What did we do on the last day of the year? Well so far...
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The Last Few Days
One of the things I was looking forward to in Saskatchewan was having time to play outside. Unfortunately the days have been pretty busy (with what I don't know!) and time to play outside has been limited. We did get out one day earlier this week though. Rachel had a nap in Opa's arms and Sam, Dave and I frolicked in the snow -- sliding down a hill on our bums and catching snowflakes on our tongues and making snow angels and even shoveling some snow too. It was a mild day and lots of fun to be out.
Yesterday evening we had a Krahn family gathering. It was quite subdued because a few people couldn't make it. (We missed you Rebecca and AJ, Nadav, Kara and some kids, and Kim and Jac!) It might also have been subdued because Sam went to the gathering with Opa and disappeared downstairs and Dave and I only saw him for a few minutes. Grandma Krahn didn't even see him last night! Rachel was the star of the gathering and especially her older second-cousins were quite intrigued with her. Here she is with Kennedy and Katrina wearing Katrina's toque.
Yesterday Kaelin, my niece from Toronto, came to Mom and Dad's for the afternoon. We had a lot of fun and she got to meet Miss Rachel for the first time. Rachel adored Kaelin and we can't wait to spend more time with her when we move back to Waterloo.
And of course we got the annual "Sam and Sam" picture.
Just for interests' sake, here are the ones from 2009 (left) and 2010 (right). My how the Sams have grown!
And today we introduced Miss Rachel to prunes. Sadly, solid foods have been wreaking havoc with her pooping abilities and she was screaming today as she tried to poop. It was very sad :( So we introduced her to prunes and hopefully that will help. She looked adorable with her prune beard and mustache! Ha ha ha!!!
And today we introduced Miss Rachel to prunes. Sadly, solid foods have been wreaking havoc with her pooping abilities and she was screaming today as she tried to poop. It was very sad :( So we introduced her to prunes and hopefully that will help. She looked adorable with her prune beard and mustache! Ha ha ha!!!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Chanukah 2011 (5772)
This year, we celebrated Chanukah at Oma and Opa's house in Saskatoon. Since Chanukah overlapped with Natasha's grandmother's funeral, the celebrations were somewhat muted, but we did mark the occasion.
Sam trying out his Chanukah gift from his grandparents: a laptop designed for little kids. It comes with programs that teach letters, numbers, and shapes, and it even includes a self-contained "social network" consisting of a half-dozen animal friends.
Natasha showing Sam (or is it the other way around? :) the finer points of the new computer.
Rachel was a bit unsure what to make of her gift, a stacking egg toy, but she did seem to enjoy chewing on the various egg pieces.
We lit the menorah most nights of Chanukah; here we are at night #6.
Opa and Sam enjoying Spudnuts, homemade potato-based doughnuts. These are reminiscent of soufganiot, an Israeli doughnut treat. However, I think they were made by popular demand having nothing to do with Chanukah :)
Rachel and Sam wearing their new Chanukah outfits from Sheri. She picked them up while she was in Florida, and we think they are *really* cute!
Sam trying out his Chanukah gift from his grandparents: a laptop designed for little kids. It comes with programs that teach letters, numbers, and shapes, and it even includes a self-contained "social network" consisting of a half-dozen animal friends.
Natasha showing Sam (or is it the other way around? :) the finer points of the new computer.
Rachel was a bit unsure what to make of her gift, a stacking egg toy, but she did seem to enjoy chewing on the various egg pieces.
We lit the menorah most nights of Chanukah; here we are at night #6.
Opa and Sam enjoying Spudnuts, homemade potato-based doughnuts. These are reminiscent of soufganiot, an Israeli doughnut treat. However, I think they were made by popular demand having nothing to do with Chanukah :)
Rachel and Sam wearing their new Chanukah outfits from Sheri. She picked them up while she was in Florida, and we think they are *really* cute!
