Mayook Picnic

June 9, 2017

Today is our Mayook Community Picnic ...

A wonderful get together with our families and friends ...

Don and Mike were busy grilling up burgers ... hot dogs and smokies ...

at the outdoor grilling hut ...

We enjoyed our picnic and visiting with everyone ...!!! 

 Let the games begin ...!!! After the picnic we were having a Bunco (dice) games night ... This was a new game we played in Houston with Kendall .. We decided to introduce this game to the community ... We had a blast ... a lot of craziness and laughter ...  Lisa was the overall winner ...!!!

We’re planning to host another Bunco night in the future ...!!!

 

Bachelorette Party Begins ...

June 3, 2017

After the branding dinner ... the ladies were getting ready to celebrate Alana’s friend ... (Paige) ...

Bachelorette party ... 

All the kids were so excited when the Limousine arrived ...

They were allowed to go inside and check it out inside ...

Of course ... the boys had to pop there heads out of the sunroof ...

The ladies were ready to party ... a night out in the city ...

 Oh boy ... could be trouble ...!!!

And ... they’re off ...!!!

The guys all gathered around and enjoyed the evening ...

while watching all the children ...

The kids had a great time ... playing games ... watching movies ...

just having fun ...

It was getting late and I was ready to go back to the house ...

The grandchildren were rounded up ... and we made our way home ...!!!

Tomorrow was going to be another busy day ...!!!

 

 

 

More Games ...

March 11, 2017

While we were busy playing games in Texas ...

the gang in Canada ...

went to play games at Chuck E Cheese's ... 

Looks like they had a successful day ...

of winning their games ...

All the tickets won were cashed in at the end of the day ...

for the kids to pick their prizes ...

 

   

A New Game ...

March 11, 2017

We were in for an exciting evening ...

Kendall was taking us to the neighbours ... for a potluck ...

and to play a game ... it was a new game for Oma and I ...

They were having a Bunco party ... !!!

Ian and Grandpa were staying home to chill out ...

with Daigen and Nixon ...

We walked down to the neighbours ... and met the gang ...

the theme for tonight's party was St Patrick's Day ...

The house was decorated ... everyone wearing something green ...

Everyone meeting ... munching on some goodies ...

and wine was being served ...

We were ready to play ...

 

There were five tables set up ... to play this game ...

we paired up ... and sat four to a table ...

This is a dice game ... we started to play ... 

At the end of the round ... the losers would move to the next table ...

and switch partners ... and began to play the next round ...

The object of the game is to roll the numbers correlating to the number round we were playing ...

First round you needed to get as many "1's" as possible ... 

if you rolled 3 - "1's" ... that's a Bunco ...

The round ended if the head table reached a score "21" or ...

if someone rolled a Bunco ...

Anytime a Bunco was called ... the person would where a hat ...

and if a person rolled 3 - 2's" at any time ...

that is called a Traveller and they would get the little green Froggy ...

The person with the most Buncos ... at the end of 6 rounds ... wins ...!!! 

 

We continued to play ... moving from table to table ...

taking a break after the first game ...

to fuel up on goodies and beverages of choice ...

We were ready for round 2 ...

we were having so much fun ...

 It was a great way to meet Kendall's friends ... an awesome social game ...

At the end of the second game ...

the cards were tallied up ... to see who won ...

there were prizes for Bunco ... Traveller ... Wins and Losses ...

Oma and Kendall were tied for one of the prizes ...

so they had to roll off to see who the winner was ...

AND ... Kendall won ...

 she did say that she would share her winnings ...

We stayed and continue to party ...

What a wonderful way to spend an evening ...

This group of friends try to get together at least every month ...

or couple of months ...

to have a Bunco Party ... !!! 

 

 

Surprise Treats ...

March 11, 2017

Morning arrived ... and the boys were so excited ...

We had brought the boys some little gifts ...

They were so excited to have gotten a few boxes of Smarties ...

the boys love their Smarties from Canada ...

as they are not available in the USA ...

They also received sticker books ...

Ian & Kendall love anything to do with ...

Betty Page and old cars ...

We found this poster in Williams, Az ...

on Route 66 ... to be hung in Ian's garage ...

Kendall was given a package with ...

garden butterfly ornaments ... calender and a shirt ...

The boys gifts ... Daigen making his way to the bar ...

to play on his iPad and nibble on a few Smarties ...

before breakfast ...

Grandpa helping Nixon with his sticker book ...

and Oma watching the activites around her ...

 

After breakfast ... it was play time ... 

Nixon taking Oma upstairs to show her his creation ...

Later Daigen joined Oma on the couch ... 

He was intrigued with Oma's puzzle on the iPad ... 

and procceeded to help her find some of the pieces ...

We spent the day ... outside by the pool ... 

relaxing ... and playing ...

 

 

 

A Full Day ...

February 25, 2017

Grandpa and the grandchildren ... snuggling together ... while I getting breakfast ready ...

it was going to be a busy day ...

All of going to the arena to watch James play hockey ...

