Another Excitement Filled Night

Whoa, who knew life at 3:00 a.m. in the boonies could be so eventful?!   Last night Ken heard a loud bang and woke me up to tell me another vehicle was in the ditch.  He said he thought it was a truck on its roof.  He ran out to the garage to get a flashlight and I sprang out of bed and called 911.   While on the phone I watched Ken run down the lane way with a battery powered lantern.  I ran out in my coat, and p.j.'s with the 911 operator still on the phone with me and Ken pulled our van up to the wreck so we could see in.  I was horrified.  I was yelling,  to the driver "It's ok, we'll get you out, help is on the way."  There was no answer.  Both Ken and I were loaded with adrenaline and ready for the worst.   Ken got in the ditch and managed to pull a door open.  I froze.   Ken looks at me and yells "There is nobody in here!".  What?  How is that possible.  The vehicle was upside down in a ditch and only unattended for about 3 minutes when Ken got the lantern then again when he pulled up the van.  I reported this to the dispatcher.  She said not to worry help was on the way and boy oh boy did the cavalry come!  Two paramedics, a paramedic truck, 4 fire trucks, 4 police officers and several volunteer fire fighters were on the scene.  The road was lined with emergency vehicles again.  Our worst fear was that someone was trapped underneath the truck.

 This is the front of our house basked in the glow of emergency lights.

 The truck was smashed, the grill lying behind it in our lane way.  Shovels and paraphernalia from the box of the truck scattered across the lawn.  Windshield smashed, tail gate totaled, a wreck, but no driver.  Ken and our neighbour remembered hearing a car speed away shortly after the crash.  Upon closer inspection, the driver window was smashed and someone was dragged out of the truck and then out of the ditch.   It ends up that the vehicle was stolen and the bad guys got away.  The police were on the verge of getting the K9 unit on scene but could find no other footprints so assumed his buddies picked him up.  What a scare.  Kind of bitter sweet I guess.  We were so thankful no one was seriously injured in the truck but we were also so shaken up from opening up the truck to find no one there.  It was so weird, especially when you are expecting the worst and still waiting for emergency crews to make it to the scene.  In hind sight, I am glad the bad guy wasn't lurking around the property hiding from the police, that is even more scary.  You just don't think of those things when you think someone is in need of help!

Back inside to watch the tow truck pull the pickup out of the ditch and close out the night.  Back to bed at 4:50.

As Frankie Valli said "Oh What a Night!" ;)

The Trouble With -30

The trouble is..... it is COLD!!!  So cold that Ken's car wouldn't start.  So cold that the dogs freeze their paws in minutes.  So cold that mom would rather be snuggled up in the house with the little one reading, doing puzzles together or just hanging out.  We got to do all these things this week AND still ventured out to see friends.  We diligently made it to Karate 4 times, still made it out to three separate outings and still snuggled on the couch.  It was a good week but I am seriously looking forward to a bit warmer weather so we can go skating on the canal and sledding on Fridays.

  Even the Queen Maggie, is missing being outside.   Maggie is the most patient dog with Sid, she lets her dress her and do anything to her as long as she can still be on the couch or dog bed. 

Maggie is such a Good Girl!!!

Out with friends at the Science Museum.  The kids almost had the place to themselves and had a great time.

 Here Sid surprised me by pulling a notebook out of her purse and drew a picture of this train bridge. 

 Canoeing

 Snowmobiling

 The spring Karate competition is coming in about 8 weeks so Sigung has started to really focus on grappling and sparring.  The training is to help them learning specific maneuvers, throws, reversals, and combinations.  But aside from that there is always time for fun and games.  In this picture, Sigung had all the kids (except Sid and Reece who are in the corner grappling) try and take down Sisook Alex.  Sisook is a jr. black belt and was able to keep all 8 kids from taking him down while putting up a good fight.

I recently noticed that most pictures I take at Karate have kids smiling and laughing.  While the training at the club can be intense at times, it also provides great camaraderie and friendships.  The kids have a lot of fun while learning about character and discipline.  We are quickly learning that Martial Arts is a way of life, not just an extra curricular activity.  The lessons Sid learns aren't just about self-defence, she is learning leadership, kindness, modestly, compassion and humility, to name a few.  I am once again so glad she persuaded us to let her take martial arts.  Kids seem to know exactly what they need, we just have to trust them when they tell us.

On another note, I really missing taking pictures.  As a friend said there are only so many pictures you can take in your own backyard without duplication.  Next week my goal is to get out with my camera and get some really fun shots.  I am hoping the weather cooperates.  See you in a week!

Welcome Winter!

 We had big plans for the week but Mother Nature stepped in and made her own plans!  We had freezing rain on Thursday and then a HUGE dumping of snow of Friday.  At least the temperature was mild and the snow had finally arrived.   While the driving was bad, the backyard was just perfect for a few hours of frolicking by two legged and four legged MacNeills!

