This One, That One & The Other One

Farewell Faithful Friend

2012-02-06T10:31:00.002-07:00

We said goodbye to our beloved dog Max this past weekend :'(
Below are a few photos from before Max went on his journey to Rainbow Bridge as well as a video we made to remember Max and the wonderful 17year life he had, 15 of those with us <3

Connolly, Josh & Keegan sit and talk with Max...

Keegan & Max

Josh & Max

Connolly & Max

Henry misses his little buddy

Max's collar hangs in my mini-van...We will never forget you Max <3

A video tribute to Max

What our 2011 looked like :)

2012-01-13T08:04:00.002-07:00

Kizoa slideshow: This was our 2011 - Slideshow

Disney Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Since Keegan, Joshua & Connolly were born in 2005, we have become quite accustomed to not spending Christmas at home. Just two of the last seven Christmases were we at home in Calgary and four of the remaining five were spent in sunny/much warmer locales.

2011 was no exception.

We spent Christmas 2011, 11 amazing days with Mama Trish, Papa Se, Uncle Ronan, Auntie Suzanne, Isabelle and Catriona in the warmth of Davenport, Florida. A hop, skip & a jump from Disney World.

The home we stayed in was absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend this place if you are planning on going to Disney World and are looking for some peace & quiet after a long day at the Disney Theme Parks. Hnatiuk Disney Vacation Villa

And since pictures speak a thousand words, so I'll let you check them out for proof of the fun time we had...

The Villa

Magic Kingdom 1

Magic Kingdom 2 / Hollywood Studios 1

Magic Kindgom 3 / Hollywood Studios 2

Epcot / Hollywood Studios 3

Animal Kingdom

Santa Came!!

A few sneak peaks at the photos linked above:

They're the Triplets from Calgary, Alberta

2012-01-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best highlights of our Christmas at Disney World - while spending the day at Disney's Animal Kingdom, a busker saw Keegan, Josh & Connolly and made up a song about them on the spot. I cannot get this song out of my head. LOVE IT!!!

The Simons Valley Jets

2011-11-09T12:43:00.007-07:00

It's been a while since I posted a hockey blog. In fact, I haven't written a hockey blog since Keegan, Josh & Connolly's pre-skates in September. And I call myself a hockey mom ;)

We've just begun the third month of KJ&C's Senior Timbits season. We've seen a lot of improvement in all of their skills since September and they're enjoying the drills each practice. The practice are quite fast-paced and hard-work for the players, but it's good preparation for the Novice level next year when it becomes a little more competitive.

The team is called the Simons Valley Jets. Yes, like THOSE Jets. It does help to have the team jerseys be the same colours as the old Winnipeg Jets colours and to have 3 players who get to vote for the team name and whose parents are long-time Winnipeg Jets fans LOL. Just this week, the team was given the opportunity to practice with a coach from Hockey Canada. It was a pretty big thrill for the kids.

The Force is strong with these three

2011-11-01T11:27:00.004-06:00

Halloween 2011...

Also check out some fun vids as we continued the fun after the trick or treating was done: Triplet Travels Youtube Channel

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-10-13T11:44:00.007-06:00

Our Thanksiving this year was spent hanging out with Mama Sherry & Papa Dennis. It was a fun weekend filled with hockey practices, a few shopping trips, lots of turkey and, with the return of the Winnipeg Jets after 15 years, we thought a trip to the Aero Space Museum would be appropriate :)

Steve's Grandpa Syd's book 'Lifting the Silence' displayed in the Aero Space Museum store...

And of course...
Go Jets Go!!!

What a difference a year makes!

2011-09-12T15:55:00.007-06:00

Josh (#12) - September 2010

Keegan (#14) & Connolly (#11) - September 2010

Josh (#12), Keegan (#14) and Connolly (#13) - September 2011

Live 4 Hockey!

2011-09-12T15:07:00.006-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly officially started their 2nd season of Timbits hockey bright & early Sunday morning at Cardel Place (next Sunday will be even earlier!!!). This was the first of three pre-skates before they will be assigned to a team for the season.

Video of one of the drills the players did. Josh is first, followed by Keegan, then Connolly.

One season ends, another begins

2011-09-08T10:58:00.007-06:00

It hasn't been all studious since Keegan, Josh & Connolly started grade 1 last week. With summer really only arriving in Calgary in August, we've taken plenty of opportunity to get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures as much as we can.

With the warmer weather these days, it's hard to believe that hockey season begins this weekend. The boys will be in their second year of Timbits hockey, which will likely mean another season of early rises on the weekends. Whoever invented coffee, we are truly grateful ;)

And just a glimpse of the boys during their rookie year of hockey (2010-2011)

Grade 1 !!!!

2011-09-02T12:41:00.003-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly are now Grade 1 students.

Summer 2011

2011-08-04T11:41:00.016-06:00

It's been a fun but busy summer since I last updated the blog. Keegan, Josh & Connolly finished their hockey camp in late June, spent a week at home resting and just hanging out, then we went on a 12-day camping holiday, came home to enter a week of summer camp and spent many a fun day at Calaway Park (Calgary's Amusement Park). Now here we are less than a month from the start of grade 1 and their second year of Timbits hockey.

It's the old cliche - time flies when you're having fun!!

To catch you up, I've linked all the pics of our various summer adventures and posted a few teasers as well.

Hope you have had as much fun this summer as we have had.

July 2011 - Mama Sherry & Papa Dennis visit from Winnipeg <--- click link to view all photos

Camping in Christina Lake, BC <--- click link for all the photos
Mini U101 Summer Camp at the University of Calgary

10 months straight of weekend hockey comes to an end...for 6 weeks :)

2011-06-26T18:38:00.004-06:00

September 2010 (see 'Even the Pros fall sometimes') was the start of a very long hockey season for Keegan, Joshua & Connolly. Their first Timbits season actually ended in March (see 'Lots of catching up to do - March 2011'), but two weeks later, they were fully immersed in an 11-weekend hockey camp with Winnipeg Jets alum Morris Lukowich.

From early April to the last weekend in June, we spent the early mornings of every Saturday & Sunday at Canada Olympic Park's 'Ice House'. It added an extra 3 months to the hockey season, but it was certainly worth it to watch Keegan, Josh & Connolly gain valuable skills from a pro.

Our hockey season for 2011-12 will be no shorter as we plan to register the boys in Lukowich's camp again next spring.

They get all the publicity in our house :)

2011-06-24T14:32:00.007-06:00

It was announced today that Winnipeg's new NHL team will be called the Winnipeg Jets (still to be 100% confirmed at the time of this blog). The Calgary Herald, via their Twitter page, tweeted the news and asked how people were feeling about the name choice.