A few pictures of James ... this was a playoff game ... 

After hockey we decided to drive into town ... pick up a few craft items ...

then had dinner at the new Plaka Greek Restaurant ... 

The food here was amazingly delicious ... the portions were huge ...

we ended up taking some back home with us ...

It was a lovely evening visiting with the family ...

New Sunday Sport ...

 

Mike finally brought in his camera ...

these pictures were taken November 27, 2016 ...

Guess I will have to be more diligent in asking for the pictures ...

Mike had started going to the Kimberley Trap & Skeet Club ...

with Rocko and Sandy on Sunday afternoons ...

He has been using an extra shotgun ...

to get an understanding of the type of gun he would like to purchase ...

he is really enjoying this sport ...

Although he does get frustrated a bit when he misses ...

but ... practise makes perfect ...

This is a wonderful all year round sport ...

 

 

What an Evening ...

December 24, 2016

After our traditional Christmas Eve dinner ...

it was time to play some games ...

Nathan brought a new game ... "Watch Ya' Mouth" ...

Oh my goodness ... it was so much fun ... tears rolling down our cheeks from laughter ...

this game is hilarious ...!!!

You are divided into two groups ... each person was given a plastic mouthguard retractor ...

that alone broke us all up ... as we put them into our mouths ...

a few of us had trouble even putting it into their mouths ... !!!

 

One person from the team ... inserted the retractor ... set the timer ... then picked up a card ...

read it ... while the other team members guessed what the phrase was ...

If the phrase was guessed ... they could continue until the timer expired ...

The team that guessed the most phrases ... won ... !!!

 

I had taken so many pictures ... but ... with all the laughing ...

and moving ... they were too blurry to post ...

I don't think there was one person who didn't hurt from laughing so hard ...

our cheeks and bellies ...

It was quite the workout ... !!!

 

We had calmed down from playing that card game ...

now it was time to open the gifts from Oma ... and for Oma to open her gifts ...

Oma opened her gift from Craig ... James an Ella ...

beautifully ... handcrafted cards ... that touched her heart ...

Our gift to Oma ... were tickets to see a ballet ... Swan Lake ...

The great grandchildren were so excited to receive a card with cash in it ...

now they can add it to their savings ...

We continued to open gifts with Oma ...

Craig ... James ... and Ella were helping grandpa with his scratch lottery tickets ...

Love Rob and Cindy's attire for this festive evening ...

It was getting late for Oma ... it had been a busy day and she was ready to go home ...

(I think maybe part of the gaming exercise wore her out ... ha ha ...!!!)

Thank you Oma for spending this day and evening with us ...

 

While Mike and Rob drove Oma home ...

Nathan started to make the traditional "Knight Family Fudge" ...

which only is made by the boys and men in the family ...

Mike and Rob made it home ... just in time to witness the beating of the fudge ...

getting it to the right consistency ... just before it starts to harden ...

working quickly to get it scraped out of the pot ...

into a buttered baking dish ... smoothing it out to let is set ...

We cleaned up ... by scraping out the remnants and licking the beaters ...

mmmmm ... so creamy ... !!!

It was later cut into little squares ... divided up and placed into airtight containers ...

Some to be eaten now over Christmas ...and the rest for Nathan to take home ...

"Twas the night before Christmas ... when all thru the house ...

not a creature was stirring ... not even a mouse ...

The children were nestled all snug in their beds ... " NOT quite yet ...

they were taking their time ...

a plate of cookies ... carrots ... a glass of eggnog ... oh yes and a beer ...

were put out for Santa and his reindeer ... (Nathan thought Santa might like a change ... )

then they made their way upstairs ... to head to bed ...

they were so excited for Christmas morning ...

Once the children were in bed ...

we enjoyed a quiet evening ... visiting and preparing for the next days activities ...

 

 

 

Watching Curling ...

November 13, 2016

These pictures are of the winners ...

of the curling tournament ...

This Grand Slam of Curling was held in Cranbrook this year ...

The ladies team is from Winnipeg ...

and the men's team was from Sweden ...

Mike and Rocko spent the whole weekend at the curling arena ...

watching all the games ...

in the Round Robin and the playoffs ...

They had a great time ...

I had watched the event on TV ... and saw the two of them in the stands ... the first night ...

I was later informed that they were invited to sit up in one of the boxes ...

for the rest of the games ...

The only game I attended ... was the men's final ...

and grateful to have had a seat in the luxury box ...

It is a totally different experience watching it live ...

as opposed to staying home and watching it on the TV ...

 

 

 

Scooter Races ...

September 22, 2016

It was a busy day for the seniors at Joseph Creek Village ...

scooter races were being held indoors as the weather had turned ...

and they couldn't take the chance of it raining ...

This event was a fund raiser for Alzheimer Association ...

A silent auction was being held as well ...

The residents ... family and friends were treated to an indoor BBQ'd luncheon ...

of hamburger ... smokies ... and all the fixings ...

Music was played during the event ...

by the band "Side by Side" ...

