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Richard & Nicola HuppertzFamily Highlights 2009
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July 01 Six Month UpdateNot that I've been letting this slide, but I guess it is time for an update.
Nicola:
She has completed her probationary period and is now a fancy pants Corporate Director at work. Her boss moved to Alberta. Work has been very busy this year. She still plays volleyball when ever she can (including a 2 person grass tournament in a couple of weeks time). Also back in March she took one brother with her to England to visit the other brother and to catch a show, castle tour and maybe a pub crawl was in the mix. Any day now Lynne and Andre and family should be in town, which means hanging at the beach.
Meghan:
A 7th birthday has now come and gone. She has finished Grade 1 French Immersion with Grade 2 set for fall. The field trips for her have been plentiful and varied which included ballet, crocodiles, plays, art galleries, ice skating and a lot of swimming. She still plays lots of soccer both indoor and outdoor. There wasn't enough 7 year old girls this year so she has been playing against 8 year olds. Tennis is also included in the mix. Sleepovers are now becoming more plentiful. Next week it's the backyard, tent and flashlights variety.
Robin:
The little man has changed the most in the past 6 months. He is much more sociable than he ever was before. He has grown over 2 inches in that time. He can write his name and his friends as well. Counting to 100 is a hobby of his. Pre-school graduation and his 5th birthday were on the same day. Next fall he starts Kindergarten French Immersion. He regularly bicycles back and forth to school. Soccer has also become one of the things he likes to do. Also back on valentines day he got 2 separate future marrriage proposals.
Me:
I seemingly drive everyone everywhere for all their various activities. I did volunteer to help coach Meghan's soccer team this spring. She still smiles when she sees me so I guess it has been going okay in her eyes. Also I've been able to do a lot more walking this year, both to school and around the orchards so I'm losing a little weight in the process. And when everybody is driving me crazy I can take my PSP to a quiet corner of the house.
Well that was a quick summary of the first half of 09, off to the second half. December 31 End of '08Another year ends and the phrase "your kids age you" becomes more relevent. I find it hard to believe that Meghan will be 7 this coming year. It seems like it was just recently we brought our new baby home from the hospital and began our new lives as parents.
Meghan and Robin have really taken this christmas vacation as a chance to rest and relax. I've noticed that this year they haven't had anywhere near the colds that seemed to come around almost weekly last year.
Nicola has taken 2 weeks vacation, the first week spent at her dads place. But now she is spending it in Reno heaven. She has tools and ladders everywhere.
I recently got myself a PSP, so I could play a game without tying up the livingroom tv and I have discovered the greatest game ever(IMHO), Lego Star Wars! You get to play the original trilogy and smash things to itty bitty little lego bits along with the silly humour that goes along with it.
November 22 Birthday PartiesWhat gets into the water system in Kelowna in February? Spring flings and love is in the air. Meghan and Robin have been invited together and seperately to 6 birthday parties over the past couple of weekends and the forecast for December seems to say more are coming. This has been by far the busiest party stretch since we've been here and the kids are just loving it. Especially if the invitation is just for them, sans sibling.
Meghan continues to do well in school. With soccer being just once a week now, she is starting to get back into playdates again. Her Sparks troop got to be part of the rememberance day parade and ceremony. She has taught herself to swim, with a lifejacket on. Over the past 10 days or so she has lost her 2 front teeth. She has timed it perfectly between school pictures and her christmas concert. The new teeth are already pokeing out her gums, so we shouldn't have to listen to her whistle while she talks for very long.
Robin's soccer is done which he really enjoyed. He can now count to 20 in english and to 10 in spanish and french. He has started to make friends with some of the grade ones and twos at the school since he wants to stay for noon hour recess after his pre-school is done.
Nicola is keeping busy with work(and birthday parties). She also looks forward to less winter driving outside the valley. October 11 Three YearsToday marks 3 years ago that we moved to Kelowna. For the kids it's really the only place they can remember living. For Nic and I, Edmonton feels like a long time ago.
Let's see what has happened to us in the past month.
Meghan has finished her tennis and outdoor soccer for the year. She really enjoyed both programs and loved the fact that she had sports to play 4 days a week, even if it really curtailed any playdate activity. She is enjoying being in Grade 1, loves her teacher and likes having Grade 2 kids in her class. She misses her friend Elaina who would have been in her class this year. We just had our first parent/teacher interview and Meghan just blew us away with how well her french is coming along. Her teacher described her as an excellent student.
