Spring Break 2008 - Part One

We just got back from a fun and relaxing vacation. We've got lots to share, but let's start with a couple of shots from our side trip to North Carolina to visit with Lisa and Matthew and the delightful Linden and Jemma.

How could anyone be crabby when you get together with friends?

Skating Carnival 2008

The Brentwood Skating Carnival program tonight included solos by both of Rustle's Girls this year. I'm choked with pride. I will have to let the videos speak for themselves...

Super Sarah

Sarah's competition schedule is rather hectic, but this one race is worth highlighting. The Lake Louise group competed as a team in an all-mountain event at WestCastle Mountain, near Pincher Creek. It was a very fun event, or so she and her dad reported, as the team raced in GS and slalom events, but also in moguls, skating, trees, terrain and a jump. Dad was a volunteer at the jump event, verifying the distance each kid jumped.

Was he impressed, then, when his one and only Sarah went big for this event. She jumped a whopping 8.5 m! It was enough to give her first place amongst all the girls at the event, and probably 5th overall.

The proud moments (and the misnamed certificate, too).

Alison at the Summit

Alison rode the platter to the Summit of Whitehorn Mountain (if you click on that link, it's at the peak where the red arrow points to "The Ultimate Steeps") and made some absolutely gorgeous turns down Whitehorn One today during her training session. Mom was there with her trusty cell phone to capture some grainy memories of Alison's first ever trip to the peak of Louise.

Time for an update

And when I say, "Time for an update," I mean I actually have some time to update. We've been busy, but there isn't a lot of photographic evidence of our hectic lives. Not that anyone is interested in a photographic description of driving to the arena, or to school, or to the ski hill....

So, here's a few shots of girls skating...




at the ski hill....



and in the car, just for good measure!

The Mauros come to Town

We had a fabulous weekend with the cousins who popped into Calgary for a quick weekend visit. We went swimming and skiing and tore up the basement playing like mad.

Jack and Lucas even got to take a gondola ride up Whitehorn Mountain and skied all the way down! Jack was an excellent student for Instructor Uncle Bob and Lucas was making lots of fine turns all afternoon. Little Sammy got to try things out in the Learning Area too.

Here's a couple of photos of the group at the top of the hill where the gondola lets off. Woo Hoo!

The cat has Alison's hat

We met the Vancouver Olympic mascots at C.O.P.Wednesday,February 13. There were three of them. One took my hat. He also gave me lots of hugs. Another tried to eat Mommy's head! The last one was very nice. I think I gave him the most hugs. Y A Y!


by guest blogger, Alison


(It was a 20th Anniversary celebration of the Calgary Olympics. Elizabeth Manley, Eddie the Eagle, Brian Orser, and a member of the Jamaican bobsled team were there! Very neat. But we wouldn't have been there if Sarah didn't have training there every Wednesday!)

The Competitor

Sarah has been incredibly busy lately. Ski race season is upon us, and she learned a new program at the beginning of January and skated in a competition with it 3 weeks later. So, in honour of her competitive spirit, congratulations to my girl, trying her best at every opportunity.

Very cold girl racing at Nakiska (home of the '88 Olympic alpine ski events) (but a lame hill nonetheless)...



And here is her Introductory Freeskate...

Renovating

It has been a long time since I've posted because we've been renovating our main floor. We got back from our holiday and the next day had to say goodbye to Gramma and Grampa, take down the Christmas stuff and move all our main floor furniture to the basement. Living without a proper kitchen for over a week was a struggle on its own, let alone the dust and dirt and trying to get everybody all sorted out and off to work and school with all parts intact and UGH! What a mess.

Here are some photos of the work in progress. Paint and furniture still to come....


We are not sad in the slightest to be rid of the ugly blue carpet.

The wiring for the heated floor in the kitchen. It's SOOOOOO nice.

The lovely new slate tile floor. You can see the ugly blue rug in the background, moments before it was tossed away!

Holiday Roundup

Some photos of our lovely Christmas and ski vacation holiday with Gramma and Grampa.

visions of sugarplums dance in her head...

followed by a dance of joy when those dreams come true - the stockings are full!

on the ski hill at Kimberley

Happy New Year!!