Just another Sunday with Batman and the gang

Last Sunday night before bed I was getting Katelynn in her pajamas and finding what the other kids were up to. I must say I really like that the kids play together so well (for the most part), anyhow this is what I found...

Batman and the gang making up some story with queens, princesses, and superheroes of course. This happens quite frequently so I usually don't take pictures, but I thought I should for memory sake. I love these little crazies.

Family fun for Christmas

This past Christmas we went to Red Deer with most of Nathan's family and I must say it was great fun. The city of Red Deer provides the backboards and things needed to make hockey rinks around the city if people are willing to maintain them, so right outside of Phil and Joy's (Nathan's parents) door is a great ice rink. The kids were constantly putting their winter things on to run outside for a quick skate. I particularly liked watching some of the kids crawl down the driveway with their skates on, heading towards the ice (gotta protect those blades).

The kids put on a great nativity for our Christmas eve dinner, and we loved being so close to everyone. The kids did not want to leave after four days but alas it was time for home. We are so grateful for family!

sledding fun

For Christmas the kids received some great sleds from Santa and we have really been putting them t0 good use. Yesterday we went out with our cousins after school. I took all the kids and Nathan came later to bring Katelynn home. The boys wanted to go home with him which surprised me because we had not been out long. On the way home Nathan asked Will why he didn't want to sled any more that day and Will gave his typical funny William answer.

"When I was one, I went sledding. When I was two, I went sledding. When I was three, I went sledding. When I was four, I went sledding. When I was five, I went sledding. When I was six, I went sledding. Now I'm seven and I go sledding....I"M TIRED OF SLEDDING!".

Nathan being the good dad that he is said, "You know Will, when I was one I went sledding. When I was two...When I was nineteen I didn't go sledding. When I was twenty I didn't go sledding. Then when I was twenty one, I went sledding. When I was twenty-two... And now I'm thirty six and I still go sledding, CAUSE I LIKE SLEDDING!" That took the whole way home. I would hate to go over that conversation between Nathan and one of his grandkids!

cold weather

Allison and Emma playing in the snow

The little kids enjoy the blanket fort while the big kids are at school

The weather has really turned into winter cold as of the past month or so. So of course we are inside on the really cold days, and outside sledding on the not so cold days. Michael seems to have decided that sledding is his favourite thing to do. My favourite thing is when Mike gets going down a hill you can hear him most of the way down, "yahoooooo!" He was pretty timid with this last year but thankfully has discovered the joy of zipping down a snowy/icy hill with cold wind on your face and some snow blowing in your eyes and mouth and reaching the bottom in 3 seconds, only to have to turn back and take three minutes to climb the hill. Ahh the life of a kid.

Emma is toothless! Emma had to try on Kate's snowsuit...a little snug

In november Emma lost her first tooth, then her second a week later. William was happy for her even though he is two years older and hasn't lost a tooth yet! Ah well I'll enjoy his gr. 12 grad pictures with no front teeth. Laurel also had her ninth birthday. We played our version of olympics at the church. The kids came dressed in their (assigned) country colours and competed against the worlds best. It was fun for all. Now is the Christmas rush which we would love to avoid but with six kids and other family we can't avoid it entirely. We all look forward to spending time with family in Red Deer and playing with all the cousins, aunts and uncles.

The athlete's compete in donut hole eating.

family pictures

We had our family pictures done in the beginning of October. I love the fall so this is my favorite time to have pictures done; that and they turn out way better than school photos so I don't ever order school pics. This second one of the kids makes me laugh because this was at the end of the hour and a half session so they were pretty much done...and it shows!

It has been a busy month. Nathan went to Creston with our friend Adam to pick up about 10 000 lbs of apples one day, then we juiced about 80 gallons of juice, and canned 40 gallons the next day. Then we had the Stephan retreat over Thanksgiving weekend which was so fun. We have had a few bouts of strep in the house, so the calendar is full of initials and countdowns of antibiotic doses. But most exciting was Emma learning to ride a two wheeler! Nathan and I were cleaning out the garage and I took out a bike that had one training wheel on it (the other had fallen off). Emma said take off the training wheel I am going to ride a two wheeler! Although she wouldn't try it with training wheels because she was too scared. So I took off the wheel and she got on, and within minutes she was riding by herself. Now that is all she wants to do!

Big family fun

We had our annual Stephan family retreat this past Thanksgiving weekend and man was it great! This year we went to Mountainview instead of the usual Canmore, and although there wasn't a pool for all to use, we went to Waterton to hike and the kids all loved the big house we could all fit in, and the playground outside. Laurel's favorite was when we rented the surreys in Waterton and the big kids took to the streets (which weren't too busy as busy season is over). Before we left we booked a week there next august with all the family.

Uncle Jarad dipping Alli. The packed surrey.

family pictures

This past Saturday we all went to a park here in town and had a photographer friend take some family pictures. At the end of the session I thought, man there is nothing like family pictures with little kids to make you not like your family! As we were taking some of the last ones of the kids I was literally doing the threatening mother look at my boys saying through gritted teeth, "smile boys!". I almost wish I could see that from afar because I would be laughing at the crazed mother who is doing nothing to inspire her kids to smile. I can't wait to see the finished product. Lisa (our photographer) sent me a couple unedited teasers until then.