A little visit with the Hieberts proved two things to me...

1) Their kids are really really cute

2) Their kids really are really really cute

And their parents are really cool too.

Rainy day boredom buster #38: Purchase quality face paints and give your daughter her dream identity and/or your dad his dream tattoo.

Sockboy

Tommy's "I just whizzed in the Pacific and therefore I rock" face.
LOOK MOM, I CAN WATER THE FLOWERS WITH THIS!!!!!!!! A rare and beautiful quiet moment which I spoiled by the taking of this photo.

Enough personality, intensity and passion in his baby finger to out do us everytime. The Awesome, The Amazing...Mr. T

Our little E.E.P.

The eternally devoted kitty girl

happy birthday simon

witty, affectionate, shy

our softy baby guy

tenaciously two

still you seem new

precious son of mine

Manitoba '08

Highlight #1 Watching the boyz and their cousin James play together. Truthfully they didn't really play together. They played, in the same room, but technically not together. You can tell that they will potentially have use for each other someday. For now it was Emily who was the apple of her cousin's eye and vice versa.

Our dashing boyz got a clean cut just before our trip. Simon wasn't ready for all the texturing and layering Tommy put up with so he got the "10 second tidy". I was ready to 10 second tidy that hairdresser for cutting off Simon's manly sideburns. More MB highlights to come...

This was my 32nd Birthday. To celebrate, I wore a side ponytail and lipstick and served chocolate cupcakes in the backyard. It was fabulous. Actually, it was a flop. We had a heck of a time mushing our cupcakes into the sprinkles to get them to stick. But in the end my kids adored me so I was happy.

Birthday Wishes Matt-We love you and couldn't imagine a sweeter little bro :)Speaking of sweet, look at that 72 hour old Simon! Evidence of what happens in less than 2 years may be analyzed in the motion picture below...

Em's Pic!

New camera + New Software + Zillions of photos + My mom's nagging = Me eventually chucking some pics on the blog even though it drives me nuts that I'm not sorting through all zillion in order to find the best of the best. I'm think'n some of these are pretty cool though.

p.s. Just joking about the nagging part, mom. You've been extremely patient considering that the kid's hair grows another 2 inches between posts.

I keep telling Steve those extra large Tim Hortens do funny things to him.

Our little Plett clans united in March to celebrate Dad's Birthday and we snuck in a little early b-day party for Em too. It was funny, relaxing (parts), noisy and everything I could have hoped for in a 3 day visit. The plan is to have a hundred more moments like these this summer in the prairies!

Kinda worked out the way they refused to sit nice for mommy.

Em was almost finished this one

when she gasped "Oh no! I forgot

to include a cougar!!" And at the last

second: "I have to have a deer in there!"

It's always been about animals with

Emily. Her "Barbie Stage" was almost solely

about the little pets you can get

as accessories. A few years ago she

wanted to stay up late evening after

evening discussing whether it

was possible for her to really

become a tiger trainer one day.

I don't want to disclose too much

about her current aspirations but

do find it hard to imagine her not

working with animals or perhaps for

people. Something that allows her to put her compassion where it's

needed. You know, like caring for her elderly mother and father!

NINE.

Got a scooter, couldn't be cuter

B-day wishes to our first baby

Happy Birthday and many hugs and kisses today to our beloved Granny Shirley.

XOXO

Turning 3 is a wonderful thing.

Happy Birthday Mr. T!

We partied at home for most of the day and then hit the road for some real chaos HERE.