Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Even More Christmas Pictures!!

Here are some more pictures of our holidays... Christmas morning in front of the tree...
It turns out that Briar is as transfixed by the 'Holiday Fire Log' as his mommy is...
Christmas breakfast...
Olivia and her puppies. She loves them because that the little puppies attach to the mommy dog with magnets...
Olivia, Briar and Jeff's cousin's wife, Laura...
I saw what I thought was a UFO on Christmas Eve at 3:45 am. I took pictures, woke Jeff up in a panic, ran outside with bare feet in the frozen grass. After another 'UFO' showed up and a plane was circling (which I first thought was a military plane checking it out), I realized that they were flares. Then I ran inside and called 911 thinking that the plane was going down. It turns out that they were searching for a lost hiker....Oops!
After the storm ran through Port Alberni, Kenny's bug was foudn in the back of Ann's property up on the roots of a tree!!!
Olivia and her new love, Chuck Norris, the puppy...
Olivia wanted to hide him in our bag and take him home....

More Merry Christmas!!!

Here are a few more pictures of the last couple of weeks... Olivia at her Christmas pageant cuddling a parrot...
Olivia and her buddy, Julina...
Grandpa Jack feeding Briar Jack...
Olivia performing at the pageant. They sang Frosti the Snowman, The Hannukah Song, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, ABC, The Gingerbread Song...
Olivia's 1st french braids that I put in for the pageant...
This expression shows what Olivia thought of her 1st french braids that I put in for the pageant...
The kids and our Christmas tree...
Olivia gives new life to our stockings...
Briar and his perpetually exposed tongue...

Merry Christmas!!!

Catching up on the Christmas blogging.... We have had a wonderful and quiet Christmas. It has been relaxing! I finally feel like the stress and the business is slowing down a bit. It is Briar's 1st Christmas and I think he has been enjoying himself. Olivia has had a blast! From all the lights on houses to Christmas pageants, she has been really busy. Briar has begun pushing himself. He is also gettting up on all fours the last couple of days. He will soon be crawling and I am TERRIFIED!! I'll have to be so vigilant with all the tiny 'choker-sized' toys that Olivia has.
Our happy little girl as we hunt for our Christmas tree...
The one we picked and Jeff... I always feel SO badly cutting down a tree at Christmas. I imagine all the trees that were sacrificed for the holidays and think it would be wonderful if they could 'grow up'. Anyhow, Olivia and I said a little 'Thank-you' to the tree for being our Christmas tree. Olivia also thanked 'Mother Earth' (my little hippy girl).
This is the tree that Olivia wanted...
Olivia and I on the Spit for a walk...
Briar in his sling...
Olivia and Eli out for a walk...
My friend, Heidi, with Briar in the backpack sound asleep.
Jeff and the kids having a snuggle...

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Giant windstorms!!!

First set of trees on the road to our house (there were two sets of trees down)... A crushed car and truck a couple of blocks away...Snapped!!!
The road behind our place...
This is the house that was crushed...

We have been without phone, cable and internet for five days. We finally got it back this morning so here I am catching up.
Last Thursday night, there was an amazing wind storm here. Trees fell down right, left and centre, the power was out for days, and everyone was pretty freaked out. At two AM, while looking out the window, I noticed about ten flashlight beams lighting up the street outside. I threw on my coat and ran outside. Most of the neighbours were out running in the street watching the trees sway and fall. I have never heard that snapping noise before and it was LOUD!! The wind was AMAZING!! Things were flying everywhere! The attic cover in the ceiling upstairs was even sucked up into the attic and spun around! Our neighbour's house backing to the houses up the street was crushed by a tree. There are cars flattened everywhere. We only lost a eucalyptus tree in the backyard. The double swing was tossed upside-down and through the garden. Anyhow, here are some pictures of the devastation...

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Poor, sick Briar...

