Celebrating

Canada Day is a big deal for our Winnipeg relatives. Auntie Brenda and Uncle Terry have always had a big bash with many decorations and tonnes of excitement to celebrate Uncle Terry's birthday, their wedding anniversary and Canada Day all at the same time, but since moving into a smaller home they've had to borrow Brenda's brother/mother's yard for the festivities. It was lots of fun and what better way to tell a long story but through pictures. Here we go!

Because it was Uncle Terry's 60th birthday, a bunch of relatives from Saskatoon (and us) came to surprise him.
Back row: Dean, Trevor, Brenda, RCMP dummy, Andy, Tyler, Connie, Norma, Jean, Terry, Chris
Front row: Amber, Brian, Amanda, Kelsey, Pat, Warren, Jen (holding Finn), Kim (holding Aiden), Mario and Isabella and Lily in the very front.

Lily and Isabella, who are nine months apart and both four right now, are so alike it's a little freaky. They love all the same things: princesses, being pretty, jewelry, Scooby Doo, iCarly and their Miranda Cosgrove CDs. It was all fun, all the time.

Here are Warren and Jean. Warren is my cousin Heather's dad and my mom's brother.

Awww, Finn and Chris under the apple tree. It was so freaking hot and humid that Finn spent very little time outside. Chris and I traded off being in the house with him so that we could take turns visiting with everyone outside.

Here is cousin Aiden. He is seven months older than Finn. One day I hope they get along as well as Lily and Isabella.

Sweet Auntie Norma posing under the apple tree.

Trevor's turn in the game of lawn darts. This is a serious game and is played every year with prizes for the top winners. Chris and I worked on Trev's latest CD artwork in the blurry nights after Finn's birth. Trevor and his girlfriend, Amber, are also expecting a baby in January.

Here is cousin Kelsey (13), playing dolls with the girls. Lily thinks Kelsey is so awesome.

Here is Uncle Terry and Nana. Can you tell they're siblings???

Silly girls. Okay, mostly just silly Lily.

This is super, awesome, totally fun bath time.

The girls had made a plan to tie up Uncle Trevor when he came to Kim and Mario's (where we were staying) for a big family lunch the next day. Lily was so excited to play with him because he plays rough like Uncle Nigel does. And when Trev was done playing, they tied themselves up (below).

Cool cousin Kelsey and Isabella.

Chris and little Finn man, when Finn was actually awake. I was a little worried as we'd taken the kid's for their immunizations the day before we left, but it didn't seem to have any ill effects on either of them. Well, Finn was a little grouchy and made it known with his high-pitched squealing cries, but he's still easy to please.

The girls spent a good chunk of the afternoon having a blast in the water – and blasting the dog with water.

Cousin Kim is holding Aiden while Lily feeds him his first bites of chocolate cupcake. Lily had lots of fun with Aiden so she has lots to look forward to when Finn gets bigger and mobile.

Isabella and her nana, Auntie Brenda.

Lily strikes a pose with her nana in the foreground. Nana ended up having to go to the emergency room on Canada Day to deal with an infection. Luckily, Jean offered to take her and keep her company. They were there all night, arriving "home" around 5 a.m.

Finn was a super little traveller, but he still likes to sleep away the earlier parts of every day still. He slept almost the whole way there with one stop for him to eat. Then on the way home, he was awake but happy to play from Winnipeg to Brandon, then slept the entire rest of the way. Lily even slept in the afternoon both ways.

So yeah, it was a highly successful trip. When asked what her favourite part was, Lily said, "All of it! Let's go back next year!"