Snider Family Newsletter 2014

8/10/2019 Snider Family Newsletter 2014

1/8

What a banner year for the family working out of our tiny studio and reaching clients as faras Malaysia, Australia, Russia, Chicago and ... Calgary! The boys, in particular, earned wellabove expectation and were able to justify a bonus trip to visit Oregon, and thanks toGrandma and Grandpa Meltebeke, go to the Oregon/Stanford game at Autzen stadium.They purchased their own plane tickets. Similarly, we opted to travel as a family to London inFebruary with the Mentorship 1 & 2 students at Rosebud School of the Arts, and the boys

have already earned their tickets for that trip as well through their charming, humorous, earnest, and kid-likevoices. Need a voice over? Check out our website at: www.snidervoices.com

Th

e

Sniders

2014: A

YEAR IN

REVIEW...

Davids Daily Dialogue

The year has been richin challenge, travel andexperiences!

As I look at the picture above, mythoughts go to the Summer and Fall as thestretch of the year that held the highestadventure.

With my mom and dad celebrating their50th anniversary in Idaho in June, anephews wedding in Oregon in July, and aweek-long stay already set in the CanadianRockies in Canmore, we thrilled to each ofour family trips!

At home our backyard garden wasoverrun with sunflowers--a sunflower forest,and with help from our generous friends

Mike, Theresa and Josh de Graff, we got a

new front porch and lattices around ourhouse!

The Fall brought two big workchallenges: Jeany in the play Doubt, and me

serving as interim Education Director forRosebud School of the Arts while performingin a musical version of C.S. Lewis TheLion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Bigyear!

With honorary member: Andrew Cooper.

SNIDERVOICES

Some interesting stats:

How many sunflowers in our garden 2

Number of football articles Jeany read

Number of times the boys swam this summer

Number of times we ate handcut pasta

Charles Lyles and Judith Betty Snider: 50

of marriage.


2/8

Playwright John PatrickShanley describes themoment of when doubt shiftsthe tectonic plates of ourCertainty as a wonderfulpossibility to renew or our

humanity. The process of playing a womanwho kept leaning toward certainly was a

disturbing one for me because it often askedme to be behave without grace toward the

other characters in the scene.It grieved my heart andstrained my imagination tofight for good reason whichprompted my charactersactions. And once I foundthem, I was still met with asense of often feeling aloneand misunderstood. It wasa huge emotional mantel tocarry, with a large dose of

grief at the end of each show. thankfully,there was some room for process inrehearsal and our run was brief. Afterevery show there was a talk back with theaudience. Not your usual how do youremember all those lines kind of questions,but I was seeing myself up there inevery one of the characters kind ofconversation starters. It waswonderful to come to share in the

conversation of what it means to behuman and to knowour patrons and letthem share with us inthe uncomfortabletruths of fear andprotectiveness,oppression and

power. Thankfully,

the cast had some fun doing some how we

unwind after Doubt photos and have manyfond memories of working together as a team

TRAVELHopes and plans for 2015:

D

oubt

;aP

arable

Playing in Doubt

Some Doubt stats

# of times I skipped a line 2

# of times I nearly fell asleep 4

# of times I enjoyed the talk back 24

# of times I cried after it was done 28

Fun times off stage with the serious crewfrom Doubt: Nathan Schmidt, HeatherPattengale, Lennette Randall, SamanthaShowalter, and Geordie Cowan.


3/8

Top 10 moments

1. Canada Day bonfire and

padded weapons battle and

rafting!

2. Christmas morning and allthe creative giftings and gift

wrappings

3. Hikes and family fun in

Canmore

4. Swimming, pinocle, and

underwater chess

5. Oregon football

6. Jacks Giant Adventure

7. Drew and Mollys wedding

and time at the beach!

8. The Lion the Witch and the

Wardrobe

9. Mom & Dad Snider 50thAnniversary

10. Montana Beauty

Canadian Citizens!As of Dec. 15 at 11:30am, Jeany took her

oath to the Queen and joined the rest of thefamily in becoming a true red and whiteCanadian.

