Merry Christmas everyone.

Will and Cecilia are out for some fresh air, both suffering from a bit of a cold and both a bit grumpy. Above that thoughare the three all together with Mt Albert lit up behind and finally MadB at her Christmas concert, we'll get more of those up next.

Will got out for a ski on the weekend. It was a beautiful day. The three kids are getting pretty excited about Xmas, and we hope everyone else is as well. We had fun time picking things up for Josie today, MadB was particularly kean on the shopping and selection of gifts.

Cecilia and I went for coffee with Belle. They wanted their photo done with the Christmas decorations.
Madeleine received the high five award last week for showing excellent qualities of studenting. You can see by the look in her eyes being photographed by dad was the only embarassing part.
Will is posing with the Xmas tree and his favourite ornament, except you can't see it.

CeeCee at gymnastics

MadB is going to help with some of these posts now so we will get fsome festive pictures up soon and get on more frequntly too. C just got her gymnastic pictures today we thought we should put them up.

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I got to ski yesterday and there sure was a lot of snow. I did eight quick runs in 3 hours and found some really sweet snow even after showing at 1030. No pictures, though you can all check out the revelstoke mountain resort website ( www.revelstokemountainresort.com ) to seee what you are missing. Also check out the Revelstoke Times Review website ( www.revelstoketimesreview.com ) for some pictures of the bar's Movember photos. I have a cool mustache. Here is the sunset, Maddie and a snow man, and CeeCee's first haircut. Kids are fine just swimming and skating this weekend, probably skiiing next one.

We tried some skiing in the yard today as coverage was excellent. Will has logged some serious time on his nordic skiis and was dying to try the downhill skiis acquired from the Bollefers. There is a great community of parents here that gets gear around and used as it can be very expensive to have to rent or buy gear all the time. We have some stuff that can be passed along too if anyone needing it wants to take a look. Madeleine got out today to do some crosscountry and really impressed me with all that she remembered from her lessons last year, it was pretty awesome. I was in snowshoes and had to run to keep up a lot of the time. She also was a big help To her brother, he actually said that " Maddie already taught me how to ski I don't need lessons". At the end of the trip she was also the cause of his frustration as she was so quick.

It was the first big snowfall last night. Only 20cm but a good start. The snow is here til April. Everyone should come and see us and enjoy this stuff, it is fantastic.

Just some photos from a few weeks back. We have enough snow now in town that Will went cross country skiing in the park today. He was very excited and had a great time. Cee got to toboggan and MadB was at school. We have had some beautiful days with snowy mountains and blue skies. These have been a great pleasure as so much cloud has been around lately, and thankfully left a large load of snow.

Here are some winter themed pictures as I would say it is winter now. A couple of cold snowy days plus we are skating skiing and building snowmen, winter has started.

Happy Halloween to everyone, it was quite a big deal this year. Will and Mad each had a party and I spent the day skiing. MadB's party was quite large, all the grade one girls from Mountainview, Will just had two buddies. This town really goes all in for this day, which for some reason surprises me. I guess it is really fun and I guess people like fun.

All I can say is the usual, I have been very busy. We just got back from a quick trip to Calgary with the only purpose being to visit friends and take a break before we get into the ski season. We stopped in Canmore to try to take in some of the Festival of Eagles but only got a slice of what we had hoped for. It was still rewarding though our time in Calgary was all we expected. We saw almost everyone we meant to and did all we needed to. It was fun and emotional for the kids seeing old friends and going by old haunts. Madeleine shed some tears after leaving the city and Will hopes to move back except he will really miss our ski hill and his friends. Other than that we are all fine and busy.

Her are some pictures as you can all tell that these are pictures.

We are back from camping up past the dam at Wadey recreation site. We had some wet weather to start but beautiful weather the last couple days to get in some swimming in the cold Columbia River/ Lake Revelstoke. Several camp fires and canoe trips occupied most of our time. Will has a great love of the canoe commanding five separate journeys up and down the river banks and up any creeks we could find.

some more pictures of summer fun.

Josie and Cee Cee are basking in the sun at Summit lake and Will's mud pit in the side yard. These are photos from a few weeks back as no new adventures have come up. We will hit the road again thursday for a camp trip before school starts. Everyone here is fine and having good times finishing off summer. Madeleine starts grade One next week beleive it or not. Time does pass quickly when you are a grown up.

We have had a small break from the rigours of life in Revelstoke, camping for a few nights. Summit Lake is just a bit southeast of Nakusp and just far enough to seem like a real odyssey. The lake is shallow and warm so great for adults who have to manage kids. We had a great time with the Patry and Knauer families and could only have asked for a few more days.

Cecilia turned two yesterday and we had a nice little party for her. She was very excited and very happy. She had asked for pink cake and that was all she was interested in. She loves cake and that is great she does and gets most things she wants because she is very cute. She is soft spoken but very direct, she has very expressive eyes and gestures plus her expressions reveal a vast range of feelings. She is just super cute.
It was a busy weekend here in Revelstoke and I cant wait to take some sort of break. Will started a soccer camp and is doing ok, just a bit shy or maybe not what he expected and Madeleine is busy playing and going to her programs on nature and history. Summer is going well and I guess we are having lots of fun.