The Little Bugs

Picture Catch-Up

2012-02-12T09:35:00.003-05:00

Reading Dangerous Journey with Daddy by candlelight.

It snowed two weeks ago! (The first time in about 10 years!)

I love those sweet feet and bedhead.
*Notice the school pics of the kids next to the TV. Hilarious!

And I love how Ben and Sim play the iPad together.

Fine Dining with Sim

2012-01-30T02:22:00.003-05:00

Ben's Superhero Party

2012-01-22T08:06:00.010-05:00

On Friday some well-known superheroes converged at our house to complete a mission- to rescue Ben's lambie, chick, and Matthew the horse.

Before they began, they watched a message from the joker. What a mean guy.

Untitled from Chip Bugnar on Vimeo.

Task 1: Obstacle course

Task 2: Eliminate bad guys

Task 3: Throwing practice

Task 4: Finding the special key in the dark (too dark for pictures)

The rescue!

Dinner

The C family knows the way to Ben's heart!

All of the party pics:

Ben's School Party

2012-01-22T06:34:00.001-05:00

Bean is 4!

2012-01-22T05:37:00.006-05:00

Ben turned four on Thursday! I really can't believe he's that old. We let him open gifts before school. Later that afternoon he had a party at school. On Friday we had his party at home. He LOVED that it was his birthday and has been so thrilled to be 4.

Fun Disney art stuff from the Buggs.

Superman goodies from the Franks.

NC State shirts and a Wii game from Katie and Sam.

Cinnamon rolls with blue icing.

Ben enjoying his hat, scarf, and gloves from Emma.

Camel Wrestling

2012-01-15T10:16:00.008-05:00

Who doesn't enjoy spending a chilly Sunday watching camel wrestling with a crowd of 400-500 nationals?? Today we went with the C family and had a blast! Okay, so it was a little cold and the kids were a little whiny because they couldn't see, but all in all it was worth the trip.

Mmmmmm... camel sausage.

There they go shoving and pushing each other.
No, not the kids, the camels.
For those of you who have never seen camels wrestle, the winner is declared by pushing his opponent down or making him run away.

So they're a little cold and hungry. Let's eat...

a camel meat sandwich! Yay!
(All 6 of us tried it and didn't think it was too bad.)

But I did bring pb&j's too.

Owen being interviewed by some random people.

Ben took this picture. I thought it was cute.

Bonus: Can you find Katie (who is taking a picture) and Baby T in this photo?

A pantry stocked...

2012-01-15T10:11:00.001-05:00

with goodies from America! Thanks PBCers!

Shower for R and K

2012-01-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

We were able to shower our friends (who we met in training last year) with baby gifts while we were in Antalya. They live in a different country and don't have access to a lot of baby things. It was so fun celebrating the upcoming arrival of baby Oliver with them!! (And thanks DO for watching our kiddos so we could have a free night to do this!)

Vacation in Antalya

2012-01-12T08:42:00.006-05:00

We went on vacation to Antalya the week after Christmas. Our home fellowship was there volunteering with the youth from families who work overseas. We were blessed tremendously by them!! Not only did they bring us TONS of goodies from the States, but they also served us by playing with our kids, eating meals with us, and just hanging out. The kids got to attend the kid activities and they loved it. The first day Ben got a black eye from a rogue swing, but other than that, it was smooth sailing.

The Shiner

Chillin' after a long morning and afternoon of fun activities like arts and crafts, story time, and swimming lessons.

Every afternoon Ben passed out on one of our beds in the hotel room (b/c his class didn't nap).

One of the sweetest things that happened at the retreat was that Papa George gave Owen a guitar as a surprise. He knew we gave Owen's old guitar away when we moved overseas and that Owen had been wanting a new one. Owen was so excited!

Mike teaching Owen some skills. Mike is one of Owen's very favorite people. :)

Ben singing on stage for the closing ceremonies.

Emma's debut as David (right after she slayed Goliath).

Sim sleeping on his new mini Pillow Pet that his teachers gave him.

Vacation in K-town

2012-01-08T06:42:00.008-05:00

After Christmas we spent a few days of vacation in K-town with some friends.

We had a great time!

Dinner the first night- boxes full of pide.

