Saturday, January 2, 2010

December 1 - 31, 2009


December 31, 2009
Saying goodbye to an interesting year full of learning and growth, and looking forward with hope and joy to 2010. I know that I'll enjoy looking back on this year in photos, and remembering how much I was blessed. Here's to another year of photos, memories, and love!




December 30, 2009
TJ was lucky enough to get a set of baking supplies for Christmas so she could start learning to bake with a real oven. We started out baking these scrumptious cupcakes! She even had to learn how to separate eggs to do these. I think she's off to becoming a pro in the kitchen!



December 29, 2009
We love to do our part for the planet - i.e. recycling. I think we started about 6 or 7 years ago, and we have done it ever since. It feels good to know that a large bin of paper, cardboard, and milk jugs are put to good use instead of filling our land fills.



December 28, 2009
We were invited out to our friend's small town to go skating at their indoor rink. It's been 10 years since I was on skates, and it was a first for our kids. They all did surprisingly well, and we all can't wait to go again!



December 27, 2009
Probably my absolute favorite Christmas decoration is our Christmas Card tree. I love watching it fill up over the weeks before Christmas, and being able to see all of my dearest friends and family greeting me each day.



December 26, 2009
Boxing Day shopping was made so much sweeter with a gift card to Reitmans, and a $100 visa card (both gifts for my birthday). I bought some jeans, 2 tops, a scarf, and a purse. Score!



December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas! Our girls are modeling their favorite gifts from Santa this year.



December 24, 2009
Our traditional Christmas Eve Nativity play was greatly enhanced this year when we had some new friends over with their sons and new baby girl! We finally had some BOYS to add to our nativity! It sure made our Christmas Eve a memorable one.


December 23, 2009 
A new tradition? Sleeping in front of the tree on Christmas Adam (which comes before Christmas Eve!). While only 2 of them managed to stay in front of the tree (TJ and BB decided after a while to sleep in their beds) it was magical while it lasted!



December 22, 2009
Do you think Santa Claus will like his Christmas cookies? I'll take the chance of answering for him and say HECK YA! these buttercream iced sugar cookies are right up Santa's alley, I bet!


December 21, 2009
31 years young. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I mean, an OLD lady wouldn't get a New Moon T-shirt and an ice cream cake for her birthday, would she? Naw!!


December 20, 2009
These moments together with the girls being so little are fleeting. I wish I could freeze time, sometimes. I guess a photo is the closest I can get. This shot shows so clearly their interests right now. BB can always be seen holding a book. She loves to look at them, trying to read, figuring out the words. And JJ is clutching Clarisse the reindeer to her chest. She loves her. And the two of them together couldn't be closer. Always playing together, having fun. I wish these moments would last.
 

December 19, 2009
Every year we drive around one evening to enjoy the Christmas lights around the city. Our favorite spot is always our Legislative building with the huge trees lit from top to bottom. It's breath taking to see live!
 

December 18, 2009
JJ loved making her first popcorn snowman! It was sticky, it was sweet, and it was fun! Isn't he cute? His name was "Girly Snowman". You figure it out, cause I can't.
 
December 17, 2009
It's Snow Biz!! I really enjoyed the girls' Christmas concert this year - lots of beautiful music and fun dancing. It's always exciting to watch them perform. They are so talented and brave.
 

December 16, 2009
Lately I have felt so alive and happy. I love every second I've been spending with my girls, even in a cold van running errands. My life is good!
 

December 15, 2009
Beauty is found everywhere in nature - even on the tiny ice crystals growing on my windows!
 

December 14, 2009
Family home evening at Boston Pizza - courtesy of a surprise gift certificate in the mail from our cousins, Mark and Christie! YES!!!
 

December 13, 2009
What a fun change for us! We had the sister missionaries over to dinner tonight! Our girls loved seeing that women can serve missions for the church - and do! We can't wait to have them over again on Christmas!
 

December 12, 2009
A cold snap hit us this week - minus 50 degrees celsius turned this mug of boiling water into snow crystals in a second! That's chill to the bone cold!
 

December 11, 2009
Lyndon's work put on an awesome children's Christmas party at the Science center this year. Face painting, treats, movies, gifts, and of course- a visit with the big guy in red, who was in extra jolly good form tonight! Good times!
 

