Evening visitor...

A deer was feasting in the back field this evening while we were clearing up after supper. It looked gorgeous against the green field.....everything looks so green and lush out right now after all the rain we've been having - I guess thats one good thing - the deer have plenty of grass to feast on right now...

Blogs updated

So blogger has a new feature that lets you list blogs that you read and lets you know when they've been updated - and each time one is updated it moves it to the to of the list - I LOVE it - it's really neat BUT it doesn't list all my favourite blogs! So if your blog isn't included its not because I don't love your blog, its because your blog doesn't have the right 'feed' or something! We tried all the blogs in the list at the bottom of my blog and some of them refused to work.....

And I also have a list of blogs that I read in my 'bookmarks' that I don't have listed on my blog.....and I haven't added those either....

Anyway...it's a neat feature to see when people have updated ;) and it's a cool way to nag you guys into updating too ;) when you see your blog get near the bottom its time to UPDATE ;)

cloned

Chris has cloned himself..he says two is better than one but like I told him, THAT depends on what mood he is in!!!!

(ps there is no sound and it's a very quick sample as he was just testing this out)

This afternoon.....

TORNADO WATCH for:
City of Edmonton-St. Albert-Sherwood Park
CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF FUNNEL CLOUDS OR WEAK TORNADOES. CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES. THESE TYPES OF TORNADOES FORM OUT OF WEAK THUNDERSTORMS AND ARE USUALLY NOT AS DESTRUCTIVE AS THEIR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COUSIN. THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO TRACK WITH DOPPLER RADAR AND CAN APPEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THEY NORMALLY MOVE SLOWLY AND CAN LAST FOR MANY MINUTES. THEY OFTEN APPEAR AS A GIANT COLUMN OF DUST FROM THE GROUND TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THUNDERSTORM. THEIR DESTRUCTIVE POWER IS USUALLY FELT OVER A VERY SMALL AREA. TREAT ALL FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES SERIOUSLY AND AVOID WHEN POSSIBLE. SHOULD ONE DEVELOP NEARBY TAKE SHELTER UNDERGROUND OR IN A REINFORCED STRUCTURE LIKE A BATHROOM OR INTERIOR CLOSET. IF YOU ARE IN YOUR VEHICLE TRY TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE TORNADO AT RIGHT ANGLES. ENVIRONMENT CANADA CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OR WEATHERADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES. SHOULD YOU SPOT A FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO...AND ONLY IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...YOU CAN CALL 1-800-239-0484 TO REPORT YOUR SIGHTING. PLEASE NOTE THIS PHONE NUMBER IS FOR REPORTING SEVERE WEATHER ONLY.

Grad album..

I'm working on a Graduation mini album for Chris...I've only done a few pages so far and he has taken it to school to get his friends to add some messages to a few pages and also to get them to send me some more pictures for it....here are a few pages that I've done so far - it's not just from Fridays celebrations but from the farewell camping trip and the climbing day at Vertically Inclined as well...it will also have the class picture in it and there are pockets inside for messages from his friends.....

Ambassador award...

This is the gift Chris was presented with for his Ambassador award. I think it's a beautiful keepsake that he can always treasure and remember his time at St Luke by.

My bee :)

Val came over for coffee on Friday with her little guy - I had such a nice visit with her - we sat on the porch much of the time which is always so nice to do :) With our long winters it's lovely to be able to sit outside instead of being cooped up indoors!

When Val arrived, she surprised me with this gorgeous gift!!! It's a ceramic bee!! Val takes a ceramics class with her daughter each week and I feel so TOTALLY honoured that she has painted this piece for me :) And its a gorgeous bee! She is supposed to sit outside but I'm not sure I can put her outside in all the rain, so I think I'm going to have to find somewhere inside for her to stay safe! Luckily I have requested nice wide windowsills on all my new windows - wide enough for plant pots etc so I will have plenty of places to pick once the new addition is built and for now she is sitting in my computer room where I can see her :)

I haven't named her yet - and as Val knows I always name everything :) `

Thank you so much Val - I love her!!!!

