OH CANADA!

(Picture courtesy of Rebecca Cooper Photography)

Just before I get into Canada. On the Girls last day of school they had an award ceremony that I sadly didn’t know about and missed Katie getting the most improved award for her class. Her teacher expressed how proud she was of Katies Dutch and how fast she caught up to the level of her class mates with only having one year of Dutch – We were so proud of her, so here she is at home with her certificate!



We had kept the secret of the kids and I (Todd still in school) going to Canada for a big surprise! I wanted to tell them the morning of, to have all of their bags packed wake them up and say “ we are going to Canada!” but that seamed a little difficult seeing as I had to rummage through their stuff and have suit cases out, so the day before we told them. They had one sleep until we were going to on our trip. They were very excited to see cousins and Grandma’s and Grandpa’s, and their friends in Magrath!

Here we are saying good-bye to Daddy who was sad to see us go for 5 whole weeks – the longest we’ve been apart.



Off on the little jet plane for our first bazillion hour lay over– it felt that way anyway! and a look at St. Maarten from the plane.





And here enjoying our first night in Canada! A cool room, with thick heavy covers, room service of salad and pizza, never ending water for showers, and carpet to feel on our toes! OH the blessings we take for granted everyday!

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Our arrival was soooo wonderful and fun! I wish I had taken more picture – or any pictures! I guess we were just busy trying to get situated and just enjoying the moments! Off the plane waiting for us was Grandpa Bishop, the kids ran and cried Grandpa and we hugged and had some tears, and lots of thank yous! It was Grandpas pocket that had brought us home! We stopped off at Lisa’s house first and it was so fun to see her reaction there were again hugs a tears. It was so fun to see her and her family, and baby Westin I’d never seen, and her home! It was lunchtime so off to McDonalds we went! I never thought McDonalds tasted so good., and of course the kids loved the play place. (we froze our butts in there with the amount of A?C they were pumping in! The coolest temperature I’ve noticed set on an air conditioner on the island was set to about 24 degrees Celsius which always felt real good after coming in from outside! Then we saw James and surprised him at work, which was so fun because his employee tricked him with a problem at work to get him to come back from an errand he was running. He was really surprised! Then we saw Christa and her cute pregnant belly, and her cute boys and of course Maggie and Rocky – the dogs. Then off the Grandma and Grandpa’s ‘pool house’ for a B-B-Q! There we had a few more surprised with seeing Janette, and then Greg when he came home from work. Melanie knew we were coming so she could have things ready for our stay but it was so fun to see her kids especially her baby Dean whom I hadn’t met yet! It was fun to see Janette and her blonde beauties, she told me she had an inkling on who the ‘surprise guest’ was - the reason of the B-B-Q - and Greg hadn’t heard a thing - nonetheless it was so fun to see everyone. – It was pretty cold though!! Winter Jackets – for me anyway!










And of course Grandpa’s pool! Whenever we had time we at the Sherwood Park house the kids went swimming!









And here is the laundry shoot! As a kid I use to climb – following of course my older brothers example – up and down this shoot and into the top decorative part of the wooden shelves in the laundry room. So of course by the prompting of Uncle Greg the girls were shown and helped doing the classic climb the laundry shoot!! Brought back a lot of memories!



That first week however was probably the most stressful week for me! It was shopping week. If anyone really knows me they know that I generally hate shopping. This was the time I had to get shopping and supply collecting done. I didn’t know when I would have been in an area with shopping stores long enough and have the time to be able to get everything done that I need so it had to be done now. One solid week of pure crazy shopping. I’m just grateful that I had some tolerable kids who I tried to let them swim as much as possible and for some incredible sisters to help me out too. I think Jase and I did sneak and movie trip to see Transformers with Greg, Grandma, Auntie Christa and Uncle Albert. Which was really fun, and sometime Christa and Albert took my kids with them to see Toy Story 2 and I met them there a little ways into the show. But with shopping out of the way – relief was felt – I ended up having to do some last min stuff before we came home of course.

