Dedicated to Dee and Everyone in Calgary...

This post is dedicated to my friend Dee; it is in response to a post she did recently concerning Mother Nature and her need to "seek professional help for your mental instability". This is, of course, in reference to the recent weather in Calgary. For those of you who are unaware, it has been snowing...a lot!

For Dee:

I send you my warmest sympathies at this challenging time. I realize this week has been really tough on you...first the snow and then the Flames painful defeat. Keep your chin up! This won't last forever!

PS--Here's a couple of pics from the garden. Wow, it was so hot out yesterday, I think I may have even over heated a little.

A Change of Luck?

This has been quite a week for me. About 2 weeks ago, I got a call from my friends Jeremy and Allyson. We've known each other for many years--we followed them from the northwest end of Calgary to the south when we moved to Evergreen 3 years ago. They wanted to know if I would come to Calgary for a week and visit. They bought my ticket and even gave me a car to drive while I was there. Thursday, March 27th was my Mom's birthday so I was able to completely surprise her when I showed up at her house that morning. I able to see all my family and friends. I had a wonderful time visiting with Allyson--even though she repeatedly beat me at SkipBo. We stayed up way too late almost every night, Jeremy made BBQ steak twice, we went hot tubbing and baked cakes and goodies all week!! I've been really blessed to have such great friends!!

When I came home, I was really tired. There way an envelope waiting for Bob and I with this card from my sister, Elizabeth:

Inside was an encouraging note that things will get better (this has been quite the year for us) and a travel itinerary for a trip to Jamaica for Bob and I this summer!! I have to say that I was completely shocked! We have had so many family and friends that have been so supportive during all the craziness we've been through and we are extremely blessed!! We are surrounded by people that love us unconditionally and I feel overwhelmed (and a little undeserving) by the many acts of love and kindness given to us.

Thank you so much--

XooxOxxoOx

Something Sweet...

My sister, Kati, told me that my blog is being over run with sad, somewhat graphically disturbing pictures and that I should considering posting "something nice". So with that, I dedicate this post to her--

This is a picture of a cookie bouquet that we put together for some friends. We used Starr's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and Allyson's Rolo Cookie recipe. We skewered them and stuck them into a Styrofoam block. I had lots of helpers putting these together: Kailyn, Tia, Lukas and Bob rolled the Rolo cookies and Peggy did the cookie "arrangement". Kelly found all the tissue paper and the basket. One night, I was curled up on the couch reading and Reece came in--he said he was cold and wrapped himself in a blanket and curled up right in front of the fire. I turned back to my book for only a few minutes and when I turned back, he was sound asleep. What could be cuter? After taking a few pictures (and calling everyone to see how cute he looked) Richard scooped him up and put him in bed.

Castless Bob

After several long weeks the cast finally came off!! We had to wait for 3 hours in the Orthopaedic Clinic for them to x-ray and cut off the cast. Bob was so glad to see his leg again...

His foot is still very swollen and it was covered with dead, scaling skin and scabs leftover from the original accident.

Check out his nasty ankle...
I know the picture isn't the best but can you see all the peeling skin...
Here's a picture of his scabby leg (which all peeled off).

This is a huge piece of skin that came off of the top of his foot!

Bob is walking but very slowly. He still has to have some physio-therapy but hopefully he'll be back at work soon.

The BOYS are BACK in town!

Not only are the boys, Nate and Connor, back at home but they are recovering extremely well. We took them to have their stitches removed this morning and now their faces look much better! I was even able to get them to smile a little for the camera! Connor is up and moving around and craving Wendy's, pizza and chocolate. Nate is wheeling around the house in, what was Bob's wheelchair and enjoying movies and video games.

Kelly and I went out to get some things out of the van yesterday and it was very painful to see it all smashed. It is truly a miracle that everyone escaped without more serious injuries.

All our love and thanks!!

The Boys are HOME!

Today both Connor and Nate were released from the hospital. They are doing extremely well! Nate is able to get himself standing and walks with help short distances. Connor spent most of the day asking to go home. Both are taking minimal doses of Tylenol and are not complaining of pain.

