Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Tale of Two Resorts (or, How it Came to Be That the Baergs won't be Visiting the Domincan Republic any time Again Soon)
Before I get started with stories of our vacation, I just need to say that we really did have a great family time away. Our holiday seemed to be threatened at every corner, but there is much to look back on fondly.
Seriously, though, does this kind of stuff happen to other people??
We left Toronto on Wednesday morning. After a smooth flight with happy kids, we were allowed into the D.R. with barely a glance, and we easily made our way in a comfortable taxi to our resort, only 20 minutes away. Wow, were we off to a great start, or what!
We arrived at the Melia Caribe Tropical at around 4pm, and then the "fun" began. We got into the check-in line-up, and noticed right away a few disconcerted looking travellers, some on cell phones, some looking and sounding very frustrated. As we talked and listened, we discovered that these people had arrived 3 hours earlier, but had been told that there wasn't a room available for them. Somehow, the resort had overbooked. We immediately felt sorry for these people, but upon checking at a different desk, Stefan discovered that our name was in the system. Whew. Glad THAT would never happen to us.
Finally it was our turn to check in. The kids were getting restless, and hot in their travel clothes, but were somehow being patient. That's when the clerk informed us that, no, they did not have a room for us either and that we couldn't stay there, as they were completely booked. You have got to be kidding me!! We have just flown half way around the world (well, not literally, but close enough!) and we can't stay here?!? It turns out that the resort has overbooked by approximately 200 rooms (on Wednesday alone - there were more people over the next days) and they are now left to find a place for all these people. We had booked through Sol Melia's brand new website, which was offering great deals, and so had a lot of other people. But, there was a glitch in the system, and the website continued to take reservations, despite being full. We had a valid confirmation number and everything!
After we have gotten over our shock and realized that we can not persuade, cajole, or otherwise convince them to find us a room (cash may have helped. Seriously.), we are told that they will send us to another resort down the road for 3 nights, and then we can return to this resort for the last 4 nights. Not a perfect solution, but what else are we supposed to do?? Meanwhile, Stefan is having discussions with various people, but nothing is really happening. The clerks look busy, but then walk away, leaving us standing there wondering if we are still being helped. Or they get on the phone and talk in Spanish, ignoring us completely. (There are others at the check-in desk experiencing the same things, who are equally frustrated/exasperated). Finally, after a whole lot of nothing happening, Stefan finds a door into their back offices, marked Privado, and goes in to make something happen. He is immediately looked after and ushered into an office, where he continues to negotiate for another hour.
*I do realize that Canada does a great job of customer service and problem solving, so yes, we are spoiled living here. Not all countries have the same level of customer service, even though it may be promised on their website. We found out later that there were some people who used cash to encourage the staff to find them a room. And here we were, asking THEM to compensate US for all the trouble!! Wonder which customer they would rather deal with...*
After much haggling and arguing (they finally decided to not charge us for the first 3 nights, when we wouldn't even be staying at their resort), we loaded our hungry, hot and tired selves into the waiting taxi, to head to the next resort. We'd barely had lunch, let alone supper, but at least we'd brought some granola bars. We were dumped off at a lobby about 10 minutes away, where we were left to explain our situation to the next people, who had absolutely no idea what we were talking about. It was finally determined that we were at the wrong resort. Yup. We were pretty much ready to head back to Canada at this point. They told us we had to go to the next resort over. Once they found their keys, someone drove us and all our luggage to the next lobby, where we desperately hoped someone would help us.
After another hour of discussion, we finally had a room! It was quite a nice room, but we were still missing one bed. We requested a cot. Then went for dinner. Then requested the cot again. Then again. Then Stefan went to the front desk and asked again. It finally did arrive, with an official looking lady and her clipboard and walkie-talkie, who was in our room for half an hour, acting very official, but not accomplishing much. She wouldn't let me make the beds, nor would she make the beds, and we REALLY needed to get our kids to bed. Finally, some maids arrived, with the correct number of pillows, sheets, and blankets, and those beds did eventually get made, and those kids did eventually get to sleep.
Just one more fun thing before we can get to sleep - when I opened my suitcase, I discovered that one of my aerosol cans of sunscreen which was full when we left home, was now completely empty and had seeped through the plastic bag and soaked and stained much of our clothes. It did wash out, thankfully. Bed (despite being pretty uncomfortable) was welcome that night.
Thursday was a brand new day and we were determined to not waste another minute of our holiday. The weather was perfect, the resort was pretty nice, and we had a great couple of days relaxing. We wondered if perhaps we could just stay there the whole time, now that things were running relatively smoothly.
We got ourselves packed up on Saturday morning and headed back to our original resort. We had been promised a quick check-in upon our return, and were given their Royal Service package as part of the "deal." Nice in theory, but it still took at least an hour to get to our room, once again after much arguing and frustration, and wasting almost the whole morning. We did not get the sense that customers needed to be looked after. There were several others in the room having major frustrations as well, which was sad, but we at least realized that it wasn't just us!
We were taken to our brand new room, and it was absolutely stunning. It had a kitchen, dining area, living area, 2-roomed bathroom with giant tub, and a beautiful master bedroom and deck. We felt really glad to be in this room, although the only reason we got such an amazing suite was because of all the hassle. We would have been quite happy with the room we'd originally booked, and no stress!! However, it was pretty nice to have such luxury. We also had special access to a "private" pool and a "private" restaurant. Which basically meant that only select rooms had access, so they were quieter and a little cleaner. On with the holiday!!
We thoroughly enjoyed lots of time in the pool and walks on the beach - the weather was spectacular!! Taya got her hair braided, and the kids had fun sliding down a giant inflatable water slide on the beach. I was feeling so thankful that the troubles were over, and despite all the stress and frustration, I was so thankful that no one had been hurt or gotten sick.
Well, Taya got sick. We thought maybe she'd had too much sun, but when Stefan spent the next day feeling really sick too, we realized that we probably ate something not so great. The boys and I escaped (mostly) unscathed. Stefan was fine the next day, although Taya wasn't herself for a few days. But, we were still together and able to enjoy ourselves. Connor got to try a ropes course with a couple ziplines that they had at the resort and that was awesome. We had great food there, and lots of pina coladas!
As we got ready for dinner on our last day, we heard some yelling just outside our door. We had heard some yelling the day before from within the suite beside ours. I had thought it was the TV at first, but realized that it was actually people yelling at each other. However, as we tried to leave for dinner, we stumbled over a very drunk and crazy looking guy who was sprawled outside our room. His language was very aggressive, so we immediately herded the kids back to our room and outside on the deck so they wouldn't have to hear such vulgarities. I can't remember ever hearing such cursing coming from someone's mouth. He kept shouting some woman's name (maybe his wife or girlfriend?) At this point, we thought he was a local that had somehow stumbled onto the property, but it turns out he actually was a guest in the room beside ours.
We began calling for security to come, and other guests in the nearby rooms were also calling. At one point, the guy was banging on our door and yelling that he would kill us. We continued to call for security, and they eventually came, but did not remove the man. By this point, there are probably at least 20 guests gathered around the commotion, begging security to remove the man, but they instead ushered him into his room to "deal" with him. We demanded that they leave a guard outside the door all night, but no one was promising anything.
We did get to our dinner and returned to our room, and thankfully didn't hear anything from this man again. It was so incredibly frustrating to be begging security to come help, and having to wait that long. I'm thankful no one was hurt, and we could sleep safely that night, despite it all.
Then it was time to leave. It's always hard to end a vacation, but I suppose this time was different. It felt too short, but we were also happy to leave trouble behind. While we waited for our taxi to arrive, Connor and I went to the washroom, and when we returned, Stefan and the other two kids weren't there. Turns out they were in a different washroom, trying to wash wet paint off Taya's entire body and clothes. Some workers had been painting a curb, in the middle of the lobby, in the middle of the day, with no signs, (such as WET PAINT), right where we needed to wait for our ride. Taya (and every other kid I know) loves to balance on curbs, but of course she fell because the curb was so wet and slippery! Soo dumb. Then we had to dig out some clean and dry clothes for her, at which point the world's smallest car with not enough seatbelts arrived to escort the 5 of us and all our luggage to the airport. Seriously, can nothing be done right the first time? We finally got a van, that we could all fit into, and got to the airport, where everything went incredibly smoothly and we returned home to Canada, a world away.
We can (sort of) laugh at all this craziness now, and we certainly are thankful that we could take our family on such a fun vacation. We likely won't return to the Dominican again, but will definitely travel with the kids again. They had so much fun and were such troopers thoughout all the challenges (some minor ones I have left out due to time and space). We really were able to relax and have fun, despite everything trying to work against us. We made some wonderful memories, and took lots of photos, which I will share on here soon.
If you're still reading this novel, thanks! If not, I don't blame you - who has time to read such epic novels anyway? In summary, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but mostly it was the best of times, spending time with 4 of the people I love the most in this world. I am truly grateful.
Seriously, though, does this kind of stuff happen to other people??
We left Toronto on Wednesday morning. After a smooth flight with happy kids, we were allowed into the D.R. with barely a glance, and we easily made our way in a comfortable taxi to our resort, only 20 minutes away. Wow, were we off to a great start, or what!
We arrived at the Melia Caribe Tropical at around 4pm, and then the "fun" began. We got into the check-in line-up, and noticed right away a few disconcerted looking travellers, some on cell phones, some looking and sounding very frustrated. As we talked and listened, we discovered that these people had arrived 3 hours earlier, but had been told that there wasn't a room available for them. Somehow, the resort had overbooked. We immediately felt sorry for these people, but upon checking at a different desk, Stefan discovered that our name was in the system. Whew. Glad THAT would never happen to us.
Finally it was our turn to check in. The kids were getting restless, and hot in their travel clothes, but were somehow being patient. That's when the clerk informed us that, no, they did not have a room for us either and that we couldn't stay there, as they were completely booked. You have got to be kidding me!! We have just flown half way around the world (well, not literally, but close enough!) and we can't stay here?!? It turns out that the resort has overbooked by approximately 200 rooms (on Wednesday alone - there were more people over the next days) and they are now left to find a place for all these people. We had booked through Sol Melia's brand new website, which was offering great deals, and so had a lot of other people. But, there was a glitch in the system, and the website continued to take reservations, despite being full. We had a valid confirmation number and everything!
After we have gotten over our shock and realized that we can not persuade, cajole, or otherwise convince them to find us a room (cash may have helped. Seriously.), we are told that they will send us to another resort down the road for 3 nights, and then we can return to this resort for the last 4 nights. Not a perfect solution, but what else are we supposed to do?? Meanwhile, Stefan is having discussions with various people, but nothing is really happening. The clerks look busy, but then walk away, leaving us standing there wondering if we are still being helped. Or they get on the phone and talk in Spanish, ignoring us completely. (There are others at the check-in desk experiencing the same things, who are equally frustrated/exasperated). Finally, after a whole lot of nothing happening, Stefan finds a door into their back offices, marked Privado, and goes in to make something happen. He is immediately looked after and ushered into an office, where he continues to negotiate for another hour.
