Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Auntie Lydia comes to help

After our stay at the farm, Lydia traveled home with us to help me begin the reno clean-up process in the house and in the yard.One big job was the cold storage room downstairs. Being right next to the bathroom, it was a royal mess of drywall dust, sawdust, plumbing pipe bits, lino chunks and such.
We completely emptied the room and Lydia wiped off every single thing that was in there while I took after the shelves and floor with a broom, then the vacuum, then Lyd washed it down with hot soapy water.
Hopey dishing up some salad for Auntie Lydia.
Just being herself.
Lydia got away for a day to Red Deer to take in an MYC conference. When she got back the peaches we bought earlier in the week had ripened so a-canning-we-went. Hopey helped by separating the lids from the rims & jars.
Curious Joy in Hopey's clothes. (Oops - Daddy got a little mixed up when he was dressing them that morning.)
Pitting the lovely fruit. Of the 80 pounds we processed this year I think we only had 2 pits split on us! Amazing. :o)
Being that it was Saturday, and being that the home office was currently being used as a bedroom, Josh set up to do finances on the dining room table. :o)
Joy-Belle checking out the blocks by the window near the dining room table, so she'd be out from underfoot in the busy kitchen.
Josh, sweethheart that he is, took both girls with him to run errands for a few hours, which allowed Lydia and I to dig in and get the hot, sticky work of canning done.
And then we decided to make pies. :o) Gotta love us. :o)
Love the late afternoon sunlight in my kitchen.
"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands." Joy claps her hands now if you say "Can you clap your hands, Joy?" :o) She also waves her arm and says "Hi" or "Hi Dad." Still working on the "Mom" part. And we're trying to teach her signs for "please, thank you, water," and "all done," and such. :o)
Sunday afternoon snack. This was the first time I've worn that dress on Hopey. Just love her in light blue.
Lydia got into this singing this with Hope where Lydia would sing "Hope Al-ber-r-ta" and Hope would answer "Aun-tie Ly-di-a," following whatever rhythm or melody Lydia created. It was pretty fun to listen, and Hope did remarkably well as Lydia would switch up the rhythms and melodies.
My sweet peas - they finally bloomed. And they smell oh-sooo-good! Good thing too, as that's the path to the garbage bins out back. :o)
We took a walk to the park together after everyone had naps. Hopey wanted to "do it self" with this riding toy.

Hopey likes the tunnel way more than the slides.

Heading over to the sand box.
Meanwhile, Lydia takes up the challenge of the spinning coil.
And Josh gives her a good ride. Eeks. I'd last about one rotation in that thing and that's all!
Josh and I sneaked off for a little walk around the park together while Lydia watched the girls.
Games on a warm summer evening.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!!!

Sorry, maybe this shot it too much, but it just cracked me up to see Joy pulling on her own chubby tummy and looking at it with such focus.
Her pose cracked me up. Napping like a teenager or something. :o)

Last days at the farm

Our week at the farm was nearly done and soon it would be time to go home again.One thing I wanted to do with Hope was to show her how to ride a trike. Maybe next time her legs will be long enough. She had fun trying though.
Granny cuddling fussy Joy while I was doing something with Hope.
Saturday was finally warm enough and calm enough to set up the little pool for the girls.
It was a perfect time to blow bubbles too.

Hopey woke up from her nap a bit teary-eyed that day, and the emotions continued, even in the pool. Dear little one... too much vacation, perhaps?
But she still smiled.

My baby Joy and her curvy arms.
And varied expressions.

Sleepy snuggle with Granny before leaving for church. (Joy had gotten up early that morning...)
Sunday evening popcorn in the wagon - it was the easiest way to keep the floors clean. :o)
Look out Hope - here she comes.

Monday was our last day at the farm. Hopey had a tea party with the teddy bears while I packed up in the morning. After an early supper, Lydia, the girls, and I headed for Lethbridge, to take a bit off the trip to Edmonton the next day.
Morning snuggle with Auntie Chloe before the drive to Edmonton on Tuesday. Joy was sleeping when I got in the shower that morning, but I guess she woke up while I was in there and Chloe scooped her up from her playpen and lulled her back to sleep in the backyard. Chloe must have prayed for her the whole time, because Joy rode really peacefully in the car most of our trip back, which is unusual for her. :o)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

To move a bin...

After two and a half big days of work, the bin was finally ready to be moved and set into place.Hopey revving up her own little John Deere tractor.
Chloe was home for the weekend, so she and I took the girls out to watch as the bin got set on the base prepared for it.
Little miss two-toother.
Enjoying a fresh baked Monster cookie while we waited for everything to get going.
Dad revving up the real John Deere!
Tally-ho!
Luke was the spotter, radioing Dad who was driving.
The simplest and the only way to do it was to back up between the barn and the shed and then across the yard.
Here she comes, folks.
Yes, that's a chain she's holding, and yes, it's attached to the bin. :o)
Keeping Twister in line as she crossed the yard.
Slow and steady wins the race.



Almost there.

Watching out that the ladder doesn't hit the other new bin.
Trying to get her facing the right way...
Dad had to drive forward and back in again.

All was good this time.

Chloe's quick hand there to catch Joy if needs be.
Joy has a pretty-good sense of balance, though, and a very good grip, so she rarely falls.

Lowering her into place.
The final incremental movements...and...
Done!
Almost.
The bin wasn't holding level very well, so Dad grabbed some weights to temporarily attach to the backside so it would land evenly.
Still watching.
Laying down the two-sided tape to help keep the bin in place while the bolts were put in and tightened.One of the centers from the rolls of tape made a perfect bracelet for Hopey.
Aww.
Dad giving the final set of instructions.

Joy had had about enough of bin watching, so Chloe took her to the house with her while she switched around things in the oven.
With a minute to spare Ave wandered over to the other bin and stuck his head in the pocket door and started talking to his own echo!


At last - contact!!! In went the bolts...

Hopey was still watching.

Lining up the holes for more bolts to go in.
And Joy came back to watch again too.

My little girl with the big grin. :o)
The house where I grew up.
The house where I was born.
And Joy in the wagon on the walkway between the two houses.
Mmm Mmm. BBQ chicken for supper.
Joy got a ride before bedtime.
Trying her hardest to get that horn to sound.
One of those beautiful prairie sunsets I miss so much. Didn't have time to go outside to enjoy it, but I enjoyed letting my baby nurse herself to sleep instead.