Monday 30 June 2014

Private Pools

Saturday turned out to be a hot sunny day, & we realized that in a cleaning frenzy last fall I had thrown out the pool.  I remembered seeing in the Target flyer that all their pools were 50% off, so we headed out to see what we could find.  I warned the kids that there would probably not be much to choose from since lots of people had probably already bought the nice sized pools.

2014-06-28 15.01.03 We ended up finding a little blue & a little pink pool, & for $5 each, I thought that was perfect price.  Private, colour coded pools should mean no fights, right?

 

2014-06-28 15.05.33 So far, so good!

 

Then we decided to put the sprinkler between the pools, & there was even more fun to be had!

Sunday 29 June 2014

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 8 years

Chancery – 5.5 years

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2014-06-29 09.06.01 Chancery: “It’s just me today.  Asher is sick.”

 

2014-06-29 09.06.05 Chancery: “It’s such a shame, because it’s a really nice sunny day!”

 

2014-06-29 09.06.19 Chancery: “I guess I’ll just have to find someone else to play with today!”

Saturday 28 June 2014

Saving the Day, One Lock at a Time

Yesterday Henry & Vincent (our Home-stay boys) decided to ride their bikes downtown for the day, & spend some time at the library.  Around noon, they called me that they couldn’t get their bike lock unlocked.  I told them to ask at the library if there was a maintenance person who could cut the lock for them.  They asked, but the maintenance worker was not allowed to cut it off for them because they had no way to verify that the bikes were theirs.  It totally made sense.

 

So, I got another phone call that they needed me to come downtown & save them.  I know we have a bolt cutter, but I had a feeling that it was out at PChad’s shop.  I looked around the garage & the basement, but couldn’t find it, & I couldn’t find a hacksaw either.

 

So, on my way downtown, I stopped at the local greenhouse which is owned by some friends from church, to see if they had a bolt cutter I could borrow.  Unfortunately Mr Charlie was on lunch break, & they other employee I found wasn’t sure they had a bolt cutter at all.  I told him I’d take a hacksaw, but that lead to a bunch of questions about petty theft!  After assuring him I wasn’t going to do anything illegal, he looked in the back room & found the bolt cutter for me!

 

So the kids, & I marched up the the library carrying the large tool down the street, & I managed to cut my first lock!  I then loaned the boys a keyed lock that I had brought, & warned them not to loose the key!  I didn’t want to have to go through that whole ordeal again!  Fortunately it all worked out.  I wonder what other adventures we’ll get up to while PChad’s away!

Friday 27 June 2014

The Long Goodbye

PChad left yesterday morning for the Shore 2 Shore with a Roar motorcycle ride.  Thankfully he had decided not to leave too early since he wanted to stop in Moncton & buy some waterproof gloves.  He had been gone for about an hour when I happened to look in the place where we keep our passports.  I knew he was planning on driving through Maine, so he’d need his passport, but I wondered if he had remembered to take it.  I looked, & there it was.

 

I tried to text & call his cell phone, figuring he might stop & check his phone before he crossed the bridge, or maybe he even remembered about his passport & would take his phone out to call me.  After about 10 minutes I knew I either had to follow him, or he’d have to just stay in Canada…

 

I quickly told the kids to get their shoes & coats on because we had to bring Daddy his passport.  Of course I also had to stop for gas!  We tried calling PChad’s phone every 10 minutes, hoping I’d get ahold of him before I crossed the bridge & had to pay the $45 toll.  But we had no such luck.  I got to the bridge, & figured I might as well keep going & keep trying his phone.  Chancery had to go to the washroom, so we had another small detour, then soldiered on!

 

We started calling his phone every 5 minutes instead, knowing that we were probably just going to end up making his phone go dead.  Then I got the bright idea to call the motorcycle shop where I knew he was planning on stopping.  I described PChad to the sales guy, & PChad happened to still be there!  PChad was a little confused when the sales guy told him, “You can run, but you can’t hide!  Your wife’s on the phone for you!”  At that point I was only about 45 minutes behind him, so PChad decided to wait for me at the nearby Tim Horton’s.  So, the kids & I got to say goodbye to PChad twice!

 

I had left the Henry & Vincent (our Taiwanese home-stay students) at home since I can’t take them out of province without prior notification, so now that I knew I was going all the way to Moncton & back, I called Miss Geesje to see if she could go pick the boys up & take them to the farm.  Thankfully she agreed & it all worked out!  Then since I knew the older boys were taken care of, & I had driven the 2 hours & spent the bridge toll to get to Moncton, I figured I should make the most of it, so we stopped at Costco & Value Village before heading back home!  The roads were not the nicest, with lots of rain, & mist the whole way, so I also treated myself to a Starbucks for all my troubles!