My response was this: "@calgaryherald 6 thumbs up from fans in Calgary :)" and I attached this photo.

Less than 5 minutes later, I got an email from a reporter at the Herald asking if she could use the photo on the website and possibly run it in the paper this weekend.

Sure!!!

Within 15 minutes, this appeared on the Calgary Herald website:
Click HERE or the photo for a better view

Becoming Baseball Fans

2011-06-24T09:00:00.008-06:00

Baseball has never been a huge part of our lives, but it has recently become an interest of Keegan, Josh & Connolly's. The interest comes from having attended two Calgary Vipers games in the last month because I was singing the national anthem(s).

It's a cheap night out with the family and it's a lot of fun for the boys to cheer 'Go Vipers. Hit a home run' and get game ball's from the team. Of course, it's even more fun when they get to say hi to Slider, the team mascot!!!

For all the pics, click on the following links:
June 6th, 2011 Game

June 23rd, 2011 Game

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2011-05-30T13:40:00.007-06:00

Saying this for real to Keegan, Josh & Connolly is not far off considering how fast the days, months and years are going by.

Congratulations!
Today is your day,
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains, and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sites!
You'll join the high fliers!
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to says so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lunch
wuth an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're dark.
A place that could sprain both elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you should go in,should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quaters? Or maybe not quite?
Or go around and back and sneak from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long and wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most usless place

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where boom bands are playing.

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not.
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, theres a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the whether be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though you arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many stray birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with you left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent garanteed!)

KID YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Alenn O'Shea
you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... get on your way!

The Birthday Boys

2011-05-24T13:12:00.009-06:00

Three little Babies...little no more

2011-05-09T10:12:00.004-06:00

May 9, 2005 at 7:07pm, 7:08pm and 7:09pm, our lives were changed forever.

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above" ~ James 1:17

Three little babies
have joined the nest...
three special souls,
a whole family blessed.

Three little babies,
each brings a song...
three to be friends
their whole life long.

From the day they were born

2011-05-04T16:15:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Keegan, Joshua & Connolly turning SIX years old in a few days, I updated a photo montage I made a few years ago.

No wonder the years have flown by. Just look at how much fun we've had...so far :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Spring has sprung a snow leak

2011-04-20T14:30:00.005-06:00

This is what it looked like in Calgary on April 17, 2011:

Street Hockey on a Spring day

2011-04-19T14:43:00.001-06:00

Calgary, April 8th, 2011

Lots of catching up to do - March 2011

2011-03-23T10:59:00.012-06:00

WOW! It's been almost a month since I last blogged about anything Keegan, Josh & Connolly have been up to. Well, it's time to catch up I guess cause they've been busy.

Get ready for a fairly large picture post to get you up to speed on what the boys have been up to this last month or so. As I have done in previous posts, I will include a few photos from each 'event' and then a link to view all the photos taken.

And don't forget to check out KJ&C's YouTube channel "Triplet Travels" for the latest & greatest on video.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Timbits Jamboree, March 20th, 2011 - Each year, Hockey Calgary puts on a tournament for all the Timbits teams in the city and has fun things like face-paiting, a petting zoo and a bouncy house for the players to enjoy after their game. It's a great way to wrap up a rookie or 2nd-year season for the kids.

Full Album: Timbits Jamboree 2011 - Penguins Season-end

The Penguins final practice of their Rookie Year, March 19th, 2011 - Keegan, Josh & Connolly and their Penguins team-mates last practice of the 2011 season was a fun one. It was a Parents vs. Players game. The parents consisted of mostly Dads since the Moms had played in their own game vs. the players earlier this year. The boys were very excited to see their kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Scott in the stands to watch them.

Full Album: Last Practice of the 2010-11 Season

Temporary Insanity, March 12, 2011 - Last year when Steve & I were in Vancouver, we made a plan for Steve's cousin Jeramy and his wife Priscilla to come to Calgary so we could go to a Calgary Flames/Vancouver Canucks game. Uncle Hal & Aunt Louise came as well. Little did we know they would invade our house with Canucks jerseys. All in good fun, we all, well except Steve, donned the Canucks jerseys for a few photo opps.

Full Album: Temporary Insanity

Best. First. Game. Ever! March 4th, 2011 - Keegan, Joshua & Connolly went to their very first Calgary Flames game last night (not our first as we used to have season tix back in 2000-2003). Despite not feeling 100%, and after a rough start for Josh & Keegan, they had a fantastic time. Their buddy Harvey the Hound instantly cheered them up when he came to visit them (I may have sent him a little email in advance of the game ;) ). Jokinen, Bourque & Iggy scored which made K, C & J very happy and Kipper was amazing. And Keegan was even more happy when Jokinen was named 1st Star of the game. My mum & dad came to the game as well with tickets that Steve one at the boys last hockey tournament. Pretty sure it was their first Flames game too, and they had a blast.

Full Album: KJ&C's First NHL Game

Introducing Henry

2011-02-28T19:27:00.006-07:00

I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now that we have a new canine member in the family. His name is Henry and we got him not long after Christmas from friends of ours who needed to find a more stable home for him.

We took Henry home for a weekend as a trial, but we knew in our heart of hearts, he'd be staying for good. Henry is a beautiful, playful dog. He's still a little bit 'puppy' as he just turned one year old in February and he loves to run. It's been a pretty brutal winter here so we haven't much of a chance to let him get out and run other than in the yard, but once spring hits and camping season starts in May, he'll be the happiest dog around.

The first thing we noticed when we met Henry was how much he resembled our other dog Buster, who passed away suddenly in 2007. Buster was a Lab/Shepard cross; Henry is a Yellow Lab/Collie cross. Similar yet different. He sheds less than Buster did and our other dog, Max, who we have had since 1997 (he's 16yrs old now), has adjusted well to having another dog around.

We love Henry and we're so glad he's a part of our family. Keegan, Joshua & Connolly love him so much. It's tough to imagine our house before Henry.

.500 on the season

2011-02-11T10:43:00.004-07:00

The Mighty Penguins played in their second tournament of the season on Feb. 4-6 at Canada Olympic Park and are now sitting at .500 on the season so far. Yes, we know that scores are not officially kept in Timbits hockey, but you know every parent is tallying the goals that each team scores. We do!

In the first tournament, which happened just after Christmas, the Penguins lost each of their 3 games, albeit by small margins. This second tournament at C.O.P. was different. They won each of their 3 games, one of which was quite the blow-out (11-2 final score!!). Despite the scores (in both tourneys), the kids were rewarded with some fun prizes and tasty treats and most importantly enjoyed their time out on the ice and had fun.