Well, now that I have pretty much caught up with the most recent photos, I can write a few words about what is now going on.
Poor, little Briar's cold has turned into pneumonia. He is on antibiotics and is feeling much better at the time of this update, so I am feeling a little less tense. It just goes to show that as a mommy, you have to trust your gut. I have taken him to the doctor about 5 times in the last month just feeling that something wasn't right and he wasn't doing as well as he should be for a cold. Poor little Rabbit....
Olivia was in the Sooke Santa Claus Parade yesterday. She was a 'snowflake' (costumes were very subject to interpretation-she was dressed in white, essentially). I ended up walking with her in it, so I guess I was in the parade as well. Briar slept through his parade debut in the baby bjorn. We were supposed to hand out candy canes to kids along the parade route...Olivia didn't really want to do it. She was pretty shy about walking up to these other kids. I didn't want to just 'chuck' them as they kept landing in puddles of slush and I was feeling a bit shy about it myself, I must admit...We have ended up with a bag of mini candy canes. All the other mommies had handed theirs out so I had to smuggle ours into our car afterward so as not to be found out ;)
Jeff went up to Port Hardy on Friday to pick up some gear from the boat and to put some antifreeze in some part (Is my lack of boat knowledge showing?). On his way up there, he was witness to a head on collision on the highway North of Sayward. Other car witnessed it as well , but kept on driving!! I can't imagine... Anyhow, Jeff was able to put his recent First Aid upgrade to good use. I am so proud of him. He pulled a 'McGyver' and stopped one man's bleeding by using black electrical tape to apply pressure since he didn't have enough hands!! He used his sweatshirts as neck braces and a wood pallet as a stretcher to get a man out of his car when it looked like the car was going to catch on fire. Another man in a semi stopped and helped as well, eventually. There was no cellphone reception so the man with the semi used a satellite radio to call the police. It took an HOUR for them to get there and an HOUR and a HALF for the ambulance to get there. Anyhow, Jeff says he kept having to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't a dream... I think it was pretty surreal. Anyhow, YAY Jeff!!!
For any of you who are interested here is link to my sister's blog: http://hannamredding.blogspot.com/ There are some pictures on there from our trip to Kelowna as well as some wonderful pictures of my sweet, little nephews.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Recent pictures from the last few days

Some recent pictures for you. For some reason, they didn't go in the order that I tried to put them, however. There is a sequence to Briar's first haircut, but you'll figure it out, I'm sure. Briar's first ponytail. This is what I cut off and kept in his baby book.
Post-haircut...
Briar and Daddy, again post-haircut.
Pre-haircut!!!
The boys. Did you know that border collies come in the 'red' colour that is Freckles? I saw one on the internet yesterday and it looked exactly like our hairy, sheddy guy.
Jeff has a cold and flopped out on the couch for the day.
Olivia decided she wanted purple hair. I figured "Why not?" Anyhow, it is washable....
Mommy's little punk girl.

Friday, December 01, 2006

A couple more Kelowna pictures....

Some more pictures from our visit to Kelowna... A sick, pooped Olivia before our plane trip home...
I can't remember if I put this in the last group of pictures, but here are Olivia and Uncle Todd playing in the leaves...
Matty in his bumbo. He is very bend-y...
Oma's acorns...some happier than others....
Pat, the duck. He/she seems to be half male-half female... Quite a curiosity...
Yes, I am a paranoid mother. Jeff always says that I should just keep my children in a bubble...
Kirsten, Briar and Matty hanging in the kitchen...
I love Matty's expression here. It looks like he's saying, "Now listen here..."
Does anyone remember Bowser from Sha-Na-Na? How about Eddie Munster?

Friday, November 24, 2006

Okay, here are some more...I am having trouble getting more than this. I'll try to add again later. Gabe, the little ham, and Briar...
How many babies can you fit in a playpen?
Olivia feeds the ducks dehydrated apple slices...I hope that's okay for ducks to eat...
Big cousin, Olivia, feeds little Matty his dinner. She was pretty stoked.
Uncle Todd's eye-view of the scene in the hallway...
Todd and Gaby Baby chillin' out...
Gabe in THE stroller (Kirsten and Todd have the most amazing stroller ever - I am having serious stroller envy).
Briar in our stroller...