Whirlwind Weekend

I really wish weekends were longer...I think a four day work week, with a three day weekend, would be perfect. Two days just go by way too fast, especially when you throw in a quick trip home for a birthday party.

I can't believe it, but, Nolan turns FOUR today and his parents had a party for him yesterday - so, it was off to Acton to celebrate!

I had to coach on Saturday, so we didn't get to leave until late afternoon. We arrived in Acton around 6:30pm and went to visit my parents - Tom and Krystle had their own plans and were out for the evening anyway. We had a nice visit with my parents, and even had time for a game of Canasta - which the girls won, of course!

On Sunday, Nolan woke up ready to go - he was sooo excited for his party! Tom and Krystle had a few things to do around the house to get ready, so Curt and I took Nolan to church with us - it gave Nolan something to do to get his mind off his party, and it got him out of his parents hair for awhile...I think it was a win-win!

Nolan seemed a little grumpy when he woke up from his nap - but, once the other kids arrived he perked right up, and the presents seemed to help too!

Look at all the gift bags...and you really only see half of them in this picture!


Here he is enjoying a quick look at one of his new dinosaur books. He is in LOVE with dinosaurs, and almost every gift had something to do with them.


My parents bought Nolan a new snowsuit...and, my mom had to get him a hat to go with it! I laughed when I saw this because I used to have one just like it, except it was pink. I probably had more then one actually, my mom loves these things, but I remember the pink one.


My mom made the birthday cake - and of course, it was a dinosaur.


And, although you're probably already in picture overload, I have to throw one in of Abby and I - she is in such a fun stage right now! This is a picture Curt took of the two of us playing on the couch while Nolan opened all his presents.

Something was really funny...too bad I can't remember what we were laughing at.


Unfortunately, we had to eat and run...as soon as we were done with our dessert we decided to hit the road. It felt a little rushed, but it was nice to get home at a decent time. So, although it was a little rushed, we were really glad that we could be there to celebrate with the Robertson's. It was also nice to see the rest of the family - especially the Watson's! And this is the perfect time for a shout out to my Uncle John, one of my few blog readers, I got this post up tonight just for him!

Movember

Well, it's November...but, we'll be calling it Movember around here this year :(

Curt has decided to participate in this worldwide event to raise awareness for men's health issues - so, he'll be growing a moustache for the month.

I know that it's for a great cause, but, I'm still not thrilled...and, I may have tried to convince him not to do it. But, he's determined and I can't change his mind.

So, here is a picture I took tonight - a 'before' picture. I might post a picture mid-way through the month...and then again on Nov. 30 right before he SHAVES it OFF!


I hope November goes by really fast!

Good-Bye October

I haven't blogged in a long time...other than Thanksgiving, October hasn't been very blog worthy.

Work has been going pretty well, and last Friday (Oct. 28th) marked one year since I started with the Ministry of Community & Social Services! It's pretty crazy that I've been there this long - this job was tough at first, and during my first two contracts, I kept a countdown so I knew exactly how many more days I had to work there before it was all over. Thankfully, even though there are still plenty of rough days, I no longer have to keep a countdown, and am enjoying the job, for the most part. The position that I've been doing for the past year, Program Support Clerk, was finally posted a few weeks ago...so, I have applied for a permanent position. Unfortunately, 542 other people applied too! Ha! Isn't that crazy!?! I can only hope that my experience, and the fact that I currently work there, gets me through the screening stage :)

Curling started three weeks ago, but we've only played twice - we had a bye in the second week. We got smoked the first week, we didn't really give the other team any competition at all :) But, last week, we played like a totally different team - a team that was experienced, and had played together before - not sure where that came from?!?! And, we pulled out a win, which was pretty exciting. Just before we started, Maria asked if we thought we would ever win - I don't think any of us were expecting a win this early in the season.

Skating is in full swing, and it's definitely keeping me busy! Skate Canada has made a lot of changes this year, so choreographing solos has been challenging this year...I just have a few finishing touches and they'll all be done, so that's a huge relief. I have two skaters going to a competition at the end of the month, so it will be just in time.