This has been a miraculous start to their recovery.

Update on Connor and Nate

Both Connor and Nate are doing REALLY well. They are awake and eating and watching movies and talking. Nate's appointment with the physiotherapist went great--he's more mobile than they thought he would be. He won't be able to walk around for a while yet but he is recovering quickly.

Connor's surgery was very successful. He was up and walking around this afternoon. We even went to the children's play area in the hospital and checked out their supply of games and Lego. He was anxious to take a shower and get into his own pajamas. He might be able to come home as early as tomorrow but we're not sure yet.

Thank you, again, for all your love and prayers. We really appreciate it. I will try to keep updates coming as their condition continues to improve.

The Car Accident--February 22, 2008

It had the worst day ever—but it should have been so much worse. God’s hand certainly intervened.

We were supposed to meet Kelly and Richard, Ben and Connor to drive to the temple in Toronto. Just as we were walking out the door, Richard called and said that Kelly had been in an accident and it was serious--Connor was really hurt. We grabbed the kids (Bob hobbled to the car) and we drove out toward their house. We came over the hill to a barricade of police and ambulances.

Kelly picked up the kids after school Friday to take them home. They were only a couple of blocks from home when they were involved in a collision with a semi transport truck. It t-boned the van across the mid-section of the passenger side and the spun them around into an oak tree.

The air bags went off and Kelly walked away with some bruises and a sore back. She was just completely stunned. Tia was showered in glass and had a few small cuts but was otherwise fine. She was more than a little traumatized at the sight of Connor and Nate.

Nate was sitting at the point of impact. His face was cut up pretty badly when the glass window exploded into his face. X-rays later revealed broken arm and his pelvis was broken in three places. He is looking at a 12 week recovery and he starts some painful physiotherapy tomorrow. He is unable to move but is feeling more alert today. He has 11 stitches here and there all around his right eye and cheek, and a whole lot of cuts everywhere on that side of his face. It looks nasty in one spot.

Connor was unconscious for a long time. Tia and Kelly thought he was dead. He has impact injuries limited to the right side of his face. Results showed broken bones around his eye socket and the side of his nose. His mouth and gums were also really cut up. He had a 3 hour surgery today to repair his sinus cavity (which went really well). He looks like hell—because they had to cut from ear to ear (thru his hairline) and flip the skin down off of his forehead… but now he had a cool titanium eye brow!

We’re really grateful that everyone is recovering—this should have been so much worse. Kelly is still in the hospital with the boys. We appreciate all your love, prayers and support. Thank you for your kind outpouring of love and concern.

These pictures are a little graphic so be prepared...

Foot Update...

We went to see the surgeon on Thursday and so far, Bob won't need to have surgery. He has to go back on Thursday to have follow up x-rays taken to make sure everything is healing properly. They put him in a fiberglass cast and ordered that no weight be put on it for at least 6 more weeks. So Bob spends most of his time with his foot elevated, reading or watching tv.

Bob's boss has been calling regularly and sending work literature through email. Hopefully, Bob will be completely healed and ready for work when the spring season starts.

The kids have been very helpful--when Lukas saw Bob's foot, he brought one of his favorite toys, Bobo the Sheep, for Bob to snuggle. Lukas said that we had to very gentle with Bobo because he has a broken foot just like Daddy.

Things are probably going to be difficult for a while as he's very limited in what he can do. Unfortunately for me, we're moving at the end of the month and he won't be able to help very much.

Bob's Broken...

Bob started his new job last week. His first day was great but the second day was a little rough. He started the day with his paper route and he was going to go straight to his new job after he finished. I got up after he left and got Kailyn ready for school and took her to the bus.

When I got home, Kelly asked me how the roads were and then said that there'd been an accident. Bob was directing his new boss as he drove the truck and trailer out of the garage. Bob thought the trailer was going to hit the side of the garage door and he called out to his boss to stop. His boss couldn't hear him and Bob thought he slip out of the garage and warn his boss before the trailer went through. At the same time, his boss hit the gas and started out of the garage. Bob's foot was pinned between the tire of the trailer and the garage door--this stopped the trailer from going through the door. Bob was yelling for his boss to stop but he couldn't see or hear Bob. From what we can see on the x-rays, Bob has a broken ankle and about 4 broken bones in his foot.

