Cottage Weekend 2012

Last year we had such a great cottage weekend that we knew we wanted to do it again this year.  My dad had once again offered to rent us a cottage, as a birthday present for both me and Tyler.  This year I figured it would be better to go away as late as we could get away with before the weather turned cold, for one because I wanted Lily to get past the newborn stage, but also because I wanted to see the leaves changing.  Since my birthday is at the end of September I thought that would be a great time to go.  Tyler was a little worried that we would be taking a gamble with the weather and that it might be really cold, but I thought it would be the perfect time.

 

After checking out a few places I decided that Woodland Echoes Resort looked like a lovely place to spend the weekend.  It was in Magnetewan, a town that we had often spent time at as children because my dad had a friend with a cottage there.  It was about a 3 hour drive for us which was a little farther than I would have liked given Lily is still not great in the car, but I wasn't too worried about braving the drive.

 

Actually the drive up wasn't too bad.  The boys were fine, and Lily mostly just complained loudly as opposed to full out screaming.  She did manage to nap a little bit which was encouraging.  Even with a stop for lunch we made good time and managed to get up there by mid afternoon on the Thursday.  That gave us plenty of time to get unpacked and settled, and to wander around and scope the place out.  We had a nice dinner, and afterwards Mike and Renee came up to join us.

 

The cabin was small but cozy, and right on Ahmic Lake with our own private dock.  It was a tight squeeze with all 7 of us, but we didn't mind.  The resort was lovely as well, with cute little cottages, beautiful gardens, a mini putt course, a park area for the kids, a recreation cabin, a beach and swimming area (which obviously we wouldn't be needing!), and a campfire pit. 

 

We had a wonderful weekend.  The weather was actually perfect, cool at night but crisp and sunny during the day.  We got a bit of rain but it wasn't a problem.  The guys rented a boat and went out fishing a few times, catching some stuff but no big prizes.  Tristan still had a great time fishing.  Finn caught his first fish off the dock with Daddy.  For my birthday a lady came to the cabin to give me a massage and reflexology which was amazing, while everyone else went out exploring.  We had good food and lots of fun.  My dad stopped by for a bit on Saturday, and my aunt, uncle and cousin did as well since they have a property in Magnetewan and were nearby anyway. 

 

I had a lovely birthday with my family, except for the part where Finn whacked his head on the bed frame and split his eyebrow open.  Since it looked pretty ugly we decided he should go to the nearest hospital for a look, which unfortunately was about 45 minutes away.  It happened at dinnertime, and Tyler and Mike packed him up and took him.  Turned out he did need some stitches.  The doctor gave the option of stitches or glue, but we decided to go with the stitches to minimize the scarring.  I know it wasn't fun for the little guy, but he took it like a champ.  Tyler and Mike said he was a star and even the doctor commented that he was the youngest child that he's even stitched up who was so good.  A few hours, four stitches, and a popsicle later and they were on their way back.  He was asleep when he got back and went straight to bed no problem.  He's such a tough little guy!

 

Aside from that we had a great time.  I was worried it would be stressful for me and that I wouldn't have much fun having such a young baby there, but it was fine.  The boys were amazing, they both napped every day and slept well at night.  Lily did great too.  We brought her swing so she was able to nap there, and she went down for bed each night easily.  She slept fine through the noise in the evening, and although she did wake a lot during the night she went back to sleep easily.  All weekend she was in good spirits.

 

We stayed 3 nights and packed up to leave on Sunday morning.  It was a nice morning, we took our time packing up and enjoying every last minute before heading back.  We were on the road by 12 which gave us plenty of time to get home.  The ride home was a little harder than the ride there simply because Lily slept less and complained more, but it wasn't too bad and again we made it in good time, with plenty of time left in the afternoon to get settled back at home and have dinner and bed at their normal times.

 

I'm loving that we've done this two years in a row now and look forward to many more years of family cottage time to come.  Here are some of my favourite pics from the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

Can't wait for next year!

The Big 3-0 (But not mine!)

Nope, not me.  I crossed that bridge in September last year.  It wasn't terribly exciting, much to my disappointment.  But Tyler made sure to make up for it with some fancy jewellery and a mini shopping spree, so I got over it.

