Belated Florida Post

I can't believe that it's already the end of January...and, the last time I posted was the beginning of January :( To say that this month has been busy is a bit of an understatement.

My last post was just a few days before we left for Florida. We had a great trip, and enjoyed getting away from the snow and freezing temperatures! One of my co-workers questioned us going there because it wasn't 'that warm'...but hey, green grass, palm trees and flip flops (in January), are good enough for me!

Some of the typical stuff we enjoyed while there - shopping at all the awesome Outlet Malls and other favourite American stores (like TJ Maxx, Ross, JC Penney, Kohl's and Target), going to Webster's Flea Market, hanging out by the pool and spending a little time just relaxing around the condo.

And, we played golf, of course! Our first game was at Celebration Golf Course - we'd heard good things about this course, and it definitely did not disappoint! We were paired up with a father (from Tampa) and his son (from Wisconsin), and had a great time with them. I used to be really intimidated about playing with strangers, but I'm getting used to it, and so far, it's always worked out really well and we've met some great people (plus, I just remind myself that I'll never see the people again, so it doesn't matter if I don't play well!).


This is a horrible picture, but the only picture of Curt and I from the whole trip. We didn't do very well with the camera on this trip.

And this is going to seem ridiculous, but one of the best parts of the game was seeing an alligator on the course!! :) We've played a lot of golf in Myrtle Beach and Florida, and courses always have signs saying don't feed the alligators...but, we never actually see any - in California and Arizona, the signs were about snakes, but we didn't see any of those either!


Here he is! I know it's not a great pic, but can you find him? He was on the other side of the pond, which wasn't great for pictures, but probably best for our nerves!

We played our other two games at Kissimmee Oaks Golf Club, and I was spotting alligators in all the ponds there! It was cold for gators though, so these ones were all in the water, and all I saw were their nostrils.

The other thing I have to highlight is our experience at the indoor surf center, a new addition to the 'resort' we stayed at. You may have seen something similar to it on commercials for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines - they call it 'FlowRider' and have it on a few of their ships. Here is how it's described on the Royal Caribbean website...'The FlowRider sends a thin sheet of water up a sloped and (thankfully) cushioned platform to create a wavelike flow of water.'

The one we tried was all indoors, and although it was cushioned, it still HURT like crazy! It hurt when I fell, and I was sore for days afterwards (my arms were so sore I wasn't sure I would be able to play golf!?!?...all because I was so tense during it). We had a half hour session, and although I could stand up on my own, I still couldn't even move around by the end. Curt, on the other hand, was pretty good by the end...of course, he always picks things like that up pretty fast.


A picture of Curt 'surfing'...we have a video too, and I was really hoping to post that so you could see his wipeout at the end, but I can't get it to work.

No pictures of me surfing; I told Curt he couldn't take any until the second time we tried it - but, then I was too sore to try it again :) I'm OK with that though - we'll try it again next time we're there, and hopefully I'll be better, and won't be too embarrassed for pictures.

We've been home two and a half weeks, and I already feel ready for another vacation...especially after writing this post! My parents head to Florida for a few weeks at the end of March...maybe we'll have to crash their trip :) Just kidding, don't panic, Dad.

*I forgot to include this picture yesterday, when I originally posted about Florida...so I'm adding it in today...


On the left, an odd 'Lobster Car' advertising a seafood restaurant, and on the right, our awesome rental car - a brand new Jeep Liberty! I love the Jeep Patriot I drive at home, but originally I wanted a Liberty - it was more expensive, and not as good on gas though, so we went with the Patriot. When booking the rental online, we paid for a mid-size, and expected a Toyota Corolla, so we were really excited when we were told to pick anything from a certain row in the parking garage, and sitting in that row was the Liberty (well I was really excited, Curt maybe not so much).

So Far, So Good

So, we're officially three days into 2011, and so far, it's been a great year!

We didn't have big plans for New Year's Eve, we were just going to go to a house party for a potluck dinner, games and visiting. So, when I wasn't feeling great on Friday, I decided that I wouldn't be missing too much if I stayed home. And, that's what I did - stayed home, and even went to bed before midnight. Curt went ahead and went to the party, so he didn't miss out on the fun. New Years has never been really big to us...for the past two years, we've been in Myrtle Beach on golf trips - we liked to play golf early New Years Day, so we never ended up staying out too late, or doing anything too exciting, in Myrtle Beach, either.

