Kearl Oil Sands Project

I am now working in Northern Alberta 1 1/2 hours north of Fort MacMurray. Being awqay from home sucks! But I will do what I have to do until I find something that will bring me home.

Below are some shots of some of the large equipment where I work.

6, SIX, VI

On February 18th, my little Katie turned six years old! I am not sure if all parents feel the way I do, but over the last little while the reality that my kids are growing up (and growing up fast) has really set in.

Six years ago, we were in the hospital holding a precious little baby and I was feeling the emotions of a father holding his first brand new baby! It is a feeling I will never ever forget as long as I live!!

Yet all of a sudden we have moved, had another child, changed careers. When did it all happen. How does time pass by so fast?

John Lennon said"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Now my little Katie is growning and getting smarter by the second. She lives a life of innocence, yet she is maturing a little more every day. I wish she could stay young forever, oh well I guess we all grow up.

This is why we need to spend as much time as we can with our children, because before you know it, they will be grown up, the innocence will disappear, and all that you will have is memories.

I love you Katie!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

This is me and my wonderful wife. The first picture is of us in May 2002. This picture was taken a couple months after we started dating. Our lives haven't always been perfect, but I still love my wife today just as much, if not more, as I ever have. She is a wonderful partner and I think we complement each others strengths and weaknesses well and that is what makes us such a great pair. I love having Shelly in my life and thank God that I have her and that we are together, happy, healthy and that we are blessed with four wonderful children.

Just for today, I am thankful for what I have right now and do not want anything more or less in my life. I am exactly where I am suppose to be, and Grateful and Thankful for the path God has chosen for me!

The Pancake Thief

After Breakfast one morning, we had all ate way too much and thought we would just be lazy and watch TV for a bit before we cleaned up the breakfast dishes. We put in a movie and were enjoying the show, when.....

The Pancake Thief showed up!!!!!!

A pancake thief has terrible problems......

You cannot make her stop.

She will go to any lengths to get what she wants.

And no matter what you say to her, she just laughs it off and continues on her way!!

The Interview Trip

Well I haven't been around for a while, just been busy with stuff.

This past Tuesday, I flew up to Fort McMurray. I left Birch Hills at 8:00 am went for breakfast with my buddy Chris Downie in S'toon. My plane was late leaving S'toon and there was a time change, so i got into Fort MC at 3:00pm. I had to wait at the airport until 5:40 before my ride showed up to take me to the camp I was destine for. When the bus was leaving the city of Fort McMurray I was in dumbfounded by the stream of traffic that was arriving back into the city. All these vehicles were of course the vehicles returning back to Fort Mc from the Tar Sand projects North of the city. It is a double lane highway and the traffic was non stop in both lanes for probably about 20-30 km and every third vehicle was a bus of some sort. If it wasn't a greyhound type bus then it was a school bus or a short bus. It was a 2 1/2 hr drive to the camp which is located North East of Fort McKay. I was pooped by the end of the day.

When I arrived at the Wapasu camp I was in aaawwwww!!!! The Wapasu Lodge is an approx. 5000 man camp. That is like the population of Melfort, Saskatchewan in one camp.

Above is a camp similar to Wapasu. Wapasu is larger than the camp above. Below are two pictures I took quickly before I left. I wish I would have walked around the camp more and took other photos.

I had my interview on Wednesday. I feel it went rather well. The potential schedule is not a schedule that I desire (15/6), but it may have to do for the interim.

Anyways, the ride back from the Wapasu lodge was interesting as well, as the way up was after dark so there wasn't a whole lot to see. we drove past a couple other projects that are underway and the highway goes right past Syncrude. Very cool to see, are in the photo reminds me of the up grader in Lloydminster, but about 5 times the size.

So, I got back to Fort McMurray airport right on schedule, one hour before take off. I took my bag to the luggage check in and sat down for a quick coffee before the flight. I was barely done my coffee when the first call for security check-in was called. I went through security ( I am gonna by special clothes for flying that do not require a belt or have any metal on them!) and got seated in the WestJet boarding area. I no sooner got seated, when I heard over the PA system a boarding call for a Transwest Flight that was bound for Saskatoon then Prince Albert. Have you ever been so mad your sure you can taste blood? Well I was, cause my flight went to Edmonton, then to Calgary, then to Saskatoon, and from there I had to drive home to Birch Hills. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Oh well that will teach me to look around more and try and plan my trips better. Well that's it for the interview trip. Stay tuned for the upcoming sequel.