 

This time it was his turn, and I spent a lot of the year wondering what I was going to do for such a big event.  At first I figured a party was out of the question, since I hate planning parties and everyone I would have invited was from out of town.  It's never a good idea to rely on your whole guest list to drive in from hours away.  But as the time got closer and we started to become good friends with other couples in town, I figured that there would be no harm in throwing him a surprise party. 

 

Over the summer we have started hanging out with our new friends more as couples, which has proven to be a lot of fun.  We've got a nice little group going with a good mix of people.  Some of the husbands have even started hanging out for 'guys nights' and going on what I like to joke are called 'man-dates'.  Having these new friends gave me the confidence to throw a party, knowing that there would be people who would show up.

 

I'm not a huge fan of playing hostess.  I'm usually self-conscious about the state of my house or the fact that I don't have any fancy stuff for hosting parties.  But this time I tried to push all that aside, reminding myself that people come over to see us and not our house or our stuff.

 

Of course it was stressful trying to plan and prepare for a party with 3 kids to deal with, especially when trying to keep it a secret.  My plans for the boys were up in the air because my mother in law was supposed to take them for the night but had warned me that she may have to leave to go to California at any moment because her mother was not well, so that meant I had no idea if they would be gone or if I'd have to deal with them at home.  Lily was of course going to stay here and I was counting on her sleeping well for the first half of the night as she usually does, but in the back of my mind I was always worried she's had a bad night and be waking all evening.

 

Add to that stress the fact that I seemed to catch some kind of tummy bug in the week before the party, and it was not exactly a stress-free week for me.

 

But everything came together in the end.  My awesome friends helped out by bringing some food and drinks.  My brother and his girlfriend came up before the party to help get ready and keep Tyler out of the way.  Laurie didn't have to run off to California which meant I was able to drop the boys off at her house for the night.

 

So what I told Tyler was that I planned for him and Mike to go fishing for the evening while I took care of the kids and put them to bed, to give him a night off from that stuff.  Then Mike and Renee would babysit them so we could go out for a nice dinner.  It took me ages to come up with a plan to tell him so that he wouldn't be suspicious, but it was the perfect one.

 

I sent him off fishing, packed the boys up and took them to their grandparents, put Lily to bed, then finished the preparations with Renee's help.  Our friends all showed up and hung out while we waited for his return.  They were such good sports, hiding in the dining room to surprise him.

 

And surprised he was!  I must of pulled it off because he seemed to genuinely have no clue what he was walking in to.

 

We had a lovely evening of food and friends, and I was so happy to play hostess for one night.  It's funny because a few of our friends have had us all over for dinner already, and just a few weeks ago Tyler had said to me that we'd have to apologize to everyone for never having them over.  Little did he know that I was secretly planning the next fun evening for all of us.

 

It was nice to surprise Tyler for his big 30th.  Of course we were all in pretty rough shape the next day, but it was totally worth it.

 

Now I have 10 more years before I have to plan another one for him.  And luckily that one will be easier because I'll have a bigger budget, and the kids will be much older and will hopefully be out of the way a bit more!

Four

I don't feel much like writing these days, hence why there have been no posts in August.  But I couldn't let the entire month slip by with nothing, so here I am for a quick one.

 

Guess who turned four this week?  FOUR!!  My Big Guy!  Once again I am in disbelief that he is another year older.  Didn't he just turn three?

 

His actual birthday was on Wednesday, but we decided to have his party last weekend.  This is the first year where he has been excited to have a party.  He still wasn't that much into planning it or deciding who to invite, but he was certainly excited there was going to be a party.  He had only one request:  a rainbow birthday cake.

 

I planned a very simple pizza party over lunchtime and invited close family and our good friends.  It still ended up being quite a few people, but it was a lot of fun.  We had about 10 kids and everyone was well behaved and got along.  It was quite nice.

 

I didn't end up making a cake or cupcakes this year as I have just been two busy with two toddlers and a newborn.  In fact just getting ready for the party with three kids underfoot was a huge task.  So instead we just went to Dairy Queen and got an ice cream cake (making sure to ask them to put a rainbow on it!) and some ice cream pizzas.  And Tristan was certainly happy with that!

