Christmas Letter 2009

December 2009
Merry Christmas
I just wanted to include a quick update letter with this family picture. 2009 has been a good year. R turned 4 in October, with A and K now 18 months as of the end of November. Time is flying by. I am loving being at home with them and being able to spend all day watching them grow, and become their own people, seeing their personalities shine through and know that I will be there for it all. A and K are constantly on the go – just started walking well, everywhere and into everything. They are both cuddlers, love people, though K is a little more outgoing. A’s favorite pastime is eating – she will eat constantly if you let her. For a while they were two pounds apart in weight, but since solids have come into their lives they are now at half a pound difference. K especially loves to sing, for the past month or so “Up above the world” from “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” has been in her head, though it comes out like “Up up ba da wah, up up ba da wah…” again and again. So cute.
R has been involved in swimming lessons and music lessons this fall and loving every minute of it. He loves music and his favorite carol right now is “Joy to the World” which he calls the “Kevin song,” because as we all know it says “…and Kevin and nature sing…”  He and Daddy try to go swimming every Friday night at the Cochrane pool and the girls and I join them sometimes. We also go to Mom’s group with a few friends of mine every other Wednesday – we have 7 kids now between the three of us, so it is a bit hectic in the house at times, and so much fun. I have also been attending a Ladies Morning Out at Center Street Church on Thursday mornings, so we are a little busy at times.
I started working out with a trainer in April – I had hurt my back after the girls were born and needed someone to show me how to do exercises properly and just get into shape – I had strength, just no endurance as Christine says it. I also got accountability this way and Christine is awesome. She comes once a week still and we have adapted my routine several times as I develop endurance. I am proud to say that I can now do pushups, with my knees up on an exercise ball! For someone who could barely do 5 “girly” pushups before this is HUGE!  I also did a running class that ended last week and found that I enjoy running, especially by myself. There is something about getting away from everyone, my heart pumping, the music going in my ears, with my feet hitting the pavement in rhythm that makes me feel good.
This year I have been working part-time in my home doing advertising for a company called Melaleuca – The Wellness Company, which I have loved as I am able to work around my kids. We absolutely love the products that they manufacture, so wanted to share that with other people.
M is still working at MW Energy Corp, going on three years in January. They cut back to 1/3 of the staff that they had last January and M is one of those that stayed. Everyone picked up the slack, pitching in wherever it was needed and they have made it through these tough economic times well, starting to produce once again this fall and it looks like things are going nowhere but up and up. It is nice that he is working back in the HR role now that he was in before all the cutbacks. He was able to go to Missouri at the beginning of October to see their sites there and talk with the employees, put some names to faces and see what their needs are for health care. MW has been an awesome company to work for, very much a family feel and we have been blessed to be employed by such a company. M is able to help out in making it a great place to work and that feels good.
One of the blessings that have come from MW is that all the staff was given every other Friday and some other days off this summer (wonder who the fabulous HR person who suggested that was? And the great president who agreed to it – thanks again, B! ) and we were able to not only get in a trip to M’s parents place with a surprise birthday weekend (mine) just the two of us to Seattle, but 5 camping trips as a family – Drumheller, Bow Valley, Glacier National Park, Waterton National Park, Boulton Creek – and three overnight trips for M – one solo hike, one kayaking trip and a group glacier hike. Our kids learned to enjoy camping and boy, did we ever have things down to a science. And yes, we were in a tent – you read it right – three kids, two adults, one tent. Our tent is HUGE and it is so great for our family. We will definitely be doing it again next year. We also went to Las Vegas, baby, the last weekend in October for the U2 concert. It was on our bucket list and what better place to get a good deal than Vegas. We enjoyed the longest time away from the kids since R was born in 2005. Thanks to my parents for taking care of our kids during our trip to Vegas and M’s parents and sister for taking the kids during our trip to Seattle. We are so blessed to have awesome family!
Well, that is all except I wanted to let you know that the family picture was taken at the Calgary Zoo, one of our favorite places to visit, in the Transalta Rainforest. The gorillas’ home is there and they are one of the animals we enjoy the most – we also LOVE the hippos and giraffes. This summer we (the kids and I) visited the Zoo every week for almost two months with our good friends the Lows. It is so much easier to get along and keep entertained when you can RUN, isn’t it?  (For the pictures, if you got the vertical one I am holding A and M has K, and in the horizontal one, I am holding K and M has A.)
Hope you all have the most wonderful of Christmas seasons and the very best of everything in the New Year!
Love from K, A, R, M and R
(Sometimes you have to shake things up and sign off from youngest to oldest. Yes, I am older than M, but it is less than 6 months, so no teasing about cougars, OK? )