Checking on the snowman

We walked up to see how Abby's snowman was!  The snowmans carrot nose was gone and the snowman had melted a little.  One arm had fallen off and he/ her was having a bad hair day!!  Poor thing!  Sam gave it a kiss better and a hug and although Abby suggested we knock it down, I thought we could leave it and come by every few days to see how it lasts if we get some nice weather. I'm glad it melted rather than someone knocking it over with a skidoo!!!  There were no animal prints near it so we think a bird took the carrot nose!!

Flying....

Best Buddies....

Sponge Bob

Sam tried out one of the playdoh kits he had for Christmas today :)

:)

I'm a little sad but I think the A & W commercials with the young assistant are always funny - this new one is good too :)

Leah does it again!!!

You HAVE to read this :)

Such a great writer!!!!

Donate and help HAITI

We have  sponsored two girls through World Vision for the last few years and have been very impressed with all we have learned about World Vision and all they do around the world.  They are just ONE of the groups helping in Haiti right now after the HORRIFIC Earthquake.  




Click  HERE  to donate to World Vision's HAITI campaign and help!!!




You can also find the Red Cross HERE


and the Salvation Army HERE  this includes links to information on how to TEXT your donation!!!!


These are CANADIAN links.... please google to find links for other countries.  


Don't forget the Canadian Government is going to MATCH your donations up to 15 million!!  Please give generously!!!

Things you don't want to hear while doing the 30 day shred for the first time:

I've had this dvd for about a year but it's stayed wrapped in it's shiny cellophane wrapper until today when we finally decided to stop procrastinating and Abigail thought it would be fun (hahaha is she SICK???) to use this for phys ed each day.

Picture me, Sam and Abby in the front room.  We don't have enough weights so we share my weights and some cans of soup....Sam looks cute with his cans of broccoli soup ;)

The warm up starts...this is EASY....I can turn my hips...I don't feel silly...what is the stupid woman talking about???  I don't need to watch the beginner model  ppfffft!!  No WAY!!!!

We move on to the Jumping Jacks and ok so they are fun - at least the first THREE are fun!  Then OMFG (excuse the language...but OMFG....) I swear after that I am DYING!  hahahahaha  how can I be dying after a few jumping jacks????  hahahahaha!!!

But Sam and Abby are bouncing along enjoying themselves...Abby is doing the routine fine and Sam is in his own little world doing his own thing!!

So we do all the exercises and there is strength and cardio and strength and cardio and I am DYING....OMG!!!

And I swear I can't do the press ups - normally I can press ups but I just can't do these press ups straight from the jumping jacks!!!

And Abigail is saying:

"This is soooo easy...I don't need to stop"!!

and Sam is giggling at me doing press ups saying:

"your boobs are touching the floor"

and Abby is saying:

"Your stomach isn't supposed to touch the floor"!!  in a very matter of fact way!!!

and

"You can't just give up!!  You can't just LIE there Mom"!!!

Sigh.......tomorrow I'll try and make it to the end of workout one....without hating the smug *itch above ;)

The handover of the flame!!!

Yay!!!!!  The flames are joined!!!!  :)

And it seems very exciting and it WAS but it was also over sooooo fast!  and once that was done that was IT....the new girl runs off and they switch off the previous runners torch...he gets on the bus and they all drive off.  THE END..  It is over in a FLASH!!!

This last picture shows the bus at the back of the parade that carries all the torch bearers AFTER they have run their part of the relay.  If you look carefully you can make out the shape of them and their torches inside :)

The flame arrives!!!!!

Coca Cola float

Giving out flags and cute cola bottles!!!

RBC Float....

One of the floats that went by to entertain us and get everyone revved up before the flame came through!!!  The floats were giving out flags and playing music and had flashing signs saying the flame was coming!!!!  :)  There was lot's of cheering :)

The police and traffic control was amazing because they kept traffic moving RIGHT up until the little parade arrived at our area and then as soon as it was through our area traffic started again - as you can see traffic is just stopped and was happy and cheering along too :)  THose cars are actually stopped at traffic lights waiting for the parade to go through!!!

It was wonderful :)

A moment with the Olympic Torch....

A moment to remember always...

:)

The torch bearer arrives!!

We were lucky enough to be standing RIGHT where the torches were to be exchanged, and it wasn't long before the torch bearer arrived in a special minivan.  She looked so proud and happy!  Her name was Alex and she worked for Bell and had won a contest to be the torch bearer.

Torch bearers can keep the torch they carry so long as they buy them for $350. afterwards.  The gas chamber is removed after the relay race if they wish to keep them.

I took a pictures of the van above because of the writing on it about the torch relay.  I thought that was interesting :)

Waiting for the torch to arrive!!!!

Yesterday was sooooo much fun!  We met Val and her wonderful children, and JoAnne and her lovely boys, at the mall for lunch, before heading off to the relay route, to see the Olympic Torch come through our town!!!  :)

These pics aren't great as I had to do some odd cropping as I can't post any of Vals beautiful girls yet.  And almost all of my group pictures had them in.  Hopefully soon I can post their pictures :)  And JoAnne is right - then you will be bored by ALL the pictures I have of them hahahahaha :)  They are sooo photographic!!!

Anyway,  the weather was ideal - lovely and sunny and just below the freezing mark and although we had to wait a little while for the torch, there were floats to see go by, and a torch bearer to meet and the time passed very quickly!!!

Olympic flame arrives in our city!!!!

You can see a video clip from local news about the torch going through our town HERE and HERE  where you can read the story and watch the video clip.....

I have to say that I am sooooo HAPPY that we took part in this memorable day!  I have NO regrets that I took my children out of school to be a part of this.  My Daughter didn't stop talking about it all evening and  was just so excited about it all.  My little ones are still so thrilled by it on the news this morning!  I think it will make watching the Olympics all that more exciting and it makes us feel that little bit more 'Canadian' :)

It was so special to be there yesterday and you could see how proud and excited the torch bearers were and I was so happy to be there to cheer them on and to help make THEIR day special!!!

It was a a real high - and when you feel something like that you really KNOW that there is not a need for drugs or anything else to get that kind of a feeling :)