 

It was a lovely party and Tristan got lots of nice gifts, and thankfully not too many toys.  In fact the ones he did get were all very cool and stuff he liked.  He got a really neat dinosaur excavation kit that he has been very into this week.  It's nice to see him getting into more mature activities.

 

On his birthday on Wednesday Tyler stayed for breakfast and we had a nice family morning.  Then we gave him the gift from us which was a Vtech Innotab, a tablet for kids that you can buy games for and download learning apps.  I also got him his own pair of craft scissors since he loves to cut, and a bunch of craft stuff.  He was thrilled with his own 'computer' and has been very into it ever since.  I can't believe how fast he's got it all figured out!

 

We had a nice day on his birthday.  We went to the Early Years Centre in the morning and in the afternoon went shopping for some back to school stuff for him.  Then friends of ours from out of town came for a quick visit and we went out for dinner.  After dinner Tyler took Tristan fishing for a bit on the pier.  I think he had a great birthday.

 

Four years old!  So hard to believe!  Next week he starts school.  My little boy is not so little any more!

Two Years on the Bay

This week marks 2 years since we moved out here and started our new lives.  It has been an amazing two years.  Well, the first year sucked, but I consider it amazing because we had to get through it to be where we are now.  And we couldn't be happier.  We've made great friends and are enjoying every minute of our lives here.  It's hard to believe I used to want to go back, now I know we would never go back!  We love living on the bay.

Of course, I've gushed about all this before so don't need to go on now.  But I did want to be sure I took a moment to remember that it's been two years.

Our big party last weekend was a success, and everything went wonderfully.  I think all our guests had a great time.  The weather was fantastic, the food worked out well, and we had lots of people show up.  The boys had an absolute blast, I think all the kids did.  I have tons of pictures, and if I feel up to it I will post some but I find that resizing and uploading them is such a big task that even if I start it I get frustrated and give up.  So maybe I will post them, maybe I won't. 

That's all for now, my blogging isn't very interesting these days!

Happy Two Years to us!

Little Dude's Birthday and Party Plans

Happy 2nd Birthday to my very special, very sweet, very funny Little Dude Finn!  I can't believe it's been two years since he was born.  What an amazing day it was.  I reflect on the birth of my children a lot, as expressed in previous posts.  I won't go into massive detail here, since I know I already did that last year for his 1st birthday!

I'm not really finding the words to describe how I feel on this particular birthday.  It's been a bit of a blur of normal life really.  We woke him up with a song and had a nice day together.  After dropping T off at school we went to Walmart and had a birthday muffin and smoothie at Tim's, then did a little shopping for his upcoming party.  He is such an amazing little man when we're out, so patient while sitting in the cart and hardly asking for anything.  It's really a pleasure to go anywhere with him.

After that we went home to hang out for a bit before picking T up from school, then had a yummy lunch before the boys went down for their naps.  This afternoon we just stayed home and the boys played while I got some housework done.  We were on our own for dinner since Tyler had to go down to the city, but we had a nice meal together and then after bath time I let the boys have some chocolate pudding as a treat for F's birthday.

So not a terribly exciting day I'm afraid, but we're saving all the excitement for his big party coming up this weekend!  I'm very excited!  We expect a lot of people to come out to the farm to celebrate with us, and while part of me feels like I should be overwhelmed this week while planning such a large event, I'm not at all.  Everything seems to be coming together nicely, and I am really looking forward to seeing a lot of our friends and family that we don't get to see too often.

We're doing a bbq style cookout at the farm, with lots of food and fun stuff.  I'm taking care of the dessert and am going to be making about 100 cupcakes, as well as a dirt cake.  Wow!  Now, I do feel a little guilty because I just went and bought cake mixes instead of making them from scratch.  I know I know, I have made such an effort in the past to make healthier varieties of cakes and cupcakes for the kids' birthdays.  I wanted to this time as well, but I just couldn't see how I could make so many from scratch on my budget, since the healthier ingredients required always end up being SO expensive.  So I'm cheaping out a bit, but they will still taste yummy that's for sure!  I might try making some rice crispy squares as well.

