Noble News - We are having a wonderful Christmas at Nickee's. Brad and his kids are coming down. Brad, Dustyn and Julia are coming for a long week-end. Brad et al (Brad, Dustyn, Julia, Jessey and Shelbi) are flying to Vegas the 26thand leaving on the 29th. Jessey and Shelbi are staying until the 2nd of Jan 2009. Brad and his kids are staying in the hotel Treasure Island. We should have a good time.
We had Thanksgiving Dinner at Jean Hough Ethridge. It was wonderful. We ate lots. We even went shopping on the Friday after but it was so crowded so we went home.
We are going to Vegas on the 10th of December to tend the dogs while the Dudleys go to Hawaii for Ashley's graduation. We were invited to go too but I'm not very good lately and so we are staying home to tend the dogs. I can't see very good. But I'm okay. I think it might be the change of venues.
Nevertheless, I am glad Shirley, Colleen and LA went to the funeral they had for Aunt Verna. I wish I could have been there. It was great to hear about it though from the girls. I'm so glad I have sisters there.
See you all when we get home.
love Marvelle
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Storybook Theatre
The kids and I have been volunteering at Storybook Theatre. It's really fun!
The first play we volunteered at was called Harriet's Halloween Candy. It was a musical of sorts about a girl that LOVES Halloween and doesn't want to share her candy. We were ushers for this play. We did it on a Saturday and so we ushered, watched the play, got to have lunch with the actors, and then ushered again and watched it for the second performance that day. It was fun to see it two times. We really enjoyed the story and the kids have been singing the songs since!
Last Saturday Peirce and I volunteered at their Cookie Cabaret (we would have invited Jill but she had a swim meet that day). These are plays especially for 3-5 year olds. They're about an hour long and the actors interact with the audience quite a bit. The kids get to sit on the floor right at the edge of the stage. It's quite a lot of fun (although Peirce did tell me he's too old now for some of the action songs they make the kids sing....sigh...my baby is growing up!) This day Peirce and I got to work in the concession. Peirce LOVED it. He was in charge of scooping popcorn and having it ready for people to buy, and taking the money. He loves loves loves to sort money. We also got to have lunch with the actors that day. They were a really fun group and were very friendly with Peirce. He felt like one of the crew!
We're definitely planning to continue. Jill and Peirce both really enjoy theatre and like to be in plays. I'd like to sign them up for some of their classes - but they're usually on a Saturday and I am not sure we can commit every Saturday for such an extended period of time. Far too many swim meets in our life right now! One of our next adventures will be to be in the pageant at Heritage Park. The kids and I are going to be in it and we're going to be shepherds!! Stay tuned for pictures. :0)
The first play we volunteered at was called Harriet's Halloween Candy. It was a musical of sorts about a girl that LOVES Halloween and doesn't want to share her candy. We were ushers for this play. We did it on a Saturday and so we ushered, watched the play, got to have lunch with the actors, and then ushered again and watched it for the second performance that day. It was fun to see it two times. We really enjoyed the story and the kids have been singing the songs since!
Last Saturday Peirce and I volunteered at their Cookie Cabaret (we would have invited Jill but she had a swim meet that day). These are plays especially for 3-5 year olds. They're about an hour long and the actors interact with the audience quite a bit. The kids get to sit on the floor right at the edge of the stage. It's quite a lot of fun (although Peirce did tell me he's too old now for some of the action songs they make the kids sing....sigh...my baby is growing up!) This day Peirce and I got to work in the concession. Peirce LOVED it. He was in charge of scooping popcorn and having it ready for people to buy, and taking the money. He loves loves loves to sort money. We also got to have lunch with the actors that day. They were a really fun group and were very friendly with Peirce. He felt like one of the crew!
We're definitely planning to continue. Jill and Peirce both really enjoy theatre and like to be in plays. I'd like to sign them up for some of their classes - but they're usually on a Saturday and I am not sure we can commit every Saturday for such an extended period of time. Far too many swim meets in our life right now! One of our next adventures will be to be in the pageant at Heritage Park. The kids and I are going to be in it and we're going to be shepherds!! Stay tuned for pictures. :0)
Christmas Craft Day at Colleen's and a Fun Weekend
By Lester Ann
We all had a great day on Saturday at Colleen's doing crafts, laughing, playing, holding babies, laughing, eating, and just generally having a good time. We should make this an annual tradition.
