More Arctic News and the YW

Joseph received his uniform for Team Alberta North today for the upcoming Arctic Winter Games. The uniforms are really cool, made by DNA. Check our more gear from them at ridedna.com. Joesph models his lucky boxers and a scarf he got for Michelle. Hopefully the other athletes will not run around in just boxers.

Check out the britches. (snow board style ski pants)

Casual long sleeve tee.

Hoodie and tuque.

And the coveted Parka. Two years ago, teams were offering entire uniforms and cash money to get the Alberta parka. I hope Joseph keeps this one. It fits me now, and I might sneak it out of his closet.


The YW tonight went skating at the new rinks at MacDonald Island. Here are the lovely YW from both local Wards.

This is Nanai. She is an exchange student from Japan and had never skated before tonight. How do you like the trainer? (blue walker) Michelle said she might go skating with one of these.

Nanai, Jasmine, Brooklyn, Dayna and Jennie.

Earlier in the day, the Primary Achievement Days Girls delivered cookies they made to raise donations for the Humanitarian Relief Fund for Haiti earthquake survivors. The cookies looked really good.

Parting Shot:

boxer run, 10 pm, -29 C... (not that cold?)

Winter Games

Joseph has qualified to compete for Team Alberta North in the Alberta Games in biathlon. These games will be held in Cold Lake, Alberta in about 2 weeks. His race is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and 20 targets (10 from a prone position and 10 from a standing position). Since Cold Lake is only about 5 hours away, we will be able to go see him in a race. Last year the Alberta Games were held in Camrose, about 11 hours one way, or longer if the weather turned bad.

He has also qualified to compete for Team Alberta North in the Arctic Winter Games. For these games he will compete is snowshoe biathlon. His race there will be about 6 kilometers long, with 20 targets. These games will be held in Grande Prairie which is harder to get to, but will include athletes from northern Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, northern Canada, and Alaska. The basic criteria is that the athletes must live above the 55th parallel. I think he is more excited about these games, even though he is in the hardest race.


Here are the moose hide mukluks he has to wear for the competition. All footwear must be from all natural materials. The mukluks were made by his coach from the hide a a moose her son shot last year. He tanned the hide, and she made the mukluks for the local biathlon club. He gets to wear an insulated bootie inside the mukluk.

The snowshoes are birch frames with moose gut webbing, thanks to the same moose. These snowshoes are very light, and it is funny to watch the youth running around in them. They all look a little like Pigpen from Charlie Brown with a cloud of snow instead of a cloud of dirt.

Men in Tights.

Daniel and Joseph at a practice last week. It really was not the middle of the night, just 6 pm or so, but the sun still sets rather early here.

Joseph gets ready to shoot his standing targets in practice last Saturday. They ski about 20 km and shoot as much as they can in both positions. Once everyone is near total frozen, they put all the gear away and jump in cars for a Tim's run. The tradition is a stop at Tim Horton's for a hot chocolate and a donut. The donuts are pretty good, but the HC is outstanding.

We will have some pictures very soon of Samuel on a real snowboarding run, not the backyard deal that was doomed from the start. (see the post from November for a good chuckle) I have seen him in action, and he is quite good. He and a friend are constructing a mini ramp on the edge of the woods hear here.

p.s. happy birthday Alan.

to be continued...

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our friends and family around the world. We are all healthy and happy, looking forward to the new year with all it's opportunities and blessings. We hope your new year is starting out as a good one too.
New Years Breakfast, pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit. Later in the day, I made a killer Frecnh Onion Soup from a new recipe we found in Cooks Illustrated. It is SOOOO simple to make, and amazingly delicious. If you are interested, drop us a note, and we will send you a copy of it.

Samuel at the Ski Hill.

Shiloh bends steel rods, and Lockie straightens them out. (just kidding, Lockie softens up the rods, so it is easier for Shiloh)

Moving day. Our friends Shiloh, Barb, and Lockie have moved to Calgary, and we will miss them terribly. Michelle, Becky, Barb,Jodie, and Lockie on moving day.

Enjoying a little home made Antipasta, Nova Scotia style, from our Bishop. He served a mission in New Mexico and loves tamales and posole, so we traded. This was a classic win-win.

