Catching Up On Family Events

I won't even attempt to try and catch up with everything all in one post but I need to make a start so here goes ...

When last I wrote it was early March and we'd just celebrated Marley's birthday party and Marley and Paige had their 15 minutes of fame as escorts for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Feel free to refresh your memory here.

The day after enjoying the highs of walking out onto the pitch in front of thousands of Whitecaps fans, Marley, Paige and Greg had a soccer adventure of a very different sort. End of Season Fun Day! In good Lower Mainland fashion, it was a cold and cloudy day!!

Lining up for pre-Fun Day instructions.

Greg had coached both teams without any conflicts all season but having to split his time between both teams on the same field was a bit more tricky. He enlisted the help of his assistant coach for Marley's team and spent the day with Paige's team. 

All sorts of fun things were planned including a Flash Mob dance routine. Even Greg got into it!

And then it was time to get to playing some soccer. 

Or, in Christine's case - time to have some fun with her "soccer boyfriend", otherwise known as the younger brother of one of Marley's team mates. Christine manages to have a boyfriend in just about every aspect of her life. Not sure it bodes well for her teen years!!

I had to put in some volunteering time in the tattoo tent so I got Christine a hot chocolate and a hot dog to keep her happy. Actually, she was pretty happy helping put the tattoos on and playing with the sponges we used to apply them.

I did get to watch Paige play for a bit too. She's quite the aggressive soccer player now!

"Take a picture of me, Mommy!"

How could I refuse?

Once all the games, tattoos, bouncy obstacle course and hot dogs were all done, it was time to hand out participation medals. Greg handed them out to Paige's Aqua Thunders first and then had to run over to hand them out to ...

... Marley's Wizards team. Ah, the trials and tribulations of double coaching! 

One of the parents on Paige's team bought bags of candy for all the players too. Sigh. More sugar highs!!

A few days later it was time for another sport wrap up night. This time it was the Basketball Awards Night. Marley started playing with the Steve Nash Youth Basketball program last year and this year Greg helped out as an assistant coach. Not that he knows a ton about basketball, but coaching comes naturally to him!

Marley sitting with her BFF, waiting for things to get started.

The Grade 2/3's accepting their participation medals.

Marley and Amanda comparing medals. (That's Greg handing out the medals on the left.

And one final picture showing Greg and another coach, Taka Katsube - the father of another friend and classmate of Marley's.

Okay, I think that's enough for this post. Plus my laptop battery is about to die so I'd better call it a night. I promise I'll be back with more. I just won't promise when! Until then, thanks for stopping by. 

Don't forget about my new website where you'll find all my latest crafty endeavours (well, okay, I might be a bit behind over there too!) come and check me out at http://alisondaydesigns.com/.

A Little Late Let's Get Sketchy Post

Okay, since my computer is still in the shop and Greg's is becoming more comfortable to me, I thought I'd get up my Let's Get Sketchy layout for this week. The official reveal went live on Monday morning. Did you check it out? If not, click on the link above to see all the fabulous layouts by our DT Team A!

Here was the sketch that we were given.

And here's what I (somehow) managed to come up with.

I am a bit limited in what photos I have to scrap so ... since these were sitting out on my desk, I decided to go with them! They are from last November when Greg did the Movember thing to raise money for a colleague diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. I was SO glad when he was finally able to shave off the 70's Porn mustache!!

Some close ups too.

The journalling is half hidden so here is it tucked away (above) and pulled out so you can read it all (below).

Well, thanks for sticking with me this December. I know I've been spotty at best posting to this blog. Life with 3 active children and their own December activities as well as my own increasingly busy work schedule is just a wee bit more than I am comfortable handling. Live and learn. Next year I'll do a lot more pre-planning in November!!

What's up?

Hey everyone! Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the planet? LOL! Almost but not quite. The last two weeks have flown by so fast I didn't even realize I'd forgotten to post anything last Friday. Does that make sense? So I know it's not Friday today but here is my Family Friday Update for you ... on Thursday.

When I last posted we were on our way to pick up the girls in Victoria from their week with Greg's parents. We ended up having a mini vacation too as we stayed a night in a hotel in downtown Victoria. Right next to the Parliament buildings actually!! Very nice! Here are a few pictures from that weekend.

