what we did on our summer vacation pt. 1...

ok, we're back from the dead and have an update for eveyone, of life and summer in the north. hope that this post finds everyone doing well and re-energized after holidays and vacations.

sarah didn't actually get to experience a yukon summer this year as she decided that she'd had enough of the mosquitos by early june and left for the tropical balminess of vancouver for 6 weeks. she participated in a few weddings (congrats carmen and michelle!) and graduated with highest honours from the Orton-Gillingham Tutor Training Course for reading instruction for kids with learning disabilities. she drove her parents nuts for three weeks of this intense course and surely they are quite happy she went back up north! we sincerely hope they don't change the locks on us for the next time we visit.

while sarah was gone, jole chopped a hole in the kitchen wall that he hopes to have repaired by sometime in the fall of 2009. it was great to be able to test the reciprocating saw out though. i am proud to confirm that indeed it works. we'll be buying a chainsaw sometime this fall and i hope to have something to test it on as well. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

fearful of being mysteriously complelled to chop more holes in walls, i drove down to vancouver at the end of july to pick sarah up. it was a long drive. I gathered remnants of my family (UK citizen sister & father RJ) and a badly limping truck in lac la hache and we caravaned the rest of the way to vanocuver where husband and wife were reunited joyfully (and inlaws doubtlessly joyful that the end was near!) after 6 weeks of forced "apartness".

We tried to soak in as much visiting as possible and take in all that vancouver has to offer including pick up lines from speedo-clad older men at the pool (ask me about that one sometime). apologies if we didn't connect with you but we only had 4 days to cram in everything.

When we finally got everything crammed in, to the car that is...claire, mirna, teaching supplies, teapots, it barely cleared the curb as we set forth to complete a halfiron triathlon in cranbrook and a rendezvous with emily in the rockies. some photos above to keep you interested until part 2! stay tuned. please note the afore mentioned artfully designed and crafted hole.