Ian & Helena

Well, it’s been a bit, but I wanted to post before we head off on our Christmas holidays!  We are leaving Friday to drive to B.C. (we’ve opted for a one night hotel stay to break up the trip…our first time doing this!), where we’ll be spending the next week or so with the whole family, as well as Beppe, Feenstras and Rick Abma’s family from my mom’s side.  I am looking forward to seeing Aviendha in particular since she’s so close in age to our kids (and you too ofcourse, Sara).  I’m very excited about spending time with our family again (it always feels like a long time when we’re so far away), and hopefully you can expect a post coming up soon from my parents.  Mom’s eager to learn how to post, and I think dad’s just eager to read everyone else’s news!  So we’ll get something going there.

 We weren’t going to put up a Christmas tree since we won’t be here over Christmas, but Ian decided to take Rory out to work with him for a couple hours and they picked out a tree top that suits our coffee table just nicely.  The kids seem to like it as the girls now say “tree”, and Rory says something that we’re pretty sure means “Christmas tree”.  Very cute.

Ian’s work (Weyerhaeuser) puts on a Christmas party for all the kids’ employees.  Somehow they missed putting us on the list (all the kids get gifts) so our kids all the got blankets (the extra gift), but luckily they are too young to care.  Everyone was meant to sit on Santa’s lap for a picture when they got their gift.  Our turn was somewhat traumatic for all involved, but we made it through. 

We are healthy and enjoying a bit of a swing upwards in the temperature, so we are going out for walks again.  I also found a gym in town that has childcare during some of their classes, so we have signed up for that.  Initially they told me I had too many babies to participate, and then said I could come to one class for free so they could see how my kids did.  I was so nervous for them - it was their first audition to see if they would pass the test to be let into the gym childcare!  Anyway, they passed with flying colours (ofcourse…who wouldn’t love these cuties), and with the help of a couple friends who put in a good word about how good my kids are, we are now signed up for next year (with the understanding that if they cry too much I will have to leave the class)!  I wonder if the people with two babies had such a hard time….

Here’s a few more cute photos.  They’re growing so fast!

Breanna hugging her doll

Rory playing with his friend Campbell

Stevie at snack time

All the kids snuggling in mom & dad’s bed.

The girls’ walking is coming along slowly but surely.  No one’s running across the room yet, but Stevie has taken as many as 10 steps, and Breanna is standing up without holding on for longer and longer.  Rory is toilet training and doing awesome!  He was dry for one week (with us reminding/bringing him to the toilet).  We thought we’d try to see if we could get him to announce the need to pee since he was dry the whole week, and he has been having a few more accidents with that method, but still doing amazing, in our opinion!  I also took Rory out with our church choir to sing carols at some of the old age homes in town, and he was the star of the show.  He knows some actions to Away in the Manger and he wasn’t even too shy to perform them!  I think grandma and grandpa will be pretty excited to see that.

Well, that’s about all for now…We wish everyone safe travels as we get together with different parts of our family in this next week or so!  Merry Christmas!