Saturday, New Years Day, was a really relaxing day around here...Sunday and Monday have been too, actually. It's been great having three days off, and being at home for them. We've been sleeping in, watching TV, eating, napping, cleaning, blogging...oh yeah, some of you may have noticed that I finally caught up on December posts, I wrote all those in the last few days, and just changed the post date to reflect the date I meant to post them :)

One of the best parts of having all this time off, at home, is that it gave us a chance to get our Christmas decorations all cleaned up. It's always great to have the decorations out for the season, but equally great to get them put away when it's all over!

Another benefit of this time off, we've had lots of time to pack...for our trip to Florida! We leave on Wednesday, and I couldn't be more excited. I finished my last load of laundry today, and did the ironing I needed to do, so I'm pretty much ready. I'll have a few last minute things to throw in the bag on Wednesday morning, but that's it! (The trip is part of the reason I decided to skip out on New Years Eve, I don't want to be sick for the trip - and although I'm still coughing, my throat isn't as sore, so I think it was worth it).

So, here's to hoping that tomorrow goes by really fast!

Christmas 2010

I was kinda dreading the week leading up to Christmas, I figured it would drag on and feel really slow. BUT, I was TOTALLY wrong - it FLEW by! And, I was very thankful for that!

Tuesday night is curling, and we had a little Christmas potluck. We only played six ends, instead of eight, and then gathered upstairs for food. We got lucky in the last end, and pulled off a win - we're 5 and 4 after the first half of the season!

Wednesday night we had a great time visiting friends - Pete and Shauna, from California, are in town for Christmas, so we all got together at Ike and Jeanette's (and Grayson's). It was a really fun night, and we were glad to fit in at least one visit with Pete and Shauna before everyone got busy with family commitments. We stayed out way too late, but, when we only get to see these guys a few times a year, you do what you have to do.

Thursday night was skating, as usual, but it was a little hard for everyone to focus - so it was a pretty relaxed night. And to be honest, I think I was having the hardest time focusing, so I'm to blame.

So, before we knew it, it was Friday. Curt got off work at noon, and I got off at 1pm - so, we had lots of time to pack and get organized, then it was off to Acton!

Christmas in Acton was great, as usual, and we continued with many of our favourite traditions.

Christmas Eve always includes our church service, and then a get-together at my parents. There is always good food and good company - and this year was no different. I was reminded of one tradition that has faded away, but will always been a fond memory...my parents used to give my cousins pajamas for Christmas, they would open them at our house on Christmas Eve and immediately put them on, then they would be ready to go straight to bed when they got home. They're way too old for this now though, which means I'm getting old too :)

Christmas morning we were at Tom and Krystle's, and my parents joined us there once the kids were up. And, Nolan wasn't up until just after 8am...and that was because Krystle woke him...which is fine by me, I'm sure it will be earlier next year. We all enjoyed opening our gifts to/from each other...and especially got a kick out of Nolan opening his gifts!


Nolan, soaking in each and every gift in his stocking - which is almost as big as him!


My Dad and Abby, watching 'The Nolan Show'!


My brother, Tom, checking out the antique fire extinguisher that Curt and I gave him.

Christmas night, Curt and I had turkey dinner with my parents. It was different with just the four of us, usually my Nana and Aunt Mary would have been with us, but Nana isn't well enough for that anymore...so, my dad delivered take-out meals to them instead. After dinner we enjoyed some adult time, and played a few games of Ticket to Ride and Canasta. Once Tom and Krystle were done with Krystle's side of the family, they joined us for a bit, too.

Boxing Day we were able to go shopping - a relatively new tradition, but a popular one. My mom loves to go so she can start her Christmas shopping for next year, she's crazy that way! I wish it would rub off on me though, I always regret leaving it until the last minute. I had some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, so I was happy to find something to spend some of it on. I bought an awesome Helly Hansen coat...just what I need right, another coat!?!? I actually saw this coat, in black, last year when I was working at SportChek, but it was pricey, and I couldn't justify the purchase. But, it was on sale for 50% off on Boxing Day, and they had it in white, which was even nicer then the black one! I couldn't resist.

Monday's highlight was going public skating with Nolan. Curt and I both took our skates so that we could do this, and I'm really glad we did, and I think Nolan is, too. However, I don't think Nolan was really up for showing us what he can do on the ice. He wouldn't really do anything on his own, he wanted Curt and I to hold his hand at all times. Actually, he really wanted Curt and I to skate fast with him...so, we did...until a big fall, that is. It was Curt's turn to go fast with Nolan, so he was holding him under his arms, and Nolan was positioned between Curt's feet...then Nolan decided to split his feet, and he tripped Curt...they both went down, and Nolan hurt his knee a little. He had a bit of a meltdown, but once he settled down and had a drink, he wanted to get right back on the ice - that's my boy!