Enjoying a meal all together.

One day we went to the beach. The kids threw rocks into the ocean for the longest time. They also enjoyed kicking around some balls, building in the sand, and flying kites.

The place where we stayed had an awesome kids' indoor playplace. It also had a theater where the kids watched "Cars 2".

We also went hiking one day. It was a bit chilly but the scenery was beautiful!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T06:01:00.003-05:00

We had a pretty quiet Christmas day here. We sure missed our family, but we did get to skype with them later in the day.

The kids woke up and were SO excited to put baby Jesus in the manger on our advent calendar. We read the story, opened the box, and..... oh, no! Baby Jesus wasn't there! Chip sent them on a scavenger hunt to find Him. After they found Jesus and put Him in the manger, they opened presents and we had cinnamon rolls for Jesus' birthday.

Checking out the gifts

Baby Jesus is missing!

Part of the scavenger hunt was to decorate gingerbread men!

After He was found, Sim got to put baby Jesus in the manger.

The kids got 2 gifts each from us and some little things in their stockings. I was worried that it wasn't much but after Owen saw the presents under the tree on Christmas morning, he ran to our room and said "There are hundreds of presents in there!" :)

Spidermen

Happy birthday Jesus!

Christmas Cookie Craziness

2011-12-22T06:02:00.006-05:00

We have been making cookies for neighbors, friends, and teachers this week. The kids decorated all of the sugar cookies last night. They LOVED it!

Mr. Sprinkles

Yes, he is licking a knife.

"Cleaning up" after the cookies were all decorated.

Gross. Later, when delivering cookies to a neighbor, she asked why Sim's hands were red.

Pillow Fight!

2011-12-18T06:52:00.005-05:00

Speaking of Christmas...

2011-12-18T06:27:00.006-05:00

We did decorate weeks ago, but I kept forgetting to post pictures.

This was a gift from a friend here.

The kids decorated this tree with ornaments they made themselves-
a cross, a wise man, an empty tomb, a star, and a crown.

Christmas Surprise

2011-12-15T13:07:00.004-05:00

We got a box in the mail today from some of our neighbors back in Raleigh. It was FULL of Christmas stuff!! We got arts and crafts, a small tree, candy, Trader Joe's goodies, ornaments, decorations, and cards. The kids were thrilled (so were Chip and I)! Thanks guys- we love and miss you much!

Laundry Surprise

2011-12-15T13:02:00.001-05:00

Family Vacation

2011-12-11T11:33:00.013-05:00

This weekend we headed to a nearby coastal town for a little family vacation. We stayed at the same hotel we stayed at in October for the retreat. Before checking in on the first day, we visited some castle ruins- beautiful! We were almost the only guests at the hotel and enjoyed having the beach, pool, Turkish bath, playground, and soccer field all to ourselves.

Starting the morning off right with some doughnuts from Ikea.

The boys defending the castle from invaders.

Finally!! A normal smile for a picture from Simeon.

Enjoying the beach...

Playing soccer, I mean, football.

The kids LOVED the Turkish bath at the hotel.
(BTW- The marks on Emma's knees are from the railing at the pool- not bruises!)

Here are all the pics:

Thanksgiving Pics

2011-12-04T12:03:00.006-05:00

It has taken me forever to get these online!

Here's the table.

The kids' table.

The decorations.

Crazy kids.

The whole group (except for the S family who was out with the stomach bug).

Buddies.

From our little turkeys to yours...

2011-11-24T14:40:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Emma's School Party

2011-11-21T02:56:00.006-05:00

Emma's school birthday party last week was so fun! Here are some pics from the big event..

Emma with her birthday candle in her cookie.

The kids enjoyed the cookies. They had no idea how to spread icing or sprinkle on sprinkles. We had to give a tutorial. I guess that's an American thing to do.
(Emma chose cookies over a cake.)

Emma with her teacher.

Emma's fancy hair (her teacher did it).

Waiting to open presents.

One by one the kids would hand Emma a gift, tell her "Happy birthday" in Turkish, and kiss her on the cheek.

After the gifts the kids played pin the clothespins on the parents,

a very crazy version of musical chairs,

and pop the balloons in pairs.