We had a lovely day in a sunny Calgarywith the boys playing hooky from school andenjoyed a festive lunch at Quinns a Vietnameserestaurant, thus indulging in the greatexperiment of Canadian multiculturalism.

It was a privilege to stand with 80 othersfrom 22 different countries and pledge my

allegiance to my home for many years, saidJeany, who looked stunning in a comfortable butglamorous red dress, I get choked up now whenI sing God keep our land, glorious and free.

Jeany reports also being greeted by friendsat the door with salted caramel butter fudge fromThe Bay, and a shot of pure Canadian maplesyrup to toast her new status.

Jeany wants to give a special thanks toAndrew Cooper, Sienna Holden, BarrettHileman, Bill Daugherty and Nathan Schmidtwho also attended the ceremony and lunch withthe Sniders.

Heoolo there, thanks for stopping by;settle your buns down for a nice littlechat. I am here to answer yourquestions.

What is the point of the Universe, youask? The point of the Universe is for people tomake complete fools of themselves, and in sodoing, entertain...me. So could you please now,drop your devices on the floor, take a sledgehammer, make a video of you yelling Hi - YAH!

as you smash your device and send it to me.Thank you so very much.

What do I prefer on my toast - jam orpeanut butter? Neither, I prefer one of the mostunhealthy substances that can be put on toast:Nutella. And, never, I repeat, never, put it in thefridge! Dreadful consistency. Comes out quitenasty and you must wait for two hours beforeyou can spread it. What a nightmare.

If I could anything to be in the world, itwould be... I would be... I .... ooh... I um... Iwould be MYSELF. The very intelligent,handsome young man that I am.

If I could have a tea party with anyone inthe universe? -- Easy. That would be my

grandmother, and we would have all thenecessary goodies decided by HER.

My favorite candy? Ooh. Good one.Lately Ive been captivated by the strawberryAreo, but my overalltime favorite, wouldprobably be a Crunchie. Im quite sure there aremany that I like, but none have completelyprevailed. Its a very small problem though,especially when theres garlic to be found.

Yes, I am traveling to London this Februaryand I am looking forward to see the beautifulplaces of wonder. Like... Warwick Castle, ofcoursewhere they have

the catapult andpeacocks and allthings medieval

and what not.

New Canadians Davidand Jeany Snider toasttheir multiplecitizenships!


4/8

I am the new

Elvis; sense

my power.Sorry for the scary shot, but I

suffered through a week and a

half of hives. We still dont

know the cause. Donovan.


5/8

5 GOALS for 2015

Donovan:1. To run a 5K in less than 20 minutes.2. To build a forge and learn how to

blacksmith with my friend HaddenEliuk.

3. To become a better person. (That is

a constant goal.) :)4. To become a really good tuba

player, and an even better FrenchHorn player.

5. To build on all of my skills andtalents and use them to help others.

Weston:1. To have fun all through the year!2. To be a better person.3. Make more videos for Third Force

Productions.4. To see extended family/friends.

5. To join football.

Jeany:1. To exercise, even briefly, on a more

regular basis2. To catch up on my life memory book

from marriage to children.3. To finish my short play for Burnt

Thicket Theatre in Calgary.4. To work on my play I Heard the

Bells5.To blog more.

David:1. To write some songs.

2. To become an expert tax filer

3. To spend more time with yourchildren -- says Donovan.

4. To plan for world travel in 2016

5. To run a 10K

Rosebud...Life in Rosebud continues to be whimsical, creative, playful,

challenging, meaningful, cozy, and inspiring. We asked each member ofour family what they think of Rosebud.Donovan: I think it is a truly great place to livebecause of the community and everyone in it.