*I do realize that Canada does a great job of customer service and problem solving, so yes, we are spoiled living here. Not all countries have the same level of customer service, even though it may be promised on their website. We found out later that there were some people who used cash to encourage the staff to find them a room. And here we were, asking THEM to compensate US for all the trouble!! Wonder which customer they would rather deal with...*
After much haggling and arguing (they finally decided to not charge us for the first 3 nights, when we wouldn't even be staying at their resort), we loaded our hungry, hot and tired selves into the waiting taxi, to head to the next resort. We'd barely had lunch, let alone supper, but at least we'd brought some granola bars. We were dumped off at a lobby about 10 minutes away, where we were left to explain our situation to the next people, who had absolutely no idea what we were talking about. It was finally determined that we were at the wrong resort. Yup. We were pretty much ready to head back to Canada at this point. They told us we had to go to the next resort over. Once they found their keys, someone drove us and all our luggage to the next lobby, where we desperately hoped someone would help us.
After another hour of discussion, we finally had a room! It was quite a nice room, but we were still missing one bed. We requested a cot. Then went for dinner. Then requested the cot again. Then again. Then Stefan went to the front desk and asked again. It finally did arrive, with an official looking lady and her clipboard and walkie-talkie, who was in our room for half an hour, acting very official, but not accomplishing much. She wouldn't let me make the beds, nor would she make the beds, and we REALLY needed to get our kids to bed. Finally, some maids arrived, with the correct number of pillows, sheets, and blankets, and those beds did eventually get made, and those kids did eventually get to sleep.
Just one more fun thing before we can get to sleep - when I opened my suitcase, I discovered that one of my aerosol cans of sunscreen which was full when we left home, was now completely empty and had seeped through the plastic bag and soaked and stained much of our clothes. It did wash out, thankfully. Bed (despite being pretty uncomfortable) was welcome that night.
Thursday was a brand new day and we were determined to not waste another minute of our holiday. The weather was perfect, the resort was pretty nice, and we had a great couple of days relaxing. We wondered if perhaps we could just stay there the whole time, now that things were running relatively smoothly.
We got ourselves packed up on Saturday morning and headed back to our original resort. We had been promised a quick check-in upon our return, and were given their Royal Service package as part of the "deal." Nice in theory, but it still took at least an hour to get to our room, once again after much arguing and frustration, and wasting almost the whole morning. We did not get the sense that customers needed to be looked after. There were several others in the room having major frustrations as well, which was sad, but we at least realized that it wasn't just us!
We were taken to our brand new room, and it was absolutely stunning. It had a kitchen, dining area, living area, 2-roomed bathroom with giant tub, and a beautiful master bedroom and deck. We felt really glad to be in this room, although the only reason we got such an amazing suite was because of all the hassle. We would have been quite happy with the room we'd originally booked, and no stress!! However, it was pretty nice to have such luxury. We also had special access to a "private" pool and a "private" restaurant. Which basically meant that only select rooms had access, so they were quieter and a little cleaner. On with the holiday!!
We thoroughly enjoyed lots of time in the pool and walks on the beach - the weather was spectacular!! Taya got her hair braided, and the kids had fun sliding down a giant inflatable water slide on the beach. I was feeling so thankful that the troubles were over, and despite all the stress and frustration, I was so thankful that no one had been hurt or gotten sick.
Well, Taya got sick. We thought maybe she'd had too much sun, but when Stefan spent the next day feeling really sick too, we realized that we probably ate something not so great. The boys and I escaped (mostly) unscathed. Stefan was fine the next day, although Taya wasn't herself for a few days. But, we were still together and able to enjoy ourselves. Connor got to try a ropes course with a couple ziplines that they had at the resort and that was awesome. We had great food there, and lots of pina coladas!
As we got ready for dinner on our last day, we heard some yelling just outside our door. We had heard some yelling the day before from within the suite beside ours. I had thought it was the TV at first, but realized that it was actually people yelling at each other. However, as we tried to leave for dinner, we stumbled over a very drunk and crazy looking guy who was sprawled outside our room. His language was very aggressive, so we immediately herded the kids back to our room and outside on the deck so they wouldn't have to hear such vulgarities. I can't remember ever hearing such cursing coming from someone's mouth. He kept shouting some woman's name (maybe his wife or girlfriend?) At this point, we thought he was a local that had somehow stumbled onto the property, but it turns out he actually was a guest in the room beside ours.
We began calling for security to come, and other guests in the nearby rooms were also calling. At one point, the guy was banging on our door and yelling that he would kill us. We continued to call for security, and they eventually came, but did not remove the man. By this point, there are probably at least 20 guests gathered around the commotion, begging security to remove the man, but they instead ushered him into his room to "deal" with him. We demanded that they leave a guard outside the door all night, but no one was promising anything.
We did get to our dinner and returned to our room, and thankfully didn't hear anything from this man again. It was so incredibly frustrating to be begging security to come help, and having to wait that long. I'm thankful no one was hurt, and we could sleep safely that night, despite it all.
Then it was time to leave. It's always hard to end a vacation, but I suppose this time was different. It felt too short, but we were also happy to leave trouble behind. While we waited for our taxi to arrive, Connor and I went to the washroom, and when we returned, Stefan and the other two kids weren't there. Turns out they were in a different washroom, trying to wash wet paint off Taya's entire body and clothes. Some workers had been painting a curb, in the middle of the lobby, in the middle of the day, with no signs, (such as WET PAINT), right where we needed to wait for our ride. Taya (and every other kid I know) loves to balance on curbs, but of course she fell because the curb was so wet and slippery! Soo dumb. Then we had to dig out some clean and dry clothes for her, at which point the world's smallest car with not enough seatbelts arrived to escort the 5 of us and all our luggage to the airport. Seriously, can nothing be done right the first time? We finally got a van, that we could all fit into, and got to the airport, where everything went incredibly smoothly and we returned home to Canada, a world away.
