Alberta Bound

Last week, Andrea and I decided to make a trip out to Alberta to do some hiking in the Rockies. We left the next day! We didn't really plan anything but knew we were headed for Waterton National Park in Alberta to do the infamous hike "Akamina Ridge." Well, should be infamous! We woke up early and drove 12 hours heading East through the Crow's Nest Pass to the Alberta/BC border. It was a remarkable drive with amazing views and fresh fruit at every market along the way. We filled our car with peaces, nectarines, bananas and blueberries.









This is where we camped amongst the masses of RVs and trailers. We are tucked away in a grove of trees somewhere in our tent. Except for the one night we were camped right by the road and woke up the tent being blown away with only Andrea holding it down, and the car shaking back and forth with me jumping out of it and racing to save Andrea from flying away with the wind.









Never a dull moment! The classic one hand wonder. This is only one of many that were taken.















We woke up early the day after our long trek out to Alberta and began our day of hiking. We hiked up through Alberta where we were met with a "Welcome to BC" sign and continued the rest of the hike in B.C. We hiked along the Ridge and could see mountain range after mountain range, glacier after glacier and mosquito after mosquito.

Here are some pictures from the hike. They do not do it justice at all!

A panoramic from the summit.

The next day, Andrea and I decided to go back home on a different path and head down to Glacier National Park in Montana. We had no maps or no idea how to get there but we were ready for a great adventure. We woke up to a crazy wind storm which turned out to be the theme of our day. When the wind died down and we managed to pack up our tent while holding it in the air and hoping that we didn't blow away with it, we realized that our tire was almost flat. In the middle of nowhere, it's hard to find a convenient gas station so we took a half hour detour before our day even began. It was only the beginning...

We get stopped at the border by two state troopers who continually ask us if we have alcohol or drugs and who want to check our trunk to make sure we are telling the truth. We had one trooper at each window staring in at us as if we were criminals. A little bit of awkward conversation in the car with them watching and we were free to go.












We find Glacier National Park easily and take a nice scenic drive through the park, stopping at random view points along the way to see waterfalls and lakes. We pass by many neat and impressive looking hikes but we are too sore from the day before to even think about getting out of the car. We passed most of the hikes before we could make a fair decision about them. However, once out of the park, we get our second wind and decide that every viewpoint along the way must be seen. With no map to help us out, we decide that because we live on the West Coast, West would be a good direction to start heading. We head West down a random hiway for about 3 hours until we feel pretty lost and in the middle of nowhere. We decide to pull out Thomas the GPS and let him lead the way but he decides to take us even further into the middle of nowhere and decides that gravel roads with multiple potholes is the way to go despite having a deflating car tire. When Thomas tells us to turn into where a tree is standing and then head up a steep gravel road , we decide to turn around and go back to the random hiway we had been heading down. Another 1/2 hour detour. We somehow manage to get to Idaho where we take a picture of the Welcome to Idaho sign and then turn back the other direction to get a picture of the "Welcome to Montana" sign. We went out to eat in some random town in Idaho at a place called Smudgies because we thought the name was cool. It actually turned out to be a really nice place. We were pretty impressed!

Then we continued driving for another couple hours while the sun set and the scenery disappeared. We arrived in Spokane, WA. We were pretty tired at this time and finally found signs to a road we recognized but at the same time got pulled over by another state trooper for him thinking that we were not wearing our seatbelts. We were. But we did learn from him that in America, seatbelts must be worn at all times while driving. Good to know! We were so flustered at being pulled over that we missed the sign to the hiway and got twisted around in one way streets on a Friday night in the city. We decide we've had enough fun for one day so we decide to find a campground and set up camp. We find a place but it is only full of RVs and there is a sign saying Do Not camp on grass. It's 11:00. It's dark. There is no one in the office so we decide hey, let's just camp in the car and we'll figure it all out in the morning. We weren't going to be there long anyway. So we open up the windows a crack, recline the chairs and fall asleep. I wake up at about 4:00 and see a man in his thirties approaching the car. A little freaked out, I keep perfectly still and hope he goes away. He does. Phew. I go back to sleep thinking it was probably the camp ranger checking out the situation. I go back to sleep. 20 minutes later, Andrea and I are both woken up and a man is over top of our car putting something on our windshield. In his other hand, he is holding a gun. WHAT!?!?!?! He then backs away from the car and Andrea hears him uncock the gun. A little bit shocked? Uh Huh. We get the paper which turns out to be the camp registration form so we assume it was the park ranger but still... seriously... why do you need to be pointing a gun at a car with two sleeping girls. We start the car, drive to the office, write a note telling them what happened and said we didn't feel safe there and we weren't going to pay them. Then we booked it out of there, down the hiway at 5:00 in the morning and we drove straight across WA and up back to Canada, filling up Flat Jacks tire a few times on the way. The end.

