February Template Freebie

Right now, for the month of February, you can download this template freebie from Sahlin Studio.

The reason I love templates is very simple, really.

They're super FAST.

I don't have to put any thought into the set up of my own layout. I do enjoy creating layouts. I spend a lot of time, tinkering and trying different positionings [is that even a word?] I wouldn't say I'm super fast at it. It probably takes me just as long to create a digital layout, as it does to create a paper layout. It's a good thing I love doing it so much. I guess that's why, getting a template is so much fun.
 
The layout is already done for me. Instead, I get to focus on:

- What story I want to remember/tell. 
- What photos I want to use, to do the storytelling.
- What paper/elements/journal cards etc, will help me do that the best.

This Christmas break, we made our 3rd trip out to Kananaskis between Christmas and New Year's for a little getaway. This one was our best ski trips. The kids are both at such an awesome age.

I see families on the hill with tiny, tiny kids, and sometimes I think we should have started sooner. But we didn't, and you can't constantly live with 'should haves'.

The important thing is we did start. Barry and I were reminded just exactly how much we enjoy this winter sport. It's something that we can enjoy together as a family. All the quad chairs make it a family experience for sure. We go up as a foursome, and come down as a foursome.

Now, our only problem is, trying to fit in some ski days between hockey and ringette games and practices. That's not quite as easy as you think.

Following Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Sahlin Studio Template Freebie - **AVAILABLE FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ONLY
PS I Love You - Elements
PS I Love You - Journal Cards
PS I Love you - Paper

L O N G Weekend

Enjoying this 5 day long weekend. It's definitely been full. Thursday we started off with a bang and went skiing to Nakiska, it was our 3rd trip there as a family, and lucky us, we're 3 for 3 for nice weather.

Mason's hockey schedule has certainly put a crimp into our skiing plans. As soon as we confirmed that he was indeed going to play hockey this year, I knew that would be the case. I had hoped to get away between Christmas and New Years, but that didn't happen due to a hockey tournament at the very end of December. Luckily though, he didn't have hockey on Thursday, so we took advantage and headed for the mountains. We left Calgary, drove towards the mountains with the sun shining, and the sky blue.

So nice and close to us, an hour door to door. We have been spoiled for sure, there wasn't very many people at the hill. I suspect the rest of the weekend would have been a lot busier. We've always taken the kids during the week. Usually on a professional day at school. We've always been lucky with very small or no line ups. Thursday we skied right up to the chair lift, nearly every time. These kids will be in a shock for sure, if we ever head up on the weekend...

So glad that we got to get away for the day. So thankful that Barry can be a little bit flexible with work. We had a great day skiing, and then got to spend the night at Kananaskis. It was terrific. The older the kids get, the better things seem to go. They both brought books to read, and games to play. Aside from the odd squabble, you might not have even known they were there. 

It was nice enough, that we ate our lunch outside. Again, 3 for 3... We've been able to eat outside every time we've come here. Madelyn was the only one who actually took her jacket off though.

 

And I'm a pain with any type of photographic device in my hand... Here's a 'reflection-in-the-window' family photo. If you look hard you can see us all.

   

We went for dinner in the lounge. Yes, they allowed kids in. Sah-wheet... So we dined by candle light and they coloured and did word searches by candle light. They LOVED it. And guess what... No one has made mention that we didn't go for heart shaped pizza, which has been our Valentine's Day family tradition, since Mason was in a bucket...

 

Both of these two are avid readers. Love that so much. It just opens so many doors. Madelyn took a rest from her Thea Stilton books by bringing a Garfield book along. Mason can hardly get his nose out of the Hobbit. I'm sure he'll be done by the end of the weekend.

And Pokemon has reared it's head gain. There were battles and time spend sorting cards. A good time was had by all.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were filled with practice, game, practice. Tomorrow, Family Day we have nothing scheduled. I think the weather is too warm to think about going skating out doors... I seriously don't know the condition the ice would be in. On Saturday it got to 11°. But, we're planning on doing something together as a family and I'm looking forward to my last sleep in.

Extra Long Weekend

We had a fantastic long weekend. The kids were off on Thursday and Friday last week, due to teacher's convention, then Monday was Family Day.

We did a bunch of things. We met up with some Wick's on Thursday and we went to the pool. [Mason loves to be in the pool, when he's not required to swim lengths, practice his kicks and do proper dives into the water] He was thrilled to be there. No pictures however, because water and cameras just do not go hand in hand...

Friday we went up to Nakiska, this time for a full day of skiing. The day was incredible. I can't believe we were this lucky again. I hope the kids don't get lulled into thinking that's what skiing is like, because it's not... Miss Madelyn is our speed demon, Barry and I have to take turns skiing with her, and it's all I can do to keep up... Once she gets off the lift, she's heading down the hill. End of story. She doesn't see the need to stop once and awhile... Mason is our cautious one. And by cautious, I mean slow... By the end of the day however, he was somewhat less cautious and he even tucked it in a few places...

[we actually needed to buy sunscreen!]

We got 9 runs in. I thought that was pretty darn good with little kids and a lunch break. [and the pee breaks, etc, etc.]

Then, we got home from skiing and this happened...

She insisted all day, that her tooth was ready to come out. We told her it wasn't. She was right. I just hate that she's loosing the two top front teeth... My baby is losing her baby teeth...

On Saturday night, Ama & Baba took the kids for a sleep-over. It was a nice treat to have the house quiet. Kids = ruckus... My sweetie and I got out for a bite to eat, before his night out with the fellas. I stayed home and scrapbooked until the wee hours.