I would have normally had skating tonight, but it was cancelled for Halloween - I was glad to be able to stay home and give out candy with Curt (we had close to 70 kids!). Our nephews came by and were super cute - Josh was Superman, Noah was a Storm Trooper, Isaac was a Cowboy, Luke was a Knight and Owen was a Pumpkin! I took a picture, but the lighting was horrible. We made up special goodie bags for them, so Curt sent his brother a text message to make sure they came by our place...Dave responded by saying 'we'll be there, we're just getting them ready...there are too many of them, we're outnumbered'. Ha! You think?!?! You have FIVE boys!!!

So, if you're still reading this, thanks for sticking with me. As you can tell, the last few weeks have been pretty boring! Our countdown to California has begun, and it's helping me get past the boredom - we leave on December 3rd, only 33 days from today!

The Last Round - Take Two

A few weeks ago, I posted about my last game of golf for the season (you can read it here: The Last Round). Well, if you're really observant, you may have noticed that it wasn't actually my last round...I played again Thanksgiving weekend AND I played in a tournament this past weekend.

On Sunday, Curt and I played in a 'Swing & Sweep' - an event co-hosted by Quinte Curling Club and Bay of Quinte Golf and Country Club. I often worked during this event while I was employed at Bay of Quinte, but now that we're members of Quinte Curling Club, we got to be participants...and, it was a lot of fun!

We played nine holes of golf in the morning - and, needless to say, I was a little nervous when we got to the course and realized Curt and I weren't going to be playing together. Thankfully, the nerves didn't last long - the people I played with were friendly and welcoming, and I played pretty well - so it ended up being a great morning. It was a little cool, especially when we started, but it did warm up and it ended up being pretty nice day (best of all, it didn't rain). Golf was a 'Texas Scramble' format, and we ended up one over - we were even going into the last hole, and then bogeyed, which was a little disappointing.

After golf, it was off to the curling club where lunch was served.

The afternoon was spent curling - we played eight ends with regular curling rules. Unfortunately it didn't go as well as golf. Our team only got two points - it was a blow out, to say the least! It was fun though, and I was glad to have some more practice.

After drinks at the curling club, it was back to the golf club for dinner and prizes.

And, it's official, I'm going to have to give up my amateur golf status because our team won - our +1 held up! There was an overall winner - the team that did the best in both golf and curling - and then a golf winner and a curling winner. Our curling score didn't do much for us, so we were only the golf winners...not that I'm complaining!

We got to choose our prize from a pretty nice prize table...this is what I ended up with...

So, my stats for this golf season are pretty good - I played in two tournaments, and won both (well, my team won both, I could have never won a tournament on my own!). I really can't believe how much I've come to enjoy golf; as I was curling on Sunday afternoon, I was thinking that maybe if I stick with it as long as I have stuck with golf, maybe I'll enjoy it as much as golf one day?!?

Thanksgiving - Part 2

Well, I didn't get this post done when I wanted to...but, as they say, 'better late then never'.

On Monday morning, it was off to the pumpkin patch with Tom and Krystle and the kids. We went to this same pumpkin patch last year, and had a great time...and although it was a little different this year, I think we all still really enjoyed our time there. The weather was AMAZING - it was actually HOT (not just warm), which is pretty unusual for this area in October.

Checking out the 'monster pumpkins'. As soon as Tom saw these, he said he was getting one.
As soon as Nolan saw the monster pumpkins, he thought he should lift one up! Needless to say, it was a little too heavy.
It must be a family thing because Abby really liked the big pumpkins too!
The Robertson's walking through the corn maze.
Unfortunately, the various paths through the corn maze weren't cleared as well as they were last year, so we really had to watch where we were walking. And, the kids had to be especially careful to avoid stumbling. As I mentioned, it was really HOT while we were there...we were supposed to be finding signs throughout the maze; each sign contained a hidden letter, and once we found all six letters, we would be able to spell a fall themed word. We hadn't found all the letters, but we were all getting sweaty, so we just decided to find our way out and head back to the store.

We were the only ones on the wagon, so Nolan took advantage and got as close as he could to the tractor!
And, what better way to end a trip to the pumpkin patch on a HOT fall day then with an ice cream cone...
I have so many other pictures from our day, it was so hard to select just a few! Special thanks to Tom and Krystle for agreeing to take this little outing with Curt and I - it was my idea, and despite having a busy weekend already, they went along with Auntie Boo's suggestion.