I have downloaded a bunch of photos for you to see. You be the judge of what picture represents which statement about the day. There were lots of babies to play with and to hold. There were lots of kids having a ball, not the least of which being the biggest kid of us all. Hailey was the official photographer. We even got a few wonderful crafts completed.
Colleen didn't feel well that day and spent a good part of the day upstairs sleeping and resting on the couch. What a terrible day to be sick, especially with a house full of noisy and messy people like us. I came home sick too but it was definitely worth it. We are not sure who started it all but a lot of us were sick over the week end. At least we kept it all in the family. (We hope)
By Lester Ann
We all had a great day on Saturday at Colleen's doing crafts, laughing, playing, holding babies, laughing, eating, and just generally having a good time. We should make this an annual tradition.
I have downloaded a bunch of photos for you to see. You be the judge of what picture represents which statement about the day. There were lots of babies to play with and to hold. There were lots of kids having a ball, not the least of which being the biggest kid of us all. Hailey was the official photographer. We even got a few wonderful crafts completed.
Colleen didn't feel well that day and spent a good part of the day upstairs sleeping and resting on the couch. What a terrible day to be sick, especially with a house full of noisy and messy people like us. I came home sick too but it was definitely worth it. We are not sure who started it all but a lot of us were sick over the week end. At least we kept it all in the family. (We hope)
Gayle had booked me a hotel room for Saturday night thinking I would like the quiet and privacy after a very busy and fun day but Taylor, Sydney and Hailey decided it would be fun to spend the night with me. So off we went to the hotel. We got there at about 10:30 p.m. and all were asleep by 11:00. That is all except me. I was reading a good book and it was 2:30 a.m. before I shut off the light and went to sleep.
Then on Sunday we either went to Dawn's ward or Colleen's. Those of us who went to Colleen's ward took in Ward Conference and those of us who went to Dawn's sat in on Allen being ordained a High Priest by his Dad, Jim Ackroyd. Allen has been called as a Stake High Councilman. In the afternoon we all abandoned Colleen and the others who were sick at her house and either went to Dawn and Allen's for dinner or to an Anderson Dinner at Robyn and Don Veroney's home. I think Colleen must have been happy to see us all leave.
After the weekend, I took the Nelson kids home as Gaylene had a doctor's appointment in Calgary on Monday and they took the opportunity to do some Santa Shopping. I got the kids off to school the next day and then spent the rest of the day reading and knitting. Gaylene and Duane arrived home in the wee small hours of Tuesday morning and as soon as they all went to school and work, I came home. By the time I got here I was feeling pretty rotten so I had a hot shower and went to bed. That was at about 11:00 a.m. I slept off and on all day and then right through the night. I must have needed the rest as I feel pretty good today. This poor old body can't take too many week ends like that any more. I hope that isn't an indication of what our Christmas season is going to be like. I'm not sure I could handle it but it will be fun trying.
On Friday, Nov 21 Colleen, Shirley and I went to Aunt Verna's funeral in Taber. It really was a nice funeral. The speakers were interesting and good and it was great to see so many family members there. Aunt Verna's direct descendants pretty well filled the center section in the Stake House Chapel in Taber. Aunt Norine and Uncle Ivan were there. Phillis Edwards was there and she said Aunt Lenore has a really hard time traveling these days so she wasn't there. They had a nice lunch after and it was a great time to socialize and catch up with all the cousins with what is going on in their lives. I only took one picture. It seems I didn't get at it until it was too late.
Australia HERE WE COME
Finally our Honeymoon is coming into a reality. We have purchased our tickets for Australia. We leave at 7:00 pm February 27th and fly from Calgary to San Francisco. We board the Australian airlines in San Francisco and fly all night to Sydney, Australia. We then have a few hours lay over in Sydney and board a domestic flight to Wagga Wagga, North South Wales. That is where Annette and Brian live. We will stay with them touring around for the whole month of March and return home on March 27th. We will then have two day to catch up from jet lag and then go back to work on March 20th.
