October brought some volunteering duties for me! I signed up to help with fundraising for Blake's team, helping with social media and also to score keep for home games. Scorekeeping in this league (AEHL) involves a computerized system so there was a course to take! I think I have a handle on it though and it's very cool that a website is updated live during the games! Attendance is limited in the rinks still so people from home will be able to follow along and/or watch the games on Youtube!
On the 9th Cal and I celebrated 16 years of marriage by taking care of sick kids and ordering take out :) Perfect night for us!!
Cal is back to Friday night hockey, which is great! Blake's team had a fun slow-pitch, team builder over the Thanksgiving weekend and we finally had our 'Smith' family photos done on Thanksgiving Monday. Lindsay and I bought this photo package for my parents for their 40th anniversary. Unfortunately, Em was sick over Thanksgiving, so we did not attend family dinner, but my parents prepped a take home dinner for us and we enjoyed it so much :) We are trying our hardest to keep all bugs contained and avoid the isolation possibilities. It's hard because if you're a close contact of a positive case, you're stuck in isolation for 14 days which is very difficult :(
Cal and I made an overnight trip to Grande Prairie on the 16th to attend Grandpa Alstad's funeral on the 17th :( A very sad and emotional day as we said goodbye to an amazing man. From the first day I met him, he made me feel at home and like one of the family! He was an honorable man, a friend to everyone he met and a hard, hard worker. He was so proud of his family and loved anytime spent with family & friends. A dedicated volunteer, loved to watch hockey and particularly his grandkids participating in sport. A wonderful husband, dad, grandpa and friend, we will miss him dearly. It was nice to spend time with family and share memories.
Cal and I headed back to Edmonton on the 17th to catch Blake's first AAA hockey game! There was talk of missing it but everyone said Grandpa Alstad would most definitely want you to be there and would be so proud of Blake :) We made it back in time and were sooooo proud to be there!! Thank you to my mom and dad who kept the kids overnight on the 16th. Quinny enjoyed the kennel for the weekend!!
Emerson had her first game on the 18th, all the way in Red Deer! Her & I took a road trip that day and had a blast. She played so well and I was so proud of her!! I missed Reese's 1st game but got to see her 2nd and her 1st debut in net of the season!! So proud of her :)
On the 24th we celebrated my dad's birthday with a family dinner at the Stecyk's - so glad everyone was feeling well, and we were all able to get together! Thank you, Stecyk's, for always being such great hosts and bringing us all together!
Blake's coach is so great at team building events - they also had a 'Chili cook off' at the end of the month, which produced some delicious (and some not!) chili that the parents got to taste test at the end of the event! Sounds like the boys had a blast :)
Blake also started 'breakfast club' at KC on the 28th - a morning skate before school!
Halloween was great this year, Reese trick or treated with Ava and her mom, Em and I headed to the Chorneys and Blake met with friends at Gavin's house while Cal handed out candy. We were all a little worried we'd be restricted but nope! Thank goodness, nice to have a normal 'holiday'!
xo Hope you're all keeping well!
