Welcome to 2015

A new year is now upon us and our family sure ended 2014 in a great way. I have no idea how to condense a super fun week into a blog post but I'll try.

On December 25, our friends from Birmingham, Alabama flew up to see us for a week. Our time was spent introducing them to our family and friends as well as all the wonderful things that a snowy province has in store. On the 26th, we went sledding at a friend's acreage and they were amazed that they were walking on a frozen lake. The kids spent a lot of time with Arianna in the various yards enjoying the cold, the snow and the activities that we do here. 

The girls after church

One of our excursions included a trip to West Edmonton Mall which at 5.3 million square feet, the Mall is the size of a small city and is accredited as a zoo.
West Edmonton Mall is home to more than 800 stores and services including nine world-class attractions, two hotels, over 100 dining venues, the widest variety of one-of-a-kind retailers, and entertainment for all ages. It also holds the record for the world's largest indoor amusement park and wave pool. The waterpark was the main event of our day in addition to tackling some shopping during the busiest week of the year. We hung out there for a few hours and yet barely scratched the surface of what we could see.  I found out that it would take nearly 72 hours to check out every single store in the mall. This was also the evening that us adults took the time to have a childless dinner at one of mine and Doug's favorite food places. 

 James. Loved. Joshua.

The next day we loaded up into a 15 passenger van and headed for Jasper, home of our Rocky Mountains.  The day was clear and we were treated to a spectacular view of the snow covered caps of these magnificent rocks. We walked around the town of Jasper for a while, ensuring that our souther guests had a true experience of walking around in the cold. With a bone chilling wind to boot. Our hotel for the evening faced Pyramid Lake and was a spectacular view to wake up to. Doug was a wonderful tour guide as he took us down the Icefield Parkway with our main destination being the Columbian Icefield. The mountains did not disappoint us as Scott and Lelia experienced the greatness of walking on a mountain while seeing a glacier in the distance. 

 This lake was unbelievably beautiful - pictures don't do it justice

 Waterfalls freeze too

 This was the lake off our hotel

 Just about on top of the world!

 The Athabasca Falls

 The Columbian Icefield. It was getting cold and windy!

 Tourists? I think so! :)

One final group shot as we prepared to say good-bye.

Their flight was to take off at 6:00 on New Year's morning so our final evening was spent gathering up their belongings, doing a final load of laundry and helping pack their stuff. This was our fourth time since 2007 that we've gotten together and each time has been a lot of fun. We've made a lifetime of memories and I can't wait until we meet again!

Pediatrician Appointment (12.04.13)

Well, if I were to anticipate anything going wrong this morning, I was not disappointed. As I like them early, Sarah's appointment was booked for 9:00 in the morning. That does mean an early start but it also means that the doctor can't be behind yet and we usually get in fairly quickly. If things go smoothly, I can be in and out and back home (driving included), in less than two hours. By 8:00, I had Arianna and Sarah in the van and we were on our way. I entered the address into my handy dandy GPS and set off. After a bit, I thought it was odd that the GPS started leading me back home and so I ignored it and continued on my way. As I approached the freeway (the Whitemud), I read the warning sign of an accident and major delays. Of course.

The GPS told me to turn off the freeway and so I did. I followed it to a tee. The only problem occurred when I didn't know how it was going to take me to where I wanted to go. I had only been down some of these roads as a passenger and felt quite intimidated and a bit worried. So, I called the one person I knew would know and could explain it to me... Doug. As he knows me so well, he gave me landmarks that I would pass, where the roads would lead and how the GPS was taking me to the office. After driving for almost an hour and a half, I finally arrived, 25 minutes late. Thankfully I wasn't the only late patient and it was all fine in the end. Once we were settled in the examining room, the usual tears began to fall. And cry she did. She didn't gain a whole lot but she doesn't eat a whole lot either. I left the appointment thankful that it was over and I was more than happy to get home.

Once I got home, I called the pediatrician's office and made a parent appointment for next Tuesday so I can discuss some other things with him. I just feel like I'm looking for more answers as to what might be going on with Sarah... more on that next week.

Weight: 33 pounds (32.5 pounds in September) 
Height: 41.5 inches (40.75 inches in September)
Head Circumference: 46.5 cm (46.2cm in September)

Snowy Days

Well, it would appear that winter has made it's appearance here in some parts of Alberta. It's been recorded that 55 centimetres or 21 inches has fallen in the past week or so. That's a lot of snow. I don't particularly love winter since it just seems to last for so long. I like sunshine and being warm but such is not the case when I live in this place. But I do agree that the covering of snow is beautiful in it's own way as it covers everything in a thick white blanket. It also provides a whole new play level for the kids and they can (and do) spend hours outside sledding, building snow forts and whatever else their creative minds can create. These long wintery days are also spent watching our traditional Little House on the Prairie movies, eating popcorn and snuggling down under the many quilts that we have. The snow also opens up the sport of winter driving. Momentum is your friend in the thick drifts, you simply get used to the ABS kicking in, and there's nothing quite like sitting at an intersection with a green light as you inch through because the road is glazed with sheer ice. Welcome to Alberta in November!

First Snow

Due to her oversensitivity to bulky clothing and foot wear, Sarah has not ever played outside in the winter. In addition, her balance is questionable and I never wanted to hinder that by layering her up with thick boots, snow pants and a big coat. She never minded and was always happy just to stay inside and watch others. Until today. The snow began to fall and by late afternoon, there was a thin layer on top of our grass and everything in her begged me to let her outside. She put on the snow boots that I purchased as well as a winter coat, hat and mittens. She was so excited. I was proud to the point of tears that she had come to a point in desiring to be outside. She made a snow angel, tracks and a bitty " 'no-man". I am so excited with this HUGE step for her.

Winter Days

The kids went out to play this afternoon and I managed to grab the camera and take a few shots of them playing.  I'm sure they are part monkey...