As always, the complete album of photos can be found on Aisling's Facebook page and the videos shot during the most recent tournament are on KJ&C's Youtube channel.

Moms vs. Sons Hockey Game

2011-01-30T12:21:00.004-07:00

On January 25th, Keegan, Joshua & Connolly 'competed' in a very exciting hockey game as they and their team-mates played against...their moms!!!

Team Mom... Proud Hockey Mom with her boys...
Steve and a few of the other dads watching the game... Team Mom with Team Son...

Chillin' at the Dome with Jarome...and the rest of the Calgary Flames

2011-01-19T11:31:00.009-07:00

On January 9th, we took Keegan, Joshua & Connolly to the Calgary Flames annual Superskills Competition at the Saddledome. The last time we had taken them was in 2008 when they were just 2-1/2 years old (Our 2008 experience) Now at 5-1/2 years old and hockey players themselves, they enjoyed it much more.

The boys were mesmerized by the skill of the players and cheered on their favourites Iggy (Josh), Jokinen (Keegan) and Pardy (Connolly). This time around you could really see how much love for hockey and the Flames the boys have. Of course, when Harvey the Hound came by, their love for Iggy, Jokinen and Pardy went out the window. They love that Hound :)

Check out all our photos here: 2011 Flames Superskills
Here's a preview:

Let us in...
Watching the Flames practice, pre-skills competition...

Kipper...

Team Red vs Team White...
Connolly, Keegan & Josh with their buddy, Harvey...
Some day, some day...

That was 2010

2011-01-12T12:28:00.002-07:00

*Click the photo to view it larger*

Hockey Tourney - Professional Shots

2011-01-02T12:40:00.006-07:00

Thanks to an awesome professional photographer, we were able to get a great shot each of Keegan, Joshua & Connolly from their recent hockey tournament. Below are the shots we purchased and some screencaps of others that were taken over the 3-day tournament.

Click on the photos to enlarge them to the original size!

Connolly gets in to the play v. the McKnight Red Rockets (Dec. 28th) Keegan battles against a player from the Bow Valley Blazers (Dec. 29th)
Josh works his magic against the McKnight Red Rockets (Dec. 28th)
Other shots we didn't purchase but still are awesome (watermarked)
Top Left: Connolly makes an awesome kick save
Bottom Left: Keegan skates to get in to the play
Bottom Right: Josh about to make a great pass
Top Right: Josh (top), Connolly (left), Keegan (right)

Before they were hockey players

2010-12-30T15:15:00.006-07:00

It's amazing to see how far Keegan, Joshua & Connolly have come in their skating skills in just under 2 years. Like so many other Canadian parents, we put the boys in skates before they were 4 years old. It was early 2009 when they first stepped on the ice at the Olympic Oval to take part in the University of Calgary skating program. They couldn't even stand up.

By the Fall of 2009, they were affectionately considered 'walkers'. (no sound on this first vid, but it's not really necessary to know how cute this is)...

Connolly (left, sitting on the ice), Josh (middle, walking quickly), Keegan (right, having trouble standing up)

And then you watch them PLAYING HOCKEY one year later in the Fall/Winter 2010. They've even improved ten-fold from September 2010, their first day as Timbits hockey players when they were still considered 'walkers', though a little more advanced at it.

Connolly has made the biggest improvements, starting out as a kid who just wanted to sit on the ice & watch everyone else skate back in 2009. Now he is, though not the best skater on the ice, one of the most determined players out there, with a genuine love for the game and on his way to being an awesome skater. Keegan and Josh are right up there with the best of them.

Whether they continue with hockey after Timbits is over (they'll finish their first year in March 2011 and start their 2nd year in September 2011), it's been awesome for Steve & I to watch them improve and gain a love of hockey outside of watching the Calgary Flames on tv.

For their most recent hockey vids, and much more, check out KJ&C Youtube Channel - Triplet Travels

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away (Eudora Welty)

2010-12-27T18:10:00.011-07:00

Christmas in Calgary 2010

This Christmas is only our 2nd in Calgary in the last six holiday seasons we have celebrated with Keegan, Joshua & Connolly. This year was no exception however to spending time with our parents, and having the luxury of not having to be at work for almost 2 weeks.

Our camera has been very busy since Christmas Eve capturing as many photos and video as possible to share with you. To make it easier on readers of this blog, we have linked directly to the photos and to KJ&C's youtube channel, "Triplet Travels" for all their latest (and older) videos.

From Christmas Eve to three mornings at a hockey tournament, we hope you enjoy checking out our Christmas 2010 memories as much as we enjoyed making them.

Christmas 2010 Photos (via Aisling's Facebook)

Day 1 - Hockey Tourney

Day 2 - Hockey Tourney

Day 3 - Hockey Tourney

KJ&C's Youtube Channel: Hockey tourney, Christmas holidays & more (all vids are 2:30min or less!!)

Who's coming to town?

2010-12-24T09:01:00.001-07:00

A Message from Keegan, Joshua & Connolly

2010-12-23T18:10:00.007-07:00

Here comes Suzy Snowflake

2010-12-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly's school Christmas concert was this afternoon. Their kindergarten class, plus the other two kindergarten classes sang 'Suzy Snowflake', looking ever so cute in their white tops and toques (that's a hat for all you non-Canadians).

Joshua and Keegan are in the back row, 3rd & 4th from the right respectively; Connolly is in the middle row, 1st on the right. I also got a little bit of their hockey team-mate Ethan, who was in the front row, 2nd from the left.

The Mighty Penguins

2010-12-11T16:46:00.005-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-03T20:15:00.007-07:00

For only the 2nd time since Keegan, Joshua & Connolly were born are we spending the Christmas holidays at home in Calgary. So we had to make sure we got into the proper Christmas spirit with a tree.

This evening, we had some fun family time putting the tree together, spreading the branches, turning the lights on (except for the few, there's always a few, that are being stubborn) and adding the decorations.

For us, Jesus is the reason for the season, but however you celebrate at this time of year, I hope you have friends & family to share it all with.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from our family to yours. Tree Decoration 2010...

VIDEO: Keegan, Joshua & Connolly place the first ornaments on the tree:

Proud Great-Grandsons

2010-11-14T13:56:00.004-07:00

Today we picked up one of the four copies we ordered of 'Lifting the Silence', a book written by and about Keegan, Josh & Connolly's great-grandpa Syd (co-authored by their Uncle David). Great Grandpa Syd was a pilot during WWII, who was shot down in Italy and hid out in a farm-house in France until he could return safely home to Canada.

For more info & links on the book, check out my personal blog & my latest post called 'Lifting the Silence'

Who ya gonna call? Batmen!!!

