the end of 2011.....



Busy at the end of the first period

A chuck-a-puck puck

play in action

On Wednesday Frank, Liam and I spent the day out and about shopping and then joined Mike, Carol, Ken and Francesca at the hockey. This is the fourth time our family has seen the Blazers play and the first time they have won, so it was a good game! Our row won free ice cream, we were on the big screen, Phoebe was enchanted by the mascot, Digger, Liam danced in the aisles and after the second session we played 'chuck-a-puck'!! It was a full evening!

Chuck-a-puck

Phoebe and Digger

Liam grooving

After only 2 days on Kijiji (a local buy-and-sell site) on Thursday we finalised a deal on the trusty Dodge Caravan with a very lovely couple who happen to live in Barnhartvale! Kenna and Geoff are so kind we are even able to keep the car until the very last moment before we leave.

On Friday Frank was tidying up some things at work, packing and firing the kiln, doing some marking and preparing for the final 14 days of teaching. In the late afternoon we all went to Kim and Kevin's for drinks and appies. Yum yum. Kim is a great cook and an attentive bartender and it was a lovely get together. Louise and Nico also came and while the kids played we got stuck into Uno Attack again. I love the idea of 'drinks and appies' and look forward to doing this at home, too!




At Kim and Kevin's

Today is New Year's Eve. We are hosting a 'drinks and appies' ourselves tomorrow to thank the many people who have made our year here so fantastic. Today is prep day!!

slip sliding awaaaaaaay......

We had a fantastic day yesterday with Mike and Carol, and their Australian friends Ken and Francesca. We started at Mike and Carol's in the morning with presents for Liam and Phoebe, a great remote control Lightning McQueen and a kitty called Lulu who walks and purrs! Both were great hits!

The new toys in action!

Then we headed up to Harper Mountain which is only about 20kms from Kamloops. It is a ski hill and they have a tubing slope. You sit in a tube and they attach you to a pulley that takes you up to the top. You are detached automatically at a particular point, get up, choose your run and someone pushes you off! You can go down on your own or holding onto others' tubes, but each person (even Phoebe!!) had to be in their own tube.



Phoebe going up the hill

Well, I thought my kids might have found this a bit scary, but I WAS WRONG. Right from the start they were both right into it, and by the end Liam was going up and down all on his own, and Phoebe  requested the pusher-offer to spin her!! She had a tantrum when our time was up and she couldn't go up again.


Phoebe and I spinning down the hill!

Liam is off!





We roasted wieners and smokies on the fire for lunch and enjoyed marshmallows and hot chocolates, too!




Around the fire


We all had a great day and I LOVED this activity! I plan to go again before we leave.

Boxing those fishies!

Winter foliage

Francesca, Mike and Ken

Frank hard at it

On Boxing Day Frank, Mike, Ken and Francesca headed north towards Barriere to meet up with Mike's friends Don and Terry to ice fish again. Another spectacular day, and there were fish caught (but not by Frank, Mike or Don)!! Later in the day it started to snow and they drove home the scenic way.

A caught fish

Some horses

Merry Christmas!

We kicked off our Christmas celebrations with a party on Christmas Eve at Roger and Jeanette's place. Roger is a custodian at NorKam and he and Jeannette decorate elaborately for Christmas. Their house was even in the paper for its fantastic lights! We all had a great time with karaoke and an extensive and delicious Filipino banquet!

Roger and Jeannette's place

Louise and Nico and their family then took us to Christmas Eve Mass. There was a very cute nativity play that Louise coordinated and Adam and Sean were in, and it was a very nice evening.

We had a lovely Christmas day. Present opening was first up and Santa was spot on, so all was well!!

In action

All I want for Christmas....

She didn't even need to be out
of the box to have a drink!!

Frank cooked a great breakfast of buttermilk pancakes. It was his first attempt and they were good! So good that we had to review our lunch menu, cut the main and dessert and we settled on two appies.....baked brie and smoked sockeye salmon, washed down with a nice white.

It was a tough morning

We watched the final Harry Potter movie and then called on our neighbours, Susan and Gary, for drinks and appies.

At Susan and Gary's

Then we headed to Louise and Nico's to join their family for Christmas dinner. What a fantastic meal! We enjoyed a ginormous turkey, delicious ham, veges, biscuits (savoury scones) and stuffing. It was a great meal. Our contribution was dessert, and we provided pavlova and Irish coffees! We gave the family the game of Uno Attack, and we all enjoyed playing that after dinner.

That's what I call a turkey!!

The Christmas table

While it was a white Christmas, we had not had snow for a number of days and the maximum temperature was +8!!! It was so warm I didn't even wear a coat!

As I write this on Boxing Day afternoon, though, it is snowing quite heavily. Frank is out ice fishing so I hope they don't have a white out and are able to make it to the road OK!! Tomorrow we are going tubing (riding down a snow hill on inner tubes) so the snow's timing is perfect!

A porcupine in a pine tree......The Canadian partidge in a pear tree!
Kim made this for us. Too cute!

deck the halls....

Here it is December 24, and we are readying ourselves for Christmas. We have had a great week together on holidays!



On Saturday we were able to have our long anticipated national lampoon tree cutting experience! Mike took us out to Robbins Range to seek out the perfect tree. There were so many! We chose a modest pine tree which, while not having the 'aura' of the Griswold family's tree, is the perfect size and is in our front window. We have it decorated with some of Susan and Gary's ornaments and also those Mum gave us while she was visiting here.

