BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
The wind was so wild overnight Tuesday that I half expected to wake up in Oz with a pair of feet sticking out from under the house! The crazy winds continued yesterday and at one point I was being sandblasted in a parking lot because all the sand/gravel that has been put down for the snow and ice was being whipped around at high speed! Go ahead all you climate change naysayers, try to explain this one!
In any event...HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope 2008 is a great year for all, I'm happy already because I so prefer even numbers to odd ones..haha! We spent a lovely and relaxing time at the cottage with Mom & Dad to ring in the new year and as an added bonus we all stayed awake past midnight with the exception of little man who gave up with about an hour to go. Mae had a little "power nap" too but was able to celebrate with us at midnight!
Delsin BEFORE:
Delsin AFTER:
Mae recharges...
Earlier in the day Dad and I trekked into town to get those last minute supplies...like BEER...and as we were commenting on how great we were doing and how early we would be back we had a slight setback------------>
As we were coming in the road a knucklehead coming the other direction decided he was not going to move over...so Dad had to in order to avoid a collision. Crap. Fortunately being in a small town, a few phone calls were made and a local chap arrived with his truck to pull Dad out. I stupidly had my van keys around my neck so Tim couldn't even come and rescue us while we waited to sort out the truck tow so I had a lovely 40 minute walk in very cold temperatures to the cottage to get the van to do another sort of rescue---------->
We couldn't leave the beer in the truck to freeze now, could we? :o)
All was good in the end and we enjoyed a lovely fondue dinner, Delsin highly approved of this by the way, and after watching a scary looking appearance by Dick Clark on t.v. we clinked glasses at midnight and took the kids outside to light some sparklers!
Delsin AFTER:Mae recharges...Earlier in the day Dad and I trekked into town to get those last minute supplies...like BEER...and as we were commenting on how great we were doing and how early we would be back we had a slight setback------------>
As we were coming in the road a knucklehead coming the other direction decided he was not going to move over...so Dad had to in order to avoid a collision. Crap. Fortunately being in a small town, a few phone calls were made and a local chap arrived with his truck to pull Dad out. I stupidly had my van keys around my neck so Tim couldn't even come and rescue us while we waited to sort out the truck tow so I had a lovely 40 minute walk in very cold temperatures to the cottage to get the van to do another sort of rescue---------->We couldn't leave the beer in the truck to freeze now, could we? :o)All was good in the end and we enjoyed a lovely fondue dinner, Delsin highly approved of this by the way, and after watching a scary looking appearance by Dick Clark on t.v. we clinked glasses at midnight and took the kids outside to light some sparklers!
Cheers from the Taverner-Berry family!
We woke up to yet MORE snow on New Years day and while the kids found that to be great, my Dad was not feeling so jolly about it...so when exactly are you leaving for Thailand again old guy?? :o)
We woke up to yet MORE snow on New Years day and while the kids found that to be great, my Dad was not feeling so jolly about it...so when exactly are you leaving for Thailand again old guy?? :o)
Mae & Del had a ball sliding down the hill beside the cottage
Oscar is not amused..hehe
Neither is Dad...BEFORE:
And AFTER:
Dad and Tim also spent some time doing traditional things like:
And we all did the quintessential Canadian thing:
Watching a hockey game in front of a roaring fire..haha!
We did end up staying two days longer than we planned as the weather was the pits with the temps plummeting to -25 C plus the windchill...brrrrrrrr! Back home they didn't get nearly as much snow but still enough for me to fire up the new snow blower when we arrived back...woo hoo! I've been joking with the neighbours that this thaw is all my fault since I invested in my new toy. Typical! All is not lost though, the forecast is for flurries in the next few days so I'm sure I'll bet getting lots more practice at manoeuvering the second best thing I've EVER bought! Just in case you're wondering what the best thing I've ever bought is-------->the DVD player and wireless headphones in the Sedona. If you are a parent, trust me on this one!! :o)
So it's back to the grind for everyone now, kids are back to school, and the extra curricular activities are in full swing again meaning "chauffeur Mom" is back on duty! Cameron leaves for a ski trip to St. Donat on Sunday, I did this same trip when I was in school and it's lots of fun and a great immersion in the French language. Mae is back to dance and riding, Connor is still enjoying the Robotics club at school, Cameron is taking another cooking class at the YMCA starting next week and Delsin will start gymnastics also at the Y next week. Today I took Delsin to the arena for his first ever skate!! I bought him a contraption that he pushes around the ice to help him stay upright and learn how to balance and he had an absolute ball. I just let him do his own thing and he did amazingly well for his first time. I did a practice run yesterday while he was in school as it had been about 12 years since I was on skates, save a couple of times at an ice rink in Oxford which turned into a slushy puddle rink by the end of the public skating sessions...hehe. It's kinda like riding a bike, my pride is fully intact, thank goodness. :o) Mae goes skating with her class tomorrow and she is very excited about that. Now if I can just get the big boys on skates next!
Tim is working hard and has decided to take an online accounting course through a local college, he wants to keep some options open for his future and I think you can never go wrong with accounting! I've decided to take a French course as Delsin begins immersion in the Fall and my skills are sorely lacking. It seems as I learned Flemish my brain pushed out the French to make room!! Mom & I are going to take a one day first aid and CPR course at the beginning of February, a useful skill for both of us to have. Then Mom and Dad are off to Thailand again at the end of February this time for a much longer stay. They have decided that a Canadian winter is best enjoyed from a sunny locale abroad. Wimps. :o)
Wishing all my family and friends a wonderful 2008, I hope your year will be filled with love, luck and happiness. Much love from our family to yours.
Laura & the gang XO
Holiday napping...
And we all did the quintessential Canadian thing:Watching a hockey game in front of a roaring fire..haha!
We did end up staying two days longer than we planned as the weather was the pits with the temps plummeting to -25 C plus the windchill...brrrrrrrr! Back home they didn't get nearly as much snow but still enough for me to fire up the new snow blower when we arrived back...woo hoo! I've been joking with the neighbours that this thaw is all my fault since I invested in my new toy. Typical! All is not lost though, the forecast is for flurries in the next few days so I'm sure I'll bet getting lots more practice at manoeuvering the second best thing I've EVER bought! Just in case you're wondering what the best thing I've ever bought is-------->the DVD player and wireless headphones in the Sedona. If you are a parent, trust me on this one!! :o)
So it's back to the grind for everyone now, kids are back to school, and the extra curricular activities are in full swing again meaning "chauffeur Mom" is back on duty! Cameron leaves for a ski trip to St. Donat on Sunday, I did this same trip when I was in school and it's lots of fun and a great immersion in the French language. Mae is back to dance and riding, Connor is still enjoying the Robotics club at school, Cameron is taking another cooking class at the YMCA starting next week and Delsin will start gymnastics also at the Y next week. Today I took Delsin to the arena for his first ever skate!! I bought him a contraption that he pushes around the ice to help him stay upright and learn how to balance and he had an absolute ball. I just let him do his own thing and he did amazingly well for his first time. I did a practice run yesterday while he was in school as it had been about 12 years since I was on skates, save a couple of times at an ice rink in Oxford which turned into a slushy puddle rink by the end of the public skating sessions...hehe. It's kinda like riding a bike, my pride is fully intact, thank goodness. :o) Mae goes skating with her class tomorrow and she is very excited about that. Now if I can just get the big boys on skates next!
Tim is working hard and has decided to take an online accounting course through a local college, he wants to keep some options open for his future and I think you can never go wrong with accounting! I've decided to take a French course as Delsin begins immersion in the Fall and my skills are sorely lacking. It seems as I learned Flemish my brain pushed out the French to make room!! Mom & I are going to take a one day first aid and CPR course at the beginning of February, a useful skill for both of us to have. Then Mom and Dad are off to Thailand again at the end of February this time for a much longer stay. They have decided that a Canadian winter is best enjoyed from a sunny locale abroad. Wimps. :o)
Wishing all my family and friends a wonderful 2008, I hope your year will be filled with love, luck and happiness. Much love from our family to yours.
Laura & the gang XO
