Happy 4th Birthday, Will!

Ahoy, Mates!  On January 17th we celebrated Will's 4th birthday with a Pirate themed party complete with a treasure hunt.  Despite some of the coldest temperatures we've seen in 6 years and snow flurries, the kids had a great time!  The birthday boy said it was "his best 4th birthday ever!"

When the kids needed to thaw out, they came in for a while and worked on some crafts we had for them.  The girls could made a princess crown and necklace and the boys made a pirate hat, eye patch, and sword.  

What pirate party would be complete without a treasure hunt?!  The kids were all given maps and had to find their way past the dolphins, mermaid lagoon, Skull Island and finally to Treasure Island where the treasure was.  

After the treasure hunt, we headed back inside to warm up and eat cake.

Will opening some of his "Pirate Booty"

Let's go Thrashers!

This past weekend we were able to catch a Thrashers hockey game with Anna and Albert.  The Thrashers are having a rough season, but managed to pull off a win after sudden death and a shoot-out.  Way to go Thrashers!

We had great seats- 4 rows up from the ice so we felt like we were in the middle of the action.  It was Anna and Albert's first hockey game and all Anna wanted to see was a fight.  She got her wish- a fight broke out within the first 5 seconds of the game.

Our mascot- "THRASH"

Reviving an old tradition

When we were growing up, my parents were good friends with 2 other couples-the Page's and the Balun's.  Our families share many found memories together.  For many years we all got together on Christmas Eve.  As our families have grown and changed, getting together for the holidays has become more challenging.  This year, though, we were able to bring almost everyone back together for some fun. 

It all began with these 6... Left to right: Linda, Harry, Sharon, Stan, Paul, and Donna.

Some of the "kids"and a new addition... Left to right: Scott, Chris, Jonathin, and Tim.

Mom, Lesley, and Emma.

The "kids" of the "kids"... Left to right: Will, Hannah, Will, and Rachel.

It is a well known fact amongst our families that if you put our dad's together, there is not much that they can't build, fix, or put together.  For Christmas, we got an air hockey table.  George and my dad spent most of the day putting it together before everyone arrived.  However, reinforcements were necessary.  Before long, Dad, Paul, and Harry were busy at work.

How many grandpa's does it take to put together an air hockey table?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

In addition to the fun and excitement of Santa visiting our house, we paused to remember the true meaning of Christmas.  What better way to remember the birth of Jesus than with a birthday party!  Mom baked a cake and Will and Susan helped to put the icing on.  After dinner, we put candles on the cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.