Skating in Regina

It finally snowed and the kids were sooooo excited!  This first thing they wanted to do was go skating at the outdoor rink just a few blocks from Grampa's, and so all the uncles and aunt and parents took them there to do just that!

As soon as the kids got on the ice the first thing we heard was "Your it!!!" and then the game was on . . . and on for the entire time that we were there!!!

 The kids said that if they fell it was "TO" (time out) - hmmm - they kinda fell just before someone was about to tag them . . . poor Uncle Garrett, Emma's TO now

 Braden had fun trying to not be caught be his younger brother - think he's scared of getting old - hehehe!

Watch out Kaleb!!! 

Uh Oh - now Helen's going after Kaleb! 

Kaleb hasn't learned how to stop so whoever is infront of him, well, Uncle Jesse was almost pushed right over!

Navia had more fun being pushed around on the shovel by Daddy 

The kids then thought they would bury themselves in the snow.  You can see Navia in the back, Kaleb in the front and Emma, well, she's in the middle covered 100% with snow! 

Sometimes the tagging kinda turned into a snowfall fight or try-to-get-Daddy-covered-in-snow-fight 

By the time they were all done they were all ready for dinner!  Thank you for the snow!

Helen, Navia, Kaleb, Braden, Jenna, Garrett, Emma (just missing Jesse and me who were just out of view)

Snow Days & Saturdays

We FINALLY had a snow day - finally had a real snow - on Wednesday - YAY!!! The buses weren't running and I figure if they're not going then we're not going! (the schools still are open but there really is only about 25% - 50% attendance so they don't do very much - and well - doesn't everyone deserve an unexpected day off now and then???)

The backyard window

The girls enjoyed making tunnels and forts around the front yard while Kaleb got in some "quality" gaming time - hehehe!

For Emma and Kaleb's birthday we gave them tickets to a Senator's game (Sens vs Devils) - first one of the season that we've gone to - which they LOVED!!! They were sitting way up, but had a ton of fun - even if the Senators lost (again!)

Emma

Kaleb

While they were there Navia was being babysat all by herself while I was teaching - which she loved because it was great one on one time with the babysitter, but my last class didn't show up which meant we could take the babysitter home early and have Mommy & Navia time!!! We made a special chocolate fondue with mostly soft fruit (I just started eating food again after getting all 4 of my wisdom teeth out) and watched Tinkerbell - again! It was a lot of fun!

Navia and her chocolate covered face!!!

On Saturday (yesterday) Daddy got out the "big guns" to shovel off the rink so that they kids could go skating. He shoveled and shoveled and shoveled and about 1.5 hrs later we had a clear rink!!! (thank goodness we have someone who does our driveway!!!)

Come on - you can do it!!!

Just taking off the last few flakes . . . for today anyway!!!

The kids had been waiting and waiting and waiting - very impatiently - for him to be done. It was gorgeous out (0 degrees Celsius) and they had been making an arsenal of snowballs but knew that they couldn't attack Daddy while he was shoveling - and they actually listened and waited!

But once he was done it was all out WAR!!! It started with large snowballs . . .

Check this one out - notice the snowball flying out of Emma's hand towards Kaleb . . . well . . .

Direct Hit!!!

And yep - it kinda got in his neck too - hehehe! Great shot Emma!!!

But then Daddy brought out the ultimate snowball machine . . . and would pummel anyone in his way!!!

Yep - do you see what he's using . . . a SHOVEL!!! Not fair because the kids don't have the strength to fill one full of snow and throw it so they could only do snowballs vs the snow machine - unfair!

And when it was time to come in they were all smiles - and snow!

Kaleb

Navia

Emma - "Come on, I dare you!"

We thought that for dinner we would go out and celebrate my birthday (seeing that on the actually day I couldn't eat anything solid) and we headed out to Moxie's. It was a great meal and I love how our kids actually order chicken dinners and salmon and broccoli instead of the greasy fries, etc . . . it's kinda refreshing!

When we got home all 5 of us tied on our skates and went into the backyard to skate - although there are no pictures of me I truly was there too - really!!!

One of Daddy's first moves - and the best one of the night!!!

A hockey game ended up happening and it was a pretty serious one - some Dad's play nicer and easier for their kids - well - that's not this one!!! Nope - if you want the puck you're going to have to work for it . . . and they do!!! It's fun watching and you don't want to get in their way!!!

Someone's proud he scored . . .

It was a great night to end my birthday celebration - and waaaaaay better than the actual day where my mouth ached, it hurt to talk but I still had to teach, and I couldn't eat a single thing - just liquid meal replacements all day - ug!

I must say - I think I have the best family there is - sorry everyone else, but really, like look at my 3 amazing kids and phenomenal husband . . . can you really argue?!?!?!

The Rink Project of 2010

Well, the day has again to build a rink in our backyard, but with the kids being bigger this year than in 2008 when we did it, well, that means a bigger rink!!! (click here and here for that saga) Of course we didn't start before snow like some people, but we did get started on the 29th with the boards and tarp - unfortunately we need to go and grab a bit more Tuck Tape before it can be flooded, but you know what we'll be doing tomorrow night . . . freezing our butts off flooding the rink!

Hmmm . . . as I'm writing this I'm realizing that I'm pretty good as using 'we' when everyone knows that I will be snug and warm in the house as Braden will be icicles on his eyebrows - hehehe! Oops! I guess I took our marriage vows literally about two becoming one . . . so yep . . . we're flooding the rink while 1/2 of us stays warm and the other 1/2 doesn't!!!!

Navia helping with the shovelling

This year the rinks about 50' x 17' . . . big enough for 3 growing kids to have a blast skating while I drink a hot chocolate inside and watch!

Drilling holes in the ground for the stakes because it's too cold to hammer them in - oops!

Emma pretending that her job is soooo hard!

Kaleb came out to help with the tarp

It was getting cold but the men kept working until they ran out of TuckTape

Well, we thought that it looked good, but little did we know that it was going to get warm out and everything was going to melt - ug!!! The plastic lay there, without water, for a few days, just blowing in the wind. This isn't a good thing and we were kinda scared about whether or not it would still hold water, but we gave it a try anyway and started our first flood - which took forever, but looked like nothing because it's going to be sooo deep on the far side of the rink.

Well, in the morning this is what I saw behind the rink, in the corner where all flowerbed is . . .

Yep - we have a leak!!!

So Brade took some more Tuck Tape and thought he found the spot and taped it all up again and we flooded it again that night . . .

But, do you see him checking it out again . . . the leak was still there and our backyard was turning into a true rink, but not where it was supposed to.

So it was off to the hardware store - again - for more plastic and Tuck Tape, but this time we taped it inside the house where it was warm and then took it outside to tape it to the rink - smart!!!

The final test . . . will this second layer of plastic, over-top of the first layer of frozen ice, actually work to finally give us our rink???

YES!!!

The first time the rink was ready to skate on just happened to be January 13 . . . which is also Braden's 37th Birthday!!! He thought it was a perfect end to the day!

And so that is the saga of our rink in 2010/2011 . . . we learn from our mistakes and will save our wood so that next year it will go up without a snag or a hole and the kids will have a blast while we sit inside sipping hot chocolate . . . life is good!!!