A Year of Blessings

Seasons Greetings to our friends and family near and far! 2005 was another busy and fun filled year. We have been blessed with good health and with good fortune.
Gavin officially entered the "terrible twos" in March and he has lived up to this title. Within the past year he has learned many new words(sometimes words that we do not want him to learn!!OOPS!!) He has become a full fledged little boy. He has learned to love "Star Wars" and the "Rings" (Lord of the Rings.) He spends many hours playing with the ever growing collection that our family has (over 120 LOTR to date). He also loves fish, sharks and whales. Nightly we read his whale and shark book. He can name all sorts of whales and sharks by sight. To me, a whale is a whale and a shark is a shark. He is a smart boy. He also knows how to count to 16 and to ten in French. However; it hasn't been all fun and games. For example, just last week Gavin decided to feed the fish. He emptied 2 brand new containers of fish food into the fish tank and caused the tank to start to foam (as well as his mommy!!). It was a terible sight for the eyes and the nose!! (The boys' room began to smell like a caustic tank!!) It was a lot of work to get the tank cleaned...He keeps my hands full, but when he looks over at me and says, "mommy...hub ooh (Love You!) I always melt and forget the trouble he got into.
Seamus had another good year. He is a super achiever and excels at everything he does. Last week the teacher took me aside to "talk to me about Seamus". She proceeded to tell me that her and his former grade one teacher were talking and that Seamus was "just wonderful". She also has told us that Shay was a great role model. Of course we agree,but it was nice to hear it. He has made some good friends and has begun playing hockey. I have to say to all the hockey parents out there that has transported their kids to and from the rink, "Kudos". It is a full time job and sometimes I do not love the good ol' Hockey game!! Shay rarely causes problems and he helps me out "big time" with Gavin. Gavin just adores Shay and looks up to him. Shay is our good natured and sweet spirited boy.
Josey entertained us this year with his stories and anecdotes on life. He is famous for his one liners and his sharp story telling tales. Scott and I are convinced he will go into the field of entertainment. He has done really well in school and we are impressed with his achievements. Like Shay, he has begun playing hockey. He is a character on the ice. If he thinks we are watching he skates really fast, but if he doesn't notice us watching he does other things (like wave to the crowd or talk to his friends). Josey is our fun loving and easy going child. Another blessing...
My husband spent the majority of his free time fishing. Oh, the joys of fishing!! As previously mentioned beforehand, our wedding song should have been Brad Paisley' song "Gone Fishing". He had a successful fishing year and caught many (too many) fish. He certainly earned his bragging rights this year!! I thought that winter would keep him away from the river banks, but there is talk of "ice fishing"!! "When there is a will, there is a way!"
I decided to take a course in Biology. It has been going really slow. I will get through it though. I am determined...This summer Scott bought me an Elliptical trainer that has come in handy. I love it. I continued to exercise and tried to eat healthier and I did lose 21 pounds. I still have quite a ways to go, but I am happy with the results.
We did our annual vacation to Jaffray this summer. We celebrated Gramma's 80th birthday party and had a wonderful mini family reunion (and karaoke party!!). During the holidays we were fortunate enough to spend a couple of nights at a "big shot" cabin in Jasper. It was beautiful and rustic. A majestic getaway!!
The biggest event of 2005 was the purchase of our home. We moved in on November 1st and it has been pretty chaotic since. We just finished painting the living room (a greenish gray) and the upstair hallway. Beforehand our living room was a bold Fuchsia pink. We need to buy some new furniture to finish the room off, but we are extremely pleased with the results. It is surreal to me that this is our home. This Christmas will truly be special.
We were blessed to have 3 new additions to our extended family. Two of which we haven't had the pleasure of meeting. My best friend had a baby girl in September so I am officially an "Auntie" and get to have a precious baby girl(to spoil) in my life. I am honoured and (again) blessed by this.
2005 went by quickly and I am thankful for many things. I am grateful for the closeknit bond my family shares. I am grateful for the love of my family and the health of my family. With all of the tragedy that seems to hit others in different countries, I am thankful for our safe haven. We do live a simple, yet fulfilling life. I have all I have ever dreamed of wanting. Thanks to all of our friends and family. We wish you a happy and healthy festive holiday season. we wish you good health and good fortune. We hope all your hopes and dreams are fulfilled!!!
Happy Holidays!
Jenny, Scott, Seamus, Jonas and Gavin