Sunday night we had family movie night and watched Megamind. It's cute. Of course Madelyn hides on the stairs for most of our movie nights, insisting she doesn't want to sit with us, only to recite lines and quotes from the movie all day long the next day. Even the draw of popcorn with dill pickle topping didn't lure her like it usually does. She did come eventually, and is always so glad she finally does. We're talking about having a Wizard of Oz movie night... I don't know if she'll make it through the flying monkey's or not... [Let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... There's a reason I'm so cautious as to what these kids watch]

Family Day we went skating. In past years we've gone to Bowness Park to skate on Family Day, but I doubt the ice is very good there this year. It's been so mild, so we went to an indoor rink.

We took a few pictures, which everyone is embracing and being a really good sport about. [When I took the shadow picture of us on the ski hill, I could audibly hear Mason sighing... Trust me buddy, one day you'll be glad I'm so crazy with my camera!]

With her hockey helmet on, the missing tooth looked a little less out of place.

And then, to top the day off, we finished with ice cream snacks at DQ. I had suggested going to McDonald's for a milkshake, because you know when you just feel like a milkshake? But everyone else wanted DQ. I was the odd man out, so I just went along with it. But I made a major mistake. I ordered a mini blizzard, but not my usual Cookie Dough Blizzard. No, I thought the Reece's PB Cup Blizzard looked good... It was a mistake. In the future, so as not to be disappointed, just go with what you know and like...

Now the kids are back to school, the house is quiet, and I'm trying to get things tidied up around here. We don't get a big break again until spring break at the end of March... Oh how I love my 8:30 morning get ups...

A Day at the Mountains

For Christmas, my parents and us got the kids ski lessons at COP. We thought it was a good idea, because they've shown an interest in skiing for a while now, both of them. The great thing about skiing, it's a fantastic family sport. Although certainly not an inexpensive sport. [I'm sure it wasn't back then either, when I was growing up] Thank you M&D for introducing us to, and taking us skiing. I have a lot of great memories of my brother and I skiing with our Mum and Dad. Every Supertramp song that comes on can take me right back there, as well as a heavy snow fall warning... Check this out:

My parents had a friend, that let us borrow his cabin, right on the ski hill. A great deal of teacher's conventions in February, had us camped out here for 4 days. It was awesome...

I knew I wanted to share that awesomeness with my kids. When they showed an interest in skiing, we were very supportive.

I've skied a LOT. I learned when I was around the age Madelyn is right now. I learned to ski at COP, back when it used to be called Paskapoo... [Yes, I just dated myself there, big time] We skied a lot as a family and as a teenager [before I had my drivers license] I would go over to Market Mall and get on the greyhound shuttle bus to one of the ski hills with friends. [Do you remember that Mum?] To be honest, I can't imagine letting my kids do that... But then again, they're only 9 and 6. Then, somewhere around grade 10, a lot of us started getting our drivers licenses... I remember vividly, a drive up to Lake Louise with Jimmy Z and Roy N; there's a spot on the highway, right past one of the Banff exits, Jimmy's car did a 360° on the highway. [Mum, don't know if I ever told you that or not, but thankfully it worked out...] We weren't farting around, it was just winter driving conditions... [Again, would I ever let my kids Madelyn, get into a car with teenage boys???] At this point in time, I say NO.

I spent a lot of time in the mountains with ski's and cold weather gear. When Barry and I got together, he didn't share my passion for the ski hill, but he was easily talked into trying it out. He hadn't done much down hill skiing, but spent a lot of time as a kid cross-country skiing. It turns out, he liked downhill. So him and I skied quite a bit. We did some ski trips [they were awesome] we skied with family and friends. [One of my most favourite ski stories was when we skied with Chris up at Sunshine and he shoved a nervous nelly off the t-bar...] Hil. Ar. Ious. And then I was pregnant with Mason... A day of skiing is definitely a full-day commitment. I think I might have got out once after he was born, with a trip through the social club at work...Then along came Miss Madelyn. I have not put ski's on since she joined our family. She'll be 7 this spring, so that means it's been at least 8 years since we skied.

Yesterday the kids had a PD at school and we thought it would be perfect, to take them to the mountains skiing. We decided on Nakiska because it's close to home, literally an hour from our front door to the parking lot, we don't need a park pass to get there, the skiing isn't as expensive, it's a great hill for beginners. We went up for a 1/2 day.

The last time I was at Nakiska, this picture was taken:

That's right, the 1988 Olympics... So it's been awhile. I hadn't skied the hill in years, so I had little memory of the actual ski hill, or the runs.

We drove towards the mountains yesterday morning, there was hardly any snow on the country side, hardly any snow in the ditches. We've hardly had any snow... It's weird. The thermometer read 4°. By the time we got to the hill, it was -1° [I know, right? Dreamy...] It was absolutely gorgeous there. The sun was shining. It was warm. It wasn't busy, line ups weren't long at all. It was some of the best conditions I've skied in, ever. It was like the best spring skiing day you could only hope for. We ate our lunch outside on the picnic tables.

It was the perfect kind of day, to show your kids what skiing is all about. Let's face it, they'll spend plenty of time riding up chair lifts in sub-zero temperatures. They'll ski in white out conditions. They'll get frost bite once or twice. But not yesterday, yesterday was perfect.

We had a great time. They had a great time. It made me realize how much I love skiing, and how much I've missed it. It's a great reason to look forward to winter, and I'm glad to have that appreciation back again. [Though this winter is clearly an exception] We even ran into one of Mason's friends and his Dad, so the boys were able to ski a couple of runs together. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

-getting ready to go up the chair for the first
-we did it! we went up the lift!

-the snow was great, conditions were perfect.

-stopping for a bite of lunch.

-Mason running into a friend, then he went up the chairlift with him and his Dad.

-Barry, Madelyn and I took the chair behind. [our very out-dated ski's worked just fine...]

We're totally looking forward to our next ski trip.