Not much new going on here lately. Last weekend Greg and Jon put on a hockey hour (turned into 2 1/2 hrs) for the grade 8 and 9s. It is a great way to connect with the kids and get some exercise at the same time. Greg really enjoys himself. Usually they have a good turn out however this being the first one and being planned last minute they did not have a ton of kids, but all you need is one. 

Sawyer and I decided we would walk over and watch them play for a little bit. This gave us something different to do. She enjoyed watching and was very good while we were there. 

 Greg and Jon

 Greg getting ready to shoot the ball.

 Sawyer watching Daddy play hockey for the first time (the first of MANY times).

Sawyer is two months old today. It seems weird because in one hand it has seemed to go really fast and  I can 't believe it has been two months already and on the other hand it seems like she has been with us forever. She had her two month needles today and was very good. She weighed in at 10lbs 8 ozs and was 23.5 inches long. She is doing great!!!

Shoreline Fishing

Today was the last day of the long weekend :( It was so nice having Greg home during the day to hang out with. Sawyer and I will definitely miss him during the day. 

The TV Station was hosting a Shoreline Fishing Derby today. So Jill, Jon, Greg and I (and Sawyer, of course) decided we would try our hand at shoreline fishing. None of us had ever had much luck catching anything from shore but we thought it would be a fun thing to do. Plus it was a beautiful day so, why not? 

We walked to the TV station at around 1:45 bought our tickets to play (Greg and I only bought one, because we had Sawyer with us too so when one of us wasn't fishing the other was watching her). Then we walked to the point for an afternoon of fishing. Jon, Jill and Greg all caught a fish. They were all small fish though. Jill's was the largest and it only weighed in at 1lbs 11 ozs. All in all it was a nice afternoon, a nice getaway and it gave us something to do.

 Jill, Jon and Greg fishing!

 Greg trying to catch a fish, unfortunately here all he caught was snags.

Sawyer and I hanging out while everyone else is fishing. She was so good and enjoyed being outside, even though it was a little windy by the lake. 

 Daddy and Sawyer trying to catch a fish!

 Still trying!

Greg weighing his fish. It weighed a whole 6 ozs! Needless to say, he didn't win a prize, but Jill won 12th place with her fish (she won a baseball and glove).

Not much has happened around here this week. Greg started work on Monday. He went in and set up his classroom for the first three days and then the students finally came on Thursday. Greg is teaching only grade 8s this year so there will be a little less work for him to do. He doesn't have to produce lesson plans for the grade 9 classes for the Ministry. He has a nice small class (12 students) and his students are well behaved. They are unlike the other classes we have previously taught. I hope he has an excellent year with them. The graduation trip should be fun with only 12 students (only 3 girls too). 

For Sawyer and I every day is pretty much the same. We wake up, eat, play a little (as much as a 7 week old plays), she naps and then we do it again. However getting her to take an afternoon nap has been a chore, because she won't nap in the afternoon she gets kinda fussy by the time Greg comes home, so he doesn't see the best side of her. 

Since coming up here we have tried to get Sawyer on some what of a schedule. She regularly takes a morning nap. Afternoon not so great but our big milestone comes at bed time. She starts her bed time routine around 8:30 and by 9:00 she is ready for bed and then she sleeps 8 hours!!! It is so nice (this still however gets me up at 5:00 am- so we are working on getting her to sleep longer). She does go back to sleep though until about 7-7:30 am after she has eaten. 

This weekend we are not doing much. We had everyone over for a games night on Friday. Yesterday we walked to the store and I think we are going to the school this afternoon to help Greg get stuff done for this week. 

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend. 

 Sawyer having cuddle time with Mommy and sucking her thumb one morning. She is sucking her thumb more regularly now and is even starting to take a soother (when she is tired).

 Just chillin' with my dog!

Aren't we so cute!

Year Three

Well we have made it to Deer Lake for year three. This year with an extra person in tow. Each year we introduce one more person/animal to Deer Lake. First year was Greg and I. Year two was Edgar and this year Sawyer is making her big debut. 

On Sunday we started our journey up north bright and early. We woke Sawyer up at 5 am (of course the day she has to be up by 5 she sleeps past it). My parents picked us up and we went to the airport. We were at the airport and through security by 8 am. We got to skip the big security line and go through a quicker line for people with young children. It was really nice. Sawyer was great on the airplanes. She slept most of the way, she only woke up to get fed. 

As soon as we got to the airport in Deer Lake, she was passed around the airport to all the different people. It was great to see how many people were excited to see her. We made it to our apartment and went to the store shortly after we arrived. 

True to Deer Lake fashion our internet wasn't working when we got here. However, that was quickly fixed and it was up and running by lunch today. Tomorrow evening by dinner we will also have a phone. 

Greg started work yesterday. All went well but he has no TA this year. He only has 12 students though and he is strictly the grade 8 teacher. 

We have 2 new teachers. One female from New Brunswick who will be teaching grade 9 this year, and a male from Ottawa who will be teaching grade 3. We also found out when we got here that the principal backed out. They couldn't meet the requirements he wanted in his contract. Apparently he wanted one month a week to go home to Peterborough. He was leaving his wife and three kids there. So one of the locals (who has their principal qualifications) has been asked to take over.  

Anyways I think that is all for now. Below are some pictures for you to enjoy. 

