Logan Pass

Ryan took advantage of the nice day to go on a motorbike day trip with the CBts. They went down through Logan Pass and back. I haven't driven on that road for maybe 18 years so I can't really tell you too much about it other then what he mentioned but it sounded beautiful. The ride started out a little rough while Ryan worked out a few kinks on the bike, this being it's first real road trip. Thankfully between the genius minds of Ryan and his brother they were able to get everything in working order and they were finally really off for a nice long ride. Ryan mentioned how much snow was up there and how people had their skis and were hiking up the mountain. He saw a mountain goat in the wild and mentioned that the annual pass for the National Park is the price of 2 entries. Sounds like it would be such a fun day trip in the heat of the summer!

Summer Vacay - Day 2

I didn't want to have to wake my kids at 6am this morning to go to Raymond and sit around waiting for me to finish the Raymond Road Race and since they've been asking daily for a sleepover at Nana and Papa's that exactly what I did with them. I dropped them off at my moms Friday night and didn't worry about them until I got home from Raymond and was showered smelling pretty again. They had a busy time pigging out on Papa's chicken, swimming in the hot tub and watching Charlotte's Web and sleeping in an extra hour and a half longer then they do when they are at home! What's with that? Anyway, my mom still had some things that needed to be done in the library at the school so I picked the kids up later that morning and we went with them to let the kids run around in the gym. The kids LOVE going to the school gym and going nuts with all options the equipment room offers. Balls of all sizes, raquets, hockey stuff, jump rope, nets, and the newest addition: The Kin Ball. The kin ball is this giant beach ball. I don't know how else to describe it. It's so light that I was punching it and it was hitting the roof of the gymnasium. Heading it doesn't hurt and even someone Sydney sized can kick it up into the air. I think you get a group of energized kids into that gym and give them that ball and break them into teams and you have an extreme sport!

After we were done in the gym we went home to fill our bellies with some grub before heading back to Nana's to play with Auntie K and MK. They drove down from Calgary with the dog for the long weekend. The afternoon was spent in the hot sun chilling out and watching the kids run Auntie K and MK into the ground with their endless energy.

Raymond Road Race

Wow. Hardest run ever. Raymond has their annual 10km raced named the Raymond Road Race in the summer and this year I joined my sister in law CB in the fun. This was my second 10km race and it was way tougher then the first. It was perfect weather and early enough to beat the heat of the day which was a bonus. The crappiest part was that I was in such a hurry to leave on time and not hold up CB that I forgot to drink any water this morning... at all. As we were making our way to the start line I told myself it would be ok and I'd just have to drink from each water station assuming there would be more then one. The race started unexpectedly and thankfully unlike a few others my shoes were tied so I at least got started right away. Sadly my music and pacer app wasn't as ready as my shoes so I struggled to set a pace while fiddling with my phone setting everything. I know people say you should really run without music but I'm pretty huge into music. It sets my pace and gives me something to rock out to and sing along to in my head. To not have my music totally threw me. Finally I got the music but I couldn't set the bpm which pace me but I guess you take what you can get. After getting all sorted out the best that I could I was starting to enjoy myself and I could feel the zone starting until I started to get thirsty. Man, I really learned many lessons on this race. Never assume anything! Never assume there will be water stations and people helping you get that water. Finally at the top of temple hill which was around the middle mark for the race I was hot, thirsty and tired BUT I saw water! Yay. Bummer that the girl working the station was too busy taking a picture of the two people running in front of me that I had to stop to get my own water, but it was cold and re-energized for a time. It was the only water during the race and since training for my half marathon I have really worked on staying properly hydrated and I could really feel the difference between my hydrated body and my dehydrated one. Such a great lesson to learn and one I will never forget! With all that I learned and how hard the race felt on my body I was really pleased with my finish. I took 5 minutes of my previous 10km time back on the Moonlight Run and paced myself quite well for the first time without using my music so that was huge for me. My goal was low 48 minutes and I finished at 48.54 so not too far off.

Ryan was there for the finish which was awesome and a big help when I was desperate to track down some water so I could actually talk to him. He snagged some photos (my first ever of me running) and helped point out how great it was that I struggled so much in this race so that I won't have to in the big race I'm working towards.

Summer Vacay - Day 1

I decided that my kids love being around me and I'm not too sure when they are going to prefer spending summer hanging out with their friends so I'm going to make the most of this summer. My goal is to do something fun, different, and blog worthy each day. It doesn't have to take up the whole day, but just be something we don't usually do that every one can participate in. Along with that we have to do some educational work sheets to earn time on electronics. So 30 minutes of work gives you 30 minutes of TV or whatever you choose. Good goal? We'll see how it goes ... So to start of our summer vacation Day 1 is brought to you by WATER BALLOONS. I bought these tiny balloons at Walmart a few months ago when they were on for $2. They came with two tap attachments so it screws right onto the outside water tap where you can control the water flow into the balloon. The tip of the attachment is the perfect size for the small balloons and it made filling them up very easy. We didn't break a single balloon which is a bonus! They've been sitting on the kitchen counter ever since taunting us. It was loads of fun but if I had a complaint it would be that water balloons just don't last too long. I only have about a thousand balloons left so I'm thinking on a nice hot day I'll just sneak away and fill a couple hundred and attack. For today the kids got a good taste of how cold the water is coming out of the garden hose! It was slightly above freezing, they are definitely hard core water ballooners.

