A New Edition

A few weeks ago, I found a skinny dog named Logan hiding in our garage. He followed Ginger in after they had been playing in the backyard. It took me couple of hours to get close enough to read his tags, and when I contacted the owners, they denied having a dog and hung up the phone. I then called the SPCA and when I described the dog to them, they called him by name, and they picked up Logan about 3 hours later. After many phone calls, we got a call from the "pound-master" who asked if we were interested in adopting Logan. (We were told by the guy who picked him up that Logan had been caught 9 times in the last 6 months, due to his owners neglect, outside of a pub poking around the garbage looking for something to eat). We were also told that because of his size, and breed there would be little chance of him finding a home and that he would probably be put down. Anyway, long story short, we now have a very large(but small for his breed, Daryl thinks) Rottweiler who, while not terribly well-mannered but very trusting, seems to be fitting in to the family very well. Everybody loves him and Ginger seems okay with him as well except for the occasional jealous interval (just like older children when the new baby arrives). With a lot of love and lots of discipline, we think our new edition will work out just fine. By the way, compare the size of his legs with Justin's forearm.

Nothing to Do

Usually on the weekends we spend our days in the yard, but do to the weather this weekend, the two younger kids had difficulty finding things inside with which to amuse themselves. At one point, I found them in the living room with pillows strapped to their bodies running head first into each other. When asked what they were doing (other than trying to give themselves spinal chord injuries.... have I been spending too much time in the emergency room?) they told me they were having a "Sumo Championship Wrestling Match." Of course, I had to capture this on film and plan to show it at each of their wedding receptions! :)

My New Volkswagon

The above picture is my New Volkswagon Jetta!

This last picture is the Old Honda

This entry also entitled (by Miss. Shayla) "Experience with Children and Cars" .... sounds like a very expensive painting at a fancy museum, doesn't it? My old 1987 Honda had a multitude of little problems and, after being nickel and dimed to death for the last six months, I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a new vehicle. With the help and expertise of my personal mechanic Daryl, I found a 2001 Volkswagon Jetta. Yea! It's so cute! It's a diesel, and I am averaging about 840 km's per tank in the city, so I am very happy with the milage I'm getting from it. It's a 1.8L automatic. Shayla would like me to add that it has seat warmers which will be very nice on our bums when it gets colder out. Also, she wants me to add that there are little speakers on the doors just above where you open them. Also, that there are spots in the middle seat to store your candy. Gavin would like me to add that there is a pop-out coffee holder in the front. Unfortunately, I've discovered that a black interior is not so condusive to cleanliness when it involves three kids, a blonde dog and an owner that has a tendancy to spill things. Oh well, so far it's working beautifully!

Company

We recently had a visit from Daryl's dad (Tom) and step-mom (Maureen) who drove in from Kamloops. The drive takes about 3 1/2 hours but this was the busiest weekend for ferry travel so they had to wait at the terminal for 4 hours. You will see from the picture that Moe had to relieve some aggression after the long wait.

Dad's Camp-out

Daryl belongs to a group of men called the "Sooke Dads." They meet once a month to discuss "Dad and Kids" things/issues and plan an annual camping trip. Businesses in the area donate meat and supplies, and the dads get to spend the weekend (without any mothers) with their kids, instilling values and life skills (theoretically). The best part of being in the group is that Daryl knows many of the kids in town, and likewise, the other fathers know our children, so we have "eyes" all over town. Here are a few shots from the trip:

Summer Holidays!!!

Here is Ginger acting as our watch dog. Her nose didn't stop twitching the whole time we were there!

The kids "earned" ice-cream cones by running around the campground (ahhh..... peace and quiet!) On one of our trips to the "General Store," the clerk told Gavin he would give him the ice-cream that was left in the bottom of the container for only one dollar. (He didn't want to spend the time washing out the container etc.) Gavin thought he had died and gone to heaven! A boy carrying a bucket of ice-cream the size of his torso while walking down the highway generates a lot of strange looks!

With Justin's love of school, he made sure he found time to do his homework! (just kidding, Justin!) :)

On the second day there, the boys decided to spring a "red-neck" trap using two beer cans to see if they could lure any transient southerners (Tennessee or Texans) who might be lurking in the bushes.

We spent time walking a long the ocean and climbing the rocks and drift wood the tide pushed in.

This summer vacation we went back to our favorite campground 'French Beach' where we spent a week having fun and hanging out together. We went on hikes, to the park and the ocean, had water-gun fights, campfires, walked to the 'general store' a few times for ice-cream and generally took it easy and relaxed. We roasted marshmellows and made smores(I held the esteemed position of "graham-cracker-lady"). The kids also spent a lot of time riding their bikes and playing with other kids at the campground.

While there, we saw a black bear with two cubs, a cougar and an elk, as well as many little animals such as rabbits, birds, sea otters and a rat (ew). We had a great time!

The Garden

Well, with a lot of digging and grass pulling it is finally finished. You all should recall the garden enclosure that we (with the help of Daryl's parents) made last year to keep the deer out. This year, though a bit late in the season, it is all planted with vegetables. We have peas, carrots, lettuce, radishes, peppers, cuc's and even watermelon this year. Hopefully our extended growing season will enable us to enjoy the "veggies of our labour" and all will grow. Here are a few action shots.