So off to the lake we went!! It was a different trip to the lake this year, we were packing up and moving out to the new lake house in Eureka Montana! So not all fun and games but it was nice to just be there with everyone. The kids played, but I mostly packed boxes and such for moving – with some play here and there. We had seen everyone so far except Mike & Carrie’s family, and Nicki & Sebastien and their family. Nicki was able to make it to the lake with 5 of her kids, and all of the kids had a blast! It was o fun to have so many cousins to play with! I tell ya the water felt extra cold this year. After swimming in the ocean at 26 – 28 degree Celsius all year this was a frozen lake. The kids toughed it very well, me however, I went on the sea-doo and that was it. No icy dip for me! Katie LOVED the babies she was always trying to hold them and touch them and play with them. Both Westin and Dean were her babies! There was lots of wiener roasts and singing Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire!, kite flying, hot tubing, sea-dooing, , sand playing, frog catching, dog walking, and canoeing!











































It was time to say good-bye to the cabin that we will probably never see again. So many memories there, and the sweat and tears our family spent building this house together from nothing but bare land when I was 14 years old. But it was time to move on to bigger and better things!



With the big truck packed – really big truck – we were off on the move however we had some stops to make on the way. Back to Sherwood park for roughly 2 days of relaxation! It was going to only be 1 day but thank goodness for cousin Avery Coming to visit! Uncle Greg convinced us to go with them to West Edmonton Mall and go play at the amusement park for a day, then see the last Harry Potter movie!! So much fun! Greg, Melanie, Christa and I ended up going and had a blast. The kids would have stayed all night if they could have. I went on 1 ride with Jase the Space shot. I could hear him laughing and laughing. It was hilarious and we have some pictures to prove it. The kids – when we got to Canada- couldn’t believe how big everything looked, and all the lights were amazing to them. Especially Courtney. I wonder if she could remember them or it just seem like something in a dream that she might have remembered, because she was blown away by all of the lights and buildings, and things that we have here in Canada. Again it reminded me of how many things we take for granted – or possible how many things we have in Canada that we really don’t need seeing as life on the island is just simple yet full in the fact that we have each other and all the basics that we really need to live. Just not the stuff and fluff.














The next stop on the way from moving to Montana was Glenwood for a family reunion that our family was in charge of – talk about lots on the go it was really busy. On the way to Glenwood we stopped off to visit Great Grandma Kline –Todd’s Grandma – to our surprise Aunties and Grandma Erickson were there! I had no idea they were there. Unfortunately arriving there at about 11 o’clock at night and on our way through to Glenwood didn’t leave much time to visit. But the kids enjoyed seeing their Grandma’s and Aunties, and especially playing on the ceiling logs and swinging on the pillow swing!






Off to Glenwood at midnight to get up in the morning and try to help my Mom set up for the reunion.
I really wanted to go to the temple while I was back in Canada, the closest one to Statia in in the Dominican Republic so I was very excited to go. My Mom told my to take advantage of going that morning I was suppose to help her prepare things for the reunion. I felt terrible leaving her alone but she said not to be silly and just go. I was so grateful for her understanding and just enjoyed every minute of attending the Cardston Alberta Temple. It was a little sad not to have Todd with me because every time we ever went to the temple it was together. But I know he was happy that at least I could go, and just enjoy some time without any concerns of the world.

The reunion turned out to be a blast. We took advantage of the Glenwood Days celebration to keep the reunion happening! First we had our own family wiener roast, and float decorating activity it was fun but FREEZING! It got to 9 degrees Celsius and I thought I was going to die! The kids were freezing too. Okay it was really cold for everyone else as well but for us especially! We saw Uncle and Aunties we haven’t seen for years, and grandma and Grandpa were so excited to see us Carabineers the to join in with their celebration. Grandpa is so proud of Todd going to medical school down here on St. Eustatius, he made sure that everyone I talked to or he talked to knew that we were here in little ol’Glenwood all the way from the Caribbean and his grandson was going to Medical school there! I love my Grandpa! We were celebrating my Grandmas’ 80th birthday three years late! My Mom has been trying to get everyone together for 3 years and it still didn’t’ work out! But it was soooo nice to see everyone who could make it. Here we saw Mike and Carrie and their family for the first time – and now we have seen all of my brothers and sisters, 8 in all including me! I also saw a lot of people I know from Edmonton and Sherwood park (where I grew up – you know who you are ;) and that was really neat to be able to talk with them as well.