Until September ...

Both Brayden and Sydney had great teachers this year. Brayden's teacher was perfect for him and made this classroom into this great learning center with different areas to help the students find what helps them concentrate. For example, I was a pencil chewer where I would squish out the eraser. Then as I got older I chewed pen lids. Fixation stuck at the oral stage I suppose. Anyway, to counter this habit Brayden's teacher would allow those students to chew on sugar free gum with parent permission. She did quite a few different things to help direct little 6/7 year old energy into work and gave them a place to retreat and calm down while reading a book if they became frustrated with learning. It was perfect for Brayden. When there was a small problem between Brayden and some of the other boys in the class during the break playing soccer (competitiveness turning mean) it was dealt with quickly and perfectly without it becoming more then boys being boys. I made cards for the teachers and extra hands in kindergarten and I let Brayden pick first which card he'd like to give his teacher and I hope she enjoyed Brayden as much as he enjoyed being in her class!

Kindergarten is one wild ride. There were about 23 students in Sydney's class. That is a lot of energy and unedited thoughts. Every time it was my turn to be the parent helper I laughed out loud at the crazy random thoughts that would pop into those minds and how they could blurt them out no matter the situation. Question time for show and tell was pretty much 5 kids asking the same question but question time after a story was every child needing to share something personal unrelated to anything in the book. When you're a baby 2 months can really make quite the difference in development but by the time you're out of school, what's a few years? Well, kindergarten had quite the mix. I'd say there was an average but at Sydney's table (where she sat with 4 others) had one boy who had already lost 6+ teeth and they had already grown in where Sydney has yet to have a loose tooth. It's the start of exploring your wonderful personality without your parent there with you all day long and WOW, is kindergarten the place to people watch! It was very, very entertaining. I think being a kindergarten teacher takes someone extra special and that was Syds teacher. She was patient, calm, creative, and best of all never laughed once in a childs face when they blurted out something outrageous while I tried to hide my face and not snort. As far as cards go, Sydney picked my favorite. I saw it on pinterest and knew I had to try to make it. It was only a picture so I played with dimensions, colours and this is what I got. I loved it. On the inside was a black interior on the front side with white butterflies embossed on it. It was also my first time using my sewing machine on a card and I loved the look. Yay me.

There were two extra hands in Sydney's kindergarten class and they were both very busy every time I was in there so I couldn't forget about them. I hope everyone gets to enjoy a bit of the summer weather before worrying about starting a new year in September!

Kindergarten Graduate

She did it. She made her way to grade school! I no longer have to do noon pick up ... for a couple years at least anyway. My little girl will be going to school all day long in September. What does she think of that? Well, she's most excited that she will get to take a lunch box with her. She is so ready to be going all day. No fear and she loves to learn. By the end of the summer I know she'll be reading (she's reading easy sentences now) and ready to tackle new challenges. For a quiet little thing she sure is strong willed and determined to be able to do everything Brayden can. Congratulations to my beautiful girl. You sure make me proud to be your mom.

Soccer Fest

Brayden's first soccer season has come to an end. After 3 months of playing 2 times a week with only one game cancellation I would have to say I feel like it was worth every penny. Because they were the best Just like every other team each player received a medal and BMO soccer ball for their fabulous skills and efforts through out the season. Brayden believes this was because they won that last game (which they did) and we didn't really see the need to crush his dreams and so if you talk to him about it; don't be a dream crusher.

Shopping: Daddy Style

Now that Sydney is a dirt biking pro she needs a real helmet, not just a bicycle helmet. Ryan also told the kids that they could get some cool biker gloves for their hands because Syd was complaining that after 6 hours of driving her hands were sore. So off they went to the store to shop for biker stuff. *Ryan's dreams come true* In their excitement to shop they didn't realize how early it was so the stores weren't open yet. To waste some time Ryan took the kids to Henderson Lake where they climbed and collected crayfish claws.

Once enough time had been spent running off energy they made their way back to the store to do their shopping. Now when Ryan got the Hayabusa I was able to get a full faced helmet. When asked what my preference was I said, "Pink." I was then told that wasn't an option because it would be a helmet I shared with my son since we have the exact same head size. Bummer. How jealous was I when Sydney came home with this:

I was pretty envious but the look on her face when she came around the corner to show me and was wearing it knowing how fab she looked in hot pink made it ok with me that she has a way cooler helmet then me. You gotta let the kids win sometimes, her time to shine.

Love People That Make My Life Easier

With our crazy lives and bouncing back and forth from places we had to submit some papers to the government to, um, prove that we are legal guardians of our children. A small part of that documentation needed were forms from their school to be signed as true copies. I didn't really think would be a big deal but the secretary of the school refused to do such a thing which meant I needed to acquire quite a few additional documents in their place. Thankfully, under the suggestion of a friend, I emailed the school principal late that night who returned my message before the start of school the next day saying the papers were signed and ready for me to pick up. This saved me so much time and stress I really wanted to thank her and let her know somehow how much she had done for me, especially after the secretary was so short and rude about it. I bought her a few chocolates and made this cute little whatever it is to put them in along with a Thank You note. I think it turned out perfectly, don't you?