Here's the bulletin board in the classroom with Emma's baby pictures
and her beloved hat and kiki.

Sleepy Lunch

2011-11-15T02:48:00.003-05:00

Someone had a long, hard day at preschool yesterday.
(Not really, he loves preschool, he was just super tired.)

Emma's Tea Party

2011-11-12T10:14:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrated Emma's 7th birthday with a tea party. Of course, we had to start the morning with birthday cinnamon rolls.

Hugs from the brothers.

Ready for the party!

Enjoy the party pics!

Crazy kids

2011-11-12T10:02:00.001-05:00

Early Christmas!

2011-11-05T16:28:00.004-04:00

Our friends, the Morgans, sent us a package and we opened it this morning. It was full of fun stuff!! They were VERY generous with their gifts. Thanks Morgans! We love you!

Our kids reading letters from their kids.

Fruit snacks- hooray!

Ben is holding a Transformer. He has carried it around with him all day today.

NC State shirts. Almost everyone in the family loved them.

Davis sent a special lollipop with the following note attached...

If you can't read it, it says "Davis wanted to send this lollipop to Simeon.
He said maybe if he sucked on it his eyes would get better."

Thanks again Morgan family!

Femina Blog Post

2011-11-02T04:19:00.004-04:00

I loved this post on women and cultural cliches on the Femina blog today. Check it out and mommies, be encouraged!

http://www.feminagirls.com/2011/11/01/cultural-cliches/

Musical Chairs

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000-04:00

Fall Festival

2011-10-31T08:29:00.005-04:00

Last night after church we had a fall festival with our fellowship. The night was filled with fun games, trick-or-treating (down our hallway), dinner, and cookie decorating. We were joined by some cute characters...

a ballerina kitty,

a scary orange dinosaur,

Batmen

Angelina Ballerina,

a doctor,

another ballerina,

and Scottie Pippen.

We played musical chairs and "Hot Pumpkin" to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". (This is me giving the kids directions on how to play "Hot Pumpkin"-think hot potato- and Scottie giving the doctor some last minute advice on how to box out Sim to win.)

The kids went trick-or-treating down our hallway and had to knock on three different doors to get a trick or treat. Behind each door was a scary daddy, but the kids didn't mind (except for little E who cried when she saw Chip) because each daddy had candy!

After dinner we decorated pumpkin sugar cookies (thanks for the awesome recipe Abba!).

When the night was over and I was tucking the dinosaur, I mean Owen, in bed he said, "Can we do that again mommy?" :)

Turkish Performance

2011-10-30T16:12:00.003-04:00

Since everyone loves to watch kids mumble through long Turkish monologues, I thought I'd share this video.
A few things to note: sorry it's blurry!, Ben is standing at his chair in the beginning, Emma starts her part around the 1:30 mark, the kid to the left of her is Owen's favorite friend, Owen starts his part around the 3:00 mark. Enjoy!

Pony Party

2011-10-30T14:51:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Emma and I went to a local mall with some friends to attend a free My Little Pony Party. We got there soon after it began and beat the crowds. The girls had fun watching My Little Pony videos, coloring, dancing, and playing with ponies. At the end, they each got a free DVD (it's in Turkish though) and a little pony. Then we all ate lunch together. What a fun, girly outing with friends!

29th of October!

2011-10-30T14:37:00.002-04:00

On Friday the kids had a celebration at school (like 4th of July in the States but it's the 29th of October here). Ben, Owen, and Emma's classes all got up and sang some songs. Emma and Owen had speaking parts in their presentation which were so cute! I'm trying to upload the video but it's taking forever. In the meantime, enjoy the few pictures I did take.

Retreat Video

2011-10-28T11:59:00.005-04:00

Here's a link to a video we took at the kids' evening performance on Thursday. If you look closely, you can spot a lot of little PBC kiddos!

http://youtu.be/sQiH6aO7l3c

Retreat Part 2

2011-10-28T09:37:00.003-04:00

Serious bedhead

L and O: Buddies

Sim and E: Cuties

Sunset

Retreat

2011-10-28T04:37:00.006-04:00

We were blessed by being able to go on a restful, fun retreat this week.

This is our hotel from the backside.

The view from our balcony.

Ready for the pool!