2010-11-03T12:40:00.001-06:00

Initially they had said they would go as hockey players again this year, but KJ&C decided to do it different this Halloween and went as Batman. They did have an element of hockey in their outfit though - their shoulder pads made great muscles!!!

Behind the Scenes: Hockey Photo Day

2010-10-31T19:24:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, KJ&C, along with their Mighty Penguins team-mates, got their hockey photos taken. It's going to be very cool to see each of them with their very own hockey card :)

After a 6:30am practice, I'm sure it was tough for the players to be all smiley for photos at 9am, but they did a great job and the photographers/volunteers were very efficient.

Go Flames Go!!

2010-10-22T18:00:00.001-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly are over a month into their hockey season as 'The Mighty Penguins' but their favourite NHL team, the Calgary Flames just officially started their 2010-11 season 2 weeks ago.

This will be the clothing of choice quite often between now and, at the earliest, April 2011 (May & June 2011 if the Flames make the playoffs, which of course is what we're all hoping for!)

Side note: We have added 4 new videos to KJ&C's youtube channel. The vids include a sing-along with Jay Sean and a few vids from a recent hockey practice where they're demonstrating their puck-handling & skating skills. Check out the latest at: Triplet Travels

GO FLAMES GO!!

*All of these pictures were taken this past weekend on October 17th, 2010, so these are the latest of the latest of KJ&C*

The Penguins make their WHL 'debut'

2010-10-07T12:36:00.010-06:00

You might see a hockey team of young kids playing at the intermission of most minor or major league hockey games, but I've heard a lot of kids playing hockey don't ever get a chance to experience that excitement.

Keegan, Josh & Connolly are amongst the lucky ones.

Last night, their hockey team, The Penguins (Timbits team in the Simons Valley Hockey Association), got the chance to be centre ice during the intermission of the Calgary Hitmen v. Medicine Hat Tigers game (WHL). I think we as parents were just as excited as the kids about it.

We arrived at the Saddledome, which is also home to the NHL's Calgary Flames, and made our way down to the loading dock at the north doors. We had to wait about 15 minutes before we were let inside and led down to the room where the kids would change. After dropping off the bags and sticks, we were escorted to seats where we could watch the Hitmen/Tigers pre-skate. Watching Josh, Keegan & Connolly taking it all in was pretty cool, especially when they were doing it with their team-mates, kids they only met a month ago.

As the buzzer went at the end of the pre-skate, the kids, their coaches and two of the dads (Steve included) made their way back to the room to get the kids ready to skate at the first intermission. The rest of us took our seats and excitedly yet anxiously waited.

When Keegan, Josh, Connolly and the rest of the Penguins come out onto the ice, it was the cutest and most awesome thing to see as they walked out with their coach and Farley the Fox (the Hitmen mascot). They looked like little NHL players. All of the parents were beaming with pride, that's for sure.

And from there, I shall let the pictures and videos of the evening tell the story. To see ALL the pictures, go HERE and for the rest of the videos, go to KJ&C's youtube channel HERE .

VIDEOS:

Here come the Penguins...

The Game, Pt. III...

Glasses & a Hockey Player's Smile

2010-09-28T12:16:00.003-06:00

It was no suprise to us that Keegan, Josh & Connolly would likely need glasses at some point in their lifetime. Steve had glasses when he was 3 years old and though he doesn't wear glasses nowadays, he probably should. I, on the other hand, didn't require glasses until my early 20's, mainly for seeing things in the distance more clearly.

Keegan has a slightly lazy eye (similar to what Steve had when he was younger), so he was given glasses about 6 weeks ago. Now all three of the boys have glasses and surprisingly don't mind wearing them at all. They wear them all the time except for when they are sleeping, jumping on the trampoline, or playing with their friends cause they like to rough-house and we don't need 3 pairs of broken glasses.

As for the hockey player's smile, only Connolly is sporting that these days. In July, while we were camping on Vancouver Island, I noticed one morning that Connolly's tooth was gone. We think he swallowed it because it was nowhere to be found. The toothfairy surprised him with a loonie under his pillow, which he, as any kid would, put towards buying candy. A few weeks ago, Connolly noticed the tooth next to the one that had fallen out before was loose and he was very excited. He forgot about it though which was good, because if he was anything like me as a kid with a loose tooth, he would've wiggled and jiggled and twisted that tooth until it came out that same day.

On Sunday, the boys were playing 'monster' with Steve, where he will hide, KJ&C try to find him and then he jumps out & scares them when they least expect it. They love this game, so I suspect they'll be horror flick lovers when they grow up!! lol The boys were hiding under the stairs, waiting for Steve to jump out, but they didn't expect it when it happened. The scare from Steve's roar sent Josh's elbow into Connolly's mouth, which in turn sent the loose tooth...somewhere. It still has not been found.

The blood from the tooth being knocked out freaked Connolly out a little, but if I only could've caught a picture of his face when he looked under his pillow Monday morning, it surely would've been one of him beaming from ear to ear. His face was frozen like that when he found me in the kitchen a few minutes later and flashed the shiny loonie the toothfairy had left.

Keegan and Josh are wondering when their teeth are going to start falling out, but I think the toothfairy is not in too much of a rush for that to start happening. At $1.00 per tooth per child, our house is gonna be an expensive one ;)

Front & Centre...Ice

2010-09-24T09:46:00.003-06:00

If you've ever been to a Calgary Flames or Calgary Hitmen game, you've seen those cute little kids, skating & falling all over the ice during the intermissions while playing a 5 minute hockey game. Well, Keegan, Josh & Connolly, along with their team mates, will be those kids in October.

We don't know all the details yet, but it's very exciting to say the least. KJ&C have been to a Hitmen game before, so they know the Saddledome, although I don't think they quite grasp what they get to do yet.

Stay tuned for loads of pictures & video of their experience.

Even the pros fall sometimes

2010-09-10T12:46:00.007-06:00

'Even the pros fall somtimes'

This was the best thing I heard last night as we witnessed Keegan, Josh & Connolly on the ice as hockey players for the first time. All kitted out, head to toe in their hockey gear and their oh-so-cute Timbits Hockey jerseys, KJ&C stepped on the ice like it was second nature to them. Of course there were a few spills, but considering they haven't been on skates since their last course ended in April, they did awesome.

Right away, all the kids were given the opportunity to skate around, have some fun and figure out what they were doing before the coaches gathered them in a circle to do a few warm-up exercises. Then it was time to sort out the more experienced skaters from those who weren't quite as quick on their skates.

Keegan and Josh were put into one group with intermediate level skaters, while Connolly was with his fellow 'walkers/gliders'. Connolly was in the Top 3 for speed however in his group, so he was pretty comfortable where he was and didn't seem to have any issue with not being with his brothers.

