May 17, 2007

Dans birthday gifts......







A few pics of Dan opening his gifts yesterday......

Chris gave him a book that he wanted called 'Morrie in his own words'. Laurie gave him a gift certificate to West 49. Susie gave him some tattoos, Abigail gave him a Canada mug filled with chocolate Canadian coins. Sam gave him some Purdys chocolate bars.....

Lloyd and I gave Dan a cheese selection! He had asked for one for Christmas but no one gave him one, so we did!!! He was thrilled lol! Too funny! Its so weird wanting cheese for your birthday!

We also treated him to the day at the zoo, bought him the cake of his choice and took him to Joeys Global Grill for dinner last night.......

He had a good birthday :)



Wow - I think I am almost caught up on the week - off to have my mug of tea with Lloyd :) Goodnight everyone!

Sam gets to ride the train...






Riding the train was the highlight of Sams day.....he LOVED it!!!!

Picnic time at the zoo






It was such a gorgeous day yesterday....27c so lovely and hot but we were lucky to get a picnic table under the trees and overlooking the zebras......the little train kept going past us too and of course Sam was thrilled..EVERY time he would cheer out 'the trains there, the trains there!' as if he had never seen it before.....

We left the train ride until almost last as we used it as a bribe all day lol....Sam was happy to do anything we said so long as we reminded him we were going on the train!

I didn't make a great picnic - just threw a few things into the cool bag...croissants, juice and water, baby carrots, tins of peaches and spoons.....some munchies and a hot rod for Sam and Dan.....

More from the zoo :)






Just a few more pics.....Abigail is stood in front of a Bald Eale...we actually have a few of those that live around here.....One is well known for living just south of Hwy 16 in Ardrossan....Lloyd and I saw it a few years back sat up on a telephone pole......they are amazing to see in the wild.......

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo






you can come too, too, too...................

A day at the zoo.......






A few pictures from our day at the zoo yesterday...have to say I am impressed with the improvements the zoo is making......we actually had a really nice day there...they still have a LOT to do to make it a decent place, but its a lot better than before already.....

More scenes from our hike.........






These pictures includde a couple of Dan watching the chipmunks......

Pictures from Whitemud Park......





Getting lost in Edmonton.....

So, I have a lot of catching up to do....and it won't be in order so apologies NOW!!!

On Monday I went to the Doctors in the morning and got repeat prescriptions...I have serious concerns about that doctor but for now I will keep going with the meds...he has reduced the dose so we shall see how it goes...I ended up taking an imitrex today though :(

Anyway, in the afternoon we went to Whitemud Park in South Edmonton, for a walk.....I've been there several times before and almost always take the same pathway through the woods....it's a lovely place for a walk....we saw chipmunks and plenty of trees that beavers had chewed away......the children had great fun climbing on fallen trees and picking sticks for walking sticks....

We got into the thick wooded area and decided to take the right hand path instead of continuing straight on as normal....this lead us uphill....halfway up I suggested we turn back (mainly because Sam and Abigail can only walk so far....) but Dan asked if we could go to the top just to see what was up there...so we carried on....

and on...and on......


At the top we came across some large new houses...I remembered walking near similar houses one time a couple of years ago with Nancy and Michelle....I remembered some steps leading from the houses back into Whitemud Park....so I suggested we walk around to those steps and back into the woods......I thought they'd be just around the corner.....

approximately 200 corners later (at least it FELT like 200 corners) we came across some steps...not THE steps but some steps....and we decided to take them....

By this stage (a long while later by this time) Sam was tired and sleepy and wanted to be carried ONLY by me.....and Abigail was tired and my feet had blisters (I had not worn socks and had not worn suitable shoes as I had thought we were just taking a little stroll to see the chipmunks)

I sat on the sidewalk for a while to rest my feet......Daniel and I were laughing hysterically because we were so lost and couldn't find anyone to ask...we didn't have a cell phone with us or anything.....it was either laughing or crying so we chose to laugh....psychotically probably!!!!