So here is a small fraction of some pictures from our first reunion day of Baseball, wiener roasting float decorating, and just hanging out enjoying family.











Let the parade begin! Up bright and early for the start of the parade with Grandma and Grandpa as the special guests of our float! The Kids absolutely loved it! They each had their own bag of candy to throw to the crowd or eat as they walk along waving to people! I think they really had a marvelous time. I know Grandma and Grandpa were very proud to see their grand children and great grand children running around with them on the float!








Next on the agenda, races of all sorts, ballon toss, and just a good time at the Glenwood days activities!









And the last day of the reunion a big meal, some bubble blowing, and a special celebration of grandmas birthday – thats really on Dec 26th! We had a wonderful program of singing old time songs and each family sang a little number for Grandma. My family did ‘Grandma’s Feather Bed’, and ‘Horsey, Horsey’. During our time at the lake my mom gave me the job of converting and old cassette tape to MP3 form she had found of my Grandpa Law and the quartet he sang in when he was a young man. They use to travel around southern Alberta singing in competitions and just for entertainment. They were actually quite amazing winning many trophies’s and were called the Trumps. I really enjoyed having to listen to them sing their songs in earphones and stopping the recording at the right moment between songs and trying to find out, with my Mom’s help, what the title of the song may be because they weren’t written anywhere. These recordings, along with a song my grandma starred in as a special guest were played at the celebration. Amazing what technology can do!






Eureka Montana here we come!! We were very excited to see the new lake house. There were 7 cars full of my family (not all of them) headed down to see the cabin and to help unpack and get the house organized. It was definitely a lot faster than packing up! We first took a tour before we started unpacking anything and it is such an amazing home and property. something out of a magazine. My goodness we are so spoiled! Here are just a few pictures of the house and a little look at some of the property with Jase in the picture.











This last two pictures are of the Hockey room! The kids loved being up there where Grandma let them play hockey, they even watched movies and had sleepovers in there. The cool kid hangout place!

After hours and hours of set up that first night, we went to bed, we were so tired and just ready for bed. It was tricky trying to get everything sleep worthy so we could get babies to bed and simply find everything in the mass of stuff to go through! But all hard work pays off every time! We had so much fun swimming and playing! Grandpa had a beach brought in so that the babies and the kids had some sand, like at the other lake, to play in. It was just perfect! The water was still quite chilly but warmer than up in Saskatchewan! I jumped in several time with my sisters – without a wet suit I may add- and swam around until we were numb. It was so fun to be there with them - work and play. The kids played non-stop with their cousins, held a huge toad, riding on Grandpas little cart to and from the beach, rode on the Banana (the big long red thing they ride behind on the boat), rode on sea-doos, surf boards, paddle boat, and I did it all as well with them, I even did some wake boarding and slaloming.





























The last Woman standing! We were taken on some wicked rides – yelling and screaming a laughing! So fun!






This last picture from the Montana lake house is of a bell that Todd and I acquired from one of the houses we renovated in Magrath. We aren’t sure of it original origin but it is definitely an antique that we gave to my parents years ago to put up at the lake house in Saskatchewan. They were very determined to make sure that they remembered to get the bell of the post in Sask. And bring it to Montana where it is used as the, so loud you can hear it very clear all the way to the beach, dinner bell!

We would have LOVED to stay longer but time was running short on our stay in Canada and we had to say goodbye to some of our family that we would not see again probably not until we are done here on Statia. It was sad to leave them, which included my Mom and Dad, but we will see them again.

So we were on our way to Magrath to see some dear friends that we have missed! I sent out a mass e-mail to the e-mail addresses I know and put out a Facebook message asking our friends to meet us at the park. We made a couple stops to Jim Blumel and family and Lance Miller and family. It was fun to see how everyone had grown, changed and it was neat to see the Millers house. It is the house that was suppose to be mine and Todd’s final house to live in for years to come before we decided to move to Statia for medical school. I think they did a fantastic job on making it their own.





