'Tis The Season

I don't have much time here...it's almost midnight and I still haven't packed for our trip tomorrow.  We're off to Victoria to spend Christmas with Rob's side of the family this year.  So this is just a quick little blog to share with you how we've already been celebrating Christmas for the last 21 days...and also to wish you all a happy winter solstice and merry Christmas!

Banff Christmas parade

At the Canmore Ranch for our staff Christmas party

Their first time decorating the tree...actually they did more dismantling than decorating :)

Reading Christmas books

Cozying up with friends



Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! :)

A Month Of Blogging Rolled Into One

...Oh yeah, I have a blog, I almost forgot...actually it has been on my mind believe it or not, but for lack of time and energy it has taken the back burner for a while.  But alas, here I am again  to share a tid bit or two of what we've been up to in the last month...

We've come to accept the fact that winter is here and we're embracing it's return.  We've been getting out to play in the snow and go tobogganing...I almost forgot how much fun tobogganing is!  (When are the boys going to be old enough for a GT racer??)

Dressing for the cold has become routine now; the boys even willingly put on their winter coats as we head out the door. 

When we're playing indoors they're all about the trains and cars.  Casey always has to have a train or car in each hand and sometimes even falls asleep that way. 

We've been getting the creative juices flowing and hands (...arms, legs, tummies, floor etc.)  messy with homemade finger paint.  (I have since discovered that the best place for this activity is right in the tub!)

We Celebrated the end of an era.  Rob sold the truck last month to make room for a newer more reliable vehicle.  It was sad to see that one go.  We had the truck for as long as Rob and I have been together.  We called it "home" at times; it got us half way across the country; up to Alaska; down to Arizona and everywhere else in between.  We went on some great adventures in that truck...

On the lookout for Lupin (our dog).  Bishop, California



Park and climb. Moab, Utah



A little cove  in California where we camped and almost got swept away by high tide...the water came right up to the tires. (there was no escape route) I didn't sleep well that night.

And also celebrating successfully weaning the boys.  Hello champagne! (...I don't even like champagne)

And right now we are in full on deck the halls christmasy christmas mode...but I'll share more with you on that next time.

All Bundled Up

Getting out the door has become quite the ordeal these days...it's always a process getting two little ones ready for the outside world, but now with the cold weather upon us there's all the bundling up to do which is usually accompanied by some flailing and a few ear piercing screams (from them, not me) and just when you think you're in the clear there's at least one more diaper to change to do.  Oh the days when we could head out bare foot and jacketless... When we do finally get outside though, they forgive me for "torturing" them and all is well again.  And their new winter coats (thanks to their Nana and Poppa) keep them toasty warm and happy (for the most part). 

Stay warm!

Where the Wild Things Are

I wish it could be Halloween everyday...not just for the candy, but so that Casey and Liam could wear their costumes...they looked so cute!  Casey was a bear and Liam was a monkey. 

Halloween night came and went in a hurry.  I had a whole family of pumkins to carve and of course they were left to the last minute.  While Rob was upstairs dressing the boys in their costumes (a process in itself), I worked away carving up a storm. 

My crazy pumpkin family

With the pumpkins lit and the boys dressed we were ready for action.  We handed out candy to our neighbours (only two of them) and then went out to see a few more of our neighbour friends.

Woohoo!

It was a great night!  :)