Time to Brag!!!

It is a proud day in our house. It is 6:30, and we have just left BP after having dinner with Zac. Today was graduation. He survived boot camp, and tomorrow ships out to Borden for his next round of training. Boot camp was hard, but he did it. He looks so sharp in his uniform. We took pictures, and when we get home I will be able to upload them ( It uses too much data to upload on the mobile internet). Visiting with him after the ceremony, we see just how much he has grown. The angry young man who was dropped off in November (and scared out of his mind), has become a confident young man, with a future ahead of him. Once in Borden, he will learn to drive again (they treat evryone like a new driver), and then move onto the various types of trucks and equipment. He says he will take any extra training he can get, because every little bit will help him move closer to his goal. He is still focussed on becoming an MP, which leaves him the option to switch to RCMP when this contract is up, or to re-enlist and continue with the military. I promise, pictures of our handsome Air Force Soldier will be posted tonight or first thing in the morning!

Busy Month

So this has been a fairly busy month for us (or maybe just me). I spent the first three weeks sewing like a crazy woman. I was attempting to make two new tunics for a couple of guys in our regiment, but in the end the yellow wool was not available in time. My focus shifted then, and I spent last week sewing for John. We raided Ogdensburg on Saturday again, and surprise, surprised we won again. It is not the best sight for a battle, as far as spectators go, but it is nice to be able to get together with our friends through the winter and not just the summer. After the dinner we went to the ball again, and I finally got a picture of my ball gown. You can't really tell, but the top is smocked, and I embroidered around the hem. I think John and I make a very handsome couple. Now I just have to make Parker some civilian clothes for 1812, and we are fully set (and some new military pants, he grew).

Fan

We went "antiquing" this weekend. We have a couple of local shops that we like to browse through. Once in awhile, we find some really neat things that we want or would be useful for our reenacting. Of course at the same time we are always looking for a deal. Hubby found the most amazing fan. It needs some work, though. It is an oriental silk embroidered fan. The silk has come off of the ribs though. This being said, we got it for $5. I am going to try to remove the glue stains before reattaching the silk, and then it will be my fancy fan for 1812 reenactments. It had rice paper glued between the ribs and the fabric, so I will probably use some of my acid-free paper. I have learned that the symbols on the bottom of the box say Autumn, and that the label on the end is a poem, but some of the words are missing. I am assuming that the symbols on the tips of each rib are numbers, but am fascinated with the carving on each of the end pieces. It is so intricate and detailed. It really is an amazing find, that we are so excited about.

Adventure

So this week has been somewhat better. I seem to be finished with kidney stones for the time being, so that is a good thing. We went for a quick trip down Toronto way. We left on Friday, hoping to make a temple session. Unfortunately I had a caliper seize on my car, and we had to stop to get it fixed. We waited a couple of hours, and left $300 poorer, but at least we had caught it before someone got hurt. John and I got up early and managed to take in a session Saturday morning, while Kierstan and Parker hung out with their cousins. John and Parker and Jason and his kids all went skiing in the afternoon. I decided that we needed to come home that night, so that I could be here for RS, so It was a late night for us. We really enjoyed our trip , even with the adventure of the brakes.

Quite a week

It has been a week of discomfort for me this week. On Tuesday I found out I had my first kidney stone. I spent six hours in emergency, and luckily passed the stone before I left. To be honest it was not all bad, it gave me six hours to get some hand sewing done. I altered my stays for Rev War, so I can do them up myself while I was there. Unfortunately that was not to be the end. I had two more stones this week. Hopefully that will be the end, but if not I may have to go to the doctor.
It was my first official week acting as Relief Society President. We had a very productive first meeting, and found that having counselors who are supportive makes it easier to plan. I spoke briefly with the District RS Pres., and she is also pleased with our planned direction. I think that this may be the year that the sisters accept the counsel to become self reliant.

New Calling

Today was a day of big change at church. I have been the Nursery Leader for the last two years. Today I was released from this calling, and called as the Relief Society President. It will be a big change from playing on the floor with the kids to addressing the needs of the sisters. I do have to say though that I am quite excited. The Visiting Teaching message this month is on Self Reliance. I felt that that was to be my focus with the women here, so it is going to be the theme for the year under this presidency. We had a previous president who felt this way, unfortunately the sisters were not ready to receive and accept this direction. I hope and pray that this time there may be some who are ready now, and that I may be directed in the best way to help them in the journey.

New Year!

Hi Family! It is a New Year, and the last one ended with a lot of craziness here.
We had mentioned before that Zac was going into the Military. Here is the update on that. He had applied for the Air Force, but after much waiting, they called and said he could get the job he wanted if he switched to the Army (it would be awhile yet for the Air Force). He wanted Special Equipment Opps. He decided that he would make the switch, as stacking wood for a living (which he was doing while he waited) was not his idea of fun. He went in in November. When he got to boot camp they informed him that he was in fact Air Force, so he is happy all around. It is going well, and he is learning a lot.
We have had a fair bit of stress with the driving school, as the examination centres went on strike at the end of August. This was long a drawn out, finally ending on New Year's Day. We were fortunate in that Hubby had a backlog of students, and we were able to weather the storm (without racking up extra debt). Many here were not so lucky. We are excited about this start to the New Year, as it should mean that ware busier than normal for this time of year.
Our Reenactments were a great source of family time for us this year, and we are all looking forward to the new experiences that it will bring this year. I have been able to help bring in a bit of extra income, by taking on sewing jobs from some of the guys. The more I do, the more they are noticing, and so I get more inquiries. I have been able to stretch my sewing skills, as I learned to alter patterns, and even make them into something else. (I made a single breasted coat pattern into a double breasted pattern, and reshaped the pieces for a closer more period correct fit.) Our town is celebrating its bicentennial this year. It coincides with both eras we reenact, so I have even started receiving requests from the town to assist with some clothing for special events.
We have our girl living with us full time now, and we are really enjoying having her here. She is finishing up her high school , and looking for a job. She has started learning to play the fife, and enjoys playing with the Fife and Drum Corps. at our reenactments.
Our sweet little boy is growing up. He is always learning and doing new things. He loves grade 4, and his new school. Sometimes he has a hard time focusing, or relating the instructions to a new problem, but he is determined. He is ever intrigued by the computer, but surprisingly does not aspire to be a programmer at this time. He wants to be a scientist and an inventor.