1 flat tire, 2 Countries, 3 days, 4 state troopers, 5 provinces/states, 6 peaches, 9 hrs of hiking, 2000 km of driving=1 great trip!

Cypress Falls and Lighthouse Park

Cypress Falls



On the first sunny day of March Break (a week after it began) Devin and I took a hike to Cypress Falls and around Lighthouse Park. I can now tick off 2 more trails/hikes off my 2009 goal. It was nice to walk in the rainforest and see all the many shades of green. So much moss!





The trail was not well marked at all and so we basically just trailblazed for a while. We found many waterfalls but this was by far the coolest one. You could get pretty close to the rushing gushing water over the cliff but we were very careful where we stepped.






Lighthouse Park

Our next stop was Lighthouse Park where you can walk along the ocean water and look over at Vancouver Island. It was a nice clear day to see the mountains in the background. I could have stood there and listened to the water for ages.



The first wooden lighthouse structure was built on Point Atkinson in 1874.



People say that once you begin to see something everyday, you start to take it for granted. I hope that the sight of mountains and blue sky never lose their majestic beauty to me. I love soaking up the views.







The end.

When words are not enough

When words are not enough...



It wasn't in what she taught but it was in the ways that she taught that made Cella one of my favourite professors at Dordt College. The first assignment I ever got from Cella was a very "Elementary Ed "one but also one that really spoke to me even after graduating. It wasn't in the assignment but in the words she used to describe it and the actions she requested afterwards. The assignment was to write a paper on our favourite highschool teacher; write about why they inspired us, how they helped us to learn and how they influenced our lives. Grumbling at the "waste of time" assignment but also appreciating the "easy A" introduction to college, I wrote the paper. Before handing it in, she challenged us to not only hand it in to her, but to send it to the teacher we wrote about. REWIND. With this new twist, the "easy A" assignment would take more thought and reflection than first anticipated. If I was to really send this to a teacher that inspired and instilled in me the desire to become a teacher myself, I'd have to make it more sincere without all the fancy words and sentence structures that would assure me an A. To be honest, I don't remember if I went the fancy way to ensure an A or if actually sent it to my highschool teacher. But it is through being Cella's "coleague" for 4 years that makes me hope I did the latter. She inspired me to be a teacher that my future students could write about in an assignment. She inspired me to strive for and carry with me the character traits that I found so appealing and so essential in the teachers that impacted my life. If given the assignment again, I'd have to write about her.

Cella was the type of professor that cared more for building relationships and dialogue with her students than she cared about the book knowledge. She taught through stories of her own experiences, through stories of other people's experiences and through the experiences we shared together in the classroom. She treated us not as students but as peers. I still remember one of the funniest classes I had with her. It was a night class and in our "Cella" classes, we often sat on couches and took turns bringing baked goods. It was a great way to spend a 3 hour class. lol. In this particular class, Cella was talking about respect and why in classrooms we call teachers by Mr. Mrs, or Miss and we use their last names. She was telling us an awkward experience she had not knowing what to call a teacher outside of school. I don't remember what she even said but I remember our whole class just erupting in laughter as she told the story. The story itself was not funny and she was so confused why we were all hysterical. I think that a friend (not to mention any names) even peed her pants from laughing so hard. It was so funny because we all had the same experience but with with HER. No one knew how to address her. Amongst ourselves, she was Cella but when it came to the classroom or writing her emails, no one knew what to call her. We all respected her but it seemed weird to call her Mrs. Bosma since we shared this unique relationship with her as a friend and not just a professor. After laughing for a while longer by her confusion, we let her in on our secret so she could join in. We admitted that most of our emails just started with the reason for the email and avoided a heading all together because of the awkwardness of writing Mrs. Bosma but not wanting to be disrespectful. She then told us that she was Cella to us and that it was not disrespectful because although we hadn't graduated yet, we were teachers just like her and so we were colleagues, working and collaborationg together. If that doesn't show how she viewed relationships amongst her students, I don't know what else could better. Cella taught me to become a teacher but inspired me to become much more than that. I don't know if I will ever get there all the way, but I will continue to strive because of the example I saw in her everyday.

