Season’s Greetings!
Where did 2010 go?! It has been a busy year that is for sure and 2011 is looking even busier! We often hear that one day we’ll look back and wonder where the time went … but it is happening already! Does this mean we’re getting “old”?!?
We are excited to announce that we became a family of five on November 19th at 11:38 pm, with the swift arrival of Reese Peyton Anne Cameron. Reese weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19” long. So far she has been a good baby (fingers crossed, knocking on wood!). She is a gorgeous little girl, with bright blue eyes and a head full of brown hair. Blake and Emerson love their new sister and we are all so happy with our growing family.
Blake is doing wonderful and enjoying his role as big brother to Emerson and Reese! He really embraces being the oldest child and is so helpful with his younger sisters. It really melts our hearts to see Blake’s tenderness with Em and Reese. Blake and Emerson began sharing a room in October and have been even more attached at the hip since! We were grateful that the transition to a shared room went relatively smoothly. Blake turned 3 on May 5th, but he is often mistaken for a 4 yr. old, as he continues to be tall for his age! This was a big year of firsts for Blake (and his Mom and Dad)!! He started attending unparented swimming lessons, began preschool and began playing hockey! He is a very active little boy and all these activities help to burn some of that energy he has!! He absolutely loves preschool and looks forward to his Tuesday and Thursday morning classes. It is so rewarding to see him interacting with his classmates and teachers. Since turning 3 our shy, quiet(er) boy has certainly changed and is much more outgoing!!! It’s a bit of a juggling act fitting everything he loves in to his days and evenings, but trying not to over schedule him at the same time. He’s going to start swimming lessons again in the New Year. Hockey began in September (pre-season, if you can imagine at the age of 3!) and goes until March 2011. Cal is one of the coaches and together they are learning and having fun. Blake’s skating has come a long way and he loves playing the games the coaches come up with! He is in Initiation 1 and they mostly concentrate on skating skills and having fun.
Emerson will be 2 in February and is such a sweetie! She is settling in to her role as a big sister quite well! She is such a little Mommy! Always wanting to help and carry and hold Reese. We try to let her do as much as we possibly can! Emerson has a wonderful smile, with 1 dimple that lights up her face!!! She has a feisty personality, but once she flashes that smile or asks for a hug and a kiss, you quickly forget the naughty behavior that may have just occurred ;) Em loves to play with Blake and finds him the funniest person on Earth! We love watching them play and interact and hearing them having fun! She was a very early talker and we are often amazed at what comes out of her mouth!! She is on the smaller side and a lot of times those big words and sentences coming out of that little person amaze us!! Emerson is a little fish … she loves the water and has no fear! She’s been attending swimming lessons with Mom and Dad this year and is quite the handful in the water! Dunk my head in the water?? Sure, why not! Jump off the edge of the pool?? Here I go!! She keeps us busy in the pool! Her favorite thing to do is go down the little kiddie slide in to the water!! She climbs up those stairs as fast can be and shoots right down! Emerson also loves attending Come Play With Me, which is a parented program I take her and now Reese to while Blake is in Preschool. Emerson love, love, loves music, singing and dancing. She stands in the middle of the circle and sings and dances! At home she often asks us to sing her favorites, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and the list goes on! Emerson loves climbing, so in the New Year we’re going to take a break from swimming lessons and register her in gymnastics!! I’m thinking she’ll love it!
Cal is doing great! He is keeping busy at work and has worked on a few interesting special projects this year. We are very fortunate that Telus is so flexible and really a wonderful employer! Cal works 4, 10 hour days and works from home occasionally. Cal continues to run when he has time and would really like to train for a full marathon, it’s just a matter of finding that time! Hopefully he’ll be able to say he has one under his belt in the 2011 Christmas letter! Cal and his running buddy are planning to run in another ½ marathon in May. Cal has really enjoyed coaching hockey this year and seeing Blake and the other children grow and learn. Blake really looks up to “Coach Dad!” Cal also enjoys taking Em to her swimming lessons! She is certainly a Daddy’s girl! You often hear about so and so being a “Super Mom”, but let me tell you, Cal is the definition of Super Dad!!! The kids and I are very fortunate :)
I am doing great as well! A bit tired these days, but that is to be expected with 3 children under the age of 4! I returned to work briefly in March and within two weeks gave my resignation. I did continue to work 2 days a week until they found a replacement for me and I have stayed on the casual list and have picked up a few shifts here and there. This has been one of the best decisions we have ever made! Of course being a dual income family would be much more luxurious and financially “easier” then being a single income family, but the time I am spending with Blake, Emerson and Reese really is priceless. I celebrated my 30th birthday on November 14th, just 5 days before Reese joined our family! Age is really just a number to me and I certainly don’t feel 30!! I had a fun time with a few girlfriends, my sister and my Mom at a surprise birthday dinner earlier in October. What I thought was an anniversary date with Cal, was a surprise dinner for me!! And I was VERY surprised!! It was so nice of Cal, Lindsay and my Mom to plan this for me :)
We stayed fairly close to home this year during our vacation time. Early in May we took Blake to “A Day Out with Thomas” at Heritage Park in Calgary. It was a blast and all three of us had so much fun!! This year we hope to take the entire family! Emerson now loves Thomas the Tank Engine and we can’t wait to see her reaction! We had a lot of fun camping this summer, beginning with May long weekend and ending with September long weekend in Jasper. Blake and Emerson loved camping and the great outdoors. I think their favorite trip was to Ol’ MacDonald’s Resort. It’s such a great place for young families, with the train ride, carousel ride, petting zoo and beautiful beach (with an ice cream shop of course!). Cal and I were happy to have a little get-away to Canmore in July. We enjoyed taking in the local sights and taking advantage of some much needed R&R, while the kids vacationed in Stony Plain!
This holiday season we are thankful for a happy, healthy, loving family and a great group of friends. May this letter find you in good health and surrounded by loved ones at this special time of year. We hope to see many of you this year and introduce you to our new addition! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous 2011! God bless!
XOXO,
Tracy, Cal, Blake, Emerson and Reese Cameron
