Cara Turns 5! Cara and Gwen Co-Host A Birthday Bash!

 Cara woke up Thursday as a 5 year old!

Time has flown by - this blog has been going on for over 5 years!

She requested breakfast in bed - specifically pancakes with a candle in bed :)

So we started her special day out in that special way!

 After a fun day at school (with cupcakes!) she waited sort of patiently for Daddy to get home from work so she could open her presents.  She was so happy to get a Merida doll from Gwen!

 Cara's face when she realized a gift card means she gets to go shopping!

 She was so happy to get a magic kit from Mommy and Daddy!

She's already learned a couple of cool tricks.

 Blowing out 5 candles!

Our sweet 5 year old girl!

The Birthday Party

We decided this year to have a joint party for the girls.  With their birthdays so close and since they share most friends we thought it would be nice just to do one party.  But each girl wanted their own theme - so we had a Wizard of Oz party for Cara and a My Little Pony party for Gwen.

It ended up with 8 kids + our 2 and a whole lot of fun crammed into 2.5 hours!

 Gwen's Pony cake!

 Cara's Oz cake!

 Gwen working on her craft - A Glinda the Good Witch Wand.

 Pin the Tail on Rainbow Dash!

 And Pin the Heart of the Tinman!

 Cara and her friends singing Happy Birthday (the first time).

 Happy 5 year old!

 All the kids but one not in the pic.

So many kids in the house!

 Gwen was so happy to hear Happy Birthday the second time just to her!
And she loved her Pony cake so much.

 Gwen blowing out her 3 candles!

 Gift opening was insane!

 The decor had a blend of both themes ;)

 It was our first snow storm the day of the party so some fresh flowers brightened the mood.

Cara made this set up for some Oz decor - cheetah became the Cowardly Lion and the blue dog is Toto :)

A fun party and we might just do a joint one again some time.

Birthday Season Begins!

 Cara's BFF Leah had her birthday party this weekend.

Cara got to catch up with an old friend from preschool - Gracie!

 The party was in a gym and Gwen had tons of fun!

 Pop goes the Cara!

 Gwen liked the climbing.

 Cara liked the jumping!

(practicing her gymnastics trampoline skills)

 After play time was Cake Time!

Leah and Cara

5 years of best friends!

Next weekend is our first joint birthday party for the girls with their friends!

And there will be cake on Cara's birthday too.

Birthday Season has begun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 We started our Thanksgiving weekend with a trip to the Calgary Corn Maze where we got to see this very cute miniature horse baby!  Sooo cute!

 Gwen said hello to this rooster.

 Cara tried out her cock-a-doodle-doo.

They loved this goat!

 Gwen tried to copy the goat's under bite.

 Gwen called this sheep a cow.

The sheep was offended.

 We mastered this year's kid's maze!

Daddy and Gwen bounced high on the giant air pillows!

*no Gwens were injured*

 We had a tractor ride through the corn field.

 Measured the girls for the year.

 Finally they picked out baby pumpkins.

It was a fun day at the farm!

 Sunday Mommy ran her big final race of the season a 10k!

Before the race the girls got to meet Harvey the Hound (the mascot of the Flames!)

 It was a great race and having the girls and Daddy there really helped Mommy run a good time.

After the race we had some turkey!

 Monday we went to Nana & Howie's for more turkey!

Uncle Jamie arrived just in time for dinner too!

One last pic from the race on Sunday!

Frosty Week!

 Cara built this big tower this week.

She is having fun at kindergarten and had a fun big birthday celebration for the school - it turned 100 years old this fall.  She even for a special pin!

 Friday Mommy ran her 5th 5k of the year!

The girls are a great cheering section and help Daddy wait at the finish line.

 It was a night race so the runners started at 7 and it was dark at the finish - the girls played with glow sticks and bracelets while they played at the playground in the twilight.

 Cara made rainbows with her glow stick.

It has been cold here!  Many mornings with frost and we've even had to scrape the windows - brrr!

Gwen really likes the new head gear she gets to wear now!

Calaway Park With BFFs

 We had a week of fighting a cold.  Runny noses all around!

The girls still had their usual activities - gymnastics and swimming classes.  On Saturday night they had a fun sleepover with Nana and Howie!

Sunday we went to Calaway Park with Leah and Sidney for a day of fun.  It was supposed to be +18 and sunny...it was cold and really windy!

We still had fun though and it did warm up a bit.

 Cara had lots of fun with Leah there.

 Gwen wished she could go on all the rides the big girls could go on - she'll have to work on growing over the winter.  She did get on lots of extra rides with Daddy though!

 Really cold up on the balloon ferris wheel!

 Warmed up when the sun came out and the big girls rode the Baja Buggies!

 The little girls drive too and had a blast together!

 Big girls truckin along.

 Gwen got to ride the carousel with the big girls!

 Sidney and Gwen on a tot yacht.

 Daddy went on lots of rides with Gwen.

 Cara and Leah got to share their first bumper car experience.

 Lots of bumps!

We ended the fun day with a few games!

The girls had so much fun with their best friends even if it was a cold day!