Time to Breathe! FINALLY!

Last week WAS as busy as I thought it would be. Here's some pictures to prove it.

1 - Picking out stuff for the lawn. The girls played with the automatic door for 15-20 minutes.

2 - The unveiling of the Homecoming Statue downtown Victoria. It was an amazing day. A nice 5K walk with 3000 of my closest friends, then the statue, then the reception for it (WAY fun), then....

3 - CAKE! The celebration continued at the Messes. This cake was made by the same woman who made my wedding cake. She's incredibly talented. She did the same cake for each Mess! A good time was had by all, and the food and drink disappeared quickly.

4. On my Academic Advancement Leave day, I went to the local pool and wallowed in the hot tub while Ray swam. My hip flexors were KILLING me! I had a pedicure later that day too... very very nice. At any rate, this is the world's largest hockey stick and puck outside of the old pool, which is now the arena for the Cowichan Capitals hockey team.

5 - Ray's school had their sports day. This girl was passed out on the grass by 2:45. Signs of a good day! Ray did her best at the Fristbee Toss with a third place ribbon! The next day, Ray received a gem celebrating her dedication to reading and always doing her best. SO proud of my girl.

6 - The gym at Ray's school was transformed into a spectacular dining room for their annual fund-raising Gala. The food was great, the company lovely, and the bidding hilarious.

7 - My card from Ray. One for the scrapbook!

This week's flex:

Mon: Work & School for me & the girls. Sailor was duty Saturday, so he was home today. We have a new paper box on a stick. Very nice.

Tue: Work & School for all of us. Dance class for me at night.

Wed: Work & School for girls & Sailor. I'm on Academic Advancement leave for the day so I can work on my second Econ assignment and third Accounting assignment and first Comms assignment.

Thu: Work & School for all of us.

Fri: Work & School for all of us again.

Sat: Checking out a new German bakery/patisserie/winery at the north end of town, dance class, groceries, laundry, etc etc etc. It's also my late father's birthday, so it'll be a day of remembrance for me too.

Sun: Church (where the flowers will be dedicated to Dad), housework, etc, etc, etc.

The Week that Was

At least it's over. This week is going to be even busier what with the Freedom of the City Parade and all.

I started my economics course and finished the first assignment. I was in the middle of my first accounting assignment and the program froze. Bah. I can't get onto the website to access my third course yet. I think I'll be able to next week as it officially starts then.

Yesterday we went to a nursery and picked out some seedlings to plant in containers (which is what I need to do after I sign off of here). We bought cauliflower, four types of tomatoes, cabbage, cukes, zucchini, hanging strawberries and salad greens in a giant pot. We bought a lavender for the front garden too. At Walmart we bought a white and a yellow hanging flower pots for the front of the house. Once everything's planted I'll take photos. The weather is threatening rain, but so far it's just windy and grey. If the computer's going to freeze anyway, may as well be productive outside.

Here's three photos from the week. The others are still on camera.

Greta taking her first nap in the afternoon in nearly a year. Daddy's chair is very comfy.

This is a cute potato that we ate last week. I heart you too!

Kee Kee climbing on board for a nap while I did some work on the computer.

This week's flex:

Sunday: gardening, accounting homework, lazying around the house. Ironing too.

Monday: School for the girls. Sailor at work. At my work, I have a meeting to get through with the Executive and finalize plans for Tuesday.

Tuesday: School for the girls. Sailor and I have devised a plan to meet our needs... I hope. We're going in at 7:30 as usual, but I'm taking the Club's van. Then he's following me to downtown, where I'll park the van near to the Grand Pacific Hotel. Then I'll hop in the car and we'll go to the parade muster area (by 8:30 we hope) and park. We muster for parade and then march through the city. This takes us to 11am. At 12 we attend the unveiling of the Homecoming Statue and the after-party at the GPH. At 3:00 (or before), we take the van and go get the car. Sailor then goes up to get the girls and I return to the Club. I do my PMC-ly duties for the Open Messing (changed into a different order of dress, of course) and he gives the girls supper. At 7pm, he is relieved by our lovely neighbour A, who will watch the girls for us while he comes down to pick me up from the Club. Busy day!! No dancing for me!

Wednesday: School for the girls and Sailor goes back to work. I am on Academic Advancement Leave every Wednesday in May and June! This particular day, Ray has swimming from 10-11, so I'm going to join her at the pool as a chaperone, and then I have a pedicure and brow wax at the local spa! Once that's done, it'll be time for me to go back to get Ray from school, pick up Greta and make dinner.