Chip must have thrown Sim in the air a hundred times.

After pool time snack (while watching Turkish cartoons).

A funny picture of Owen. :)

Before the Retreat

2011-10-27T07:35:00.008-04:00

We were blessed to attend a retreat this week in another city. However, I had a few pictures of events pre-retreat so here they are...

During a shopping errand, E and I enjoyed some "doughnuts" and oysters.
(p.s. Not at the same time!)

Simeon started wearing a patch (for about 2 hrs a day)
to strengthen his right eye. He handles it pretty well.

My firstborn son finally started cheering for the right team.

This is how Ben plays the iPad- with Sim stuck to his side.

Post Haircuts

2011-10-16T04:04:00.004-04:00

After a busy day- church, the park, haircuts, and a lot of walking in between these activities- the kids got to eat dinner in front of the TV while watching a movie.

Brothers

2011-10-16T03:39:00.002-04:00

And a sister...

Highlights from this Past Weekend

2011-10-11T02:58:00.005-04:00

Wearing fall/winter clothes

Playing in the ball pit at Ikea

Poor Sim, he's not old enough to go in yet.
He handles the disappointment like a champ though.

Reading with C (who came to visit on Saturday!)

Visitors

2011-10-01T14:14:00.006-04:00

We had friends visit from our home fellowship in the States this week. What a treat! On Friday morning we all went out for breakfast (while most of the kiddos were in school) at a restaurant that overlooks our city. We had a great time. Thanks for coming Keith and Jessica!!

Our awesome friends, A and S.

More awesome friends- M and K.
(I got to hold sweet baby T while they took this picture.)

The ladies in our group. Yet another awesome friend- E on the left.

Of course Chip is laughing in our picture. :)

Pics from the clock tower later that day.

Some Cuteness

2011-10-01T12:37:00.005-04:00

This is Emma's my-hair-was-done-at-Turkish-school picture.

Sim's photo shoot fresh out of the tub.

Sim thinking about what trouble he's going to get into next.

I love how Emma covered her bear for bedtime.

The other day I found these envelopes hanging on Emma and Owen's doorknobs.
Inside were the following letters...

Sick Days

2011-10-01T01:20:00.002-04:00

We've had a week of sickness around here. Emma had the stomach bug last weekend. Then Chip got it at the beginning of this week. Owen battled a fever on and off and now all three boys have a yucky cough. Thankfully, I think we're on the mend.

Here is Emma the day after being up all night with the bug.

Here's a picture that Owen drew for Chip so that he'd feel better.
It's a picture of them camping. :)

Sunday Afternoon Nap

2011-09-18T07:51:00.002-04:00

2011-09-18T07:34:00.002-04:00

Emma came home from school on Thursday wearing this skirt.

I'm not sure why, but she did look cute!

On Friday night the big 3 had a tea party.
Poor Ben, no clothes and he had to sit on the little stool. I don't think he minded.

Language Learning

2011-09-10T07:08:00.001-04:00

It's hard to learn language when your husband and his friend act like this...

http://vimeo.com/28828452

Dr. Ben?

2011-09-10T06:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had a minor allergy attack after lunch (mainly my right eye and throat got a little swollen). I took some benadryl and rested on the sofa for a while. Ben knew that I wasn't feeling well so he brought me his pillow, blankie, and lambie. It was really sweet. Maybe he'll grow up to be an EMT like his Uncle Greg.

New Things

2011-09-10T05:20:00.006-04:00

Emma has really wanted a canopy after seeing one in a store here. We finally found a pink one for her and she loves it.

We got our first package from the States this past week. Thanks Nana!! It was like Christmas!

I got some cork boards for the kids' rooms and covered them with fabric. Since I took these pictures, the kids have added pictures and letters from friends and family.

Babies, babies!

2011-09-10T04:13:00.004-04:00

Sim and Batman hanging out with little T.

Baby V was born last Monday. She is super sweet (çok tatla)!

Beach Trip #2

2011-09-02T02:19:00.007-04:00

We went to the beach with our friends, the S family, on Tuesday. We had a blast with them! The weather was perfect (even a bit chilly) and the water was so clear and beautiful.

Emma and O

So Ben...

The football game.

Surf's up!

H and Sim

Baby J

Dinner Faces

2011-09-01T02:21:00.004-04:00

This is the view from my seat during dinner.

(That's a smile, by the way.)

A Full Sunday

2011-08-29T13:57:00.005-04:00

Simeon got to wear his backpack to fellowship this AM. I think it made his day!

Ben wrote his name ALL BY HIMSELF!!

Then he wrote it again and drew a self portrait!

Emma got a new pony at the store and wanted to sleep with it. This is how I found her later that night. It doesn't look too comfortable to me, but it sure is sweet.

Playing with Water

2011-08-28T03:03:00.003-04:00

Weekly Picture Update

2011-08-27T01:28:00.007-04:00

A friend, S, and I got some Superman t-shirts at the pazar last Saturday.

The boys LOVE them!

On Sunday Simeon got a big boy bed (Ikea finally got it in stock).
He was thrilled and has done a great job sleeping in it.

I went in to take a picture of Simeon's first night in his bed and they all looked so sweet sleeping that I had to take a picture of all 4.

On Tuesday Ben and Owen got their first haircuts here. I think they turned
out well. Owen didn't want me to take his picture, but I did anyway.

The kids have enjoyed playing with my cooking things recently.
Usually they end up looking like this:

We got to see "Cars 2" at the theater here. When the employees told us they'd show it in English, the kids were so excited (so were the adults)!

Yay for "Arabalar Iki"!

Ferry Ride

2011-08-22T10:51:00.004-04:00

Last Friday we went on a little family trip across the city via bus, and then rode the ferry across the Aegean back to our side. While we were waiting to board our ferry, the kids got to chase some pigeons. I don't know if it's culturally acceptable but we let them do it anyway.

Emma brings a purse everywhere she goes now. :)
And she always wears a dress or skirt. Such a girl!

Simeon was ready to crawl right over the railing of the ferry.
I had a death grip on his shirt the whole ride.

Owen and Ben are into dressing like one another these days.
I wonder how long it will last...

Cuties in the Tub

2011-08-20T09:24:00.002-04:00

Pics from the last week

2011-08-17T09:09:00.004-04:00

O in the shower. :)

Our first snail mail letter! O got a note from Jude!

Hanging out with R.

Hanging out at the mall with Daddy.

A Chill Sunday Morning

2011-08-07T07:39:00.003-04:00

Emma diligently worked on her US geography puzzle this AM (thanks Mama Bugg!). She even used the iPad to locate the states' locations.

Ben "read" with Sim for quite a while.

I LOVE these chubby feet!

All done!

Last of the Apt Pics

2011-08-07T07:10:00.003-04:00

Here's the hall/kids' bathroom.
Storage cabinet to the left and shower.

Our bedroom.

Chip has a small study area and desk.

Our tiny, pink bathroom. Emma's favorite- of course. :)

And our kitchen cabinet with the new fabric (this pic is for you Jules!).

Haircut and Scar Update

2011-08-02T02:33:00.001-04:00

See Nana, the haircut turned out alright. (We didn't use clippers- he freaks out.) And below are pics of Ben's cool new scar.

Think this kid needs a haircut?

2011-08-01T14:55:00.001-04:00

Thankfully he got one on Saturday.

Balcony Fun

2011-08-01T14:40:00.001-04:00

Trip to the Aegean

2011-07-27T12:21:00.003-04:00

We went to the beach (Aegean Sea) on Tuesday with some friends and had TONS of fun. It was our first trip to the beach this summer, and badly overdue. :)

Nana S and Papa J

Beached boys

Catching the perfect wave

A futile attempt to get all 4 in a picture

Our friends A and D

Our First Trip to the Hospital

2011-07-19T08:34:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the kids' first full morning of preschool/day camp for the older two. Ben decided to start it with a bang- literally. Around 12 we got a call that he had had an accident and had to be taken to the hospital. We took a taxi back to the preschool (we were meeting with our language tutor at the time), Chip took the other 3 home, and the director drove me and our friend E (who was translating) to the hospital. Ben was in his teacher's arms when we arrived and was very relieved to see me. He had tripped while running and fell into a door frame and put a huge hole in his head. The first hospital didn't have the necessary supplies to deal with it -scary, I know- so a teammate drove us to a private hospital. They were able to stitch him up and he was so courageous through the whole thing. Poor guy! It was pretty traumatic for us all, but the Father took care of us and was merciful. We are thankful! For sure he'll have a scar. Maybe it'll be cool like Harry Potter's or our Raleigh friend Elijah's. :)

Sweet Sleep

2011-07-14T15:09:00.000-04:00

Our New Apartment- After Pics

2011-07-14T14:41:00.004-04:00

Here are some updated pictures.
Our living room/dining room-

The boys' room (Sim still doesn't have a bed yet)-

Emma's room-

The kitchen-

The kitchen from the opposite angle-

Fun fabric for the cabinet in the kitchen (see above on right)-

Our New Apartment- Before Pics

2011-07-13T11:47:00.004-04:00

Our living room (balcony door to the left)-

Our kitchen (with a small balcony off the back)-

Our hallway (bathroom door on left, our bedroom after that, Emma's door at the end, boys' door to the right)-

Our room but the boys slept in here the first couple of nights-

Emma's room-
Emma slept in until 9:00 the first morning we were here. Such a tired girl!

Flying Overseas

2011-07-10T14:25:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from our first two flights. By the third, I was too wiped out. Julie was the BIGGEST blessing- especially since Chip hurt his back a couple days before we left. We ended up pushing him around the airport terminals in a wheelchair (along with two strollers, four kids, and seven pieces of carry-on luggage). The flights and layovers all went smoothly and we are so thankful. We have been in our new country a week and a day now!

The kids could watch their own movies or TV shows on the plane. Yes!

A little nap with Daddy.

Owen drew a picture for the pilots and was able to go in the cockpit to deliver it. The pilots were super nice.

Julie doing exercises with the kiddos in the Toronto terminal. Emma opted to play "Angry Birds" instead.

Catching a ride to our next flight.

Biking Stanley Park

2011-07-09T15:32:00.005-04:00

One of our sweet friends, Julie, came to Vancouver to help us pack up and prepare for our travels. The day before we left, we took the kids biking around Stanley Park. It was awesome!!

Emma and Julie playing Uno.

Julie let Owen cook sausage for breakfast. His life dream was fulfilled.

Boys in the bike trailer.

Emma and Julie on the tandem bike.

Emma in front of one of the Laughing Men statues.

Love this picture!!

Tearful Goodbyes

2011-07-08T14:21:00.003-04:00

We had to say some tearful goodbyes to our sweet friends in Vancouver a week ago. Here are pictures from the last day of class and the closing ceremony.

Lonsdale Quay

2011-06-26T17:07:00.004-04:00

Today we met our friend, S, at Lonsdale Quay in North Van for brunch. He has been such a blessing to us and hopefully we'll get to meet his wife when we get overseas. It was sad saying goodbye- we will miss him!

Waiting for the bus to take to get to the seabus.

Owen's Nacho pose.

Live prawns- yum!

Chillin' on the dock.

Riding the seabus on the way home.

Cars 2!

2011-06-26T17:04:00.002-04:00

On Saturday we went to see "Cars 2" with two other families here. The kids loved it! I had to take Sim and his friend, little B, home about an hour into the movie- our house is about a block from the theater- but it was fun nonetheless.

Sick Sim

2011-06-26T17:00:00.002-04:00

Simeon has had a cold for a couple of days so he got to skip school on Thursday and Friday. He watched videos, played trucks, and napped a lot. Thankfully he is feeling better now, even though his nose is gross.

Saturday Picnic

2011-06-13T00:14:00.003-04:00

We had a picnic with our group here in Vancouver on Saturday and it was so much fun (minus the 60 degree weather and on and off sprinkles).

B and Sim getting ready to play ball.

L checking out Sim's cool ride.

Uncle B and Sim playing...something.

Guess who can ride a bike without training wheels now?!

These three went in the water spray section of the park after their mommies told them not to. Don't they look so ashamed that they disobeyed? :)

Happy Birthday Sim!

2011-06-09T00:48:00.007-04:00

Happy 2nd birthday, Simeon! Today we celebrated by opening presents (he is loving anything related to trucks), eating cinnamon rolls, celebrating again at school, and eating dinner with our friend Sarah while watching the Canucks game. Sim, you're the most precious two-year-old we know! We love you!

His party at school-

Owen drew this picture of an excavator with Sim driving for his birthday.

Playdate Fun

2011-06-09T00:22:00.003-04:00

Thanks for coming over, Matthew!

Our Urban Girl

2011-06-09T00:18:00.002-04:00

Emma on the sky train, reading the paper.

Hats Off Day

2011-06-05T00:25:00.004-04:00

Our area of the city celebrated Hats Off Day today (the local merchants took their hats off to the public of Burnaby) which meant a parade down the main street near us and a festival of vendors and activities for kids. It was a lot of fun! However, the most exciting thing was the weather- low 70s and SUNNY!!!!

Sleepover

2011-06-05T00:18:00.003-04:00

Emma had her two friends, K and E, spend the night last night. The girls watched a movie, baked cookies, and painted nails. They had a great time together. Thanks for coming over K and E!!

Sim and his buddy L

The Vancouver Aquarium

2011-05-29T17:46:00.006-04:00

Our group visited the Vancouver Aquarium this past Saturday. We had a great time!

Starting the trip off right- with some Starbucks (with water inside for the kiddos).

Ella, Matthew (B's best bud), and B

Sim loving on Laney

All the kids minus O who was having a moment at the time...

E and her sweet friend Karis.

The Beluga whale show was really neat.

A Beluga whale spitting water at the audience.

Getting ready to see the 4D movie.

Lunchtime!

Day 3 with D and D

2011-05-23T12:36:00.005-04:00

Day 3: Downtown and Stanley Park

Go Canucks!
(They're one win away from playing for the the Stanley Cup.)

Steam Clock

A Clover coffee from Starbucks

Eating at Splitz- great burgers!

Serious Mario Kart competitions

Watching a cruise ship head out to sea at Stanley Park.

Love this picture!

Lions Gate Bridge

Watching the huge ships sail under the bridge.

Walking along the sea wall

Day 1 and Day 2 with D and D

2011-05-23T11:48:00.006-04:00

Our sweet friends Daniel and Danielle came to visit us this weekend. We had tons of fun with them! They left this morning and we miss them so much already. Thanks for coming D and D!!

Day 1: Trip to Granville Island

Waiting for the sea taxi

Cherries at the public market.

Getting donuts. These were the best we've ever eaten!

This pic is for you, Papa Bugg!

Day 2: Trip to Lynn Canyon

On the suspension bridge. Chip wasn't too thrilled about it.

Ben is laughing, for the record.

Sim-on the way home.

Super Wednesday

2011-05-18T23:36:00.004-04:00

It was super hero Wednesday at our house today. Thanks Beezie and family for the outfits- they came this morning!

The super heroes vs. the dinosaur

I didn't know Iron Man carried a purse.

Chip brought the kids to where I was reading (I had the morning off). The people in the coffee shop were dying inside. :)

Then Chip took them to the park. Isn't it beautiful? It's about 3 blocks from our house.

Later today...

Emma's favorite reading spot- under the table in our living room. (Ignore the mess on top.)

I had a little helper in the kitchen while I was making cookies.

Caught eating the chocolate chips!

Tired after a long day.

Cheddar Chicken

2011-05-18T01:08:00.001-04:00

Our family tried this recipe recently and loved it. It's from the May 2010 RealSimple magazine. Just thought I'd share!

Cheddar Chicken

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3/4 cup)
6 oz sharp cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
2. Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25-30 min.

Catching Ladybugs and Other Pics

2011-05-18T00:28:00.004-04:00

We have a few ants in our kitchen (we miss having Spurgeon clean up all the food that gets dropped- I guess we need to sweep better). After seeing Chip kill them with a paper towel, Sim got a napkin and crawled around the floor smashing them. When asked what he was doing he replied, "Catching ladybugs!".

The boys watching a video. Sim looks so comfortable...

Emma reading a book to the boys.

Dinosimmysaurus!

