Party Time

Just after Christmas we left Saskatoon and came back home to meet Craig and Jen who were coming to visit from Regina. We were very excited to have them come. Let's just say the typical letdown after Christmas was not present this year because we had such fun times to look forward to. We played games, ate together, played with the kids, made some cards, went shopping in the metropolis of Nipawin, talked and had a surprise birthday party for Jen. When we lived in the city we lived much closer to Craig and Jen and saw them all the time. We miss those days but are confident that God has each of us where he wants us right now. It was so exciting to hear how God is using both of them in Regina. Our time with them was so precious and we they are gifts from God.


Craig and Jen are especially special to Liam because they are his godparents. They pray for him and their example as awesome people who love God is so important.

Elea

Just before Christmas 2008, my grandma Skeldon passed away after a long battle with cancer. I posted about it back then. In June, my grandpa came out to the campus for the annual seniors retreat that he had attended with grandma for several years. It was a hard week week for him as everyone was asking where Irene was and it was something that had enjoyed so much together. Near the beginning of the retreat he sat down in his usual spot and a few women sat down beside him. The one directly beside him could tell that he wasn't doing well and asked if everything was okay. He soon learned that this lady was Eleanora and she was from Prince Albert. She had been a grief and marriage counsellor there. Her husband had passed away suddenly a few years ago from a heart attack. They began to talk more and soon were spending a lot of their free time together. At the end of the week I offered to drive Grandpa back to Melfort to meet up with my parents to take him the rest of the way to Saskatoon. I could tell very quickly that my grandpa was quite taken with Elea. We talked about his week and Elea all the way to Melfort. It was great! They began to talk to each other the phone and visiting each other until one day they grandpa announced that he had asked Elea to marry him and she had said yes! They were married in October 2009 in Prince Albert and have been living there ever since. We were able to spend some time with them at Christmas and the visit was very special. It was so special to see Grandpa so happy and full of thankfulness for the gift of Elea and it was neat to get to know Elea better. I was reminded how thankful I am that God is in control of our lives and that he is the author of each of our stories. He is able to bring beauty from the ashes.

Liam turned 4 on December 20!

So I'm a bit behind on this one but better late than never. Liam invited five of his friends here on campus and we all went bowling. Ever gone bowling with four year old kids before. If not, you really haven't lived until you've done so. The cute little bowling shoes, bowling balls s-l-o-w-l-y going down the lane only to duck into the gutter before hitting the pin on the end, and a large dent in the wood of the lane due to the "rolling" of the ball. Seriously, what is not to love about this. We had a good time and then came back to our house for the rest of the party. Thankfully we planned it this way because while we were at the small bowling alley there were two other birthday parties taking place. We got back here and the Thomas the Tank Engine party commenced. We had decorations up and the kids played Thomas bingo before cutting out the Railway Track cake. I did have two engines on the track too but forgot to take pictures of that. Liam had a blast hanging out with his friends and enjoyed the day.

Bath Time...it just doesn't get old!

I think I've said this before, but I just don't get sick of bath tub pictures. These pictures were taken in between trying to keep Libby in the tub and trying to keep Liam from pouring too much water on Libby's head. The former can be quite difficult at times. She loves to stand up in the tub and once, with Lindsay watching on in the bathroom, she slipped over the side of the tub like a seal. I didn't even know this was possible as Liam was much more willing enjoy the bathing experience from INSIDE the tub.

Tired Out?

Just before we left for Sasktoon for Christmas I was cleaning up the house and noticed that the kids had knocked over one of the snowmen. I ran and got the camera because the sight of this made me laugh. Either this little snowman had sampled too much of the holiday punch or all the preparations had just tired him out. Glad we made it through without falling on our faces. This year actually seemed less stressful than most and for that I am thankful.

Christmas Eve at the Skeldon House

Well Jen, I don't think that's a Christmas carol but if it were it would be an interesting one. Hey, that gives me an idea...

Oh, never mind.

If I had my mother's unique ability to write poetry and little diddies, I would just take a few minutes to write a song about our Christmas eve this year and have you all bursting at the seams with laughter. You should hear the one she wrote about our Christmas tree excursion when we were kids. Maybe it's only funny if you were one of the people in the van driving back from the PA forest that day with Christmas tree branches stuck in your ears...yes, THEY PUT IT IN THE VAN AND NOT ON TOP LIKE MOST FAMILIES WOULD! Either way, she is talented not only as a writer but as a mom and grandma. After the Christmas tree incident it has taken years of therapy for me to be able to say that without smelling pine, having my feet freeze up and needing to stop to go to the bathroom in the bush. Can you tell it's getting late? Someday, I'm just going to have tell you this story. Until then...

Christmas eve was great...here are some pictures...

Christmas time is here...happiness and cheer...

Okay, Christmas has actually come and gone and I'm just getting around to blogging about it but does that really surprise anybody? No? Didn't think so. Wouldn't want to overwhelm you with too many posts from A.L.L.L. in the Family.

Everyone we come in contact with since Christmas has asked us the usual question of how it went. I've been telling everyone that it was relaxing. Not something I usually say about this season. The time before we left for Saskatoon was crazy but once we got there and then back here it was very restful. We had more time on campus than usual and we really enjoyed being able to have extra family time. I actually made supper in my PJs one day...and that wasn't because I was sick or got ready for bed early. That day I was just too preoccupied with my puzzle and book to get dressed! It was wonderful. Now that we are back to real life it's time to share some pictures with you. Here are some pictures that we took on Christmas eve with my family before we opened gifts.




Brad and girlfriend, Rachel. We are really enjoying getting to know Rachel. She is a lot of fun to be with.


Liam really likes Rachel and might even have a bit of a crush on her. Whenever she was around he had to be hanging out with her. Pure girl. I think kids are like cats. They are able to figure out very quickly the people in their world that like kids and are good with them. That, and she is beautiful! As you can see here, when he heard that it was Brad and Rachel's turn for a picture he jumped right in.