Writer’s Wrap Up

Although I took the easy way out on my December post, it was a great month and now that I have some time to actually write something I wanted to share this fantastic month with you before it ends!

December was pretty quiet for Don, compared to October and November, he only worked two weeks!  The first week was spent in Peace River, then home for a week, and up to Fort McMurray.  Then it was what I call Christmas week.  The problem with your own business is there is always paperwork to do, and that did take some more of his down time.  From the actual bookwork, to follow up drafting, permits, etc. he stays busy.

It was the first external Safety Audit for the company this month, and a bit of a nervous time.  The goal of having a Health and Safety Plan is multifaceted; obviously the safety of the workers – Don, then there are WCB premium benefits, and the achievement of receiving our COR (Certificate of Recognition), which many companies require you have to sign a contract.  The auditor we hired was very thorough, easy to work with, and we look forward to hearing the results soon.

The second week of December saw quite a surprise in our life – it appears my mother made a decision to move from North Battleford, Saskatchewan to Edmonton , Alberta to live with my brother and his wife.  Mom has always been a strong, very independent and private woman, and this move surprised all of us.  But she seems to be settling in, and is happy.  Hopefully we will be able to see her more frequently in upcoming months and years.  I know my sister will miss her, as they lived under 2 hours apart.

Mom had never met our son in law Jeremy or our newest grandson Connor, so our trip to Fort McMurray to babysit and visit was a perfect opportunity.  So we picked her up and took her for a five day visit!  She experienced Lindsay and I on a Christmas baking frenzy and Jeremy and Don on a mission to create multiple types of deer sausage and jerky.  Mom and I returned home on the Red Arrow bus as Don was scheduled to work in McMurray that week.

That same Monday, December 17, Erica and I attended a Rita McNeil and Frank Mills Christmas Concert at the Jubilee Auditorium.  It was FANTASTIC!  Especially Frank Mills.  Not only is his piano playing extraordinaire, he has a great sense of humour, singing voice and stage presentation.  Rita’s band was great as well. 

On Saturday December 22 we hosted the 1st Annual DWS Aggregates Consulting Inc. Christmas Party.  It was a blast, and we are so lucky to have so many friends and work acquaintances that enjoy our `little`house parties.  2012 was a fantastic business year for Don and we appreciate everyone`s support in the transition of our lives.

My month was absorbed by all the Christmas prep for not only the day, but the company party, etc.  My friends Anne and Maria and I spent a few days cooking together, as well as a special dinner out with Dana.  What a great way to catch up with each other and still add productivity to your day.  We cooked dozens of perogies, baked squares, and almond Roca.  Definitely a do over for next year!  Shopping trips with Sharon, visits with the kids, a weekend with Ron and Bev, and on and on.

One project I finally took a day out to work on was compiling our blog into a book for Don.  (Hard to buy something unique after all these years).  Along with producing an amazing keepsake of the past few years, I did learn some lessons about blogging.  Way less use of happy face icons, and not using photo albums if I ever want to print it again.  I used Blog2Book and highly recommend it to all.

Our Christmas Day, held this year on the 26th, with the family was exactly how I wanted it.  Tracy, Cal and kids arrived about 10:00 am, and brought my mom with them.  Lindsay and Jeremy and Connor were here the night before.  It started with traditional Christmas Morning Wifesaver, followed by extreme gift opening, relaxing, playing with new toys, a turkey that outdid all others, and ended with all the kids bathing and donning tjeir Christmas pj`s.  It was great to have Mom with us as it was the first time in over 25 years.

The next day Don and I headed to Tisdale for a few days to see all the Smiths.  It was a busy 3 days but worth it.

So that brings us to today, December 31.  We are spending some time at the lake lot today, attempting a bit of a toboggan party with the kids.  We have no plans this evening, just a quiet night at home by ourselves, which has not happened often lately.

January will find both Don and I working in Fort McMurray.  Yes – I will be working, don`t roll your eyes,  I am going to do some work for Volunteer Wood Buffalo.  January will fly by, and hopefully February as well, so Don can get back to what he loves best – Driving Miss Donna.