Bob is going to see an ortho surgeon tomorrow morning and hopefully he won't need surgery and they can just put a cast on him. He's still very uncomfortable but he's taking it easy.

We're really lucky--this could have turned out so much worse. Bob still has a job and his boss is looking for some desk work for Bob to do while he recovers.

Here's Bob's swollen, broken foot.
This is Bob's leg with some nice scraps and scratches...

Here's a close-up of the ankle...

For those of you who quit praying for us when Bob found his new job...maybe you could start up again; apparently someone up there is listening! I'll try to post an update tomorrow...

Job News!

Finally!! Thank you for all your prayers, thoughts, and good karma...

Bob got a job today!! It is working for an environmental company that is expanding into London. The unfortunate part is that this is the winter season and there are only part time hours available. But, this company is willing to train him and teach him EVERYTHING he needs to know to become an environmental consultant; when the spring season starts, they are going to give him a pay raise and a full time position!

Here’s the website for the company: http://www.aaenvironmental.ca/

Thank you so much for all your love and support. We will keep sending updates as we get them!! Keep checking the blog for more updates as well: http://www.cbcondron.blogspot.com/

All our love...

Cheryl, Bob, Kailyn and Lukas

Christmas Break

Our family had a wonderful Christmas this year. Our big family present was from Bob's sister, Elizabeth and her boyfriend, Don--they generously paid for our family to drive down to Maryland and spend Christmas with them.

The drive started out a little rocky. We got a little over an hour away when I realized that ALL of my make up and bathroom necessities were left at home. We turned around (because we thought it was cheaper to go back than to try and buy the things I would need--apparently I'm high maintenance...) and drove all the way back and started over, leaving London (for the second time) at 1:30 am. Driving through the night had 2 huge benefits:

1. I can give the kids a little gravol (to keep them from getting car sick and it knocks them out) and they sleep almost the entire time.
2. The border crossing was empty so we didn't have to wait to cross.

We had a great drive down through the Appalachian mountains (which look like pretty little hills compared to the Rockies) and along the Susquehanna River. The further south we went, the less snow there was.

We arrived at the home of Elizabeth and Don to be greeted by a very tall Danielle, a sweet Sydney (sporting her beautiful new hair cut) and a bubbly mini New Yorker, Joanna (Don's daughter). After having some food and a nap, we got dressed up and went out with Elizabeth and Don. We almost didn't recognize our car since Elizabeth had completely cleaned it inside and out. The kids stayed in and watched some movies--when I checked the kids after we got home, Lukas had made himself at home snuggling next to Joanna and Dani on the hide-a-bed. He looked so comfortable but I felt sorry for the girls because he takes over the whole bed.

We had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and Don did a fantastic job! His turkey looked like it jumped out of a cooking magazine! It was almost sad to cut up...Don drove Joanna home that night so she could be with her mom. Elizabeth, Bob and I set to work wrapping the remaining Christmas presents while we watched Stardust (an awesome new movie with Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro). The kids were so excited on Christmas morning--they woke us up and could hardly wait to tear into their presents. Kailyn's favorite present was some Webkinz from Dani and Sydney. Lukas loved his Spider gun from Santa. Dani got a huge Star Wars Lego set and Sydney got some new games from her PSP. Elizabeth got a new wardrobe from Don and Don got iPod Nano from Elizabeth.Grandma White sent us all some thoughtful gifts and Grandma and Grandpa Fraser sent their gifts to the kids before we even left.

Dani and Sydney flew out to see Todd and Alicia on Christmas day. Lukas was so sad to see them go. He was crying because he thought he'd never see them again.

