The Christmas season begins...

Well, we have started some of our Christmas activities. We decorated a gingerbread house with Shaun (well he did most of it!) and made a few decorations for our tree. We will finish decorating the tree this weekend, with some popcorn strands. Going all natural and 'green' this year... you'll see when I take the picture and post it... in a few days...

Shaun is increasingly excited for Christmas. Funny how kids relate snow to Christmas- he thinks it is the day everymorning, because there is still snow outside.

We have a few more things planned to prepare, and of course still on the hunt for a way to share our fortune.

Christmas Giving

We were really hoping to start a new family Christmas tradition this year. With having so many blessings in our lives, we want to help those who are not as fortunate as us.

We were hoping to 'sponsor' a family- have them over for Christmas dinner, and provide them with help they may need (pay their rent/ utilities etc).

I am getting a little frustrated though... it seems to be very hard to find people to help. We have asked charities/food bank, who really just want donations. Don't get me wrong, these are very good places, who help a lot of people.

We were just hoping to have more of a relationship with people, and for our kids to see how fortunate we are, by spending time with people - face to face.

I'm not sure where we'll go next. I think our next best place may be to ask some local Churches, as they would know local families who may be in need.

If anyone has any ideas, please share... all thoughts are welcome!

I am looking forward having a focus this Christmas season on helping and giving, and teaching our children the real meaning of Christmas. I pray God will help us in this process. Regardless, whether we give our time helping a charity or helping a family, we look forward to the upcoming opportunity to share some of our good fortune.

Alexa has become quite the camera queen. She saw the camera on the shelf the other day, pointed to it and made it clear she wanted her picture taken (you know the 'anh anh anh').... so I took it down, and she made the cheesiest smiles ever!

I have a little video, although the quality is not good, you'll get the idea!! (Note to self- don't take pictures/ video after her nap, the crazy hair escapes!!!)

There was a reason for that warning....

Alexa's always finding a way to be goofy!
We woke up this morning with our first taste of a 'real maritime snow storm'! I commented on the 'stick' by the firehydrant the other day (remember the one- with green grass everywhere), well... I guess it's a good thing they put it there... look at it now!

Shaun was very excited to see all the snow, and we have spent most of the day outside (mostly digging out, but a little play time too..!) Alexa didn't like it AT ALL, so ended up playing inside- with her basket!

We probably got about 20 cm, but it was windy all night, so the drifts (well most of the driveway) was about 2 feet deep, then the snowplow came by and dumped it onto all the driveways (just like the Canadian Tire commercials!)

It has been fun for now.... ask me in a few months, and I may have a different opinion! I suppose I don't need to go the gym today though :)

Waking up to a different world

Well, what a difference one day can make in one's life. Today, we wake up to a blanket of snow- which in a way is so beautiful, so calming and so quiet. I hope this is an indication of how today will be... calm and quiet is good sometimes!

Especially after yesterday. It was a very tumultuous day. I started my day quite 'normal' with getting the kids ready and thankfully, nothing too exciting happened! Then, shortly after I started my work day, I received a call from my manager, with 'an opportunity to do a different job'.... I didn't know what to think. The range of emotions happened so quickly I didn't know what to do with myself- everything from excitement and honor to fear and anger. I was sad at times, having to leave a job that I love, and afraid that this would be a new path in my career, one I wasn't sure I was ready for.

It is difficult to describe, as the past few years at work has been unpredictable, challenging and frustrating. It has made me a bit sceptical, and always fearing the worst. Thankfully, because of many supportive co-workers and friends, they were able to help me through it and at the end of the day, I was very thankful that I still had a job, and hopefully the best of both worlds. Try something new, and at the end of the 6 months, still have my job to come back to.

I have to keep my faith that this is God's plan for me, and whatever happens in the end, it will all make sense. I need to avoid questioning everything, and learn to go with it, as it is what God has intended to happen. I am so Thankful!

And so, I go to work today preparing my clients (and myself!) for my departure for the time being.... and try to prepare myself to work with many other people (and thankfully, a lot of former co-workers from the Western Region!)

Warning....

Well, it looks like they have provided us with our first warning of what may be to come this winter. I looked out the window the other day, to find this HUGE RED STICK attached to the fire hydrant.... apparently it is to ensure the fire hydrant doesn't get lost in all the snow that may fall.... wish us luck!!

Silly Kids!

I have been so tired this past week, which explains the lack of blogging as of late. I think it may have to do with these silly kids I am chasing after!!!