We can (sort of) laugh at all this craziness now, and we certainly are thankful that we could take our family on such a fun vacation. We likely won't return to the Dominican again, but will definitely travel with the kids again. They had so much fun and were such troopers thoughout all the challenges (some minor ones I have left out due to time and space). We really were able to relax and have fun, despite everything trying to work against us. We made some wonderful memories, and took lots of photos, which I will share on here soon.
If you're still reading this novel, thanks! If not, I don't blame you - who has time to read such epic novels anyway? In summary, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but mostly it was the best of times, spending time with 4 of the people I love the most in this world. I am truly grateful.
Friday, March 12, 2010
It's a Small World After All
You're probably already mad at me and you haven't even started reading this post, because now you've got that song in your head! So sorry! It just seemed like a fitting title, so I went with it. I do have a couple good reasons for using that song title, so you'll have to keep reading to find out why.
I admit - I love a good coincidence! I love finding out how people are connected. I actually find it pretty easy to find those connections - you just have to start talking and asking questions, and you never know what you'll figure out! One time I drove through the drive-thru of a Starbucks, and within the amount of time it took for me to pay for my drink and then receive my drink, I had learned that the barista and I had a whole lot in common, including the fact that we had both lived in many of the same cities across Canada. There were other details as well, but I drove away with a smile on my face, feeling connected once again.
So here's story #1. At the beginning of kindergarten this year, Taya kept mentioning her new best friend, Alina. She seems to make a new best friend every other week, but Alina was sticking around. I knew I needed to plan a play date for the girls, but it can actually be difficult to connect (yes, it's true!) after school, when there is so much chaos, and some kids aren't even picked up by their parents. Well, wouldn't you know, we're driving home from school, almost at our house, and there is Alina, getting out of her van at her house, less than 10 houses away from ours! Needless to say, we were all thrilled, and we have enjoyed getting to know Alina and her family.
But that's not the whole story. I finally had Alina and her mom and brother over for a visit, and we got talking about family. Turns out Alina's mom's brother lives in Calgary. Of course, Calgary is huge, and they could live anywhere. But I happened to ask what area they lived in, and she told me Coventry. Well, what a coincidence - both my in-laws and their families live in Coventry - small world! Then she mentioned that they lived on Coventry Court. Well, wouldn't you know, but they live across the cul-de-sac from my brother-and-sister-in-law, about 5 houses away! How cool is that! My in-laws have even given this family some of the bikes that my nieces have outgrown. We had fun looking at google map pictures of both of their houses, and comparing our descriptions of the neighborhood.
Story #2. Stefan and I decided a month or two ago to start attending a home church (AKA - care group, small group). It meets at a house not far from ours and so far it's a small group, 6-8 people. Having grown up with a Mennonite background, it's pretty easy to spot other Mennonites, usually by their last name, or possibly the area they grew up in. One guy there had recently moved from Winnipeg, and knew a whole bunch of the same people that Stefan knew from years ago. That was kinda cool. But then I started talking to Sandra, who grew up in southern Ontario. After making the initial connection, she mentioned that she had family in the Langley/Aldergrove area, which is where I grew up. Being Mennonite, I wondered which church her relatives attended there. She couldn't remember the exact name, but thought it might be Bethel. She began to describe the area - lots of big ravines, and just down the street from where her grandparents had lived, at the top of the hill. Of course, I attended Bethel church my whole life until we were married! And of course, I know exactly who her grandparents and parents are, although I haven't seen them in many years.
It turns out that her mom, who grew up in Aldergrove, met her dad and they settled in Ontario, but continued to visit their family in BC. In my family, my mom, who was from southern Ontario, met my dad in BC, where they settled, and we continued to visit relatives in Ontario. In talking further, I learned that Sandra's mom is best friends with my Aunt Jo, and they all still get together and visit every year or so. So, do you see what I mean about it being a small world? I wonder how many people we come across every day are connected to us in these sorts of ways? It doesn't have to take a very involved conversation to make those connections sometimes. I can think of other stories similar to these that have happened over the years, although perhaps not quite so dramatic. There is a feeling of family and "home" that a person gets when they realize just how small our world is and just how much we have in common with other people.
One thing I love about living in Burlington is the regularity with which I bump into people that I knew from the years that we lived here before. There are people from the neighborhood, people from preschool, from church and swimming lessons and moms groups and just about everywhere. I even bumped into one of my favorite regular customers at the Starbucks I used to work at (he still goes there regularly) - he held the door open for me as I walked in behind him, and I said - Grande Extra Hot Cappuccino!! I actually didn't remember his name in that moment, but I did remember his drink, which he still orders all these years later! He thought it was great that I still remembered his drink. He remembered me, probably more because I was the pregnant barista at the time, but we used to have lots of chats while I was working, and I think I may have been his favorite barista! So much fun!
I hope you enjoyed reading these stories - they make me smile when I think about them. There's a joke in Mennonite circles about playing the "Mennonite Game", which is essentially asking other Mennonites who their family is, etc., that after 5 minutes of talking, you will discover that you are indeed related. I have often been asked by older Mennonite folks what my parents' names are, because that is how you start playing the Mennonite Game! It just takes off from there.
I have to mention something food related, as I actually haven't yet, and this blog is supposed to be about food, sort of! My snack right before I started typing was a bowl of my homemade granola (oats, honey, olive oil, coconut, almonds, etc.) served with chocolate almond milk. Almond milk is surprisingly good, and similar in consistency and flavor to cow's milk. Of course, almond milk is much healthier for a person. It was a delish combination which would also have been tasty with some regular almond milk. Healthy and filling!
OH!! I forgot to mention something else very exciting! We have booked a trip to the Dominican Republic with our kids! We were not planning to do this, but we found a fantastic deal and decided to go for it! We are going to the same resort we went to when I was pregnant with Connor. It is very kid-friendly and has a Flintstones Land. We leave March 31 for a week, and will be gone over Easter. Needless to say, we are all very excited!
Happy Spring Break to you!
I admit - I love a good coincidence! I love finding out how people are connected. I actually find it pretty easy to find those connections - you just have to start talking and asking questions, and you never know what you'll figure out! One time I drove through the drive-thru of a Starbucks, and within the amount of time it took for me to pay for my drink and then receive my drink, I had learned that the barista and I had a whole lot in common, including the fact that we had both lived in many of the same cities across Canada. There were other details as well, but I drove away with a smile on my face, feeling connected once again.
So here's story #1. At the beginning of kindergarten this year, Taya kept mentioning her new best friend, Alina. She seems to make a new best friend every other week, but Alina was sticking around. I knew I needed to plan a play date for the girls, but it can actually be difficult to connect (yes, it's true!) after school, when there is so much chaos, and some kids aren't even picked up by their parents. Well, wouldn't you know, we're driving home from school, almost at our house, and there is Alina, getting out of her van at her house, less than 10 houses away from ours! Needless to say, we were all thrilled, and we have enjoyed getting to know Alina and her family.
But that's not the whole story. I finally had Alina and her mom and brother over for a visit, and we got talking about family. Turns out Alina's mom's brother lives in Calgary. Of course, Calgary is huge, and they could live anywhere. But I happened to ask what area they lived in, and she told me Coventry. Well, what a coincidence - both my in-laws and their families live in Coventry - small world! Then she mentioned that they lived on Coventry Court. Well, wouldn't you know, but they live across the cul-de-sac from my brother-and-sister-in-law, about 5 houses away! How cool is that! My in-laws have even given this family some of the bikes that my nieces have outgrown. We had fun looking at google map pictures of both of their houses, and comparing our descriptions of the neighborhood.
Story #2. Stefan and I decided a month or two ago to start attending a home church (AKA - care group, small group). It meets at a house not far from ours and so far it's a small group, 6-8 people. Having grown up with a Mennonite background, it's pretty easy to spot other Mennonites, usually by their last name, or possibly the area they grew up in. One guy there had recently moved from Winnipeg, and knew a whole bunch of the same people that Stefan knew from years ago. That was kinda cool. But then I started talking to Sandra, who grew up in southern Ontario. After making the initial connection, she mentioned that she had family in the Langley/Aldergrove area, which is where I grew up. Being Mennonite, I wondered which church her relatives attended there. She couldn't remember the exact name, but thought it might be Bethel. She began to describe the area - lots of big ravines, and just down the street from where her grandparents had lived, at the top of the hill. Of course, I attended Bethel church my whole life until we were married! And of course, I know exactly who her grandparents and parents are, although I haven't seen them in many years.
It turns out that her mom, who grew up in Aldergrove, met her dad and they settled in Ontario, but continued to visit their family in BC. In my family, my mom, who was from southern Ontario, met my dad in BC, where they settled, and we continued to visit relatives in Ontario. In talking further, I learned that Sandra's mom is best friends with my Aunt Jo, and they all still get together and visit every year or so. So, do you see what I mean about it being a small world? I wonder how many people we come across every day are connected to us in these sorts of ways? It doesn't have to take a very involved conversation to make those connections sometimes. I can think of other stories similar to these that have happened over the years, although perhaps not quite so dramatic. There is a feeling of family and "home" that a person gets when they realize just how small our world is and just how much we have in common with other people.
One thing I love about living in Burlington is the regularity with which I bump into people that I knew from the years that we lived here before. There are people from the neighborhood, people from preschool, from church and swimming lessons and moms groups and just about everywhere. I even bumped into one of my favorite regular customers at the Starbucks I used to work at (he still goes there regularly) - he held the door open for me as I walked in behind him, and I said - Grande Extra Hot Cappuccino!! I actually didn't remember his name in that moment, but I did remember his drink, which he still orders all these years later! He thought it was great that I still remembered his drink. He remembered me, probably more because I was the pregnant barista at the time, but we used to have lots of chats while I was working, and I think I may have been his favorite barista! So much fun!
I hope you enjoyed reading these stories - they make me smile when I think about them. There's a joke in Mennonite circles about playing the "Mennonite Game", which is essentially asking other Mennonites who their family is, etc., that after 5 minutes of talking, you will discover that you are indeed related. I have often been asked by older Mennonite folks what my parents' names are, because that is how you start playing the Mennonite Game! It just takes off from there.
I have to mention something food related, as I actually haven't yet, and this blog is supposed to be about food, sort of! My snack right before I started typing was a bowl of my homemade granola (oats, honey, olive oil, coconut, almonds, etc.) served with chocolate almond milk. Almond milk is surprisingly good, and similar in consistency and flavor to cow's milk. Of course, almond milk is much healthier for a person. It was a delish combination which would also have been tasty with some regular almond milk. Healthy and filling!
OH!! I forgot to mention something else very exciting! We have booked a trip to the Dominican Republic with our kids! We were not planning to do this, but we found a fantastic deal and decided to go for it! We are going to the same resort we went to when I was pregnant with Connor. It is very kid-friendly and has a Flintstones Land. We leave March 31 for a week, and will be gone over Easter. Needless to say, we are all very excited!
