100 Year Celebration!

Yesterday, June 28, we gathered together at Valens Conservation Area with a whole lot of extended family to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary. Friday was also my Mom's 60th birthday, hence the title of this blog (40 + 60 = 100). We were a little concerned when we woke up to pouring rain, but the day turned out to be just fine. VERY humid, and mostly overcast, but everyone stayed dry (that wanted to, anyway.)

There were about 150 people there altogether, and us girls were kept busy serving and cleaning up, so I didn't get a chance to take too many pictures. Sherri was the "official" candid photographer, so we'll have to wait for her to update her blog. The boys were also busy barbecuing for all those people, and keeping little ones out of our way while we were busy. All in all, the day was a success, we had a lot of fun, and I think Mom and Dad enjoyed themselves too. The kids went down to the beach for a bit, and had a lot of fun in the bouncy castle Mom & Dad had rented for the occasion.

Before the official festivities began, we had our family photos done (ours personally as well as the big family shots) by the very talented Chandra Vanderboom. Thanks Chandra for a job well done, even though Princess Natalie was very uncooperative!

Here's a few of the pictures I did manage to get. Art gets credit for the bouncy castle shots.

They almost spelled it right!


The kids watching the bouncy castle go up. Had their shoes off already!

Allison and Caleb having a great time

Even Natalie had some smiles

Allison, Brittany and Olivia had a good seat by the chips

I think they had a tiff? And Natalie with another nice smile.

One Last Field Trip....

...to Greenview Aviaries! It was a little chilly, so we passed on the splash pad :) The kids were disappointed, but they had fun in the enormous playground instead! There were two trampolines, a ball pit, bouncy balls, tricycles, scooters, slides, swings, tether ball, and - the biggest attraction - a zip line!

Not to mention the animals... lions and tigers and bears - oh my! And zebras, buffalo, reindeer, elands, pot bellied pigs, donkeys, peacocks, snakes, alligators, and monkeys galore! (Not including the ones we brought along!)

See?

Feeding the goats (you could buy little bags of animal food)

It was hard to get a good shot through the wire.

My group (Lianna, Allison, Jessica) showing off their lion growls

The pot-bellied pig - see the baby just to her left?

Bears - oh my!

Allison feeding the young buffalo grass

And some playground shots:

Deanna and Miss Vanderdeen on the teeter-totter and Allison on the REALLY TALL slide!

Amanda on the zipline!!!

Please Maam...may I have some more..?

Today was the day of Grade 5/6's production of Oliver Twist! It was obvious that a lot of effort and preparation went into this production - costumes, props, fake British accents, they even memorized their lines!
Well done, Grade 5&6! It was very enjoyable to watch.,
Here are a few pictures:

Chelsea and Jared as the narrators

The famous "may I have some more" scene

After running away from the orphanage, Oliver meets the Artful Dodger

The boys roasting sausages at Fagin's hideout.

The Artful Dodger demonstrating his pick-pocketing technique.

At Mr. Brownlow's house after recovering from his fever

Oops! Caught by Nancy and returned to Fagin

Foiled! The whole gang is arrested and dragged off to jail

Curtain call!