and the flame passes on

the olympic flame just passed through Edmonton today. i knew i wanted to see it. figured i'd go online and let the internet tell me what was happening.

not enough.

i thought it was just me, but then i learned that Kristian thought the same way. apparently we thought that literally the torches held the same flame from Athens. we also thought that the run route was continuous. romantic? gullible?

the interent told me that the route would be at Hawrelak Park at 5. knowing that park very well i thought it would be safe to assume that they would be running through and around the park. of all my formal options i thought this would be the best place for the best view. as we drove up it appeared that parking in the park would not be possible....so i parked at the nearby park and walked my tough little kids nearly a kilometre.








we stood with everyone at the front gate.

with some elderly people. they are wise. another assumption.

we watched the olympic caravan drive past. which was quite spectacular. and we waited for the runner to pass the torch. not a runner could be spotted from our vantage point. which should have been my first clue that we should have moved.





thinking we would avoid the crowd to our right and be the first to spot "the torch". then suddenly a lit torch appeared. not to the left of us, that we were expecting. in the centre of the crowd to the right of us. the flame just appeared suddenly. suddenly. the group of wise elders and my little family stood frozen in disbelief.

my dreams of what the torch relay was like have been crushed. we were so close! there was no torch to torch delivery of the Athens' flame. just a lighter.




thank goodness for optical zoom. this was our view.

we were there. we saw. just not what we thought we would.



confused.



Aidan told me, "don't worry. we'll see it next year." um. no. maybe never. this is one of those once in a lifetime experiences. only a handful of people get to experience this more than once.

had i been more aware and used some thought....i would have done what others did. find a spot along the route. wait. watch. know that each town has it's own route that does not necessarily mean a connected route. ugh.

think the Olympics will return to Calgary in my lifetime?

just asking.

joy

the weather around the globe has not been so wonderful lately. crazy temperatures happening all over the place! somehow the cold arctic air is moving around this part of the globe and leaving some really pleasant temperatures. aside from the amount of snow on the ground, the air felt much more like it does in March. that added some joy to our day!


we headed out of town to celebrate some birthdays. Kristians' niece and nephew were born in two separate years...but just 2 days apart! his niece had her birthday on Saturday and his nephew had his today. i'm sure their parents know exactly what the weather is like typically on their birthdays....but i think it was the most pleasant weather that i can recall having.


it meant an afternoon of sledding. without the risk of frostbite! yay!!!





Kristian took Kiara down for a run. i'm not sure why, but she is held that cord up high for every run down the hill. that's my girl.


Aidan just loves to go fast.


our niece. taking one of the jumps. i wished i had the vantage point to capture the look on her face. no matter. this gives it's own set of detail. look at the air she got!



i would say that this is the first year Kiara has enjoyed the snow. i suppose part of it is realizing that it comes and goes every year. it wouldn't surprise me if she chose to live somewhere more temperate as an adult. she is a smart one. this is also the first year that she really got into the sledding. maybe there is hope for her.



i think we had a few adults who had gone for too long without skiing. especially this one. he tried out most of the sleds like this. only once did he try 2 saucers...i'm sure you can guess why. time to plan a ski day. or weekend.




this is my favourite shot of the day! only because of their expressions. i got a few really good ones of this ride down the hill. i think they will make a fantastic scrapbook layout. {grinning} seriously. how can you NOT smile after looking at those faces?



both of the kids still managed to fit into last years' winter gear. except for their boots. these coats will definitely see their fair share of wear. i just love how the colour in this coat and her hat works so well with the snow and the lighting. they are growing like weeds, so this will definitely be the last year for this coat. if she slows down her growth or spring comes early. i guess i better keep my eye out for a good hat for next year...if only for the photo opportunities. ha! actually that hat will match the next coat perfectly. pink and brown.


so i've been thinking of my goals for the next year. my word for the next year.

i've decided on 'strength'. i don't want to lose the growth i've gained. i definitely love the blooming that has happened. i need those blooms to lift my spirits! now is the time to stay strong and become stronger.

more on that later.


for now...if you live in Canada....enjoy your day. if you live elsewhere...stay warm!

happy new year

i'm still in disbelief that 2010 has begun.

some highlights from 2009 were....

