Well hello again..

...somehow, I always seem to be playing the 'catch up' game with my blog.

although, we have been going through some heavy stuff lately, so blogging hasn't been one of my priorities lately....i will explain later...

FIRST...

Well, as things go around, we have had this season's cold bug attack our household and all four of us ended up SICK, SICK, SICK!!!

i hate it when SICK hits because none of us have time for being sick and it just hangs around for weeks....

grrr.

...as you know, in the mix of SICK was Tyler's 9th birthday...

we had a small little family 'cake and coffee' night at my mom's last night to celebrate with them as tyler was away for the weekend on a visit...

so last night we shared a delicious Dairy Queen ice cream cake with 9 candles!

...as always, tyler's favorite thing to receive as gifts is MONEY!!!!

( haha..this was from Uncle Darren )

...and big on this years' list was Justin Bieber CD's, posters, etc...hahaha!

...tyler was pretty excited about this special hoodie made for him from his step-mom's parents...it's sooooo cute!!! ( and so thoughtful! )

:D

...and we had a little quiet celebration sunday night with Oliver when Tyler came home from his visit as well....that round nature mat is barely recognizable anymore, what's left of it...LOL!

...so, a little life update...

i went as a parent chaperone with courtney last week to Camp Cedarwood for Band Camp for 3 days....

...as i got quite SICK the day before we left, i had a pretty uncomfortable stay there and the noise level of 55 band kids, plus morning to night activities, plus band rehersals did not help my situation! but, overall, the kids did enjoy themselves...

...we were supervising the kids around the clock as the camp did not offer camp guides for any of the outdoor activities, so my post all 3 days was at the top of the monster tube slide...sending them off in a safe manor...( but i assure you, the kids requesting to not end up going down backwards or spinning somehow got the very opposite...heeheehee - karma sucks, don't it kids? )

;o)

...here's our band group...

...i was only too glad to come home, get into my jammies and fuzzy socks and curl up and catch up on American Idol...and can i just say how much i am LOVING steven tyler and Jlo on the show?? Excellent.

...something funny...well, for us anyway...

THIS is what happens EVERY TIME we clean out Oliver's cage...he goes crazy, running and jumping as fast as he can in the fresh shavings, kicking them all over the floor ( and himself )...

we have learned long ago to just let him have his fun til he chills out and THEN we can sweep up after him...little rat!!!

x0

...our awesome little backyard skating rink mike made this winter has been used plenty, and the kids ( ALL 3 OF THEM ) have taken a loving to mini hockey games in our own backyard!

...even WITH all the ups and downs...

hahahaha!

...a while ago, my mom called us up and invited us to come over for a nice dinner, which turned into a fun family game night with Payday and Poker, and lots of laughs...

MOM....it was JUST what i needed at the time! Thanks for ALWAYS knowing just the perfect solution to make things better...i love you!!!

x0

...and around the same time, courtney and i were invited for a potluck lunch and tobogganing after a dance workshop...

it was, once again, just what us dance moms and the girls needed...

what a fun, happy afternoon!!

thank you susan for pulling it all together and sharing your home for lunch!

...on feb. 12 i had a very special and important lunch date!

my friend syrella and i go waaaayyyyy back and hadn't spoken in 11.5 years!

we had been emailing off and on since last spring, but the time had come to get together and see each other and get everything out and most willingly move forward with our friendship!

i know that this will be one of our best decisions.

after seeing her, i felt like no time had passed between us and immediately felt our connection in our friendship spark again and i'm sure in no time, we will again feel like the sisters we felt like back then!

our regret is the time passed that we've missed in each others childrens lives, but that too will only pick up now and move ahead!

syrella, i am so happy that your friendship is back in my life!!!

x0

..that whole entire day was an overwhelming dose of warm happiness as earlier that morning, tyler had a big bowling tournament!

in YBC, the 4 Steps to Stardom is their "big one" of the year...the bowlers who win advance from the first Zones competiton to Provincials...and the winners from Provincials advance to Nationals, which is also the finals.

Well, our boy qualified to bowl on the "combo team" of 1 bantam, 1 junior and 1 senior bowler and at the Zones tournament that morning, THEY WON!!!!

it was sooooo very exciting!! The combo team is based on a "pins over average" outcome and tyler's team lead with +575 POA and +277 of that being on his own!!

Just awesome!!!

so tyler bowls this saturday afternoon ( march 5 ) in the Provincial tournament at St.James Lanes!!!

( wish him luck! )

( tyler wish his team & coach & first bowling medal - gold )

:D

...and as if that weekend wasn't excitement enough...

last weekend ( feb 19 ) courtney competed at the Winnipeg Scottish Festival at the Convention Centre.

This was her first Championships of the year and she danced very, very well...

she won 2nd Runner-Up!! ( 3rd overall in class of 14 )

Soooo proud of her too!!!

this competiton was not only a tough one physically, but emotionally as well.

i am so proud of all Lynn's dancers for handling their emotions in such a mature way and getting their "jobs done"...for those of them who did come home with any medals that day, you still came home with the satisfaction of working your hardest, trying your best and knowing that Lynn is so very proud, no matter the outcome!!!

(photo is of Lynn's Premier dancers and 3 assistant teachers! )

Congratulations to courtney's dance friend kelsey who won the overall championships in courtney's class, and also a huge congrats to alex who won 4th Runner-Up in her own class of 13/14 year olds. you ALL make us so proud of you!!

x0

...which has now brought me to share some very sad news in our dance world with you.

most of my family and close friends know that Lynn has been a part of my life since i was 8 years old, beginning my own stories of Highland Dance with her as my teacher.

Although after having knee surgery when i was 12 1/2 and having to give up my dancing, it was forever in my heart and carried along to my adulthood.

When Courtney was almost 4 years old and the right age to start Highland, there was no question of who will be her teacher and confirmed by Lynn herself after my phone call to " don't you take her to anybody else...you bring her to me, i would love to teach her!"

Lynn and our love of highland dance has impacted our lives in so many ways and has ultimately been the decision maker in our plans and routines for the last 8 1/2 years that courtney has been dancing!!

so we have come to a huge turning point in our little highland world where after almost a year of apparent illness of Lynn, we have recently been informed that she has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and her time left with us is very, very short.

( we were told 3 weeks and 1 day ago, maybe 2 weeks left! )

Lynn has always been strong hearted, courageous and has the will like no one i have ever met.

she chose to keep this illness to herself and not seek any medical attention until just over a month ago when she was struggling terribly to carry on without any medical help.

having chosen to never marry or have children of her own, Lynn dedicated her entire life and meaning to her teaching of dance and sharing with it a love with her girls that truly is a gift for each and every one of them that have been blessed to be her student.

I won't share much more for now than our time left with her is limited and will certainly keep my family and friends updated.

i have many people accross the globe in my highland world who keep up to date with us through my blog, and as this is such a huge happening for us, i know you all understand.

we feel like we are losing a family member whom we love dearly.

...be back soon...

( Lynn in Scotland 2008 )

( Lynn and Courtney, wpg. airport, ready to go to Scotland, 2008 )

x0x0