Chris's Master of Ceremonies Speech from Friday Night!

Where each asterix section is, Chris handed over to a different person/ group of people. I hope it makes sense a little....thought some of you might be interested to see what he said anyway :) The game they played to find out which order the tables got served was a huge hit - it was so much fun! We were at Mr Macs table so we had our food first :) that was hilarious too :) We thought they were joking!

The video clip above shows Chris reading the last section - with a little interlude from a friend with a bit of a Swedish accent ;) These things happened a lot during the evening and showed just how much this class means to each other - they really are a great group of kids! I can't say that enough!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2007 - 2008 Grade Nine Farewell. My name is Chris Thorpe, and i am going to be your Master of ceremony for tonight's gala. Please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the festivities which will commence with our very own Mr. Marshall!


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Thank you Mr. Marshall. Well Ladies and Gentlemen, I myself have only been here at St Luke for just over a year, but in that time I count myself very fortunate to have become a part of this wonderful community here at this school. I look around here at this room full of faces that I have come to know so well and I can think of so many memories that I will take with me as I move on to my next school. Let me share one with you. The first day i walked in to my Grade 8 class , i was so scared they would eat me alive, and treat me terribly! I remember thinking that it wasn't for everyone being so friendly, I was going to stay home and wait for high school! Now this class is like my second family and I know I'm going to miss them all so much! And I have learned how to look at a first day as a whole new adventure, and how i hope next year you all share that same feeling as you start your first day at High School!


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We will now enjoy our meal catered by: (name provided by Mr Mac) And as Mr Mac always goes first, Mr Macs table will go first...and then all the other tables will compete to go next with a game!


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Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have your attention please, ..........please join me in thanking tonights caterers and the grade 8, 10 and 11 servers for tonights wonderful meal.


Now I'm sure you all remember the Pinocchio play, one of the most spectacular performances i've ever had the honour of performing in. It wasn't the quality of the sets that impressed me, it wasn't the improvising when my wig fell off in front of Jean Vanier, and it wasn't the upside-down bra, though that one was good. Rather, it was how the cast and crew performed like friends, and it was my favourite performance of my acting career. I think it really showed through in our performances that we all had such a great time creating those characters for our audiences!

I'll leave you with a quote from John M Richardson Junior:
“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”



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Thank you. The Junior High years have been full of such wonderful memories! Last week, we went on a camping trip. Before we left, we discussed safety measures, and such. The most memorable questions was from our fabled kris cop, "Do we have to bag our poop?", and "can we bring gasoline for a bonfire?". After asking if we had to sleep in lean-to's, he eventually made us laugh so hard that the class was in a riot. Along with hilarious comments, our tradition of fun attendance at the end of the week was highlighted by Maxwell telling us of his epic tales, of quests and journeys. We heard of the badger on the roof, and the scary face on the tv, and the brother drinking beer, only to find another badger. Following his story of his dad passing out, we always look for max to entertain us and enlighten to comedy within our stories.

Another unforgettable moment would be the introduction of Debbie, the delightful class joy. Debbie can be seen on angry lectures and loud screaming, and is not a pleasure to meet. Ladies and gentlemen, we give to you Garrett's and Kerra's creation, Mr. Mcdonald' s Vein, Debbie. Gloriously, that is not all Mr. McDonald has done for us. A while ago our beloved human statue, Casey, lost his male pride. Now Mr. Mac thinks that we, Grade Nine are behind it, and begins to question our morals. If it wasn't for grade 8 handing it back in, we would've been on the chop block.

Another quote for you! You can and should shape your own future; because if you don’t someone else surely will.’ And that ones from Joel Barker!!

And now Ladies and Gentleman it is my great pleasure to introduce to you the Grade 9 class of 2008 Valedictorian Miss Sarah Tansowney!