This is the view from our balcony - looking over Victoria Harbour. The white building in the foreground is the old wax museum. Not sure what it is now. Off in the distance you can see the Empress Hotel - famous for it's ivy covered walls and High Tea. Greg booked our hotel with one of those sites that doesn't tell you which hotel you're getting until you commit so we thought maybe ... just maybe ... But no. Perhaps next time!! 

My little family. I think Paige was just too tired to want to be in any pictures. This was taken on our way back to our hotel after dinner. At 8:45PM!!! I know, right! Crazy!!

You can see the Parliament Buildings in the background.

Too tired for pictures but never too tired to climb!

Here is the fundamental difference between Marley and Paige. While they both are super happy to climb just about anything. Marley will leap fearlessly from the top while Paige carefully assesses the situation then decides on the best way down. This time the best way down for her was to climb, not jump. 

On Sunday we went for another wander before hooking up with a friend of Greg's after lunch. Here are a few more pictures.

The Parliament Buildings above and the Empress Hotel below in the early morning gloom.

This pond was in front of our hotel and there was a mother duck and 3 ducklings in residence. It was required that we stop and admire the ducks every time we walked past this pond!

After we'd checked out we left the van in the hotel parkade and wandered down to Fisherman's Wharf to check out all the boat houses and the resident seals.

The girls even got to feed them some fish (you can buy plates of fish from a local vendor - by the size of the seals, I think most people buy food for them!!)

Christine is always a going concern for us. As you can see, Greg has a firm grip on her hand so she doesn't accidentally fall in!!

On the ferry home Paige lost Tooth #2 - a tooth that had been threatening to fall out for so long! I really thought I'd get a call while they were at Granny Camp to ask how much the Tooth Fairy normally left!

As you can see, the adult tooth is already half way up!

Goofing around on deck.

Greg and Christine on the outer deck.

Life quite rapidly returned to normal once the girls were home. I'd registered them in the Vacation Bible School run by South Delta Baptist Church in Tsawwassen to which Marley eagerly went and Paige had to think about. She decided to go on the second day and enjoyed the rest of the week. After so much change in routine the week before, her need for a day at home to get her bearings was not a complete surprise. Very Paige!

Then it was the weekend again! Saturday started with a bang as I got a job!! I am now working for Pier1. Right now my position is temporary as I will be assisting the store staff in transitioning the store from Summer to Fall. This entails moving ALL the furniture and displays around in the store! It's only Sunday nights starting this Sunday and going through August, but I have every confidence that they will love me and ask me to stay on part-time during the Holiday season (September through January). It's a start and it's pretty exciting. Plus I get a staff discount of 25% so I'm sensing a whole lot of Pier1 Christmas presents this year!!

While I rested after my exciting morning, Greg took the girls to the races. Horse Races! I know, a bit out of left field but ... what the heck. Greg was 2 sips into his beer when Christine slipped on the concrete bleachers and split her chin wide open! Told you she was a going concern! The on-site medics deemed it necessary to take her to Children's for stitches so they ended up spending the afternoon there instead of watching horses run around in a circle (oval, whatever.) She is now sporting 4 stitches and a bandaid on her chin! 

According to Greg she was very brave and didn't cry or really move as the student doctor had to re-do a couple of his stitches!! Marley and Paige were also very brave and showed real maturity by keeping Christine entertained and distracted the entire time. So proud of my girls!! (BTW - Greg kept up his bloody streak on Tuesday. I had my first shift at Pier1 (paperwork and safety video) so he had to take the girls to Ultimate where Paige missed a disc and got hit in the nose. Just like in Maui!! More bloody shirts to wash out!!)

So that's what's new around here. Oh, I got my results back from my doctor and they are better than expected. Not only did they remove all the questionable cells, once tested, they were found to be not as dangerous as first thought. Phew!

Hope you are having a great summer so far. The weather down here is changeable at best. Today it looks like the sun will shine on us again so I think I'll get the girls outside to enjoy it while it's here! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Happy Canada Day!

Canada is celebrating its 145th Birthday today! As normally subdued (despite being fiercely patriotic) people, today it was nice to see a sea of red and white at the annual Pancake Breakfast in  Ladner. I recently did a layout about this breakfast and what Canada Day means to me - see it here and here - so I though some updated images were in order. Here are some from earlier today.

We just picked up our breakfast tickets and are heading back to get in line for pancakes. Definitely fewer people today - scared off by the sprinkles and grey skies no doubt!

