Frosty Morning

A hoar frost comes, and everyone rushes for the camera to capture the moment before the sun touches it.

Sleeping on a bridge.

Adrian wanted to sleep on a bridge, so they dragged his mattress between to two beds, and went to sleep. I don't think that the mattress would ever hold my weight like that!

Lulu

We had an unexpected addition join the family last night.

We found out that this three year old black lab, needed a new home. Her family was moving into a place that won't allow dogs, quickly and unexpectedly over the holidays.

Her owner asked if we knew anyone who could take her, and after talking about it, we decided we would.

She has a very loud thumping tail when she is happy, and loves to play. She is still missing her family, and whimpers at the front door. She is completely house trained, knows hand signals, is amazing with all the kids, and gets along fine with Missy.

She will be a great addition to our family, as she settles in and makes this place her new home.

Christmas

We were all very excited about Christmas this year. We've baked cookies, made plays, and colored tons of pictures. We even had two trees. One with the symbols of the true meaning of Christmas, and one just for fun.

For Christmas Eve we invited people over for dinner or snacks. we played, visited, and the girls put on a play, and sang songs. We had a full house, and it was wonderful.

When everyone left, we read a story, and opened one present. Here are all the kids in their new PJs Christmas Eve.

We also started a new tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to put the angel on the tree.

Christmas Morning Santa and Mrs Claus arrived to share more presents. They didn't arrive when the kids got up, that was a little too early for them.

By 4:00pm the house was full again. We had 15 people for dinner. We did it differently this year, and ate some at the table, and some on the couches instead of setting up wall to wall tables. It was a wonderful day.

Nicoles Dress

Nicole says "This is me in a garbage bag dress.

All you need is a garbage bag, scissors, and a stapler. A sister or a big brother could help you design it. And then your brother or sister would use the scissors, the garbage bag and the stapler. You just stand there and do as they say to get it beautiful. and to get it made. Like if your brother or sister needs to make you arm sleeves, she cuts a hole under your arm, so you need your arm sticking straight up. And then she staples under my arm and then the sleeves are made. So you have to go and poise, sort of.

And they pictures are me and Sarah who is my big sister made it. I stand very still. I even get to keep it too.

I am really excited. I found a hanger. and I hanged it up on the Christmas lights.

And if I get three dollars and go to Lethbridge I can buy 3 boxes of gargabe bags, one white, one orange, and one black. Then I can make and keep lots , and I can make my own."

Making Christmas Cookies

Nicole says "The first picture is us painting the cookies, while they are raw. We painted them with three colours of dye, and egg yolk. Then we baked them.

We done it for Family Home Evening. It was activity and snack.

We used Q tips and there was wreaths, stockings, stars, bells, christmas trees, and more. When they were all painted, we cooked them in the oven for 9 minutes. Then we took them out. And they were all cooked, and shiny.

And they were bigger. They used to be small.

And they taste minty and sweet at the same time.

I was really happy and excited when I was making them. I had to be careful cause they break, cause they're raw.

We all had fun, Sarah, Courtney, Nicole, Kenny, Adrain, Mommy and Daddy too."

Christmas Cactus has bloommed!

More Snow Pics

Kids go out to see the snow!

Courtney stands behind a drift of snow that is blocking the basement door. I hope we don't need anything down there for a while.

She also stands next to one of our fruit trees. The drifting in the backyard is up above her knees.

The snow actually blew around and coated the front window. The front faces the east, and is usually a good place to sit to look out at the snow, but today all we can see is the nativity display Sarah made from paper to decotate the window, and the patterns snow makes as if freezes to the window.

Sarah ventured into the far back of the yard and looks to the house. See that black dot, just to the right of the back door..... that is Missy, behind a drift, heading back to the door.

Snow, Snow, and it is still coming!

I tried to open the front door and only got this far. The snow is drifted and deep in some places, and bare in others. The front yard is completely filled with snow.

The backyard is drifted almost to the fence, and snow is covering the playhouse windows. Daddy's work van is parked in the driveway, but we parked the personal van in the garage. It will take a lot of digging to get it out, but at least it will be warm... we are supposed to be hitting -20 this week.


The last picture looks blurry, but it is just the snow still blowing around! Not too many people are even attempting to dig out at this point. With the snow still falling, and the wind blowing, it has become a stay home weekend.

It is supposed to snow all day today, and into tomorrow. Another 7-15 cm are expected.