Fall 2009 Picnic in Westbank Nut Orchard

Let’s Go Nuts!
Okanagan Families With Children From Africa
Fall Picnic in a Nut Orchard

Saturday, October 3rd, 11-2pm
Gellatly Nut Farm, Westbank

Bring your own picnic, reusable dishes, blanket, chairs and outdoor games/toys, and nut-picking bowls/bags.
We will supply hot drinks.
There will be old-fashioned picnic games like three-legged and potato-sack races.
There is 500 ft of pebble beach to throw rocks and run around, as well as a few picnic tables.
And of course, you can go into the nut orchard and pick nuts, which is pretty fun. To take them home, you pay $2-3 a pound.

Please dress warm! For the brisk autumn weather.
There is no shelter at the Nut Farm, so if it looks to be pouring rain, I’ll send out an emergency location via email the day before.

As usual, family and friends of group members are very welcome.

Not a member but want to come?  Email okanaganfca@gmail.com .

To get there: from Hwy 97 in Westbank turn down Gellatly Road towards the lake. When you hit a T intersection, turn right on Gellatly (left is Boucherie) and follow the road as it curves past a resort. Shortly after you will see Whitworth Road and the Gellatly Nut Farm is just a short way in on the left. Note that much further down the road is the Gellatly Heritage Park – but that’s not where we are going.

More about the nut farm: Regional District Site and some pictures.

 

PICTURES: May 2009 Potluck

Our May 2009 Potluck was held at one of our member family’s home.  We were treated to some amazing Ethiopian food, cooked by our hosts, as well as the usual eceltic assortment of potluck dishes.

The kids had a great time jumping on the trampoline, and the adults did what we do best – chat and watch the kids!  Several new families joined us for this event… we had just over 50 people in attendance!  Wow!

Enjoy the pictures below.

 

May Potluck Supper in Rutland

OKFCA POTLUCK SUPPER
Saturday May 9, 2009 – starting at 5pm
Kelowna (in South Rutland – please email okanaganfca@gmail.com for the address)

Our Canadian Ethiopian  hosts will make some Ethiopian dishes and injera. The rest of us will bring drinks, desserts, salads, etc.

Everyone is responsible for bringing their own non-breakable dishes, cutlery, glasses – and lawnchairs! for their family.

Please RSVP to okanaganfca@gmail.com by the end of the month with how many of your family members are coming, and what you are planning to bring.

As usual, friends and family of our group are very welcome!

 

MORE Potluck Pictures January 2009

Thanks to one of our members for some more great pictures!

 

Potluck Video January 2009

 

Potluck Pictures January 2009

Everyone had a great time out in Lavingotn.  We were happy to welcome a bunch of new members – people planning on adopting, another Ethiopian family, and even a veteran adoptive parent who adopted from Ethiopia a decade ago.  Our group just continues to grow and thrive!

Thanks so much to our Lavington members for hosting us – it was the perfect facility with a kitchen and lots of playing room and games.  Thanks to the couple who presented pictures of their recent trip to pick up their daughter.  And thanks to everyone for coming out!

 

PHOTOS: Fall Picnic 2008

It was so nice to see our regular members joined by new members!  Congratulations to the folks who have just started their process, and our newest arrivals (and their families) from Ethiopia and Swaziland. 

To see the photos below, simply click on the photo itself.  It will forward to a larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

Fall 2008 Family BBQ

We’re holding a Autumn BBQ for OK FCA members, our families and friends…

Beasley Park in Winfield (Lake Country)

Saturday September 27, 11-2pm

Please bring

• a communal dish (salad or dessert) with serving utensil
• meat to bbq for your own family
• lawn chairs, blank
• reuseable plates, glasses and cutlery for your family
  (let’s be green, peeps!) 