The coaches were fantastic. They were very understanding and most of all, extremely encouraging, especially to the slower skaters. The reminder that even NHL players fall while skating sometimes was great to hear. You could see if gave some of the kids a new-found confidence. 'Well if Iggy falls sometimes, then it's ok if I do'

Josh is very competitive and each time his group played 'Red Light, Green Light', he skated as fast as he could to beat this other kid in the group. It was quite funny to watch. He is so his parents' son!! LOL At one point though, he started to get a little over-confident and started to fall down a lot. He recognized it though and pulled back a little on trying so hard to win.

Keegan, in the same group, stayed in the middle of the pack, concentrating on what he was doing but making sure he was in the top half of finishers as they skated across the ice.

Connolly did awesome too in his group. He listened intently to what the coaches were saying, he got high praise for gliding properly and despite hurting his bum when he fell near the end of the practice, he stuck it out and told us how much he enjoyed it afterwards.

We are looking forward to watching them develop their skills over the next several months as they continue in the Timbits program.

Every day is a great day for hockey ~Mario Lemeiux

To view ALL the pics (1st & 2nd practices), go here: KJ&C ~ Timbits Hockey (Updated Sept. 12th)

For videos of KJ&C at their Timbits hockey practice, please check out their youtube channel, Triplet Travels

YouTube Channel Updates

2010-09-10T12:26:00.001-06:00

In case you are not subscribed to Triplet Travels Youtube channel, here is the link to view the latest videos we have added.

http://www.youtube.com/user/triplettravels

All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten

2010-09-08T22:12:00.005-06:00

Our babies are in Big Kids school now. Keegan, Josh & Connolly started Kindergarten this week at the local public school. The first day of school wasn't too big of a deal because they had 'been there, done that' last year at preschool, but they were still pretty excited to be going to a school with a big playground and the anticipation of getting a nice teacher. They got just that. Overheard as we waited outside to pick the boys up from school, it appears as though their teacher is one that most parents hope their child gets.

Score!!!

So far in the first couple of days, KJ&C have played basketball in the gym, learned about instruments from the music teacher, read lots of books and drawn pictures of themselves. We are looking forward to all the new things they will experience between now and the end of June.

It's hard to believe that our once 4lbs6, 3lbs4 and 5lbs6 babies are now 5-1/2 years old and Kindergarteners. What a fun ride it's been so far.

We didn't take a lot of pictures as we did not go into the school with the boys this time. However, for all the pictures we took, check this link out: Kindergarten

Going for a sneak peak to meet the teacher, their new classmates and check out the new classroom...

The First Official Day of Kindergarten...

An excerpt from the Robert Fulgham’s book “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten”

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm.

Think what a better world it would be if all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Winding up to wind down

2010-09-08T21:42:00.001-06:00

Sometimes this is how Keegan, Josh & Connolly get themselves settled at the end of a long day...I dare you not to tap your foot or bob your ahead along with the music :)

Season Finale

2010-09-07T19:12:00.008-06:00

Well, what a way to end of the 2010 camping season. We made our way to our 'home' campground in Drumheller and spent 4-1/2 days taking in the sights & sounds for the final time this year.

We were lucky enough to spend the weekend with some new friends, who are fast becoming good friends, Chris & Darlene and their two kids, Morgan (10) and Carter (5). This was one of our busiest camping trips this year as we did almost everything there is to do while visiting Drumheller. In one day alone, we climbed the hoodoos, crossed the Rosebud suspension bridge and took in a tour at the Atlas Coal Mine.

We also had more campfires this weekend than any other. The weather was decent enough to not have to spend any time indoors sheltered from the rain, but having a fire going twice a day certainly kept our toes warm :)

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and a perfect ending to another awesome camping season. Roll on camping season 2011!!

To view ALL the pictures from our season finale, click here:
Our Final Camping Weekend of 2010

And here's a few for your viewing pleasure right now:

Chopping wood for all those campfires we were going to have...
3 very handsome boys...

S'mores...

Connolly, Morgan, Josh, Carter, Keegan (and Steve)...
Flying through the air...Josh
...and Keegan...
The pool wasn't too busy so we took advantage...
The suspension bridge in Rosebud...
The HooDoos...
Connolly & I stayed at the bottom while the rest climbed to the very top...

Can you see them?

Atlas Coal Mine...

On the tour, Josh, Keegan & Connolly got to help out...

The Royal Tyrell Museum...
The World's Largest Dinosaur...

Lothar the Magician...entertainment at the campground...
Connolly was the magician's assistant for the one of the tricks...how excited was he!!!
The final shots of our camping season...

Up next

2010-08-28T17:46:00.005-06:00

There hasn't been a lot to update on since our big trip to BC hence the lack of updates on the blog. But there are big things to be blogged about coming very soon I promise.

Last camping trip of the 2010 season - The Labour Day long weekend will be our last trip out camping this year. Then we'll winterize the trailer and let it rest until May 2011.

First day of kindergarten - although it's technically not their first day of school since that happened last September when they were in preschool. It's their first day at 'Big' school as KJ&C like to call it.

First time playing hockey - as part of an actual hockey team, not just passing the puck around with daddy on the driveway or on a local ice rink somewhere. They'll get jerseys and everything!

Christmas in Calgary - this is a big deal since it'll only be our 2nd time being at home for Christmas since KJ&C were born. We tend to enjoy escaping winter (even as mild as they can be here in Calgary) and splashing in the ocean in Mexico or hanging with Micky & Minnie at Disneyland (DisneyWorld for 2011!!)

I'm sure there will be other things you'll read about on the blog, but this will give you a taste of what is to come. Stay tuned!!

What a Trip!

2010-08-04T14:37:00.007-06:00

Home Sweet Home.

We are home after an amazing 16-day vacation to British Columbia, where we hung out on beaches, in our friends' backyards and by the pool & park at our campground. I don't think I've ever taken as many pictures on vacation as I did during this one. Well, maybe our 13-day vacation to Disneyland in 2008 will rival in the number of pictures taken. Either way...loads & loads of pictures. And videos too of course.

I'll post a few teaser pics below with the links to the albums on my Facebook page and I've uploaded all the videos (short ones, I promise) on Keegan, Josh & Connolly's YouTube Channel 'Triplet Travels'.

I don't need to go into detail about our vacation. The pictures & videos speak for themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Videos:
KJ&C's Triplet Travels

Pictures:
Album #1 - Christina Lake/Vancouver Island (these were taken with my blackberry)

Album #2 - Christina Lake/Vancouver Island (these were taken w/ our digital camera)

And the teaser pics:

Summer Fun in the Summer Sun...& Rain

2010-07-15T13:28:00.004-06:00

It's been a bit of a weird summer here in Calgary. Actually, it's hardly felt like summer at all. We haven't had any snow...yet, but we've been hit with quite a few raging thunderstorms and some that even included golf ball-sized hail. Either way though, we have made the best of it and are having a fun summer so far.

