So that was July!

Wow - that was quick!  I will do a point form blog so you can be updated!

-Olivia finished up her assessments, she scored severe delay in the OT area!  Bad news to some - Good news to us.  This will hopefully mean PUF (Program Unit Funding) from the government so she will start school in September!

-Grace finished Kindergarten, received a glowing report card and excelled in Math - obviously got that from her dad!

-Mike wrapped up teaching at the school, coaching a hockey school and his physio groups!  Then July brought on volunteering during Stampede!

-Me, well, I completed catering for 136 cupcakes and breakfast for 50 people (back to back days). Then it was off to Ponoka for the rodeo with the girls.

Stampede was fantastic - two words GARTH BROOKS!!  My Dad, Dayna, Dannie and myself headed to the concert and Mr. Brooks did not disappoint!  UNREAL!!

We spent the 10 days of Stampede at my parents place, painted the front porch, refurbished some outdoor furniture, had family pictures taken, Mike and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary, headed to Banff to join in some Stag/Stagette fun, attended the wedding of the year, and Mike bought a a new car! (Devon and Carey will get their own blog post!) Phewf!

Not sure if we are ready for August, but guess we don't really have a choice!  Unfortunately, Summer is half over, and we still have loads of stuff to cram in!

Cutest thing ever!!!

So this morning, I woke up before the girls and decided to take a nice long shower before I was officially on "Mom Duty"!

When I got out of the shower I could hear little voices.  So I snuck around the corner and witnessed just about the cutest thing ever! 

Grace had gotten Olivia up and out of her crib - (she assured me that she was very safe!!) and there they were, the 2 of them, snuggled in Olivia's rocking chair!  Grace was reading one of Olivia's favorite books - "Brown Bear Brown Bear".  You can see on the video - that I was sneakily filming, that Olivia was loving hanging out with her sister "Gaga"!

It's moments like this that you have to remember and cherish because you never know when the crazy will come out!  Just kidding, but not really! :) I feel so lucky to have to beautiful, healthy daughters like these two!

Guess I could have taken a longer shower!!

Pro Award

Told you that I would be posted again right away!  We attended Grace's assembly today to see her receive her PRO (People Respecting Others) award.  As soon as you walk into the school there is a positive vibe!  I love it!  Since today was Friday, it was spirit day - most teachers and kids were wearing their "Nose Creek" red t-shirts.

At the beginning of the assembly the principal raised his hand and the entire gym (400 + students, staff and parents) all became quiet - man I wish I had that much power.  You can just tell that the kids and staff respect the principal!  He talked about the virtues and characteristics one puts forth to receive a PRO award.  I can tell ya', Mike and I (Nana too!) were some pretty proud parents!

He touched on the point that awards are almost always given out for Sports and Academics, but hardly ever given out "just for being a great person"!  So true!  We all need to acknowledge those around us who make out lives a little bit easier, a little bit happier and those who keep us smilin'!!  Pay it forward people!!

Anyways, here are some pics from today!

Mike and Grace

Nana made it out to the assembly - Gpa is away at the Rodeo

Grace asked me if I could see her "legs wobbling"?  She was pretty nervous!

Our attempt at a nice Family photo

Grace and her kindergarten teacher Ms. Martin

Woohoo it's June!!

Wow - June is here - hooray!!  Although that means a ton of "stuff" is going on for us this month!  I think looking at the calendar we have 4 days in the entire month that have nothing on them!  Those blank squares have me excited - but apprehensive, as I'm sure something will fill them in!!

Olivia has been a busy busy little girl- she is attending a balance, strength and coordination group that is on Mondays.  It is run by her physio therapist, it's cute to see her interacting with a bunch of little ones! Last Monday it was an obstacle course, next we have a session of Sportball at ACH (The Children's Hospital), then Dance and Stretch - a little Dance class, and we finish up the sessions with a gymnastics class at COP.  She has a dietician appointment, a pediatrician check-up and her final assessment for her funding.  We have received her results back from both speech and physio.  She scored quite low in her expressive language, and scored with a moderate delay in her receptive language.  Her physio scores were similar, very low in her locomotive skills, but a little better in her balance and throwing skills.  Now we wait for her OT assessment (fine motor).

Quick update on Grace - school is winding down for her - can't believe that she will be finishing up Kindergarten and heading into grade one next year!!  She has been loving her gymnastics class on the weekends, and she is looking forward to summer!  She's especially excited that rodeo season is here, and is pumped about camping in the trailer that my dad is renting for the Ponoka Stampede!  We as parents are so proud of Grace, she has been nominated at school for a PRO (People Respecting Others) award, and she is attending the school assembly on Friday to receive her award (Kindergartner's don't even go to school on Fridays).  Of course we will be there with camera and video camera in tow to capture this moment!

Mike is wrapping up his teaching at school for the year, and hockey, and physio groups are almost done!! Then brings on the Stampede!  Mike is volunteering again, but on a new committee this year.

With the end of the school year, brings me with some cooking orders.  I have catering jobs for 130 grad cupcakes and breakfast for 50 people!