RSVP to Nathalie please

… telephone 250-448-6902 email: flo-cars (at) hotmail.com

 

Spring Family Potluck in Westbank

Sunday, May 18th – Westbank
Okanagan Families With Children From Africa FAMILY POTLUCK

 

We’ll BBQ at Laura and Brent’s house and there is a lot of room for the kids to play inside and in the backyard. If you have outdoor games (soccer, football, etc…) age-appropriate for your kids, please bring them.  3344 McIver Rd, Westbank (250) 768-4348

 

**Please bring your own meat, plus a communal side dish or dessert of your choosing.

As usual, friends and family are welcome.

Please RSVP to okfca@hotmail.com to let us know you are coming! (Thanks for hosting, Laura!!)

 

Directions: (Google Maps has it wrong!) Drive south through Westbank.  Once you have left the “downtown”, you will see a huge exit sign for Glenrosa.  Turn right on Glenrosa.  Turn RIGHT on McIver, and their house is down a ways on the left.

 

MORE PHOTOS: Celebration Jan 26, 2008

    

    

  

Thanks for the photos Nathalie!

 

VIDEO: Celebration Jan 26, 2008

 

PHOTOS: Celebration Jan 26, 2008

We had a super fun time at our celebration… here are some photos but I’m sure we’ll have some better ones from other members!

The food…

 

Families enjoying the Ethiopian feast!

 

 

 

Spending some time chatting and hanging out…

   

Some sweet faces…

 

Welcoming our two newest arrivals!

 

 A special thanks to all our group members who cooked, set up, washed dishes, baked a cake, brought music, etc!

 

Okanagan Timkat Celebration Jan 26 2008

Saturday, January 26, 2008 – Kelowna
Timkat Celebration
5pm-8pm, Reid Hall, Benvoulin Heritage Park, 2279 Benvoulin Road, Kelowna
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This gathering of the Okanagan Families With Children From Africa will celebrate the biggest festival of the Ethiopian calendar.  We’ll include all the secular parts of the Orthodox celebration, including eating great Ethiopian food and listening to Ethio music. Dancing and frolicking is encouraged! Parents should bring a *small* gift of a new article of clothing for their children, as is the tradition.
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Want to come? 
$15 adults / $7 kids / $0 babies
5pm-8pm / Reid Hall, 2279 Benvoulin Road, Benvoulin Heritage Park, Kelowna
We could use some help cooking, if you are game!
Also looking for families that have been to Ethiopia already to share their photos and/or do a short presentation.
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Please RSVP to okfca@hotmail.com

Learn a little more about Timkat/Timket here and here.
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PHOTOS: October Picnic in Osprey Park

             

What a great time it was on a frosty fall afternoon in Osprey Park.  We got to know each other with a little Bingo icebreaker, dined on kebabs, salad and brownies, swung on the swings, tossed the football around, and chatted away about adoption.  There were parents, expecting parents, siblings and even expecting grandparents in attendance.

Thanks to all the families for coming – we’ll see you next time!

 

 

Potluck BBQ Date Change to Sat Oct 27

Note that our get-together was postponed until a week later, when more families can attend.

Please RSVP to okfca@hotmail.com to organize what you can bring…

 

Our first get-together Sat Oct 27

Our first get-together!  How exciting!

 Saturday, October 27th, noon – Kelowna
OKFCA Family Potluck BBQ in Osprey Park
Bring your outside toys -there is a playground and ball dimond with lots of room for games at Osprey Park on the corner of Osprey and Richter (enter off Pandosy Street) in south Kelowna.

We’ll go rain or shine – there is a picnic shelter as well as a OKFCA member’s house just down the block if we need to warm up or move inside. Please email okfca@hotmail.com to sign up for the potluck lunch.

 

Off we go…

 Our new group is underway.  After several months of saying to each other – “Boy, there are a lot of us families with kids from Ethiopia in the Okanagan now!  We should form a group!” – we are kicking into action.

We have joined the new club/group Families With Children From Africa, which is a national community for Canadians with African Canadian blended families.

Are you interested in learning more?  You can reach us at okfca@hotmail.com .

We will keep you posted with local events… be sure to bookmark our page and check back often.  You can also check out other chapters’ events and happenings on the left.

Welcome!