Showing posts with label niece. Show all posts
Showing posts with label niece. Show all posts
Just Foolin' Around
On Friday night, my niece showed off her skill as part of a team skate to the Mario Brothers' theme song and then Saturday afternoon she performed her solo and earned a silver medal for it. So very proud of her!!
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| SKATERS READY FOR SHOWCASE More than 200 figure skaters, including national pairs champion Kirsten Moore-Towers (of St. Catharines) and Dylan Moscovitch will perform at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Skating Club’s annual year-end Showcase this Friday. The International Skating Union has the duo ranked 21st in the world. The theme of the Showcase is‘Just Foolin’ Around’ to coincide with April Fools’ Day. The age ranges from 2-58 years-old. The event starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. |
that's my niece!
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| So proud of my niece!! She earned 5th place (out of 9 skaters) at her very first competition today!! |
Young NOTL skaters come home with medals
released in the Niagara Advance
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| NOTL Skating Club sent 21 skaters to the Futures - East Invitational Skating Competition held recently at Six Nations, and had 12 return with medals. |
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Skating Club sent 21 young skaters to the Futures - East Invitational Skating Competition held March 5 and 6 in Six Nations to compete against more than 400 skaters, and had 12 girls return with medals.
These are the skaters' results:
Cierra Perron, STARSkate Pre-Preliminary – first
Jeniah Wiens, Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 9 – first
Anya Heaven, Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 10 – second
Mackenzie Graba, Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 6 – third
Alyssa Hunter, Pre-Preliminary B Limited Group 3 – third
Rachael Hunter, CanSkate Group 10 – third
Angelina Maniatis, Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 1 – third
Kyra Marotta, Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 2 – third
Julianna Mihelic, CanSkate Group 14 – third
Kaitlyn Ostromecki, CanSkate Group 12 – third
Avery Royer, CanSkate Group 5 – third
Felicia Scaringi, STARSkate Preliminary – third
Antonia Martin – CanSkate Group 15 – fourth
Madison MacLean – Pre-Preliminary A Limited Group 3 – fifth
Taylor McLachlan – STARSkate Pre-Preliminary – fifth
Kaityn Wiens – CanSkate Group 7 – fifth
Abby Johnstone, Pre-Preliminary B Limited Group 4 – sixth
Annelise Perron – STARSkate Preliminary – sixth
Lexie Madsen – STARSkate Preliminary – seventh
Alexa Ostrowski – Preliminary B Group 4 – seventh
Claudia Selimi – CanSkate Group 15 – eighth.
donuts
The other day my Mom had the kids in the car when Berlin announced to Mom that she was boring because she didn't make donuts. This confused us a bit because Mom makes donuts for everybody's birthdays. Then it came out, she wanted Mom to make donuts "the way Daddy does".
Beginners learning skating skills with figure skating club
New session of classes will start next week
released in the Niagara Advance
December 30, 2010
Not sure figure skating is the right sport for your child?
How about hockey, ringette, or just learning to have fun and be safe on the ice?
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Figure Skating Club offers programs for beginners of all ages, designed to develop a variety of skating skills. The CanSkate program focuses on fun, participation and basic skill development.
It is beneficial to any skater with an interest in ice sports, including figure skating, hockey and ringette.
Skaters are grouped according to ability and taught by certified professional coaches assisted by qualified program assistants. Skaters develop forward and backward skating skills, stopping, turning, jumping, edges and crosscuts. Badges are awarded when all skills have been achieved.
"We might have the next Sidney Crosby or Joannie Rochette among us. If we do, we want to find them," says NOTL Figure Skating Club spokesperson Darlene Dortono.
And for those who will not reach the level of a professional hockey player or Olympic figure skater, she said, lessons will give them an opportunity to learn new skills.
With the next session about to start, it's especially timely for youngsters who will be skating with their schools during the winter, she adds.
Coaches make the sessions active using teaching aids, music and a variety of theme and fun days held throughout the season.
Skate Canada and the NOTL club strongly recommend a properly fitted CSA hockey helmet for all beginner skaters.
The skating club offers a pre-school CanSkate session for beginners ages three to five at the Virgil arena Thursdays, from 4 to 4:45 p.m., and Mainstream CanSkate sessions, for beginners aged five and up, from 4-4:50 p.m.
On Saturdays, the Pre-school session is from 3 to 3:45 and Mainstream from 3:45 to 4:35.
Students can choose one or class or attend both, says Dortono.
The club also offers an adult session on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 7:50 p.m.
All programs begin next week, Jan. 5 for adults, Jan. 6 and 8 for kids.
Registration for the January session can be arranged by calling the club at 905-468-7465 or emailing the office at notlsk8r@hotmail.com. Information is also available at www.notlskatingclub.com.
Parents or guardians of pre-school and CanSkate skaters must remain at the arena during lesson time for their children's safety and encouragement.
New session of classes will start next week
released in the Niagara Advance
December 30, 2010
 |
| Alika Elliott, Christy Engemann and Kaityn Wiens learn basic skills with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Figure Skating Club. |
How about hockey, ringette, or just learning to have fun and be safe on the ice?
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Figure Skating Club offers programs for beginners of all ages, designed to develop a variety of skating skills. The CanSkate program focuses on fun, participation and basic skill development.
It is beneficial to any skater with an interest in ice sports, including figure skating, hockey and ringette.
