Summer Time - Our Favorite

We spent as much time as we could at the cabin this summer and as usual found a few new things to do.  

 The boys transformed the front deck of the cabin into a basketball court and spent many hours having basketball tournaments with all the kids.  Even Sadie played and she managed to win some games.  They all had a blast playing basketball at the cabin.

Another thing the boys enjoyed doing was playing Poker.  Uncle Jeff taught them how to play poker and they really got into it.  It would crack me up when I hear the little boys announce, "Poker in 10 minutes . . . be there!"  We would wake up and they would be playing poker outside waiting for everybody else to get up.

Boys will be boys!  They were out hunting squirrels one afternoon.

One of my favourite things this year was watching the moon come up.  We happened to have two full moons this year while we were at the cabin. It is amazing how quickly it rises over the mountain and how much it lights the lake up.

This was the last summer that Carson will get to spend a significant amount of time at the cabin.  After he graduates next year it will be time to work full time and earn money for college and a mission.  He tried to soak in everything at the cabin this year.

All of the Gibb grandchildren enjoyed a day together at the cabin.  

There are 2 more on the way!  What a group of crazy kids!

 Jordan learned to ski on one ski this summer.

Even though we find a few new things to do every year we still love the old things the best.  We can't ever leave out cliff jumping.  By the end of the summer those cliffs were high!!

Jordan's 10th Birthday

 Most summers Jordan's birthday rolls around when we are at the cabin.  This year was no exception except that it was the best birthday at the cabin ever because he had his best buddy Grant with him for the week as well as his best cousin Cody!  Of course we can't forget his favourite brother either.

 We had a glow stick and sparkler dance party on the dock.

Later on when we were back in Calgary Jordan and his friend William (who are only 1 week apart in age) had a joint birthday party with Grant and Adam and they went mini golfing and had donuts for a birthday cake.  What a fun group of boys.

July 4th in Utah!

We had decided to make a trip to Utah for July 4th to go the Stadium of Fire.  Carrie Underwood was performing and the girls love her music.  Just before it was time to leave Grandpa bought a 40 foot motorhome and so we travelled in style to Utah.  It was so fun to have the space in the motorhome to travel in with a bathroom on hand and a fridge stocked with food and pop.  The kids thought it was soooooo great!!

On the afternoon of July 4 we went for a picnic up the canyon with Sonya's family.  

It was a beautiful hot day and the river felt really good to cool us off.

We played all kinds of fun games and even Kailey was able to participate despite her broken wrist.  

It was horrible to be in the heat with a cast on her arm.

Of course little Lucy was everybody's favourite!

My boys!

It was so fun to watch them play football together.  

They would draw up plays and execute all kinds of running plays and complex handoffs.

 And then the celebration when they scored!  A little hip bumping in the air!

That evening we went to the BYU stadium to see the Stadium of Fire.  Carrie Underwood was amazing and it was the first concert the kids had been to.  The fireworks were amazing too!

Sadie in Costume!

We always try to get some pictures of Sadie in her costumes every year.

This was her Russian dance costume for the Nutcracker.

And her beautiful Waltz of the Flowers solo costume.

This was one of Sadie's favourite dances of the year.  It was a lyrical dance to a slow version of Titanium.  She didn't like the way the sides of the costume opened up like they did but she loved the dance that went with the costume.

Carson's Last Year of Club Basketball

 This was Carson's third year playing for the Genesis club team.  He has really enjoyed playing ball with them and has had some great experiences travelling with the team.  They have travelled to Spokane every year and this year they flew to Portland to play in a tournament there.  They have also played in Edmonton every year and always represent Calgary well.

 The 4 Ernest Manning boys play together all year at school and then play together all spring with Genesis.  They have played ball together for years and it shows when they are on the court together.

 They always love when I pull the camera out!  Coach Fabian just laughs at them!

These boys won the gold in their league play and finished of the season by winning the big tournament in Edmonton July long weekend in over time.  It was a very successful season!

Carson, Brody and Steph with yet another gold medal around their necks.

Fabian has been a mentor for Carson for 2 years now.  He has coached him in club for 2 years and was also Darcy's assistant coach at the High School this last year.  Carson has learned a lot from Fabian on and off the court!  It is so great to have fantastic people mentor these boys!

It is sad to think that Carson's club playing days are over and he only has one high school season left. These are the days that Carson will remember for the rest of his life!

Well This Sucks!

Kailey was playing on the #1 CBA team this year again for club basketball.  They were a U15 team and played in the U17 division.  They were an amazing team and lost in the finals by 2 points to a U17 team.  Other than that they beat every other U17 team in Calgary (except the CBA U17 team).

 These girls play hard and train hard.  Kailey was having some knee issues this year and it was hard for her to play without pain but she did.

They travelled to Spokane in May.  The Genesis teams (Carson's club) and the CBA club teams took over Spokane.  There was blue and orange/black jerseys everywhere from Canada.

The last week of school Kailey was driving our motor scooter to the school and her friend cut her off on a bike.  Kailey ended up flying off the scooter and hurt her wrist.  When she came home she told me she thought it was broken.  Like the concerned mom that I am, I told her to put ice on it and it would be fine.  A few hours later we ended up the Children's hospital and sure enough it was broken.  She was in a cast for 4-6 weeks.  She was going to miss her team playing in a huge tournament in Edmonton (which they won).  Kailey was there to cheer them on because Carson's team was playing as well.  The biggest thing she missed was when her team went to Las Vegas in July and they played in two tournaments there.  It is a huge tournament with tons of amazing teams from all over the US.  They came in second the first tournament and won the second one.  It is a big deal for a Canadian team to go down there and win that tournament!  Kailey missed going to Vegas with her team this year.  All she had to say was "Well this sucks!" as she stared are her dumb pink cast!

Kailey's Says Fairwell to St. Joan of Arc

Kailey has had a fantastic 2 years at St. Joan of Arc school.  She made some 

amazing friends and didn't look back after leaving Springbank.

At the Awards Banquet Kailey got MVP for basketball and shared the Cavalier Athletics Award with her teammate Georgia.  It is for all around solid athletics and representing the school so well on all of the teams.

And then there was her graduation day.  She stressed about a dress and shoes for months before hand.  It is so hard to find a modest dress for a tall girl like Kailey.  We finally found one just a few days before her grad that was modest on the top but still a little short.  It would have to do and she rocked it on grad day!  She borrowed some shoes from a friend and they nearly broke her ankles so she carried them most of the day.  I just laughed when this is the picture I got of her in her grad attire.

Kailey and her BFF, Aizel.  

They will be going to different High Schools

 next year but hopefully will still stay close friends.

Kailey receiving her diploma from Mr. Brosseau. 

The girls!  

I can't believe I will have two kids in High School next year!  

Where does the time go? 

Kailey you are beautiful on the inside and the out and we love you!