Happy New Year!!!!

Well I didn't send out a family photo and Christmas card yet again this year! But are we really surprised? I'm not! 

2012 Was a great year all in all for us. Besides Aric going though H-E-double hockey sticks at work in the last school year, we are happy with where the year took us.

Sylas joined our family and has brought complete joy into our lives. He is such a treat and really is generally a very happy kid. He is growing like a weed, seriously! He is now 8.5 months old and weights about 23-24lbs to my best guess. He is a rock!!! Thankfully he is starting to move so I don't have to carry him around the house as much now. During out Christmas in Hillspring with my WHOLE family, he decided that not only was it time to sit up by himself finally, but that he wants to stand too. So he is pulling himself on all sorts of furniture. I'm going to make the prediction that he will walk before he is one. We just can't keep him still and sitting. Tonight he crawled up the entire flight of stairs from the main floor to the top floor, by himself. Aric just stood behind him and kept a had available in case he fell for stumbled.

Naomi is a gem... most of the time. I'm mean, come on people she is 2, and we all know what 2 year olds are like. So I decide to see only the good right now. She surprises us every day with what she is picking up from us or the TV. Potty training? Well no. She is actually very scared of her bodily functions. The few times that we force her to sit on the potty. she is wines and bawls until we can't take it anymore. It is quite entertaining! It is amazing how much she has grown up. Day to day I do not see the changes until I catch a glimpse of a photo if her from just after Sylas was born. WOW!!! She is turning into a little girl so quickly.

We made a pretty big move to the bustling metropolis of Strathmore AB. We are loving it! It's definitely  a different pace from Edmonton. We sure miss our friends up there in the frozen north country. Aric is absolutely loving his job here. He feels appreciated finally in the efforts and ideas he brings. I'm enjoying being closer to family. I miss you Chelsea, but it has been nice to be able to spend time with a couple of my brothers. It's nice to be pretty much around the corner from BJ and Kyle. And Naomi has enjoyed getting to know her cousins Audrey, McCoy and Eliza.

My parents came from their mission in November!!!! I'm really enjoying having the chance to spend time with them. They stayed with us for a little while before Christmas and we got to prep for the craziness that was Christmas with the Harker clan at the Great Canadian Barn Dance B&B in Hillspring. Over all it was great. With 12 kids ages 5.5 and under, it could have really bad. But over all the kids were very well behaved. We enjoyed a "sleigh ride" on Christmas Eve. Man was it cold. But quite of few us braved the cold and had a memorable experience. Then it was back to the B&B for a roasting marshmallows over the fire in the back. It was quite warm by the fire.

We have an exchange student that most people are aware of. She is such a delight. Chiho if from Tokyo Japan and enjoys our crazy family dynamic I think. She sure had fun with my whole fam damily at Christmas. I think she realized that I am not the only crazy Canadian.

Well that catches you up pretty much. Now for the real show. On with the pictures!


Naomi helping decorate the Christmas tree.

Now it's Chihos turn



At the Airport when we went and met up with my parents during they over from Calgary to Lethbridge. The grandkids who where there got to go for a ride in the elevator with Nana and Papa.

Tuckered out while waiting to go to Edmonton for my sisters daughters baby blessing.



I love this photo!! HE sure loves his daddy.



Just looking so handsome



Helping "clean up" after baking



Story time with Papa.




Mmmmm... helping mommy and Nana make pulla!



Nice smile Mr. B

How does she sleep like this?

I think I have a mommy wanna be

We went to see Santa Naomi just went right up and snuggle into his neck. It was so cute. Completely different from last year. And Sylas was surprisingly happy to be a strange mans lap too! This was the best photo we could get. Neither of them looked at the camera at the same time

Enjoying some yummy Cora's breakfast after Santa. SOOOOO GOOOOD!!

MR.B got many noise toys for Christmas... thanks everyone! He enjoys them though (not as much Naomi though I think).

Getting ready to go for a walk with mommy, daddy and Naomi.

I don't have snow pants for him, so I heated up a rice bag and placed it in between blanket layer under his legs. He was so cozy he nodded of to sleep. Naomi loved "holding" him.

At Christmas, the kids attended a "Nana Party" they wore animal mask (Naomi is the bunny if you didn't realize), they played pin the button on the ginger bread man, broke a pinata,  and had stories. It was really cute. Naomi still talks about it now and then. We mention any kind of party, and she jumps "Nana party?"

Ok this next set of photos will be the end. I just had to add the sequence here because it was so funny. She woke up her nap looking like this and I kept asking her where her fork was. Can you find it? She never found it on her own, but the photos show her looking pretty hard.

So that's it. I finally updated it. I plan to try to keep up to date a little better this year. Cross your fingers. We hope that this year will has been great so far for everyone and that the rest of year continues in the same way. We love you all.