Skaters are grouped according to ability and taught by certified professional coaches assisted by qualified program assistants. Skaters develop forward and backward skating skills, stopping, turning, jumping, edges and crosscuts. Badges are awarded when all skills have been achieved.
"We might have the next Sidney Crosby or Joannie Rochette among us. If we do, we want to find them," says NOTL Figure Skating Club spokesperson Darlene Dortono.
And for those who will not reach the level of a professional hockey player or Olympic figure skater, she said, lessons will give them an opportunity to learn new skills.
With the next session about to start, it's especially timely for youngsters who will be skating with their schools during the winter, she adds.
Coaches make the sessions active using teaching aids, music and a variety of theme and fun days held throughout the season.
Skate Canada and the NOTL club strongly recommend a properly fitted CSA hockey helmet for all beginner skaters.
The skating club offers a pre-school CanSkate session for beginners ages three to five at the Virgil arena Thursdays, from 4 to 4:45 p.m., and Mainstream CanSkate sessions, for beginners aged five and up, from 4-4:50 p.m.
On Saturdays, the Pre-school session is from 3 to 3:45 and Mainstream from 3:45 to 4:35.
Students can choose one or class or attend both, says Dortono.
The club also offers an adult session on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 7:50 p.m.
All programs begin next week, Jan. 5 for adults, Jan. 6 and 8 for kids.
Registration for the January session can be arranged by calling the club at 905-468-7465 or emailing the office at notlsk8r@hotmail.com. Information is also available at www.notlskatingclub.com.
Parents or guardians of pre-school and CanSkate skaters must remain at the arena during lesson time for their children's safety and encouragement.
that's my niece!!
Niagara Blades bring home gold
released in the Niagara Advance
09 December 2010
The Niagara Blades of the Niagara Falls Girls Hockey Association traveled to Stratford to bring home a tournament trophy in the novice division—and they did.
The team of Niagara-on-the-Lake girls—there is no girls travel division in NOTL—played three preliminary and two playoff games to capture the gold.
Not knowing what to expect, the team came out strong beating London 5-1. Goaltender Lauren Viviers stole the spotlight making numerous saves to earn the game star. Emma Penner and Katie Miller each scored two goals with Avery Penner adding the single. Assists went to Jessica Paul with two, and singles to Emma, Avery, and Abbey Penner.
Playing against the host team, Brooklyn Clark paced the way scoring five in an 8-1 win over Stratford. Emma Penner collected two and Miller one. Single assists went to Isabella Antonucci, Emma, Avery and Abbey Penner.
The third game Niagara won over the Twin Centre was a lopsided 12-0 victory. Miller and Clark potted four each and Emma Penner and Emma Andres two a piece. Assists went to Emma Penner, Clark, Paul and Abbey Penner.
These same two teams hooked up in the playoffs with a totally different outcome. Great defence by Antonucci and Tiana Hollowchuk combined with great saves by Viviers, Niagara snuck by with a 1-0 victory.
Great plays from Emma Andres, Alice Hellwig and Berlin Wiens just couldn't get by the goaltender. A fine pass from Lexi Buis went to Clark in a breakaway with Avery Penner trailing to pick up the rebound and score a late goal.
In the final match the Blades held off a London team 3-1. With the Blades up 2-1 late in the game, Miller sealed the championship with seconds remaining.
Hollowchuk, Hellwig and Ana Laura Mancuso got in on the scoring action picking up single assists as did Miller. Clark and Emma Penner added the other goals.
released in the Niagara Advance
09 December 2010
 |
| The Niagara Blades, a novice girls travel team playing in a Niagara Falls girls league, traveled to Stratford recently and won each of their five games, coming home tournament champions. |
The team of Niagara-on-the-Lake girls—there is no girls travel division in NOTL—played three preliminary and two playoff games to capture the gold.
Not knowing what to expect, the team came out strong beating London 5-1. Goaltender Lauren Viviers stole the spotlight making numerous saves to earn the game star. Emma Penner and Katie Miller each scored two goals with Avery Penner adding the single. Assists went to Jessica Paul with two, and singles to Emma, Avery, and Abbey Penner.
Playing against the host team, Brooklyn Clark paced the way scoring five in an 8-1 win over Stratford. Emma Penner collected two and Miller one. Single assists went to Isabella Antonucci, Emma, Avery and Abbey Penner.
The third game Niagara won over the Twin Centre was a lopsided 12-0 victory. Miller and Clark potted four each and Emma Penner and Emma Andres two a piece. Assists went to Emma Penner, Clark, Paul and Abbey Penner.
These same two teams hooked up in the playoffs with a totally different outcome. Great defence by Antonucci and Tiana Hollowchuk combined with great saves by Viviers, Niagara snuck by with a 1-0 victory.
Great plays from Emma Andres, Alice Hellwig and Berlin Wiens just couldn't get by the goaltender. A fine pass from Lexi Buis went to Clark in a breakaway with Avery Penner trailing to pick up the rebound and score a late goal.
In the final match the Blades held off a London team 3-1. With the Blades up 2-1 late in the game, Miller sealed the championship with seconds remaining.
Hollowchuk, Hellwig and Ana Laura Mancuso got in on the scoring action picking up single assists as did Miller. Clark and Emma Penner added the other goals.
a take on a wedding
A long-time family friend wrote up a little something about my brother's wedding this summer for some other family friends who were unable to attend. I just came across it and really liked it. I have removed the names that were in the original e-mail. I added in some pictures for visuals of the written descriptions.
