Happy Holidays!!

HO HO HO!! I hope all of you had a wonderful tree trimming holiday!! Last year we were at the beach...this year we were in a winter wonderland. Both were wonderful in their own special way. Christmas eve went very late for a few reasons......my lack of planning in the weeks prior so that I was actually organized come the 24th, Dylan's run to the ER, and my wanting Cam to be apart of the Christmas eve festivities, and so waited for him to get home at midnight before we put anything under the tree. We wrapped up our stealth like arranging at around 1am.....just in time for our lightest sleeper Taylor to come wandering down the stairs and see that Santa had come!! Amazing!!! haha!! We whisked her back to bed to have her & Tylin up again a couple hours later... ready and raring to go at 3:30 am!! WHAT!!! GET BACK TO BED!!! Finally just before 7 they were in our room once more and this time we promised we would get up.

Santa was very good to us all....spoiled rotten with some great gifts for future fun times. The whole family is outfitted with ski socks, goggles, and all the good things to keep us warm on the slopes, we even got new toboggans which we put to use straight away. After we opened gifts, and let the kids play for awhile, we rounded up all the neighbors and took off to a toboggan hill nearby. It really is strange with the fact that there is no snow in Kelowna....I mean green grass kinda no snow.....yet we drive 15mins up into the hills by our house and it becomes a winter wonderland. It feels strange packing up all our winter gear, pulling on the sorells and walking across the grass as we load up the toboggans. WIERD!!

Anyway, we had a blast....we got up above the clouds to a brilliant blue sky and sun with actual heat in it!! It was a gorgeous day! There was about 13 of us all out together. In reminded me of the good "ol days and our Flin Flon Christmas's. Just out in the bush, the smell of wood smoke, and all the rosy cheeked little munchkins running around with their faces constantly buried in the snow....somehow all kids love the taste of snow!!

After our outdoor fun we had a bit of time to have a family nap before we threw on our flip flops and marched across the street to friends of ours for dinner. Gotta love that!! We had a feast on seafood.....lobster, clam, shrimp linguini, roasted veggies, salmon, ceasar salad, and yummy desert!!! This kids played, we chatted, and we were all tucked into bed by 9pm. A full wonderfully exhausting day. LOVE IT!!

Today, we have been visiting with the neighbors, and trying to recover. The guys were all helping with garage shelving across the street and have plans to go watch the hockey game tonight. The kids will be playing their new wii game, and I'm sure it will be another early night.

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and were able to spend it in the ways that mean the most to you. Lots of laughs, good food, and that feeling like this is what life is all about. I wish for you a year full of soul filling sights, sounds, smells, and experiences!

Talk soon....love ya
The Adventurers

First day at Crystal & first stitch!!

I had the chance to head out skiing today with a couple of the girlfriends (Gina & Terry) I have made here in Kelowna We went to a hill about 20 mins from our house called Crystal Mountain. It was a fantastic day.....we were lucky enough to get the rare Kelowna winter sun and made for a beautiful view of the valley. We had tons of laughs, and of course a bit of acting like the kids we are inside & making fools of ourselves. I don't know if you have ever heard of the "christmas donkey song" but it was our theme song for the day, and we were "HEEHAAWWW ing" at all the right moments!! Too funny! Just a great couple of girls and a great day. This hill will be perfect for the kids...lots of easy cruisers. I must admit it felt pretty cool to be able to head up for a morning of skiing and be home in time to kiss Cam as he heads off to work in the afternoon. This is why we moved here!! So close to the things we love to do!!

I then went out for some last minute Christmas shopping, and then off to Emergency with Dylan. YUP!! That is what I said....my little Dylan...so sure footed that girl!!! We had just arrived nicely at home, kids put into their pj's and off to watch a bit of a movie before turning in for an early night. BIg day tomorrow and we want to be all rested up. Anyway, Dylan was up to her old tricks and being a complete HAM as she was walking up the stairs....tripped....and put her tooth through the inside of her lip. I heard the fall and went running over to see if she was okay....she just said I think so....no tears.....just stood there looking at me as she was holding her lip all covered in blood. The spot she bit through is right in the corner of her mouth. If she closed her mouth you couldn't really tell....but when she opened it there was this flap of skin just kinda hanging there. Well, I packed the kids up and sent them over to the neighbors, borrowed a car, and drove Dylan to the ER. Off to see Daddy!!

She was so brave....didn't even flinch...got 3 stitches and was home sucking on a popsicle in no time. My little mac truck....good thing!!

Anyway. It is the end to a very eventful day. All the kids are now tucked into bed and its time for me to do the same!!
love ya
The Adventurers

let me tell ya!!

It's hard to go back and remember all the details of how we got to where we are today, from where we left in NZ. So I'll summarize.....there was not much debate about the fact that we wanted to move out west....but putting thought into action, and saying goodbye to family and friends was extremely hard. We questioned time and time again if we were doing the right thing. We had never been to Kelowna, and so really didn't know one area from the next. The thought of buying a house that we may potentially regret within weeks of arriving was terrifying. The thought of leaving our family, our friends, and putting our kids through yet another move to a place we new nothing about, only the hopes of putting lessons learnt in NZ into action, was out of this world scary. Way harder than moving to the other side of the world....because this time it was permanent.....this time our goodbyes meant more. All we could do was trust that our reasons came from a place that meant the world to us. That we would not lose our focus on what we feel life is all about.