I love the acting experiences available. I loveits setting. Its a beautiful place. And I lovewhat I believe it to be about. Its about truly great story, andsharing it with others, and teaching them how to share it further. Itfeels like the right place to live. I think God has brought us here.Weston: Everything Donovan said. I also love the people who live

here, the experiences in the church and the facilities. Thats is not Calgary.David: Its a place that invites people to know who they are and pursue goodness.

Jeany: Ive come to appreciate the big blue sky and the rolling hills and coulees. I like that Ionly drive once a week. But I do miss the sea.

We love reaching into our little mail box and finding a note. Should you ever wish to dropus a card through snail mail, it would make us so happy! Sniders, Box 630, Rosebud, Alberta,T0J 2T0 Canada

In the Kitchen...Donovan and Weston and David have developed quite ataste for cooking. Jeany has always had one. Every timewe travelled to a new town on our summer adventuresDonovan would look for a bakery to sample their specialtreats.Weston has enjoyed making bacon, guacamole, pies, andcaramel apples.

Donovan has made numerous smoothies with his newVitamix. And has made pretzels, buns, cakes and cookies.Jeany continues to create soups and casseroles fromwhatever she finds in her fridge and cupboards and

generous neighbors who lend in a pinch.David has become the go-to man for roasts with his herby rubs and finds on the internet. He

is definitely a great recipe finder and as always, a wonderful dishes man and cleaner-upper.The rest of the family is still learning to work as a team to clean. God help us, please.

Fun in Grounding with Geordie, Bill, Jesse, Brynn and beloved stuffies.


6/8

Calendar

January February MarchWe are looking at a very full

spring for our family. Lots ofcommitments for all. Here area few highlights we arelooking forward to and somedates to keep in mind.

David: Directing A Midsummer

Nights Dream

Jeany: Treasure Island,

12 Natl FootballChampionship;Go Ducks!

17-19Rosebud Retreat. A fun timewith students, staf f, board andcommunity members.

9-14Rehearsals begin for TreasureIsland. Both Jeany andDonovan will be in this onehour retelling for youngaudiences

9-14Performances of TreasureIsland, 2 a day at RosebudTheatre.

eac ng rama m n s ry anfaith and art, as well as takinga theatre design class.

Donovan: Being in TreasureIsland and traveling to London

Weston: The London trip,March 14th of course, andmissing school!

31Our Immersion showcaseperformance and silentauction at Rosebud Church.This is a fundraiser for studenttrips in 2015 through RosebudSchool of the Arts. See:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-

arts-theatre-trips

15 - March 1LONDON, HERE WE COME!We will be in London,Stratford, Gloucester, andBath, and back to London in15 days.

14Westons 11th Bir thday! andnational pie day (3.14.15)This year, we will not surprisehim. He informs us that he willdetermine what activities willhappen.

This fall, Donovan was awarded theChristian Spirit Award at school,along with his regular LanguageArts/Social and Science/Mathawards. The award is for a studentwho exemplifies a servants heart

and does well in Religion class.Congratulations Donovan! Thetrophy is gathering dust in his roomfor this year.

reasure IslandThis year Rosebud Theatre is

oing a short run of a one actay with music for youngudiences March 9-14. Both

eany and Donovan will

articipate in this daring pirateydventure!

Earlier this summer we hadome fun going to Linden andorrington, where we visited theny gopher museum andpgraded our bikes. The boyssed some of their earnings tovest in a two-seater pedal cart.

Another fun moment weeized was on the way back fromomedale, Idaho and travelingrough Montana along our new favorite river, the

learwater River. 99 Miles of curvy highway

following a blue-greenfrothing rapids andsmooth gray stone. Atone spot we found asmall beach andwarmed our toes andreveled in its wildbeauty.

Donovan says TheHobbitmovie was verywell done, veryexciting, and very sad.

Good ending to the

orld of Middle Earth. Cant wait for the extendedersion and the behind-the-scenes appendices!

Sunday SchoolDavid wassuperintendent

for the Rosebud ChurchSunday School class once

again. some highlights of the

year included: a hike, pickingout rocks from a neighborsyard, and of course, theNativity pageant which waswritten and directed by Jeanyas David was swamped withLWWand education duties.