The ATB Bank is given me the gears about my vacation time. They will not let me schedule my holidays until January/09. Then I told them that I had to book our trip by November 14th to get the seats and the connections that we wanted. So I booked it on the risk that another person may come into my department who MIGHT have more seniority over me for vacation time, and could bump me. I asked them if they would not ask such a person to try to book their holidays around my schedule. They said they could not verify my vacation time, as this could happen and if it did that person could bump me. So I told them then I would take that risk. Then they asked me what time I wanted. I told them I would be away from March 1 - 2yth inclusive. I knew I would only have three week and 2 days vacation time, so I asked for 3 days of leave without pay. She said she would have to check into that for me. So I left her office with knowing that risk. Then she called me at home that night and told me I could not have a leave without pay for three days as an extention of a vacation. So I left it at that, as I had already come home and booked my trip. So I put the request into human resources and was told the VP had made a managerial decision that they would not allow anybody to take a leave without pay as an extension of a holiday. I told them that the Union agreement does not state that. So now I am going to take it to the Union and see where I get with that. Human Resources says leave it until January. I may be able to buy vacation time with my variable pay or the new benefits package that is coming out in the spring, but won't be effective until April 1st until it is negotiated with the union agreement which expired March 31. The employer is really pushing to get this flex benefits pushed through. They have asked that the bargaining commence in December this year, before the agreement expires, which is very unusual. There must be something in there that they want to open negotiations. Employers don't do that thing.
So I am just going to leave it as such. They are saying that if I don't return to work on March 27th for three days then I have abandoned my job. I pleaded with them that this was my honeymoon, but it didn't matter.
So I will either have a new job before I go on vacation, or not have one when I get back. It matters not to me. They can't expect me to fly back on the 25th, and be to work the next morning. after flying some 21 hours. I could be there physically, but now awake I guess.
Anyway such is my life, always something to worry about. Ardell says we are going to come home March 27th and have the weekend to sleep. We will see what happens. I am going to grieve it with the Union.
I have made a picture memory quilt to take to Annette and Brian for them. It has 16 pictures of them as babies, teenagers, their wedding picture, our wedding picture, their grandkids and pictures of us when they came to visit us in 2005. Annette will be thrilled. L.A. helped me do two blocks with embrodery on them - one says "To Annette and Brian", and the other says
"From Ardell and Shirley". It will be a cherished quilt for sure. I have worked on it for 9 months now and I just have the binding to do on it to finish it.
Brian is building a tour bus his buddy and him bought to take us all around, so we won't have to stay in hotels. He is a carpenter so he has built melamine cupboards in the kitchen area, and installed a shower and bedrooms for us to travel in. It should be fun. It looks like one of the movie stars buses they live in. We will just share the gas for the bus. He has sent my a list of places we might like to visit, like the Great Ocean Road and the coastal area and such. We will go to Tamakan where their friends are too to visit with them. So we are looking forward to packing up and leaving February 27th. WOW I am going to Australia.
This weekend the movie Australia premiers with Nicole Kidman and I want to go see it on Saturday night.
Ok now I want to hear from the rest of the family. What have you been up to????? We are neglecting our news to the family on this blog. Let's all make a New Years resolution to write at least once a month now.
Love you all.
Auntie Shirley
The ATB Bank is given me the gears about my vacation time. They will not let me schedule my holidays until January/09. Then I told them that I had to book our trip by November 14th to get the seats and the connections that we wanted. So I booked it on the risk that another person may come into my department who MIGHT have more seniority over me for vacation time, and could bump me. I asked them if they would not ask such a person to try to book their holidays around my schedule. They said they could not verify my vacation time, as this could happen and if it did that person could bump me. So I told them then I would take that risk. Then they asked me what time I wanted. I told them I would be away from March 1 - 2yth inclusive. I knew I would only have three week and 2 days vacation time, so I asked for 3 days of leave without pay. She said she would have to check into that for me. So I left her office with knowing that risk. Then she called me at home that night and told me I could not have a leave without pay for three days as an extention of a vacation. So I left it at that, as I had already come home and booked my trip. So I put the request into human resources and was told the VP had made a managerial decision that they would not allow anybody to take a leave without pay as an extension of a holiday. I told them that the Union agreement does not state that. So now I am going to take it to the Union and see where I get with that. Human Resources says leave it until January. I may be able to buy vacation time with my variable pay or the new benefits package that is coming out in the spring, but won't be effective until April 1st until it is negotiated with the union agreement which expired March 31. The employer is really pushing to get this flex benefits pushed through. They have asked that the bargaining commence in December this year, before the agreement expires, which is very unusual. There must be something in there that they want to open negotiations. Employers don't do that thing.
So I am just going to leave it as such. They are saying that if I don't return to work on March 27th for three days then I have abandoned my job. I pleaded with them that this was my honeymoon, but it didn't matter.
So I will either have a new job before I go on vacation, or not have one when I get back. It matters not to me. They can't expect me to fly back on the 25th, and be to work the next morning. after flying some 21 hours. I could be there physically, but now awake I guess.