Super de Duper Bowl

Go Steelers Go!

And for those of you who will be cheering for the opposition ...... Well my little friend from Pittsburgh is relaying the message!

Innocence

Some days I wish everything could be butterflies and rainbows! However this is not the case! Life hands over all kinds of ups, downs, and arounds. I watch my kids get up every morning and live life day after day with very little worries, or cares. They don't yet realize what is in store for them in regards to relationships, finances, death, careers, and all the other troubles that arise while growing up. But on the flip side to that coin, their little minds are not as spoiled and influenced by media, peers, or, society.

It's a shame that our minds have become so warped, and we have trouble seeing past all these other influences. When I spend time with my kids, I need to get back to being at their level. This will make the time spent together more valuable, not only to the little hearts that will be excited that daddy is playing with them, but also daddy will have a break from his worries in life and will strengthen the bond between him and his kids!

Just for today I want to be a kid again and not have the worries I have now!

My Wife and a New Way of Life

August 3rd, 2003 was one of the greatest days of my life! I had found a woman that I was ready to be with for the rest of my life! and on that day in August I married her, and thank God for bringing us together. (Sorry I got no wedding pics on this computer, but I will get some as soon as I can)

Shelly was the greatest person I could have ever fell in in love with. She has held true to her vows and has stuck by me through thick and thin and helped me up when I had fallen flat on my face! I don't think many people would have stuck by through the bad times, but Shelly seen something in me that I didn't even know was there until she helped me find it. I read a story a couple years ago and one paragraph stuck out in my head more so than any of the others it read as follows:

"My good wife became deeply interested and it was her interest that sustained mine, though I at no time sensed that it might be an answer to my liquor problem. How my wife kept her faith and courage during all those years, I'll never know, but she did. If she had not, I know I would have been dead a long time ago. For some reason, we alcoholics seem to have the gift of picking out the world's finest women. Why they should be subjected to the tortures we inflicted upon them, I cannot explain."

This paragraph came directly out of Dr. Bob's Nightmare, a story from the Alcoholics Anonymous big book. Dr. Bob was a co-founder of the AA program.

I am sure by now you have guessed, I am an alcoholic; but with that I am very proud to say I am in recovery. I belong to an AA group in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada which in my personal opinion is the best AA group around. I have been taught a new way of life and have learned to live life on a whole new level that has relieved me from being dependant on alcohol.

I have learned to cope with my fears and resentments, learned to have a positive optimistic view on life, and realize that there is a higher power at work in my life.

I am by no means a saint, I am still an alcoholic, but I feel I now have a better grip life and can be a better husband, father, son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin for my family which in my mind is the most important thing in the world. Regardless of what happens in life, your family will always be there, in one form or another so they are the ones I want to have a positive relationship with.

God has a plan for me, I don't know what it is, but he has a plan -- everything happens for a reason! I can't try and take control of my life, because when I do things seem to go wrong, if i let God take control I know whatever happens is happening for a reason and I will except it and meet any challenges head on as I know the power that is with me is far stronger than any force I could possibly come up against.

In closing for today I want to say HI to my lovely wife, I miss you lots and wish I was home with you to cuddle and stuff (wink wink).

Back to Work

Well I wanted to get more done on this before I go back to work but unfortunately that is not the case. I am currently employed with Shore Gold Inc. as an Environmental Coordinator. Find out more at http://www.shoregold.com/.

I did however get bad news on January 7th, as i found out my employment would be terminated as of March 4, 2009. The Shore Gold Project is still moving forward, but 89 site employees will be laid off. I am looking for work elsewhere, but will defiantly keep my eyes and ears open with Shore Gold as I would very much enjoy continuing a career with them as they are very close to home and the company has been very good to me through and through!

Well that's it for today.

I am gonna miss my son's birthday as I will be stuck at work, so I will post this picture to celebrate my little boys 16Th birthday! Happy Birthday Bud!

Getting Started

Well, to start off my serenity and courage all starts with my family! This is us. Shelly is my wonderful wife who has stuck beside me through the good times and bad. I am so glad we have each other, she keeps me in line! Sheldon will be 16 on January 22. Tyra is 10. Kaitlyn is 5, soon to be 6. Tia is 1 & 1/2 and lets us know it!!!

This is a collage that Shelly's mom did of our trip last summer. We toured through Banff, Radium Hot Springs, Columbia Ice Fields, Jasper, and ended the trip with a couple nights in Edmonton.

Well that's a start. Stay Tuned for more!