Happy New Year!

Another year has come and gone. It seems to have gone by fast and, yet, so much has happened that it feels like a long time. Here are a few highlights of 2013. Enjoy!

 Snowshoeing on Lake Cascade

 The chickens' new coop

 Hiking at Jump Creek

 We are always happy to see the lambs in the spring

 I graduated with a degree in Library and Information Technology

The Western Tanagers came back to our yard for about a day

 Will and Jimmy jumping off the scissor lift into the pool

 Erica and the kids came down for a visit

 Our garden did really well (thanks to Will)

 Mum and Al came down for a visit

 Hallowe'en

We saw a fox in the back field

And as for the kids:

Moira continues to do well at school. She is still playing the violin and she has been doing a lot of baking.

 

 Kyla is doing well at school and is really enjoying math. Her teacher says she is very good at helping her fellow students if they are having some troubles.

 

 This has been a big year for Liam. He graduated from preschool and started kindergarten. He is learning like crazy. He likes to count to 100 (which is funny since not too long ago he thought 20 was the highest number) and he is starting to be a good reader. 

Last night for New Year's Eve, we went to the botanical gardens to look at all the lights. 

 

 

Liam was fast asleep when we got home.

I'm looking forward to 2014.

Happy Birthday, Suki!

Suki was born twelve years ago today. She is such a huge part of our family and we adore her. 

Christmas 2013

We had a nice quiet Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, we went over to Jimmy and Natalie's for presents and dinner. Christmas Day we stayed at home, talked with family on the phone and played, played, played. The kids didn't even wake up very early so I got to lounge in bed for a while before it was time to get up.

 Will thought it would be funny to wrap up one of Moira's gifts in several boxes. She kept opening...

  and opening...

and opening.

She finally got through to the last box and found a gift certificate for 5 private synchronized swimming lessons. 

 Liam and Daddy setting up his new fire station

 Kyla and Daddy setting up her new Littlest Pet Shops 

 Later in the afternoon, I saw this kestrel eating his Christmas mouse for lunch.  

 We had a simple dinner and afterwards the kids played some more and Will and I watched The Hobbit movie that I got Will.


Today we did our annual Boxing Day photo with our favourite gift that we received.  Will chose his bottle of Scotch, Liam has his RC flying orb, Moira has her French Barbie, and Kyla picked her Littlest Pet Shop set up. 

 As for me, I chose the gift certificate that Will gave me for a round trip ticket to see my sister for her birthday in February.

Suki hanging out