--------------------
The wedding.
[The groom's mom] wore a beautiful knee length fitted shirred dress in a smokey purple colour. It had beading and added shirring detail at the neck. It really looked pretty and she'd had her hair done quite fancy by someone else. She said it looked messy, but it looked really good, flipped up all over. I don't remember what [his dad] was wearing.
[The groom] walked his mom in to the front of the church with his dad following behind. Sweet. [His] groomsmen were - best man - his brother [and 3 longtime friends]. The groomsmen wore black tuxes with grey stiped shirts. They all looked good. When the groomsmen walked to the front from the front side entrance they all stood in a line with their backs to the audience. Then [the groom] spun around and gave [the best man] a shove, [the best man] spun around and gave [groom's man 1] a shove etc., etc. It was cute.
The ring bearer was [the groom's nephew]. He came in on a battery operated, motorized John Deere tractor with an orange tool box in front of him with the ring inside.
Following him were [the groom's 3 nieces] the oldest two pulling a red wagon with the youngest, about 6 months, reclining inside. It was cute.
The bridesmaids wore black sleeveless fitted knee length dresses. They looked very pretty. I didn't know the bridesmaids.
[The bride] looked lovely, she had a strapless dress, fitted to the waist and then flaired with a little train. She didn't have a veil, but rather a flower with a spray of feathers in her hair.
[The bride's] dad brought her down the aisle. When they stopped near the front [the groom] came towards them. The [pastor] asked, who gives the bride? And the father said, "Her brothers and I do". It was a sniff kind of moment and a really nice touch. And then the wedding party was all gathered at the front. And the pastor acknowledged that they felt the loss of [the bride's] mom, that 6 months ago they'd been in church to say their goodbyes to her... and they would now have blessings from both sides of the family and the audience. So first [the father of the bride] and [her] two brothers stood in their place in the audience and read a blessing, and then [the groom's parents] stood where they were and read a blessing, and then the pastor read a blessing and the audience said, "We do." And then there were two congregational songs let by [a friend of the groom]. He suddenly popped up from the front left aisle of the church and stood right there while we stood and sang. Two traditional hymns. They must have had special meaning because they weren't all that wedding-y. And then there was a scripture reading by someone who popped up from the front right aisle. And then [the bride's uncle] gave a somewhat lengthy meditation. The verse it was based on was the love of God the height and breadth and depth. There was a prologue on what the verse was based on and he wove in the story of Jewish children, but I couldn't hear it properly and there was also a main part, which related to today and the wedding and then there is a postlude and conclusion. [He] is very well read but very soft spoken. He ended by telling the story of one of Tolstoy's books. Tolstoy believed that the love of God was everything and he wrote some very interesting books, one of which involved a Cobbler and his three visitors.
Next came the vows. [The bride and groom] both read them off a card held by the pastor, and they got that done quickly without any breakdowns of emotional excess or nervous giggling. And then the pastor said, I now pronounce you man and wife. They kissed and hugged and departed the church to a lively rocky tune. There were no candles or candle ceremonies or ring ceremonies or signing of the register ceremonies. I'm not saying that I missed them, just that they weren't part of the ceremony.
There were no church decorations other than two beautiful large multicoloured flower arrangements at the front with peaches filling the bottom of the vases, and what must have been the church ferns and other greenery. Nothing on the pews or window ledges etc. No arbors, candles or little tables. I'm not saying I missed it, just that it wasn't there. When we walked into the church there was a table with a few photos on it and a photo album where you signed your name.
[The groom's Aunt S] was not at the ceremony. Apparently [she] rented a handicap van and one of [her husband's] caregivers at Lyndhurst offered to drive [them] to the reception on his own time and for no charge. [The caregiver] and his wife will stay at [their] house tonight. How nice, yes? So [the groom's Aunt S] will have [the caregiver] there to help with all the heavy stuff. [My son and his girlfriend] were invited to the wedding. I was somewhat surprised to see them. Didn't know they'd been invited. [...] Ooooh, I also saw [the 4th grade teacher of 2 of my sons]. He's not a popular man in our household. He had no tolerance for slower learners and he was mean to [my oldest son]. And then he failed him. At least that's how we as a family look at it :) From behind me and to the far right, [my son] suddenly stage whispered to me, "Is that MR. ****** SITTING ACROSS THE AISLE?" And I nodded yes. And he stage-whispered, "HE FAILED [my brother]!!". I nodded yes. But he looked like he expected me to wrestle the man to the ground and throw him out of church. I shushed [my son] and restrained myself from any outbursts of physical violence.
After the wedding we went to [a friend's] place for yerba along with [some others]. The reception at [the groom's parents' house] starts at 5pm.
We were seated at a table with [the groom's parents, the groom's Aunt K and Uncle R and the groom's grandmother]. We had a nice time. [...]
[The] grounds were really beautiful. There was a large white tent set up in the side yard. When we got there we were directed to a different section of the gardens where they had a punch table and ice cream bars available. There was about an hour of mingling and then we sat at round tables inside the big white tent.
There were 2 or 3 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and 81 chinese lanterns of various sizes, mostly white, with some lime green. The table linens and chairs were white. The tent rental place wanted $10.00 for renting each chinese lantern. (they're round paper globes with wire inside). They found the same thing on-line and at dollar stores around the city for $1.00 each. They didn't light, but they looked really pretty.