 The trick is getting everybody ready to go in the snow for a few hours without anyone over heating.  The dogs are amazing and let me dress them because they know the boots keep the ice balls out of their feet.  I like the coats on them because it helps keep the snow off of their furnishings and keeps the puddles off my floors.

Once out in the yard we are good for a couple of hours.  Lots of snow play, climber play and even a walk in the woods.  We love this kind of winter!  Saturday and Sunday dropped to -30 and we were religated to the house, definatley not as fun!  It was even too cold for the dogs to go out for more than a couple minutes at a time.  Everyone is now getting a bit Shack Wacky so we will try and venture out today when the temperatures hovers closer to -10!

Of course being stuck inside leaves lots of time for baking, cooking and eating.  We induldge in fresh whipped cream with strawberries and pancakes,fresh baked banana bread, hot chocolate and several delicious meals. 

We are now looking forward to an exciting week with friends and nice balmy winter weather!  Enjoy and stay warm.

Regroup!

Last week was a week to reconnect and regroup, plan for the new year and get our routine back on track.  After what seemed like weeks and weeks but was more like 12 days, we connected with our good friends again for kid play time and mom break time.  We worked out a schedule for the next semester so the kids can meet up regularly and get some much needed free play into their days.  I got some housekeeping done, got back to hockey and back to working out and the dogs even had a playdate!   Sid got to work really hard at Karate and got to see her friends and has uncovered a passion for reading.  She wants to read so badly we have moved that up on our to do list.  We also got out and got some much needed shopping done.  This shopping included a stop at costco for a new dog bed since our pup Lilly has graduated to being uncrated when we are out!  This is soooo exciting, no more crates in the living room.  Groovy will be nine on Thursday so we got her an the other two pups and early b-day present.  Three little bears with ropes in them.  They are awesome!  Once the dog destroys the toy, there is still a rope to play with.  There is nothing cuter than seeing them walk around with their bears in their mouths.  Again a smokin' deal at costco, 11.00 for the three dog toys in one package.  I love that place!

Saturday was Sid's long Karate class with the older kids and colour belts.  She is really holding her own considering how tiny and how little she weighs.  Here she is sparring with Johnny.  She and he are the two in the middle of the video.  She is, of course, the little one, he is the one with the yellow belt.

Today is Monday and we have big plans to be outdoors this week!  Skating, snowshoeing and enjoying the mild weather while it is here.  Happy week everyone.

Welcoming The New Year

On December 23 we had heavy rain and freezing rain.  We also had our sump pump fail in the middle of the night.  I woke up to soggy carpet in our bedroom and knew it was bad.  The finished basement of our house holds all the "adult" stuff.  Musical instruments, hockey gear, Ken's office and our master bedroom.  On Thursday morning it also contained its fair share of water.  Drat!

So with Christmas literally right around the corner we had to act fast.  Fortunately the pump still worked it was just the trigger that failed.  So we quickly got the water out of the basement and ran the dehumidifier while pulling all the furniture off of the wet spots. 

Next was Christmas Eve and Christmas day then it was down to business.  First order was to get everything cleared out of the bedroom and get the carpet pulled up.  Now we have a very small house so moving things means piling up somewhere else.  Below is a snapshot of the other side of our basement while we worked on the bedroom.

 Next was purchasing 23 boxes of laminate (600 sq ft worth) and underlay.  We LOVE the Home Hardware in Russell.  They have so much selection for a small store and their prices are unbelievable.  The laminate we chose was 38.00 a box and they dropped the price down to 18.00 a box since we were going to take most of it.  They gave us a deal on the sealant for the concrete and they dropped the cost of the three rolls of under pad.  AWESOME!

 Here the room is stripped of furniture, and carpet.  The Airedales were on hand to inspect and help out where they could.

 Worker Dad!  This shot kills me ;) I love the smirk!

 Child labour.  Mopping with bleach before we can seal the concrete.

 Partial success!  Lilly approved.  The colours aren't true, the laminate is a beautiful oak colour.

The bedroom was completed by New Years Day and then it was time to pile everything back in so we could start on the other side of the basement. 

Throughout this entire adventure, Sid has been amazing.  She has helped us and has developed a love for renovating.  She also kept herself busy when Mom and Dad were too busy to play. 

 Sid and I started New Years day with the first ski of the year.  We hit our trails behind the house and loved the balmy 0 degree weather. 

 

We skied for over an hour then came home for hot chocolate and lunch.

If asked we would never have chosen to spend the beginning of a New Year laying flooring.  But surprisingly we had a lot of laughs and some really fun family time together.  In retrospect, it has been the perfect way to start 2012.  New projects, time together and the joy of a fresh year ahead.

Happy 2012 Everyone!   The basement is 3/4 done.  Hope to have some decent pics in a few weeks!]