Live it!

Just 'cause

...some sassy cuteness - courtesy of Miss C.

 

My new camera

Yay! I cried when I opened this on Christmas morning.. I am not a jewelery girl - Diamonds are not this girls best friend... but pass me the camera equipment and I am a very happy girl :)

This is the camera that Shaune wanted to get me last year for Christmas but it was only 'rumoured' to be coming available sometime in 2008. At some point I sorta forgot about the camera and put thoughts of ever getting it this year on the back burner as we saved for our adoption and 'life' stuff. I was REALLY surprised to open up this gift Christmas morning. I haven't had much of a chance yet to try it out but I love the feel of it (it is a bit heavier than my Pentax *istD was) and it is an amazing camera... all shiney and new!

Here are the specs since I get a lot of emails from people asking me what kind of camera I use. As of Dec 25th... I am using the new Pentax K20, 14.6 megapixel beauty of a thing. I guess I now have no excuse not to start booking photo shoots - I have a great camera and a great back-up camera that still is in great condition, considering my *istD is now 5 years old!

Spec: see link here.

Happy, Happy, Happy! That is me.

A merry time indeed!

Well, Christmas has come and gone... that's how fast it happens. The kids had a magical Christmas and so did we because we got to watch them :)

Chloe says her favourite gift from yesterday is her Easy Bake Oven and her Sugar Rush Barbie head (it makes lip gloss!)

Keaton says his favourite gift from yesterday was the Star Wars Lego ships he got.

You'll notice in the photos that poor little Chloe is covered in an amoxicillin rash... head to toe but she got the worst of it on her face. Somehow (easily) she managed to still be beautiful and was a total trooper about it. It didn't hurt or itch... it just looked like it should.

Keaton with his Lego:

 

Chloe got a Puppet Theater:

 

Henry the dog:

 

Team work with the Play doh Ice Cream Shoppe:

 

Happiness:

 

She didn't let the rash get her spirit's down... here she is with her Barbie that makes lipstick (as evident on her lips!):

Blurry shot but I love it... my men: 

 

We started the day at around 7:20am when Chloe woke up and came in and said "Wake up Momma, it is Christmas". They were thrilled with their toys Santa brought and tore into the gifts. Shaune made an amazing Eggs Benedict breakfast that was a real treat.

We headed to the Emerson family Christmas that has graduated from Gram's house to a hall nearby that can accomodate all her children, spouses, grandkids, and great grandkids. It also accomodates the noise and chaos that comes with excited little children on Christmas day. Gram looked wonderful and she is the best gift of all... having another Christmas with such a great lady. She turns 96 this coming year and is just a terrific person. Lunch was amazing with a full sit-down turkey dinner and dessert. Aunt Ann, Uncle T and Mom and Dad work really hard decorating the hall and it looked great. Everyone pitched in on the meal and I made my Mac and Cheese Casserole (which was a hit). It was another great Emerson Christmas.

Gram said a beautiful speech:

 

Sweet lil' Teyan... the current youngest of the crew:

 

The girls had fun dressing Harrison up as a princess - he is a good sport:

 

Chloe and Keaton:

Next up was another wonderful meal at Shaune's parents. Nana K was able to attend and it's always a treat to see her. Aaron and Sarah were there with our sweet neice and nephew... so I got my cuddles with Thomas and Adah was adorable and so excited to be with her big cousins. Lynn makes an excellent turkey and we somehow managed to gobble down a 2nd turkey dinner of the day. Shaune had his tum's so all was good and he had seconds ;)

Only way I could get a photo of Adah... when she was hugging on Keaton:

 

Nana K and sweet Tom-Tom:

Today we head to my mom and dad's for a Boxing Day celebration - we order chinese food and open more gifts... sort of an extension of Christmas for all the stuff you can't fit into the big day.

We feel so blessed to enjoy another Christmas together and are thankful for family most of all. Next year we surely will have another child to enjoy and the coming year promises to be full of blessings and joy as we will hopefully travel to Vietnam to be united with our 3rd child... it is the only Christmas wish that didn't happen this year - but I have faith that our time is coming and soon, I hope!

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Holly Jolly Christmas Video Starring the Lightfoots

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Enjoy... be patient and allow it to load. It is a blast! ;)

Video stars Shaune, Leslie, Keaton, Chloe and Henry the dog!

On the Eve of Christmas...

...I have a little girl that is covered in spots. OMG when she woke up this morning and I got a look at her I worried a bit but also had to chuckle. We haven't had much luck this Christmas - especially Chloe who had strep throat and a flu bug and now (according to Telehealth Canada phone hotline) has a lovely amoxycillin rash all over her body. Apparently it is fairly common and should go away in less than a week.

Until the rash goes away she is a lovely spotted cheetah! It isn't bugging her and isn't itchy so I'm glad of that. I worried this morning when I first saw her spots that she may have something contagious and that we would have to cancel all our plans for Christmas.