Each table had a centerpiece in a squat square vase with a variety of flowers. Very pretty.
[The groom's Aunt S and Uncle M] showed up just as the food was starting. They both looked good. [The groom's uncle] looks like he’s lost a lot of weight and he looks older, but he held up well at the reception and they stayed till after 9.
I have never had better food at a wedding in my life. They had a caterer who made 4 kinds of green salads, an assortment of different breads, a pasta dish, tiny coloured tortellini filled with cheese in a cream sauce, tiny oven baked potatoes, carrots, broccoli with cheese, amazing melt in your mouth chicken breasts with a light cream sauce, green beans and then there was a different meat station with beef tenderloin that had been barbequed by Fritz Klassen, Matt Wiens, Carlos Wiens, Bob Wiens and Harry Wiens. It was seasoned perfectly and you had your choice of rare, medium, medium-well and well done. It just melted in your mouth too.
And then there was a dessert buffet. At least 15 varieties of cakes and tortes each one better than the last. We'd barely finished the program and they brought out another assortment of food. A sushi bar, huge shrimp, cheese-filled tortilla bites and many other squares and slices. It was hard work but I think [my friend] and I sampled almost everything.
There was a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine at each table. After the meal every table got a bottle of ice wine. Lots of coffee and tea and the huge punchbowl kept getting refilled too. One funny thing was that one of the waitresses suddenly came up to [my husband] and started chatting like old friends. He had no idea who she was until he suddenly realized that he'd just finished pouring a basement for her and her husband. It was one of those things where he thought she looked familiar but he couldn't place her. He knew she was a teacher, so he asked what she was doing moonlighting for a caterer. She said she had to earn extra money to pay for her new big house :)
The program was short but nice. [The bride's] 2 brothers were the MCs and they did a really good job. They have quick one-liners and a good sense of humour. When they introduced the wedding party, they had funny comments for everyone. For [groom's man 2], they said that he’s been spotted in downtown St. Catharines checking the parking metres. He may try telling you that he’s a cop but don’t believe him. For [groom's man 1] they said, he’s an engineer and works for Hydro 1. Although he won’t admit it he’s responsible for the recent power outage that shut of electricity in southern Ontario and parts of the U.S. He did it because he was tired of standing in [the groom's] shadow. For [the best man, a.k.a. the groom's brother] they said that he likes to think he’s a carnivore and hunter, barbequer, but he’s been spotted sitting in his dark basement secretly eating vegetables with humus.
There were really good speeches by the best man and the maid of honour. No sobbing and very funny in places. Speeches by [the groom's parents and the father of the bride]. A funny song sung by [the groom's nephew and oldest 2 nieces] with pictures of [the groom's] various mustache growths accompanying it. A short slide show, a speech by [the bride and groom], and that was it.
Then everyone was told to go out of the tent onto the lawn and there was an amazing fireworks show. I think it rivaled the Virgil Stampede. After that there were about 20 4ft-diameter paper lanterns set alight (I think a small gas canister inside was lit) and they were released and floated up into the night sky. It was so pretty watching each one follow its own flight path and disappear into the dark. They'd gotten permission from the Niagara on the Lake airport to do it. It looked kind of dangerous to me but apparently they go high enough that they don't set anything on fire and when the gas runs out, they burn up in the air or do something biodegradable. By then I was too full to really care about the consequences. Closer friends and relatives lit the lanterns and then the very last one was lit and set afloat by [the father of the bride]. It was beautiful and symbolic.
And after that some of the people stayed outside, some went to visit inside the tent and others danced or ate sushi and stuff.
A very funny moment happened when [a friend of the couple] (I think she was the D.J. came up to [the groom's father] and asked him to check the fan in the women's bathroom. She said it was really really really hot in there. [Friend L] and I were wondering why anyone would stay in the washroom long enough to feel the heat that drastically, but [the groom's father] went to check it out. [My husband] helpfully suggested that he take a paper fan along and fan the women as they entered the washroom. ha ha. I should say that the rented washrooms were very nice and I personally didn't find them overwhelmingly hot at all. They were big and white and clean. Between the men's and women's section was a wheelbarrow painted John Deere green and filled with flowers.
[Friend M] did the decorating. [Friend K] said she had helped [by] filling vases with water etc. I reassured her the water in the vases looked particularly clear and fresh. That she'd done a good job. Also I noticed that at the end of the evening, while [friend L] and I were busy with food, [friend M] came up to [friend K] who was in the process of brushing date square crumbs off her top and asked [friend K] to help collect vases and take them to the garage. [Friend M's] sons were also helping. [Her husband] was particularly helpful in that he had a small pen flashlight on hand and he was illuminating the sushi display for [friend L] and me.
I particularly liked the section of the gardens were the fireworks were displayed. There were paper bag lanterns randomly hanging in the trees. On the other side of the large tent, there were strands of mostly white lights strung from the tall trees. There were also paper bag lanterns lighting the path to the washrooms.
[My husband] and I left at around 10:30.
--------------------
The wedding.
[The groom's mom] wore a beautiful knee length fitted shirred dress in a smokey purple colour. It had beading and added shirring detail at the neck. It really looked pretty and she'd had her hair done quite fancy by someone else. She said it looked messy, but it looked really good, flipped up all over. I don't remember what [his dad] was wearing.