Robin is becoming a lot more rambunctious. Everything he does recently needs to be full body contact. He is halfway through his soccer program, indoors, and likes the fact that Meghan now has to watch HIM play. He continues to be very interested in bridge and road building. So the recent building of the new playground at school and the new speed bumps down our street have been endlessly facinating for him. Also, with his seemingly boundless energy he has decided that he wants to pull the wagon back and forth to school. It's a fraction over a mile(in one direction), has a steep hill involved, and now takes twice as long to walk than when I do it, but it seems to be the highlight of his day. Meghan has decided that she now wants to walk the down hill portion of the trip and pull her brother in the wagon.
For Nic and I we are slowly getting the house and yard ready for the coming winter. For her it's meant new light fixtures and planning a new bathroom makeover. For me it's been the last lawn cutting(yesterday), getting the underground irrigation lines empty and tidying up the garage for everything that needs to be stored. September 09 School is backThe kids have now been back to school for a week. They are very excited to see their friends, meet their teachers and in Meghan's case, she now has her very own desk! As far as I can tell, this is a very big deal for her. Meghan is now in Grade 1 and her class is a 1/2 french split. Robin is in 4 year old pre-school, same teachers as last year, but he now goes 3 mornings a week. After school activities for Meghan include soccer, tennis and Sparks. Robin starts soccer and skating next month.
Nic has now had a few weeks to get accustomed to her new position. A lot more hands off construction wise, a lot more meetings and a lot less driving seems to be the initial assessment. She is leaving for a week to the states with her dad and brother to go visit some family.
Fall seems to have arrived in the valley, what with cooler mornings and a complete lack of 30+ degree days. August 12 Vacations & PromotionsWe are now entering the last 3 weeks of summer holidays for the kids, and Nic is in the middle of her 2 week break. So far they have spent the past week at the beach with Lynn & Andre and their kids and in the evenings splashing around the creek behind our house.
Robin got invited to his first birthday party and took Meghan with him.
Meghan's best friend is moving to Winnipeg this week.
And now the big news, Nic has just been promoted to Corporate Director at her workplace. It was 3 years ago this month that she applied here for a Senior Planning position with the then CD. It was only 9 months ago that she became a Director. It should mean a lot less driving for her, especially in the winter.
July 14 JulyIt has been a hectic beginning to the kids summer holidays. On most days they are sleeping in, so I'm taking advantage of early morning walks through the orchards. We've gone to Windermere and back already. My parents have come and gone. The kids have made multiple trips to the beach and waterparks. Playdates are slowly starting up again. The next batch of birthday parties are on the horizon. Meghan has a week of tennis starting today that she has really been looking forward to. Robin has decided that he needs to build bridges to everything. Nic has decided to reacquaint herself with her office again (and partake of some golf). Her friends Sherri & Dale popped in on friday. Three weeks down, seven to go till school starts again. June 22 Robin is 4!Today Robin had his birthday.
Hard to believe 4 years have gone by already and he has been to London and Paris twice! We measured his height today and he has grown 2 3/4" inches over the past year. On friday he got to have his first birthday party with his school friends and really enjoyed being the centre of attention. He also finished his first year of pre-school on thursday and can now count in English, Spanish and French.
Meghan played in her first mini-world cup soccer tournament today. She did very well scoring 12 goals total including the first 7 for her team! Afterwards she received her first world cup trophy which she has been parading around the house ever since. Her last week of school is now upon us. Her french is going very well.
Nicola has been busy at work over the past week doing her version of the "Tour-de-BC". This started on the 13th by driving to Revelstoke, continuing on to Windermere for saturday and sunday. She then climbed on a plane early monday morning for a one day trip to Vancouver and Burnaby. Tuesday saw her back in a car headed for Nelson and the next day stopping off in Castlegar before heading home so that she could go to Kamloops for the day on thursday. Friday has a quick trip to Vernon. May 19 Long WeekendAfter 4 days of 30+ degree weather, we had a comfortable mid 20's day today.
Meghan and Robin had their friends to play with almost everyday and ALL DAY as well. They just never seemed to get tired out of playing or being around the same kids. On 2 of the 4 days we just gave up trying to round them up and had an impromtu supper party to wait them out. Today we went to the local parade, which the kids loved and Nic managed to get a yellow rose given to her by the Mayor! Afterwards we went to the outdoor waterpark, which opened this weekend, and the kids played hard for another few hours there. After this weekend they can't possibly have anymore energy left and have rosie glows and a good start on their summer tans. May 04 Meghan's 6thAfter a week of weather channel watching suggesting that if not some rain, it would be cloudy and cool, sunshine prevailed. The birthday girl was in her element as she got her wish of lots of friends to play at her house at the same time. We had 20+ kids running around the yard and house and 3 hour party stretched past 4. The big hits for the party was Robin's jumping tent, Scooby-Doo, the cake and for the parents, chicken wings!
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