As for plans: we were going to go to church tonight but I don't think we will now. We hope to visit some friends and then come home for a quiet night - we told the kids they could open one gift tonight - usually it is a Christmas book for us to read to them.

They are excited! Me too actually. Shaune has to work 1/2 the day today and then is off for a week - it will be nice to have some time together to chill and maybe do a day trip somewhere one day next wk.

Chloe says: "Merry Polka-dotty Christmas!"

Henry Boy

This sweet boy rarely makes it into photos but he is ALWAYS around... usually right under my feet. I affectionately call him my shadow because he follows me everywhere I go. If he isn't under my feet though, he is chillin' at his favourite perch... on the stairs - almost always watching for something to bark at, but sometimes catching some ZZZ's.

I love this guy. He is a big mess right now and needs a hair trim but that is apparently not happening before Christmas time now. My favourite thing about Henry is his freckles (they say owners pick dogs that resemble them?) and his puff of hair always sticking up ont top of his head.

 

 

Christmas Greetings

Well, I think all my cards are finally in the mail. I have a few to hand deliver to friends but that will have to wait til tomorrow... because it is a beautiful snowy lazy Sunday and I intend on not doing much other than maybe some groceries.

Here is our Greeting card we sent out this year... I was sick all this week with a nasty case of Strep Throat and so many won't be getting their cards before the big day. Oh well, I figure late is better than not at all :)

Click on the card to see a decent image of it.

 

Happy Holidays to all our family and friends. May the peace and happiness this time of year brings last all throughout the year... wouldn't that be a wonderful gift to spread around!

Oh and here is our families Christmas song Playlist for the year:

1. Deck the Halls - Shedaisy

2. Christmas Vacation - Mavis Stapley

3. As long as there's Christmas - Aselin Debison

4. Santa Baby - LeAnn Rimes

5. Cool Yule - Bette Midler

6. Last Christmas - Taylor Swift

7. Somewhere in my Memory - Bette Midler

8. Everybody Loves Christmas - Eddie Money

9. So This is Christmas - Celine Dion

10. Something about Christmas - Bryan Adams

11. Believe - Josh Groban

12. Santa Claus Lane - Hillary Duff

13. Mary's Boy Child - Boney M.

14. Where are you Christmas? - Faith Hill

15. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Leon Redbone/ Zooey Deschanel

16. Santa's got a brand new bag - Shedaisy

17. When Christmas comes to Town - Polar Express Soundtrack

18. It's a wonderful Life - Vince Gill & Trisha Yearwood

19. Grown-up Christmas List - Michael Buble

20. Let it be Christmas - Alan Jackson

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Merry Christmas from the Lightfoots!

Dear Santa Letters

Chloe recited her's for me to write... Keaton came up with his all on his own.

 

A busy Dec 13th

Yesterday was Keaton's birthday! It was such a busy day that it didn't feel like we got a chance to really celebrate it. Keaton was in the Percy Township hockey tournament yesterday and was up at 6:45am to be ready to leave for his first of 3 games... what a way to spend your birthday?! Luckily he loves hockey and his buddies from hockey so he spent the day with a big smile on his face. He has a sore throat and isn't feeling his very best but he managed a good day on the ice. The team lost the first game 4-2, won the 2nd game 1-0, and lost the 3rd game 3-2 (it was such a close and exciting game!)

 

 

Meanwhile we had Chloe's dance recital at 1pm and so she and I had to drive an hour back home to attend that before heading back to the rink again. She was so adorable. Her ballet class starred in Twas the night before Christmas and she was a white mouse... tutu and all. She was so proud of herself and my mom came with me to the recital to cheer her on.

 

(Kerri got this shot below of Chloe... love it!)

Keaton's last game was over at 6pm and so we got home in time to rush off to my families Christmas party at Aunt Betty's. We were all so exhausted from our busy day but managed to stay til' about 11pm I think... the kids had a blast playing with the few little cousins that were there... and lovin' up to all my Aunts and Uncles. It was a good time and over too soon.

We ended Keaton's birthday with letting him sleep with mommy for the night. I know that at 8 yrs old he is not going to want to cuddle with me for many more years. I couldn't help but reflect back on our first night together, the night after his morning birth and how wonderful it felt to be this sweet boys mother. He makes me extremely proud with how sweet, funny and special he is. I truly can't believe he is 8 years old - where does the time go?!

Gingerbread house

The kids and I made this 'yummy' Gingerbread house on their snow day this week - a day off school - I had to keep them occupied and happy. They had a blast. This was our first ever and it is certainly a trial and error process and the roof slid off the house a couple times before we perfected it!

Here is the finished 'masterpiece'... it has since been slowly devoured by Chloe and Keaton.