Quick Updates and Some Pics...

Has it really been four and a half months since my last update??? Eek! I guess with the proliferation of sharing on Facebook now, there's less and less time for the blog. But just for the three of you who still read the blog (*cough* Sandy *cough*) I thought I'd post a quick update. Kennedy is in high school now!!! The transition has gone smoothly and she has already been trying out for the cheer team, has joined the yearbook committee, and an acting group at the school. I predict she'll be continue to stay very busy knowing my gal. Krissy is getting ready to get a CI! She is going for her clinic appointment in late October and we'll know the exact surgery date after that. She found her 'true love' this summer and they have been dating for months and are very happy. So happy in fact, that we barely see her some days! Kennedy and I travelled to British Columbia this summer to visit Ryan & his family. When we arrived, Ryan had gotten a job in Alberta and had left! We had a great time visiting Felicia, Marissa and Seth and seeing the western part of the country. Chilliwack was a beautiful place! This past weekend, we took a Thanksgiving trip to Cape Breton to visit Taylor for her fourth birthday - can't believe it's been four years! After our visit with her, we visited Fortress Louisbourg and slept in a train car converted to a hotel in Tatamagouche, NS. It was a short but very fun and relaxing family get-away. As always, a few pictures from recent months... Kennedy on top of Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, British Columbia

Krissy, Jarren and Kennedy at the Exhibition

Summer Visit with MacKenzie

Snuggles with Felicia, Marissa & Seth in BC

Kennedy with a soldier at Fortress Louisbourg

Kennedy & Krissy's first day of High School together

A Few Updates

Well as you can see, it's been a long while since I last updated K's blog once again. I know many of you read updates and see pictures on Facebook but for those who don't I still like to update here when I can. There's been a lot happening - the biggest news is that we have a lovely young lady, Krissy, now living with us. Krissy & Kennedy met each other at Deaf Camp back in 2006 and have been at several camps together since then, so they've known each other for a while. We wondered how it might change the dynamic of the family/household but everything has just fallen into place like it's always been that way. An added bonus has been seeing the two of them together, they have really bonded. We're happy to have her join our family.

Trampoline Time
The first weekend Krissy arrived, the trampoline went up and the jumping began!
(oh and cat-grooming on the trampoline as well, a chore that the two Ks do together)

Summer chat together on the wharf at Hatfield Point...

High School???
In other news, Kennedy is getting ready for high school - she recently went on a tour and had a great time. She was so excited the night before, I didn't know if she would be able to sleep (thankfully, she did). I am quite optimistic about the move to high school and infinitely more relaxed about it than I was when she was making the switch to middle school. She will attend the high school where her Papa and Uncle Scott went and the high school where her Grampie taught, Harbour View High School. She is very eager to be the best VIKING she can be.
Go VIKINGS!

Cheer
Another year of cheerleading has finished - she actually won all-star at one of the competitions! At the Provincial Championships, she got an award for dedication, determination, and courage in the face of adversity. All the teams and the whole audience gave her a standing ovation, it was very touching - very nice award from the NBJCA. They had a good team and a strong year - I hope her cheerleading career continues in high school because she is full of spirit and ready to show it. It's been a wonderful experience over the past three years.
Kennedy's 2012 Cheer Pic

With her All-Star award

Getting her award from the NBJCA at Provincials

Team Pictures
The grade eight girls - their last year as a "Star"

The whole team taking a jump at the year-end photo shoot (Kennedy is far right)

Theatre
Theatre concluded in May with a production of "Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang: The Rock Musical" at the Imperial Theatre. Once again, a fine bunch of kids from IACT put on a spectacular and entertaining show.
K outside the Imperial after the show

Trailer Time
With Victoria Day weekend, came the opening of our trailer at Pirate's Cove in beautiful Belleisle Bay. For two glorious sunny weekends, we have enjoyed kicking back and forgetting about the world for a couple of days. It will be lovely when summer vacation is here and we can be up for longer periods. Krissy & Kennedy even took a dip in the bay yesterday - although it was sunny, the water was too chilly for my courage level! The two Ks after their dip in the bay!

First campfire of the season

Cool blue light-up shades from neighbors at the campground

Mom's Graduation
On May 18th, Mom graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with an M.Ed. in the education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It will be nice to have that off the plate and have more time to be a mom. It was a sunny, celebratory day and 9 people from the family were able to attend - including Kennedy, the inspiration for everything...

More news & pictures to come...June is shaping up to be busy as ever with a school trip to Ottawa and Quebec as well as graduation from middle school.

EMNS Middle School Sign Language Club Holiday Concert Performance

Kennedy with her Sign Language Club, performing "Mary's Boy Child"...you'll notice she's the one to give a big bow, wave to the crowd and make a 'heart hand' to them. No shyness here...;)

For those of you not on facebook, here is the link to the youtube video:
http://youtu.be/6xlp2NO52R0

Enjoy!

Empty Stocking Fund 2011

Here is a video of Kennedy singing with her choir on TV this past weekend - they sang, "Somewhere in My Memory" (from Home Alone). This telethon has run each year for the past 75 years in Saint John to raise money to help families give their kids a xmas when they might otherwise not have one. I was also on the telethon with choirs when I was her age - glad she is continuing the tradition. This is a video her dad took while we were there live. She's the first one on the bottom row on the right... Enjoy!
PS - it does zoom in after a bit so you can actually see her better!

Kennedy Channeling Sally Brown

Thought I would share this video from last night's theatre class - the parents were invited back to see the little thespians perform monologues at the last class of 2011. I also thought I better try for at least one more post before the end of 2011 - it's been sparse this year! Not that we haven't been doing too much, I have just been doing too much, that's the problem.

Kennedy's monologue is a classic piece from The Great Pumpkin, where Sally rakes Linus over the coals for making her miss out on Halloween. Here is the text so you can follow along if your audio isn't the best:
Sally Brown: I was robbed! I spent the whole night waiting for the Great Pumpkin when I could have been out for tricks or treats! Halloween is over and I missed it! You blockhead! You kept me up all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin and all that came was a beagle! I didn't get a chance to go out for tricks or treats! And it was all your fault! I'll sue! What a fool I was. And could have had candy apples and gum! And cookies and money and all sorts of things! But no, I had to listen to you! You blockhead. What a fool I was. Trick or treats come only once a year. And I miss it by sitting in a pumpkin patch with a blockhead. You owe me restitution!