As you've seen in previous blogs, we've been out camping 3 times since the May long weekend and we are about to embark on a 2-week long camping vacation to Christina Lake & Vancouver Island. We are very excited. This trip has been planned since last August. KJ&C are especially excited to get to play at the beach, go on a big boat and play with new & old friends.

First off though, the boys are looking forward to spending some time with their cousins Laurel, Ashley & Heather, as well as Auntie Keltie & Mama Sherry, who will arrive in Calgary very late tonight. It will be a busy weekend of catching up on everything that's happened since they saw each other last in Mexico, December 2009 for the cousins. I'm sure they'll sleep soundly for the next few nights :)

This blog will be quiet for the next 3 weeks or so while we are away, but I promise to fill it with pictures & video of our vacation, as well as the boys visit with their cousins when I get a chance.

In the meantime, have a wonderful summer wherever you are.

Canada D'Eh!

2010-07-04T15:45:00.031-06:00

It's hard to believe we are half way through our camping season for 2010 already. With only our 2-week trip to BC (Christina Lake & Vancouver Island) our church family camp and the Labour Day long weekend, this year's camping season has flown by...as has 2010 to this point.

We are at the tail end of a wonderful Canada Day long weekend as I write this from our camping spot in Drumheller. We have enjoyed doing fun things like swimming, go-karting, hoodoos climbing and taking in the Canada Day parade. KJ&C even took in movie night on Friday where they say 'The Lion King' for the very first time, and they rode in the 'Christmas in July' bike parade Saturday evening.

We often think back on the first time we went camping as a family back in 2006 when the boys were merely 15 months old. What a weekend from h-e-double hockey sticks that was!! LOL In a 16ft trailer with 2 dogs, 3 babies screaming their heads of for at least half the night, it was an adventure to say the least. But we stuck with it and now we have a trailer twice the size, KJ&C have their own room and they sleep from 10pm to 8am most nights without a peep. What a difference 3-1/2 years makes in how much we enjoy camping.

We may travel to the same places each year but there's always a new adventure to take in and new people to meet. With our Holiday Trails membership, providing 'summer homes' in Drumheller, Lethbridge, Christina Lake and more, we really love our summer camping life and we are building amazing family memories for KJ&C as they grow up.

We are truly blessed with the life we have.

*the poorer quality pics were taken with my blackberry cause we forgot our camera*

Canada Day Parade in Drumheller...

The Parade Candy stash...
#1 fans of Amp Radio Calgary... Soaking up the summer sun at the campground pool... Time to climb the Hoodoos...

Mama Trish & Papa Se came 0ut for the day...and brought their laptop :) ...

Off to ride in the Christmas in July Bike Parade....

Steve & I replicate a pose from our wedding pictures (1996)...

Ah, this is the life...

Any man can be a father; it takes a special someone to be a Dad - Happy Daddy's Day 2010

2010-06-20T21:50:00.011-06:00

Sliding down the hill behind our house...

Daddy & his boys...

Daddy & Mummy...

Our Family...

It was a very warm day, so freezies were eaten in abundance...

Trampoline Time...

Happy Daddy's Day...We Love You :)

From Preschool to 'Big School Cool'

2010-06-19T14:16:00.022-06:00

As you can see from the pictures in the blog below, Keegan, Josh & Connolly have 'graduated' from Jr. Kindergarten. They will begin the journey through 'big school', beginning with Kindergarten this September. Though it's a very exciting time for them and they keep asking how many more sleeps until they get to go to the big school, they first had to say some farewells to their Purple Potamus classmates and teachers.

On Friday, June 18th, the preschool held a Farewell Concert for the parents & families of the Jr. Kindergarten graduates. KJ&C have grown so much over the last 9 months. It has been really nice to see the friendships they have developed and the relationships they built with their teachers. They will miss their teachers very much and only a couple of their friends will be attending the same school in the fall, but we will try our best to stay connected with everyone through play-dates and drop-ins to the preschool to say hello.

Here are some pictures of the Farewell Concert. Be sure to also check out 3 new videos that have been posted to our YouTube channel: Triplet Travels.

The Class of 2010

2010-06-17T10:20:00.001-06:00

Who needs a favourite NHL goalie when you've got Daddy the Goalie

2010-06-06T20:35:00.003-06:00

Steve played hockey with some friends on Saturday evening, so we made it a family affair and I took the boys down to watch. They were very excited because it was the first time they'd seen Steve in all his equipment and on the ice playing a game (albeit for fun!).

They cheered whenever he made a save and yelled 'Daddy, you're awesome'. There is no doubt who KJ&C's favourite goalie is.

New Videos posted to 'TripletTravels' YouTube Channel

2010-06-06T20:04:00.007-06:00

The following videos have been added to KJ&C's 'Triplet Travels' YouTube channel:

Swimming in Drumheller during the May long camping weekend.
Riding their new scooters around the Drumheller campground.
Watching Steve play hockey and talking about their favourite goalie.
'Yay Daddy'.

Check out these videos and and feel free to subscribe if you are a youtube user yourself.

KJ&C's own YouTube Channel

2010-05-30T08:07:00.003-06:00

We have noticed lately that the blog is loading much slower than usual and I believe this is because of all the videos I have uploaded to it in the last several weeks.

To make it easier for the readers of this blog as well as for us when we're trying to publish new posts, We are going to set up a YouTube channel for all current & future videos.

And here it is:
Keegan, Josh & Connolly's Triplet 'Travels'

If you have a YouTube account, you can subscribe to the channel and receive an email when new videos have been added. We have not yet uploaded any new videos, but any videos we take from now on will be uploaded to the youtube channel and linked here. We hope this will make visiting KJ&C's blog an easier experience for all.

Another Camping Season is upon us

2010-05-28T11:26:00.006-06:00

Camping season 2010 has begun and as always, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed a great weekend of quality family time.

The number of camping weekends for us this year will be a little less than in past years as we are doing a 2-week long trip to British Columbia in July. We will still get 5 weekends in though, and with the 2-week trip, we will spend approx 33 days camping this summer.

For the May long weekend, we went to our 'home' base of Drumheller. The weather wasn't fantastic, but we thankfully weren't stuck in the trailer due to rain or snow. It was warm enough to wear shorts with a sweater and to swim several times a day as we always do.

We took in the Royal Tyrrell Museum, which gets more fun every year as Keegan, Josh & Connolly get older. We also went to the Aquaplex to have some waterslide fun and on a chilly Saturday evening, we went to see 'Shrek: Forever After' in the local theatre.