Another thing I try to do for birthday parties is avoid giving out treat bags that are filled with candy or crappy plastic toys.  This year for party favours I have sowed a bunch of extra tomato seedlings, and will give one to each child to take home and plant in their garden.  I'm also going to do little snack bags that are made out to look like butterflies and they will be filled with dried fruit instead of really sugary stuff.

I really hope the weather cooperates for this weekend, and I'm really excited to have everyone over to the farm to see it and to celebrate with us!

My littlest (but soon to not be the littlest anymore) guy is already 2.  Wow, just wow.  He is such an amazing little boy.  In fact, sometimes I can't believe he is the same baby that cried all the time and didn't sleep, because how he is now couldn't be further from that fussy baby.  He is so happy, and so social.  Everyone who meets him loves him to bits.  And we do too!

Happy Birthday Finn!!

The Invites Are Out!

Finn's 2nd birthday is fast approaching and I've just finished sending out the invitations for the big day.

Normally planning the boys' birthday parties stresses me out to no end.  I am not a natural hostess, I don't really enjoy throwing parties.  I mean, it always sounds like a great idea but the work involved ends up feeling so daunting.  Last year Finn's birthday party was very stressful for me.  We hadn't lived here that long and didn't really have any friends in the area.  Pretty much all our guests were from out of town and it was hard to know if anyone was even going to bother making the trek out here to see us.  I really hated the whole planning process.  So much so that I didn't even bother throwing a party for Tristan's 3rd birthday last summer, I just wasn't ready to go through the stress again.

This time though I'm actually quite excited for the next party, mainly because we have decided to pair it with sort of a grand opening of the farm and hops yards.  Also, we have so many friends here now as well as some family, so it almost makes more sense to throw a party when you know people nearby might actually come.

We're going to have the party on the farm the first weekend in May (so a little after Finn's actual birthday, but that's fine).  I'm hoping that will be a good time for the weather to be beautiful and not rainy, but the nice thing is that even if it is a rainy day we will still have the hoop houses and barn to stay dry in.  There is plenty of room in there.  And I'm sure that the toddlers would have fun rain or shine!

I've got some great ideas for kids activities so I think all the kids will have a great time.  There may be a lot of them if most of the families I've invited show up!  At first I thought we'd be crazy to have so many kids at the party, but knowing that it will be outside makes it less scary.  There is a playground right beside the farm that the kids can play at, and there's no shortage of things to do and places to explore.  I'm sure the little boys will love sitting on the tractor!

Not sure what we're going to do about food yet for all those people but we already have a bbq at the farm so that makes it a little easier.  We can just do hot dogs and burgers with a variety of other snacks on the side.  Nice and fun and simple.  I have some ideas for what I'd like to do for cupcakes and other desserts.

Party planning is still a bit stressful, but I'm really looking forward to the event.  I hope we get some great weather, and that lots of people come out to celebrate.  I can't wait to have a fun day for my boys and especially for Finn, but I also can't wait for people to come see the farm and everything we've accomplished so far. 

The Day Has Arrived

30!!!

How do I feel today?  I feel great.  I feel happy, healthy, and young at heart.  I've made my peace with today.  Sorry 30, you're not gonna get me down!

10 more years until the next big scare.  I can handle that.

ETA:  It is now the end of the day and I have had the best birthday ever.  All my boys made it very special for me.  I got treated to a 1.5hr massage this afternoon followed by a gourmet dinner cooked by my wonderful husband.  After that there was ice cream cake, yum!  And, a small little box with some gorgeous white gold earrings.  A little while ago I told Tyler that I wanted some more earrings and, he listened.  They're just gorgeous, simple enough to wear every day and yet glamourous enough for a night out.  I'm such a lucky lady!

Birthday, What Birthday?

It's September.  The 7th to be exact (and a very Happy 29th Birthday to my love, Tyler!  Enjoy this last year of your 20's my dear).  Which means the unthinkable is coming up in a few weeks.

I am turning 30.

Why does this bother me so?  Sigh, there is something about leaving your 20's behind and sliding that hideous '3' in front.  I wonder if 40 feels this weird.  I doubt it.  At 30 I'm just not quite ready to let go of the '2'....  I liked my 20's, they were where it was at.

SO, what is going on for this momentous birthday?  Well, last year I half-joked to Tyler that there had better be a HUGE surprise party for me.  Will that happen?  Not likely.  I love the guy, but I don't think he's much of a party planner.  Recently he had let me know that he would be going away on a fishing weekend the weekend of my birthday, making me realize he really hadn't thought about it at all.  I called him out on it and he assured me that there were big plans.  He just hadn't thought about which weekend to do it on.  I'm not 100% sure I believed him but I am trying to have some faith that he has put a little thought into it.

My new friends here have been asking me what I wanted to do for my BIG 30th and have set the ball rolling for a fun girl's night out.  I'm floored really.  I don't think ever I've had a friend really plan something for any of my birthdays.  Usually I had to plan my own birthdays and invite them, instead of the other way around.  But my friend C has insisted that this is a big one, and we must do something.  I'm so grateful to have met these ladies.  Not sure exactly what we are going to do yet, but it sounds like it has something to do with bars, alcohol, music, and dancing.  We just have to make sure we all take a nap that day so we make it past 11pm!

Ok, I am trying to feel less down and more excited about the prospect of turning 30.  I'm going to embrace my 30's and everything they have to offer.  Afterall, as much as my 20's rocked, right now is the best time of my life and I can only assume it will get better from here on in.  Older, maybe.  Wiser, most definitely!  Still cute and capable of having fun?  I hope so!

Three

Birthdays are special, obviously to the person who celebrates them.  A person will (hopefully) have many birthdays in their lifetime.  Some will be forgotten, some will most definitely be memorable.  Some will be looked forward to, others will be dreaded (did I mention I'm turning 30 next month?  Ugh).  Some may be sad but most will be joyous events.

But as special a birthday is to any one person, and it is special as it is the day they joined this earth, I now believe that it is that much more special to the parents, and in particular, the mothers.

I can't remember every single one of my birthdays, and I probably don't care to do so, but I will never ever forget how I felt the day my children were born.  There are so many memories and emotions that come flooding back whenever one of my son's birthdays approaches.  He will never remember that day, but I will never forget it.  The pregnancy, the excitement during the days leading up to his birth, and then the day our lives changed forever.  It all replays in my head over and over.

With every passing birthday we exclaim, "How has it been __ years already?" and "I can't believe you are __ years old!".  Each year I am no less surprised.  I will still feel that way every year, the feelings will never change.  Another year older, another year of disbelief that it has all happened so quickly, and they are growing so fast.

Tristan is 3 years old today.  On his birthday we arrived nervous and excitement at St. Joseph's Hospital in Toronto, not sure what the day would bring.  Would they be able to turn him and we could have a natural birth?  Or would he refuse to budge and we would have a c-section?  I remember the waiting, the walk to the OR.  I remember the epidural, and feeling nauseous on the operating table.  I remember the version not working, and being prepped for surgery.  I remember how fast it went, and soon he was out and crying, and he was perfect.  I remember it all like it was yesterday, and now he is 3.

He is smart and funny, kind and compassionate.  He sleeps well, mostly eats well, and doesn't talk back.  He is a true angel child.  And he is 3.  He is quirky and funny and makes every day amazing.  Today he is 3, tomorrow he will be 30, and I will be no less amazed.

For the Big Guy's birthday weekend, we tried to make it about spending time with him and with family.  No big party, no wrapped boxes or bags filled with tissue.  We took him to the park so he could play with his friends.  We invited all the grandparents, aunts and uncles to spend time with him.  We let it be his weekend, free to have fun and enjoy the attention.

Of course he did get spoiled!  From Auntie Rachael and Uncle Scott he got his very own artist's easel and smocks, and from Grandma and Papa John he got some paints and chalks to use on it.  Maybe he will be an artist like Auntie Rachael.  From Grandpa Tony he got an amazing play kitchen set with some food and a shopping cart, a definite hit with both boys.  Grandma Kathy took him shopping for some new school clothes and shoes, and bought him a Cars backpack for school which he wore all day long.  What a lucky guy!  From Mommy, Daddy and F he got a really cool rain jacket to wear to school on rainy days. 

