Random May

May was a treat. A real special month.

With no more school work and only a handful of subbing days each week, I felt blessed with both employment and time to catch my breath. 

Of course, I got to enjoy my weekly phone calls from my missionaries!

We got lots of sunshiny days in May and radar loved having someone home with him, full time. 

Jess and Nate both played ball all month long.  Jess loved her team!

Radar and his ol' buddy reunited. These little encounters made for the sweetest spring walks. 

3rd Ward participated in Youth Days. 

My one job for the day was to stir the taco meat, which I think I did a very good job of.

I miss my calling as Young Woman President, but I'm grateful for those who lead now. 

May brought my favorite Sunday afternoon routine - FatDog! 

It involves eating and then sleeping. Last one up is the fattest dog of all.

Nate kept us on our toes in May, breaking his moped, buying a new moped and not knowing how to park our vehicles. In his defence, he would say that he does know how to park properly. He just insists on not doing so. 

May also brought the BEST Northern Lights show that I have perhaps ever seen. It was magical. 

I did not want the night to end and at 2 am, I was still driving around town, trying to capture it all. 

We planted our garden in May.  (Always a fulfilling feeling)

Jess and her friend Macie grew quite close as their boyfriends are good friends. There were a lot of fun dates in May, for these four, including a spring formal dance. 

And John was asked to give the Teachers replay at CHS' graduation ceremony. 

He was sweet and candid and hopefully something he said resonated with the young people. 

It's crazy to think that next May...it will be Jessica we will celebrate!

Pretending for a day

My brother and sister in law went away for a few days in May and we signed on to watch their kids for them. For the most part, Nate and Jess both had other commitments so it often fell on John and I to keep our three visitors company. 

One day, we ordered chicken strips and fries from the four fast food chains in town and rated each one. 

I think we determined that KFC had the best chicken and the best fries. Who knew? 

We took the kids in to the wave pool in Lethbridge. It's been years since we did the YMCA. It made me wish I had little kids again. 

We stopped at Crumbl for some more sampling fun. 

And on our final day together, we went to Waterton where we window shopped and snacked on poutine and beaver balls. 

Despite the fact that John and I were a little tuckered out at the end of those few days, they were such good kids and we enjoyed having little ones to look after again. 

Perhaps a glimpse of what it might be like one day, with Grandkids to love and entertain!

(From my lips to God's ears.)

 

Soup Kitchen Service

The day I finished my practicum, the kids, John and I went into Lethbridge to serve at the Lethbridge Food kitchen. I remember feeling so grateful that I was being blessed with a degree and I wanted our family to serve others who had far less than us. 

The Lethbridge food kitchen was new to us but it was a really remarkable place. 90% of the food served is donated by people and businesses in the Lethbridge area. Though the lead chef each night was a paid employee, everybody else that helps to prepare and serve food 3 x a day, 365 days a year, is a volunteer. It was fun to be a part of that, for just one evening. 

Nate and Jess handled the drinks, John cut the meat and I ran plates from those dishing up, to those who were receiving. Everybody had a job to do. I was a little surprised/impressed with Jess and nate's coffee making abilities. Who knew? 

It was so very humbling to witness so many homeless. At first, I was trying not to stare at them, not to make them uncomfortable. Partway through the evening though, I realized that what I wanted was for them to know that I did see them. They were seen and known and their place in that chair was important. 

 It was a great experience and I can't wait to take the family back around Christmas time to do it again. 

Though we aren't considered rich by worldly standards, I am thankful to God for giving me a life that is free from addiction and isolation. 

Mothers Day

Jessica knows how to make Mother's Day special.  She always has. Sometimes, when others have forgotten, she figures out a way to smooth it all over and make it great. This year, she was on the ball and secretly orchestrated a family brunch in Waterton.  

After church (and work for her) we met up for chicken salad croissants, chips, cheesecake and drinks in fancy goblets. Im so ipressed that she got Nate and John on board.

It was, without a doubt, my favorite day in May. 

Hands down!

Offer Accepted

 

A week after finishing my practicum/four years of school, I was hired to teach English at the Cardston Junior High. I remember jumping at the opportunity and feeling SO nervous to do so. 

My nieces brought me some celebratory cupcakes, which was sweet. 

Time will tell if I have it in my to be good at this job or not. 
I pray that I will no best how to help the students that I need to!

Signed, 

Grateful and Afraid

Naamtok on the Farm

Sometimes, when passing through my hometown, we make sure to stop at the farm. Stopping at the farm most always means that my sister in law Heather will make something delicious to eat. On this particular occasion, she made Naamtok!