Happy Spring Break to you!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Today
I just finished one of my favorite snacks, and it's a super healthy one! It's a banana chocolate smoothie, and it's delish! I got the recipe from Kristen's Raw Blog and then just tweaked it a bit. It's made with about a cup of water (I substitute some almond milk), a frozen banana or two (you can add ice cubes if your banana isn't frozen), some protein powder, hemp powder, a little coconut, some raw cacao nibs (makes it crunchy and soo yummy), some raw chocolate powder, and a big scoop of almond butter. This is my favorite thing to have after a workout. (Today I went for a run in the cold, wind and snow!). I sometimes add some Starbucks Via (instant coffee) and that makes it even more of a treat. I also had a cookie or two with it, but don't worry, because these were the healthiest and yummiest cookies EVER!! They're made with things like olive oil and maple syrup and oatmeal and spelt flour - no butter or eggs. I was shocked at how delish they are, and the kids all love them too! The chocolate chips decrease the health factor somewhat, but they are mandatory to the yumminess of this cookie!
We've been watching tons of Olympics around here, and I'm going to miss them when it's all over. I am a true patriotic Canadian and tend to get tears in my eyes whenever a Canadian athlete gets a medal. Talk about teary-eyed last night with TWO medals, a gold and silver!! I love the sappy part where they play the I Believe song and replay the athlete finishing their event and all the celebrating and flowers and medals. Yes, I'm a sucker, but I don't care! A friend who lives close by but is originally from Britain told me that people in her country aren't patriotic like we are, and she loves cheering for Canada. It's a great country to live in and would be even better if it just had a few more palm trees and sandy beaches! But I digress... Can't wait to see some more exciting events later today. What's your favorite sport to watch?
I am constantly amazed that athletes all around the world can train themselves to finish their sporting event within hundredths of a second of each other. If you really think about that, it's quite incredible! I am constantly amazed by the speed skaters and skiers. I have realized that I love watching the drama of short track and the pure, raw strength of long track. I also realize that I love watching the ski and snowboard cross. Talk about drama! Curling's pretty low on my list, but I'll still cheer for Canada. I even got right into that hockey game last night! I'm not a huge figure skating fan either, but I know I'll be watching Joannie Rochette, and I'll probably have tears streaming down my face while I watch. Like I said, I'll miss the Olympics when they're done!
I must get on with this day, but wanted to say hello! Hope you're having a fabulous week!
We've been watching tons of Olympics around here, and I'm going to miss them when it's all over. I am a true patriotic Canadian and tend to get tears in my eyes whenever a Canadian athlete gets a medal. Talk about teary-eyed last night with TWO medals, a gold and silver!! I love the sappy part where they play the I Believe song and replay the athlete finishing their event and all the celebrating and flowers and medals. Yes, I'm a sucker, but I don't care! A friend who lives close by but is originally from Britain told me that people in her country aren't patriotic like we are, and she loves cheering for Canada. It's a great country to live in and would be even better if it just had a few more palm trees and sandy beaches! But I digress... Can't wait to see some more exciting events later today. What's your favorite sport to watch?
I am constantly amazed that athletes all around the world can train themselves to finish their sporting event within hundredths of a second of each other. If you really think about that, it's quite incredible! I am constantly amazed by the speed skaters and skiers. I have realized that I love watching the drama of short track and the pure, raw strength of long track. I also realize that I love watching the ski and snowboard cross. Talk about drama! Curling's pretty low on my list, but I'll still cheer for Canada. I even got right into that hockey game last night! I'm not a huge figure skating fan either, but I know I'll be watching Joannie Rochette, and I'll probably have tears streaming down my face while I watch. Like I said, I'll miss the Olympics when they're done!
I must get on with this day, but wanted to say hello! Hope you're having a fabulous week!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Reality
Yes, I am back to reality after a fantastic vacation. All did not start well, though. Saturday (the 30th) was the day to drop off all the kids before we headed out earlier Sunday morning. Well, right after we'd dropped Connor off (we were still in Burlington) Logan throws up in the van. He had been feeling a little off all day, but this was definitely worst-case scenario. We headed back home to clean up and wait awhile before beginning our hour drive to Barrie (where Logan and Taya would be staying). Two hours later, he was feeling a little better, and hadn't been sick again. However, we felt terrible bringing our sick boy to our friends' house and then leaving right away! But what were we supposed to do?! Not a good predicament, as you can imagine.
Once we arrived in Barrie, we got the kids to bed and then left at 5am the next morning. Thankfully, things did improve for Logan after a couple days of fever and feeling very lethargic. My dear friend Angie deserves a medal for being so caring (or at least the gift I sent her in the mail!). The kids did have a great time - the bonus being that they got to play with our friends' dog and cat all week! They were definitely happy to see us when we got home on Thursday evening and we were even happier to see them, I think!
More reality hit on Friday night, when Connor couldn't sleep because of sinus congestion, and then Logan woke up with a bad earache. Taya woke up in the morning with a sore throat and headache. To make this long story short, Taya and Logan are now on antibiotics (Taya for strep throat), and they have now missed more school. I have hardly left the house since we've been home and we're experiencing a little cabin fever. They are on the mend, however, and I am very thankful that we are home to look after them. We are so grateful for the wonderful friends who looked after the kids - this gave us a lot of peace of mind.
