Arashi Do Karate Demo at Parkland Mall

After we finished the morning events at the Highland Games, we rushed up to the Parkland Mall to catch the last two demos preformed by the Arashi Do Red Deer Future Champions Team, Daniel included!
This is Kyle and Chris demonstrating Point Fighting




The above picture is Daniel and Joe doing their Kata andthe last picture is Daniel point fighting.

Red Deer Highland Games

It was a rediculously early morning here in Red Deer. Alarm was set for 6:30 am, but a thunder storm had the dogs upset and all on the bed by 5:30! I tried to settle them and get some extra sleep, but it wasn't meant to be. Claire and I arrived at the Red Deer Highland Games shortly after 8:00 am and she started competing at 8:30 am.
Claire had an on and off day today. She had a really good first half with a great Fling and only a couple of hic ups in her Sword Dance. She competed with the Sean Triubhas and did very well. Her second half was less successful with majoy mistakes in her Lilt and Flora. Oh well, better next time! Claire is the girl in the 2nd picture in the green/orange kilt, 3rd from the right doing her Sword Dance.




These are Claire's highland friends and her dance teacher, Miss Sally. The best teacher in Red Deer, if you ask me! We will miss seeing them every week, but will have a great time catching up at all the competitions next year!

We have added a new member to our family

We have added a new, very important, and super cool member to our family. A Nikon Coolpix came home with me today. Just followed me home from Bestbuy! Was the darndest thing! Anyhoo, these are the pictures that Claire took with it before the battery died and she had to go to bed. Claire's cat pics are WAY better than Steph's!

Grade 1 Goes to the Zoo

Claire's Grade 1 class, along with the other three grade 1 classes from her school, went the the Wildlife Discovery Park in Innisfail, Alberta today. What fun we had! The weather was perfect with a nice breeze to keep the skeeters away. I was a parent helper on this field trip when Daniel was in grade 1 so, it was nice to be able to go with Claire.

Mutton Busting at the Daines Rodeo

The wet rainy weather didn't stop Claire from participating in the Mutton Busting at the Daines Rodeo on Saturday, June 16, 2007. She brought along her best friend, Nicky, for moral support.






The Mutton Busting event had 21 particpants and Claire was the second out of the gate. I would estimate that she stayed on for about 3 seconds! It was very muddy and she definitely had some of the arena on her when she came out. The event was sponsored by Tim Hortons this year and the kids got lots of cool stuff including a tshirt, donuts, pop, a light up neckace and a personal fan.







Since Claire is 7 this year, this is the last year she can participate. We will have to find some local rodeos to enter her in once we move north.

FLIN FLON FISHING

I couldn't make up a title like that! Curtis(husband) and my Dad spent the week fishing in and around Flin Flon Manitoba and Creighton Saskatchewan (virtually the same place, divided by a provincial border). They were very lucky to have Curtis' Uncel Donny offer then a place to stay in his fabulous lake front cabin/house. If it has running water, electricity and a TV, to me that is a house.

They had a great time and Curtis came home refreshed and ready to work that last three weeks before our big move. My Dad came home sick. C'est La Vie!

Saskatoon Invaded by RDHDA

On the last weekend in May, the Red Deer Highland Dance Associaton invaded Saskatoon and stole the show at their Open Competition (any Scot Dance dancer, no matter where he/she is from in the world, can compete). Our group of dancers won over 50 medals and 6 aggregate trophies (best dancer in each class). Our Miss Claire won 4th for her Flora in only her second beginner competition. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!!!

We all had a great time and travelled to Saskatoon on a wonderful charter bus (kids thought it was wonderful, parents/coaches tolerated it). Claire and I were lucky enough to have Nana and Papa meet us there to see the dancing and to catch up. We all arrived on Friday night and the girls competed on Saturday, then home in Red Deer by midnight Saturday night. A long trip, but well worth it.

We will miss these girls next year too. The great thing is that we will get to see them at all the Highland Dance Competitions in Alberta next year. Claire will make many more wonderful new highland friends!

Here are some pics from our trip to Saskatoon!

OK, Let's give this a shot!

This is my first post. Most people are organized and have pictures of their entire family and all that good stuff. I am going to have to make do with the photos I have on this computer and then when I have time to figure it out more, I will add family photos. I just got this Mac about two months ago and those of you that know me, I am very busy. We are moving to Onoway, Alberta in the next couple of weeks and it is then summer and I should have time to get some computer/photos organized. The kid's activities will diminish greatly over the summer and I will also not be working which should open up scads of time!

Anyway, speaking of kids, Daniel earned the right, this spring, to represent Alberta at the WKA National Championships in Hull, Quebec. He competed in the -12 year old boy division in Kata and also the -12 year old boy, -30 kg weight class for point and continuous fighting. He won a bronze medal in the continuous fighting and 2nd place for day two and 4th overall (two day event) for point fighting. He did spectacularily well and we are very proud of him.

This is truly one of the things that makes me so sad about moving. Don't get me wrong, I am excited, but also very sad. We have made wonderful friends at karate. Daniel has a great group of kids to hang out with five days a week and I have a great group of parents, never mind the fact that my son is losing the most influential male role model he has in his life, outside of his Dad, Papa and Gedo. Senei Gary has taken a scared 5 year old boy and turned him into a fighting machine. He has also boosted his confidence and showed him the man inside the boy. Does that make sense? I just hope that we can find another role model in Edmonton. We are going to check out two Dojo's in Edmonton. I think that one has the discipline that Daniel needs while the other has the WKA experience that he needs. We will see what we decide and I will, of course, keep you posted!

Enjoy some of the pictures I took at Nationals!