616 - Shaina sets out on her adventure

Day 616 is New Years Eve, it is also the day Shaina flies south for her adventure! After a cuddly night with her in the middle of our king size bed the alarm went off at 5 am. She jumped in the shower and got ready. We estimated departure no later than 6 am but we were delayed 5 minutes after realizing her helmet was not packed. Off we went in the dark, barley giving her a last glimpse at snow. The temperature was only -4 too.

We arrived at YYC about 6:50, Sheldon and Britt dropped her and I at the departure gate and after hugs they cruised around the circle again. I helped her get her bags weighed (she came in at 49.8 pounds!) and then off thru the USA customs gate. She was nervous and teary eyed but she grabbed her bags and set off with her chin up and confidence in check! We are going to miss this little ball of fire the next few months but she will undertake such a great adventure!

 love the fact these two will miss each other

 and off thru security she goes

Sheldon was waiting outside and back home thru the night we cruised. We even stopped to fill with gas and get hot teas treating Lexi to her first Tim bit :-). we arrived back home just before 8, right when Shaina's plane should be taxing out on the runway for her Los Angeles flight!

Britt headed back to bed as expected, Sheldon lit the fire and he and I dueled on "words with friends" while enjoying our teas. he napped while I updated the blog before I moved on to finishing my closet organization!

Skyping with Shaina as she waits

Later  Sheldon headed back for a few more boards and sanded a bit. It was a relaxed laid back day. Britt did not get up until after 1. She did go out and check horses quickly and rode Pepper for a bit :-) I organized more drawers and found more to purge.

 Sheldon tossed some moldy hay over fence and started it on fire, curious ponies

 smell fire and bolt

 and watch from a far, Sheldon is a pyromaniac like his father :-)

 more gorgeous sunsets. We all got ready then it was off to town just after 6 to drop Britt at Brooke's. Seems the girls are off to a young people's New Years Eve party then Britt will sleep over. Sheldon and I stopped for a quick drink and visit at Amanda and Craig's before venturing to Langdon to Il Bricco for a lovely supper. We ran into neighbors, Rhonda and Al there too.

We finished up around 8:30 and hurried home to skype for a second time today Miss Shaina who had spent over 11 hours sitting in LAX airport waiting for her flight to New Zealand. She did manage a nap finally and was awoken to her name being called for check in :-) She boarded just after nine and would fly out by ten MST and fly thru our night about 14 hours arriving January 3rd at 8 am!!

Kaylin and Aaron heading to a NY party in Kelowna

Sheldon and I celebrated with a rum while watching Dick Clark's New Years TV show and playing "words with friends" with each other and Terri in Australia while in bed. She thought it could be a funny movie, In Bed With the Kuhn's! After such a long day I was powered out and fell asleep before midnight!

615 - early new years seafood feast

Day 615 found me up and cleaning my closet after a cup of chai in the tassimo. Sheldon began getting plans and wood together to make our coffee table.

while staying with us Lexi mastered going downstairs.. which is good for potty training, bad for basement carpet :-), here they play hard outside

By noon, Shaina and Shannon were up to enjoy a bowl of turkey soup and Britt finally came up just before one. Shannon headed home just after one saying good bye to Shaina till may! I worked on the blog, it has been since the 23rd since I updated it. I was going to not continue but decided Shaina would enjoy seeing what is happening at the ranch while she is gone.

It is hard to imagine this time tomorrow she will be on her way "down under" to enjoy a trip of her lifetime. She is going to have so much fun and return with so many memories and stories. I will add any updates she sends to the blog so we here can keep track of her too.

After soup, we played some pool and double checked Shaina's suitcase and tidied her room then the girls and Sheldon went out to skidoo for a bit, Shaina came back in early and we made her bed and finished her room. She ran in to town quick to say good bye to a good friend who hopes to have surgery while she is gone.

 notice them in the back pasture with horses looking on

 then they would run in play when skidoo came near

Sheldon started to prepare the sea food for the big feast while I made a salad. It was most enjoyable, we were all so full and even had left overs.

 to get a gist of size

 and the feast begins

 Sheldon's plate mid way thru

 the pieces of crab were huge and delicious

 as you can see further evidence :-)

Lexi learns cards

After supper it was more games, Brandon joined us around 8. At 11:30 he took Shaina to Tims for a tea before dropping her back home before midnight. Final checks were made to her bag before hitting the sheets for our early morning.

614 - turkey soup day

Day 614I put the turkey bones on to simmer and make soup for supper. I played games on my new Ipad while doing laundry. Sheldon made a few trips to an old building to retrieve some old wood to make a coffee table

After lunch the girls and I loaded up and went to town. Library books dropped off, Shaina's money finally picked up and stops at Walmart and Lammles before grabbing a tims and heading home to the ranch.