[The groom] walked his mom in to the front of the church with his dad following behind. Sweet. [His] groomsmen were - best man - his brother [and 3 longtime friends]. The groomsmen wore black tuxes with grey stiped shirts. They all looked good. When the groomsmen walked to the front from the front side entrance they all stood in a line with their backs to the audience. Then [the groom] spun around and gave [the best man] a shove, [the best man] spun around and gave [groom's man 1] a shove etc., etc. It was cute.
The ring bearer was [the groom's nephew]. He came in on a battery operated, motorized John Deere tractor with an orange tool box in front of him with the ring inside.
Following him were [the groom's 3 nieces] the oldest two pulling a red wagon with the youngest, about 6 months, reclining inside. It was cute.
The bridesmaids wore black sleeveless fitted knee length dresses. They looked very pretty. I didn't know the bridesmaids.
[The bride] looked lovely, she had a strapless dress, fitted to the waist and then flaired with a little train. She didn't have a veil, but rather a flower with a spray of feathers in her hair.
[The bride's] dad brought her down the aisle. When they stopped near the front [the groom] came towards them. The [pastor] asked, who gives the bride? And the father said, "Her brothers and I do". It was a sniff kind of moment and a really nice touch. And then the wedding party was all gathered at the front. And the pastor acknowledged that they felt the loss of [the bride's] mom, that 6 months ago they'd been in church to say their goodbyes to her... and they would now have blessings from both sides of the family and the audience. So first [the father of the bride] and [her] two brothers stood in their place in the audience and read a blessing, and then [the groom's parents] stood where they were and read a blessing, and then the pastor read a blessing and the audience said, "We do." And then there were two congregational songs let by [a friend of the groom]. He suddenly popped up from the front left aisle of the church and stood right there while we stood and sang. Two traditional hymns. They must have had special meaning because they weren't all that wedding-y. And then there was a scripture reading by someone who popped up from the front right aisle. And then [the bride's uncle] gave a somewhat lengthy meditation. The verse it was based on was the love of God the height and breadth and depth. There was a prologue on what the verse was based on and he wove in the story of Jewish children, but I couldn't hear it properly and there was also a main part, which related to today and the wedding and then there is a postlude and conclusion. [He] is very well read but very soft spoken. He ended by telling the story of one of Tolstoy's books. Tolstoy believed that the love of God was everything and he wrote some very interesting books, one of which involved a Cobbler and his three visitors.
Next came the vows. [The bride and groom] both read them off a card held by the pastor, and they got that done quickly without any breakdowns of emotional excess or nervous giggling. And then the pastor said, I now pronounce you man and wife. They kissed and hugged and departed the church to a lively rocky tune. There were no candles or candle ceremonies or ring ceremonies or signing of the register ceremonies. I'm not saying that I missed them, just that they weren't part of the ceremony.
There were no church decorations other than two beautiful large multicoloured flower arrangements at the front with peaches filling the bottom of the vases, and what must have been the church ferns and other greenery. Nothing on the pews or window ledges etc. No arbors, candles or little tables. I'm not saying I missed it, just that it wasn't there. When we walked into the church there was a table with a few photos on it and a photo album where you signed your name.
[The groom's Aunt S] was not at the ceremony. Apparently [she] rented a handicap van and one of [her husband's] caregivers at Lyndhurst offered to drive [them] to the reception on his own time and for no charge. [The caregiver] and his wife will stay at [their] house tonight. How nice, yes? So [the groom's Aunt S] will have [the caregiver] there to help with all the heavy stuff. [My son and his girlfriend] were invited to the wedding. I was somewhat surprised to see them. Didn't know they'd been invited. [...] Ooooh, I also saw [the 4th grade teacher of 2 of my sons]. He's not a popular man in our household. He had no tolerance for slower learners and he was mean to [my oldest son]. And then he failed him. At least that's how we as a family look at it :) From behind me and to the far right, [my son] suddenly stage whispered to me, "Is that MR. ****** SITTING ACROSS THE AISLE?" And I nodded yes. And he stage-whispered, "HE FAILED [my brother]!!". I nodded yes. But he looked like he expected me to wrestle the man to the ground and throw him out of church. I shushed [my son] and restrained myself from any outbursts of physical violence.
After the wedding we went to [a friend's] place for yerba along with [some others]. The reception at [the groom's parents' house] starts at 5pm.
We were seated at a table with [the groom's parents, the groom's Aunt K and Uncle R and the groom's grandmother]. We had a nice time. [...]
[The] grounds were really beautiful. There was a large white tent set up in the side yard. When we got there we were directed to a different section of the gardens where they had a punch table and ice cream bars available. There was about an hour of mingling and then we sat at round tables inside the big white tent.
There were 2 or 3 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and 81 chinese lanterns of various sizes, mostly white, with some lime green. The table linens and chairs were white. The tent rental place wanted $10.00 for renting each chinese lantern. (they're round paper globes with wire inside). They found the same thing on-line and at dollar stores around the city for $1.00 each. They didn't light, but they looked really pretty.
Each table had a centerpiece in a squat square vase with a variety of flowers. Very pretty.
[The groom's Aunt S and Uncle M] showed up just as the food was starting. They both looked good. [The groom's uncle] looks like he’s lost a lot of weight and he looks older, but he held up well at the reception and they stayed till after 9.
