Tuesday Dec.21st

On the ninth day of Christmas....here's our super sleuth spy Sam getting ready to do the 12 Days dropoff...

he has loved doing this!  He gets dressed all in black and rolls in the ditches and dodges behind bushes so he doesn't get caught by the neighbours!

Monday Dec. 20th

Here's another apron I made for a little gift for a friend, it was so fun to make!...For family home evening we went carolling at the Middleton Manor with our friends the Wade family.

Sunday Dec. 19th

Norah and Sam wanted to help make dinner so Stephan asked them to peel the potatoes.

Saturday Dec. 18th

Gingerbread house party at our house tonight!  Nursery rhyme fairytale theme....very impressive creations indeed...

Dec. 17th Friday

We made gingerbread houses tonight...Norah kept saying "Do I eat this?  Just one?"  Then after eating one, she'd say the same thing!  The best part was, I let her!  I just let the kids eat whatever they wanted while they decorated their houses.

Dec. 16th Thursday

It was Sam's Christmas concert today...just look at him!  My fav song was "on my list, on my list..."

Wed Dec. 15th

Crazy Concert Day!!!  On Monday night there was a HUGE windstorm that was worse than the "hurricane" we got in the fall and shingles, branches, trees, and power lines were littered across the land.  School was cancelled for the entire valley because there was no power and so Christmas concerts were postponed until today...so Anna had a violin concert at the mall and then had to rush from that over to the school where she got to sing a solo in the Christmas concert.  She did beautifully!

Dec. 14th Tuesday

Here is Norah with her new best little buddy...

Monday Dec. 13th

On the first day of Christmas...we are doing the 12 Days of Christmas for 2 of our neighbours and I am so excited!!! Here is a picture of Day one:  regards to sugardoodle.net for the cute rhymes!

Sunday December 12th

I want to thank all of you other moms who blog and inspire me with great ideas to make home a fun, nurturing place to be!! I got this advent calendar idea (modified for our family) from a mom I don't even know but I saw her blog off Amber's blog...anyway it works like this, there are 25 circles with the date on it and on the back there is an activity to help enrich our countdown to Christmas! 

There is also a picture of the Savior on the back that

we talk about to help the season be more Christ centered.

Tonight we watched Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the Christmas devotional.

Oh, and this is our new puppy Potter!  He is perfect and is just a ball of fluff! 

 When we picked him up Anna hugged him and said, he's my best friend already.

Saturday December 11th

I think I get more nervous than them when they perform.  I hope I will always remember the ringlets and the ties, the taped sheet music and the way Kimball always plays Joy to the World WAY too fast.  He played it perfectly today though.  Anna played Silent Night and Sam played Jingle Bells.  They all did beautifully and Anna even did a little curtsy!  We had to tell them to go back and get their music.  It was nice to see all the other students play too; something for my children to look forward to as they grow in this talent.  Stephan asked Sam if he wanted him to play the duet part with him, but he said no, I just want to do it myself dad.  After the recital we went to pick up our puppy!!!

Friday December 10th

Well, tonight our trusty GPS needed SOS and CPR...even though we knew the whereabouts of the restaurant we were going to, we used the "Nuvi" and wound up in some farmer's field, one hour late for Stephan's work party and me snorting in the car because I was LOL'ing so hard!  This is the restaurant we went to...The Tempest  if you are ever in the area, go there, but it's one of those restaurants we will only go to once. Because it was Sooooooooo good...

Thursday Dec. 9th

It snowed last night!  And it probably won't melt this time!  Yay for that!  The kids had early dismissal today so the girls helped me dip the annual truffles!!  We rolled the centres in the garage because it was nice and cold and thought of all the people we have done this with through the years...
Norah came in and  had chocolate all over her face. She looked at me and said, "What?"

Wed. Dec. 8th

The kids got out of school early today and so we made their teacher's Christmas gifts.  That's a bonus of moving to a new town, you get to give the same teacher's gifts as in previous years cause you haven't given them here yet!  They made Poinsettia pens and cinnamon & clove smelly tins...

yay!  One more project done!

Tuesday Dec. 7th

Seriously, December is already going by way too quickly...my den/craft room looks like Santa dumped his workshop on my floor.  Poor Stephan, all he wants for Christmas is his office back, his office back, his office back.
We still don't have any snow, but the season must go on!  We went to Kimball's Christmas concert tonight. Yes, his Christmas concert.  Not only does their school have a choir, and a cafeteria, but it also has Christmas concerts!  Those are all things we've never had before.  We got a sitter for Norah b/c we actually wanted to watch the concert...she looked at our neighbour Emily and said, "I'm not scared of you anymore."    How lucky are we that I could just run next door at 4:00pm and say 'Hey Emily are you busy in an hour?'

