omelets! They sure were yummy!

Phone fun

2010-01-11T15:04:00.002-06:00

"Hello Papa...are you there?"....

"Alright I guess I'll just send him a text!"

Happy Birthday Auntie Anna!

2010-01-09T11:09:00.003-06:00

Today is Auntie Anna's birthday and we hope you have a fun day and this is a great year for you!
Happy Happy 23rd Bean!

We love you lots and lots!
Love, Rosie, Rob , Emma and Gabriel xoxo

The birthday girl with two of her biggest fans at rib fest this summer!

Rainbow

2010-01-08T17:42:00.003-06:00

Every week at Sparks a girls name is pulled and she gets to bring home a doll called Rainbow for the week.
Rainbow is dressed in her own little sparks uniform and comes with a backpack, tent and puppy dog. At the end of the visit with Rainbow we ask the girls to write about their week and draw a picture which they then share at Sparks the following week.

Each girl will get at least one turn and the second year Sparks who are off to Brownies next year may have two turns.
Every week I watch Emma as she gets so excited in the hopes that her name will get pulled and am so proud of her when it's not and she still shows genuine happiness for her fellow Spark whose name was pulled.

Well on our last week of Sparks our head leader approached me and said that they like to give Rainbow to someone that they know will take care of her over the holidays and suggested Emma!
I was so excited for her but I wanted them to tell her. So at the end of our meeting they pulled her name and I wish I had a camera to so the happiness on her face! She was worth the wait!

So we had Rainbow living with us for two weeks and she did a lot of fun things. I didn't manage a lot of pictures as we were pretty busy but I got a few cute ones of the two sparks together:)

Until next year Rainbow.....

Reading in bed one lazy morning!

Emma and Rainbow.

What a monkey...

2010-01-07T20:56:00.002-06:00

Okay it was really hard not to go and bust out the camera when Gabriel came out of his room sporting Emma's puffy slippers this evening!
He's such a little monkey and he knows it!

He is at such a fun age right now and keeps us entertained on a daily basis:)

Buddies

2010-01-06T15:34:00.001-06:00

Having some fun playing with Emma's new Leapster the other day!

"Roar"

2010-01-05T17:57:00.001-06:00

Gabriel giving us his best roar in his new King of the jungle pjs....!

It snowed!!

2010-01-04T16:39:00.002-06:00

The snow has finally arrived and Emma and Gabriel couldn't be happier.

They spent some time after school playing and the hopes are to go tobogganing later this week...so snow please stick around!!

Loving the car wash..

2010-01-03T19:06:00.002-06:00

I don't know what it is about car washes but our kids love them! Anytime I am filling up for gas I am asked if we can please get a car wash.
When the weather was nicer it was easier to justify the odd wash however it seems pointless these days with all the slush and snow.

The other day I did cave as I wanted to rid my car of all the salt. So we went...TWICE! It appears the rinse cycle decided to break during our wash which left our car covered in suds... it left me know choice but to jet across town to another Sunoco to wash all the soap off my car! My luck! It was free though but still not how I wanted to spend my afternoon!

The kids were thrilled though as they got to see the "pretty soap" twice so at least one of us was happy:)

Wacthing the pretty coloured soap...always the highlight!

Our angel cake

2010-01-02T17:01:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T16:13:00.005-06:00

In keeping with tradition we all enjoyed a fun night at the Zoo ringing in the new year with the kids and then headed to Becky and John's for a fun evening!
The weather was great and the kids had fun roaming the Zoo at night and being with their friends!

We hope everyone had a safe and happy New Years Eve and all the best for 2010!

Lots of celebrating

2009-12-29T16:53:00.007-06:00

We have had a very busy but fun past three days.
On Saturday we went to Grandma and Papa's to celebrate a Whitebread Christmas. It was a really fun evening.

On Sunday we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's with the Gravenhurst Brown's.
The kids had fun seeing their cousins again and we all enjoyed a nice brunch.

Yesterday we headed to Whitby to my aunt Judy and Uncle Paul's for a Sacco Christmas!

We are so lucky to have such wonderful family to share the holidays with and thanks to all our wonderful hosts!

Gabriel opening up his present from Uncle Rory.

Admiring her new nail set from Auntie Angela and Uncle Doug.

A very happy baby Noah.

"What's in here?!!"

"Thanks Auntie June" he loves it!

Getting a lift from Uncle Rory.

Princess stickers!!

Emma and Ellie.

