Christmas Vacation!

Our Christmas holidays are nearing an end :(  Cal has had this week off and I am very thankful!!  The kids have been under the weather the entire time.  Poor Blake has had the brunt of it with an ear infection, throat infection and today was diagnosed with pneumonia.  Blake is such a trooper when he is sick.  He doesn't complain at all, just like when he was younger and had back to back ear infections for almost 8 months straight - not one complaint of pain!  Granted, his behaviour has been a bit off some days!!  Today on the way to the pediatrician's office I told him that he had to tell me if there was anything bothering him, because otherwise the Dr. won't know and wouldn't be able to treat him properly.  He told me his head hurt ... all the time.  I almost cried :(  He's been spiking a fever off and on for a week now, but today was fever free.  Thank goodness!  Yesterday seemed to be the worst, with chills and feeling really cold off and on, followed by a fever.  But he's on 2 antibiotics now, one that the odd walk-in clinic Dr. prescribed for his ear infection and one our pediatrician prescribed for the pneumonia (both will hit the throat infection!).  Emerson had a fever at the beginning of the week and some diarrhea but has been fine for a few days now and Reese was also feverish for a few days, but seems to be fine now!  Em still has a nasty sounding cough and we're hoping that goes away very soon!!

Other then the above illnesses, we have had a great stay-cation.  Because Blake and Emerson were not feeling well on Christmas Eve, we were going to fore-go the Christmas Eve Church service we usually attend, but Blake and Em insisted we go!  They really look forward to the children's nativity scene on Christmas Eve!  We were glad we went, as our shepperd and angel were so cute and really enjoyed themselves!  Reese spent the majority of the service walking around the back of the Church and snacking - quite a change from playing baby Jesus last year!!

Christmas morning the kids all slept in, which was a nice present for Cal and I!!  We opened our gifts here and took our time playing with our new toys and getting ready to head to my Mom and Dad's in Stony Plain for Christmas with my parents and Lindsay and Jeremy.  When we got to Stony we opened our gifts and stockings (Santa visits our house and Grandma and Grandpa's house!!).  Later in the afternoon our family and my Mom and Dad went skating at Dog Rump Creek.  This was Emerson's 1st time on skates and she did AMAZING!!!  We could not believe it!  She was so pleased with herself and later that night when I asked her what her favorite part of the day was, she replied, "Skating all by myself, without any help!"  (I think she took about 3 steps on her own ;) )  Our little skating trip was the highlight of my Christmas Day, everyone so happy and enjoying the great outdoors and feeling so proud of our little skaters :)  Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious dinner and had a nice visit with my Aunt and Uncle before heading home later that evening.  It was a great Christmas Day! 

On Boxing Day Cal and I took in the home opener in the 2011 World Juniors - Canada vs. Finland.  Canada was by far the favorites and won the game handily!  It was so much fun, even though the score wasn't close!  Being in that environment, with thousands of fans cheering on Team Canada and then belting out the national anthem (before and after the game!) was an awesome experience!! 

On the 27th we visited the Stony Plain Cameron's.  The kids had fun playing games and checking out Colby and Jenna's new toys!  Lesley made a delicious lunch, which reminds me I still need to get the recipe!!  We also enjoyed opening gifts from Grande Prairie!  We're so thankful to have some of our Cameron family close-by :) 

Cal and Blake went to the USA vs CZE game today and had a great time!  Apparently it was a very good hockey game, which the Czech's won!!  Blake enjoyed the whole experience, from the LRT ride, to the game, to the popcorn and juice Cal bought him ;)  He also told Cal he could skate faster then those guys!  And he described the periods as games and told me that after the first game he got popcorn and juice and then there was another game and another game!!!  The only other hockey games he's been to are Cal's when he was not even 2 years old and an Initiation 2 game where they don't clean the ice between periods, so I can see why he thought there were 3 games!!  We're really looking forward to seeing his reaction in February, when Cal takes him to an Oilers game.  Their seats are in row 2 and on the side of the ice that the Oilers warm up in, so he'll be seeing them close up!

Tomorrow we are looking forward to a visit from our dear friends the Hrdlicka's!  And depending on how our kids are feeling, we may take in some New Year's Eve celebrations!! 

Talk to you next year ... (I'm so funny ;) )

xoxo

Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese