The Montreal Visit Adventure!

I was really lucky to have my exams finish on the 11th of December, some students don't finish their exams until the 22nd. Bronwyn and Dad came up to the big-poutine city for a retrieval visit. They launched away from Guelph in the wee hours of the morning and arrived close to lunch. While my dad slept in my comfy bed, Bronwyn and I hit the town. I bought her a disposable-film camera so she could take her own pictures of the adventure. We took the Metro to the Pie-IX Station and did the Biodome tour.

Posing in the Biodome, St.Laurent Exhibit.

Amazonian Fish, and the instant camera!

Bronwyn Outside the Olympic Stadium.

After the Biodome, we headed back on the Metro and went back home to my apartment. Bronwyn, my dad and I then went out for dinner downtown at a retro diner style restaurant. They ordered poutine, and I had a salad for starters. My dad ordered a massive smoked meat sand which, Bronwyn had a little burger and I had a vegetable primavera. It was a welcome change from my cheap college meals.

Posing in an alley-way... her idea.

In the Apple Store!

Our dinner at the diner: Nickel's Restaurant.

Driving home in the early morning!

Christmas & Holidays in Guelph

Christmas this year was great! Now that I live away from home, I can savour and cherish my family time even more than I did before. I had lots of great food and meals shared with my family and nights together over movies or board games.

Someone got a Barbie Camper-Van!

On Christmas day we went over to my aunt's house for an all round multi-family celebration. Around 10 pm I took scamp out for a walk and we discovered an injured mourning dove! These birds have a knack of falling into my care. I took her home in a shoe box and let her dry-out from the melted snow in Icicles old cage, ironically replacing hers on Christmas. The little bird's tail feathers where missing and she is now spending the rest of winter and spring at a bird sanctuary in Rockwood, Ont.

I never ended up naming her, but if I could now, her name would be "Snow-Drop"

For Christmas my aunt and cousins got my a round knitting loom set. Its been great, I've made four circle scarves/cowls and a few other things since I started looming. Its so easy to pick up and do while I'm watching TV or reading. Lastly I've been so lucky to catch some of Bronwyn'sfigure skating while I'm home. Each time I watch her she is getting better and better, she truly loves this sport, I'm hoping to start sewing her some dresses, and expanding it into a hobby-job.

Look at that stride!

Donkey Sanctuary!

Bronwyn, Morgan (2nd Cousin), my mother and I all headed out to The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada during its holiday open-house hours. It was a great winter family experience, a super close drive to Guelph! They simply ask for a small donation per person and that you respect the rules. You can move through at your own pace and enjoy the peaceful barnyard setting back from any main-roads.

All of the donkeys, mules and hinnies are tame, quiet, calm and restful and are extremely gentle with children and everyone else. Donkeys are furrier than horses, and are super soft, the staff left several brushed lying around so kids could groom them. The staff was a mixed group of women who had no problem talking with guests and teaching visitors about donkeys amidst their chores and duties. I love all animals and any organization who takes care of those in need, these donkeys are well taken care-of and enjoy a lovely facility.

For Christmas they had lights strung up in the barn rafters, and bails of hay to form a sitting area in a reading nook right next to the indoor pens, with Donkey story books for children to read with parents. It was a bit cold, but they provided free hot cider and hot-chocolate and a small fire pit near the entrance, there were spruce and cedar bows decorating the fences and barn, too picturesque! It's the perfect time to go, the mud was frozen and no-one got dirty!

To learn more about The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, visit their website, by clicking the hyperlink!

Cocoa the Standard Donkey!

Super curious and gentle!

Say: Cheese girls!

The heart is seen through the eyes.

...a bit of grooming

Admiring the do.