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A Classic memory between Sean and I was when we had Mr. Devark as our substitute teacher. Sean and I were fighting over Aluminum and Aluminium, and eventually had such a loud argument Mr. Devark came over and told us to quiet down. We didn't listen, and fought again until i was told i had a speech impediment, and Sean was denoted a genius for his Chemistry Knowledge that half the time he didn't know about it. Me and Sean have ever since the mighty battle between England and Canada, and i really have to admit he is a worthy adversary, apart from the rainforest debate where i won fair and square. However, talking about enemies, there is no one more competetive than Darcy, who we all know for his passion for sports. HARGH to me signifies the beginning of war, and i have no choice but to smile when he punches the volleyball who dives at the soccer ball in net. There is no other goalie but darcy.


I was happy to have my first Junior High Dance here at St. Luke, and even though we all dance as if no one is watching, which sometimes makes us look really bad, i just want to let Rosy know that one day you are gonna crash into someone with that crazy dance of yours. I don't know whether you would call that the hurricane or the tornado, but i do know that its an addictive dance that gets all of us dancing crazily. Speaking of crazy, it has to be given to matt at 4 o'clock in the morning on the camping trip. We all want to know WHY he was calling for Harriet Tubman at 4 in the morning....who IS Harriet Matt??????

And again, a quote for you all, this time from Ashleigh Brilliant ‘Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future.’

And now Ladies and Gentleman, Brenna and Sean will present the class awards


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One of the highlights of our time here at St Luke has been watching the development of the school we have been supporting in Mabula. As students growing up in such a fortunate environment, it's been such a great honour to participate in activities to raise funds towards such a worthwhile cause.

One of these activities was the "wake-a-thon". We all had so much fun, and we got to bed at 3 in the morning. Playing Catch Phrase was priceless. I don't know if you've heard of the foreign word "Salami" or if you have heard of the word re-sort, but apparently Aaron had. Now when we see a chunk of salami, we are all going to have to smile and rejoice in the hysterical joke behind it.

Seeing how much our small efforts here in Canada have brought to the children in Mabula has definitely touched us all and we have all learned a lot about gratitude - something that we will carry with us throughout our lives.

And now please join me in welcoming Mrs Sharon Fraesse to the podium for the presentation of the schools Ambassador Award.

(followed by speech)

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thank yous (provided by Mr Mac)


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Well, this evening is finally drawing to a close. Looking at each other, I am sure that these are just some of the memories that are going to stay with us and follow us as we move forward and work towards our goals and dreams.

And so whether you remember Salami or Debbie, or whether it's Mrs. Gascons phone going off in our class that you remember most, let these memories stay with you. Keep them in your pocket and hold onto them as you take that step through the door of your new high school in September.

Follow your dreams, from small town to big city, and go out into the world the St. Luke Students that we are. Our relationships have proven to be strong, and our Faith has stayed true to our goals in life.

Thank you all for being here and helping us to celebrate our passing from Grade 9 to 10. May we all stay Happy and Healthy. May we all live long and good lives and may we all continue to strive for our goals. Stay in touch guys!

Ladies and Gentlemen - I present to you the St Luke Grade Nine Class of 2008!

60 Questions

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
A tub with sand toys, sun cream and hats for Sam and Abby. Life jackets from when Lloyd and I went kayaking last. Sam and Abbys car seats.

2. When was the last time you threw up?
I can't remember - several months ago.....no idea lol...maybe more recently....I think I block those things from my mind lol. I used to throw up with every migraine so it's not something I want to remember lol!

3. What's your favorite curse word?
A-hole and tosser. I also say the F word too much - sorry Mom.

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
My husband. My Son Laurence and my Mom on the phone

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
sleeping thank GAWD!!!!!!

