CRUISE MEMORIES

We had such a fabulous cruise that the best way to describe it is with pictures. There was food galore and lots of laughter.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

It's hard to believe that in only 1 more day we will be leaving our -35 weather and heading for the tropics. Brian and I were discussing it on the way to school yesterday - imagining lying poolside, soaking up the sun, while in reality we were bundled up and rushing through the bitter cold to school. There's so much to do before we head off - rooms to clean, bags to pack, a Christmas concert to survive. Almost there though. I just can't wait! I will be posting pictures when I return of course. So, to all of you staying home this Christmas - stay warm!

HERE'S THE STORY

I know some of you are wondering what happened with the eye. I guess clumsy Ann has struck again. The other night we had an ambulance call. I was getting in the side doors on the ambulance and I reached back to pull the door closed. When I did I lost my footing and fell. Unfortunately for me there was an oxygen tank complete with regulator right there and I fell right on to it. Ouch! The cut was very close to my eye and bled for a long time. I thought for a minute that we might just have another casualty on our hands, but I survived the ordeal. I spent the better part of the trip to Faro holding an ice pack on my eye. The worst part was that as the day progressed today it steadily got redder. Hopefully I will be back to my normal picture-worthy self before the cruise. The moral of the story - don't let Ann out of the house without full body armour.

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY

Wow!!! Who knew Naomi could dance like that. We went to watch her final performance in the Nutcracker on Saturday evening. I was as excited as a little kid waiting to see her. She was amazing on stage. She just glowed and looked absolutely gorgeous. Apparently she found something she really enjoys doing. I am so proud of her. She danced three different parts - a maid, a rat and a tree angel.
This is Naomi in her maid costume. Fulfilling every little girl's dream of wearing a tutu.
At the end of the show we gave her a bouquet of flowers. Unfortunately the picture is a little blurry. We were in such a rush when we left home that I forgot our camera and had to borrow Hannah's.

"WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD..."

I feel like we should be singing a song like "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz..." when we are leaving for Whitehorse, or maybe "On the road again...". Anyways, we are going into town to see Naomi perform in the Nutcracker. She is dancing in 3 or 4 different parts. I am so excited to see her perform. I know she is loving the dance. She has been very busy the past few weeks with extra rehearsals. Yesterday they put on a matinee for schools and will do the same today. Then she has a show tonight and tomorrow night. I feel so bad for her though because yesterday she woke up with the flu. She pulled herself together though and made it through the performance. Hopefully she is better today.
Hannah is keeping busy with work and school. We are so excited to see her too. We are going to a "Breakfast with Santa" that the dorms put on every year. They will be getting ready for that on Friday night, so we won't get to see them until Saturday.
That's about all the excitement happening in our little world.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

As you may know Josh has been desperately trying to get a job here in Ross River for about 7 months. There are lots of jobs around. The problem is that they are not teenager jobs. But, after some persistence he has managed to get himself an after school job. He will be working at the Dene Store (1 of 2 stores here). He starts on Tuesday. Another child to be very proud of. Way to go Josh!Keep it up kids - at this rate you will be supporting us soon!

THEY'RE GETTING SUCKED IN TO THE SYSTEM

Hannah has just landed her first job. This is a huge step for the girl who really didn't want to work. She found out when she moved to Whitehorse that she wanted more money than we were willing to supply. So, last time we were in town I took her out to apply for jobs. She was very nervous, but with me waiting outside the store, she took the plunge. After going back to the store numerous times she finally met the manager and landed herself a job. She will be working at one of the dollar stores. Today was her first day. She was a little unsure of herself, but they put her to work pricing stock. She is growing more confident all the time and I'm sure she will do a fantastic job at whatever she attempts to do.Congratulations Hannah! We are so proud of you.

RETURNING TO NORMAL

I went back to work last week. It was a good thing it was only 3 days because I was exhausted and sore by the end of it. The weekend was a great time to rest and recuperate. Now it's back to the regular grind though. Hopefully I will be able to handle it. My body is just taking a lonnnng time to get back to normal.
I have been able to start doing a little bit of exercise, but 20 minutes on the elliptical is all I can manage at this point. It looks like I won't have a bikini-worthy body for the cruise. Oh well, that's probably best for everyone. LOL. I'm getting so excited about the cruise, I've even started dreaming about it. 32 days until we fly out of Whitehorse and begin the holiday.

IT'S BEGINNING TO SMELL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

The other day I was at my friend's house playing Settlers. It was snowing and she was feeling in the mood for Christmas music. Of course, wouldn't you know it, I was thinking about christmas all week. I got out my recipes so I can buy supplies while we are in Whitehorse next weekend. The next thing you know, I can already taste the goodies. Yesterday I was feeling really good so I gave in to temptation and baked some ginger sparklers.Of course the cookie monsters were ready and waiting. Caught in the act of scarfing down cookies:Somehow I highly doubt they will even make it to the freezer. That's o.k. though since it's the only time of year I do any baking.