Chopping the tree!

That night Liam and Phoebe had a 'playdate' at babysitter Hana's while Frank and I went to a great party at Adrian's place. Adrian is a colleague of Frank's and it was his annual Christmas do with superb drinks, food and company! Adrian's wife, Lori, organised some entertaining Christmas games for those interested and we had a lot of fun!





Getting my teeth into opening a present....





In earnest conversation...

On Sunday we went to the Aberdeen Mall to get our official Santa photo. (I was going to say 'shot', but there are a lot of hunters here, so I have to be careful what I say!!) It was a very cute moment. Phoebe is right into cuddling Santa (that's what she wants for Christmas), and Liam knows exactly what he wants for Christmas, so it was a successful visit! We finished off our Christmas shopping, so we are set!!





On Monday the car brakes needed replacing, so Frank organised that and it was done by Tuesday morning! Not great timing as we are leaving in five weeks, but better to have it all set to sell, which is our next big job.

On Tuesday evening we farewelled our friends Joel, Leslie, Cameron and Ally who have moved to Port Hardy. They very kindly brought supper over for us. We will miss their company!!!




Farewell!!


On Wednesday Frank was out in the dark to go ice fishing with Mike. A fun, but unsuccessful, venture. Liam was at Adam's in the morning so Phoebe and I were hanging out at home.


Drilling a hole for fishing

We went for a family swim on Thursday and then I hit the shops again to get a few last minute things.



On Friday Liam, Adam and I went to the Big Little Science Center, which is like a mini Questacon. We had a great time playing with all the experiments and Adam and Liam were both volunteers in the Static Electricity show.





Liam in action

Adam's head

And here we are on Christmas Eve. The oven is on, the first pavlova is cooking and we are looking forward to tomorrow!!

Our beautiful Christmas flowers from Emily

Gearing up for the festive season....

Today is the last day of school before the two week Christmas break. Liam is very disappointed that there won't be school for two weeks!!! We have had a decent amount of snow this week, and after a few weeks with no snow it has been a shock! Walking to school in the deeper snow was a good workout!

Last weekend we went to see the Wildlights Festival at the Wildlife Park. We enjoyed walking around the park, riding the train and seeing Santa. When asked what she wants for Christmas, Phoebe says she wants to cuddle Santa, so she did and was so excited!!!

The happy occasion!

at the Wildlife Park

On Sunday we had the Rankins over for a sushi making party. It was yummy, and we tried sockeye salmon sashimi for this first time. It was good!

sushi!

The staff at NorKam put on a Christmas skit for the students this week, and Frank played the part of the Tooth Fairy. I was not able to witness this for myself, but here is some evidence.....

the cast

There is ongoing teachers' industrial action here and the staff at Frank's school were involved in a peaceful rally outside their school this week. 

Staff rally

We are looking forward to a relaxing break and Christmas. This is the first Christmas we will have with just the four of us. We are working on a lunch menu that will suit everyone! We plan to visit Susan and Gary, our neighbours, during the day and will then join with Louise and Nico and their family for a turkey dinner in the evening. Our contribution...pavlova!

ho ho mo go!

I have been a bit slow to get the mo back in the show!

The end of November heralded the end of the growth, thank goodness! Honestly, though, it looked OK, but did not feel OK. Even Phoebe wouldn't let Frank kiss her, saying, "No kiss, Daddy. Ouchy."

Thanks to his supporters Frank raised the most money in his team and claimed the tshirt and hipflask of rum that was the prize.

Mo on

going ...

going...

going...

gone!!

Liam in action!

As the Christmas break draws near, so do Liam's after school activities. We have had him working hard in a few different activities over the past few weeks. He has been sleeping very soundly!


Beavers finished up for the year last week with a bowling Christmas party. Among other goodies, they received their badges. They are too cute! Beaver Christmas, Beaver Thanksgiving, Beaver Halloween and others. The cutest is the beaver riding a candy cane!!

Disco bowling with Beavers

Hip hop dude in action

Liam has been going to hip hop classes for a few weeks in Juniper Ridge. He has really enjoyed it, coming away amazed that he is hot and sweaty! This week the class (of three!) performed for their parents. He did a great job and took it very seriously!

Taking a bow

He has also been swimming twice a week and having one on one lessons which has been great for his confidence. Frank had taken the opportunity to do some laps while Liam has been in his lessons.

The much anticipated school Christmas concert was on this week. As a school they presented The Polar Express and Liam's class sang 'The Polar Express'. They all wore their PJ's and it was such a cute concert.

Concert finale

Liam's class in the concert

Santa has arrived in Kamloops!

On a blustery Saturday, we all went downtown to the annual Kamloops Santa Parade. The previous evening, Liam had been busy preparing the scouts' float, and he proudly sat on it and rode down Victoria St! Frank, Phoebe and I watched the parade and were there to cheer Liam on and collect the candy that was on offer. It was almost like Halloween again!

The keystone kops get Liam

Al and Phoebe braving the cold

Liam's float passes us!

The man himself!

Not Santa, but almost as good for Liam?

Liam's school did a Christmas plant fundraiser. I was excited last week to go and collect our wreath. It is made from a range of fir and spruce branches and looks very handsome on our front door! I believe it is the first 'live' christmas wreath I have ever seen??

The neighbourhood is looking amazing in the evening with Christmas lights. People put a lot of effort into decorating their houses, and they look very inviting in the cold!

Our front door

View from the street