Bronwyn's 7th Birthday

I can't believe she is already 7 years old! Where did all that time go! At least I can look back on all that time in photographs and movies that I took. Let's just say she is a very well-documented child. Like all of Bronwyn's birthdays, we have the full advantage of the summer, using the pool, the grass and the sun to our advantage. Not to mention the kids are all out of school and most summer-attractions are open for birthday groups. I set up a dress-up photo shoot for her and her friends, they swam in the pool and played games on the grass. We served ice cream cake of course because Bronwyn hates cake. We actually stuck candles in a pie on her actual birthday... yup that's my weirdo kid sister.

A bunch of Goofy-Groovy Girls!

She loves to pose right now...

The Big Birthday Pie!

Thanksgiving 2010

In October I went home for Thanksgiving, it was as short trip, but it was relaxing and fantastic to see everyone again. Dinner was a great relief from the strange cafeteria food. They cook nice things but they put certain veggies in the wrong dishes like baby corn in vegetarian lasagna. Or corn in quiche. Its just strange.

Everyone was in good spirits and we had a great evening enjoying the fall feast classics! We used my home-grown herbs, beets and carrots! Not only were my veggies sweet and yummy, they looked fantastic. I couldn't help but say every 2 minutes "How are our organic fresh beets?! Did you know that the turkey is only seasoned with our herbs?! I mean wow, yum!" I'm so excited for next year's crop!

I would love to show you the beautiful pictures, but for what ever reason I don't have them on my computer. They are awesome I promise. I'll post them as soon as I can. Instead I will show you Scamp's first adventure to the big trail dog park in Guelph. We had great weather and Scamp voluntarily dipped his paws in the pond!

Scamp, Chip and Finnegan

Fall colours at the park!

Moving off to University!

It's hard to believe it's been just about a week since I've moved to University. Most of my friends move in this weekend and Monday. I have a really big room and I lucked out, some other people share a room just as big with two single beds and a communal bathroom. In Montreal the vacancy rate is so high there isn't a huge demand for residence, thus allowing them to make larger single rooms for most students that apply. The residence is really comfortable, nice people, two TV rooms, a small kitchenette with a microwave and kettle, a nice laundry facility (Yikes! I have to do that today!) and finally I am a 4-5 minute walk away from Rugby, which helps at 10:30pm when it's over. The Cafeteria is actually less-fried and fatty than I imagined, with a "Best-vegetarian" award hanging in the front hall, and local food posters explaining each recipe, I am delighted. They work specifically with each season, bringing in fresh, organic and free-range foods as much as they can. There is always salad, chocolate milk, veggies, a tofu-option and pasta. In my dorm I have my own mini-fridge, where I always have; milk, OJ, fruit, yogurt, cheese, salsa, jam and other perishables. In a large cabinet I also have; Cheerios, tortillas, corn chips, bread, nuts & trail mix, granola & bars, peanut-butter, Nutella, tea, tuna, popcorn, crackers, hearty soup, apple-sauce and assorted noodles/pasta packages. I am well fed.

Some challenges here have been the temperature of last week and some of this one. My room was reaching temperatures of about 45-50C in the morning to mid-afternoon and about 30C at night. Finally after the help of my small fan, a no cover, a sports-bra and undies, I was able to survive the night. Now I know what it was like for my friend Alec, who spent 2 weeks in Cambodia. Hot, humid, UV. Other challenges include; difficulty getting a transit pass, waking up at 6 am due to the hot sun, ugly dorm room and being asked every night by my non-athlete res neighbors to go downtown and party until 5am. I did manage to join them three times, and I had a blast, each time only spending 6$ on transport and cover for 5$ one time. Most places let girls in for free! Mom, Dad I'm learning so much! I'll have a bit of a break this week so I'll have more time to explore the city and enjoy both day and night-life.