I have never had better food at a wedding in my life. They had a caterer who made 4 kinds of green salads, an assortment of different breads, a pasta dish, tiny coloured tortellini filled with cheese in a cream sauce, tiny oven baked potatoes, carrots, broccoli with cheese, amazing melt in your mouth chicken breasts with a light cream sauce, green beans and then there was a different meat station with beef tenderloin that had been barbequed by Fritz Klassen, Matt Wiens, Carlos Wiens, Bob Wiens and Harry Wiens. It was seasoned perfectly and you had your choice of rare, medium, medium-well and well done. It just melted in your mouth too.
And then there was a dessert buffet. At least 15 varieties of cakes and tortes each one better than the last. We'd barely finished the program and they brought out another assortment of food. A sushi bar, huge shrimp, cheese-filled tortilla bites and many other squares and slices. It was hard work but I think [my friend] and I sampled almost everything.
There was a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine at each table. After the meal every table got a bottle of ice wine. Lots of coffee and tea and the huge punchbowl kept getting refilled too. One funny thing was that one of the waitresses suddenly came up to [my husband] and started chatting like old friends. He had no idea who she was until he suddenly realized that he'd just finished pouring a basement for her and her husband. It was one of those things where he thought she looked familiar but he couldn't place her. He knew she was a teacher, so he asked what she was doing moonlighting for a caterer. She said she had to earn extra money to pay for her new big house :)
The program was short but nice. [The bride's] 2 brothers were the MCs and they did a really good job. They have quick one-liners and a good sense of humour. When they introduced the wedding party, they had funny comments for everyone. For [groom's man 2], they said that he’s been spotted in downtown St. Catharines checking the parking metres. He may try telling you that he’s a cop but don’t believe him. For [groom's man 1] they said, he’s an engineer and works for Hydro 1. Although he won’t admit it he’s responsible for the recent power outage that shut of electricity in southern Ontario and parts of the U.S. He did it because he was tired of standing in [the groom's] shadow. For [the best man, a.k.a. the groom's brother] they said that he likes to think he’s a carnivore and hunter, barbequer, but he’s been spotted sitting in his dark basement secretly eating vegetables with humus.
There were really good speeches by the best man and the maid of honour. No sobbing and very funny in places. Speeches by [the groom's parents and the father of the bride]. A funny song sung by [the groom's nephew and oldest 2 nieces] with pictures of [the groom's] various mustache growths accompanying it. A short slide show, a speech by [the bride and groom], and that was it.
Then everyone was told to go out of the tent onto the lawn and there was an amazing fireworks show. I think it rivaled the Virgil Stampede. After that there were about 20 4ft-diameter paper lanterns set alight (I think a small gas canister inside was lit) and they were released and floated up into the night sky. It was so pretty watching each one follow its own flight path and disappear into the dark. They'd gotten permission from the Niagara on the Lake airport to do it. It looked kind of dangerous to me but apparently they go high enough that they don't set anything on fire and when the gas runs out, they burn up in the air or do something biodegradable. By then I was too full to really care about the consequences. Closer friends and relatives lit the lanterns and then the very last one was lit and set afloat by [the father of the bride]. It was beautiful and symbolic.
And after that some of the people stayed outside, some went to visit inside the tent and others danced or ate sushi and stuff.
A very funny moment happened when [a friend of the couple] (I think she was the D.J. came up to [the groom's father] and asked him to check the fan in the women's bathroom. She said it was really really really hot in there. [Friend L] and I were wondering why anyone would stay in the washroom long enough to feel the heat that drastically, but [the groom's father] went to check it out. [My husband] helpfully suggested that he take a paper fan along and fan the women as they entered the washroom. ha ha. I should say that the rented washrooms were very nice and I personally didn't find them overwhelmingly hot at all. They were big and white and clean. Between the men's and women's section was a wheelbarrow painted John Deere green and filled with flowers.
[Friend M] did the decorating. [Friend K] said she had helped [by] filling vases with water etc. I reassured her the water in the vases looked particularly clear and fresh. That she'd done a good job. Also I noticed that at the end of the evening, while [friend L] and I were busy with food, [friend M] came up to [friend K] who was in the process of brushing date square crumbs off her top and asked [friend K] to help collect vases and take them to the garage. [Friend M's] sons were also helping. [Her husband] was particularly helpful in that he had a small pen flashlight on hand and he was illuminating the sushi display for [friend L] and me.
I particularly liked the section of the gardens were the fireworks were displayed. There were paper bag lanterns randomly hanging in the trees. On the other side of the large tent, there were strands of mostly white lights strung from the tall trees. There were also paper bag lanterns lighting the path to the washrooms.
[My husband] and I left at around 10:30.
KFC
In our house there is nothing that conjures up images of childhood Sundays better than a bucket of original KFC.
While we were growing up, it was a fairly frequent occurrence for Dad to stop by KFC on the way home from church. I imagine the aroma of warm chicken and fries would fill the vehicle and by the time we got home we were all ready to dig in.
KFC is still a common occurrence at our house and the tradition is being carried on to the next generation as my nieces and nephew enjoy having their "chicken on the bone" for Sunday lunch.