So we packed the 3 kids, the cat, and a huge u-haul truck load of our possessions and embarked on the next chapter of our lives. And you know what...after the hours of panic, negotiating, packing, working, tearful questionings & goodbyes, we pulled up to our new home and within minutes felt we might just be okay!! Our U-haul truck was a HUGE come meet me sign that the neighbors took full advantage of. Taylor & Dylan made instant friends and were off playing within the hour. I have never lived in a neighborhood quite like this. I mean we had amazing neighbors in Winnipeg that we truly appreciated, and felt very lucky to have. But here...well it feels like we are back to living at RES in University except that everyone has their own house instead of dorm room. To be honest it took some getting used to!! The kids are always at one house or another with no shortage of options for friends to play with, and I find myself building a sisterhood of girlfriends where we raid closets for clothes, go for runs into the trails, and even dress me up....makeup, accessories and all..( cause we all know I don't know makeup!)...and send me out for my 1st staff christmas party. What a wonderful feeling.....to be so welcomed!

The kids are enjoying school and were surprised as we were, to see the parade of kids and parents walking to school that first day. Garage doors were opening left, right, & center....and the phenomenon continued well into the school year while the weather was warm. Now that winter has come the parade is no longer a parade but a test of "kelownian" winter strength......the weak sneak by in their cars, as the rest of us.. "crazy " as they say.....walk on!! haha!! Come on.....it's only gotten to -17!!!

Cam is adjusting to work....which has taken some time for sure. But has officially set his date for writing his MCAT so he has bigger things to come. I have started working part time as well. I am working in corporate health and loving it so far.

We have had a good portion of the family out to visit in the few months that we have been here......which really has made all the difference in the world. It has shown to us....and to them....that we are reachable....and there was a method to our madness in the whole reasons behind our move. I think it made it easier for them to understand why we did it....and easier for us to feel at home and that obviously we will be able to see each other more often then if we had stayed in NZ. Although I must say we are still trying to let go of that one. Keep the lessons. but let go of the feeling of just wanting to pack it in and go back!

Anyway, we have made good use so far of the mountains around us. We have been exploring the trails near our house, but now that the snow has come we have made our way out to the ski hill a couple of times with the kids. We just had Maia here with us and it felt great to give her, her first downhill ski experience. It was so amazing to see the three girls skiing up and down the bunny hill on their own....playing follow the leader ( well sort of....they always ended up flying in different directions) and having the best fall competitions. By the end of the day my job had gone from wiping away tears, and giving words of encouragement, to team "ski putter onner" as I collected the one who won the round of best wipe out!! I really don't think it ever was intentional but a "kid way" of supporting the one who fell first. If one fell, they all had to fall!!

Anyway, I know this was a very skimmed over version of what has gone on in the past months. There has just been so much! Family times, halloween parties, outings with friends, christmas concerts, and special memories with extended family who came to visit. I hope to be able to keep you up to date from here on in. I am off to the slopes with my girlfriends in the morning....I must say it's pretty cool to think that I get to go skiing in the mountains and be back before Cam starts his work day in the afternoon. YOU SHOULD SEE MY SMILE!!!

Talk soon.....Have a very happy holiday season......I'll wirte again very soon!!
love ya
The Adventurers

On the "blog" again......

Hello my long lost loves!! It has been a long time since I last had a blog up and running.....and not to mention, in a whole other world....however the time has come to get back in action! After our tearful goodbye of our wonderful experience in New Zealand, we decided to put the lessons learned from our adventure into action on our home turf of Canada. We spent the past summer, planning, packing, and working to implement our next adventure....and the next chapter of our journey! We headed west....back to those wonderful mountains....and in search of the lifestyle we loved in NZ. We have moved to Kelowna BC....and are just now....after a few months of sorting....starting to settle into our new home.

The biggest challenge for us....and one we will never let go of....is that we have moved here for a reason....and to remember that reason. We found the life within ourselves again in NZ. We accomplished great things there.....all the things we set out to do. We were able to reconnect with ourselves, and reset the priorities we hold first and foremost for us and our family. Our challenge everyday is to remember that....to remember who we are and the life we want for our family and ourselves. To make that the priority!! To LIVE!! We chose Kelowna for a few different reasons....one that Cam wants to go to med school and here was the best option for that (in BC that is) and secondly that it has a lot of the outdoor recreational options that we want to continue with close to home, and last but not least....short of us staying in NZ (something that we all wish we could have done) it provides us with the best mix of terrain/environment, cam's career passion, and proximity to family. So HERE WE ARE!!

I have a lot to catch up on....but for now...as we are just about to dig into some apres ski pizza, I will leave you with a few photos of our new world.

I hope you enjoy....and I hope this helps all of us keep in touch!!

I promise I will fill you in as best I can on the days that have past!

Love ya

The Adventurers