We headed back into the woods in the direction we thought we should be going but it seemed like we were walking in circles.....

Finally we saw this weird looking guy in dark glasses wearing weird clothes and Mardi Gras necklaces...carrying a lunch bag and Dan says he was carrying a HUGE stick but I didn't notice that - all I noticed was he had a Union Jack on his tshirt so figured he had to be safe lol.......anyway I asked him where the parking lot was and he just say 'Oh its waaaaaaaaaaaay down there' which kind of upset me as I didn't like they way he emphasized waaaaaayyyyyyyy......because that meant we were still a long way from the car :(

We kept walking and found a lady to ask and she had preschoolers with her...one of whom pushed Sam really hard and Sam went flying and started crying.......but she gave us directions......

So now I had a crying sleepy toddler to carry......we found a sign and it said we had 3.3km to walk.........so now I felt like crying while carrying the sleepy crying toddler...........but no - Daniel and I kept laughing...hysterically laughing like mad people.....

We eventually made it back to the parking lot...that last stretch up the hill to the car was a killer and I didn't think I could make it...what was supposed to be a short stroll turned out to be a 10km hike in unsuitable shoes with blisters from not wearing socks.....carrying a 30lb two year old who was a dead weight from sleeping for the last couple of kilometres......

It was defnitely a 'stroll' to remember!!!!!

Feelin' good....

I just got out of the shower after being for my run....Daniel and I ran/ walked much further today....basically we ran while chatting until we were tired and then walked...and then ran again......it was hard work but I feel really good for it and I am excited about doing the same route regularly and seeing the progress in how far I can run each time compared to the last.....

My left calf aches a lot when I run but I think that is probably still from ur walk on Monday (which I haven't blogged about yet!)

Tomorrow is a rest day so we will just go for a walk tomorrow and then Saturday we will run/ walk again and slowly over the next few weeks it will become more run than walk......

I have to admit that its much easier heading out for a run where I live now because the only 'people' to see my butt running are the cows and llama in the field ;) And they couldn't care less lol!

Its so good to have something to put in my running journal at the end of the day - I just filled it in...each day gets half a page and there are spaces for the day, time, companion, thoughts on the day, distance run, weather, time etc etc.......it will be interesting to be able to look back and see what I could run at the beginning compared to then.......

Its nice having Daniel to run with.....hopefully when he goes home one of the children will always be happy to accompany me.....Laurie and Susie both love to run although Lauries ability to run is far superior to mine so he will have to learn to slow down!!!

Pigtails and top bananas!!!!


Abigail was 'top banana' at preschool today...which meant she got to take her favourite book and favourite toy to show everyone....this was her second time so we chose a different book 'Here come the Aliens' which is funny....and she took 'brown eyes' her favourite teddy bear.......and Brown Eyes took a gold chocolate coin for each of the children in the class.....

Playing on the trains.....




A few more pics from Katies crossing today......

Farmgirl............





Abigail driving the tractor at Katies Crossing this afternoon.......

Katies Crossing.....






Today the weather has been so nice.....21c which is my ideal temp...not too hot but just lovely :)

This afternoon we took a drive up to Ardrossan and went to Katies Crossing for ice cream.....we love it there - if you haven't been and you live in the Edmonton area then GO!!!!

Its a little cafe in a train.....the engine is the kitchen and where you order your food, and the carriage/ caboose is where the tables are.....they do everything from fish and chips to bison burgers to ice cream.......or just tea or coffee......

There are tables outside and also old trucks and tractors for the children to climb on...they have bands playing there frequently through the summer and its just a really nice place to go for ice cream :) It is parked alongside the real railway so if you are lucky a train or two will go past while you are there.....its a hit with old and young! Daniel LOVED it.......

Katies Crossing is on Baseline Road and approx RR 220......just keep heading East on Baseline from Sherwood Park and you can't miss Katies CRossing - its just before the railway bridge....
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