It was so wonderful at the park to see so may people that we care so much about. We were so thankful that they took the time out of their days to come and see us while we were there. I also really enjoyed seeing some of the Young Women that I taught while I was living there in Magrathe 3rd ward. It brought back so many amazing memories and it made me miss being with them in Young Woman’s. I think I will always feel a special connection with those ladies. The kids loved seeing their favorite baby sitters again, friends, and we were even able to see ginger our – well use to be- Bechion Shitzu. I do have to admit I really loved seeing her again too, She was my best little buddy at home with me when the kids were at school, and I loved taking her with me to a lot of places and it was just fun to see her so happy when we came home. I thought for sure she would have forgotten who we were but as soon as I started talking she was jumping up on me whining and wanting me to hold her and not put her down. It broke my heart I probably would have started balling if there weren’t so many people there. I didn’t want to give her away; I was hoping someone would have just kept her for a while until we could figure something out. Todd said that if we knew what we did now about the island we wouldn’t have given her away…. So sad. But I know she’s happy and has a good family, the Tollstrups, to love her. Snif snif. If they ever don’t want her I’d take her in a heartbeat!















This last picture was a great surprise! These are my cousins, Ester lives in Colorado, or California now, and Brad and Tilain live in Kelowna B.C. I see this tall blond walking toward me and calling my name, I couldn’t figure out who this girl was until she got closer and I couldn’t’ believe who it was. They were on their was to my Aunt Janet’s house in Lethbridge from their lake house in Montana, and somehow read on Facebook just as they were passing Magrath and read my profile saying that I would be there. They flipped their car around and showed up for a big surprise! Who would have thought!

So onward and upward to ward Sherwood Park again with one last look at one of Grandpa’s farm fields.



We made it back up to Sherwood Park and enjoyed our last full day and ¾ of a day getting last minute items, organizing my stuff - I was so lucky to have Melanie there to help me - someone with a 'okay lets just get this done' head on her shoulders!. The five weeks for me had gone by fairly fast, unfortunately for Todd not so fast, he was a real trooper and did well in his classes though, That night before we went on the plane we went to dinner with Melanie, Mac, Cammie and Dean. (I wish I had some pictures of that! There are many things I wish I had pictures of that I didn’t take.) And after I took the kids to Chapters to get some final reading material to take home with us to Statia. And that was it. We had so much fun seeing and being with everyone!






Melanie drove us to the airport and we boarded our plane at 12:30 am arrived in Toronto at 6 am and waited for our plane to St. Maarten at 9 am and in St. Maarten at Approx. 2pm to board our plane to Statia at 6:30. It was a long trip home! I figured our whole trip to Canada from the most northern tip, to the most southern tip was about 17 or so hours of driving between the two. We were able to do some really fun things, and see a lot of friends because my parents were also gracious enough to lend me my Mom’s van the whole time we were there. I know We weren’t able to get to see everyone that we would have loved to visit with and for that I am sorry to those we missed! But it will feel sooner than later we will be back permanently on Canadian soil and when that time comes I know it will be a bittersweet moment. Sweet because we would be close to our families again and have some conveniences that there just isn’t here, But bitter because I love the simplicity, and the fact that you don’t have a million different choices eg. Hair products to choose from – you have this or that so pick this or that, and you’ll be just fine. The beautiful weather, beaches, diving, friends, experiencing a different cultural. The fact that we are learning to appreciate whom the people of Statia are. And my kids learning that people are different all over the world, that we need to love them for who they are but also try our best to be examples of what is most important in everyone's life as a whole - Our Savior Jesus Christ and the sanctity of Family.

The kids each had a little blurb they wanted to share about their trip home.

Jase:
Its really fun on Statia but its nice to go back to Canada and have some cool weather and have fun with my friends and family.

Katie:
When I heard that we were going to Canada, I couldn't believe it. And when we left I was soooooo excited but I was gonna miss Daddy. But I couldn't wait to see my cousins. I had awesome fun!

Courtney:
It was fun in Canada. I really loved it but I really love Daddy and I missed him so much but I had a lot of fun even though I missed Daddy.