On Boxing Day, we took the kids to the mall and had lunch together at the Rainforest Cafe. The kids thought is was amazing! The whole place looks like a rain forest with trees and animals. Lukas walked in and said, "THIS IS THE COOLEST PLACE EVER!! He didn't want to walk around and look at the animals because he was hungry and he didn't want the cook to not find him when his food was ready.

The next day, Elizabeth and Don watched the kids so Bob and I could go to the Washington DC Temple. It is such an amazing place. Things have been very challenging lately and it was good to be able to take some time and ponder what our plan is. I've always found the temple to be a place of refuge from the weight of world...somewhere to think without distractions. I feel like we have a better idea of what we're going to do over the next few months.

Our trip was fantastic! Thank you so much, Elizabeth, Don, Dani, Joanna and Sydney for giving us such a great Christmas!

The Condrons

Bob spent his day working on our Simpson avatars--if you want to make one of your own, go to the Simpsons movie website. What do you think? Did he do a good job?

Christmas Letter 2007

To Our Family & Friends,

It is this time of year that I reflect and refocus on the important things of life. Usually my thoughts turn to my family and friends and this year is no different...with the exception that my family and friends are now so far away. My gratitude for our family (who can never be rid of us) and our friends (who are likewise unfortunately stuck with us) has been heightened with this separation.

This year has certainly been full of changes; the biggest, of course, being a move to London, Ontario. Last spring, Bob and I made the decision to move East and he left at the beginning of April to find work and place for us to live. He returned to Calgary to help me finish packing and to fly with the kids back to London.

This is the season of magic and miracles—I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the many blessings we’ve received. First, thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and good karma you’ve sent on our behalf; I can assure you it has helped. Our thanks go out to Aunt Ann and Uncle Bob, who opened their quiet home to our chaotic family for several months. We were able to find a nice little place to rent and we got the kids settled into great schools with fantastic teachers. We have had constant support from family and friends helping us through the challenges of this move. I know that we are loved because of the selfless acts of kindness given to us by our loved-ones. Thank you so much. This transition has also been softened by family and friends we’ve met since our arrival. They have welcomed us and taken very good care of us.

We’ve also been blessed to have Christa and Zoe come for a visit followed closely by my Mom and Dad. It was so wonderful to be able to spend some quality time with them and show them some of the sights Ontario has to offer. This included going to lounge on the beach in October! We’ve also been able to visit with Aunt Joan and Christine, Roger, Fiona and Liam. We are looking forward to spending some of the Christmas holidays with more family we haven’t been able to visit with yet.

Kailyn is excelling in French Immersion despite the fact that she missed a whole year of French education. She has also started taking piano lessons and ballet. Kailyn is a very outgoing little girl who loves to be the center of attention. She is also thoughtful and artistic and she enjoys drawing and coloring pictures. Kailyn has started to make new friends at school and at church. While she is not shy, she is very tender-hearted and loyal to her friends and peers. She loves to get letters and phone calls from family and friends. She is happy to talk to anyone that has time to listen. Kailyn can often be found with the phone, in front of the piano, playing all the new songs she’s learned to anyone who calls.

Lukas is learning to write all his letters and numbers. His new favorite thing to do is write letters to family and friends. I spend a lot of time spelling out words for him while he writes them down. Bob is teaching him to read as well. He is starting to sound out and recognize small words. Lukas loves to play the computer and, thankfully, there are so many free, educational games on the internet. Lukas is a thoughtful little boy who is extremely perceptive to things going on around him. Sometimes when I’m irritated with the kids, Lukas will ask me, “Who are you frusterated with—Kailyn or me?” He also thinks I am the “best Mom EVER!” (when I make cookies). He is wonderful!

Benson has also come to live with us until his parents move out here in the end of January. He started high school and is making huge efforts to do well in school. Ben is taking seminary (a study course of the Old Testament) at 6:30 in the morning. He’s not too thrilled with the time slot but is an active participant in class. This has certainly been a crash course in raising a teenager. We love him and find him very helpful with Kailyn and Lukas.

Bob and I are also adjusting to new circumstances and surroundings. Bob has also applied to teacher’s college where he hopes to be able to teach at a high school level. Bob is serving in the youth program as the Young Men’s President. He is very busy coordinating activities and meetings but he loves it!

