The Unveiling...

Brooklyn Eva Brown is 6 lbs 13 oz. and 19 inches long. We are all glad she is finally here ... now for a party!

She's Here!

Baby Brookelyn Eva Brown was born today to Randy and Jennifer Brown at 4:35pm after a long go at it in the hospital in Calgary. We hope to share pictures with you soon. Congrats to the whole crew... nothing much better than a baby at Christmas!

A Wish...

We are all sending out Birthday Wishes to Grandma Winnie today! Hip, Hip, Hooray is far better than Hip, Hip, Replacement! (yes, I made that up myself...) There are so many great things that we have learned from Grandma, it makes it hard to know where to begin! I always knew she loved me, cause she seemed to be individually interested in me. Cards in the mail, matching outfits from The Bay, coming to recitals, etc. you always knew she was a big fan. I always love going to her house for dinner... I love how she cooks. Heck, I'll take 'the squeaky floor' anyday for a yummy dinner from her.
Course she isn't a pushover either. You'd have to wake up pretty early in the morning to pull one over on her. Now Grandpa on the other hand...

I am thankful for all Grandma Winnie has taught me and the example of tradition and dedication that she lives. I am thankful that she loves God and let's that love known.

Three Cheers to you Grandma Winnie! Know one looks better in red than you!

3 Cheers for Ellesse!

Or maybe 23 cheers?! Happy Birthday girl! We love you more than words can say. You bring laughter to our hearts and I can't imagine life without you. Happy Birthday Girl!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Congrats to Bryan and Kelly for hangin' in there for their first year! Their first anniversary maybe wasn't as warm and tropical as Cabo was but hey! Remember Aunt Kathy's quote on her pillow "Happiness is being married to your best friend"

Cheers to you!

Birthday Shout Out!

Break out the cake and ice cream... and coffee too! It's Kathy's Birthday today! Woop Woop! For the entertainment of the evening I'm sure we will have a special musical number by Jill on the kitchen counter singing something loud and off key!

Aunt Kathy, no matter how much the hair styles have changed over the years, you are still the life of the party. We love you and your 'scrabookin' self! Have a day fit for a Queen!

Lest We Forget...

May we always be thankful for those who paid for our freedoms. I say thank you to people like our Grandpa Hargreaves.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Hallowe'en Revisited...

Here are some Hallowe'en pics. from the Hargreaves 'South Side'... still waiting to hear from Hargreaves 'North Side'... Fun night!

Happy Halloweiner!

Make sure you send us pictures of your Halloween costumes or your front entry way all decked out. Is Grandpa going to be a pirate or ????

So much to be thankful for...

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Even during these 'tougher' economic times and uncertainty we do have so much to be thankful for. Just think of these wonderful little 'Hargreaves' spirits that soon will be here! We have comfortable homes to live in and food to eat. Good jobs to keep us busy and smart. Friends and family near and far. Most especially we have God that has given this to us all with His love... whether we asked for it or not.

We love you and miss you all. We are so thankful.

Gift to the Grandparents...

Bonnie McMullin Hargreaves wrote up this poem that we gave to Grandma and Grandpa Hargreaves for their 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Cedar City, Ut. We had all got together and shared our favorite memories of our Grandparents and laughed and cried. Bonnie with her great rhyming and lyrical talent put it all together. Enjoy!

Hargreaves Memories 2008

Sixty years have come and gone, oh my how time does fly
Lets take a trip down memory lane and remember years gone by

Grandpa played the organ, Grandma drove the car
We took lots of camping trips with motor bikes near and far

“My Grandpa wears panty hose!” always good for a laugh
My Grandma had a real fetching ‘Flower’ swimming cap

Grandma knitted sweaters and slippers, quite a few
We remember Grandpas bran muffins and ‘Trebor’ rum candies too

Matt would moon Grandpa any chance that he could get
And if Grandpa had a camera, well then even better yet

Ali remembers Grandpa teaching her to drive
There was always an ice cream cone at the end of the long ride

