May Flowers

So thankful that spring is done sprung-ing and our afternoons are spent outside.  We had two days of solid, perfect rain last week that made everything start growing!  I transplanted some raspberry plants from my grandma's yard and despite the weather this winter, there are leaves on them!  (I also transplanted a peony bush, but I'm thinking that one didn't make it...)  I've planted flowers in our big planter, and the boys' grade one trees are budding little baby branches.

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A while ago, Pete took me and the boys to see The Avengers in the theatre. After seeing it already (on opening night with Kyle, of course), Pete decided that it wasn't that scary and that the boys would love it. Well, it was fantastic - I have to say that I enjoyed that movie thoroughly. Not only was it clean (no swearing or sex) and not scary, it was super entertaining. There was one really tense "will he make it through the door before it closes and we'll never see him again" scene where the super hero narrowly makes it, and amid a quiet theatre everyone could hear Nathan say, "PHEW!!!" Zack loved it too, and he has been telling everyone who will listen about all the scenes he can remember.

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Pete has been working quite a bit already this season, and this year they have given him the responsibility of going on the road with a service truck.  This means taking a truck full of tools and parts out to jobsites to fix the equipment, or doing services like oil changes and air filters and all that jazz right on the spot.  Starting today he will be in Edson all week, but driving home each night.  He's not too happy about this transition, but with the nice post-graduation raise that he got, it's a little easier to handle.

Happy 8th Birthday to Zack!

I can't believe that Zack is 8 now!  We spent the weekend celebrating his birthday with friends and family (Mario-style as always).  Happy Birthday to our ever growing boy!

Happy Easter

I went to the boys' Easter Chapel at school on Wednesday - it was a two-hour celebration of Easter with all of the MAP program kids from Kindergarten through grade 9.  Each class did a performance of a different kind; a small skit, a song, read poems that they wrote, sign language to bible verses, and more.  In between performances, all of the kids and parents sang worship songs.  It was such an awesome morning.  Lots of wet eyes on the parents!  There's just something so moving about watching kids proclaim the name of Jesus.  We sang "Glorious Day" and I think we all lost it right there...  All of the kids knew the words.

He is risen!  Have a blessed weekend.

So Sweet

Nathan and I were in the checkout line at Superstore and out of the blue, he looks up at me and says, "Mommy, I wish I had a photographic memory."

I said (trying to hide my surprise that he knew what it meant), "Really?  Why?"

"So that I could always remember what you look like right now.  I love you."

We'd better watch out for this kid when he's dating...

So Proud!!

Pete's 4 years of school are finally done!  Gooooo Pete!!!

Now we just have to wait a month for his exam results...

Gluten: The World's Biggest Party-Pooper

Having been a "post-Celiac" (as I've put it) for more than three years now, the miracle of temporary healing has now reached it's end (click here to read the healing story).  The relief from Celiac has been even longer than I've hoped, and I've been thankful for the time I've had to enjoy all of the flavours and freedoms that come with a life without allergies.  Starting in January, my blood & iron levels have dropped down to dangerous levels, and this week will be a farewell to gluten.

Honestly it's not that bad - I still make so many gluten-free meals because that's how I've done it for years.  A majority of the everyday sauces and ingredients I use are gluten-free anyway.  Over the past few years there have been so many developments and so much more information about gluten-free food, and I'm thankful that it won't be as hard to make the switch back.

So long, gluten.  It was really nice to have you in my life for the last three years. Our affair was fabulous.

February? Where did you go?

I know, I know.  It's been a month already since my last entry.  I'm a bad blogger.


February held a few exciting adventures for our family for sure. Not only were we able to get last-minute free tickets to Monster Jam (from Kyle's brother - Thanks Tyler!) for February 11th, but we also got to enjoy our Christmas present from my Grandma Zapf & Auntie Marge. They gave us tickets to see the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Disney in Concert at the Winspear, and they came too!  This was the first time the boys got to see an orchestra (although we had been to a Cosmo concert at the Winspear before), and there were singers and special lighting and video presentations to go with the music.  It was fantastic, and the place was packed with excited kids wearing suits and princess dresses and Mickey Mouse ears.

We also had a great time with Valentine's Day, and I'm surprised at how huge the focus on this particular holiday is at school!  It's a pretty big deal.  The boys came home with candy, chocolates, pencils, cookies, cupcakes, and all kinds of other treats... Oh, and Valentine cards as well, haha.  Since we in the Heinbuch house love anything celebratory, we made cards (completed with candy as well!) for all of the boys' classmates and teachers.  They also made special ones for 2 friends that don't go to their school anymore that we hand-delivered after school that day.

The weather has been completely amazing this year, and with a fresh (and HUGE) dump of snow last week combined with the mild barely-freezing temperatures, the boys have been playing outside non-stop.  It's been fantastic.  The boys and I took every available container in the house and froze blocks of ice with food coloring, so we have random ice rainbows in the backyard.  So much FUN!

Dance Party

Nathan and I are in the hallway after school today, waiting for Zack to pack up his stuff, and Nathan is jumping and flailing and dancing around.  I turned to him and asked him what was going on.  He said, "Mommy!  My molecules are having a dance party!!"

Wait.  What?

"Get it?  Because I'm made of molecules!"

Wow.