 

At bedtime we always ask the kids to say their 3 favourite parts of the day & then we pray about them.  Asher said, “Lunch at Costco, right now, & definitely not driving to Moncton!”

Thursday 26 June 2014

Asher’s 8th Birthday

When Asher was born I remember thinking that since his birthday is June 22, he’d have a summer birthday since I remember getting out of school before June 15th.  However, that has not happened since schools here go until the end of June!  IN all the chaos of the end of the school year & the business that entails I forgot to post Asher’s birthday celebration.

IMG_1135  Everyone is ready for the opening of the gifts!

IMG_1134

IMG_1140 Asher was quite pleased with the Lego from Grandma!

IMG_1141And Chancery picked out a Lego set too!

IMG_1143 Chancery also decided to wrap up Asher’s stuffy & give it to him for his birthday!

IMG_1148 A few books to keep him occupied during rest times.

IMG_1149 

IMG_1151 And a few things for the Calgary Flames fan!

IMG_1153 

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Asher picked a white cake with chocolate frosting, & it was agreed by all that he chose well!

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Last Day of Grade 2 & Kindergarten!

Today was the last day of school, & after the nice weather we had at the beginning of the week it was a little disappointing to have a rainy day, but hopefully that’s one less day of rain this summer!

IMG_1164 Asher had a field trip to a farm today, so he was ready for whatever weather was to be had!

 

IMG_1165 Kindergarten & Grade 2 complete!

2014-06-25 08.05.59

Chancery found these cowboy boots in her closet & has decided to wear them at every possible opportunity!

Sunday 22 June 2014

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 8 years

Chancery – 5.5 years

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IMG_1155 Chancery: “It’s a bit chilly out here.  Let’s get crackin’!”

 

IMG_1156 Asher: “I have a really loose tooth, but it just won’t come out!”

 

IMG_1157 Chancery: “Want me to try to get it out, Asher?”

 

IMG_1158

Asher: “No thanks…  I’m 8 years old today!”

 

IMG_1160 Chancery: “And I’m still 5!”

 

IMG_1159 Asher: “Maybe when you are 8 you can have a cool watch like I have, Chancery!”

 

IMG_1161Chancery: “That sounds good.  Happy Birthday, Asher!!”

Sunday 15 June 2014

Sunday Pictures: Father’s Day

Asher – 7.5 years

Chancery – 5.5 years

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IMG_1119 Chancery: “Can you please come sit down, Asher?”

 

IMG_1120 Asher: “OK, I put my balloon away so I won’t be distracted.”

 

IMG_1121 Chancery: “Did you know that it’s Father’s Day?  DADDY!!!”

 

IMG_1122 Asher: “Yes, let’s take our pictures with Daddy today!”

 

IMG_1123 PChad: “This is the saddest Father’s Day ever.”

 

IMG_1124 Chancery: “That’s because we forgot to tell you…”

Asher & Chancery: “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, DADDY!”

Sunday 8 June 2014

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 7.5 years

Chancery – 5.5 years

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IMG_1113 Chancery: “Look, Mum!  Digby’s sitting nicely by me!”

 

IMG_1114 Digby: “I love eating hair!”

 

IMG_1115 Chancery: “Digby, stop!”

 

IMG_1116 Digby: “Help me!”

 

IMG_1117Asher: “Vincent decided to join us this morning too!”

 

IMG_1118 Vincent: “In Taiwan photographers ask, ‘Is Watermelon sweet?’ and the people being photographed say ‘sweet!’”

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Brand New Month

2014-05-01 14.21.03

Last month I flipped my calendar to May & saw all the blank spots waiting to be filled.  What a vast difference from the beginning of the month to the end.  It doesn’t take long to fill up the calendar with activities, meetings, & work!

 

2014-06-02 11.47.56

Here we are onto June, with a whole new blank page to fill!

Sunday 1 June 2014

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 7.5 years

Chancery – 5.5 years

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IMG_1108 Chancery: “Do you know what this is?”

 

IMG_1109 Chancery: “If you thought it was a camera, you’re wrong!”

 

IMG_1110 Asher: “You can’t take pictures of anything with it!”

 

IMG_1111 Chancery: “And it’s not a phone!”

 

IMG_1112 Asher: “Nope!  It’s just a McDonald’s toy!”