Hi...
What a wonderful day. Pool....Pizza....Pop.....Prizes.....even a poopie diaper or two!!!
Six amazing grandchildren on our sixth annual. Will we having seven for seven next year????
If not then this was extra special.
This year the kiddies had a pool party at the Best Western. Skee and Seth recieved a medal for "Where it all began" They had the first Grandson Week back in 2005 and have kept the ball rolling for all the other grandchildren. Papa bought pizza and pop for all and we ate it in the lobby together. Then Nana recieved 2 dozen roses....one dozen for honouring grandmother(Nana) and the other for her annivesery of 34 years and our adventure beginning our new life "Out West"...as is our present quest!!
After the swim and food the older boys went off to the movies with Nana. After the theater, we went to the Marble-Slab Creamery where they has ice cream with all the toppings their heart desired!!!
Seth said it was the best Grandkid day EVER!!!! ....and Skee agreed...Mmmm NICE!
Dassi had a ball in the pool and stayed in for 2 hours. Naomi and Nonni LOVED swiming around with their mommy. Corinna had a swim, and of course the 'Big Boys" had a hoot. We only had tears twice...once when a ball hit Skee in the eye!!Ohh, but no damage done. Once when Dassi had to leave the pool...awww she wanted to stay in forever.
Nana and Papa are very PROUD of all our beautiful grandchildren. We love them so much that we want to be around them as much as possible. God willing, we will soon move here and be a blessing to them as much as they are to us.
God Bless each one of you.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
From Gande Prairie
Hi Dan and Vicky:
Thank you both for the posting. What a wonderful set of pictures. It makes us all feel like we are there with you. The apartment was a hoot.....so big and bare, and I can see why the benches would be a bit uncomfortable after a small sit down time...LOL
Mother LOVED the pic of you and Vicky doing the Russian cha cha dance in the garden.....NICE MOVE!!!
Dad and I have the house cleaned of debree. Roxi was with us this week for a day and helped Dad tear up the floor and underneath the flooring was news papers from 1949...neat uh?
Tomorrow is Grand kid day. we are renting the pool at Best Western for a few hours then a pizza party...The big boys will go to a move, have a treat and that will close out our day. I am sure it will be a blast!!1 Wish you were here to see the fun. "Little Peanut" is awake and looking at you now , aw he is so dear. "Little Budda" is as happy and peaceful as ever. Aunika has been very well this week(nice). Dassi is being prepped for school. Caleb is finding being a big brother such a joy, today he even changed babies diaper.....it was pretty funny to because just as he was ready to re diaper Piercen....he shot out poop, Caleb just yelled and then ran away!!! Scott-Isaac and Caleb helped at the farm...they collected 8 bags of trash from the house so Papa could take it to the dump. We all have to have cover-alls, gloves and face-masks. Skee spent a day or so with papa and I last week too.
Kris got that dirty old flue this week...(his week off too) but is recovering now. He is trying to build and finish his deck before he returns to work.. Mark F is out on job. Isaac has been quite busy, and we have not seen much of him, Joe has been around a fair bit, he too spent a morning helping Dad...but he gone for a few days now. The girls(Heidi, Roxi, Corinna) remain the same...but Bexs is gone to NB to her sisters wedding.
Hey Daniel; Dad brought your Sunglasses to the Airport for you...but at last he forgot to give you them....so I am wearing them some...and of course thinking of you.
Mother loves you as do we all, I will post some pics of GKid day for you to enjoy.
xoxoxoxoxox
May Our God Bless Thee Both.
Mother & Family
Thank you both for the posting. What a wonderful set of pictures. It makes us all feel like we are there with you. The apartment was a hoot.....so big and bare, and I can see why the benches would be a bit uncomfortable after a small sit down time...LOL
Mother LOVED the pic of you and Vicky doing the Russian cha cha dance in the garden.....NICE MOVE!!!
Dad and I have the house cleaned of debree. Roxi was with us this week for a day and helped Dad tear up the floor and underneath the flooring was news papers from 1949...neat uh?
Tomorrow is Grand kid day. we are renting the pool at Best Western for a few hours then a pizza party...The big boys will go to a move, have a treat and that will close out our day. I am sure it will be a blast!!1 Wish you were here to see the fun. "Little Peanut" is awake and looking at you now , aw he is so dear. "Little Budda" is as happy and peaceful as ever. Aunika has been very well this week(nice). Dassi is being prepped for school. Caleb is finding being a big brother such a joy, today he even changed babies diaper.....it was pretty funny to because just as he was ready to re diaper Piercen....he shot out poop, Caleb just yelled and then ran away!!! Scott-Isaac and Caleb helped at the farm...they collected 8 bags of trash from the house so Papa could take it to the dump. We all have to have cover-alls, gloves and face-masks. Skee spent a day or so with papa and I last week too.
