So I hear that this was a chain barrette event... Owen was putting them in Molly's hair... who was putting them in Allison's hair, who was busy putting one in Bailey's fur.... :)
I think he looks a little embarassed.
And this is what happens when we leave Owen alone with Molly and a sheet of stickers.
We were so happy to have Mom & Dad visit us here in Vancouver for Christmas. We had several days of absolutely beautiful weather and made it out to some of our favorite spots to see the sights. Here's Mom & Dad on Burnaby mountain overlooking Burrard inlet.
Owen and Grandpa on the pier at Rocky Point.
It was a beautiful afternoon and Allison got some great pictures of the scenery. This is a along the walking path at Rocky Point. The lone seagull is quite stoic on his perch. We're starting to get some snow now at elevation so the mountains are turning white again as time goes on.
Looking East. The tide was in and the inlet was quite full. The mountains are really pretty in the background.
The weekend before Christmas was rainy, but it cleared up in the evening, so we drove up Cypress Mountain to the lookout to see the city. It was really cold and Molly was throwing a fit, so here's a very happy Owen with Grandma & Grandpa
Vancouver from the North. The bridge in the center is the Lion's gate bridge. It connects North Vancouver to Stanley Park. Directly behind the bridge you can see the lights from Canada Place and to the right of that is the city center.
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house.....
Christmas Eve getting ready for church.....
Of course the silly crew came out a few times. Why is it that kids never want to stand and smile when you want them to? Owen's leg just cracks me up....
We let the kids open some special gifts from Grandma & Grandpa on Christmas eve. Owen with mom, very excited for a video about trains!
This year Dad made the little grand-daughters a bunk bed for their dolls. Molly was absolutely in love the first time she saw it. She carefully puts her dolly's to bed every night in it and covers them up.
Making sure everyone is snug as a bug.
Owen had the opportunity to buy something special from a sale at school for Allison and I. This was his gift and he was so excited to give me the "crazy" pencil. It means so much that he put thought into something just for me...
Can you just feel the attitude? We have to remind ourselves a lot these days that she's only 2.
Hmmmm which ones are for me?
When we were growing up, Mom encouraged and supported a love of reading. Now she's working hard to pass it along to the next generation! Owen just loves to sit and read with her.... here they are, with a book about trains of course.
We've had some Christmas morning traditions for decades now and one is having delicious home-made sticky buns for breakfast. Owen was an addict and devoured more than just one!
Molly was less interested in the sticky buns, but she and Grandma had made a favorite of hers earlier in the week.... pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I have no idea how many she ate. :)
Excitement and Anticipation!
Owen has a few hex bugs now and this was a new controllable crab. He and Grandpa had a lot of fun playing with them.
Molly and her play doughnuts! Look Dad, they have sprinkles!
Owen introducing Mr. Crab to Mr. Spider.
For close to a year now Owen has been talking about a model train and how much he would really really like to have one of his own. Grandma & Grandpa Stapler made the dream come true this year. He was and still is enthralled with this train and plays with it just about every day.
A new kind of Christmas sharing... Opening present together via Skype!
A quiet moment with Grandma and Bailey on the couch. Molly is a great little snuggler.
Lego Time!!
Molly and her princess scooter... She was so excited to ride "just like brother"....
Christmas was certainly different this year. It was wonderful to have mom & dad visiting, bringing a familiar feeling and family closeness to our home in Canada this year. At the same time, we also missed sharing the traditional annual celebrations with our family in Lancaster. In the end, the reason we celebrate Christmas is a steady and unchanging influence on our lives and for that we are truly blessed.
