Skokie and Shaniqua: What we've been up to this summer

Wow! We have had a busy summer. Here is a little catch-up on what we have been doing since our Dino camping trip last June.

First, Scott graduated from his medical residency. He is finally officially and completely done with school! He recieved word that he passed his final licensing exam and is allowed his very own prescription pad. So now you all know where to go to get the good drugs (that's a joke by the way - he doesn't give out drugs to just anyone). As a side note - he finally let me get rid of his med school binders. I know it was hard as they represented years and years of hard work. Way to go babe - I know first hand that you have earned the title "Dr".

Secondly, Scott turned 30! Happy birthday old man! He for sure finished school before he turned 30 (even if it was by less than a week). He just wanted to make sure he could say that he was done with his education before he got really old!

I made him the yummiest carrot cake cheesecake - just like the kind we had in New York City. We even bought the restaurant's own cookbook so I could make sure it was the same. It took me 3 days to bake it! No joke - 3 days. You have to make each layer separately and let it cool in between before stacking it together into a delicious tower of a cake! It turned out great and now I am afraid I might have to make that same cake every year!

After the birthday celebrations we went on another camping trip to Idaho where we met my family for some fun times in Coeur D'Alene. We went hiking, played at the lake, and had some good times around the campfire. Check out the pictures by clicking here. Or click here to watch the slide-show!

After Coeur D'Alene it was time for us to move. Scott started work in the Claresholm hospital and clinic on July 5th, and we moved out to join him July 10th. We love our new house (even if it is a little weird to be renting again) and the community seems great. There are a lot of really old people in the little town of Claresholm, population aprox. 3500. It is a common occurrence to see people driving their mobility scooters or walking through downtown with their walkers. But there are some young people too, and I think we will make lots of good friends here.

As soon as we were settled, it was time for pioneer day celebrations with Scott's family in Glenwood. They have so many traditions for the 24th weekend there. It is the same every year - and it is always fun! The festivities start with softball games Friday night. Families put in teams for a just for fun/bragging rights tournament. Then there is a family dance. This year there was a live band. And Moses made a little friend. They spent almost the entire night dancing together! SO CUTE!

Glow sticks are a MUST at the dance!

I think my personal favorite are the fireworks. I have never seen fireworks as good as the ones in little Glenwood, Alberta. Not even at Thanksgiving Point in Utah - which are supposed to be really good. I think part of it is that you get to be so close - probably too close for safety! It makes them so much cooler when they are going off literally right over your head! I tried to take some pictures of them this year to prove how spectacular they really are, but they didn't turn out as good as I hoped. I need more practice - maybe next year.

The next morning starts off early with a pancake breakfast in the park, followed by a good-old-fashion parade where the kids always get lots of candy. Then there is the picnic in the park for lunch. After lunch they have races for every age. That afternoon they finish the ball tournament. By the end of the day, everyone is so exhausted but it was all so much fun that we can't wait to do it again next year!

Along with moving, celebrating, graduating, and being 8 months pregnant....we decided to renovate our old house so we could rent it out. This included painting, redoing some fixtures, and replacing the linoleum. It was a lot of work, and long hours....and we will never do it again. :) We would travel from Claresholm to Lethbridge (about an hour drive each way) a couple times a week to work on the house. We got Scott's sister to watch the boys for the painting, but most of the time they came with us. They were good sports, and even a little bit of help!

The last thing we did before the end of summer and the arrival of Berlyn is a trip to Tie Lake with Scott's family. We spent an entire week relaxing by the shore and enjoying the water. I love time at the lake and I know Scott and the boys loved it too!