HALLOWEEN

I know you are all dying of shock to see two posts from me in a single day. But sometimes the opportunities are just too hard to resist.
The school always puts on a halloween carnival. Each of the teachers operates a booth. This year, sadly, I had to miss it. Brian created a giant board game.
Here he is being a real redneck:Some of the kids thought the tatoos were real. One of the other teachers didn't even recognize him until the afternoon was half over. She thought one of the locals had come to help out.
Too funny!

THIS AND THAT

O.k., so I've been hounded lately to post something, anything. Hmmm. I've been thinking for days about what I should write about and so far I haven't come up with anything brilliant.
So for want of anything better...
Here's the couch where I've spent so many long days recovering:The t.v. that keeps me mildly entertained:The companion that takes over the couch:At least he learned quickly that I couldn't pick him up.
Good news though, yesterday was my first totally pain-free day! YAY! Now I really feel like I'm on the road to recovery. I will return to work and hopefully a normal life on Nov. 12.

BRILLIANCE RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Last Thursday Naomi got a message from the office at school - they had something for her. Somehow I'm pretty sure she knew it would be something positive. It turns out that she received 2 awards - one for earning a spectacular grade in Spanish last year and the other for earning Academic Honours. Unfortunately we missed the awards ceremony because the letter regarding it was here in Ross River while we were in Whitehorse.Congratulations Naomi. We are so proud of you!

CRAZY WILDLIFE

Brian posted this on his blog and I thought it was just too good to let it go unmentioned on here too.

HOME AT LAST

What a week and a half it's been. We left home on Wednesday, Sept. 24 for a two day teacher conference. The girls stayed at the hotel with us - it was so nice to have all the family together again even if it was at the hotel. Brian and I deserted them all day on Thursday and Friday while we were at the conference, but they had a good time relaxing and doing their own thing.The weekend was spent relaxing and getting shopping done before I went into the hospital. Monday was pre-op and getting myself mentally prepared.
Tuesday was the big day. Here I am about 8 hours after surgery. I still hadn't moved from my bed at this point and the epidural was still effective so I felt pretty great. Brian and the kids brought me some sunflowers and a musical card. They were so thoughtful.Naomi came and had breakfast with me at the hospital since she didn't have a class first period.
Part of the joy of preparing you for surgery are these wonderful stockings you get to wear. They are supposed to help with circulation until you are up and moving about again. Just extra-long Spanx really.
These flowers were sent to me from the staff at work. They came with a box of chocolates that are being kept under lock and key until I can enjoy them fully. My mom and dad sent me this beautiful bouquet. My room looked so bright and cheerful.
I was released from the hospital yesterday and had to spend the night in Whitehorse before coming home. It was a little scary leaving - I was so well cared for while I was there. But it was inevitable. This morning Brian and Josh finished the grocery shopping, then bundled me into the truck for the long ride home. The bumpy roads didn't both me too much, it was more just having to sit in the truck for such a long time. But we made it home safely and now it's time to just take it easy and recover.
Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and well wishes.

GRAD 2009

I just got an email confirming that Naomi's graduation ceremonies will be on the weekend of June 26, 2009. It's so hard to wrap my head around the idea of her graduating from high school. I'm just not old enough for this.

CATCHING UP

I just realized that it has been over 10 days since my last post and it's time for an update. Life has just been so busy. School can easily take over everything in the first few weeks. As you may know I've been filling in as a teacher for the past couple weeks because the teacher we had lined up for the job decided not to come. They finally found another teacher to take the position. The kids have been great and we've had a fantastic couple of weeks, but it will be nice to pass the reigns to someone else. Then I can relax again. The new teacher will start on September 29. Unfortunately for him (or maybe lucky for him), I won't be there. I am having my surgery on Sept. 30, so will be in Whitehorse for pre-op on the 29th. I'm feeling quite nervous about it now that it is coming so soon. The fear of the unknown. However, after so many years of pain, if all goes well, I will be much better off.
Yesterday Brian, Josh and I went hunting. Can you imagine us, the mighty white hunters, looking for a moose? LOL. We didn't see any moose, but we didn't have a really serious look. We are so busy in the next few weeks that we don't have time to deal with cutting up all that meat. But Josh did shoot his first grouse. He made a beautiful shot - right in the head as it was walking away. Obviously it wasn't a very smart bird, but it sure was tasty.
Things have been so quiet at our house without the girls. Josh is enjoying getting all the attention. Both of the girls have settled in to life in Whitehorse quite well. Hannah is loving dorm life. I'm sure the kids there are much more interesting that Brian and I - apparently we are "old". (direct Hannah quote) I keep waiting for her to phone and tell me she's homesick, but I'm not holding my breath. She's having too much fun. Naomi decided to change her courses to get into the university she wants (hoping for Memorial in Newfoundland). So she is taking more academic courses. At the moment she is still waiting for one course that she has to do by correspondence, and since she has a spare she is just doing 2 courses until it arrives. It's still so hard to believe she is graduating this year. She has signed up for a jazz dance class and will be performing in the Nutcracker at Christmas. She decided to quit her job at Please Mum because she wants to try something different. Overall, they are both really enjoying life in Whitehorse and they are doing very well. Before we know it they will be home for Thanksgiving.
We head into Whitehorse on Wednesday for a teacher's conference. Then we will stay there for my surgery. That means about 10 days in Whitehorse. Yikes. Then we are hoping to come home on Oct. 3rd. Brian has to go back to Whitehorse for training on the 5th and he will come back on the 8th. Then it is almost Thanksgiving. Looks like this year will fly by. Josh isn't too excited about the amount of time spent in Whitehorse, but he's bringing his xbox and he will have homework so that should keep him busy. We are getting a kitchenette suite while there just because that is far too long to be eating in restaurants. So, if I don't post before we leave. I will post an update sometime after we return home.