I had the priveledge of working for Cella as a T.A. I got to photocopy and type up notes for her, mark papers, put grades in the computer, help "organize" her office and make projects for her. I worked for all the Ed professors but I got to work with Cella the most, I'd say. Working for Cella, I really got to know her. There was always someone in her office talking about a project or just stopping by to chat. She was constantly building and establishing relationships and so cleaning her office was out of the question. She would pick up a stack of random papers off her floor, pass them to me and say, "Can you straigten these out for me?" I'd find research papers for her masters classes, recipes for a good dinner entre, class record sheets of various classes, to do lists and lost assignments all in the same pile, turned upside down and backwards. I quickly learned that teachers are not perfect, even Cella. It was a great relief! After organizing her mess, Cella would be so appreciative. She'd make me a card, send me a note of encouragement, or take me out for dinner. She would never let anything go unappreciated even if it was the smallest thing that didn't need acknowledgement.

Cella shared with us her life. She shared with us stories of her past and hopes for her future. She shared with us her excitements, her prayers of gratitude, her struggles and her sorrows. We in turn, were welcomed to share our stories with her. She opened up her heart to us and to this day, I can't imagine how she could hold onto a heart so big and full. I write this now as her hopes for the future are fading and she struggles to fight the cancer that has consumed her body. Her stories and her hopes will live on in the people she has touched throughout her life. She has reached people all over the world and has been a blessing to so many lives. I will never understand why someone with so much life, so much love and so much hope would have to suffer so much. Cella, you are in my prayers always. You have been such a blessing in my life and I thank God that I had the priveledge and honour of meeting you and being blessed by you. I will always strive to bless others as you have blessed me. May God bless you and keep you in his arms forever and ever.

Love always
Your friend, Kimberly

Manning SKi Trip

Manning Park 2009

Chris and I went up to visit Carl at Manning. Heather was going to come too but she had to work. Her skating and skiing skills were greatly missed. Hopefully the tribute to her will be able to be seen at the end. We drove up to Manning in a snow squall and we anticipated the nice fresh snow the whole way up.

When we got there, it was a winter wonderland. The sky was puking snow and there was no sign of it letting up. We got there late, met up with Carl, jumped in the snow cat and began grooming the hills so that we could have some good skiing the next day. (well we watched Carl groom and we just sat back and enjoyed the ride)




The next day, we got up bright and early, ate a wholesome hefty breakfast of CORNPOPS and drove to the hill. The snow had not stopped and the mountain was covered in feet of fresh powdery snow. Apparently, it was the best conditions all season!





The mountain wasn't very crowded despite it being March Break so we soaked it all up. Great powder, no lines at the chairlifts. It was "epic." We pretty much owned the mountain all day. We were the only ones on the chair at one point!



My favourite run was called Tree Well. It was a nice run through the trees with lots of ungroomed areas. The snow was so deep that if you fell, it took a while to get your legs out of the snow. I spent a fair amount of time on my butt. But, the scenery was beautiful even though it was a cloudy, snowy day.



The following day was reserved for skating and swimming. We lazed around in the morning, eating pancakes, bacon, eggs, and CORNPOPS. We headed to the rink but to our sad dismay, the rink was CLOSED. Saddened by our lack of luck when it comes to closed skating rinks/ponds, we had fun anyway making snowmen, and pretending to skate on the rink.



By the time we were finished making frosty, the ice had been cleared off and we mangaged to get in a short hockey game. The weekend could now be complete.



It was a great ski trip and I can't wait to go skiing again. Carl, I'll bake you more cookies if I can come again!


The road behind us as we said Goodbye.

The Beached Seal
(This one's for you Heather!)

Snowshoeing

SNOWSHOEING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

Fog in the lower mainland can be really cool and can make you feel as if you are in an airplane flying through the clouds in the sky. But when you have weeks and weeks of fog, it can get to you after a while. Some friends and I decided it was time to get above the fog!





We trekked up Seymour Mtn and did the Dog Mountain trail. It was a great day to head out with some snowshoes and see where the trail would take us.



There was a time of inversion where it was actually cooler at the bottom of the mountain underneath all the clouds. The further we traveled up, the warmer it got. At the top of the mountain, it felt like it was 16 C while underneath us it was cold and rainy.



People at the top of the mountain were suntanning while eating their lunch. People were stripping layers of clothes left, right and centre it was so warm.



Allison, Heather and I at the top of Dog Mtn.



Here are some pics of what was happening in Vancouver below us.





Looking down on Vancouver through the clouds.



The End.

Farewell to a Good Friend I hardly knew

In the summer, my brother developed a severe allergy to peanuts/nuts while walking home from work. This brought on a conversation about foods that we would never want to be allergic to or foods we could not live without. My brother said that he could not go without cheese, my mom could not go without bread and I could not go without peanut butter. I thought my answer was the best, I mean, peanut butter is just so good. You can eat it on icecream, apples, bananas, graham crackers, bread, cake, smores, and you can make cookies, squares etc. You can even eat it plain out of the jar. It just made sense.

