Apologies to all Scots out there, but the Scottish are odd folk. Who could have possibly conceived the idea that haggis was safe for human consumption or that the caber toss was fun? What amount of liquor was needed for the birth of golf?
"Aye, it'll be great! We'll whack tiny balls with large clubs half-way across the countryside and...and...spend half the day looking for the ball! Pure dead brilliant!"
Which leads me to the absolute craziest idea the Scots have ever given us - hurling boulders and sweeping brooms down icy paths in a game of strategy. Naturally, we were fully on board.
Ever since Tyce told us that he was an avid curler and played in a national championship we wanted to give it a go. He called us up yesterday (we seem to do everything together last minute) and a couple hours later we arrived at the 'Tosa Curling Club.
Cynthia and I were having a great time but the kids were really upset that only the adults could play. So we snuck them on the ice! Jordan was probably doing a little better than I was and called it his favorite game. I'm sure that will last just until he's tried something else new.
Thanks, Tyce and Faith, it was a blast! Cynthia described the fun of the event as "like Christmas morning. On ice!"
Here Cynthia shows us the oh-so-proper form that we developed.
Jordan and Carter have been practicing their comedic 'talents' recently. For some reason they seem to have a strong affinity for knock knock jokes involving bananas. Freakin' hilarious, those bananas.
First off in the comedy hour is Jordan...
And next up we have a real treat for you folks...Heeerrrreee's Carter!
Even though I've had tons of things on my mind I'd like to blog about, I don't feel like I can put down anything new until we've caught up and bridged the news gap since we last reached out. The last newsletter we sent around to everyone was Dec 2006, so the task of catching up has been a little daunting. But here goes...
There are two parts to catch up on: news, and pictures. This post covers news, the next post covers pictures.
First off, here is the last newsletter we sent in Dec 2006. It chronicles Carter's birth, my graduation, our move to Wisconsin, etc.
Next, this is the newsletter that we WERE going to send in Dec 2007. Right before hitting send, I decided that I didn't like the newsletter at all and I would do a major rewrite when we got back from our Christmas vacation...didn't happen. So here is the never-before-seen final edition of Bushchicken Weekly. The major events covered are the visits from our family in summer 2007.
January - We return home from our trip to Utah. It was wonderful being able to see all of our family and some friends again. Sorry if we missed you - two weeks go by quickly during the holidays. Carter also turns two. What a cutie.
March - Peter rotated departments at work to learn a new side of actuarial science. He's now in renewal pricing for individual markets. It started out very poorly but is going smoothly now.
April - Cynthia is released from her calling as a counselor in the primary presidency and is called as a member of the enrichment committee.
May - Peter takes an actuarial exam. Fails.
early June - The boys attend their first MLB game. The Jakemans were kind enough to fly Cynthia, Jordan, and Carter out to Washington to visit for a whole week. Thanks so much guys! Peter used the time alone to retake the failed exam, it was worth it; he passed.
mid-June - We moved from our swanky Milwaukee apartment to a not-so-fab (and more expensive) Menomonee Falls apartment so Jordan could attend school in a better school district.
July - Peter had to attend an ethics course in Washington, DC. Since this was our only shot at getting a vacation in busy 2008, Cynthia came along and we extended the trip to make a 3-day vacation. In case you're wondering, Cynthia went to the spa while Peter was in the class. This was the first time we left our kids with someone else overnight. They didn't seem to miss us one bit. Thanks to Emily and Holly for watching them!
August - Peter takes another exam and passes. Our anniversary was also this month but we were so worn out from trips and other holidays that we forewent celebrations. Instead we watch the Olympics opening ceremonies with friends.
September - Jordan starts a half-day 4-year old kindergarten program. He's been loving it so far. Jordan also turned five this month.
October - Jordan and Carter dress up as Super Why and Alpha Pig (respectively) from their favorite TV show, Super Why. Cynthia worked on the costumes the entire month.
early November - Peter takes the most important exam of his career thus far. This one was a make-or-break. Pass or be out of a job. Results didn't come out until January, but it was a pass.
mid-November - Cynthia flies solo to Utah to see her brother married in the Saint George temple. She has a great time meeting Celeste and seeing family again. She somehow forgets to bring home In-N-Out burgers for Peter.
Well, that's it! We've finally caught up!!! Help us keep up-to-date with your lives by checking out this site regularly and leaving a comment or two.
Here are our 'Best of Year' slideshow albums for the past three years. Our definition of 'Best' is somewhat broad - it may mean the picture has compositional value, tells a story we wanted to share, we thought it was funny, or we just like the picture. To see the pics without captions or to save any images, click the slideshow.
The Best of 2008 2008 was a bad year for our picture collection. Our old camera broke, and our new one crashed to the ground shortly into it's lifespan. The manufacturer wouldn't fix it but they did say what was wrong with it so I was able to fix it. All in all, we only had a working camera 6 months out of the year; expect a smaller slideshow here.
Ever since Tyce told us that he was an avid curler and played in a national championship we wanted to give it a go. He called us up yesterday (we seem to do everything together last minute) and a couple hours later we arrived at the 'Tosa Curling Club.