Summer MemoriesWe also got to visit our dear friends the Tows

on our way over to Chemainus where we gotsee old friends, swim in the sea, and see

Sebastian in Les Miserables.Then we went on down to Tacoma to spend

Donovans 13th birthday with Uncle Gary and AuntSally who took us to a Mariners game. Donovanhad a special birthday message on the game boardand we were joined by Daves Aunt Cathy anduncle Chet as well! The next day we got to hikearound Mt. Ranier and enjoy a fun picnic with UncleGary and Brinley and Miley and David.

After a spectacular drive out of the mountainarea, we finally came to mom and Dad Meltebekesin Eugene and began preparations for Drew andMollys wedding.

After the wedding festivities, several of us wentfor a four-day stay at Driftwood Shores and moreJuly birthday festivities.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-tripshttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rosebud-school-of-the-arts-theatre-trips


7/8

Jacks Giant AdventureIn March, Donovan starred as Jack inRosebud Theaters Theater for YoungAudiencesproduction of the retelling of the fantasytale Jack and the Beanstalk. It was afun musical and a great learning

experience; Ienjoyedeverythingabout it, eventhough I didntrealize it all atthe time.

Our 2015 hopes:1. To travel with Samaritans Purse and

help hand out shoeboxes.

2. Oregon football to win the NationalChampionship

3. A safe trip to London

4. Develop the Rosebud Quidditchleague.

5. To finish landscaping our yard.

Our 2016 hopes:1. To travel to the Congo and visit the

boyssponsor children2. To travel and linger in a culture vastly

different from our own.3. To build a pool in our backyard.

(Jeany)4. To build a forge in our backyard and

do some metal work. (Donovan)

5. To get a large trampoline for ourbackyard. (Weston)

6. To have a flower garden in our yard.(David)

Hmmmm.....

The Heroic Tale ofFather and SonBy Seal Snider

It was the middle of September, andin beautiful little Rosebud Alberta, it had

already snowed. That wasnt the half of it, it had

reallysnowed. In Calgary, the city about an hour

Southwest of Rosebud, it had snowed so much that the

city had to send out teams of volunteers and workers

to clear all the roads.

But that is not our story. Our story is about twoboys in the Snider family; one a man the other a new-

ish teenager who still considered himself a child.

Now, these two, David and Donovan, both loved

to run. They were getting good at long-distance

running and had signed up for the Annual Drumheller

Dinosaur Family Fun Run taking place on the morning

of Sunday, September 14th. They had heard tales from

others who had gone and done the run before, but

they themselves had no idea of quite what they were

getting themselves into.

The morning of the race, hundreds of people had

gathered in the starting area in front of the towns

recreational centre. They ranged from those who

looked like professional runners to those who, like the

two Snider boys, were just there for a good time andworkout.

The Sniders had signed up for the shortest race,

the 5 kilometer run (5k), because it was their first time

at the event. Hot air balloons filled the sky as people

from around the area flew up in them to make the run

more festive.

Finally, it was time to start.

David and Donovan began to run, along with the

throng of others, up the streets of a blocked-off section

of Drumheller along the 5k route. They stuck togetheruntil they passed the drink station of the half-way

point.

Donovan had run 1k runs in school before and

could do so in 3 minutes and 58 seconds, but this run

was, well, five times longer.

Donovan finally chose to run ahead and go his

own speed for the last 2k of the race, but he felt sad

about leaving his Dad behind. His Dad and he had

signed up for this race to run together. He tried to

keep looking back and shouting encouragement to

him, but still it didnt feel quite right.So, as Donovan sped along the last stretch of the

route and heard the loud cheers and calls ofspectators and the boom of the announcers voice

through the speakers, he took a deep breath, charged

ahead toward the finish line and....

Stopped abruptly right in front of it.

