SPRING IS HERE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TODD!

April is here so it's time for an update.  Today, April 15, is Todd's birthday so I'm thinking back to his arrival 42 years ago. This is one of my favorite pictures of him wearing the special pin "Kyss meg. Jeg er NORSK", which translates to Kiss me. I am Norwegian.  He and Kristy have now spent fifteen years in Norway so this pin foretold what was ahead for him!

Here he is today with Kristy and daughters Nora and Elly Clara in Førde, Norway. I wish we could have joined you, especially with those yummy birthday treats on the table!  We did send a birthday/Easter parcel from Crosby, ND last Wednesday.  Yesterday I got an email saying the parcel arrived in Førde.  That's a record to get there in under a week!  Good work USPSWe have been home a week after a special trip to Alberta.  We drove the Ford Escape to Calgary where we visited Alan's family on the weekend. Then we were off to Lacombe and visited nieces Mareena and Mandy and their families.  On Tuesday, April 2 we drove to Sherwood Park and found our "home away from home" for five nights, an Airbnb townhouse just off Abbey Road for $35 a night, a total of $209 for five nights!  Check out Airbnb.ca next time you travel. 

We were in Sherwood Park to attend the U18 Women's Curling National Championships!  Granddaughter Abbey Johnson curled on Team Haupstein representing Saskatchewan. They did well, placing second in their pool of seven teams. They made the playoffs but lost their first two games.  We were so proud of this team, winners to us, even if they didn't make it to the medal round. Here's a picture of some surprise fans who showed up for two games - Adrian and Joyce Bergquist and Lawrence and Marlene Bergquist, cousins of Howard's. Abbey had many fans to cheer her on from Jodi's family as well as Auntie Ardis, Kris, Stacy, Sam and Ava from Edmonton, Mareena, Nola and Mandy from Lacombe.  Nola was in Edmonton for a volleyball tournament.

Back row: Adrian, Lawrence Alan
Joyce, Elaine, Marlene, Clare and Abbey

There were so many great action pictures taken of Team Haupstein so I will post a few favorites.

 

Left to right: Emily Haupstein, Shayla Moore, Emma Wiens, Abbey Johnson with the coach, Clare Johnson. The girls all attend Weyburn Comprehensive School. Shayla is in grade eleven, the other three will graduate in June so this is their last year of curling together.

On Saturday after the girls had finished their games, we drove to nephew Kris and Stacy Johnson's, Sam and Ava in Edmonton.  Ardis joined us there and we enjoyed supper and an overnight stay.  On Monday afternoon Kris drove us to the airport as we left the 2011Ford Escape for Ardis.  The 1994 Mercury has served its purpose and a change was needed.  

It was a treat to be back in Regina in an hour and a half.  Laurel met us there with our pickup, we stopped in Weyburn for burgers at Clare's and we were home on Monday evening after a wonderful trip visiting family and taking in the National curling event.

We are enjoying the warmer weather with green grass showing up in spite of it being quite dry.  Farmers are getting ready to get in those fields.  Robins are back as well as gophers!

Alan and I celebrated our 50th (months!) wedding anniversary on Sunday, April 14.  We celebrate our anniversary every month and now we have reached fifty, so thankful for each one.  We had supper at Torquay Cafe.  After the meal, we enjoyed a tasty serving of fruit thanks to an artistic chef!

On Saturday Carter delivered farm supplies for Clare from Kirk at Precision Ag in Carlyle.  Lindsay and Jamie came along too so we made cookies as it was our turn to bring goodies for coffee time after Sunday service. 

This is Holy Week, leading up to Good Friday and then Easter Sunday.  Some of our family will be with us on Sunday for the 9:00am service at Trinity Lutheran.  We aren't having breakfast following the service but will gather for a time of fellowship over coffee, tea and goodies. We will have a turkey dinner back at the farm.

I've been telling you about our pickup so I will get a picture of it before we leave for Estevan this afternoon.  It's a 2017 Ford 150 and we both love the colour - lightning blue.  It is so much easier for 6'3"Alan to get in and out of it than a lower car, especially now when he has some back problems.

We leave you with this Easter greeting:

With love from Elaine and Alan

(I didn't intend to have the blue underlining above, need to learn how to undo it!)