So be good for goodness sake !!

BUNCH OF LITTLE RASCALS !!!

Christmas eve .....So be good for goodness sake!!!

What does Santa say ?...HO HO HO !!!!

We had a lovely xmas day and Heather was surprised at all the presents Santa had left her. She is at a great age just now because we were able to open , appreciate and play with each present as they were unwrapped.
when Heather asked where Santa lives, we told her that he lives in the North Pole. Then Heather thought for a second and then said " Heather live in the little pole!!!"

Christmas week.

Let's look through the arched window.

Christmas week and temperatures had warmed up to -20 and this allowed us to venture out with the kids. We went up to Lake Louise where there is a beautiful ice castle and you can skate on the lake and around the castle, this year they had carved an ice slide to enjoy and it was being enjoyed by children of all ages!!!

Could be inside an igloo!!

Fun at the ice park.

"No skating for me today ....but I like the idea of the " boggin"

Heather's word for the toboggan...or sledge.

It has been promised for temperatures to get to as high as -16 for Christmas day...Yahoo!!!!
Utterly tropical

What to do at 35 below.

We had been blessed with a mild winter and were still enjoying afternoons in the sun at the park without having to worry about bundling the kids up and it was the talk of the town as to how mild it had been. However the third week of December arrived with frigid temperatures of 35 below. It honestly came overnight and plunged us into the depths of a deep freeze. We had ice on the inside of every window and at times the temperature was a s low as -40 with the windchill. Not ideal for going out and about with the children, however we managed to keep ourselves entertained by building a gingerbread house. Well we had to quickly assemble it as little fingers were as quickly unassembling it into her stomach !!! We let Heather stick on the candy, but most of it was going into her mouth and when she did place a candy on she would run her finger down the icing and scoop it into her mouth!!!...who could blame her!!!!!

Heather also discovered that she can now raid the fridge...It seems that she hasn't discovered the chocolate or the beer stash.

And after all that effort, pulled out a raspberry!!!


Look like she enjoyed the whole punnet!!!!

Fun in the snow

All ready to venture out in to the Big......

SNOW FALL !!!!


Big Snowmen.....

...and big sledging !!!

Try, try and try again

" I can do this"

" Oh yes, a little further"

" Looking cool now!!"

"Now all I have to do now is roll over!!!"

Walking on ice!!!

At first you think "what a lovely beach, but hey, are those folks walking on water !!!"

The cold weather has finally arrived and half of Canmore were eager to go out and enjoy themselves with a bit of skating. The ice looked great, about 4 inches thick and you could see the bottom of the lake and plenty people were skating. Coming from Britain, it is still unnerving to be on the ice after years of being told never to walk on the ice. This was especially so when we could occasionally hear the ice shift and the sound echoing down the length of the lake. James and I stopped and looked at each other, but nobody else seemed bothered by this and continued to skate, play hockey and tow their children.

There is, apparently a rhyme telling you how thick the ice should be for the number of people skating and I am going to find it out. When I do I will add it to this entry!!!

It all started so well.

But then not so good.

But then it got better again!!!

Ice Safety

1 inch will end your day
2 inch dogs may play
3 inch you may, but depends on what you weigh
4 inch both may
5 inch okay

Christmas is coming !!!

The beginning of December in Canmore and everyone is excited to get ready for christmas cheer. Houses and trees are already being lit up, some have been lit up since the middle of November. At first you think, crazy Canadians...it's another 6 weeks until christmas. However, we quickly learned, that those Canadians are not so crazy after all, when we were having to put christmas lights up last year in -20 temperatures !!! Who was laughing at who then!!!! So, yes, our lights are up and on !!!!

Canmore has been lit up too, and the celebration started in the afternoon with sleigh rides gingerbread decorating, carol singing and of course, not forgetting, the big man dressed in red!!!

Mmmmmm!!! that was worth the effort.

Heather enjoyed decorating her gingerbread man and enjoyed it even more trying to eat it. She was excited to see Santa, however when it came to sitting on his knee, she wasn't so brave and was very dubious about the strange man dressed in a funny red suit, that was until he gave her a golden bell!!!!. It is very funny to see their mood change once they realise what this man does for them.

I'm gonna get you.......

I'm gonna get you....

..Ohh yes I am......

A little tickle here....

...and I've got you!!!!!!