Monthly Archives: November 2007

Christmas Gift Exchange

The “draw” for our Christmas gift exchange was done yesterday. Here are the results:

  • Nanny buys for Lisa
  • Dad buys for Julia
  • Mom buys for Jason
  • Graham buys for Andrea
  • Lisa buys for Dad
  • Alisa buys for Graham
  • Jason buys for Nanny
  • Julia buys for Alisa
  • Andrea buys for Brianna
  • Brianna buys for Mom

The gift is to be approximately $50. Just to be clear (in case anyone asks), there is no rule about spending exactly $50 to the penny, and no rule about whether it is $50 including tax or $50 plus tax. Just get something nice for the person that is close to $50.

We will be hosting the traditional Christmas Eve party at our house again. We’ll sing and eat, and Nanny will provide with find a game again. We’ll also continue the take-away gift exchange game on Christmas Eve. The small gift is to be $10.

Andrew’s School Pictures

Andrew had his school pictures done, and rather than pay way too much for the pictures and end up with a bunch we don’t need, we paid too much for a photo CD so we could print what we needed. The pictures come in a variety of sizes and in colour or black and white:

  • 3″x5″
  • 5″x7″
  • 8″x10″
  • 3″x5″ or 2½x3 “greeting cards”
  • 2½”x3″ grade card
  • 2½”x3″ named card
  • 8″x10″
  • 10″x8″ calendar
  • 1¾”x2″ small wallet size

This is the regular photo:

andrew_school_picture_regular.jpg

Here are the other possibilities:

andrew_school_picture_artistic.jpgandrew_school_picture_grade.jpg
artistic and grade card

andrew_school_picture_greetingcard.jpgandrew_school_picture_named.jpg
greeting card and named card

andrew_school_picture_calendar.jpg
calendar

We’d be happy to print whatever you’d like/need. Please let us know and we’ll get them done for you…

Halloween 2007

Another year, another Halloween. I guess since they are getting a little older, Andrew and Matthew were particularly excited about Halloween this year. Lisa bought a few decorations and put them up. For one of our Family Home Evening activities we made a haunted gingerbread house. Andrew got to wear his costume to school on Halloween. He was Frankenstein. Matthew was a fireman (with a dog in its pocket, as he had to tell everyone when he went trick or treating). Christine was a zebra (courtesy of Mom). Lisa stayed home to give out candy while I took the boys out and pushed Christine in the stroller. The boys both got a lot of candy, and then we headed to Hilda Street where they got some more. I’ve taken pictures from most of these things and you can see them in the Halloween 2007 gallery.

One of the things Andrew was most excited about happened a few days after Halloween. He got a new book called 13 Ghosts of Halloween. It had a “song” that was to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas. Here are the words:

13_ghost_of_halloween_cover.jpg

On the twelfth stroke of midnight
Oh, nothing frightens me!
Not twelve vampires rising
Eleven goblins giggling
Ten werewolves howling
Nine witches cackling
Eight mummies moaning
Seven spiders grinning
Five bogeymen
Four darting bats
Three black cats
Two shrunken heads
Or a vulture in a dead tree

My New Car

Well I finally got my new car. It doesn’t quite feel real (I picked it up after work last night). I feel like I am driving a rental car. I bought a 2008 Toyota Yaris Sedan. It is Slate Mica I believe. It is a charcoal grey. I am looking forward to driving where ever I need to go and not beg for ride!

I am so sorry that I have been so terrible at posting on the family blog. I will try to be better.

Life here in Calgary is wonderful so far. I have friends and I am always out and busy which is so nice. Church activities, movie nights with the house mates, the neighbour girls across the way, I am having a blast. (And yes Dad I have had dates too!)

I will post a picture of my car when I charge the batteries of my camera.

I look forward to seeing most of you at Christmas time, I am so excited to come home for a visit.