Tree Farm and Decorating

Our annual tradition is to go to Ledgeview tree farm and pick out a tree. Eventually we would like to go cut down our own, but until the boys can help carry it, this will have to do. We love the family atmosphere right down to the homemade cookies, candy canes and hot chocolate. Plus we always tell them, this is how much money we have, can we buy that tree?

Each boy got to put on their own ornaments. They have a picture one for every year. These is their newborn ones...


Mom and her little angel...:)
The finished product...it was a giant this year...at least 8 feet tall!
Ry found B's skates and was trying them on...he always wants skating lessons...next year buddy!

Lego Jet all the way from Minnesota!

I brought the boys back a little something from my fav store TARGET!!! B built this jet all by himself following the instructions. Pretty cool!

Clay's Company Christmas Party

Clay had another company Christmas Party at the Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam! Beautiful surroundings and amazing food. We got tickets for a vacation and a carpet cleaning--every year they give out a present to everyone in attendance. I bought a new dress at RW & Co. , my fav store! Unfortunately, my Christmas party was the same night, but we got to stop by just as that party got underway! Fun Times!

~December 2008

Reindeer Guy at the Mall

Just when they had decorated Seven Oaks Mall this reindeer shows up on the bench. I just happened to have my camera and shot a few ...B loved him but Ry as you can see did NOT!

~November 2008

Funny Fish Faces!

Minnesota in November is COLD!

This was the second of three trips to Minnesota in 8 months. We stayed again with my cousin Craig and his family. My sister got to go this time too so it was lots of fun!

On another note, the main reason for this trip was that my grandfather of 97 years passed away, so I went in the blistering cold snowy November weather. I will remember most his finger tricks (because he actually cut it off in the garage and threw it on the kitchen table for my grandma to believe him), our games of UNO (where I would cheat and stack my hand), our walks to the post office with Sally Sitsee and my imaginary dog, combing (what hair he had) over his bald spot and feeling his soft face after he shaved in the morning. What a great, generous and Godly man he was. I will miss him, but will see him again in heaven.

~November 2008

Halloween at last!

B went with Clay to his school and they carved pumpkins with his kindergarten class. Here is the carved pumpkin he came home with! (While he was there he had so much fun chasing the girls around the gym!)

Since B carved his pumpkin already, Ry, Clay and I set to carving ours at home. Ry got a chance to scoop out the "ew" inside his pumpkin and he wouldn't touch it to save his life.
He got to choose what shapes he wanted (just like the pumpkin on www.starfall.com--if you have children under the age of 5, what a great website to learn how to read!)

Here are our final products--Clay's is by far the most intricate and detailed!
Of course, mine is the only girl pumpkin.
Even though this shot is blurry, I love the expression, the tongue, the candy (and the anticipated sugar high...)

B's dragon (actually dinosaur) costume...

Ry was an old school airplane pilot.


The boys and I went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. In case you don't know, we get about 500 kids every year. Parents drop off their kids because the houses are so close and everything is so safe! We went out for about one hour and Ry was such a trooper... up and down the porches, saying, "trick or treat"... for weeks later he would carry around the basket giving us "trick or treats" of toys, blankets or stuffies for us to have. What a sharing boy!

Yeah! October is finally done! It was a busy month for us! Stay tuned for November! (I'm getting there...)

Annual Apple Barn

We always leave the Apple Barn to the last possible day and this year was no exception. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning (yes--we did skip church--) and B was so excited to go to the apple barn as this was I think the 5th year he had gone.
We got the same picture of Ry, but this was just before we went home...
It was a chilly morning, so we bundled up...
this was the drama that occurred when we arrived! Ry did not want to get near ANYTHING! It makes for a funny photo!
He calmed down when we distracted him and also pulled him out from the middle of the pumpkins.
B picked this one--couldn't quite lift it...so he had to choose one he could carry!
Ry picked up this one all by himself and he kept saying, "Heavy! It's so heavy!"

We always get a pic by the growth chart...
and with the apple boy!
Ry finally warming up to the tractor after 10 million tries...
Running in between the apple trees...B always says, "Let's race, Ry!"

B proceeded to roll down the giant pillow multiple times...
while Ry was a bit skeptical at first, but had a blast! The pics show he had to be carried kicking and screaming off to the car.
Love the apples, love the family fun, love the pics. Another fun fall!