Labels:
Celebrating Holidays,
Judaism,
New Mom's,
Rachel,
Sam,
Saskatoon,
Sibling Interactions
Monday, December 26, 2011
Rachel Enjoying Her Sheep
Today we got a package from Erin, Jason, Liam, Ainsley and Higgins (their dog) on the bus from Fort McMurray. It was Christmas Part 2! Sam got stickers, painting markers and a birdhouse to build with Daddy. Rachel got a Sheep pillow which she LOVES as evidenced below.
Labels:
Celebrating Holidays,
Family,
Rachel,
Saskatoon,
Videos
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas From Us to You
Christmas 2008
Christmas 2009
Christmas 2010
Christmas 2011
Haven't I mentioned before that it's hard to get
a good photo with a toddler?!?!? Oh well...
Christmas 2009
Christmas 2010
Christmas 2011
Haven't I mentioned before that it's hard to get
a good photo with a toddler?!?!? Oh well...
Labels:
Attila,
Celebrating Holidays,
Christianity,
Knut,
Rachel,
Sam,
Saskatoon
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Tree
MckMama is doing a blog link up where we share our Christmas tree pictures. We don't set up a tree at home since we are always at Mom and Dad's, so I asked Mom if I could share my pictures of her tree. She said yes. The tree and decorating are hers, the horrendous pictures are mine :) I only have a point-and-shoot so my pics aren't that great.
This is the first picture I took, with the flash on. I wanted to see what it would look like just taken simply.
Then I tried to take one without the flash. A lot of them turned out blurry and I thought this was the best one. I was resting my camera on a stool. I like how the tree reflects in the window.
This is the first picture I took, with the flash on. I wanted to see what it would look like just taken simply.
Then I tried to take one without the flash. A lot of them turned out blurry and I thought this was the best one. I was resting my camera on a stool. I like how the tree reflects in the window.
Labels:
Blogging,
Celebrating Holidays,
Christianity,
Saskatoon
Six Months
Rachel this is you at six months.
You are still in size 1 diapers and size 3-6 month or 6 month clothes. You seem to be a slow grower :) You weighed 12 pounds, 15 ounces on December 15th. We started you on solid foods at exactly six months so we'll see if that helps with weight gain this month.
You still don't sleep well. Although the week you were five months and 3/4 was the worst ever. You woke up every 1-2 hours to nurse and Mommy was completely exhausted. However, then you got two teeth right after each other. Yay! That seemed to explain the lack of sleeping.
We tried cry-it-out this past month and you now go to sleep around 8 or so. We change you into pajamas, nurse you, wrap you in a blanket and sing lullabies from A Child's Book of Lullabies. Mommy especially likes singing you Golden Slumbers and Baby's Boat. You don't sleep through the night but you seem to fall asleep earlier and sleep better. You also still regularly have a nap about two hours after you wake up.
You finally pooped after 21 whole days and then your pooping got pretty regular so that was a nice change. You nurse okay but just seem really distracted. You watch us eat so closely and chew. I can't wait to see how you do with solid foods. (Well, okay, as of this writing we've introduced you to some solids but since it was after you turned six months old I'll write about that next month!)
You are still a generally happy baby. You love your big brother Sam and are so excited about him! You started playing Peek A Boo this month. We cover your face with a burp cloth or light blanket and ask "Where's Rachel?" and you pull the covering off your face and laugh and laugh.
You still LOVE to scratch on things. And you have started to suck your thumb really regularly. Mommy thinks it is soooo cute! You also sing along when Mommy plays piano and have started to give kisses to Daddy too! He gets a kick out of those :)
We love you Miss Rachel. Happy Six Month Birthday!
Note: Rachel's six month post is late due to factors mentioned previously.
You still don't sleep well. Although the week you were five months and 3/4 was the worst ever. You woke up every 1-2 hours to nurse and Mommy was completely exhausted. However, then you got two teeth right after each other. Yay! That seemed to explain the lack of sleeping.
