Skiing

During the break we took the kids to Wahala for their first skiing/snowboarding experience. We registered them for lessons in the morning with an instructor - Mac on skiis and Cole on snowboard - while Elroy and I went for a few runs down the hill. After the lessons, they were eager and raring to go. They both caught on really quickly and did an amazing job! By the end of the day, they were going down the Moderate slopes and they did not want to stop. I think the only break Cole took was to go to the washroom! We dragged them off the hills at the end of the day and headed home to soak our tired bodies in the hot tub. When Cole woke up the next morning, the first thing he said was "Can we go skiing again today??" I think that was the first of many ski trips to come!

Boxing Day

Boxing Day was spent with Grandma Marilyn, Grandpa John and Uncle Dwayne! Mackenzie played some Christmas Carols on the piano before we started. Mackenzie was very excited about all of her Paul Frank bedding that she received as well as a rock tumbler. Cole is now ready for some goalie action with some new mini-stick goalie pads. After gifts, we relaxed, played and watched the hockey game before we had some ham and pluma mouse. Yummy!

Christmas Day

Cole was the first one up on Christmas morning - 7:15 and he quickly woke up his sister who was sleeping peacefully. After we had a cup of coffee in our hands and the fire was going we began to open gifts. This year the kids used some of their own money and went shopping on their own to buy Elroy and I each a gift. They were very excited to give these to us. Elroy got a "Relaxation Kit" which included a soft, fleece blanket and a pillow. I got a tray and necklace from 10,000 Villages - very thoughtful gifts.
Cole was very excited about his new hockey jersey - Sydney Crosby and Mac loved her new i-pod dock. Poncho even got in on the action with his very own gift - an edible log!

In the final gift that the kids opened, they found 2 new travel bags with a set of instructions. They were to each look for 3 hidden letters inside of their bags and then unscramble the letters to spell their Mystery Vacation! It didn't take Mac long to find the letters and Cole was busy looking for his last letter when he pulled out the letter D and shouted "Disney"! Disney World here we come - Spring Break 2011!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve day with Grandma Ann & Grandpa Bernie (We sure were missing the rest of the gang from Mexico this year - it seemed very quiet and empty without them.) We were there bright and early in the morning. The kids were excited to see their Santa Boots filled with candy and their stockings overflowing with gifts. Elroy even got his very own poppy seed cake - spoiled brat!!! After opening gifts, we had a delicious brunch and then relaxed and enjoyed the day. Most of the adults settled in for a cozy nap and the kids set to work on their new police lego set and had it completed by the time we all woke up. The rest of the day was spent playing games, watching movies and relaxing before having some chicken cordon bleu for supper and then heading to church.

Mac's Hockey

Mackenzie has joined the hockey ranks this winter and is playing hockey once a week in a girls' rec program. She is really enjoying it and it's amazing how much she has improved from the beginning of the season. After Christmas, the girls are going to start wearing more equipment and learn more game skills. Way to go Mac!

Christmas Concerts

Mackenzie was very excited to have a role in the school Christmas Concert this year. She played the part of an Angel and had a few speaking lines that she needed to say. She did an amazing job and was a very angelic angel!
Cole was also very excited about his concert! He sang lots of fun Christmas songs and his class said two poems on stage. During one of the poems he played a reindeer character.

Hockey Boot Camp

Cole's hockey team had a Hockey Boot Camp right before Christmas! The kids came with their faces painted in camo ready for action! They had to push heavy objects across the ice, crawl through tunnels, jump through a ladder, a tug of war and many more activities. We had one tired boy on our hands when he came home.

Christmas is a Coming

There are a few traditions which seem to come up every year as we get ready for the Christmas season: 1) Baking Schmondt Kuche - Cream Cookies. The kids love to help with this and are getting pretty good at rolling their own dough and using the cookie cutters. 2)Chocolate houses with Grandma. The kids always look forward to creating their very own chocolate houses drenched in icing and candy! Thanks Grandma for helping us with this!
This year the kids had a special delivery from Grandpa - Candy Trees which he made himself. Thanks for the treats Grandpa!

Halloween

Pumpkin carving at our house usually looks like this: Mac is right in there and can not get enough of the slimy, gooey seeds and Cole is usually standing back complaining about the smell. This year he used a bandana to cover his face and a spoon so he would not have to touch the gooey seeds! Cole was a skeleton this year and Mac recreated one of my old costumes that I wore when I was a kids - Rubik Cube! We had alot of fun creating and making the costume. The kids went trick or treating on their own this year, which felt a little strange for us! Once again they came back with loads of candy!!!!

Mac's Birthday

For Mackenzie's birthday this year, she had to go on a scavenger hunt around the yard to pick up clues for her gift - a hamster cage and her very own hamster. She was so excited!! The following weekend we headed to the city to choose her hamster - Poncho!
Mackenzie celebrated her 10th birthday with a Alice in Wonderland Mystery Party. All of her friends came dressed as a specific character and using the clues left behind they had to solve the mystery of who stole the rabbit's pocket watch! The girls had a blast and were fun to watch as they really became their characters! They also had a great time in the hot tub afterward and they all stayed for a birthday sleepover.

Elroy's Birthday

We celebrated Elroy's 40th birthday by having some friends and family come over for a party. Elroy's friends were kind enough to provide him with a birthday outfit - 3 piece suit from MCC! Happy 40th!

Cole's Birthday

Cole celebrated his 7th birthday with a Super Hero Squad party! Thanks to the help of his sister, his guests were taken through some Super Hero Training including an obstacle course, Spiderman Tag, a Scavenger Hunt and some other fun games! The boys had lots of energy and were very eager to run around and wrestle!!! Happy Birthday Buddy!