This Thai dish might possibly be my favorite dish ever made. It is minty and fresh and delicious and you can eat SO much of it (which I do) and still not feel full. 
Umm...Ummm.. So yummy!

hey also made roasted chicken with their own farm raised and butchered birds. 

There is just nothing like this goodness. 

I'm so thankful for the once-a-month dinners that bring my family together for this.

The company is always fun. 

And there is nothing better than seeing these cousins together. (Three on missions, two engaged, and four of Crystals kids in Tofino at this time. We gathered with who we could!)

Until next month, fam jam!

April Wins

The warm weather made me happy enough to host a backyard BBQ. We invited the Mehannas and the Stevens families. It was so nice to just sit outside and enjoy yummy food, nice weather and good company. We have set a goal to invite one family over, each month. It's an easy streak to maintain, when the weather is so cooperative. 

Jessica attended a spring formal with Grayson and some friends. It's crazy to me that she has been dating for more than a year!  Abby is thriving in Romania and Sam is starting to discover a new kind of heat. 

We miss our missionaries but are trying to make new memories too. 

April brought the LAST month of my practicum EVER!
I truly LOVED the Mountain View School and was so appreciative of the staff there that made me feel welcome and at ease. Morning drives towards the mountains, well behaved children, animals in the classroom...it was all so fun!

I will never forget the day when a supervisor came from Lethbridge to give me my final evaluation. Partway through the class (and therefore, evaluation) the door slowly creaked open and in ran a baby lamb. One of the teachers thought it would be hilarious to see how Tanis handled that. ;) Only in Mountain View would something like that ever happen. 

My only regret about that practicum experience is that it couldn't last. 

I am saying goodbye to that school with a very, very grateful heart!

 

As May begins

We are just over here enjoying the realities of spring!

Long walks, sunny days, warmer temperatures, the opening of roads in Waterton and the emergence of wildflowers. Sigh.... it has been too long. 

Nate has been doing a great job at Dairy Queen.

He was taught how to scan receipts to claim points that go towards future food. 

Silly boy is trying to milk the system by hanging on to any receipt that customers don't want. haha

Apparently he has acquired enough points to buy himself a large ice cream cake, which he will need, one of these future summer days. 

Easter Break

Holidays are strange without the older kids. I worried that Easter would be a challenging time for Nate and Jess. Though it was difficult, we found a way to enjoy the day and we even made a new tradition. 

1: This year, the Easter Bunny (aka ME) filled a bunch of plastic eggs with money and hit them around the house. (Loonies, toonies, 5s, 10s, and 20s were placed into eggs. In the giant egg, Nate and Jess both got a treat and a note that stated that their was $120 for the finding. This actually turned out really well. It was so nice to not have to buy a bunch of sugar and it was oddly enjoyable watching Nate and Jess clamour through the house, each wanting to find more cash than the other. By the end of the day, they had found every eg, but one, which happened to contain two $20 bills. It was driving them crazy, which I found quite thriling. This was definitely a thing we want to repeat next year. 

We also got to hear from our missionaries and enjoyed an Easter dinner with Trevor and Mandy Butler's family. 

Easter Sunday was only the start of our partying, however, as we got to enjoy a week long break immediately after. We planned an impromptu getaway to Invermere to enjoy the Radium Hot springs, Windemere Lake and more. Despite the fact that Nathan had a flu for a large chunk of that time, we all had a blast! We had such a "devil may care" attitude about this trip, we even let Jess invite her boyfriend. The more the merrier!

We drove the long way there so that we could show Grayson the secret "Heart Creek Bunker."

The condo that we stayed at, on Lake Windermere, was the perfect place. At night we would play games or watch movies. During the day, we went paddle boarding, explored, and ate yummy food. I LOVED getting to see new spaces and spending time with the family. 

I am convinced that we need to make "getting away" a priority in life!

 

Random Marchness

March was ALL about basketball. Here are some recaps:

Nate was coached by his uncle Kendall. We always have a fun time watching these boys play together. They been friends and teammates for several years.

Jessica played against LCI on their Senior's Night. It is always fun because Jess and one of their players (Nyla B) have developed a friendship. On this particular night, the clippers beat the cougars, but its nice they can still be friends. 

Jessica made me laugh so hard one day, after she told me about her grand efforts to arm herself for her an evening in Lethbridge. Her antics did not pay off however, as most of those things fell out of her pant leg before she could use them. Poor girl was not only caught unprepared, she had to accept the reality that she was likely dropping them in sporadic places where anyone could have noticed. (Good try, kid!) 

