still here, more pictures! - 08/14

We are all still here, and all is still well. Just busy. Josh's parents left on the 3rd, we had a great time with them and were sad to see them go. We bummed around the rest of the week, spent some time with friends at splash parks in town and at their house swimming in their pool.
We even got some kite flying in last weekend - we'd gone outside (Levi loves "side") and Josh must have thought it was perfect for the kite. He disappeared in the house and came out a few minutes later with the kite. A hit with the boys!

and I do mean all the boys - of course Levi got a turn!

Zech caught a little frog in the back yard - everyone loved watching it hop around. Levi tried to be gentle... pretty sure he hurt a leg, but he really tried hard!

On Monday (the 8th) we got up and checked the weather - it was supposed to be sunny and decently warm until Thursday. So, we packed up and set off for Winnipeg. The weather was not so right - it clouded over and got dark as we got closer to the city, and just after we checked in and registered at Bird's Hill Provincial Park campground it poured. We sat and waited until it let up (half an hour or so), then jumped out to set the trailer up. Another downpour hit just as Josh was putting the rain-fly on the kids' tent. It continued to rain off and on (mostly on) for the evening, overnight, and there was one last good pour first thing when we woke up in the morning. We (mostly me!) were worried - I thought for sure we'd be all wet - but nothing got wet at all, save for our clothes from being outside in it. We'd taken the portable movie player for in the van, just in case, and after supper we just got jammies on and had a "movie night" inside the trailer, then bedtime. Worked out very well, all in all.
On Tuesday, after the big shower we woke up to, we got breakfast ready and eaten and set out for the zoo. Isaac unfortunately wasn't feeling good at all - he didn't say anything until we started off, but hadn't eaten much breakfast. On the drive he complained of a sore stomach, said he felt sick and like he might throw up (he didn't, thank goodness!). When we arrived at the zoo he was very hot to touch, so we ended up with him in our big stroller and rented a small one (only $3) from the zoo for little Levi! Even with feeling sick and sitting or laying in the stroller the whole day, Isaac still liked looking at the animals and if you ask him now he didn't have a bad day. So that's good! The favorites all around were the monkies and the snow leopard!
There are a few play areas in the zoo, we stopped at each one!

Levi loves slides (whee's, he calls them).

They have a new exhibit - the butterfly house - at the zoo. There's only monarchs in there right now (lots of them!) but they'll have more in coming years. It's still very cool to see them all! These are taken in the garden outside the house.

Wednesday we went to the Museum/Planetarium/Science Gallery. The kids all loved it there, Isaac was feeling much better, running all over the place as usual for him. Even Levi loved seeing all the different animals and skeletons! (apologies for the blurriness of these ones, my camera doesn't like indoor pictures)

although he looks grumpy, Isaac asked me to take this picture.

in a foam igloo!

Levi - he really did like it there!

everyone on the tall ship - the "nonsuch" is rebuilt inside the museum!

the boys made race cars at the science gallery

On Thursday we got a chance to see a puppet show (interpretive programs at the provincial parks) and go to the beach before we packed up again and headed home! Good to sleep in our own beds again.
We got the kids' school supplies on Friday - busy and oh how I don't want to think about school starting again all ready! - but it's done now. I can ignore that for another few weeks!
Yesterday we packed some snacks and headed to the beach (William Lake, where we camped the first time, our favorite!) and spent the afternoon playing in the water and sand. Unfortunately, Levi also fell off the ladder of a slide (approx 7-8ft high). He has a bruised and scraped up elbow, bumps on his head, and a chipped front tooth, but he seems to feel fine otherwise.
Today we've lazed around and done not much of anything! If it gets sunny again we may head back to the beach for swimming and supper (bbq'ed hotdogs) after Levi wakes from his nap. I guess I shouldn't say we've done nothing - Levi found some bits of paper on the floor... and discovered that putting them between his toes was funny!

And a video got put on this time too, on the other site, July 12th - video of Levi splashing in the lake!