2010 Christmas Letter

My apologies to those of you who did not receive our Christmas letter via mail this year... in an attempt to be more resourceful this year I decided to post our letter to our blog instead (only a few family members received it via mail, who we tend not to keep in touch with via internet as well). You can click on each page to enlarge it a bit more.

Saunta Clause and Sledding

Aiden tries on Kevin's helmet. Kev did a night ski last night with a couple friends at Panorama... said the snow was good, weather was nice and he had a good time! Sounds like I would have like to be there! Next year (it seems each ski season finds me either pregnant or attached to a dependant little babe)!! I can't believe I took my kids to see "Santa". Who???? Atalie flat out asked me this week if Santa is real. I didn't want to hype up the rediculous jolly man dressed in bright red fluffy clothes repeating "hohoho" until all the kids around him are balling their brains out and yet I didn't want to smash her little bubble either... "Wellllll it's fun to pretend he's real" was my answer. I couldn't care less about something. So why did we take them to see Santa today? I guess because I'm full of Christmasy spirit and I figured it might be fun for them. The expression on Aiden's face is a perfect display of my own feeling towards Santa Clause... a boy after my own heart;) A little scenery around Fairmont (where Santa was residing for the day). This was before our sledding expedition! A fun time had by all!! :)

Winter is welcomed!

The inevitable happened this week. It snowed. A lot. So, after listening to Aiden beg and beg and beg to go out side alllll day Kevin releaved me of child-duty and took them out to play in the snow after work one day this week. The next day it snowed so much that the roads were nearly undriveable (is that a word???). After driving a stretch of highway for 30 minutes (which normally takes 5 minutes), his fellow employee/carpool made the wise decision to turn around and come home. That day turned into a 'shovel the walk all morning' day, a 'put the Christmas lights on the house' day and a 'what the heck, let's put the tree up too while we're at it' day! So needless to say we are Christmastised (pretty sure that one's not a word). Tonight was the annual "Light up the town" day in Invermere. It was a chilly one but more noticeably, it was a beautiful one! After accidentally missing the Santa Clause Parade entirely, we headed to drink hot chocolate and watch movies with the rest of Invermere. The town has recently renovated a piece of land into an outdoor theatre (ampitheatre I suppose) so the event was largely held here. (I know, terribly blurry... no tripod... but you get the point - georgous!!) Kids are watching the first movie (a C-mas Bugs Bunny & Almer Fudd) while drinking "warm" chocolate. Our evening ended when Aiden grew tired, Atalie grew weapy due to cold feet. As for Isla, she was a happy little camper! It's no wonder, look how cozy she was:

All about our littlest Isla!

4 months old All dressed up for Deanne & Scott's wedding in Abbotsford! 4.5 months old when she first starts to try out some rice cereal:) 5.5 months old. A walk in the woods! 6 months old. Hanging out in her highchair, watching the kids colour (she is VERY social, no doubt thanks to her siblings plus the two kids I babysit!) 6 months & 1 week.

Autumn happenings.....

A few of the new: Isla is loving her solids... started a couple weeks ago already! Lundbreck Falls is becoming a frequently visited pit-stop for us as we drive to and from Lethbridge so Kev can finish up his parents' reno (yes, they are home, sweet home now!!) Isla has graduated from the swing to the excersaucer! Isla is just over 5 months old now... looking so big! and so cute! :) One of a few pics we took for a Christmas card (or something of the sort)... this one is only revealed so early b/c we likely will choose a different one;)

Dinner conversation last night... Atalie: Can I have more cauliflower? Me: Yes, but first you need to eat this (pointing to the chicken on her plate). Atalie: But I don't like chicken. Me: Oh. Well who said it's chicken? It's - - - hen! Atalie: Hennnn???? Me: Ya, hen. Eat up! Atalie: But, did it died? I don't want it if it died. Me: Uuuuuhh.... just eat your hen honey (trying not to smile). Lol!! Okay so I got her to eat it once last night. That's a rare occasion since I made the mistake of telling her that the chicken we eat is the same chicken that goes "bok bok". I think I may have to let this one be from now on... perhaps she'll change her mind one day;) But perhaps not. This girl is making it difficult to find food! Not only is she lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant (yup, another Celiac in the family) but now she won't eat chicken. Good thing I haven't told her that the beef we eat used to go "moo moo" too! ;)