 

After lunch ... the races were to begin in the foyer and hallways at the village ...

This event was open to anyone ... extra scooters were available ...

The first stop once leaving the starting line ... was backing into a parking spot ...

then continuing around the hallways ... to the other side where they had to backup ...

into another parking spot ... then off to the finish line ...

The catch to this timed event was that they had to carry a bowl with water in it ...

without spilling any on the course ...

Everyone had a great time ... there definitely are some crazy drivers out there ... !!!

I was surprised when I was called ... to return to Joseph Creek Village ...

to pick up prizes from the silent auction ...

I never expected to have gotten so many items ...

Let's just say I made a good contribution to a worthy cause ...

 

Summer Holidays Begin ...

July 3, 2016

James and Ella were so excited to go swimming ...

they had the pool all to themselves ...

as Craig was with his other grandparents on a canoe trip ...

James loves the hot tub ... taking a few minutes to relax ...

It looks like Ella's goggles were a little tight ... :)

Mitchell and Carter are friends of James and Ella's

they were visiting their Grandma & Grandpa who live in the area ...

with their mom April ...

The kids all go to the same school and Mitchell plays hockey with James ...

They had so much fun ... in and out of the pool and hot tub ...

they only stopped when it was time to have a snack ...

James and Ella continued to play in the pool ...

James finally was able to lay down on the noodles without falling into the water ...

Ella was busy taking some pictures ...

Ummmm ....

I think there was more whipped cream than strawberries ...

I know there were lots of berries cut into the bowl ...

before the whipped cream ...

I have to chuckle with these two ...

they love getting out Grandpas bib ... (it was a Christmas gift years ago) ...

and also our boys bibs from when they were small ...

the only ones I had left were Santa Claus and a Snowman ...

They usually put them on when it is going to be messy meal ...

I just luv it ... !!!

It was a great day playing and visiting with friends ...

 

And They're Off ...

March 20, 2016

We spent this Sunday ... going for a hike around the area ...

along the path of the canals for the flood water ...

The flowers and cacti were beautiful ...

I was amazed by the tall cactus with all the holes ...

and watching the birds flying in and out ...

 

March 21, 2016

We were so excited when we found out that we were going to go to ...

The Turf Paradise Thoroughbred Horse Racetrack ...

This was the first time for us experience this special event ...

We had help from Terry ... and the rest of the gang giving us tips on betting ...

It was an amazing place ... nice and cool being inside ...

we also enjoyed the beverages and a lovely lunch while watching the races ...

It was so much fun ... !!!

We had gotten an invitation from the owner of the #2 Horse ...

to visit the winners circle to meet the trainer and the jockey ...

It was thrilling to watch ...

the trainer had raised this horse ...

We were given insight as to which horse we should bet on ...

#2 & #3 horses were sure to place ...

All of us placed different bets on these horses ...

and we were all fortunate to have won a bit on this race ...

with #2 horse coming in third ...

It was so exciting watching this race ...

We had an awesome time watching all eight races ... !!!

 

Grandchildren Arrived ...

March 12, 2016

Waiting for the family to arrive later in the afternoon ...

I decided to do some baking ... 2 pie crusts for Chocolate Pudding Pie ...

and while the crusts were cooling ...

a batch of shortbread cookies were made ...

Then made up the pie filling ...

one pie Sugar-free and the other with Jello Chocolate Pudding ...

The grandchildren were so excited when they arrived ...

they wanted Nathan to get the dirt bikes off the truck ...

so they could go riding ...

Craig with his new dirt bike, James with his new dirt bike (Craig's originally)

and Ella with her first dirt bike (James originally) ...

Today was the day that Ella was going to learn how to ride ...

She did amazingly well ...

for someone that was a little hesitant at first ... it was hard to get her off the bike afterwards ...

It was great to watch all three riding together ... !!!

We played a few games ... a few card games of Uno ... a game of Trouble ...

and a few games of Foosball ...

waiting for Grandpa to get home from his course he was taking in town ...

We had a delicious dinner of Halibut ... caesar salad ...

gnocchi dish with Parmigiano/Reggiano cheese ...

and a baked dish of cheddar/mozzarella cheese gnocchi for the kids ...

(they did try the other dish as well)

Now for dessert ...

before serving individual pieces of pie ...

I had them do a taste test ... "which pie was Grandpas?"

I sliced a piece of each pie ... gave them all forks ... and they tasted one ...

then cleansed their pallet ...

and took a bite out of the other one ...

Nathan was the only one that knew for sure which one was Grandpas ... !!!

The light coloured Chocolate Pudding Pie was Mike's ...

my homemade Sugar-free filling ...

Mike was thrilled to be able to enjoy his favourite pie ... !!!

After our dessert ...

the kids wanted daddy to show Grandpa ...

his new Elk Bugle ...

Demonstrating loudly ... I'm sure the whole neighbourhood heard him bugling ...

but not one elk was in sight ... !!!

(I believe he needs a little more practise)