Kris got that dirty old flue this week...(his week off too) but is recovering now. He is trying to build and finish his deck before he returns to work.. Mark F is out on job. Isaac has been quite busy, and we have not seen much of him, Joe has been around a fair bit, he too spent a morning helping Dad...but he gone for a few days now. The girls(Heidi, Roxi, Corinna) remain the same...but Bexs is gone to NB to her sisters wedding.
Hey Daniel; Dad brought your Sunglasses to the Airport for you...but at last he forgot to give you them....so I am wearing them some...and of course thinking of you.
Mother loves you as do we all, I will post some pics of GKid day for you to enjoy.
xoxoxoxoxox
May Our God Bless Thee Both.
Mother & Family
Friday, August 27, 2010
Arrival in Hainan
As always, in China, Vicky and I have been met with both delights and challenges. When we stepped out of the baggage claim in the airport, Vicky and I were greeted by smiling faces and a lovely bouquet. We were met by Jinni and Cia (you can see them in picture #6). Vicky and I were pleasantly surprised at how green Haikou is. Tropical plants abound here, especially trees. There are large trees with beard-like vines hanging down to the ground, but mostly there are palm trees everywhere. There are a lot of different kinds of palm trees, but most of them seem to be coconut baring (like the ones in picture #8).
When we arrived at the apartment the school had set up for us (pic #4) we told them we wanted a more modern apartment located in the downtown area. They are working on that now. They seemed a little dismayed that we did not want to stay in their apartment as they had it renovated for us. Though they might find Micky Mouse curtains welcoming, and solid mahogany furniture to be impressive, Vicky and I are looking for something more comfortable. Hopefully this will work out. The staff certainly seems to be working hard to accommodate our needs, which is nice, since I'm sure some of our requests must seem a little strange and extravagant to them.
Our principal Gary seems to be a really nice guy. He's interested in all of our ideas, and seems to be a real team player. You can see him in pictures # 5&6
Our campus is really nice (pics #1&2). There are trees and flowers everywhere. Right now is the rainy season, so the sky generally open up for a big downpour once a day for an hour or so. The air here is as clean as Canada's though the smell of the air is different. Their is a very distinct smell to the tropics that I remember well from my previous travels, and it permeates the air here. It sort of like the smell in a greenhouse, but different (nicer). Like any Chinese institution though, the grounds may have a generally nice appearance, but attention to detail is lacking (pic #3).
One thing that is very different here than it was in Dalian is the number of foreigners. I have yet to see another white person. Since it is not rude for the Chinese to stare, we tend to have a lot of gazes following us wherever we go. I'm sure it is different in the southern city of Sanya where tourism dominates the economy. Though tourism is also a big deal in Haikou, it is generally Chinese tourists who come here. The beaches are really nice and the water is warm, which I will enjoy year-round.
Since we will be moving, Vicky and I are still living out of our suitcases, and are anxious to get all of our things from Dalian, and settle into our new apartment. We are hoping to be in a nice apartment, within walking distance of a market, a mall, a cafe, a park and the beach. I will be sure to let you know what we end up with.
Aside from the plant life here (Which I love), I'm also really into coconut juice (not coconut milk or coconut water) which is extracted from the meat of the coconut. I have drank a ton of the stuff each day, and can already tell it will be a staple in my diet here. The food here has been delicious!!! For our welcome dinner, the staff here took us out to a restaurant specializing in cooking with hot peppers (pic #6). WOW it was good!
There are so many things I did not get around to this summer, and I feel like I didn't get enough time with anyone.
I will try to post a special not to everyone later today. I have a lunch meeting in an hour and need to get ready for that, so ciao for now.
I love you guys
Dan
Picture #1 campus
Picture #2 campus
Picture #3 campus
Picture #4 our apartment
Picture #5 At the beach with our principal Gary Squire (15 min walk from our school)
Picture #6 Our welcome dinner
Picture #7 Exploring Haikou
Picture #8 Exploring Haikou
Picture #9 Exploring Haikou
When we arrived at the apartment the school had set up for us (pic #4) we told them we wanted a more modern apartment located in the downtown area. They are working on that now. They seemed a little dismayed that we did not want to stay in their apartment as they had it renovated for us. Though they might find Micky Mouse curtains welcoming, and solid mahogany furniture to be impressive, Vicky and I are looking for something more comfortable. Hopefully this will work out. The staff certainly seems to be working hard to accommodate our needs, which is nice, since I'm sure some of our requests must seem a little strange and extravagant to them.