We tried cry-it-out this past month and you now go to sleep around 8 or so. We change you into pajamas, nurse you, wrap you in a blanket and sing lullabies from A Child's Book of Lullabies. Mommy especially likes singing you Golden Slumbers and Baby's Boat. You don't sleep through the night but you seem to fall asleep earlier and sleep better. You also still regularly have a nap about two hours after you wake up.
You finally pooped after 21 whole days and then your pooping got pretty regular so that was a nice change. You nurse okay but just seem really distracted. You watch us eat so closely and chew. I can't wait to see how you do with solid foods. (Well, okay, as of this writing we've introduced you to some solids but since it was after you turned six months old I'll write about that next month!)
You are still a generally happy baby. You love your big brother Sam and are so excited about him! You started playing Peek A Boo this month. We cover your face with a burp cloth or light blanket and ask "Where's Rachel?" and you pull the covering off your face and laugh and laugh.
You still LOVE to scratch on things. And you have started to suck your thumb really regularly. Mommy thinks it is soooo cute! You also sing along when Mommy plays piano and have started to give kisses to Daddy too! He gets a kick out of those :)
We love you Miss Rachel. Happy Six Month Birthday!
Note: Rachel's six month post is late due to factors mentioned previously.
Friday, December 23, 2011
The last week (or so)
I didn't blog much the past week, or so, because my Grandma Ewert was very sick. We were getting ready to go to Saskatoon and then Grandma died on December 16. Dad called us about five minutes before we were leaving for Saskatoon. So we arrived at the beginning stages of funeral planning and many relatives arriving.
The funeral was on Tuesday, December 20, the day I posted the eulogy. And the days after that have been full of recuperating, celebrating Channukah and preparing for Christmas. And starting Rachel on solids. So far she has had bananas (which she LOVES!) and carrots and apples (which she HATES!). Oh well... Here are some pictures of Rachel attempting solids. Miss Rachel also got spoiled during the funeral by being held by a lot of people so was not thrilled about not being held after the funeral was over. So Mom and Dad got in touch with their neighbours and they sent over their Jolly Jumper which was Rachel's first go at that. She did pretty well with it and Dave got some awesome pictures of her!
I will try and do some better updating in the last few days of 2011. I need to do Rachel's six-month post and Dave is going to post about Channukah. I think I might also try and re-post some of my favourite 2011 posts. And maybe... just maybe... I will be able to post every day in 2012! Hahahahaha!!!
The funeral was on Tuesday, December 20, the day I posted the eulogy. And the days after that have been full of recuperating, celebrating Channukah and preparing for Christmas. And starting Rachel on solids. So far she has had bananas (which she LOVES!) and carrots and apples (which she HATES!). Oh well... Here are some pictures of Rachel attempting solids. Miss Rachel also got spoiled during the funeral by being held by a lot of people so was not thrilled about not being held after the funeral was over. So Mom and Dad got in touch with their neighbours and they sent over their Jolly Jumper which was Rachel's first go at that. She did pretty well with it and Dave got some awesome pictures of her!
I will try and do some better updating in the last few days of 2011. I need to do Rachel's six-month post and Dave is going to post about Channukah. I think I might also try and re-post some of my favourite 2011 posts. And maybe... just maybe... I will be able to post every day in 2012! Hahahahaha!!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Agnes Ewert: March 9, 1907-December 16, 2011
Agnes Elma (Regier) Ewert was born on March 9, 1907 in Tiefengrund, Saskatchewan and died at the age of 104 years, nine months and seven days on December 16, 2011 in Rosthern. She was the first child of Cornelius W. and Johanna Regier’s seventeen children. She attended the German-English Academy (later Rosthern Junior College) for Grades 9 and 12 and Laird High School for Grades 10 and 11 so she could be closer to home to help with the younger children. After high school, she went to Normal School (teacher training college) in Moose Jaw and received her teaching certificate. This was unusual in that it was expected that, as the oldest, she would stay home to help with the family. However, her mother was determined that Agnes should have the opportunity to do what she wanted with her life. Agnes then taught school for five years, first at Snowbird near Laird for two years, and then at the Kansas school in Drake. It was there that she met Elmer Ewert, the secretary-treasurer of the school board who paid her salary, who she fell in love with and married on July 11, 1933.