So, yes, the trip was amazing!! Aside from worrying about a sick boy back home, everything went incredibly smoothly. From having an extra seat on the airplane both ways (which was almost full - this is a very huge bonus for my long-legged husband), to our luggage arriving (never take that for granted!), to the fantastic weather and great food, to Stefan not needing a hospital visit - we have no complaints!! The resort was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed walks on the beach with the waves crashing, lying for hours by the pool reading our books, with the occasional dip in the pool to cool off, eating whenever we felt like it, nice refreshing drinks, and one of my highlights, playing tennis every afternoon! Another highlight was having a very invigorating spa treatment - so lovely! I have posted an album from our trip on my facebook page, but for those of you not on facebook (you know who you are), I will attempt to add some photos to the blog. You probably won't get to see as many, though, as I added about 25. All in all, the trip was wonderful - relaxing and reconnecting and much too short! I am so thankful we had a chance to do this.
Now I'm looking out the office window at snow and I can feel the slight ache in my back from shoveling it this morning and I remember that this is reality. St. Lucia feels like a dream or a fantasy, maybe even something I imagined. I will savor those memories so fondly, but truly, I am grateful to be back home with the kids - I think perhaps we all appreciate each other just a little bit more after having some time away from each other. I guess the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" really does have some truth!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Journey through January (how's that for a cheesy title?!)
Hellllooooo! Hope y'all had a nice Christmas! We had a very relaxing and fun Christmas and of course, it was over much too fast. I thoroughly enjoyed having my hubby home for a whole extra week and I think he was pretty happy to have a break, too. My favorite gift this year was some pieces for my Willow Tree nativity set. I had the basics (Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherd and sheep), but Stefan surprised me (and boy was I surprised, actually to the point of happy tears) with the creche (if that's what it's called) and another shepherd, a few animals and the camel. It's beautiful. In fact, I was lamenting the fact that it would be packed up for the next 11 months - that's such a waste. So I found a nice home on the mantel in our bedroom (yes, we have a fireplace in our bedroom, and it doesn't get much use, but it looks really nice) where it will spend most of the year, until I move it downstairs at Christmas time. I love how simple and classy it looks. What was your favorite Christmas present?
I have been reading like crazy lately. Somehow I manage to get all my other stuff done, but I could easily read for a whole day. Not even kidding a bit. I have always read more fiction than non, but lately I've read a lot of both. I just finished reading the latest by Vince Flynn (he writes political thriller-type novels, in the basic style of the TV show 24 - very exciting, especially if you're an American and a Republican, but I digress). I've also got a few on the go by Jodi Picoult. She is an amazing writer and I love the diversity of topics she writes about. Her most well-known book is My Sister's Keeper, which was recently made into a movie. I've got one by Dan Brown waiting for me, plus a biography by Tony Dungy (former Colts headcoach, whose son commit suicide a few years ago). I also finished some corny British chic-lit recently - good for a laugh if nothing else.
In addition to those, I am being constantly inspired in the health department by a number of different authors. To name a few: Victoria Boutenko, Matt Amsden, Robyn Openshaw, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Carol Alt, Ani Phyo and Kristen Suzanne. They all have the same basic message: you are what you eat (my interpretation). Plant-based, whole foods are the way to go if we want to avoid disease and general unwellness. I am determined to make some major changes to the way we eat - we've already made baby steps, but we have a long way to go. I've often in the past felt guilty that I would throw raw veggies on the kids' plates, because I was too lazy to cook them. Turns out this was not such a bad thing after all! I've read about the importance of eating raw food before eating cooked food, to allow all those amazing enzymes to do their work. Oh, there's so much information! I have been making some major changes personally lately, and the results are coming in! I've been doing green smoothies faithfully for over 6 months already, but now I'm adding in a lot more raw and cutting back on a lot of animal protein. I am feeling fantastic. I am almost always healthy - it has been years since I've been really sick. I almost never get colds (and this was even before this all began). I have more energy, my skin looks better, my nails are better, my digestion is in fine form and a few pounds are even starting to melt away. There is so much more to learn, but if you're interested, I can post some of the names of the books I've been reading.
In 18 days I will be relaxing on the beach (or by the pool, or somewhere else equally warm and wonderful and sunny). I CANNOT WAIT!!! I think the kids will have a great time with their friends, and even though there are some days when they make me REALLY CRAZY, I know I'll miss them a bit. If I remember... Maybe at dinnertime when I'm not cutting anyone's food into smaller pieces, other than my own, or saying just one more bite, then I might remember!
That's it for the moment. Thanks for visiting!
I have been reading like crazy lately. Somehow I manage to get all my other stuff done, but I could easily read for a whole day. Not even kidding a bit. I have always read more fiction than non, but lately I've read a lot of both. I just finished reading the latest by Vince Flynn (he writes political thriller-type novels, in the basic style of the TV show 24 - very exciting, especially if you're an American and a Republican, but I digress). I've also got a few on the go by Jodi Picoult. She is an amazing writer and I love the diversity of topics she writes about. Her most well-known book is My Sister's Keeper, which was recently made into a movie. I've got one by Dan Brown waiting for me, plus a biography by Tony Dungy (former Colts headcoach, whose son commit suicide a few years ago). I also finished some corny British chic-lit recently - good for a laugh if nothing else.
