Family, Owls and Kilns

Our time spent with the Husband's Dad during on our trip had some pretty amazing highlights. The Peanut had a blast plying with her cousins, is still talking about it and asking for sleep overs. This time around we were able to get a little extra playtime in with them which included (those are gasps and squeals of joy you are hearing) not one but two orange kittens.

There was also a family BBQ with family that (in the nearly 20 years I've been with the husband) I hadn't met as well as family that we hadn't seen much of since the last family wedding. We had a great time and a fantastic visit.

On a play date visit with the husband's cousin's family we were introduced to the family of owls who had taken up residence in our cousin's yard. The young ones have been named Hoot and Holler and they put on a pretty good show for me when I brought out my camera.

One of the best parts of our stay with the Father in Law is that he lives just down the road from the Reids who were in the Fine Arts program with me at Red Deer College. If you've followed my 5 question series you may remember that I featured Auvery two years ago. It's still one of my favourite features not least because I love the eclectic quality of her work. Where Auvery's work is as fun and full of ideas as she is Joe's work has a quiet strength to it that also mirror's his personality. My current favourite series of his, are the ceramic thermos that is used as the profile picture on their studio's facebook page.

Joe and Auvery are currently in the process of building a wood fired kiln just outside of their converted barn studio. We slipped down the road for a little visit and a studio tour. I'll be honest and say that I have some pretty extreme studio envy; their space is amazing as is their work. They also have a website and blog that you should totally visit.

Since our set of dinnerware has been slowly breaking piece by piece over the last few years I'm planning on starting a new collection. I'm hoping to buy a setting or a piece of a setting here and there and since I'm not to bothered about getting matchy matchy I'll be buying from Joe and Auvery.

and in completely unrelated news: yesterday was the deadline for entering the Melissa and Doug draw. Since we obviously didn't hit the 200 facebook fan mark (I'm in the process of emailing my contact with them) I'd like to still do a draw from all the entries I did get; including the extra entries I promised those who entered before the original draw date and send one of my sun catcher's to the winner. I'll post a little about that in the next few days.

First Stop

Before I start: the Melissa and Doug Seaside Giveaway has been extended. If you haven't entered there's still time, if you know someone who loves playing in the sand tell them about it too! It's an awesome prize pack and I'd love to gift one of you with it!


Because our families all live in the same area our trips are always split into three separate parts: The husband's Mom (aka my other Mother), the husband's Dad and my parents. This trip was brought to us by the Husband's Mom's boss (still following?) The trip was originally supposed to be for her to fly out and see us but things didn't work out for many reasons and her boss offered to have us fly out instead. So, we started our trip with Grandma. Other than a chance to have some prime Ma time and introduce the Jelly Bean to her Grandma we shopped and ate and enjoyed a little side trip into the Bad Lands of Alberta for a little Dinosaur time for the Peanut.

The house my other Mother lives in is one of the oldest in the city she lives in. It's haunted, and chock full of paintings, woodcut prints, and plants. I love staying there. Of course every place the husband's Mom has ever lived in has had a similar feel to it. The woman knows how to create a homey atmosphere.


On the way to Drumheller we took a secondary highway that took us by a stretch of wind farm. The juxtaposition between the almost lazy spin of ll the windmills and the bobbing up and down of the oil pumps dotted along the fields on the way was too much to pass up and I took some photographs along the way. I'll post some of those later this week.

The Royal Tyrell Museum was a huge hit for the Peanut. She was in state of bliss for days afterwards and she still talks about the Dire Wolf and Mammoth exhibits as well as the T-Rex and Triceratops exhibit that we visited first.

All in all the first part of our trip couldn't have been better.

Now that we've packed

I realize that what we really really could use for the Peanut (and also the Bean when she gets big enough to carry her own luggage) is one of these:


Now if it seems like I'm on a Melissa & Doug kick I kind of am. Between the giveaway they've offered to sponsor (if they reach 200 likes on their facebook page from my giveaway post, you can click this link or the one their logo in the sidebar to go see what they're offering) to the fact that Birthday Party Season is fast approaching I've been visiting their site often.

So what about the Trunki appeals? Well it's red (the one pictured is red, there are other colour options) it has wheels and a handle and with all the stuff we bring for the Peanut when we go traveling, she could totally stand to have her own suitcase.

For Your Own Comfort and Safety:

I say it every time

and then I end up packing just as much as every other year.

This year I really tried and I think I managed to really cut down on what I've stacked in the suitcase. The problem seems to be that when I pack I get big ol' case of the what ifs. You know, the what if we decide to go out for dinner? What if it gets cold? What if we end up at a beach? Which reminds me I should make sure the bathing suits are packed....

See what I mean?

If you haven't had a chance to enter my latest giveaway there's still time. If you know anyone with kids, please pass on the link, I order to have a prize to giveaway we need 200 new fans for Melissa & Doug!

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

We're on vacation, we packed up and left town yesterday and are now living and breathing vacation time. There are no "have to" and "I really should"s here.

So we're hanging with the Ma-in-law. in the haunted house she lives in. eating fried dough for breakfast with real maple syrup and the promise of strong roasty coffee in a while.

The Bean weathered her first cross province trip well; ending the day with a massive tummy upset that had us changing the bed and giving her a second bath where she splashed and kicked and gave us a few more grins and giggles to let us know that she was all better before promptly falling back asleep and staying that way (even at this moment)

I've set up a few scheduled posts to fit in here and there while we're busy doing vacay things. I'm hoping to add a post here and there while we are here but if now I'll be giving a full recount once we're home and settled.

If you have a moment, know some beach loving kids and want to try for a fantastic sand toy gift set be sure to click on the Melissa & Doug link in the left hand column there's plenty of time to enter!

New Starts

On Thursday I get to have some much needed one on one time with the Peanut. It's her kindergarten orientation in the morning and the Bean is going to hang out with the husband while we head out to see the Peanut's classroom, meet her teacher and hopefully make a friend.

It's a big step for her and I'm getting a little misty thinking about my little Peanut headed off to school next September. It seems like just yesterday she was the size of the Bean and rolling over. Kindergarten has sneaked right up on us

Once that's done and we head home to make sure that the Bean hasn't decimated the husband; it's packing time so we can introduce the Bean to Grandma, Great Grandma and all her aunts uncles and cousins (not to mention a side trip to the Royal Tyrell so that the Peanut can exalt in all things prehistoric.)

And hey, have you entered into the Seaside Sidekick giveaway yet? If you've entered, thanks, link the post to your friends and family because once Melissa and Doug get 200 new fans on their page from my giveaway they'll send a prize pack including all the sets written about in the post to one lucky entrant.