We are having our very first garage sale!  I have never had one, and only ever been to a few with Mike's sister Colleen!  Our neighborhood is doing a big one, so we thought we might as well get some stuff out of the basement and the garage - wish us luck!

The end of June brings a celebration - My Uncle Keith got married a few months ago to a fantastic gal, Robbi!  They got married in the Dominican, and they are having a reception at the end of the month!  It will be a great time I'm sure!!

Well, that sums up the going's on here at "The Harper's"!  I will update with some pics of Grace's award ceremony, the garage sale and our rodeo's!  Until then, Happy June!!!

Our Hobey Baker

Our Beloved Bo-Bo

This past weekend was a very hard one for our family - unfortunately we had to make the decision to say good bye to my parent's dog Hobey.  He was truly a family dog, as we got him when he was a pup and although he stayed with my parents when Mike and I bought our house and moved, he was definitely everyone's dog.  He was Grace's first best friend and we miss Bo-Bo dearly!  Grace came up with the name Bo-Bo when she was learning to talk, she couldn't say Hobey, and somehow Bo-Bo just stuck with him!  We are thankful that we knew him, and that he instilled a love of animals in Grace!

Run Free Bo-Bo!

Handsome Hobey Baker

Grace and Hobey - Best Friends from the start!!

A day at the Farm

When I was little, some of my most favorite memories involve Spring time!  The weather was getting nice, the snow was almost gone, the sun was warm, but most of all Spring Break, which meant time off from school!!!  When I would head back to school, kids would talk about their time off and what they did.  Some went to Mexico, others watched tv, some even went swimming!  

All their stories sounded so boring compared to mine, because no one (according to me of course) had as much fun as I did, because I was at my Grandpa's farm!  I have so many fantastic memories of being there, getting to bottle feed 1 hour old twin calves, have mud fights with my cousins, and eating my Grandpa's hamburgers.  

One year my cousins and I even got to become good friends with a cow named Limpy (only 3 legs, hence the name, we were creative!), we loved that bovine and visited everyday, bottle feeding it and just loving farm life.  Grandpa and my mom thought it was best not to tell us that we were just helping fatten this cow up for the dinner table!  After all we were just kids from the city, and we would be devastated.  A couple months passed and Limpy was gone - we knew where our friend had gone, but did not let on, until one night at dinner.  Grandpa had made his famous hamburgers, the three of us  (cousins) looked at each other and all at once announced that we thought Limpy made the best burgers around!  Needless to say, Grandpa and my mom almost fell off their chairs!

Anyways, my Grandpa passed away when Grace was only 9 months old, we were all sad to have lost this great man, but I was especially sad to know that my kids wouldn't get to spend their Spring Break at the farm.

Spring was in full bloom, and because we live so close to the outskirts of the city - there are hints of spring in the fields.  I'm sure I annoy Mike, because as we are driving I become a giddy kid again looking for the fresh calves in the field!  To me, a calf is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!  Definitely missing the farm on Spring break!

However, thank goodness for friends and family -  We loaded up the girls with their rubber boots and spare clothes and headed to the farm for the day!  Thanks to Uncle Norm and Kim for having us!

Grace hanging out on the tree swing

Olivia and Bailey

Olivia and the mud

Uncle Norm and Grace

Well Grace and Olivia absolutely loved it!  I could see if we ever lived on a farm we would have to get the girls those fancy dog collars that shock them if they roam too far off!  Grace was just happy to swing in a swing from a tree, and Olivia was happy to snuggle with the dog - as long as we were outside! Both girls loved watching the cows, feeding the horse, chasing the cats, and jumping in the mud puddles! We weren't even out of the driveway and both girls were fast asleep - all in all a fantastic spring day to spend on the farm!

Grace's Birthday Party

Well, Grace's party is over, and I think it was fairly successful!  And by successful, I mean, no major meltdowns, no double presents, no trips to the ER (I will explain later), and happy, tired kids!

We had Grace's party at Mike's school, because it is easier to have a whole bunch of kids that have been chugging juice, gobbling cake, and slamming candy expel energy in a gym rather then a living room!  Grace wanted to rollerblade, play wii, have a game of floor hockey, dance, go wall climbing, and run - so why not have it at the gym?

Hard to believe that Grace is 6!

Grace invited the usual crew - cousins, good friends, that we classify as family, along with some school friends.  One of the little friends has severe allergies, so an epi-pen was on hand, just incase.  Another friend chokes extremely easily!  I was a little worried, but luckily had my good friend Jenn on hand to monitor the eating situation!

All the events that Grace wanted to happen did, along with a candy bar, cake, and snacking on sandwiches, fruit, chips and of course cake!

Grace had to have a hockey cake!  Thank you Costco!!

After the party we headed back to Nana and Gpa's for a BBQ, and met up with those that weren't able to make it to the gym!  More presents were opened and more food was consumed!

These are the Hello Kitty and Angry Bird Balloons - they were a hit!

All in all it was a great day - and I can say that I am officially jealous of my six year old and her sparkly Toms!

Stylin' 6 year old in her Toms from Auntie Dayna, Uncle Dannie, and Leo