December 10, 2009
Hot chocolate, donuts, and a movie. Yes, yes, and yes! One of my favorite indulgences during the cold winter months!
 

December 9, 2009
Annual tithing settlement, where we get to declare to God, through our Bishop, that we are full tithe payers, as well as have the opportunity to discuss and be reminded of the many blessings paying tithes and offerings brings into our lives. I know there are so many blessings we have received from living this law and even more blessings that I'm not even aware of.
 

December 8, 2009
Making a gingerbread sleigh was a little shake up from our traditional gingerbread house night! That sleigh looks good enough to eat!
 
December 7, 2009
Game night was only made better when TJ created her own board game that helped us learn math while having fun! It was such a creative idea and we all had fun!
 

December 6, 2009
I love teaching Primary. I think it's my favorite calling ever. I find myself getting super excited as Sunday draws nearer because I get to see the kids in my class and get to share in some awesome testimony building lessons with them. I think about what a privilege it is to be entrusted with the teaching of these special little ones. Such a powerful thing. But more so, they teach me every single week. I come away strengthened in ways I didn't expect. I love it.
 

December 5, 2009
A Caribbean Christmas was the theme of our ward Christmas party this year! Jerk chicken, floating fishes, tropical smoothies, and some Caribbean dancing made this a warm get away without getting away!
 

December 4, 2009
Why not bring the snow indoors with some one of a kind paper snowflakes? We covered our sliding glass doors with these gorgeous and unique creations!
 

December 3, 2009
Christmas downtown in the city is always a beautiful sight. The buildings lit up from top to bottom, the Christmas trees and ornaments decking out the foyers, and the lights and decorations hanging from the street corners always puts me in the Christmas mood.
 

December 2, 2009
TJ is blooming into quite the artist. She loves to draw and her drawings become more and more detailed. I hope she cultivates all of her talents because she has been blessed with so many!

 

December 1, 2009
Where did Frosty the Snowman meet his wife?At the SNOW ball, of course!!! 
And then they had a family.. aren’t they cute? Courtesy of my craft savy girls!

 

Monday, November 30, 2009

Nov. 1 - Nov. 30, 2009

Nov. 30, 2009
Family Home Evening Activity - Puppet show. In particular, the Nativity story.


Nov. 29, 2009
Our city's football team went all the way to the Grey Cup this year! It was a close game - we lost in the very last play of the game. SO close to bringing home the cup. Maybe next year!


Nov. 28, 2009
We enjoyed a nice evening out for Lyndon's work Christmas party. We even snuck in a dance or two.


Nov. 27, 2009
End of November and finally the snow starts to fall. This will be just the first of many, many days of shoveling snow. Blech! Let winter officially begin!


Nov. 26, 2009
I finally found the ultimate dinner roll recipe. Easy, pillow soft, and delicious. This recipe is a keeper!


Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup margarine, melted

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk, water, sugar and salt. Remove from heat, and mix in the eggs and yeast.
  2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and pour milk mixture into it. Do not stir. Cover with a lid, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. Pour melted margarine into flour, and mix well. Add more flour if too sticky. Knead lightly. Cover, and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. Shape the dough into rolls, and place on a baking sheet. Let rise again for 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Bake rolls in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes, or until done.

Nov. 25, 2009
The latest form of entertainment around here has been playing with Patches and letting him run around and on top of them. He's quite the character.


Nov. 24, 2009
It's exhausting putting up all of those Christmas decorations. But, it is energy well-spent. After all, there is something about the glow of Christmas lights and red and green that brings such joy and cheer to our home. 


Nov. 23, 2009
New Moon Mania has hit! I went to see this movie for the second time in 4 days tonight. Well worth the ticket price, I must say. There is something about this series that just transports me to another world. Everyone needs something like that ONCE in a while :)


Nov. 22, 2009
I made this fun nativity fridge magnet set out of some free clip art from the internet. Behind each piece is a fun Christmas activity to do - one for each day of December leading up to Christmas. Should make our December full of fun!


Nov. 21, 2009
I can't believe how lovely the sunsets are here. The sky just bursts with color - reds, oranges, purples, blues - it's breathtaking! God must certainly be an artist!




Nov. 20, 2009

Nov. 19, 2009
Western Day at school! Yee haw and giddy yap!