During my Mountain View practicum I got to enjoy the occasional visit from local farmyard animals. One day the bunny group brought in the newest batch of bunnies for us to hold. On another day, while being examined by my supervisor, the classroom door creaked open and in ran a little lamb. Where does that even happen?! Mountain View School, that's where.

 March marked the first month of my last practicum ever!

Let's return to some basketball talk, shall we? 

Jessica was thrilled to get to play in the League AllStar tournament, hosted (this year) by Raymond.  Two players from CHS were chosen, by other schools coaches, to join one of the all-star teams. It wasn't Jessica's best night as far as plays go, but she laughed a lot, had fun with the other girls she'd played against all season long, and enjoyed the game. I love her attitude. 

Nate was an awesome cheerleader that night. I mean, I didn't want to sit close to him or anything, but I was proud that he was willing to be so vocal about his support;) 

It was a fun month, supporting those I love!

 

The BUZZ around here

This post is all about Nate!

He spent several months (since Sam left for his mission) working out at the gym, doing his best to "get those gains" like his big brother taught him. Nate's strength and stamina definitely improved. Throw in his long hair, and this kid was looking and acting much older than my 14 year old baby boy. 

It was scaring me!

So when he told me that a bunch of his friends were going to come over for a party, and that they were maybe going to cut his hair, I had absolutely no objections.

That evening, while watching a movie in our room, we tried to ignore the screams and shouts that were coming from the basement. Obviously t here was some haircutting happening, we just couldn't tell if it was going well or not. All of the sudden, we heard a knock at the door and a whisper frm the other side. "Bishop Hardy...can you come fix Nate?"

We laughed so hard as Nate emerged from the bathroom, hair hacked off, all his friends freaking out.  What a scene!  John was able to clean it up a bit and Nate seems to be relatively okay with the new look. Will he ever do it again?  I don't know. Was it worth the laughs? I think he would say, "Absolutely."

Nate has competed on the archery team for a few years now. This past March, he travelled to Edmonton for Provincials. Jess and John drove him up and watched him compete. He didn't get his best scores (perhaps his power was in his hair) but he had a great time!

                          

Family Day Week

Family Day is one of my most loved holidays as it usually kicks off a week long break from school. 

Part way through February, with spring on the horizon, I'm usually feeling antsy and ready for some down time. This year was no exception. 

With just Jess and Nate at home, I tried to be extra intentional about how we spent this time. We weren't travelling anywhere exotic, which is always a hard pill to swallow, so the challenge was to find a way to still make it a great break for the kids. 

There are only so many walks along the Beazer road that we can do. Somehow, Jess acts like she loves it, every time. 

We had the Sister Missionaries over for dinner, one evening. I'm trying to be better at having the missionaries over, as that is exactly what I am hoping others are doing for my kids. 

This was actually a really lovely evening. 

Jess turned 17 during the break and I desperately wanted to make it a momentous event, so part way through the week, we planned an impromptu road trip to Kalispell. The goal - birthday dinner at HuHot! 

Of course, we went early enough to -

....do a little bit of shopping....

...have lunch at Chic Filet...

...shop some more...

and finally, gather for our celebratory supper at Jess' favorite American restaurant. 

This moment was to be the climax of our trip, the piece de resistance, our very reason for travelling down here. Imagine my dissapointment, when after spending the day waiting...WAITING for this moment, we arrived at HuHot to learn that they were closed for the day, due to unforeseen circumstances. 

WHAT?!!!!

If I had been in a better frame of mind, we would have just found the next best place to go eat and continued celebrating. Instead, I cried, while the family took a vote. Everyone was tired and bored, and a little bit deflated about all that Kalispell did not have to offer us that week, so the choice was made to just head home, which we did. We got back to town around 8:00 pm, got Ming's take-out and watched a movie.  

How's that for an epic birthday celebration? 

A few days later, Jess received this package from Sam, which made up for my lack-luster efforts.

 She'd been missing her older siblings a ton, so it was the perfect birthday week surprise. 

I started the year determined to accomplish the Iron Bear Challenge, which requires that you hike Bears Hump (in Waterton) every month of the year. I set my heart on this, because there was nothing I wanted more than to be able to wear the T-shirt that is awarded only to successful hikers. 

It was an icy hike up, which made for slippery ride down, but the view at the top was stunning.

 It was no trip to Mexico, but overall, I feel satisfied that we tried our best to enjoy this time off together. 

Let the countdown to summer begin!