Thursday: School for girls, work for me and Sailor.

Friday: School for girls, work for me and Sailor. I think I have a meeting to attend too.

Saturday: Dance for Ray and Sailor and I are attending Ray's school's annual fund-raising Gala. I'm getting my hair done and leaving right afterward! We hope to be back by 9pm.

Sunday: Happy Mother's Day. To celebrate, Sailor is DUTY on the ship for 24 hours (typical), and so the girls and I are going to church then I have a costume fitting at a seamstress's house for two hours in the afternoon. Just what I wanted.

Look! Up In The Sky!

The Snowbirds were doing flyovers in Mill Bay on a rainy Friday afternoon. I barely managed to get a snap with the phone, only because it's not an SLR. I need to upgrade.

Warning: Crazy Week Ahead!

This week was relatively sane and calm at work. We actually got electricity hooked up to the $32K Rock Beautification Project outside of the Club, and by the time I left on Friday, there were words on one panel (we have two). It's a start. Now we just have to find out who will drill the hole through the wall so the power can be on all the time. Will it be CE telling us it's BIS's part-ship, or will it be BIS telling us CE has to do it? The saga continues next week.

Speaking of next week, I have something every day next week, except Friday! (see the flex).

We're booked into a resort for 4 days in July up in Qualicum Beach. Tigh-Na-Mara was $275 a night (GARG!), and we originally booked a 2BR condo at this place we're at, but they called and said it wasn't available (SO FIX THE WEBSITE!!). Instead, we're getting a 2br right above the main office, overlooking the pool (noisy?). We're going up to party with some friends at their annual party, but also to show the girls the goats on the roof at Coombs, and the beaches of Parksville. Should be fun! Might even stop into the Godparent's place if we have the time.

We were thinking of camping, but the Army sucked all the fun right out of me for that. As someone posted on my Facebook, unless HRH The Queen is paying for it, don't camp. RV-ing it would cost us about $700 for four days, and that didn't include food. This way, if the weather sucks, we're still good.

The week after that we're off (I hope) to Church Camp. Still waiting to hear about our bursary on that one.

I've also received my student loan funding, and have registered for 3 of the 6 final courses I need for my Diploma. I'll be taking Math, Microeconomics and Open Communications until July. I'm putting in Education Leave passes at work for every Wednesday in May and June, and the first week of July, where I hope to write my exams.

If all goes well, I'll be able to put Greta into gymnastics the same week Ray has her Dance Camp while I study for my tests. If Greta likes the gymnastics better than dance, then she'll start that in the fall (probably Friday afternoons) while Ray dances on Saturdays again. Ray has her choice of Primary Ballet (morning classes) or Grade 1 Modern (afternoon classes), depending on how she does during her Dance Camp in July. If Greta decides to dance in the fall, her class is in the morning, just prior to noon.

Here's some photos from the past week to tide you over.

1. We have a huge herd of resident deer around here. This one was in the back yard eating the grass.

2. There's two deer in this photo. They are directly outside the window where I sit at the computer. They eventually went up the slight incline and ate at the

neighbour's place.

3. There should be a photo here but I can't get it to load for some reason. It's a creek that runs behind our friend's place. This is the first time I managed to get the settings on the camera to reflect the flow of water. I wanted to show the difference between the two settings. At any rate, I took this without a tripod, so I think it turned out pretty well. Next time I see some flowy water, I'll know the settings to have the camera on to make it flow, and I'll try to remember the tripod too.

4. Kee Kee our cat, reminding me it's his dinner time. It's always dinner time in Kee's mind. He's a good boy though, so I can't hold a grudge too long.

I have more photos on the phone, but I haven't downloaded them yet. I'll try to get to it tomorrow - there's a Snowbird flyover on there!

Next week's flex:

Sun: Church, laundry, housework, etc etc.

Mon: School, work (physio).

Tue: School, work (Clothing stores for new uniform). Dance class.

Wed: School, work (TWO CNC meetings!).

Thu: School, work (Eye clinic).

Fri: School, work (Civi Friday!). Sailor's duty that day too, so we won't see him til Saturday. I think I'll buy some veggie seeds and more dirt and plant some planter boxes and a giant plant urn over the weekend! I just have to investigate which veggies grow well in planters.

Catching up

I slacked off BIG this last week. I took photos on the phone, but haven't downloaded them. I have a few on the camera and these are what I'll be posting.

