Weekend Visit to Calgary

It has been a few years since we've visited the city of Calgary. It is located south of Edmonton and takes almost 3 hours to get there by car. My brother, Peter, and sister-in-law, Teresa live there, but they usually come up to Edmonton when we're here so we haven't visited Calgary in a while. Last Saturday, we made the drive down. In addition to visiting with friends, I wanted to take the kids to the Calgary Zoo. It is well-known and definitely a memorable zoo to visit. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it. Grace's favorite part of the zoo was the Dinosaurs Alive Park. The dinosaur park has always been a part of the zoo, but its new exhibit showcases 20 animatronic dinosaurs- think huge, loud, and scary! Some of the gigantic dinosaurs have motion detectors that will activate the dinosaur, causing it to roar and move. Every few seconds, you can hear screams from little kids. Our kids didn't scream but they held onto our hands very tightly as we walked by. This exhibit was very, very cool! Part of the reason why I love this zoo is because of how everything is organized. There are different sections/pavilions representing the continents of the world. For example, in the African Savannah, some of the animals we got to see were the hippos (my favorite), giraffes, lions, ostriches, and zebras. I also love this zoo because the habitats are incredible- they're roomy and look "authentic."

We were all tired after walking around for 3.5 hours. There were some exhibits that we didn't even get to- maybe next time!

We got in the car and drove another 30 minutes to get to a town called Okotoks to see my dear friends, Jenny and Huy. I haven't seen them for 14 years! They used to live in Vancouver and we lost touch over the years. Thank goodness for Facebook! Jenny and Huy moved to Calgary last year, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to reconnect with them. My brother and sister-in-law were also able to come and join us for dinner. Jenny made a delicious authentic Vietnamese hot pot for us. While the guys watched UFC, Jenny did my sister-in-law's and Grace's nails! Boy, did Grace get spoiled! We stayed up late sharing and reminiscing... Next morning, we shared breakfast before heading on.

It was July 4, and who better to spend Independence Day in Canada with than dear friends who we originally met in Fresno!? We still consider Don and Lavonne to be close friends, despite the fact that it has been four years since we've seen them. They are from Winnipeg and we became close friends when they lived in Fresno for several years when Don was going to seminary there. Their trip to Calgary coincided with our trip to Edmonton, and so we made it a priority to make sure to connect with them. We had planned to spend the day at a nearby park, but the weather did not cooperate, so we ended up spending it at their friends' house. Their friends were so gracious, and gave us the place and time to be together. We got to meet their son and they got to meet ours. We have missed them so much over the years, and are so grateful we got to spend time with them!

For dinner, we got the chance to meet up with my friend, Brian, and his girlfriend, Aja. Brian was my best friend during my university years.He was an important part of my life-a great listener, supportive, and incredibly fun to be with. Our life journeys took us on different paths over the years, but I still value him and our friendship. It has also been about four years since I saw Brian last, so it was good to see him and get a chance to catch up. After dinner, we headed back to Edmonton.

It feels like we jammed a lot into one weekend, but I am so incredibly grateful to have had the chance to see these wonderful friends. What a blessing!

Canada Day

It has been a few years since we've been in Canada for Canada Day. We intentionally sought out things to do as a family for this special occasion. The day started off with the Silly Summer Parade down Edmonton's Whyte Ave. I've never been to it, so we truly didn't know what to expect. We found a perfect spot near the end of the parade route, and Jason walked to Oodle Noodle to get us some lunch to eat while we waited for the parade to start. I LOVE OODLE NOODLE! Yum! The parade itself wasn't very long, and it was "silly" in the sense that there was no rhyme or reason to it- very random. However, because it was silly and random, the kids really enjoyed it. It was also neat to see everyone decked out in Canada gear all day!

Later that afternoon, we went to Louise McKinney Park, located right above the river valley. This Canada Day celebration included midway rides, a craft tent, cultural dancing, and live entertainment. The kids had a blast going on some rides and with all the walking we did, quickly fell asleep as soon as we got in the car.

Around 10pm, we took Grace with us to find a spot in the river valley to watch Edmonton's fireworks show. We decided to leave Jeremy sleeping, since it was so late. Can you believe that by the time 11pm rolled around, it still wasn't really dark outside?! The fireworks would've been more amazing against a dark backdrop... The show was pretty good (definitely better than what they've done in the previous years, but paled in comparison to Buchanan High's in Clovis). We didn't get home until past midnight and Grace was definitely wiped out! It was a fun day- Happy Birthday, Canada!

Tahoe Family Reunion

Okay, like I had previously mentioned, Jason's mom's side of the family gets together every 2 years. This year, we all met up at Lake Tahoe. The family rented a facility that allowed each of our families to have a room, but we were all close together and were able to spend time in the main lodge. The drive from Fresno to Tahoe took about 5 hours, and our kids did incredibly well! We were shocked! It was definitely a good start to our time there. With so many details, here are the main details from each day.

Day One

After greeting everyone, we quickly ate pizza and headed out to South Lake Tahoe's All-Comers Meet. Jason had researched beforehand and discovered that he could run in a meet at the reunion. From what I've been told, the family used to gather quite frequently to go watch Jason run track meets when he was in high school. It was fun for them to see him run again. Jason ran in the 100 m and won with a time of 11.44 seconds, as well as in the 200 m, which he won with a time of 23.40 seconds. Not only that, he didn't get hurt!!! That is significant, considering his goal to run in the National All-Comers Meet in Sacramento in July. The meet had kid races, and we entered Jeremy in the 50 m and 25 m races. Watching him was a blast! He was the youngest runner- we really didn't expect for him to actually stay in his lane, much less finish, but he did great! Jason's cousins signed up at the last minute to run in other races, too, and so we cheered them on. It was a fantastic evening!

The Penner cheering section


Jason's 100 m race

Jason's 200 m race


Jeremy's 25 m race

Day Two
Unfortunately, it was a rainy, windy day! It was a nice excuse to stay inside and play cards and board games. We got to introduce Ticket to Ride and it became a reunion favorite! It took Grace no time at all to bond with Jason's cousins, Brian and Tara, and their dog, Tika. Every time we wondered where Grace was, we only had to look for either them or the dog. It was so sweet!
Day Three
We headed to the beach! Some cousins found a less known beach near a dog park and we pretty much got the beach to ourselves. The kids splashed in the water, rode kayaks, and played in the sand. We were pretty tired by the end of the day, and this day was significant in that it was also when a lot of family members started getting sick! The stomach flu got passed around to many family members during our time at Tahoe! That didn't stop us from having Game Night! We had a lot of commotion during Perpetual Commotion, Mexican Train, and 13, to name a few...
Day Four
No one really wanted to do anything because people were sick... A group of us decided to take a hike. We drove up to Inspiration Point (overlooking Emerald Bay) and hiked to Cascade Falls. The trail consisted of many rocks and boulders but it was the perfect-sized hike for our group that consisted of a lot of kids (including Jeremy). Jeremy made it the entire way without us having to carry him. At the falls, we sat in the shade and had a snack before heading back. Later that evening, Jason and his cousins had a good time of reminiscing about their childhoods. We got a chance to see the movie, The Blind Side, since a group of us hadn't seen it yet. Day Five
Jason went golfing with his uncle and Brian, so I went with his other cousins and their kids to Pope Beach. It was another relaxing day. Later that night, since it was our last evening together, we let the kids have a slumber party in the main lodge. They got to eat popsicles and popcorn in their sleeping bags, and then watched movies. The ulterior motive was so that Jason and his cousins could go out. We went to The Brewery- it was such fun to hang out together.
Day Six
Our final day! It consisted mostly of packing and cleaning, saying our good byes... Considerations are already being made for the next family reunion in 2012! Can't wait!

Overdue Update

I am sooo behind in my posts... That's what happens when you don't have internet access! I have some major catching up to do before I can even post about our time here in Canada!

My Birthday Weekend

On June 19, Jason arranged for some close friends to meet me for dinner to celebrate my birthday. It was a surprise- he had told me were were going out to dinner just the two of us. It was so nice to enjoy a good meal with friends! Jason had also arranged for the kids to spend the night at Grandma's house, so we got some time to ourselves that evening. The next day, we celebrated Father's Day and my actual-birthday by going to Jason's mom's house. By request, we had bacon wrapped filet mignon topped with gorgonzola cheese and a balsamic vinagrette sauce. Oh my goodness, it was sooo good... On Monday, we headed out to Jill and Adam's home for a meal with them and the Wienses. It was a great evening- aside from getting to talk and hang out, we spent time with their chickens and even got in some pool time (it was freeeeezing, though!). Christa made me a strawberry shortcake for dessert- the perfect end to what I am going to claim as my birthday weekend!

North Fresno Church's VBS

Vacation Bible School takes place every summer and yet this was the first year that we registered Grace to attend. It seems like we are always heading out of town during the same time frame. Even this year, she only went for 3 days. She had so much fun and made some new friends. She came home most excited about the singing time.

On Thursday, we headed to Jason's family's reunion. His mom's side, the Penners, get together every 2 years. Since I've been in the family, we've gathered at Shaver Lake, on a cruise, in Colorado, and this year, we headed to Tahoe. Next post will be about the reunion!

Swimming

Even though it is near the end of June, we've barely been able to use our pool because it hasn't been warm enough. Can you believe that? Here in Fresno, not warm enough?! Every year for years, it has taken a lot of coaxing and bribing for Grace to even get into the pool. For whatever reason this year, she has gained enough confidence that I can actually say that she's become a fish! She has begged to go swimming every day, even when it is cooler outside, and now it takes a lot to get her out of the pool. She is eager to try new things in the pool, and we are so proud of her!

Jeremy seems to be following in Grace's footsteps in that it has taken some coaxing for him to get in the water. He is slowly getting used to it- he enjoys doing "airplanes" with Jason, occasionally blows bubbles, and will splash around. I wish now that we had signed him up for swimming lessons in Edmonton in a few weeks, but he was so reluctant to be anywhere near the pool a while back, that I opted out of it. Looks like he'll have to just settle for airplanes in our backyard pool!

End of the School Year

Well, it's the end of the school year! It's unbelievable to think that an entire school year has passed! Here's an overview of how each of us has emerged from this past year.

Grace: Her last day was Thursday. I wondered if it would be emotional, but it wasn't. That's likely because her teacher has been off since before Spring Break recovering from knee surgery. The kids had Water Play Day, but since it was rather breezy, the sprinklers weren't turned on. All 4 classes of kinder rotated between different activity stations outside. I had planned on helping all morning- the teachers were ok with me bringing Jeremy, so he was with me the entire time. He did pretty well! Grace's report card is wonderful and she mastered everything she was supposed to. Lots of kids from her class will be moving so it'll be interesting to see who's in her class next year. In her words, she "loved kindergarten!"

Jeremy: I have enjoyed spending time with Jeremy in the mornings when Grace is at school. He has grown a lot this year, though it's been harder for me to see since I'm with him all the time. I know that the home daycare he returns to in August will be surprised to see a "boy" and not a "baby!" Aside from always being with me running around doing errands, some things he and I have done this year- playdates, library visits, storytimes, trips to the park, and mommy-and-me gymnastics. He was potty-trained this year, learned how to ride a tricycle, and has a great love for books! He continues to have both "terrible" and "terrific" days, all in the life of a two year old!

Jane: I have loved being able to focus on my family, and am immensely grateful for this past year. Aside from focusing on my family, I have been able to focus on "me" this year. I learned a lot and gained so much perspective from being in Trinity Presbyterian's Thursday morning Bible study, I worked out at the gym regularly (it doesn't show- it's more that I committed to it), I read many more books and even started a book club, I was able to reflect and write in my Mother's Journal for my kids, I accomplished my goal of completing Jeremy's First Year of Life Scrapbook, I spent more time with friends... I definitely consider this past year to be one of rejuvenation! I recently found out that I will be returning to 5th grade at Harvest (where I've been for the past 3 years). I am filled with excitement and anticipation, already brainstorming and making plans for the year ahead. Again, I will face the challenge of balancing work and home... After this year and seeing the effects and importance of focusing on the family, I know that "home" has to tip the scale! I will work hard to do that!

Jason: Jason loved having me at home this year. It wasn't as stressful as it can get when both of us are working. He particularly loved Tuesdays (Baking Day for me and Grace). When I return to work next year, we'll have to go back to sharing "house duties" such as cooking and cleaning. After teaching eighth grade for seven years, Jason has decided that it's time for a change. There was an open sixth grade I.B. social studies position, and he asked for it. His principal approved and has said that should he not enjoy the year, that he won't be bound to it the year after. It's still at his middle school and he'll be joining a team of teachers that are very collaborative. Jason is really excited about the idea of working with I.B. students, having less emphasis on testing (sixth graders do not have state testing for social studies), and working with a fun curriculum (Ancient Greece, Rome, China, etc.). He will likely still coach volleyball and resume his duties as Department Chair.

Looking ahead to summer, it feels like it'll be gone before we know it. It's pretty packed- hope you'll keep checking in for updates of all of our adventures!

Grizzlies' Game

This past Saturday, our family went to see the Fresno Grizzlies play baseball against the Sacramento River Cats. It was Jeremy's first baseball game ever (and Grace's first one that she can remember). It was also a chance to hang out with our friends, the Wiens family. Since there were so many available seats, we decided to sit way at the top so that the kids would have some room to roam. There was no way that our kids would be able to sit in their seats for an entire game. Grace barely noticed that there was a game being played. Jeremy paid more attention to the game, but it was Parker (the mascot) who really caught his attention. Partway through the game, Christa and I took the kids to the Fun Zone, a chance for the kids to take a walk and go on the inflatables. We stayed until the 7th inning, which was about 9:45pm, probably the latest our kids have stayed up in a long, long time (we didn't find out until much later that the Grizzlies won 4-3).
Look who we ran into- it's Grace's friend, Madison!

Gymnastics

This past semester, we enrolled Grace in gymnastics at Break the Barriers. We are drawn to this amazing place mostly because every person is made to feel successful in their programs. Another reason why this semester was so enjoyable was our dear friends, the Yamashitas, were also enrolled in the same class, so we got to see them and spend time with them every Wednesday! Last week was Grace's last class and I'm so disappointed that I didn't take more pictures over the semester. In these last few weeks, I was asked not to take pictures because there were kids in the class who didn't have "clearance." It didn't matter that I was only taking pictures of Grace! Anyway, this is all I have of her experience!Getting her stamps at the end of class

Every week that we take Grace to gymnastics, poor Jeremy has only been able to watch. He has often asked to join in and isn't allowed to. Well, we looked into a class for his age group at Break the Barriers and there were no openings. So, we splurged and decided to enroll Jeremy in a parent & me gymnastics class at The Little Gym. Our dear friends, Christa and Levi, also enrolled with us, so it has been fun to spend a little time together on Fridays. Jeremy's been going now for almost two months. Unfortunately, during all this time, he has been very reluctant to try many of the new skills. I never would've guessed that he'd be so hesitant and clingy! I always thought that he was a risk taker! Yesterday was the final class, also called, "Showtime." I invited Jason's mom to come and watch, hoping that with an audience, Jeremy would actually perform and do some of the skills. It took A LOT of coaxing- I felt bad that she drove all that way and he didn't do very much! (There are a few more pictures in the album on the right).

Gymnastics is done for this year... I'm glad both kids got to experience those classes, but I can't say that either of them loved it enough to continue in the Fall... I wonder what they'll try next!