Today we have to remember to measure him on the doorstop to see how much he's grown.  I'm sure he is much taller than last time, but I know he has also grown in strength and character.  He is a charming little boy.

And so, it is a bittersweet day for this Mommy.  So happy that my Big Guy is growing up, but so sad at the same time at how fast it is happening. 

My birthdays, they come and go (from this point I'd rather not see them come anymore!).  But these boys' birthdays, they are truly special to me.

More about my pregnancy with Tristan and his birth can be found here.

Cupcakes for Tristan

For T's past two birthdays I attempted more elaborate cakes.  It gets harder to keep up with it over time, but I will go all out again with the cakes for him in years to come.  We're keeping things pretty low-key for his birthday this year, preferring to save the money we'd spend on a big party and cake for other things, like fun family activities that he would most certainly enjoy more.  But of course I still wanted to wanted to make some cupcakes for my special guy.

As with all baked goods I make for my children, these ones are of a healthier variety, using quinoa flour and agave instead of regular flour and sugar.  I decided to make the same Fudgy Chocolate cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing from my Baking with Agave book that I had made for F's birthday earlier this year.  See here for recipe.

I made the cupcakes today and T was very patient watching me decorate them.  He stood and watched, wanting to eat them but he had more self-control than any other 3-year-old would have.  He managed not to touch a single one.

I let him lick a little bit of icing off one.  He is really excited and keeps saying that we are going to have a "Cupcake Party" this weekend.

Of course I had to pick up a special candle for him.

I hope he enjoys them!

The Big Day

Perfect.  The day was just perfect.

Good Morning Birthday Boy!

All week it had been raining, but on Saturday we woke to clear skies and birds singing.  The sun was shining and it was warm.  F slept well and woke up in a good mood.  The whole house was up and at it by 7:30.

Since we had spent the week preparing, we weren't in a mad rush to get things done.  The house was already spotless.  I had baked the cupcakes the day before and they just needed to be iced.  Tyler had spent the previous evening prepping all the food.  We didn't have our bbq set up yet so needed to think of something other than hot dogs and hamburgers to do.  We were thinking outside of the box and ended up deciding on homemade cabbage rolls, sausages, and roasted potatoes.  Everything was all prepped and ready to go into the oven at lunchtime.

The morning was relaxing, Tyler got up with the boys and got them breakfast while I showered and got ready, then he got to work cleaning up outside while the boys and I hung out.  My mom and brother came early to help out.

Both boys napped well and were well rested for the party.  Everything was going just according to plan!

All our guests arrived between 2-3 and we had a good turnout.  The weather was just perfect!  Easily the nicest day of the year so far.  We were able to set up chairs outside and have the party in the backyard, which was great for the kids.  There were 6 boys in total, including ours.  My cousin's sons Xavier (almost 6) and Ethan (4), and our neighbour's sons Marshall (3.5) and Bennett (15mos).  It was a good mix of ages, and worked out well because they could play with eachother, but it wasn't too crazy.  My almost 14 year old cousin Samantha was there as well and she had a great time with the boys, she is wonderful with kids.  They spent the whole time running around the backyard and playing in the sandbox.

Instead of loot bags (I hate giving out bags of sugary candy and cheap plastic toys), I picked up from Walmart these cool little bug catcher containers.  I thought they went well with my caterpillar theme, and that the kids would have fun with them in the backyard.  I was also hoping it would encourage T to want to look for bugs.  They were such a great idea!  The boys all loved them, and they raced around catching bugs (ewww!).  Even T was all into it!

The food was amazing, I really have to commend Tyler on the cabbage rolls.  They were a hit!  Everyone loved them.  The party moved along at a great pace, and after everyone had eaten we did presents, which of course was a lot of fun for the boys.  F got lots of lovely gifts.

Then onto the cupcakes.  My original plan was to do a cupcake caterpillar (a la The Very Hungry Caterpillar), but once they were frosted they didn't even resemble a caterpillar!  So I abandoned that idea and just served up the cupcakes.  I wasn't sure if people would like them, as they were 'healthy' cupcakes (made from my Baking with Agave book, recipes to follow in another post), but they were a hit as well!  I was so relieved that they turned out well, and that people liked them.  They were really yummy!