Haircuts

2011-05-18T00:08:00.004-04:00

This weekend we took the boys down to a nearby neighborhood street to get a haircut. Owen and Ben did great. Sim was fine until the clippers came out- then he just screamed as I held his head still. The Lebanese man that owned the barber shop was very nice and as we were leaving he insisted on giving our children gifts. He gave Owen a toy beetle, Ben Rudolph earmuffs, Sim a broken baby toy, and Emma two naked Bratz dolls (she said thank you very politely but was totally embarrassed). He was so kind to give the kids what he could find in the back of his shop. :)

Soccer

2011-05-11T23:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Owen and Emma's first day of soccer. They loved it! Ben wanted to play with them so badly. He kept telling me, "I'm free (three). I'm big too!"

When we got home from soccer practice, there was a package and two birthday cards waiting for Owen (thanks Mama Bugg, Aunt Susan, and Dixie!!). Perfect timing!

Only Mama Bugg could decorate a present like this!

Happy Birthday Owen!

2011-05-10T18:05:00.006-04:00

I can't believe Owen is 5! We started celebrating his birthday this weekend when we skyped with the Bugnar side of the family. In the picture, Mama Bugg is holding a super heroes cake with Owen's name and the number 5 on it. So sweet! They sang to him and he got to blow out the candles-all the way from Vancouver.

Last night he got to pick the birthday dinner menu: ribs with salad, fries, and applesauce. (We couldn't have it tonight b/c he and Emma start soccer practice and we didn't have enough time to cook them.)

Good morning, birthday boy!

Checking out the batman underwear. Everyone should have a pair.

His favorite thing- a superman watch! (Way to go, Nana!)

At school, the bigger kids decorated the room for Owen's party. We sang to Oboe and had cupcakes after lunch. It was a blessing to celebrate with our Vancouver friends.

Owen even got to sit in his favorite seat on the sky train on the way home.

Daddy and Sim taking a nap on the sky train.

Happy birthday Owen! We love you so much!

To the Park (through the City)

2011-05-01T23:23:00.005-04:00

Hockey Boys and Henna Girl

2011-05-01T23:19:00.001-04:00

Coconuts!

2011-04-26T18:11:00.003-04:00

For of all you who don't follow hockey- tonight is game 7 for the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Since we're practically Canadians now :), we're hoping that the Canucks will win. We're all sporting our Canucks shirts today and Ben has been cheering "Coconuts!". (That's his interpretation of "Go Canucks!".)

From Easter Bunny to Tooth Fairy

2011-04-25T00:24:00.003-04:00

We were visited by the Easter Bunny this morning (just kidding!) and tonight the Tooth Fairy should be dropping by because... Emma lost her first tooth! Emma's tooth was super wiggly so Chip offered to pull it out. I distracted her while her brothers cheered and it was out before she knew it! Needless to say, she is on cloud nine. On the other hand, her dad and I know that driving, college, and marriage are just around the corner.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T00:18:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all the goodies, Nana! The kids loved their Easter stuff!

Hiking

2011-04-23T00:40:00.004-04:00

Late this afternoon we went on a hike with Sarah, Marsha, and Marsha's dog Oreo. We hiked around Sasamat Lake and it was beautiful! The kids loved running through the trails and throwing rocks in the water.

Reading Buddies

2011-04-19T00:12:00.002-04:00

Emma has become a really good reader. She especially loves reading to Sim.

She made signs the other day for everyone's bedroom door:

She shares a room with Sim so I'm glad he's allowed, I mean, aloud. :)

Bunny Teeth

2011-04-16T13:48:00.002-04:00

Thanks Sarah for the bunny teeth lollipops!

Playing

2011-04-16T13:39:00.004-04:00

The kids are enjoying the Wii- especially boxing and sword fighting. The bottom three pictures are of Emma, Ben, and Simeon playing beauty parlor. :)

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2011-04-16T13:34:00.002-04:00

We celebrated our dear friend Sarah's birthday two weeks ago. She came over for dinner and then when the kids went to bed, we played an enthralling game of Settlers of Catan. We love you Sarah!

Our New Home

2011-04-10T18:20:00.002-04:00

This is our new house (the upper level- a family lives below us).

Our street.

A park close to us. It has a library too.
The mountains are amazing!

Walking home from the bus stop after class. (Turn right at the light and our house is 3 houses down on the right.)

Reading before bed.