 New Zealand currency

Australian currency

 Thailand bahts

but one thing she noticed about the above is all denominations decrease in length as they get smaller

Back at the ranch the girls went out to skidoo and toboggan

 Shaina thought it a good idea to try and get Diego to ride too

 but he thought better of it after a few attempts

 and preferred to run alongside

At 6, Brandon arrived to pick up Shaina and Shannon and add to his harem of ladies. They were all heading to the city to go to Cowboys to celebrate Shaina's last night in town this year. She also stopped and grabbed more white jeans for riding and did some more gambling too and actually made more money.

Britt bought new movies today so after supper we watched Abduction and Transformers 2.

Brandon dropped Shaina and Shannon home around 2:30.

613 - chinook arrives

Day 613 was another sunny day but this one had some wind, a chinook has rolled in making the temperatures warmer (-6) but with a wind. It was fairly relaxing day. Sheldon played on my ipod scrabble against me on my Ipad :-)

Shaina and Shannon showed up around 11 after going out for breakfast and they watched Mirror Mirror.

Britt slept in..

Brandon picked up Shaina around 3 and they were off to the city to shop and go for supper.

Around 4 Sheldon went out on the skiidoo, I encouraged Britt who was soon out and they were off!! Diego really wanted to go but loud machines are not his thing, he sat alert watching and finally once they got close enough , Britt encouraged him to run alongside giving him lots of exercise and fun.

After supper Sheldon and I watched That's my Boy (typical Adam Sandler movie we thought) and then Britt joined us and we watched We Bought  Zoo, which was really good. Shaina arrived home as it ended.

612 - cleaning day

Day 612 I spent the day cleaning, Shaina helped to vacuum and Britt did the dishwasher. Sheldon did assorted tidying such as taking the tables and chairs out and tried out his new Tassimo, I tried my chai discs as well, not as good as Tims but a nice treat.

below the cute Scentsy burner I got from Kaylin :-), his name is bluster, isn't he cute?

Shaina got ready and went in a bit early at 3 to run errands before work at 4. Sharon and Shelby picked up Britt at 4:30 giving her a ride to work. Kaylin and Lexi showed up soon after. I had forgot she would be staying with us till next week while she and Aaron went to Kelowna to celebrate new years. Today is Kaylin's last shift at the Station!!

The garage door guy was back out again to change out the board on my side of the garage, fingers crossed the thing is finally working correctly.

When I picked Britt up from work at 10 it said -28!! We then ran her to the bank before stopping at the station so Sheldon could drive the truck home as Shaina is staying to celebrate a friends birthday and sleep over at Rachel's.

Once back home, we watched Mirror Mirror finishing at 1 am, it was funny. We decided another movie would put us up too late, this week has been many late nights.

611 - Happy Boxing Day

Day 611 is a bright but still cold day. All were up enjoying coffee and visiting. I pulled out food for brunch, Amanda and Craig arrived after 11 to join us. More games ensued.

Stacie and Vance left for Medicine Hat at 2:30 to visit other relatives. Dale and Mya headed to Oyen around 3. Grama and Papa were kind enough to run Britt to work just before 4 but were soon back, seems Britt does not work till 5! She played another game with Amanda and I while Sheldon rolled out a bale for the horses then he ran her in for work.

Craig woke up after putting Asher and himself to sleep and we 4 played games, ate more left overs then watched Thor. Asher thought it was fun to run around in the dark but Shaina was home soon after it started so he entertained her. Yanni had stopped for a visit too. The Paetz's headed home around 9:30. Shaina and Yanni went to town around 10 dropping her back home at midnight. Sheldon retrieved Britt from work just after 10.

610 - Merry Christmas all

Day 610 is Christmas!! How blessed are we to be surrounded by family on this special day.

Vance was up early with the patience of Job. Finally Mya and his mom arrived to open stockings. Paetz's were out later. Sad news for Travis, he had brought Riley up a few days earlier to see another vet but after false positive news, today the MRI showed cancer and  she was put down. Mom went to the city with Travis for this deeply sad decision.

It was still very cold -26 like but Vance and Dale beared the cold and went out and built a snow tunnel, rode the skidoo and put the new part on one. Even Mya and Stacie ventured out briefly. The rest stayed inside by the fire

finally by late afternoon it was time to open presents, this is the longest my family has ever had to wait but they did it :-)

 Britt got her riding boots and her wen hair care

 head bands auntie Amanda made

Uncle Ron arrived just before 3 and papa and grama soon after. Gift opening was chaotic but enjoyed by all, especially the little ones. We 18, all enjoyed a delicious Christmas turkey dinner followed by games and socializing.

Kaylin and Aaron loaded up and ventured home to the city stopping at his Mom's house on the way. Uncle Ron headed back to the Hat later in the evening and Travis and Mom left for Oyen at 9:30 pm. The rest of us continued games into the late evening.

 Sheldon Craig and Vance checking out his new gun safe

 Asher's new game called cannon ball or as he says BALL!