Saturday 30 July 2011

SLOW but STEADY

Yesterday we made our quarterly trip to the pediatrician's office to see if Alex has GROWN . . . and we are proud to say that he is 2 cm taller and 1 lb heavier than he was in March!  The doctor was encouraged.  If you look over the past year, it is obvious that his growth has been SLOW but definitely STEADY . . . and as we discovered last week, there are some definite advantages to being small.  Most 9-year-olds would not begin to fit in a turtle shell!!

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Dear Mom . . .

The following letter is unfortunately completely imaginary . . .
Dear Mom,
I want to take this time to thank you profusely for my new drum kit.  I will forever and ever and ever be grateful.  I will only and always use my new drum kit to play country music songs songs with wholesome lyrics.  I will mostly play songs that talk about how great mothers are.  If I ever decide to form a band (which I won’t), I’ll name the band MY MOM IS AWESOME or MOM IS ALWAYS RIGHT or MOM’s THE BOMB.  I’ll play my drums in the church worship band, at charity benefit concerts and in nursing homes.  If I ever receive public recognition for my drum playing prowess, I will first thank God and then you.  If I ever earn any money from my “mad drumming skills”, I can think of nothing I would rather do than treat you and Dad to a 2nd honeymoon in Branson Hawaii, Greece or Italy.  Most of all, I will, without complaint, keep up my end of the bargain and do the dishes every night till the end of time for the next six months.
Your devoted son,  Tyler

Sunday 17 July 2011

Our Anniversary Trip to Paris

A couple of years ago, we spent our anniversary in Paris.  Paris, Texas.  Yesterday, we celebrated our 17th anniversary by visiting another Paris . . . . Paris, Ontario.  I'm holding out hope that we will eventually run out of North American cities named Paris and will have no alternative but to visit Paris, France.

Here are two photos of Paris, Ontario:



Paris is located along the Grand River.  It is a small town named for the plaster of Paris gypsum deposits that were mined nearby.  The town of Paris is often referred to as the “cobblestone capital of Canada”, because of the many cobblestone buildings that are still standing.  It is also "famous" because Alexander Graham Bell received the first long-distance telephone call in Paris, Ontario.   We, however, visited Paris for the sole purpose of rafting down the Grand River.  We rafted 12 kilometres (Canadian for 7.5 miles) in what had to be the most absolutely still waters I have ever seen . . . which means there was absolutely zero current to assist us . . . which means our arms were REALLY SORE by the end of the trip.  The trip took approximately 3.5 hours.  Everyone enjoyed dangling their feet over the sides of the raft and looking for local wildlife (we saw several Canadian geese). 

Here are some of photos from our trip:

Happy 17th Anniversary to US!

Alex surprised us by how long he managed to help paddle.

The Grand River

Jen, Hannah and Alex

We saw several Canadian geese during our journey.

Hannah also helped with the paddling.


The boys were all troopers about paddling.

Scott & Tyler
After the trip we stumbled across what might just be the only decent BBQ restaurant in Canada.  We were definitely impressed.  So not only is Paris home to gypsum deposits, cobblestone buildings and telephone history, it has a BBQ restaurant that is VERY GOOD (Canadian for not as good as Oklahoma Joe's but better than anything else we've come across north of the border).


So in reflection, I would say that our 17th Anniversary was a day well-spent.  We continue to enjoy our adventures . . . whether they be to far-off places or to nearby small towns.  We are thankful for 17 years together, three amazing children, our health, and countless other blessings.  

Sunday 10 July 2011

Turning 14 in Style . . .

Yesterday was Tyler's 14th birthday.  In his eyes, it was a HUGE success.  So without delay, here are Tyler's steps to having a GREAT 14th Birthday!

1.  Celebrate with "Beach Themed" cupcakes!


2.  Win 1st Place at a major BBQ Competition!


3.  Stumble across your favorite CAR ever at a mall parking lot.


4.  Run into the owner of said car and have him offer to let you sit in the driver's seat.


5.  Get your dream LEGO set from your amazing parents (Mom added the "amazing").


6.  Take your photo with your BBQ trophy and cash winnings!

Saturday 2 July 2011

Thank God for Digital Cameras!

I love taking photos of my kids . . . and Canada Day is no exception.  You usually only see the "good photos" . . . what you might not realize is how hard it sometimes is to get that one "good photo."  For example, I was determined to get a "good photo" of Scott and Alex at the Canada Day fireworks.  Here is the photo I wanted:


Here is what it took to get there: