Belated Merry Christmas!

its over! thankgoodness. Christmas was great but I am SO glad to be home and in my own bed. We celebrated our christmas with the kids the saturday before, just to spread things out a bit since it is such an overwhelming time.
The kids got tons of playmobil, and Liam got lots of Mickey mouse stuff. We headed out to Brandon on Christmas eve and had christmas with the Keown side on Christmas day. Again, more stuff for the kids. Headed to Boissevain for the weekend for the Harder Christmas. The kids had more fun, got more stuff and Granny and Grandpa even surprised them all with a sleigh ride, complete with horses, christmas lights and music!
I have yet to upload my Christmas pics. I just haven't had a chance too since coming home but will post some soon.
I sprung a great deal on a 42 inch flat screen tv for Steve. (In hopes we would have to get rid of the ugly fake fireplace) I got an Ipod nano, a running jacket and some perfume.
That was our christmas in a nutshell. My kids were spoiled and now going through withdrawal. I know they only get a fraction of what alot of kids get since we have all cut back but I still feel they have way too much. I think we will be doing some purging this week!
As for other news, we are enjoying our new van. We bought a pontiac montana fully loaded with a DVD player (which was helpful on our Christmas traveling) I am just so thankfully that it has HEAT! I did bring it in for its estimate after the accident. The gave me a cheque for three new car seats as well as the results that i have $1500 worth of damage. Thankful for insurance! I just wish it was the caravan because it would have been a writeoff for sure!
Our house proceeds also arrived today! I am so excited to finally be done with it and deposit the cheque.
On another note, please continue to pray for Noah. He is still having a rough time in the hospital and it was hard on the family to be seperated during the holidays. The future is so unknown right now for this little guy. Pray for comfort and peace for the family, as well as continued strength. I honestly don't know how they do it.

Prayers for Noah

The kids and I were getting our daily update from Noah's blog and then we decided to go back and look at his pictures from three years back, when he was first born...so while doing that I plugged them into photoshop to make a quick little movie! The music on the movie is a song that every time i hear, makes me think of Noah and how with Christ, size doesn't matter.
Please pray for Brad, Nichole, Kailyn, Josh and of course Noah as he again has ended up in the hospital and continues to fight the constant battles he faces.

This is Liam before his Christmas concert today. Sorry they are tilted, I thought i could flip them (i took them on Cassidy's camera) but it won't let me! I am just so used to taking portrait pictures I guess!

His concert was short and very adorable. The kids also enjoyed there last day of school today! We had a very busy and eventful week with parties and just getting ready for the holidays.
Tuesday, I was rearended at a red light, not just a tap either. The girl hit me pretty hard and I went into the car in front of me. After filing a claim with autopac, I got an appointment for an assesment next monday, since I have some bumper damage. As well, they informed me that I had to buy three brand new car seats, since they were all in the vehicle at the time (only Liam was riding with me) This I thought was silly, but after phoning MPI again, they told me that insurance would reimburse me for three new seats. So off to Toysrus we went to let the kids pick out some new seats. And....of course, I was driving the brand new van.
as for other news, my canon 40D is still being serviced and hopefully it won't take too long to return home to me. I have taken the rest of the month off (with a few exceptions) so it is a good time for it to get repaired.

I got this from Noah's blog and Liam thought it was amazing!

so sad......

sad news...... i have to send my canon 40D in to get serviced....not sure what is wrong...so sad.....but I have been using my rebel xti and I kind of missed it. I must say it takes some great pictures.

December...

I have decided this blog needs a facelift. I have been staring at the same header for quite a while.....just to find the time.
I really can't believe it is almost the second week into December, I feel like the season came so fast this year and like it was summer yesterday. We really have had beautiful weather, until today. -30 with the windchill! COLD!
I love how every year the kids understand the meaning of Christmas more and more......for those that don't know, we don't celebrate Santa Claus in our household. It isn't something I am against, the kids love watching Santa movies, especially 'The Polar Express' but they understand that he isn't real and it is just fun to pretend he is real sometime. We don't have santa presents, or anything like that. The kids do leave cookies out for Santa....but they all know daddy is the one who really eats them.

The kids have had way too many inservice days this past month. One of the days we spend working on there gingerbread house.


I also scored a good deal on Playmobil advent calenders for the kids! These are so much fun! They get a little piece for there set every day!
Aidan showing off one of his surprises.




Aidan and Cassidy's christmas concert is this week as well as Liam's preschool christmas concert is next week. We also have several other christmas festivites. I participated in a bake exchange so my freezer is now full of goodies.
The kids report cards came home last week as well. Cassidy is doing excellent, she just needs to work on participating more in group activites, and holding scissors correctly. She is a tad held back compared to Aidan and I did worry about her socially but she seems to be doing just great and her teacher said she always has plenty of friends to play with.
Aidan is still struggling with his reading. We have done WAY better this month on working on his readers and his sight words. I have seen an improvment in him. I am so thankful for his school because I often think if he was somewhere else, he may fall through the cracks and not get the extra help he needs. Other then that, Aidan loves library because every week he brings home non-fiction books. I don't think he has once brought home a story....only history and science books. I don't think he takes after mommy!
As for other news, we did buy a new van......we should have it wensday of next week, I will share details and pictures when it arrives but it is a HUGE improvement in what we currently own!