Keeping On

I think it's been a while since I've gone a whole week without blogging. It's been that busy of a week. Remember how I mentioned babysitting and how it's not really my thing? Well, since then I've had the chance to babysit 2 more times. Last Monday morning our little friend Mickey came for a visit and we had a great time. And now this morning I watching little Xander for an hour too. I may have given this babysitting thing a bad rap. So far it's been totally wonderful and very fun for Logan to have someone to play with. It has also been very helpful in teaching him how to share...which apparently he needs some work on. I have heard a lot lately, "I hadda first!" So this is good for us.

Lucy had skating lessons with school again last week. Tyler was home from Toronto late Tuesday night and was able to go with her on Wednesday morning. It was great for all of us. She had a great time, again, and Logan was very disappointed that he couldn't skate too.

While Tyler was in Toronto, he stopped at William-Sonoma for me to pick up the Star Wars cupcake stencils that I wanted. I am working on a Star Wars themed birthday party for Max in the next coming weeks, and I think I might be more excited about it then anyone. Seriously, it's going to be awesome.

On Thursday, our car was booked in for service, so Tyler left early to drop it off and go to work. I was planning on a quiet day of cleaning with Max and Logan while Lucy was at school. Well, plans change, and we go with the flow. Wait, that doesn't sound like me at all! I got Lucy up and moving to get ready for school, and then looked out the window to see giant snow-flakes. Uh-oh, I thought, I better check the buses. Just as suspected, they were cancelled. And I had no car. I called a friend to see if they could give Lucy a ride, and they agreed - so nicely - but a few minutes later I changed my mind and decided that it was ok for us to have a snow day every once in a while. So we cancelled all plans and declared it to be a day of fun. (with a little bit of cleaning - because I am still me).

Our day included working out together, vacuuming and washing the floors, and sledding at the park. It was awesome. By the time we got out to sledding, the snow had turned into rain. How do we manage to always go sledding in the rain?! Our snowsuits got soaking wet really quickly, but we had fun.



Logan was right in there with us, pulling the sled up the hill and riding down on every trip. One time, at the bottom, he saw his sister eating snow and decided to indulge. I couldn't get him to stop after that. I kept asking him if he wanted another ride, and he would say, "No. Eaddin da snow."

Then it was home for lunch, to throw our snow stuff in the dryer, and for Logan's nap. The kids and I watched some tv and movies while he slept and got excited about the fact that Taekwondo was also cancelled because of the weather, so we could watch our new movie as a family that night. Picnic dinner! Oh, and I packed our suitcase for our weekend trip.

While we were at Walmart for groceries on Tuesday, Max saw the James and the Giant Peach movie, which we have been looking for for a long time. We read the book almost a year ago now, and have been looking for the movie ever since. Let me just say, that movie is weird. And not very entertaining. But the kids seemed to enjoy it.

Then it was off to bed because we had a big day the next day. We were travelling to Toronto the next morning for our Branch Temple Trip.

Our Branch President had issued a challenge a few months ago for everyone in the branch to work on their 4-generation worksheet and submit names to the temple for us to do on this temple trip. We had a GREAT turn-out and were really excited for the event. We decided to stay overnight in Toronto so it wasn't such a long day for our kids, and once word got out that that's what we were doing, a bunch of other families joined us. We had about 6 families staying in a hotel together that night. I did a session in the temple Friday afternoon while Logan slept at the hotel and Tyler and the kids hung out. Then we all (and I mean ALL - 6 families) went swimming at the pool in the hotel with a huge waterside. It was an awesome time. We filled the pool to capacity and the lifeguard kept having to turn other patrons away. Then we dried off and got kids into jambes and had a giant pizza party in the lobby. It was awesome.

The next morning was a giant breakfast party and swimming again before we all checked out and headed to the temple. The youth and adults were mostly doing baptisms, a few adults did a session, and the kids hung out at the stake centre right beside for some activities. I was one of the parents who stayed to watch kids. We had a great time.

As a branch we baptized over 300 people that day. One Young Man baptized 60 himself...and it was his first time to the temple. It was awesome. There were also some missionaries and a few people at the stake centre to teach and visit with some of the part-member families. They taught them more about the temple and about our church while their member-family members were inside. Seriously, the whole weekend was just awesome.

The kids got to have a sharing time and singing time, and then they switched between different craft stations. They got to build a sugar-cube temple, and decorate a life-size outline of themselves, and do a Bishop craft that I didn't really get to see. Then they watched Veggie-tales while they waited the last few minutes for everyone to get back. I was in the nursery with all the little little ones and had a great time in there.

There was a big greek feast back at the church when everyone was done, and then all groups departed for the long drive home. Lucy had a major headache towards the end and a bit of a fever. It was a pretty full weekend and we were all worn out.

We linked up with some friends by chance at a pitstop outside of Toronto and drove the rest of the way home with them. It was such a fun weekend. The Branch President invited us to attend the temple 4 times in the next 4 months, and after such a successful weekend, we've decided to really sacrifice to make that happen for our family. Next month I think we're planning Palmyra. Then we'll do Montreal, and then repeat with one of the other temples again. It's great incentive to visit a new city, when you attach a temple trip to it.

Of course, in all the fun, I didn't have ANY time to take a single picture. But trust me when I say, a good time was had by all.

On Sunday, we were surprised with a special joint meeting between the two branches in Kingston. Our District President announced that the Cataraqui branch was dissolved, and we were all going to become one branch, known as the Kingston Branch. It was a surprise, but super exciting. Everyone was released from their callings and a new branch presidency was called. Our Branch president is released and the Branch President from the other branch will be the branch president to all. We're excited to see what will transpire in the next few weeks as callings are issued. It will be a great opportunity for us to work together and for the unity of this great city. Hopefully we'll be able to take steps towards making a stake in this area and turning ourselves into a ward.

I know there is great potential here in Kingston. I've seen it in just the short few months we've been here, and we're very excited to be part of that growth in this area.

The kids are especially excited to have a bigger primary group. It's fantastic.

So as you can see, we've had a busy week. Hopefully this one is a little quieter so I can plan a 5-year-old birthday party! Next week is March Break and the kids and I will fill it with fun things to do. Then the count-down is on for Mexico. I can't wait. The best part about this weekend (well, aside from the temple stuff): Logan slept in a play-pen at the hotel and did great. This is great news since in Mexico, all we will have is a playpen. I was a bit stressed. But this trial-run weekend has proved to put my mind at ease a bit. Hooray!