Games....

So I have raised my kids to love board games. 

It might be because I love board games. 

The favourite in our house is monopoly. 

We have had many different versions of it over the years. 

However that is not the game I played with my kids this morning. 

Nope I bought one that looked like it could be fun for all of us. 

It is called "Beat the Parents"

It is really just a Q&A game but is parents are trying to answer questions about things that our kids live, watch, learn, etc. and the the other way around for the kids. 

Well it was illuminating how much I didn't know about my kids stuff.  

Yep that's right. 

They won several times over. 

Very humbling for me...

Guess it is time to kid up :)

Happy Long Weekend

I am soo excited for this long weekend. 

No dance to run to. 

No soccer to take I my time. 

Just time to spend with the family. 

We even have all of us on Monday with Mike having that day off. 

We are also expecting the arrival of my Mother-in-law Judy to spend some time with us. 

So how do you start out the perfect long weekend? 

With a wiener roast of course!!

We set up the tents in the back yard. Chopped some wood. 

Bought the best supplies. 

And had some of the kids friends sleep over. 

So much fun!!

Oh and don't you even think about forgetting the S'mores!!

Here are some quick pics from our night. 

How did you start out your long weekend?

Life after Relay

To be honest there has not been much life after Relay. 

We loved watching it come to an end as we were all so tired, but sad too. 

As we watched the tents come down and the stadium clear there was a sense of accomplishment for having completed the Relay but sadness as the feeling of camaraderie left with everyone. 

We will definitely do this again but I think with a little more prep and planning. 

You see when we got home we had most of our church clothing pre-set out so we could just shower and go. 

Well as Mike showered I fell asleep. Now he knows I am fairly fast at getting ready so he decided to let me sleep as a Mother's Day gift and he was going to finish getting the kids ready. 

As he was going through the sock basket he too fell asleep. 

The kids say he was in a very funny position and couldn't wake him. 

He finally woke-up about half way through church time and then woke me up. 

We were quite sad as we really wanted to show the kids that we could do something like this and still keep our commitments of attending church. 

We decided that next year we would make sure one of us got a nights sleep so we could not falter again. 

So we rested and everyone was awake Monday morning, but oh so sore!

Ben had played ball/ soccer with the kids for 15 hours and then walked his 4 hour turn at 1 am and he could really feel it throughout his legs and arms. 

Mike had walked 15 hours total between our team and the Costco team so he could hardly stand. 

Then there was me.

I only walked a little less than 7 hours plus all the running around after the kids and activities that I could hardly move as well. 

The other kids all complained about how sore their legs were as well that we decided to take Monday off from almost everything and rest one more day. 

For the most part it worked and we are up and going again today, but we did learn that we need to be in better shape for next years relay. 

In a side, but fun, note...

Today is Cloes "dress however you want" day and this is her outfit of choice. 

Yep she sure has her own sense of style. 

I sure love this little girl. 

  

Almost there.

Well it was a long night but we survived. 

Ben did a 4 hour stint of walking proving why he is so amazing. 

It even started to rain half way through his time. 

Mike took over from there in the rain and he did the best he could to make it fun. 

We did have some really nice skies for a while this morning. 

And a great DJ who played the perfect music and even got Into the walking and would randomly get out and dance a lap with some of us. 

But my favourite pic of this leg of the Relay is some of the kids passed out in the tent.     

But now the wind is picking up for the last 2 hours and we have had a few tents blow over and ours has been threatening to. 

Luminary Lap

So I have never stayed for the midnight remembrance part. 

I knew they did luminaries but thought they just set them out an lit them for us to walk around. 

Turns out it soo much more special than that. 

Everyone gets a candle to hold and we gather to listen to stories of survival and stories of the fighters who did not make it. 

It reaches down and touches your heart. 

Everyone comes together and they, even complete strangers, share a moment together. 

Then they all took a lap around in memory of those that have passed. 

And as they went around a second time they thought of all those survivors still with us. 

And that turned into a celebration of life and that meant just so much to me. 

Please remember to always celebrate your life, no matter what trial you are currently going through. It is a gift. 

 

Night has fallen

So that's it, the darkness has settled in but the track is still alive. 

My night crew of walkers, Matt, Josh, And Ben are ready to get going on their turns at the track. 

They have even started doing some fun tag offs. 

The Costco crew is getting all set for the midnight luminary celebration and everyone is here.

They are having a huge party in their tent and we are enjoying being a part of it. 

But what my kids are liking best is the foot rubs I have been giving them after they have finished their time. 

While they were walking..

Noticed this one didn't post so here it is now. 

So life does not stop just because we are doing Relay for Life. 

Josh and Tommy still had soccer today and Ben had to work. 

That is the joy of having a big family in this situation. 

Mike, Sam, and Matt stayed and continued walking while we did our other commitments. 

I dropped Ben off to work and headed over to the soccer fields. 

Josh had his game first and it was his first game of the season. 

He is his lucky number, 18, but the team wasn't as lucky today as they lost this game. 

Next Tommy had his game and they named themselves the "Orange Crushers"

This is his first time playing soccer on a team and he loved it so much. 

He was the only one with white socks and he felt special. 

Tommy's team won their game and he was soooo excited!

We headed back to the Relay after it was all done. 

This is really turning out to be a great day!

Music and stuff

So I finished my latest turn and I have to say what really helped pass the time as I walked was the live music.

Now I will be honest and say that I don't know who the bands that were playing are because I was concentrating on making it through without feeling like dying. 

However they did get me a good beat to walk to and they sounded soo good. 

I also have to say that I love that stores of PG set up drink and food stands around the track.

They really have been a big help in staying hydrated and furled for this. 

So colourful!

So I am getting ready to do my turn for walking and I thought before I did I would check out some of the decorated tents and share some of Cloe's favourites for you. 

And this tent was dubbed the winner if best decorated.... 

Hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as we have. 

Now time for me to walk!!

Relay has started!!

Relay for Life is today!!!

 

The whole family is here to start out walking!!

We are walking the first 3 laps together as a family and then we are dividing up the hours. 

And we all are having fun so far!