Dan's Seven on Sunday

Dan is this week's guest writer.  Let's see what he found good in this week...

1. Having two three year olds at once.  It gives me something to look forward to for age four knowing that three will end.  Of course, one day they will be two fifteen year olds...
2. I can ride my bike in February.  (motor and pedal).
3. Grateful that children forgive easily and are resilient.
4. The canadian women honored our canadian pastime by kicking american butt.
5. Grateful for the olympic hockey tournament format.  It's nice to be able to lose a game and still take home the gold.
6. I'm grateful I haven't been admitted yet due to my stress levels with school.
7. Parents who drive their children to 6 am hockey practice so they can grow up to score game-winning goals in overtime in the olympics.  (Heck yeah!)

Date with Stanley

Here's a photo that Dan is very proud of.  He considers it the "best day of his whole life".  He was able to visit the Canada Exhibit downtown in the Olympic hooplah and he thinks he's figured it out - this is the only way the Canucks could get the cup here.  LOL. 

He and his clients visited all the festivities today and had a fab time.  I think he will take the older two down on Friday so they can have a taste of all the fun.  It is almost over, but what a good time it turned out to be. 

"I BELIEVE"

Seven Again

Wow, this week went fast.  I can hardly believe it's time again for Seven on Sunday.  I have decided to invite a guest author for this week.  This is Madison's seven things that are great:

1. Receiving a beautiful, white, cross-stitched pillow from Grandma Cooper to commemorate my baptism day.

2. Receiving a fabulous package from Grandma Shideler with a pretty box of stationary supplies so I can write all my family and friends.
3. Watching the Olympics
4. Playing with my friends outside in the almost summer weather.
5. Watching Canada win three gold medals.
6. Dad brought my bike back from Alberta.  I love it.  I got up and dressed and out the door by 8:30 on Saturday to get a head start on riding and I was out til 4!
7. Celebrating the 100th day of school. 

Thanks Madi!  Those were awesome things to be grateful for.  Dan went to Alberta last weekend to pick up the van and had the chance to visit with family. 

It's amazing how big these girls are getting!  I think I've only really seen Abbey as a baby, so it's fun to see her growing up.

This was the scene Dan arrived in and left from.  It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it was like that over the mountains, while here it has been 14 degrees and sunny.  I do miss it though.  My body still thinks we haven't had winter and is waiting for it to come.  I miss the frosty trees and snowy days and bright sunshine in the cold.  I know everyone in Alberta thinks that's crazy, but there's something to be said for four distinct seasons. 

Hope all is well with everyone.

Seven on Sunday - or Fourteen

Hey all.  Here it goes for this week.  Of course, Inalee reminded me that I did not do them last week, due to my cold and my parents being around and I just kinda forgot.  If I can get to 14 then I will as penance LOL. 

1. Our hometeacher was willing to drive Dan to the airport anytime, and did on Saturday afternoon.
2. Dan flew out to get the van, and is now approaching Revelstoke.  Halfway home.  Now we can try to avoid the Royal Rumble in the back seat of the car that occurs every Sunday on the way home from church.
3. Dan is coming home.
4. The kids were pretty well behaved at church today which made flying solo a lot easier.  Sorry mom and dad, it was about polar opposite from last week.
5. I worked two days this week.
6. Our neighbor Katie was willing to come help us out with the kids both days.
7. Dan has a schoolmate, who is actually a Lowrie from southern alberta, who is only taking classes on Fridays and otherwise distance, who has offered to be available to babysit whenever we need her through the week in order to free up some different temp days so I can get more work and keep my license.
8. Madi and Clay got to go play at the Keeler's house on Friday, which was a pro-d day.  They were so excited!
9. Malcolm and Spencer were invited to a birthday party last night for the other sunbeam in the ward.  It was at a gymnastics club.  Madi and Clay were happy because with Dan out of town, Kieran's mom said they could attend too.
10. Spring was in the air today.  I know the groundhog says 6 more weeks, but it was a little taste of what's coming.  The sun was warmer, the breeze had no bite to it, the smell of flowers was all around and the songbirds were singing.  What a great Sunday afternoon!
11. We watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics together and really enjoyed it.  What a good show!  It took the edge off of the negativity swirling around the event here.
12. My relief society class on long distance grandparenting went surprisingly well.  I felt a little unprepared, but the ladies kicked in with some great ideas and more of them were internet literate than I had expected.  We had a good discussion and it inspired me to try harder to keep those far away connections.
13. Inalee called this week for our unplanned-but-about-every-two-weeks-half-day talk.  We talk too long and laugh a lot, but it always make me feel better.
14. I managed to find fourteen things, and I think I could even keep going.  Life is good, even with the rough patches.  I was looking at Great great grandma's journal this week and was struck again by the simple profoundness of the statement, "Sunshine After Rain".  This afternoon was a perfect example of that - bright sunshine set against stormy rainclouds in the distance.  Things always turn out for the best.