Even as I'm typing this, there is a bucket of chicken sitting on the counter waiting for everyone to arrive. Mmm, finger lickin' good.
ramblings for today
k, so i guess it's time to ramble a bit again.
things are going pretty good - usually. right now i'm in between exams so i will be studying some more. yesterday i managed to twist my back in a way that doesn't work well with my body. so that changed my plans for the weekend. i was supposed to be scrapbooking last night and all day today, but that didn't happen. so what did i do instead? i changed the lay out on both of my blogs, prepped a lot of the things i need to make invitations for lauren's shower, watched some movies and even got to writing on my blog. LOL, such a productive day.
so, let's see... what else is going on?
tomorrow is my niece's child dedication. so that's very exciting. mom was busy in the kitchen today so that we'll have more than enough food for lunch tomorrow.
i've been involved in a pioneer girls program this year leading a group of grade 4 girls. the last couple weeks have been fairly intense. we've been working on a "i like me" badge. this is a good thing, but emotionally charged and draining for me as i'm still dealing with self-esteem issues and didn't want our talks to be me talking down to them - so basically i let them know that everyone has things that they don't like about themselves and that hollywood beauty isn't real. i think they totally appreciated that and i'm hoping they'll remember it as they continue to grow up.
in may i'm gonna see "the voca people" at the fallsview casino. ok, you've probably never heard of them. i hadn't until i saw a preview when i saw "band from tv". so, who are "the voca people"? in their own words: "The Voca people are 8 friendly aliens from the planet Voca, a musical planet that has no verbal communication but use vocal expressions only. They have heard the music from earth for decades now and with their imitation abilities they have decided to pay a one evening tribute to humanity and to perform the songs they love as musical- gratitude." sounds a bit weird, but looks and sounds really cool. you can check out their website at http://www.voca-people.com/ or look them up on youtube (here's just one example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6EYrqIn0yI).
ummm... what else?
we're gonna have a new body living in our house starting on tuesday. one of my cousins from paraguay is coming to live with us for 3 to 6 months. we'll see how this all plays out.
we're also gonna have a few new additions to the family this summer as there will be 2 weddings in august. my cousin james is getting married to kathrin golter in germany on august 14 and my brother gary is getting married to lauren koop in st. catharines on august 28. i'm hoping i'll be able to make it to germany, but i kinda doubt it as my brother has requested that mom makes all the desserts (of course that means i'm involved in both baking and decorating) and their reception will be in our yard. yup, this is shaping up to be a busy summer.
i'm sure there's other things going on too, but nothing that i can think of at the moment... ah well
things are going pretty good - usually. right now i'm in between exams so i will be studying some more. yesterday i managed to twist my back in a way that doesn't work well with my body. so that changed my plans for the weekend. i was supposed to be scrapbooking last night and all day today, but that didn't happen. so what did i do instead? i changed the lay out on both of my blogs, prepped a lot of the things i need to make invitations for lauren's shower, watched some movies and even got to writing on my blog. LOL, such a productive day.
so, let's see... what else is going on?
tomorrow is my niece's child dedication. so that's very exciting. mom was busy in the kitchen today so that we'll have more than enough food for lunch tomorrow.
i've been involved in a pioneer girls program this year leading a group of grade 4 girls. the last couple weeks have been fairly intense. we've been working on a "i like me" badge. this is a good thing, but emotionally charged and draining for me as i'm still dealing with self-esteem issues and didn't want our talks to be me talking down to them - so basically i let them know that everyone has things that they don't like about themselves and that hollywood beauty isn't real. i think they totally appreciated that and i'm hoping they'll remember it as they continue to grow up.
in may i'm gonna see "the voca people" at the fallsview casino. ok, you've probably never heard of them. i hadn't until i saw a preview when i saw "band from tv". so, who are "the voca people"? in their own words: "The Voca people are 8 friendly aliens from the planet Voca, a musical planet that has no verbal communication but use vocal expressions only. They have heard the music from earth for decades now and with their imitation abilities they have decided to pay a one evening tribute to humanity and to perform the songs they love as musical- gratitude." sounds a bit weird, but looks and sounds really cool. you can check out their website at http://www.voca-people.com/ or look them up on youtube (here's just one example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6EYrqIn0yI).
ummm... what else?
we're gonna have a new body living in our house starting on tuesday. one of my cousins from paraguay is coming to live with us for 3 to 6 months. we'll see how this all plays out.
we're also gonna have a few new additions to the family this summer as there will be 2 weddings in august. my cousin james is getting married to kathrin golter in germany on august 14 and my brother gary is getting married to lauren koop in st. catharines on august 28. i'm hoping i'll be able to make it to germany, but i kinda doubt it as my brother has requested that mom makes all the desserts (of course that means i'm involved in both baking and decorating) and their reception will be in our yard. yup, this is shaping up to be a busy summer.
i'm sure there's other things going on too, but nothing that i can think of at the moment... ah well
a new addition
With her arrival also came some babysitting responsibilities. On the 4th of December my nieces and nephew had a sleepover at our house. We jumped and ran and made blanket tents and made rice krispy squares and watched a movie and ate popcorn and had story time... things were going quite well until...
Berlin and Kaityn wanted to go home. The tears were streaming down their cheeks and they refused to be comforted (for a while). And then Rowan didn't want to sleep in the big bed, he wanted to be in the same room as the girls. Well, an energetic, enthusiastic and dramatic reading of Andrew's Loose Tooth (by yours truly) seemed to settle everyone's spirits and then a short cuddle with some familiar songs sung by yours truly made everyone fall asleep.