 Sawyer in her first pair of jeans. She looked so cute in them. Although they are a little big for her so if she kicks hard enough and long enough they come right off her.

 Loving her swing.

 Bright and early on the way to the airport. This was also the last picture of Greg and I taken outside of our first home.

Sawyer and I on the airplane waiting for the flight to take off. She was GREAT!

I have been asked multiple times over the last 5 or 6 months about my feelings toward impending parenthood.  "Are you excited?"  "What are you feeling?"  "Does it seem real?"  With this being our first child I am entering a new stage in my life.  It actually isn't a stage at all because this is now going to be my life.  For the last 8 months life has gone on as normal, albeit a few changes.   Claire needs a hand now to get off the couch.  She leaves the bed a lot more during the night and odor has become a four letter word with Claire.  But something happened to me this Wednesday.  Parenthood began.  I realized this week what I am to do as a father.  For those that are unware, Claire had a doctors appointment and a red flag appeared.  A second ultrasound was needed and a meeting with a genetic counsellor.  It was concluded that the flag was due to a technical error and all should be fine. 

But in those long 48 hours I realized my duties.  First and foremost is to love this child unconditionally.  I have never seen, touched, held, hugged, or kissed this baby, but I have never loved something more.  I realized this week what family means.  Claire and I are fortunate to have the support of so many people who are a phone call away.  I realized what worrying over your child means.  The thought of your child being unhealthy or hurt is the worst feeling in the world.  *Sorry mom and dad for that time I went for a morning run. 

All in all, the rest of my life as a father started on Wednesday at 4:30 with a simple phone call.  With the help of family and friends and the support of a strong, loving wife, I can do this. 

Traditional Weekend

This was our last traditional weekend in May. For those of you who don't know, Deer Lake has two back to back 4 day weekends in order to allow people to participate in traditional activities such as hunting and fishing. This weekend we got the opportunity to participate also. 

Yesterday (Sunday) Greg went out fishing for about an hour and half and came home with 11 fish that were filleted and ready to cook. Jon also went fishing, so this was the catch between the two of them. 

Today the same people came to pick us up and take the girls out (along with Greg). They were a little worried because the water was a little rough and they think the bumps are not good for pregnant people, so we just went slow (Don't worry mom, there was one life jacket in the boat and I sat on it- For some reason life jackets are not used here at all, you don't even see them for sale in the store). It was a lot of fun to go out and do something different. 

We went to a fishing spot I had never been to before. It was amazing. Greg literally threw his line in the water and he had a fish within 30 seconds (no exaggeration). He then caught four more fish in 5 minutes. It was crazy. All in all we caught 6 fish (I caught one). Once we had our catch we motored on over to the nearby Traditional Powwow Grounds. This is were we had our shoreline meal. Another teacher, Maria, and her husband Johnny, were the couple who took us fishing and they graciously cooked up the meal for us too. Amanda came along also and travelled with Vicky and her husband Calvin. Johnny was a great tour guide telling us all sorts of historical information about Deer Lake. We also learned today that the Northern has only been in Deer Lake for about 10 years. All in all it was an awesome experience and we had a lot of fun. One down fall was the bugs. They were BRUTAL!! They are so little and pesky and there are SO many of them. Enjoy the pictures from our fishing excursion. 

 Greg and I on the shore, while we were out exploring the Powwow grounds.

Where we cooked our lunch. Johnny was a great cook!

 Looking out on the lake.

For the last two years Johnny has been adding a rock or two to these piles every time he passes them. When I first saw them it kind of looked like a Gateway.
 

Greg and ONE of his catches. He definitely would make his dad proud today with the way he fished.

Amanda enjoying herself in the other boat

Greg and his fish, plus one of mine! They were tasty to eat.

The old abandoned cabin on the Powwow grounds. There was nothing in it except a mattress. Greg and I could definitely tell we have been watching to much Criminal Minds because we approached this building with caution. One we weren't sure what we would find and two I kept thinking about how there could be someone lurking in the woods watching us. CREEPY.

Weekend Haunts

Well it is the weekend again! Thank goodness. It has been a long week. We actually had a five day school week. I do not think we have had a five day week since March Break, so the extra day made the week feel extra long. Last weekend Greg, Amanda and I went for a hike. We tried to make it to the Deer Lake Hollywood sign, but unfortunately took a wrong turn some where, as there is not trails and didn't quite make. It was a nice hike anyway. 

Tonight we decided to go for a walk towards the school. We have enjoyed walking to the school lately (I think Edgar enjoys it more) because we let Edgar off his leash and he can run around, sniff and play. Tonight Dexter and Amanda came a long and the boys played together. Edgar spent most of his time chasing Dexter around and then they chased a frisbee while we (Amanda, Jon, Jill, Greg and I) all threw it around. All and in all it was a nice evening. It is nice to get out and do something different. 

 Edgar and Greg! Don't they look so cute!!!!

 Edgar down by the water, sniffing things out. He is such a good boy.

 Running Free and Loving it.

Our hike up the hill. There is no trail, just rocks and trees. This picture is going up the hill and looking out on Deer Lake.

 Edgar got really thirsty. Good thing Greg thought to bring his own water bottle. I was not going to share with Edgar.

 There was a forest fire awhile ago near Deer Lake and we hiked through the area. There was a ton of trees down and it was a big hassle for Edgar and his little legs to go up and over or under.

Sunset on Duck Lake