Dancing away.

A finger puppet from Arizona!

Opening some more presents.

We're not really sure why he was wearing no pants but he earned the nickname "Captain Underpants"!!

Grandma and baby Peter who was in awe of the dancing and singing snowmen!

The girls playing with Grandma's red hats!

A very fun Christmas Day!

2009-12-26T10:19:00.007-06:00

What a wonderful Christmas day we had yesterday!

I don't think Rob and I will ever tire of seeing the amazement and excitement that comes over Emma and Gabriel when they wake up and realize that Santa has been here. The magic of Christmas is truly wonderful!

Santa was very good to both of them and I think it's safe to say they were both very happy with all their treats!

After opening all of our presents from Santa and each other the kids played for a bit and then Grandma, Papa, Auntie Anna and Auntie Suzy came over for delicious Christmas brunch which cooked by Chef Rob!

We all enjoyed a wonderful meal and more present giving and then we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas dinner with the Brown's and Raine's.

A wonderful day!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and was able to share this happy time with the ones we all love!

Gabriel exploring his gift from Santa!

Emma opening her stocking.

Gabriel with his stocking.

Three Musketeers Barbie Doll! Someone was a happy girl:)

Gabriel checking it out!

Our artist already at work....

Auntie Anna.

Grandma and Emma opening her presents.

Happy girl!

Auntie Suzy.

Papa and Nala!

Waiting to open some more presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house. And she wasn't the least bit excited:)

Playing with her new Leapfrog Leapster from Santa.

Grandma and Grandpa got Gabriel a few more trains for his new track!

The Christmas hosts!

Santa's elves!

Some of the kiddies opening all their presents.

Best Buddies! Emma and cousin Robyn.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T00:03:00.003-06:00

From our family to yours we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Love, Rob, Rose, Emma and Gabriel

Cheeky or cheesy monkey?!!

2009-12-24T07:21:00.003-06:00

Out for lunch with Auntie Kim

2009-12-23T09:34:00.002-06:00

On Monday we had dentist appointments scheduled so Auntie Kim came with me to help out with the munchkins!
After the appointments were done we all went out for a yummy lunch..and some shopping!

Thanks for a fun day Auntie Kim:)

Our silly monkey!

Spending the day with Uncle John

2009-12-22T20:32:00.003-06:00

Today the kids had a special day today and spent it with Uncle John!
Auntie Becky and I went shopping for the day ( and daddy had to work) so Uncle John offered to be on "Kid duty"!

They both had so much fun! They played, watched Christmas movies, went for a drive and then they baked and decorated gingerbread cookies! Which are very yummy!

Thanks to Uncle John for being such an awesome uncle and a wonderful brother in law. The shopping without children (sorry kids!) and spending a day with my sister was wonderful and very much appreciated:)

Pictures of all the fun they had....

Bouncing Gabriel

2009-12-21T15:08:00.004-06:00

Showing off his bouncing skills on the trampoline...one of his all time favourite things to do!

Me and my favourite little boy!

2009-12-20T19:31:00.000-06:00

Gymnastics Open house

2009-12-19T11:25:00.002-06:00

Gabriel graduated from Parent and tot gymnastics today and Emma and I were able to go and watch him and Daddy for their last class!

Well done buddy! We sure are proud of you:)

"Ta Da" Receiving his ribbon!

His class.

Our little Christmas Angel

2009-12-18T20:28:00.002-06:00

Emma had her Christmas play this week.

Daddy, Gabriel, Papa and I enjoyed watching the concert and are very proud of our little angel!

The angel costumes are courtesy of Grandma Whitebread who made them all!
Thanks for lending them to us Grandma!

All the angels singing.

Admiration

2009-12-17T08:48:00.002-06:00

Sitting admiring the tree the other day!

Our tree

2009-12-16T10:04:00.001-06:00

Decorating the tree

2009-12-15T08:42:00.005-06:00

The kids really enjoyed decorating the tree this year.
Rob and I supervised and helped with the top ornaments but mostly they did it all themselves and it looks beautiful!
Stay tuned!

Getting our Christmas tree!

2009-12-14T07:43:00.006-06:00

On Saturday we headed out to Drysdales Tree Farm to go and cut down our Christmas tree.
This is the first year since having kids that Rob and I have done this. We thought they were both at a perfect age now to appreciate the experience and we were right...they loved it:)

The kids led us to some spots ( see video) and then Emma picked our tree and it is perfect!