I am not working right now. The kids are still adjusting from the move and we feel it would be very difficult for them if I went into the work world right now. I am working with the youth, specifically with the 16-18 year-old girls. I teach on Sundays and try to attend weekly activities. My big highlight, since we’ve been here, is my birthday book. It was filled with letters and notes from family and friends that were lovingly scrapbooked together for me. Thank you so much for all your kind words. They will be a treasure to me always.

We love to hear from family and friends even though we are horrible at keeping in touch. We’ve tried to maintain a blog even though my camera is giving me some difficulty. If you have a chance, take a look at what we’re doing. http://www.cbcondron.blogspot.com/

Thank you again for all your emails, phone calls and packages. They are all appreciated.

All our love and thoughts are with you this Christmas Season!

Cheryl, Bob, Ben, Kailyn and Lukas

Nightmare Before Christmas!!

Our youth were in charge of the dance this last weekend and they chose the theme, "The Nightmare Before Christmas". We worked really hard to get all the decorations ready and Bob and Ben put together this "gingerbread" house. They did a fantastic job!

Halloween!

It is common knowledge to my close friends and family that I don't really get into Halloween (unless we're attending a Moxley party). We didn't really do Halloween when I was little so I don't have that excitement that tend to get in this season. Bob LOVES Halloween! Next to Christmas, this is his favorite "holiday". The other day I heard him tell someone that I hate Halloween. So I decided to use an idea from my friend, Kate, and put together a costume. Bob seemed to thoroughly surprised by my lapse in Halloween "scrooge-ness" and congratulated me on my effort.Lukas the Puppy, Ben the Terrible Pirate, Bob as the Phantom of the Opera and Kailyn as Christine Daas (also from Phantom) Our little family: me as the Paperbag Princess, Lukas, Bob and Kailyn
Most people didn't know who Kailyn was supposed to be--even when she told them, "I'm Christine Daas". They thought she was just saying her own name.

My effort--at least Bob can't say that I didn't try...
Ben worked on his costume for 30 minutes right before they left to out. He did pretty good though and he got TONS of candy!
This is the costume Kailyn wore during school. My Dad made this for her and she loves it! She also wore a poncho and her little moccasins.
Lukas kind of looks like a two-headed puppy!

Faux Hawk Family...

As promised, here are some pictures of my clean-cut guys! All three of them were looking scraggly and now they look so much better! Huge thanks to Ellie for the haircuts!

Here's the fun one; we decided to faux hawk them all for a quick pic! See how thrilled they looked! Oh well, at least they're good sports!

Faux Hawk Flair!

Lukas, Bob and Ben all went to get their cut yesterday (long overdue, I might add). This is Lukas minus about 5 pounds of hair! He looks so cute! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch Ben or Bob before they left this morning so I'll post those later!

A Little Family Time...

While my parents were here, we were invited to have Thanksgiving dinner with my Dad's cousin, Dianne and her husband Fred, his aunt, Verdella and her husband Earl, Don and Kathy (also my Dad's cousins) and their children. I've only met Verdella at my wedding and I've never met the rest of the family so this was a great day! The food was amazing (and I didn't have to make any of it!) I was privileged to enjoy my great-aunt's famous apple pie. It was wonderful to meet these family members I heard so much about and I hope we'll be seeing more of them in the future! Thanks for a memorable Thanksgiving!

Fred and Kailyn

Earl, Dallas, Dianne and Verdella

The Narcissistic Wall of US!

We have a very SMALL living room. That being said, we also come from very LARGE families. We were trying to decide where to hang our all our family pictures...and since we couldn't decide who's family to put in the other room, we put them all up together. It could be a little overwhelming when you come in our front door but, this is our family and we love them!

We put my family the right and Bob's on the left. We put our parents on the top, then all the kids, a mixed group of pictures and a whole family picture. Again, I know it's a little overwhelming but I think it looks good! Unfortunately, because of the placement of our window, I couldn't get a clear picture.