Ukrainian Christmas

For those who don't know, Andy's family is Ukrainian. Yes, I know, our last name doesn't sound Ukrainian. That's because it's an Anglicized version that was adopted when his grandfather immigrated to Canada. I thought it was time we celebrated our kids' heritage by observing Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th. Plus, it justified still having the Christmas tree up.

We didn't observe it in the most traditional manner, which includes a twelve-course meatless meal, one course for each of the twelve apostles. Twelve courses?! I'm lucky to have the meat, potatoes & vegetables all ready at the same time! We did our own version of the meal - cabbage rolls, perogies, & kubasa. We also included wheat bread, because traditionally the Ukrainian people bring into the house a shaft of wheat, or didukh, to symbolize prosperity for the next year.

The birth of Jesus is central to the Ukrainian celebration, so I set up a little nativity scene as our centerpiece, and surrounded it with our Ukrainian "matroshka" or nesting dolls. Ukrainians will often place straw under the table to remember Jesus' birth. We used hay and put a small amount in the nativity scene. In some parts of the Ukraine people decorate eggs for Christmas, just as they do for Easter, so I included a painted wooden Ukrainian egg as well.

Calvin was disappointed to discover that he wasn't receiving any more gifts, and yes, he still had to go to school, but we still had a lovely dinner with a bit of meaning to it. Perhaps next year I'll start preparing a little earlier and include more traditions and traditional food - but there still won't be twelve courses!

Christmas

Wow, I really have no excuse for not blogging for so long - just laziness! I could catch you up on various bloggable events that happened since last summer, but I'll just start with the recent (Christmas) and continue from there.

We travelled to SNOWY B.C. for Christmas! We visited Victoria (our favourite city) for a couple of days before Christmas, then travelled to Ucluelet for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. We have a favourite little 3-bedroom house we like to rent there. I knew there wouldn't be any decorations there, so I brought along a few. That's a fake fireplace tacked on the wall, and check out our cute little tree, which I bought in Victoria. It has one little decoration on it, also purchased in Victoria. We hung our stockings on the coat rack with care, knowing that Saint Nicholas would soon be there. We enjoyed lovely pastries from a favourtie Dutch bakery in Victoria, and I even cooked a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We played games, walked on the beach and on the cliffs above the beach, and enjoyed family time together. I feel kind of ... snobby, saying, "Yeah, we just hung out on the beach Christmas Day." Never mind that there was snow on the beach....

We visited with Andy's family on Boxing Day & the 27th, and with my family on the 28th & 29th. The kids both stayed in Abbotsford with their friends for New Year's, while Andy & I travelled to Salmon Arm to welcome 2009 with Shawn & Joanne. In between all of that, I got to spend a little time with my favourite 4-year-old in Abbotsford and her family. Thanks for taking us in, Langs & Depners!

One of my New Year's resolutions is to do a better job of blogging, so here's to getting a good start to 2009!

Updates

We've been computerless for a couple of weeks, but now have a great new FAST computer! I will take time later to post some photos of our last month of summer, but for now, I thought I'd update you on my newspaper article.

It was published last Saturday, with a few edits to the opening paragraphs. Click here to see it online.

Follow Up to My Blog on Cultural Heritage

Not last blog but the blog before, I wrote about my lack of a cultural heritage - but my wealth of a spiritual heritage! I submitted the article to the Edmonton Journal, and I just received word that they are going to publish it! It will be in the religion section, which comes out on Saturdays, and I'm not sure if it's this week or not. When they publish it, I'll post a link to the online version, if possible.

Just thought I'd let you know!

Summer Vacation

Due to my work schedule and Janelle's (she's working at Extra Foods), we didn't get a "real" family vacation this summer, but we did take a three-day weekend and make the most of it.

We went to Drumheller, where we visited the dinosaur museum, a reptile refuge, and the world's largest dinosaur - which we climbed to the top of so we could stand in it's mouth.

On our way back to our motel (which was in Three Hills) we stopped to enjoy the view and Calvin found some gophers to feed. We also took a VERY tiny ferry across the Red Deer river.

The next day we went to one of our favourite places that we've visited most summers for several years - Guzoo Animal Farm. The big attraction for us is the opportunity to interact with animals one wouldn't normally be able to pet. This year we held a baby skunk, gave a lion cub a tummy rub, and petted a wolf cub. We also held more "traditional" animals, such as newborn kittens, guinea pigs, and bunnies, plus petted animals in the petting zoo part - alpacas, llamas, cows, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, a chicken, dogs....I think that was all. If you know anything about our family, you know we all love animals!

