HAPPY CANADA DAY!

This year was the first time I got to celebrate Canada Day as a Canadian citizen! It has been a really fun day so far. We met some friends on Main St. this morning for the Canada Day parade. Our friends are early risers and we are not. So, they got went early to get a good spot and save some room for us! That's my good friend, Penny, under the umbrella. Her 2 boys are sitting on the blanket with Sky. Zachary is 8 and Micah is 6. Sara and Jennadee (4 1/2) are sitting in the little chairs on the left. (Both not looking at the camera!)


And here are the two dads. Richie and Joshua. They were gentlemen and stood the whole time, so the moms and children could sit! Thanks guys!

A better look at Sara and Jennadee... They are such sweet little friends and I love to see them play together!
The parade started out with the Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP).

Sky, having never been to a Canada Day parade (or any parade, for that matter), said, "I really like Canada Day!"

Sara was all smiles! She loves to people watch, so this was heaven for her!

Snuggle time!
Sometimes the horns were a little loud....!
And this was Jennadee...the whole time! She enjoyed that parade with every part of her being! Her mom said, "I don't know what's better - the parade or Jennadee!" She was so cute!
It was a wonderful parade and a wonderful time with friends! We all walked away happy and proud to be Canadians! We all came home to our house for lunch together. It was a yummy meal of sausages and hot dogs, potato salad, Caesar salad, mac and cheese and pink lemonade. Then, there were chocolate ice cream cones for dessert!

Happy Canada everyone! Stay tuned for possible fireworks pics... We're going tonight and I have a fireworks setting on my camera. We'll see if it works...

The Official Canadian Conversion Chart

This morning, as I'm looking at a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, I decided it was a good time to post this little bit of Canadian humour! I found this some time ago and have been saving it for just the right time. You have to be a hockey fan to get the last line. For those of you who aren't from around here, the Calgary Flames just got eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Because Joshua is from Edmonton, we cheer for the Edmonton Oilers and against the Flames! There is a fierce rivalry between the two cities. The Oilers didn't even make it to the playoffs, but that didn't stop us from gloating when the Flames were eliminated!

The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart


50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 C)
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
Canadians plant gardens.

35 Fahrenheit (1.6 C)
Italian Cars won't start.
Canadians drive with the windows down.


32 Fahrenheit (0 C)
American water freezes.
Canadian water gets thicker.

0 Fahrenheit (-17.9 C)
New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-60 Fahrenheit (-51 C)
Mt. St. Helens freezes.
Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.


-100 Fahrenheit (-73 C)
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Canadians pull down their ear flaps.

-173 Fahrenheit (-114 C)
Ethyl alcohol Freezes.
Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.


-460 Fahrenheit (-273 C)
Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.
Canadians start saying "cold, eh?"

-500 Fahrenheit (-295 C)
Hell freezes over.
The Calgary Flames win the Stanley Cup.

A Short Explanation....

I wanted to say one more quick thing about my new Canadian citizenship. This is for all you loyal Americans out there! I DID NOT lose my American citizenship yesterday when I took the oath to become a Canadian citizen. Canada does not require anyone to revoke previous citizenship or otherwise reject the country they originated from. I am now a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. I will have passports from both countries, I can vote in either country, I have all the rights of a citizen in both countries AND I can pay taxes to each country as well!! :-) And just so you know, the U.S. is not nearly as easy going as the Canadian government. When you become an American citizen, you have to revoke all previous allegiance and citizenship to the country you came from. For many people, that's not an issue, but to proud Canadians, it's a tough pill to swallow! :-)

Canadian, Eh?

Yesterday morning began way too early for my comfort! Joshua and I got up at 6 a.m. to get ready for my Canadian citizenship ceremony. Now, you must know that I don't get up before 8 a.m. if I can help it, and if I DO get up before that, I go back to bed! Joshua had to leave the house at 6:30 a.m. because I made a HUGE oversight. The night before, after the kids were tucked in bed, Joshua and I were relaxing on the couch. We were talking about the ceremony and what the morning scedule should be like. I mentioned that I really needed to locate my "notice to appear" because I was required to bring that with me. I found it and to my horror, realized I had forgotten to tell Joshua I needed my permanent resident card (to be surrendered) and my passport (to be stamped). We keep all those things in a safety deposit box at the branch where Joshua works and it's not a big deal at all for him to get those things. But, did I remember to tell him that while he was at work? Of course not! Well, to make a long story short (let's just say that Joshua was NOT HAPPY), we made a few phone calls and were able to work everything out. It involved Joshua and a friend/co-worker getting to the branch at 7 a.m., unlocking the vault (you need two people), retrieving the documents, and locking everything back up (everyone else arrives between 8 and 8:30 a.m.). They were successful and were on thier way downtown by 7:15 a.m. In the meantime, I had to drag the kids out of bed at 6:30 a.m.! Sara was very sweet and got dressed right away, but she did point out to me that it was still dark and that we should be in bed sleeping! I heartily agreed! Sky was very difficult. I was holding him on my lap, trying to dress him, and he was fighting and kicking and reaching for his bed, crying "I WANT MY BED!" I finally had to spank him and then he only cried. Poor baby! I had packed breakfast and snacks the night before, so we loaded into the car, and were on the road by 7 a.m.! Wow, was I ever proud of myself! But, still very stressed, because at that point, I didn't know if the guys had gained access to the vault yet! The traffic was terrible and I was at a standstill or crawling for half the way. Joshua and I both made it to the place downtown by 7:45 a.m. and we were supposed to be there at 8 a.m. Mission accomplished! When we got in the building, they hadn't even started processing the 105 people because they couldn't figure out how to get the lights on in the auditorium. Oh brother! Finally, a few minutes after 8, they got the line going (I somehow ended being first in line!). We had to wait in the auditorium until 9 a.m. when everyone had been processed and we could start. It was a long and boring ordeal, but I got a certificate and a cool pin and lots of other Canadian paraphanalia! The kids really didn't understand and they were so tired and bored, but at least we had snacks! Here a few pictures of this very momentous occasion!
Mommy and Sky waiting.....Daddy and Sky waiting some more.....Sara and our good friend, Mitch, (he's the one who helped Joshua get my documents from the vault!) watching 105 people receive their certificates.Receiving my certificate from the judge. He was really nice and personable.Our whole family after the ceremony with the judge, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officer, and military official.