JULY 1, CANADA DAY

Happy Canada Day! Next year will be special - year 150.  I had to find some pictures from my stash on the computer as I haven't done any Canada Day decorating this year.

July is sneaking up on me!  It will be an exciting month with the arrival of a ninth grandchild any day now!  Alan and I will be off to Norway for a visit on July 27th.  

First we will take in a cousin reunion in Spokane on Alan's mother's side.  He hasn't seen most of those cousins for many many years so is really looking forward to getting together again.  When he was young, his family make yearly trips every summer to visit his Grandma and Grandpa Toombs, aunts, uncles and cousins in Washington.  Thanks to cousin Luanne, he will get to enjoy a visit again this summer. (Alan is fourth from the right in bottom row!)

Last Tuesday we had appointments in Weyburn in the morning. We decided to continue on after lunch and spent the afternoon with the Diekragers at Milestone.  Laurel had been out picking strawberries at Frank's farm so those were a real treat and we even got to take some home!  It was the last day of school so we celebrated by picking up Dairy Queen treats for the kids. (We adults enjoyed them too!)  Ashley played her piano recital piece for Alan, "The Teddy Bears Picnic".  I'm glad that she still enjoys playing it.  

We had rain again yesterday, 3/10 of an inch this time.  It's hard to get in the garden to do weeding with rain every few days.  But we're not really complaining as it's great to have the moisture, especially when it was so dry earlier this spring.

We enjoyed an overnight visit from Alan's daughter, Nancy and Trevor, on Sunday.  Somehow we had the date mixed up and thought they were coming on Monday!  So it was a surprise for us when the doorbell rang on Sunday around 6:30 and there they were!  Nancy had sent a couple texts along the way but I had left my phone in the car so missed those contacts too.  I guess a surprise was meant to be and we had a great visit.  In the morning, after blueberry pancakes and sausages, they were off to Winnipeg for high school graduation exercises for Trevor's son.

Now it's July 1, and another rainy day.  It reminds me of July 1, 1997 when we had three inches of badly needed rain.  Activities at Oungre were cancelled and I made buttermilk pancakes for lunch, a new recipe that I still use.  I think we'll have those for lunch.  The Blue Jays are playing so we'll head for Oungre after the game is over.  The Blue Jays are wearing red today in honour of Canada Day.  The Cleveland Indians beat them yesterday so hope the Jays are on fire today with their red caps, jerseys and belts!  The sun is peeking through now so no 3" of rain today.

Kirk and the kids joined us for pizza supper on Monday so that was a fun evening.  They are camping at Kenosee for the summer. Clare's joined them yesterday for a couple weeks, a yearly tradition once school is out.  Laurel's plan to camp at Avonlea along with other Diekrager families for a yearly reunion at the park there. This weekend they are at the Diekrager cottage near Fort Qu'appelle.

Later: We just got home from Oungre Park where we took in the Gospel Jamboree this afternoon and evening.  We didn't stay for the fireworks but did stay until the music was over with the local Daae family being last on the program. The youngest generation of Daaes joined them for a few special numbers, so cute.  We enjoyed the special guests too including "Country Blend" with  Crazy Fingers at the piano and "The Singing Hills" from Three Hills, AB.
There was a parade at 4:15 led by kids on decorated bikes, trikes and wagons followed by antique cars and tractors. Here are two of the latter.

We left home when the Jays were in the 14th inning, got to Oungre and later found out via Laurel's texts that the game went to the 19th inning before the Indians defeated the Jays 2-1!  The Jays have another chance to beat them tomorrow.  They even ran out of pitchers in today's game!

Well I better get this blog published while it's still July 1. I hope you had a great Canada Day.  We are blessed to have one of the best countries in the world in which to live.  One recent survey listed us second behind Finland!  Good night all.  Wishing our American family and friends a Happy Fourth of July on Monday.