The volunteers on the side, confused,

encouraged him to cross the line and finish the race,

but Donovan shook his head, Im not going to finish

without my Dad.Donovan waited, slightly awkwardly, on the

sideline for David to come around the last turn before

the finish, then sprinted back along the track to run the

last few metres with him. They hugged each other, and

this became the most memorable race they had ever

run. :)

Donovans new time for a kilometer is 3:51.

Two 5K Runners!

Other moments:


8/8

Diary of

Anne Frank

Spring 2014Dave and Jeany were privileged torepresent the real life Otto and EdithFrank in The Diary of Anne Frank atRosebud Theatre. It was a wonderfulmeaningful production. Oftenaudience members would share withus after the show their own hidingstories from WWII. It was remarkableThe entire play was full of power fromthe first moment to the last, and it wassuch and honor to be a part of thisnoble endeavor. David: It was an honor to represenOtto Frank. I read a biography of hislife, and his perseverance anddevotion to bring Annes story to theworld is a legacy of hope and light inresponse to despair and darkness.

So many memoriesAs we scroll through the many photosof the last 12 months, we are stuck,again and again by the manyblessings: gorgeous sunflowers,buzzing with bees;brilliant blue skies withwhite fluffy clouds;and numerous happyfaces with mischievous

bright eyes.

THE BACK PAGE

he Year of ReadinessTaking on the role of InterimEducation Director gave me anopportunity to use strengths inorganization and communicationwith the staff and students ofRSA. I enjoyed the challenge of

reasing my work pace, and learning how to beourceful to prioritize and complete tasks. I amteful for the support I received from Jeany andboys, and fellow management team members fordance.

Westons Words...I have enjoyed listening to Stuart McClean. I

nk some day I could do what he does. Unless Iam a physics engineer. The bestthing I ate all year was the beef dipat the Thorny Rose Cafe with extrasour cream and onion dip. I highlyrecommend it. I really enjoyed

watching Oregon football andtrack and field this year. Here is a

ture ofen we metwardeserek onpeople

dge in

gene todayh Kevin andchelle. Hes very kindd is anazing runner!e of the best places I swam all year was the PortCall Best Western hotel in Calgary.

My favorite plants in the garden were my giantflower and my purple carrots. Next year I hope

grow watermelon and carrots.I was the angel Michael in our school play this

ristmas. I got to boss a lot of girls around.My favorite thing to do on the computer is play

mes. And right now I am reading Artemis Fowl:e Opal Deception and I love the series. I haveo read all of the Percy Jackson and Heroes of

ympus series. Heres what I think of the newbbit move: I am happy with the way that it was

atively true to the book; they added things, but its a good ending for the series.

Nellie and the Famous FiveJeany had a wonderful, but brief opportunity to

play Nellie McClung in a debate drama at HeritagePark in June in honor of the opening of the FamousFive Interpretive Center. She and Paul Muir had afun day of acting and exploring the park. Nellie wasone of the five women who petitioned the Senate fora womens claim to personhood, which in term wouldlet them be eligible for the Senate and eventually,the right to vote.

NewDeck,NewlatticesThe familyselfie herewas takenon our newporch and front deck, created by the DeGraafs.Notice the happy faces, grateful for such generosity!

The Lion, The Witch and The

Wardrobe by C.S. LewisDavid: It was a joy to be part of the world of Narnia! Thecompany was wonderful to play with, and it was an honor togive this story of wonder and hope to full houses throughoutthe run. Playing Professor Digory gave me the chance to re-

read The Magicians Nephewand carry his secret knowledgeof Narnia in relating to the four children. Playing Mr. Tumnuswas a treat, too, as I found my inner fawn, wiggled my bumin funny trousers, sang a lovely song, and adopted thisprophecy from the story as a bedtime prayer with the boys:

Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight. At the soundof his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth,Winter meets its death. And we shall have Springagain.When he shakes his mane, Spring Again!

Christmas 2014 in Rosebud

Snider Family Newsletter 2014

Documents

Transcript of Snider Family Newsletter 2014