As always, we took lots of pictures. Here are a few to view now. For all of the pictures, go HERE.

Justin Bieber - Triplet Style

2010-05-15T18:31:00.003-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly had some fun Amp Radio's Big Bieber Bash (they were giving a way a trip to see Justin Bieber in concert) today at Calgary's Eau Claire Market. On the way there, they decided to do a little Justin Bieber triplet style.

JCK sing along with the Bieb and his song 'Baby'...

JCK sing along to 'Eenie Meanie'...and add a little hello the Bieb himself at the end...

And a few pictures from the Bash...

The boys and the Bieb...
The B Team - Buzz, the Bieb(well, his hat!!), the Boys & Blake...
Josh, Monkey (the cutest dog EVER!), Blake, Keegan and Connolly...

Mother's Day 2010 - Fire & Breaking Plates

2010-05-10T15:53:00.001-06:00

For Mother's Day 2010, we had a wonderful lunch at a Greek restaurant called The Broken Plate. And yes, you actually get to break a plate.

Fire! Yummy Flaming Cheese! OPA!!!

Time to break a plate...on purpose! OPA!!!

For my first Mother's Day in 2006, we started a little tradition where KJ&C and I would take a picture together. Here is the 2010 version, as well as a very cute one with Mama Sherry & Papa Dennis during their visit for the boys/Steve's birthday weekend

Organized Chaos - Keegan, Josh & Connolly turn 5 years old!!

2010-05-09T17:12:00.010-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly turned 5 years old today, May 9, 2010. It was an extra special day for me as well because not only was I celebrating my babies being 5, I was celebrating my 'Mommiversary'; celebrating Mother's Day 2010 on the day I became a mum for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd time 5 years ago.

KJ&C had their birthday party with their friends on Saturday, the 8th (which was Steve's birthday!!) at a local hotel's waterpark. It was a great time for everyone. The silence during lunch was proof enough that watersliding & swimming can tire out your kids :)

It was a fun day of total organized chaos...and with 5 year old kids, we couldn't have asked for anything more.

For all the pictures of the fun had this weekend, click:
Gallery of KJ&C's 5th Birthday - May 9, 2010
(*Some of the swimming pictures are a bit blurry because the 'Action' setting on my camera could not compete with the energy of all the kids*)

And here's some fun videos to check out too:

Thank you for the Scooters:

Thank you for the Lego Trucks

Singing Happy Birthday to Steve for his 38th (May 8)

The Waterslide Birthday Party

The Party Room

Happy Birthday Keegan, Josh & Connolly

Present Time

Thank You Everyone for coming!

Videos: Pre-Birthday Birthday Party

2010-05-03T07:23:00.001-06:00

Here's some fun vids we took at KJ&C's pre-birthday Birthday party on Sunday. The blog below this one has all the pictures (in case you missed it!!)

The videos are (in order):
1. Keegan bowling
2. Josh bowling
3. Connolly bowling
4. Present Time
5. Cake Time
6. Gold Medal Presentations & Canadian National Anthem

Keegan Bowling

Josh Bowling

Connolly Bowling

Present Time

Cake Time

Gold Medal Presentation/O Canada

Pre-Birthday Birthday Party

2010-05-02T22:31:00.015-06:00

Since Mama Trish & Papa Se will be away in Boston (for another big event - KJ&C's cousin Isabelle's first communion) when KJ&C turn 5 yrs old next week and will miss their birthday party, they held a surprise party for them at a local bowling alley. They bowled for an hour, we had pizza and then it was back to the house to open gifts and have cake.

After the presents & cake, the boys were presented with their very own Gold medals and Canadian National Anthem singing for passing their latest swimming class, 'Whale' last week. We spent 2 weeks straight watching the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and seeing Canadians win many a Gold medal and the boys really took to the idea of some day winning one of their own. They were pretty proud of the medals for passing their swimming class and even sang along with the anthem.

Here's some pics of the fun we had at KJ&C's pre-birthday birthday party (Video will follow in the next blog):

Snowmageddon - The Videos

2010-04-29T17:09:00.003-06:00

The videos are all are less than 1 minute in length. Enjoy!

Snowmageddon

2010-04-29T16:24:00.007-06:00

A nasty snowstorm hit Calgary on Wednesday (April 28) evening and lasted through Thursday afternoon, with the craziest winds I've ever seen. We were without power from 6am Thursday until just past 2:30pm.

Steve called his co-workers and made it a 'snow day' for them & the Sylvan students, while I worked from home cause the blowing snow & wind was pretty bad in our area. It would've made the drive to work not so much fun.

Even though we were stuck at home with no power, we were able to pass the time without requiring straitjackets :) Here are some pictures of our snow day. I'm uploading videos to YouTube right now and will post those in a follow up blog shortly.

Early morning of Thursday, April 29th. Isn't it supposed to be SPRING!!!!
Thank goodness for battery-operated toys!!

Even Steve passed some time playing Leapster...

Outside fun...

The snow was gross & wet; it even clung to our outside thermometer...
Music on our battery-run radio kept us lively for most of the day...
And our gas fireplace kept us cozy & warm...especially since we couldn't make any hot chocolate which is a daily morning routine in our house!

Steve & I got our caffeine from Coke Zero...

Then finally the power was back and we went straight for our beloved Tassimo for a coffee!!

It's been 5 years already???

2010-04-21T18:48:00.005-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly will be turning 5 years old in just a few weeks time. 18 sleeps to be exact. They are pretty excited. They've been asking for about 6 months when they are going to be 5. It's a big deal!

We just recently sent out the birthday invitations to a few of their friends from church & school and all you need to do is watch this space after May 9th for all the pictures. This is the first year we are not having their party at home. It came down to the choice between a bowling party or a waterslide party. After being at their friend Peyton's waterslide party earlier this year, there was a pretty clear winner.

These past 5 years have been quite the ride. Just look at back at the many blog entries to see what we've been up to. Busy doesn't even describe our life anymore :) And just for fun...and because we are very proud parents, here are a few pics of the boys over the last 5 years.

As a side note, the song has nothing to do with anything other than it's one of the boys favourite songs to listen & dance to:

To move to the next page, click on the little arrow below the current page you are viewing

This free digital photobook made with Smilebox

Total Spring Randomness

2010-04-21T17:37:00.006-06:00

The weather in YYC has been pretty awesome lately, so Keegan, Josh & Connolly are getting a lot of outside time. They have especially enjoyed playing with their back-neighbour friends Morgan & Carter, who I've mentioned before lived 2 doors down from us on our old street.

