Random Header Image

Subscribe

 RSS   Email

Site Menu

Site Search


Image Search


Categories


Photo Gallery

Expand all | Collapse all


Links


Meta

eXTReMe Tracker

Images from the Zoo

I’m desperately trying to get caught up on editing all of my photos from the past few months before our upcoming vacation. I have quite a few albums that I set aside because something more exciting came along in the mean time, and never managed to get back to them. I’m trying to pick them off one at a time and deal with them so that it doesnt’ get out of hand. Unfortunately it’s simply not going to happen before we hit the happy trails…

Here are a few pics from a trip to the zoo back in March. The highlight of this trip was seeing the Swift Fox for the first time. This elusive and tiny animal is extremely beautiful, and also very shy.

(click the images to see them larger)

Portrait of a Rough-legged HawkRocky Mountain Bighorn SheepLouise with Melanie and AndrewLouise with Melanie and AndrewPortrait of a SwanSnacktimeSnacktimeSnacktimeSnacktimeSwift Fox

Fathers Day Picnic

I had a fantastic Father’s day, starting with breakfast in bed (and boy was I “surprised” by that!!). Melanie got Andrew out of his crib and they “quietly” waited in the hall for Mommy to sneak out to help them make breakfast while I “slept-in”. Although the execution wasn’t perfect, Melanie was very proud of herself and I got a wonderful breakfast (including a great cup of hot coffee), and I didn’t have to make it!! They even came bearing gifts, including two massive Super Soaker water guns and a new Nalgene bottle to replace the one I recently lost.

After breakfast we all went to the pool to watch Melanie’s final swimming lesson of the season, and then to a Father’s Day Picnic hosted by the Imperial Oil social club. It was quite a feast (steak with baked potato, baked beans, and all the fixins), and there were lots of activities for the kids. Mostly they just played with their friends at the playground, but Andrew really enjoyed bouncing in the bouncy castle. He also had to spend a long time watching the truck dump the recycling bins in the adjacent parking lot…

(click on the images to see them larger)

Andrew on the Bouncy CastleAndrew on the Bouncy CastlePaige on the Teeter-TotterMelanie on the Teeter-TotterRyan MillerRyan MillerPaige on the Teeter-TotterMelanie on the Teeter-TotterMelanie on the Teeter-TotterPortrait of MelanieRyan on the Teeter-TotterAlex BallingerBeth BallingerAndrew on the SlideAndrew at the PlaygroundLouiseTire SwingTire SwingTire Swing

Melanie’s Last Swimming Lesson

Melanie had her last swimming lesson of the current set today. Although she really enjoys her lessons, and always looks forward to going, this recent set of lessons was extremely dissapointing. She had made amazing progress in the previous session and we were really hoping to see the gains continue. Unfortunately her instructor in this set was not very good and they spent most of 6 lessons (out of 8 total) wearing lifejackets and not really learning very much. In fact while watching the lesson today Louise and I were both on our feet and getting ready to run onto the deck as Melanie was floundering in the pool behind the instructor. He never noticed that she was in distress and she only just managed to grab the wall before we were ready to run for it. As you might imagine she was quite upset after that and did a much better job of holding onto the wall while waiting for her turn with the instructor…

(click on the images to see them larger)

Melanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonMelanie's Swimming LessonAndrew

Andrew’s Second Birthday

Here’s another one from the files. There were so many images in this album that it was pretty daunting task to process them. So there they sat. Sorry about that… But they’re here now, so I guess I’m not such a bad person.

Anyway, Andrew is all boy. He loves cars, trucks, planes, bikes, tractors, hockey (he sat spellbound watching Sid the Kid and the rest of the Pens win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final tonight!), and all the other things that boys like. Especially trains. We really didn’t teach him this, he just figured it out all by himself. So when we found out that Thomas the Tank Engine was coming to Heritage Park, it was pretty obvious that we had to take him to see it. It was pretty amazing to see little Thomas pulling that great big train even though the massive Diesel Locomotive behind him couldn’t do it!!

After riding the train we returned home for a BBQ with some friends. We had chocolate cake (a definite favorite of Andrew’s) and all the other kids all brought their bikes as well, so there was plenty of riding fun in the alley

Click on the thumbnails to see the images bigger.

Thomas!Thomas!Thomas!Thomas!Thomas!Playing in the MazePlaying in the MazeMelanie gets her Face PaintedMelanie gets her Face PaintedMelanie gets her Face PaintedPlaying with Thomasthe ConductorRiding ThomasRiding ThomasThomas pulls the passenger trainRiding ThomasRiding ThomasRiding ThomasBirthday CakeBirthday CakeGrandpa PhillipsRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the AlleyRiding Bikes in the Alley