After we cut it down we headed to the fire pit for some hot chocolate and a wagon ride.
A really fun family afternoon and great start to a wonderful family tradition!

Gabriel leading the way.

Heading out into the woods...

Me and my girl!

Someone was refusing to wear gloves!!!

Emma finds our tree!

Gabriel giving Daddy a hand in cutting it down.

Emma helping out too.

It's down!

Helping to carry it back.

Enjoying her hot chocolate.

The horses were taking a bit of a break.

Waiting for our ride.

Ready to go!

"We're not taking pictures"!!

2009-12-13T11:40:00.004-06:00

Gabriel on a mission to find us a Christmas tree!

Ballet Christmas open house

2009-12-12T15:48:00.004-06:00

This morning was Emma's dance studios annual Christmas open house so Rob, Gabriel and I went to see what our little dancer has been up to thus far.

Both Rob and I are very proud of our little ballerina!
This is Emma's third year dancing and we are amazed at how she continues to grow and pick up new skills.
This year her group moved up to an advanced ballet/jazz class and the steps are that much trickier but all the girls did such an amazing job! There was no stopping them!

We can't wait to see what this year recital brings:)

Cuddle buddies

2009-12-11T10:13:00.000-06:00

Watching a movie together last week!

Another fun PA day at the Zoo

2009-12-10T10:04:00.006-06:00

Well we did it again! We spent another PA day having fun at the Zoo with our friends Josh, Ethan and Auntie Nancy.

The weather was much colder than our 20+ visit in November but we all bundled up and no one seemed to notice...much!

We didn't have as much luck this time with the animals. It seemed they were a little put off by the chilly temperatures and so were happy when we did get to see the lions up close!

Emma eating her lunch.

Mr.G

Getting close to a peacock.

They were following him.

Gabriel and Ethan.

Emma and Josh.

Exploring a new section of the African pavilion.

Watching the lions who were watching the antelope!

Pretty in pink

2009-12-09T10:17:00.000-06:00

Any guesses what her favourite colour might be?!!

Visit with Santa

2009-12-07T16:12:00.001-06:00

Rob and I took the kids to visit with Santa Claus yesterday and as you can see it was a very fun and successful visit!

Happy Birthday Auntie Angela!

2009-12-04T07:12:00.001-06:00

Today is Auntie Angela's birthday and we wanted to say we hope this is the best one yet!!
We love you very much and hope this year brings lots of wonderful things!
Enjoy your day!!

Happy Birthday Ange!
Love, Rosie, Rob, Emma and Gabriel XOXO

Cuddles

2009-12-02T16:47:00.002-06:00

Our little monkey sure loves to cuddle!

Dress-up diva

2009-12-01T15:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2009-11-30T15:03:00.003-06:00

Today is Grandma Whitebread's birthday and we just want to say Happy Birthday Grandma/ Mom! We hope you have a very special day and love you lots and lots!

Love, Rosie, Rob, Emma and Gabriel XOXO

New toys

2009-11-29T12:04:00.002-06:00

Gabriel received some really neat gifts for his birthday.

His friend Diego bought him remote control cars that climb all over the walls and yesterday Daddy, Gabriel and Emma had some fun with them!

Nala the crazy cat!

2009-11-27T16:00:00.005-06:00

*Warning* turn down the volume! You'll thank me later:)

The kids enjoying one of Gabriel's new toys with the help of Nala!

We're not sure who enjoyed it more:)

Celebrating birthdays

2009-11-26T08:58:00.006-06:00

On Saturday we all got together to celebrate Daddy, Gabriel, Grandma and Auntie Angela's birthdays!
A fun night was had by all!!

Opening some of his presents.

Daddy opening his cards and presents.

Auntie Kim baked Gabriel's cake and it tasted as awesome as it looked!

Singing Happy Birthday.

Cake face!

Emma liked it too!

Uncle Andy and baby Noah.

Papa and the birthday boy.

Party at Chuck E Cheese

2009-11-25T19:56:00.005-06:00

For Gabriel's birthday we invited some of his close buddies to come and play at Chuck E Cheese.

It was such a fun night and he was so happy to see all his friends.

I didn't manage pictures of everyone as it was a busy evening but thanks so much to all our friends who came out and made his birthday extra special:)

Daddy and Gabriel checking out a ride.

Emma and Holly.

Gabriel and Declan. Aren't they cute?!!

