Hoggart Christmas continued

The big boys, Travis and Chris playing their DS'

Grandma and Kortney

Dan with Dawson and Kaitlin

Andrew

Travis having a talk with Daddy and Grandpa

Hoggart Christmas

Sunday was our immediate family Christmas and Harve and Yvonne's. There were 12 adults and 10 kids with three more babies on the way!
Here's Ty showing off!

Dawson with yes, another webkinz!
Cheri and Alex

Kortney with her moonsand


The 10 grandchildren! Kaitlin, David, Travis, Chris, Kevin, Alex, Kortney, Andrew, Dawson and Ty!

Up North continued

Every year we get to hear Heather play the piano. She is amazing and the kids always think it's neat to watch. She even played us the song she composed for Marc!

Mom and my redheads!

Travis being silly

Dawson and me

Up North Continued

Mom and Carl Dan and Travis

Carly and Alexis boxing on the Wii! Little Carly was a tough competitor!

Dawson with his new lioness webkinz from Danielle.

Great Grandma

Up North!

Boxing day we always head up to my mom's. We were really lucky this year that Marc and Heather were also there the same days as us. We spent most of the time at mom's then on Sat went to my Grandma's where my Aunt Danielle and Cousin Lori, her husband Sean and their girls Alexis and Carly came. It's always nice to see everyone and catch up. Here's some pics!
Carly, Kaitlin, Kortney and Dawson.

Kaitlin, Heather, Kortney and Carl
Dawson using my Wii fit! This was him trying to ski! Very funny!!

Here's Kaitlin dancing on the Wii fit! She loves it!

Heather, Marc and Travis

Christmas Eve!

This year was very exciting for the kids. They have been anxiously waiting for Christmas to come with their Advent calenders and chain links they cut off each day. It was hard to believe the day finally came! Christmas Eve we let them open their presents from us. (Christmas morning they open Santa's presents then we soon after leave for the Pryce side Christmas)
After supper, each one got to open two small gifts from us. A book each and a little furry cat each. Then our tradition is giving the kids a list of clues to find their present(s). This year it was a big one. A Nintendo Wii! The three older one's were very excited. Since Kortney is too younge for this we gave her some pet shops. The rest of the night was spent designing ourselves on the Wii, then playing it! Christmas Eve is our family night together before the craziness of the next few days to follow.

Kortney with her furry cat, pet shops and book. She was very happy, but had to give me a squinty smile!

For the past 12 years living with Dan we have gotten a real tree for Christmas. With him being the "tire guy" and a person to come up with whatever he needs we have also used a tire rim, bowl and some wood for the tree holder. I know, your laughing aren't you :)
(There were two years were we used a real tree holder. I had gotten one on clearance and was sure it would be better....well the second year it cracked and we had water all over everything! But that's another story)
So, this year as always Dan brought the tree home and set it up in our famous holder. We all decorated the tree, everything was good, then about an hour later while watching a movie the tree crashed down! We managed to get it up again, but decided we would leave all the decorations that fell off down in case it fell again. It was good all night until mid morning and down it went again! By then I was more then a little irritated! Two of my good ornaments had gotten chipped and I was losing faith that this tree was going to work. And WHY was it falling?? Dan banged the wood in a second time and changed it abit....yes it fell again in the afternoon. I'm really starting to worry. It's up again, but will it stay up?? I really hope so cause I'm not sure my ornaments can take much more and decorating the tree is only fun the first time around. Here's hoping it works this time!! Sorry these photos are in reverse order!

The tree the third time it fell. At least this time it wasn't right on the floor!

Travis
Dawson, who insisted I had to lift him up so he could reach higher.

Kaitlin and Dan.

Kortney and Dan.

Our little trees

Four years ago we started a tradition to solve a problem I was dealing with at the time. My reason for nagging.....the kids were constantly changing the Christmas tree. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but every time I looked around the tree had some other "homemade decoration" on it. Cute yes, but the tree was being taken over by a 6, 4 and 1 year old! One day while shopping in Zehrs I noticed they had mini trees for sale. Well it hit me. I would buy each kid their own tree with which they could decorate till their heart was content!! It was a hit. They loved their little trees and continue to fuss over them through out the season. Shortly after buying the 3 trees we found out about Kortney so I did manage to get a forth tree for her too.
Here are some pictures from this years tree decorating.

November 23

Time is sure flying by. I can't believe these pictures are two weeks old already! As you can see we had lots of snow then and even more now! So far I don't mind. For the Christmas season it's just not the same without the snow. Once Christmas is done I would gladly see the snow disappear.
Two weeks ago Cheri, Mike and Alex came for a visit with their snowmobile. The kids were excited to go for some rides and to be pulled on the tubes. After quite a while outside they came in frozen, but with happy smiles from the day.
Thanks Aunt Cheri and Uncle Mike!!

Alex and Dawson

Kortney

Kaitlin and Dawson



The kids together.