Shannon's no so Northern Adventure begins...

Well here I am, sitting in civilization. I am in a very quiet room, listening to a lot of traffic...I heard 3 ambulances in 7 hours...which really isn't too much - though I may have slept through a few :)

I came to be here because it is holiday time. I love to jokingly say that I am currently unemployed...which is not untrue. I had my last day at the daycare on Tuesday...and not a full day at that. Then I begin my new job in mid August...so until then...unemployed I am.

Since my husband is on holidays for July we have flown on a small company jet to the big city of Edmonton. The flight left 40 minutes late, leaving our beautiful and warm (27 degrees) home and friends to fly towards projected rain shower. We had a turbulent landing in Rainbow Lake and due to extra passengers had our 2 year old on our laps for the second leg. The 4 year old chose to nap, the 2 year old refused.

The second leg was more turbulent than the first, I was in the front row which means no window....which seriously irritated the 4 year old. I could however see out the pilots' window. I saw clouds....I saw rain....we all felt the hail. On our descent into the Edmonton area we hit a patch of hail...which I later saw on the Global news...and did a fast up and over to get away from...which almost caused my lunch to reappear...or would have if I had had lunch.

We landed safely. We got our luggage. We got in a taxi...and almost had a car accident as our taxi tried to turn into another lane which was currently occupied by a car. Minus that little scare, we arrived safely at our car rental...we got a Toyota Corrolla Hybrid...I love the idea of driving a new vehicle...but driving a Hybrid is super cool!

We found our hotel, checked in, and then found the mall. It was almost 6 and we hadnt had a real meal since breakfast. We had A&W....which doesnt sound interesting, unless you know I'm a fast food junkie, and I haven't had a fix since October! We wandered the mall and did some shopping...couldn't find what we were looking for...can you ever? Returned to the hotel, watched some TV, put the kids to bed...and 90 minutes later the 2 year old was finally asleep!

I however, had a fitful sleep, as I usually do in a hotel.
But I'm thrilled to be here.
And we're heading for BC in 2 hours......whoo whoo!

Patience....

Patience is a gift, patience is logic, patience is harmony....
yet I have none.
I have no patience for slow drivers.
I have no patience for lound noises.
I have no patience for rudeness.
I have no patience for this.

How did this happen, how did I end up without patience? I have parents who are much more patient than I am, and were more patient when they were my age, and when we were my children's ages.

I have no patience to wait.
I have no patience to listen.
I have no patience to empathize.

This sounds worse than it is (I hope). I have patience while you cry after being hurt. I have patience while you struggle to understand. I have patience to rock a sick baby for hours.

I do not have patience for repeating myself.
I do not have patience for the same errors again and again.

I try to learn.
I try to grow.
I try to stay calm.

God grant me serenity.
God grant me patience.

Mackenzie River

The Mackenzie River originates in Great Slave Lake flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is 1, 738 km in length and the longest river in Canada, and the second longest in North America. It ebbs and flows in its height, and generally breaks in Norman Wells in early June.












This year it broke on Mother's day, and had the highest rise in 50 years - I have often said Norman Wells doesn't need to worry about flooding (like places like Hay River) since the river banks are so high the river never crests that high. However, this year I actually worried.




















We very often spend time at the river throwing rocks and sticks. It is one of the kids most favorite things to do.

Summertime - and the living is easy

The story starts with the fact that it's mothers day. I was awoken to breakfast in bed and when I joined the noisy crew I received a movie and mothers day cards. After a few hours we decided to go for a walk (quite windy) and went to the store then to the coffee shop for latte and fries. When we were leaving I was standing on the deck talking to a friend and I saw that there was a bump in the ice on the river, I told everyone I think the river has broken. We continued our walk home and put the kids down for naps. Joe ran errands while I watched my movie present (27 Dresses - quite girly and predictable but good), while Joe was out he saw the river moving and came to see if Kate was awake so we could go watch....35 minutes later she was and we did.

This year is a great year, not evey year is, one year it rose and sat there and melted. This year its high and its a mountain!

Kate and Daddy standing by the edge.

Derek, me and Katie standing next to the piles.

Daddy and Derek sitting on a log that floated from BC last summer...or maybe a few years before that, they just sit along the waters edge.

Kate's beautiful face

I'll admit it.
I'm biased.
I have a beautiful daughter. She is as cute as can be. When she was a newborn we were approached by a couple asking if she was real or a doll. She is usually a quiet girl who watches everything. She still gets comments about her eyes, her curls, her petite size.



Then the other day that poor darling fell. The hows are up for discussion, but the end result remains that she got a fat lip and blood all over her snowsuit. The brave thing that she is she only cried a small amount, and was up and playing with her friend not long afterwards.




The next day she was crawling through a tube at the playground, her hands went out and her face went down, and there was more blood. She was even braver this time. However her end results are a scar that looks like a Hitler Moustache.

Spring....?

While the calendar says spring March 21, we Canadians know that that is not always the truth. Now you spoiled Okanagan people can find the real truth. Today is Earth Day...April 22 and while I did not (for a change) wake up to new snow, there is plenty to spare (just let your reservoirs know we have extra). However my children will not be deterred, bike season has arrived.











We pulled the bikes out of storage April 21, and carried them over the snowy driveway and after taking pictures rode the bikes to the end of Marten Ave and back up 5 houses past, then home....with pink cheeks.

Derek turns 4

Derek will turn 4 on March 30, some days it seems like ages ago, trying to rmemeber details from so far back is hard, but I remember how he looked the first time I saw him, the first time after he came back, the first christmas, the first day he met his new sister....things that bring tears to my eyes. Now he is a Mater obsessed, preschool/daycare going boy. He still has his own opinion for everything, and hasnt yet learned that he isnt the boss, but he is without a doubt my favourite little boy in the whole world.

On Easter Saturday we had our playgroup birthday party for him. We had a few people not there that he may have been upset about not showing, but luckily those who did show up made up for it and he had a great time.
Even dad stayed till the end:)