Sunday, December 30, 2007

Merry Birthday Happy Christmas

Here's our birthday girl who turned 5 on Christmas day...
the kids opening some presents after Santa's special arrival down the chimney... err, through the window...

Super excited about a new scooter... you don't know how many times I've tripped over that thing!!
a new kitten ... who said it couldn't be a stuffed kitten?
We had Kevin & Jody over on Christmas day... after feasting - again! - we went over to our new house and played outside in the snow, and then warmed up by a fire. Jody & I had to show the kids how 'really' to go wild on the sleds... until my husband warned me to not go so close to the trees cause I had 3 children to look after. Really, I'm not that crazy! We had a super fun day.
It was special for Bella having her friends over for her birthday....

Playing out in the snow...
Braden...
Bella
Kevin & Mike
kids by the fire
stoking up the fire
...capturing that special 'blog' moment...
me & Mike
Jody & Kevin
David roasting marshmallows
twins...
and singing Happy Birthday... one of her moments of glory!
Bella then went home with Brianna for a sleepover for 2 nights!! We missed her, but it turned out that David & Kate both got the flu, so it was probably a good thing it was just us... after 2 nights away, it was time for Brianna to come over to our house for a sleepover! Guess they were having too much fun...
here's a picture of Brianna reading a book to David & Bella with a flashlight before bed
We took the kids to the Children's Museum on Friday...
cutting pizza
...concentration required tongue work!
checking it all out! "Post Office, can I help you?"
I can do it!
Peeking out!
...and climbing around the submarine
Peek-a-boo
peeking though the stained glass window
catching lobster
what's under the microscope?
time to deliver mail...
...a more serious one
digging up dinosaur bones
archaeologist at work...

Oh there's no place like home for the holidaze...

So we are home from our flying trip home to Ontario (that would be Canada), and had a marvelous time seeing friends and family... there's just never enough time! The kids and I flew home while daddy drove out on Wednesday, so we were all able to drive home together last Sunday the 23rd. It is a real thrill to be able to drive with 3 kids in a packed station wagon in pouring rain for 9 hours, diverted with 'gotta go now!' stops. But we arrived back home to a very white New Hampshire just in time for Christmas and Bella's birthday. Here is our trip and Christmas vacation in a nutshell...

First stop... at my sister Cathy's where the kids had fun with Bub & Shanny (who didn't have to go to school on Monday!!) playing in the snow, and sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor!!
We then stopped by at our old neighbours - Mario & Kerri-Ann - and got our first peek at their new little guy Emilio... what a sweetie! The kids where very enthralled with him, even David, who couldn't wait for his turn to hold him... too bad we still didn't live next door, cause there'd be some anxious baby-sitters!

being her typical 'motherly' self...
Bella with her buddy Kerri and little Emilio
Next stop, Grandma & Grandpa's. After getting aquainted anew with the accordian and exploring the house, the kids had a blast playing outside in piles of snow. Grandpa pulled the kids around on a sleigh behind the 4-wheeler, made snowmen, and mama made a snowfort for them in a huge snowbank. Next stop, Aunt Shirley's new house in Sarnia. We had a busy time exploring another house with pretty decorations and tea cups and other breakable stuff... but enjoyed a feast of freshly baked cookies and punch.
Yummy cookies.... what a Martha moment... (note the lavishly decorated plate!)
Kodak moment by the tree...
The tree had such beautiful decorations.... fun stuff to touch!
Back at the farm on the sleigh... provided hours of fun
Grnadpa made this snowman
Miss Kate all bundled up
and David by the snowman
Bella on the sleigh
Kate loving the 4-wheeler rides
On Saturday our entire family -all 28 of us - enjoyed a fun-packed day filled with eating cookies, snowball fights, and feasting on turkey... here are some family shots...
Charlotte, Deborah & Alyssa
28 around the table...
We always do this crazy tradition of putting on a skit or play, or making up songs, or dressing up crazy... so this year, the kids put on a little skit of 'The Grinch that stole Christmas".. the best fun was seeing the costumes! yikes! (I think we have a little black-mail material!)
Alyssa as the narrator...
Bella as Cindy-Lou Who and Stevie has the Grinch
all the kids... (David was Max the dog, but got a little stage fright... go figure! and Kate had just woke up and was a grouch... not the Grinch)
the crazy guys
little miss Cindy-Lou Who (not sure what the gun is from?)
and the crazy girls...
Then most importantly, was the opening of the presents.. funny how kids learn about presents.... Kate caught on pretty quick and loved tearing the paper...
Bella waiting patiently

...more presents!!!
Rachel & Ed (the only non-member of the family.... yet!!!!)
Excited about his new tractor!
Kate snuggling in with Uncle Rick
Mom & Charlotte
Dad, who shares a birthday with Bella on the 25th. What happens when you fall asleep on the couch in the middle of the room filled with relatives who like to make fun of you...
The whole gang... minus Bobbie - my Grandma
Next stop, Niagara Falls for mtg. on Sunday. We went to see our friends where we used to go to mtg. when we lived in Ontario... was very special to be there... we stayed for lunch and a short visit...
They surprised Bella with a birthday cake... here she is with one of her best friends Donna
and holding baby Lucas
and another of her favourites... Lyall
Brenda & Stacy
Jessie & Randy (wow, she didn't even make a silly face!)
Lucas & David