Our principal Gary seems to be a really nice guy. He's interested in all of our ideas, and seems to be a real team player. You can see him in pictures # 5&6
Our campus is really nice (pics #1&2). There are trees and flowers everywhere. Right now is the rainy season, so the sky generally open up for a big downpour once a day for an hour or so. The air here is as clean as Canada's though the smell of the air is different. Their is a very distinct smell to the tropics that I remember well from my previous travels, and it permeates the air here. It sort of like the smell in a greenhouse, but different (nicer). Like any Chinese institution though, the grounds may have a generally nice appearance, but attention to detail is lacking (pic #3).
One thing that is very different here than it was in Dalian is the number of foreigners. I have yet to see another white person. Since it is not rude for the Chinese to stare, we tend to have a lot of gazes following us wherever we go. I'm sure it is different in the southern city of Sanya where tourism dominates the economy. Though tourism is also a big deal in Haikou, it is generally Chinese tourists who come here. The beaches are really nice and the water is warm, which I will enjoy year-round.
Since we will be moving, Vicky and I are still living out of our suitcases, and are anxious to get all of our things from Dalian, and settle into our new apartment. We are hoping to be in a nice apartment, within walking distance of a market, a mall, a cafe, a park and the beach. I will be sure to let you know what we end up with.
Aside from the plant life here (Which I love), I'm also really into coconut juice (not coconut milk or coconut water) which is extracted from the meat of the coconut. I have drank a ton of the stuff each day, and can already tell it will be a staple in my diet here. The food here has been delicious!!! For our welcome dinner, the staff here took us out to a restaurant specializing in cooking with hot peppers (pic #6). WOW it was good!
There are so many things I did not get around to this summer, and I feel like I didn't get enough time with anyone.
I will try to post a special not to everyone later today. I have a lunch meeting in an hour and need to get ready for that, so ciao for now.
I love you guys
Dan
Picture #1 campus
Picture #2 campus
Picture #3 campus
Picture #4 our apartment
Picture #5 At the beach with our principal Gary Squire (15 min walk from our school)
Picture #6 Our welcome dinner
Picture #7 Exploring Haikou
Picture #8 Exploring Haikou
Picture #9 Exploring Haikou
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Vicky and Daniel
Glad you are there....we await pictures of your new school and Island.
WE MISS YOU ALREADY.....xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
WE MISS YOU ALREADY.....xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
In
I will write more later today. I just wanted everyone to know that Vicky and I arrived safe, and on time to a very warm welcome.
I miss you all already
Daniel
I miss you all already
Daniel
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The rest of the Story....
On August 17 Myself (Roxi) and the Kids left for Jasper. Mark followed the next day on the moterbike (something he says he'll never do again on a "crotch rocket). We climbed Old Fort Point on the 18th but the view was less then spectacular due to BCs forstfires. The mountains were barely visable but the Athabasca was as emerald as ever from our dazzeling hight. Dassi climbed the first 2kms to the top by herself, and rode Mommies shoulders for the rest of the 5km loop. We then drove out to Patricia Lake for a swim in the hazey shawdow of Pyramid Mountain. Mark arrived 2 hours later after tricking me by calling and telling me he wouldn't be leaving GP for a few more hours (he showed up 5 mins later)
That night we all met Annie Rose, Janeen and Scotts 1 week old daughter, and ate fire cooked chicken under smokey night skys.
The next day after Breakfast we bid farewell to Dan and Vikki, and headed for an avalanch site 1h south as per Skooks request. There we scrambled and rock hopped before having a picnic lunch and heading to Athabasca falls. The falls were quite scarey for Hadassah and it took a while befor she would venture on to the bridge or open her eyes!
Back at the campsite Dassi and Scott
That night we all met Annie Rose, Janeen and Scotts 1 week old daughter, and ate fire cooked chicken under smokey night skys.
The next day after Breakfast we bid farewell to Dan and Vikki, and headed for an avalanch site 1h south as per Skooks request. There we scrambled and rock hopped before having a picnic lunch and heading to Athabasca falls. The falls were quite scarey for Hadassah and it took a while befor she would venture on to the bridge or open her eyes!
Back at the campsite Dassi and Scott
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