Fresh Mountain Air

Day trips are always a good idea. They force you out of the house and to spend some fabulous time together as a family making memories. I hope those memories are the good kind and not the kind that are bad at the moment but later you might learn to laugh about. Today we went up near Blairmore Alberta with Ryan's brother and his family and an extra few nephews. We loaded the joint collection of toys onto the truck and trailer and off we went looking for adventure. CBts' new the perfect place and when we arrived at the spot I knew it was going to be a fun day. The boys unloaded the toys while the kids anxiously waited close by wide eyed with anticipation. It didn't take long until they were off cruising around.

Way back in February when Brayden learned how to ride his dirt bike we had promised Sydney that as soon as she learned how to ride a bicycle on only two wheels, Ryan would teach her how to drive the dirt bike also. Well the first nice day after that she was on two wheels and ready for her turn on the motorbike. Finally after months of practicing her balance she was determined to finally have her chance so Ryan, excitedly, got right to it. He taught her how to brake properly, then made her drive as slowly as possible to make sure she could balance, and then off she went! She took to it so quickly. At one point when she did start to show frustration Ryan reminded her that Brayden was 7 when he learned to drive and she was only 6 and that was all the motivation she needed to keep on going. She was so steady and was able to keep the bike going at a steady speed, it was so fun to watch. She loved it and pretty much spent the whole 6 hours we were there on that bike! It was awesome.

As the day went on both the kids were getting pretty confident on the bikes and so they took off down a very mild trail through the trees to explore. It was just so fun to watch the two of them riding together and Ryan mentioned he can't wait until they are bigger and they can all go out dirt biking together. It's always nice to see some of that tomboy come out of Sydney, the best of both worlds.

Even Madison seemed to have some fun running around in the grass, watching the kids whip by on their quads or bikes and snacking on junk food or fruit. There was a hammock set up, CB brought some bubbles for the littles and those were a big hit but I have to say I think that Loki the dog was the biggest perk for her.

For me, it was just so nice to be out in that mountain air. I'm not too sure what makes it more crisp, or seem to smell better but it's just so much cleaner then anywhere else. Truly invigorating. It's also such a different kind of beauty then the prairies or the Philippine greens, so humbling to realize the diversity all around the world and how much of that beauty is found so close to home. Canada is really something amazing!

Ladiesfest

Ladiesfest is an 8km run held annually in Lethbridge around the river bottom and finishing by going up Whoop-Up Drive to complete the loop. This was my second ever run and I was apart of a sister team with my 3 sister in laws; CB, JS and LM. It was a typical gusty day here in Lethbridge and why I might have expected anything different I don't know. Obviously, I'm slightly naive. I love the start of a race. It reminds me of my swimming days when you'd be crouched at the top of the diving block waiting for the starting cues with your legs ready to push you out over the water and anticipating that cold water as you dove in. The way your heart races as you come up for your first breath and get a glimpse of where you are in comparison to the other competitors. Nothing brings out the animal in me like the start of a race. Then comes the zone. I'm not too competitive when it comes to beating other people but I really find it motivating to race against a clock and to better myself and to finish faster then my expectations. I think that's why I was such a great swimmer. I didn't like the early practices or the long hours spent in the water but I loved pushing myself. I love to sweat and to know I'm pushing for better results. I had such a great run. The weather was calmer down by the river, I was able to find my zone and I was minutes faster then my goal time so yay for me. Also, my rocking sister team placed 4th so they all rocked the run as well as I did even if JS was sick and though she never said it and I thought had a great time, sick sucks and how are you supposed to run your best when you can't breathe properly? So congrats to everyone who ran and even though I thought handing out chocolate at the finish line was the last thing I wanted I loved the rose and my cheering squad that sat there in the blustery weather with their perfect home made signs. I love them and they were the ones I wanted to share my race excitement with and made surpassing my goal even sweeter. *tear*

Bare Bear Bum

We had my youngest niece (AB) for the weekend so her parents could get away for their anniversary. Everything went smoothly, the kids got along, she slept great and she ate everything put in front of her. Sunday morning we had no problems getting all the kids dressed and ready for church in time so no worries, right? Well when we arrived in the church parking lot I remembered that for the first time in over a year I needed to pack diapers in the church bag and I didn't! Giving Ryan a brief worried look and him returning with some 'good luck' eyes we got out of the van and off we went. Well we were almost an hour in and AB jumps off my lap to pick something off the floor in front of her. Bending over Ryan catches a glimpse of something big and brown on her bum. Worst nightmare come true! Did AB crap herself into a blowout not even half way through church? He sure thought so and the look on his face was priceless. Actually, I would pay money to see the horror and fright in those eyes again because I knew it was just a big brown bear on her bum. She a bear bum, get it?