These pictures are backwards, I always forget they upload in the opposite order. The tree lighting at SouthPark mall has become a Christmas tradition for our family. It was Nov 19th this year and kicked off the season for us. They have free train rides and inflatables that the kids love (crazy long lines unless you get there early, which we actually did this year). Then they have some children's choirs sing and light the tree and then they show a movie outside. This year it was the Grinch. Emerson was really tired before the tree was even lit so I took her home and Chad stayed with the other two. It was a fun night!

We are so excited to be heading to my mom's in NW Ontario for Christmas. It's been 3 years (the last time we were at my mom's) since we've had a white Christmas and I can't wait to be in the snow for 8 days! I obsessively check the forecast in Kenora and they've gotten lots of snow already. Here are a few pictures from our last Christmas there in 2007.

My mom and Bob have moved permanently to their remote cottage (now a 2 story house) on a lake so things will be a bit different this year. We just have to walk out the door to go skating on the lake or snowmobiling.

There will be lots of shoveling snow . . .

Yummy food . . .

Snow, snow and more snow . . .

skating . . .

and another sleigh ride!

A few weeks ago it was my 30th birthday. My sister Lara came down from Boston and my mom came from Canada to help me celebrate. Our very thoughtful neighbours gave us tickets to the Panthers game. In spite of their not so fabulous season, I still love the Panthers and we had a lot of fun going to the game.

Chad planned a surprise party for me. He had it decorated so pretty!

On Halloween we went bowling. Even Emerson bowled, although her ball got stuck several times half way down since it was going soooooo slowly.


Parker saw this costume at Walmart and wanted to be a super reader. He's never seen superman so when he saw this he thought it was from the super reader show they watch on PBS.

We took a day trip to Boone recently. We wanted to see the leaves and enjoy some cooler weather. We didn't really have a plan for the day except to stop by our church there and say hi to some people. When we told the kids we were going to the mountains Parker interpreted that to mean we were climbing mountains. All the way there he was looking for the mountains. Once we were actually in them, he kept asking to go to the mountain. We could not convince him we were in the mountains and that's why he couldn't see them. Behind the church there is a large hill so he and Kennedy climbed that. After that though, they were ready to find their next mountain adventure!

We stopped off at a spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway that Chad and I used to go for picnics. I have more pictures on why it's a special spot for us but I have to find them first.

The kids had soooo much fun having an "adventure" in this creek. They could have stayed all day and were none too pleased when we left. We got some great pictures of them while we were there. I need to find some frames and get some off these pictures off our computer!

I don't remember how I got there, but I came across the blog of a couple that is going through a very challenging time. They were in a car accident and the husband, Ben, has been in the hospital ever since recovering from a traumatic brain injury. If you click on the picture at the top right of the blog that says praying for Ben you can read about their journey.