The girls got ice skates for Christmas, so we took them ice skating at Robson Square. It was lots of fun and the girls really enjoyed it. I think we’ll have to do that again!

The last two weeks have been a little crazy around our house. Christina just completed the two-week OR course at work, which meant she was working every day for the last two weeks instead of her usual part-time shift. Our Mom’s graciously agreed to watch the kids on alternate weeks with her Mom watching the kids the first week and my Mom taking the second. My Dad was able to join us for a few days as well. It just wouldn’t have been possible without them. THANK YOU!

Even though we’d told ourselves that we’d only go every couple of weeks, we’ve been visiting our new house every weekend. It’s very exciting to watch it being built and imagining how the rooms will look. We visited it again today and the house is really coming along. The basement and garage concrete slabs were poured this week, and a lot of major plumbing is in place. All the walls are framed and roof is finished. All the windows are in, but the doors are still sitting in the den, waiting to be installed. They framed the kitchen island and the fireplace this week.

We spent Christmas in Kelowna this year with Christina’s parents. It was the first time since they moved to Kelowna and we really appreciate Lori and Ian flying us all out with their Air Miles. We were also joined by Christina’s siblings Scot and Amy, and her grandparents, Verna and Dave. It was a nice large family Christmas and a fun one for both the girls.

Christina’s parents had a special surprise for the girls when we got there: a homemade skating rink. The girls each “conveniently” received a pair of skates and a safety gear from Santa a few days early. It was the girls first time skating and they really enjoyed it.

We were back in the Lower Mainland for a few days after Christmas so Christina could work, and then we were off to the Island for some more visiting with my family. We spent a couple of days in Comox with my parents and then a few more in Victoria to celebrate New Years with my brother’s family before coming back home today. We gave a mini remote controlled apache helicopter to my Dad for Christmas this year and he and I had a blast mastering the controls, flying it all over the house. Natalie and Jasmine really enjoyed playing with their cousin Teagan and the three of them kept us all very busy.

We stopped by the new house as soon as we got back to Vancouver. The latest addition is the roof and the overall exterior is really coming together. Over the next few weeks we expect that they will finish the roof and start putting windows and doors in. It’s lots of fun watching it come together.