Wii Night @ Dean and Beck's ~ 2010

Saturday night, we went over to our cousin Dean and Becky's house. Every once in a while the folks have a get-together, which involves playing Wii, and eating pizza, fries and onion wings. Maybe it's just a North American thing to have pizza and "wings"? Anyway, it was all delicious.

Becky & Dean Olivia, their little girlWilliam, the babyWill-Wills!Kat, Neil and Olivia enjoying the action

Becky showing us how it's done.The Smith look of concentration... Dean trying to beat Becky's record.

Aunt Jean power walking her Wii session. Lol. Don't get in the way of those fists! Uncle Mike and Dean get more than one laugh out of the performance.Olivia, Kat and Neil
Aunt Lynda prepping for flight while Uncle Mike snickers.Neil making a "photoblock" while Uncle Mike and Dean watch Grandma flap her 'ittle wings.Grandma sitting on the couch with Lisa, while she plays with Aunt Lynda's hair.Jenn trying her stride at Wii. Dean trying to think of something smart to say while Lisa observes.Dean and Neil, the terrible two.Grandma and Aunt Lynda watching the spectacle.

Sarah attempting to fly to the next island. (It didn't work; the chicken ended up flying into the side of a building. Stunned, but staggering bravely...) Will, Kat, Neil, Olivia, Lisa and Grandma watching. Wish my videos would upload; they were so self-explanatory! ...and great for blackmail! Lol.

Farewell to our little borrowed Budgerigar

This is Cruiser:

Jenn and I took care of some properties while their owners were away on vacation, and bird-sitting this budgie somehow worked its way into the deal. It was easier to take care of her at home, rather than needing a key and going inside every day to feed and clean her, so she moved in with us.

Mom's dad used to have budgies, so she really enjoyed the bird. Cruiser was quite solemn and taciturn to begin with, but as she got to know us, the noise level increased....dramatically.

From squawking at us if we raised our voice in dispute, to warbling along with the kitchen faucet, she became rawther vocal.

I enjoyed pulling Jenn's leg, as I tried to convince her that we'd picked up a bird from down the street. No lies-and almost had her convinced. The look on her face when she came back from Camp B and saw Cruiser sat comfortably in our dining room was precious. Of course, I couldn't keep my face straight and started laughing, which gave it away.

I do raise question with her name. Somehow, the smaller an animal or human is, the larger their name should be. Something along the lines of Methuselah. Or in this case, Jemimah or Kerren-Happuch! LOL

Now she's gone home and the house is oh so quiet. I miss the little seed-scatterer, even if she did have the attitude of a cat!

Dana, This Is For You

Dear Dana,

A couple of weeks ago we hung out with your family and missed you thoroughly. It wasn't the same without you. For goodness' sake, when are we going to see you again? I think we all have Vitamin D deficiency. (Hope that term doesn't have a copyright. :)

Til then, enjoy the photos. *big hugs*

On Friday, we tried to walk off a huge supper, but didn't get very far, on account of

stopping to sniff the flowers

and inspecting ... milkweed plants?

... oh.

Talk about instant fame.
This caterpillar finally curled up into a tight little ball from stage fright.

Temperamental photographers.

How strong is this limb, I wonder?

We're about to find out.

One giant leap for mankind.

Good pic, Naomi. :)

An intense game of Cranium,

evident by the third-time-emptied bowl of gummies.

Puppet and puppeteer in Cranium.

"No, move your arms like this."

"Try to cooperate."

A day or two later, we went down into the gorge.

Waaay down.

Just a safe hike together. Your mom even came along. What could possibly happen?

(You will catch me if I fall, right?)

Little did we know what awaited us around the corners.

Terrifying rock-falls that used every last muscle in our bodies to survive them.

Taking the wrong turn that meant taking more wrong turns that meant living on what berries we could find for several hours.

Dangerous bandits lurked in the bushes.

Thankfully, a handy cave was nearby, where we ducked in until the danger was past.

Here's Sarah trying to look positive.

On second thought, maybe it's a good thing we didn't have much to eat; or else we would've never been able to squeeze through the odd cracks in the rocks.

Friendly travellers before us left encouraging, though misspelt, messages.

But always, these formidable shadows chasing us.

The most unnerving part.

One especially bad patch of quicksand claimed Sara's sandal.

She jumped clear at the very last moment.

Death-defying jump--

what was behind was worse than the ravine in front.

Amongst the life-threatening circumstances, there were things that made it all worth-while:

simple ferns,

white water,

blue sky,

green shirts and cool sunshades, ;)

jelly bean breaks,

and the cutest bumps on a log you ever done seen. ;).

This is what your mom looked like all day. :)

Great pic, Janice and Celtie! :)

This is what happens if you eat too many green jelly beans in the middle of nowhere.

Hi!

Dangerous ivies that some fiend had woven around the handrail on the stairs.

But we did make it back to the van in ten pieces.

(For those of you who don't get the point of tall tales, you just did. If I had said we went for a nice, invigorating hike in the gorge, no gory details added, you'd be asleep by now. :D)

After all that excitement, we went back to the Currey's house, where Mrs. Currey, bless her, fixed up a huge, tasty meal. And they introduced us to

sparkler candles for Sarah's 24th birthday!

(Happy Birthday, love you heaps, and all other related phrases, btw :).

FORGET ordinary candles. No turning back--how could we have been blind for so long?

Smiling,
Jenn