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
ordering drinks in Timmys for Lloyd and the kids

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
eating dinner with my family hopefully :) Yummy roast potatoes, chicken and vegetables

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
no and it isn't something I would choose to do.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"If you clear the floor for me then I'll vacuum". Exciting huh?

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
pistachio

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
a double double that I'm still working through and know I won't finish.

12. What are you wearing right now?
denim capri's and a plum coloured blouse.

13. What was the last thing you ate?
a chocolate dip donut from Timmys.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Today I bought Laurie two t-shirts from Stitches and while I was in there I bought myself a pair of sunglasses

15. When was the last time you ran?
last week.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
Last week I went to watch Laurence compete in the Knights of Columbus track meet.

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
My friend Samantha

19. Ever go camping?
yes but this summer the weather is so crappy for tenting and I wish it would cheer up a bit again so I can get out there with the little ones and camp more!!! They are so excited to go!

20. Do you have a tan?
yes and tan lines that I hate and want to get rid of as soon as the sun shows its face again!

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
I prefer not to as it makes it gassy!!

25. What did your last IM say?
I don't have IM but I get text messages from Lloyd all the time saying he misses me etc etc. I also got a message from my Son Chris on Tuesday telling me to enjoy the movie when I was heading out to see Sex and the City with friends!

26. Are you someone's best friend?
I don't think so....I don't know......I was in the UK but I don't think so here in Canada....not that anyone has said anyway...but I do have some wonderful friends here now :) Friends I think the world of :) I think that means more to me now than 'best friends' .

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Tomorrow is Monday and that means drama class for Abigail. I am also waiting for my Mom to call. In the evening I am not sure if we have plans. I know we have no food in the cupboards and desperately need to get to Costco soon but neither of us are in the mood to go....we tend to put it off as long as possible and just run in to Safeway for this and that which costs a fortune in the long run.....Oh and Rosie has to have her staples removed too and I am not sure when her appt is....

28. Where is your mom right now?
In Somerset, England

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
My big over-sized chair with Lloyds laptop bag on it and Abigails weird cardigan thing on it that she's been wearing. I also see a bookcase and on top is the GORGEOUS bee that Val gave me last week that I haven't yet photographed....with all the chaos of the last few days I haven't shared my bee with you all!!! I love it Val :) She should be out by my hives but I'm not sure I want her outside in all the weather! So I have this big smiley bee on my bookcase pulling a sexy pose and it makes me smile every time I see it :)

30. What color is your watch?
I don't have one.....I used to have one that I loved that I found at a yard sale but I have no clue where it is.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
Flies, nasty accents and horrid beer drinking men.

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
yes - I want my boobs reduced and lifted into place! Maybe next year!

33. What is your birthstone?
Garnet. and Turquoise

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
It depends on how long the line is.....

35.How many kids do you want?
I have 5 and they are growing up far too fast! I love having more time for Lloyd and I BUT I am so so sad that they are growing up and away so fast and it is all going to be over before I know it :( I would probably have more if I could so its probably a good thing that I can't!

36. Do you have a dog?
Two dogs - Amber and Rosie, both golden retrievers and both sisters but 18 months age difference.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
My oldest Son Chris.

38. Have you met anyone famous?
I've been 'around' many famous people and had several famous people to my house but not sure I have met them directly exactly......

39. Any plans today?
the day is half done so now to cook dinner, get the children bathed and ready for bed and then check on my bees and spend the evening with Lloyd.

40. How many states have you lived in?
Not States, but I've lived in several counties in the UK - Somerset, Surrey, Lancashire, Cheshire, Mid Lothian/ Edinburgh and then I moved to Canada and lived in Alberta in Edmonton and then Strathcona County.

41. Ever go to college?
I went to nursing College in the UK.

42. Where are you right now?
At home in the study/ computer room.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Most men (Lloyd not included - I struck gold there) but most men are tossers.

44. Last song listened to?
Colbie Caillat in the car

46. Are you allergic to anything?
Morphine - I react very badly and it makes me hallucinate

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I loved my black boots that I bought in the Fall - I wire them so often they fell apart but they were kick-ass boots and made me feel so assertive and great :)

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
No.

