The end of the regular year of classes is over for the summer, and we wrapped it up with a tournament on June 11th and presentation night for students to advance in belt levels the next week. Overall, the Johnstones did pretty good.

Adult division

Jr. Division

A photo of Ethan made it into the paper.

Oops.

Ellie didn’t compete this time round, but this was the second tournament for dad and Ethan, and Adelaine’s first tournament (the girls only started going after Christmas).

Adelaine: first place kata, 2nd place kumite (sparring)
Ethan: 2nd place kata, 3rd place kumite
Troy: 1st place kata.

The next week we had our last presentation night of the year (usually three presentations a year). If you work hard, it typically takes a year to move up belt levels, and to encourage kids with a sign of progress, children can get a stripe on their belt with three stripes needed before moving up to the full next belt level.

white – yellow – orange – green – blue – brown – black

Ellie moved up one level to white belt with two stripes, Ethan moved up one level to white with three stripes, and Adelaine (who has taken to it like a duck to water) moved up two levels to white with three stripes. After the next session there should be a couple yellow belts around the house.

I first earned a green belt in Shotokan Karate probably 26 years ago, but haven’t practiced any karate since the early ‘90s. The style we have been learning since last September is Wado Kai Karate which is largely similar, but with some subtle and important differences. After knocking twenty years of rust off, and relearning slightly different movements and kata, I was promoted to a blue belt. I expected that this would take another year, but with a lot of sweat, a few pounds, a few poundings, a pulled this and that, and bruisings. Thank you to the instructors for patiently teaching the old dog a few new kicks in a different karate style. Next stop brown belt, then black!

During the month of May, I am one of the featured artists at the Motion Gallery in downtown Calgary. Here are a few photos I managed to take in between conversations during the Opening Reception at Motion Gallery Eau Claire Market. Most of the photos were taken late in the evening after most people had left. We had a really wonderful time. Thank you to the staff at Motion Gallery for the great night!

The Royal Canadian Circus was supposed to be performing up in Fort McMurray this weekend, but that was obviously not going to work with the city evacuated. It must have been a pretty quick and harried number of phone calls to find a new venue, but they chose to come to Olds. The first night all the proceeds went to the Red Cross for the people of Fort McMurray, and they announced that they had raised $20,000.

This is the second time for the kids to go to this circus, and they really enjoyed it.

In May our three children participated in the A.C.E. Alberta Jr. Convention. There they got to compete with students from a few other schools in things like art, poetry, music, sports, science, etc.

Ellie (11 yeas old) wrote the poem below for a recent school competition. I thought she did an amazing job with it and it earned her 1st place for poetry!

Jesus, Our One and Only Saviour

They sat at the table, drinking wine and eating bread.
Sitting nearby was John. “Eat, Master,” he said.
“I feel grief,” came the reply.
“For my death is nigh.”

Ten minutes later, wine and bread all gone,
They went to the garden while they sang a song.
Jesus went to pray. They were to watch, but they fell asleep.
Just then soldiers came. Afraid, his friends didn’t make a peep.

Soldiers arrested Jesus—God’s Son, of all things!
The disciples could only wait to see what morning would bring.
Jesus was put on trial, had him falsely accused,
By this the disciples were not amused!

Worst of all, they had him crucified.
Peter was so sad and Bartholomew felt petrified.
When John got home, he cried himself to sleep.
Why did Jesus have to die? Oh he couldn’t help but weep.

Mary went to the tomb, when three days had gone by,
But when she got there, you could hear her cry.
She ran inside the tomb, but what did she find?
Two angels sitting, side by side!

“Good news! He is risen!” they said.
But their words didn’t get through her head.
She turned around to leave, distraught.
She saw someone. Maybe the gardener, she thought.

The man said, “Mary,” in the gentlest voice.
“Teacher!” she said and began to rejoice.
She ran to the disciples. She had so much to tell!
She told them all, “Jesus is alive and well!”

They said, “It all makes sense!
“How could we have been so dense!
“Jesus is God, who died so we could live,
“He rose again, so we have hope and hope to give.”

Ethan‘s Uncle Andrew helped him make a clock out of an old piece of wood. Thanks for all your help with this one, U. Drew!

Ethan also did a science display on crystals. He loves rocks and crystals, and he had been given a gift of a crystal growing kit. We also made some other crystals from scratch, and he had to do a bunch of reading on crystal formation and what crystals can be used for.

Ethan competed in a number of things. Naomi was especially pleased that he was willing to try things even though he knew he wasn’t good at them (such as sprinting). He had wanted to sing a duet with another boy, but when the other boy backed out, he wondered who he could get to sing with him. His big little sister, Adelaine, volunteered and the two both won first place for their song together. Ethan won in a number of areas, but here’s just a few highlights:

1st Place Woodworking

1st Place Lego Sculpture

2nd Place Science Exhibit

Adelaine is a very hard worker and very creative, so she put a number of art entries in, including drawing, a colouring page, cross stitch, lego sculpture, plus sang in three groups among other things. She also participated in several sports (she’s the athlete in the family). She won 10 awards. Here are a few of them:

1st Place Colouring Page

1st Place Coloured Sketch

1st Place Cross Stitch

3rd Place Lego Sculpture

1st Place Piano Solo

2nd Place Vocal Trio

1st Place 100m Race

Ellie had less time to prepare, but still managed to enter in several areas. She was very eager to do a science exhibit with her beta fish. She also sang with the school choir and built a lego sculpture. She did well in every area she competed in:

1st Place Lego Sculpture

1st Place Science Exhibit

1st Place Poetry

2nd Place Piano Solo

On a very hot Saturday the week of the fires in Fort McMurray, our kids, along with our neighbours grand-kids who were visiting, came up with the idea of an setting up a stand to raise money for the victims of the fires. We were working outside that day, and saw the kids starting to carry things to the front yard. Once we found out what they were doing, we were able to get some iced tea going and help them out. They put up signs and were waving to drivers going by. We saw some people drive by, turn around and come back to make a donation. We also had some friends in BC who saw a picture of it on social media send $50. At the end of the day, they had raised $200.30! Thanks to those who stopped by to buy a drink or donate money. The kids were very encouraged and thrilled to help out in some small way.