Shaun made a 'glow worm trap', with string on his dresser... let me tell you, it took a while to get his pj's that night! He did take it down, only to put it back up later on! He is still playing with his transformers and dinosaurs, in his few 'quiet' moments!!

Alexa, well, she is definitely an active one! One of her new funny things is to make faces on the windows (kind of gross if you ask me... but who am I?!?!)

She now likes to go in Mason's kennel, with her cars, of course!

But, all in all, she is still our little princess! (Thanks Shauna for the outfit & Crown!!!)

They do really brighten our days, and I don't know where I would be without them!

What a week!

I met Shauna in 1996 when we both started college in Edmonton. In the last 12 years, we have become the best of friends. I was so excited to have her and her eldest son, Aidan, visit us for the first time last week, in our new home!
I had technical problems uploading more pictures, so this is some of what we did when Shauna and Aidan were here visiting! It was a wonderful 5 days, and we tried to take in as much as we could!

We had to have lobster (of course!) and got lucky with a weekend special here in Shediac... 6.49/lb. That is the lowest we have seen it, and it sure beats paying $32/lb in the restaurant that same day (in Moncton). Aidan had fun learning how to eat the lobster, and had a few 'lobster shots' (juice from the claw) which Shauna seemed to avoid.... :) I was very proud that Shauna had lobster this time... I think she even liked it!!! I remember her avoiding it at our last two lobster 'feasts' we hosted in Calgary...but she finally gave in. YEAH!!

I couldn't download a picture, but that night we also celebrated Alexa's 1st birthday (everything except a present, sorry Shauna!). We never had a 'real party' for her in the summer, so now I have some pictures to put in the scrapbook- I will upload them one day!

We visited the Hopewell rocks, where Shaun and Aidan had fun running in the caves and looking for dinosaur bones (with the infamous Paleantologist Shaun!) We did not catch high tide, but it was fun walking around with hardly anyone else around!

We also went to Cape Enrage, Alma (and ate at the local 'diner'....as a last resort as nothing else was open, and we were all too hungry to wait any longer!), Charlottetown, Cavendish Beach, Bouctouche and Parlee Beach.

I hope they both enjoyed their visit, and I hope they are intrigued enough to come back and explore some more! Honestly, we loved the company and miss them very much already!

Our First Day

We had a fun day today in Bouctouche! I'm trying to give Shauna and Aidan a tour of all the 'funny' named towns we have here! It is such fun to have them here! I'll keep you posted on the rest of our week!

Super Excited!!

I received a really exciting surprise today.... Shauna and her son Aidan are coming to visit us... tomorrow!!! It is amazing how God works in my life!

Just this weekend, I was trying to find a way for us to get together soon.... and now my wish has come true!

I am so excited I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight! (We'll probably all be in bed at 9pm tomorrow, as she just decided this afternoon, and has to leave home in the wee hours of the morning to catch their flight- so we'll all be exhausted!)

Now I am trying to think of all the things we could do while they're here. It will be a short visit, so we'll have to find a way to pack in as much as we can... but I want to leave a few things out, so she has an excuse to bring Wes and the other two boys next time!

Thank you Shauna for the awesome surprise.... I can't wait to see you!!

Early morning....

Well, We were quite excited this morning when we woke up and realized both kids had 'slept in' until 730am.... that is quite rare around here and we were quite pleased. They quickly woke up (how do they know when we're awake??) and we started our day... breakfast ( not even cereal this morning... I made eggs....) get them dressed,... made our plans etc.

Then, out of the blue, I asked Andrew when daylight savings time was this year....'I don't know... thought you would know that' was the reply I received.... with a little smirk.... and sure enough, it is today.... Aaagggggghhhhhhhh

I would have never agreed to get out of bed and make breakfast at 630 am!! !Now I am really tired, and the day is dragging on, I swear it was 9 am four hours ago, but sure enough, it's only 930....

We'll have to find something good to do here soon, or I'll never make it to 11 .... AM!!!

Oh boy.... if only I could have cashed in on an extra hour of sleep... maybe next year....

A few more Halloween Pictures

I should have expected that the kids would find something else to do (other than hand out candy while we waited for Andrew to come home. They made a car with the empty box, and took turns driving!! Alexa entertained herself for quite some time emptying a box of candy and filling it up again... over and over!

Shaun is the shy little giraffe!

Alexa was not fond of her flower hat, that's for sure!

But I did manage to get a few pictures with it on.... after she actually sat still for 1 second so it wasn't blurry!

It was a busy night on our street, and we had to go out and get more candy.... didn't want to get egged later on! Although- they are pretty strict here, and at 7 pm the police start driving around to tell people to go home... kind of strange..... :)