*our new home and meeting more new friends

*finding out that TWO of my scrapbook pages were going to be published in a magazine

*having a reunion with friends we knew so well a decade ago....and had lost touch with. being reminded that time truly does travel quickly since all of us have kids of varying ages...those who had babies now have pre-teens!

*camping trip and holiday in Banff

*Aidan and Kiara making loads of cards for their fundraiser for the Stollery Children's Hospital

*an opportunity to be a guest designer for my long-time favourite scrapbooking company TWICE

*learning that a third scrapbook page was going to be published

*being approached to teach some scrapbook classes....ladies groups, work team, and scrapbook store

*asked to be a part of a local design team at Urban Scrapbook

*asked to work some shifts for the same store...excited to start in a few weeks and hang out with fun people

*finding a new church home that is nearby


i don't think we have had as eventful of a year since our babies were born.

Kris and i don't look back at 2008 with the fondest of memories....he had a brutal job for a few months that required him to resign. we learned how tough we were and held on more tightly to each other. we also learned to be more respectful of the needs of our family and decidedly moved forward to keep our family as our number one priority. although the year had its fair share of highs and lows, it didn't end much better than it began. like that little spruce tree that manages to grow among the rocks....we too managed to stay alive. my word for that year was GROW. it was slow, but there is much growth when you are simply working each day to live!

it took awhile for 2009 to improve. the first few months were months of decisions. life stabilized long enough for us to decide that a move was a priority. which meant shining the rough spots on our old {1949} little {850 sq. ft.} bungalow. shine it did! and sold within hours of it being on the market. less than a week later we found a house that seemed to fit us. enough for Kristian and i to know immediately and hold back tears because it seemed too good to be true. i think i had the most challenging time trying to move my heart from the old home and community. i'll never miss the noise and crime issues we faced....but it was home for nearly 11 years for us. the home we brought both our babies to. as 2009 ended, our new home felt like HOME. we can look forward to more memories here with our family. all the sad and troubling memories of 2008 and early 2009 don't have a place on a shelf here. amazing the last half of the year has been tremendous. most of our blessings and my favourites have happened during the last few months. we are so grateful to our friends who remain close to us despite the move. we are thankful for new friends who have welcomed us into their circle. my word for the year was BLOOM. we definitely did.




the real shift in me occured just before Christmas. once the tree was decorated and the "halls were decked" it felt like home. due to the busyness of the season, things didn't quiet down until later in the holiday. however we hung our first round of pictures on our walls! yes, it felt more like our home with every nail we pounded. we as in Kristian pounded the nails. he is very handy that way!

we also added our first real "mark" to the house too.. we were playing a game of Settlers of Catan with our neighbors and Kristian bumped his glass of red wine with his elbow. it splashed all over one wall and our baseboards. even with being wiped up immediately, it still left a hint of a stain. maybe i can try a wash of Tide...{wink}



we also transformed what was originally the kids' playroom into my studio area. as time passed, we found it just wasn't being utilized by the kids as much as it once had. we also found that i did less creating in the massive basement space, choosing instead to carry my supplies up the stairs to the kitchen table and bar counter. the kids were a little miffed at being moved out, but were appeased when they had the toys moved closer to their rooms. so far i use this little room daily. the kids will also have a table of their own when they choose to create at the same time as me. it is much more inspiring than the grey of the concrete floors.


this is how we begin 2010.

mostly unpacked. mostly settled. definitely happy.

i'm still thinking on my word for the year. i had thought of "propegate" or "mulitply" that sounded too much like adding on to the family. we won't go there! maybe "peace". "time." "discover."

it will be decided. i need to give it more thought.


i hope that 2010 will be a year filled with fond and wonderful memories for you as well.

blessings!