Category Archives: Life

BC Holiday: The Thiessens

Our official summer holiday. Of course it means going back west to visit with family. What other kind of holiday is there?

Early Saturday morning we packed up the car and hit the Yellowhead. I am going to dedicate one sentence to brag about Calvin: he went the first 10 hours without a single complaint or cry, completely content with toys, books, snacks, and being able to see mountains rise into his view through the window.

All happy and ready for the long trip ahead.

Mandatory pit stop at Mt. Robson. Not too clear of a day.

We left Edmonton early enough to be in Langley for supper time. And then we met our new niece, Anna for the first time!

Calvin also met a new friend who didn’t end up being so friendly. He bit Calvin pretty good but as soon as the bleeding stopped, he went back to the box to pet it again. This is something we have been learning about Calvin’s personality lately…he doesn’t become afraid of things that bite him, so to speak. He also fell down a short flight of stairs at my parents, in a complete backwards somersault, cried for a minute maybe, then went right back to climbing them. He’s a tough kid.

Being more gentle to the rodent than the rodent was to him.

On Sunday, the whole family came to my parents to spend the day together (with the exception of our nephew, Isaac). We enjoyed a yummy waffle lunch, had naps, then went to the Fort in Fort Langley, then came back for some BBQ. I really only have photos of our time at the Fort, and most of them are of Calvin, but here they are for your enjoyment anyway.

Calvin tried out furs…

…and blankets.

He patrolled the walls.

And spend some quality time with aunts and uncles.

All the kids (my mom’s photo).

Other than that day, we had a relaxing time with my parents who enjoyed having a special little boy around for a while.

Cuddles with Oma.

Helping Grandpa water the flowers.

Then we were off on the next leg!

Calvin Quickie: Doing Chores

This is about a week old, but I am finally able to get it up here. It’s also kind of repetitive, so I won’t hold it against you if you stop partway through.

Calvin decided it was time for him to start earning his keep, so he gave himself a chore.

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Ouch

Today I got a burn that most people get in their childhood.

I was making supper, and the mashed potatoes were done before the meatloaf. I decided to see which of the elements the heat from the oven came out of. What I neglected to do was remember that I just turned off one of the elements from cooking the potatoes. Oops!

I spent the first few hours with my hand cupped around a bag of ice and wrapped in a wet towel. When I ran out of all the ice in the house and my hand was no longer numb, I realized that it hurt more than I thought! So off to the walk in clinic we went. I was a little shocked with everything the nurse had set up when I got into the room!

I got my hand lathered and wrapped and it doesn’t feel too bad right now. It just looks like I am hiding something that the general public wouldn’t want to see. Like the Phantom of the Opera.

Besides the fact that tomorrow I have to do a bunch of laundry and pack for a week away (and clean the house, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that that probably won’t happen now), the worst thing is that I missed out of my first opportunity to have a go at some T3s! Maybe next time I won’t be pregnant.

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New Light Fixture

There are many things about this house that I want to change, aesthetically, over time. Everything is freshly painted, but the colours they chose make the house feel dingy. Yellow brown walls with flat brown trim? No thanks!

The first thing to go was the light fixture above the kitchen table. It was not helping the house feel bright and fresh at all.

Out with the “that is so not my style”…

In with the “ah, that’s more like it!”

I won’t mention how long it took us to get it hooked up. We are rookie home owners, people!

And hopefully I can make some money by selling the old one for more than what I bought the new one for on Kijiji!

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Working Vacation: Day 5

Today was half good, half boring.

The first half (the good half) saw us leaving Banff for Lake Louise at 9:15. Tim’s first meeting was actually nearer to Castle Mountain, so Calvin and I just hung out outside, eating bananas and chasing gophers.

From there we went to Lake Louise for a look at the lake, because you can’t be in the area and not enjoy the view!

When it comes to being tourists, we don’t waste time. We were back in the car in about 30 minutes, starting the second (boring) half, and on our way back home before noon, with a one hour stop for lunch and for Tim to do a phone interview.

The stretch between Calgary and Edmonton is long, people. It is very boring. Nothing to see. And I think Calvin was feeling it too. He was cranky almost that entire time! But I just ignored his wines since he was ignoring all the things I was trying to entertain him with. His loss!

And now we are back home. I have to admit that almost as soon as I stepped inside, I got the “Uhg, there’s so much to do here” feeling back. But Tim and I spent a tiny bit of time just getting things into the rooms they belong in, and that in itself helped a lot!

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Working Vacation: Day 4

Today was a long, full, good day.

We left Cochrane for Banff at 7:30 to get there in time for a 9:00 meeting during which Calvin and I walked up and down the main street, then took refuge from the rain in an indoor shopping centre and went up and down the escalators. The only shops open before 10:00 are the souvenir shops, which happen to be every other store, so our walk wasn’t much entertainment.

After another meeting, we went to check in to the hotel then found some yummy lunch. One more meeting, then we were off to do some sightseeing!

The first thing we did was a narrative boat tour of the Minnewanka Lake. This lake is super long and skinny, so basically they dive you up then back down, telling you about the local wildlife and the forests along the way. Did you know that the lake rose 10 feet during the two days of rain that caused all the flooding?!

From there we went to the gondola. The weather wasn’t perfect for it, but it was fun none the less. The scenery is gorgeous, with it without clouds and the gondola is just plain fun anyway.

We were going to have supper at the top, but apparently they close down quite early. We ended up treating ourselves at the Keg. We got there at 8, making it the latest I have ever eaten dinner in my memorable past. Calvin did super well, considering the only nap he had was about an hour in the car and he was confined to the stroller more than he was able to run around today. But we finally got back to the hotel and he is is fast asleep, only 2 hours later than usual!

Tomorrow we will go to Lake Louise then head back to Edmonton. Maybe not quite as full of a day, but possibly just as long. Then we have a weekend to recuperate and get things done at the house!

Working Vacation: Day 3

Today was the first day where we didn’t have to travel between cities! Tim had all his meetings scheduled for the morning, so he was out the whole time, leaving me and Calvin to hang out together. We had a leisurely breakfast, played in the room then got some fresh air in a field behind the hotel before coming back for nap time. If I had enough forethought, I would’ve asked Tim to leave the stroller behind instead of taking it along in the trunk.

After Tim came back and we had lunch, we went out for some ice cream in Bragg Creek. That is one area that was highly affected by the flooding. They are still rebuilding roads and many businesses are still closed. You can see damage along the river, in the form of broken and bent foliage (hard to see in a photo though). It almost felt a little bit surreal to see all the “thanks for the help” posters and things they show in the news all the time.

We came back to the hotel, enjoyed a dinner we got at a grocery store deli, put Calvin to bed, and are currently watching Arrested Development. Ah, the relaxed life!