The first Monday I got here was my Stingers Rugby training camp! I was super nervous to perform my best, impress the coach and other girls. I was also anxious about the level of play and difficulty. The more I reflect on it, the more I am impressed with my abilities and my confidence in growing. Some of the girls are intimidating, but all seem to be nice, respectable and influential players. Most do there best to make the rookies feel like a friend and a valued team-member. The first night was paperwork, fitness, strength, agility and suicides (WOW). I didn't give up, even though one would think the body would shutdown after such physical stress, the second night was about running, and running, running, oh... and running. Wednesday felt less challenging as those first two days whipped me back into my rugby mind-set, hitting like a brute, playing like a genius and acting like a lady. We worked on plays, run-thrus and the fitness seemed light comparing nights previous. It was nice to play under the lights, different, a new challenge, but it took the bite out of the heat. Thursday was all about the team-bonding, fun and secret exercise (walking up stairs and jumping in the wave pool). We drove by Concordia Bus 1.5hrs east of Ottawa to Calypso Water Park. Click the link to see all of the rides I had a blast screaming down!

Cottage Life!

Sorry, It's been so long. I haven't been on my computer or watched a lot of TV recently, the weather has been to good! The family has been super busy as well, from sports, the dog, the cottage and friends. Recently we spent a week up at my uncle Alain's sister's (Frances Lajeuness) cottage. I drove up on a Saturday with my grandma and aunt Cheryl. They even let me drive a couple kilometres on the cottage roads. It was funny to see the line of cars behind me, even if I was going to speed limit.

We arrived all in one piece and had a nice quiet evening and rainy day with Paula, Alain and Malin, before Mark, Tamara, (cousins) Emma, Brooke, Joel and puppy Claira arrived. They bring lots of fun, and there was always lots to do when they were around! I went on a boat tour with all the kids, and Emma and I caught up down by the dock. There was also so much food, it was hard to believe that water was the only thing we really ran out of all week.

The next day we all made bets on when my family would arrive. Based on the "normal" family, if they departed around 11-11:30am they would arrive around 4-4:30. Therefor I bet they would arrive at 6:30, with Aidan and Bronwyn being car-sick victims and Scamp needing breaks, and everybody getting hungry. The bets filled in from around 5:30 to 7:15pm. To every one's delight, the Sweeney-Rogers family rolled in at around 8:30pm.

The rest of the week was spent in half chaos and half gloriously sunny weather, enjoying good-eats, warm water, water sports, a little fishing, a trip to the island and camping out under attack of raccoons. We even had an outing to the dump to see some bears, and my dad and I enjoyed an evening canoe paddle around Little Kenisis Lake.

Scamp's Happy Tail.

Scamp enjoying some morning sun.

Scamp has adjusted very well in our home and we are all starting to love "adore" this little mutt. We couldn't have adopted a sweeter and more docile pup as our first dog. Unlike a person, Scamp doesn't seem to have any emotional baggage. Other than his early depression-like state, He just wants to be loved, and with five people in the house that isn't hard. Last night there was a huge thunderstorm and he slept peacefully the whole night, unlike everyone else who was restless and kept up by the bright flashes and drumming of the storm. Scamp is very quiet, he makes small gnarls when he yawns and whimpers when he can't run over and smell another dog, but other than that, we've heard less than a handful of barks and hours of happy tail wagging. Check out the Guelph Humane Society's Happy Ending page, for Scamp's cameo in the next few days. Adopt on! I don't think this will be my last adoption.

My friend Maddy found a stray in Chachapoyas, Northern Peru and is trying desperately to get her back to Canada on a flight. This is a photo of Scamp campaigning for her fundraiser.

Good Day for the Pool...

Malin having a good laugh on the pool stairs.

Grandma Rosalie, Bronwyn & Paula catch some sun!

Alain & Malin share some kisses.

New Family Member!

