over the hills we go, laughing all the way (ish)

I blame Elf on the Shelf. I truly think he has sucked all the creative juice from my body leaving me tired and uninspired to write. However it has finally hit me that we depart for our Christmas in Ontario Monday morning so I best do an update before this blog gets even more out of date.

It has been a whirlwind of a Christmas season. So much has happened with our little family that I scarcely know where to start. The biggest change being that Cody has started another company - Reset - which opened its doors in November and has been pretty much booming since then. I'm super proud of him but it has meant that Cody has been on the road a pile with his Dad and very busy again when home. The bonus this go around is that I'm learning to be his admin assistant/bookkeeper. It hasn't all been smooth sailing but I must say I love working again and this time with numbers.

So let's take a look:

Cody in action.

Christmas baking and decorating with the Bests.

I love the way Josie frosts cookies.

Best, most dense decorating of the day - Roman Best!

Elliott was so proud.

 Our workshop - we made some cookies!

Kate started gymnastics. Yahoo! She's the youngest/tiniest in her group but I think she'll learn fast.

Speaking of learning - she seems to have made major gains this month in reading and writing. Half of it is confidence and she has renewed confidence in herself.

Unfortunately Cody's flight got grounded in Toronto and Kate came down with a G.I. so it was just Elliott and me on Christmas Concert night. Without a doubt Elliott with his class stole the show!

Earlier this week it was our annual gingerbread house decorating evening.

Cooperation was the name of the game - they were awesome.

And this weekend we're preparing for a couple more family get togethers with friends. Sunday its an ugly Christmas sweater disco party with the kids. Can't wait! This creation will be Kate's.

Today marks the last day of school for the kids - they had a great week. I can't believe the effort some teachers go to. Unreal. They're thrilled all around, but tired. Perhaps they'll sleep a bit on our 17 hour trip West.

Happy week before Christmas to all. CAKE

a sixty year spread

Tomorrow is our Grammie Donna's birthday. How old is she turning? Well I thought I would turn the question over to the kids to answer. And perhaps their answers will be funnier to me than Grammie, but likely not, I'm pretty sure she has a great sense of humour.

So first the good news...

And the not so good...

Whatever the truth may be we hope you have a lovely day and we hope our card arrives on time and we hope you have cake and we're there in spirit.

Happy 20th old lady! Love - CAKE

thumpity thump thump - over the hills of snow

It's December eve and Christmas has officially arrived in our home. It's been a day of relative merriment  as we got the tree up and the kids got busy decorating. There has been egg nog, hot chocolate, crafts, activities and playing in our fast melting snow. 

Speaking of snow, this past Thursday the Maritimes received our first snow storm and the kids their first stay at home snow day. In the past five years I have been watching our neighbours with admitted jealousy as they snow blew the heaps of white stuff from their sidewalks and driveways. We have always chosen a tractor service. Though convenient, it has never been entirely gratifying.  For years I have always imagined snow blowing to be the winter equivalent of mowing your lawn and I sincerely love mowing the lawn. Since Cody is officially done at Terra Nova we have finally purchased our own  blower and Thursday marked its inaugural job, and in typical Jorgensen style, Cody was MIA. So, the honour fell to me. I fired it up and went to work on the 21cm of very wet snow that covered everything. Well, not really.  It turns out I had it on the lowest throttle setting and moved very little snow. Oops. My neighbour sensed I was a little out of my comfort zone and he came over and pretty much cleared our whole driveway in the time I managed to do our sidewalk. Two hours later and two passes of the neighbourhood grater I had a cleanish work area, a sore body, cramped gripping muscles and one very bad attitude. Poor Cody. I wish for his sake we could record the crazy calls I have made to him over the years so that I could later listen to them, apologize for them and just possibly learn from them. Alas, we have not and thus I have not.

For the record, when Cody flew home yesterday, before he even set foot in the home he had been away from for five days he fired up that snowblower and got it going beautifully in order to prove to me that it wasn't a piece of poop like I had alleged!

 Cleaning off the 4 Runner was almost as difficult as the blowing.

 My famous sidewalk cleanup.

 At least the kids are loving the great snowman making wet stuff.

Our snowbabies.

My Christmas dunces. 

Their handiwork.

So tomorrow the official countdown begins for us all... concerts, cookies, cards, crafts, carols, parties, gingerbread houses and a little bit of shopping. I wish you and us all good luck! 

Lots of cheer! CAKE