In addition to those, I am being constantly inspired in the health department by a number of different authors. To name a few: Victoria Boutenko, Matt Amsden, Robyn Openshaw, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Carol Alt, Ani Phyo and Kristen Suzanne. They all have the same basic message: you are what you eat (my interpretation). Plant-based, whole foods are the way to go if we want to avoid disease and general unwellness. I am determined to make some major changes to the way we eat - we've already made baby steps, but we have a long way to go. I've often in the past felt guilty that I would throw raw veggies on the kids' plates, because I was too lazy to cook them. Turns out this was not such a bad thing after all! I've read about the importance of eating raw food before eating cooked food, to allow all those amazing enzymes to do their work. Oh, there's so much information! I have been making some major changes personally lately, and the results are coming in! I've been doing green smoothies faithfully for over 6 months already, but now I'm adding in a lot more raw and cutting back on a lot of animal protein. I am feeling fantastic. I am almost always healthy - it has been years since I've been really sick. I almost never get colds (and this was even before this all began). I have more energy, my skin looks better, my nails are better, my digestion is in fine form and a few pounds are even starting to melt away. There is so much more to learn, but if you're interested, I can post some of the names of the books I've been reading.
In 18 days I will be relaxing on the beach (or by the pool, or somewhere else equally warm and wonderful and sunny). I CANNOT WAIT!!! I think the kids will have a great time with their friends, and even though there are some days when they make me REALLY CRAZY, I know I'll miss them a bit. If I remember... Maybe at dinnertime when I'm not cutting anyone's food into smaller pieces, other than my own, or saying just one more bite, then I might remember!
That's it for the moment. Thanks for visiting!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Two Weeks Until Christmas!
My poor little neglected blog was calling my name today, just begging me to say something interesting. Not sure if this will be interesting, but here goes...
I spent the whole morning and a bit of the afternoon volunteering at the kids' school. Now I've got about an hour until I have to go pick everyone up from school - I can't believe how fast those 6 hours go. My volunteering today consisted mostly of doing rather complex (in my opinion) photocopying jobs. I don't know how teachers find the time to do this kind of stuff, in addition to managing their classrooms! Teachers amaze me, and I'm so happy that all 3 kids have such great teachers. I'm pretty thankful that I can be involved at the kids' school, and especially that we live so close, so going back and forth a few times every day is not a big deal.
Winter has finally arrived here in southern Ontario. We had a very warm November and first few days of December, so I guess this was inevitable. I realize this is nothing compared to the Alberta weather right now, but man is it miserable today! It's only about -5, but with the wind whipping fiercely around, it feels much colder. We're spending a lot more time just getting out the door each morning. I'm trying to manage all the extra pairs of mitts, boots, snow pants, hats, scarves, and coats that first need to go on everyone, then come off again after school. Add 3 tired kids and their backpacks, put in a small space while they all try to get their gear off simultaneously, and it makes for some pretty crazy moments! These are some of my least favorite moments about winter. Summer is so simple in the "gear" department! I think we're all really looking forward to the Christmas break and not having a schedule for a couple weeks.
On January 31, Stefan and I are headed to St. Lucia!! He found a smokin' deal online late Saturday night, with packages discounted between 50 and 65%. We hadn't been planning to book a vacation, but this was too good to pass up. We had less than 2 days to book, and somehow we managed to find friends to look after the kids in record time. Talk about great friends! We will be staying for 4 nights at the Sandals in St. Lucia, and I can hardly wait. We were in St. Lucia almost 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Logan, and Stefan spent about half our trip being horribly sick. He even spent a night at the hospital, while I slept alone at the resort. It was not a good time. We're looking forward to having a much better time this time around, and praying no one gets sick! Not a good way to spend a holiday that you've spent so much money on and been looking forward to for so long.
We've got a busy weekend ahead, with me working tonight and tomorrow, and hopefully getting our Christmas tree on Sunday. I think I'll go crank the Christmas tunes now and spend a few minutes relaxing before the busyness starts up again. Hope you have a warm weekend!
I spent the whole morning and a bit of the afternoon volunteering at the kids' school. Now I've got about an hour until I have to go pick everyone up from school - I can't believe how fast those 6 hours go. My volunteering today consisted mostly of doing rather complex (in my opinion) photocopying jobs. I don't know how teachers find the time to do this kind of stuff, in addition to managing their classrooms! Teachers amaze me, and I'm so happy that all 3 kids have such great teachers. I'm pretty thankful that I can be involved at the kids' school, and especially that we live so close, so going back and forth a few times every day is not a big deal.
Winter has finally arrived here in southern Ontario. We had a very warm November and first few days of December, so I guess this was inevitable. I realize this is nothing compared to the Alberta weather right now, but man is it miserable today! It's only about -5, but with the wind whipping fiercely around, it feels much colder. We're spending a lot more time just getting out the door each morning. I'm trying to manage all the extra pairs of mitts, boots, snow pants, hats, scarves, and coats that first need to go on everyone, then come off again after school. Add 3 tired kids and their backpacks, put in a small space while they all try to get their gear off simultaneously, and it makes for some pretty crazy moments! These are some of my least favorite moments about winter. Summer is so simple in the "gear" department! I think we're all really looking forward to the Christmas break and not having a schedule for a couple weeks.
On January 31, Stefan and I are headed to St. Lucia!! He found a smokin' deal online late Saturday night, with packages discounted between 50 and 65%. We hadn't been planning to book a vacation, but this was too good to pass up. We had less than 2 days to book, and somehow we managed to find friends to look after the kids in record time. Talk about great friends! We will be staying for 4 nights at the Sandals in St. Lucia, and I can hardly wait. We were in St. Lucia almost 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Logan, and Stefan spent about half our trip being horribly sick. He even spent a night at the hospital, while I slept alone at the resort. It was not a good time. We're looking forward to having a much better time this time around, and praying no one gets sick! Not a good way to spend a holiday that you've spent so much money on and been looking forward to for so long.
We've got a busy weekend ahead, with me working tonight and tomorrow, and hopefully getting our Christmas tree on Sunday. I think I'll go crank the Christmas tunes now and spend a few minutes relaxing before the busyness starts up again. Hope you have a warm weekend!
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