Grandpa and his movie collection, the family, feel-good types
Receiving Hudson Bay Clothing at Christmas, the boxes with colored stripes

Matt once ate an entire tub of Grandmas yummy shortbread
We remember stories of John and Dene told before we went to bed

At the house in Bowness, we remember the long phone cord
The pink room and the blue room and grandmas darn ‘squeaky floor’

At times we were at the hospital for Grandpa’s surgeries
Ali’s Crohns, Ellesses’ burst appendix and all Matt’s injuries

We would go to school with Grandma while visiting in Bowness
She would take us driving in her lovely Ford Taurus

Grandpa we called ‘Ferret’ and Grandma we called ‘Pooh’
And while the miracle drink ‘Matol’ smelled, it sure was good for you

You always made an effort to come watch us perform
Scouts, piano, plays, driving miles was the norm

Grandpa would remind us to take only what you can eat
If you clean up you plate you might just get a treat


Then there was the huge jar of coins to buy candy from the corner store
The white toy box that tilted open, so many toys to explore

We washed our hands with Coast soap that always smelled so clean
We watched Grandma Winnie flip the bird at drivers being mean

Justin sang ‘Thank God I’m a Dumbalo’ to a John Denver song
Ellesse got paid in skittles to make the piano play all day long

Then there was the Al-E-J, the neatest boat on the block
And who can forget when Grandma and Grandpa both fell off the dock?

Justin watched Bryan scalp Grandpa at Bragg Creek
It was the first time we met the ferret and we all let out a shriek

We sat in the backyard at Bowness with the trailer eating snacks
“Mug’ Rootbeer and ‘Nalley’s chips, we’d fill up till we cracked

All of the dinners that Grandma Winnie would work to make
Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, canned peaches, pears and cake

Of course there was the meatballs, swiss steaks and leftsa too
Peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, they were sure good for you

We all loved to hear the story of Dene throwing the hammer
“John touched it last!” Grandpa couldn’t be madder

We always received Birthday cards addressed specially to Master or Miss
The special gifts and presents always brought us so much bliss

“What is Syphilis and Gonorrhea?” Alison asked out of the blue
Grandpa laughed so hard his face turned many colors of red hues

Through the years we have laughed and sometimes we have cried
We have loved to share our family and our feelings from inside

We love you our dear Grandparents more than you can know
We are thankful for your example and all the love you show

We know that after sixty years that you are still going strong
If we work hard together we might make it just as long

Good luck in the future, there are more memories to be made
We hope your anniversary was wonderful, what a special day!

This is it!

This is the week of their 60th Wedding Anniversary! Grandma and Grandpa Hargreaves have been on a whirlwind trip to visit family in Alberta and Utah and celebrate their 60 years together. Food, folks and fun were had at both celebrations... here are some pictures! What an example they are to the rest of us. Here's to 60 years!

Birthday Wishes!

Here is a birthday shout out to Sarah Hargreaves! Woop Woop!
S-weet
A-wesome
R-eal fox!
A-singer in the making!
H-appy

"If I had one wish then it would be. A happy, happy birthday to you from me... or us!"

Newest Citizens

The United States of America just gained 2 new citizens in the Hargreaves Family. After over a year of waiting and 'process' Justin and Alison are American Citizens. Canada will be our Motherland (and maker of the best slurpess, oreos, etc. oh really don't get me started...) but the U.S. is now our Homeland. And just in time for the elections!!!! ... and Dan made sure Alison wasn't crossing her fingers when she took "the oath". My heart will always be with Canada, but my little family is now in the U.S... and that is where I will be.

Happy Anniversary to you!

Today is Justin and Donna's 4th Wedding Anniversary and so we send out a load of love their way. A lot has happened in those somewhat short years and they have come a long way together. Happy Anniversary you two!

Let the celebrations begin!