Agnes and Elmer honeymooned in Waskesiu and then moved to the farm in Drake where they had planted a spruce shelterbelt and their first garden. They had seven children: Arlyn, Myrna, Lorna, Carol, June, Ellen and Randy. Agnes was an active farming woman, and was overjoyed when they purchased a new 1940 Dodge one-ton truck so she could haul grain in comfort to the elevator in town! Together she and Elmer raised chickens, cows and pigs, selling the eggs, milk, cream and butter to the store in town. In 1947 they moved into town but it wasn’t until 1948 that they moved into “the big house.” They farmed together from 1933-1970. Elmer and Agnes made many, many trips together all over Canada, the US and to Europe. Florida was their winter home for many years. They were also very involved with The Silver Sages in Drake where they were an unbeatable shuffleboard team.
Agnes moved to The Villa in Drake in 1992, after Elmer was hospitalized. After he died in 1993, she continued to travel, to Europe and the United States and to visit her children and grandchildren. She moved to Pineview in Rosthern in September 2010 and died at the Rosthern Mennonite Nursing Home on December 16, 2011.
Agnes was a long-time member of North Star Mennonite Church, where she taught Sunday School and sang in the choir. In fact, she taught Sunday School until she was 95, when she decided she wanted Sundays off! She was the secretary on the founding executive of Canadian Women in Mission, a position she held for ten years, and continued to be involved in this organization both provincially and nationally. Agnes was an active supporter of the church, its schools and its institutions. She volunteered at the thrift store in Lanigan and sewed thousands of quilt tops for MCC, stopping only when she moved to Pineview at age 103. She expressed regret that the younger generations did not appear to give as freely as she had hoped and wondered what would happen to the poor of the world.
Music and gardening were very important to Agnes. She bought her first piano before she was married and played many, many songs from memory. She planted a garden of flowers and vegetables until she moved to Rosthern in September 2010, even planting gardens for her neighbours because they were “too tired.” Agnes enjoyed staying up late drinking coffee and playing Scrabble (or Rummikub or dominoes) with her children and grandchildren. She also loved holding all the new grandbabies and great-grandbabies and looked forward to more. Although she initially resisted the move to Pineview in Rosthern, she quickly acknowledged that she loved it there, and her last months of life were incredibly rich and full of energy, love and music.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
March, July, September, (June), September, October
Remember this post? Well now we have this picture! (Unfortunately, Rachel is the only one screwing up the birth order. Oh well.)
Also know as Tevan, Skylar, Gavin, Rachel (who should have been between Tevan and Skylar), Megan and Simone. (Simone's mommy wasn't a part of the original picture although she could have been.)
Also know as Tevan, Skylar, Gavin, Rachel (who should have been between Tevan and Skylar), Megan and Simone. (Simone's mommy wasn't a part of the original picture although she could have been.)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sam and the Sprinkler
At the beginning of September we had an unusually hot day. You may remember me posting about it here. Here is the video I took that day. Sam was having so much fun!!!
Video taken: September 2011
And this is the last of the "catch-up videos" I will be posting. Hopefully you have enjoyed this live action look into our lives :) From now on, I will just be able to post a video when I take it if I decide to blog about it. Yay!
Video taken: September 2011
And this is the last of the "catch-up videos" I will be posting. Hopefully you have enjoyed this live action look into our lives :) From now on, I will just be able to post a video when I take it if I decide to blog about it. Yay!
Labels:
Edmonton life,
Sam,
Things That Grow In My Garden,
Videos
Candy Cane Lane Light Walk
We did the Candy Cane Lane walk last night here in Edmonton. It is on 148th St from 91 Ave to 100 Ave. And it is totally just put on by the residents of the street. It has been happening since 1968, which is pretty cool.