A few skating pics - sorry, I know they're blurry, but it's all I have.

Tuesday meant it was time to head home. We left just after lunch so that we would have time to stop at Ikea on the way. A trip to Ikea - and it was Curt's idea! We found what we were looking for, and now we have a project to work on in the new year...more on that later.

Christmas Begins

Today was the first of our family Christmas celebrations. And, as always, our first Christmas was with our immediate Vreugdenhil family - Curt's parents, his two brothers and their wives, and the four nephews. We're really lucky when it comes to Christmas celebrations; most couples who grow up in different towns have to take turns between families each year, but we don't have to worry about that. The Vreugdenhil's have always celebrated Christmas early, even before the three daughter-in-laws came around.

This year we started things off a little different - we got together at a local bowling alley, and spent an hour bowling, before gathering at Dave and Sarah's place for dinner. I have to admit, at first, I was skeptical about bowling - it just didn't seem very 'Christmas-y', it was kinda random. However, seeing how well it worked for the boys won me over, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Apparently, Noah had his birthday party at the bowling alley just a few weeks earlier, so all the boys knew how things worked.


Noah, Dave and Luke. Luke only used this little bowling aide for the first few frames, then he wanted to be like his older brothers, and insisted on doing it their way.


Me, Luke and my sister-in-law, Jeanette - each focusing on our results!


A group shot.


Curt, Luke and my father-in-law, Gord. Notice how Luke's hands are in his pocket - they were pretty much in there all the time, except when he needed them to hold a bowling ball. So cute.

After bowling, we all went to Dave and Sarah's house for dinner and visiting. We enjoyed a great turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then got to open some presents. In the past, all the adults have drawn names, and then we exchanged with each other. This year, we didn't do that - but, Curt's parents still bought for all of us. The boys were all really excited to open their gifts, and it's fun to be part of that.

Once the boys settled down after presents, it was off to bed for them, and then the adults got to play some games. The boys always play poker, and the girls play a board game, this year it was Ticket to Ride.

It was a great afternoon/evening, and a great way to start our Christmas celebrations!

It's My Party...

...and I'll cry if I want to!

So, today was the big day...my 30th Birthday. I had this title all planned out a few days ago, and little did I know how much I would actually cry on my birthday?!?! Now, for those of you who really know me, you'll probably assume that I was upset because I was turning thirty. I haven't been looking forward to this 'milestone'...I've actually been dreading it! And, I made sure that everyone knew I didn't want anyone to make a big deal of the day.

However, the tears were not because it was my birthday, but because of a rough few days at work. This is a stressful time of year for our clients...they're anxious to get their cheques early, and want to be able to have some sort of Christmas for themselves. Unfortunately, they tend to be impatient and nasty, and they take their frustrations out on us. So, by Friday, I had had my share of horrible phone calls, and I finally just lost it...and cried (it's just who I am).

Luckily, it was Curt's Friday off, and we had made plans to meet for lunch - and it was a much needed visit in the middle of the day! It was great to get out of the office and to enjoy each others company.

After an uneventful afternoon back at the office, it was off to the arena. It was a pretty low-key night; it was our last night for the CanSkate session, so we offered a family skate. And, I have to say, it was a relief to not have to teach a group lesson.

Next, it was off to Pizza Hut with various other coaches, and some of the executive, for a Christmas/Appreciation Dinner for our Program Assistants.

And finally, back to the arena, this time to watch Curt's hockey game - the first of his games that I've been to all season (I used to go to his games every week, this season has been a lot different).

So, it was a busy day, and although I didn't want to do anything special for my birthday, I'm not sure I would have wished for today's events for, either. I would have at least changed the morning at work :) One thing I wouldn't change is the very sweet gift that Curt got for me - he surprised me with a pearl necklace, and a gift card to do some shopping!

Oh, and now that I'm 30, I'll have to let everyone know how I did with my '30 by 30' challenge! That will be a later post.

QFSC is Homeless

Last Friday, after over 60 years of skating at Memorial Arena, the Quinte Figure Skating Club was forced to say good-bye to our facility. Now, I've only been part of Quinte Figure Skating Club for 5 years, but it was still a weird night...and the emotions of those around me definitely had an affect. Some of the coaches I work with have coached in that arena for 25+ years...and some of them did their own skating in that building, too. All of that in mind, I'm sure in some ways, Memorial Arena felt like a second home.