A couple weeks ago I was waiting for results of a food allergy/sensitivity test I was recommended to take. I nervously thought that it might be peanut butter or maybe even icecream and dairy products in general. When I was told the results, I was so relieved that I was not allergic to dairy or nuts that I didn't really think about how my food sensitivity was much worse than being allergic to dairy and peanut butter.

Gluten... I don't even think I knew what it was a couple weeks ago but now I'd do anything to be reacquainted with it. Gluten is pretty much in everything. You name it, gluten is in it. Breads, pastries, noodles, flour.... everything. Not only do I have a sensitivity to gluten but I have a sensitivity to wheat, rye, barley, cucumbers, pineapple, almonds, coffee and beer. I was so happy I was not allergic to icecream but yet many of the icecream flavours i can no longer eat because they have brownies, cookies, or other scrumptious things mixed in. I can have peanut butter but I can't have it on a sandwich any more or in a brownie sundae. I just can't win! I feel like I can't eat anything.

I've been gluten free for almost 2 weeks and it has been painful. I feel like I'm always hungry because I'm living off vegetables and rice cakes. I walk down the aisles in the grocery store and pass all the food I can't eat. I have to look in the gluten free section and buy the 7 dollar spongelike gluten free pizza crust or the hard, crackly gluten free tortilla shells that fall apart when you try to roll them. Not many options here.

I've decided it's a hard time of year to be gluten free. Christmas parties with amazing deserts packed full of flour and almonds, cheese and crackers with dip, oven baked pastries and mini sausages in bbq sauce, Christmas beer alongside friendship cheer... and all I can eat is the cheese and the lowly rice krispie treat that has been abandoned by all but the gluten intolerant ones. Kids handing out birthday doughnuts in the hallway, parents bringing in holiday treats to share, hot lunch days of noodles and pizza at school and the gluten intolerant have to stand aside and say "No, thanks." Sigh....

Goodbye good friend. It's so hard to say goodbye. I wish we had had more time together. Maybe one day....when everything is right again...

School Daze

Christmas holidays are quickly approaching and after 2 and 1/2 months of school, the break will be much needed and welcomed. I have 2 polar opposite classes this year which has made the year seem like a roller coaster with many up and downs. I am really enjoying my one class and those are the days when I know that teaching is what I really want to do. I call these guys my DREAM TEAM. I feel confident and in control and feel like I can conquer any 5 yr old problem that could come my way.

Cute things that have been said in Kindergarten this year:

"But, Miss Taylor, my mom doesn't want me to sit at the time out table. She doesn't like it when I do."

"I keep calling my hoola hoop to come back like you did but it just won't come"

"That's what teachers do, they wait."

"God created everything. He had so much time. He is just so old."

" I have good manners because I got a good manners book for my birthday."

"I can't. I'm laying an egg"

"Miss Taylor, have you ever seen my dad? He looks exactly like Jesus."

After time out...
" You know what Miss Taylor, I'm not going to go back there. I'm going to find another activity that's less rough." (WOW, I've never had a kid say that on his own before.)

About a boy with special needs who cannot speak and can only mumble words...
"It's okay that you don't know what he is saying because he is speaking Spanish."

"My dad goes to the gym too. Because he is fat."

~What kinds of things did God make in His world?
"Well... you know.... long pause... you know... eagles of course"

"Hug it like you love it"




BUT THEN

The next day rolls around and I have my difficult class.... on these days I feel like throwing in the towel and serving tables at local restaurants for the rest of my life. I call these guys my SCREAM TEAM because either one of them is screaming or I feel like screaming!

New Rules that I think need to be implemented better in Kindergarten this year

No shoelace shoes if you cannot tie them.
No cute small school bags that hold absolutely nothing.
No tattle taling.
No peeing on each other.
No pulling down your pants in gym class.
No walking around in your tighty whities.
No wearing your dress over your head.
No swearing.
No lying when it's obviously not true.
No slapping children in the face.
No punching others in the face.
No scratching others in the face.
No strangling others.
No hitting and kicking teachers.
No biting other children.
No sitting on each other.
No eating the erasers.
No eating the pencils.
No eating the pencil crayons.
No eating random food off the floor that doesn't belong to you.
No colouring yourself with the markers.
No colouring on other people's pictures.
No spitting on the carpet.
No talking back to the teacher.
No calling the teacher "teacher".
No tapping the teaching constantly.
No calling the teacher 10 times in a row. If by the 6th time she doesn't respond, she might just be busy.
No mixing all the new colours of playdoh together.
No mixing all the paint together.
No sneezing in your teacher's face.
No walking backwards in the line.
No climbing over the loft railings. (you will fall off)
No running away from the teacher if she is talking to you.


I won't say which class is which...