Sam really liked the Thomas picture. I was a little confused as to what Thomas and Noah's Ark have to do with Christmas...
Some people decorated their outdoor trees with huge ornaments and it looked really cool. I took these pictures mainly for my mom (Hi mom!) because I thought she might want to do something similar one day.
From what Dave and I have talked about we aren't going to perpetuate the Santa myth with Sam and Rachel although we will try to keep them from ruining it for other kids. However, I love the fact that kids can write to Santa Claus and Canada Post volunteers write letters back to them.
This house was understated compared to the rest, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. Dave and I talked about whether or not we would want to put lights on the house we might someday own and if so how we would decorate it. This one appealed to both of us with the simple lights and the greenery.
These people had some fun with the one snowman lined up to make the jump and the other one having, unsuccessfully it appears, attempted it! Ha ha ha!!!
I wasn't going to take a picture of this house because it was one of the last houses we passed but Dave said, "Look it's us as a gingerbread family." so then I HAD to take a picture. Yep, a mommy, a daddy, a boy and a girl -- that's us :)
Views of the line up of cars and the lights on the houses. Dave and I were so glad that we walked rather than drive the car. It only took about an hour and it was a fun experience. However, Dave and I both agreed that if we were to do it again we would have only walked about halfway up the street and then back down rather than walking the whole nine blocks and back. It was just a little too cold and after a while the houses all started to look the same. I'm so glad we got to do this. It reminded me of driving to see lights as a family when I was little and I'm glad to introduce Sam and Rachel to something like this.
One of the reasons we were excited to do this walk was because it supported the Edmonton Food Bank. There were huge bins where people could drop their donations off. I found out the other day that the Food Bank in Edmonton was the first one in Canada. How cool is that?!?!?
One option for the evening's transportation was a horse drawn wagon. We looked into doing that but decided it was too expensive. And so, rather than just slowly drive in our car, we decided to walk. It was a little cold but I enjoyed being outside. Sam was totally intrigued by the variety of decorations and Rachel just seemed confused. Sam also enjoyed waving to all the horse-drawn wagons which passed us.
One option for the evening's transportation was a horse drawn wagon. We looked into doing that but decided it was too expensive. And so, rather than just slowly drive in our car, we decided to walk. It was a little cold but I enjoyed being outside. Sam was totally intrigued by the variety of decorations and Rachel just seemed confused. Sam also enjoyed waving to all the horse-drawn wagons which passed us.
Sam really liked the Thomas picture. I was a little confused as to what Thomas and Noah's Ark have to do with Christmas...
Some people decorated their outdoor trees with huge ornaments and it looked really cool. I took these pictures mainly for my mom (Hi mom!) because I thought she might want to do something similar one day.
From what Dave and I have talked about we aren't going to perpetuate the Santa myth with Sam and Rachel although we will try to keep them from ruining it for other kids. However, I love the fact that kids can write to Santa Claus and Canada Post volunteers write letters back to them.
This house was understated compared to the rest, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. Dave and I talked about whether or not we would want to put lights on the house we might someday own and if so how we would decorate it. This one appealed to both of us with the simple lights and the greenery.
These people had some fun with the one snowman lined up to make the jump and the other one having, unsuccessfully it appears, attempted it! Ha ha ha!!!
I wasn't going to take a picture of this house because it was one of the last houses we passed but Dave said, "Look it's us as a gingerbread family." so then I HAD to take a picture. Yep, a mommy, a daddy, a boy and a girl -- that's us :)
Views of the line up of cars and the lights on the houses. Dave and I were so glad that we walked rather than drive the car. It only took about an hour and it was a fun experience. However, Dave and I both agreed that if we were to do it again we would have only walked about halfway up the street and then back down rather than walking the whole nine blocks and back. It was just a little too cold and after a while the houses all started to look the same. I'm so glad we got to do this. It reminded me of driving to see lights as a family when I was little and I'm glad to introduce Sam and Rachel to something like this.
Labels:
Celebrating Holidays,
Christianity,
Explore Edmonton
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