We left Guzoo and headed for Calgary, where we splurged on a nicer hotel with an indoor waterpark, which is where we spent the evening. Our motel in Three Hills had a waterslide too, but nothing like the one in Calgary! Sorry, no pictures - I was having too much fun!

The following morning the kids and I went to the U.S. Consulate so I could register them as American citizens born abroad. There are now officially 3 dual citizens in our family! After that, we went to Calaway Park, Calgary's big amusement park. Again, no pictures because I wanted to ride the rides, not lug my camera around!

Although it was a short trip, it was a great time together as a family!

At the Royal Tyrell Museum.

Calvin with Brittany the Burmese python at the reptile refuge.

World's largest dinosaur in Drumheller.

Gopher feedin' and riding a little ferry.

Skunk, lion cub, and wolf cub.

For those of you on Facebook, there's more pictures on my profile.

Cultural Heritage

I apologize for not blogging more regularly! My two excuses are: 1) we haven't done anything bloggable; and 2) we forgot to take pictures even if we did. Having said that, I did do something bloggable today, and no, I didn't take pictures. But I did have something I wanted to share with my world after my experience today. Hence, I am blogging. It's a bit different than my usual blog.

Today I went to Heritage Festival. The various ethnic groups represented in Edmonton erect tents in a local park and offer for sale samples of their food and crafts, while their assorted musical and dance groups perform. It a huge festival with over 50 different cultures participating, and I absolutely love it. Today's experience is what prompted this VERY LENGTHY blog! So read on....

I've lived in a culture where dark skin was common and white skin was the minority. That created a subculture of whiteness. If I met another pale face, skin colour alone was reason enough to smile and say hello. Their reply may have been in Swedish or German or with an Australian twang, but our lack of pigmentation was enough to create a cultural bond.

Currently I live in a different country than the one in which I was born and raised. There are a whole lot of other people groups that can claim the same. There are many that were born and raised in Canada but still identify with the country in which their parents or grandparents were raised. I saw them at Heritage Festival today. I should be able to do the same - join up with all the other transplanted Americans and celebrate our heritage. But what exactly would that be? We can hoot and holler about our country's birthday three days later than the Canadians, and we can eat turkey six weeks after them. Other than that, what's really different?

When it's necessary - at a world exposition, for example - both Canada and the U.S. can come up with the perfunctionary "cultural" pavillion. We dutifully exhibit our aboriginal culture, complete with native food and dances and art. And after that? Well, we start showcasing the cultures our ancestors brought with them from somewhere else.

I watched the Iranians spontaneously break into dance outside their booth today - took a break from cooking and selling stuff just to party together. There was no choreographed dance, yet they all knew the moves. The Congolese people did the same thing, grooving together and singing along in unison with words no one else would understand. These peoples have culture, a shared heritage of song and dance that only they truly know and understand, unique to them and their country of origin. We don't have that. I don't have that.

I miss that unity. I miss at least being bonded for a moment or two through sharing a skin colour. Today I explored the traditions of my Swedish grandmother, the origins of my Irish maiden name, the location of the Ukrainian village of my husband's ancestors. And there was a certain satisfaction in being of not just one cultural heritage, but of those and several others. Yet I didn't identify with any of them. No shared language, no common dance, no familiar music.

So with what culture do I identify? As I am wandering through the Heritage Festival or the world exposition, what sounds, what sights, what words would draw me in, would excite me, would cause me to join in the festivities with strangers just because we are of like mind? And then it came to me. I do have a cultural heritage with which I strongly identify. A culture of thousands of years of traditions deeply loved and treasured by those who share in it, but often no more than a passing curiosity to those on the "outside". A culture of values, of music, of history, even a dance of sorts. What am I? I am a Christian. An evangelical Christian. A Pentecostal Christian.

If I heard the latest Hillsongs United chorus, I would be drawn to the "pavilion". If they played "The Old Rugged Cross," I would sing along. When the people stood to their feet, raised their hands high, and closed their eyes, I would join in - no choreography needed. With these people, even though they are strangers, I belong. I get it. I get who they are and what they're about, where they've been and where they're going. I am one with them.

My Christian culture is deeply satisfying to me. There is no other cultural heritage that so profoundly defines me as a person. Ultimately, there is no other culture that even matters to me. In the end, this is the only culture that will remain, the only culture that will bind together forever those of us who are identified by it. In this reverse culture we are joined by a common future more than a common past, an expectation of a homeland we haven't yet reached rather than a land we have left behind.

Maybe it’s not such a sad thing after all, not having an identifiable cultural heritage. Where I’ve been doesn’t matter as much as where I’m going anyway. So for now, I enthusiastically embrace my Christian culture, and when I get to our homeland, I’m joining with my people to sing and dance and talk and laugh and eat – forever.

My Own Room

I grew up sharing a room with my sister. I moved from home to a college dorm where I shared a room, and from there I got married...and shared a room. I've wanted my own room for many years now! Don't get me wrong - I don't want to sleep in a different room from my hubby...I just want a space to put my stuff the way I want to put it...a place to hang out. Well, after renovating the basement and moving Janelle's room downstairs, I claimed Janelle's former upstairs room as my own. It is mostly my stamping room, where I've organized all my craft supplies for making cards.

I also decided to display our Build-a-Bear collection. Some of them are mine; most are Janelle's and Calvin's.

Janelle's 16th Birthday, Parts 2 & 3

As I promised (warned?) you, Janelle's birthday was an ongoing party that wrapped up today. Well, wrapped up except for the inevitable shopping trip that will occur soon so she can spend all the gift cards/cash she acquired from her very generous friends.

Wednesday, May 28, was her "real" birthday. I brought her lunch, cupcakes and a helium balloon to her at school at lunchtime. She was happy & embarrassed all at the same time, but she said that having to walk through the halls carrying the balloon got her more birthday greetings than she's ever had at once in her whole life.

After school we sat her on the couch and gave her our gift - a laptop computer.

She was absolutely shocked and thrilled! She's been saving for one for a long time but was only halfway there, so we decided to reward her for her diligence. We figured a 16th birthday deserved a bigger than usual gift. I made a special dinner for her that evening and we had cake.

Today she invited her school friends over to hang out, watch a movie and eat food (much of which her friends brought!). Here's Nadine, Sharaya, Julianne, Ellen & Janelle. Two other girls weren't able to make it.

I am, of course, so very thankful for Janelle, and also for the many great friends God has blessed her with here in Beaumont.

The Month of Janelle

We've renamed the month of May. Get used to seeing blogs about Janelle! She turns 16 on May 28, but the celebration is lasting more than one day.

It started with a party with her "church friends" (this is pretty much the entire grade 8-12 female population of the church). For those of you who are familiar with Hillsongs United (a Christian worship band), they have created a feature length movie highlighting the band as they tour around the world. They had a special "pre-release" one-night-only showing in movie theatres across Canada (it comes to the U.S. later - we're more special up here!!) last Wednesday night. So Janelle gathered her church friends for pizza and presents at our house, followed by a trip to the movie theatre. It was, apparently, "AWESOME"!

This is the gang before the movie. Don't they look like a real quality group of young women? Janelle has great taste in friends!

OK, here they are looking a little less normal.

That's Ashley, our youth pastor's wife, on the far left in the back. Janelle invited her to come, but told me I wasn't invited. Janelle's exact words: "Sorry, Mom, but Ashley's way cooler than you."

The others are (left to right):

Back row: Fraikua, Janelle, Karyssa, Marriya

Front row: Cari, Amanda, Marissa

Look for more updates during the month of Janelle as she celebrates with the family on the 28th and her school friends on the 31st!

A First Time for Everything

Her first smile...her first step...her first day at school...the first time she brought a boy home...her first driving lesson...her first scratch on the van...

This is our little girl polishing her first scratches out of the van after her first driving lesson with dad. Brake...gas...they sort of feel the same until you step on them. Jumped a curb in a parking lot and hit a chain link fence, which fortunately stopped her from going over the 6 foot embankment on the other side.

Andy's blood pressure has finally returned to normal about 24 hours later.

Mother's Day

I don't have any photos from my Mother's Day, although I had a lovely day. I do have some photos from May 18th, when we went to Red Deer to celebrate Mother's Day with my mother-in-law, and also celebrate her birthday.

On Mother's Day my daughter woke me up by bringing me breakfast in bed! And not just any breakfast - a 3-egg omelet with onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms & cheese, plus toast and juice. Wow! It looked like something I'd order in a nice restaurant! She had walked to the store the day before and bought some of the ingredients with her own money. I was very pleased!

After church we went to brunch at one of the local golf courses. Yum! Andy & Calvin both gave me cards, and Calvin made me a coupon book. Amongst the normal coupons like "Good for one hug", there's one that's good for "One frog hunting". Interesting...

Mother's Day for the last several years has meant spending the evening enjoying the finale of one of my favourite TV shows - Survivor. It was a great, completely relaxing day!

Below are photos of my family & my mother-in-law with her little dog, Millie. We went down to their house and brought all the "fixin's" for a BBQ. It was lots of fun together, and nice for my mother-in-law to be able to relax in her own home rather than going out, but not have to do anything. Both of my kids helped cook mushrooms and make salad without even being asked! I didn't even know Calvin could cook mushrooms, but he did. A really nice day for everyone!

We went to the zoo

Friday was a glorious day. Andy & James both had the day off work, so we went to the Edmonton Zoo. It's small, but cool. Most cool of all, look what we saw just walking around the zoo!!

Yep, an elephant! Her name is Lucy, and apparently she goes for daily walks around the zoo. We couldn't touch her, but we got close (like 10 feet away).

We saw lots of other animals too, but that was definitely the highlight of our day.

Take a good look at the picture below, and click on it so it gets bigger and you can read the sign in the background.

A python just for children? Who knew? And it's on an educational program. Yeah, I bet....

Note how wonderful the weather appears in our elephant pictures. It looks like we're on the savannah right there in Africa.

Then we woke up this morning to this:

Good old Alberta, where the seasons run backward....spring, winter....I'm afraid of what might be next.

Birthdays & More

Life was so busy happening, I didn't have time to blog about it!

February 27th was Calvin's 14th birthday, and my 11th (yes, 11th - think about it...you do the math) was February 29th. Our good friends the Greeks were here for our birthdays. We spread out our celebrations over a few days by going out for dinner at Red Lobster and going to the mall (girls went shopping, guys went to a movie), but on the days of our birthdays we stayed home, ate cake, opened presents, and playted Canasta. Joanne & I also went out for lunch with two ladies from my church who also had birthdays the same week.

One of the coolest things for me was getting a $30 gift card to Winners from the Greeks. Okay, getting the gift card wasn't really any cooler than the other presents I got...what was cool was the sale they had at Winners when we went shopping there! For $32.55 I got a pair of jeans, a pair of casual pants, a pair of dress pants, a blouse, and two sweaters! The ranged in price for $2.00 (sweater) to $10.00 (jeans). Not bad, eh?!

While the Greeks were here we went to the car show in Edmonton, but I didn't take any pictures. The pictures would have all been the same anyway - Janelle sitting in the driver's seat of every convertible in the building. I remember when we used to go to car shows and Janelle would hop in the backseat and check out the cup holders. Times have changed....

One more photo just for fun - here are James, Calvin & Brendan roasting hot dogs in our fireplace.

The more there is to blog about...

The less time there is to blog!

We got an AWESOME seat sale, so the kids & I flew to Abbotsford for five days in the middle of February. It was so much fun to see friends and family, but it seemed there was never enough time to spend with each one we saw. For me, the highlight was seeing my mom and sister for the first time in almost a year.

Unlike many of my blogging friends, I took almost no pictures! I packed my camera around with me from house to house as I visited, and took a total of 7 pictures. One of them is posted above, of Janelle with "my" Emma. The other photos were all taken at the Small family get-together (which we are famous for!) and I posted them all on my Facebook page, since that's where all the Small's hang out.

Now we're into fun number two: the Greek family is visiting for a week or so! Ah, Canasta....it just feels so good (even if the girls lost the first game). I won't promise you any pictures of them, but at least I told you they visited!

Snow

Yep, we have snow. This is Alberta after all. Just thought I'd show you the results of a "blizzard" that came through town. The newscasters called it a blizzard, but it wasn't like I'd read about in books. It was really windy, though, which caused the big snow drifts in these pictures. It wasn't all that exciting for us, actually, because when we lived at the edge of Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford, we commonly got snow drifts at least six feet high. This was about the same, but a bit colder. Calvin had fun though - he's standing on top of a big pile of snow, a combination of a snow drift and the snow we've been tossing off our driveway all winter. He and Connor dug it out and reinforced it with boards, so now they have a very roomy snow fort.

We love pets!

Our trip to Pet Expo:

Saturday for family fun we went to a Pet Expo in Edmonton. At a pet expo you can buy all sorts of supplies for pets, as well as see lots of animals. They also had a petting zoo, which is where these pictures were taken. The strange little animal that Calvin is petting (yes, that is his hand) is a WALLABY! How cool is that!! There was also a camel you could ride -- for an extra $10, which we decided not to do! Calvin petted a chicken until it fell asleep, and I made friends with one of several baby goats that were 2-4 days old (that's what the sign said). And when we were all done, we went home to our own "petting zoo".

Pretty winter trees in our front yard