On Thursday we brought home a new addition to our family. We spent all week going back and forth to the Guelph Humane Society, and finally we adopted Scamp! A three year old Chinese Crested mix (Powder Puff variety). He was believed to be from a puppy-mill, purchased at a pet store and surrendered about 10 days ago by a divorced couple who couldn't decide who would keep him. He was shaved down due to the poor grooming his previous owners had provided. They also didn't realize he had a food allergy and was breaking out in little blisters all over his body. But don't worry! He is happy as happy gets now, with his reaction stopped and healing and his silky coat growing back, he is cozy and curled up in his plushy dog bed. He has a great temperment and is a very smart boy. Aidan is thrilled to finally have a dog and the two of them love to cuddle and watch a movie. We are all loving the daily walks and can't wait to see what kind of adventures we will have, as a complete family!

Family Reunion! Napanee!

Aunt Albie and my mum Glenna.

Last weekend, Bronwyn, Glenna "Mom", Rosalie "Grandma" and I traveled 3 hours to Napanee, Ontario for our annual family reunion. It was great to see everyone together enjoying great food and company. It was hot and somewhat buggy but we all stuck-it-out for some hugs, laughs and brownies! I enjoyed a lovely game of boccie with my second cousins, and even Bronwyn tried a roll. So many people asked me if I was/am excited for Montreal and I can't really tell anymore. I think I am, but until I feel all sorted out, I'm scared as all hell. No hesitation just nerves and uncertainty.

We stayed with Mary-Ester and Bob in the country, and I think we all had an amazing sleep. I even saw a shooting star. Bob showed me his garden and he even had some ripe banana peppers! Overall it was a great time, relaxing, greeting and sharing stories, and I even made it back to Roller-Derby on time!

Morganne and Leslie.

Happy 143 Canada!

"Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them." - Pierre Elliot Trudeau

I spent Canada day at Riverside Park in Guelph. Rosalie, my grandmother lives right across from the park, with her balcony in full view of the firework action. Paula, Alain and Malin watched up stairs with Bronwyn and my mother. Aidan and I enjoyed the music, food and display with our friends down in the park. I met up with some of my best friends and we all watched the fireworks together and just had a blast, like we usually do.

If anything the last 4 or 5 months have made me feel more Canadian than ever. Tapping maple trees and making my own syrup, snowshoeing, making my own muk-luks, camping in every season, cameoing, hiking, swimming in every body of water I could get near and so much more. I'm loving the life-style I've been developing and I am ready to take it to new heights.

Re-cap! Mother's day, Roller-Derby and Prom!

I feel like there has been allot of events that I have skipped over. First, is the wonderful mother's day my family and I had. We all went to my aunt Paula's and played outside in the great May weather. My cousins introduced there dog, Clara, an adorable black Shi-poo puppy. Aidan was especially happy this weekend and had a great time with his little cousins. The food and company were great!

Secondly, I joined my local Roller Derby Team! Roller Derby is a female-only contact sport, where two teams with roller-skates go around the track in a pack, while two other players, one representing each team, skates from behind the pack. This "scoring" player is called the Jammer. They must pass blocking players from the pack that could throw "booty blocks", "hip checks" or shoulder crunching blows. Don't worry about me though, I feel like I was made for this sport. It's the perfect combination of rugby, ringette, and figure skating. Our team is called The Royal City Roller Girls: The Killer Queens and Violet Uprising! My derby name is Malibu Brawler, a play on Malibu Barbie (my player alter ego persona). When I move to Montreal, I plan on playing there as well.

Finally, in mid May I had my prom! It was a great event hosted at Guelph Place, a very nice banquet hall. I spent less than 100$ overall on my prom experience. I edited my own photos and got all of my friends together before prom to take photos at Bernardi Precast, a cement statue manufacturer with pillars and Greek gods by the truck load on property. We then carpooled over to The MacDonald Stewart Art Centre for photos in there sculpture park. I wore an iridescent pleated purple dress, cut right above my knees. It was strapless, handmade and eco-friendly and I wore great little reflective heels. My aunt Albie sent me one of a kind earrings that complimented the whole ensemble, so many people asked me about them! The prom was super fun, and the after party with friends was even better! We all slept over at my friends eco-house in the country and had eggs, pancakes and fruit in the morning.

For more prom photos click here!