Belated Merry Christmas 2012 and Happy New Year 2013!!

We did not forget to do our annual update, as this may be Mickey’s last full year at home we decided to do something special at Christmas and we wanted to share our memories while they were fresh. In February, we started planning with Kelly (Pat’s former workmate), Scott (Pat’s sometimes travel companion) and their two boys to go to Hawaii! This early planning allowed us to get many of the expenses covered ahead of time so hopefully we won’t be adding to Canada’s credit woes when the bills come in.

We spent our first week in Waikiki and covered all the usual tourist spots – a circle island tour, Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbour, Bowfin submarine, HMS Missouri, Diamondhead crater and learning to snorkel at Hamauma Bay. We were lucky enough to be half a block away from the International Market where Pat found an amazing seafood platter (big enough for 3-4) which he shared twice along with a wide variety of ethnic foods and anything you wanted to buy. Keelan got an amazing deal on a Titanium ring which started out at $70 but he got for $40 – we saw the same ring as high as $140 elsewhere. Our second week we had condo’s on the Big Island near the Punaluu Black Sand Beach near Naalehu. We were very close to Volcano’s National Park and about half way between Kona and Hilo. On a whim Pat upgraded our rental car to a blue Mustang convertible that was sitting on the lot but was disappointed to find that there are no roads with speed limits over 55 mph and that the car had a speed limiter of 80mph. There are however, many corners on the roads and so he was still able to have fun and he was able to get over a long held fantasy without having to buy the Mustang. As part of our VRBO extra’s, we attended a local ‘dinner club’ – at Nay Station – a B&B. Myrna presented a wonderful dinner while John enthralled all of us but mostly Mick with his stories of working for the Smithsonian museums in geology, displaying his finds, his aunt’s world class butterfly collection and much much more. Their home is an ECLECTIC array of everything from Samurai swords (Myrna’s mom) and tea sets to radioactive crystallized sand from White Sand New Mexico test site and books about how to survive a nuclear bomb (circa 1940’s) to rocks, fossils a unique sample of coral with calcite crystals ——and more!! Other highlights of Hawaii include the boys learning to snorkel, identify and say ‘Humuhumunukunukuapoaa’, the Hawaiian botanical gardens, Keelan learning to surf (a bit), Mick to the top of Mount Mauna Kea, seeing and swimming with turtles, no seagulls, did I say good food? and of course good times with friends and family.

Now for the rest of the year:
During early 2012 Keelan worked hard at preparing for the BC Winter Games in Archery. He shoots barebow (traditional) which few archers shoot out here – but there are a lot of shooters on the lower mainland and island. Although he did not medal, he placed well and shot his best scores. The rest of the snowy months Keelan snow boarded at every chance he could get and only got buried in tree holes a few times. His hope this winter was to snowboard, surfboard, and snowboard all within a month. Unfortunately, there was not enough snow here before we left so he has had to settle for boogie board, surfboard and snow board in a month. Today he said that he has snowboarded every day this year – it is January 2. He persevered through a tough year at school – the French immersion teacher was on sabbatical and the initial replacement was not fluent in French. To make a long story short, it was mid-February before there was a qualified replacement! He stuck with it and attended some after school support in order to catch up on what was lost earlier in the year. To Deb’s great dismay (but not surprise), he started high school without an FI teacher for a month but has been able to catch up and although his French language mark is a bit lower than his other marks he is doing well and we are very proud. He is doing phys ed by correspondence and I am impressed with his independence in getting it done. He plans to finish all his high school credits in 2 years and head off to college a year early in automotive mechanics. This means no elective classes at all but that is his choice. He took over Mick’s paper route this summer and continues to take Parcours through our local gymnastics club. He continues with guitar and has really gained some skill this year.

As a result of his Practice SAT marks – the school counsellor encouraged Mick to apply for Shad Valley (Google for details) this summer. After being accepted and raising some funds from local charities and the school board he spent the month of July at McMaster University with about 50 other academically oriented students and had the time of his life. He says that it is the first time he felt totally understood and accepted for who he is and what he knows. They attended lectures, workshops, labs, and developed products and business plans. He went through the open water nuclear reactor at McMaster. He came home exhausted and 10 pounds lighter – the food was terrible- but incredibly happy and with a new found confidence in himself. He is currently in his final year of high school with a full academic load plus college engineering graphics, jazz and concert band classes during his out of school time. He will graduate with far more credits than he needs – and still has not narrowed down where he wants to go for university. He took his SAT in November and his scores should give him plenty of flexibility. He continues to love his sax and plays with the Noteables (Swing Band) and takes private lessons . He hopes to have some gigs coming up this spring.

While Mick was away at Shad, Keelan and Deb headed out to Kelowna with the tent trailer, and participated in the first Reinhart 3D archery shoot in Western Canada. There were 200 exotic targets – including giraffes, elephants, and tigers. Both had a great time. As an added bonus, Keelan was able to be one of the first paying customers to do a high ropes obstacle course that was just being completed coincidentally at the same place. The technicians were on the course with him – still identifying other guy ropes, bolts and hooks that needed to be put in – which was causing mom some anxiety – but Keelan loved it.

Mick flew out to Hamilton for his Shad experience, and was met at the airport by the Sutherlands – who escorted him to McMaster’s and got him set up. At the end of July, Dad drove the remainder of the family out to Ontario to witness Mick Shaduation. The family spend a couple of days with the Sutherlands – (including a float down the river) before flying home. Dad on the other hand continued South with Keith (friend from Creston). Their trip – another one of Pat’s travelling whirlwinds, included Niagara, Gettysburg, Smithsonian’s, Harpers Ferry, Richmond Raceway, Confederate Whitehouse, Appomattox, Boone NC (where Pat was able to connect with previously unmet relatives), Georgia Milestones, Stone Mountain, Dawsonville (including staying in the hotel room that Clint Eastwood stayed in for “Trouble with the Curve”, Cadiz (to do a quick check on the cabin – the neighbours are keeping it well tended), Jefferson Monument, Lincoln’s Birthplace, Bardstown, and then home via Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. They continue to be friends through these travelling escapades and continue to look at future trip options – and Deb is only happy that there is not a way for Pat to drive to Hawaii as he would probably try that too.

Deb’s annual girls kayaking trip this year lucked out with outstanding weather. Five days of calm on Kootenay Lake without a cloud in the sky. We paddled from just north of the ferry to the top of the lake, around to Kaslo and back across. Private camping on the beach everywhere we were – I don’t know how we’ll top that but I guess we’ll have to try.

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Mele Kalikimaka!! From our Ohana to yours