I will keep you posted throughout the next 2 months, and let you know when we hit the road in March, this time for 2 months!  Happy 2012 and welcome 2013.

Merry Christmas 2012

This is the annual Christmas Letter – enjoy!

Where oh where do the days, or the years, go?

Life is fantastic in the Smith house!! 2012 was another year of growing and learning for both of us. Don’s consulting company (DWS Aggregates Consulting Inc.) is far busier than had been expected. Silly people keep saying good, when all Don wanted was a little something to keep himself a bit busy. The company has morphed into a very successful venture, thanks to Don’s renowned expertise in aggregates. Along with that it has provided me with an opportunity to take training in the safety field, and become the Safety Coordinator for the company. We work very well together, and besides the safety stuff, I also do the bookkeeping, etc.

So a 2012 recap…

While Don spent January and February working in the Fort McMurray area, I was finishing my Volunteer Alberta contract until the end of March, and that allowed me to travel there a bit as well. On a balmy February day while I was conducting a workshop, a surprise arrived a bit early – Lindsay and Jeremy welcomed the most adorable little boy, Connor James, into the world! I arrived in McMurray, Lindsay went into labor, and the next day there he was. Lindsay’s story may vary! An incredible addition to our family, which now totals 10.

We travelled south for the month of April, and as always were treated to visits with great friends, sightseeing beyond belief, and days of relaxation and fun.

The summer went by all too fast, starting with our annual camping trip on the May long weekend with family and friends, days and days at our lake lot at Lac La Nonne, visits with the grandkids, a fabulous Smith Reunion, great days with my Aunt Doreen and Uncle Mike, trips to McMurray to visit the family, including an August long weekend camping trip I hope becomes a tradition, a Campbell birthday party in Rocky Mountain House, and my safety training classes. Don mixed in some work, and before we knew it September arrived.

We headed off to the Washington and Oregon coasts, and Lindsay and Connor joined us for a week.

Sadly, Don has been working since our return, but we are looking forward to 2 months away next spring.

Hopefully that thought sustains him as he works up north until then!

Our family is all doing great!

Lindsay, Jeremy and Connor are settled in their home in Fort McMurray – not just the house but the community. Just as Don and I fell in love with the place years ago, so have they. Lindsay has been enjoying her maternity leave, and so have I as it has given us a chance to visit more often.

Tracy, Cal, Blake, Emerson and Reese are flying through life as well! Blake (5) started Kindergarten in September, Emerson (3) is in her first full year of preschool, and Reese (2) is trying her best to keep up with everyone! Blake plays hockey, they all swim, and Emerson attends dance classes.

As every grandparent out there knows – I could write pages on how beautiful, adorable, smart, etc. they are, but that just goes without saying!

Please feel free to follow us on Facebook, or follow our life’s adventures on our blog: www.drivingmissdonna.blogspot.com You can see tons of photos and read about our adventures as we travel or not.

We can only hope 2012 brought you all as much joy as us, and look forward to the same in 2013.

here are our Christmas Angels…

And that’s a wrap for November!

November started out in one of the best ways possible – a brief weekend escape that included visiting with family we rarely see!  Don’s Uncle Ernest Campbell in Rocky Mountain House celebrated his 80th Birthday with an evening hall party.  Ern is the youngest of the Campbell family.  I sure hope Don has those age genes!  I know he has several other Campbell traits such as a love of adventure.

We went to Rocky for 2 nights, had a great Jacuzzi suite, and were thrilled that Don’s brother Ken and Brenda form Lanigan joined us.  As I say we rarely spend time with them one on one and had such a great visit.  And of course it was equally great to see all the Campbells that attended the birthday.  The Rocky family knows how to throw a get together!