the olympic torch

We got to watch the olympic torch pass by our house this morning.  We all got up at 6:30 to walk down the hill to the main road and see the runners exchange the flame and take it away.  It looks pretty neat in the dark.  The kids thought it was cool, but they got to see a real torch up close at school yesterday.  Not too much longer til the opening ceremonies.  A fun time to be here!

Madi and Clay waiting for the runner to come...

...and there he goes!

Dan got to see the relay again at work, and he even had the chance to see the Young Women running from our ward!  Pretty exciting.  Happy Thursday!

A wonderful, wired weekend update

Mom and Dad took the time to come and see us this weekend, braving what was sure to be a crazy visit with the grandkids.  Lots of good things happened this weekend, but they were very patient even though we were all squeezed into such a small space and tripping over each other and wrestling (they boys) in the living room and wanting to exert our independence (hello age 6!).  I'm sure it was a bit of a challenge staying calm when there was nowhere to go to get away, but we managed to have some really good time too.

Friday was Madi's birthday and we decided to walk down to Rocky Point Pier to show Grandma and Grandma some of our favorite destinations.  While we were there we watched them put a new dock into the ocean with a crane.  This kept everyone entertained for a good half hour.  We played on the park, walked on the wet sand when the tide went out, collected shells and visited the vegetable/fruit stand. Once we got home it was time for the birthday supper - Madi's choice of burgers and fries, and then a caramel cake that Grandma bought for her.

Eight years old already!  We can hardly believe it.  She has grown up in leaps and bounds lately, giving us hope that the others will follow suit and our house will eventually quiet down.  She got all kinds of girly things from her family - flip flops, a swimming suit, a hair curler/crimper, nail polish, lip gloss, oh - and a snakes and ladders game from Mac so she can play with him!

The next day was very exciting.  Dad went crab fishing with Clayton, Mac and Dan and really enjoyed himself.  They caught 4 big keepers, so it was crab for supper.  Dad ate 1 and 1/2 and probably would have enjoyed more if the boys would let him have them.  He seemed surprised to enjoy it so much.  Mom tried one bite (yes, she really put it in her mouth!).  It took her a bit to warm up to the idea, and once she did she immediately ate some ceasar salad to wash it down.  Not her cup of tea!  I think it was even worse for her to watch them pull the crab apart to eat it.  They were so good though.  This is definitely the time of year to catch them.  They are really meaty and sweet.  Dan has decided to just play in the water and on the beach in the summer and crab fish in the winter.

Saturday afternoon was the highlight of the weekend.  Madison was baptized and confirmed by her Dad with lots of our friend from the ward, and of course mom and dad, in attendance.  She looked beautiful in the pink dress mom brought her, but she radiated in the white jumpsuit.  It's hard to believe our first baptism has come and gone!  She told me she felt like a brand new baby when she came out of the water.  What a fun girl.  She was given some very nice cards and a soft, cuddly blanket.  Mom and Dad gave wonderful talks and mom even held it together for the first sentence or two.  (Just kidding mom.  It wouldn't be the same if you didn't get emotional.  I'd start to worry.)  Madison was so happy they agreed to speak and did such a good job of it. 

Dad and Madi on her special day.

That was about it for the excitement, other than a trip to the pool.  Sunday was just a relax, rainy day and then Mom and Dad flew out this afternoon.  It was so good to see them.  The kids sure loved having them here and it makes the miles seem a little less when they can fly here in an hour.  I felt kind of bad because we were all either sick or coming down with colds, so the crank factor in our home was a little high, as well as the tiredness.  But nonetheless, we got to spend the weekend together and give real hugs and kisses instead of just blowing them on the webcam.  What a great time!