Anyway such is my life, always something to worry about. Ardell says we are going to come home March 27th and have the weekend to sleep. We will see what happens. I am going to grieve it with the Union.
I have made a picture memory quilt to take to Annette and Brian for them. It has 16 pictures of them as babies, teenagers, their wedding picture, our wedding picture, their grandkids and pictures of us when they came to visit us in 2005. Annette will be thrilled. L.A. helped me do two blocks with embrodery on them - one says "To Annette and Brian", and the other says
"From Ardell and Shirley". It will be a cherished quilt for sure. I have worked on it for 9 months now and I just have the binding to do on it to finish it.
Brian is building a tour bus his buddy and him bought to take us all around, so we won't have to stay in hotels. He is a carpenter so he has built melamine cupboards in the kitchen area, and installed a shower and bedrooms for us to travel in. It should be fun. It looks like one of the movie stars buses they live in. We will just share the gas for the bus. He has sent my a list of places we might like to visit, like the Great Ocean Road and the coastal area and such. We will go to Tamakan where their friends are too to visit with them. So we are looking forward to packing up and leaving February 27th. WOW I am going to Australia.
This weekend the movie Australia premiers with Nicole Kidman and I want to go see it on Saturday night.
Ok now I want to hear from the rest of the family. What have you been up to????? We are neglecting our news to the family on this blog. Let's all make a New Years resolution to write at least once a month now.
Love you all.
Auntie Shirley
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
NOBLE NEWS #71 - MARVELLE REPORTER
We are now in Arizona. We went swimming today. Not like Jill but swimming. The water was so..... warm
We stayed a week in Las Vegas as Lauren was there playing soccer. She was in the Mountain West conference. We weren't going to stay if she didn't win but she won her Wed game and so we stayed. It was very exciting. Her team was ahead and then just 30 or so sec before the end of the game the other side got a score. It was then OT and the lst OT about 27 seconds into the bame her team got a score. They won that one but then on Saturday they lost l to nil. We had a barbeque for her team on Wednedsay nite. It was good. Her team was second of the Mountain West conference. Lauren is just a freshman but always plays the game.
We left Maggie at Nickee's as we don't live in a pet area here. Ncikee was going to let us have Fox but he is Jordan's favourite and so we will leave him. Nickee has two (she had 3 ) dogs that were Scott's. She has been taking care of Fox, Maggie and Lola for a long time now. Maggie is a Bischon Friese , Fox is a Pomeranian. Lola is a Brussels Grifon. If you don't know what that is just look at ET and you will know. Her hair goes everywhich way and she is the cutust thing you've ever seen.
We drove here ib Sunday ti find everything just fine. We have worked all day cleaning and then Colleen and Floyd came to see us. We went swimming this afternoon too.
Brad and his kids are coming to Vegas for Christmas at Nickee's. We are going to Nickee's on the 10th of December to tend the dogs while they go to Haiwaii as a family for Ashely's graduation. Ashley is graduaing in December. She will be an accountant then.
Well better scoot. I love your entries.
love Marvelle (scribe for the Noble family)
We stayed a week in Las Vegas as Lauren was there playing soccer. She was in the Mountain West conference. We weren't going to stay if she didn't win but she won her Wed game and so we stayed. It was very exciting. Her team was ahead and then just 30 or so sec before the end of the game the other side got a score. It was then OT and the lst OT about 27 seconds into the bame her team got a score. They won that one but then on Saturday they lost l to nil. We had a barbeque for her team on Wednedsay nite. It was good. Her team was second of the Mountain West conference. Lauren is just a freshman but always plays the game.
We left Maggie at Nickee's as we don't live in a pet area here. Ncikee was going to let us have Fox but he is Jordan's favourite and so we will leave him. Nickee has two (she had 3 ) dogs that were Scott's. She has been taking care of Fox, Maggie and Lola for a long time now. Maggie is a Bischon Friese , Fox is a Pomeranian. Lola is a Brussels Grifon. If you don't know what that is just look at ET and you will know. Her hair goes everywhich way and she is the cutust thing you've ever seen.
We drove here ib Sunday ti find everything just fine. We have worked all day cleaning and then Colleen and Floyd came to see us. We went swimming this afternoon too.
Brad and his kids are coming to Vegas for Christmas at Nickee's. We are going to Nickee's on the 10th of December to tend the dogs while they go to Haiwaii as a family for Ashely's graduation. Ashley is graduaing in December. She will be an accountant then.
Well better scoot. I love your entries.
love Marvelle (scribe for the Noble family)
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