The whole party was a lot of fun, and very relaxed.  Everyone seemed to get along great, and we had a great mix of people.  I was happy that lots of family drove out to join us on such a big day.  It was also nice to have some new friends from the neighbourhood come by, as well as our neighbours. 

The party wrapped up in good time and my amazing husband had most of the mess cleaned up before the last guests even left!  By the time the boys were in bed, he had everything totally clean.  What a guy!  The boys didn't end up in bed too much later than usual, which was good.

Everything was just fantastic, I couldn't of asked for a better day.  The weather cooperated, and we had so many lovely guests join us to celebrate.  All the kids were well behaved, the food was good, it was all just....perfect. 

Unfortunately and much to my disappointment, I really didn't get a chance to capture too many pictures of the day.  I'm not a great photographer at the best of times, but we were just so busy watching kids and being hosts that we didn't have time to take pictures.  I'm a little sad, I would have liked to have documented the day a little better through photographs.  I should of at least taken some pictures of the awesome food and cupcakes!  But it's ok.  I'll have to remember for next time!

Here are some of what few pics we did take.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us.  It means so much to us to have family and friends visit for these big events.  We all had an amazing time and hope to do it all again soon!

Birthday Party Blues

The Little Dude's birthday is fast approaching.  Less than 3wks now.  Goodness, how has it almost been a year already?  This time last year I remember we were up here visiting Tyler.  He had already moved up for work but T and I were still in the city.  The weather was beautiful.  I was still pregnant and counting down.  There was still only 3 of us.  It's amazing how much changes in a year.

So we have a little party planned for F on his birthday and have been starting to make preparations.  And I must admit it is stressing me out a bit.  I'm not a great party planner at the best of times, but trying to host a birthday party for your 1yr old when most of your guests live 2+hrs away isn't that fun.

Last year for T's 2nd birthday I encountered a bit of a problem.  I had set it up so that we would host it at our new house.  But then people kept saying they couldn't make it.  So all stressed out, last minute I changed it to my dad's house which was closer to where most of our guests lived, and that way more people could come.  It was a bit of a pain having to drive down there with the kids and the cake.  Then on the way home T kept getting carsick and we kept having to stop.  It took us over 3hrs to get home that day.  Of course the party was great and it was wonderful to see our friends and family, but it was very stressful for us.

This year I really really wanted to host F's party.  We finally have this beautiful home that is large enough to entertain guests, and I wanted to make use of it.  Tyler made some really great invitations with a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme.  I plan on making a cupcake caterpillar and am going to try making cake balls as well.  And we've been busy doing things around the house, spring cleaning, trying to make it look nice for our guests. 

The thing is, so far very few people have rsvp'd that they are going to come.  When I handed out some invitations to family members, I was met with a lot of hesitation about the drive up.  I really have no idea how many people are going to make it.

This is one of the things about living out here that makes me sad.  We're too far and no one seems to want to go through the effort to come see us, even for something big and exciting like F's first birthday.  I was worried about this happening, it's T's birthday all over again except this time I won't be changing the venue.  Party will go on, even if only 5 people show up. 

Now it's still early, and most people haven't rsvp'd.  I have to assume that they will, but I'm worried they won't.  They just won't show.  I also tend to get all bent out of shape thinking that people don't come because they don't want to, when in reality maybe they can't make it.  So I know a lot of the issue is me really.

Still, I know that we tend to go out of our way to make it to important events, and I would like to think that those people close to us will try and come out for this one.  I know we're far, but it's a nice time of year and this is such a lovely town.  It's a great place for a weekend or even a day trip.  I really hope more people can make it.

This makes me stressed out about future years, and future birthdays.  How can we go through this with every birthday?  Now I know big parties aren't important, but still I would love for friends and family to celebrate these events with us.  I do remind myself as well that we will make more friends here that we can invite.  As it stands now I have invited one other mom from town and her daughter, and there is another I think I will invite as well.  Plus possibly our neighbours.

So that is what has been weighing on my mind today.  Countdown to party day is on and not many guests in sight.  Oh well, I do look forward to celebrating my little man's big day with him, and I'll make sure he gets an extra special cupcake just for him!