Merry Christmas 2009 from the Simpson Family

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. This year has been very good for us, and before we get much further, I need to let you know that the previous post was simply to show a few funny clips of Samuel trying to snow board in area hardly big enough to mow, much less snow board. You need to know that he is a really good rider, and loves to board at the local ski hill.
Joseph's friend, Kelsie, came over to the house to make gingerbread cookies a few days before the holidays. Her "little" brother came to the door to get her.

After the cookies were done, Michelle took Joseph and a couple of his friends to the range for biathlon practice. It had warmed up to minus 20 degrees C, and the kids were happy that practice did not have to be cancelled. The team is getting ready for a couple of big races, qualifications for the Alberta Winter Games and the Arctic Winter Games, both coming up soon in January 2010.

'Tis the season to visit folks, like our friends the Francis family with their twin girls.

This was one of my favorite Santa visits this year. Cory did not ask for a cell phone or an iPod.

Last Sunday the weather had warmed up considerable from the previous week, when the temp hung in for over a week at -35 degrees C. (Faye, that is nearly -30 F) When the temp gets up to minus 15 or 20 or so, we start talking about how nice it is outside, and that maybe the temps will stay there for a few weeks before the real cold weather settles in in January or February.

Here are a few children with Santa last week. These children were so excited, but they all waited their turn to talk with Santa, and they all had real nice manners. The little twin boys were the cutest, asking for things for their mother. The big sisters were very cute asking for socks and make-up.

Lockie gives Santa a big hug to seal the deal on the nice list.

Barb came over yesterday to help make tamales for Christmas. We were able to get everything we needed here in town. Our Christmas menu included tamales, posole (soup with pork and hominy) - both traditional Christmas dishes south of the border (or two). We also had samosas, a real good bean salad, and brisket, rolls and BBQ sauce for the Tex-Mex touch. At the end of the day, there were only scraps stuck to plates and platters.

Joseph and Samuel model new coats from Nina Yvette.

Samuel, HE-vage and all, showing off the new union suit, or one piece long johns he wanted. We had to convince him to put on pants before company showed up because he did not want to moon anyone.

Let the feast begin. It is always good to share a meal with family and friends.

After dinner we had a small gift exchange where we read the story of the big calzones. Everyone brought a small thing, or a re-gift to pass along. The children all got whoopee cushions, and they were puzzled at the ugly balloons, until we demonstrated them. Then the flood gates opened up, and the laughter rang out from all over the house of children plopping on the cushions. We had a great time laughing, and right in the middle of the fun, the missionaries showed up. They might have thought we'd all lost our minds, but after they saw the cause, they kinda joined in too.

Shiloh won the coveted prize of the day - the big calzones!! He was a champ, rising to the occasion and showing off for the rest of us. The best part was when he showed the kids the proper method of sitting on a whoopee cushion. His facial expressions and "pardon me"s were great fun for the kids.

This is a first, a two for one special with the drawers.

Monty Python could not have done any better than this: "How to sit on a whoopee cushion in your underwear"

Soph was a quick learner.

Wedgies are always fun and funny.

We had a great Christmas. Dinner was great. The company was outstanding. We missed having more family here, and are going to make plans for Christmas away next year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your families. We are most grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of the Savior with friends and family. We look forward to sharing and building our testimonies of Christ at this time of year,and hope you do too.

Urban Snowboarding

So here is a little history first, then the set-up for the activities of the day.

Samuel loves to snowboard. He went as often as he could last year. Then he worked little odd jobs all year and saved enough money to buy a season pass this year. With the new pass in hand, he was anticipating opening day at the local ski hill today. He got up early, cleaned his room, and was ready to go by 9 am. One quick phone call, in anticipation of going, and his day was suddenly over. The hill would not open until tomorrow. Now he has to wait for another whole week.

Michelle and I went shopping today, and while we were gone, Samuel decided that if the hill was not open, then the backyard "feature" he has been crafting for weeks would have to suffice. The feature is an upside-down plastic trash can half embedded in snow, and a real sketchy wood ramp that is so steep it really is more of a backstop. He conned Joseph into videoing the triumphs and glories of the day.

Now, being the parent I am, I could not help but try to dissuade him from this entire venture. All I could see was my son crashing into the fence and hurting himself, or not being able to stop and "kissing" the fence. My warnings were countered by the bravado of youth, brimming with confidence that this would be simple in light of the fact that he does "way bigger tricks and jumps at the ski hill, Dad."

OK son, have fun.

Take One: "Dropping in" from a height of four feet for a first look at the trick.