Gabriel and buddy Diego...if you can believe it they will be in the same class next year!

(Diego's birthday is in January so he's almost four!)

Enjoying a ride together.

Three pretty girls stuck in a cage!

Getting ready for some food!

Meeting Chuck E Cheese himself...I think his favourite part of the night!!

Getting his birthday crown.

Mmmm....cake!!

The girls dancing the night away.

Gabriel dancing with Declan.

Enjoying the slides.

Mommy and Daddy's monkey...how we love you so:)

Birthday morning

2009-11-24T08:50:00.004-06:00

Gabriel had such a happy day yesterday! His newest word for anything he loves is "Wow"! So we heard a lot of wows all day...such a great word!

We decorated the kitchen in a Hot Wheels theme, another favourite of his and he seemed to like his car themed day!

As I mentioned yesterday we had a real treat as Daddy was able to go into work late, which allowed us to all watch the birthday boy open his presents and have a special birthday breakfast together!

It was a fun and busy morning!

All ready!

A car themed table for a car loving little boy!

Opening some presents.

Finishing the morning by enjoying one of his favourite breakfasts...pancakes and cheesy eggs.

Happy Birthday Gabriel!!

2009-11-23T20:14:00.002-06:00

Today is Gabriel's third birthday!
It's hard to believe that it's been three years already but yet what an amazing three years it has been!
Gabriel, Mommy and Daddy love you to bits! You make us so incredibly happy and we are so happy you are our son!

We have had such a fun day today. We were able to have a family breakfast as Daddy went in late today and then this evening we had fun celebrating with friends at Chuck E Cheese!
I will post more in the days to follow of all the fun we've had!

Happy 3rd Birthday to the best little boy and son in the world! We love you so so much!

Love, Mommy, Daddy and your best buddy Emma xoxo

The birthday boy!!

Question of the day....

2009-11-22T09:56:00.002-06:00

Is why are the kids and I both sane when we are related to this bunch of monkeys!

(Note to self: Do not leave camera unattended at family functions or this will occur;)

Bayleigh

2009-11-21T10:11:00.005-06:00

I am very sad to say that last night we had to say good-bye to one of our beloved pets Bayleigh.
We had Bayleigh for over 11 years and she made three moves with us.
She wasn't always the friendliest to others, but she loved us and we loved her! Anyone who knew her well knew she was a cat who got what she wanted! Of all the pets we've had she was always my baby.

It was quite a surprise last night when the kids and I returned home and it was obvious something was wrong with her. The kids said a good-bye and I took her to the vets hoping they would see her again.
It appears she suffered a stroke and was not in good shape.
I had a lot of time with her before she left us and although I am trying to keep in all in perspective I am really sad:(

We're working through it with the kids and sadly Emma is at an age where it's hitting her hard...

She has requested that we write a book of silly stories about Bayleigh and the first two suggestions she had were: "Bayleigh always tried to sneak her milk from her cereal bowl" and "she loved snuggling on the vents!" Both very true:)
She also loved Mommy and Daddy's bed...too much! I regularly woke up with fur on my face...as she liked my pillow!

Oh Bayleigh, how we'll miss you! Thanks for 11 wonderful years! We love you lots XOXO

Our Bayleigh, Babes and Leigh Leigh XO

Face painting ~ Emma

2009-11-20T09:38:00.002-06:00

Emma chose to be a very pretty butterfly with glitter and lots of sparkles!
A perfect choice for her balloon wings!

Face painting~ Gabriel

2009-11-19T17:04:00.004-06:00

Sunflower the clown did amazing face paintings. The best I think I have seen yet ( and if you follow our blog you know we are big face painting fans!!)
This time Gabriel was transformed into a tiger....
It looked awesome!
Emma's transformation and final pictures of both kiddies to follow.....

He had to keep his eyes closed the majority of the time, due to the his whole face being coloured and sparkles...I couldn't believe how patient he was:)

Starting to look like a tiger!

Getting the finishing touches.

Taralyn's first birthday party

2009-11-18T19:48:00.004-06:00

Happy first birthday Taralyn! We all had so much fun at your party!

Watching Sunflower the clown's magic tricks.

Gabriel the magician.

Wearing his half finished balloon hat.

All done and going fishing.

Enjoying the pinata.

Emma the butterfly.

All done!

Not too sure about her Elmo cake! She eventually changed her mind as it was delicious!

Cheeky faces

2009-11-17T09:37:00.001-06:00