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
I hope not.

51. What time is it?
3:42pm

52. Do any of your friends have children?
Almost all of them do.

53. Do you eat healthy?
Almost always but life is too short not to enjoy the foods you love :) Its a question of balance :)

54. What do you usually do during the day?
wait for Lloyd to come home

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
No. I don't hate people.

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I usually say hi

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
37

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
no

60. How did you get one of your scars?
I have a scar the shape of a star on my right hand - it s from a dog bite I got at Elk Island Park a few years back - a nasty little dog and the owners didn't even bother to come over and apologise - they sent their 8 year old daughter over instead!!!!!! Pissed me off!

OK....there are 60 things about me...how about you?

Val - you are tagged!!!!

Dad you are tagged so you can start a blog!!

And anyone else reading this is TAGGED - if you have a blog - or if not start a blog OR just add your answers in a comment here :) YOU ARE TAGGED :)

Life is a roller coaster...

You can be having one of the best days of your life.....and then the next day you wake up to a phone call and everything changes.....

Sometimes life sucks.

Nothing that I can blog about right now but please keep my extended family in your thoughts. Thank you.

For Chris......

By the way Chris - I can't watch this without crying - because it makes me so sad that your childhood has gone so fast :( I wish we could wind back that clock a few times and replay some of it :)

Here is the link for those who can't see the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgngckp6UkQ

School Ambassador

Each year, the school gives out a special award to one student, chosen for showing humility, empathy and leadership. Well, we were VERY surprised and very VERY proud when they awarded this to Chris last night. Not that we don't think he deserves it, more for the fact that he has only been in the school for just over a year, and so to prove to them the type of person he is in this short a time span, just goes to show the type of person he REALLY is :)

We're very proud :)

He won this award in elementary school too - it was called the Jennifer Burke award there and it was awarded to him there for the same reasons. I am glad he has stayed true to himself throughout the Junior High years when so many students go off the rails, get bored and get into trouble.

A few pictures from Christophers night!

Christopher with his class friends on HIS night!!! As well as a picture of the school cafeteria which was quite literally TRANSFORMED into a lovely dining room for us for the evening!!! The theme for the night was 'Small town BIG dreams' and was just wonderful for our little community :) Each table had two students and their parents as well as one teacher. As Chris was MC, we were sat at the head table and had the Homeroom teacher Mr Mac. (Mr Macdonald) who is married to a British lady so we are used to chatting with him easily...and the other couples daughter is fun and the Mom has tattoos so we were chatting about those and about bands that play in Edmonton etc so the conversation was flowing easily and we weren't with anyone very religious or stuffy which was so nice and refreshing :) They were just very nice and friendly :)

Chris did so great as MC and at the end there were huge cheers and applauses and yells of WE LOVE YOU CHRISTIE (yes they ALL call him Christie (as in Chris T - eve the teachers call him Christie and say Mr Christie you make good cookies or whatever lol)

Chris Graduates from Junior High!!

So last night was Christophers Farewell Celebration as he graduated from Junior High School. I think he will be very sad to leave this school behind with all the wonderful friends he has made - they really are very close to each other and they are such a GREAT group of kids who really look out for each other. I'm not sure if thats because it's such a small school or if it's because it's a Catholic school...if it's down to the teachers...or the families....whatever has created the community at this school. It's a wonderful thing to see! This has been a great class and I know Chris has made some wonderful friends there! We had such a lovely evening - even Lloyd really enjoyed it! It actually made me really sad that Chris hadn't been in this school much longer!

Another night of no sleep!

I made it an extra hour! This time I woke up at 3am! And lay awake mulling things over.....thinking things through....going over things....and making a list of questions.....

Heard that dawn chorus again......I'd really rather not hear it tomorrow thank you very much!!!!