Norah and I sewed matching Christmas baking aprons for her and Anna today.  I love the material and was so glad I found something to make with it!  Thanks to Michaela for making me one long ago so I could copy the pattern!  My Charles Dickens book came in the mail today!  I am ashamed to say I have never read anything of Dickens except A Christmas Carol.  A Tale of Two Cities will be my first read.

Monday Dec. 6th

This is a Christmas ornament that Anna made in Grade one and it will always be one of my favourite things to see on our tree!  She keeps going back to the tree and just sitting beneath it.  We picked names for Surprisa Avond.  For those who don't know what this is, it's a family tradition that started way back when Stephan's mom was a little girl in Holland.  You pick a person's name, wrap a gift for them in a creative way, write a song or poem to go with it and present it on Christmas eve.  The kids love doing this and they're old enough that they've been doing it by themselves for a couple of years now.  I can't remember who I've got this year...nice...

Sunday Dec. 5th

Here is the Christmas tree of 2010.  Little do you know that not only is it secured in a tree stand, but also with fishing line at the top attached to the curtain rod.  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! 

"Which sense do you think is affected by Christmas the most?" 

-Richard Paul Evans, The Christmas Box

For me it is the sights of Christmas, for now anyway...all the lights and the decorations of red and green.  I'm also a fan of the smells...cinnamon, pine, apples and pumpkin....all the baking...

Saturday Dec. 4th

We went to a little Christmas tree farm and picked out our tree!  We went with some friends and as soon as I stepped out of the van this waft of pine floated to my nose!  Waft, means smell in my language.  After the trees were cut down the owners of this little farm had hot cocoa and homemade cookies waiting for us, as well as crafts for the kids, of course.

We brought it home, had a TERRIFIC time getting it straight in the tree stand.  (Condolences to Stephan and Jonny) But after all the effort, it was ready to decorate!  So many memories come with these little ornaments.  I am sure I will spotlight some of my faves in the coming days.

Friday December 3rd

I love bringing out the Christmas decorations and dressing up the shelves and railings with garland and lights...This is one of my faves...my mom gave me this little Santa clothes line years ago.  Thanks mom for knowing what I would love to put up in my home! 

Dec. 2nd Thursday

We played playdough today!!

Wed. Dec. 1st

Wow! Is it really December?! This isn't the best photo, but you get the drift.  This is what our house looks like after 5pm from Dec1st-Jan 1st...maybe next year we'll work up the nerve to put lights on the second story, but until then MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Tues Nov. 30th Happy 50th Birthday Dad!!

I love the smell of Christmas cottage...this is my new burner that makes my home smell delicious...

Monday Nov. 29th

This is the way to fold laundry in our house!  We call it the laundry relay and Norah is going for 1st place!!

Sunday Nov. 28th

Look at this sweet boy!  He switched after dinner jobs with Anna, so now he wipes down the appliances...he takes such pride in his work!  It makes my heart happy to see him do his little job.

Saturday Nov. 27th

what a bunch of goofs...they knew I wanted to take this for the blog and then they pose like this!!  I tried taking 3 more asking them just to pretend like I wasn't taking a picture, but it only got worse.  Stephan can pull some crazy scary faces when he wants to.

Friday November 26th

We woke up this morning and got completely distracted...Anna and I started sewing a rag quilt...

Thursday Nov. 25th

It snowed again today!  Norah, Abby and I made 2 snowmen.  It was such a perfect winter morning.  The sun was shining, the flakes were falling, and it wasn't even very cold.  Cold enough that you needed mittens, but warm enough that I didn't want to go back in the house. Say what you want about winter, but snow is FUN!!!

Wednesday November 24th

So, Kimball made an omelet for us this morning for breakfast.  It was awesome. 

 He's got his mouth full in this photo.

Tuesday Nov. 23rd

I love library days!  It's like Christmas!  I especially love that I can share my

 love of reading with my children. 

Monday Nov. 22nd

Well, I forgot to take a photo today so I thought I'd put up one of my faves of Kimball.  He's growing up so fast.  He loves being in cubs and is like his dad in so many ways...which is a great thing.

Sunday Nov. 21st

okay, so Stephan and the kids decided they would build a rocket out of the connector straws...pretty cool!

Saturday Nov. 20

The cubs went on a hike to Crystal Falls today and what do you know...it also was the first snowfall and boy did it ever come down!!  The boys were so cold when they came home!  They weren't expecting some flurries, but not a blizzard!  We all enjoyed going out and playing in the fresh snow, it's been a LONG time!

