Winterlude

This past Saturday some friends invited us to join them for a little winter fun in the capital. Winterlude is an annual winter festival featuring ice and snow sculptures, skating on the canal, playgrounds made of snow, tubing, kiddie skiing, food, etc. It is the polar (haha:) opposite of the festivals we grew up with which often revolved around roasting summer temperatures!

This was the 'welcoming' sculpture on the Quebec side of the river.

(snowboarders and pine trees carved into a massive snowbank)

Can't go without the self portrait....

Each province was represented by a snow sculptor carved by one of their 'own' artists. I can't remember which province this one was, but it certainly was a popular for the whole of Canada! Hockey Skates!

I was kinda of partial to this one...

This was Ontario's. ( A man ice fishing for a very unwilling fish)

We did get out and skate for a bit on the canal. Tons of people! Winterlude is a three week festival, but it weekends are pretty busy!

An ice bench. There were many of them. I had to try it out.

Rodger's Mobil sponsored a booth and did a little advertising by freezing their products in ice blocks. No shoplifting at all.

One of the massive ice sculptures.

This is where the ice comes from. Boxes. I really do hope it is made in Canada!

The ice/snow slides.

Tess and Boaz headed down...

The line to get on the really long slide....

And the snow maze. It was the perfect height. Now I did take some pics of Bert, but he did the culling and I can't find any of them.

Just About Valentine's Day

We had a SFRC Girls Meeting here at the house on Saturday. Valentine's cards were turned out by the dozens. They were making them to give to the residents of a local nursing home. With some paper, scissors, crayons, string, and glue they set to work.

I love to see what they come up with when making their crafts. I usually have some ideas for them it they get stuck, but that doesn't really happen!

One of them asked for a pencil during the assembly. I rummaged around and came up with this one. Then I rather thoughtlessly remarked that it was one I had used in school. There were a lot of "Wooah's, Woooow's, etc" in response to that. I had to laugh cause even though it has only been ten years since I graduated, that is how old some of the girls are!

After a closer look, I am pretty sure that while I did use it in school, it might have been an oldie from before that!

These sweet little cards came in the mail from James and Ellie. They had a little craft time of their own out at Grandma's house.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Skating Away

Every year the city of Ottawa opens the Rideau Canal to ice skating. The ice has to be something like 10 inches think before it is open to the public.

Some friends of ours asked us to join them for a little fun on the ice yesterday evening. It was perfect weather and we all had a blast! After two years in Canada, yesterday was the first time we put on a pair of skates. Ahhh!

Thankfully, I got to push one of the strollers. That is the only reason I can boast not falling. :)

David, Anna, Lisa, and Mark

Anna was loving her beaver tail pastry.

There were little kiosk of food, etc set up on the side of the canal. Yes, there were even vehicles on the ice.

We don't have many pictures of us skating. Well really none cause we didn't dare hold anything in our hands, haha!

Afterwards we warmed up at MacDonald's. Anna was teasing her big brother. Very cute!

Haiti

This is just a reminder for continued prayer for all those affected in Haiti.

The above picture is of Jason Krul, his wife Wil and their young son Jayden.

(taken from a post on their blog)

Jason is a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship* and has been serving in Haiti for the last couple of years. They do an awesome work. Be sure to check out their blog. (Our connection with the Krul's is that my siblings and I attended the same church youth camps as Jason a few years ago) But the bigger connection is that we are all part of the same big Family. So please pray for our brother's and sister's in Haiti.

* Mission Aviation Fellowship is a worldwide team of specialists, meeting the transportation and communications needs of overseas missions and relief and development organizations serving those living in the poorest and most remote parts of the world. " info taken from http://www.mafc.org/

Down South for Christmas

There is another post coming for the second half of our journey....so stay tuned.

Layover in Atlanta, GA.....

Grandpa Altena with their little pugs dog and the kiddies....

Pugsly isn't so sure about kiddies....

I don't know if it is just me, but the Altena resemblance is pretty strong here! This is Netter Grandpa. We had a great time talking with Grandpa while Mom and Grandma ran a few shopping errands.

Bummer Net wasn't in the pic, but she was taking the picture....

Ellie loves giving kisses....

The boys were busy cutting firewood while we were away.

And playing with hydrogen then next day......boys will be boys!

I love this pic. Ellie wanted Netter to hold her.

We went to Wednesday evening church at the BNC in Harrison. They were raising money to help build clean water wells in Africa. They project was called Dirty Water and everyone was supposed to bring change they had collected in the "Dirty Water" bottles. It was an awesome project and they were able to raise enough money to supply 5 clean wells.

James was on his way to participate in the singing...

The little kids sang a song and the really little people (that would be James) clapped.

James wasn't quite sure what to do.... :)

Taking a bath in Bomma's 'swimming pool'....

I am pretty sure that this was some surgery goodness...Ellie approves.

He liked his ViewMaster....

She has her college savings fund on well on the way thanks to Uncle Aaron and Auntie Meg...

Whatever it was, it must have been good!

Aaron and his latest horse....

She had the whole surprised and amazed look down by the end of it all..... :)

She loves her Uncle Bert....she even says it like an Aussie.

We three....

We four....

Ellie and Boppa were happy to soak up some warmth by the fire....with a sippy of milk.

We had a ton of fun. It is always great to go back to Mom and Dad's. I spent fifteen years before Bert and I were married, within a half a mile of there. And lived within five miles of there for all but 1 1/2 years of my growing up. It is a good place.