Thanksgiving - Part 1

Well, it's already been a week since we were in Acton for Thanksgiving, and I'm finally getting around to posting here about the fabulous weekend we had! It's been one of those weeks...but, I'm happy to say that after procrastinating for weeks, I finally buckled down and got solo music ready for all of my skaters! That is a huge weight off my shoulders!

Anyway, Thanksgiving weekend...it was a time of fun activities, lots of visiting with family and great food! We couldn't really ask for much more during the two and a half days we were away.

I had to coach on Saturday, so we didn't leave home until late afternoon...but, we arrived in Acton in time for dinner, the first amazing meal of the weekend. Thanks to Dad for BBQ'ing the steaks even though the 'Stanley Cup Champion Maple Leafs were playing'! (ha! Sorry, inside joke, but my dad probably chuckled when he read that).

Sunday, it was off to church. The church I grew up attending, Knox Presbyterian Church, is a beautiful old church. There is a sign on the red brick that says 'Erected in 1894'! And, like many churches that are that old, there are lots of stained glass windows! The church is currently fundraising to have some work done on the stained glass windows - and, Curt and I chose a window and made a donation so that that one window can have the necessary upgrades done to it. Window #32 located in a room on the second floor of the church, behind the balcony and overlooking Main St.; growing up, this room was where we met weekly for our Junior Choir practices, and later, where our high school Sunday School class met during the service. These two parts of church are full of great memories, and I think it would be fair to say they both played a part in shaping the person I am today - so, I'm very glad to be contributing to a window in that room.

After church, we finally got to see my brother and sister-in-law and the kids! They were at a wedding on Saturday afternoon/evening, and spent the night out of town. After a little visit and a quick bite to eat, the kids went down for their naps, and the boys and I were off to play golf with dad. I am so glad we still get a chance to play Blue Springs, the course I used to work at - and I LOVE playing the course in the fall, the colours are beautiful.

The elevated tee at the second hole, always a favourite.

We had to be home for Thanksgiving dinner, so we didn't expect to get in a full 18 holes...but, we managed to play 17 after jumping around a little bit to avoid having to wait. It's great to play with someone who works there, they can get away with that kind of thing!

Dinner was amazing, of course - thanks mom!

Abby and Uncle Curt sharing dessert.
Nolan, very focused on his dessert.
This great day was closed off with card games with Tom and Krystle. We had to be good and go to bed on time though, because it was off to the pumpkin patch on Monday. And, that will get a post all on its own...hopefully tomorrow.

Update

I haven't posted in awhile, but there really hasn't been much to write about. Things have been a little boring over the last few weeks, we've just been busy working and settling into our fall/winter schedule. Curt and I are both looking at busy schedules for the next few months!

Skating has started, so, I'm back on this ice! I was almost dreading getting back on the ice this year, but once I was out there with the kids, I remembered how much I love it, and I'm excited for the season. I posted a few weeks ago about resigning from Quinte Figure Skating Club - however, there were some changes in scheduling there and I was asked to come back to help with CanSkate. So, I will be coaching two hours of CanSkate on Monday nights! It's a perfect compromise really, and I'm glad that I will be able to continue working with Quinte.

We've had a few sessions in Tweed, but tomorrow is our first FULL session, so we'll get to meet our Learn to Skaters and CanSkaters. It's sure to be a very CHAOTIC morning!

We're all signed up for another year of curling - and there has been a change there too. Last year we curled in Stirling, and although we really enjoyed Stirling, we decided to curl in Quinte this year. Curt was asked to be in a Mens League with his cousin, Tim, and the team plays in Quinte, so he was going to join there for one league and then in Stirling for one league. But, it made more sense to just go to Quinte for their mixed league as well. The two people we played with in Stirling weren't going to be playing in the mixed league this year, so we have been trying to put together a new team. We are very excited that our good friend Maria will be joining us, and our fourth is a random guy from Quinte who happened to be looking for a team :) Let's hope that works out. We went to an Open House at the curling club this past week and had a chance to meet some members; everyone was really friendly, so hopefully things go as well this season as they did in Stirling!

The weather forecast isn't great for this weekend - cold and rainy - I don't think we'll be able to ignore the fact that fall is here! I'm ready for the change though, it's a lot easier to go into a rink for a few hours when it's cool and dreary outside! So, with all the curling and skating we have planned, Curt and I say bring on the cool weather.