Friday November 19th

   Stephan Kimball and I are going to the movies tonight!!  Sam and Anna are both sleeping over at friend's houses and Norah has Brenna all to herself...

this is a photo of Sam's link'n log creation.  I had to take a picture of it before

anyone else was allowed to use the pieces...

Thursday Nov. 18

Sam's class is studying teeth, so Madame Rice asked if Stephan could come in and teach the kids how to care for their teeth etc.

here he is illustrating how the sugar bugs have a party on the tooth... 

and here is a photo of Sam and Norah before he has to go back to work...

Wednesday November 17th

Norah and I did some yard work today to get ready for the winter.  She seems so small with that big broom.  "I will do it, no I will do it!"  Is the 2 year old theme this month.

Tuesday Nov. 16

Happy Birthday Michaela!!  Norah earned enough POTTY stickers to get her Minnie Mouse dress.  She was ecstatic!  She came up to me and said, "Look mom, I have a pretty dress, and a pretty bow!"  Honestly, she says the funniest things, and I realize if I don't write them down I'll forget it all....just like I mostly only remember the things I wrote down for the other children.  Thank goodness for paper and...my blog.

photo to come...
3 more days til HP...

Nov. 15th Monday

Norah and I went swimming today.  She went down the waterslide for the first time and at the end she said, "that didn't hurt me mom"  her face was priceless!  Another big milestone achieved today was that Sam learned how to handwrite his name!  For some reason he's been asking us to teach him how to do this, and in one night this is what he could do:

Way to go Sam!!

Nov. 14th Sunday

Here is a photo of Anna's shadow from yesterday's hike...she thought of the idea to take a photo like this...

Nov. 13th Saturday

We went and hiked Crystal Falls today.  Everyone found walking sticks and we brainstormed names for our new puppy...and the winner is....Potter!  We are going to name him Potter (because of his lightening scar on his forehead!)                                               

Nov. 12th Friday

Here is a picture of our new puppy!!!  We haven't decided on a name yet, and he won't be ready to leave his mama for another 2 weeks or so...we are all soooo excited!!  Thank you Aunt Chrissy for letting us know about your sweet pup!!

Nov. 11th Thursday

I can't take credit for this photo, I just really love it...today is Remembrance Day and I didn't bring my camera to the town assembly.  Stephan and Kimball went early to be with the cub scouts, they held a flag and laid a wreath, and the rest of us came at 10:30.  I am so glad we went.  It was probably the most meaningful remembrance day we've had as a family.  The children all bowed their heads for the moment of silence and all wanted to wear poppies.  I actually listened to the poem In Flanders Fields for the first time in a long time.  Norah fell asleep sitting on my feet.  It brought tears to my eyes as I saw one dad, dressed in his military suit saluting during the lament.  The little boy in his arms was saluting too.  He kept looking at his dad, making sure he was doing it right.  It was wonderful to be standing in and among military and civilian Canadians, all there to pay their respects and remember.

Nov. 10th Wednesday

Happy Birthday GG!!  My Grandma Adams turns 73 today!! Here is a photo of her and Norah taken about a year ago...We love you Grandma!!

Nov. 9th Tuesday

I bought Anna a new winter hat, a "touque" for those who don't know what they're called...

Nov. 8th Monday

Tonight for Family Home Evening we had a lesson about honesty and then Kimball chose charades for the activity.  This is a picture of Kimball and Anna being Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee...they stuffed their coats with other coats and kept laughing as they were acting it out...

Nov. 7th Sunday

What a wonderful Sunday this was!  We went for a walk in the rain and the kids played on the Friend website.  They also wrote little stories to send in of experiences they've had...this is a photo of them making smartie cookies.  Just after this was taken Sam was beating the dough and lifted it up out of the bowl and it went all over Anna...snarl!!! Oh, and they're eating fudgesicles while they're baking cookies...I promise, I do feed them nutitious food!

Nov. 6th Saturday

Oh how she loves these hamsters!  If we can't find Norah, we just look in the den where the hamster cages are and she'll be snuggling with PJ's and Ash-a-lee...she said to me yesterday, "But PJ's needs a love mom..." 

Nov 5th Friday

Lately there's been a little problem of parents needing to ask their children to do something more than once, as any parent will know, this is tiring.  I am not always one for reward systems, but we thought we'd try something fun:  every time the kids listen and obey the first time we ask they get to put a piece of lego in the jar, when the jar is full we will have a pajama party, (movie and popcorn)  and so...they did it!  It worked amazingly!!  Tonight we rented a movie and we're going to make popcorn and we're all very excited!

Nov. 4th

Today is Thursday and we raked leaves!! It was soooo fun to jump and play in the bright yellow maple leaves!