WE HAVE AN APPLE STORE IN CALGARY!!!

Okay, okay, take a deep breath. That's it...breathe in sloooowly. Now exhale...
WE HAVE AN APPLE STORE IN CALGARY!!! WE HAVE AN APPLE STORE IN CALGARY!!!

Did I mention that we now have our own Apple store in Calgary? Oh, and I got a T-shirt.
Yessir the grand opening was on Saturday. Denver and I went with Jim and Connor Muirhead. We decided to be early so we got there at 6:30 am for the 9:30 opening. Denver and I were 9th and 10th in line. There were a couple of geeks who had been there since 5:30 the night before. And no, being there 3 hours before the opening does not qualify me as a geek. What else am I going to do at 6:30 on a Saturday morning? I mean besides sleeping?

At around 9:00, about 50 Apple employees came pouring out of the back of the store somewhere and came yelling and clapping down the mall which got everyone in line (which had swelled to 3 or 400 by then) cheering and clapping. I think they were on a self-induced sugar high or something.
Just before opening they all gathered inside the store in two lines and started chanting and getting pumped up. I'm not sure but I think they offered up some sort of animal sacrifice just before the doors opened.

Then their leader came out and led us into the store where we had to run a gauntlet of screaming, Apple savages, high-fiving us all the way I was a little embarrassed but did my best to be cheerful.

You can see the blue and orange T-shirted gauntlet that I had to pass through, narrowly escaping with my life.

Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased that we have our own Apple store in Calgary. Now I won't have to travel all the way to Dallas or New York.

Denver, looking cool as always, waiting for the big opening.

Do these earphones make my head look big?

Jim Muirhead working as he waits in line.

Like father like son. Connor working too.

Denver's 21st

Denver turned 21 last week. He's been working out of town for the past month or so so we don't get to see much of him lately. Nancy decided that we needed to celebrate his birthday with him, so we drove the two hours to Sundre and took dinner and a cake (and a couple of gifts of course).

Denver had just got in from work so he hadn't had a chance to shower. Happy Birthday son.

Our bag lady

McKenna crawled into Nancy's beach bag the other day and of course the camera had to come out.

Notice anything...?

The couch and chair are done!! For those of you who have grown tired of sitting on foam, Nancy finished her upholstery this week. They look fantastic. Good work Nancy.

Here's Melia, born at 1:39 am on August 7. Tanis couldn't hold out till 08.08.08.

I couldn't find my camera so I had to take these with my iPhone. Two megapixels just doesn't cut it. I told Denver I'd get these up right away since he's out of town for another week or so.

She's a cutie with cheeks you just gotta pinch...

Dallas

Taylor and Easton are too cool

I wonder where they get it from?

We got to go and spend some time with Jo and Rob and the boys in their new digs in Dallas. Actually they live in a suburb called Flower Mound. Not exactly a manly name.

We had a great time and had lots of chill time as well as seeing the sites.

Don't be laying around or the boys will pounce

One of the really cool things we did (besides shopping of course) was to go on a Segway tour in Dallas. As luck would have it, Nancy and I were the only ones on this particular tour so we got lots of attention.

Rob and Jo have offered to host a reunion for our family next summer, preferably June before it gets really hot. Sorry everyone, this is for Nancy and I and our kids and their families. Get ready to go Segwaying everyone...

Nancy on her Segway

Nancy on her Segway part 2

Nancy on her Segway part 3

Receiving instruction from our guide Cindy

Oh yeah, Rock and Roll

Disneyland Will Never Be The Same

Disneyland California. The background is a painted scene. Kevin's real. I'm wearing new pants.

Nancy and I went to Disneyland from May 12 -17 with Kevin and Kim. I guess the Genealogy folks would insist that I include last names so for those folks it's Kevin and Kim James and Nancy Whatshername.

For those who care, yes I screamed like a little girl on the Scream Roller coaster and Space Mountain. One thing I learned is that you don't close your eyes on a roller coater. It gives you a headache. I went to bed sick on the first nite after riding the Screamer twice.

Hard to believe I know but mom tried to cheat her way in to Universal. As it turns out she's actually 49 inches tall.

Such a cute couple.

Kevin's Blackberry never left his side. He managed to misplace Kim several times but I'm happy to report that he knew where the blackberry was at all times. A man has got to have his priorities straight.

Chip and Dale store a lot of nuts in this treehouse. Hey- waaaiit a minute!

Me and my spiffy new Disney hat. Oh and Nancy too...

Is this not a cute couple. That wasn't a question.

This IS the real King Kong

This is also the real Scooby Doo.

And here you have it. Irrefutable proof that we were indeed at Disneyland.

More hard proof, and no our hats are not kissing. We, however, are holding hands.

That's it, we're selling the van.

And finally, this one's for my son-in-law Rob.

Hide Your Children

Notice anything out of the ordinary?

It would appear that I somehow managed to twist McKenna's pajamas completely around when I dressed her last night. I took a lot of grief over that one but the way I look at it, it was quite an accomplishment to finally get her pj's zipped all the way up. It was a bit of a struggle but I was quite proud of myself when I finally zipped those last few inches.

On the plus side I should add that I've never put my own pj's on backwards. Sure I've gotten them inside out a few times, but who hasn't. Those drawstrings can tickle.

McKenna didn't seem to notice

Typical spring day in April

Looks like another typical April in Alberta. April 19 and we just got a fresh dump of snow. My sister LeeAnne and her husband Mel were up visiting for a couple of days and that car is one that they rented. Extra points to anyone who can tell me the make and model.

California Dreamin'

Dale's fence has seen better days.

Hello from California. I flew down last Saturday and have been here for a week spending time with mom. When I got here it was windy, rainy, cold and just plain icky. (Can a manly man say icky?)
The sun has been out most days since then and although it hasn't been hot it has been shirt sleeve weather. I even dug up an old cactus for mom yesterday in my T-shirt.

As you can see from the photos, they had a bit of a storm down here a few weeks ago. Dale was without power for several days. Alas the fence that was constructed in time for Taryn's wedding is no more. Just one lonely panel standing all alone. That's the bad news of course. The good news is that for the next wedding, it shouldn't take more than 3 or 4 minutes to string lights on it.

Notice the tarps on the guest house roof.

Postpartum or is that Post Christmas??

Here's the traditional family on the stairs shot...
Thanks for smiling Sherilyn.

Gosh, it's been a few months since I've added to the old blog. Christmas has come and gone and we're well into the mid-winter blues.
Christmas was great having Jo and Rob and the twins visiting from Texas. The only tough part was having to share my toys; and the diaper surprises of course. How can such little boys pack so much into a diaper is beyond me.
I can't forget having Jay, Sherilyn and McKenna over for Christmas too. I think the best part of Christmas is always the kids.

One of the highlights was having the kids walk on the treadmill. Whenever they got cranky Rob would force them on the treadmill, crank up the speed, set the incline and force them to walk to the theme from Chariots of Fire. Oh the pain...

Mine, all mine!

Okay you got your picture. can I open my present now?

But I wanted an iPhone like Uncle Taylor...

This is better than an iPhone. See it's got pretty lights...

Who you callin' four eyes?

I'm too sexy for my hair...

What do you know about sexy?

Going skating at Lake Sundance...