Nov. 18, 2009
Sad day. We said farewell to Oreo the Hamster who passed away late last night. TJ was heartbroken - she loved him. We all did. We held a little funeral service, and TJ's best friend was there for moral support. Hard life lessons to learn, but I'm glad we were all there for each other.


Nov. 17, 2009
Everyone got their H1N1 immunizations today - except me. Why? Because I'm not a child, not a teenager, not a high-risk adult, or an adult who works in the medical field. BUT, I'll get my shot eventually. None of the girls even made a sound or shed a tear. Brave little gals.


Nov. 16, 2009
Dad was in an accident today. He was bucked off a horse as he was doing a routine run on them, to exercise them. He bruised his lungs, bruised his hip, shattered his collar bone, and broke 4 ribs. It is scary how quickly things like that can happen, and it gave me moment to pause and think of my dad and how much I love and miss him.


Nov. 15, 2009
We had a wonderful couple from our ward over to dinner. They are so interesting and fun. It was such a great visit!


Nov. 14, 2009
After a trip to the library, TJ had an armful of books about our Province, ready to get to work researching for her paper which is due in a few weeks. She loves school work, and loves to learn. I hope she continues with that love as she grows!


Nov. 13, 2009
Playing 'Apples to Apples' had us in stitches at our girl's night. I had no idea I was "boisterous" and "Unnatural". But those were the cards I ended up with. These girls make me laugh SO hard. I had a blast.


Nov. 12, 2009
I had some time to work on my own star book. I loved looking through old photos of the kids, and picking out shots that represent my idea of what family means. Things like laughter, togetherness, love, and faith. I love this project!


Nov. 11, 2009
It was a day off for Remembrance Day and we wanted to do something special. We had little cash to do any outside activities, so we settled on setting up a movie theater at the house. TJ made tickets for everyone for popcorn, candy, and pop (juice boxes) and even set up a theater in our family room complete with numbers on the doors telling us what theater it was. We watched the latest "Tinkerbell" movie and did lots of cuddling.


Nov. 10, 2009
Each year the school puts on a wonderful Remembrance Day Assembly which never fails to touch my heart. B an TJ were both in the choir where they sang songs reminding us to be examples of peace and to remember all of those brave men, women, and even animals who willingly gave up their lives for freedom. Wonderful to be a part of.


Nov. 9, 2009
Nothing better than a photo scavenger hunt for Family Home Evening! We had a blast going around our house taking pictures of things like our least favorite chore, a good hide and seek spot, our favorite outfit, and of course... our favorite movies. I even learned a few things about my kids while having a blast together!


Nov. 8, 2009
Sunday came much too quickly! Our last day!! Boo!! We went to church, then sat around visiting most of the day. Who knew we would still have things to talk about after a week of nothing but visiting?! Well, that just us. We complete each other! LOL!


Nov. 7, 2009
Lyndon was in school, and had the van, so we decided to make the hike to the Bulk Barn not far from our house. It took a good 25 minutes each way, which made getting there all the more yummy. We had to trek through a muddy field, but it was worth every inch of caked on dirt!


Nov. 6, 2009
Friday we dubbed "Jammy Day". Who needs to change out of their cute PJs when there is nothing to do but scrap and make an impromptu trip to 7-11 for some slurpees?


Nov. 5, 2009
Today was spring roll day. We spent the morning making nearly 200 of these YUMMY Vietnamese spring rolls. They turned out SO GOOD!


Nov. 4, 2009
We got back to work creating. I worked on my star books, and also did up a few scrapbook pages. We filled up on Halloween candy and some sparkling cider. Nothing like spoiling ourselves!


Nov. 3, 2009
THIS IS IT! On a whim, we decided to check out the Michael Jackson film "This Is It". It was cheap night at the theater, so we got in for under $5. The movie was as iconic as Michael was. We lost a genius when he passed away this year. It was a wonderful movie.



Nov. 2, 2009
My sister, Laurie arrived from Calgary today! I was more than ready for a week long visit with her. Let's get ready for some fun!


Nov. 1, 2009
A fun overnight visit from Kaly and Matt, along with their Dobermans - Jinx and Dolche! They are the sweetest dogs. I just loved having them over!