TADAH!

At last the work is complete (actually not quite, but getting close). About half way through this project I was seriously asking myself why I ever started it, but it will be worth it in the end.
As you can see the laundry room floor desperately needed some help.Bridge over the river Larnder.Last night we installed our new washer and dryer. The floor needs some touch ups after getting that super-heavy washing machine into place. The doors still need to be attached to the cupboards again also. Bit by bit we will get there. I love using the new machines - laundry just doesn't seem like such a chore at the moment. For now the girls' room remains the temporary pantry. Hopefully by the end of the weekend everything will be back to normal again. In the meantime we are keeping very busy with school.

ONE LAST SUMMER FLING

We have had a very busy week here. I'm glad it's over, but with that is also the knowledge that school starts on Monday.
Monday morning we left to take the girls to Whitehorse. It was a very emotional day for me. I just wasn't ready to let both of them go. But I knew it was something that had to be done. The girls were excited, so I just cried quietly into my pillow on the way in. (boohoo) We were so busy when we got to the dorms unloading and unpacking that I never got my camera out to take any pictures. Oops! It was with mixed emotions that we left them at the residence on Monday evening. They are so happy to be there. Who doesn't want their kids to be happy? But I can't help but feel sad too.
The sadness was short lived though. LOL. On Tuesday morning we got up and went to test drive some vehicles. It was so much fun. Josh was the official "back seat critic". Then we headed out of town on one last "summer" fling. We headed out toward Skagway and the ocean. It was such a beautiful drive.
Of course, Oscar gets dragged along on all these adventures. We stopped at a rest area that was supposed to have a log cabin. There was a log building, but it was just bathrooms. Oh well, the scenery was spectacular. The highway takes you through the mountains right up above the tree line. I was surprised that we didn't have snow up there.
Skagway was a very cute town, but was it ever packed with people. When we arrived there were 4 cruise ships in the harbour and everyone of those people must have been on the main shopping street. The next morning we had to get up early to be at the ferry dock by 6:00 am. 2 of the cruise ships had left to be replaced by 2 new ones.
We were all pretty groggy when we got to the ferry, but Josh was good sport and let me take his picture.
While we were waiting for the ferry to leave we had a chance to tour the ferry. Good thing we went then, it was far too windy once we were under way.When we arrived at Haines, Alaska we had to spend some time on the beach. Unfortunately the tide pools were basically empty. We stopped at Whitehorse for a couple nights on the way home because I had a meeting all day Friday. We had supper with the girls and discovered that they are loving their lives. Hannah has settled in very well and isn't homesick at all. I told her she could lie and say she misses me, but she just laughed. I know she does - she's just having too much fun right now.
So, now we are home and getting everything ready for school to start on Monday. I'm not sure I'm ready, but I guess I don't really have a choice.

AND THEY'RE OFF

Today is the day we leave to take the girls to Whitehorse. It is such a bitter-sweet time. I am so excited for them to enter into this phase of their life and all the great experiences that it brings, but I am so sad to let them go too. It really is a time of mixed emotions. There is always the worry that we haven't done enough to prepare them for this semi-independence. But on the other hand they are very confident and I know they will do well.

Have a great years girls. We are so proud of both of you and love you more than you could imagine.

HEE, HEE, HEE

Who would have thunk it! John Travolta. (Courtesy of: http://celebedge.sympatico.msn.ca)

KITCHEN RENOS

After years of careful planning (LOL) our kitchen it finally nearing completion. I've been learning a lot of new skills throughout this whole process. I always wanted tiles like this in my kitchen - it's like a dream come true.
Just for comparison here are a couple of before pictures:
Step 1: sand the wall board in preparation for tiles.
Step 2: apply glue and tiles.
Looking good so far.
Tahdah!!! Grouting is complete.

All that's left to do is the trim. Looks so much better.

DREADING IT!

Finally! A dream come true for Hannah. She has been wanting dreads for a few years now, but we wanted her to wait and think about it because it is not something that you can just take out easily. So, after much thought we decided to order the products needed to make the dreads. They arrived on Friday and the process began.

Step 1: Section the hair into one inch pieces. (This was done amidst a couple ambulance calls, but it was done nonetheless.)
The sectioning is complete. Looking good already.
Step 2: Backcomb each section like crazy until the hair is a hopelessly tangled mess. We finished this after 12:00 am!Step 3: Apply wax to each dread and then heat the wax to melt it into the hair. Step 4: This one goes on for days and days - roll the dreads a LOT to get them to stay into place and get nice and tight.As beautiful as ever!