1. I went out Saturday night with a friend to the Club for work. She brought me a pineapple. Much better than a corsage!

2. This is why I hate having a purse: too much crap inside the purse. Way. Too. Much.

3. The mist rising off the mountains made for a nice photo.

4. The mess Ray makes when

she goes to Dance Class.

This week's Flex:

Mon: work, school. Sailor off from Saturday.

Tue: I'm on course all day with a lunch-time meeting thrown in for good measure. Sailor's at work. The girls are at school. Dance class for me.

Wed: Work for Sailor. I'm playing hooky and joining my Step-Mum for Grandparent's Day at Ray's school for the forenoon. Then back to work.

Thu: Work and school for all.

Fri: Work and school again.

Sat: Ray's Dance class, groceries, laundry (we're so exciting, eh?!)

Sun: Church, laundry.

Weekly Catch-Up

Last week was busy busy busy. The highlight was my semi-annual meeting with the Base Commander. He's a great guy. I came out of there renewed. It's a special leader who can motivate with only words and calmness. It'll suck when he leaves.

Here's the photos of the week.

1. Easter Eggs. The blue one is the one Ray made in school. The others my aunt Alpha made doing what her mother (my grandma) taught her. Using red onion skins (and brown ones too), soak them in water and then place the eggs in to cook. Press flowers and leaves to the eggs using cut nylons and let the eggs absorb the dye. Voila! Incredibly beautiful eggs.

2. Easter Sunday at church this year had three baptisms: two adults and one baby. The cross is covered in fresh blossoms by the children's Sunday School and brought in for the Eucharist. It's so lovely.

3. Playdate at a friend's. The girls loved the kites and had fun running up and down the street with them to make them fly.

4. Pretty flowers in bloom this week.

5. I left work at 3:13. What usually takes me 10 minutes took me until 4:05. This was on the side of the hill NEARLY at the light. Must be spring: the roads are being torn up.

6. More pretty blossoms.

7. And the buds are out too.

8. This is the best skinny non-fat latte ever! Made at Drumroaster coffee, this specific one is a medium!

9. Took the girls to see the Wiggles movie. Ray eventually took her fingers out of her ears and danced and had a blast!

10. The sundial in the Chapel Garden at Ray's school.

This week's flex:

Tues: Work, school, tap dance at night for me.

Wed: Work, school, last Nooma Course at church.

Thurs: Work, school.

Fri: Work, School.

Sat: Dance for Ray, then a birthday party, then a hair appointment. Sailor's duty, so hopefully niece H will be able to come up and watch the girls while I get my hair done. If she's staying overnight then I can go to the club for the band that's playing there. If not, I'm staying home.

Sun: Church and another birthday party for Ray. Somewhere in all that I have to do laundry, grocery shopping and gift shopping.

Easter Joke

It's Easter weekend in BC and it's snowing. Big, thick, fluffy flakes. Falling thick and fast and doesn't show any indication of letting up. At least it's warm down here, so it's not sticking. Yet. We just went through a high speed wind storm yesterday that knocked out power for most of the day from Duncan-south. We hopped in the car and headed into town. Then got turned around due to a tree across the road. So we went the long way. Got turned around on another road, and had to go a different way. Took us an extra 35 minutes to get to where we needed, but we managed to have lunch in town and I found a pretty shirt and some camisoles for a spring skirt I have. Now I just need the nice weather so I can wear it!

Here's some photos to catch up on the week past:

1. Greta loves the chocolate pie I made last week.

2. I nicked the back of my heel and made it bleed. This was the remedy.

3. My tea. Two big mugs = 1 pot. LOVE my tea.

4. Dinner this week was a delicious crispy chicken.

5. The painting we commissioned for the PFC. The building in the middle. Even though the ship would technically be on the rocks at this angle, this is how it looks when we come home and see the Messes and the entrance to Dockyard. We're selling the prints for $25 and there's been a LOT of interest already.

6. Pretty flowers from Ray's School

Snow has stopped. Finally.

This week's flex:

Sat: dance class, groceries, laundry, dinner at N's place. Supposed to get our new bed & mattress between 12:30-2:30. Suuuuure we will....

Sun: Easter Egg hunt in the house, Church, Easter Egg hunt at the Church, dinner at Gramma's.

Mon: finish off laundry and housework. Prep for work/school week.

Tues: work for me & Sailor, school for girls. Tap class at night.

Wed: work again, school again. Nooma at church.

Thurs: work again, school again.

Fri: work again, school again.