This Concludes 2010

At 7:05 these boys were dressed and ready to go while Shawn and I were hoping for a few more zzz's. Amazing how efficient young boys can be when there is fun ahead!

We dropped Christian, Nolan and his friend Ethan at the slopes,

and headed to the back country. Just me and my Love! And a few others, I couldn't fool you with all of those footprints. After all the fresh air and exercise there is nothing better then a tail gate lunch.

One Way to Warm Up

It was a beautiful, clear and crisp day. What better way to get warmed up then going on a vigorous hike.

It warms you up, gives you a good workout and beautiful sights.

What Are They Doing?

You guessed it.

This has been a lot of fun. As I type this I hear laughter, cheering and some bouncing coming from downstairs Video games were not the only games played,

The old cribbage board was brought out and someone got a little addicted. Once we got back home, Shawn searched several stores, before he finally found one at Yeagers. We have been playing a couple of rounds every evening.

Cousin Levi is part of the "big boy" table.

It was a lovely Christmas spent with dear family and reflecting on the great gift God that gave us. We even got a family picture thanks to my new gorillapod

The Final Product

Part of the work Nolan completed to receive his craftsman badge in cubscoust was woodworking. He had great teachers and worked diligently but we needed to wait until now to see the resultsfrom. Apart from the bird feeders which was hung out in the yard, he kept the other projects a secret.

Until Christmas time!

Look at this beautiful cutting board! I don't think I will be cutting anything on this beautiful piece of art, maybe a hot plate? That way I can treasure it for a long time.

Great job Nolan!

Gifts Among Brothers

There is a catalog in this house that got its pages worn thin; the boys looked, dreamed, imagined and wished as they paged through it. Nolan & Ethan knew exactly which item Christian would enjoy and decided to surprised him. He is now learning the art of knife throwing, watch out!

Christian had an idea of his own, a little riddle before his brothers were treated to their gifts.

Today Christian took them on the city bus to two of their favorite places, After their fill of donuts, they went across the street to Eagle Hobbies where they could each chose a model. Quite some brothers! Some more glimpses of our week:

A lovely cookie & milk (or tea) at our neighbours.

Another belt under his belt Cutting cheese for our annual Christmas racklet dinner

Many Pieces of Fun

I have just scratch off the last item on my long to do list; shopping is done, house is clean (at least for today), kids are on school break.

Now all that is left is to sit back and enjoy the season.

Last December we tackled a 1000 piece puzzle, we left it out on our dining table and little by little it got done. Sometimes we sat down for a little while, sometimes we just passed by and found a fit for one little piece. We obviously enjoyed it since we are repeating the experience .

This particular puzzle was given to grandma a couple years ago by our boys. She is now letting us have a go at it. There are three lab puppies amidst a lot of dry grass. It will be quite a challenge, but now we have the time and the determination.

Snow on our Shoes

I thought I already knew the answer I would get when I called my friend Erika to invite her to come snowshoeing with me. It's December after all, and all you hear is how busy everyone is. I was pleasantly surprised when she said her day was open and she would come along.

Erika had never snowshoed before and it was amusing to think that a Brazilian girl was introducing an Alaskan gal to this sport. The beauty of it is, that it's an easy sport to learn; you just really need to know how to walk and you get a great workout. Actually, the beauty of it is, all the surroundings, the peace and the quiet.

We were even treated to a warm & comfy fire after our snowbound gallivanting. The boys were spending the night at the Mountaineers Lodge with their scout group. We hung out there to wait for my neighbor Lolita, who give us a ride back home. The friendly lodge hostess, Judy, invited us to stay for dinner since there were some people who had not been able to come, and there was plenty of food. Talking about Judy, we will have to go out with her next time to take our snowshoeing to a the higher level. She was taking a few ladies out who also had never tried it. Judy told us she would show them some basics, like how to fall and so on. Turns out that "falling", meant roiling down a hill somersault style, and if you are too timid to try it, she will just give you a push. Now there is a good way to learn it! Everyone staying at the lodge has a chore to do. Nolan, Shawn and some other great cooks prepared a delicious dinner, which was savored by all. After dinner, Ethan, my friends and I headed home while the older boys stayed up there, with hopes of another snow day today. Unfortunately, the "Pineapple Express" brought warmer temperatures which is now dumping rain up there. Regardless, I'm sure they are finding ways to have a good time.

I know I did!

The Wonders and Wanderings of the Mind

Oh, the amazing places that your mind can take you to . . .

Imagination always seems to triumph over concentration!

You should hear the tale behind this drawing, very amusing!

As for math, well, you get the picture.

Worth the Wait

Nolan waited patiently for his gift to arrive in the mail. At every truck engine noise he sprang towards the window to check the streets. Finally on Monday, the brown truck made it's delivery. The problem was that it arrived only half an hour before we had to head out the door for scouts and taekwondo. By the time we got back it was too dark to try out his new gift.

He would have to wait a little longer . . .

All that was on his mind this morning was to go out and climb trees, but you know how it goes: "work before play."

He would have to wait a little longer . . .

We were able to redirect his thoughts towards his school work, which he completed in a very diligent and efficient manner.

And now he is free to roam and climb!

Maybe I will finally be able to string Christmas lights on that huge cedar tree in front of our house. I could never convince Shawn to do it, but looks like Nolan might be up for the task!

Nolan's Day

On the morning of your birthday you get up early and with great anticipation head straight to the kitchen where there is a present waiting to be opened by you. At least that's how it usually works. This year Nolan was a little puzzled as there was only a card with a picture of the toys he had been wishing for.

Since he is now 11 years old, we were giving him the gift on exercising some patience as he waits for his gift to arrive in the mail, thanks to back ordered items. Kind of a bummer, I know! But before you feel too sorry for him, just know that he got his other wish, which was to go skiing. As he is probably tearing down the slopes at the moment, I'm slaving away in the kitchen getting the "birthday menu" ready. Years ago, we established that the birthday person chooses the meals. Nolan has developed quite of a gourmet taste. We started the day with some bold coffee, skiiers french toast, bacon and choice of mangos, pears, bananas & blueberries. For dinner, I'm making green chicken enchiladas with a home made sauce consisting of roasted pablano peppers, garlic & onion. To top it all off, he chose this cake as his birthday cake. So I better get back to the kitchen . . .