LC and I enjoying our pancakes.

Greg, Marley and Paige doing the same!

Greg vamping with Marley! Is he 42 or 12? Hmmm ....

The cake! Every year there is a cake that looks very similar to this one. They bring it un-decorated and place the fresh, local strawberries in it just before serving it. LOVE the local strawberries!!

I got a tattoo too!!

The girls enjoying their cake.

Well, Greg is now fully engrossed in the World Cup Final (soccer for those of you not in the know - I am sad to be IN the know!!) After the game, and assuming this tiny bit of sunshine holds, we are going to be checking out the Canada Day festivities in Surrey later. Maybe even stay for the fireworks! 

Have a great day everyone. Show your Canada pride!!

PS - in case you didn't click on the links above (and why didn't you, I ask?!) I have been chosen to be a contributing designer for Practical Scrappers!! I am super excited! I've been trying to increase my blog traffic as well as get my creations more widely recognized so this is awesome!! But no Greg, this will not fill the family coffers!! Purely for bragging rights! Hee, hee, hee!

Latest Happenings Around Here

Happy Easter everyone. We have enjoyed a sunny long weekend - something we've been waiting for. The sun that is! Today was historic! We all went for a bike ride on the Dyke! Greg and Marley have been helping Paige get comfortable on her "new" bike (Marley's old bike) so we decided to test out her new found confidence.

My Orthopedic Surgeon told me that running was OFF my list of approved physical activities and that cycling was now my new best friend. So ... I dusted off my bike several weeks ago but today was the first time I've been able to take it out. That's Christine in the Chariot. She was initially pretty upset that we wouldn't let her take her "new" bike (Paige's old one that we put the training wheels back on) but she soon settled into the comfort of having the Chariot to herself!

Here are Paige and Greg catching up to Marley  and I. She had a huge grin on her face! So proud of her!!

Marley, scanning for owls while we wait for Greg and Paige to catch up. This year marks the return of the Snowy Owls to Boundary Bay Dyke. Every year some stop here on their migratory trek north but every 4 years they come in the huge numbers to feed on some sort of rodent that is on a 4 year population explosion cycle of its own! We didn't see any today but I wasn't expecting too. Not in the bright sunshine! We did see a different owl which you will see below.

Greg and Marley took off and I kept Paige company. At the 72nd Street entrance we asked her if she wanted to turn around or keep going. She said "keep going" but within a few meters she was complaining of sore legs so she and I turned back. The next few shots were taken at the rest area at the 72nd entrance where we stopped for a snack and some water.

On our (painfully slow) return journey back to the 64th Street entrance (and our van) we saw an owl fly across our path and around the grasslands next to the Dyke before coming to rest here. I've zoomed in as much as I can (while still being able to identify that it's an owl ... okay, bird of some sort!) - it's the grey-brown thing on top of that transformer post. 

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and the girls got their requisite ration of chocolate. Greg's parents were looking after his nephews so the four of them came over for an Easter Egg hunt and an early birthday celebration for Paige.

The morning chocolate surprises.

The afternoon egg hunt. 

Griffin (and Jasper) couldn't find the Easter bags they brought so we used the girls' old Hallowe'en buckets (McDonald's Happy meal leftovers!)

Marley was very good about helping Jasper and all the younger kids find eggs too.

But she wasn't afraid to take her share!

Some were hidden in plain sight up high so Marley found most of those!

I went through the approximately dozen shots I took of the group and NONE of them are great. This one is probably the best of the lot. sigh.

Enjoying the fruits of their labour!

Paige's cake. Yes, it's a carrot cake! Also, it was Easter and Spring so ... the decor came easily.

Paige looked a little ... er, shell shocked. Not sure what happened during dinner but she was "having a moment"!

Despite that, she blew out her candle and enjoyed a piece of cake like a trooper!

After cake was the promised "Birthday Horsey ride" from Grandpa.

Griffin bumped his head and got cuddles from Grandma.

Paige's gifts included a new Barbie - this one with extra long hair extensions!

And the game Hiss which is fast becoming a favourite in the Day/Nielsen clan.

Breaking in the new game.

Thanks for stopping by. Paige's birthday is on Sunday and we've managed to squeeze in a birthday party at Go Bananas before her field hockey game! Gonna be a busy weekend!! Have a great week everyone!