So, yeah, an update has been very long overdue, so let's get right to it. Since the last update, here's what's been happening:

Since our camping weekend, I did 3 evaluations and reffed many, many games... In fact, on one Sunday I happened to do THREE games - two in the middle and one as assistant. Those days are pretty hard and I slept like a baby that night for sure. Most of the games went well, although I know there is room for some improvements in certain areas. But my thoughts are that I should be learning something new at every game, so things are all good.

On Saturday the 21st, "V" went back home as we had had her here for a good 6 weeks and it was great to have her help out and take care of "W" for a lot of the time. And I know she didn't mind at all... But she's back and the kids actually start school next week, so I'm sure there are anxious moments there...

Last weekend, little "W" and I spent the better part of Saturday at the Children's Hospital because "W" was throwing up a lot and was unable to keep anything down. She also had not eaten or drank anything for about 5 days. So we were a little worried she was dehydrating. However, the doctor that took our case said that she was still sufficiently hydrated and that she had a case of gastro. We got a prescription for some children's gravol and that really did the trick. I'm happy to say she's back to eating and is her normal healthy self - hourray!!

Also last week, we went for a glucose test and this week we got a call saying that we need to re-do the test as there was something that put us in the border-line category. The re-test is in a couple of weeks, so hopefully, that will turn out ok...

And I just found out some sad news that my parents' little dog was put down - awwww... she was really old and was suffering from a few little ailments, so it got to a point where it was time... I know they're heart-broken about it...

But on a lighter side, we had our ultrasound this morning and we managed to get some pretty incredible pictures. Here is just one of them. On the right-side of the picture is the placenta, which the little guy is using as a pillow. We received a bunch of other photos as well as a video including a recording of the heart-rate (which was a strong 158). Really impressive technology... So we're still a good 10 weeks away from blast-off and things are progressing really nicely. The baby is now about 2 1/2 pounds and is about 32cm (13-inches) in length...

This weekend, I will spend babysitting and taking in some soccer - watching actually as I don't have any games scheduled this weekend other than one game this evening.

This past weekend, we went camping to our traditional Voyageur park in Ontario (just across the Que-Ont border). We've gone for the last few years now and it's always been a nice weekend. This time, on our last day, the weather started getting dark and cloudy and so we rushed to get things packed up. Everything worked out well and we easily made it out. The only bad thing that happened this weekend was the bugs - For some reason, I gotten eaten alive and have been scratching for the last few days. Sure, putting on the anti-itch stuff or the After-Bite helps but they're still pretty bad...

Last night, a little baby was born - no, not ours but good friends of ours. Everything worked out well and they now have a healthy 7lb baby girl. They're home now and we may even get a chance to see the little one tonight if they're up to it...

We've still got another 3 months or so to go before we "pop". Little "W" is fully aware of what is in Mommy's tummy - "da little boy!" I think she'll be pretty happy when he does finally come out. No news on a name for our little guy but we should be figuring that out pretty soon...

Lots of games this week still and I've just been tapped to do a couple of Quebec Cup games this weekend, so it will be a tiring weekend. "V" goes home this weekend too, which is sad because I love having her around.

This past weekend saw the boys and me go to Algonquin for our traditional canoe/camping long weekend. This year we decided to take a different route and go to another lake. However, this time, it involved a portage that was 2.3km - boy, was that ever a mistake!! We were unable to carry all of our equipment, supplies and canoe in one shot. So we walked most of it to the other side, dropped it off, and then went back for the rest. That means in all we actually did a 7km portage. Unfortunately that added an extra hour and a bit to our canoe trip. In total, it took us 7 hours to get from the access point to the campsite. Needless to say, we were all very tired when we were finally unpacked and all setup. On the first night, we all went to bed at about 9:20 (soon after it was dark) and we all slept in until just before 9 the next morning - a 12 hour sleep...

The days were spent exploring our surrounds, playing horse-shoes, playing a newly invented game that involved filling old socks with rocks and throwing them into a custom made ring and a bit of canoeing as we explored an island nearby.

Last time we went, a water-bomber flew overhead, very low... This time, we had a water plane land on our lake and pick up a guy who was in a small motor boat. It was pretty cool to see him land and take off!!

Also last time, I had brought some eggs and after boiling them, I dropped three of them on the ground and they were wasted. This time, when we opened the protective egg carton, three of them were cracked - but this time it was "B"'s fault as he was the one carrying the food, which he had dropped a couple of times... Each night and morning, we were treated to hot chocolate or tea, which tasted amazing in the fresh cool air.

On Saturday, and since we had taken so long to get to the campsite, I decided that we should pack everything up and move to another lake which was closer to the access point so that our Sunday "commute" wouldn't be so long. This turned out to be a brilliant idea. Not only did we have more energy on the Sunday, but it also clouded over really badly and there was a serious risk of rain. Luckily, we managed to get the car loaded up and on our way before it started pouring. It rained the whole way back to their house and then all the way back to Montreal.

But the weekend was a great success and it was certainly a lot of fun. My arms were a bit sore but it was a "good" sore...

I've only got one game to ref this week, which is a U18AAA as an assistant. Next week, the busy schedule starts up again with lots of games coming up. So this was my little summer vacation and it was really nice to be able to relax a bit.

This coming weekend is another short camping weekend with some friends of ours. This time, "W" and "V" are coming along so that will be fun as well - don't know if it will be relaxing, but it will be fun...