Take Two: This time he aims better for the can, looking for a little air.



Take Three: A direct hit, and a little air, but the landing needs a bit of polish before it is ready for the judges.



Take Four: Now we have a simple jump, and if the fence was just a little further away...



I love my sons for the adventures they create and the confidence they exhibit. And I love these videos. I hope you do too.

Alan

"Land Shark" Siting in Alberta

A Shark or two was seen in Edmonton Yesterday. We were eye witnesses.

We were invited to go to the San Jose Sharks vs the Edmonton Oilers NHL game. As you can see, Joseph is a very strong Sharks fan. We made the trip to Edmonton, to Rexall Place - "Oil Country." The Oiler fans, thankfully, are not as strong as Raiders fans for opposing fans, but Joseph did take his share of ribbing.

We arrived early, hoping to get an autograph or two. Joseph's real and only goal was the goalie, seen here, Evgeni Nabokov. We were right next to the place where the Sharks came out of the dressing room to get to the ice, but at the last minute were shut out by the arena staff. I'm sure they protect the players from the whackos that might try to abuse them. Also here is one of the star players of the league, Danny Heatley. We also saw Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marlow, Doug Murry, Dan Murray. Need I say Joseph was as happy as I have ever seen him?

One of the 30 TV cameras around the arena. (On our way to our seats for the game.) The game had just about everything you could ask for. There was a great hockey fight in the first period - drop the gloves, trade 4 or 5 punches, one guy get clobbered and falls, fight over in 30 seconds, no one really hurt. The third period saw both teams trade 3 goals each, and included a ht trick for Patrick Marleau from the Sharks. Tied at the end of the regulation time, the game went into sudden death overtime. Still tied at the end of OT, the NHL decides games with a shoot out - teams alternate 3 shooters, then go to sudden death trading shots. The Sharks scored one, and then... (see the second video below)

Below are a couple of videos from the game. One from the start of the game, and the other from the end. The second video is the save of the final shot of the shoot-out, the save that sealed the victory for the Sharks.

This was one of the finest times we have had together. Was it the best? No, Joseph said the trips to do baptisms at the Temple are better. But for entertainment - nothing even comes close to this trip. The game was very fun, but I had more fun watching him.

Halloween 2009

We have enjoyed a few weeks of something as close to Indian Summer as we are ever going to see. After the first snow of the season (see a few posts ago) we had temperatures in the mid 40's for a couple of weeks. Michelle and I had to go see a surgeon in Edmonton yesterday, and we saw a few flurries both directions, but nothing serious.

Then last night, we got the first significant snow, 5 inches and counting. Now, that is nothing to brag about, except that you would have thought you were in LA with all the spin-outs and jack-knifed trucks. We were supposed to be having a Ward Primary party, complete with YW and YM sponsored spook alley, at the church building, which sits at the top of Beacon Hill. So, over the river and through the woods we go, until traffic stops dead still. We moved 3 car lengths in 55 minutes, which is just long enough to exhaust all patience.

Long Story Short? Activity canceled. Time to have an impromptu "trunk-or-treat" at a neighborhood elementary school parking lot. So here we are in the cold, doing what Mormons do best, chat while the kids run rampant. The children dressed up in costumes, and the little ones were miserably cold, but still eager to accept candy freebies.

Some decorated vehicles. We did not. The Halloween Curmudgeon lives! (evil laugh)

Our friend Lockie and his dad, for whom Lockie saves all the crusts of sandwiches, and apple cores. Looks like Dad needs a little more nourishment.

Samuel (aka Captain Peach-Fuzz, the Pirate) and Bailey.

Spider-Jaden and Tory, the conservative cowgirl, (little political joke there) in the background.

The coldest Panda I have ever seen. He forgot to bring his coat, and he was learning the lesson.

Some of the family with whom we celebrated Thanksgiving here this year. The rest of the gang is in the front of the Suburban thawing out.

"I saw mommy kissing the mass murderer, underneath the spider web last night..."

Our friend Barb made monster cupcakes for us. Every single one was different. They were dee-lish.

Samuel, Hunter, Graeme, and Joseph on their was out for the evening. They came home with full bags of goodies, including this years hot treat, chips.

All in all, it was a good holiday. The biggest surprise of the evening came when a friend and his daughter dropped by. They had moved back to BC, but now are back in Fort Mac, and we are very glad to see them back again.

Happy Halloween!