The next weekend we headed to Fort McMurray for a few days of visiting with Connor (and his mom and dad) and an opportunity for Don to go hunting.  Successful visiting, unsuccessful hunting.  Although in the blur of October and November Don did go hunting with Dion once and they secured a moose.  I love not only visiting Lindsay, Jeremy and Connor, but also Fort McMurray.  I also finally fit in a visit with a dear friend Marlene.  Marlene and her then husband Doug Northey lived in Fort McMurray when Don and I first moved there, and she was the friend every new and young mom needs.  Gentle advice and always a shoulder to lean on.  One sometimes forgets those people in our lives, and we shouldn’t!

The rest of November was filled with work for Don, and 2 conferences for myself.  It has passed by far too quickly in some ways.

Although we are both anxious for our spring trip in 2013, as we are taking to the road for 2 months for the first time ever, I don’t like wishing days away just to arrive at another.  Don on the other hand is anxious to get out of the north, on the road, and start driving miss donna yet again! 

Have a great month!

October Highlights

Well I did say that I would not blog much, and that sure proved correct!

Returning home in October is my favourite – being here for Thanksgiving and having our family together is fantastic.  I really think it is my favourite time.  All the same great food as Christmas without the presents.  I love watching the kids with their gifts, but overall the season just gets carried away.  I will save that rant for my December blog!

So Thanksgiving found Lindsay and Connor with us, as Jeremy was on a business trip in the States.  They weren’t considerate of Canadian Thanksgiving!  Tracy, Cal, Blake, Emerson and Reese came out to share turkey, and it was an awesome fall day.  We always try to go to Forest Green park for pictures and this year was no exception!

The annual fall park photo with my sweeties!

Don came home from holidays and hit the ground running with work.  I feel bad for him, but he says if we are going to be home winters he might as well work if it’s there, and let me tell you it’s there!  October is gone for him.

I can’t believe how easy I fill my days, although I still have lots of work to do as well.  Between some heavy volunteer work with the FCSS Board and Co-op Board of Directors, Ringette and the Library, days speed by.  I also sit on the Executives of the local Adult Learning Council and a Volunteer Action Committee, as well as the Chamber of Commerce.  And I actually had a small contract this month with my own company.  Oh and I am the Safety Officer for Don’s company, as well as the overall “office manger” for lack of a better title that describes bookkeeping, etc.  So when Don is busy – I am too.  Which is quite nice.

I have made a strong commitment the last few months to trying to get healthy.  This means many things, eating better, exercising lots, etc.  It seems to be working.  But that commitment takes time, as some of you may know.  Those lucky enough to have constitutions that haven’t yet required this may not sympathize!

I would have to say the highlight of October was babysitting Blake, Emerson and Reese while Tracy and Cal went on a much needed vacation!  It was rather hectic with the 3, and school and activities, but it was so great to be with the kids and be a part of every day and all that  it encompasses.  Although we see them lots, it seems to be for short times and visits.  Being with them for 5 days was a chance to get to know them all better.  It was an absolute blast that we would do again, after some rest.  LOL

Halloween (my least favourite occasion) was cute to see the grandchildren all decked out.  Connor was a fisherman, Blake a Ninjego, Emerson a dragon, and Reese a puppy.  So cute!!

Have a great November – talk to you at the end!

And the end of another GREAT trip…

Our trek home after the peaceful stop on the Columbia River has been uneventful.  We managed two nights at the ultimate campground – Farragut State Park by Coeur d'alene, Idaho.  As you know this is where we like to make our last or first stop if possible.  It’s a very tranquil place, and allows us to take the time needed before entering “life” again.
On this stop we seemed to shop more than usual, which is typically a great indication that we are ready to go home!  Don was as always very accommodating in Driving Miss Donna.
We ended our trip with a overnighter at the Phillips RV park – also known as our friend Ivan’s yard.  His Canadian home is a beautiful property on the James River.  Always great to share a beer or two with!
We are not sure what is waiting for us when we return, although it appears Don may be going back to work sooner and harder than we expected.  All those summer contracts are gearing up.
Enjoy October – as usual my blogging will slow down through the winter.  Although we will still be enjoying life to the max.
Thanks for coming on this trip with us.

Driving Along the Columbia River…

I try to write every week, but although you don’t realize, by that time I forget so much.  I use Live Writer for just that purpose, so I can write as we go and post when we get wifi, but honestly that seldom happens.  So we are sitting here enjoying happy hour and I thought I would tell you about today.  We saw such beautiful countryside.

After dropping Lindsay and Connor off this morning, we hooked the fifth wheel up and decided to slowly make our way to the Coeur d'Alene area.  It was a quiet trip without Connor singing and talking to his toys :(

Rather than driving the Interstate 5 on the Oregon side, along the Columbia River, we decided to drive Highway 14 on the Washington side.  A great choice!  The winding highway with a much slower speed limit allowed both passenger and driver to enjoy.  And there is suspicion in the air as we even had a tail wind instead of the customary head wind!  Oh for a Starbucks and the day would have been complete.

Anyhow – plans are made to be changed as anyone who is semi-retired as us are aware.  I was looking at the State Park guide and noted a small campground at least 3 hours form our “destination”.  We pulled in, and as luck would have it, 1 of 16 sites (fully serviced) was available.  You know how I Iove power hook ups.  After setting up we also discovered that not only do our phones work, but the AT&T wifi data stick is performing at optimal.  First time this trip…

So a quick snooze for Don, Facebook fix for me, and we were off to explore.  There are several windsurfers out today, as well as kite surfing, and fishing.  We drove one of our “scenic routes” which is you are a regular reader you know equates to narrow winding roads.  But we saw some quaint towns, a rather large old steam engine on display, and miles of farmland and homes.

Now the chicken is in the oven, and everything smells yummy.  Ready for a quiet evening and feeling a little sad that Lindsay and Connor have returned home.

Talk soon…

Our Week on the Coast

We have had a fantastic week along the Oregon coast!  On Friday we picked Lindsay and Connor up at Portland airport and headed back to our site at Fort Stevens State Park, just outside of Astoria.  Astoria is one of the oldest ports along the Columbia River, situated on the mouth of the river.  It is actually the first settled US town on the Pacific Coast.

Our week was spent reacquainting ourselves with our favourite spots, while showing them off to Lindsay. 

This included a drive up the Long Beach Peninsula to Oysterville on Willapa Bay.  Oysterville boasts a few shops, the most popular being the Oysterville Sea Farms and the chance to buy fresh oysters for dinner!

No trip is complete without a stop at Mo’s Seafood Restaurants, and this week included 2 stops.  Poor us hey?  Since you can’t begin to taste everything in one visit, we needed to go twice to make sure Lindsay enjoyed a little bit f a lot.  Our fist visit was in Cannon Beach, which is in itself a unique visit.  Cannon Beach is a pretty “touristy” place, with a lot of restaurants and high priced shops, but a great walk none the less.  And nearby Seaside has an outlet mall, although a pretty bleak one.  We did find some treasures though, and a last top at Mo’s finished off a great day.

We stayed at a few state parks this round, Fort Stevens, Beverly Beach and Jessie Honeyman, but Fort Stevens is the best.  Easy beach access, and a coffee shop within walking distance!  We had forgotten why we aren’t totally thrilled with Jessie Honeyman, but as part of the National Dunes Area, there is no beach access, and we couldn’t find any either.

But we did fit in a lot of road trips, another visit to Mo’s in Florence, and another outlet visit in Lincoln City.  We visited lighthouses, beaches, checked out other state parks, and generally just enjoyed being together and visiting.

Aside from all of that, we had such a great visit with Lindsay and Connor.  It was so special to see Connor every day, and he was a fabulous guest.  He also happened to pop a few teeth while with us, and still he was 100% an angel!  He learned some new sounds, and found listening to Jimmy Buffet at a high volume was quite relaxing while travelling.

Our last day together we braved traffic and once again – hold on for this – we visited a mall!  Hard to believe hey?  Then came home, ordered pizza, went to the hot tubs and are enjoying a quiet evening.

Stay tuned as I fill in our last few days by the end of next week!

 

Connor Does Oregon VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL