Dog Update

Hi! Just thought I would put up a little post about the doggies.

We have an amazing foster dog, named Kia. I LOVE HER!!!!!! I know that I will have to let her go (hopefully to a wonderful home in NWT), but I am loving every minute with her while she is mine.

She has an incredible zest for life and she is just a little bit terrible. My favourite kind of dog!! She fell out of my van while I was driving down a gravel road last weekend. Wasn't going very fast so no damage done and I didn't run her over. She got right back in and continued to stick her head out the window. Carlam and I think that she is addicted to air.

It has rained here everyday except for 11 since the beginning of June. We have sooo many mosquitoes that even the government has quit counting them!!! As my friend, Cindy, said today, the dogs are all starting to quack!!!

Bye for now! Have a great long weekend everyone. Carlam and I are going to pick up Claire and Daniel on Sunday and I can't wait to have them home!!!!

Carlam turns 40

On July 23rd, we had a camp out at Figure 8 Lake to celebrate Carlam's upcoming 40th birthday. Fun was had by all and here are a few pictures of the day.

Carlam opening presents

Carlam's friends, Doug and Rick

Carlam checking out the snazzy panties that Rick and Karen gave to him.

Carlam's BFF, Rick

Carlam in his snazzy bday outfit. Panties from Rick and Karen
and hat made by me!

Learning to fly fish with Merle

July 27, 2011 was Carlam's actual 40th birthday. The following is what happened while he was at work:

They shrink wrapped his car; and

Put up all these snazzy signs and balloons in his office.
They also made a point of letting everyone that came in the store know
that he was the big 40. An email with pictures of the shenanigans
was sent to every member of UFA as well!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Summer Office Outing for 2011

So, last week on Thursday we had our annual summer office outing. Last year we went to an Edmonton Capitals baseball game and this year we went to see the Capital Ex Parade in downtown Edmonton and then to The Taste Of Edmonton in Churchill Square.

Parade was sort of boring and waaaay too long, but Taste of Edmonton was yummy!!! Amanda was my date since neither Carlam or her boyfriend, Jay, could come with us on Thursday. We all got 25 tickets from Ed and Michelle along with some spending money. I had a mini steak sandwich, crispy wantons stuffed with cream cheese and crab meat, chocolate strawberry crepe and lava cake. I had a lychee bubble tea to drink. All was delish!!!

Here are some pictures that I took of our day.

There were three pipe bands in the parade.
This one looked the best. LOVE the wolf
drapes on the backs of the drummers.

Big dude, tiny car.

Every parade has Shriner Clowns

There are never enough horses in a parade for me. They bring back
memories of watching the Calgary Stampede Parade
with my Grandpa Cryderman when I was young.
I even love the way they smell.

Westjet flying high

First Nations dancer

Red Serge marching in the morning sun.

This is the sample of the lava cake I had. Mine had raspberry
ice cream instead of the rubber ball!

This guy was just thrilled with the jazz music being played.
Amanda and I enjoyed watching him dance with all the little
kids while we sat in the beer gardens and sipped our
Sangria!!

At a Loss

Nick, Daniel and Brock

On July 5th, my friend Krissy lost her oldest boy, Nick, in a tragic accident at the age of 14, one year older than his cousin, Daniel, my son. I have not seen Nick for a long time, but when the kids were younger, and as recently as last summer, they had moments like the one in the picture above. Cousins should get to run wild, like weeds. Daniel, Nick and Brock got to do that. Nick and Brock taught Daniel how to pee standing up. True story.

I remember that Krissy's boys had these amazing toothless grins. Nick was always smiling in a shy, sweet way when I saw him. That is the Nick I remember.

I don't understand this. I don't understand why whoever is in charge of this earth felt it was necessary to take this child and cause his family this pain.

I don't know. I don't know how Krissy is getting up out of bed and carrying on with her life. I don't know how a mother picks out a casket for her child and puts him in the ground and says goodbye for the last time. I don't know how she and her husband and her other boys will move forward. Does she pack up his things quickly, like ripping off a band aid, or does she shut the door of his room only opening it to sit in the silence and smell his boy smell? I don't know.

What do you say? "I'm sorry" seems so very inadequate given the circumstances. "I'm thinking of you" every day, Krissy, every day.

I know that Krissy, Ian and their family have an incredible support system in the little community in which they reside. I know that they have the best chance of getting to the other side of this as anyone. The best chance of living as normal a life as possible.

I will send her a card when Claire and Daniel get home with our memories along with the pictures I have of Nick and I hope that brings her some comfort. I will think of her every day and send her positive thoughts and love from my heart. I will send her hope for her family and their future and maybe in some small way that will help. Maybe.

It Was Great Having You Come to Visit

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have thoroughly enjoyed having Will and Kate come to visit our country. I think that they truly have seen the best that Canada has to offer. I have watched the news every night (rarely do I do that) to see what they have been up to everyday and I have religiously checked the website, http://www.whatkatewore.com/ to get the details on all of her great clothes!!!

Before I share my favourite moments of the tour, I would like to make a couple of comments. I think that, while on their tour, they should have spent a day with Claire and Daniel's Baba for some serious and seriously fattening Ukrainian food! Kate needs to eat a little bit more and get a little bit more meat on her bones. I found that most of her clothes looked big and I am sure that they are a size 0 already!!! I just think that us Canadian granola girls would feel a little bit better if her bum was just a little bit rounder. The other thing that I found disturbing is that Kate has a English accent!!!! I know, I know, DUH!!!, she is from England, but I just think that she is very, very down to earth and that an English accent just doesn't suit!!!! I think she should speak Canadian!!!! Anyway, I know, where are my meds!!!

With that all being said, here are my favourite moments:

Kate threatening to throw Will off the dock in PEI

Kate looked like she was having a genuinely good time while she was here.

This and the following were my favorite outfits that Kate wore while
she was here.

On Canada Day in Ottawa, she wore the dress that she wore previously
for her engagement photos. The critics thought that it was great for the photos,
but too short for an official visit as Dutches. Carlam thought that it looked
just fine! And the Fascinator is AWESOME!!!!
Way better than those Dr. Seuss style Canadian hats!!

This is our military at it's best. Loading Will and Kate's fancy clothes!!
I don't know if they need full on fatigues for this duty, but they look good!

Kate hugging little Diamond. Diamond has cancer and her Make a Wish dream
was to meet Kate. Pretty heavy stuff for our Miss Kate.

This is the letter the Diamond wrote to Kate. Made me teary and laugh at
at the same time. LOVE how Diamond asks Kate who her favourite Princess is.

This little girl's look is priceless and exactly how I felt everyday
sharing this tour with Will and Kate.

This is my friend, Heather's little girl, Lauren, on Canada Day.
Lauren lives in England with her Mom and Dad. Isn't she adorable??
I know that this has nothing to do with the Royal Tour except Lauren
loves Canada too!!! Thanks for lending us your Prince and Princess!!!