I finished tucking the girls in and then moved Rowan back to "his" bed and then I also hit the hay (those kids don't get that saturdays are for sleeping in). Anyhow, when Rowan woke up he told Oma that "I falled asleep in the room with Kaityn and Berlin but I waked up in the special room."
C is for Cookie
So Christmas is almost upon us again. That means I've done a lot of baking already (and boy, it's more than I even planned for).
Mom and I have made Cornflake Cookies, Sachertorte Cookies, Siropskuchen, Peppermint Cookies, Almond Crescents, Snickerdoodles and Starbucks Cookies with various helpers (my sister, cousin, sister-in-law, nieces and nephew).
On my own I've made a couple of batches of Sachertorte Cookies, Almond Crescents, Lunch Munch Cookies, Candy Cane Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Tangerine Blossoms.
With my friends Dave & Mikol, I made 8 different varieties of biscotti (including Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti).
And the baking is not finished yet. It's insane.
But I must admit, I really enjoy it. The cookies are generally smaller than at any other time of year. And they are more work than "normal" cookies are. But the results are so yummy and satisfying.
Tangerine Blossoms were a new one for me this year. The day that I made them, my nephew came over. He right away wanted to try one. So I gave him one and asked if he liked it. His response was "It's yummy, Tante Carolynn! It tastes like macaroni and cheese!"
Just for your reassurance, they do not actually taste like macaroni and cheese, but they are good.
Mom and I have made Cornflake Cookies, Sachertorte Cookies, Siropskuchen, Peppermint Cookies, Almond Crescents, Snickerdoodles and Starbucks Cookies with various helpers (my sister, cousin, sister-in-law, nieces and nephew).
On my own I've made a couple of batches of Sachertorte Cookies, Almond Crescents, Lunch Munch Cookies, Candy Cane Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Tangerine Blossoms.
With my friends Dave & Mikol, I made 8 different varieties of biscotti (including Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti).
And the baking is not finished yet. It's insane.
But I must admit, I really enjoy it. The cookies are generally smaller than at any other time of year. And they are more work than "normal" cookies are. But the results are so yummy and satisfying.
Tangerine Blossoms were a new one for me this year. The day that I made them, my nephew came over. He right away wanted to try one. So I gave him one and asked if he liked it. His response was "It's yummy, Tante Carolynn! It tastes like macaroni and cheese!"
Just for your reassurance, they do not actually taste like macaroni and cheese, but they are good.
tackle me
Right now my brother, Gary, is roasting a pig for "ManFest" tonight. Wes (my other brother) is also here to help and he brought his 3 kiddies. As I sit here typing, I can hear them through the window. Gary is getting tackled in turn by each of the kids. This has been going on for about 30 minutes already. All I can hear is Gary grunting as the kids impact and then the kids yelling "my turn". Meanwhile Gary is having a conversation with the guys that are helping with the pig. Too funny!
Some quotes from this event (I'm sure there will be more):
"Berlin, you're not supposed to slow down as you get closer, you're supposed to speed up"
"Oh geez, this is gonna be a big one... OOHH!"
Some quotes from this event (I'm sure there will be more):
"Berlin, you're not supposed to slow down as you get closer, you're supposed to speed up"
"Oh geez, this is gonna be a big one... OOHH!"
summer is here!
According to the calendar, summer is officially here. The weather seems to have trouble making up it's mind - we've had quite a few freak storms (thunder & lightning, tornado warnings, hail). However, the weather doesn't dicate the schedule - the spring semester is done, my niece graduated from preschool, my other niece is graduating from SK, the soccer season has started and a good friend of mine has graduated from university. It is amazing to think that this year is half over! The time really seems to fly. Let's see, what else has happened...
*a good friend recently celebrated her Ist wedding anniversary
*my brother & sister-in-law celebrated their 9th anniversary
*a good friend turned 25 and travelled in Europe
*my sister purchased and moved into her very own house
*my parents celebrated their 35th anniversary
*I had another birthday
*the Strawberry festival is happening today in Niagara-on-the-Lake
*my nephew will be turning 2 next weekend
Yup, lots of stuff happening here and it doesn't look like it will slow down any time soon.
*a good friend recently celebrated her Ist wedding anniversary
*my brother & sister-in-law celebrated their 9th anniversary
*a good friend turned 25 and travelled in Europe
*my sister purchased and moved into her very own house
*my parents celebrated their 35th anniversary
*I had another birthday
*the Strawberry festival is happening today in Niagara-on-the-Lake
*my nephew will be turning 2 next weekend
Yup, lots of stuff happening here and it doesn't look like it will slow down any time soon.
trick or treat
grapes, grapes and more grapes
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| Look at all the grapes (and the silly faces)! |
So, recently my mom took Kaityn & Berlin to pick grapes. As grape growers, it's great to know that the kids LOVE grapes and anything to do with them. These grapes were used to make grape juice for our family. It was a busy day for everyone (I made the juice - There were over 20 jars). The next time we have grape juice I should take a picture of their "grape mustaches". In our family, juice is not the only thing we do with grapes - we freeze them (great snack for the kids), make pies, juice, jelly, wine and ice-wine jelly. Yup, grapes are very versatile - and yummy!
summer time
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| Watermelon is a favourite summer treat. |
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| This is Rowan enjoying his birthday cupcake. |
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| Chasing bubbles. |
skating lessons
So, my niece, Kaityn took skating lessons again this year - she was even in the club's showcase event. Here are some pics of her in action and also of her audience.
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