This weekend will be the kick off to a month of celebrations marking the 60th year of wedded bliss between Harry and Winnie Hargreaves. They were married in Weldon, Saskatchewan October 10, 1948. Through thick and thin they stood together and raised a family. We honor them and will do so starting off with two weekends filled with family, food, photos, and fun! September 20th the Dene Hargreaves group in Okotoks, AB. will enjoy their celebrations in style and then September 26-28 in Cedar City, Ut. the John Hargreaves clan will all party it up with seeing Ellesse in a play at SUU and then laying by the hotel pool, beautiful drives up the red rock canyons and plenty of food, laughs and good memories.

Then on the weekend of their 60th Anniversary their Church will be holding a special luncheon/get together in their honor.

Stay tuned for photos of both celebrations!

Moving on...

Our heart goes out to the June Rasmussen clan. Her father passed away yesterday the 8th of September and though he had not 'been himself' for sometime, memories and love still tug at our heartstrings. Know that we are thinking of you and your family.

Here are some songs for you...

http://waynewerner.com/VinceG_GoRest.mp3

http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/71995/The Rankins - Fare Thee Well Love.mp3

John Rasmussen
RASMUSSEN - John Boe Rasmussen passed away Monday, September 8, 2008 at 80 years of age. John was born November 13, 1927 in Denmark and immigrated to Canada in 1950. He is survived by his three children, June (John Hargreaves), Calgary, Jim (Terri), Saskatoon, and Heidi, Winnipeg; as well as Hanne Rasmussen and his four grandchildren, Jennifer and Parker Joliffe, Joshua and Sarah Rasmussen. John will best be remembered for his time spent as the owner and operator of Saskatoon Salvage Co. (1954) Ltd. The family will be having a private celebration of his life and wishes to extend thanks for your kind thoughts towards John. We also give many thanks to the staff at Extendicare Preston for their compassion and special care during John's time with them.

Back to School daze...

HOLLADAY - The bell at Crestview Elementary rang at 8:45 a.m. Miss Sander's first-grade class was already waiting outside. I pulled up short when I saw them. They were standing in line.
It's been 50 years since my own first day of first grade, but it came back in a rush. I hated standing in line.
Unfortunately it turned out to be an essential part of first grade. This was going to be way tougher than I thought.
It was my editor's idea that I spend the first day of first grade all over again, and as a student.
Miss Sanders cheerfully pointed me to the line. Twenty-two 6-year-olds turned and stared at me. Loaded down with backpacks and water bottles, they looked like a Hobbit infantry platoon. I could read their minds: "Wow, I hope I don't fail as many times as that kid."
Every genetic marker for disobedience in my body was vibrating. Waiting to file into class, I had an unsettling thought. It came to me that school may change but students don't.
Then it was time to go in. Miss Sanders' classroom was in the bowels of a school built during the Eisenhower Administration. It doesn't have air conditioning. By 10 a.m., the temperature in the classroom was in the 90s.
The remedy for this was to allow students to have water bottles on their desks - with water in them. If I had a water bottle on my desk in '58, the kid next to me would have been soaking wet the entire day.
The heat was miserable. Take the most eager-to-learn kid you can find, stuff him full of carbs for lunch, and then put him in a boiler room and you'll be lucky if he isn't unconscious in a minute.
Class began with a public address announcement from the principal just like in '58. Principal Venieta Hunt welcomed kids to school. Then we said the pledge of allegiance, took time for a personal happy thought that was definitely not a prayer, and got down to business.
Each of us received a name tag in a plastic sleeve on a lanyard. We were given specific and lengthy instructions to not eat them.
Miss Sanders has the patience of cast iron. Despite ample provocation (including some from me) I never saw an inkling of irritation in her. The closest she came to discipline was a "Thank You" list she kept on the blackboard.
Actually, it was a white board with Dry Erase markers. I wondered how a chalkless education system could even function. What do you threaten bad kids with if you can't keep them after school to pound erasers?
Our first assignment was to draw a picture of ourselves, write our names under it, and then, put our pencils down and wait quietly for the rest of the class to finish.
"Don't yell out that you're done," Miss Sanders said.
As soon as we finished our pictures, we yelled, "Teacher, I'm done!"
It went like that the entire day. Miss Sanders said only a half a dozen things, but she said each of them about 500 times.
We made Graham cracker feet with marshmallow toes. Each of us got a cracker we nibbled into the shape of a foot. Five marshmallow toes were then distributed to each student to affix to the cracker. After that, we ate them.
As the day wore on, I looked around for a kindred spirit. Every class in every school has a Kirby.
Every teacher spends 50 percent of her energy and 90 percent of her patience on him. When I finally spotted him, it was like seeing myself 50 years ago.
If the rest of the class was sitting quietly and listening to Miss Sanders, Ernie was off to one side, kicked back, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Or he was whacking some hapless classmate for revenge or just entertainment.
I scooched my desk next to Ernie. He loaned me his crayons. We drew pictures of the class favorite getting hit in the head with baseballs. Then I helped encourage him to behave by telling him that last year Miss Sanders bit off a kid's ear.
Class ended about the time my spine gave out. At four times their size and seven times their age, I didn't fare as well crossed-legged on the floor as the other kids.
Leaving the building, I thanked Miss Sanders and each of the teachers I saw. That they do their jobs at all is amazing. That they do them for what we pay them is a miracle.
Note to state Legislature: "Do not build another school without [a word I didn't learn until third grade] air conditioning!"
Robert Kirby -Salt Lake Tribune