The reason for the sudden closure - apparently there was major failure in the ice plant (refrigeration system) on Wednesday night. Now, this is a really old building, and these things happen...in fact, there had been issues last season; so, over the summer, the city dug up the concrete floor and did a few patch-up jobs, hoping to at least get through this season. But, that's not going to be the case. After the failure on Wednesday night, the refrigeration system was turned off and we were relying on the cold weather to keep the ice for a few days.

In the midst of all of this, construction is in full swing on the Quinte Sports Center - an addition that will increase the center from two rinks, to four rinks. If things had gone as planned, we would have finished the season at Memorial and then moved to one of the new rinks next year. Something we were looking forward to, but just not ready for, yet.

And, because this has all happened so suddenly, we are going to have a few chaotic weeks ahead of us. The city has had to scramble to find ice for us to use, as well as all the other user groups that rely on the Memorial. We only know where we're going to be for the next week, and we're in a few different arenas. I mean the important thing is that we have ice...but, we're going to miss the perks we had at Memorial...our own coaches room and the club room, two rooms we use to store supplies that help us run our program.

Hopefully the kids will all adapt, and enjoy skating in some of the other/nicer arenas in Belleville...hopefully they all find us, and don't show up at the wrong arena! :)

Competition Season has Begun!

So, like I said in my last post, December is shaping up to be a busy month...and this weekend was a good indication of that.

Today was the first skating competition of the year for my skaters...well, my 'older' skaters, anyway. This was an Invitational competition held in the nearby town of Frankford, and three of my skaters from Tweed competed. This was a big one for two of the girls, it was the first time they competed at the STARSkate level, which is kind of a milestone in skating.

Britteny, my first skater of the day, really rose to the occasion...she skated a great program and placed FIRST! This girl is a little jumping bean...this is only my second season coaching her, but in that time, every new jump I've shown her, she's landed on the first day! Spins don't come as easy to Brittteny, but we've been working hard on them in preparation for today, and she went out and did one of the best camel/sit combination spins I've ever seen her do. The best part of the day was Britteny's attitude towards the whole thing...before she skated she kept telling me that she felt ready and knew she was going to do well...and when she finished, she knew she had done the best she could, and was proud of that...it was great. So, the first place finish was well deserved.

Jillian, my second skater of the day, also had a really good skate...probably a personal best. Jillian struggles with her jumps, and unfortunately isn't landing three of the jumps that are required in her level...she has decent attempts at all of them, but they are all under-rotated. But, she chose to challenge herself this year by moving up to a new level anyway, and I'm proud of her for that! Jillian is a natural spinner, and her spins were great, as usual. I was happy when Jillian came off the ice smiling, she was happy with her skate and knew that there was one jump combination that she could have done better, but aside from that, she had done the best she could. Her mom had videotaped her skate, and after watching it she told me she thought she might get third or fourth...I had seen some of her competition, and thought fifth or sixth was more realistic...so we were both surprised when she ended up coming in eighth (last).

And then there is Leah, she was my last skater of the day, and probably the one I was most worried about going into the competition. Leah had a pretty rough 'competitive season' last year...she competed in two competitions and placed last in both. And I knew that was weighing on her coming into this competition...that and the fact that she can't land her axel, a key jump at her level. However, a lot of kids skating at the Preliminary level can't LAND an axel, it's more about having a decent attempt...and Leah's attempt has come a long way in the first few months of this season. Her axel today was one of the better ones I've seen her do, and although she two-footed the landing, the rotation was almost there. She did have a funny little fall in her program...but we laughed it off...she was hydro-blading and she couldn't get on a deep enough edge to make it curve, she looked behind her and realized she was getting close to the boards, and she decided she had to fall to avoid crashing into them at full speed! Anyway, the fall wasn't during anything too important, so it didn't effect her too much, and she ended up placing FOURTH! A fourth I will always think of as third, because the girl who placed first is kind of in her own league...she skates in Quinte, and when I saw that she was in Leah's flight I just kinda settled on everyone else was skating for second. Either way, third or fourth, a huge victory after last years competitions.

It's been a relaxing afternoon/evening, which is always nice. Curt is away at a family Christmas party in Toronto...I had to miss it because Leah didn't skate until 2:30pm, and Curt had to be on the road around 1pm...and although I know the party would have been a lot of fun, today's competition went really well, so it was worth staying home for!