School has been a lot of fun for them as well. They are learning songs for their big finale show that will happen in June and just this week, they've been on two field trips: Monday, they went to the local Fire Station and today, they went to the Library. This Friday, they are having a Pyjama & Movie Day at school.

Throughout the goings on of the last few weeks, we've taken random pictures of the boys, so here's a look:

Cards for Great-Grandpa Smith...

Fun at the Fire Station...they got to sit in a Fire Engine and lay on the stretcher in the ambulance...

When the Firemen suddenly realized KJ&C (front row) were triplets...

Mini Firemen...

When Mummy's favourite tv show 'Glee' had it's spring season premiere, the boys joined in on the party. They love music as much as Mummy does...
A new toy for camping season...The Bean Bag Game...

Mini Batmen

2010-04-06T12:00:00.008-06:00

Steve & I took a mini vacation to Vancouver without Keegan, Josh & Connolly. The boys hung out with Mama Trish & Papa Se all weekend and had a blast sledding down the hill behind our house, doing crafts, swimming, walking around Banff and an endless number of other fun things.

Of course as mummy's & daddy's do when they've been away, we brought the boys back some presents. Vancouver Olympics mascots & t-shirts and the very random gift of a batman costume for each of them. We've been home for 48 hours and they have been mini Batmen ever since.

KJ&C made birdnest's with Mama Trish & Papa Se (instructions courtesy of Mr. Maker)

Olympic Mascots MukMuk & Sumi...

Mini Batmen: Keegan, Connolly, Josh...

Connolly, Keegan, Josh...
The Batmen & their mascots...Connolly
Keegan... Josh with his Olympic t-shirt...

Who needs snow to sled?

2010-03-27T18:51:00.008-06:00

On Saturday morning, while Steve was at work, I took Keegan, Josh & Connolly out in our extended backyard (aka: the big field behind our house) to kick the soccer ball around. We had been out there about 20 minutes when the kids whose family had just moved in to the house across the back lane came out with their cardboard boxes to ride down the hill.

Needless to say my five-minute warning to go back home for lunch turned into a 30-minute sledding session. We went back out after Steve got home from work and got some pictures of the boys sledding, as well as few videos. The best pics & video are below.

*Side note: The family that just moved in coincidently lived 3 houses down from us at our previous address*.

We LOVE our extended backyard...

Cavity-free Kids

2010-03-25T18:41:00.011-06:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly had their very first dentist experience today. We know that we were a bit later than usual for the recommended age of having their first appointment, but admittedly I would say that partially had to do with my childhood fears of the dentist. I did NOT have a good experience when I was a kid.

Giving them the credit they deserve for being much braver than their mum, the boys were absolute troopers in the days leading up to the visit and during the visit itself. The dental assistant Sarah was absolutely amazing. She has children of her own, but she also specializes in dealing with children's dental visits so she put KJ&C at ease straight away. And the dentist himself, Dr. Jeremy, was awesome as well.

The boys had their teeth cleaned (each choosing a different flavour toothpaste), flossed, counted and given an A+ grade for having no cavities at all. High-fives all around. After a 90-minute visit, we were on our way with Keegan, Josh & Connolly's cavity-free teeth showing through their smiles the whole way out.

*These pics were taken with my blackberry as well as Mama Trish's blackberry so they aren't the best quality. But you'll get the idea*

Waiting, a little nervously, for the dentist to arrive... Sarah, the dental assistant, shows the boys the vacuum... Josh and his new toothbrush that lights up for one-minute (how long he needs to brush x 2)
Josh demonstrates how he brushes his teeth...
Connolly & Keegan are pretty interested in what Sarah is doing in Josh's mouth...
Teeth-cleaning time. Josh chose the 'spicy' (aka: mint) flavour...

Keegan's looking cool and ready for his check-up. He chose grape flavoured toothpaste...while Connolly calms his nerves sitting with Mama Trish...

Connolly's turn... Open wide... Strawberry was the flavour of choice for Connolly...

Josh shows of his freshly-cleaned teeth...no cavities here
Keegan's pearly whites with no cavities here either...
Connolly flashes his cavity-free teeth...
Pictures for the Dentist Office's slideshow of all the child patients...it plays in the waiting room

Josh...

Connolly...

Keegan...

A few videos we took on our bberries:

Josh is the first to sit in the dentist chair...

Josh gets his teeth cleaned...

Keegan gets his teeth flossed while Josh & Connolly ask questions...

Connolly's turn for cleaning/flossing. He was pretty fidgety due to nervousness & talked to himself while listening to the tv. So cute...

Wee Little Leprechauns

2010-03-23T11:54:00.004-06:00

You know we were wearing green on St. Patrick's Day!!

A few spring shots so far...

Just like the Old Days

2010-03-09T19:55:00.009-07:00

The old days weren't that long ago when we talk in terms of Lynn & Kaitlin coming over to our house. As you will recall, Lynn was our nanny for Keegan, Josh & Connolly from Spring 2007 until last August 2009. Having her second daughter, Sarah in late 2009, Lynn had to 'retire' from her position with us.

This past weekend, Lynn, her husband Jemahl, Kaitlin and Sarah came over for dinner and it really was like nothing had changed as the kids (minus Sarah of course) played together. It was fun evening for them and for us to watch them.

Supper time...
Playing Wii...

Kaitlin enjoyed the train track...
More Wii...

The boys entertain us with a few songs (this was 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)...

Keegan, Lynn, Sarah, Connolly, Kaitlin, Josh...

Sarah...

Saying bye with a fist bump...

And just a random picture...K, C & J got their very first clocks...

Future 'Iggy's' or 'Sid the Kid's'?

2010-03-06T19:21:00.006-07:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly have almost completed three-8 week sessions of skating lessons and now it's all about getting out on the ice with a hockey stick & a puck. They are Canadian boys after all.

The boys will be going into Timbit Hockey starting in September, but in the meantime, we've had the opportunity the last few weekends to take them to an outdoor rink to pass the puck around and practice their skating skills.

Ready to hit the ice...
Josh perfects his puck-handling...

Keegan, Connolly...

Josh...
Steve, Josh, Connolly, Keegan...
Josh... Keegan...
Connolly...
Keegan drops the puck for the face-off...
Team Gamble...

Rookie Card - Connolly Gamble
Rookie Card - Keegan Gamble
Rookie Card - Josh Gamble
Discussing their plays...
Coach Daddy...

Our names are Keegan, Josh & Connolly and We are Canadian!!

2010-02-08T18:36:00.003-07:00

Keegan, Josh & Connolly are ready for the 2010 Winter Olympics, being held right here in Canada (Vancouver, BC), starting on Feb. 12, 2010.

GO TEAM CANADA GO!!