Break out the good stuff!

A big shout out goes to Johnny Hargreaves! Tomorrow the 30th will be his buff day and we all here at Hargreaves Herd Herald want the world to know about it! You may ask yourself what can be said for the guy... well the list is too long. Top of the list is his soft heart. Really, I think it is made of ooey, gooey, brown sugar tapioca pudding. We love him and love his zest for life. Here's to you dad!

Say a little prayer... Cross your fingers!

THIS JUST IN!!!!!!!!!
Family!!

I MADE IT! I GOT IN! Out of the number of students auditioning for the Bachelors of Fine Arts degree I got IN!!! I AM FLIPPING OUT WITH JOY!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Mom & Dad for having me! All who helped make me ready, to all my siblings who gave me those great chips on my shoulders, welts on my arms, (especially from alison's pinces) THANK YOU ALI, THANK YOU BONNIE, THANK YOU DONNA, THANK YOU JUSTIN, THANK YOU DAN, THANK YOU MATT! THANK YOU ALL!!! I'm one step closer to becoming what I've always wanted to be! Mom & Dad, thank you, Thank you so so so much.

Love to ALL that have encouraged me
-ellesse

Ellesse is trying out for a new program at her school. Plans are for her to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in the Theatre Arts, but they have just opened a Bachelor of Fine Arts and she is hoping to get accepted into that program. There are only a couple more classes she will need to accomplish which will take her one more semester to accomplish, so she'll be all done come this next spring and graduate!

She is underway with practices for the performance she is in the end of September and beginning of October for Lysistrata. Busy girl.

Songs for our blog playlist...

What was 'your' song that you danced to at your wedding? I'd love to have those on our blog playlist. Or maybe you just have one that is a favorite or yours. Let me know! 'Brickhouse' is on there to cover them all!!! ha ha ha!

Special day today!

Happy Birthday Dene-o! And a shout out to Jill and Tim Fitchett on their first wedding anniversary. Guess they are in Koocanusa for the week... celebrating? I just learned why they call it Koo (Kootenays) Can (Canada border) usa (usa border) So original!!!! Not. Makes for good pictures though I see from Jill and Jenny's facebook page.

So raise a glass to Jill and Tim and eat some bbq in honour of Uncle Dene... and sing some 'Doobie Brothers' at the top of your lungs!

WELCOME Y'ALLS!

Howdy to you all! This blog is for you! So use it and abuse it, share it, bookmark it, refer to it often! Send me stories and pictures so we can all be one big Herd Blog!