The Engleson Files

Halloween day woke us all up with howling winds, piercing rain and a temperature far below what we have been used to - and it did not improve much as the day progressed. But, in the true Canadian spirit the cold did not stop us and we all ventured out to gather our candy, but it certainly did play a huge factor in our enjoyment of Halloween 2009. Dressed up as Ultraman, Magnus ran as fast as he could from door to door in order to keep warm, Svea, dressed in her Pooh Bear costume, just huddled close to Mom and cried a lot. In the end, all the kids cleaned up with a ton of loot and all the teachers who handed out candy did a great job in making the day special for the kids. Halloween 2009: cold but another successful venture in the books!

I have always loved the month of October and today one of my favorite days of the year took center stage - the great family pumpkin hunt. Yes, today the Engleson’s along with the Brown’s and Defieux’s ventured deep into the Chinese countryside in search of the pumpkins that will become our Jack-o-Lanterns for the upcoming Halloween festivities. This day has become tradition in our family and it was great to get out and walk through the small villages once again. The country is quite beautiful at this time of year and I just love watching the kids run around and interact with whatever is thrown our way - curious onlookers, translation needs, climbing big rocks and hills and, of course, seeking out the best and biggest pumpkins we can find. In the end everyone came away with enough loot and now have a week to carve the giant beasts into shape. All in all it was a fantastic day out and everyone who participated had a great time!

Today the family ventured out into the countryside to go and pick some apples at a local orchard. Going with the Browns and Moshers, the whole gang packed up inside a nice mianbao che (or bread car as it translates - or van as we call them) with the thought of only picking the best apples on this most perfect of days - the Chinese claim that this is the best day to do it. The fall season here has been absolutely fantastic and it was wonderful to be out in the country wandering around. It was a great day out and we now have enough apples to sink a battleship. Happy apple picking day everyone!

This past weekend Kristin treated the family to her world famous homemade pumpkin pie. Last year was the first time she made one on her own and this year is all about honing her skills to perfect it - and needless to say, the pie was absolutely fantastic and all of us who indulged enjoyed it thoroughly! The fall season is such a wonderful time of year and it is partaking in such wonderful things such as pumpkin pie that makes the season even better. Thanks Kristin!

After watching her brother receive all these shiny round coins for cleaning up the house before bedtime, Svea had finally had enough and wanted in on the action - which is why she is the proud new owner of her very own piggy bank. Every night the two kids clean up their toys and are given 1 rmb for their efforts. In the one week that she has been on this program it is abundantly clear that Svea has been handed down some of Kristin’s attributes when it comes to money and can always be heard yelling, “where’s my money for my piggy!” Oh god, here we go again!

Yes, the circus show just does not stop with young Magnus Bjorn around. I am not too sure where he picked it up from but one day we woke up and this is what we saw - and he has not been able to stop since! This Bjorn is a true nut sometimes!

The day has finally come: Magnus now enjoys playing with Lego! For the past couple of years we have continued to buy the Danish made toy but have never been successful in captivating his interest with it. But now, for whatever, reason he has come to really enjoy it and can be seen lounging around the house building new inventions everyday - and I couldn’t be happier! As a child, Lego was without question my favorite toy growing up. I loved how versatile it was and loved the imagination it evoked every time I played with it. Hopefully Magnus and Svea will continue to enjoy Lego and grow up to share with me the nostalgia of these wonderful plastic cubes!

Here’s ge ge being a ge ge!

The family has arrived back in the Province’s capital and are ready to relax, visit family and get prepared for the final push back to China.

Well, sadly another summer in Penticton has come and gone; the entire Engleson clan had a fantastic time in the scorching Okanagan heat and only hours removed we miss it dearly. Highlights include: visiting family, picking cherries with Svea, Magnus’s first hockey game, afternoon’s on the boat, visiting wineries, Apex hike, Engleson’s championship croquet game and happy hour on the back patio - you name it we did it all. Just want to thank Mom and Dad for all their wonderful hospitality and we all miss you guys dearly. Thanks!

Love,

Craig, Kristin, Magnus and Svea

Well, another summer season is coming to an end here in the Okanagan and, once again, Kristin has loved every minute of it. Whether it has been going to the wineries, lounging on the beach, picking cherries, swimming on the boat - you name it Kristin has done it and has had a blast!

First thing you need to fully understand when it comes to waterskiing is that I suck! As a kid I never did it and have only taken it up since Mom and Dad have moved to Penticton and bought the boat; so I am now 37 years old and in my 4th year of learning - the same goes for my brother. So, a couple of years ago I was happy to just get up and ski behind the wake with two skis, and this year, thanks to Jim (I can’t have him be that much better than me!) I have attempted to drop a ski and try to weave in and out of the wake. As you can clearly see in the pictures, my brother has much sharper form than me and can control himself on one ski far better than I; however, I have been able to drop one ski and did get outside of the wake to which I am very happy about! So I continue my journey of progression with waterskiing and love getting out on the boat and ripping it up - or at least have the water rip me apart!

This year has really become a turning point in Magnus’s swimming career. He has become so proficient in the water that he has shed his bulky floatation devices and will pretty much go anywhere in the water he chooses. If he’s on the beach, he will swim with the big guys out to the wharf or if he is on the boat he will jump out in the middle of the lake - it has been a lot of fun to watch him blossom in the water. Another advancement with Magnus is his ability to attempt diving and mastering the age old classic cannonball jump. Either way this kid is having a blast in the water and everyday it is struggle to get him out of it.