Christmas travels

This is a long post, I am sure my longest ever, but you have to remember I have crammed a whole weeks worth of Christmas festivites into it, so you can skim the pics if you like or if you have nothing but time read away:)
Normal posts shall resume tomorrow.
We left for Alberta on the 22nd. It was a long drive, but a few breaks and yummy sandwiches made by my sister got us through.

Upon arrival in Edmonton at Dave's dad and stepmoms we met up with the Ross Great Grands and Aunt Deborah and Aunt Kathy.
Gift opening happened (#3), and many happy faces.


Kisses for Grandpa then Kaitlyn and Auntie Kathy got busy doing each others make-up.


Ah, one of the projects I was working on before Christmas can finally be revealed. So much time went into these! I made 4 scrapbooks, one for each set of Grandparents (our parents) and one for us.
I figured I could knock them out in 2 nights, ha,, ha, I love to kid myself!!! Of course it ended up taking over a week of night after night work. But I love how they turned out and I think the grandparents do to. What they are is a book filled with a photo from every month of our kids lives...to date, with plenty of room at the back to continue. I had planned on getting a few paintings done as well and ended up handing out IOU's, sorry folks, I just didn't plan far enough in advance. You will get them....eventually. :)
After gift opening we took a drive to Candy Cane Lane(click). We have taken the kids every year so we were excited to take them again, however it was a bit of a bust. There where some great houses but there were also a lot that just didn't go all out...and they used to. Oh well, it was still fun. I took way to many pics trying to get a good one, tried every setting on my camera and probably annoyed the heck out of every body....but hey, that is what I do.

Our nights were rough. Let me say....We are NOT doing this again any time soon! Kaitlyn threw up a few times every night. Both the kids where out if sorts and clingy, not eating or sleeping well. Kaitlyn had nightmares and talked in her sleep and moments later would sit up and throw up. After the first night of changing sheets and PJ's and running for towels we quickly learned to just triple up on the towels under where she slept and just remove a layer after she got sick.
Being a mom is so fun!
And to think we are/were considering more! I think we might just wait a while before opening the baby shop once more.

After church on Sunday we went out with our old neighbours Bri and Rose.....I miss having them next door, he is a doctor and super smart and she is a creative memories consultant and loved my little rugrats, I used to run over there a few times a day, either for a visit or for help or so I could vacuum, they were amazing to us!

Sunday afternoon we stopped by Grandpa Grumpys shop to check out his big truck. The kids seem to get excited when they see big trucks so we thought this might be a special treat. Turns out they are a lot bigger up close and they were a little overwhelmed. I thought it was pretty neat though.
As it turned out the starter on the big rig had blown (I think that is what it was, Walter you can correct me if I am wrong) and Dave ended up staying to help replace it while I went over to visit and have tea and a little Bible reading with my very dear sweet old friend Marion.

Marion has had the most amazing life, filled with adventures such as a hike through the rain forest and a walk along the wall of China while in her 80's (she is now in her 90's). She has had many careers and raised children while traveling with the air force, is a photographer who had her own dark room and is a painter and pergamano(click) artist. Of course there are many other things she has done as well, too many to get in to, but what I want to say is that I love her and admire her to no end!!!


She dug out one of her children's old toys for Ethan to play with, an amazing-now antique-ish toy car.(not to age those of you who remember toys like that)
After tea I went back to see how the guys were doing with the truck and they were not even at the halfway point. (old starter still in place) And my husband, I have never seen him so dirty, it was kinda hunky actually;)
He threatened to hug me and I took off, no way was he going to get close to me in all my winter white!
We were supposed to head out to the Ross farm for dinner but with the guys still hard at work and the kids all out of sorts and cranky I went back to the base for the night.




One of my dearest friends, Sallye came to spend the evening with me, ahh, sweet fellowship with friends, I miss my old familiar friends! Not that I don't like meeting new friends, I love new friends, it is just that old friends have an old comfy sweat shirt kinda feel to them.

Kaitlyn snapped this one of the Grumpy's, Awesome isn't she!


More time in the truck. Monday we headed down to Lacombe to see more Great Grandparents.

The Anderson Greats have recently moved into a retirement Lodge and are now whooping it up with all their friends who also live there. I had no idea what a Lodge was like and as it turns out there are a ton of things to do and your friends are just down the hall, kinda cool actually. Except that they just get an over sized bedroom to live in, I cannot imagine that at this stage in life.

Great Grandma showing Kaitlyn the birdies, and a group shot taken by Great Grandma of us with Dave's mom and Chuck.
Gift opening by the kids #4.


In Calgary now at Grandma and Poppa's. Whew last stop! Snack time, and another photo taken by Kaitlyn.

Christmas eve dinner at the Gomez house and gift opening # 5.

And of course a tea party, hello, we are the tea toting tots!!!



Peek-a-boo!

Christmas eve fire, make sure Santa's buns are nice and toasty.


Christmas morning, yay!!!

The kids where once again excited to open gifts...for the sixth time!

Grandma and Poppa loved their scrapbook....well the pics of the littlest grand kids anyway.

Another project that was all hush-hush around here was the one that Kaitlyn and Ethan made for Dave. At-shirt with prints of their little paws on it.

Happy boys!

A few more before and after Photo shop-ed photos. I am really having fun with this lately.



Gift opening number 7 and then the traditional Christmas afternoon walk around the neighborhood.




Before and after....another photo shoped one.

And a wild one thrown in for fun.


Cheers! And matching SIL bracelets.


Another before and after though I think in this case if I had just had the flash on the camera set properly that the proper results would have been acheived. In the after shot I should have adjusted the brightness a bit more.....the white is blinding!

Chilling with uncle Fernando and then the gingerbread train was built.

Gamers, we are a family of em. Can't start young enough. Look at Ethans face, click on it if you must to enlarge it....he is so into it and seriously!

Tony and Alex got Guitar hero for Christmas and I we all had to get in on the action, fun!

And finally that sums up our Christmas vacation.

The kids are glad to be home, no more throwing up or sleep talking, though they haven't quite adjusted to being home yet. It is now way after midnight and Kaitlyn is still up. Ethan is up too though he has had a few hours off and on of sleep. I hate the readjusting part! From now on every one can come see us, this is absolutely brutal!!! I am loosing my mind.

I love our family dearly and want to see them all the time but the havock this little trip has thrown this little houshold into is not alright. I am super cranky and frustrated and not doing so well.

Both of them have been rather clingy and still cranky, not liking it if I am not within sight, I think they just need quality home time for a while.

Now back to regular posts!