Around home...

We made a little craft a week ago, it turned out really great! 3D Paper Snowflakes. It was super easy too... here's the link if you'd like to make some yourself; if you want something even simpler but with a more artistic flare, try this link. Isla is 8 months old now, still growing like a little weed ("sunflower", as Atalie says). Aiden and Kevin... I suppose the picture says it all :) We went for a stroll in the wintery woods (the only place that wasn't a complete skating rink) on Saturday... but first we thought it would be fun to get the van stuck a few times -- don't ask why we took the van. And by "a few" I really mean a few. Three, to be precise. I won't go into detail... for the sake of our egos. These above pics capture the first "stuck" moment (the least stuck of them all). ...and finally, some pics of our walk, which we eventually got to!

Christmas Shots

Our 1st Christmas was at home... Atalie's first Barbie! Aiden sets up his Hot Wheels track with a little help. Isla and I watch the action from a comfortable distance :) Kevin tries on his perfectly fitting MEC hoodie. We load (packed right full!) into the mv for a drive to Lethbridge... yes, even our large outdoor dog had to come :/ Our 2nd Christmas was in Lethbridge, with the Israelson-side... Nana and Isla play together. Kev and his Dad dusted off a couple of hats to try on. The dinner table was dressed in its best! The kids with their cousins, Brooke & Tyler... it's go time! Jeff and Leane worked on assembling Lego allll evening... is this one of those toys that reads, "SOME assembly required" on the package? It should have come with a warning if you ask me. Mom I. cutting up the ham. Cousins Tyler and Andrew manage to share a swively stool... I don't know how. Christmas #3 took place in Coaldale, with Mom and Dad Dyck (Tyler and Jana weren't able to make it this year - we missed them!!!!) Above, Grandma and Grandpa entertain two little pooks. Aiden checks out his Cmas present! Atalie loved this game, however it also came in handy for playing ponies:) Grandpa has the fortunate experience of feeding Isla:) Grandma has all her Grand-kiddos! Atalie gives me a birthday snuggle - the big 30 this time! Cutting up my cake:) Delicous!!! Overall a great Christmas season! We were blessed with lots of family and even got to visit with a friend or two:) Looking forward to what 2011 holds!

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.